Instructions to Authors

The Malta Medical Journal aims to publish peer-reviewed articles that are of relevance to the Maltese medical community, both locally and abroad. 

Articles are to be submitted online, through the webportal on www.mmsjournals.org. 

Types of Articles

Submitting an article

The articles must by typewritten and double spaced. They should include the following sections, each starting on a separate page: Title page, abstract and key words, text, acknowledgements, references, tables and figures. Margins should be not less than 2.5 cm. Pages should be numbered consecutively, beginning with the title page.

Cover letter

A submission letter to the Editor should accompany the manuscript. It should contain a statement of the authors that:

• The manuscript has not been published previously (except in the form of an abstract in a congress), and is not under consideration (in whole or in part) for publication elsewhere.
• The manuscript is approved by all Authors.
• In case of acceptance of the manuscript the copyright is transferred to MMJ

Title page

The title page should include: 1) complete manuscript title. 2)A short title which will be used as a 'running head' 3) The full name of each author. 4) The departments and institutions in which the work was conducted. 5) Name and address for correspondence, including fax number, telephone number, and e-mail address. 6) Conflict of interest disclosure and declaration of funding sources. 7) Each author's contribution to the following criteria for authorship: conception and design; analysis and interpretation of the data; drafting of the article; critical revision of the article for important intellectual content; final approval of the article.

Abstract and key words

For Original Articles, New Methods, and Case Series submissions, a structured abstract of no more than 250 words should use all of the following headings: Background, Methods, Results and Conclusion. For review articles the abstract page should be non-structured. List 3 to 5 key words.

Text

Organize the manuscript into four main headings: Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, and Discussion. Define abbreviations at first mention in text and in each table and figure.

Introduction

State the objectives of the study and provide an adequate background, avoiding a detailed literature survey or to describe the results.

Materials and Methods

These should include sufficient information by which to judge the quality of the research. Any paper that is a randomized controlled trial should adhere to the CONSORT guidelines that can be found at: www.consort-statement.org Observational studies should also adhere to Strobe statement. Diagnostic accuracy studies should follow the Stard statement. Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses should follow the PRISMA statement.

Statistical analysis: 

Follow the guidelines of URM: "Describe statistical methods with enough detail to enable a knowledgeable reader with access to the original data to verify the reported results. When possible, quantify findings and present them with appropriate indicators of measurement error or uncertainty (such as confidence intervals). Avoid relying solely on statistical hypothesis testing, such as P values, which fail to convey important information about effect size. References for the design of the study and statistical methods should be to standard works when possible (with pages stated). Define statistical terms, abbreviations, and most symbols. Specify the computer software used."

Results

These should be presented precisely without discussion of their importance. Do not duplicate information contained in tables and figures.

Discussion

This should directly relate to the results of the study. Do not provide a general review of the topic. A conclusion at the end this section should be added

Summary Box

For Original Articles a summary box indicating the significance of this study should be included as follows: What is already known about this subject: 3-4 bullet points What are the new findings: 3-4 bullet points

Abbreviations

Use only standard abbreviations. Avoid abbreviations in the title and abstract. The full term for which an abbreviation stands should precede its first use in the text unless it is a standard unit of measurement.

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements should be made only to those who have made a substantial contribution to the study. Authors are responsible for obtaining written permission from people acknowledged by name in case readers infer their endorsement of data and conclusions.

References

These should be numbered in the order they appear in the text. They should be assigned Arabic numerals, which should be given in brackets, e.g. [13]. The last names and initials of all authors should be referred to if they are up to six, otherwise only the first three are referred, with et al following. Abbreviations of the titles of the journals are made according to the instructions of the Index Medicus. No periods should be placed at the end of abbreviations of the journal. References to journals are given as follows: Author(s), title of paper, journal abbreviation (in italics), year, volume (in bold) and pages in which the publication is included. References to books are given in the following order: Author(s), title, volume (if more than one), number of publication (if there are others besides the first), publisher, city, year. References to a book chapter: Author(s) of the chapter, title or chapter. In: editor(s), title of book, volume, publication, publisher, city, year and pages in which the chapter appears. Information from manuscripts submitted but not yet accepted should be cited in the text as "Unpublished observations" (in parentheses) The style and punctuation of the references conform to the following examples:

1. Article: Katsanos KH, Tsianos VE, Maliouki M, Adamidi M, Vagias I, Tsianos EV. Obstruction and pseudo-obstruction in inflammatory bowel disease. Ann Gastroenterol 2010;23:246-253
2. Book: Sherlock S. Diseases of the liver and biliary system. Blackwell Sci: Oxford; 1989

Contribution to a Book: Radford-Smith, Jewell DP. Cytokines in inflammatory bowel disease. In: Allan R, Rhodes JM, Hanauer SB (editors): Inflammatory bowel diseases. Churchill Livingstone: New York; 1997, pp. 95-100.

Tables

These should be typewritten, double-spaced, each one on a separate page and numbered consecutively in Arabic numerals. Tables should include a short but concise title. Vertical and horizontal lines should be avoided in the tables. Place explanatory matter in footnotes, including any non-standard abbreviation. If data from another published or unpublished source are used, obtain permission and acknowledge fully.

Figures

Submit each figure as a separate file and in JPEG or TIFF format with a resolution of at least 300 dpi. Number figures consecutively using Arabic numerals. Submit photographs scaled as near to printed size as possible. If magnification is significant, indicate using a bar on the print rather than a magnification factor in the figure legend. If someone appears in a photograph, either s/he must not be identifiable or written permission for use of the photograph must accompany the manuscript. Give each figure a legend containing sufficient information to make the figure intelligible without the reader having to refer to the text. Key all the legends together. If a figure has been published previously, acknowledge the original source and submit written permission from the copyright holder to reproduce it. 

Supplemental materials

Submissions may be accompanied by supplemental materials such as videos or additional color figures posted to the electronic version of the journal; such materials also will be subject to peer review. Videos are also welcome and should be in .mov, .avi, or .mpeg format. They should be offered as two different files, one for viewing at lower speed connections, and of low resolution; and one for higher speed connections, of high resolution.