The Editorial Process:

Embarking on the journey towards publication in the Journal of Medical and Dental Frontiers (JMDF) requires a careful understanding of the editorial process, ensuring that the manuscript aligns with the journal’s standards and exclusivity. Authors are urged to adhere to specific instructions to streamline the submission, review, and publication procedures.

The cornerstone of the submission process is the commitment that the manuscript is exclusively presented to the Journal of Medical and Dental Frontiers (JMDF) at the time of submission. Authors must confirm that their work has not been published elsewhere, is not concurrently under consideration by another journal, and has not been previously accepted for publication elsewhere. This foundational principle ensures the integrity and uniqueness of the content being considered.

Upon submission, all manuscripts receive prompt acknowledgment. The initial editorial screening focuses on the manuscript’s overall suitability, identifying factors such as originality, scientific rigor, and the presence of a substantial message. Manuscripts lacking in these aspects face rejection at this stage, as do those deemed unlikely to capture the interest of the journal’s readership.

For manuscripts passing the initial screening, a rigorous peer-review process ensues. Two or more expert reviewers, chosen at the editor’s discretion, evaluate the submission. Contributors are encouraged, though not obligated, to suggest qualified reviewers with relevant expertise. Importantly, these reviewers must not share affiliations with the contributors, ensuring an impartial assessment. The journal upholds a double-blind review system, shielding the identities of both authors and reviewers from each other.

Simultaneously, an editorial team member is assigned to oversee the process, synthesizing feedback from reviewers to make a final decision on the manuscript. This collaborative approach aims to ensure a thorough and unbiased evaluation. Authors are then apprised of the reviewers’ comments and suggestions, which may include recommendations for acceptance, rejection, or amendments.

In response to reviewer feedback, authors are invited to provide a comprehensive point-by-point response and submit a revised version of the manuscript if necessary. This iterative process continues until both reviewers and editors are satisfied with the manuscript’s quality and adherence to journal standards.

Manuscripts accepted for publication undergo a meticulous copy-editing phase, addressing issues related to grammar, punctuation, print style, and format. Page proofs are shared with the corresponding author, who is expected to review and return the corrected proofs within three days. Due to practical constraints, corrections received after this period may not be feasible to incorporate.

The entire trajectory, from initial submission to the final decision and proofing, is seamlessly conducted online, optimizing efficiency and ensuring a timely and transparent publication process. Authors are encouraged to engage actively with the review and revision stages, fostering a collaborative and rigorous environment that upholds the standards of the Journal of Medical and Dental Frontiers (JMDF)

Clinical Trials Registry:

The Journal of Medical and Dental Frontiers (JMDF) actively supports the registration of clinical trials and aligns itself with the principles outlined in the Statement on publishing clinical trials in Indian biomedical journals. In adherence to this commitment, the journal will consider for publication only those clinical trials that have been registered with recognized clinical trial registries, ensuring unrestricted online access to the public.

The acceptable trial registers for registration include:

Clinical Trials Registry of India (CTRI), ClinicalTrials.gov, International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN), University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN-CTR)

This registration requirement applies to clinical trials that commenced the enrollment of subjects on or after June 2008. For trials that initiated subject enrollment before this date, The Journal of Medical and Dental Frontiers (JMDF) may consider publication, but only if they have been retrospectively registered with a clinical trial registry that offers unhindered online access to the public and does not impose any fees.

This commitment underscores the journal’s dedication to transparency, ethical research practices, and the dissemination of valuable clinical trial data. Authors are encouraged to ensure timely registration in one of the specified trial registries to enhance the visibility and accessibility of their work in the broader scientific community.

Authorship Guidelines:

Attribution of authorship within The Journal of Medical and Dental Frontiers (JMDF) is contingent upon substantial contributions to the three essential components outlined below:

Conception and Design, Data Acquisition, or Data Analysis and Interpretation:

Authorship credit is warranted for individuals who significantly contribute to the conception and design of the study, the acquisition or analysis of data, and the interpretation of findings.

Article Drafting or Critical Revision:

Authors must play a substantial role in either drafting the manuscript or critically revising it for important intellectual content.

Final Approval:

Those claiming authorship should have given their final approval for the version intended for publication.

Accountability:

Authorship entails an agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work, ensuring a sense of shared responsibility among contributors. Engagement solely in securing funding or data collection does not meet the criteria for authorship. Mere oversight of the research group does not suffice; each contributor must actively participate to a degree that allows them to publicly assume responsibility for specific sections of the manuscript. The sequence of author names should reflect their relative contributions to the study and manuscript composition. Once submitted, alterations to the order require written consent from all contributors. It is important to note that The Journal of Medical and Dental Frontiers (JMDF)  imposes a maximum limit on the number of authors for manuscripts, determined by factors such as manuscript type, scope, and the number of institutions involved. Authors exceeding these limits should justify the deviation.

For comprehensive details regarding the roles and responsibilities of authors, the ICMJE guidelines offer valuable insights. Adhering to these authorship criteria ensures fairness, transparency, and ethical practices in research collaboration within the journal.

Contribution Details:

Authors are required to furnish a comprehensive account of their contributions to the manuscript, categorizing their involvement in specific areas, including but not limited to: conceptualization, design, development of intellectual content, literature review, execution of experimental studies, data acquisition, data analysis, statistical interpretation, manuscript drafting, editing, and review. One or more authors should assume the role of ‘guarantor/corresponding author,’ taking responsibility for the entire process from inception to the published article.

Conflicts of Interest/Competing Interests:

All manuscript authors must transparently disclose any conflicts of interest related to the publication, as well as any affiliations with institutions or products mentioned in the manuscript that may impact the study’s outcome. Authors are also expected to disclose any conflicts with products that may compete with those referenced in their manuscript.

Plagiarism:

The Journal of Medical and Dental Frontiers (JMDF) maintains a strict stance against plagiarism and copyright infringement. Authors are urged to submit articles devoid of substantial plagiarism. Before submission, authors are required to use online plagiarism detection software programs (available in both free and paid versions) to scrutinize their finalized manuscripts. Authors may be requested to provide evidence of this screening, such as scanned copies of reports or screenshots, appended after the initial page or cover page file. This measure reinforces the journal’s commitment to maintaining the integrity and originality of published content.

Manuscript Submission Guidelines:

Authors are required to submit their manuscripts exclusively through the email address: jmdfjournal@gmail.com. In case of any issues, authors are encouraged to contact the editorial office at jmdfjournal@gmail.com. Manuscripts that deviate from the provided “Instructions to Authors” will be returned to authors for technical corrections before undergoing editorial or peer review. Generally, manuscripts should be submitted in two separate files:

Title Page/First Page File/Covering Letter:

  1. Specifies the type of manuscript (e.g., clinical investigation, review article, brief communication, case report) and includes the title, running title (limited to 50 characters), names of authors with their academic degrees, designations, and affiliations.
  2. Indicates the total number of pages, photographs, and word counts for abstract and text separately.
  3. Discloses sources of support, acknowledgments, details of presentations, registration number for clinical trials, conflicts of interest, criteria for inclusion in the authors’ list, and contact information for the corresponding author.
  4. Requires permission for reproducing copyrighted material and the inclusion of patient-related images, with a statement of informed consent.
  5. Clarifies affiliations for authors with multiple institutional connections and, for postgraduate trainees, includes a declaration related to the use of dissertation/thesis material.

Blinded Article File/Main Article File:

The main text, from abstract to references (including tables), should be presented without any author names, initials, or institutional affiliations to comply with the journal’s blinding policy.

The document must be in doc format, Times New Roman with a font size of 12, left justification, and 1.5x spacing between lines.

Images should not be incorporated into this file, and the page numbers should be consecutive from the first page.

Contributors’ Digital Copyright Agreement:

During online submission, include all mandatory co-authors and their email addresses.

Do not upload a signed copyright form as a document.

Co-authors will receive an electronic copyright form via email and must agree digitally within one week.

Manuscript decisions will be communicated only after receiving digital copyright agreements from all co-authors.

These guidelines ensure a systematic and smooth submission process, enhancing the efficiency of manuscript handling and review.

Manuscript Preparation Guidelines:

Manuscripts must adhere to the “Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals” established by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (Updated 2014). The specific requirements for the Journal of Medical and Dental Frontiers are outlined below. Authors are encouraged to check for the latest instructions on the journal’s website (https://journalofmedicalanddentalfrontiers.com) and the manuscript submission email (jmdfjournal@gmail.com) before submitting.

General Guidelines:

Omit author/institution/clinical trials registry details or identifiers in the article file.

Trim/crop supporting material like figures or images to avoid identifiers.

Use UK English uniformly throughout the text.

Employ universally approved abbreviations.

Avoid starting a sentence with a numeral; write numerical values in words if single-digit.

Express single-digit numbers in words, except when accompanied by units.

Present all points as running statements; avoid bulleted/numbered formats (except in review articles).

Types of Manuscripts:

Original Articles:

Structured abstract (250 words) with MeSH-compatible 3-7 keywords.

Main article file with Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion headings.

Limit references in the introduction to 4-6 and include aims and objectives.

Methods Section:

Ethical considerations, study design, participant selection, technical details, and evidence for ethics committee approval.

Specify the use of drugs, apparatus, and procedures; adhere to ethical guidelines for experiments on humans and animals.

Include details on statistics, starting in a separate paragraph.

Results Section:

Present findings logically in text, tables, and illustrations.

Limit tables and figures to a total of 6; emphasize important observations.

Avoid repeating data in the text, focusing on key results.

Discussion Section:

Summarize key findings, confounding variables, strengths, limitations, interpretation, and implications.

Discuss controversies, and future research directions, and avoid claiming priority.

Conclusion:

A short conclusion should be included in the article which should highlight the outcome of the study.

Review Articles:

Unstructured abstract (250 words). Limited to 4-6 images/figures/tables/graphs. Include post-publication updates.

Case Reports:

Unique, interesting, and rare cases with clinical significance. Abstract, keywords, introduction, case report, discussion, conclusion, references, tables, and legends.

Brief Communications:

For clinical investigations, include Introduction, Methods and Results, Discussion, Conclusion, references, tables, and legends.

Letter to the Editor:

Short, decisive observations. Should not present preliminary observations needing later validation.

Comments on Published Articles:

Concise, critical comments, Limited to 250 words and 4 references.

Response to Comments: Concise response to reader observations.

Limited to 250 words and 4 references.

Other (Editorial, Guest Editorial, Commentary):

Solicited by the editorial board.

References:

Numbered consecutively in the order of mention. Use Arabic numerals in square brackets.

Follow NLM format. Include electronic sources and URLs.

These guidelines ensure standardized and comprehensive preparation of manuscripts for the Journal of Medical and Dental Frontiers.

Tables:

  • Tables should be self-explanatory and should not duplicate textual material.
  • Tables with more than 10 columns and 25 rows should be avoided.
  • Number tables, in Arabic numerals, consecutively in the order of their first citation in the text and supply a brief title for each.
  • Place explanatory matter in the footnotes, not in the heading.
  • Explain in footnotes all non-standard abbreviations that are used in each table.
  • Obtain permission for all fully borrowed, adapted, and modified tables and provide a credit line in the footnote.
  • For footnotes use the following symbols, in this sequence: *, †, ‡, §, ||,¶ , **, ††, ‡‡
  • Tables with their legends should be provided at the end of the text after the references. The tables along with their number should be cited at the relevant place in the text

Illustrations (Figures):

  • Upload the images in JPEG format. The file size should be within 2 MB in size while uploading.
  • Figures should be numbered consecutively according to the order in which they have been first cited in the text.
  • Labels, numbers, and symbols should be clear and of uniform size. The lettering for figures should be large enough to be legible after reduction to fit the width of a printed column.
  • Symbols, arrows, or letters used in photomicrographs should contrast with the background and should be marked neatly with transfer type or by tissue overlay and not by pen.
  • Titles and detailed explanations belong in the legends for illustrations, not on the illustrations themselves.
  • When graphs, scatter-grams, or histograms are submitted the numerical data on which they are based should also be supplied.
  • The photographs and figures should be trimmed to remove all the unwanted areas.
  • If photographs of individuals are used, their pictures must be accompanied by written permission to use the photograph.
  • If a figure has been published elsewhere, acknowledge the source and submit written permission from the copyright holder to reproduce the material. A credit line should appear in the legend for such figures.
  • Legends for illustrations: Type or print out legends (maximum 40 words, excluding the credit line) for illustrations using double spacing, 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 in the legend. Explain the internal scale (magnification) and identify the method of staining in photomicrographs.
  • Final figures for print production: If the uploaded images are not printable quality, the publisher’s office may request higher resolution images which can be sent at the time of acceptance of the manuscript. Send sharp, glossy, un-mounted, color photographic prints, with the height of 4 inches and width of 6 inches at the time of submitting the revised manuscript. Printouts of digital photographs are not acceptable. If digital images are the only source of images, ensure that the image has a minimum resolution of 300 dpi or 1800 x 1600 pixels in TIFF format. Send the images on a CD. Each figure should have a label pasted (avoid the use of liquid gum for pasting) on its back indicating the number of the figure, the running title, the top of the figure, and the legends of the figure. Do not write the contributor/s’ name/s. Do not write on the back of the figures, scratch, or mark them by using paper clips.
  • The Journal reserves the right to crop, rotate, reduce, or enlarge the photographs to an acceptable size.

Protection of Patients’ Privacy Rights:

In the context of clinical studies involving patients, it is imperative to safeguard patients’ identifying information in various forms such as written descriptions, photographs, sonograms, CT scans, pedigrees, etc., unless such information is deemed essential for scientific purposes and explicit informed consent for publication is obtained from the patient (or their parent or guardian, where applicable). Authors are required to exclude patients’ names from figures unless explicit informed consent has been acquired. The journal strictly adheres to the guidelines set forth by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE):

Authors, not the journal or publisher, are responsible for obtaining patient consent forms before publication, and these forms should be appropriately archived. Consent forms should not be uploaded with the cover letter or sent via email to editorial or publisher offices.

If the manuscript features patient images that compromise anonymity or include descriptions revealing the patient’s identity, a statement about obtaining informed patient consent must be included in the manuscript.

Submission of Revised Manuscripts:

For submitting a revised manuscript, authors should follow an online submission process similar to the initial submission, excluding the “First Page” or “Covering Letter” file. Authors are requested to incorporate referees’ remarks with point-to-point clarifications at the beginning of the revised file. Additionally, changes in the manuscript should be marked as underlined or colored text.

Reprints and Proofs:

The journal does not provide free printed reprints. Authors have the option to purchase reprints, and payment should be completed during proof submission. Proofs will be sent to corresponding authors via email approximately two weeks before the publication date, with issues published in the last week of the preceding month.

Copyrights:

The Journal of Medical and Dental Frontiers’s entire content is safeguarded under Indian and international copyrights. While the journal retains copyright, it grants users a free, irrevocable, worldwide, perpetual right to access, copy, use, distribute, perform, and display the work publicly. This includes the creation and distribution of derivative works in any digital medium for reasonable non-commercial purposes, provided proper attribution of authorship and ownership of rights is maintained. The journal also permits the creation of small numbers of printed copies for personal non-commercial use under the Creative Commons license.

Checklist:

Covering letter:

  • Signed by all contributors or corresponding authors (on behalf of other authors)
  • Previous publication/presentations mentioned
  • The source of funding mentioned
  • Conflicts of interest disclosed
  • Declaration by authors that “Authors alone are responsible for the contents and writing of manuscript”

Authors:

  • Last name and given name provided along with Middle name initials (where applicable)
  • Author for correspondence, with e-mail address and mobile number provided
  • Number of contributors is restricted as per the instructions. If authors are more then a proper justification has been provided.
  • Identity not revealed in the paper except on title page (e.g. name of the institute in Methods, citing previous study as ‘our study’, names on figure labels, name of the institute in photographs, etc.)

Presentation and format:

  • Double spacing, No.12 Times New Roman
  • Margins 2.5 cm from all four sides
  • Page numbers included at the bottom
  • The title page contains all the desired information
  • Running title provided (not more than 50 characters)
  • The abstract page contains the full title of the manuscript
  • Abstract provided (structured/unstructured abstract of 250 words for original articles, unstructured abstracts of about 150 words for all other manuscripts excluding brief communications and letters to the Editor)
  • Keywords provided (three or more)
  • Introduction of 75-100 words
  • Headings in title case (Capitalize each word)
  • The references cited in the text should be after punctuation marks, in square brackets.
  • References according to the journal’s instructions, punctuation marks checked
  • Send the article file without ‘Track Changes’

Language and grammar:

  • Uniformly UK English 
  • Write the full term for each abbreviation at its first use in the title, abstract, keywords and text separately unless it is a standard unit of measure. Numerals from 1 to 10 spelt out
  • Numerals at the beginning of the sentence spelt out
  • Check the manuscript for spelling, grammar and punctuation errors: language and grammar check may be performed using option in MS word or with professional help
  • If a brand name is cited, supply the manufacturer’s name and address (city and state/country).
  • Species names should be in italics

Tables and figures:

  • No repetition of data in tables and graphs and text
  • Actual numbers from which graphs were drawn, provided
  • Figures necessary and of good quality (color)
  • Table and figure numbers in Arabic letters (not Roman)
  • Labels pasted on the back of the photographs (no names written)
  • Figure legends provided (not more than 40 words)
  • Patients’ privacy maintained (if not permission taken)
  • A credit note for borrowed figures/tables provided
  • Write the full term for each abbreviation used in the table as a footnote