Submission Guidelines
1. Before You Submit:
2. Overview of Manuscript Submissions:
2.1 Types of Publications:
2.1.1 Article: Original research manuscripts reporting scientifically sound experiments with new information. Structure: Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, and optional Conclusions. Suggested minimum word count: 4000 words.
2.1.2 Review: Comprehensive analysis of existing literature, identifying gaps, and providing recommendations. No new, unpublished data should be presented. Structure: Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Relevant Sections, Discussion, Conclusions, and Future Directions. Suggested minimum word count: 4000 words.
2.1.3 Brief Reports: Short, observational studies with preliminary or complete results. Detailed Materials and Methods to ensure reproducibility. Structure similar to an article. Suggested minimum word count: 2500 words.
2.1.4 Case Report: Detailed information on symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of an individual patient. Structure: Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Detailed Case Description, Discussion, and Conclusions. Suggested minimum word count: 2500 words.
2.1.5 Communication: Short articles presenting groundbreaking preliminary results or significant findings. Structure similar to an article. Suggested minimum word count: 2000 words.
2.1.6 Conference Report: Overview of a conference, seminar, or meeting events. Structure: Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Conference Sections, and Concluding Remarks. Suggested minimum word count: 2500 words.
2.1.7 Editorial: Non-peer-reviewed texts announcing new sections, Editor-in-Chief changes, Special Issues, or invited editorials. Brief introduction of the Editorial's purpose and aim. Should not include unpublished or original data. Include Conflict of Interest statement.
2.1.8 Hypothesis: Introduces a new hypothesis or theory. Presents a novel interpretation of recent data. Testable hypothesis within the current knowledge framework. Structure: Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Relevant Sections, and Concluding Remarks. Suggested minimum word count: 4000 words.
2.1.9 Opinion: Short articles reflecting the author's viewpoints on a subject, technique, or recent findings. Structure similar to a review but shorter. Suggested minimum word count: 2000 words.
2.1.10 Perspective: Usually an invited article showcasing current developments in a specific field. Emphasizes future directions with a personal assessment. Structure similar to a review. Suggested minimum word count: 3500 words.
2.1.11 Protocol: Detailed step-by-step description of a proven and reproducible method. Accompanies a previously published article using the method. Structure: Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Experimental Design, Materials and Equipment, Detailed Procedure, and Expected Results. Suggested minimum word count: 4000 words.
2.1.12 Registered Report: Peer-reviewed before research and data collection. Provisionally accepted based on scientific rigor, soundness, and importance. Data collection starts after provisional acceptance.
2.1.13 Technical Note: Brief articles focused on a new technique, method, or procedure. Describes important modifications or unique applications. Structure: Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusions. Suggested minimum word count: 3000 words.
2.2 Submission Procedure
For the submission of manuscripts to the Journal of Pioneering Medical Sciences, please utilize the Scholar Manuscript online platform. The submitting author, usually the corresponding author, bears responsibility for the manuscript throughout the submission and peer-review process. It is imperative that the submitting author ensures the inclusion of all eligible co-authors in the author list, confirming their awareness and approval of the submitted manuscript. To initiate the submission process, register and log in to Scholar Manuscript. Once registered, co-authors can access manuscript details within the submission system by registering and logging in with the provided email address used during manuscript submission.
2.2.1 Free-Format Submission
Journal of Pioneering Medical Sciences supports free-format submission:
2.2.2 Cover Letter Guidelines
Every manuscript submission must be accompanied by a concise cover letter. This letter should succinctly outline the significance of the paper's content, contextualize the findings within existing literature, and elucidate how the manuscript aligns with the journal's scope.
Acknowledgment of any previous submissions of the manuscript to the Journal of Pioneering Medical Sciences is essential. In such cases, providing the previous manuscript ID in the submission system is highly recommended, streamlining the current submission process. Proposed and excluded reviewer names should be submitted within the system, not in the cover letter.
All cover letters must include the following statements:
2.2.3 Author Identification
Authors are invited to supplement their submission with a brief biography (300–1500 characters). This paragraph should encompass:
2.2.4 Author Affiliation
Authors are required to indicate their current affiliation and the institution where the majority of the research for the manuscript was conducted. While designating the primary affiliation where most research occurred is recommended, authors should verify any contractual agreement requirements with their institution.
Accurate author names and affiliations are crucial, as inaccuracies can lead to attribution issues, incorrect citations, and potential challenges with promotions or funding. After article publication, updates or corrections to the author's address or affiliation may be restricted.
2.2.5 Independent Researcher
If any author is not currently affiliated with a university, institution, or company, or has not been during manuscript development, they should designate themselves as an "Independent Researcher."
2.3 Manuscript Preparation Guidelines
2.3.1 General Considerations
2.3.1.1 Research Manuscripts Structure:
2.3.1.2 Front Matter Requirements
2.3.1.3 Research Manuscript Sections
2.3.1.4 Back Matter
References should be described as follows, depending on the type of work:
3. Preparation of Figures, Schemes, and Tables
3.1 Figures and Schemes Submission:
Submit a single zip archive containing Figures and Schemes during manuscript submission, ensuring a minimum resolution of 1000 pixels width/height or 300 dpi (or higher). Accepted formats include TIFF, JPEG, EPS, and PDF, with preference given to the latter.
Journal of Pioneering Medical Sciences supports the publication of multimedia files within articles or as supplementary materials. For additional details, contact the editorial office.
3.2 Integration into the Main Text:
Insert Figures, Schemes, and Tables close to their initial citation, sequentially numbered (Figure 1, Scheme 1, Figure 2, Scheme 2, Table 1, etc.).
3.3 Title and Caption:
Provide a concise explanatory title and caption for each Figure, Scheme, and Table to enhance clarity and understanding.
3.4 Table Formatting:
Include an explanatory heading for all table columns. For larger tables, consider using smaller fonts to aid copy-editing. Utilize Microsoft Word's Table option for table creation.
3.5 Color Recommendations:
Authors are encouraged to create figures and schemes in color (RGB at 8-bit per channel). There is no additional charge for the publication of full-color graphics.
Adhering to these guidelines ensures seamless integration of visual elements into the manuscript, enhancing the overall quality and comprehension of the content.
4. Supplementary Materials, Data Deposit, and Software Source Code Guidelines
4.1 Research Data Policies:
Journal of Pioneering Medical Sciences is dedicated to fostering open scientific exchange and promoting best practices in data sharing and archiving. Authors are encouraged to share research data, following policies aligned with FAIR Principles.
4.2 Data Availability Statements:
4.3 Data Citation:
Include comprehensive data citation following the format: [dataset] Authors. Year. Dataset title; Data repository or archive; Version (if any); Persistent identifier (e.g., DOI).
4.4 Computer Code and Software:
4.5 Supplementary Material:
Additional data/files can be submitted as "Supplementary Files" during manuscript submission, aiding the peer-review process. Any file format is acceptable.
4.6 Unpublished Data:
4.7 Remote Hosting and Large Data Sets:
4.8 Deposition of Sequences and Expression Data:
4.9 References in Supplementary Files:
Citations and references in Supplementary files are permitted if they also appear in the main text reference list.
5. Reviewers Recommendations
Authors are encouraged to propose three potential reviewers with expertise relevant to their manuscript. Please provide detailed contact information, ensuring proposed referees are not current collaborators or co-authors within the last three years. Suggested reviewers should represent diverse institutions from the authors and may include Editorial Board members or frequently cited authors.
6. Extensive English Editing
Authors are responsible for submitting manuscripts in correct English. The APC covers minor English editing by native speakers, excluding extensive editing. Papers requiring substantial edits may be returned, potentially delaying publication. Authors are advised to seek review from English-speaking colleagues or professional editing services before submission.
7. Preprints and Conference Papers
Journal of Pioneering Medical Sciences accepts preprints, draft versions of papers available online before formal journal submission, even if previously shared. Expanded and high-quality conference papers may be considered as articles, given they meet specific criteria: (1) expanded to research article size; (2) proper citation on the first page; (3) permissions obtained if authors don’t hold copyright; (4) disclosure in the cover letter, stating changes made. Notably, the journal doesn’t publish pilot studies or studies lacking adequate statistical power.
8. Authorship Criteria:
The Journal of Pioneering Medical Sciences adheres to the guidelines set forth by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) for authorship qualification. To be considered an author, individuals must meet the following criteria:
Contributors not meeting authorship criteria should be acknowledged in the manuscript's acknowledgments section. Detailed authorship guidance is available through the ICMJE.
9. Author List Changes:
Any modifications to the author list require approval from all authors, including those removed. The corresponding author serves as the primary contact with the editor, keeping co-authors informed and involving them in significant publication decisions. The Journal reserves the right to verify that all authors meet the specified authorship conditions.
10 Editorial Independence:
10.1 Non-Interference in Editorial Decisions:
The Journal of Pioneering Medical Sciences upholds strict editorial independence and refrains from interfering with editorial decisions. Peer-reviewed articles undergo evaluation by independent editorial boards, ensuring decisions on manuscript acceptance are based solely on:
10.2 Editors and Editorial Staff as Authors:
Editorial staff or editors are barred from handling their own academic work. Submissions authored by them undergo review by at least two external reviewers. Decisions are made by Editorial Board Members without conflicts of interest. Journal staff play no role in the processing of their own submissions to the Journal of Pioneering Medical Sciences.
11. Declaration of Conflicts of Interest:
In accordance with The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, authors are urged to refrain from entering agreements with study sponsors, be they for-profit or non-profit, that impede access to study data or compromise the authors' ability to independently analyze, interpret, and publish manuscripts at their discretion.
11.1 Mandatory Disclosure:
All authors are obligated to divulge any relationships or interests that may unduly influence or bias their work. Potential conflicts encompass both financial interests (e.g., memberships, employment, consultancies, stock ownership, grants, honoraria, funding, paid expert testimonies, and patent-licensing arrangements) and non-financial interests (e.g., personal or professional relationships, affiliations, and beliefs).
11.2 Disclosure Process:
Authors can communicate potential conflicts of interest by email to the managing editor. The corresponding author is responsible for incorporating a concise summary statement in a designated section titled "Conflicts of Interest," positioned just before the reference list in the manuscript. This statement should encompass all disclosed potential conflicts of interest.
11.3 Sample Disclosures:
Conflicts of Interest: Author A has received research grants from Company A. Author B received a speaker honorarium from Company X and holds stocks in Company Y. Author C served as a consultant and expert witness for Company Z. Author D is the inventor of patent X.
11.4 Absence of Conflicts:
If no conflicts exist, authors should expressly state: Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
12. Editorial Procedures and Peer-Review Process
12.1 Pre-Check:
Upon submission, the Managing Editor of the Journal of Pioneering Medical Sciences conducts a technical pre-check to evaluate:
The academic editor, such as the Editor-in-Chief, Guest Editor, or Editorial Board member (in cases of conflict or regular submissions with the Editor-in-Chief's approval), is informed and invited to perform an editorial pre-check. This involves assessing the submission's alignment with the journal's scope, scientific soundness, relevance of references, and correctness of methodology. The academic editor may reject the manuscript, request revisions pre-peer-review, or proceed with peer-review, recommending suitable reviewers.
12.2 Peer-Review:
Once past the initial checks, the manuscript is assigned to a minimum of two independent experts for peer-review. The review is single-blind, with reviewers aware of authors' identities. Peer-review comments remain confidential, disclosed only with the reviewer's consent. Experts invited for regular submissions may include Editorial Board Members, Guest Editors, or those suggested by authors, ensuring no recent collaborations or current affiliations with co-authors' institutions.
12.3 Editorial Decision and Revision:
Following peer-review, the academic editor communicates one of the following decisions:
Authors must respond to all reviewer comments in a detailed manner, addressing disagreements clearly.
13. Author Appeals:
Authors can appeal a rejection within three months, following a "reject and decline resubmission" decision. Appeals, providing detailed justifications and point-by-point responses to reviewers' and/or Editor's comments, are forwarded to a designated Editorial Board Member. The Academic Editor's recommendation is validated by the Editor-in-Chief. Reject decisions at this stage are final and cannot be reversed.
14. Production and Publication:
Accepted manuscripts undergo professional copy-editing, English editing, proofreading, final corrections, pagination, and are published on the journal's website.
15. Fostering Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at Journal of Pioneering Medical Sciences
Our commitment to promoting a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusiveness is exemplified through the encouragement given by our Managing Editor to the Editors-in-Chief and Associate Editors in the appointment of diverse and expert Editorial Boards. This commitment extends to our multi-national and inclusive workplace, where we take pride in offering equal opportunities without discrimination based on gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, religion, or socio-economic status. Upholding these principles is paramount for our editors at the Journal of Pioneering Medical Sciences.
16. Resource Identification Initiative
In our pursuit of enhancing the reproducibility of scientific research, we endorse the Resource Identification Initiative. This initiative seeks to assign unique persistent identifiers, known as RRIDs, to vital biological resources such as antibodies, cell lines, model organisms, and tools.
Authors are strongly encouraged to incorporate these RRIDs, provided by the Resource Identification Portal, into the designated section of their manuscripts. To facilitate authors in swiftly identifying the correct identifiers for their materials, a centralized website is available, encompassing all types of resources. Moreover, a 'cite this' button is conveniently located next to each resource, offering a properly formatted citation text that authors can seamlessly include in the methods section of their manuscripts.