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Format a manuscript

JMIR Publications

Prepare your manuscript for JMIR Formative Research.

Review the checklist, choose your article type, and turn your draft into a cleaner submission package.

Checked 2026-07-15
Check readiness freePrepare this manuscript

Article types

Review
Perspective
Letter

Readiness requirements

Review the key details below, or download the complete checklist with every stored source-backed requirement.

Abstract length

  • Provide an author-written abstract of no more than 450 words.
  • Use a unstructured abstract.
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  • Abstract: 1-2 sentence summary of the article and key message(s); maximum of 300 words in unstructured, narrative format.
  • Abstract: Unstructured (maximum 450 words).
  • Implementation Reports requirements include: Abstract: Required.
  • There should be a short unstructured abstract.
  • They are not peer reviewed, and an abstract, tables and additional figures are not required.
  • Structure: For most article types, a structured abstract is required.
  • Include the required abstract.
  • Letter: Abstract: Research letters do not include full abstracts; however, it is recommended to include a sentence summarizing the Research Letter in the abstract field, to be published under the heading Abstract.
  • The abstract should be unstructured (narrative), although if data are presented, a structured abstract (Background, Objective, Methods, Results, Conclusions) should be used.
  • A short unstructured abstract is required.

Keywords

  • Include or confirm the keywords required by the journal. Articlo checks this item and flags anything that still needs author input.

Reference style

  • Articlo formats your supplied references in AMA style and checks that citations match the reference list; source validity is not verified.
  • References: 10; the first reference should cite the JMIR Publications paper on which the article is commenting.
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  • References: 5; the first reference should always cite the article commented on (published within the last 6 months).
  • Papers in this category should be 600 words or less and contain no more than 10 references.
  • Maximum references: 10.
  • Each multimedia appendix file must contain its own complete reference list, even if some references also appear in the main manuscript's reference list.
  • Do not use the footnotes for the reference list.
  • Additional guidelines and examples of reference types: How should references be formatted?
  • Exclusions: Word counts do not include author metadata, references, multimedia appendices, or figure content.
  • Special Requirements for JMIR Dermatology In addition to the above requirements, Case Reports submitted to JMIR Dermatology also require the following: Maximum references: 10.
  • Provide at least one unique identifier for each reference (ie, DOI and PMID for journal articles, an ISBN for books, or a functional URL with an access date for online resources).

Figure and table rules

  • Keep every figure and table numbered, captioned, and cited in the manuscript.
  • Tables longer than 3 pages in Word must be moved to a Multimedia Appendix.
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  • **A PRISMA flow diagram is also required and should be included in the Results section as a figure (rather than a multimedia appendix) per items 16a and 16b in the PRISMA checklist.
  • ***A CONSORT flow diagram is also required and should be included in the Results section as a figure (rather than a multimedia appendix) per items 13a and 13b in the CONSORT checklist.
  • Typically, one figure in the Results section must be a flow diagram of the study selection.
  • Also, see the table below for more information on checklists that are required or recommended based on the study design.
  • Captions for tables and textboxes should be clear, logical, and informative.
  • Specific instructions on formatting tables and textboxes: How should tables and textboxes be formatted?
  • Figures Captions for figures should be descriptive, self-explanatory, and should define any abbreviations, colors, or symbols used.
  • Each appendix should have a clear and descriptive caption.
  • Special Requirements for JMIR Dermatology In addition to the above requirements, Case Reports submitted to JMIR Dermatology also require the following: Figures/Tables: maximum of 10; among figures/images, a histopathological picture of each (and all) skin condition(s) described.
  • Permissions and acknowledgments: If any figures contain identifiable information or are reproduced from external sources, you must obtain necessary permissions from the copyright holder.

Funding statement

  • Add or confirm the author-written Funding statement; Articlo flags it if author input is still needed.
  • Funding Statement (Note that funding sources must be declared, preferably in a separate section that Acknowledgement).
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  • Funding (required) It is mandatory to disclose any funding information, including support for APF payment, in a dedicated Funding section.
  • Review: (Optional) If authors wish to submit their protocol through an expedited review pathway with APF discount, AND the study has received grant agency funding, it is required to provide grant agency peer review reports.
  • Include the required funding statement.

Competing interests

  • Conflicts of Interest (required) Disclose any potential conflicts of interest, financial or non-financial, related to the subjects discussed in the manuscript here.
  • Conflicts of Interest (required).

Data availability statement

  • Add or confirm the author-written Data availability statement; Articlo flags it if author input is still needed.
  • Data Availability (required) Ensuring your research data is accessible is a key aspect of transparent science.
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  • A “Data Availability” statement is required for all submissions reporting original research data.
  • If data access is restricted, you must still provide a Data Availability statement.
  • Use one of our template statements: What is your data sharing policy?
  • Data Availability (required).

Ethics statement

  • Add or confirm the author-written Ethics statement; Articlo flags it if author input is still needed.
  • Additional important notes: For implementation reports with a research component, ethical approval or a waiver from an appropriate ethics committee is required.
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  • ** Important: It is required for authors to attest to having obtained the necessary informed consent from the patient or their proxy.
  • (For case reports only ) Authors must include a statement attesting that they have obtained appropriate patient/proxy consent to publish the case report.
  • This section should also detail information on informed consent, privacy, confidentiality, and participant compensation, if applicable.
  • M ethods (e.g. with the subheadings, Study Design, Recruitment, Analysis, Ethical Considerations, etc. Note that special ethical considerations, including regarding informed consent, are required when studies involve potentially vulnerable populations).
  • Authors should adhere to a standard form for obtaining patient consent that is applicable to and adheres to to local/institutional or regional/national regulations for obtaining patient consent.
  • These articles should propose or evaluate practical strategies, not just focus on patient experiences, and can cover topics from clinical practice and quality improvement to public health and the use of artificial intelligence.
  • Authorship: Strongly recommended that papers to include one or more of the following in their co-authorship: (1) at least one author to represent the target readership, which lends credibility and lived experience to the work; and/or (2) a patient or member(s) of the general public.
  • If authors do not have a standard form, then a suggested patient consent form is downloadable here.
  • Since these papers are written by patients, they do not need a full address or phone number for the corresponding author; just City/State/Country is acceptable.

Cover letter

  • Letter: Provide the claims and editor-specific context for the cover letter; Articlo creates an editable companion without inventing content.
  • Review: Provide the claims and editor-specific context for the cover letter; Articlo creates an editable companion without inventing content.
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  • Letter: For more information: What should be included in a cover letter?
  • Letter: See: What should be included in a cover letter?
  • Do not include copyrighted material without written permission.
  • Letter: Submit a cover letter.
  • Letter: Authors should clearly state in their cover letter that they have obtained the necessary consent, and also include a statement in their manuscript also stating that they have obtained consent.
  • Review / Letter: Specific details that require the submission of a cover letter includes one or more of the following: If authors are not able to address an applicable APF (only due after peer review and acceptance): Justification for the APF needing to be waived due to an institutional partnership or membership.
  • Review / Letter: Specific details that require the submission of a cover letter includes one or more of the following: If authors are not able to address an applicable APF (only due after peer review and acceptance): Justification for an APF support request due to other reasons.

Author contributions

  • Use the preferred CRediT taxonomy format ( https://credit.niso.org/ ).

Supplementary files

  • Letter: Include every cited supplementary file and use matching labels in the manuscript.
  • Review: Include every cited supplementary file and use matching labels in the manuscript.
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  • Perspective: Include every cited supplementary file and use matching labels in the manuscript.
  • Embed or attach the author-supplied supplementary material so Articlo can extract and label it for the package.
  • Such documentation should be uploaded as a supplementary file (not intended for publication).

Title page and author information

  • For additional help with author information, consult these articles: How should I enter author affiliations?
  • JMIR Publications requires that all authors / coauthors have an ORCID (a unique researcher identifier) at the time of publication.

Article structure and word limits

  • * Required/Recommended guidelines in effect since September 2023.
  • Length: Keep it concise, with a maximum of 450 words.
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  • Optimization: Aim for a maximum of 10,000 words in the main body.
  • Papers should be written in accordance with the American Medical Association Manual of Style: A Guide for Authors and Editors, 11 th Edition (Oxford University Press; 2020).
  • Unstructured (maximum 450 words).
  • While they can be added after submission, ORCIDs are required in case of acceptance.
  • For these article types, a completed checklist must be uploaded in a multimedia appendix.
  • Review: Registration: For randomized controlled trials, see: RCT and Trial Registration Requirements and How should trial and systematic review registrations be cited?
  • See What reporting guidelines should I follow for my article?
  • * If an article does not fit into this structure, authors should consider submitting the work as a Tutorial, Viewpoint, or Proposal.
  • Review: See How should trial and systematic review registrations be cited?
  • Letter: Research Letter Research Letters should present new, early, or preliminary research findings.
  • Special Requirements for JMIR Dermatology In addition to the above requirements, Cochrane Corners must also adhere to Cochrane's Co-Publication Policy.
  • All Viewpoints should be grounded in the focus/scope of a given journal.
  • Tutorial requirements include: Title: Must include "Tutorial" in the second part of the study title.
  • Implementation Reports requirements include: Appendices: Providing the i-CHECK-DH implementation report checklist is required.
  • For those without a research component, ethical considerations may still be relevant, but do not necessarily require approval or waiver.
  • A Case Report should include at least one clinical image (appropriate to the discipline).
  • JMIR Publications does not require authors to provide the signed consent form.
  • However, authors should be prepared to provide one if it is requested.
  • All protocols should be submitted to JMIR Research Protocols.
  • Title: Must clearly identify the paper as a "protocol" in the subtitle, followed by the study design.
  • See also: Why should I publish my protocol or grant proposal?
  • If your submission is a Protocol, it should be submitted as such to JMIR Research Protocols.
  • Additionally, an 'In Memoriam' should be a recent death, which occurred in the last three years, and be written by authors who personally knew the deceased.
  • Guidelines that are particularly relevant for JMIR Publications journals include but are not limited only to: Study Design.
  • Which degrees should be included in the metadata, and how do I format them?
  • Familiarize yourself with the journal's formatting requirements: How should P values be reported?
  • Be sure to include any required acknowledgments.
  • For graphs, data labels and axes labels must be clearly specified.
  • Include any other individuals or groups you'd like to acknowledge for their support or assistance.
  • Letter: Use sentence case for article titles (ie, do not capitalize the first letter of every word).
  • For general information about the structure and content of a biomedical manuscript, authors should become familiar with the ICMJE Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals before reading our specific instructions for authors below.
  • All JMIR Publications journals require adherence to and upload of reporting guidelines and checklists for specific article types, such as randomized trials, systematic literature reviews, and scoping literature reviews.
  • Review: Such narrative reviews must be focused and provide an up-to-date, evidence-based, and balanced review on a topic of current and general interest in biomedical engineering.
  • Review: Registration: Strongly recommended, for randomized controlled trials and systematic literature reviews, see: RCT and Trial Registration Requirements and How should trial and systematic review registrations be cited?
  • Review: Policy proposals should be based on a thorough review of the literature and stakeholder consultations, workshops, consensus-building processes, etc. If the manuscript reflects the opinion of an individual (or small group of individuals), submit the article as a Viewpoint to an appropriate JMIR Publications journal.
  • Review: Please review the JMIR Publications APF Support policy here and only after complete review of the policy, then submit an application for APF support on the link provided: Can you waive or discount the fees for me? (note that APF support applications submitted that do not meet the stated criteria in the policy would be automatically declined).
  • Reporting Guidelines Authors are recommended, or in some cases required, to adhere to the applicable study design and reporting guidance for their study in preparing manuscripts for submission to JMIR Publications journals.
  • Required/Recommended*.
  • They do not follow the traditional IMRD format.
  • Letter: We do not allow brief research reports as Letter to the Editor; instead, see: Research Letter.
  • If author(s) do not wish for an automatic transfer, then please state this as well.
  • They may or may not be peer-reviewed.

Reporting guidelines

  • Include or confirm the reporting guidelines required by the journal. Articlo checks this item and flags anything that still needs author input.

Statistical reporting

  • Authors who are not sure how to report their quantitative results should consult this book: How to Report Statistics in Medicine: Annotated Guidelines for Authors, Editors, and Reviewers, Second Edition (American College of Physicians, 2006).
  • Data should be presented clearly and adhere to journal guidelines on statistical reporting.

Preprints and prior publication

  • Letter: Material that has been published as a preprint can be considered; any previous or simultaneous publication on the Internet must be disclosed in the cover letter.
  • Include copies of potentially redundant or duplicative material that has been previously published, or is currently being considered elsewhere; provide links to duplicative material on the Internet.
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  • Letter: Specific details that require the submission of a cover letter includes one or more of the following: An explanation if the submission has been previously published or being considered by another journal.

Artificial intelligence disclosure

  • Add or confirm the author-written Artificial intelligence statement; Articlo flags it if author input is still needed.
  • Important note on generative AI: You must disclose whether generative AI was used in any part of your manuscript's creation.
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  • Letter: If no AI tools were used, you should attest to this during the submission or revision process (eg, in the cover letter).

Article type and manuscript length

  • Maximum word count: 1000 words (includes all text in the manuscript's IMRD structure).
  • Implementation Reports requirements include: Maximum word count: 3000 (includes all text in the manuscript's IMRD structure).
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  • Maximum word count: 1000 words(includes all text in the manuscript structure).
  • Maximum word count: 3500 (includes all text in the manuscript's IMRD structure).
  • Letter: During the submission process, authors may include a cover letter with comments for the Editor (maximum word count of 500 words).
  • Maximum word count: 5000, which is strongly recommended, although most Viewpoint articles reflecting personal perspectives should be shorter (includes all text in the manuscript structure).
  • Maximum word count: 500.
  • In Microsoft Word, use the default Heading Style H2 for the article type (H1 for the article title, and H2 for all IMRD subheadings, H3 to H5 for sub-subheadings). (see: How should headings be formatted? ).
  • Formatting the Main Text All manuscripts must adhere to JMIR House Style and Editorial Guidelines and the 11th edition of the AMA Manual of Style: A Guide for Authors and Editors.
  • Maximum word count: See Manuscript Length and Word Count Guidelines.
  • Cite unpublished materials (personal communications, unaccepted manuscripts) only in the main text, with relevant permission.
  • This is generally non-negotiable; authors should provide abridged versions in the main text if the data is essential.
  • Review / Letter: The manuscript must adhere to Research Letter format (word count, quantity of references, and number of tables/figures) throughout the peer review process and at the time of acceptance.
  • Special Requirements for JMIR Dermatology In addition to the above requirements, Case Reports submitted to JMIR Dermatology also require the following: Maximum word count: 1000 (includes all text in the manuscript structure above).
  • Important: A short results section must be included in both the abstract and the body text, which typically reflects the study status and/or timeline details. (see: What should I put into the results section of a protocol or proposal? ).
  • Here is the format for Original Papers (to see detailed information about word count and related information, and for requirements for other article types see What are the article types for JMIR journals? ): The following format (" IMRD Format ") must be used for article types that contain original research data: Title ( What are JMIR's guidelines for article titles? ).

Manuscript structure

  • The articles should follow JMIR’s title guidelines, be at most 750 words (headings are free) and contain a black-and-white image of the referenced individual.
  • The articles should follow title guidelines, be at most 750 words (headings are free) and contain a black-and-white image of the referenced individual.
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  • Important: The Methods must include a textbox that contains two sections: “What you need to know” (3-5 bullet points): Provide specific, actionable takeaway messages; also provide key learning points from the article.
  • Important: The Methods must include a textbox that contains two sections: “Education and Methods in Practice” (2-3 reflective questions): State how readers might improve individual practice; and how organizations might implement changes.
  • If your study consists of different stages/parts, subheadings in this section should mirror subheadings in the methods section to describe these parts.
  • Acknowledgements ( How should the "Acknowledgments" section be formatted? ).
  • Please use further subheadings within the main "Introduction," "Methods," "Results," and "Discussion" sections.
  • Submit your paper, create a user account as author and submit the paper in the author section of your user homepage.
  • Title: See What are JMIR's guidelines for article titles? and What are some examples of methods/study designs that should appear in the article title?
  • Structured (maximum 450 words), with the following headers: Background - Objective - Methods - Results - Conclusions.
  • Manuscript structure: Main headings must be IMRD: Introduction - Methods - Results - Discussion.*.
  • Structured (maximum 450 words), with the following headers: Background - Objective - Methods - Implementation (Results) - Conclusions.
  • Implementation Reports requirements include: Manuscript structure: Main headings must be IMRD: Introduction - Methods - Implementation (Results) - Discussion.
  • Structured (maximum 450 words ), with the following headers: Background - Objectives - Methods - Results - Conclusions.
  • See also: What are some examples of methods/study designs that should appear in the article title?
  • Avoid revealing results: The title should introduce your work, not give away your findings.
  • Additional guidelines: How should the "Acknowledgments" section be formatted?
  • Some preliminary observations can also be included, such as baseline characteristics, and/or any deviations from the original protocol and associated reasons; however, any actual results of analyses or interpretations should be avoided at this stage (see What should I put into the results section of a protocol or proposal? ).
  • Introduction The Introduction should define the research problem, provide background information, state research questions/hypotheses, and conclude with a clear statement of the study's aims.
  • Results for protocols can be a very brief summary of progress to date, recruitment/enrolment status as of a specified date, timelines, when results are expected, screenshots of an application or flow diagrams, etc.

Study reporting guidelines

  • For example: Before submission, authors of RCTs involving eHealth interventions must fill in the electronic CONSORT-EHEALTH questionnaire with quotes from their manuscript; if authors wish to comment on the importance of the items from the checklist for reporting, please also rate each item on a scale between 1-5.
  • Appendices: For some original research study designs, reporting must adhere to standard reporting guidelines and providing a reporting guideline checklist is required.
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  • Study design flowcharts: standard flow charts like PRISMA or CONSORT diagrams should be presented within the Results section.
  • Review: Appendices: For some literature review designs, such as systematic literature reviews and scoping literature reviews, providing a reporting guideline checklist is required.
  • When reporting guideline checklists are required, authors must upload their completed checklists as multimedia appendix when submitting a manuscript to a JMIR Publications journal.

Authorship and originality

  • Letter: The cover letter should include an attestation about inclusive authorship; when this is not possible, the authors should provide an explanation for this in the cover letter instead.

Language and text style

  • Do you allow the use of ChatGPT or other generative language models and how should this be reported?
  • Any abbreviation used three or more times in your manuscript (initialisms or acronyms) must be listed alphabetically at the end of your manuscript.
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  • The journal maintains a list of standard abbreviations that do not require definition; you may use these freely.
  • See the list of standard abbreviations that can be used without definition: Which abbreviations don't need to be expanded?
  • Abbreviations (required).
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What your package checks

Abstract: 450 words
Paper: 1,000 words
References: AMA
Declarations: Data availability, Funding, Ethics, Acknowledgements, Artificial intelligence

Source transparency

This preparation guide uses published publisher-wide author requirements. Journal instructions can change, so authors should complete a final review before submission.

Open official guideline source