Instructions to Authors

Take action on suspected misconduct.
ICMJE Potential Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form
Writing Notes for Authors
Article Retraction Form
Article Structure Sample

1. General Information & Submission

The Van Medical Journal accepts manuscripts exclusively through its online submission system. Submissions by email are not accepted. The journal adheres to the highest standards of publication ethics and expects all authors to comply with the guidelines below.

• Peer Review Process: The Van Medical Journal employs a rigorous double-blind peer-review process to ensure scientific integrity. Following an initial editorial screening for scope, formatting, and originality (via plagiarism checks), manuscripts are evaluated by at least two independent external experts. The identities of both authors and reviewers are kept strictly confidential throughout the evaluation. Based on these comprehensive reviewer reports, the Editor-in-Chief makes the final and absolute decision regarding the manuscript's acceptance, revision, or rejection.
• Fees: There are no submission, evaluation, or publication fees (APCs).
• Language: All manuscripts must be in English.
• Preprint Policy: The journal permits submission of manuscripts that have been posted as preprints (e.g., on medRxiv or bioRxiv). Authors must disclose this in the cover letter and provide the preprint DOI. Peer review is independent of preprint status.

Reporting Guidelines: Different study types must follow specific guidelines:

• Randomized controlled trials: CONSORT
• Observational studies: STROBE
• Systematic reviews and meta-analyses: PRISMA
• Case reports: CARE
• Diagnostic accuracy studies: STARD

Submission Checklist

Before submitting, ensure you have prepared the following:

• Cover Page: Separate file with author details (see Section A).
• Main Manuscript: Anonymized file (no author names), including Title, Abstract, Keywords, Main Text, References, Tables, and Figure Legends.
• Forms: Signed Copyright Agreement Form, ICMJE Conflict of Interest Form (one per author), and Ethics Committee Approval (if applicable).
• Plagiarism Report: PDF report from iThenticate or Turnitin showing similarity below 20%.
• Data Availability Statement: Included at the end of the manuscript.
• Author Contributions (CRediT): A statement of each author's individual contributions.

2. Ethical Requirements & Authorship

Authorship Criteria (ICMJE): All authors must meet all four conditions: (1) substantial contributions to conception/design or data acquisition/analysis; (2) drafting or critically revising the work; (3) final approval; (4) accountability for all aspects of the work.
Author Contributions (CRediT Taxonomy): A mandatory "Author Contributions" section must be included at the end of the manuscript. Specify each author's role using CRediT terms (e.g., Conceptualization: A.A.; Methodology: B.B.; Writing – Original Draft: A.A., C.C.; etc.).
AI Tools: AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, LLMs) cannot be listed as authors. Their use must be declared in the "Materials and Methods" or "Acknowledgements" section.
Clinical Trial Registration: Clinical trials must be registered prospectively in a public registry (e.g., ClinicalTrials.gov). The Trial Registration Number (TRN) and registration date must be stated at the end of the Abstract and in the Methods section.
Sex and Gender Reporting: Use "sex" (biological) and "gender" (sociocultural) correctly. Report the sex and/or gender of study participants.
Data Sharing Policy: A mandatory "Data Availability Statement" must be included at the end of the manuscript, before the References.

3. Manuscript Preparation Guidelines

Format: Times New Roman, 12-point font, 1.5 line spacing, 2.5 cm margins, page numbers at the bottom right.

Anonymity: Do not include author names, affiliations, or identifying information in the main manuscript file.

A. Cover Page (Separate File)

Must include:

• Full title (max 150 characters) and Short Title / Running Head (max 40 characters).
• Full names, academic titles, and affiliations (Department, Faculty, University, City, Country) of all authors.
• ORCID iDs: The ORCID identifier for all authors (format: https://orcid.org/XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX). Corresponding author's ORCID is mandatory.
• Corresponding author: full name, address, phone, and email.
• Declarations: funding sources, conflict of interest statement, details of any previous presentation.
• Word count of the main manuscript (excluding abstract, references, tables, and figure legends).

B. Main Manuscript Structure and Limits

Table 1: Limits by Article Type

Article Type	Word Limit	Abstract Limit	References	Tables	Figures
Original Article	3000	200–300 (structured)	30	5	5
Invited Review	3000	200–300 (unstructured)	60	5	5
Case Report	1500	150–250 (unstructured)	15	2	5
Letter to Editor	750	None	5	-	-

C. Structured Abstract Requirements

For Original Articles, the abstract must follow the structured format with these headings:

• Introduction: State the research question and aim of the study.
• Materials and Methods: Briefly describe the study design, participants, and main methods.
• Results: Present the key findings with relevant data.
• Conclusion: State the main conclusion and its implications.
• Limitations: Briefly note the main limitations of the study (required for PubMed indexing).
• Clinical Trial Registration: If applicable, state the registry name and registration number.

Keywords: 3–6 terms selected from MeSH (Medical Subject Headings). Do not use abbreviations in the Abstract.

4. Section-Specific Guidelines

Materials and Methods: State the ethics committee name, approval date, and number. Include a separate Statistics subheading specifying software used and statistical tests applied. Use SI units.

Results: Present findings clearly. Do not repeat data already shown in tables or figures.

Discussion: Interpret results in context of existing literature. Explicitly address study limitations.

Author Contributions (CRediT): Mandatory section at the end, before Acknowledgements.

Acknowledgements: Acknowledge non-author contributions and AI tool usage (if applicable).

Funding: State all funding sources. If no funding was received, state: "This study received no specific funding."

Conflict of Interest: Declare all conflicts or state: "The authors declare no conflict of interest."

Data Availability Statement: Required. Choose one of the three standard statements (see Ethics section).

Ethics Statement: Required before References: state ethics committee name, approval number, and date. For case reports, include informed consent statement.

5. References

Cite references in the text using numbers in parentheses (e.g., (1), (2–4)). Number them consecutively in the order they appear.

• Recency: At least 50% of references should be from the last 5 years.
• Author Limit: List all authors if 6 or fewer. If 7 or more, list the first 6 followed by "et al."
• Format: Vancouver/NLM style (as used by PubMed).

Journal example: Greenblatt DJ, Harmatz JS, Zinny MA, Shader RI. Effect of gradual withdrawal on the rebound sleep disorder. N Engl J Med. 1987;317(12):722–728. doi:10.1056/NEJM198709173171206

Book example: Ringsven MK, Bond D. Gerontology and leadership skills for nurses. 2nd ed. Albany (NY): Delmar Publishers; 1996.

Note: DOIs must be included for all references where available.