Authors Guidelines

Mirpur Journal of Medical Sciences (MJMS) is an official journal of the Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Medical College, Mirpur, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan http://mjms.org.pk/index.php/mjms/index. The Journal publishes original research that enhances scientific knowledge in medicine, basic sciences, and allied health disciplines. The journal's objective is to publish innovative, updated, and high-quality research, integrating conceptual, empirical and research articles. The Journal focuses primarily on clinically relevant biomedical research and other issues central to the provision of optimal health care to patients, disease prevention, and public health.

MJMS publishes original research in various formats, including guest editorials on the highlighted issue of current interest, original articles, review articles, meta-analyses, mini-reviews, short communications, letters to the editor and unique assays on medical ethics and medical sociology. In most cases, we do not impose strict limits on word count or page number. However, we strongly recommend that you write concisely and stick to the following article format guidelines.

Submission Process
All MJMS manuscripts must be submitted online via the journal's website at https://mjms.org.pk/index.php/mjms. The author, who is generally the corresponding author, is responsible for the manuscript during the submission and peer-review process. The corresponding author must ensure that all co-authors have read and approved the submitted version of the manuscript. For submission of the manuscript, author must Register and Login in the OJS (Open Journal System).

Submission Format According to Manuscript Type
Format for Original Article (maximum 3,500 words)
Title Page:

  • The title should be descriptive
  • Full name of the all co-authors, designation with department, affiliated institution, complete postal address, and email address.
  • For correspondence, the author make sure that e-mail address and the complete postal address along with his/her telephone number (with country and area code) must also be mentioned.

Abstract: It should be no more than 300 words. Please do not cite any references in your Abstract. Make sure it serves both as a general introduction to the topic and as a brief, non-technical summary comprising of objective, methodology, main results and their implications (conclusion). It should be in structured format with the following subheadings: 1. Background 2. Objective. 3. Methodology. 4 Results. 5. Conclusion. 6. Keywords  

  • Introduction: An overview of the background and rationale for the study, including the research question or hypothesis.
  • Methodology: A detailed description of the research methods used, including study design, ethical approval, data collection and analysis, and statistical methods.
  • Results: A presentation of the study's findings, including any statistical analyses.
  • Discussion: An interpretation of the study's results and their implications, along with any limitations and future research directions. Repetition of the results should be avoided.
  • Conclusion: A brief summary of the study's main findings and implications.
  • References: A list of all sources cited in the article, formatted according to the journal's guidelines (Vancouver style). Maximum number of references allowed are 30.
  • Tables and Figures: Any tables, figures, or other visual aids used in the article, with clear and concise titles and legends.
  • Appendices: Any additional information or materials that support the article but are not essential to the main text.
  • It is important to check the specific guidelines and requirements of the journal to ensure that the article is formatted correctly and meets all necessary criteria for submission.

Format for Review Article
The main text should be no more than 5,000 words (not including the abstract, references, tables and figures, captions, and legends).

  • Title Page: This should include the article title, the author(s)' names and affiliations, and any acknowledgements or funding sources.
  • Abstract: It should contain approximately 200 to 300 words. It includes a summary of the review question, the primary study reviewed, the conclusions of the study, and keywords (a minimum of 6). Note that you should not cite references in the abstract.
  • Introduction: An overview of the topic being reviewed and the purpose of the article.
  • Body: A comprehensive review of the literature on the topic, including any theories, concepts, or themes that have emerged.
  • Discussion: An interpretation and synthesis of the literature, highlighting key findings, gaps in the literature, and potential future directions for research.
  • Conclusion: A brief summary of the main findings and implications of the review.
  • References: A list of all sources cited in the article, formatted according to the journal's guidelines. Use a standardized reference system. Use Vancouver style. Maximum number of references allowed are 30.
  • Tables and Figures: Any tables, figures, or other visual aids used in the article, with clear and concise titles and legends.

Appendices: Any additional information or materials that support the article but are not essential to the main text.
It is important to check the specific guidelines and requirements of the journal to ensure that the article is formatted correctly and meets all necessary criteria for submission. In addition, it is important to follow any specific requirements for the literature review, such as the types of sources that should be included, the time frame for the literature review, and any specific topics that should be covered.

Format for Mini-Review/ Short Communication

  • The main text should be no more than 2,000 words (not including the abstract, references, tables and figures, captions, and legends).
  • Abstract: It should contain approximately 200 to 300 words. It includes a summary of the review question, the primary study reviewed, the conclusions of the study, and keywords (a maximum of 6). Note that you should not cite references in the abstract.
  • Main Article: Introduction: Write the topic of the study, which serves as the identification sentence. It should indicate what the article contains. Clearly outline the order in which every sub-topic will be discussed to give the reader the background information needed to understand the sections in the article.
  • Body: This includes the subtopics that you are addressing and the discussion.
  • Conclusion: It should briefly state your rationale for your review and the purpose of the article.
  • References: Use a standardized reference system. Use Vancouver style. Maximum number of references allowed are 20-30.

Format for Letter to Editor
The main text should be no more than 1,000 words.
Letters written to the editor or the author should contain objective, and constructive interpretations or discussions on medical, scientific or general areas of interest.
They should have an objective, and give a message with brief and clear language.
References: Use a standardized reference system. Use Vancouver style. Maximum number of references allowed is 5-10.

Conflict of Interest/Disclosure
All authors should declare any conflict of interest. Any grants or honorarium, credits and promotions, memberships or any personal or professional relationships which may appear to influence the manuscript should be declared. Such competing interests are not unethical but should be declared. Nonmonetary disclosures regarding being part of a thesis or dissertation, a pilot project or an ongoing study should be made explicitly at the time of submission.
Funding
Any organization/company or institution that has financially contributed to the study must be acknowledged.
Nonmonetary disclosures regarding being part of a thesis or dissertation, a pilot project or an ongoing study should be made explicitly at the time of submission.
Consent
If applicable, authors must state that the consent of the patient/guardian was taken prior to the writing of the manuscript.
Preparation of Figures and Tables
Figures and tables (display items) are frequently the most efficient method to communicate enormous quantities of complex information that would be difficult to describe in language.
Many viewers will merely look at your display elements without reading your manuscript's core material. As a consequence, make sure your display elements can stand alone from the text and properly explain your most important outcomes.

Tables are a quick and easy method to convey big quantities of information. You should carefully develop them so that you can effectively convey your findings to busy researchers.
The following is an example of a well-designed table:

  • Clear and concise legend/caption
  • Data divided into categories for clarity
  • Sufficient spacing between columns and rows
  • Units are provided
  • Font type and size are legible

Figures are ideal for presenting:

  • Images
  • Data plots
  • Maps
  • Schematics

Only black and white photographs can be submitted because the layout of the journal supports only black and white color. Just like tables, all figures need to have a clear and concise legend caption to accompany them.

Images
Images assist readers in visualizing the information you are attempting to convey. It is sometimes difficult to be appropriately detailed with words. Images can aid in the precision required for a scientific publication. For example, just stating, "The surface contained nanometer size characteristics," may not suffice. It would be good in this scenario to give a microscope image. For images, be sure to:

  • Include scale bars
  • Consider labeling important items
  • Indicate the meaning of different colors and symbols used

Data Plots
Data plots quickly express enormous amounts of information. Typically, the purpose is to demonstrate a functional or statistical link between two or more objects. However, details regarding individual data points are frequently ignored in order to emphasize the link demonstrated by the collection of points. Here, we have examples of figures combining images and plots in multiple panels. For data plots, be sure to:

  • Label all axes
  • Specify units for quantities
  • Label all curves and data sets
  • Use a legible font size

Drug Name
Generic names should be used. When proprietary brands are used in research, include the brand name and the name of the manufacturer in parentheses after first mentioning of the generic name in the Methodology section.
Instruction for References Formats
In Vancouver style, all references should be numbered consecutively [throughout square brackets] in the text and listed in the reference section in the same numerical sequence.
Reference Lists
Different reference formats have different rules for citation. See below for some common format examples.

Journal Article
The required information for a journal article is author, abbreviated journal title, year, publication, volume number, and initial page of cited article, though complete pagination is possible. It is necessary to list all authors if the total number of author is six or less and for more than six authors use three authors and then et al (the term "et al." should be in italics). Journal abbreviations should follow the Index Medicus/MEDLINE. Capitalize the first letter of the first word in the title. The rest of the title is in lower-case, with the exception of proper names.

[1]  Waheed U, Farooq A, Wazeer A, Saba N, Noor FA, Cheema NA, et al. Knowledge and attitudes concerning SARS-CoV-2 among healthcare workers in Mirpur, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan. Liaquat National Journal of Primary Care 2020; 2(2): 56-62.
[2]  Farooq A, Waheed U, Saba N, Kaleem M, Majeed N, Wazeer A, et al. Molecular and genetic characterization of hepatitis B virus among multitransfused thalassaemia patients in Islamabad, Pakistan. J Family Med Prim Care 2021;10(2):998-1002.

Edited Book
[3]  Blaxter PS, Farnsworth TP. Social health and class inequalities. In: Carter C, Peel JR, Eds. Equalities and inequalities in health. 2nd ed. London: Academic Press 1976; pp. 165-78.

Chapter in a Book
[4]  Phillips SJ, Whisnant JP. Hypertension and stroke. In: Laragh JH, Brenner BM, Eds. Hypertension: pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management. 2nd ed. New York: Raven Press 1995; pp. 465-78.

Patent
[5]  Larsen CE, Trip R, Johnson CR. Methods for procedures related to the electrophysiology of the heart. US Patent 5529067, 1995.

Conference Proceedings
[6]  Kimura J, Shibasaki H, Eds. Recent advances in clinical neurophysiology. Proceedings of the 10th International Congress of EMG and Clinical Neurophysiology; 1995 Oct 15-19; Kyoto, Japan. Amsterdam: Elsevier 1996.

Thesis and Dissertation
[7]  Borkowski MM. Infant sleep and feeding: a telephone survey of Hispanic Americans. PhD dissertation. Mount Pleasant (MI): Central Micihigan University 2002.
URL (Web Page)
[8]  Aylin P, Bottle A, Jarman B, Elliott, P. Paediatric cardiac surgical mortality in England after Bristol: descriptive analysis of hospital episode statistics 1991-2002. BMJ [serial on the Internet]. 2004 Oct 9; [cited: 15 October 2004]; 329: [about 10 screens]. Available from: sis.nlm.nih.gov/Tox/ToxMain.html

Electronic Material
Journal Article in Electronic Format
[9]  Frangioni G, Bianchi S, Fuzzi G, Borgioli G. Dynamics of hepatic melanogenesis in newts in recovery phase from hypoxia. Open Zoo J 2009; 2: 1-7. Available from: www.benthamscience.com/open/tozj/openaccess2.htm [cited: 26th Jan 2009]
[10]  Abood S. Quality improvement initiative in nursing homes: the ANA acts in an advisory role. Am J Nurs [serial on the Internet]. June 2002 [cited: 12th Aug 2002]; 102(6): [about 3 p.]. Available from: www.nursingworld.org/AJN/2002/june/Wawatch.htm
Copyright and license agreement 

Undertaking and License Agreement

  • In submitting an article to MJMS, I certify that I am authorized by my co-authors to enter into these arrangements.
  • I guarantee, on behalf of myself and my co-authors, that the work is original and hasn't been accepted by another journal for publication, hasn't been officially published in another peer-reviewed journal, and doesn't violate any current copyrights or other third-party rights.
  • I am/we are the sole author(s) of the article and have full authority to enter into this agreement in granting rights to MJMS are not in breach of any other obligation;
  • The article doesn't contain any content that would be considered illegal, libelous, or a breach of a contract, confidence,
  • I/we have taken due care to ensure the integrity of the article. To my/our - and currently accepted scientific - knowledge all statements contained in it purporting to be facts are true and any formula or instruction contained in the article will not, if followed accurately, cause any injury, illness or damage to the user.
  • If the article is accepted for publication by the editorial board, my co-authors and I agree that it will be published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0.

Download Undertaking Form

Copyright
Copyright on open access article in Mirpur Journal of Medical Sciences is retained by the author(s).
Authors grant a license to publish the article and identify itself as the original publisher.
Authors also grant any third party the right to use the article freely as long as its integrity is maintained and its original authors, citation details and publisher are identified.
The Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 formalizes these and other terms and conditions of publishing articles.

Publication Charges
The journal currently does not charge any processing or publication charges.

Submission Preparation Checklist
When submitting an article to a journal, it is important to ensure that all necessary components are included and that the article is formatted correctly. The following is a submission preparation checklist to help authors prepare their articles for submission:

  1. Title: Ensure that the article has a clear and concise title that accurately reflects the content of the article.
  2. Abstract: Include a structured abstract that summarizes the article’s key points.
  3. Introduction: Clearly introduce the research question, provide context, and state the purpose of the study.
  4. Methods: Describe the study design, population, sampling strategy, data collection methods, and any statistical analysis used in the study.
  5. Results: Present the findings of the study in a clear and concise manner, using appropriate tables and figures to aid in the presentation of data.
  6. Discussion: Interpret the results and draw conclusions, relating the findings to the study's purpose and hypotheses. Discuss the implications of the findings and their significance in the context of the existing literature.
  7. Conclusion: Provide a concise summary of the study's main findings, conclusions, and implications.
  8. References: Include a list of references that is accurate, complete, and formatted according to the journal's citation style.
  9. Figures and Tables: Ensure that all figures and tables are properly formatted, labelled, and cited in the text.
  10. Ethical Considerations: Mention any ethical considerations, including any approvals, consent, and disclosures that may be relevant.
  11. Authorship: Clearly mention the authorship, author contributions, and conflicts of interest, as required by the journal.
  12. Supporting Information: Include any supplementary materials, such as data sets, code, or videos that enhance the understanding of the article.
  13. Formatting: Ensure that the article is formatted according to the journal's guidelines, including the font, font size, margins, line spacing, and page numbers.
  14. Review: Review the article for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and overall coherence, and revise as necessary.
  15. The document file type for the submission is OpenOffice, Microsoft Word, or RTF.
  16. DOIs for the references have been supplied when they are available.
  17. The text is single-spaced; uses a 12-point font; employs italics, rather than underlining (except with URL addresses); and all illustrations, figures, and tables are placed within the text at the appropriate points
  18. All illustrations, figures, and tables are placed within the text at the appropriate points; the text is single-spaced; the font is 12-point; italics may be used instead of underlining (except for URL addresses).
  19. Authors undertaking

By following this submission preparation checklist, authors can increase their chances of having their articles accepted for publication in the journal.