Guidelines

  • The Journal issues are planned for thrice a year (March/April, July/August and October/November) and published in the order of the final acceptance dates according to the following headings: Editorial, Review Article, Original Article, Research Note, Case Study & Report, Commentary, Letter to the Editor and Policy Dialogue Report. However, articles of topical interest may be fast-tracked based on decisions by the Editorial Board.
  • The medium of communication used is English and both UK and USA English spelling are accepted.
  • All correpondence should be addressed to “Editor, International e-Journal of Science, Medicine and Education, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia” and must be submitted entirely online via International eJournal of Science Medicine and Education (opussoft.net)
  • Submissions are initially reviewed by the Editorial Office to ensure that the manuscript complies with the Journal’s requirements. If it does not, the submission will be immediately returned. Manuscripts with excessive typographical errors will also be immediately returned to authors without being reviewed.
  • The submissions are then reviewed by the Editor and appointed reviewer(s) within three months from the date of receipt. Submission of a revised manuscript must occur within one month of receiving editorial and reviewers’ comments for revision. Revisions carried out by authors to reviewers’ comments does not automatically indicate final acceptance for publication in IeJSME.
  • Final acceptance or rejection rests with the Editorial Board, who reserves the right to refuse any material for publication.
  • The peer review process is single blind. As a rule, two reviewers are invited to review all manuscripts except for Research Note, Case Study & Report (reviewed by one reviewer) and Letters to the Editor (reviewed by the Editor). Policy Dialogue Reports are not reviewed but the Editor will check on the suitability of the contents for publication.
  • During the initial submission, the authors should submit recommendations for reviewers for their manuscripts and may also state which reviewers they wish to exclude. However, the editor reserves the right to make the final decision.
  • Rejected manuscripts will be permanently deleted from the Editorial Office.
  • Manuscripts must be accompanied by a cover letter signed by all co-authors or in unavoidable circumstances, by the principal author on behalf of the others. The following must be stated in the cover letter to the Editor:
  • That the material is original, is not currently under consideration nor has been accepted for publication elsewhere;
  • That all authors have read the manuscript and approve its submission;
  • A brief explanation of the contribution of each author (Authorship should be limited to those who have participated sufficiently in the any of the following: the study conception and design, data analysis and interpretation, drafting or revising of the article for important intellectual content, and final approval of the version to be published);
  • Disclosure (if any) of their affiliations with or financial involvement with any commercial organisation with a direct financial interest in the subject or materials discussed in the manuscript, (see Conflict of Interests).
  • This letter can be scanned and sent in online as an attached document or faxed to us at +060 (3) 86567229

Manuscripts are asked to be arranged in the order of: (1) title page, (2) abstract and keywords, (3) text, (4) references, (5) tables, (6) figures, and (7) figure legends, numbering all pages beginning with title page, and typed double-spaced, leaving wide margins on all sides of the page. Details for the following categories of submission are as follows:

  1. Editorial
    1500 words maximum; up to 10 references; no abstract is needed;
  2. Review Article
    5000 words maximum; comprehensive references; unstructured abstract up to 250 words;
  3. Original Article
    5000 words maximum; comprehensive references; structured (according to Background, Methods, Results and Conclusions) abstract up to 250 words;
  4. Research Note
    1000 words maximum, up to 10 references; unstructured abstract up to 100 words; no sub-headings; maximum 2 illustrations or tables;
  5. Case Studies and Reports
    1000 words maximum; up to 5 references; unstructured abstract up to 100 words;
  6. Letter to the Editor
    – 1000 words maximum; up to 5 references.
    – For the purpose and scope of each of these submission categories, please refer to the Journal Home.
  7. Policy Dialogue Report
    5000 words maximum, no abstract needed.

  1. For the purpose and scope of each of these submission categories, please refer to the Journal Home.
  2. Title Page
    – The title page should contain:
    a) The title of the article (do not use abbreviations);
    b) Running title
    c) The full name of each author and their respective names of departments and affiliated institutions;
    d) Name, address, email, telephone and fax numbers of the corresponding author for correspondence.
  3. Abstract
    A summary of the paper must be in the form of an abstract (maximum of 250 words for Review Articles and Original Articles, and 100 words for Research Notes and Case Reports). Structured abstract for Original Articles must follow the general format of Introduction, Methods, Results and Conclusions.
  4. Keywords
    For the purpose of indexing, 5 to 10 keywords are required and placed after abstract in alphabetical order. They should preferably be taken from those recommended by the US National Library of Medicine’s Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) browser list at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/meshhome.html
  5. Introduction
    The rationale for the study should be described here with relevant background material. The Introduction should not contain either findings or conclusions.
  6. Methods
    Methods should be described in sufficient detail as to how the results were derived. The location (city, state, country) of a manufacturer should be provided. Generic names of drugs should be used instead of trade names. Units should conform to SI conventions, with the exception of blood pressure (mmHg). All research studies require ethical approval. Statistical methods should be carefully detailed and referenced where appropriate. If necessary, the Editor may seek the advice of a qualified statistician as part of the review process.
  7. Results
    Results should be presented in a logical sequence in the text, tables and illustrations. Repetitive presentation of the same data in different forms should be avoided. In particular, authors should minimise repetition between the text and tables and figures. The Results should not include material apportioned to the Discussion.
  8. Discussion
    The Discussion considers the results in relation to the hypotheses put forth in the Introduction. Unexpected or contradictory results should be explained or defended. This may include an evaluation of methodology and of the relationship of new information to the current knowledge in that field. There should not be any reference to figures and tables in the Discussion. Speculation should be kept to a minimum.
  9. Acknowledgments
    These include contributions by persons that need acknowledging but do not justify authorship. Technical help, financial and material support, and research grants should be clearly acknowledged here.
  10. References
    – For all biomedical papers, reference style and punctuation should conform to the Journal style which uses the Vancouver format. The references are to be cited in the text, tables and legends by Arabic numerals in superscript in the order in which they first appear in the text.
    – For social sciences and psychology papers, the APA format can be used.
    – Titles of journals should be abbreviated in the reference list according to the style used in Index Medicus. Unpublished observations and personal communications should not be listed as references. If necessary, such material may be incorporated in the text and stated as such in parentheses. Websites can be used as references where no alternative reference exists. The date on which the website was accessed must be included.
    – As a standard journal article, list all authors when six or fewer; when more than six, list only the first six and add et al. The issue number should not be quoted.

Examples of references as follows:

Journal Article Lee LK, Chen PCY, Lee KK, Kaur J.  Premarital sexual intercourse among adolescents in Malaysia: a cross-sectional Malaysian school survey.  Singapore Med J 2006; 47: 476-81.
Article from a Supplement Nikaido H. Crossing the envelope: how cephalosporins reach their targets. Clin Microbiol Infect 2000; 6 (suppl): 22-6.
Book Finch RG, Greenwood D, Norrby SR, Whitley RJ, eds. Antibiotic and chemotherapy. 8th edn. Philadelphia: Churchill Livingston, 2003.
Chapter from a Book Hedburgh H, Nord CE. Anaerobic bacteria. In: Yu VL, Weber R, Raoult D, eds. Antimicrobial therapy and vaccines.  2nd edn. New York: Apple Tree Productions, 2002: 55-63
Electronic material World Health Organisation, 3 July 2003. Update 94: Preparing for the Next Influenza Season in a World Altered by SARS.
http://www.who.International/csr/disease/influenza/sars.
Accessed: 15 September 2003.
Tables Each table should be placed on a new page and is given a Roman numeral, eg. Table I, II, etc, accompanied by an explanatory caption on the top of the table. Number tables in the order of which they are mentioned in the text.

Footnotes should be indicated by *, †, ‡, § and provided below each table, identifying in alphabetical order all abbreviations used.

Figures All image files (e.g. .jpg, .gif, .tif) should be inserted into your text document. Number figures in the order of which they are mentioned in the text. Legends should be provided on a separate page.
Figure Legends List all figure legends on a separate page. All abbreviations used in the figures are to be identified and explained in the corresponding legends.
  • Entire reproduction of all previously published tables, charts, figures and photos will require written permission from the publisher concerned. Reproduction of modified data will require a reference citing. Patients shown in photographs should have their identity concealed or should give their written consent for publication
  • When submitting your manuscript for consideration, please provide the name, address and e-mail of TWO suggested reviewers.

After Manuscript Has Been Accepted

  • Authors will be provided with Portable Document Format (PDF) typeset page proof to proofread for typesetting errors.  Proofs must be returned within the given deadline.
  • The purpose of the PDF proof is a final check of the layout, and of tables and figures. Alterations other than the essential correction of errors are not possible at this stage.
  • Copyright assignment is compulsory for accepted manuscripts and is required to be sent [copyright assignment form] in only after confirmation of acceptance.  This letter can be scanned and sent in online as an attached document.
  • In signing the form it is assumed that authors have obtained permission to use any copyrighted or previously published material.
  • Following acceptance, the IeJSME reserves copyright of all published materials and such materials may not be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the IeJSME.
  • The Editor and Editorial Board reserve the right to refuse any material for publication and any such decisions are final. Statements in articles are the responsibility of the authors. The University, Editor and the Editorial Board cannot be held responsible for errors or any consequences arising from the use of information contained in the Journal.
  • Failure to adhere to ethical requirements may be considered sufficient reason for rejection of a manuscript. Reports of biomedical research involving human subjects must include a statement in the Methods section that informed consent was obtained, as well as a statement of approval by a local human investigations committee that the research was carried out in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration. Similarly, experiments involving animals must avoid distress to the animals and must have been conducted under appropriate licensing/approval arrangements, details of which should be included in the Methods section.
  • The editorial board is committed to pursuing high journal standards set by the international community of journal editors (Please visit: www.icmje.org).
  • This is the statement of ethics for the International e-Journal of Science, Medicine and Education (IeJSME) published by the International Medical University. The statement was adapted from the principles of the Committee of Publication Ethics (COPE) and includes the code of ethics for the editor-in-chief, editorial board members, reviewers and authors.

Duties of the Editor-in-chief

  • Evaluate manuscripts fairly and solely on their intellectual merit.
  • Ensure confidentiality of manuscripts and not disclose any information regarding manuscripts to anyone other than the people involved in the publishing process.
  • Responsible to decide when and which articles are to be published.
  • Actively seek the views of editorial board members, reviewers and authors on how to improve/increase the image and visibility of the journal.
  • Provide clear instructions to potential contributors on the submission process and what is expected of the authors.
  • Ensure that appropriate reviewers are selected for the reviewing process.
  • Decide to accept or reject a paper for publication based only on the paper’s importance, originality and clarity, and the study’s relevance to the remit of the journal.

Duties of Editorial board members

  •  Advise and contribute actively to the development of the journal.
  • Act as ambassadors for the journal.
  • Continuously support and promote the journal.
  • Review any work assigned to them.

Duties of Reviewers

  • Must disclose any competing interest before agreeing to review a submission.
  • Can refuse to review any submission due to a conflict of interest or inadequate knowledge.
  • Review all submissions objectively, fairly and professionally.
  • Reveal any ethical misconduct encountered while reviewing to the Editor-in-chief for further action.
  • Should ensure the originality of a submission and be alert to any plagiarism and redundant publication.
  • Must not discuss the content of the submission without permission.
  • Adhere to the time allocated for the review process and any request for an extension to review the submission is at the discretion of the Editor-in-chief

Duties of Authors

  • Responsible for ensuring that only new and original work is submitted.
  • Must not reproduce work that has been previously published in other journals.
  • Must not submit any articles that are being reviewed or considered by the journal to other journals simultaneously.
  • Are only allowed to publish their work elsewhere after receiving a formal rejection from the journal or if their request to withdraw their work is officially accepted by the journal.
  • When necessary, must inform the Editor-in-chief or the publisher of any inaccuracy of data in their published work so that correction or retraction of an article can be done.
  • Should make significant contributions and be accountable for any shortcoming in their work.

Plagiarism
Authors must only submit original work which has not been published or considered elsewhere.  The editorial office may use appropriate software to check for similarities of submitted manuscripts with existing literature and the Inclusion of fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements are unacceptable. Work and/or words from other publications must be appropriately cited or quoted.

Reporting
Authors should ensure that their results are stated clearly, honestly, and without fabrication and falsification and the data are not inappropriately manipulated. The methods used in the work should be clearly and unambiguously described so that the findings can be repeated and confirmed by other researchers.

Authorship and collaboration
Only individuals who have made a significant contribution to the paper should have their names listed as authors/co-authors. Others who have participated in certain substantive aspects of the work must be acknowledged or listed as contributors. The corresponding author must ensure that all appropriate co-authors and no inappropriate co-authors are included on the paper.  All co-authors must approve the final version of the paper and agree to the version of the paper before submission.

  • Authors should disclose at the time of submission any financial arrangements they may have with a company whose product figures prominently in the submitted manuscript or with a company making a competing product. Such information will be held in confidence while the paper is under review and will not influence the editorial decision but, if the article is accepted for publication, the Editors will usually discuss with the authors the manner in which such information is to be communicated to the reader and will require that financial relationships are declared, and a signed written statement may be required.