Manuscripts submitted to the IJSEI must be original works that have not been published previously or are not under consideration for publication elsewhere. Authors are required to adhere to the following guidelines:
Manuscript Preparation
Authorship: All individuals listed as authors in a paper must have made substantial contributions to the work and take public responsibility for the content. The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) guidelines for authorship should be followed when determining who qualifies as an author. Anyone who has contributed to the article but does not meet the criteria for authorship should be acknowledged by name and affiliation in an 'Acknowledgments' section instead. The journal may ask authors to provide justification for their authorship assignments.
Length: Article length limitations will depend on the article type. Word limits of the main text (excluding references, figures, and tables) and limitations in number of references are as follows:
- Original articles: Abstract max 200 words, Introduction max 500 words, Material and Results 2000-2500 words, Discussion max 1500 words. References 35-40 (if strongly motivated more references can be accepted)
- Short communications: Abstract max 200 words, Introduction max 400 words, Material and Results: 800-1000 words, Discussion max 800 words. References max 15.
- Technical notes: max 2,000 words. References max 10.
- Letters to the Editor: max 1,600 words. References max 10
- Reviews: max 5,000 words. Reference numbers may vary considerably.
Language: To ensure that your manuscript can be fully understood by reviewers and editors, it is essential that it is written in high-quality English. Therefore, all papers submitted to IJSEI Journal must be written in English.
Manuscript Structure
To ensure a smooth editorial and peer review process and to save authors time, we have prepared a manuscript template that authors can use when submitting their papers to IJSEI. It is highly recommended that authors use this template to prepare their manuscripts. Using the template ensures that the manuscript is formatted correctly and contains all the necessary sections required for publication.
Click here to download IJSEI Manuscript Template
Abbreviations: All abbreviations and symbols used in the text must be defined in the text or in a list of abbreviations.
The manuscript should be organized in the following order: title page, abstract, keywords, introduction, materials and methods, results, discussion, conclusion, acknowledgments, references, figures, and tables.
Title page: A separate title page should include:
- The title of the article: it should be short and informative mirroring the main message of the paper,
- Full names of the authors (first name and last name), and highest academic degree
- Institutions of origin,
- A short title
Abstract: The Abstract is an essential part of your manuscript and should provide a concise summary of your research. To ensure consistency and accuracy, Journal of IJSEI requires structured abstracts for all original articles. The abstract should include the following headings: Objective, Design, Subjects, Methods, Results, and Conclusion, where applicable. Please ensure that your abstract clearly and succinctly addresses the aim of your study, with a word limit of 200 words. Additionally, include a list of 3-8 keywords or terms from relevant medical subject headings for indexing purposes at the bottom of the abstract page.
Introduction: In the beginning of your article, briefly state the aim of your study and why it is important to the field. Justify the need for your research and provide a summary of the rationale behind it. When providing references, focus only on those that are directly relevant to your study, rather than giving an extensive review of the subject.
Materials and methods: In this section, provide detailed information about the study design, including how the subjects were selected and randomized. Describe the characteristics of the subjects and use ICF terms from corresponding short forms of core sets if pertinent. Discuss any blinding of observations. Describe the methods, equipment, materials, and procedures used in sufficient detail, including references, to enable others to reproduce the study. When mentioning equipment and materials, provide their names, town, and state the first time. Additionally, identify the names and addresses of the manufacturers and/or suppliers of the equipment and/or materials used in the study.
Result: Results should be presented in a logical sequence in the text, tables, and figures. It is recommended to highlight the key findings in a figure. Avoid duplicating information in text, tables, and figures. Only include tables and figures that are necessary to support your arguments. Use figures instead of tables with multiple entries. Instead of repeating what variables are shown in a table, state the main findings. For example, write "As shown in Table xx" or refer to the table number in parentheses after presenting the main information from the table.
Discussion: Begin with a concise summary of the main findings in one paragraph. Then, contextualize your study by referring to other pertinent research. Avoid restating data or information presented in the Introduction or Results section. Address the limitations of the methods and results, emphasizing the clinical relevance of your study and its implications for future research. Discuss the magnitude of the effect, both in terms of the reported statistics and the results' implications. The conclusion should not be given a specific heading, but if applicable, begin the final paragraph with "In conclusion."
References: The references should be listed at the end of the manuscript, numbered consecutively in the order in which they are first mentioned in the text. Each reference should be identified by an Arabic numeral in parenthesis. For example, "as shown by Smith (5)": If there are two authors, write "Smith & Jones (6)"; if there are more than two authors, write "Smith et al. (7)". The style of references should follow the Vancouver system. Journal title abbreviations should be consistent with those listed in the Journals database hosted at www.nlm.nih.gov.
Accepted but still unpublished material should be referred to as "In press". (References to submitted but not accepted material are not permitted but should be mentioned as footnotes.)
References should always include a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) ??if applicable. If you are unsure of the DOI for a given reference, or whether a DOI for the reference is available, you can search for title, author name, etc. at http://search.crossref.org/.
The most common types of references are exemplified below:
1. Standard journal article (if a journal carries continuous pagination throughout a volume the month and issue number should be omitted)
Up to six authors:
Halpern SD, Ubel PA, Caplan AL. Solid-organ transplantation in HIV-infected patients. N Engl J Med 2002; 347: 284–287. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMsb020632
More than 6 authors:
Rose ME, Huerbin MB, Melick J, Marion DW, Palmer AM, Schiding JK, et al. Regulation of interstitial excitatory amino acid concentrations after cortical contusion injury. Brain Res 2002; 935: 40–46. DOI: 10.1016/s0006-8993(02)02445-9
2. Chapter in a book
Meltzer PS, Kallioniemi A, Trent JM. Chromosome alterations in human solid tumors. In: Vogelstein B, Kinzler KW, editors. The genetic basis of human cancer. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2002, p. 93-113. DOI: 10.1036/ommbid.320
3. Journal article in electronic format: Abood S. Quality improvement initiative in nursing homes: the ANA acts in an advisory role. Am J Nurs [serial on the Internet]. 2002 Jun [cited 2002 Aug 12];102(6):[about 3 p.]. Available from: http://www.nursingworld.org/AJN/2002/june/Wawatch.htm. DOI: 10.1097/00000446-200206000-00031
Tables and figures: Tables are to be numbered consecutively with Roman numerals. Each table should be typed on a separate sheet and should have a descriptive, self-explanatory title (i.e. no unexplained abbreviations). Highlight an introductory sentence in bold and list footnotes below the table, using a, b, c for referencing. Asterix is used for probability values. Place other explanatory text above the table.
All illustrations, including graphs, drawings, and photographs, should be numbered sequentially with Arabic numerals and uploaded as separate files. Legends for each figure should be listed on a separate sheet. The line drawings and lettering should be large enough to be easily readable even after photoreduction. Authors are solely responsible for obtaining necessary permission to reuse any third-party material in their articles. Prior to submission, written permission from the copyright owner should be obtained where necessary.