Templates and Forms

Georgian Medical Journal (GMJ) — Article Template & Formatting Guidelines

 

Purpose. This template standardizes manuscript layout, typography, section order, tables/figures placement, and references for submissions to GMJ. It adapts key layout conventions (font, spacing, indentation, block quotes, tables/figures placement) from your source template and aligns them with GMJ requirements (Vancouver style, ethics & transparency statements, CC BY 4.0).

1) Page Setup & Typography

• File format: Microsoft Word (.docx). LaTeX users may submit a .zip containing .tex, .bbl, and figures.
• Font: Cambria, 11 pt throughout (figures may use embedded fonts ≥8 pt).
• Line spacing: Single; add a blank line only where indicated (e.g., before block quotes, headings, tables/figures).
• Paragraphs: Opening paragraph of each section/subsection: no first-line indent. Subsequent paragraphs: first-line indent 0.5 cm.
• Margins: standard (2.5 cm recommended).
• Language: Georgian or English; write clearly and consistently.

Block quotations (≥40 words): separate paragraph, left indent 1 cm, no quotation marks, not italicized, same font/size; punctuation precedes the citation for block quotes (for short quotes, punctuation follows the citation).

2) Front Matter (Title Page)

Journal header (to be added by production).

Title (≤12 words)

Optional subtitle (concise)

Authors: Firstname Lastname1, Firstname Lastname2, …

Affiliations: 1 Department, Institution, City, Country; email@host | 2 Department, Institution, City, Country; email@host

Corresponding author: Name, degree(s), affiliation, full address, email.

ORCID iDs (recommended): 0000-000X-XXXX-XXXX (for each author)

Received: DD Mon YYYY    Accepted: DD Mon YYYY

3) Abstract & Keywords

Abstract (≤250–300 words). For Original Research, use structured headings: Background, Methods, Results, Conclusion. No citations.

Keywords (4–6): Title Case, comma-separated.

4) Article Body — Section Order

Number sections and subsections: 1., 1.1., 1.1.1. (bold, sentence case). Left-aligned.

1. Introduction — Rationale, objectives, gap addressed.
2. Methods — Design; setting; participants (inclusion/exclusion); interventions/exposures; outcomes; sample size & power; statistics (report effect sizes with 95% CIs; software/version); data sources; ethics approval & consent; trial registration (pre-enrolment) for interventional studies.
3. Results — Primary outcomes first; effect sizes & CIs; avoid p-values alone.
4. Discussion — Interpretation, comparison with literature, strengths/limitations, implications (practice/policy), generalisability.
5. Conclusion — Concise, actionable.

Mandatory post-text statements (use separate headings):

• Acknowledgements — non-author contributions (with permission).
• CRediT Author Contributions — Conceptualization; Methodology; Investigation; Data curation; Formal analysis; Writing—original draft; Writing—review & editing; Supervision; Funding acquisition.
• Funding — sources, grant numbers, funder role.
• Competing Interests — ICMJE statement or “None declared”.
• Ethics — IRB/committee name & approval No./date; consent/waiver; animal approvals.
• Data Availability — repository link/DOI or justified access restrictions.
• AI Use Disclosure — tool name/version and purpose (e.g., language editing); AI is not an author.

5) Headings, Abbreviations, Units, Equations

• Headings: bold, numbered, sentence case; avoid underlines/colons/dashes.
• Abbreviations: define at first use (e.g., Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)).
• Units & symbols: SI units; Greek symbols (α, β, μ) where relevant.
• Equations: Word Equation Editor/MathType; ensure readability; label where referenced.

6) Tables & Figures (Placement, Captions, Source Lines)

• Placement: Insert each table/figure after the paragraph where first cited.
• Numbering: Table 1., Figure 1. … with short, descriptive titles.
• Figures: Supply separate files (TIFF/JPEG/EPS). Resolution: photos ≥300 ppi; line art 600–1200 ppi (RGB). Avoid text <8 pt inside images.
• Tables: In the manuscript (editable), not images; keep within one page where possible; use explanatory footnotes.
• Captions & legends: Provide all figure legends together in a dedicated “Figure Legends” section; keep captions 10–25 words.
• Source lines: When applicable, add “Source(s): Author/Holder, Year” beneath the table/figure.
• File naming: Fig1_Surname.ext, Fig2_Surname.ext … (no spaces/special chars).
• Permissions & consent: Obtain written permissions for third-party material; remove patient identifiers; obtain written publication consent for recognisable individuals.
• Licence: All content published under CC BY 4.0; ensure you hold rights to license third-party material accordingly.

7) Transparency & Reporting Checklists (upload as Supplement)

Follow established guidelines and submit the relevant checklist(s): CONSORT (trials), STROBE (observational), PRISMA (systematic reviews/meta-analyses), CARE (case reports), SQUIRE (quality improvement), ARRIVE (animal research), CHEERS (economic evaluations). Clinical trials must include registry & number (ClinicalTrials.gov / ISRCTN / EudraCT).

8) References — Vancouver Style (Numeric)

• Cite in-text by bracketed numerals in order of first appearance: e.g., “…as shown previously [3].”
• Abbreviate journal titles per Index Medicus; include DOIs where available.
• Include only published or formally accepted items; label preprints clearly.

Examples

1. Beridze A, Nadiradze S. Title of article. Georg Med J. 2024;12(3):101–10. doi:10.xxxx/xxxxx
2. World Health Organization. Title of report. Geneva: WHO; 2023.
3. Smith J, Chen L, Kumar R, et al. Randomized trial of X vs Y. BMJ. 2025;370:abc123. doi:10.1136/bmj.abc123

9) Production & Proofs

• Initial checks: scope fit, policy compliance, plagiarism screening, technical completeness.
• Peer review: double-anonymised review by ≥2 independent reviewers for research articles; invited content at editor’s discretion.
• Decisions: accept / minor or major revision / reject (similarity checks may be repeated post-revision).
• Proofs: typeset proofs sent to authors; limit changes to factual corrections and respond promptly to queries to avoid delay.
• Post-publication: corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions follow COPE guidance.

10) Pre-submission Author Checklist

• [ ] Fits GMJ scope; originality confirmed; similarity check completed
• [ ] All required sections (Abstract → Tables) present and complete
• [ ] CRediT roles, Funding, Competing Interests, Ethics, Data Availability included
• [ ] Reporting checklist uploaded (CONSORT/STROBE/PRISMA/CARE/SQUIRE/ARRIVE/CHEERS)
• [ ] Figures uploaded separately (≥300–1200 ppi); Tables editable in manuscript
• [ ] References in Vancouver style with DOIs where available
• [ ] ORCID iDs provided (recommended)
• [ ] Cover letter with novelty & policy disclosures
• [ ] Preprint DOI/URL disclosed (if applicable)
• [ ] Corresponding author email verified

11) Quick-insert Templates (copy into your manuscript)

Competing Interests

“Author A reports grant support from ___ (grant No. ___). Author B served on an advisory board for ___. All other authors declare no competing interests.”

Ethics & Consent

“This study was approved by the ___ Ethics Committee (No. ___, Date ___). Written informed consent was obtained from all participants. Consent for publication of identifiable images was obtained.”

Data Availability

“De-identified data and code are available at ___ (DOI/URL) under CC BY 4.0. Additional materials are available upon reasonable request subject to data-sharing agreements.”

AI Use Disclosure

“Language editing was assisted by ___ (version ___). Authors verified all content and accept full responsibility for accuracy and originality.”

Minimal “Blank” Template (for authors to start writing)

Title (≤12 words)
Subtitle (optional)

Firstname Lastname1, Firstname Lastname2, …
1 Department, Institution, City, Country; email
2 Department, Institution, City, Country; email

Received: DD Mon YYYY    Accepted: DD Mon YYYY

ABSTRACT (≤250–300 words; for research: Background, Methods, Results, Conclusion)

KEYWORDS: Keyword 1, Keyword 2, Keyword 3, Keyword 4, Keyword 5

1. Introduction
[Opening paragraph, no indent]
[Subsequent paragraphs: first-line indent 0.5 cm]

2. Methods
2.1 Subheading
2.2 Subheading

3. Results
3.1 Subheading

4. Discussion

5. Conclusion

Acknowledgements
CRediT Author Contributions
Funding
Competing Interests
Ethics
Data Availability
Figure Legends
Tables

References (Vancouver style)