Commentary

GMJ Commentary — Author Instructions

1) Scope

Short, evidence-informed viewpoints that can influence health policy or practice in Georgia and the EECA region. Suitable topics include: public health, primary care, health services, regulation and law, ethics, patient safety, traditional & complementary medicine (T&CM), health economics, education, and digital health.

Not accepted in this section: original research, case reports, and promotional/advertorial content.

2) Article types & limits

• Commentary (Standard): 800–1,200 words; up to 10 references; up to 1 figure or table; 4–6 keywords.

• Policy Commentary (Extended): 1,000–1,500 words; up to 15 references; up to 2 items (figure/table/box).

• Rapid Commentary (Time-sensitive): 600–900 words; up to 6 references; no figures.

3) Required structure

1. Title (≤20 words)

2. Standfirst (2–3 sentences): why this matters now

3. Main text with subheadings (suggested): Context → What changed → Gaps → What should be done

4. Key messages (3–5 bullets): actionable, specific

5. Acknowledgements (optional)

6. Funding (required; write “None” if no external support)

7. Competing interests (required)

8. References (Vancouver style)

4) Style & formatting

• Language: English or Georgian.

• File: .docx, 12-pt font, double-spaced, page numbers.

• Headings: Use clear H2/H3 subheads; avoid footnotes.

• Numbers/units: Use SI; spell out one–nine in running text.

• Acronyms: Define at first use.

• Tone: Neutral, precise, policy-ready, jargon-light.

5) References (Vancouver)

• In-text numerals in parentheses: (1), (2–4).

• Numbered list at end in order of citation.

• Include DOI or URL for policy documents and legislation where available.

• Keep within the limits for your article type.

6) Figures, tables, boxes

• Respect item limits above.

• Figures: PNG/JPG, ≥300 dpi.

• Tables/boxes: supply in Word (editable).

• If using third-party content, confirm permission.

7) Declarations & ethics

• Funding: who funded what; or “No external funding.”

• Competing interests: disclose financial and non-financial interests (e.g., committee roles, advocacy).

• Ethics approval: not required for commentary; do not include patient-identifiable data.

8) Rights & open access

GMJ publishes under CC BY 4.0. Authors retain copyright; reuse is permitted with attribution. You may add a rights line in your manuscript if desired.

9) Language & translation

Submissions are accepted in English or Georgian. Accepted items may be published bilingually; authors will approve translations.

10) Submission & editorial process

• Submit via the GMJ online portal → Commentary section.

• Editorial screening for scope and clarity.

• External or editorial review depending on topic and urgency.

• Decision options: Accept / Minor Rev / Major Rev / Decline.

• Post-acceptance: light copyedit; author proof within 48 hours.

11) Submission checklist (copy into your cover letter)

• □ Word count within limits

• □ Standfirst + Key messages included

• □ Vancouver references with DOIs/URLs

• □ Funding & Competing interests statements included

• □ Figures/tables within limits; permissions secured

• □ Clear subheadings; acronyms defined

• □ Rights: CC BY 4.0 acknowledged

• □ Keywords (4–6) provided

12) Paste-ready template

Title
Standfirst (2–3 sentences):
Context
What changed
Gaps
What should be done
Key messages (3–5 bullets):

• …

• …
  Acknowledgements:
  Funding:
  Competing interests:
  References (Vancouver): 1)… 2)…

Review

GMJ Review — Author Instructions

1) Scope

The GMJ Review section publishes scholarly, critical syntheses of existing evidence relevant to clinical medicine, public health, health systems, and policy in Georgia and the Eastern Europe & Central Asia (EECA) region, with broader international relevance where appropriate.

Reviews should:

• summarise and critically appraise current knowledge,

• identify gaps, controversies, and implications for practice or policy,

• provide clear conclusions grounded in evidence.

Out of scope: original research, case reports/series, narrative opinion pieces without critical appraisal, and promotional or advertorial content.

2) Review article types & limits

Narrative Review

• 2,500–4,000 words

• Up to 60 references

• Up to 5 figures and/or tables

• 4–6 keywords

Systematic Review (with or without meta-analysis)

• 3,000–5,000 words (excluding references, tables, figures)

• Up to 80 references

• Up to 6 figures and/or tables

• Structured abstract required

Scoping Review

• 2,500–4,500 words

• Up to 70 references

• Up to 5 figures and/or tables

3) Required structure

Title

Clear, descriptive, and informative (≤25 words).

Abstract

• Narrative reviews: Unstructured (150–250 words)

• Systematic/scoping reviews: Structured (Background, Objectives, Methods, Results, Conclusions)

Main text (required headings may vary by review type)

• Introduction (rationale and objectives)

• Methods (mandatory for systematic/scoping reviews)

  • search strategy

  • inclusion/exclusion criteria

  • data extraction and synthesis

  • risk of bias/quality assessment (where applicable)

• Results

• Discussion

• Implications for practice, policy, or research

• Limitations

• Conclusions

Additional sections

• Acknowledgements (optional)

• Funding (required; state “None” if no external support)

• Competing interests (required)

• References (Vancouver style)

4) Reporting standards

Authors must follow recognised reporting guidelines:

• PRISMA for systematic reviews and meta-analyses

• PRISMA-ScR for scoping reviews

• MOOSE for meta-analyses of observational studies (where applicable)

A completed checklist should be submitted as supplementary material when relevant.

5) Style & formatting

• Language: English or Georgian

• File format: .docx

• Text: 12-pt font, double-spaced, page numbers included

• Headings: Clear H2/H3 structure; no footnotes

• Numbers & units: SI units; spell out one–nine in running text

• Acronyms: Define at first use

• Tone: Analytical, balanced, evidence-driven, and jargon-light

6) References (Vancouver style)

• In-text citations as numerals in parentheses: (1), (2–5)

• Number references in order of first appearance

• Include DOI or URL where available, especially for guidelines, legislation, and policy documents

• Ensure completeness and accuracy of all citations

7) Figures, tables, and supplementary material

• Figures: PNG/JPG, ≥300 dpi

• Tables: Editable Word format

• Flow diagrams: Required for systematic and scoping reviews (e.g. PRISMA flowchart)

• Supplementary files: Search strategies, checklists, additional tables

Permission and attribution are required for third-party material.

8) Declarations & ethics

• Funding: Specify all funding sources and roles; or state “No external funding”

• Competing interests: Disclose all financial and non-financial interests

• Ethics approval: Not required for reviews

• Do not include patient-identifiable data

9) Use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools

AI systems cannot be listed as authors.

Any use of AI tools (e.g. language editing, summarisation, figure generation) must be fully disclosed, including tool name and version. Authors remain fully responsible for accuracy, originality, and ethical compliance.

10) Rights & open access

GMJ publishes review articles under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.
Authors retain copyright. Reuse is permitted with appropriate attribution.

11) Submission & editorial review process

• Submit via the GMJ online portal → Review section

• Initial editorial screening for scope, methodological rigour, and relevance

• External peer review by at least two independent reviewers

• Editorial decisions: Accept / Minor revision / Major revision / Decline

• Post-acceptance: copy-editing and author proof review within 72 hours

12) Submission checklist (include in cover letter)

□ Article type specified (Narrative / Systematic / Scoping)
□ Word count within limits
□ Abstract formatted correctly
□ Reporting guideline followed (PRISMA/PRISMA-ScR/MOOSE where applicable)
□ Vancouver references with DOIs/URLs
□ Funding and Competing interests statements included
□ Figures/tables within limits; permissions secured
□ Keywords (4–6) provided
□ CC BY 4.0 acknowledged

13) Paste-ready template

Title
Abstract:
Keywords:

Introduction
Methods (if applicable)
Results
Discussion
Implications for practice/policy
Limitations
Conclusions

Acknowledgements:
Funding:
Competing interests:
References (Vancouver): 1) … 2) …