Manuscript Submission and Preparation
JMedCBR Defense will only accept original manuscripts; manuscripts that are simultaneously submitted to another journal will not be considered for publication. The final copy should be free from spelling errors and should be proofread for consistent notation. Files should be checked for viruses and the final accepted version of the manuscript should be submitted in electronic form only. The electronic correspondence should include the manuscript number, author name, platform used, version of software used, and the file names. Documents submitted in .docx are not acceptable because of difficulties for peer review and translation into web files. Please use files in .doc and .txt. For best results, please submit two files for documents, one in .doc and one in .txt.
The details of the formatting rules follow
- The text should be 12 point Arial and should be single-spaced on an 8.5 x 11-inch (US letter) page setup.
- Hard returns should be used only to end headings and paragraphs.
- Please use Heading 1 for the title, which is in title caps.
- Major headings are in all caps and bold (e.g., INTRODUCTION, RESULTS, etc.). Please use Heading 2. Secondary headings are in title cap bold; please use Heading 3.
- All characters should be correctly represented (e.g., do not use the letter "l" instead of the number "1" and do not use the letter "o" instead of the number "0").
- Spaces should not be placed before punctuation; one space should appear after punctuation.
- The first letter of the following words should not be capitalized in the text when used within parentheses: figure, table, section.
* Periods should not be used at the end of table or figure captions. Captions should be bold and only the first letter should be capitalized (other than proper nouns or required capitalization).
- Do NOT use automatic bulleting, numbering, or footnote features. Footnotes should be numbered in the text but should also appear at the end of the document.
- Do NOT use any special styles or fonts; please remove all style commands or send the manuscript in "text only" format. JMedCBR will remove styles if they are present and will not search for information lost in the translation. (Note: If files are sent as "text only" the bold headings will be removed; however, the journal WILL correct the style for headings only.)
- Spell out symbols, such as microliters (µL), rather than use “u” as in “ug”. Liter is abbreviated as “L” not “l”.
- All files should contain the last name of the primary author in addition to the corresponding file label.
How to Submit Manuscripts
Manuscript files may be submitted electronically as email file attachments to JMedCBR.
All manuscript submissions must be accompanied by (1) a cover letter describing why the article is appropriate for JMedCBR and how the content is significant to the field and (2) a completed copy of a copyright release form.
Elements of a Manuscript
Text
The manuscript should be prepared for a broad audience and should not exceed 6600 words in length (approximately 20 pages, including text, figures, tables, and references). Illustrative data should be used in place of text when appropriate. Articles should be divided into four sections: introduction, materials and methods, results, and discussion/conclusion. All acronyms and abbreviations must be defined at first use.
Title
Titles should be informative and specific and should be under 20 words. Generic names should be provided in parentheses after trade names, if used.
Authorship
The first name, middle initial and last name of each author should be listed. Professional and official titles should be omitted. The complete mailing address where work was performed (and the present address of the authors if different) should also be provided. Telephone and fax numbers and an email address should be included for the author to whom inquiries should be addressed; an asterisk should also be placed next to the designated author's name.
Abstract
An abstract must be included with each manuscript submission. The abstract should state the background, purpose, methods/procedures, significant results, and conclusions of the research. Abstracts should be less than 200 words, and all acronyms and abbreviations must be defined at first use.
Introduction
This section should state the purpose and significance of the research. Background information may be given to support the topic of the research and all statements should be supported with a reference.
Materials and Methods
This section should describe the design of the research and the procedures that were followed during the course of the research. The procedures should be detailed enough so that the research can be reproduced. Specialized devices, reagents, and/or laboratory procedures should be noted.
Standard procedures that are routinely followed in the field may be omitted. A brief description of how the data were analyzed should also be included.
Specific safety considerations should be noted.
Results
This section should present the results of the research but should not present a discussion on implications or conclusions. General statements should be supported by data. Tables and/or figures should be used to present data when possible. Information that is presented in tables/figures should not be duplicated in the written text, other than in general references.
Discussion/Conclusion
In this section, authors may interpret, analyze, and discuss results as they relate to the issues raised in the abstract and/or introduction. All speculations should be supported by information in the paper or other references. Additional information may include suggestions for further studies, modifications, or comparisons to other works.
Tables
Tables should be sent as separate files and should be in Excel. Tables in Word are not acceptable because of the highly variable formatting required. Tables should be self-sufficient, meaning the reader should understand the issue raised, how the issue was addressed, and what the results were without referring to the rest of the manuscript. Tables should be labeled with an appropriate title at the top of the graphic. The title should be in 12-point Arial and should be boldface type with no punctuation at the end of the caption. Each table should be numbered consecutively with Arabic numerals in order of reference in the text. A brief explanation of what is in the table, including abbreviations used, should be placed below the table.
Figures
Figures should also appear at the end of the manuscript and should be self-sufficient, meaning the reader should understand the issue raised, how the issue was addressed, and what the results were without referring to the rest of the manuscript. Figures should be labeled with an appropriate title caption at the bottom of the graphic. The title caption should be in 12-point Arial and should be boldface type with no punctuation at the end of the caption. Further descriptions and explanations may be presented in regular text on the line after the title caption. If the figure is a graph, both axes should be labeled outside of the graph and legends should be provided. Each figure should be numbered consecutively with Arabic numerals in order of reference in the text.
Figures, tables, and schematics may be inserted into the original manuscript but must also be attached to the end of the manuscript on separate pages. Graphics should be submitted to the journal in a separate electronic file. The preferred formats for graphics are as jpg (pictures), gif (schematics and charts) or png (may be suitable for both types of figures). Graphics sent as powerpoint figures will not be used. Our preferred resolution for the graphics and images is 300 dpi; we do not consider lower resolutions suitable for our site. Color images should be in RGB color format.
References
References should be cited in the text and should contain the last name of the author and the date, in square parentheses [Smith, 2002]. If there are more than two authors, use "et al." after the first one [Smith et al., 2002]. If there is more than one paper by the same author in the same year, the letters a, b, c, etc. should be placed after the date (e.g., Smith, 2002a; Smith, 2002b; etc.). The references should be provided in full at the end of the manuscript and should appear in alphabetical order according to last name of the author. The references should contain the following information: authors' names (last name, first initials), date, title of the paper, title of journal/book/report, and initial and final page numbers. References to journals should show volume number. References to books should include year of publication, title of book, area of publication, and publisher. The accuracy of the references is the responsibility of the authors. See examples below:
Journal: Smith, A.B., Jones, B.C., and Brown, C.D. (2002) Research on Medical Chemical Defense. J Med Chem Def. 1, 22-48.
Embedded article: Smith, A.B. (2002) Research on Toxins. In J Med CBR Defense (Eds B.C. Jones and C.D Brown) pp. 2-4. Baltimore: Ravens Press.
Book: Smith, A.B. (2002) Research on Chemicals. Baltimore: Ravens Press, 118-124.
Website: Smith, A.B. (2002) "Current Medical Studies on Chemical Warfare Agents." Full URL address (date accessed).
Nomenclature
Authors should conform to current nomenclature used by the Chemical Abstracts Service or IUPAC.
Formulas and Equations
Equations and formulas should be balanced and should be numbered consecutively.
Abbreviations and Acronyms
Abbreviations and acronyms should be defined at first mention and the abbreviation used thereafter.
Sample First Page
The following is a sample first page of a manuscript. Please note the format and the spacing. You may also go to the recent archives (after 2006) on the website, www.JMedCBR.org
TITLE (centered)
First initial. Middle initial. Last name*, First initial. Middle initial. Last name.
* Corresponding Author’s
Address Line 1
Address Line 2
Telephone
Fax
Email address
ABSTRACT
Paragraph
INTRODUCTION
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 3, etc.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 3, etc.