Guide for Authors


Article types: This Journal accepts Original Papers, Review Articles, Short Communications, Technical Notes and Letters to the Editor.

Original Papers

These are detailed studies reporting original research and present novel findings relevant to the Aims and Scope of the Journal. These manuscripts should present well-rounded studies reporting innovative advances that further knowledge about a topic of importance to the fields of Medical Physics. The conclusions of the Original Papers should clearly be supported by the results. These can be submitted as either a full-length article or a Short Communication. These are the most common type of the journal manuscripts.

Review Articles

They give an overview of existing literature in a field, often identifying specific problems or issues and analyzing information from available published work on the topic with a balanced perspective. They should include critical assessment of the works cited, explanations of conflicts in the literature, and analysis of the field. The conclusion must discuss in detail the limitations of current knowledge, future directions to be pursued in research, and the overall importance of the topic. Review articles can be of three types, broadly speaking: literature reviews, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses. Review articles are usually long. They are often written by leaders in a particular discipline after invitation from the editorial Board of the journal.  The Corresponding author should be a senior scientist well experienced in the field of the review. Please follow the PRISMA Guidelines for an appropriate review article.

Short Communications

Short communications are concise articles that are no longer than 1000 words. They aim to report new ideas and recent advances in that subject. Short communications do not cover in detail background information about the problems treated or the applications, rather they provide key pointers to the reader. The work reported needs to be technically sound, innovative and significantly unique, advancing the state of the art. A short report from a research work will be published as short communication. Some time there is important information that dilute the main information related to the research principal objectives. Therefore, we omit it from the published paper. If one thinks that the omitted information is important but cannot serve as the content of a full paper, then it is worth to include that information in a short communication note. Short communications will also send for peer review.

Technical Notes

A technical note is an article giving a brief description of a technique or procedure. It may also refer to the modification of a technique, procedure or equipment of interest to IJMP. Technical notes will also send for peer review.

Letters to the Editor

They are explanatory discussion of a previously published article in the IJMP (no later than 12 months). These types of publications support, discuss or dispute previously published articles. If such a letter criticizes an article already published in the Journal, then the authors of the original article will be given a chance to respond in the same or upcoming issue in which the letter is published.


Open Access: This is an open access journal which means that all content is freely available without charge to the user or his/her institution. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles in this journal without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author. This is in accordance with the BOAI definition of open access.
Submission: 

All manuscripts should be submitted online using online submission system at http://ijmp.mums.ac.ir  You need to sign up and log into the system for submission of your manuscript. Please follow the on screen instructions during submission.

All authors must have ORCID ID. Getting your own unique ORCID ID is very simple! Register at https://orcid.org/register, where you’ll be guided through the quick registration process.

During submission you will be asked to suggest the names and email addresses of potential reviewers. You may suggest you already know reviewers or select them from IJMP reviewers list which can be find in the “Reviewers” page of the journal’s website. Please note that the editor-in-chief retains the sole right to decide whether or not the suggested reviewers are invited.

 

Before submission of your manuscript to the online submission system, you are kindly requested to prepare the following files:

1- Cover Letter

2- The Licence to publish, Authorship Responsibility & Financial Disclosure form

3- Title page

4- Manuscript Main File (without authors name) including Tables, Figures, Images, Charts and ...

 

 1- Cover Letter

Manuscript must be accompanied by a cover letter to the Editor-in-Chief, including the title and author(s) name and undertaking that it has not been published or submitted elsewhere. In case the manuscript has earlier been submitted to and rejected by another journal, the authors must provide full information regarding that for proper analysis.

2- The Licence to publish, Authorship Responsibility & Financial Disclosure form

Immediately after submitting the manuscript, all authors must complete and sign The Licence to publish, Authorship Responsibility & Financial Disclosure form  and then the completed form should be faxed (both pages) to +98 (0)51- 38002320 or scanned and sent by Email to medical.physics.ir@mums.ac.ir.

 

3- Title page
 The complete title of the manuscript, name(s) of the author(s) with their highest qualifications, the institution to which they are affiliated, and address for correspondence with telephone and fax numbers and e-mail address.
 
4- Manuscript Main File (without authors name) (Max. 4500 words)
The manuscript text should be submitted in Microsoft Word format.
 The manuscript should include the following sections: Title; Running TitleAbstract; Introduction; Materials & Methods; Results; Discussion; Conclusion; Acknowledgements and References. At  the end of this file, Please add all tables, figures, charts and other supplements which present the data that you have produced or found.

4.1. Title: The complete title of the manuscript

4.2. Running Title: A running head is a short title (50 characters or fewer, including spaces) that appears at the top of every page of your paper.

4.3. Abstract: All original articles must accompany a structured abstract up to 250 words. It should be structured as Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results and Conclusion followed by 3 to 5 keywords. Keywords will assist indexers in cross indexing the article as they are published with the abstract. Use terms from the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) list of index medicus. Authors should be careful that the abstract reflects the content of the article accurately.

4.4. Introduction: This should summarize the purpose and rationale for the study. It should neither review the subject extensively nor should it have data or conclusions of the study.

4.5. Materials & Methods: This should include the exact method, observation or experiment. If an apparatus is used, its manufacturer’s name and address should be given in parentheses. If the method is established, give reference but if the method is new, give enough information so that another author is able to perform it. If a drug is used, its generic name, dose and route of administration must be given. For patients, age, sex with mean age ± standard deviation must be given. The statistical methods applied must be specified and any general computer programs and information systems used should be described.

4.6. Results: These must be presented in the form of text, tables, figures, diagrams or illustrations. The contents of the tables should not all be repeated in the text. Instead, a reference to the table number may be given. Long articles may need sub-headings within some sections (especially the Results and Discussion parts) to clarify their contents.

4.7. Discussion: This section should contain the present findings and emphasize any differences or similarities with other work done in the field by other workers. The detailed results should not be repeated in the discussion again. Emphasize the new and important aspects of the study.

4.8. Conclusion: A solid conclusion is an essential part of a strong research paper. A conclusion that summarizes the content of the essay is the most effective. Try re-wording your thesis statement in a way that complements your summary of the topic of your paper in your first sentence of your conclusion. Essentially, you need to remind your reader what you told them in the body of the paper. Under most circumstances, you should avoid writing new information in your conclusion. If and when needed, you can state to your readers that there is a need for further research on your paper's topic.

4.9. Acknowledgements: All contributors who do not meet the criteria for authorship should be covered in the acknowledgement section. This should include persons who provided technical help, writing assistance and departmental heads who only provided general support. Financial and material support should also be acknowledged.

4.10. References: The references should be numbered consecutively as they appear in the text. Please note that all authors should be listed when there are six or less; when seven or more, list only the first six and add ‘et al’. The authors should ensure reference to locally published studies by carrying out a comprehensive literature search. It may not be possible for the Editor and reviewers to check the accuracy of all reference citations. To minimize such errors, authors should verify references against the original documents. The Reference section should provide the following information as stated in the presented models as follows:

4.10.1. In-text Citing

A number is allocated to a source in the order in which it is cited in the text. If the source is referred to again, the same number is used. Please use Arabic numerals inside square brackets [ ]. Reference numbers should be inserted to the left of full stops, commas, colons and semi-colons.

Example:

...as one author has put it "the darkest days were still ahead" [1]: which is well documented in the literature [2-5]. This proves that "the darkest days were still ahead" [1].

The author's name can also be integrated into the text eg. Schultz [2] has argued that...

4.10.2. References

References are listed in numerical order in the Reference List at the end of the paper: eg.,

1- Smith SD, Jones AD. Organ donation. N Engl J Med. 2001; 657:230-5.

2- Brown JG. Asphyxiation. Med J Aust. 2003; 432:120-4.

Only examples for the most common publication types are listed below. For a complete list, consult the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals: Sample References.

    4.10.2.1. Journal Article:

    Elements of a Citation: Author's surname authors first name initials. Title of article. Title of Journal. [abbreviated] Year of publication Month date; Volume Number (Issue number): page numbers.

    Example:

    Smithline HA, Mader TJ, Ali FM, Cocchi MN. Determining pretest probability of DVT: clinical intuition vs. validated scoring systems. N Engl J Med. 2003 Apr 4;21(2):161-2.

    Abbreviate journal titles in the style used in the PubMed Journals Database.

    Only the first words of the article title and words that normally begin with a capital letter are capitalized. The first 6 authors are listed separated by comas; thereafter add et al. after the sixth author:

    Gao SR, McGarry M, Ferrier TL, Pallante B, Gasparrini B, Fletcher JR, et al.

    4.10.2.2. Books:

    Elements of a Citation: Author/Editor/Compiler's surname initials. Title of the book. # ed. [if not 1st] Place of publication: Publisher's name; Year of publication. Only the first words of the article title and words that    normally begin with a capital letter are capitalized.

    Personal author: Example:

    Carlson BM. Human embryology and developmental biology. 3rd ed. St. Louis: Mosby; 2004.

    Edited book: add editor or editors after the name(s).

    Example:

    Brown AM, Stubbs DW, editors. Medical physiology. New York: Wiley; 1983.

    Chapter in a book:

    Elements of a Citation: Author's surname initials. Title of chapter. In: Editor's surname initials, editor. Title of the book. # ed. [if not 1st] Place of publication: Publisher's name; Year of publication. p. #. [page numbers of chapter] Abbreviate page numbers to p. eg p. 12-25.

    Use abbreviated numbers where appropriate eg., p. 122-8.

    Example:
    Blaxter PS, Farnsworth TP. Social health and class inequalities. In: Carter C, Peel JR, editors. Equalities and inequalities in health. 2nd ed. London: Academic Press; 1976. p. 165-78.

    4.10.2.3. Conferences

    Conference paper:

    Elements of a citation:Author's surname initials. Title of paper. In: Editor's surname initials, editor. Title of the Conference; Date of conference; Place of publication: Publisher's name; Year of Publication. p. page numbers.

    Example:

    Anderson JC. Current status of chorion villus biopsy. In: Tudenhope D, Chenoweth J, editors. Proceedings of the 4th Congress of the Australian Perinatal Society; 1986: Brisbane, Queensland: Australian Perinatal Society; 1987. p. 190-6.

    Conference proceedings:

    Example:
    Harris AH, editor. Economics and health: 1997: Proceedings of the 19th Australian Conference of Health Economists; 1997 Sep 13-14; Sydney, Australia. Kensington, N.S.W.: School of Health Services Management, University of New South Wales; 1998.

    4.10.2.4. Electronic sources

    CD-Rom / DVD

    The format is added after the title eg. [DVD]

    Example:
    Collier L, Balows A, Sussman M, editors. Topley and Wilson's microbiology and microbial infections [CD-ROM]. 9th ed. London: Arnold; 1998.

    (i) Journal article on the internet

    Elements of a Citation: Author's surname authors first name initials. Title of article. Abbreviated Title of Journal [serial on the Internet]. Year of publication Month day [cited Year Month Day]; Volume Number(Issue number):[about number of pages or screens]. Available from: URL

    Only cite month/day if applicable. Can list either pages or screens.

    Example:
    Aylin P, Bottle A, Jarman B, Elliott, P. Paediatric cardiac surgical mortality in England after Bristol: descriptive analysis of hospital episode statistics 1991-2002. BMJ [serial on the Internet]. 2004 Oct 9;[cited 2004 October 15]; 329:[about 10 screens]. Available from: http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/329/7470/825

    (ii) Book/Monograph on the Internet

    Example:
    Donaldson MS, editor. Measuring the quality of health care [monograph on the internet]. Washington: National Academy Press; 1999 [cited 2004 Oct 8]. Available from: http://legacy.netlibrary.com/.

    (iii) Web site / homepage

    Elements of a citation: Author/Editor/Organisation's name. Title of the page [homepage on the Internet]. Place of publication: Publisher's name; [updated yr month day; cited yr month day]. Available from: (url)

    Example:

    HeartCentreOnline [homepage on the Internet]. Boca Raton, FL: HeartCentreOnline, Inc.; c2000-2004 [updated 2004 May 23; cited 2004 Oct 15]. Available from: http://www.heartcenteronline.com/

    (iv) Web Site / part of a Homepage:

    Add the number of screens and title of page

    Example:

    American Medical Association [homepage on the Internet]. Chicago: The Association; c1995-2002 [cited 2005 Apr 20]. Group and Faculty Practice Physicians; [about 2 screens]. Available from: http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/1736.html

    Further information and examples are available from National Library of Medicine, Recommended Formats for Bibliographic Citation SUPPLEMENT: Internet Formats (pdf 410 kB)

4.10.2.5.Other sources

For a list of other publication types consult Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals: Sample References

5- Figures

Figures should be embedded in the main manuscript file.

Figures should be sent in JPEG or GIF formats and full color which will produce high quality images in the online edition of the journal.

Figures should be numbered in the order they are first mentioned in the text. 

All figures must be referred to in the main body of the text

The captions should be placed below. The same data should not be presented in tables, figures and text simultaneously.

Authors are responsible for obtaining permission to publish any figures or illustrations that are protected by copyright, including figures published elsewhere and pictures taken by professional photographers. The journal cannot publish images downloaded from the internet without appropriate permission.

 6- Tables

 Tables must be embedded in the manuscript text.

 Tables should NOT be submitted as figures.

All Tables must be referred to in the main body of the text 

Each table should have a brief title above the table. Table footnotes should be below the table.

Tables should be numbered in the order they are first mentioned in the text.

7- Photographic and bitmapped images

All photographic and bitmapped images should be supplied in TIFF format at a minimum of 300 DPI and as close to the page size (210 x 297 mm) as possible. Please supply colour photographic images in RGB colour mode. Images that do not meet these standards will not reproduce well and may delay publication until we receive high-resolution images.

 After completion of manuscript submission, you can track the status of the manuscript by logging into the system. For any further enquiry you can send an email to medical.physics.ir@mums.ac.ir

 


Changes to Authorship: 

This policy concerns the addition, deletion, or rearrangement of author names in the authorship of accepted manuscripts. Any such request must be made before the accepted manuscript is published. Requests to add or remove an author, or to rearrange the author names, must be sent to IJMP by the corresponding author and must include:

  • the reason a name should be added or removed, or the author names rearranged; and
  • written confirmation from all authors that they agree with the addition, removal or rearrangement.

In the case of addition or removal of an author/authors, this includes confirmation from the author/authors being added or removed. Requests that are not sent by the corresponding author will not be accepted. Note that publication of the accepted manuscript is suspended until authorship has been agreed by all authors and finalized.


 Proof reading: A computer printout is sent to the corresponding author for proof reading before publication in order to avoid any mistakes. Corrections should be marked clearly and sent immediately to the Journal office.


Abbreviations and symbols: Use only standard abbreviations. Avoid using them in the title and abstract. The full term for which an abbreviation stands should precede its first use in the text unless it is a standard unit of measurement.


Ethical guidelines:

As a member, IJMP follows the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals. We are honor to invite all the authors to read carefully and follow-up the recommendations.

Ethical considerations must be addressed in the Materials and Methods section.

1) Please state that informed consent was obtained from all human adult participants and from the parents or legal guardians of minors. Include the name of the appropriate institutional review board that approved the project.

2) Indicate in the text that the maintenance and care of experimental animals complies with Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals for the humane use of laboratory animals, or those of your institute or agency.


Conflicts of interest: Authors must acknowledge and declare any sources of funding and potential conflicting interest, such as receiving funds or fees by, or holding stocks and shares in, an organization that may profit or lose through publication of your paper. Declaring a competing interest will not lead to automatic rejection of the paper, but we would like to be made aware of it.


Plagiarism Detection: Iranian Journal of Medical Physics (IJMP) is a member of CrossCheck by iThenticate. iThenticate is a plagiarism screening service that verifies the originality of content submitted before publication. The iThenticate software checks submissions against millions of published research papers, documents on the web, and other relevant sources. Authors can also use the iThenticate system to screen their work before submission by visiting  http://research.ithenticate.com.

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 All manuscript scientifically accepted to publish will be checked in IJMP editorial office. In this process, iThenticate provides us with a similarity report listing (a) the percentage of similarity resulting from counted words and (b) the markup of the various sections, expressions, or terms which were found in other documents.

 We check the similarity report and, if applicable, the report will be uploaded into the IJMP Office Editor to be shown to the editor of the respective manuscript. The decision of whether or not a manuscript should be rejected because of fraud or proceed to publish rests with the editor-in-chief.


Page charges: There are no charges for publication in this Journal.


Copyright: The entire contents of the Iranian Journal of Medical Physics (IJMP) are protected under international copyrights. This Journal is for your personal noncommercial use.


Permission Request Form: Material published by the Iranian Journal of Medical Physics (IJMP) is subject to all applicable copyright, database protection, and other rights. Therefore, for any publication, whether printed or electronic, permission must be obtained to use material for which the author(s) does not already own the copyright. Permission can be obtained for re-use of portions of material ranging from a single figure to a whole paper. All permission requests can be granted free of charge.

 For permission to reuse any content of IJMP, please download and fill this form.


 

 

Editor-in-Chief,

Iranian Journal of Medical Physics

P.O. Box: 9177948564, Mashhad

Iran

Tel: + 98 51 38828576

Fax: +98 51 38002320

Email: Bahreynimt@mums.ac.ir