Author Guidelines

Last Updated: June 2025

Welcome to the Author Guidelines for Medical Journal of the Discipline for Research and Development – Clinical Center University of Sarajevo. Please read these guidelines carefully before submitting your manuscript. Adherence to these guidelines will help ensure a smooth and efficient review process.

 

About Medical Journal

  • Official Publication: MED JOURNAL is the official publication of the Discipline for Research and Development, Clinical Center University of Sarajevo.  Issues are published quarterly.
  • Scope: The journal covers clinical medicine and public health topics related to clinical practice.
  • Article Types: We publish Original Articles, Reviews, Case Reports, Case Series, Letters to the Editor, and Editorials.
  • Open Access Policy: MED JOURNAL utilizes the Diamond Open Access model.
    • NO Author Processing Charges (APCs): There are no fees for authors to submit or publish.
    • Free Access: All content is available without charge to the user or their institution. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author (in accordance with the Budapest Open Access Initiative).
  • Author Responsibility: Authors take full responsibility for all statements and opinions expressed in their respective works.

 

Editorial Policies

  • Ethical Conduct:
    • Research involving human subjects must be conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of medical deontology and the Declaration of Helsinki (last revision 2013). A statement confirming this, along with approval from the relevant Institutional Ethics Committee, must be included in the manuscript and the cover letter.
    • Research involving animals must adhere to ethical standards and be reported according to the ARRIVE (Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments) guidelines.
  • Reporting Guidelines: Authors are required to follow established reporting guidelines relevant to their study type. Compliance with these guidelines should be stated in the manuscript:
    • Observational Studies: STROBE (STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology)
    • Diagnostic Accuracy Studies: STARD (STandards1 for Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies)
    • Nonrandomized Evaluations: TREND (Transparent Reporting of Evaluations with Nonrandomized Designs)
    • Clinical Trials: CONSORT (CONsolidated Standards of Reporting Trials). Clinical trial registration numbers from a publicly accessible registry (e.g., WHO ICTRP) must be provided. WHO definition: “any research study that prospectively assigns human participants or groups of humans to one or more health‐related interventions to evaluate the effects on health outcomes.”2
    • Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses)
    • Case Reports: CARE (CAse REport guidelines)
  • Originality: Submitted manuscripts must be original and must not have been published previously (except as an abstract), nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere.
  • Authorship: All listed authors must meet the ICMJE criteria for authorship. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring all authors have approved the final manuscript and agree to its submission.
  • Conflict of Interest: Authors must disclose any potential competing interests (financial or personal relationships that could inappropriately influence their work). This should be stated in the manuscript and the cover letter.
  • Financial Support and Sponsorship: All sources of funding for the research and publication must be declared.
  • Patient Consent: For articles involving patients, authors must certify that they have obtained all appropriate patient consent forms for publication, including for any images or identifiable information. This should be declared in the manuscript.

 

Manuscript Preparation

  • Submission Format: Manuscripts must be submitted as Microsoft Word files (.doc or .docx) through the MED JOURNAL OJS online submission system.
  • Language: Manuscripts must be written in clear, concise English. The use of United States English is strongly recommended. The title and abstract must also be provided in one of the official languages of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosnian, Croatian, or Serbian).
  • Terminology:
    • Avoid Latin terms where possible; if necessary, include them in parentheses after the English term.
    • Use generic names for drugs.
    • Define all abbreviations and acronyms in full at their first mention, followed by the abbreviation in parentheses.
  • Units: Measurements should be expressed according to the International System of Units (SI).
  • Formatting:
    • Use double-spacing throughout the manuscript.
    • Maintain margins of 2.5 cm (1 inch) on all sides.
  • Word Limits (including References):
    • Original Articles: Max 3,500 words
    • Review Articles: Max 4,500 words
    • Case Reports/Series: Max 1,500 words
    • Letters to the Editor: Max 400 words (main text only), max 5 references, one small table or figure (optional). Should be an opinion on a previously published article.
    • Editorials: Max 1,500 words, up to 30 references. Opinion-based essays on current topics of interest, strictly by a single author (typically invited by the Editorial Board), no abstract.
  • Tables and Figures:
    • Tables should be incorporated within the text at the appropriate position and numbered consecutively. Table headings should be placed above the table.
    • Figures should be cited in the text and numbered consecutively. Figure legends should be placed below the figure.
    • Preferred format for graphs/charts: XLS or XLSX (can be embedded or uploaded separately as per OJS instructions).
    • Figure Files: Each figure must be submitted as a separate file in TIF, EPS, JPG, or PDF format.
    • Resolution: Minimum 300 DPI.
    • Width: Minimum image width of 6 cm.
    • Maximum Number: A maximum of 4 figures per article (excluding Letters to the Editor).

 

Manuscript Structure

4.1. First Page / Title Page Information (to be entered into OJS and included in the manuscript file):

  • Title: In English and in Bosnian, Croatian, or Serbian. Avoid abbreviations.
  • Author Information:
    • Full names of all authors: First name, Middle name (if applicable), Last name (surname).
    • Affiliations: Department, university, or organizational affiliation, city, and country for each author.
    • Corresponding Author: Clearly indicate the corresponding author with full contact information (institutional email address, telephone number) and their ORCID ID (e.g., orcid.org/xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx). The corresponding author is the primary contact for the Editorial Board and manages communication throughout the submission, review, and publication process.
  • Abstract:
    • Maximum 300 words.
    • Provide abstracts in both English and Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian.
    • Original Articles Structure: Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Conclusion.
    • Case Reports Structure: Introduction, Aim, Case Report, Conclusion.
    • Review articles, Letters to the Editor, and Editorials do not require a structured abstract (Editorials have no abstract).
    • The abstract must not contain any references or undefined abbreviations.
  • Keywords:
    • Provide 3 to 6 keywords under both the English and Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian abstracts.
    • Keywords should conform to Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) from the National Library of Medicine (NLM): http://www.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/meshhome.htm.

4.2. Article Body Structure:

  • Original Articles:
    1. Introduction
    2. Materials and Methods (describe sample, protocol, study type, ethical approvals, statistical methods)
    3. Results (present findings clearly, using tables/graphs where appropriate)
    4. Discussion (interpret findings, compare with existing literature, limitations)
    5. Conclusion (concise summary of key findings and implications)
    6. References
    7. Acknowledgment (optional)
    8. Declaration of Patient Consent
    9. Authors' Contributions
    10. Financial Support and Sponsorship
    11. Conflict of Interest
  • Case Reports:
    1. Introduction
    2. Case Report (detailed presentation of the case)
    3. Discussion (interpret the case in context of literature)
    4. Conclusion
    5. References
    6. Acknowledgment (optional)
    7. Declaration of Patient Consent
    8. Authors' Contributions
    9. Financial Support and Sponsorship
    10. Conflict of Interest
  • Review Articles, Letters to the Editor, Editorials: Do not need to follow the strict structure above but should be logically organized.

4.3. Specific Sections Explained:

  • Introduction: Concisely state the background, the problem addressed, the aim of the research, and/or the main hypothesis.
  • Materials and Methods: Describe methods in sufficient detail for others to replicate. For established methods, cite appropriately. For clinical-epidemiological studies, describe the sample, protocol, study type, place/time of investigation, randomization, blinding, controls, selection criteria, etc. Clearly state that ethical approval was obtained.
  • Results: Present results logically and concisely. Use tables and figures to illustrate data, avoiding redundancy between text and visual elements. Report statistical significance.
  • Discussion: Interpret the results, highlighting new and important aspects. Relate findings to other relevant studies. Discuss limitations and implications. Conclude by confirming or refuting the initial hypothesis or aim.
  • Conclusion: Briefly summarize the main findings and their potential clinical or research application. Include both affirmative and negative conclusions where relevant.
  • References:
    • Authors are responsible for the accuracy of all references.
    • Use the Vancouver style, numbered consecutively in the order they appear in the text, according to ICMJE sample references.
    • In-text citations should be indicated by Arabic numerals in parentheses (e.g., (1), (2,3), (4-7)).
    • Formatting:
      • Author names: Surname followed by up to 2 initials (no periods after initials).
      • List all authors if 6 or fewer; for 7 or more, list the first 6 followed by "et al."
      • Article titles: Capitalize only the first word and proper nouns.
      • Journal titles: Abbreviate according to the PubMed Journals Database.
      • Format: Author(s). Title of article. Abbreviated Journal Title. Year;Volume(Issue):Pages.
      • Example (≤6 authors): Petitti DB, Crooks VC, Buckwalter JG, Chiu V. Blood pressure levels before dementia. Arch Neurol. 2005;62(1):112-6.
      • Example (>6 authors): Hallal AH, Amortegui JD, Jeroukhimov IM, Casillas J, Schulman CI, Manning RJ, et al. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography accurately detects common bile duct stones in resolving gallstone pancreatitis. J Am Coll Surg. 2005;200(6):869-75.
  • Acknowledgment: Acknowledge individuals who contributed to the work but do not meet authorship criteria. Describe their contribution.
  • Declaration of Patient Consent: A statement certifying that appropriate patient consent forms were obtained for the publication of case details and any accompanying images.
  • Authors' Contributions: Clearly state the contribution of each author using initials, following ICMJE criteria. Example: XX and YY designed the study. XX collected the data. YY analyzed the data. XX and YY drafted the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
  • Financial Support and Sponsorship: List all sources of funding.
  • Conflict of Interest: Declare any actual or potential conflicts of interest for all authors. If none, state "The authors declare no conflict of interest."

 

Submission Process

  • Online Submission: All manuscripts must be submitted exclusively through the MED JOURNAL online submission system (OJS) at https://mjournal.ba/index.php/home/about/submissions. New users will need to register an account.
  • Cover Letter: A cover letter must accompany the submission and be uploaded as a separate file. It must be signed by all authors (or the corresponding author on behalf of all authors, with their explicit agreement) and include:
    1. A statement that the manuscript has not been published previously and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere.
    2. A statement that the research was approved by the relevant Institutional Ethics Committee (if applicable).
    3. A brief explanation of the scientific contribution of the article.
    4. A statement of any potential competing interests for all authors.
    5. A list of 3-5 suggested peer reviewers (optional, include name, affiliation, email, and expertise) and any excluded reviewers (optional, with a brief reason).
    6. The date of submission and the title of the article.
    7. Information about any previous submission of this manuscript to another journal (if applicable, including reasons for rejection or withdrawal).
  • Manuscript Files: Follow the OJS instructions for uploading manuscript files (main document, figures, supplementary material, cover letter).

 

Peer Review Process

  • Initial Screening: Each submission is first reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief and/or an assigned Editorial Board member for suitability with the journal's scope, adherence to guidelines, and overall quality.
  • Double-Blind Peer Review: Manuscripts passing the initial screening are sent for double-blind peer review by at least two independent experts in the relevant field. The identities of authors and reviewers are concealed from each other.
  • Statistical Review: Statistical methods may be reviewed by a statistical editor.
  • Language Editing: Accepted manuscripts will undergo language editing to ensure clarity and adherence to high standards of English.
  • Decision: Based on reviewer reports and editorial assessment, possible decisions include:
    • Acceptance
    • Minor Revision
    • Major Revision
    • Rejection The decision will be communicated to the corresponding author.
  • Similarity Check: All submissions will be checked for plagiarism using similarity detection software (e.g., iThenticate/Turnitin) at submission and again before final acceptance.
  • Ethical Misconduct: In cases of suspected ethical misconduct, MED JOURNAL will follow the guidelines of The Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME).

 

Post-Acceptance

  • Copyright: Upon acceptance of an article, the corresponding author will be asked to complete and sign an "Author(s) Agreement and Copyright Transfer Form" on behalf of all authors. This form transfers copyright to MED JOURNAL, allowing the journal to publish and disseminate the work under its Diamond Open Access policy.
  • Proofs: Corresponding authors will receive proofs of their article for review before publication. Corrections should be limited to typographical errors.
  1. Contact

For any inquiries regarding the submission process or these guidelines, please contact the Editorial Office at adem.nuhovic@kcus.ba