Submissions

Author Guidelines

Author Guidelines

1. About the Journal

The Hyrcanian Journal of Clinical Medicine (HJCM) is an independent, peer-reviewed, open-access journal dedicated to the advancement of clinical medicine and health sciences.

The journal has a particular focus on clinical and healthcare issues relevant to Iran, with special emphasis on northern Iran and the Hyrcanian region of the southern Caspian Sea. At the same time, HJCM welcomes high-quality submissions from researchers across Iran, neighboring countries, and the international scientific community.

Research does not need to be specifically related to Iran or the Hyrcanian region, provided that it falls within the journal’s aims and scope and meets appropriate standards of scientific quality, methodological rigor, research ethics, and reporting.

HJCM publishes original research and other scholarly contributions across a broad range of clinical and medical disciplines.

2. General Principles

Manuscripts submitted to HJCM must:

• Be original and scientifically sound.
• Not have been published previously in whole or in substantial part, except where appropriately disclosed.
• Not be under consideration by another journal simultaneously.
• Meet accepted standards of research ethics and publication integrity.
• Provide sufficient methodological detail to allow appropriate evaluation and, where applicable, reproducibility.
• Follow relevant international reporting guidelines.
• Include appropriate statements regarding ethics, informed consent, funding, conflicts of interest, data availability, and artificial intelligence when applicable.

The journal follows internationally recognized principles of responsible scholarly publishing, including the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and relevant publication-ethics standards.

3. Article Types

HJCM considers the following manuscript types:

1. Original Research Articles
2. Review Articles
3. Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses
4. Brief Communications
5. Case Reports
6. Case Series
7. Letters to the Editor
8. Editorials

The editorial office may determine whether a submitted manuscript is appropriate for the selected article type.

4. Reporting Guidelines

Authors are strongly encouraged to use the appropriate reporting guideline for the design of their study. Relevant guidelines include:

• CONSORT – Randomized controlled trials
• STROBE – Observational studies
• PRISMA – Systematic reviews and meta-analyses
• STARD – Diagnostic accuracy studies
• TRIPOD – Prediction and prognostic models
• CARE – Case reports
• SRQR / COREQ – Qualitative research
• ARRIVE – Animal research
• SPIRIT / PRISMA-P – Study and review protocols
• SQUIRE – Quality improvement studies
• CHEERS – Health economic evaluations

Authors should consult the relevant reporting guideline and submit the applicable checklist when requested.

5. Submission Process

All manuscripts must be submitted electronically through the journal’s online submission system.

The corresponding author is responsible for:

• Ensuring that all authors have approved the submitted manuscript.
• Ensuring that the manuscript has not been submitted elsewhere.
• Providing accurate author information and affiliations.
• Providing all required declarations.
• Responding to editorial and peer-review communications.
• Coordinating communication with all co-authors throughout the review and publication process.

Submission of a manuscript constitutes confirmation that the authors have read and agreed to the journal’s editorial policies.

6. Required Submission Files

Depending on the article type, authors may be required to submit:

1. Main Manuscript
2. Title Page
3. Cover Letter
4. Tables
5. Figures and Illustrations
6. Supplementary Materials
7. Relevant Reporting Guideline Checklist
8. Ethics Approval Documentation, when applicable
9. Informed Consent Documentation, when applicable
10. Other supporting documents requested by the editorial office

The journal may request additional documentation during editorial assessment or peer review.

7. Manuscript Preparation

Manuscripts should be prepared in clear and concise English.

Unless otherwise specified for a particular article type:

• Use Microsoft Word format.
• Use a standard readable font such as Times New Roman.
• Use 12-point font size.
• Use double line spacing.
• Number all pages consecutively.
• Use standard international units (SI units) whenever applicable.
• Define abbreviations at first use and avoid unnecessary abbreviations.
• Use clear headings and subheadings.
• Ensure that all references cited in the text appear in the reference list and vice versa.

Authors should carefully check spelling, grammar, terminology, tables, figures, references, and statistical reporting before submission.

8. Title Page

The title page should contain:

• Article type
• Full manuscript title
• Full names of all authors
• Institutional affiliations
• Department, institution, city, and country
• ORCID iDs, where available
• Corresponding author’s full name
• Corresponding author’s institutional affiliation
• Postal address
• Email address
• Telephone number, where applicable
• Any relevant acknowledgments or declarations requested by the journal

For manuscripts undergoing blinded peer review, identifying information should be provided only in the title page and should not appear in the blinded manuscript.

9. Abstract

Original Research Articles should generally include a structured abstract with the following sections:

• Background
• Objectives
• Methods
• Results
• Conclusions

Other article types may use an appropriate unstructured or structured abstract according to their nature.

Abstracts should accurately reflect the content of the manuscript and should not contain information that is not supported by the main text.

References should generally not be cited in the abstract.

10. Keywords

Authors should provide 3–6 keywords.

Where possible, authors are encouraged to use terms from the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) vocabulary or other established controlled vocabularies relevant to their field.

11. Main Manuscript

For Original Research Articles, the main manuscript should generally include:

Introduction

Provide the scientific background, relevant literature, knowledge gap, rationale, and clearly stated study objective or hypothesis.

Methods

Describe the study design, setting, participants, eligibility criteria, interventions or exposures, outcomes, data collection procedures, statistical methods, ethical considerations, and other information necessary for evaluation or reproducibility.

Results

Present the findings clearly and logically. Avoid unnecessary repetition of information already presented in tables or figures.

Discussion

Interpret the findings in relation to previous research, explain their clinical or scientific significance, discuss strengths and limitations, and avoid conclusions that are not supported by the data.

Conclusion

Provide concise conclusions directly supported by the findings.

Other article types should follow an appropriate structure consistent with their design and purpose.

12. Statistical Analysis

Statistical methods should be described in sufficient detail to allow appropriate evaluation of the analysis.

Where applicable, authors should report:

• Statistical software and version
• Statistical tests used
• Measures of uncertainty
• Confidence intervals
• Effect estimates
• Exact P values when appropriate
• Handling of missing data
• Methods for controlling confounding
• Methods for multiple comparisons
• Prespecified and exploratory analyses

Authors should avoid interpreting statistical significance solely on the basis of P values. The magnitude and clinical relevance of observed effects should also be considered.

13. Tables

Tables should:

• Be numbered consecutively.
• Have a clear and informative title.
• Be cited in the text in numerical order.
• Be editable rather than inserted as images whenever possible.
• Define abbreviations and symbols in footnotes.
• Avoid unnecessary duplication of information presented in the main text.

14. Figures and Illustrations

Figures should be of sufficient quality for publication.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that:

• Figures are numbered consecutively.
• Each figure is cited in the text.
• Figure legends are clear and informative.
• Patient-identifying information is removed unless appropriate consent has been obtained.
• Images are not manipulated in a manner that could misrepresent the underlying data.

The editorial office may request higher-resolution or original figure files when necessary.

15. Supplementary Materials

Supplementary materials may include additional tables, figures, datasets, methodological information, questionnaires, protocols, or other materials that support the main manuscript.

Supplementary materials should be clearly labeled and referenced in the main text.

16. References

HJCM generally follows the Vancouver/NLM reference style.

References should:

• Be numbered consecutively according to their first appearance in the text.
• Be cited using Arabic numerals.
• Include complete bibliographic information.
• Include DOI information when available.
• Be checked carefully for accuracy.

Authors should avoid unnecessary citation of irrelevant or excessive references.

17. Authorship and Author Contributions

Authorship should be based on substantial contributions to the work and should comply with the current recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).

Each author should meet all applicable authorship criteria, including:

1. Substantial contribution to the conception or design of the work; or acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data.
2. Drafting the manuscript or critically revising it for important intellectual content.
3. Final approval of the version to be published.
4. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work and to ensure that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Individuals who do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged appropriately when applicable.

Authors are encouraged to provide a standardized contribution statement, such as the CRediT taxonomy, where appropriate.

18. Changes in Authorship

Any request to add, remove, or reorder authors after submission must include a clear written explanation and approval from all authors.

The journal may require written confirmation from all authors before approving an authorship change.

Authorship disputes may result in suspension of the editorial process until the matter is resolved.

19. Cover Letter

The cover letter should briefly include:

• Manuscript title
• Article type
• Scientific significance of the work
• Relevance to the scope of HJCM
• Statement confirming originality
• Confirmation that the manuscript is not under consideration elsewhere
• Confirmation that all authors have approved the submission
• Related manuscripts or previous publications, if applicable
• Funding information
• Conflict of interest information
• Artificial intelligence disclosure, if applicable
• Any additional information relevant to the editorial assessment

20. Research Ethics

Research involving human participants must comply with internationally recognized ethical principles, including the Declaration of Helsinki, as revised in 2024, and applicable national and institutional regulations.

Manuscripts involving human participants should clearly state:

• The name of the approving ethics committee or institutional review board.
• The ethics approval/reference number, where applicable.
• That the study was conducted in accordance with applicable ethical standards.

The journal may request documentation of ethical approval.

21. Informed Consent

Appropriate informed consent should be obtained when required by the study design and applicable ethical standards.

Written informed consent should generally be obtained for publication of identifiable patient information, clinical photographs, or other material that could allow identification of an individual.

Authors must ensure that consent requirements are satisfied before submission.

22. Animal Research

Research involving animals must comply with applicable institutional, national, and international standards for animal welfare.

Authors should provide information regarding ethical approval and animal welfare procedures.

Authors are encouraged to follow the ARRIVE reporting guidelines where applicable.

23. Clinical Trials

Clinical trials should be registered in a recognized public clinical trial registry before or according to applicable registration requirements for participant enrollment.

Authors should provide the trial registration name and registration number in the manuscript.

Clinical trials should follow appropriate reporting standards, including CONSORT where applicable.

24. Data Availability

Authors should provide a data availability statement where applicable.

Examples include:

Data available upon reasonable request:
“The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.”

Publicly available data:
“The datasets analyzed during the current study are available in [repository name] at [identifier].”

Data not publicly available:
“The data are not publicly available because of ethical, privacy, or institutional restrictions.”

The statement should accurately reflect the actual availability of the study data.

25. Funding

All sources of financial support should be disclosed.

Authors should identify the role of the funding organization, if any, in:

• Study design
• Data collection
• Data analysis
• Interpretation
• Manuscript preparation
• Decision to submit the manuscript for publication

If no specific funding was received, authors should state this explicitly.

26. Conflict of Interest

Authors must disclose any financial, professional, personal, or other relationships that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the research or its interpretation.

If no conflicts exist, authors should provide an appropriate statement, such as:

“The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.”

27. Artificial Intelligence and AI-Assisted Technologies

HJCM follows current international guidance regarding the use of artificial intelligence and AI-assisted technologies in scholarly publishing.

AI tools may be used to assist with activities such as language improvement, formatting, or other appropriate tasks, provided that their use does not compromise the integrity, originality, confidentiality, or accuracy of the work.

AI tools cannot be listed as authors.

Authors remain fully responsible for:

• The accuracy and integrity of the submitted manuscript.
• Verification of all information generated or modified using AI.
• Appropriate attribution and citation.
• Ensuring that no confidential or sensitive information has been improperly disclosed to an AI system.

Authors should disclose the use of AI-assisted technologies in manuscript preparation when required by the journal, including the name of the tool and the purpose and extent of its use.

AI-generated material should not be cited as a primary scientific source when the underlying original source can be identified and cited directly.

28. Plagiarism, Duplicate Publication, and Research Misconduct

HJCM does not accept plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, inappropriate image manipulation, duplicate publication, redundant publication, citation manipulation, authorship misconduct, peer-review manipulation, or other forms of research or publication misconduct.

The journal may use similarity-detection and research-integrity tools during editorial assessment.

When concerns regarding research or publication misconduct arise, the journal may investigate the matter and take appropriate action in accordance with recognized publication-ethics standards.

Possible actions may include requesting clarification, correction, rejection, publication of an expression of concern, or retraction.

29. Peer Review

All submitted manuscripts undergo an initial editorial assessment to determine their suitability for the journal in terms of scope, scientific quality, originality, ethical standards, and methodological rigor.

Manuscripts considered suitable may then be sent for external peer review.

Peer reviewers are expected to provide objective, constructive, confidential, and scientifically relevant assessments.

Reviewers should disclose potential conflicts of interest and should not use unpublished information obtained during peer review for personal or professional advantage.

The journal’s final peer-review model and reviewer-identification policy will be stated clearly on the journal website and applied consistently.

30. Editorial Independence

Editorial decisions are based on the scientific quality, originality, relevance, methodological rigor, ethical standards, and overall suitability of manuscripts.

Editorial decisions should not be influenced by commercial interests, advertising, personal relationships, institutional affiliations, or other non-scientific considerations.

The publisher and other stakeholders should respect the editorial independence of the journal.

31. Corrections, Retractions, and Post-Publication Issues

HJCM recognizes the importance of maintaining an accurate and reliable scholarly record.

When errors or concerns are identified after publication, the journal may publish:

• Corrections
• Retractions
• Expressions of Concern
• Other appropriate post-publication notices

The journal will assess such matters according to the nature and significance of the issue and recognized publication-ethics principles.

32. Copyright and License

Copyright and licensing terms will be clearly stated for each published article.

Unless otherwise specified, HJCM intends to publish articles under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0).

Authors retain appropriate rights in their work subject to the applicable publishing agreement and license.

33. Open Access

HJCM is an open-access journal.

Published articles are made freely available to readers online without subscription barriers, subject to the applicable copyright and licensing terms.

34. Article Processing Charges

Any article processing charges (APCs), submission fees, or other publication-related fees will be clearly stated on the journal website.

The journal will not introduce publication charges that are not transparently disclosed to authors before submission.

35. Publication Schedule

HJCM is intended to be published on a quarterly basis.

Accepted articles may be published online ahead of the scheduled issue when editorial and production processes have been completed.

36. Author Checklist

Before submitting a manuscript, authors should confirm that:

• The manuscript fits the aims and scope of HJCM.
• The manuscript is original and is not under consideration elsewhere.
• All authors have approved the final manuscript.
• Author names and affiliations are accurate.
• The corresponding author information is complete.
• The appropriate article type has been selected.
• The manuscript follows the journal’s formatting requirements.
• The appropriate reporting guideline has been followed.
• The relevant reporting checklist has been prepared, where applicable.
• Ethics approval information has been provided, where applicable.
• Informed consent requirements have been addressed, where applicable.
• Funding information has been disclosed.
• Conflicts of interest have been disclosed.
• Data availability information has been provided.
• AI-assisted technologies have been disclosed when applicable.
• Tables and figures are correctly numbered and cited.
• References are accurate and follow the required style.
• Patient-identifying information has been appropriately protected.
• All required submission files have been uploaded.
• The cover letter has been prepared.
• The final manuscript has been carefully checked for language, formatting, and scientific accuracy.