Submissions

Author Guidelines

1. General Requirements

MCHU (Mother and Child Health Update) welcomes original manuscripts that contribute to the advancement of knowledge and practice in maternal and child health. Manuscripts must be original, scientifically sound, and relevant to the journal's focus and scope.

Authors must ensure that the submitted manuscript:

• Has not been previously published.
• Is not under consideration by another journal.
• Is original and free from plagiarism.
• Has been approved by all authors for submission.
• Contains accurate and appropriately cited information.
• Complies with applicable research ethics requirements.

2. Types of Manuscripts

MCHU accepts the following types of scholarly contributions:

1. Original Research Article — Reports findings from quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods research.
2. Review Article — Provides a comprehensive and critical synthesis of existing literature.
3. Evidence-Based Study — Presents evidence-based analysis or application relevant to maternal and child health.

3. Manuscript Structure

Manuscripts should generally be organized as follows:

Original Research Article

• Title
• Author Names and Affiliations
• Corresponding Author
• Abstract
• Keywords
• Introduction
• Methods
• Results
• Discussion
• Conclusion
• Acknowledgments, if applicable
• Funding Statement, if applicable
• Conflict of Interest Statement
• References

Review Article

The structure may be adapted according to the nature of the review but should generally include:

• Title
• Author Names and Affiliations
• Abstract
• Keywords
• Introduction
• Review Methods
• Main Discussion
• Conclusion
• Acknowledgments, if applicable
• Funding Statement, if applicable
• Conflict of Interest Statement
• References

4. Title

The title should be concise, specific, informative, and accurately reflect the content of the manuscript. Avoid unnecessary abbreviations and overly general statements.

5. Abstract and Keywords

The abstract should briefly describe the background, purpose, methods, main results, and conclusion of the study. Authors should avoid citations and unexplained abbreviations in the abstract.

Authors should provide 3–5 keywords that accurately represent the main concepts of the manuscript.

6. Main Text

The manuscript should be written clearly, logically, and consistently. Authors should use appropriate scientific terminology and provide sufficient methodological detail to allow readers to understand and, where applicable, reproduce the study.

Tables and figures must be numbered consecutively and referred to in the manuscript text.

7. Research Ethics

Research involving human participants, personal data, or other ethically sensitive materials must comply with applicable ethical standards. Where required, authors should provide information regarding ethical approval and informed consent.

8. References

Authors are responsible for ensuring that all references are accurate, complete, and appropriately cited in the manuscript. References should be relevant to the topic and preferably include recent and authoritative sources.

Authors should use a consistent reference style throughout the manuscript and ensure that every citation in the text appears in the reference list and vice versa.

9. Authorship

All listed authors must have made substantial contributions to the research and manuscript. All authors must approve the final version of the manuscript and agree to its submission to MCHU.

Changes to authorship after submission should only be made with the agreement of all authors and approval from the Editor.

10. Conflict of Interest and Funding

Authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that may influence the research or its interpretation. Sources of financial or other research support should also be clearly stated.

11. Plagiarism and Originality

MCHU does not accept manuscripts containing plagiarism, duplicate publication, fabrication, falsification, or other forms of academic misconduct. Manuscripts may be screened for plagiarism or similarity before or during the editorial process.

12. Submission and Peer Review

Manuscripts should be submitted through the journal's designated online submission system. All manuscripts are subject to editorial screening and peer review. The Editor reserves the right to reject manuscripts that do not meet the journal's requirements or standards.

13. Publication Frequency

MCHU is published twice a year, in January and July.

14. Article Processing Charges

MCHU does not charge authors any Article Processing Charges (APC). There are no publication fees for accepted manuscripts.

15. Copyright and Author Rights

Authors are responsible for ensuring that their submissions do not infringe the copyright or intellectual property rights of others. Authors should comply with the journal's copyright and licensing policies applicable at the time of publication