Submissions

Author Guidelines

INSTRUCTIONS TO AUTHORS

 

The Journal de la Faculté de Médecine d’Oran (JFMO) is addressed to all health actors in a multidisciplinary perspective (Medicine, Pharmacy, Dental Medicine, Basic Sciences, and Social Sciences). Its objectives are to introduce researchers to scientific writing in order to ensure better visibility of their research work. Its mission is to support research in the health sciences, to promote the sharing of knowledge between researchers and practitioners in the field, and to facilitate the exchange of practices between professionals.

 

The Journal is half-yearly. It publishes scientific articles such as Editorials, Original Articles, Systematic Reviews, Updates, Clinical Cases, Methodological Notes and "Read for you". It also publishes letters in response to the Journal articles in the Correspondence Section.

 

Publications are in French or English. They must comply with the instructions below. These are derived from the manuscript submission standards, proposed by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, known as the Vancouver Group (ICMJE) (www.icmje.org).

 

1. PUBLICATION RULES

 

1.1 All manuscripts sent to the journal must be original, i.e. all or part of them must not have been published before or in parallel in another journal.

 

1.2. Manuscripts are submitted to a reading committee whose approval, after any modifications, is necessary for the publication of the article.

 

1.3. Submitting an article implies that all authors approve the work described.

 

1.4. If excerpts from other works or copyrighted material are included in the article, authors must provide written permission from the copyright holders and cite the sources of the primary publication in the article. These precautions should also be taken to avoid plagiarism.

 

1.5. The submitted work must comply with current laws on biomedical experimentation and the ethical recommendations of the Declaration of Helsinki ("WMA Declaration of Helsinki - Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects").

 

1.6. The articles published in the Journal of the Faculty of Medicine of Oran become the property of the editor and no partial or total reproduction (including figures or tables) may be made without the editor'spermission.

 

 

 

 

 

2. MANUSCRIPT

 

2.1. TYPES OF ARTICLES

The presentation and the maximum length of the manuscript (title page, abstract, references, tables and figures not included) differ according to the type of article:

 

- Editorial (1.500 words, 5 references, no summary). The editorial can draw attention to a current topic or ask a question and provide an answer with arguments.

 

- Research article (2.000 to 3.000 words, at least 30 references, summary in French and English). This is the presentation of original scientific results in a format that allows for understanding and, if possible, reproducing the work. It is accompanied by a structured summary (see section on abstracts). It is divided into five titled sections, including: Introduction/Objectives, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion and Conclusion.

 

The body of the article includes:

- A short Introduction that justifies the work and exposes the problematic and the objectives, recalling briefly the data of the literature.

-In Materials and Methods, the inclusion criteria of the study population, as well as group compositions etc. are clearly indicated; the statistical methodology is presented. This chapter does not provide any results. It ends with the presentation of the statistical tests.

-In Results: According to their number or type, the results are given in the form of numbers and percentages, averages (with the standard deviation or the confidence interval), medians (with the extremes), probabilities (with the confidence interval if possible). The long enumeration of numbers in the text should be avoided: they should be preferred one or more table (s) or figure (s).

-Discussion: This chapter comments on the results, without giving new ones or repeating them, and confronts them with those published in the literature. It starts with a brief summary of the results.

 

- Systematic Review (5.000 words, 80 references maximum, summary in French and English). This section contains in-depth articles that provide a look at recent developments in a topic, current issues or new developments, based on a critical analysis of literature data and the controversies that may be associated with them. It is therefore a question of proposing a critical synthesis of published works on a given subject, leading to useful and constructive proposals.

 

- Update: (2.500 words, 50 references maximum, summary in French and English). The updates deal in depth with recent developments on a chosen subject. Apart from some essential references, the literature analysed is that of the last five years. The adjustments follow the same general instructions as those for systematic reviews, of which they differ in their less exhaustive nature.

 

- Clinical case and brief communication: (1.000 to 1.500 words, 10 references maximum, summary in French and English). After a brief introduction (a few lines), the writing of the clinical case must be structured in two parts:

• Observation should be reported briefly
• The purpose of the discussion is to comment on the case. This discussion must be relatively short and not exceed half of the article. The paragraph ends with the perspectives opened by this observation.

 

- Methodological notes (1.500 words, maximum 30 references). This section is for PhD students (from the 2nd registration). It hosts short texts presenting the methodologies of thesis. Articles must have a structured abstract and include:

- An "Introduction", which takes stock of the state of knowledge and the justification of the study;

-A "Methods" section, which describes the study population, the methods used, and the statistical plan;

- A section "spinoffs of the study", which discuss the different possibilities and the perspectives that they open.

 

-Image and diagnosis (500 to 1000 words). This section discusses an unusual, original or even didactic iconographic document. These may be radiographic, scannographic or magnetic resonance images. Anatomopathological documents or physiological tracings may be involved.

This section includes a short text describing the case (maximum 1900 characters on one page) and the image presented (one image only). The second part may be text-only or may include text or figures, but should not exceed a total of two pages. It is devoted to the explanation and highlighting of the purpose that prompted the publication. The maximum total length is 3 pages, including figures. The number of references is limited to 4.

 

 

- Letter to the Editor (500 words, 5 references, no summary). Letters to the Editor are to be differentiated from Correspondence. Signed by up to five authors, they may relate to the preliminary results of a study, scientific or professional information. They can also address current topics.

 

- Read for you: (500 words, 3 references) are short articles of commentary or critical analysis of a work, chapter of book or important article published in the national or international literature, in the field of health. An article for "read for you" should include the title, authors and references of the original article. These scientific watch articles are not subject to revisions, theyengage the author responsibility.

 

 

2.2. Preparation of the manuscript      

The journal of the Faculty of Medicine of Oran follows the international practices concerning conflicts of interest in relation to publications subject to the rules of the ICMJE (www.icmje.org) [1].

The text file formats that can be used are MS Word, Times New Roman font, character 12, double-spaced automatically. Special characters, Greek and mathematical characters, should be entered in full or using the Symbol font. In the text, italics may be used occasionally (in Latin locutions, writing of genes, proper names of viruses, bacteria….).

 

 

 

2.2.1. Organization of the manuscript

The manuscript should contain the following elements:

1. Title page
2. Abstract and keywords
3. Text
4. Acknowledgements
5. References
6. Figure titles and legends
7. Tables

 

The number of pages starts from the title page.

Title page: should include :

- A concise and informative title of no more than 10 words

- A short title of no more than 40 characters

- The names of the authors and their affiliations. The full name and contact details (address, phone, email) of the corresponding author.

- Funding and support

- Conflicts of interest

- Number of words in the manuscript

 

Abstract: the abstract should appear between the title page and the introduction section of the manuscript, even if it has been uploaded separately. Manuscripts should contain a structured abstract of no more than 300 words. Abstracts are structured as follows: objective, methods, results and conclusions.

Keywords: relevant to the manuscript, 3 to 5 in number, relevant and descriptive.

 

The title, short title, abstract and keywords should be submitted in English and French.

 

 

The body of the text : The text is written in a clear, concise and precise style. In the body of the text, each reference is followed by an Arabic numbering in square brackets (e.g. [1]). The reference may be quoted several times in the text, in which case it keeps the same numbering. The pages of the text must be numbered, starting from the title page. The scientific text should contain the following sections

- Introduction

- Methodology

- Results

- Discussion and conclusion

The body of the text is followed by acknowledgements, if any, conflicts of interest, references, figure legends, and tables.

Acknowledgements: Authors may mention the people who helped in the realization of the work, excluding any organization or company which should be listed under the heading “Supporters” on the title page. It is advisable to indicate the reason for each acknowledgement. Written consent from those thanked may be requested by the journal’s editorial staff.

 

 

 

 

Bibliographic references

References are presented in accordance with Vancouver standards (International Committee of Medical Journal Editors http://www.icmje.org/) [1].

 

 Journal article

[1] Chentouf A, Dahdouh A, Ghomari S et al. Earlypredictors of refractoryepilepsy in Oran, Algeria: A Case-Control Study. Int J NeurolBrainDisord 2016,3(2) :1-5.

 

Article from a volume supplement

[2] Ohtsuka Y, Yoshinaga H, Kobayashi K et al. Refractorychildhoodepilepsy and factorsrelated to refractoriness. Epilepsia2000; 41 Suppl 9: 14-17.

 

Available at

[3] Kanis JA, ed. Pathology and treatment of Paget’sdiseaseofbone. London: Martin Dunitz1991.

 

Book chapter

[4] Dahdouh A, Chentouf A. Depression: a major public health problem. Edition Juba. Genetic vulnerability to depression May 2016(65-83), ISBN: 978-9931-53

 

Conference proceedings

[5] Gammage RB, Kaye SV. Indoor air and humanhealth. Proceedings of the 7^th Life Sciences Symposium,1984 Oct. 29- 31;Knoxville (TN), Chelsea (MI):Lewis;1985. P. 69- 78.

Thesis

[6] Snouber A. Prevalence of primary resistance of Mycobacteriumtuberculosis to antituberculosis drugs in the wilaya of Oran [thesis]. Oran : Oran 1 University, Ahmed Benbella; 2007. P. 1-253.

 

Reference available in electronic format

[7] Morse SS. Factors in the emergence of infectiousdiseases. Emerg Infect Dis [online series] 1995; 1. Available atURL: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/eid.htm)

 

 

Tables

Each table should be presented on a separate word file, numbered in Arabic numerals and inserted in the text (in order of appearance) withits number in brackets. It must be accompanied by a title (above) and, if necessary, some explanatory notes (below). A maximum of four tables are accepted.

 

Figures

Figures are attached in separate files. Legends should be provided separately, clearly indicating the purpose of the figure and specifying abbreviations.

To enable the editor to easily identify the figures submitted, it is recommended that the files be named with the figure number and the format used. The preferred formats are JPEG (jpeg, jpg), TIFF (tif). For example: “fig1.tif”, for the file of figure 1 in TIFF format. A maximum of four figures are accepted.

Figures representing people must be masked or accompanied by the written consent of the persons concerned.

 

3. Online submission procedure

Submission is exclusively online on the ASJP Algerian Scientific Journal Platform by clicking on the link: https://www.asjp.cerist.dz/en/submission/589

Each submission must be accompanied by a letter of motivation addressed to the editor-in-chief including (see model in Annex 1) :

- The interest and originality of the article (10 lines maximum);

- Funding and support;

- The section to which the manuscript is submitted (original article, clinical case, systematic review…..);

The manuscript is submitted in all its elements (in word and PDF format): title page, abstract and keywords (English-French), text, acknowledgements, references, titles and legends of figures, tables.

 

Separate files must be submitted:

- The title page: title of the article in French and in English, full contact details of the authors (name, first name, affiliation and e-mail address of all authors) (appendix 2).

- The manuscript (in Word and PDF format): title page, abstract and keywords in English and French, text, acknowledgements, declaration of interest, references, titles and legends of figures, tables.

- Tables and figures (diagrams, drawings, colour or black and white photos) should always be provided as separate files, one file per table and figure. Tables are submitted in word portrait format. Figures should be provided in jpeg or tif format.

After submission of the manuscript, authors can track the progress of their manuscript via their Algerian Scientific Journal Platform (ASJP) author account as part of the review process.

The copyright transfer statement signed and dated by the author corresponding to the name of all authors must be uploaded when the article is finally accepted.

 

4. Proofreading

Proofs will be sent to the corresponding author by e-mail (pdf format) after final acceptance of the article. Only typographical errors may be corrected, check the order of the figures and tables, their contents and legends, the order of the references and their format. Also check the names of the authors and their affiliation. No additions can be made to the final accepted manuscript. The authors will ensure that these proofs are returned to the publisher with the mention “Bon à tirer”, within 72 hours of their receipt. The article will be published online, once the corrected proofs are sent by the corresponding author. In case of delay, the publisher reserves the right to proceed with the online publication.

 

 

 

 

 

5. Publication and ethics

5.1. Declaration of conflicts of interest

Authors should declare any conflicts of interest that may arise from their work in general by following the recommendations listed below: A conflict of interest exists when an author and/or co-author has financial or personal relationships with other persons or organizations that may influence his/her professional judgements regarding a core value (patient welfare, research integrity, etc.).

 

5.2 Information for authors

Authors should avoid simultaneous submission of their manuscript, and confirm this in the cover letter. Any attempt of a duplicate publication is sanctioned by the rejection of the manuscript and exposes the authors to future refuted submissions. Furthermore, once the manuscript is published, any subsequent publication will be considered as a duplication, except for a prior presentation communicated in a scientific congress.

 

 

5.3. Plagiarism

An anti-plagiarism software check is systematically carried out for all submissions. Any plagiarism will result in the rejection of the article and the non-inclusion of any subsequent submission from the author.

 

 

6. Evaluation process and decision of the editorial board

6.1. Evaluation

All manuscripts submitted to the Journal de la faculté de medicine d’Oran via the ASJP are evaluated by two reviewers from outside the editorial board. An associate editor proposed by the chief editor, ensures the choice of experts, the relations with the corresponding author, and the management of the manuscript until the final decision is taken. The author will be able to follow the different stages of the evaluation process via his/her ASJP electronic author account.

 

6.2. Preparation of revised versions

The preparation of a revision is synonymous with a careful follow-up of the criticisms and suggestions made by the reviewers, as well as the associated editor. The revised version must be headed on each page by the reference of the manuscript provided by the journal, followed by the indication “R1” for a first revision, “R2” for a second (appendix 3).

The revised versions of the articles must include:

- Responses to reviewers’ comments, and changes to the text should be presented in different colours (blue, as an example), as this will facilitate the reviewer’s appreciation.

- An annotated copy of the revised version (R1 or R2, under the header with the manuscript references) highlighting the changes (blue colour) (annex 3).

The absence of this revised document with the details below will delay the processing of the manuscript.

 

 

 

 

6.3. Decision of the Editorial Board

A note of acceptance of the manuscript is sent when the editorial board has approved this acceptance, after the reviewers have given their opinion and assessed the revised versions. Authors may still be asked to make changes to the form and/or content of their article, which may be necessary for the preparation of the proofs. The fact that major changes are requested does not mean that the article is accepted.

 

 

6.4. Rejection of the manuscript

The Editor reserves the right to reject manuscripts that deviate from the above instructions and will notify the corresponding author.

 

 

 

 

-The journal citation is in the following format ?JFMO”-.

 

 

 

 

References

 

[1] International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals : Writing and Editing for Biomedical Publication. www.icmje.org

 

[2] WMA Declaration of Helsinki - Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects. Adopted by the 18th WMA General Assembly, Helsinki, Finland, June 1964

 

[3] Moher D, Liberati A, Tetzlaff J, Altman DG, The PRISMA Group. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: The PRISMA Statement. Open Med 2009; 3: 123-130.

 

[4] Gagnier JJ, et al. BMJ Case Rep 2013. doi:10.1136/bcr-2013-201554

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ANNEX 1: Cover letter.

 

To the Editor of the Journal de la  Faculté de Médecine d’Oran

 

We send you the original article,

 “……………………………………………………………………………………..”.

 

WHAT DO WE ALREADY KNOW ABOUT IT?

 

About ten lines

 

WHAT THIS STUDY Contributes

 

Quote the main results of this study

 

 

The article has been approved by all authors and has not been published in, or submitted to, any other medical or scientific journal, in whole or in part, in French or in any other language.

There are no conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise, that could influence the content of the article.

In case of acceptance for publication, we undertake to sign a contract with the publisher for the transfer of our copyright and property rights.

Yours faithfully

 

French summary: number of words

English abstract: number of words

Number of words in the text:

Number of references:

Number of figures:

Number of tables:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

APPENDIX 2.TITLE PAGE

 

 

HEADING.

 

FRENCH TITLE.

 

SHORT TITLE.

 

ENGLISH TITLE.

 

AUTHORS.

 

AFFILIATIONS.

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.

 

FUNDING AND SUPPORT. None

 

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST. The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

 

CORRESPONDING AUTHORS. Surname, First name, affiliation, email

 

French abstract: number of words

English abstract: number of words

Number of words in the text

Number of references:

Number of figures :

Number of tables :

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appendix 3 REVISED VERSION (R1) OF PAPER JFMO-2022-…..

 

To the Editors of JFMO

We are re-addressing the 1^st revised version of the paper entitled “……………………………………….”.

The following pages contain the changes made in the manuscript and the responses to the reviewer’s comments.

We look forward to your hopefully favourable response.

 

French summary:

English abstract:

Number of words in the text:

Number of references:

Number of figures:

Number of tables:

 

 

READER’S COMMENTS N°1 (example)

 

Dear reader, thank you for your criticisms/suggestions. We have taken all your criticisms/suggestions into consideration and the changes are mentioned in colour in the manuscript.

Cordially

 

GENERAL REMARK

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

REPONSE……………………………………………………………………..

 

1. CONCERNING THE FORM

A1 (question1) ………………………………………………………………………………………..

 

ANSWER………………………………………………………………………………

 

A2……………………………………………………………………………………………………..

 

ANSWER………………………………………………………………………………………………….

 

A3………………………………………………………………………………………………………

 

ANSWER…………………………………………………………………………………………..

 

A4…………………………………………………………………………………………………….

 

ANSWER……………………………………………………………………………………..

 

A5……………………………………………………………………………………………………….

 

ANSWER……………………………………………………………………………………………..

 

A6…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

 

ANSWER…………………………………………………………………………………………

 

1. ON THE SUBSTANCE

B1…………………………………………………………………………………………………….

 

ANSWER………………………………………………………………………………………..

 

B2…………………………………………………………………………………………………….

 

ANSWER………………………………………………………………………………………..

 

B3………………………………………………………………………………………………………

 

ANSWER……………………………………………………………………………………………….

 

B4………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

ANSWER………………………………………………………………………………………………

 

B5……………………………………………………………………………………………………

 

ANSWER………………………………………………………………………………………….

 

 

 

B6…………………………………………………………………………………………………….

ANSWER…………………………………………………………………………………………………

 

B7……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 

 

ANSWER…………………………………………………………………………………………………

 

B8……………………………………………………………………………………………………….

 

ANSWER…………………………………………………………………………………………

 

B9………………………………………………………………………………………………………

 

ANSWER……………………………………………………………………………………………..

 

B10…………………………………………………………………………………………………….

 

ANSWER……………………………………………………………………………………………..

 

B11……………………………………………………………………………………………………..

 

ANSWER…………………………………………………………………………………………………….

?

REVISED VERSION-R1 (JFMO-2022-……) WITH CHANGES (in colour)

 

TITLE PAGE

HEADING.

FRENCH TITLE.

SHORT TITLE.

ENGLISH TITLE.

 

Changes to be made in blue colour (if remarks made here)

 

French summary:

English abstract:

Number of words in the text:

Number of references:

Number of figures:

Number of tables:

 

?

ABSTRACT

 (Changes to be made in colour, if remarks made at this level)

 

Introduction.

 Methods.

 Results.

 Conclusion.

 

KEY WORDS

 

?