Zagazig University Medical Journal
Journal / Zagazig University Medical Journal / Submissions

 

1. General Information

 

-  Zagazig University Medical Journal (ZUMJ) is the official journal of the faculty of medicine, Zagazig University, Egypt. Authors from other universities and scientific institutions inside and outside Egypt are also welcome. ZUMJ is a peer- reviewed journal publishes articles relating to both the clinical and basic medical science.

-  The ZUMJ follows the ICMJE's Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals. http://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/about-the-recommendations/purpose-of-the-recommendations.html.

-  The ZUMJ follows guidelines and best practices published by professional organizations, including Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals from ICMJE (www.icmje.org/icmje-recommendations.pdf) and Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing (https://doaj.org/bestpractice).

-  We will not consider any manuscript previously published nor under review by another publication. Once accepted for review, the manuscript must not be submitted elsewhere. Unethical publishing,  such  as  plagiarism,  undisclosed  conflicts of interest, inappropriate authorship, and duplicate publication are forbidden.

-  Ethical responsibilities of authors: Authors must disclose any financial relationship(s) at submission, and the authors  must update any disclosures prior to publication. The authors must also state any Information that could be perceived as potential conflict(s) of interest that includes, but is not limited to, grants or funding, employment, affiliations, royalties, patents, honoraria, consultancies, inventions, stock options/ownership, or expert testimony (please see the hyperlink publication ethics before submitting the article).

-   Manuscripts must be written in English.

-   Publication fees are periodically reviewed and can be informed to authors by direct communication. Additional fees for colored pictures and extra pages are also applicable.

-  Online submission: Via the ZUMJ website (https://zumj.journals.ekb.eg/), authors should first register to the Editorial system, then Please follow the hyperlink “manuscript submission” and upload all of your manuscript files  following the instructions given under the title manuscript preparation. The system converts your article files to a single PDF file used in the peer-review process. Editable files (e.g., Word) are required to typeset your article for final  publication. All correspondence, including notification of the Editor's decision and requests for revision, is sent by e-mail.

-   Manuscript should be prepared according to Manuscript preparation (see the relevant section below).

 

1. Types of Articles

The journal editorial board is considering for publication the following:

 

Original Articles

Should report relevant original research not published before, in the following format:

Word limit: 3500 words (excluding the abstract and references).

Abstract: structured up to 300 words to include a Background, Methods, Results and Conclusions.

References: 40 or less.

Tables and figures: no more than 7 Tables/Figures.

 

2. Short Reports (case reports)

Should describe a case or a number of cases presenting with an unusual clinical aspect of a disease or novel  perspectives upon, or solutions to, clinically relevant issues in the following format:

Word limit: 1000 words (excluding the abstract and references). Abstract: unstructured of no more than 200 words.

References: 10-12

Tables and figures: no more than 2 Tables/Figures

 

3. Review Articles

Review topics should be related to all fields of clinical and basic medical sciences and should reflect trends and progress or a synthesis of data in the following format:

• Word limit: 4000 words (excluding the abstract and references).

References: 40 or less.

Abstract: Up to 150 words, unstructured.

Tables/Figures: Data in the text should not be repeated extensively in tables or figures.

 

4. Systematic review or meta-analysis

Topics should be related to all fields of clinical and basic medical sciences. The manuscript must include 5 sections following the PRISMA guidelines (PRISMA Checklist: http://prisma-statement.org/documents/PRISMA/ 202009l20checklist.doc; and PRISMA  flow diagram: http://prisma- statement.org/documents/PRISMA/202009.20flow/20diagram.doc) and should reflect trends and progress or a synthesis  of data in the following format:

• Word limit: 4000 words (excluding the abstract and references).

 

References: 50 or less.

Abstract: Up to 350 words, unstructured.

Tables/Figures: Data in the text should not be repeated extensively in tables or figures.

 

5. Mini-review article

Review topics should be related to clinical aspects of infectious diseases, public health and infection control and should  reflect trends and progress or a synthesis of data in the following format:

Word limit: 2000 words (excluding the abstract and references). References: 20 or less.

Abstract: Up to 150 words, unstructured.

Tables/Figures: Data in the text should not be repeated extensively in tables or figures.

 

6. Correspondence

Comments by readers about articles that have been published in ZUMJ within 6 months of its online posting in the  following format:

Word limit: 700 words.

Tables/Figures: Typically not included (A maximum of 1 figure or table). References: 5 or less.

 

7. Editorials

Editorials are solicited by the editorial board members or those who are invited by Editor-in-Chief in the following format:

Word limit: 1200 words.

Tables/Figures: A maximum of 1 figure or table. References: 10 or less.

Ensure that there is a clear message in the conclusion.

 

8. Letter to the Editor

These should be submitted in response to recently published articles in the journal addressing a specific issue and to introduce a focused scientific opinion or point of view, in the following format:

Word limit: 500 words. Abstract: none.

Tables/Figures: A maximum of 1 figure or table. References: 10 or less.

 

No subheadings.

Begin with ‘Dear Editor’

 

III. Supplements

Specific supplements for conferences held by Faculty of Medicine and other scientific societies can be considered for publication by ZUMJ.

 

1. Manuscript Preparation

The manuscript submitted to ZUMJ should be word-processed, typed on one column. With the same rules, abstracts are typed on one column followed by keywords. Pages should have a margin of 2.5 cm. The text is double-spaced; uses a 12-point font in Times New Roman.

The submitted manuscript should include:

1. A) Cover Page
2. B) Title Page
3. C) Abstract
4. D) Introduction
5. E) Methods
6. F) Results
7. G) Discussion
8. H) Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest
9. I) References
10. J) Tables
11. K) Figures
12. L) Supplemental Material

 

1. A) Cover page

The manuscript should be submitted with a cover letter stating the following:

(1)    That the manuscript is submitted for consideration for publication in ZUMJ. Please specify the category of the submitted manuscript.

 

(2)   That the research contained in the manuscript has not been published, and the manuscript is not under consideration elsewhere.

(3)   That all authors have participated in the concept and design, analysis and interpretation of data, drafting or revising of the manuscript, and that they have approved the manuscript as submitted.

 

1. B) Title page

This page should include:

(1)   The article type: Original article, short report, review article, etc.

(2)   Title of paper: concise and informative. Avoid abbreviations and formulae where possible. (including animal species if appropriate);

(3)    Author names and affiliations. Please clearly indicate the given name(s) and family name(s) of each author and check that all names are accurately spelled. Provide the full postal address of each affiliation, including the country name and, if available, the e-mail address of each author.

(4)   Corresponding author. Clearly indicate who will handle correspondence at all stages of refereeing and publication, also post-publication. This responsibility includes answering any future queries about Methodology and Materials.  Ensure that the e-mail address is given and that contact details are kept up to date by the corresponding author.

(5)      Conflict of Interest: Any financial or personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence (bias) the authors' actions.

(6)    Financial Disclosures: Any specific financial interests, relationship and affiliations relevant to the subject of the manuscript. These can include employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership, etc.

 

1. C) Abstract

The Abstract should be no more than 300 words. Abstracts are to be structured into four paragraphs as follows: a Background (including the aim of the work), Methods, Results, and Conclusions. References should be avoided, but if essential, then cite the author(s) and year(s). Also, non-standard or uncommon abbreviations should be avoided, but if essential they must be defined at their first mention in the abstract itself.

Keywords: Up to five keywords should be provided at the end of the Abstract using American spelling and avoiding general and plural terms and multiple concepts (avoid, for example, 'and', 'of'), separated by semicolons.

 

1. D) Introduction

The Introduction should contain a clear statement of the objectives of the work and provide an adequate background, avoiding a detailed literature survey, a summary of the results, or conclusions.

 

1. E) Methods

Sufficient information should be given to permit repetition of the experimental work.

Informed consent and ethics committee/IRB approval: A paper describing experimental work in humans must (1) indicate that informed consent has been obtained from patients where appropriate, (2) include a statement that the responsible ethics committee (e.g: Institutional Review Board, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University) has given  approval. Do not use patients’ names, initials or hospital numbers, especially in illustrative material.

 

Study design

We encourage the use of reporting guidelines such as the  CONSORT statement for randomized, controlled trials and the STROBE statement for observational studies (see http://www.equator-network.org/).

 

Studies in humans and animals

If the work involves the use of human subjects, the author should ensure that the work described has been carried out in accordance with The Code of Ethics of the World Medical Association (Declaration of Helsinki) for experiments involving humans (see: https://www.wma.net/policies-post/wma-declaration-of-helsinki-ethical-principles-for-medical-research- involving-human-subjects/). The manuscript should be in line with the Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals and aim for the inclusion of representative human populations (sex, age and ethnicity) as per those recommendations. The terms sex and gender should be used correctly.

Authors should include a statement in the manuscript that informed consent was obtained for experimentation with human subjects. The privacy rights of human subjects must always be observed.

All animal experiments should comply with the ARRIVE guidelines and should be carried out in accordance with the U.K. Animals   (Scientific   Procedures)   Act,   1986   and   associated   guidelines,   EU   Directive   2010/63/EU for animal experiments or the National Institutes of Health guide for the care and use of Laboratory animals (NIH Publications No. 8023, revised 1978) and the authors should clearly indicate in the manuscript that such guidelines have been followed.  The sex of animals must be indicated, and where appropriate, the influence (or association) of sex on the results of the study.  The editors reserve the right to reject manuscripts that do not comply with the above-mentioned requirements.    The authors will be held responsible for false statements or for failure to fulfill the above-mentioned requirements.

 

Equipment: Manufacturer, city, state and country must be given.

Chemical substances: must be properly identified. Except for standard laboratory chemicals, the source of supply must be given. Drugs must be identified by the generic or official name wherever possible. Proprietary names should be avoided.

Genes: Italic characters should be used for gene symbols including genotypes, alleles etc.

Units of measurement: Units should conform to the SI convention, except for blood pressure (which should be  expressed in mmHg) and hemoglobin (g/l). Gas or pressure values should be given as mmHg with kPa in parentheses     or vice versa. Where molecular weight is known, the amount of a substance should be expressed in mol or appropriate subunit (mmol, etc.). Energy should be expressed in kJ.

Statistical analyses: Describe statistical methods in sufficient detail to enable a knowledgeable reader with access to    the original data to verify the reported results. Computer software packages that are used for anything other than widely  known standard statistical procedures should be identified by name or acronym and by author or organization of origin. When variability is expressed in terms of the SEM or SD, the number of observations (n) must also be given. Both the sample size and statistical significance with p values should be predefined.

 

1. F) Results

The Results should be stated concisely without discussion and should not normally contain any references. The same  data should not be presented in figures and tables. Do not repeat all the data that are set out in the tables or figures in    the text; emphasize or summarize only important observations.

 

1. G) Discussion

The Discussion should deal with the interpretation of the results and not recapitulate them. We encourage authors to write their Discussion in a structured way, as follows:

-   Statement of principal findings

-   Strengths and weaknesses of the study

-   Strengths and weaknesses in relation to other studies

-   Discussion of important differences in results; the meaning of the study

-   Unanswered questions and future research.

-  Conclusions: The main conclusions of the study may be presented in a short Conclusions section, which may stand alone or form a subsection of a Discussion or Results and Discussion section.

 

1. H) Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest

The corresponding author will include a summary statement in the text of the manuscript in a separate section before the reference list that includes; Declaration of interest and Funding information. If no conflict exists, the authors should state: The authors report no conflicts of interest.

 

Contributors

Each author is required to declare his or her individual contribution to the article: all authors must have materially participated in the research and/or article preparation, so roles for all authors may be described. The statement that all authors have approved the final article should be true and included in the disclosure.

 

Authorship

All authors should have made substantial contributions to all of the following: (1) the conception and design of the study, or acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data, (2) drafting the article or revising it critically for  important intellectual content, (3) final approval of the version to be submitted. (Please fill the Copyright Transfer Form and submit to the journal)

 

1. I) References

The authors are responsible for the accuracy and completeness of their references. References should be formatted according to the American Medical Association Manual of Style (10th ed.) Each reference should be identified in the text in numerical order and should be identified by Arabic numerals at the same line between [ ]. Please begin the reference list on a separate page after the acknowledgments. Do not use “Endnotes” or similar programs for entering references.

When formatting references, provide all authors’ names when fewer than seven; when seven or more, list the first six and add et al. Any articles that are not in English must be translated. See Cumulative Index Medicus for abbreviating journal titles.

Examples of correct forms of references are: Journal Article

Mounir MH, Ibrahim AM, Bayiomy SS, Mohammed HM. Assessment of Liver Stiffness among Chronic Hepatitis C Patients after Oral Antiviral Drugs in Zagazig University Hospitals. ZUMJ 2019; 25 (5): 630-8.

Note shortened form for last page number. e.g., 51–9, and that for more than 6 authors the first 6 should be listed followed by 'et al.'

 

Online Journals

 

Friedman SA. Preeclampsia: a review of the role of prostaglandins. Obstet Gynecol [serial online]. January 1988;71:22–37. Available from: BRS Information Technologies, McLean, VA. Accessed December 15, 1990.

 

Book Chapter

Todd VR. Visual information analysis: frame of reference for visual perception. In: Kramer P, Hinojosa J, eds. Frames of Reference for Pediatric Occupational Therapy. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 1999:205–256.

 

Entire Book

Webster NR, Galley HF. Anaesthesia Science. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing, Ltd.; 2006. Web Sites Gostin LO. Drug use and HIV/AIDS [JAMA HIV/AIDS Web site]. June 1, 1996. Available at: http://www.ama- assn.org/special/hiv/ethics. Accessed June 26, 2012.

 

1. J) Tables

Tables should be numbered with Arabic numerals. Tables must be submitted in Excel or Word table format and not as images. Each table should have a short informative heading which is self-explanatory without reference to the text. Footnotes should be kept to a minimum. The units in which the results are expressed should be given in parentheses at the head of each column and not repeated on each line of the table. Number tables in order of their mention in the text.

 

1. K) Figures

Graphs and diagrams: Line drawings and graphs should be of a professional standard. Freehand or typewritten lettering and numbering are unacceptable. Ruled lines, curves and symbols must be sufficiently bold to withstand reduction.  Curves should not be drawn beyond the experimental points, nor should experimental points extend beyond the scales of the axes. For scatter diagrams, solid symbols are preferred.

Images: Figures can be submitted as EPS, JPEG, and TIFF file types. Numbers, letters and symbols must be large enough to be read easily after reduction. If photographs of patients are used, either the subject should not be identifiable, or the picture must be accompanied by written permission to use the figure.

Legends for figures: Legends should be short, self-explanatory and contain enough information to identify the figures and enable them to stand as a separate entity from the text.

1. Supplementary material (for online publication only)

 

These should be submitted with the manuscript for peer-review and approval by the Editors. Supplemental material,   which should be referenced in the body of the main text, can include figures, tables, movies, and animations (extra- material beyond the journal limit of tables/figures for each manuscript format). Supplemental Material will be published Online-only as submitted. It will not be copyedited or formatted by the publisher in any way. The accuracy and presentation of Supplemental Material is the sole responsibility of the authors. Please submit your material together with the article and supply a concise, descriptive caption for each supplementary file.

 

1. Pre-submission checklist:

All necessary files have been uploaded

A cover letter which should include 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.

 

Manuscript:

-    Include keywords

-   All figures (include relevant captions)

-    All tables (including titles, description, footnotes)

-    Ensure all figure and table citations in the text match the files provided

 

Further considerations

-   The manuscript has been 'spell-checked' and 'grammar-checked'

-   All references mentioned in the Reference List are cited in the text, and vice versa

-   A competing interests statement is provided, even if the authors have no competing interests to declare

-   Journal policies detailed in this guide have been reviewed

 

1. Peer Review Process

All manuscripts are subject to a strict peer-review process (double-blind peer review) involving members of the editorial board and external reviewers with expertise in the subject matter. The process starts with an initial review by the editor-in-chief or associate editor-in-chief who makes an initial assessment of suitability for the ZUMJ. If the manuscript is deemed of interest, it is then assigned to a member of the editorial board who serves as the principal reviewing editor. The reviewing editor invites external reviewers (a minimum of two independent expert reviewers) who are blinded to the manuscript author(s) to further assess the manuscript, recommend any revisions, and offer their opinion on acceptability. The Editor is responsible for the final decision regarding acceptance or rejection of articles.  The duration for the first decision is one months and 45-60 days for the final decision. The ZUMJ supports the responsibilities and rights of editors of peer-reviewed journals. http://www.councilscienceeditors.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3286.

For details please link to Peer Review Process.

 

VIII.    Manuscript Revision

If you are asked to revise your manuscript you will be expected to provide a covering letter that responds in detail to each point raised by reviewers or editors, and to highlight new material in the text using a different color. If a manuscript returned to the authors for revision is not returned to the Editorial Office within the stipulated time-period (usually 4 weeks), it may be treated as a new manuscript, which could delay your possible publication in the journal.

 

1. After Acceptance

Gallery Proof (Author Corrections on Proofs)

The corresponding author will be provided page proofs and asked to check for errors and editorial queries. Although the correction of editorial and typographical errors will be made without charge, the cost of excessive additional alterations may be charged to the author. Proofs must be checked carefully and corrections returned within 24 to 48 hours of receipt, if no response after 48 hours, it is considered acceptable to the proof.

 

• Reprints/offprint

The publication processing charges are submitted for providing the authors with a free copy from the on-Line published article (pdf-format). If the authors asked for printed copies, a minimum of 30 copies is essential with extra-charge.

 

• Permissions

Verbatim material or illustrations taken from other published sources must be accompanied by a written statement from the author, giving permission to ZUMJ for reproduction.

 

1. Privacy Statement

The names and email addresses entered in 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.

 

1. Publication Fees

The publication fee for the ZUMJ is: 1300 EP for Egyptian authors OR 150 USD for non-Egyptian authors. Publication fees will be required once the paper is finally accepted for publication.