Al- Anbar Medical Journal

Guide for Authors

Please read carefully to avoid unwanted delays in the publication of your scientific work. The following sections are discussed in detail:

1. Author responsibilities

The authors have the following two responsibilities:

a.      Their assertion that their scientific work has not been published at all or is under review in another journal except for the publication of the abstract or preprint publication.

b.      The accuracy of the references used and the texts quoted from them.

2.      Types of manuscripts

The Al-Anbar Medical Journal accepts the following scientific works:

  1. Editorial
  2. Review article
  3. Original article
  4. Case report
  5. Images in clinical practice
  6. Letters to editors
  7. Short communications

3.      Criteria of the authorship

             Copyright is based on the following three criteria:

  1. Active participation in the study design and formulation, data acquisition and statistical analysis, and discussion of data results and their comparison with other studies.
  2. Writing the article in a scientific refereed form or reviewing it.
  3. Approval of the final version of the research to be published.

Each author must be sufficiently involved in scholarly research to express his responsibility for appropriate portions of the manuscript. The sequence of the authors depends on the size of their participation in the study and its writing. The sequence of the authors in a manuscript cannot be changed after it is submitted to the journal unless there is written consent from all the contributors.

4.      Requirements for the submission of a scientific work

  1. Blind manuscript (manuscripts without the names and affiliations of author/s)
  2. Cover letter
  3. Copyright transfer, financial disclosure, and conflict of interest.
  4. Contribution form

5.      Preparation of the manuscripts

  1. Submission: The manuscript is sent to the journal by one of the authors (corresponding author), accompanied by a cover letter that includes the title of the research, the names of the authors, and why you chose the journal as well as an outline of the research. The corresponding author also confirms that the article has not been published elsewhere or submitted to another journal. All authors are responsible for reviewing the research manuscript.

The manuscripts are printed in English,  typewritten, in font 12 of Times New Roman, with a space of at least 2 cm left around an A4 sheet. Tables and figures should be placed in their appropriate places in the manuscript. All manuscripts must be submitted online through the website, http://amj.uoanbar.edu.iq. First-time users would have to register at this site. Registration is free but mandatory. Registered authors can keep track of their articles after logging into the site using their username and password. Authors do not have to pay for the submission process of the articles.

The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) has produced and updated the "Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts (URM) Submitted to Biomedical Journals". Authors can find these requirements at the following link www.icmje.org.

The Council of Science Editors (CSE) has produced "Editorial Policy Statements" that cover the responsibilities and rights of editors of peer-reviewed journals. This can be found using the following link: http://www.councilscienceeditors.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3286.

2.      The types of manuscripts include the following:

  1. Original research: It should consist of
  2. Title: Each word should with start a capital letter.
  3. Structured Abstract (background, objectives, materials and methods, results, and conclusion)
  4. Keywords
  5. Text (Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion), Acknowledgment, and References.
  6. Case report: It should consist of
  7. Title: Each word should be started with a capital letter.
  8. The abstract of one paragraph contains three components; introduction, presentation of the case, and conclusion.
  9. Introduction
  10. Case presentation
  11. Discussion
  13. Editorial, The editorial is specific to editorial board members or invited influential scientists. This type should be focused on a hot topic in medicine. The layout of the manuscript consists of
  14. Title: Each word should start with a capital letter.
  15. Text (not exceeding 1000 words).
  16. References of not more than 15.
  17. Review Articles: AMJpublishes both narrative and systematic reviews. It is expected that narrative articles will be written by individuals who have done substantial work on the subject or are considered experts in the field. The abstract should include an overview of the topic and the main objective for the review, the primary observations and findings, as well as the conclusion of the review that are supported by the information, along with clinical applications and relevance. The main body section titles would depend on the topic reviewed. Authors should also include a section describing the methods used for locating, selecting, extracting, and synthesizing data.

For systematic reviews with meta-analysis, a structured abstract is required. In addition, the main body of the text should comprise an  introduction, methods (detailing the following: search strategy, study selection and data extraction, quality of evidence, risk of bias, and publication bias), Results (detailing search results and the primary findings), discussion, conclusion, references, tables and figure legends.

The Journal expects the contributors to provide post-publication updates on the subject of review. These updates should be brief and cover the advances in the field after the publication of the article. They should be sent as a letter to the editor  and when major developments  occur in the field.

General Requirements:

  1. Abstract: Unstructured for narrative reviews and structured for systematic reviews with meta-analysis up to 300 wordswith 3–6 relevant keywords (in alphabetical order).
  2. Word limit: 5000 words (excluding abstract, references, tables and figure legends).
  3. References: < 150
  4. Brief Reports

These represent short reports of original studies that include many disciplines, such as preliminary experimental results, evaluation of analytical techniques, or areas of clinical or experimental practice that are not fully investigated, verified, or perfected but may be of widespread interest or applications. Such articles should have the following headings: Abstract, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, and References.

General Requirements:

  1. Abstract: Up to 300 words. It should be structured with the following section headings: background, objectives, materials and methods, results, and conclusion. Please also provide 3–8 relevant keywords (in alphabetical order).
  2. Word limit: 2000 words (excluding abstract, references, tables and figure legends).
  3. References: Up to 15.
  4. Tables/Figures: Up to 4 in total.
  5. Letter to the Editor

These should be short and decisive observations and should preferably be related to articles previously published in the journal or views expressed in the journal. They should not be preliminary observations that later require a study for validation.

General Requirements:

  1. No abstract is required
  2. Word limit: 1000 words (excluding references)
  3. References: Up to 10
  4. Image in clinical practice

These should be short and decisive observations from daily clinical practice. It consists of a title, one image with a maximum of three panels, one paragraph not exceeding 300 words and consists of the presentation of the case, diagnostic tools, a brief description of the case in general, and follow-up, and without references.

 

3.      Title page: This page is sent as an isolated file. The page contains the title of the article (provided that it does not exceed 100 characters, including spaces), a running title consisting of 40 characters, including spaces, and the full names of all authors with their academic degrees, job titles, and place of work. One of them is identified as the author responsible for the research, with details about him/her, including his mobile number and email, and he/she is responsible for the official correspondence with the journal. This page should also contain the DECLARATION SECTION, which consists of the following: Ethics approval and consent to participate; consent for publication; availability of data and material; competing interests; funding; authors' contributions; and  acknowledgements.

4.      Abstract: The abstract consists of background, objectives, materials and methods, results, and a conclusion. The abstract should be  between 150 and 350 words. The references are absolutely not allowed to be used in the abstract. Reducing the use of abbreviations and acronyms. 3-8 keywords are provided just below the abstract. Keywords express the precise content of the article and are therefore used in the search indexing process. Use terms from the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) list of index medicus (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/MBrowser.html). Each keyword should be start with a capital letter and be separated from each other with a semicolon.

5.      Introduction: This part of the research summarizes its purpose and rationality. In addition to clarifying the conclusions reached by previous studies on the same topic and what remained ambiguous. It should not contain a detailed explanation of the previous studies, nor should the results or conclusions of the research be placed there.

6.      Materials and Methods: They should be explained thoroughly so researchers can use  them. If the method of the work was previously used, it is briefly explained and the approved reference is mentioned. This section should also include the design, place, and duration of the study, ethical approval, informed consent, inclusion and exclusion criteria, calculation of the sample size, data information, and other details specific to the study. The statistical method(s) used in analyzing the research data should be mentioned in a separate section or paragraph at the end of the section.

7.      Results: The results are mentioned as text, tables, or figures. Mention some of them when presenting the results in the text, and they should not be completely repeated. Numbers are given in the tables and figures. The title (legend) of the table is placed above the table, and the legend of the figure is placed below the corresponding figure.

8.      Discussion: Mention the strengths and limitations of the study. Comparing the research results with previous investigations in terms of similarities and differences. Avoid repeating all the findings of the study and just mention a small part of them, when absolutely necessary. This section should include any limitations to the study at the end of this section.

9.      Conclusion (message  takeaway): The conclusion is written depending on the findings of the study.

10.  Acknowledgement: All contributors to the research who do not meet the author's specifications must be mentioned. It includes everyone who provided technical or financial assistance or helped in writing the research, as well as the head of the department who provided general support. 

11.  Tables: The upper limit of the number of tables is 6 for original studies and 5 for case reports (figures and tables). Tables in Excel or Word forms are acceptable, however, the tables in an image forms are rejected. The table is put into its appropriate place in the text. A brief title is provided for every table.

12.  Figures: The upper limit of the number of figures is 6 for original articles and 5 for case reports (figures and tables). Figures must be submitted in JPEG or GIF format as a separate file. A figure legend is provided for each figure. If a figure contains multiple panels (e.g., A, B, C, D, or right, left), you should specify each of them in the legend. Any abbreviation used in the legend should be clearly clarified.

13.  References: The authors are responsible for the accuracy of the references used in the research. To facilitate writing the references, you can use multiple software programs such as Mendeley and EndNote

Examples of references are given below according to the IEEE style used by the AMJ:

  1. V Faraone and H. Larsson, “Genetics of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder,” Mol. Psychiatry, vol. 24, no. 4, pp. 562–575, 2019.

  2. K.Urion., “Pediatric Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.,” Nelson Text. Pediatr. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA Elsevier., vol. 1, chapter 49, pp. 262–267, 2020.

For more details, please read the IEEE Reference Guide at this link: https://ieeeauthorcenter.ieee.org/wp-content/uploads/IEEE-Reference-Guide.pdf

14.  Proofreading: The final copy of the research is sent to the corresponding author for proofreading before publication. Corrections include typographical errors that are highlighted in yellow, and then the corrected copy  is resent in a period not exceeding 48 hours.

15.  Abbreviations: Universal abbreviations are permitted in writing the research. It is also possible to use abbreviations in the text after writing the term in full, as first mentioned in the article. Avoid using acronyms in the abstract unless they are so necessary.

16.  Symbols: Avoid the use of Symbols.

17.  Conflicts of Interest: Researchers must clarify whether there are conflicts of financial interest or other interests, that affect the outcome of scientific research. Also, the researchers must clarify if there is any financial support for the research and the party that supports it.

18.  Copyright: The whole contents of Al-Anbar Medical Journal are protected under international copyrights. It is not allowed to modify copy, distribute, transmit, display, or publish without the prior written permission of it or the appropriate copyright owner.

19.  Peer Review Process: It is an important step in the process of choosing which research to publish. The evaluation process begins with an examination of the research in terms of plagiarism using the Turnitin Plagiarism Program.  If there is a plagiarism of ≥ 20%, the research will be rejected immediately. But if the percentage is acceptable, the editor-in-chief (EIC) examines it, and in turn, sends it to a member of the editorial board to conduct a preliminary examination of the research and ensure that it matches the journal's scope and is suitable for the journal. When the research does not match the scope of the journal,  it is rejected immediately. If the research is within the scope of the journal, the research is sent by the EIC to two or three external experts in the field of research specialization, and they are given two weeks for the evaluation process. Based on the decision of the scientific evaluators, the appropriate decision is taken, whether to reject or accept (in its current form or after minor or major corrections). The research is sent to the corresponding author to make the necessary adjustments. After receiving the research from the journal, the revised version is sent to the scientific evaluators to ensure that the researchers have made all necessary adjustments. The research may be sent to the corresponding author 2-5 times until the necessary conviction is available that the research is ready for publication. Then it is sent to the English language evaluator to express his observations on the research. After completing the above steps, the paper will be sent to the production team to print out the article in the journal template. The research is sent to the corresponding author, who reads it carefully to ensure that  it is free of typographical errors. If the manuscript is completed according to th instruction, it is published online under the heading Ahead-of-Print and scheduled for the next available issue.

6. Ethical compliance

Researchers who wish to be published in the AMJ must adhere to the following:

  1. All research conducted on humans must match the World Medical Association’s Declaration of Helsinki
  2. Research carried out on animals should follow the guidelines for the use and care of laboratory animals followed by institutions, the National Research Council, and the laws in their countries. Please include this in the materials and methods section, as well as the name of the institution that granted the licence to conduct the research, along with the number and date of granting the
  3. Taking informed consent from all patients and documenting it according to the specifications of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and/or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

NOTE: It is possible to reject the articles by AMJ if there are concerns that the work was not conducted within ethical guidelines.

7.      Fee for a scientific work

The fee of 350,000 Iraqi dinars (around $250) is only taken for review articles, original research, brief reports, and case reports upon acceptance of the article. The publication fees are also waived for researchers from outside Iraq and editorial board members. 

8.      Clinical trial registry 

The Al-Anbar Medical Journal favors the registration of clinical trials and is a signatory to the Statement on Publishing Clinical Trials in Indian Biomedical Journals. Al-Anbar Medical Journal would publish clinical trials that have been registered with a clinical trial registry that allows free online access to the public. Registration in the following trial registers is acceptable: http://www.ctri.in/; http://www.actr.org.au/; http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/; http://isrctn.org/; http://www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/index.asp; and http://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr. This is applicable to clinical trials that have begun enrollment of subjects in or after June 2008. Clinical trials that have commenced enrollment of subjects prior to June 2008 would be considered for publication in The Al-Anbar Medical Journal only if they have been registered retrospectively with a clinical trial registry that allows unhindered online access to the public without charging any fees.

 

9.      Protection of Patients' Rights to Privacy 

Identifying information should not be published in written descriptions, photographs, sonograms, CT scans, etc., or pedigrees unless the information is essential for scientific purposes and the patient (or parent or guardian, wherever applicable) gives informed consent for publication. Authors should remove patients' names from figures unless they have obtained informed consent from the patients. The journal abides by ICMJE guidelines:

1) Authors, not the journals nor the publisher, need to obtain the patient consent form before publication and have the form properly archived. The consent forms are not to be uploaded with the cover letter or sent through email to editorial or publisher offices.

2) If the manuscript contains patient images that preclude anonymity or a description that has an obvious indication of the identity of the patient, a statement about obtaining informed patient consent should be indicated in the manuscript.

 

Informed consent

All patients and participants in the research should be thoroughly informed about the aims of the study and any possible side effects of the drugs and intervention. Written informed consent from the participants or their legal guardians is necessary for any such  study. The Journal reserves the right to request the related documents.

 

Data Falsification/Fabrication

Falsification is the practice of omitting or altering research materials, data, or processes so that the results of the research are no longer accurately reflected. Fabrication is the practice of inventing data or results and reporting them in research. Both of these misconducts are fraudulent and seriously alter the integrity of research. Therefore, articles must be written based on original data, and the use of falsified or fabricated data is strongly prohibited.

 

Copyright:

If a manuscript contains any previously published images or text, it is the responsibility of the author to obtain authorization from copyright holders. The author is required to obtain and submit written original permission letters for all copyrighted material used in his or her manuscript.

 

Privacy Statement

 The names and email addresses entered on this journal site will be used exclusively for the stated purposes of this journal and will not be made available for any other purpose or to any other party.