MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS

Language and writing style

• Write in clear, concise, grammatically correct English, using British or American spelling consistently.
• Italicise Sanskrit terms and give the English translation or explanation in brackets at first use, for example Shayyamutrata (nocturnal enuresis).
• Use IAST transliteration for diacritics.
• Devanagari or regional script may be used for verses or key phrases only when essential. Give transliteration, translation and source with it, for example (C.S. Sūtra 1/56).
• Use standard nomenclature for chemicals, enzymes and herbs, and italicise scientific names, for example Tinospora cordifolia.
• Define every abbreviation at first use. Do not use abbreviations in the title; use them in the abstract only when unavoidable.

File and page format

• Submit a Microsoft Word file (2007 or later), single column, on A4 paper.
• Use Times New Roman 12 pt, 1.5 line spacing, 1-inch margins on all sides, and consecutive page numbers.
• Title: 12 pt, bold, sentence case. Major headings: bold uppercase. Subheadings: bold sentence case.
• Use italics, not underline or strikethrough. Remove tracked changes, comments and reference-manager field codes.
• Use SI units. Avoid borders, watermarks and decorative elements.

Title page (separate file)

• Give a concise, informative title, and a running title of up to 50 characters.
• Give the full names of all authors in order of contribution, with highest degree and institutional affiliation (full postal address and country). Use superscript numbers when authors are from different institutions. ORCID iDs are encouraged.
• A maximum of 8 authors is permitted. A larger team needs a written justification to the editor.
• Designate one corresponding author, marked with an asterisk (*). Give their email and telephone number.
• Include the acknowledgements, funding statement (with grant numbers), conflict-of-interest statement, CRediT author contributions, AI-use declaration, and ethics approval details (committee name, approval number and date).

Blinded manuscript (main document)

RJAR uses double-blind review. The manuscript file must contain title at the top without no author names, affiliations, acknowledgements, funding details, conflict-of-interest statement, or ethics committee name and number. Where the text needs them, write “[withheld for review]”. Cite your own earlier work in the third person.

Abstract and keywords

• Follow the length and format in the manuscript-type table.
• Structured abstracts use these headings: Background, Objectives, Methods, Results, Conclusion.
• Do not cite references in the abstract.
• Give a clinical-trial registration number at the end of the abstract.
• Give 4–6 keywords, separated by commas. Use MeSH terms where possible, and give the English equivalent of any Sanskrit keyword.

Tables

• Use Arabic numerals (Table 1, Table 2) and cite every table in the text.
• Put the title above the table, in sentence case. Put footnotes below it, in italics.
• Submit tables as editable text, not images. Avoid vertical lines and shading.
• Do not repeat in the text data that appear in a table.

Figures

• Cite figures as Fig. 1, Fig. 2 and so on. Put the caption below the figure, in bold sentence case.
• Embed figures in the text for review. On acceptance, supply each figure as a separate high-resolution file: photographs at 300 dpi or above and line drawings at 1000 dpi or above.
• Images must not identify a patient unless written consent is supplied. Do not manipulate images. Permission is required for any previously published material.

References (Vancouver style)

• Number references in order of first appearance and cite them in the text as [1], [2,3], [4–6]. Not as superscript.
• Do not cite references in the abstract or the conclusion.
• Give the first six authors and then “et al.” Give DOIs where available. Every reference must be a real, verifiable source.
• Mark preprints with the word “preprint” and the DOI. Cite the final version if it has been published.
• Cite a classical text once when it is referred to repeatedly, and give chapter and verse numbers in the running text.

Examples

• Journal article: Ramesh A, Gupta K. Herbal bioenhancers: an overview. J Ayurveda Med Sci. 2020;5(2):123-9.
• Book: Kumar A. Principles of Dravyaguna. 2nd ed. Varanasi: Chaukhambha Bharati Academy; 2015.
• Classical text: Sharma PV, editor. Charaka Samhita of Agnivesha, Sutrasthana. Chapter 1, verse 56. Varanasi: Chaukhambha Orientalia; 2014. p. 12. (Use the edition you actually cite.)
• Website: Ministry of AYUSH. Guidelines for Ayurveda Research. https://www.ayush.gov.in/guidelines.html. Accessed [date].

Use of AI tools

Authors must disclose any use of generative AI or AI-assisted tools in preparing the manuscript. State the tool and its purpose in a short statement on the title page. Such tools cannot be listed as authors, and authors remain fully responsible for all content and references. AI must not be used to create or alter images that represent primary clinical or experimental data.

Reporting guidelines

Submit the completed checklist for trials and case reports.