Online Submissions

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Author's Guideline

Submission and Correspondence

All manuscripts must be submitted via the journal’s online submission system. All scientific, editorial, or technical enquiries should be addressed to the Editorial Office through the official email. The corresponding author will receive all communication and is responsible for updating all co-authors throughout the submission and review process.

Below are the “File naming convention” that must be followed by authors:

File naming convention (first submission): IJDRT_LastnameFirstAuthor_FirstThreeWordsTitle

Example (first submission): IJDRT_Narmada_OralMicrobiomeProfiles

 

File naming convention (1st revision submission): IJDRT_LastnameFirstAuthor_FirstThreeWordsTitle_R1

Example (1st revision submission): IJDRT_Narmada_OralMicrobiomeProfiles_R1

 

File naming convention (2nd revision submission): IJDRT_LastnameFirstAuthor_FirstThreeWordsTitle_R2

Example (2nd revision submission): IJDRT_Narmada_OralMicrobiomeProfiles_R2

 

Cover Letter

Each submission must be accompanied by a cover letter that certifies:

  • The originality and contribution of the work
  • The manuscript has not been published previously and is not under consideration elsewhere
  • Assurance that all listed authors approved the final submitted version
  • Disclosure of any competing interests
  • Details of any related manuscripts or preprints

 

Manuscript Specification

All manuscripts submitted for publication should be written in English and submitted as .doc or .docx files.

Formatting requirements:

  • Font: Grandview, 12 pt
  • Spacing: Double-spaced throughout, including references, tables, and figure legends
  • Layout: Double column
  • Page size: A4
  • Margins: 5 cm (1 inch) on all sides

Units: Must follow the International System of Units (SI)

 

Manuscript Types and Structure

Original Research Article

Original research papers should contain new findings of scientific or clinical value in dentistry.
Structure:

  1. Title Page:
  2. Abstract (structured): Background, Purpose, Methods, Results, Conclusion
  3. Keywords: 3 - 6 words (MeSH)
  4. Introduction
  5. Materials and Methods
  6. Results
  7. Discussion
  8. Conclusion
  9. Acknowledgements
  10. References
  11. Tables
  12. Figures and Figure Legends

Case Report Article

Only a limited number of case reports will be published in each issue. Case reports must present unique, rare, or unusually challenging clinical cases with learning value.
Structure:

  1. Title Page
  2. Abstract (unstructured, max 150 words)
  3. Keywords
  4. Introduction
  5. Case Presentation
  6. Discussion
  7. Conclusion
  8. References
  9. Figures and Figure Legends (if applicable)

Literature Review Article

Systematic reviews will also be published in limited numbers per issue. Manuscripts should follow recognized systematic review methodology and must state the registration number if registered (e.g., PROSPERO).
Structure:

  1. Title Page
  2. Abstract (structured)
  3. Keywords
  4. Introduction
  5. Methods (including search strategy, inclusion/exclusion criteria, quality assessment)
  6. Results
  7. Discussion
  8. Conclusion
  9. References
  10. Tables
  11. Figures (e.g., PRISMA diagram)

Word limit: 4,500–6,000 words.
Tables/Figures: As needed, provided they support clarity (editorial discretion applies).

Title Page

The title page must include:

  1. Full manuscript title, free of abbreviations
  2. Author full name with institutional affiliations
  3. Contact details for the corresponding author: full name, institution name, email address
  4. Funding information
  5. Conflict of interest declarations
  6. Word count (main text only)

Abstract and Keywords

Maximum length: 250 words for original articles and literature reviews; 150 words for case reports. Original articles and literature reviews must use a structured format: Background, Purposes, Materials and Methods, Results, Conclusion.

Provide 3-6 MeSH keywords to reflect the study’s main concepts. Avoid words from the title.

Introduction

The Introduction should outline the essential background needed to understand the study, presenting a clear overview of the scientific or clinical context. It should explain what is already known, identify gaps or unresolved issues in the existing literature, and provide a logical justification for why the present work was undertaken. Authors should guide the reader from the general topic to the specific purpose of the study, concluding the section with a concise statement of the research objective or hypothesis. This section should remain focused, avoiding unnecessary digressions or overly broad narrative reviews while appropriately referencing relevant literature to support key points.

Materials and Methods

The Materials and Methods section must describe the study in sufficient detail to allow another researcher to replicate it. Authors should begin by identifying the study design, whether clinical, laboratory-based, observational, or a systematic review, and note any reporting guidelines followed, such as CONSORT (Home | consort-spirit.org), STROBE (Checklists - STROBE), or PRISMA (PRISMA statement). Ethical approval must be clearly documented, including the name of the approving body, the approval reference, and confirmation of informed consent where human participants or identifiable data are involved.

A clear description of participants, samples, or materials must follow, including eligibility criteria, recruitment methods, and any demographic or baseline characteristics that are essential for understanding the study population. All equipment, instruments, reagents, or software used should be described with sufficient detail to ensure reproducibility, including manufacturer information.

The section should continue with a transparent explanation of all procedures undertaken. Clinical studies should describe diagnostic criteria, protocols, interventions, assessment methods, and follow-up procedures. Laboratory work must outline experimental procedures, processing steps, calibration measures, and any controls or comparison conditions. Authors should clearly define the outcomes measured, explaining any scoring systems, clinical indices, or data collection tools used.

A full explanation of the statistical approach must also be provided. This includes naming the statistical software and version, describing the tests applied, and stating any thresholds for statistical significance. Methods for handling missing data or performing subgroup or sensitivity analyses should also be described. Systematic reviews should detail the search strategy, databases consulted, inclusion and exclusion criteria, assessment of methodological quality, and the analytical approach to synthesising data.

Results

The Results section should present the study findings clearly and objectively, following the same sequence as the Materials and Methods to ensure logical flow. Authors should report numerical results using appropriate statistical expressions such as confidence intervals or standard deviations, while ensuring that the text highlights the most important patterns or observations without repeating all data exhaustively.
Where tables or figures are included, the text should refer to them directly, using them to support the narrative rather than duplicate content. Tables and figures must offer only the essential information needed to understand the results, each accompanied by a succinct and informative legend. Additional analyses, including subgroup comparisons, supplementary outcomes, or post-hoc observations, may be reported where relevant but must be identified clearly as secondary findings.
For systematic reviews, the Results section should describe the process of study selection, provide reasons for exclusion where appropriate, summarise the characteristics of the included studies, report any assessments of risk of bias, and present the results of narrative or quantitative synthesis, including meta-analysis if performed. Interpretation of results should be strictly avoided in this section.

Discussion

The Discussion should interpret the findings thoughtfully, beginning with a succinct summary of the main outcomes without repeating raw data. The narrative should explore how the results relate to existing literature, noting areas of agreement or divergence and explaining possible reasons for these patterns. Authors should reflect on the strengths of the study, such as robust methodology or clinical relevance, while also acknowledging its limitations honestly, whether relating to sample size, follow-up duration, measurement constraints, potential sources of bias, or any other factors that may influence the generalisability or strength of the conclusions. A transparent account of limitations should be integrated naturally into the discussion rather than added as a superficial remark.

The section should also address the broader implications of the findings for dental science, clinical practice, or research policy. Practical applications, theoretical contributions, or implications for patient care may be discussed where appropriate. Authors should propose realistic recommendations for future research, highlighting unresolved questions or areas where further investigation would be beneficial. The Discussion should conclude with a brief, well-supported statement that encapsulates the meaning of the findings without overstating their significance.

Acknowledgement

The Acknowledgements section provides an opportunity to recognize individuals or institutions that contributed to the work but do not meet authorship criteria. This may include technical support, administrative assistance, language editing, writing assistance, department chairpersons who provided only general support, or advisory roles. Authors should also acknowledge funding bodies, grants, or sponsorships, providing complete grant details where necessary. Permission must be obtained from all individuals named in this section before publication. Any perceived or actual conflicts of interest need to be identified in the acknowledgements section.

References

Use a Vancouver-derived numerical style, cited sequentially in order of appearance. Authors must ensure accuracy and completeness of all citations. Authors bear full responsibility for the accuracy of citations, ensuring that every reference listed is correctly formatted and fully accessible. Each entry should contain all essential publication details, including authors’ names, article titles, abbreviated journal names, year of publication, volume and issue numbers where relevant, and precise page ranges. Digital identifiers such as DOIs should be included whenever available. The reference list should reflect a balanced and up-to-date engagement with the relevant literature, avoiding excessive self-citation or reliance on outdated material. Authors may use Mendeley or Zotero reference management software and choose ‘Vancouver’ style.

Figure and Table Requirements

Deception and manipulation of images are scientific misconduct based on the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). Figures submitted should be minimally processed, reflect the integrity of the original data in the image, and should be reproduced well in both print and online media. All adjustments to image data must be clearly disclosed in the figure legend. Authors should also list tools and software used to collect image data and should document settings and manipulations in the Methods section.

Figure resolution: minimum of 300dpi for color and grayscale photos, 600dpi for fine line art

Format:

TIFF (gold standard for high-resolution, uncompressed or losslessly compressed raster photos and halftones)

EPS (standard for scalable line art and mathematical curves)

PDF (for crisp, self-contained vector graphics with embedded fonts)

PNG (for lossless web-ready previews and images with transparency, less preferred than TIFF for print)

JPEG (accepted for basic photo submissions; lossy compression will ruin fine lines and text)

The table should be viewable in a portrait view, or in landscape view for a large amount of data, as in a systematic review or meta-analysis. The table format available in the downloadable manuscript template.

Manuscript Template

A downloadable template is available on the journal’s website. Authors are required to use this template to maintain uniformity across submissions.

Submission Preparation

Authors must ensure:

  • Compliance with all formatting instructions
  • Approval from all authors
  • Ethical approval for research involving human participants, animals, or identifiable data
  • Provide information on author contributions in the submission menu
  • Submission of a complete cover letter
  • High-resolution figures submitted separately
  • Accuracy of all references
  • The manuscript has undergone thorough proofreading

Submission Checklist

The authors should be sure their manuscript meets all applicable requirements outlined in this document list before submission.

  • Completed Authorship and Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT) in submission menu
  • Provide 6 MeSH keywords
  • Abstract
  • Word / figure / table and reference compliance with the guideline
  • Appropriate reporting checklists and compliance statements (STROBE, CONSORT, PRISMA)
  • Funding acknowledgements and conflict of interest statements
  • Figure permission when necessary
  • Main text document file

Copyright Notice

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Authors retain the copyright of their work without restrictions. Upon acceptance, authors grant the journal a non-exclusive license to publish, archive, and distribute the work.

Authors are permitted and encouraged to deposit the accepted version or final published PDF of their manuscript in institutional repositories, subject repositories, or personal websites at any time, provided that proper acknowledgment and full bibliographic citation to the original publication are given.

All articles are published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0). Under this license, users are free to share (copy and redistribute the material) and adapt (remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially), provided appropriate credit is given and any derivative works are distributed under the same license as the original.

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