Submissions

Author Guidelines

Submission Process

The author must register and submit the article through the Open Journal System (OJS) platform using the following link:

https://revistas.javeriana.edu.co/index.php/vnimedica/about/submissions

Once registered, the author must follow the instructions provided on the platform, upload the article, and the required forms.

Along with the manuscript, the author(s) must submit:

• A cover letter providing information about the origin of the article and the authors' details. (Download the cover letter template here).
• A letter of approval from the project's ethics committee or the patient’s informed consent, in exceptional cases. These documents must be uploaded as supplementary files and will not be part of the manuscript sent to the reviewers.

The journal will send updates regarding the status of the submission to the author's email account through the OJS platform, so it is recommended to regularly check the spam or junk folder.

Before submitting the article to the OJS platform, make sure it complies with all the publication guidelines.

Please note that if your article is approved by the editorial committee, the publication time will range between four and six months (up to one year) from the submission date. The results of the evaluation will be promptly communicated to the authors.

Only one contribution per author is accepted per issue.

The journal accepts articles in Spanish, English, and Portuguese. Articles will be translated into English at no additional cost.

Articles must be typed in Word, and figures or tables should be submitted in a separate file in .jpg or .tiff format (high resolution).

Article Specifications

Before submitting your article, ensure it meets the following specifications:

• Full title: No abbreviations, in Spanish, English, and Portuguese. It should be short, relevant, and attractive (maximum of 15 words).
• Abstract: Maximum of 250 words, in Spanish, English, and Portuguese. It is recommended that original research articles follow the IOMRC technique (Introduction, Objective, Method, Results, and Conclusions). The abstract should include 4 to 5 keywords, indexed in the Descriptors in Health Sciences (DeCS), in Spanish, English, and Portuguese. Review articles should contain: title, abstract, and keywords.
• Avoid including author information (name, affiliation, contact) anywhere in the article.
• Length: Minimum of 10 pages and maximum of 18.
• Page numbering: Each page must be numbered in the lower right corner.
• Text format:
• Font: Arial, 12-point size.
• Margins: 3 cm on all sides.
• Line spacing:5.
• Headings and subheadings: Bold. Do not use underlines or bold within paragraphs.
• Tables and figures: These should be referenced within the text and included at the end of the document. If they need to highlight elements, they must be submitted in a separate file.
• Tables must be numbered with Arabic numerals at the top, followed by the name or title.
• Abbreviations must be explained with a footnote to the table.
• Figures, graphs, photographs, drawings, or charts must follow the same numbering principle as tables. A maximum of 4 tables and/or figures is allowed.
• If tables or graphs are taken from other articles or books, the source must be cited, and the appropriate authorization must be obtained.

References

The references must follow the Vancouver style guidelines, citing them in the text with Arabic numerals in parentheses, in the order they are mentioned.

t is necessary to include current sources of information from indexed journals or primary sources supported by scientific evidence. References must appear in the corresponding order under the title "References," according to the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals (Vancouver style:http://www.icmje.org/) Example of citation:

• Journal articles: If there are more than six authors, cite the first six and then use the expression “et al.” If there are fewer than six authors, list all authors, followed by the article title, the journal name properly abbreviated (check in NCBI), the year, volume and issue number, the first and last pages, and the article DOI. Example:

Moreno Mojica C, Hernández Mancipe L, Rincón Villamil T. La realidad de convertirse en madre: vivencias de una adolescente. Investig Enferm Imagen Desarr. 2017;19(2):13-28. http://dx.doi.org/10.11144/Javeriana.ie19-2.rcmv

• Books: Focault M. Las palabras y las cosas. México: Siglo XXI; 1987.
• Book chapters: Domen ML. Abordaje interdisciplinario del síndrome de la mujer maltratada: proceso secuencial. En: Corsi J, compilador. Violencia familiar: una mirada interdisciplinaria sobre un grave problema social. Buenos Aires: Paidós; 1995. p. 65-9.

Specify the type of contribution and argue its definition according to the established classification.

Types of Articles

A document that presents, in detail, the original results of completed research projects. The structure must include five components: Introduction, Objective, Method, Results, and Conclusions.

The presentation must comply with the following elements:

Body of the text: Research papers should generally be divided into introduction, methods, results, and discussion or conclusions. Longer articles may need subtitles, especially in methods and results sections. In the introduction, it is helpful to address the following points in sequence without extensively reviewing the topic:

• The importance of the problem to be investigated.
• What is unknown about the problem.
• Why it would be useful to understand it.
• The purpose of the study.
• The hypothesis to be investigated.

Introduction: Include the objective and justification of the work with theoretical-conceptual foundations. In qualitative studies, specify the selected theoretical perspective.

Method: This section should include the design, description of the study population, sample size, sampling type, inclusion criteria, and subject loss. Clearly and precisely describe the operationalization of variables, measurement, analysis plan, and statistical methods used, allowing for verification of results. Present evidence of the validity and reliability of measurement instruments, define statistical terms, abbreviations, and symbols, and specify the software programs used. When the study involves humans, clarify if the procedures followed ethical criteria. Attach, if applicable, the informed consent letter and approval from the institutional ethics committee.

Results: Present them in a logical sequence in the text. Emphasize or summarize only relevant findings and avoid repeating data from tables, figures, and illustrations in the text. Ensure the order and sequence are consistent with the presentation of these elements.

Discussion and Conclusions: Derived from the analysis of the results and study objectives, highlighting new or relevant aspects, as well as explanations of the findings. Compare the results with other similar studies, link the conclusions with the study objectives, and explain how they contribute to the field of knowledge. Claims should be fully supported by the data shown, and study limitations should be mentioned. For qualitative studies, it is important to establish relevant theoretical connections.

Guidelines for the Checklist of Main Types of Studies:

• Randomised trials: CONSORT (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6398298/)
• Observational studies: STROBE (https://www.strobe-statement.org/)
• Systematic reviews: PRISMA (http://www.prisma-statement.org/?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1)
• Qualitative research: COREQ (https://academic.oup.com/intqhc/article/19/6/349/1791966)

Integrative or Systematic Review Article: A document resulting from completed research, where published or unpublished research findings on a particular field of science or technology are analyzed, systematized, and integrated to report on advances and development trends. It is characterized by presenting a thorough literature review of at least 50 references.

Systematized or Integrative Review Articles

• Introduction (with an explicit objective).
• Method: The type of review, the guiding question for the search, search period, consulted databases, criteria for selecting articles, sample selection, and the instrument used for critical reading of the articles must be indicated.
• Results: Representation of the selected studies in a table format, considering all common characteristics.
• Discussion: Present and discuss the findings from the articles that respond to the guiding question.
• Conclusions: Clearly state the contribution of the review to practical aspects or new research elements. The review must contain at least 50 bibliographic sources and may include tables and figures.

Each article must ALWAYS include a section of clarifications at the end of the text, before the reference list, using the following categories:

Funding (mandatory): Include the relevant information about the sponsoring institution of the research from which the article is derived. Attach the “Project Information” form in PDF or Word format. If there is no funding, state “None.”

Acknowledgments (optional): This section may include acknowledgments for contributions that, although valuable, do not justify authorship of the article. Examples of such contributions include: institutional support from a department head, advisory from scientific consultants, revisions, data collection, administrative support, typing, or other similar collaborations.

Conflict of Interest: Authors must declare any conflicts of interest related to the submitted work. If none exist, a statement should explicitly mention that there are no conflicts of interest. For drafting this declaration, the conflict of interest policy established by the journal should be considered, available here.

Self-citation: If self-citation is present in the article, this practice will be evaluated by the editorial committee to assess its relevance. It will only be considered when explicit acknowledgment of the content is required in the development of the topic (instruments or theories developed by the author).

Use of Artificial Intelligence:

Authors must explicitly declare the use of any Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based tools or technologies in the research, writing, or data analysis process of the article. This includes, but is not limited to, assistance in text writing, data analysis, chart generation, or any other relevant function. The use of AI does not exempt the authors from responsibility for the content and results of the work. Authors must ensure that the use of these technologies does not affect the objectivity, truthfulness, or ethics of the research. If AI tools are used for content generation or significant assistance, this should be mentioned in the Acknowledgments section, without attributing authorship.

If the article has more than 5 authors, a letter detailing each author’s specific contribution is required.

Universitas Médica reserves the right to make modifications to the manuscript text solely to improve its writing and editing when absolutely necessary.