Asia-Pacific Journal of Lifestyle Medicine

Article Types

APJLM publishes several types of articles. Please select the most appropriate category for your submission and adhere to the specific requirements outlined below.

Manuscript Preparation

All manuscripts should be prepared in accordance with the following guidelines to ensure consistency and facilitate the review process.

General Requirements

• Manuscripts must be written in clear, concise English (American or British spelling, but consistent throughout)
• Use Microsoft Word (.docx) or LaTeX format
• Double-space all text, including references and figure legends
• Use 12-point Times New Roman or Arial font
• Number all pages consecutively
• Include continuous line numbering throughout the manuscript

Manuscript Structure

Original research articles should follow the IMRAD format:

1. Title Page: Title, all author names and affiliations, corresponding author contact details, word count, number of figures/tables
2. Abstract: Structured abstract (Background, Methods, Results, Conclusions) of 250 words maximum
3. Keywords: 3-6 keywords for indexing purposes
4. Introduction: Background, rationale, and objectives
5. Methods: Study design, participants, interventions, outcomes, and statistical analysis
6. Results: Presentation of findings with appropriate statistics
7. Discussion: Interpretation, limitations, and implications
8. Conclusions: Brief summary of key findings
9. Acknowledgments: Funding sources and contributions
10. References: Following Vancouver style

Formatting Guidelines

Title

The title should be concise yet informative, accurately reflecting the content of the article. Avoid abbreviations and acronyms in the title. Maximum 150 characters including spaces.

Abstract

Abbreviations

Define all abbreviations at first use in the abstract and again in the main text. Avoid non-standard abbreviations. A list of abbreviations should be provided after the abstract if more than 10 abbreviations are used.

References

APJLM uses the Vancouver reference style (numbered citations). References should be numbered consecutively in the order in which they first appear in the text.

In-Text Citations

Use superscript numbers after punctuation marks. When citing multiple references, separate numbers with commas or use a hyphen for consecutive numbers.

Reference List Format

List all references at the end of the manuscript. Use the following formats:

Figures and Tables

Tables

• Number tables consecutively using Arabic numerals (Table 1, Table 2, etc.)
• Provide a brief, descriptive title above each table
• Use horizontal lines only at the top and bottom of the table and below column headings
• Define all abbreviations in footnotes below the table
• Submit tables in editable format (Word or Excel), not as images

Figures

• Number figures consecutively using Arabic numerals (Figure 1, Figure 2, etc.)
• Provide figure legends on a separate page at the end of the manuscript
• Submit figures as separate files in high resolution (minimum 300 dpi)
• Acceptable formats: TIFF, EPS, PDF, or high-quality JPEG
• For graphs, ensure text is legible and axes are clearly labeled
• Color figures are encouraged for online publication

Ethical Considerations

Research Ethics

All research involving human participants must have been approved by an appropriate institutional review board (IRB) or ethics committee. The manuscript must include:

• Name of the approving ethics committee
• Ethics approval reference number
• Statement confirming informed consent was obtained
• For clinical trials: registration number and registry name

Conflicts of Interest

All authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could potentially influence the research. This includes:

• Financial support from commercial entities
• Consultancy fees or honoraria
• Stock ownership or patents
• Personal relationships that may bias the work

Authorship

Authorship should be based on the ICMJE criteria. All authors should have:

1. Made substantial contributions to conception/design or data acquisition/analysis
2. Drafted the article or revised it critically for important intellectual content
3. Approved the final version to be published
4. Agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work

Data Availability

Authors are encouraged to make research data available in public repositories. A Data Availability Statement should be included indicating how data can be accessed or explaining any restrictions.

Peer Review Process

All submissions undergo rigorous peer review to ensure scientific quality and integrity.

Average review time: Initial decision within 4-6 weeks of submission.

Submission Checklist

Before submitting your manuscript, please ensure you have completed the following: