Author Guidelines

Author Guidelines 

Al-Qadisiyah Medical Journal accepts Original Articles, Research Letters, Review Articles, Technical Articles, Case Reports and Letters to the Editor. Please follow the instructions relevant to type of manuscript being submitted.

1. Original Articles: Original Article reports original research, and is a novel research study. The standard layout is given below.

Original Articles should be divided into the sections of Abstract, Key words, Introduction, Materials & Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, References, Tables and Figure legends.

There is no limit on the word count and number of figures/tables for an original article. For instructions on references, figures or tables, please refer to the following specific formats in this

Instruction to Authors.

Abstract: Abstract is 350 words maximum and unreferenced, and must include the following subtitles: Background, Aims, Material & Methods, Results, and Conclusions. Do not use

abbreviations and acronyms, and expand all abbreviations at first mention in the text.

Key words: Up to 10 key words or short phrases are provided following the Abstract. These should not duplicate key words from the title.

Introduction: Provide an adequate background and state objectives of the work, avoiding a detailed literature survey or a summary of the results.

Materials and Methods: (1) Provide the detailed information to allow the work to be reproduced. The previously reported methods should be indicated by a reference; (2) At beginning of the section, include the details of ethical clearance from local review board and informed consents from patients (if needed); and (3) Include "Statistical Study" as a subtitle in the final part of the section, and specify the statistical methods used in the study. Avoid non-technical uses of technical terms in statistics, such as 'random' (which implies a randomizing device), 'normal', 'significant', 'correlations', and 'sample'. Define statistical terms, abbreviations, and most symbols. Specify the computer software used. All P values should be reported as exact numbers to 2 digits past the decimal point, regardless of significance, unless they are lower than 0.01, in which case they should be presented to 3 digits. Express any P values lower than 0.001 as P<.001. P values can never equal 0 or 1. Use upper italics P.

Results: Present your results in a logical sequence in the text, tables and illustrations, giving the main or most important findings first. Do not repeat in the text all the data in the tables or illustrations; emphasize or summarize only important observations.

Discussion: Include summary of key findings, strengths and limitations of the study, interpretation and implications in the context of the totality of evidence, controversies raised by this

study, and future research directions. Do not repeat in detail data or other material given in the Introduction or the Results section. Avoid claiming priority and alluding to work that has not been completed. New hypotheses may be stated if needed, however, they should be clearly labeled as such.

Conclusions: The conclusions of the manuscript may be presented in a short Conclusions section, or may stand alone or form a subsection of a Discussion section.

2. Research Letters: Research Letters reports an important research results, but are preliminary of original research results (e.g. preliminary experiments limited by sample size or

duration, or novel hypotheses). Al-Qadisiyah Medical Journal welcomes Research Letters of original research results. Research Letters published in the journal, like Original Articles, will be citable and searchable via PubMed and other database. The word count of Research Letters should be within 2,000-3,000 (excluding the Abstract, references and figure legends). There is no limit on the number of figures and tables. The Standard layout is given below.

Research Letter should have an Abstract with 350 words maximum, and must include the following subtitles: Background, Aims, Material & Methods, Results, and Conclusions. Do not use abbreviations and acronyms, and expand all abbreviations at first mention in the text. The text begins with Introduction as the first paragraph. A short description including methods, results and conclusions may be required. For instructions on references, figure or table, please refer to the following specific formats in this Instruction to Authors.

3. Review Articles: Al-Qadisiyah Medical Journal welcomes Reviews of recent developments in medical sciences. The layout is given below.

An unstructured Abstract describing the methods used for literature researching, extracting, and synthesizing data should be included. The Introduction as first section should be included in the text, the subtitles of other sections would depend upon the topic reviewed. A Review Article is normally 4,000 words (excluding Abstract and references), and illustrations are encouraged. For instructions on references, figures or tables, please refer to the following specific formats in this Instruction to Authors.

4. Technical Articles: These articles should present new research or clinical methods, tests or procedures. The method may be completely new, or may offer an improved technique with supporting evidence of efficacy and safety, for an existing method, operations and management strategies. There is no strict limit on the word count and number of display items. For

instructions on references, figure or table, please refer to the following specific formats in this Instruction to Authors. The standard layout is given below.

Abstract: Abstract (350 words maximum) should include subtitles: Background, Aims, Methods, Results, Conclusions. Do not add reference in the Abstract.

Keywords: Up to 10 key words or short phrases are provided following the Abstract.

Introduction: The Introduction section should be written clearly. Reports of clinical research should include a summary of a search of the literature to indicate why this study was necessary

and what it aimed to contribute to the field. The section should end with a brief statement of what is being reported in the article.

Methods: Provide the detailed information to allow the work to be completed, and should include the setting, the type of participants or materials involved, and the type of analysis used.

Authors can name it "Our For studies involving human participants, a statement of local ethical approval and consent should be included at top of the Methods section. If statistical test was used, a subsection on statistical analysis must be included in the final part of the Methods.

Results and Discussion: The Results and Discussion may be combined into a single section or presented separately. Present your results in a logical sequence in the text, tables and

illustrations, giving the main or most important findings first. Do not repeat in the text all the data in the tables or illustrations; emphasize or summarize only important observations. Results

of statistical analysis should include, where appropriate, relative and absolute risks or risk reductions, and confidence intervals. The Results and discussion sections may also include

summary of key findings, strengths and limitations of the study, interpretation and implications in the context of the totality of evidence, controversies raised by this study, and future

research directions. In the final part, author should state clearly the main conclusions of the technical study and give a clear explanation of their importance and relevance.

5. Case Report: Case Reports should have the following sections:

- An abstract including titles Context, Case Report, and Conclusion, with 350 words maximum, do not use nonstandard abbreviations, footnotes or references.

- Key words or short phrases (up to 10) are provided following the Abstract.

- Introduction: Summarize the context for the report.

- Case Presentation: Report the data of the patient(s) in a logical sequence in the text, tables, and illustrations. Do not duplicate data in graphs or tables.

- Discussions: Emphasize the novel situation and add important insights into mechanisms or diagnosis or treatment, as well as, the conclusions that follow them.

The article can have up to 2,000 words.

Format of Reference

All references in the text must be numbered consecutively, place each citation immediately after the term or phrase and usually before the period; they should appear like the following: [1,2, 5, 6] or [7-9].

When listing references, follow abbreviate names of journals according to the journal list in PubMed. Citations in the reference list should contain named authors up to 6; if more than 6, followed by “et al.” Some examples of the journal's reference style are shown below. Please carefully follow the reference style precisely:

• Journal Article: Urita Y, Watanabe T, Imai T, et al. Influence of chronic ethanol consumption on extra-pancreatic secretory function in rat. N Am J Med Sci 2009; 1: 239-243.
• Book Chapter: Ramphal R. Infections due to Pseudomonas species and related organisms. In: Fauci AS, Braunwald E, Kasper DL. Eds. Harrison Principles of Internal Medicine.

17th ed. New York, NY: McGraw Hill Medical; 2008:949-956.

• Complete Book: Margulis L: Origin of Eukaryotic Cells. New Haven: Yale University Press; 1970.
• Link/URL: U.S. positions on selected issues at the third negotiating session of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Washington, D.C.: Committee on Government Reform, 2002. (Accessed March 4, 2002, at http://www.house.gov/reform/min/inves_tobacco/index_accord.htm).

• Unpublished work accepted for publication but not yet released should be included in the reference list with the words “in press” in parentheses beside the name of the journal

cMoncerned. References must be verified by the author(s) against the original documents.

 

Format of Tables

• Include a title for each table (no longer than 15 words) in a single file.
• Tables should be self-explanatory and should not duplicate textual material.
• Tables with more than 10 columns and 25 rows are not acceptable.
• Explain all nonstandard abbreviations in footnotes.
• For footnotes use the following symbols: *, †, ‡, §, ||,¶ , **, ††, ‡‡
• Tables with their legends should be provided at the end of the text after the references. The tables along with their number should be cited at the relevant place in the text
• Submit tables in a word processing—not an imaging—format.
• Identify statistical measures of variations, such as SD or SE. Do not merely repeat information in the text.
• All P values should be reported as exact numbers to 2 digits past the decimal point, regardless of significance, unless they are lower than 0.01, in which case they should be

presented to 3 digits. Express any P values lower than 0.001 as P<.001. P values can never equal 0 or 1.

• Obtain permission for all fully borrowed, adapted, and modified tables and provide a credit line in the footnote.

Format of Figures

• Upload the images in JPEG format. The file size should be within 1024 kb in size while uploading.
• Number all figures in the order of their citation in the text.
• Include a title for each figure (no longer than 15 words). Titles and detailed explanations belong to the figure legends, not on the illustrations themselves.
• Multi-panel figures (for example Fig. 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) should be submitted as a single composite file that contains all parts of the figure.
• Labels, numbers, and symbols should be clear and of uniform size. The lettering for figures should be large enough to be legible after reduction to fit the width of a printed column.
• Figure titles and legends should be provided in the main manuscript, not in the graphic file.
• The photographs and figures should be trimmed to remove all the unwanted areas.

Figure Legends

The legends should be included in the main manuscript text file immediately following the figures. For each figure, the following information should be provided:

• All figures must have Arabic numbers corresponding to the illustrations (i.e., Fig. 1, 2, 3 etc.).
• Short title of figure (maximum 15 words).
• Supply a detailed explanation of each figure (maximum length, 40 words).
• Define all symbols and arrows that are used to identify parts of the figures.
• Explain internal scale and identify the method of staining in photomicrographs.

Please note: it is the responsibility of the author(s) to obtain permission from the copyright holder to reproduce figures that have previously been published elsewhere.

 

Submission of Manuscripts

All manuscripts must be submitted online through the website at http://www.qmj.qu.edu.iqNew users will have to register at this site. Registered authors can keep track of their articles after logging into the site using their user name and password. If you experience any problems, please contact the editorial office by e-mail at joumed@qu.edu.iq Prior to sending your electronic submission, please ensure that the manuscript has been prepared according to this Instruction, with special emphasis on the style of the manuscript and reference list. The submitted manuscripts that are not as per the “Instructions to Authors” would be returned to the authors for technical correction before they undergo peer-review.

To submit manuscript, authors should prepare manuscript in the form of two separate files:

1 Title Page and Cover Letter:

1. The type of manuscript (original article, case report, review article, Letter to editor, etc.);
2. Title should be concise and informative, do not use " Effects of ..." or " Study of ...", fewer than 150 characters. Do not use abbreviations and formulae;
3. The names of all authors (with their affiliations) and name(s) of department(s) and/or institution(s) to which the work should be credited. All information which can reveal author's identity should be here;

1. The total number of pages, total number of photographs and word counts (excluding the references, tables and abstract);
2. Acknowledgement, if any. One or more statements should specify 1) contributions that need acknowledging but do not justify authorship, such as general support by a departmental chair; 2) acknowledgments of technical help; and 3) acknowledgments of financial and material support, which should specify the nature of the support;

1. If the manuscript was presented as part at a meeting, the organization, place, and exact date on which it was read.
2. Registration number of a clinical trial and where it is registered (name of the registry and its URL)
3. The name, address, e-mail, and telephone number of the corresponding author, who is responsible for communicating with the other authors about revisions and final approval of the proofs.

2 Blinded Article File:

The manuscript must not contain any mention of the authors' names or initials or the institution at which the study was done or acknowledgements. Page header can not include the authors' names. The main text of the article, beginning from Abstract till References (including tables) should be in this file. Do not incorporate images in the file. The pages should be numbered

consecutively, beginning with the first page of the blinded article file. The file should include main title of the article.

Preparation of Manuscripts

Manuscripts must be prepared in accordance with "Instruction To Authors" of Al-Qadisiyah Medical Journal. Before submitting a manuscript, authors are requested to check for the latest instructions of the journal. All manuscript published in Al-Qadisiyah Medical Journal must be written in English, either American or British style. To avoid unnecessary errors, you are strongly advised to use the 'spell-check' and 'grammar-check' functions of your word processor.

Authorship Criteria

Authorship credit should be based only on substantial contributions to each of the three components mentioned below:

1. Concept and design of study or acquisition of data or analysis and interpretation of data;
2. Drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content; and
3. Final approval of the version to be published.

Participation solely in the acquisition of funding or the collection of data does not justify authorship. General supervision of the research group is not sufficient for authorship. Each contributor should have participated sufficiently in the work to take public responsibility for appropriate portions of the content of the manuscript. The order of naming the contributors should be based on the relative contribution of the contributor towards the study and writing the manuscript. Once submitted the order cannot be changed without written consent of all the contributors.

Conflicts Of Interest

All authors must disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest, including any financial, personal or other relationships with other people or organizations, with the study. Authors should also disclose conflict of interest with products that compete with those mentioned in their manuscript.

Permissions

Authors must submit written permission from the copyright owner (usually the publisher) to use direct quotations, tables, or illustrations that have appeared in copyrighted form elsewhere, along with complete details about the source. Any permission fees that might be required by the copyright owner are the responsibility of the authors requesting use of the borrowed material.

Patient Anonymity and Informed Consent

It is the author's responsibility to ensure that a patients anonymity be carefully protected, and to verify that any experimental investigation with human subjects reported in the manuscript was performed with informed consent and following all the guidelines for experimental investigation with human subjects required by the institution(s) with which all the authors are affiliated. Authors should mask patients' eyes and remove patients' names from figures unless they obtain written consent from the patients and submit written consent with the manuscript.

Sending Revised Manuscript

The revised version of the manuscript should be submitted online in a manner similar to that used for submission of the manuscript for the first time. When submitting a revised manuscript, authors are requested to include, the referee’s remarks along with point to point clarification. In addition, they are expected to mark the changes as highlighted text in the article.

Proofs

The designated corresponding author will receive notification of availability of page proofs by e-mail. It is the author's responsibility to ensure that there are no errors in the proofs. Proofs must be checked carefully and corrections sent back within 48 hours of receipt, as requested in the electronic cover letter accompanying the page proofs.

Open Access

All articles published in Al-Qadisiyah Medical Journal are "open access". This indicates that articles published online can be freely accessed at the journal's website by all users. The journal automatically provides open access to the published articles while publications are online.