Slide Journal of Current Oncology and Medical Sciences (JCOMS)

 Instructions for authors 

Aims and scope

Journal of Current Oncology and Medical Sciences (JCOMS) is an Open Access, peer-reviewed and multidisciplinary journal which publishes original articles, review articles, case reports and all types of articles in all fields of medical sciences, particularly clinical and molecular oncology, cancer genetics, cancer immunotherapy, health sciences and pharmaceutical sciences.

JCOMS is a part of Zabansaraye Parsian Novin Mehr Institute (Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance) and supported strongly by this institute.

Manuscript submission

Main Manuscript file:

• Title page

– Title: Concise and informative

– Author names and affiliations: Please clearly indicate the given name(s) and family name(s) of each author. Present the authors’ affiliation addresses i.e., institution,(department), city, (state), country

– Corresponding author (Ensure that the e-mail address is given and that contact details are kept up to date by the corresponding author)

• Abstract

The length of the abstract should be restricted to 250 words for case reports and brief reports and 350 words for original articles. For Original articles, the abstract should be structured with the following sub-heading: Introduction, Purpose, Materials and Methods, Results and Conclusion. Case reports and case series should have unstructured abstract (no sub-headings). No abstract is required in Short communications, Images in Medicine, Letter to Editor. The abstract should not contain any undefined abbreviations or unspecified references.

• Keywords

Please provide 4 to 6 keywords that can be used for indexing purposes.

• Introduction

State the objectives of the work and provide an adequate background, avoiding a detailed literature survey or a summary of the results.

• Materials and methods

Provide sufficient details to allow the work to be reproduced by an independent researcher. Methods that are already published should be summarized, and indicated by a reference. If quoting directly from a previously published method, use quotation marks and also cite the source. Any modifications to existing methods should also be described.

• Results

Results should be clear and concise.

• Discussion

This should explore the significance of the results of the work, not repeat them. A combined Results and Discussion section is often appropriate. Avoid extensive citations and discussion of published literature

• Conclusion

The main conclusions of the study may be presented in a short Conclusions section

• Footnotes
Footnotes should be used sparingly. Number them consecutively throughout the article. Many word processors can build footnotes into the text, and this feature may be used. Otherwise, please indicate the position of footnotes in the text and list the footnotes themselves separately at the end of the article. Do not include footnotes in the Reference list.

• Figures

– All figures are to be numbered in the order they are first mentioned in the text, and uploaded in this order

– Figure parts should be denoted by lowercase letters (a, b, c, etc.).

– Each figure should have a concise caption describing accurately what the figure depicts. Include the captions in the text file of the manuscript, not in the figure file.

– Figure captions begin with the term Fig. in bold type, followed by the figure number, also in bold type.

– When preparing your figures, size figures to fit in the column width.

– If you include figures that have already been published elsewhere, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner(s) for both the print and online format.

Figure File Types

We accept the following file formats for figures:

– EPS (suitable for diagrams and/or images)

– PDF (suitable for diagrams and/or images)

– Microsoft Word (suitable for diagrams and/or images, figures must be a single page)

– PowerPoint (suitable for diagrams and/or images, figures must be a single page)

– TIFF (suitable for images)

– JPEG (suitable for photographic images, less suitable for graphical images)

– PNG (suitable for images)

– BMP (suitable for images)

– CDX (ChemDraw – suitable for molecular structures)

Figure Size and Resolution

– Width of 600 pixels (standard), 1200 pixels (high resolution).

– Width of 85 mm for half page width figure

– Width of 170 mm for full page width figure

– Maximum height of 225 mm for figure and legend

– Image resolution of approximately 300 dpi (dots per inch) at the final size

– Figures should be designed such that all information, including text, is legible at these dimensions. All lines should be wider than 0.25 pt when constrained to standard figure widths. All fonts must be embedded

Figure File Compression

– Vector figures should if possible be submitted as PDF files, which are usually more compact than EPS files.

– TIFF files should be saved with LZW compression, which is lossless (decreases file size without decreasing quality) in order to minimize upload time.

– JPEG files should be saved at maximum quality.

– Conversion of images between file types (especially lossy formats such as JPEG) should be kept to a minimum to avoid degradation of quality.

• Tables

– All tables are to be numbered using Arabic numerals.

– Tables should always be cited in text in consecutive numerical order.

– For each table, please supply a table caption (title) explaining the components of the table.

– Identify any previously published material by giving the original source in the form of a reference at the end of the table caption.

– Footnotes to tables should be indicated by superscript lower-case letters (or asterisks for significance values and other statistical data) and included beneath the table body.

• Funding

Information that explains whether and by whom the research was supported.

• Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments of people, grants, funds, etc. should be placed in a separate section on the title page. The names of funding organizations should be written in full.
As an appendix to the text, one or more statements should specify

– The contributions that should be acknowledged but do not justify authorship, acknowledgment of technical help; and acknowledgment of financial and material support, specifying the nature of the support.

• Abbreviations

Abbreviations should be defined at first mention and used consistently thereafter.

• Conflict of Interest statement

• Ethics and consent

For clinical research especially clinical trials, it is required to have patient’s consent and ethical approvement.

The JCOMS follows the flowcharts of Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). The Journal also follows the guidelines mentioned in the Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals issued by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).

• References style

JCOMS follows the Vancouver reference style. In the text, references should be cited using superscript Arabic numerals in the order in which they appear. If cited only in tables or figure legends, number them according to the first identification of the table or figure in the text. In the references list, the references should be numbered and listed in order of appearance in the text. Cite the names of all authors when there are six or fewer; when seven or more authors, list the first three followed by et al. All citations mentioned in the text, tables or figures must be listed in the references list. Names of journals should be abbreviated in the style used in Index Medicus. Authors are responsible for the accuracy of all references.

– Standard Format for Journal Articles:
Author Surname Initials. Title of article. Abbreviate journal titles. Date of Publication; Volume Number (Issue Number): Page Numbers.

– The titles of journals should be abbreviated according to the style used in Index Medicus.

– Use the complete name of the journal for non-indexed journals.

– Avoid using abstracts as references.

– Information from manuscripts submitted but not accepted should be cited in the text as “unpublished observations” with written permission from the source.

– Avoid citing a “personal communication” unless it provides essential information that is otherwise unavailable from public sources. In such an event, the name of the person and the date of communication should be cited in parentheses in the text.

– For scientific articles, contributors should obtain written permission and confirmation of accuracy from the source of personal communication.

– Always use the standard abbreviation of a journal’s name according to the ISSN List of Title Word Abbreviations.

Author’s information form:

Please download the Author’s information form and submit it with your manuscript.

Cover letter:

Manuscripts should be submitted with a letter covering the below-mentioned issues:

– A summary explanation of the importance of the manuscript.

– The points that will be added to the literature by publishing the manuscript.

– Certifying that all co-authors have read and approved the final draft of the manuscript submitted to JCOMS.

 Article Processing Charge (APC)

There is no APC for authors who submit their manuscripts to JCOMS.

Article types

      • Original article

      These are reports of original experiments/research conducted by the authors. Original research must add to the body of knowledge on the subject and should adhere to ethical principles throughout the procedure. Studies using human or animal subjects must have ethical approvals.

      Original articles should not exceed 5,500 words including abstract, references, figure legends, and tables. The number of tables, figures, and references should be appropriate to the manuscript content. Authors whose first language is not English are advised to have their manuscripts checked carefully before submission.

      Abbreviations of standard SI units of measurement should be used.

      Sections of an original article are: (1) title page, (2) abstract, (3) keywords, (4) introduction, (5) methods, (6) results, (7) discussion, (8) acknowledgments, (9) conflicts of interest, (10) references, (11) figure and video legends, (12) tables, (13) figures, and (14) videos whenever applicable.

       

      • Short communication

      A small-scale study that includes important new information may be published as a short communication. It usually carries an abstract of up to 150 words, a body of up to 800 words, up to 2 tables or figures, and essential references. 

      Sections of a short communication paper are: (1) title page, (2) abstract, (3) keywords, (4) introduction, (5) methods, (6) results, (7) discussion, (8) acknowledgments, (9) conflicts of interest, (10) references, (11) figure and video legends, (12) tables, (13) figures, and (14) videos whenever applicable.

       

      • Commentary

      Commentaries discuss the findings, implications, and/or outcomes of specific research or wider research on a general topic. They elaborate on or offer original ideas about a specific paper or a widely-researched subject. Commentaries differ from reviews in that they represent the author’s original ideas and suggestions instead of reporting and comparing the previous research. Word count should not exceed 1500 in the commentaries, excluding the references.

      Sections of a commentary include (1) title page, (2) keywords, (3) text, (4) acknowledgments, (5) conflicts of interest, and (6) references.

       

      • Editorial 

      Editorials are usually written by the editor in chief, deputy editor in chief, an associate editor, or a guest editor and are intended to represent the official opinion of the journal (or the guest editor) or introduce supplements, special issues, or new ideas relevant to the journal. In limited circumstances, individuals other than the individuals listed here may propose an editorial topic if they wish. Word count should not exceed 1500 in the commentaries, excluding the references.

      Sections of an editorial include (1) title page, (2) keywords, (3) main manuscript (4) acknowledgments, (5) conflicts of interest, (6) references.

       

      • Letter to the editor

      Letters commenting on, questioning, or criticizing articles recently (within the past 4 issues) published in JCOMS or expressing views on relevant topics will be considered for publication. Word count should not exceed 1500 in the commentaries, excluding the references.

      Sections of a letter to the editor are (1) title page, (2) keywords, (3) text, (4) acknowledgments, (5) conflicts of interest, and (6) references.

       

      • Case report and case series

      Case reports include case reports/studies of patient(s) and describe a novel approach or add important insights into mechanisms, diagnosis, or treatment of a disease. Case reports are limited to 1,500 words including references. A case report manuscript should include (1) title page, (2) structured abstract (including background, case presentation, and conclusion), (3) keywords, (4) introduction, (5) case presentation, and (7) discussion. It should also contain discussion, acknowledgments, references, and illustrations (if applicable) as explained for the original articles.

      All ethical considerations according to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines, especially the informed consent in case reports, should be included at the end of the text just before the references.

       

      • Review article

      A review article provides a detailed, thorough examination and summary of the literature on a specific topic. Review articles are limited to 7,000 words, including references, and should include the following sections: (1) title page, (2) structured abstract, (3) keywords, (4) introduction, (5) methods (search strategy), (6) results, (7) discussion, (8) acknowledgements, (9) conflicts of interest, (10) references, (11) figure legends, (12) tables, and (13) figures, whenever applicable.

       

      • Clinical experience

      In this type of manuscript, the authors explore a debate in the clinical dilemma by presenting one or more patients whose records are presented in the tumor board or multidisciplinary team (MDT) session of the hospital. The clinical decision which is made in the sessions are argued in this type of the manuscripts according to the scientific evidence.

      Section of review article: (1) title page, (2) abstract, (3) keywords, (4) introduction, (5) case presentation, (6) question, (7) discussion, (8) acknowledgments, (9) conflicts of interest, (10) references, (11) figure legends, (12) tables, and (13) figures whenever it would be applicable.

Copyright

Authors retain copyright and grant the JCOMS right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0 license.
Authors are allowed to distribute the Published version of the article (e.g., post it to an institutional or another repository of their choice), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in JCOMS. Please refer to About journal to view more information about copyright.

Plagiarism

JCOMS is powered by the iThenticate software, which is a plagiarism detection service that verifies the originality of the submitted content before publication.

Plagiarism includes (but is not limited to):

– Directly copying text from other sources

– Copying ideas, images, or data from other sources

– Reusing text from your own previous publications

– Using an idea from another source with slightly modified language

If plagiarism is detected by the editorial team or during the peer review process, at any stage of the article process it can lead to the rejection of the article.

Peer review

This journal uses double-blind peer review. All contributions will be initially evaluated by a scientific editor for rightness to the Journal’s instructions and scope. Submitted manuscripts will generally be reviewed by two or more experts who will be asked to consider the manuscript for publication, along with ethical and statistical Editors within a maximum of two weeks. The entire review procedure depends on receiving the Reviewers’ feedback. The handling Editors will reach a decision based on the Reviewers’ reports. The author can also suggest the names of potential qualified reviewers, but it is up to the editor to accept suggestions. The Editor-in-chief is responsible for the final decision regarding the acceptance or rejection of articles. The final decision of the Editors will be reported to the author(s).

Intentionally falsifying information for recommended reviewers such as a false name or email address, will result in the rejection of the manuscript.

 Line editor

– Sogand Vahidi

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