Enter your email address
Submit
Write your message
International Journal of Medical Laboratory
Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences
Fri, Sep 19, 2025
[Archive]
Submission Instruction
1. Submission Form Agreement
All authors must complete the Submission Form before the manuscript can be processed.
2. Submission of Manuscript
All manuscripts must be submitted using word-processing software. The manuscript must be typed in double-line spacing and 12 pt Times New Roman with ample margins. The manuscript may be submitted via the International Journal of Medical Laboratory (IJML) online submission system (http://ijml.ssu.ac.ir) or emailed to hhadinssu.ac.ir, ijml.officegmail.com. A covering letter should be prepared by the corresponding author to introduce the manuscript briefly and to state that:
a. The manuscript is the original work of the author(s). All data used in the manuscript must be prepared by the author(s) originally.
b. The manuscript must be checked and approved by all the authors.
c. The manuscript should not have been published in full or in part, elsewhere, and will not be published or submitted for publication elsewhere.
3. Types of Publication
The following types of articles will be considered for publication.
3.1. Research Articles
Reports of original and basic studies relating to the medical laboratory. The reports should be well-documented, novel, and significant. Different parts of such articles should include Abstract, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, Conflict of Interest, Acknowledgements and References. Papers should be of a length appropriate for the amount of information they contain.
3.2. Review Articles
Articles that review a timely subject important to medical laboratory researchers. Reviews must be written as concisely as possible. Different parts of such articles should include Abstract, Introduction, Discussion, Conclusion, Conflict of Interest, Acknowledgements, and References. Text is limited to 4000 words.
3.3. Letter to the Editor and Opinion
The editors invite the submission of correspondence that presents considered opinions in response to articles published in the Journal. The Letter may be sent to the author(s) of the originally published article and possibly to other interested parties for a response to be published in the same issue of the Journal as the Letter. This should be prepared in 1000-1500 words.
3.4. Technical Reports
The objective of Technical Reports is to describe primary research data on a new technique that is likely to be influential in the field of laboratory medicine. Technical reports have a format similar to that of research articles, though many Technical Reports are shorter than a typical article. Technical Reports should include a brief abstract followed by separate sections for Introduction, Materials and Methods, and a combined Results and Discussion section. References are limited to 10.
3.5. Short Communications
Short Communications are concise manuscripts of two or fewer journal pages. Short Communications include a brief abstract (typically 150 words) followed by separate sections for Introduction, Materials, and Methods and a combined Results and Discussion section. This should not have more than one figure and/or table, and references are limited to 12.
3.6. Case Reports
Case reports should include a title, abstract with subheadings of Introduction, Case report, and Conclusion, 3-5 keywords indicated after the Abstract, Introduction detailing the importance and justification for the rareness of the case reported, Case report, Discussion, and References numbered consecutively in the order of citation in the text according to the style specified for the Journal.
4. Research articles should have the following format
4.1. Title Page
This must include the title of the article, correct authors’ names and highest degree of each author, affiliations, complete mailing addresses, fax and telephone numbers of one author who will review the proofs, and suggested running title. The running title should be less than 50 characters.
4.2. Abstract
All original articles must contain a structured abstract of no more than 250 words, organized into four paragraphs: Background and Aims, Materials and Methods, Results, and Conclusions. The Abstract should reflect the content of the article accurately.
4.3. Keywords
A list of 3-6 keywords, chosen from the MeSH list, is to be provided directly below the Abstract. Key words should be specific and relevant to the paper. They should each be arranged in alphabetical order and separated by a comma (,).
4.4. Introduction
State the objectives of the work and provide an adequate background, avoiding a detailed literature survey or a summary of the results.
4.5. Materials and Methods
This should include the study design and exact method or observation or experiment. Provide sufficient detail to enable the work to be reproduced accurately. A reference should indicate methods already published; only relevant modifications should be described. Statistical method must be mentioned and specify any computer program used.
4.6. Results
Results should be clear and concise and must be presented in the form of text, tables, and illustrations. This should include the pertinent findings in logical sequences with tables and figures as necessary. Unnecessary overlap between tables, figures, and text should be avoided.
4.7. Discussion
The discussion should set the results in context and set forth the major conclusions of the authors. Emphasize the new and important aspects of the study and the conclusions that follow from them. Information from the Introduction or Results section should not be repeated unless necessary for clarity. Avoid extensive citations and discussion of published literature.
4.8. Conclusions
The main conclusions of the study may be presented in a short conclusions section.
4.9. Conflicts of Interest
Authors must acknowledge and certify that they have no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest, such as educational grants, membership, employment, consultancies, or patent-licensing arrangements, or non-financial interest such as personal or professional relationships, affiliations, knowledge, or beliefs in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.
4.10. Acknowledgments
All contributors who do not meet the criteria for authorship should be covered in this section. Financial and materials support should also be acknowledged. Illustrations from other publications must be acknowledged.
4.11. References
All references must be cited in the text. All references cited in the text should be typed double-spaced in a separate section at the end of the paper and numbered consecutively in the order in which they are cited in the text. Abbreviations should conform to those in Index Medicus. We recommend the use of tools such as Reference Manager for reference management and formatting. Reference Manager reference styles can be searched for here: http://www.refman.com/support/rmstyles.asp
The Reference should provide the following information, as stated in the presented models:
4.11.1 Journal Article
Mosmann TR, Sad S. The expanding universe of T-cell subsets: Th1, Th2 and more. Immunol Today 1996;17(3):138-146.
4.11.2 Online document
Hadinedoushan H, Abbasirad N, Aflatoonian A, Eslami G. The serum level of transforming growth factor beta1 and its association with Foxp3 gene polymorphism in Iranian women with recurrent spontaneous abortion. Human Fertility 2014, in press.
4.11.3 Book
McPherson RA, Pincus MR. Henry’s Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods. 22nd ed. Elsevier; 2011.
4.11.4 Book chapter
Wyllie AH, Kerr JFR, Currie AR. Cell death: the significance of apoptosis. In: Bourne GH, Danielli JF, Jeon KW, editors. International review of cytology. London: Academic; 1980. pp. 251–306.
4.12. Tables
Each table should be numbered consecutively with Arabic numerals and typed double-spaced. They should be self-explanatory, clearly arranged, and supplemented to the text. Tables should not duplicate information already included in the text or figures.
4.13. Figures
Cite figures in the text in numerical order using Arabic numerals. Each figure must have a legend that should explain all symbols, values, etc, used in the figure. The same data should not be presented in the tables, figures, and text simultaneously. Figures should be submitted as separate files in TIFF or JEPG format and should have a resolution of at least 300 dpi.
5. Ethics of studies
The respected authors are needed to observe the following points sincerely:
No publication or submission of the manuscript, all or part(s) of it, in another journal, as the transgression will be liable to “duplicate submission sanctions”
Acknowledging the authorship criteria addressed by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), including the following elements:
Active contribution of all authors to the study regarding the design of the work, analysis of the data, as well as the interpretation of the results (authenticity of the data is of crucial importance and will be certified by the Editor-in-Chief);
Specifying any cooperation in writing or revising the work;
Approving the final version of the research.
Accountability in terms of accuracy or integrity.
Approval of the work by the relevant Ethics Committee of the institution/college/university and supplying the ethical code (following the ethical standards of the Helsinki Declaration, as revised in 2013 and available at: https://www.wma.net/policies-post/wma-declaration-of-helsinki-ethical-principles-for-medical-research-involving-human-subjects/
Quoting every source of the material used because plagiarism (copying from a previously published work of others or even your own) is a serious offense to the Journal and the journal editorship has every right to prosecute the fraudulent officially.
Obtaining the copyright holder’s permission if previously published tables, illustrations, figures, or photos are included.
Omission of details that possibly disclose the identity of the subjects under study (Photographs need to be adequately cropped to prevent human subjects from being identified).
Avoiding any fabrication or “intentional misrepresentation of the results” as the author(s) may be demanded to provide the raw data for further investigations.
Avoiding falsification or “manipulation of the research materials, equipment, or processes, or changing or omission of the data or results”. If the case is identified, the Journal will consider the issue and act accordingly.
All manuscripts submitted to IJML will be checked after submission and before publication in terms of plagiarism using specific software. Submission of a paper implies that it reports unpublished results that are not under consideration for publication elsewhere. If previously published tables, illustrations, or texts are included, this should be clearly indicated in the manuscript, and the copyright holder’s permission must be obtained. Previously published materials can be cited in a later review or commentary article, provided that the source is appropriately acknowledged and, if necessary, indicated using quotation marks.
It is crucial to ensure the privacy of research subjects and maintain the confidentiality of their personal information by implementing all necessary precautions.
Obtaining informed consent from all human participants in experimental investigations and supplying it on demand
Complying with the National Institute of Health guidelines in maintaining, caring, and using laboratory animals.
Informing us about any kinds of financial, personal, political, or academic conflict of interest that would potentially affect our judgment. Authors are preferably asked to fill out the uniform disclosure form available from (http://ijml.ssu.ac.ir/page/21/Submission-Instruction).
Agreement on the order, addition, or deletion of names in advance is required, as any change in authorship necessitates explanation by the corresponding author, signed by all contributors, and emailed to the Editor-in-Chief.
5.1. Committee on Publication Ethics
The Journal remains a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), but we are committed to implementing the principles of it in an attempt to be a member in the future.
5.2. Retraction Policy
The IJML uses the COPE flowchart for the retraction of a published article. http://publicationethics.org/resources/guidelines
5.3. Complaint Procedures
The complaint, if any, will be put on the agenda immediately. In any case, the complainant is required to be aware that the investigation of the subject will not be processed unless the corresponding author (s) and possibly the institution or university at which the research took place are informed about the complaint. The following procedures are followed:
5.4. How to Make a Complaint
· The best way to contact us is by email hhadinssu.ac.ir. Complaints should clearly contain the topic, person, or event related to the IJML.
· Whenever possible, complaints will be processed by the relevant member of the Editorial Board. If that person cannot deal with the complaint, it will be relegated to the Editorial Board of IJML.
· Complaints not under the control of the IJML Editorial Board will be sent to the Paramedical School Research Ethics Committee. Finally, if the School Committee does not appropriately address complaints, the Shahid Sadoughi University Research Ethics Committee will be responsible for resolving the issue.
· Within four weeks a full response will be made. If this is not possible, an interim response will initially be given in four weeks, and other interim responses will be provided until the complaint is resolved.
· In the case the complainant remains unhappy, complaints will be sent to the chancellor of Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, whose decision ends the procedure.
· If a complainant remains unhappy after the chancellor’s final decision, they may complain to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). The Committee on Publication Ethics publishes a code of practice for editors of scientific, technical, and medical journals http://www.publicationethics.org. It will consider complaints when a journal cannot reach an agreement through its own procedures.
6. Publication Charges
This is an open-access journal, and there are NO charges for publication in this Journal. All the journal charges are supported by the publisher, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences (www.en.ssu.ac.ir).
7. Copyright
All articles published in the International Journal of Medical Laboratory (IJML) are open access and freely available online. Authors retain full copyright of their work and sign a publishing agreement that allows IJML to publish and distribute the article. Authors grant IJML a non-exclusive license to publish the article on its website and to apply the selected Creative Commons license.
Authors retain full publishing rights without restrictions, including the right to:
• Reuse, distribute, and archive their work
• Share the article on personal or institutional repositories
• Include the article in future works such as books or compilations
Articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial 4.0 International License, which permits non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
8. Archive & Repository Policy
Articles published by IJML are digitally archived on our website with the support of Yektaweb Company, in the National Library and Archives of Iran, and in numerous international databases around the world, such as Google Scholar, Index Medicus for the Eastern Mediterranean Region (IMEMR), Islamic World Science Citation Center (ISC), and Open Academic Journals Index (OAJI), ensuring visibility and long-term preservation.
Articles published by IJML are also placed in the e‑prints repository by our publisher. The published version of record (final, definitive, and citable version with publication metadata and DOI) serves as the repository version. Authors may deposit this published version in any non‑commercial website or repository, provided they include the DOI link to the official version.
Article downloads, Altmetrics data, and citations can be tracked and categorized using the DOI link. The availability of these data helps authors evaluate the global reach and impact of their research.
9. Peer review process and policy
By submitting a manuscript to the International Journal of Medical Laboratory, the authors agree to subject it to a confidential peer-review process. Editors and reviewers are informed that the manuscript must be considered confidential. All received articles will undergo double-blind peer review by at least two experts in the relevant field. The corresponding author is notified of the editor’s decision to accept, require modification, or reject. If the manuscript is completely acceptable according to the criteria set forth in these instructions, it is scheduled for the next available issue.
10. Revision
Manuscripts may be returned to the corresponding author for modification of scientific content and/or for language corrections. Revised manuscripts and a letter listing a point-for-point response to the reviewers must be submitted to the editor. If the manuscript that is returned to the corresponding author for modification is not resubmitted within two months, it will be considered as having been withdrawn, and any revised version received subsequently will be treated as a new manuscript.
11. Proofs
A computer printout will be sent to the corresponding author to be checked for only typographical errors and other minor changes before publication to avoid any mistakes. Corrected proofs must be returned to the publisher within 2-3 days of receipt. The publisher will do everything possible to ensure prompt publication. It will therefore be appreciated if the manuscripts and figures conform from the outset to the style of the Journal.
12. Appeal Policy
Our Journal is committed to a fair and transparent publication process. If you believe that your manuscript was unjustly rejected, you may appeal the decision by submitting a formal request to the editor-in-chief. Please include a detailed explanation of your reasons for the appeal, along with any supporting evidence or documents. The appeal will be reviewed by an independent committee, which may include members of the Editorial Board not previously involved with the manuscript, and a final decision will be communicated to you. We aim to ensure that every appeal is evaluated rigorously and impartially, respecting the integrity of the peer-review process.
13. ORCID ID and Ethical Code
We require all contributors to abide by established ethical guidelines and ethical codes in their research and manuscript preparation. Furthermore, to enhance transparency and facilitate proper attribution of their work, all authors must provide their ORCID ID and ethical codes at the time of submission. This unique identifier ensures that authors’ contributions are accurately recognized and distinguishes their work from that of others with similar names. Adhering to these policies helps maintain the high standards of our Journal and supports the broader academic community’s commitment to ethical research practices.
14. Erratum and Corrigendum Policy
In accordance with COPE’s guidelines, our Journal is committed to maintaining the integrity and accuracy of the scientific record. As such, when an error originates from the authors, such as the incorrect explanation of an abbreviation in the published manuscript, it is appropriate to issue a corrigendum. A corrigendum serves to correct author errors and ensures that readers are provided with accurate information. We encourage authors to report such issues promptly to uphold the quality of our publications. For further details on our correction policies and to submit a corrigendum, please refer to COPE’s guidelines in this regard.
15. Conflicts of Interest
In the spirit of complete transparency and to uphold the integrity of the research and its presentation, it is essential for all authors to disclose any potential conflicts of interest. A conflict of interest may arise from any direct or indirect relationship that could influence, or be perceived to influence, the research or its interpretation. This includes, but is not limited to, financial interests such as grants, employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony, patent applications/registrations, and gifts.
16. Declaration of Conflicts
Authors are required to explicitly declare the presence or absence of conflicts of interest in their manuscript submission. This declaration should encompass any relevant financial, personal, political, intellectual, or religious interests. If the authors have no conflicts of interest to declare, this must also be explicitly stated. It is essential to consider that past interests within five years prior to the research being conducted are relevant and should be disclosed. However, if any interests outside this timeframe could potentially influence the research, they must also be declared.
16.1 Authors
Authors should disclose any funding received for the research or for the preparation of the manuscript. Any affiliations or relationships with organizations that may have a stake in the publication of the work should be disclosed. If the research is industry-funded or if the authors have any financial holdings that could be affected by the publication, these should be clearly stated. The aim is to provide a comprehensive declaration that allows editors, reviewers, and readers to assess any potential bias or influence on the research process and publication.
16.2 Editors
Editors hold the crucial task of overseeing the Journal’s content and ethical standards. As an editor, you must ensure that all manuscripts are evaluated fairly and without bias, regardless of the author’s race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy. The decision to accept or reject a paper for publication should be based solely on the paper’s importance, originality, clarity, and relevance to the Journal’s scope. Editors should also have a transparent process for handling submissions from the Journal’s editors or members of the editorial board to avoid any conflict of interest.
16.3 Reviewers
Reviewers play a pivotal role in maintaining the quality and integrity of the Journal. As a reviewer, you are responsible for critically evaluating the research’s validity, significance, and clarity, while maintaining confidentiality and objectivity. Reviewers should declare any potential conflicts of interest that could affect their judgment of the manuscript. It is important to be timely and constructive in your reviews, providing authors with clear feedback to improve their work. Reviewers are encouraged to familiarize themselves with COPE’s Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers to ensure adherence to best practices in scholarly review.
17. Generative AI and Authorship Policy
In alignment with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), our Journal acknowledges the expanding role of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in research and publication. However, consistent with COPE’s position, we maintain that AI tools cannot be credited as authors of any paper. AI-generated contributions lack the capacity to take responsibility for the content, assert conflicts of interest, or manage copyright and licensing agreements. Authors utilizing AI tools in manuscript preparation, data analysis, or image creation must disclose such usage transparently in the Materials and Methods section or its equivalent. The responsibility for the manuscript content, including parts generated by AI, rests entirely with the human authors, who must ensure adherence to all ethical publication practices.
18. Clinical Trial Registration
The International Journal of Medical Laboratory (IJML) requires that all clinical trials must be registered in a publicly accessible registry prior to the enrollment of the first patient, in accordance with the guidelines of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). Acceptable registries include those found in the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) or primary registers that participate in it, such as clinicaltrials.gov. The clinical trial registration number must be provided at the end of the Abstract for all manuscripts reporting results from a registered clinical trial. The date of patient enrollment and the registration date must also be available and will be verified during the manuscript processing stage.
Iranian researchers should register their clinical trials on the Ministry of Health and Medical Education’s website (https://irct.behdasht.gov.ir/).
19. Data Availability Statement
In a commitment to research transparency and reproducibility, IJML requires a Data Availability Statement for all submitted manuscripts reporting original research data. This statement must be included in the manuscript in a separate section titled “Data Availability,” placed after the Conclusion section and before the References. The statement must clearly indicate where the data supporting the findings of the study are available. Authors are strongly encouraged to deposit their data in public repositories (e.g., Figshare, Zenodo, Dryad, or discipline-specific repositories) and to provide the relevant accession numbers, DOIs, or hyperlinks within the Data Availability Statement. If the data are not publicly available due to ethical, legal, or privacy restrictions, the statement must specify the conditions under which the data are accessible (e.g., “available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request”) and any restrictions that apply. The journal editors may require authors to provide the data during the peer review process.
20. Explicit Statements on Ethical Approval and Informed Consent
For all studies involving human subjects, an explicit statement confirming that the study was approved by an appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB) or independent Ethics Committee must be included within the Materials and Methods section of the manuscript.
The name of the approving IRB/Ethics Committee and the reference approval number must be explicitly stated (e.g., “This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences [Approval Code: IR.SSU.MEDICINE.REC.1402.123]”).
An explicit statement confirming that informed consent was obtained from all participating human subjects (or their parents/guardians in the case of minors or incapacitated individuals) must be included in the Materials and Methods section.
For case reports and photographs that include potentially identifying information of patients, written informed consent for publication must be obtained from the patient(s) or their guardians. A statement confirming this must be included in the manuscript (e.g., “Written informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this case report and any accompanying images.”).
21. Authorship Contributions Using CRediT Taxonomy
To ensure full transparency, all authors must specify their individual contributions to the manuscript using the Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT). The corresponding author is responsible for providing the CRediT statement during submission, ensuring it accurately reflects the contributions of all co-authors. The contributions should be selected from the standard CRediT roles, which include, but are not limited to: Conceptualization, Data Curation, Formal Analysis, Funding Acquisition, Investigation, Methodology, Project Administration, Resources, Software, Supervision, Validation, Visualization, Writing Original Draft, and Writing Review & Editing. This statement will be published in the article.
22. Dedicated Funding Statement
All sources of financial support for the research work being reported must be declared in a dedicated section titled “Funding” or “Funding Statement.” This section must be placed after the Conclusions and before the Conflict of Interest statement. The full name of the funding agency must be provided, along with the grant number(s) assigned by the agency. Example: “This research was funded by the National Institute for Medical Research Development [Grant No. 12345].” If the study did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors, the following statement must be included: “This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.”
23. English Language Editing Certification
Manuscripts must be submitted in grammatically correct, standard, and clear English. This is a mandatory requirement for peer review. Authors whose first language is not English are strongly advised to seek professional English language editing services prior to submission. The editorial office may request a certificate or statement from a professional editing service during the review process. The Journal also reserves the right to perform language editing on accepted manuscripts, but the responsibility for the initial linguistic quality rests solely with the authors.
All authors must complete the Submission Form before the manuscript can be processed.
2. Submission of Manuscript
All manuscripts must be submitted using word-processing software. The manuscript must be typed in double-line spacing and 12 pt Times New Roman with ample margins. The manuscript may be submitted via the International Journal of Medical Laboratory (IJML) online submission system (http://ijml.ssu.ac.ir) or emailed to hhadinssu.ac.ir, ijml.officegmail.com. A covering letter should be prepared by the corresponding author to introduce the manuscript briefly and to state that:
a. The manuscript is the original work of the author(s). All data used in the manuscript must be prepared by the author(s) originally.
b. The manuscript must be checked and approved by all the authors.
c. The manuscript should not have been published in full or in part, elsewhere, and will not be published or submitted for publication elsewhere.
3. Types of Publication
The following types of articles will be considered for publication.
3.1. Research Articles
Reports of original and basic studies relating to the medical laboratory. The reports should be well-documented, novel, and significant. Different parts of such articles should include Abstract, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, Conflict of Interest, Acknowledgements and References. Papers should be of a length appropriate for the amount of information they contain.
3.2. Review Articles
Articles that review a timely subject important to medical laboratory researchers. Reviews must be written as concisely as possible. Different parts of such articles should include Abstract, Introduction, Discussion, Conclusion, Conflict of Interest, Acknowledgements, and References. Text is limited to 4000 words.
3.3. Letter to the Editor and Opinion
The editors invite the submission of correspondence that presents considered opinions in response to articles published in the Journal. The Letter may be sent to the author(s) of the originally published article and possibly to other interested parties for a response to be published in the same issue of the Journal as the Letter. This should be prepared in 1000-1500 words.
3.4. Technical Reports
The objective of Technical Reports is to describe primary research data on a new technique that is likely to be influential in the field of laboratory medicine. Technical reports have a format similar to that of research articles, though many Technical Reports are shorter than a typical article. Technical Reports should include a brief abstract followed by separate sections for Introduction, Materials and Methods, and a combined Results and Discussion section. References are limited to 10.
3.5. Short Communications
Short Communications are concise manuscripts of two or fewer journal pages. Short Communications include a brief abstract (typically 150 words) followed by separate sections for Introduction, Materials, and Methods and a combined Results and Discussion section. This should not have more than one figure and/or table, and references are limited to 12.
3.6. Case Reports
Case reports should include a title, abstract with subheadings of Introduction, Case report, and Conclusion, 3-5 keywords indicated after the Abstract, Introduction detailing the importance and justification for the rareness of the case reported, Case report, Discussion, and References numbered consecutively in the order of citation in the text according to the style specified for the Journal.
4. Research articles should have the following format
4.1. Title Page
This must include the title of the article, correct authors’ names and highest degree of each author, affiliations, complete mailing addresses, fax and telephone numbers of one author who will review the proofs, and suggested running title. The running title should be less than 50 characters.
4.2. Abstract
All original articles must contain a structured abstract of no more than 250 words, organized into four paragraphs: Background and Aims, Materials and Methods, Results, and Conclusions. The Abstract should reflect the content of the article accurately.
4.3. Keywords
A list of 3-6 keywords, chosen from the MeSH list, is to be provided directly below the Abstract. Key words should be specific and relevant to the paper. They should each be arranged in alphabetical order and separated by a comma (,).
4.4. Introduction
State the objectives of the work and provide an adequate background, avoiding a detailed literature survey or a summary of the results.
4.5. Materials and Methods
This should include the study design and exact method or observation or experiment. Provide sufficient detail to enable the work to be reproduced accurately. A reference should indicate methods already published; only relevant modifications should be described. Statistical method must be mentioned and specify any computer program used.
4.6. Results
Results should be clear and concise and must be presented in the form of text, tables, and illustrations. This should include the pertinent findings in logical sequences with tables and figures as necessary. Unnecessary overlap between tables, figures, and text should be avoided.
4.7. Discussion
The discussion should set the results in context and set forth the major conclusions of the authors. Emphasize the new and important aspects of the study and the conclusions that follow from them. Information from the Introduction or Results section should not be repeated unless necessary for clarity. Avoid extensive citations and discussion of published literature.
4.8. Conclusions
The main conclusions of the study may be presented in a short conclusions section.
4.9. Conflicts of Interest
Authors must acknowledge and certify that they have no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest, such as educational grants, membership, employment, consultancies, or patent-licensing arrangements, or non-financial interest such as personal or professional relationships, affiliations, knowledge, or beliefs in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.
4.10. Acknowledgments
All contributors who do not meet the criteria for authorship should be covered in this section. Financial and materials support should also be acknowledged. Illustrations from other publications must be acknowledged.
4.11. References
All references must be cited in the text. All references cited in the text should be typed double-spaced in a separate section at the end of the paper and numbered consecutively in the order in which they are cited in the text. Abbreviations should conform to those in Index Medicus. We recommend the use of tools such as Reference Manager for reference management and formatting. Reference Manager reference styles can be searched for here: http://www.refman.com/support/rmstyles.asp
The Reference should provide the following information, as stated in the presented models:
4.11.1 Journal Article
Mosmann TR, Sad S. The expanding universe of T-cell subsets: Th1, Th2 and more. Immunol Today 1996;17(3):138-146.
4.11.2 Online document
Hadinedoushan H, Abbasirad N, Aflatoonian A, Eslami G. The serum level of transforming growth factor beta1 and its association with Foxp3 gene polymorphism in Iranian women with recurrent spontaneous abortion. Human Fertility 2014, in press.
4.11.3 Book
McPherson RA, Pincus MR. Henry’s Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods. 22nd ed. Elsevier; 2011.
4.11.4 Book chapter
Wyllie AH, Kerr JFR, Currie AR. Cell death: the significance of apoptosis. In: Bourne GH, Danielli JF, Jeon KW, editors. International review of cytology. London: Academic; 1980. pp. 251–306.
4.12. Tables
Each table should be numbered consecutively with Arabic numerals and typed double-spaced. They should be self-explanatory, clearly arranged, and supplemented to the text. Tables should not duplicate information already included in the text or figures.
4.13. Figures
Cite figures in the text in numerical order using Arabic numerals. Each figure must have a legend that should explain all symbols, values, etc, used in the figure. The same data should not be presented in the tables, figures, and text simultaneously. Figures should be submitted as separate files in TIFF or JEPG format and should have a resolution of at least 300 dpi.
5. Ethics of studies
The respected authors are needed to observe the following points sincerely:
No publication or submission of the manuscript, all or part(s) of it, in another journal, as the transgression will be liable to “duplicate submission sanctions”
Acknowledging the authorship criteria addressed by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), including the following elements:
Active contribution of all authors to the study regarding the design of the work, analysis of the data, as well as the interpretation of the results (authenticity of the data is of crucial importance and will be certified by the Editor-in-Chief);
Specifying any cooperation in writing or revising the work;
Approving the final version of the research.
Accountability in terms of accuracy or integrity.
Approval of the work by the relevant Ethics Committee of the institution/college/university and supplying the ethical code (following the ethical standards of the Helsinki Declaration, as revised in 2013 and available at: https://www.wma.net/policies-post/wma-declaration-of-helsinki-ethical-principles-for-medical-research-involving-human-subjects/
Quoting every source of the material used because plagiarism (copying from a previously published work of others or even your own) is a serious offense to the Journal and the journal editorship has every right to prosecute the fraudulent officially.
Obtaining the copyright holder’s permission if previously published tables, illustrations, figures, or photos are included.
Omission of details that possibly disclose the identity of the subjects under study (Photographs need to be adequately cropped to prevent human subjects from being identified).
Avoiding any fabrication or “intentional misrepresentation of the results” as the author(s) may be demanded to provide the raw data for further investigations.
Avoiding falsification or “manipulation of the research materials, equipment, or processes, or changing or omission of the data or results”. If the case is identified, the Journal will consider the issue and act accordingly.
All manuscripts submitted to IJML will be checked after submission and before publication in terms of plagiarism using specific software. Submission of a paper implies that it reports unpublished results that are not under consideration for publication elsewhere. If previously published tables, illustrations, or texts are included, this should be clearly indicated in the manuscript, and the copyright holder’s permission must be obtained. Previously published materials can be cited in a later review or commentary article, provided that the source is appropriately acknowledged and, if necessary, indicated using quotation marks.
It is crucial to ensure the privacy of research subjects and maintain the confidentiality of their personal information by implementing all necessary precautions.
Obtaining informed consent from all human participants in experimental investigations and supplying it on demand
Complying with the National Institute of Health guidelines in maintaining, caring, and using laboratory animals.
Informing us about any kinds of financial, personal, political, or academic conflict of interest that would potentially affect our judgment. Authors are preferably asked to fill out the uniform disclosure form available from (http://ijml.ssu.ac.ir/page/21/Submission-Instruction).
Agreement on the order, addition, or deletion of names in advance is required, as any change in authorship necessitates explanation by the corresponding author, signed by all contributors, and emailed to the Editor-in-Chief.
5.1. Committee on Publication Ethics
The Journal remains a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), but we are committed to implementing the principles of it in an attempt to be a member in the future.
5.2. Retraction Policy
The IJML uses the COPE flowchart for the retraction of a published article. http://publicationethics.org/resources/guidelines
5.3. Complaint Procedures
The complaint, if any, will be put on the agenda immediately. In any case, the complainant is required to be aware that the investigation of the subject will not be processed unless the corresponding author (s) and possibly the institution or university at which the research took place are informed about the complaint. The following procedures are followed:
5.4. How to Make a Complaint
· The best way to contact us is by email hhadinssu.ac.ir. Complaints should clearly contain the topic, person, or event related to the IJML.
· Whenever possible, complaints will be processed by the relevant member of the Editorial Board. If that person cannot deal with the complaint, it will be relegated to the Editorial Board of IJML.
· Complaints not under the control of the IJML Editorial Board will be sent to the Paramedical School Research Ethics Committee. Finally, if the School Committee does not appropriately address complaints, the Shahid Sadoughi University Research Ethics Committee will be responsible for resolving the issue.
· Within four weeks a full response will be made. If this is not possible, an interim response will initially be given in four weeks, and other interim responses will be provided until the complaint is resolved.
· In the case the complainant remains unhappy, complaints will be sent to the chancellor of Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, whose decision ends the procedure.
· If a complainant remains unhappy after the chancellor’s final decision, they may complain to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). The Committee on Publication Ethics publishes a code of practice for editors of scientific, technical, and medical journals http://www.publicationethics.org. It will consider complaints when a journal cannot reach an agreement through its own procedures.
6. Publication Charges
This is an open-access journal, and there are NO charges for publication in this Journal. All the journal charges are supported by the publisher, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences (www.en.ssu.ac.ir).
7. Copyright
All articles published in the International Journal of Medical Laboratory (IJML) are open access and freely available online. Authors retain full copyright of their work and sign a publishing agreement that allows IJML to publish and distribute the article. Authors grant IJML a non-exclusive license to publish the article on its website and to apply the selected Creative Commons license.
Authors retain full publishing rights without restrictions, including the right to:
• Reuse, distribute, and archive their work
• Share the article on personal or institutional repositories
• Include the article in future works such as books or compilations
Articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial 4.0 International License, which permits non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
8. Archive & Repository Policy
Articles published by IJML are digitally archived on our website with the support of Yektaweb Company, in the National Library and Archives of Iran, and in numerous international databases around the world, such as Google Scholar, Index Medicus for the Eastern Mediterranean Region (IMEMR), Islamic World Science Citation Center (ISC), and Open Academic Journals Index (OAJI), ensuring visibility and long-term preservation.
Articles published by IJML are also placed in the e‑prints repository by our publisher. The published version of record (final, definitive, and citable version with publication metadata and DOI) serves as the repository version. Authors may deposit this published version in any non‑commercial website or repository, provided they include the DOI link to the official version.
Article downloads, Altmetrics data, and citations can be tracked and categorized using the DOI link. The availability of these data helps authors evaluate the global reach and impact of their research.
9. Peer review process and policy
By submitting a manuscript to the International Journal of Medical Laboratory, the authors agree to subject it to a confidential peer-review process. Editors and reviewers are informed that the manuscript must be considered confidential. All received articles will undergo double-blind peer review by at least two experts in the relevant field. The corresponding author is notified of the editor’s decision to accept, require modification, or reject. If the manuscript is completely acceptable according to the criteria set forth in these instructions, it is scheduled for the next available issue.
10. Revision
Manuscripts may be returned to the corresponding author for modification of scientific content and/or for language corrections. Revised manuscripts and a letter listing a point-for-point response to the reviewers must be submitted to the editor. If the manuscript that is returned to the corresponding author for modification is not resubmitted within two months, it will be considered as having been withdrawn, and any revised version received subsequently will be treated as a new manuscript.
11. Proofs
A computer printout will be sent to the corresponding author to be checked for only typographical errors and other minor changes before publication to avoid any mistakes. Corrected proofs must be returned to the publisher within 2-3 days of receipt. The publisher will do everything possible to ensure prompt publication. It will therefore be appreciated if the manuscripts and figures conform from the outset to the style of the Journal.
12. Appeal Policy
Our Journal is committed to a fair and transparent publication process. If you believe that your manuscript was unjustly rejected, you may appeal the decision by submitting a formal request to the editor-in-chief. Please include a detailed explanation of your reasons for the appeal, along with any supporting evidence or documents. The appeal will be reviewed by an independent committee, which may include members of the Editorial Board not previously involved with the manuscript, and a final decision will be communicated to you. We aim to ensure that every appeal is evaluated rigorously and impartially, respecting the integrity of the peer-review process.
13. ORCID ID and Ethical Code
We require all contributors to abide by established ethical guidelines and ethical codes in their research and manuscript preparation. Furthermore, to enhance transparency and facilitate proper attribution of their work, all authors must provide their ORCID ID and ethical codes at the time of submission. This unique identifier ensures that authors’ contributions are accurately recognized and distinguishes their work from that of others with similar names. Adhering to these policies helps maintain the high standards of our Journal and supports the broader academic community’s commitment to ethical research practices.
14. Erratum and Corrigendum Policy
In accordance with COPE’s guidelines, our Journal is committed to maintaining the integrity and accuracy of the scientific record. As such, when an error originates from the authors, such as the incorrect explanation of an abbreviation in the published manuscript, it is appropriate to issue a corrigendum. A corrigendum serves to correct author errors and ensures that readers are provided with accurate information. We encourage authors to report such issues promptly to uphold the quality of our publications. For further details on our correction policies and to submit a corrigendum, please refer to COPE’s guidelines in this regard.
15. Conflicts of Interest
In the spirit of complete transparency and to uphold the integrity of the research and its presentation, it is essential for all authors to disclose any potential conflicts of interest. A conflict of interest may arise from any direct or indirect relationship that could influence, or be perceived to influence, the research or its interpretation. This includes, but is not limited to, financial interests such as grants, employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony, patent applications/registrations, and gifts.
16. Declaration of Conflicts
Authors are required to explicitly declare the presence or absence of conflicts of interest in their manuscript submission. This declaration should encompass any relevant financial, personal, political, intellectual, or religious interests. If the authors have no conflicts of interest to declare, this must also be explicitly stated. It is essential to consider that past interests within five years prior to the research being conducted are relevant and should be disclosed. However, if any interests outside this timeframe could potentially influence the research, they must also be declared.
16.1 Authors
Authors should disclose any funding received for the research or for the preparation of the manuscript. Any affiliations or relationships with organizations that may have a stake in the publication of the work should be disclosed. If the research is industry-funded or if the authors have any financial holdings that could be affected by the publication, these should be clearly stated. The aim is to provide a comprehensive declaration that allows editors, reviewers, and readers to assess any potential bias or influence on the research process and publication.
16.2 Editors
Editors hold the crucial task of overseeing the Journal’s content and ethical standards. As an editor, you must ensure that all manuscripts are evaluated fairly and without bias, regardless of the author’s race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy. The decision to accept or reject a paper for publication should be based solely on the paper’s importance, originality, clarity, and relevance to the Journal’s scope. Editors should also have a transparent process for handling submissions from the Journal’s editors or members of the editorial board to avoid any conflict of interest.
16.3 Reviewers
Reviewers play a pivotal role in maintaining the quality and integrity of the Journal. As a reviewer, you are responsible for critically evaluating the research’s validity, significance, and clarity, while maintaining confidentiality and objectivity. Reviewers should declare any potential conflicts of interest that could affect their judgment of the manuscript. It is important to be timely and constructive in your reviews, providing authors with clear feedback to improve their work. Reviewers are encouraged to familiarize themselves with COPE’s Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers to ensure adherence to best practices in scholarly review.
17. Generative AI and Authorship Policy
In alignment with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), our Journal acknowledges the expanding role of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in research and publication. However, consistent with COPE’s position, we maintain that AI tools cannot be credited as authors of any paper. AI-generated contributions lack the capacity to take responsibility for the content, assert conflicts of interest, or manage copyright and licensing agreements. Authors utilizing AI tools in manuscript preparation, data analysis, or image creation must disclose such usage transparently in the Materials and Methods section or its equivalent. The responsibility for the manuscript content, including parts generated by AI, rests entirely with the human authors, who must ensure adherence to all ethical publication practices.
18. Clinical Trial Registration
The International Journal of Medical Laboratory (IJML) requires that all clinical trials must be registered in a publicly accessible registry prior to the enrollment of the first patient, in accordance with the guidelines of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). Acceptable registries include those found in the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) or primary registers that participate in it, such as clinicaltrials.gov. The clinical trial registration number must be provided at the end of the Abstract for all manuscripts reporting results from a registered clinical trial. The date of patient enrollment and the registration date must also be available and will be verified during the manuscript processing stage.
Iranian researchers should register their clinical trials on the Ministry of Health and Medical Education’s website (https://irct.behdasht.gov.ir/).
19. Data Availability Statement
In a commitment to research transparency and reproducibility, IJML requires a Data Availability Statement for all submitted manuscripts reporting original research data. This statement must be included in the manuscript in a separate section titled “Data Availability,” placed after the Conclusion section and before the References. The statement must clearly indicate where the data supporting the findings of the study are available. Authors are strongly encouraged to deposit their data in public repositories (e.g., Figshare, Zenodo, Dryad, or discipline-specific repositories) and to provide the relevant accession numbers, DOIs, or hyperlinks within the Data Availability Statement. If the data are not publicly available due to ethical, legal, or privacy restrictions, the statement must specify the conditions under which the data are accessible (e.g., “available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request”) and any restrictions that apply. The journal editors may require authors to provide the data during the peer review process.
20. Explicit Statements on Ethical Approval and Informed Consent
For all studies involving human subjects, an explicit statement confirming that the study was approved by an appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB) or independent Ethics Committee must be included within the Materials and Methods section of the manuscript.
The name of the approving IRB/Ethics Committee and the reference approval number must be explicitly stated (e.g., “This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences [Approval Code: IR.SSU.MEDICINE.REC.1402.123]”).
An explicit statement confirming that informed consent was obtained from all participating human subjects (or their parents/guardians in the case of minors or incapacitated individuals) must be included in the Materials and Methods section.
For case reports and photographs that include potentially identifying information of patients, written informed consent for publication must be obtained from the patient(s) or their guardians. A statement confirming this must be included in the manuscript (e.g., “Written informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this case report and any accompanying images.”).
21. Authorship Contributions Using CRediT Taxonomy
To ensure full transparency, all authors must specify their individual contributions to the manuscript using the Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT). The corresponding author is responsible for providing the CRediT statement during submission, ensuring it accurately reflects the contributions of all co-authors. The contributions should be selected from the standard CRediT roles, which include, but are not limited to: Conceptualization, Data Curation, Formal Analysis, Funding Acquisition, Investigation, Methodology, Project Administration, Resources, Software, Supervision, Validation, Visualization, Writing Original Draft, and Writing Review & Editing. This statement will be published in the article.
22. Dedicated Funding Statement
All sources of financial support for the research work being reported must be declared in a dedicated section titled “Funding” or “Funding Statement.” This section must be placed after the Conclusions and before the Conflict of Interest statement. The full name of the funding agency must be provided, along with the grant number(s) assigned by the agency. Example: “This research was funded by the National Institute for Medical Research Development [Grant No. 12345].” If the study did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors, the following statement must be included: “This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.”
23. English Language Editing Certification
Manuscripts must be submitted in grammatically correct, standard, and clear English. This is a mandatory requirement for peer review. Authors whose first language is not English are strongly advised to seek professional English language editing services prior to submission. The editorial office may request a certificate or statement from a professional editing service during the review process. The Journal also reserves the right to perform language editing on accepted manuscripts, but the responsibility for the initial linguistic quality rests solely with the authors.
View: 11283 Time(s) | Print: 1469 Time(s) | Email: 4 Time(s) |
0 Comment(s)
Other articles
