Aim & Scope

Aim

The Pakistan Journal of Gastroenterology (PJG) is an international, peer-reviewed, open-access medical journal dedicated to the publication of high-quality, original, and evidence-based research in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, digestive endoscopy, gastrointestinal surgery, pancreatology, hepatobiliary medicine, and related biomedical sciences.

The Journal aims to advance scientific knowledge, improve clinical practice, and promote excellence in research related to the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and management of diseases affecting the gastrointestinal tract, liver, pancreas, biliary system, and associated organs.

PJG provides an international platform for clinicians, researchers, academicians, surgeons, physicians, scientists, and allied healthcare professionals to disseminate innovative research findings, exchange scientific knowledge, and encourage multidisciplinary collaboration.

The Journal is committed to maintaining the highest standards of scientific integrity, editorial independence, publication ethics, and rigorous double-blind peer review in accordance with internationally accepted guidelines issued by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME).

Objectives

The Pakistan Journal of Gastroenterology aims to:

Publish high-quality, original, and clinically relevant research.
Promote evidence-based medicine in gastroenterology and hepatology.
Advance research in digestive diseases through interdisciplinary collaboration.
Encourage innovative clinical, translational, and basic science research.
Improve patient care through dissemination of reliable scientific evidence.
Support early-career researchers and healthcare professionals.
Promote ethical research and responsible scientific publishing.
Increase the global visibility of research conducted in Pakistan and worldwide.
Facilitate international collaboration among researchers and clinicians.
Contribute to continuing medical education in digestive diseases.

Scope

The Journal welcomes manuscripts covering all aspects of digestive health, including basic science, translational research, clinical medicine, surgery, public health, epidemiology, medical education, and healthcare innovations related to gastroenterology.

The scope includes, but is not limited to, the following disciplines:

1. Gastroenterology

Esophageal diseases
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
Barrett's esophagus
Gastritis
Peptic ulcer disease
Helicobacter pylori infection
Functional gastrointestinal disorders
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Functional dyspepsia
Inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease and Ulcerative colitis)
Celiac disease
Gastrointestinal infections
Small bowel diseases
Colorectal disorders
Diverticular disease
Gastrointestinal bleeding
Gastrointestinal motility disorders
Constipation and diarrhea
Gastrointestinal emergencies

2. Hepatology

Viral hepatitis (HBV, HCV, HDV, HEV)
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD/MASLD)
Alcohol-associated liver disease
Autoimmune hepatitis
Primary biliary cholangitis
Primary sclerosing cholangitis
Drug-induced liver injury
Liver cirrhosis
Portal hypertension
Hepatic encephalopathy
Acute liver failure
Chronic liver disease
Hepatocellular carcinoma
Liver fibrosis
Liver transplantation

3. Pancreatology

Acute pancreatitis
Chronic pancreatitis
Autoimmune pancreatitis
Pancreatic cystic lesions
Pancreatic neoplasms
Pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic insufficiency
Pancreatic imaging
Endoscopic pancreatic interventions

4. Biliary Diseases

Gallstone disease
Cholecystitis
Cholangitis
Biliary obstruction
Choledocholithiasis
Biliary strictures
Cholangiocarcinoma
Gallbladder cancer
Biliary interventions

5. Digestive Endoscopy

Diagnostic upper GI endoscopy
Colonoscopy
Flexible sigmoidoscopy
Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)
Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)
Capsule endoscopy
Balloon-assisted enteroscopy
Therapeutic endoscopy
Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR)
Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD)
Endoscopic innovations
Artificial intelligence in endoscopy

6. Gastrointestinal Surgery

Upper gastrointestinal surgery
Colorectal surgery
Hepatobiliary surgery
Pancreatic surgery
Laparoscopic surgery
Robotic gastrointestinal surgery
Bariatric surgery
Surgical oncology
Minimally invasive surgery

7. Gastrointestinal Oncology

Esophageal cancer
Gastric cancer
Colorectal cancer
Liver cancer
Pancreatic cancer
Gallbladder cancer
Cholangiocarcinoma
Neuroendocrine tumors
Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST)
Cancer screening
Precision oncology

8. Pediatric Gastroenterology

Pediatric liver diseases
Pediatric gastrointestinal disorders
Congenital gastrointestinal diseases
Pediatric endoscopy
Pediatric nutrition
Pediatric inflammatory bowel disease

9. Nutrition and Clinical Dietetics

Clinical nutrition
Enteral nutrition
Parenteral nutrition
Malnutrition
Obesity
Gut microbiome
Probiotics and prebiotics
Metabolic disorders

10. Gastrointestinal Pathology

Histopathology
Molecular pathology
Biomarkers
Precision diagnostics
Cytopathology
Immunohistochemistry

11. Diagnostic Imaging

Ultrasonography
Computed Tomography (CT)
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography (MRCP)
PET-CT
Interventional radiology
Imaging of gastrointestinal diseases

12. Basic and Translational Research

Molecular biology
Genetics and genomics
Epigenetics
Immunology
Cell biology
Stem cell research
Pharmacology
Drug development
Bioinformatics
Artificial Intelligence
Machine Learning
Precision Medicine

13. Public Health and Epidemiology

Disease epidemiology
Prevention strategies
Screening programs
Population health
Global digestive health
Health services research
Healthcare quality improvement
Patient safety

14. Medical Education

Medical education in gastroenterology
Residency and fellowship education
Clinical training
Simulation-based learning
Continuing Medical Education (CME)

15. Allied Health Sciences

Gastroenterology nursing
Endoscopy nursing
Clinical pharmacy
Nutrition services
Physiotherapy related to digestive diseases
Laboratory medicine

Types of Articles Accepted

The Journal welcomes the following manuscript categories:

Original Research Articles
Systematic Reviews
Meta-Analyses
Scoping Reviews
Narrative Reviews
Clinical Trials
Case Reports
Case Series
Short Communications
Technical Notes
Clinical Images
Editorials
Guest Editorials
Letters to the Editor
Commentaries
Perspectives
Clinical Practice Guidelines
Consensus Statements
Protocol Papers
Book Reviews (by invitation)
Supplement Articles

Areas Outside the Scope

The Journal generally does not consider:

Veterinary studies unrelated to human medicine.
Pharmaceutical formulation studies without clinical relevance.
Pure engineering research unrelated to digestive diseases.
Non-medical education research.
Opinion articles lacking scientific evidence.
Previously published or duplicate manuscripts.
Manuscripts failing to meet ethical or scientific standards.
Articles outside the field of digestive health.

Reporting Guidelines

Authors are encouraged to prepare manuscripts in accordance with internationally recognized reporting guidelines, including:

CONSORT (Randomized Controlled Trials)
STROBE (Observational Studies)
PRISMA (Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses)
CARE (Case Reports)
ARRIVE (Animal Studies)
STARD (Diagnostic Accuracy Studies)
CHEERS (Health Economic Evaluations)
SPIRIT (Clinical Trial Protocols)
TRIPOD (Prediction Model Studies)

Target Audience

The Journal is intended for:

Gastroenterologists
Hepatologists
Endoscopists
Gastrointestinal Surgeons
Hepatobiliary Surgeons
Internal Medicine Specialists
General Physicians
Pediatric Gastroenterologists
Oncologists
Radiologists
Pathologists
Nutritionists
Clinical Pharmacologists
Medical Scientists
Researchers
Medical Educators
Residents and Fellows
Allied Health Professionals
Public Health Specialists
Healthcare Policymakers

Keywords

Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Digestive Diseases, Liver Diseases, Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, ERCP, EUS, Pancreatic Diseases, Hepatobiliary Disorders, Gastrointestinal Surgery, Digestive Oncology, Clinical Gastroenterology, Gastrointestinal Research, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Digestive Health, Nutrition, Bioinformatics, Precision Medicine, Artificial Intelligence, Translational Research.

Mission Statement

The Pakistan Journal of Gastroenterology (PJG) is dedicated to advancing excellence in digestive disease research by publishing scientifically rigorous, ethically conducted, and clinically relevant studies that improve patient care and contribute to the global body of medical knowledge. The Journal strives to foster innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration, evidence-based practice, and lifelong learning while upholding the highest standards of editorial quality, research integrity, transparency, and publication ethics. Through open access dissemination and international collaboration, PJG seeks to become a leading regional and global platform for gastroenterology and hepatology research.