Guide for Authors
Submission:
The manuscript should be submitted online via our online submission form (http://mededj.ir/). Each manuscript must be accompanied by a covering letter to the Editor-in-Chief, signed by all authors, stating that the authors wish to have their paper evaluated for publication in the Medical Education Journal of Babol University of Medical Sciences and that no substantial part has been, or will be published elsewhere. Accepted manuscripts are published in the order of receipt of the final approved version, after review, revision. Authors are responsible for all statements made in their work. The manuscript should be typed in double-space (1.2 cm) on one side of the A4 size paper with 2.5 cm margins on both sides. The manuscript should be typed in Microsoft word 2003 or newer. English text should be submitted in Times New Roman font, 10 point type. The manuscript should contain a Running title (maximum 50 characters) at the top of each page. The manuscript should include Title page, Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Materials & Methods, Results, Discussion, Acknowledgement, References.
Original Article:
Original investigations are considered as full-length applied (human) or basic (bench work) research reports. Body of manuscript should include Title Page, Structured Abstract, Introduction, Method and Material (including statistical methods used), Findings, Limitation (if need), Conclusion, Acknowledgments, References, Illustrations (if applicable).
Review Article:
Review articles should have at least 50 references. Authors should use at least 3-5 references of their own prior works.
Title Page:
The complete title of the manuscript, the name of all the authors with their highest academic degrees, the department or institution to which they are attached, address for correspondence with telephone numbers, e-mail, and the Fax number.
Abstract:
All original articles must accompany a structured abstract up to 250 words. It should be structured as Background and objective, Methods, Findings, and Conclusion followed by 3 to 5 Keywords.
Introduction:
This should summarize the purpose and the rationale for the study. It should neither review the subject extensively nor should it have data or conclusions of the study.
Materials & Methods:
This should include the exact method or observation, or experiment. If an apparatus is used, its manufacturer's name and address should be given in parenthesis. If the method is established, give the reference but if the method is new, give enough information so that another author is able to perform it. For patients, ages, sex, with mean age ± standard deviation must be given. Statistical methods must be mentioned and specify any general computer program used. The Info system used should be clearly mentioned. A clinical trial should be approved by the ethics committee of that organization. Please state that informed consent was obtained from all human adult participants and from the parents or legal guardians of minors. Include the name of the appropriate institutional review board that approved the project. Indicate in the text that the maintenance and care of experimental animals conform with National Institute of Health guidelines for the human use of laboratory animals or those of your institute or agency. In a clinical trial, it is especially important to state how the participants were recruited in the study. In doing this, the sampling frame should be spelled out. As readers like to be assured that the welfare and rights of the participants in the study were placed above those of the investigator. Ethical Considerations: The ethical principles regarding experiments and researches should be based on the Helsinki Declaration and 26 codes of ethics in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Results:
It must be presented in the form of text, tables, and illustrations. The contents of the tables should not be repeated in the text. Instead, a reference to the table number may be given. Long articles may need sub-headings within some sections to clarify their contents.
Discussion:
It should emphasize the present findings and the variations or similarities with other work done in the field by other workers. The detailed data should not be repeated in the discussion again. Emphasize the new and important aspects of the study and the conclusions that follow from them. It must be mentioned whether the hypothesis mentioned in the articles is true, false, or no conclusions can be derived. Finally, a conclusion should be written.
Acknowledgment:
All contributors who do not meet the criteria for authorship should be covered in the acknowledgment section. It should include persons who provided technical help, writing assistance, and departmental head who only provided general support. Financial and material support should also be acknowledged.
Tables:
In limited numbers should be submitted with the captions placed above. Do not submit tables as pictures. Place explanatory matters in footnotes, not in the heading.
Figures:
Figures should be in limited numbers, with high-quality artwork and mounted on separate pages. The captions should be placed below. The same data should not be presented in tables, figures, and text, simultaneously.
References:
In-text citations should be typed inside the parentheses, e.g. (1). References should be numbered consecutively with the Vancouver style. Please list the first three authors for each reference and then et al., unless there are six authors or fewer, in which case all authors should be listed. Provide full reference details (author(s), title, journal, year, volume, pages). Capitalize the first letter and all initials of authors’ names, the first letter of the title of the paper, and any proper nouns in the title. Journal names should be abbreviated as in the Index Medicus. References should be structured as follows: Article: Matsumura S, Oue N, Nakayama H, et al. A single nucleotide polymorphism in the MMP-9 promoter affects tumor progression and invasive phenotype of gastric cancer. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2005;131(1):19-25. Books: Harvet RA, Champe PC. Pharmacology. 2nd ed. London: J.B. Lippincott Co 1997; pp: 83-95.
Chapters in Book: Phillips SJ, Whisnant JP. Hypertension and stroke. In: Laragh JH, Brenner BM, editors. Hypertension: pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management. 2nd ed. New York: Raven Press 1995; pp: 465-78.
Peer Review Process:
All manuscripts are considered to be confidential. They are peer-reviewed by anonymous reviewers selected by the Editorial Board. The corresponding author is notified as soon as possible of the editor's decision to accept, reject, or require modifications.
Conflict of Interest:
Authors should disclose at the time of submission any commercial affiliations or other interests that may influence the manuscript. These include patent-licensing agreements, stock ownership, and sources of funding for the study, corporate sponsorship, consultancies, and institutional affiliations.
Copyright:
Authors retain copyright to their work without restrictions. The author has complete control over the work (e.g., retains the right to reuse, distribute, republish, etc.).
Informed Consent
All participants in human subjects' articles have a right to privacy that should not be violated without informed consent. Identifying information, including names, initials, etc., should not be published in written descriptions, photographs, or pedigrees unless the information is essential for scientific purposes and the participants (or parent or guardian) gives written informed consent for publication. Informed consent in this situation requires that an identifiable participant be shown the manuscript and provide consent prior to publication. Authors should disclose to these patients whether any potential identifiable material might be available via the Internet as well as in print after publication. Participants' consent should be written and archived either with the Journal, the authors, or both, as dictated by local regulations or laws. |