Author Guidelines 

AIMS AND SCOPE

The Borneo Journal of Medical Sciences (BJMS), an internationally-disseminated biomedical publication, provides scientific media for communication research throughout the world. The Journal welcomes manuscripts on basic and clinical research on medical and health-related issues, publishes original research articles, review articles, case reports, case studies, editorials, concept papers, short communications, clinical quizzes, and letters to the Editor. 

Schedule of Publication

Three issues per year (January, May, and September).

SUBMISSION

Contributions should be strictly in the UK English language. The text must be clear and concise, conforming to accepted standards of English style and usage. Non-native English speakers are advised to seek professional help with the language.

The manuscript should be submitted online, MS word format, Times New Roman, font 11, double spaced.

Manuscripts are considered for publication on the condition that they are solely contributed to BJMS and have not been published elsewhere, although they may be presented in scientific meetings. The manuscript must be accompanied by the BJMS assignment form signed by all authors.

Initially, the manuscript will be assessed from an editorial point of view. Should the Editorial Office find the manuscript appropriate, it will enter the peer-review process. The corresponding author will then be informed of the evaluation along with editorial remarks. The preferred word processing program is Microsoft Word. The corresponding author will then receive the galley proof. If the corresponding author is not available for the page proof, a co-author or colleague should be assigned for proofreading. Authors submitting a manuscript do so on the understanding that if it is accepted for publication, the copyright of the article, including the right to reproduce the article in all forms and media, shall be with Universiti Malaysia Sabah.

Submission Fee/Processing Fee

Presently, there is no submission fee/ processing fee for any of the manuscripts.

Review process

This Journal ensures double-blind peer-reviewing.

GUIDELINES FOR PREPARING THE MANUSCRIPT

The implemented guidelines are in accord with the Uniform Requirements for Manuscript Submitted to Biomedical Journals (http://www.icmje.org). The editorial office reserves the right to edit the submitted manuscripts in order to comply with the journal's style. In any case, the authors are responsible for the published material. The research that involves human beings must adhere to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki (http://www.wma.net/e/policy/b3. htm). For reports of randomized controlled trials, authors should refer to the CONSORT statement shown (http://www.consort-statement.org/).

ORGANIZATION OF THE MANUSCRIPT

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:

The length of the original articles, excluding abstract, references, acknowledgments, figure legends, or table captions should not normally exceed 3000 words. The manuscript should contain the following sections in the order listed.

TITLE PAGE, carrying the following information:

The title of the article. Concise titles than long, convoluted ones. Titles that are too short may, however, lack important information, such as study design (which is particularly important in identifying randomized controlled trials). Authors should include all information in the title that will make electronic retrieval of the article both sensitive and specific.

Authors' names and institutional affiliations.

Name of the department(s) and institution(s) to which the work should be attributed.

Corresponding author. Name and e-mail address of the corresponding author.

ABSTRACT

The abstract should be one paragraph, without sections/subheadings, and provide information on Background/ objective of the study, Material, and Methods used (selection of study subjects or laboratory animals, observational and analytical methods, etc), Results (main findings giving specific effect sizes and their statistical significance, if possible), and Conclusion (It should emphasize new and important aspects of the study or observations). Altogether, the abstract should not exceed 250 words. Do not use reference citations in the abstract.

Keywords

The authors should provide 3 to 5 keywords for indexing purposes. These words have to be selected from the terms recommended in the last version of the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)

(http://www.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/meshhome.html).

INTRODUCTION

It should provide the background of the study (i.e., the nature of the problem and its significance). State the specific purpose or research objective, or hypothesis tested study or observation; the research objective is often more sharply focused when stated as a question. Both the main and secondary objectives should be made clear, and any pre-specified subgroup analyses should be described Only exact pertinent references should be provided and do not include data or conclusions from the work being reported. The reference number should be superscript.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This section should include only information that was available at the time the plan or protocol for the study was written; all information obtained during the conduct of the study belongs in the Results section. Ethical clearance certificate number and place should mention. It should include information on:

Selection and Description of Participants (patients or laboratory animals, including controls). Describe your selection of the observational or experimental participants (patients or laboratory animals, including controls) clearly, including eligibility and exclusion criteria and a description of variables such as age and sex. Identify the methods and procedures in sufficient detail to allow other workers to reproduce the results. Give references and brief descriptions for methods that have been published but are not well known; describe new or substantially modified methods, give reasons for using them, and evaluate their limitations. Identify precisely all drugs and chemicals used, including generic name(s), dose(s), and route(s) of administration. Describe statistical methods with enough detail to enable a knowledgeable reader with access to the original data to verify the reported results. When possible, quantify findings and present them with appropriate indicators of measurement error or uncertainty (such as confidence intervals). Avoid relying solely on statistical hypothesis testing, such as the use of p values, which fails to convey important information about effect size. Define statistical terms, abbreviations, and most symbols. Specify the computer software used.

RESULTS

Describe your results in words, with reference to tables or graphs or figures when necessary. Present your results in a logical sequence, giving the main or most important findings first. Do not repeat in the text all the data in the tables or illustrations; emphasize or summarize only important observations. When data are summarized in the Result section, give numeric results not only as derivatives (e.g. percentages) but also as the absolute numbers from which the derivatives were calculated, and specify the statistical methods used to analyze them. Restrict tables and figures to those needed to explain the argument of the paper and to assess its support. Use graphs as an alternative to tables with many entries; do not duplicate data in graphs and tables.

DISCUSSION

Emphasize the new and important aspects of the study and the conclusions that follow from them. Do not repeat in detail data or any material given in the Introduction or the Results section. For experimental studies it is useful to begin the discussion by summarizing briefly the main findings, then explore possible mechanisms or explanations for these findings, compare and contrast the results with other relevant studies, state the limitations of the study, and explore the implications of the findings for future research and for clinical practice. The reference number should be superscript.

CONCLUSION

This should clearly explain the main conclusions of the article, highlighting its importance and relevance.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Should mention that authors' don't have any conflict of interest.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Acknowledgments, if any, should appear before References.

REFERENCES

APA style: In-text citation & references

(https://www.mendeley.com/guides/apa-citation-guide)

(https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/references/examples/)

A list of citations should be stated in the references alphabetically.

Examples of citation

(https://apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/reference-guide.pdf)

(https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/references/examples/)

Grady, J. S., Her, M., Moreno, G., Perez, C., & Yelinek, J. (2019). Emotions in storybooks: A comparison of storybooks that represent ethnic and racial groups in the United States. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 8(3), 207–217. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000185

Jerrentrup, A., Mueller, T., Glowalla, U., Herder, M., Henrichs, N., Neubauer, A., & Schaefer, J. R. (2018). Teaching medicine with the help of “Dr. House.” PLoS ONE, 13(3), Article e0193972. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0193972

Freeberg, T. M. (2019). From simple rules of individual proximity, complex and coordinated collective movement [Supplemental material]. Journal of Comparative Psychology, 133(2), 141–142. https://doi.org/10.1037/com0000181

Jackson, L. M. (2019). The psychology of prejudice: From attitudes to social action (2nd ed.). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000168-000

Torino, G. C., Rivera, D. P., Capodilupo, C. M., Nadal, K. L., & Sue, D. W. (Eds.). (2019). Microaggression theory: Influence and implications. John Wiley & Sons. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119466642

NB: Referencing software i.e. Mendeley, Endnote, etc can be used for preparing manuscripts but uploaded manuscripts must not contain hyperlinks to this software.

Tables

Should be printed on separate sheets, and appear after References. They should be self-explanatory, clearly designed, and do not duplicate the text. Identify statistical measures of variations, such as standard deviation or standard error of the mean. Be sure that each table is cited in the text.

Figures

Should be provided only if they improve the article. For X-ray films, scans, and other diagnostic images, as well as pictures of pathology specimens or photomicrographs, send sharp, glossy, black-and-white, or color photographic prints, usually 127 × 90 mm. On the back of each figure, list the figure number, name of the first author, the title of the article, and an arrow indicating the right orientation of the figure. Color photographs, if found to improve the article, would be published at no extra charge. Letters, numbers, and symbols on Figures should therefore be clear and even throughout, and of sufficient size that when reduced for publication each item will still be legible. Figures should be made as self-explanatory as possible. Type or print out legends for illustrations on a separate page, with Arabic numerals corresponding to the illustrations. When symbols, arrows, numbers, or letters are used to identify parts of the illustrations, identify and explain each one clearly in the legend. Explain the internal scale and identify the method of staining in photomicrographs. Markers should be clear with high-contrast with appropriate explanation in the corresponding legend. Be sure that each figure is cited in the text.

Abbreviations and Symbols

Use only standard abbreviations; the use of non-standard abbreviations can be extremely confusing to readers. Avoid abbreviations in the title. The full term for which an abbreviation stands should precede its first use in the text unless it is a standard unit of measurement.

REVIEW ARTICLE:

The length of the review articles excluding abstract, references, figure legends, or table captions should not normally exceed 4000 words. The manuscript should contain the following sections in the order listed.

TITLE PAGE

Same as the original article

ABSTRACT

The abstract should be one paragraph, without sections/subheadings, and provide a brief summary of the review question being addressed or rationale for the review, the major studies reviewed, and conclusions drawn. Altogether, the abstract should not exceed 250 words. Do not use reference citations in the abstract.

Keywords

The authors should provide 3 to 5 keywords for indexing purposes. These words have to be selected from the terms recommended in the last version of the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)

(http://www.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/meshhome.html).

INTRODUCTION

The introduction of the review article will have the identification sentence. It will also mention the central themes of the article. Introduce the topic and rationale for addressing this topic focusing on why this topic is important. Clearly define exactly what this article will discuss, outline the order in which you will discuss each subtopic to give the reader any background information needed to understand the coming sections.

Body (structured by headings and subheadings, subtopics being addressed): Although the structure may vary based on the sub-topics or review questions being addressed. Please don't make statements in the first person ("I"). Give an overall impression of the article using the third person and a formal, academic style.

CONCLUSION

This should clearly explain the main conclusions of the article, highlighting its importance and relevance. It is briefly restating the rationale of the review and the purpose of the article, then discussing the conclusions by the author. The author should also discuss the implications of the review findings.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Should mention that authors' do not have any conflict of interest.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Same as the original article.

REFERENCES

Same as the original article.

SHORT COMMUNICATION:

Short Communication may focus on a particular aspect of a problem or a new finding that is expected to have a significant impact. Short articles include, but are not limited to the discovery or development of new materials, cutting-edge experiments, and theory, the novelty in simulation and modeling, elucidation of mechanisms. Short Communications are limited to 1000 words excluding abstract, references, figure legends, or table captions. The paper should contain an abstract, main body (Introduction), conclusion, and references, and contain no more than 6 figures or tables, combined. The abstract is limited to 100 words.

CASE REPORT:

The length of the case report excluding abstract, references, figure legends, or table captions should not normally exceed 1500 words. The manuscript should contain the following sections in the order listed.

TITLE PAGE

Same as the original article

ABSTRACT

The abstract should be one paragraph, without sections, and provide a brief introduction followed by case presentation in short with treatment and follow up and lastly conclusions drawn. Altogether, the abstract should not exceed 250 words. Do not use reference citation in the Abstract.

Keywords: The authors should provide 3 to 5 keywords for indexing purposes.

INTRODUCTION

It should provide the background of the Case report (i.e., the nature of the problem and its significance). Brief description of the case and its usual treatment. Only exact pertinent references should be provided and do not include data or conclusions from the work being reported. The reference number should be superscript.

CASE PRESENTATION

Full case presentation including symptoms, signs (clinical features), duration of the symptoms, associated symptoms, and signs, negative findings, etc. Diagnostic investigations, treatment, and follow-up. Differential diagnosis with clarifications. Reference will not be here.

DISCUSSION

Compare and contrast the case report with other relevant studies. The reference number should be superscript.

CONCLUSION

This should clearly explain the main conclusions of the case, highlighting its importance and relevance.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Should mention that authors do not have any conflict of interest.

CONSENT

Written consent should be taken from the patient.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Same as the original article.

REFERENCES

Same as the original article.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR:

Word count up to 1000. Comment on an article published recently in the journal; a response to the comments would normally be sought from the authors of the original article and published in the same issue, where possible. Or the description of significant research findings but the data are small therefore not qualified for short or long papers.

EDITORIAL:

Word count up to 1500. A brief opinion piece on a current topic of high interest.

CONCEPT PAPER:

The Concept Paper provides an opportunity to disclose new ideas before full validation. Concept Papers should be brief and contain a maximum of 2500 words and 1-3 figures and/or tables. The format of Concept Papers should be similar to regular papers and must contain an abstract and keywords section, introduction, conclusion, references adapted to focus on the novelty of the contribution. This can best be achieved by writing in a direct style and only incorporating background and experimental details as seems sufficient to disclose the concept to readers familiar with the general subject matter.

CLINICAL QUIZ:

Any interesting /rare clinical case can be submitted as a clinical quiz. The case should be described within 750 words and have a maximum of 2 figures.