Format and Style Guidelines

GENERAL FORMAT FOR ALL MANUSCRIPTS

  • Paper Size: Letter (21.59 x 27.94 cm / 8.5 x 11 inches).

  • Margins: Default (top and bottom: 2.5 cm; left and right: 3 cm).

  • Font: Times New Roman.

  • Font Size: 12 points.

  • Line Spacing: Double.

  • Alignment: Justified (aligned to both margins).

  • Spacing Between Paragraphs: One Enter.

Manuscript sections (ABSTRACT, INTRODUCTION, METHODS, etc.) must be appropriately headed, left-aligned, using ALL CAPITALS and bold font. Do not use page breaks. Italics should be used exclusively for words or phrases in other languages, scientific names of drugs, and scientific names of animals and plants. Subsections should be indicated in bold.

TABLES

Tables summarize information and present it efficiently. They also allow displaying information with the desired level of detail and precision. Comments made about the data presented should always be referenced in the text and must precede the presentation of the table. Tables should not be presented as images and should always be placed within the body of the manuscript where they correspond according to the logical order of the text.

All tables must be numbered consecutively, in the same order in which they are first cited in the text that refers to them. Each table must be accompanied by a brief title placed above the table body. Tables should not contain colors and must adjust to the text orientation, respecting the default left and right margins. Each column in the table must contain a brief or abbreviated heading in bold.

For table footnotes, use Verdana 10 font. The footnote should include the legend, asterisk, note, and source (in this order, without the word "legend," with all elements separated by commas or semicolons). In the case of primary data (surveys, medical records), sources are not required. For table footnotes, the following symbols should be used, following the same order presented: *, †, ‡, §, ||, ¶, **, ††, ‡‡.

If data from other sources, whether published or not, are presented, the corresponding permissions must be obtained, and the sources in question must be publicly acknowledged. Decimal numbers must be separated by commas, not periods. Percentages are expressed as follows: 25.2%. The size of tables should be a maximum of 800 pixels in length; although it may be larger, depending on the information they provide.

FIGURES

Figures should be prepared and photographed with professional quality, or submitted as high-quality digital reproductions, in JPEG or GIF format. Figures should be as self-explanatory as possible, as many will be reproduced directly as slides for scientific presentations. However, titles and detailed explanations should be included in the legends, not in the body of the figures. The maximum number of figures allowed according to the article type must be observed. As with tables, figure dimensions should be less than 800 pixels.

RADIOGRAPHS, ULTRASOUNDS, OR OTHER IMAGES

These include images produced by diagnostic imaging techniques, as well as photographs of pathological specimens or microphotographs. Sharp photographic reproductions should be used, generally 127 × 173 mm in size and up to 580 pixels. Letters, numbers, and symbols included in the figures must be sharp, uniform, and of sufficient size that each character remains legible in the reduced version of the published article. Microphotographs must contain scale markers. Symbols, arrows, or letters included in microphotographs must stand out clearly against the background.

PATIENT DATA OR PHOTOGRAPHS IN MEDEST JOURNAL

To publish personal data or photographs of patients in a case report or other article in a scientific journal, several ethical and legal requirements must be met to guarantee the privacy, dignity, and autonomy of the patient:

  1. Written Informed Consent: It is mandatory to obtain signed informed consent from the patient (or their legal representative, if a minor or unable to decide). This document must specify that authorization is granted for the publication of clinical information and/or identifiable images for academic purposes. Consent must be specific to the scientific publication, not just for medical treatment.

  2. Approval by an Ethics Committee: In many cases, especially if the case involves sensitive details or risk of identification, review and approval by a Research Ethics Committee or Institutional Review Board (IRB) is required.

  3. Protection of Patient Identity: Even with consent, every effort must be made to protect patient identity. This includes:

    • Pixelating or concealing any identifiable data in images (e.g., faces, unique tattoos, distinctive marks).

    • Avoiding including names, identification numbers, exact dates, or other details that could allow direct identification.

    • Slightly modifying demographic details if they are easily identifiable (e.g., approximate age instead of exact age, region instead of specific city).

  4. Justification for Identifiable Images or Data: Journals often require justification for including images or data that could identify the patient. The image must be essential to illustrate a key aspect of the diagnosis or treatment.

  5. Compliance with Local and International Regulations: Local legislation on personal data protection (such as GDPR in Europe or HIPAA in the USA, depending on location) must be respected. Additionally, it is recommended to follow the publication guidelines of bodies such as the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), which establishes clear standards on the use of patient images.

  6. In Summary: Written informed consent + anonymization whenever possible + ethical approval if applicable + clinical justification.

If consent is not available, no image or data that could identify the patient should be published, even if the case is of great scientific interest.

FIGURE LEGEND:

The figure legend is placed at the end of the manuscript, is brief (does not exceed one line), and uses a specific format: the word "Figure." in bold and centered, explanatory text in Verdana 10, legend and source in Verdana 9 centered, all included within the image. Figures are referenced in the text and numbered with Arabic numerals (except if there is only one). For previously published figures, the source must be identified, and written permission from the copyright holder must be attached, unless in the public domain. When identifying symbols, arrows, or letters are used, their meaning must be explained in the legend, as well as the internal scale and, in microphotographs, the staining method used.

TECHNICAL STANDARDS AND SCIENTIFIC NOMENCLATURE:

Units of Measurement

All manuscripts must use International System (SI) units: meters (m), centimeters (cm), kilograms (kg), liters (L), degrees Celsius (°C), and mm Hg for blood pressure. Clinical laboratory results should be reported in SI units; traditional units may be added in parentheses (e.g., blood glucose: 5.55 mmol/L [100 mg/100 mL]).

Abbreviations

Abbreviations should be limited to commonly used ones, avoiding infrequent ones, especially in the title and abstract. They must be defined at their first appearance (e.g., acquired immune deficiency syndrome [AIDS]). If they come from another language, their translation into English must be included. Units of measurement do not require definition.

Scientific Nomenclature

  • Organisms: Scientific name in italics, genus capitalized and species in lowercase (e.g., Escherichia coli).

  • Diseases: According to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11).

  • Drugs: International Nonproprietary Name (INN), avoiding commercial brand names. The WHO MedNet database may be consulted.

Acknowledgments

Mention individuals, institutions, or entities that contributed without meeting authorship criteria, always with explicit authorization. Any financial support or commercial ties must be declared in this section.