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Author Guidelines

Contents

General Submission Requirements

All manuscripts submitted to the Iraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal (IPMJ) must meet the following criteria:

Originality:

  • The work must be original and not previously published
  • The manuscript must not be under consideration for publication elsewhere (in print or electronic form)
  • By submitting, authors confirm the work is not concurrently under review by another journal
  • Authors agree not to submit the manuscript elsewhere until the editorial decision at IPMJ is completed

Verification:

  • All manuscripts are screened using Crossref Similarity Check powered by iThenticate
  • Manuscripts exceeding the 20% similarity threshold may be rejected or returned for revision (See the Plagiarism Detection section in Policies and Ethics for more details.)

Submission Process

Manuscripts must be submitted through the Editorial Manager submission system.

Submission requirements:

  • Only one author (typically the corresponding author) should submit the manuscript
  • Submissions by non-authors will not be accepted
  • The submitting author takes responsibility for the manuscript during submission and peer review

Technical support:

If technical issues prevent online submission, contact yasirhamandi@iraqiboard.edu.iq for assistance.

Before Submission Checklist

  • Manuscript is original and not published or under review elsewhere
  • Work meets all editorial policies and research ethics requirements (see Policies and Ethics page)
  • English language is acceptable and free of grammatical and spelling errors
  • Manuscript follows IPMJ formatting guidelines
  • Figures are of acceptable quality and uploaded as separate files
  • References are formatted correctly and numbered as they appear in text
  • Manuscript includes all required statements (funding, ethics, consent, conflicts of interest)
  • Similarity check performed and manuscript is below 20% similarity threshold
  • All co-authors have approved the submission

Note: Submissions that do not adhere to these guidelines will be rejected or returned to authors prior to peer review.

File Formats

  • Manuscript: Submit as Word file (.doc, .docx, or .rtf)
  • Figures: Submit as separate high-quality files (see Figures section below)
  • Manuscripts with mathematical content: May be submitted in LaTeX

General Formatting Requirements

  • Font: Times New Roman, 12 pt
  • Line spacing: Double spacing throughout
  • Margins: Fully justified (right and left)
  • Format: Single-column
  • Page numbers: Number all pages

Important: Use spell-check and grammar-check functions before submission to avoid errors.

Manuscript Structure

The manuscript should be compiled in the following order:

  1. Title page
  2. Abstract and keywords
  3. Introduction
  4. Patients and Methods (or Experimental/Methodology/Materials and Methods)
  5. Results
  6. Discussion
  7. Conclusion
  8. Acknowledgments (if any)
  9. Conflicts of Interest statement
  10. Funding statement
  11. Data Availability statement
  12. Ethics Approval statement
  13. Consent statements (Consent to Participate, Consent to Publish)
  14. Author Contributions statement
  15. References
  16. Tables (with titles above)
  17. Figure legends

Title Page

The title page should include the following in English:

Title:

  • Brief, concise, and descriptive
  • No literature references, compound numbers, or non-standard abbreviations
  • Centered, Times New Roman 14 pt, boldface

Authors and Affiliations:

  • Provide: given names, middle initials, and family names
  • Centered beneath title, Times New Roman 11 pt, boldface
  • Use superscript lowercase letters for different affiliations
  • Affiliations should be detailed:
    • Department
    • Faculty/College
    • University
    • City with zip code or P.O. Box
    • Country
  • Primary affiliation should be where most work was done
  • Current address may be additionally stated if author has moved

Corresponding Author

  • Indicate with asterisk (*)
  • Provide in footnote:
    • Telephone
    • Fax
    • Email address
    • ORCID (if available)

Running Head

  • Short running title (maximum 80 characters)

Arabic Translation

  • Provide title, authors, and affiliations in Arabic on a separate page in the same file

Abstract

  • Length: Maximum 300 words
  • Structure: Should include:
    • Background/Objective
    • Patients and Methods (or Materials and Methods)
    • Results
    • Conclusion
  • Style: Self-contained, citation-free
  • Abbreviations: Define nonstandard or uncommon abbreviations at first mention
  • Formatting: Times New Roman, 12 pt, non-italic, non-boldface

Keywords

  • Number: 4 to 6 keywords
  • Separator: Semicolons
  • Formatting: Times New Roman, 12 pt, non-italic, non-boldface

Introduction

  • Succinct, with no subheadings
  • Define significance of the work
  • Provide justification for publication
  • Keep background discussion brief and pertinent

Patients and Methods (or Materials and Methods)

  • Contain sufficient detail to enable procedure replication
  • May be divided into subsections if several methods are described
  • Be as concise as possible
  • For previously published methods: provide reference and describe only relevant modifications
  • Provide vendor details (company, city, country) for chemicals, reagents, strains
  • For statistical analysis: state appropriate test(s) and hypothesized p-value or significance level (e.g., 0.05)

Results and Discussion

  • May be combined or separate
  • Present results clearly and concisely in logical sequence
  • Restrict tables and figures to essential data
  • Explore significance of results (do not simply repeat them)
  • Include:
    • Implications of findings
    • Limitations of the study
    • How findings fit into context of other work
    • Directions for future research

Conclusion

  • Present main conclusion(s) in short statement
  • Highlight study goals and importance
  • State new hypotheses when warranted
  • Include recommendations when appropriate

Acknowledgments

  • Include at end of manuscript before references
  • Acknowledge anyone who made contributions but is not a listed author (with their permission)
  • Acknowledge funding sources, technical assistance, or other support

Statements and Declarations

All manuscripts must include the following statements under a "Statements and Declarations" heading after References:

  • Funding Statement:

    "This work was supported by [Funding Agency] (Grant numbers XXX). Author A.B. has received research support from Company X."

    OR

    "The authors declare that no funds, grants, or other support were received during the preparation of this manuscript."

  • Competing Interests Statement:

    "Financial interests: Author A has received speaker honoraria from Company M. Non-financial interests: Author B has served on advisory boards for Company N."

    OR

    "The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose."

  • Author Contributions Statement:

    "All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by [full name], [full name] and [full name]. The first draft of the manuscript was written by [full name] and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript."

  • Data Availability Statement (Optional but encouraged):

    "The datasets generated and/or analysed during the current study are available in the [NAME] repository, [PERSISTENT LINK]."

    OR

    "The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request."

  • Ethics Approval Statement (for research involving humans or animals):

    "This study was performed in line with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Approval was granted by the Ethics Committee of [Institution Name] (Date/Reference Number)."

    OR

    "This is an observational study. The [Institution Name] Research Ethics Committee has confirmed that no ethical approval is required."

  • Consent to Participate Statement (for human research):

    "Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study."

    OR

    "Written informed consent was obtained from the parents/legal guardians."
  • Consent to Publish Statement (if identifiable patient data included):

    "The authors affirm that human research participants provided informed consent for publication of the images in Figure(s) [specify]."

    OR

    "Written informed consent for publication was obtained from the patient."

References

Style: Vancouver style (numeric, order of appearance)

In text: Indicate references by Arabic numerals in square brackets

  • Single reference: [4]
  • Multiple references: [7-10, 13, 15]

Format: See detailed reference formatting guide (to be provided separately or on journal website)

General requirements:

  • All references must be cited in the text in consecutive order
  • List authors up to six; if more than six, list first three followed by "et al."
  • Include DOI when available

Tables

  • Cite consecutively in text (Table 1, Table 2, etc.)
  • Every table must have a descriptive title
  • Include units in column headings for numerical measurements
  • Do not use vertical rules
  • Table titles:
    • Times New Roman, 10 pt, boldface
    • Capitalize only first word
    • Place above table, fully justified

Figures

Submission of Figures

  • Submit as separate electronic files (if accepted for publication, source files will be requested)
  • Cite consecutively in text (Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Figs. 3-5)
  • Use Arabic numerals
  • Denote figure parts by lowercase letters (a, b, c)

File Formats

  • Vector formats (preferred): Illustrator, EPS, WMF, FreeHand, CorelDraw, PowerPoint, Excel
  • Bitmap formats: Photoshop, TIFF, GIF, JPEG
    • Minimum resolution: 300 dpi
    • If bitmap has labels, embed image and labels in separate layers

Figure Legends

  • Times New Roman, 10 pt, boldface
  • Capitalize only first word
  • Place below figures

Nomenclature and Units

  • Give all measurements and data in SI units where possible
  • Alternative internationally accepted units may be given in parentheses
  • Provide conversion factors in legends or footnotes

Equations

  • Use equation editor or MathType for all equations
  • Number equations consecutively if referenced in text

Proofs

  • One set of page proofs (as PDF files) will be sent by email to the corresponding author
  • Use proofs only for checking:
    • Typesetting
    • Editing
    • Completeness
    • Correctness of text, tables, and figures
  • Response deadline: 48 hours
  • Send all corrections in one communication
  • Note: The publisher may proceed with publication if no response is received

Important: Proofreading is solely your responsibility. Ensure all corrections are thorough and complete.

Article Processing Charges (APC)

APC Policy

IPMJ is an open-access journal. To support editorial management, peer review, production, and online hosting, the journal applies an Article Processing Charge (APC).

APC Fee Structure

For Authors Based in Iraq

  • Total APC: 155,000 IQD
    • 105,000 IQD payable at manuscript submission
    • 50,000 IQD payable upon final acceptance

For Authors Based Outside Iraq

  • Total APC: USD 120
    • USD 60 payable at manuscript submission
    • USD 60 payable upon final acceptance

Payment Methods

For Iraqi Authors:

  • In-person payment at the Journal Accounts Office, Iraqi Board for Medical Specializations
  • Electronic transfer via ZainCash: 0790 396 0529

For International Authors:

Important APC Policy Notes

  • APCs are mandatory for all accepted articles
  • Submission fees are non-refundable, regardless of editorial decision
  • No additional charges are applied for peer review, online access, or article download
  • APCs do not influence editorial decisions—all manuscripts are evaluated solely on scientific merit through a double-blind peer-review process
  • Authors retain copyright under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license
  • Waiver requests may be considered on a case-by-case basis for authors from low-income countries—contact the editorial office before submission

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