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This guide provides essential information for authors preparing manuscripts for submission to the journal. Authors are encouraged to read this guide carefully before submission and to consult the journal's Aims and Scope, Article Types, Open Access and Fees, and Journal Policies pages where applicable.
The journal publishes scholarly work on metaverse medicine, virtual care, digital health, virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, extended reality, digital twins, virtual patients, avatars, AI-enabled clinical environments, simulation-based medical education, immersive rehabilitation, remote care, digital therapeutics and related clinical, educational, technological and translational research.
The journal accepts manuscripts written in English or Chinese. Manuscripts in either language are subject to the same editorial assessment, peer review standards, publication ethics requirements and post-publication policies. To support international discoverability and indexing, all submissions must include complete English metadata as specified in this guide.
Manuscripts that do not meet the journal’s requirements may be returned for correction before editorial assessment or peer review. Submission of a manuscript does not guarantee external peer review or acceptance.
Please review the journal's Aims and Scope to determine whether their work is suitable for the journal.
Authors who are uncertain whether their manuscript is suitable for the journal may contact the Editorial Office with a pre-submission inquiry before submitting.
A pre-submission inquiry should include:
the manuscript title;
the author list;
the abstract; and
a brief explanation of the manuscript’s relevance to the journal.
A response to a pre-submission inquiry is advisory only and does not guarantee peer review or acceptance.
The journal considers several types of manuscripts. Authors should select the article type that best matches the purpose, design and scope of their work.
Detailed requirements for each article type, including word limits, abstract format, reference limits, figure and table limits and required sections, are provided on the Article Types page.
Brief overview of available article types:
Original Article — Reports original clinical, translational, technical, educational, behavioral, computational or methodological research. Standard structure: Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion.
Common sub‑categories:
Clinical Trial / Digital Health Intervention Study: Prospective or retrospective investigations of metaverse‑based interventions, virtual‑care systems, digital therapeutics, immersive rehabilitation, VR/AR/MR/XR interventions or AI‑enabled clinical workflows. Supply ethics approval, trial registration, intervention specifications and safety‑related reporting where applicable.
Technology Evaluation / Validation Study: Usability, feasibility, performance or implementation assessments of metaverse platforms, virtual environments, digital twins, avatar systems, virtual‑patient modules, simulation platforms, wearables and immersive devices. Report system specifications, intended use, evaluation protocols, study population, outcomes and limitations.
Simulation and Medical Education Study: Research on simulation‑driven education, virtual patients, virtual hospitals, immersive teaching, digital anatomy, procedural and team‑based training under metaverse frameworks. Describe educational context, learner cohorts, interventions, assessment tools and evidence for educational validity as applicable.
AI, Avatar, Virtual Human or Digital Twin Study: Investigations of AI‑driven agents, virtual humans, avatars, digital clinicians, digital twins, conversational agents, prediction models and automated feedback systems. Document system version, data sources, model construction, validation workflows, human oversight, limitations and potential risks.
Dataset, Software or Digital Asset Article — Describes datasets, software, virtual scenarios, simulation resources, avatar libraries, annotation corpora, codebases or other digital assets with clear field‑wide value. Provide access pathways, licensing terms, documentation, validation results and limitations.
Review Article — Comprehensive balanced critical synthesis of a defined topic; identifies knowledge gaps and future‑research directions.
Systematic Review and Meta‑analysis — Systematic searching, screening, appraisal and synthesis of existing evidence. Follow standardized reporting guidelines and supply protocol‑registration information when applicable.
Brief Report / Short Communication — Concise meaningful findings that do not require full‑length manuscript format; include clear methods, focused results and grounded conclusions.
Case Report / Case Series — Clinically or scientifically significant cases of metaverse‑medicine, virtual‑care, digital‑therapeutics, immersive‑rehabilitation or simulation‑AI‑driven applications. Written publication‑ready informed consent is mandatory if identifiable patient‑participant data, imagery, screenshots, video/audio or case narratives are included.
Method / Technical Note — Novel workflows, technical refinements, validation frameworks, protocols, software, virtual‑environment‑design or analytical pipelines for metaverse‑medicine.
Guideline / Consensus — Evidence‑based or expert‑consensus recommendations for a defined topic. Clearly document evidence‑review methodology, panel composition, conflict‑interest management, consensus‑building procedures and recommendation grading.
Editorial / Commentary / Perspective — Expert‑led critical discussion and interpretation of metaverse‑medicine, digital‑health and immersive‑medical‑education topics. Mostly commissioned; unsolicited submissions may be considered at editors’ discretion.
Letter to the Editor — Short commentary on journal‑published articles or concise observations relevant to readership.
Manuscripts should be prepared clearly, concisely and consistently. Authors should write for an international scholarly audience and avoid unnecessary jargon, unsupported claims or excessive technical detail that is not essential to understanding the work.
File Format
Manuscripts should be submitted in an editable format, such as Microsoft Word. LaTeX files may be accepted where appropriate. Figures, tables, screenshots, videos, software documentation and supplementary materials should be prepared according to the journal’s file and formatting requirements.
Title Page
The title page should include:
manuscript title;
full names of all authors;
author affiliations;
corresponding author name, email address and full contact details;
equal contribution or co-corresponding author notes, where applicable;
word count, number of figures, number of tables and number of supplementary files (recommended);
English metadata for all submissions, including English title, English abstract and English keywords where required by the submission system.
Abstract and Keywords
The abstract should accurately summarize the purpose, methods, main findings and conclusions of the manuscript. Original Research Articles, clinical studies, technology evaluation studies and digital health intervention studies should generally use a structured abstract where required by the article type.
Authors should provide keywords that are specific, searchable and relevant to the manuscript. Standardized medical, technical or digital health terms should be used where appropriate.
Main Text
Original Research Articles should generally include:
Introduction;
Methods;
Results;
Discussion;
Conclusions, where appropriate.
The Methods section should provide sufficient detail to allow the work to be evaluated and, where applicable, reproduced. Authors should describe study design, setting, participants or users, eligibility criteria, technology or platform details, intervention, comparator, outcomes, safety monitoring, statistical methods, software, sample size considerations and analysis plans where relevant.
The Results section should present findings in a logical order, supported by appropriate tables, figures and statistical information. The Discussion should interpret the findings in the context of existing evidence, acknowledge limitations and avoid overstating conclusions.
Technology, Platform and System Details
Where applicable, manuscripts should clearly identify the technology, platform, software, device, virtual environment, avatar system, digital twin, virtual patient system, AI component or digital health tool studied.
Authors should report:
technology type, such as VR, AR, MR, XR, digital twin, avatar-based system, virtual patient, virtual hospital, simulation platform or digital therapeutic;
platform, software, hardware, headset, sensor, haptic device or interface used;
manufacturer, developer, provider or platform operator;
model, version, software build, firmware version or algorithm version;
intended use, target users and clinical, educational or research context;
intervention duration, frequency, intensity and user tasks;
comparator, usual care, control condition or baseline condition;
whether the technology was investigational, prototype, commercially available or modified for the study.
Authors should avoid promotional language and should not present early-stage, prototype or limited-validation technology as established clinical practice.
Tables, Figures and Visual Materials
Tables and figures should be numbered consecutively in the order in which they are cited in the text. Each table and figure should have a clear title and legend.
Figures, screenshots and visual materials should be of sufficient resolution for peer review and publication. Authors should avoid image manipulation that could misrepresent the data or technology. Adjustments to brightness, contrast or color balance must not obscure, eliminate or misrepresent information.
Where figures, tables, screenshots, avatar images, software interfaces, virtual environment designs or other materials are reproduced or adapted from another source, authors must obtain appropriate permission and provide proper attribution.
Clinical Images, Screenshots, Videos and Interaction Data
Clinical images, screenshots, videos, voice recordings, avatar images, interaction logs, eye-tracking data, motion data, biometric data, monitoring data and other materials should be anonymized before submission where applicable.
Written consent for publication is required when any patient, participant, user, avatar likeness, voice, case detail or interaction record may be identifiable.
Supplementary Materials
Supplementary materials should be directly relevant to the manuscript and should support, but not replace, the main text. Supplementary files may include extended methods, additional tables, figures, datasets, checklists, protocols, statistical analysis plans, software documentation, screenshots, videos, code, prompts, simulation scenarios or other supporting information.
References
References should be accurate, complete and relevant. Authors are responsible for checking all references before submission. References may be formatted according to the journal’s reference style, or in any clear and consistent style at initial submission if the journal permits format-free submission. Final accepted manuscripts may be required to conform to the journal’s reference style.
Authors should avoid inappropriate citation practices, including excessive self-citation, citation manipulation or citation of unreliable sources.
Language and Style
Manuscripts should be written in clear English or Chinese. Authors should ensure that the language used is precise, professional and suitable for scholarly communication.
Authors submitting Chinese-language manuscripts must provide complete English metadata and should ensure that key terminology is translated consistently. Authors who are not fluent in English may consider professional language editing for English metadata or full English manuscripts. Language editing does not guarantee editorial review or acceptance.
Reporting Guidelines and Metaverse Medicine Research Requirements
Authors should follow appropriate reporting guidelines according to study design and should submit completed checklists where required.
Relevant guidelines may include:
CONSORT for randomized trials;
SPIRIT for clinical trial protocols;
PRISMA for systematic reviews and meta-analyses;
STROBE for observational studies;
STARD for diagnostic accuracy studies;
TRIPOD or TRIPOD+AI for prediction model studies;
CARE for case reports;
ARRIVE for animal studies;
SQUIRE for quality improvement studies;
COREQ or SRQR for qualitative research;
CHERRIES for web-based surveys;
TIDieR for intervention description;
CONSORT-AI or SPIRIT-AI for studies involving AI components, where applicable;
CONSORT-EHEALTH or other digital health reporting guidance where appropriate.
Authors should consult the EQUATOR Network to identify the most appropriate reporting guideline for their study design.
Metaverse and Immersive Technology Research
For studies involving VR, AR, MR, XR, digital twins, avatars, virtual patients, virtual hospitals, simulation platforms, immersive rehabilitation, virtual care or digital therapeutics, authors should describe the technology and intervention in sufficient detail.
Where applicable, authors should report:
technology type and intended use;
hardware, software, platform and system version;
setting, such as hospital, home, classroom, laboratory, simulation center or remote environment;
target users, participants or patient population;
intervention duration, frequency, intensity and tasks;
level of immersion, interaction mode and user interface;
comparator, control condition or usual care;
outcome measures and assessment timing;
training, supervision and human oversight;
accessibility considerations;
usability, feasibility and acceptability measures;
adverse events, discomfort or safety issues.
Participant Safety
Authors should describe participant safety measures where applicable, including screening for contraindications, exposure duration, adverse event monitoring, simulator sickness or cybersickness assessment, visual fatigue, dizziness, falls, psychological distress, emergency stop procedures, user training and procedures for discontinuation.
Special care is required for studies involving children, older adults, patients with cognitive impairment, psychiatric conditions, sensory impairment, severe illness or other vulnerable groups.
Digital Data, Privacy and Security
Metaverse medicine research may involve sensitive data, including interaction logs, motion data, eye-tracking data, voice data, biometric data, behavioral data, geolocation data, health data, avatar data and platform-generated data.
Authors should describe how data were collected, stored, protected, de-identified and accessed. Where applicable, authors should explain data governance, cybersecurity measures, platform terms, privacy protections and restrictions on data sharing.
AI, Avatars and Virtual Humans
For studies involving AI-enabled systems, virtual humans, digital clinicians, avatars, conversational agents, diagnostic algorithms, prediction models, clinical decision support tools, immersive simulations or automated feedback systems, authors should describe the intended use, system version, development and validation methods, datasets, performance metrics, human oversight, limitations, potential risks and safeguards where applicable.
Authors should clearly distinguish between human-generated content, AI-generated content, simulated content and real patient or participant data.
Clinical Trial Registration and Data Sharing
Clinical trials and clinical investigations involving metaverse-based interventions, digital therapeutics, virtual care systems, immersive technologies or AI-enabled clinical tools should be registered in a publicly accessible registry before participant recruitment begins, where applicable. The registry name and registration number should be provided in the manuscript.
Manuscripts reporting clinical trials should include a data sharing statement where required by applicable standards or journal policy. The statement should indicate whether de-identified individual participant data will be shared, what data will be shared, whether related documents such as the study protocol or statistical analysis plan will be available, when and for how long data will be available, and the conditions for access.
Required Statements
Authors must include all statements required by the journal and applicable policies. These statements should usually appear in the manuscript file, title page, acknowledgements section or submission system, according to the journal’s instructions.
Required statements may include:
Ethics Approval
Studies involving human participants, human data, human tissue, animals, identifiable information, education records, user data or platform-generated data must include the name of the ethics committee, institutional review board or relevant authority, approval number or reference, and any relevant exemption information.
Informed Consent
For studies involving human participants, authors should state whether informed consent was obtained. For identifiable patient or participant information, case details, clinical images, screenshots, videos, voice recordings, avatar images, interaction logs, biometric data or any other identifiable material, written consent for publication must be obtained where applicable.
Clinical Trial Registration
Clinical trials and clinical investigations should provide the registry name and registration number where applicable. Registration should occur before participant recruitment begins.
Author Contributions
Authors should describe each author’s contribution to the work. The journal encourages use of the CRediT taxonomy where appropriate.
Competing Interests
All authors must disclose any financial or non-financial competing interests. For metaverse medicine research, relevant disclosures may include employment, consultancy, advisory roles, stock ownership, patents, patent applications, royalties, licensing agreements, sponsored testing, software or platform ownership, technology development, device donation, platform access, data access arrangements, technical support, statistical support, writing assistance or relationships with technology providers, platform operators, software developers, device manufacturers, digital health companies or sponsors.
Funding
Authors should disclose all funding sources and grant numbers. The role of funders, sponsors, technology providers or platform operators in study design, technology development, participant recruitment, data collection, data access, data storage, analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation and the decision to submit should be stated. If the work received no specific funding, this should also be declared.
Data Availability
Authors should include a Data Availability Statement describing where the data supporting the findings can be accessed or explaining why data cannot be shared. For clinical and user studies, authors should ensure that shared data are appropriately de-identified and consistent with ethics approval, informed consent and applicable data protection requirements.
Restrictions due to privacy, ethics, legal, commercial, intellectual property, cybersecurity, platform terms, safety or participant re-identification risks should be clearly explained.
Use of AI and AI-assisted Technologies
AI tools and large language models cannot be listed as authors. Authors remain responsible for the accuracy, originality and integrity of all submitted content.
Use of generative AI or AI-assisted technologies beyond basic language editing should be disclosed according to the journal’s AI policy. Authors should identify the tool used, describe how it was used and verify all AI-assisted content, including references, factual claims and generated text.
Acknowledgements
Individuals or organizations that contributed to the work but do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged with their permission.
Manuscripts should be submitted through the journal’s online submission system after they have been prepared according to the applicable requirements. Authors should complete the following checks before submission.
1. Submission Checklist
Authors should confirm that:
The manuscript fits the journal's Aims and Scope and the appropriate article type has been selected.
The manuscript is original, has not been formally published, and is not under consideration by another journal.
All authors have approved the submitted version, authorship, author order, and corresponding-author information.
The required manuscript files, figures, tables, and supplementary materials have been prepared and uploaded.
Required ethical, authorship, funding, competing-interest, data-availability, and AI-use information has been provided where applicable.
Relevant reporting guidelines and checklists have been completed where applicable.
Required permissions have been obtained for reproduced or adapted third-party material.
For metaverse-related research, relevant technologies, platforms, software, devices, and version information have been identified where applicable.
Relevant involvement of technology providers, sponsors, or funders has been appropriately disclosed.
A cover letter is not required for submission. Authors may provide a cover letter if they wish to share additional information with the Editorial Office. The Editorial Office may request additional information where necessary.
2. Language and Indexing Metadata
The journal accepts manuscripts in English or Chinese.
Chinese-language manuscripts must include:
an English title;
an English abstract;
English keywords;
author names in Roman script; and
affiliations in English or Roman script.
Chinese title, abstract, and keywords should also be provided where applicable.
Authors are responsible for ensuring consistency between the Chinese and English metadata, including titles, abstracts, keywords, author names, affiliations, tables, figures, and supplementary materials.
For accepted Chinese-language manuscripts, sufficient English metadata must be provided to support international discoverability and indexing.
3. Preprints
The journal considers manuscripts previously posted on recognized preprint servers, provided that they have not been formally published and are not under consideration by another journal.
Authors must disclose any preprint at submission and provide the preprint server name and DOI or link, where applicable.
For accepted manuscripts, authors are encouraged to update the preprint record with a citation and link to the published article.
4. How to Submit
Manuscripts must be submitted through the journal's online submission system. Authors should create an account and follow the instructions provided by the system.
Submissions by email are generally not accepted unless specifically requested by the Editorial Office.
The maximum file size for an individual uploaded file is 50 MB, unless otherwise specified by the submission system.
After submission, the corresponding author will receive an automated confirmation. The Editorial Office may contact the authors if required information or materials are missing before the manuscript proceeds to editorial assessment.
If revision is invited, authors should submit the revised manuscript within the deadline stated in the decision letter. Extensions may be requested from the Editorial Office where necessary.
A revised submission should usually include:
a clean version of the revised manuscript;
a marked-up or tracked-changes version showing revisions;
a detailed point-by-point response to all editor and reviewer comments;
revised figures, tables, screenshots, videos or supplementary materials, where applicable;
updated declarations or statements, if any changes have been made.
Authors should respond to each comment respectfully and clearly. Where authors disagree with a reviewer or editor comment, they should provide a reasoned explanation supported by evidence where appropriate.
Submission of a revised manuscript does not guarantee acceptance. Revised manuscripts may be returned to reviewers, assessed by the editors or declined if concerns have not been adequately addressed.
Upon manuscript acceptance, the editorial office will contact the corresponding author to arrange subsequent publication procedures. This journal currently waives all Article Processing Charges (APC). For detailed APC policies, please refer to our APC policy. Upon acceptance of your article, copyright will be transferred to Metaverse in Medicine. Accepted articles will be distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution‑NonCommercial‑NoDerivatives (CC BY‑NC‑ND) 4.0 International License. Should you have any questions regarding copyright and licensing, please contact our editorial office (metaversemed@zentimecorp.com).
The corresponding author will receive page proofs for final review prior to formal publication. Proof corrections are strictly limited to typographical, formatting, and minor factual errors. Any substantial changes to manuscript content, authorship, data analysis, results, or conclusions after acceptance require explicit approval from the editorial office.
Accepted manuscripts may be published online ahead of print and assigned a formal DOI prior to issue allocation. After official publication, authors may share and archive their articles in accordance with the journal’s article sharing and self-archiving policies.
All post-publication updates, including corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern, will be processed in strict accordance with the journal’s publishing ethics policies.
