SHAHEED ZIAUR RAHMAN MEDICAL COLLEGE

AUTHOR GUIDELINES

SHAHEED ZIAUR RAHMAN MEDICAL COLLEGE JOURNAL (SZMC Journal)

About the Journal

SHAHEED ZIAUR RAHMAN MEDICAL COLLEGE JOURNAL (SZMC Journal) is a peer-reviewed, open-access biomedical journal dedicated to the publication of high-quality scholarly work in medicine, surgery, dentistry, nursing, public health, allied health sciences, and medical education. The journal aims to promote scientific knowledge, evidence-based healthcare practices, and academic excellence nationally and internationally.

Open Access Policy

SZMC Journal provides immediate open access to all published content based on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.

All articles are available online without subscription or access fees.

Copyright and Licensing

• Authors retain copyright of their published work.
• Articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, reproduction, adaptation, and sharing in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
• Authors grant the journal the right of first publication.

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

The journal follows the ethical standards and best practices recommended by:

• International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE)
• Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)
• World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki
• Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing

Any form of plagiarism, data fabrication, data falsification, duplicate publication, citation manipulation, or unethical research conduct is strictly prohibited.

Peer Review Process

All submitted manuscripts undergo:

1. Initial editorial screening.
2. Double-blind peer review by at least two independent reviewers.
3. Editorial evaluation of reviewer recommendations.
4. Final decision by the Editor-in-Chief.

Possible editorial decisions include:

• Accept
• Minor Revision
• Major Revision
• Reject

The average review period is approximately 4–8 weeks.

Article Processing Charges (APC)

The journal clearly discloses all publication charges on its website.

Any applicable Article Processing Charges (APC), submission fees, or publication fees will be communicated to authors before publication.

No hidden charges are applied.

Authorship Criteria

Authorship should be based on substantial contributions to:

• Study conception and design
• Data acquisition, analysis, or interpretation
• Drafting or critical revision of the manuscript
• Final approval of the version to be published

All authors must agree to the submission and publication of the manuscript.

Conflict of Interest

Authors must disclose any financial, professional, institutional, or personal relationships that may influence the research.

If no conflicts exist, authors should state: "The authors declare no conflict of interest."

Funding Statement

Authors must disclose all funding sources that supported the research.

If no funding was received, authors should state: "This research received no external funding."

Research Ethics

Human Subjects: Studies involving human participants must include:

• Institutional Ethics Committee or IRB approval
• Approval number (where applicable)
• Statement confirming informed consent

Animal Research: Animal studies must comply with institutional and national ethical regulations and include approval details.

Clinical Trials: Clinical trials must be registered in a publicly accessible trial registry prior to participant enrollment. Registration numbers should be included in the manuscript.

Plagiarism Policy

All manuscripts are screened using plagiarism detection software.

Manuscripts containing significant plagiarism, self-plagiarism, data manipulation, or duplicate publication will be rejected immediately.

The editorial office reserves the right to investigate ethical concerns at any stage of publication.

Manuscript Categories

The journal accepts:

• Original Research Articles
• Review Articles
• Systematic Reviews
• Meta-Analyses
• Case Reports
• Case Series
• Short Communications
• Letters to the Editor
• Editorials

Manuscript Preparation

Language: Manuscripts must be written in clear and grammatically correct English.

File Format: Submit manuscripts in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) format.

Formatting:

• Font: Times New Roman
• Font Size: 12 pt
• Double-line spacing
• Continuous page numbering
• Standard margins (2.5 cm)

Structure of Original Research Articles

Title Page: The title page should include:

• Manuscript title
• Running title
• Author names
• Institutional affiliations
• ORCID IDs (recommended)
• Corresponding author information

Abstract: A structured abstract of up to 250 words containing:

• Background
• Objective
• Methods
• Results
• Conclusion

Provide 3–6 keywords.

Main Text: The manuscript should contain:

1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
3. Results
4. Discussion
5. Conclusion
6. Acknowledgments (if applicable)
7. Conflict of Interest
8. Funding Statement
9. References

Review Articles

Review articles should include:

• Abstract
• Introduction
• Literature Search Strategy
• Review Sections
• Discussion
• Conclusion
• References

Systematic reviews should follow PRISMA guidelines whenever applicable.

Case Reports

Case reports should contain:

• Abstract
• Introduction
• Case Presentation
• Discussion
• Conclusion
• Patient Consent Statement
• References

Patient confidentiality must be maintained.

Tables and Figures

Tables:

• Number consecutively using Arabic numerals.
• Provide descriptive titles.
• Avoid duplication of data in the text.

Figures:

• High-resolution images (minimum 300 dpi)
• Consecutively numbered
• Figure legends provided separately

Authors must obtain permission for any copyrighted material.

References

The journal follows the Vancouver Reference Style.

Authors are responsible for ensuring the accuracy and completeness of references.

Where available, DOI numbers should be included.

Data Sharing Policy

Authors are encouraged to make research data available through recognized repositories whenever ethically and legally appropriate.

Authors may include a Data Availability Statement describing how readers can access supporting data.

Archiving Policy

The journal ensures long-term preservation of published content through recognized digital archiving systems and institutional repositories.

Submission Checklist

Before submission, ensure that:

• ✓ Manuscript is original and unpublished
• ✓ Ethical approval has been obtained where required
• ✓ Conflict of interest statement is included
• ✓ Funding statement is included
• ✓ References follow Vancouver style
• ✓ Tables and figures are properly labeled
• ✓ All authors have approved the manuscript
• ✓ Cover letter has been prepared

Submission Procedure

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

Authors should register an account and follow the step-by-step submission process available on the journal website.

For technical assistance or editorial inquiries, please contact the Editorial Office through the official journal website.