Author Guidelines

International Archives of BioMedical and Clinical Research (IABCR), published by Medicozum Limited is an open access, international, peer-reviewed, multidisciplinary medical journal. The journal accepts original full-length communications, review articles, drug updates related to Medical, Dental and other health related specialties. Authors are required to submit their unpublished original research work and has not been published elsewhere in any language. 

Authors should read the editorial policy and publication ethics before submitting their manuscripts. Authors should also use the appropriate reporting guidelines in preparing their manuscripts.

The guidelines to the authors who wish to submit their works to IABCR have been explained henceforth. These guidelines should be followed when submitting any work. There are various benefits of submitting the work to IABCR as they provide a fair peer review process and language revision services. In addition to these services, it also ensures enhanced visibility and article abstraction by online indexing services.

Research Ethics | Ethics approval

International Archives of Biomedical and Clinical Research (IABCR) insists on ethical practices in both human and animal experiments and will not consider any paper which is ethically unacceptable. Research involving human participants, human material, or human data, must have been performed in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. A statement on ethics committee permission and ethical practices must be included in all research articles under the 'Materials and Methods' section. Evidence of approval by a local Ethics Committee must be supplied by the authors on demand. When reporting studies involving human participants, authors are expected to mention the approval of (regional/national/institutional or independent) Ethics Committee or Review Board, and obtaining informed consent from adult research participants. The confidentiality of subjects must be ensured by desisting from mentioning participant names, initials or hospital numbers, especially in illustrative materials. Reports of randomized clinical trials should present information on all major study elements, including the protocol, assignment of interventions (methods of randomization, concealment of allocation to treatment groups), and the method of masking (blinding), based on the CONSORT Statement (http://www.consort-statement.org). Research studies involving animals must have been performed in accordance with the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and comply with the ARRIVE guidelines.

For details, visit the Link at https://iabcr.org/index.php/iabcr/publicationEthics

Author guidelines:

  1. How to handle authorship disputes: a guide for new researchers: http://publicationethics.org/files/u2/2003pdf12.pdf

  2. An “author” is generally considered to be someone who has made substantive intellectual contributions to a published study, and biomedical authorship continues to have important academic, social, and financial implications. http://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/roles-and-responsibilities/defining-therole-of-authors-and-contributors.htmlhttp://www.wame.org/about/wame-editorial-oncoi

  3. The World Association of Medical Editors has provided a statement on conflict of interest: http://www.wame.org/about/wame-editorial-on-coi

  4. The American Chemical Society has provided the following guidance for authors: http://pubs.acs.org/userimages/ContentEditor/1285231362937/jpa_user_guide.pdf

  5. How to deal with text recycling http://publicationethics.org/files/BioMed%20Central_text_recycling_editorial_guidelines_1.pdf

Authorship Criteria

Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be given. Authors are required to define their responsibilities and work done in the research article. Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. Acquisition of funding, the collection of data, or general supervision of the research group, by themselves, do not justify authorship. The corresponding author should ensure that all appropriate co-authors and no inappropriate co-authors are included on the paper and that all co-authors have seen and approved the final version of the paper and have agreed to its submission for publication.

Authorship credit should be based on

  1. substantial contributions to conception and design, acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data

  2. drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content; and

  3. final approval of the version to be published.

Submission of a manuscript to Journal is taken to mean that all the listed authors have agreed to all of the contents. Including the author list and author contributions statements. It is the responsibility of the corresponding author to ensure that i) all authors agree to the content of the manuscript. ii) all authors agree to the author list and order of authors in the list. iii) all authors approved the manuscript submission to the journal. The corresponding author is also responsible for managing all communication between the journal and all co-authors before and after publication.

Change in Authorship 

In line with COPE guidelines, Journal requires that any changes to the author list after submission, such as addition or deletion of authors or change in the order of the authors needs to be approved in writing by every author of the manuscript. Such written confirmation must be submitted to the editorial office before changes in authorship for a manuscript can be made.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism in any form, including the touting of material contained in another paper (of the same authors or some other author) with cosmetic changes as a new paper; copying or paraphrasing substantial parts of another’s paper (without attribution), and claiming results from research conducted by others are among the numerous forms of plagiarism. In all its forms plagiarism constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable. 

The manuscript will be considered for peer review process only if the similarity index be less than 20%.
The journal may use plagiarism detection software to screen the submissions at any point of processing. If plagiarism is identified, the COPE guidelines on plagiarism in a submitted manuscript or in a published article will be followed.

Conflicts of Interest

IABCR Journal is dedicated to following the highest ethical principles of scholarly publishing and promoting the highest standards of integrity and ethical conduct in research and its evaluation. To uphold these principles, it is important to follow the policy for addressing potential conflicts of interest.

For more details, visit the link at https://iabcr.org/index.php/iabcr/publicationEthics

Peer review
All manuscript submitted to International archives of biomedical and clinical research are initially checked by the editorial office to ensure that the submission has been properly completed and meets all the journal's technical requirements. The completed submissions will be assessed by the editor who decides whether they are in the scope of the journal and suitable for peer review. Every submitted manuscript, within the scope of the journal, will be sent for peer review to at least two appropriate independent experts. The journal follows a double-blind peer review process, where both referees and authors remain anonymous throughout the review process. Finally, the journal editor evaluates the peer reviewers' reports and makes the final decision to accept or reject the manuscript for publication or send it back to authors for revision.
Where the editor is on the author list or has any competing interest in a specific manuscript, a senior member of the editorial board will be assigned to evaluate peer review and make decision.

Confidentiality

We are committed to ensuring the integrity of the peer-review process, in accordance with COPE guidelines. All submitted material should be treated as strictly confidential until published. 
The peer-review process is confidential to all parties. Correspondence as part of the review process is also to be treated confidentially by all parties, including authors. 
Authors may provide basic details about the nature of the research presented in manuscripts currently under review. 
Editors and reviewers are required to treat all submitted manuscripts in strict confidence and should not share information about submissions with any other parties unless previously agreed with the editor. The involvement of a third party in the review must be declared at the time of the submission of the review. 
We expect that editors and reviewers will not make use of any material or take advantage of any information they gain through the peer-review process. 
We will follow up on any and all breaches of confidentiality. If there are any concerns about misconduct during the review process, we will follow the COPE guidelines in investigating them.

Manuscript Preparation

International archives of biomedical and clinical research operates a double-blind peer review system, which means that the identities of both the reviewers and authors are kept hidden. Authors must submit an anonymous version of their manuscript file. To assist with this process, please:

  • Remove any identifying information, including author names, from file names and within the manuscript text.
  • Use the third person to refer to work the “authors” have previously undertaken.
  • Put funding sources, acknowledgments and ethics approval information only in the title page.
  • Replace any information showing the identity of authors with “details omitted for double-blind reviewing”.
  • Ensure that ‘tracked changes’ switched off when you submit your manuscript.

Presentation and Format

  • 1.5 spacing

  • Margins 2.5 cm from all four sides

  • Use Arial, Font 9

  • Single space between two letters.

  • Title page contains all the desired information (vide supra)

  • Abstract page contains the full title of the manuscript

  • Abstract provided (not more than 150 words for case reports and 250 words for original articles)

  • Structured abstract provided for an original article.

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

  • Keywords provided (three or more)

  • Headings in title case (not ALL CAPITALS, not underlined)

  • References cited in superscript in the text.

  • References according to the journal’s instructions.

  • Reference style should be both in the text and at the end of the paper as per the Vancouver style.

Tables and figures

  • No repetition of data in tables/graphs and in text

  • Actual numbers from which graphs are drawn, provided

  • Figures necessary and of good quality (color)

  • Figure legends provided (not more than 40 words)

  • A credit note for borrowed figures/tables provided

 

S.No

Manuscript

Word limit for abstract

Word limit for manuscript

Type of Abstract

No. of Tables/Graphs/images & photos.

References

1.

Editorial

25-50

1000–1500

-

-

-

2.

Original Article

250

3000–4000

Structured

4 tables, 4 graphs, 3 images/photos

Atleast 15

3.

Brief Communication

200-250

1200–1500

UnStructured

1 table, 1 graph, 1 image/photo

Atleast 10

4.

Review Article

200-250

Not more than 5000

UnStructured

-

30-50

5.

Case Report

150-200

Not more than 1500

UnStructured

2 tables, 2 graphs, 2 images/photos

Atleast 10

6.

Letter to Editor

25-50

500-800

UnStructured

-

Upto 5

Title page

Title page should include:

  • Type of manuscript: original article, case report, review article, letter to the editor

  • Title of the manuscript (concise and informative)

  • Running title (not more than 50 words)

  • Names of all authors (with their highest academic degrees, designations and affiliations) and name(s) of the department(s) and/or institution(s) to which the work should be credited.

  • The total number of pages, total number of photographs and word counts separately for abstract and for the text (excluding the references, tables and abstract)

  • Registration number in case of a clinical trial and where it is registered (name of the registry and its URL)

  • Source of Support, if any

  • Declaration of Conflict of Interest.

  • Corresponding Author: Name, address, e-mail, and telephone number.

Cover Letter

Authors are required to include a separate cover letter with their submission explaining the significance and novelty of the work. This cover letter sample (.docx) can be used as a template.

Article types

Journal accepts all types of the manuscript including original research articles, review articles, editorial, medical news, case reports, short communications, correspondence, images in medical practice, clinical problem solving, perspectives and new drug updates. The following types of manuscripts are routinely accepted (please note that word count is from abstract to references but excluding references:

Original articles: An abstract and keywords are required. These include randomized controlled trials, intervention studies, studies of screening and diagnostic tests, outcome studies, cost-effectiveness analyses, case-control series, and surveys with high response rate. The text of original articles amounting to up to 4000 words (excluding Abstract, references and Tables) and maximum 40 references, should be divided into sections with the headings Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Material and Methods, Results, Discussion, References, Tables and Figure legends.

Abstract A structured abstract (i.e, an abstract with distinct labeled sections e.g. Introduction, methods, results, discussion; for rapid comprehension) not more than 250 words in length, should be provided with 3-5 keywords. Keywords should be the listed terms in the medical subject’s headings (MeSH) of the Index Medicus, to help in easy indexing.

Review articles: An abstract and keywords are required. The text should be divided into sections by suitable headings. Tables and figures may be used as appropriate for the text. They should be no longer than 5000 words. Reviews are written by researchers of considerable experience in the field concerned. The authors should review the recent trends or advances in that field with up-to-date developments in the field during the past 3-5 years. These articles should contain a covering letter, title page, Abstract (non-structured) and keywords. They should be written under appropriate sub-headings. The authors are encouraged to use flowcharts, boxes, tables, and figures for better presentation.

Case reports: New, interesting and rare cases can be reported under this section. They should be unique, describing a great diagnostic or therapeutic challenge and providing a learning point for the readers. Cases with clinical significance or implications will be given priority. These communications should have the following headings: Abstract (unstructured), Keywords, Introduction, Case report, Discussion, Reference, Tables and Legends in that order. The manuscript could be of up to 1000 words (excluding references and abstract) and could be supported with up to 10 references. Case Reports could be authored by up to four authors.

Letters to the Editor Letters to Editor: Headings should not be used in a letter; no abstract or keywords are required. The text should be no more than 800 words; there should be a maximum of 10 references and one table or figure may be included. Letters to the Editor should preferably be related to articles previously published in the Journal or views expressed in the journal. These should be short and decisive observations. The letter could have up to 500 words and 5 references. It could be generally authored by not more than four authors. 
New drug updates: Information on new drugs approved or under investigation can be published.

Manuscript Format

The manuscript should be divided into sections with the headings Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Material and Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, Acknowledgement, Conflict of Interest, Source of funding, Ethical Committee Approval, References. Tables and Figures should be sent separately.

Introduction
Include why this study was conducted and the author must clearly justify and state the purpose and summarize the rationale for the study. State the aims and objectives of the study.

Materials and Methods
It should include and describe the following aspects: Study settings and design: Describe the study setting, for example, general community, a primary care or referral center, private or institutional practice, or ambulatory or hospitalized care. State the duration and follow-up of the study. Describe the basic design of the study (e.g. randomized controlled trial, case-control study, prospective, cross-sectional, etc.). Selection and Description of Participants: Describe your selection of the observational or experimental participants (patients or laboratory animals, including controls) clearly, including eligibility and exclusion criteria and a description of the source population. Intervention: The essential features of any interventions should be described, including their method and duration of administration. Ethical issues: All studies involving human subjects must address relevant ethical issues. A statement on ethics committee approval and ethical practices must be included in all research articles under the Materials and Methods section. Statistics: Specify the statistical methods and the computer software used.

Results Present your results in a logical sequence in the text, tables, and figures, giving the main or most important findings first. Do not repeat in the text all the data in the tables or figures; emphasize or summarize only important observations.

Discussion and Conclusions Short summary of your data, results of this study compared to other similar studies in the literature, strengths and limitations of this study, implications for practice and policy or implications for future research.

Acknowledgments

All contributors who do not meet the criteria for authorship should be listed in an acknowledgments section. Examples of those who might be acknowledged include a person who provided purely technical help, writing assistance, or a department chair who provided only general support. Authors should disclose whether they had any writing assistance and identify the entity that paid for this assistance.

References Guidelines

References should be according to the Journal guidelines. Referencing is based on the style developed by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors in 1978 in Vancouver. Please note that authors are responsible for the accuracy and completeness of their references. Text citations: Cite references sequentially in the text, tables, and legends by superscript Arabic numerals with parentheses, eg, [1] or [3,4] or [10–15]. Numbers should be placed after punctuation marks, full stop. References should be numbered consecutively as they appear in the text. Reference citations in the text should be identified by numbers in superscript after the punctuation marks. When writing a reference list in Vancouver style, you need to remember the following:

  • arrange your list chronologically

  • number all references

  • list the first 6 authors followed by 'et al.' if there are more than 6 authors

  • use official abbreviations for titles of journals (if available)

Journal article:
Format 

Surname Initial(s). Title of article. Journal title/or title abbreviation. Year;volume(issue):page(s). DOI - if available 

E.g., Kapur NK, Musunuru K. Clinical efficiency and safety of statins in managing cardiovascular risk. Vasc Health Risk Manag. 2008;4(2):341–353.DOI: 10.1016/S0001-4575(03)00008-3 

List all authors if six or less, otherwise list first three only, followed by "et al.":
Brandén E, Gnarpe J, Hillerdal G, et al. Detection of Chlamydia pneumoniae on cytospin preparations from bronchiolar lavage in COPD patients and in lung tissue from advanced emphysema. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2007;2(4):643–650. 
Volume with no issue but a supplement: 
Geraud G, Spierings EL, Keywood C. Tolerability and safety of frovatriptan with short- and long-term use for the treatment of migraine and in comparison with sumatriptan. Headache. 2002;42 (Suppl 2):S93–S99. 
Issue with supplement: 
Glauser TA. Integrating clinical trial data into clinical practice. Neurology. 2002;58(12 Suppl 7):S6–S12. Books and other monographs 
Personal author(s): 
O'Brien C. Drug addiction and drug abuse. In: Brunton LB, Lazo JS, Parker KL, eds.Goodman& Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics. 11th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 2005: 607-629. 
Editor(s), compiler(s) as author: 
Gilstrap LC 3rd, Cunningham FG, VanDorsten JP, eds. Operative Obstetrics. 2nd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2002. 
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; 2002:93–113. 
Journal article on the Internet: 
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.]. http://www.nursingworld.org/AJN/2002/june/Wawatch.htm. Accessed April 3, 2003. 
Newspapers and popular magazines
Surname Initial(s). Article title. Newspaper title. Date:page. E.g., Ringen S. La ikke Erna Solberg raseredetlokalefolkestyre. Aftenposten. 2004 March 25:10 
Webpage
Author. Title [Internet]. Place: Publisher; Date of publication [date updated; cited date]. Available from: http://... 
Download Vancouver References Guidelines: click here

Acceptance Certificate

Authors are issued an Acceptance Certificate for manuscripts that have been reviewed and accepted for publication by an editor.

Publication Charges

Once a manuscript has been accepted, the corresponding author will be contacted to make the necessary payment of the manuscript handling fee. Kindly note that authors are required to pay Publication Charges only when his/her Article accepted for Publications.

For more details, visit at https://iabcr.org/index.php/iabcr/publicationCharges

Proof

Prior to publication, a proof is sent to the corresponding author. Authors are advised to read the proof and correct minor typographical or grammatical errors. Authors should promptly return proofs to the editorial office within 48 hours.

Publication

Once proofs are received at the editorial office, the manuscripts are usually included in the next issue of the journal. The article will thereafter be published on the journal’s website.

Publication Notification

After the article is made available on the journal’s website, a publication notice is sent to the corresponding author with links to the issue and article.

Corrections and Retraction Guidelines (Manuscript Withdrawal Policy)

Content published in International archives of biomedical and clinical research is final and cannot be modified. In rare cases, the journal may issue addendum/erratum/corrigendum or retraction notice as updates on its peer-reviewed published content. The journal follows the COPE guidelines on retraction and handling of post publication critiques.
Addendum refers to providing additional information on a previously published article. Erratum implies to the correction of errors made by the publisher and corrigendum refers to the correction of errors made by the authors. Authors, readers or organizations who become aware of ethics issues or errors which affect the scientific integrity of the published article, are encouraged to contact the editorial office. Should the authors wish to add new material to their accepted article, they must submit a request to the editor and the new content will be reviewed, as a new manuscript. The editor determines the impact of the change and decides on the publication of the addendum, erratum or corrigendum. Addendum/erratum/corrigendum will be published with the title of “Addendum /Erratum/Corrigendum to [original article title]” in the paginated part of a subsequent issue of the journal.
Retraction is a mechanism for correcting the literature and alerting readers to publications that contain such seriously flawed or erroneous data that their findings and conclusions cannot be relied upon. Unreliable data may result from honest error or from research misconduct. In cases of infringements of publication ethics such as unethical research, unreliable data or findings, plagiarism, multiple submissions, claims of authorship, or the like, article retraction is mandatory. Articles may be retracted by their authors or by the journal editor, or jointly. Retractions will be published with the title of “Retraction Note to: [article title]” describing the reason for retraction, in the paginated part of a subsequent issue of the journal.

 

Withdrawal on Author’s request Manuscripts may be withdrawn at any stage of review and publication process by submitting a request to the editorial office. Manuscript withdrawal will be permitted after submission only for the most compelling and unavoidable reasons. Article once published online, can not be withdrawn.

If the author wants to withdraw a manuscript, the author needs to submit a completed "Article Change Form", signed by all authors of the manuscript stating the reasons for manuscript withdrawal. The form is available from the editorial office of the journal. 
The manuscript will not be withdrawn from the publication process until a completed, signed form is received by the editorial office. Authors must not assume that their manuscript has been withdrawn until they have received appropriate notification to this effect from the editorial office.

If the author withdraws a manuscript after submission to before publication of the Early View version in the journal, the manuscript will be withdrawn within 48 hours of receiving the "Article Change Form". If the author withdraws a manuscript after the Acceptance of the article, the article publication charges, if paid by the authors, will not be refunded. This has been done so that authors submit to us only those manuscripts which they really want to publish. 

Note:- All the Relevant information of the journal is available on the website, therefore please go through before sending your article. This is the responsibility of the authors only to check the journal indexing and other information before sending their articles to the journal. 

If the authors do not reply to communication from the editorial office, even after multiple reminders, at any stage of the publication process; Editor-in-chief of the Journal holds all rights to disclose the conduct of the authors and content of the manuscript without further approval from the authors, and cannot be held responsible for the consequences arising from it.

Responding to Allegations of Possible Misconduct

There will be a chance of Possible Misconduct when Falsification of data is found. The publisher or editor shall follow COPE's guidelines (or equivalent) in dealing with allegations

Falsification of data: ranges from fabrication to deceptive selective reporting of findings and omission of conflicting data, or willful suppression and/or distortion of data. Plagiarism: The appropriation of the language, ideas, or thoughts of another without crediting their true source, and representation of them as one's own original work. Improprieties of authorship: Improper assignment of credit, such as excluding others, misrepresentation of the same material as original in more than one publication, inclusion of individuals as authors who have not made a definite contribution to the work published; or submission of multi-authored publications without the concurrence of all authors. Misappropriation of the ideas of others: an important aspect of scholarly activity is the exchange of ideas among colleagues. Scholars can acquire novel ideas from others during the process of reviewing grant applications and manuscripts. However, improper use of such information can constitute fraud. Wholesale appropriation of such material constitutes misconduct.

All allegations of misconduct will be referred to the Editor-In-Chief, who will review the circumstances in consultation with the deputy editors. Initial fact-finding will usually include a request to all the involved parties to state their case and explain the circumstances, in writing. In questions of research misconduct centering on methods or technical issues, the Editor-In-Chief may confidentially consult experts who are blinded to the identity of the individuals, or if the allegation is against an editor, an outside editor expert. The Editor-In-Chief and deputy editors will arrive at a conclusion as to whether there is enough evidence to lead a reasonable person to believe there is a possibility of misconduct. Their goal is not to determine if actual misconduct occurred, or the precise details of that misconduct.

When allegations concern authors, the peer review and publication process for the manuscript in question will be halted while the process above is carried out. The investigation described above will be completed even if the authors withdraw their paper, and the responses below will still be considered. In the case of allegations against reviewers or editors, they will be replaced in the review process while the matter is investigated.

Complaints/Grievances Policy

We aim to respond to and resolve all complaints quickly and constructively. The procedures to investigate and resolve complaints followed by IABCR aims to be fair and balanced for those making complaints and for those being complained about.

Section I: For Appeal against editorial decisions 
If the authors disagree with the editorial decision on their manuscripts, they have a right to appeal. Authors who wish to appeal an editorial decision should contact the Editor-in-Chief. In such cases the Editor-in-Chief will review the manuscript, editorial and peer reviewers' comments and give his/her decision for accepting or rejecting a manuscript. Editor-in-Chief may, if so required, send the manuscript to a new handling editor for a fresh editorial review and to new referees for peer review. Decision of the Editor-in-Chief in such case will be final.

Section II: Editorial Matters: For complaints related to policies, procedures, editorial content and actions of the editorial staff 
How to make a complaint. The procedure to make a complaint is easy. The complaint can be made by writing an email. Ideally, the complaint should be made to the person with whom the complainant is in regular contact for the matter being complained about. If due to any reason it is not appropriate or possible to complain to the contact person, please email to: [email protected]

Complaints Handling Policy (Escalation Procedures)
First Contact: The complaints will be resolved by the person to whom they are made. If the person to whom the complaint is made is not able to deal with the complaint he or she will refer it to the Section Editor.

Second Contact: Section Editor 
Section Editor will resolve the complaint. If the complaint cannot be resolved by the Section Editor, it will be referred to the Editor-in-Chief.

Third Contact: Editor-in-Chief
For all matters related to the policies, procedures, editorial content, and actions of the editorial staff, the decision of the Editor-in-Chief will be final. If the Editor-in-Chief is unavailable for any reason, the complaint will be referred to the Managing Editor of IABCR.

Complaint Resolution: All efforts will be made to resolve the complaint as quickly as possible. In some cases, delay in complaint resolution may occur if a response from any third person or organization is required. Until the complaint is resolved, a complaint resolution update will be provided to the complainant, every two weeks, until the complaint is finally resolved.