Submission Guidelines and Manuscript Preparation
The Archives of Psychiatry and Mental Health (APMH) provides these detailed Submission Guidelines & Manuscript Preparation instructions to help authors prepare manuscripts that meet professional publishing standards. These guidelines cover formatting, file types, structure, reference styles, figure requirements, supplementary materials, and all technical elements needed for successful submission.
Authors should read this section alongside the Author Guidelines, which contain ethical and authorship requirements.
Before You Begin
Before preparing the manuscript, authors must ensure:
- The study fits the journal’s aims and scope
- All authors have seen and approved the final version
- Ethics approval statements are available (if applicable)
- All conflicts of interest and funding sources are ready for disclosure
- The manuscript is original and formatted correctly
- Supplementary files are well-organized
File Formats Accepted
- Main Manuscript: Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx)
- Figures: JPG, PNG, TIFF (minimum 300 dpi)
- Tables: Included within Word OR as separate .doc/.xls files
- Supplementary Data: ZIP, PDF, CSV, XLSX, MP4 (for multimedia)
APMH does not accept LaTeX submissions at this time.
Manuscript Structure
All manuscripts must follow the standardized structure below unless specified otherwise for article types.
1. Title Page
Must include:- Full article title (no abbreviations)
- Short running title (≤50 characters)
- Full names of all authors
- Affiliations with department, institution, city, country
- Corresponding author details:
- Phone number
- Complete mailing address
- ORCID iDs (recommended)
2. Abstract
Structured abstract required for research articles:
- Background
- Methods
- Results
- Conclusions
Word limit: 250 words
3. Keywords
Provide 3–7 keywords using MeSH terminology when possible.
4. Main Text
The body of the manuscript must follow IMRaD structure for original research:
- Introduction
- Methods
- Results
- Discussion
- Conclusion
5. References
APMH follows the Vancouver style (numbered, superscript optional).
1. Smith J, Kumar V. Anxiety prevalence in adolescents. J Clin Psych. 2022;15(3):201–209.
6. Figures & Tables
Figures must:
- Be high-resolution (300 dpi minimum)
- Be uploaded as separate files
- Have clear labeling and legends
- Avoid borders, shadows, artificial effects
Tables must:
- Be editable (not images)
- Use simple grid formatting
- Include descriptive titles
7. Acknowledgments
Include optional acknowledgments for contributors not qualifying for authorship.
8. Funding Statement
Mandatory for all submissions.
9. Conflict-of-Interest Declaration
Authors must declare potential conflicts or state “None.”
10. Ethical Approval Statements
Required for:
- Clinical studies
- Human participant research
- Animal studies
Include:
- IRB/ethics committee name
- Approval number
- Consent statements for human subjects
11. Author Contributions
Follow the CRediT taxonomy (optional but recommended):
- Conceptualization
- Methodology
- Formal Analysis
- Investigation
- Writing – Original Draft
- Writing – Review & Editing
- Supervision
- Funding Acquisition
Article Types and Requirements
| Article Type | Word Limit | Abstract Type | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original Research | 3000–7000 | Structured | ≤60 |
| Review Articles | 4000–9000 | Structured/Unstructured | ≤120 |
| Case Reports | 1500–2500 | Unstructured | ≤20 |
| Short Communications | 1200–2000 | Short | ≤15 |
| Editorials/Commentaries | 800–2000 | None required | ≤10 |
In-Text Citations
References must be cited numerically in order of appearance:
Manuscript Formatting Requirements
- Font: Times New Roman or Arial, size 12
- Line spacing: 1.5
- Margins: 1 inch (2.54 cm) on all sides
- Page numbering required
- Headings should follow hierarchical structure (H1 → H2 → H3)
- Do not embed figures in the text file
Image Manipulation Ethics
Authors must disclose any image adjustments. Unacceptable manipulation includes:
- Altering scientific meaning
- Removing data points
- Image cloning
- Artificial AI-generated image modification without documentation
Supplementary Materials
Supplementary files may include:
- Extended datasets
- Large tables
- Audio/video recordings
- Survey instruments
- Additional figures
All supplementary files must be labeled clearly:
Submission Process Overview
Step 1: Prepare all files
Step 2: Submit via the journal submission portal
Include:
- Main manuscript
- Figures and tables
- Supplementary materials
- Ethics approval documents
- Cover letter
Step 3: Peer Review
Double-blind peer review is conducted by experts in the field.
Step 4: Revision
Authors must upload a point-by-point response file.
Step 5: Acceptance and APC
Once accepted, APC information is provided.
Step 6: Proofing
Authors must review galley proofs within 48–72 hours.
Cover Letter Requirements
A cover letter must accompany every submission and should include:
- Manuscript title
- Article type
- Why the study is important for mental health research
- Statement of originality
- Ethical approvals (if applicable)
- Conflict of interest declarations
Sample Cover Letter
Submission Checklist
- Manuscript file prepared correctly
- Figures uploaded separately
- Ethics statements included
- ORCID provided
- Cover letter attached
- Reference list formatted properly
- Supplementary materials uploaded (if any)
Common Reasons for Return Before Review
- Missing ethics statement
- Poor formatting or missing sections
- Incorrect reference style
- Figures embedded inside the manuscript
- Incomplete author information
- Failure to disclose AI tool assistance
Conclusion
By following these Submission Guidelines and Manuscript Preparation instructions, authors enhance the clarity, rigor, and efficiency of the publishing process. APMH aims to provide a high-quality publishing experience that supports researchers in sharing impactful psychiatric and mental health findings with the global community.