Submissions

The Malta Medical Journal aim 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. It is important to note that articles submitted to the MMJ will be reviewed by the MMJ Editorial board, and sent for peer review by independent referees.

Types of Articles

Submitting a Manuscript

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.

Covering letter

A covering letter addressed 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).
• The manuscript is not under consideration (in whole or in part) for publication elsewhere.
• The manuscript has been approved by all co-Authors.
• In the case of acceptance of the manuscript, the copyright will be transferred to the 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 and Case Series submissions, a structured abstract of no more than 250 words should use all of the following sub-headings: Background, Methods, Results and Conclusion. For Review Articles and Editorials, the abstract page should be non-structured. A list of 3 to 5 key words should be provided.

Text

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

Introduction

This should state the objectives of the study and provide an adequate background, whilst avoiding a detailed literature survey or outline of 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 and findings of the study. The Discussion should not provide a general review of the topic, and a conclusion should be added at the end of this section.

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;23:246-53
2. Book: Sherlock S. Diseases of the liver and biliary system. Blackwell Sci: Oxford; 1989
3. References from a Book: Radford-Smith R, 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

Unless agreed with the Editor, tables are limited to 3 per submission.

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. Any legend to the tables must be concise but clear and provide enough information such that the reader does not need to refer to the text.

Figures

Unless agreed with the Editor, figures are limited to 3 per submission.

Each figure must be submitted as a separate file and in JPEG or TIFF format with a resolution of at least 300 dpi. Figures should be numbered consecutively using Arabic numerals. Submitted photographs must be scaled to as near to the 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 a person appears in a photograph, either s/he must not be identifiable or written permission for the use of the photograph must accompany the manuscript. Each figure should have a legend containing sufficient information to make the figure intelligible without the reader having to refer to the text. All legends must be listed together. If a figure has been published previously, permission must be obtained from the copyright holder and the source acknowledged fully.

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.

Ethical Approval

Any paper that includes details relating to patients including case reports, case series and audits, must be reviewed by an appropriate ethics committee beforehand. The authors must submit a written declaration that confirms that the study was approved by the named Ethics Committee, and may be asked to provide documentation to prove this. The author(s) should refer to and conform with the following Maltese legislations relating to human and animal research as well as the relevant Helsinki declaration (2013, Data Protection Act (Malta, Chapter 586), requirements of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, reporting guidelines on Muna Protections and those with Mental disorders, disclosure of artificial intelligence and animal research.

Any conflict of interest (COI) must be declared by all co-authors and, if appropriate, the details relating to individuals’ COI must be provided in detail. For further information authors may wish to refer to:

• Approval forms the respective ethical review board when human research is planned.
• Conformity with Subsidiary Legislation 528.10 of the Laws of Malta on the ‘Processing of personal data (Secondary processing) (Health Sector) regulations.
• Conformity with the Helsinki Declaration as amended by the 64^th WMA General Assembly, Fortaleza, Brazil, October 2013.
• Conformity with the Data Protection Act, Chapter 586, of the Laws of Malta.
• Conformity with the Uniform requirements of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors.
• Conformity with the Mandatory Reporting Guidelines for Professionals in terms of child abuse or maltreatment is observed, including the measures taken.
• Conformity with the Mental Health Act of persons with mental disorders.Conformity with Directive 2010/63/EU on the protection of animals used in the study. See https://legislation.mt/eli/sl/439.20/eng/pdf
• Disclosure of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies in assisting manuscript publications.
• The ICJME Conflict of interest (COI) Disclosure Form. See https://www.icmje.org/disclosure-of-interest/