The BMJ Submission Requirements
Validate your manuscript against The BMJ flagship's submission requirements, distinct from the wider BMJ specialty portfolio.
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What The BMJ requires
The BMJ is a general-medicine flagship that publishes research open access. It is distinct from the wider BMJ portfolio (specialty journals such as Gut, Heart, and Thorax, plus BMJ Open), which have their own instructions. The BMJ uses a structured abstract, requires a What this study adds box, and is notable for requiring a patient and public involvement (PPI) statement. It also expects trial registration, a data-sharing statement, and reporting-guideline compliance (CONSORT, PRISMA, STROBE). CheckMyManuscript flags the presence and structure of these elements before submission.
The BMJ requirements, and what CMM checks
These cover The BMJ flagship. The BMJ specialty portfolio and BMJ Open differ, see their own instructions.
Structured abstract
✓ CMM checks thisA structured abstract appropriate to the article type.
Source: bmj.com · verified Jun 16, 2026
What this study adds box
✓ CMM checks thisA short box summarising what is already known and what this study adds.
Flag: no What this study adds box for a research article.
Source: bmj.com · verified Jun 16, 2026
Patient and public involvement (PPI) statement
✓ CMM checks thisA statement describing patient and public involvement in the research (or its absence).
Flag: missing PPI statement, a distinctive BMJ requirement.
Source: bmj.com · verified Jun 16, 2026
Trial registration & data sharing
✓ CMM checks thisTrial registration number for trials and a data-sharing statement.
Source: bmj.com · verified Jun 16, 2026
Reporting guideline
✓ CMM checks thisCONSORT (trials), PRISMA (reviews), or STROBE (observational), with the completed checklist.
Source: equator-network.org · verified Jun 16, 2026
Importance to general readers
Editorial, not auto-checkableWhether the findings matter to a general medical readership.
Editorial judgement, not auto-checkable.
Source: bmj.com · verified Jun 16, 2026
This page covers The BMJ flagship general-medicine journal, not the wider BMJ portfolio (specialty titles and BMJ Open, which have their own instructions). CheckMyManuscript checks presence and structure, not methodological quality. Verify the live author instructions before submitting, last checked 16 June 2026.
The BMJ is a general-medicine flagship that publishes research open access, distinct from the wider BMJ specialty portfolio and BMJ Open. It is notable for requiring a patient and public involvement statement and a What this study adds box, alongside a structured abstract, trial registration, data sharing, and reporting-guideline compliance. CheckMyManuscript screens your manuscript for the presence and structure of these elements before submission.
What CheckMyManuscript checks, and what it does not
CheckMyManuscript flags structural signals: a missing PPI statement, no What this study adds box, an absent trial registration number, or a missing reporting-guideline checklist. It does not judge whether the findings matter to a general readership or whether the methods were sound. Use the checker as a pre-submission completeness screen, not a compliance certificate.
Also see: BMJ portfolio checker | The Lancet checker | STROBE checklist checker
What gets returned before review at The BMJ
Common structural reasons general-medicine manuscripts are returned at the editorial screen, each maps to a signal CMM can flag.
1.
No PPI statement
A research article with no patient and public involvement statement.
CMM checks for: PPI statement
2.
Missing What this study adds box
Research submitted without the summary box.
CMM checks for: What this study adds box
3.
Trial registration missing
A randomised trial with no registration number.
CMM checks for: Trial registration
4.
Wrong reporting guideline
A study submitted without the matching CONSORT/PRISMA/STROBE checklist.
CMM checks for: Reporting guideline
The BMJ checks
Structured abstract
Flags an abstract not structured for the article type.
What this study adds
Flags a missing What this study adds box.
PPI statement
Flags a missing patient and public involvement statement.
Trial registration
Flags a missing trial registration number.
Reporting guideline
Flags a missing CONSORT/PRISMA/STROBE checklist.
Checks relevant to this topic
Part of our 80+ automated checks
Structured abstract
Structured abstract present.
What this study adds box
Summary box present.
PPI statement
Patient and public involvement statement present.
Trial registration
Trial registration number present.
Reporting guideline
Design-appropriate checklist present.
The practical edge your peers already use
Across disciplines and career stages, researchers reduce bottlenecks and submit with confidence: clearer drafts, easier guideline compliance, and less back and forth with co‑authors and reviewers.
I use it to review my students' papers. It instantly highlights typos, missing references, and unclear sections, helping me focus my feedback on the quality of the research instead of surface errors.
Ilyass
Professor in Mechanical Engineering, ÉTS Montréal
I relied on it throughout my thesis to strengthen my writing. It suggested clearer phrasing, improved flow between sections, and ensured my references were complete before the final deadline.
Manon
Master's Student in Speech Therapy
I write research in both Portuguese and English, and it adapts perfectly to either language. It provided precise feedback in Portuguese, helping me maintain academic tone and consistency across my drafts.
Afonso
PhD Candidate, UFPE
It gave excellent advice on how to rephrase and present ideas more clearly and concisely. The suggestions helped me refine my arguments and make my research more impactful.
Félix
Postdoc Researcher, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology
A round of suggestions helped to generally refine the text of my paper and, moreover, to present some of its key points in a more focused form.
Oleg
Professor, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University
I use it to review my students' papers. It instantly highlights typos, missing references, and unclear sections, helping me focus my feedback on the quality of the research instead of surface errors.
Ilyass
Professor in Mechanical Engineering, ÉTS Montréal
I relied on it throughout my thesis to strengthen my writing. It suggested clearer phrasing, improved flow between sections, and ensured my references were complete before the final deadline.
Manon
Master's Student in Speech Therapy
I write research in both Portuguese and English, and it adapts perfectly to either language. It provided precise feedback in Portuguese, helping me maintain academic tone and consistency across my drafts.
Afonso
PhD Candidate, UFPE
It gave excellent advice on how to rephrase and present ideas more clearly and concisely. The suggestions helped me refine my arguments and make my research more impactful.
Félix
Postdoc Researcher, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology
A round of suggestions helped to generally refine the text of my paper and, moreover, to present some of its key points in a more focused form.
Oleg
Professor, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University
Frequently asked questions
No. The BMJ is the flagship general-medicine journal. The wider BMJ portfolio includes specialty journals (such as Gut, Heart, and Thorax) and the open-access mega-journal BMJ Open, each with its own instructions. This page covers The BMJ flagship.
Yes. The BMJ is well known for requiring a patient and public involvement (PPI) statement describing how patients and the public were involved in the research, or stating that they were not. Missing PPI statements are commonly queried.
No. CheckMyManuscript checks the presence and structure of required elements such as the PPI statement, What this study adds box, and reporting-guideline compliance. It does not judge importance or methodological quality, and it does not replace peer review.