Submissions

Author Guidelines

[Please note the change in the copyright notice.]

Submission The submitted manuscript should be addressed to Editor-in-chief of the Journal of Asian Medical Students’ Association. Manuscript must be submitted through online submission by registered users. You can register in the website. For further question contact us at: j-amsa@amsa-international.org. You may also refer to our Submission Manual, accessible here.

 

GENERAL INFORMATION

As a basic requirement, all articles submitted to the Journal of Asian Medical Students’ Association must be original work. In general, we advise to follow the format of “Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals” established by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). The Editorial Board reserves the right to edit all articles in aspects of style, format, and clarity. Authors may be required to revise their manuscripts for reasons of any aspect. Manuscripts with excessive errors in any aspect may be returned to authors for retyping or may be rejected. All manuscripts will be subjected to peer and editorial review.

Authors are not subjected to any submission or publication fee. All accepted paper will be made freely available immediately after acceptance in the ‘Current’ section.

 

We accept six types of articles:

• original articles: basic medical research, clinical research, public health, or health care management;
• case report;
• review article;
• letter to editor; and
• editorial.

 

Copyright

Submissions to the J-AMSA must not have been previously published elsewhere. Authors will give copyright of their submissions. By submitting, you are providing the J-AMSA with a license to publish the submission as the first and only publisher. Authors published in the J-AMSA can not submit the same article to other journals that accept previously published work.

 

Study Ethics

All submitted papers containing animal experiments and/or involving human subjects should have obtained approval from an independent ethics committee and adhere to the Helsinki declaration. For experimental studies, declaration adheres to guidelines provided by the Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CPCSEA) for animal studies and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for human studies. The copy of approval should be provided to editorial office as mentioned above.

 

Publication Ethics

This journal follows guidelines from Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) in facing all aspects of publication ethics and, in particular, how to handle cases of research and publication misconduct.

 

ARTICLE FORMAT

Language & Structure

Articles will be published in English, following American spelling. Articles in English that are linguistically inadequate may be rejected. Articles must be submitted in the following structural order: title page and authorship, abstract & keywords, text, conflicts of interest, acknowledgments (if any), references, tables, figures, and legends (if any).

 

Cover Letter

Each submission should have a cover letter. The cover letter is addressed to the editor along with your submission. It must state that the research has received institutional review board (IRB) approval, when suitable, and that the paper is neither presently under consideration at another publication nor will be while it is under consideration with JAMSA. Authors are encouraged to recommend up to 3 potential peer-reviewers, please attach his/her full name, affiliation, and email address. Suggested peer-reviewers should not come from the same institution and/or country from the authors. For further reading, please see ‘Guidelines for Suggesting Peer Reviewers or Manuscripts’ here

 

Author’s Contact List

The author’s contact list should be included as a separate file that consists of a list of all authors (in order of precedence on the title page) with their degree abbreviations and complete contact information.

 

Authorship

Authorship of articles should be limited to those who have contributed sufficiently to take public responsibility for the contents. This includes (a) conception and design, or analysis and interpretation of data, or both; (b) drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content; (c) final approval of the version to be published; (d) and agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved. CRediT Author Statement should be included in a separate file to certify that they have participated sufficiently in the work to take public responsibility for the content, including participation in the concept, design, analysis, writing, or revision of the manuscript (please see here for further reading).

 

 

Title Page

The title page should contain:

• title of the article (concise, no abbreviations, maximum 20 words);
• full names of authors (without academic title);
• author’s affiliation [name(s) of department(s) and institution(s)];
• disclaimers (if any);
• corresponding author’s name, mailing address, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail address (E-mail address of the corresponding author will be published along with the article);
• source(s) of support in the form of grants, equipment, drugs, or all of these (if any);
• short running title [maximum 40 characters (letter and spaces)];
• word counts [A word count for the text only (excluding abstract, acknowledgments, tables, figure legends, and references)]; and
• number of figures and tables.

 

Abstract

The abstract should be prepared in American English with a structured abstract maximum 250 words for biomedical, clinical, public health, and health-care research articles, review articles, and case reports. They should be concise and precise with enough information, highlighting the points and importance of the article, which contains: One or two sentences of background; purpose of study; methods (basic procedures, study subject selection, observational, and analytical methods); main findings or results; and principal conclusion. Authors should provide 3-6 keywords which can be used for indexing purpose.

 

Text

The text should be structured as an introduction, methods, results, discussion, and conclusions. Footnotes are not advisable; their contents should rather be incorporated into the text. Use only standard abbreviations; use of nonstandard abbreviations can be confusing to readers. Avoid abbreviations in the title of the manuscript. The spelled-out abbreviation followed by the abbreviation in parenthesis should be used on first mention unless the abbreviation is a standard unit of measurement. If a sentence begins with a number, it should be spelled out. Cite in numerical order every reference, figure and table. Use Arabic numerals in superscript to cite references in Vancouver style.

Declarations

• All manuscripts must contain the following sections under the heading 'Declarations' after title page:
• Ethics approval and consent to participate
• Availability of data and material
• Conflict of interests
• Funding
• Authors' contributions
• Acknowledgements
• Please see below for details on the information to be included in these sections.
• If any of the sections are not relevant to your manuscript, please include the heading and write 'Not applicable' for that section.
  
  
  

Ethics Approval and consent

This journal is committed to upholding the integrity of the scientific record. As a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) the journal will follow the COPE guidelines on how to deal with potential acts of misconduct. When reporting a study that involved human participants, their data or biological material, authors should include a statement that confirms that the study was approved (or granted exemption) by the appropriate institutional and/or national research ethics committee (including the name of the ethics committee) and certify that the study was performed in accordance with the ethical standards as laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. If doubt exists whether the research was conducted in accordance with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration or comparable standards, the authors must explain the reasons for their approach, and demonstrate that an independent ethics committee or institutional review board explicitly approved the doubtful aspects of the study. If a study was granted exemption from requiring ethics approval, this should also be detailed in the manuscript (including the reasons for the exemption).

 

Availability of data and material

The source of data and materials should be mentioned in the manuscript, in support of the findings. If the data source is not revealed, the authors need to clearly state the reasons. Authors who do not wish to share their data should clearly state that the data will not be shared, and give the reasons.

The statement relating to the data should be presented in the following format under a separate ‘Availability of Data and Materials’ section in the manuscript:

"The data supporting the findings of the article is available in the [repository name] at [URL], reference number [reference number]”.

 

Conflicts of Interest

Conflict of interest should declare the authors’ conflicts of interest, sources of support for the work, and whether the authors had access to the study data. Each author should submit a separate form from ICMJE, given above and be sent to the office at submission. The description of conflict of interest in this form will be shown in this part.

Funding
Research grants from funding agencies (please give the research funder and the grant number) and/or research support (including salaries, equipment, supplies, reimbursement for attending symposia, and other expenses) by organizations that may gain or lose financially through publication of this manuscript. In case of no funding please include one of the following statements:

• The authors did not receive support from any organization for the submitted work.
• No funding was received to assist with the preparation of this manuscript.
• No funding was received for conducting this study.
• No funds, grants, or other support was received.
  
  
  

Statistical Methods

All statistical methods used should be described in detail in the methods section of the manuscript. Avoid relying solely on statistical hypothesis testing, such as P values, which fail to convey important information about effect size. Define statistical terms, abbreviations, and most symbols. Specify the computer software used.

 

Conflicts of Interest

Conflict of interest should declare the authors’ conflicts of interest, sources of support for the work, and whether the authors had access to the study data. Each author should submit a separate form from ICMJE, given above and be sent to the office at submission. The description of conflict of interest in this form will be shown in this part.

 

Acknowledgments

Personal acknowledgments should be limited to appropriate professionals who contributed to the paper, including technical help and financial or material support, also general support by a department chairperson.

 

Tables

Each table and its title should be presented in the main text as appropriate. Tables should be numbered in arabic numerals (e.g. 1,2,3) consecutively in the order of their first citation in the text. Table’s title should be brief, clearly indicating the purpose or content of each table. The number of both tables and figures should not exceed 8. Author should provide a footnote to each table, identifying in alphabetical order all abbreviations used. Do not use internal horizontal or vertical lines. Give each column a short or abbreviated heading.

Authors should explain all nonstandard abbreviations and explanatory matters in footnotes, and for explanatory matters use the following symbols, in sequence: *, †, ‡, §, ||, ¶, **, ††, ‡‡, §§, ||||, ¶¶, etc. Identify statistical measures of variations, such as standard deviation and standard error of the mean. Be sure that each table is cited in the text. If you use data from another published or unpublished source, obtain permission and acknowledge that source fully.

 

Figures

Figures should be either professionally drawn or photographed and submitted in a format (JPEG or TIFF) in the following resolutions [gray-scale or color in RGB (red, green, blue mode) at least 300 dpi (dots per inch)]. For x-ray films, scans, and other diagnostic images, as well as pictures of pathology specimens or photomicrographs, send sharp, glossy, black-and-white or color photographic prints, usually 127 x 173 mm (5 x 7 inches). Write the word “top” on the back of each figure at the appropriate place.

Figures should be made as self-explanatory as possible; titles and detailed explanations belong in the legends, not on the figures themselves. Photomicrographs should have internal scale markers. Symbols, arrows, or letters used in photomicrographs should contrast with the background. Photographs of potentially identifiable people must be accompanied by written permission to use the photograph.

Figures should be numbered in arabic numerals (e.g. 1,2,3) consecutively according to the order in which they have been cited in the text. The number of both tables and figures should not exceed 8. If a figure has been published previously, acknowledge the original source and submit written permission from the copyright holder to reproduce the figure. Permission is required irrespective of authorship or publisher except for documents in the public domain. Color figures are allowed in special circumstances, provided that the author is willing to cover the cost of reproduction. If the original size of the figures is too large, you can provide us with lower quality figures on submission and good quality after the acceptance of the manuscript.

 

Legends for Figures

Type or print out legends for figures with Arabic numerals corresponding to the figures. When symbols, arrows, numbers, or letters are used to identify parts of the illustrations, identify and explain each one clearly in the legend. Explain the internal scale and identify the method of staining in photomicrographs.

 

Units of Measurement

For measurements use S.I. (System International) units. Measurements should be abbreviated (e.g. mm, kcal, etc.) in accordance to the Style Manual for Biological Sciences and using the metric system. Measurements of length, height, weight, and volume should be reported in appropriate scientific units. Temperatures should be in degrees Celsius. Blood pressures should be in millimeters of mercury (mmHg). Drug concentrations may be reported in either SI or mass units, but the alternative should be provided in parentheses where appropriate.

 

References

JAMSA conforms to the Vancouver style of referencing. References must be numbered in the order in which they are mentioned in the text. Use the style of the examples below, which are based on the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals: Sample References.

The titles of journals should be abbreviated according to the style used for MEDLINE. Avoid using abstracts as references. Information from manuscripts submitted but not yet accepted should be cited in the text as “unpublished observations” with written permission from the source. Papers accepted but not yet published may be included as references; designate the journal and add “Forthcoming”. Avoid citing “personal communication” unless it provides essential information not available publicly, name the person and date of communication, obtain written permission and confirmation of accuracy from the source of a personal communication.

Here are some examples of the references:

• Article/Journal:
  Zuckerman B, Frank DA, Hingson R, et al. Effects of maternal marijuana and cocaine use on fetal growth. N Engl J Med. 1989 Mar 23;320(12):762-8.
• Chapter in Book:
  Morris JN. The last weeks of life: does hospice care make a difference? In: MorV, Greer DS, Kastenbaum R, eds. The hospice experiments. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University, 1988.

• Government report:
  National Center for Health Statistics. Health, United States, 1989. (DHHS Pub. no. [PHS] 90-1232.) Hyattsville, MD: U.S. Public Health Service, 1990.

• Published conference presentation:
  Hinman AR. Progress over the last decade. In: Proceedings of the 24th Immunization Conference, Orlando (FL), May 21-5, 1990:17-20. Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control, 1990.

• Unpublished conference presentation:
  McJamerson E, Pearson W Jr. The declining participation of African American males in higher education: causes and consequences. Presented at: Mid-South Sociological Association Conference, Baton Rouge (LA), Oct 1989.

• Material accepted for publication:
  Hall LE, Callender CO, Yeager CL, et al. Organ donation in blacks. TransplProc [in press]

• Other unpublished material (cite in the text but not in the references):
  (B. Jones, personal communication)

 

Checklists
Checklists are available for a number of study designs that should be part of submission,

• Randomized controlled trials (CONSORT) and protocols (SPIRIT)
  http://www.consort-statement.org/

• Systematic reviews and meta-analyses* (PRISMA) and protocols (PRISMA-P)
  http://www.consort-statement.org/ 

• Observational studies (STROBE)
  https://www.strobe-statement.org/index.php?id=available-checklists 

• Case reports (CARE)
  https://www.care-statement.org/ 

• Qualitative research (COREQ)
  http://cdn.elsevier.com/promis_misc/ISSM_COREQ_Checklist.pdf 

• Diagnostic/prognostic studies (STARD and TRIPOD)
  https://www.equator-network.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/STARD-2015-checklist.pdf 

• Pre-clinical animal studies (ARRIVE)
  https://arriveguidelines.org/ 

 

REVIEW PROCESS

Authors are notified promptly when manuscripts are received. Manuscripts that pass an internal review are sent to at least two external reviewers who are experts in the topic area addressed by the paper. Reviewers provide comments to the editor, who relays them to the primary author. Reviews are double-blind (i.e., neither authors nor reviewers know each other’s identity or institutional affiliation).

SPECIFIC GUIDELINES FOR SPECIFIC TYPES OF PAPERS

1. ORIGINAL PAPERS

Research reports, health policy papers, evaluations of innovative or otherwise noteworthy health and health care programs.

 Text

• Clearly state the problem or issue at hand, describe past efforts to address it, and specify how the manuscript represents a new contribution to the field.
• Note and discuss policy implications, as appropriate.
• Include brief section headings. Research reports should contain the following sections: Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion. Omit the Introduction section heading.
• For any subheadings, use the following format:

1^st level subheading: Boldface heading (with initial cap only) followed by period run into text.

2^nd level subheading: Italic heading (with initial cap only) followed by period run into text.

In cases where the primary heading, a 1^st subheading, and a 2^nd subheading all occurs in immediate succession, simply follow the same pattern. For example, Methods Population studied. Demographic characteristics. The population studied was . . .

• List any acknowledgments and grant support at the end of the text under a new section heading, Acknowledgments
• The list of references should follow a section heading, References.
• Word limit: 10,000 (including title page, abstract, main text, acknowledgement, disclosures, references, tables and figure legends)

Tables

• There is a limit of 8 tables and figures
• Type tables on pages separate from the text. Provide a title and consecutive Arabic numbering for each.
• USE TABS, NOT SPACES, to separate columns when formatting tables. Alternatively, use the table formatting option in Microsoft Word.
• Tables should be in black and white.
• List source for table, as appropriate.

Figures

• Maps, diagrams, drawings, and figures (bar graphs, pie charts, etc.) must be rendered in sharp detail and appear in black and white.
• Include actual data. For figures that contain percentages, include raw numbers.
• List source for figure, as appropriate.
• Please refrain from using scanned figures, as we are unable to edit them

 

2. REVIEW ARTICLE

Text

• Clearly state the problem or issue at hand, describe past efforts to address it, and specify how the manuscript represents a new contribution to the field.
• Note and discuss policy implications, as appropriate.
• For any subheadings, use the following format:
  1^st level subheading: Boldface heading (with initial cap only) followed by period run into text.
  2^nd level subheading: Italicized heading (with initial cap only) followed by period run into text.
  In cases where the primary heading, a 1^st subheading, and a 2^nd subheading all occurs in immediate succession, simply follow the same pattern. For example, Methods Population studied. Demographic characteristics. The population studied was . . .
• Word limit: 10,000 (including title page, abstract, main text, acknowledgement, disclosures, references, tables, and figure legends)

Tables

• There is a limit of 8 tables and figures.
• Type tables on pages separate from the text. Provide a title and consecutive Arabic numbering for each.
• USE TABS, NOT SPACES, to separate columns when formatting tables. Alternatively, use the table formatting option in Microsoft Word.
• Tables should be in black and white.
• List source for table, as appropriate.

Figures

• Maps, diagrams, drawings, and figures (bar graphs, pie charts, etc.) must be rendered in sharp detail and appear in black and white.
• Include actual data. For figures that contain percentages, include raw numbers.
• List source for figure, as appropriate.
• Please refrain from using scanned figures, as we are unable to edit them.

 

3. CASE REPORTS

Text

• Clearly state the problem or issue at hand, describe past efforts to address it, and specify how the manuscript represents a new contribution to the field.
• Note and discuss policy implications, as appropriate.
• For any subheadings, use the following format:
  1^st level subheading: Boldface heading (with initial cap only) followed by period run into text.
  2^nd level subheading: Italicized heading (with initial cap only) followed by period run into text.
  In cases where the primary heading, a 1^st subheading, and a 2^nd subheading all occurs in immediate succession, simply follow the same pattern. For example, Methods Population studied. Demographic characteristics. The population studied was . . .

• Word limit: 2,000 (including title page, abstract, main text, acknowledgement, disclosures, references, tables, and figure legends)

Figures

• There is a limit of 3 figures.
• Maps, diagrams, drawings, and figures (bar graphs, pie charts, etc.) must be rendered in sharp detail and appear in black and white.
• Include actual data. For figures that contain percentages, include raw numbers.
• List source for figure, as appropriate.
• Please refrain from using scanned figures, as we are unable to edit them.