Notice to Contributors
The Medical Journal of Malaysia welcomes articles of interest on all aspects of medicine in the form of original papers, research notes, communications and correspondence. The MJM also welcomes brief abstracts, of not more than 50 words, of original papers published elsewhere, concerning medicine in Malaysia. Articles are accepted for publication on condition that they are contributed solely to The Medical Journal of Malaysia. Neither the Editorial Board nor the Publishers accept responsibility for the views and statements of authors expressed in their contributions. The Editorial Board further reserves the right to reject papers read before a society. To avoid delays in publication, authors are advised to adhere closely to the instructions given below.
Manuscripts:
Manuscripts should be submitted online through MJM Editorial Manager, at the following URL:
http://www.editorialmanager.com/mjm
Instructions for registration and submission are found on the webpage. Authors will be able to monitor the progress of their manuscript at all times via the MJM Editorial Manager. For authors and reviewers encountering problems with the system, an online Users’ Guide and FAQs can be accessed via the “Help” option on the taskbar of the login screen.
All submissions must be accompanied by a completed Copyright Assignment Form, duly signed by all authors.
Manuscript text should be submitted using Microsoft Word for Windows. Images should be submitted as JPEG files.
Reviewers:
Authors may submit the names of two possible reviewers whom they feel are qualified and suitable to review their paper. This may hasten the process of peer review. Reviewers must not be involved in the work presented and should be from another institution. Authors need not obtain permission from possible reviewers as it is the prerogative of the MJM to approach them.
TYPES OF PAPERS
Editorials:
These are articles written by the editor or editorial team concerning the Medical Journal of Malaysia or about issues relevant to the journal.
Commentaries:
Commentaries will usually be invited articles that comment on articles published in the same issue of the MJM. However, unsolicited commentaries on issues relevant to medicine in Malaysia are welcomed. They should not exceed 1,200 words. They maybe unstructured but should be concise. When presenting a point of view it should be supported with the relevant references where necessary.”
Review Articles:
Review Articles are usually solicited articles written by Malaysian experts providing a clear, up to date account of a topic of interest to a local audience. Alternatively, Malaysians of international standing residing abroad may be invited to contribute on topics related to their area of expertise. Unsolicited reviews will also be considered. The review should include an update of recent developments and include research done in Malaysia when possible.
Continuing Medical Education (CME) Articles:
A CME article is a critical analysis of a topic of current medical interest. The article should include the clinical question or issue and its importance for general medical practice, specialty practice, or public health. Upon acceptance of selected articles, the authors will be requested to provide five multiple-choice questions, each with five true/false responses, based on the article.
Case Reports:
Papers on case reports (one to five cases) must follow these rules: Maximum of 1,000 words; only one table is allowed; maximum of two photographs; only up to five references quoted.
Having a unique lesson in the diagnosis, pathology or management of the case is more valuable than mere finding of a rare entity. Being able to report the outcome and length of survival of a rare problem is more valuable than merely describing what treatment was rendered at the time of diagnosis.
Short Communications:
Short communications should not exceed 1,000 words and shall consist of a Summary and the Main Text. The number of figures and tables should be limited to three and the number of references to five.
Letters to Editor:
Such correspondence must not exceed 450 words.
Guidelines for publication of abstracts of oral and poster presentations in the MJM:
The MJM shall publish abstracts of original scientific research (not plenary lectures, symposia, case reports etc) that were presented in oral or poster form at scientific meetings held in Malaysia. All abstracts should have been screened by the respective Scientific Committees and only papers of reasonable quality should be submitted. They can be submitted in an electronic form These abstracts will be printed 4 to a page at the each issue of the journal. The abstracts should be structured under the usual headings: Background, Objective, Materials and Methods, Results and Conclusion: and shall not exceed 350 words.The sponsoring organization will be charged a fee of RM 100 per abstract published. The sponsoring organizations should also encourage authors to submit the full paper of the research work to the MJM.
Individuals who have presented papers of research work done in international meetings overseas may submit their abstracts directly to the MJM if the abstract has not been published in any other peer reviewed journal. They shall be charged a similar fee of RM 100 per abstract (RM 50 for MMA members). All submissions must be accompanied by proof of presentation (e.g. the programme book with the paper listed and a certificate of attendance). The author is required to declare that the above points have been complied with. Abstracts do not undergo the peer review process and a disclaimer concerning this shall be printed. The Editorial Board will only vet through abstracts of papers presented overseas.
Kindly send submissions to:
The Editor
"Abstracts" Medical Journal of Malaysia
4th Floor, MMA House
124 Jalan Pahang
53000 Kuala Lumpur
Further information can be obtained from our publications officer at mjm@mma.org.my.
STRUCTURE OF PAPERS
The title page should state the title of the paper, initials and name(s) of the author(s), degrees (limited to one degree or diploma) and address(es). The name and address of the author for correspondence should be clearly indicated.
Names of authors should be written in style of initials followed by the surname or preferred name e.g., M Z Azhar for Azhar bin Md Zain, K Suresh for Suresh Kumarasamy or S Harwant for Harwant Singh. Authors who have previously published should try as much as possible to keep the abbreviation of their name consistent.
Articles describing original research or observations should consist of the following sections: Summary, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, Acknowledgment and References. Each section should begin on a fresh page.
Papers may be submitted in Bahasa Malaysia but must be accompanied by a short summary in English.
Scientific names, foreign words and Greek symbols should be clearly indicated and underlined.
Abstract and Key Words:
An abstract of not more than 250 words should be provided immediately after the title page. Structured abstracts are encouraged. Below the abstract provide and identify 3 to 10 key words or short phrases that will assist indexers in cross-indexing your article. Use terms from the medical subject headings list from Index Medicus where possible.
Introduction:
Clearly state the purpose of the article. Summarise the rationale for the study or observation. Give only strictly pertinent references, and do not review the subject extensively.
Materials and Methods:
Describe your selection of the observational or experimental subjects (patients or experimental animals, including controls) clearly, identify the methods, apparatus (manufacturer's name and address in parenthesis), and procedures in sufficient detail to allow other workers to reproduce the results. Give references to established methods, including statistical methods; provide references and brief descriptions of methods that have been published but are not well-known; describe new or substantially modified methods, give reasons for using them and evaluate their limitations.
Identify precisely all drugs and chemicals used, including generic name(s), dosage(s) and route(s) of administration. Do not use patients' names, initials or hospital numbers. Include numbers of observation and the statistical significance of the findings when appropriate.
When appropriate, particularly in the case of clinical trials, state clearly that the experimental design has received the approval of the relevant ethical committee.
Results:
Present your results in logical sequence in the text, tables and illustrations. Do not repeat in the text all the data in the tables or illustrations, or both: emphasise or summarise only important observations.
Discussion:
Emphasise the new and important aspects of the study and conclusions that follow from them. Do not repeat in detail data given in the Results section. Include in the Discussion the implications of the findings and their limitations and relate the observations to other relevant studies.
