Instructions to Authors

Templates

MSA requires authors to prepare manuscripts using the official journal templates available on the journal website. Templates are provided for common article types (e.g., Original Article, Review/Meta-analysis, Case Report, Short Communication, Letter).

Submit the completed template as a Microsoft Word file (.doc or .docx). Do not submit scanned PDFs for the main manuscript.

Download template here.

Language and Format

Language: Manuscripts must be written in clear English (either US or UK spelling is acceptable, but use one consistently).

File format: Microsoft Word (.doc/.docx). Use continuous line numbering and page numbers when possible to facilitate peer review.

Layout: Use standard A4 size, 2.5 cm margins, 12-point times new roman font, and double spacing.

Units and nomenclature: Use SI units. Define abbreviations at first mention. Use generic drug names where appropriate.

Ethics and identifiers: Where relevant, include clinical trial registration numbers, ethics approval codes, and reporting guideline checklists.

Structure of the Manuscript

Title page (submitted as required by the journal): title, authors and affiliations, corresponding author details, ORCID (recommended), running title (optional), word count, and up to 5–8 keywords (preferably MeSH terms).

Abstract: structured where applicable (e.g., Background, Methods, Results, Conclusion) or unstructured for certain article types. Include trial registration in the abstract when relevant.

Main text:Introduction

• Methods (study design, setting, participants, outcomes, statistics, ethics approval, consent)

• Results

• Discussion

• Conclusion

Declarations (as applicable): ethics approval and consent to participate, consent for publication, availability of data and materials, competing interests, funding, authors’ contributions, acknowledgments.

References

Tables and Figures (with legends).

References

MSA uses the Vancouver/ICMJE numeric referencing style. Cite references in the text with Arabic numerals in the order they appear and list references numerically at the end.

Use journal title abbreviations as in the National Library of Medicine (NLM) catalog and format references according to NLM/ICMJE guidance and examples.

Authors are encouraged to use reference management software. Ensure the submitted manuscript contains plain text references with no embedded field codes.

Tables and Figures

Tables: Provide tables in editable format (do not embed as images). Number tables consecutively, add a clear title, and place explanatory notes as footnotes. Define abbreviations in the table footnote.

Figures: Submit figures as high-quality files (preferred: TIFF/JPG/PNG). Ensure adequate resolution for publication (commonly ≥300 dpi for photos; higher for line art).

Figure legends: Provide a legend for each figure explaining all symbols, abbreviations, and statistical markers.

Patient privacy: Remove identifying details from images. If a patient is identifiable, written consent for publication is required.

Permissions: If reusing figures or substantial table content from other publications, obtain permission where needed and cite the original source.