Submissions

Author Guidelines

Guidelines for Submitting Contributions to the Journal of the Faculty of Medical Sciences (Quito)

The Journal of the Faculty of Medical Sciences (Quito) was published biannually until 2023 (Vol. 48). Starting in January 2024, its publication schedule has shifted to triannual issues, released in January, May, and September. The journal features various types of documents categorized into the following sections: editorials, original articles (products of primary and secondary research), case reports, literature reviews, and others (articles of reflection or philosophical, ethical, or social analyses related to health, epidemiological statistics with analysis and discussion). Theoretical or bibliographic reviews will only be published with the approval or at the request of the Editorial Committee.

Additionally, on special occasions, articles related to medical education, medical opinions, university chronicles, and the history of medicine may be published, subject to the Editorial Committee's decision.

The prioritization of scientific articles for publication is determined by their scientific relevance, methodological quality, originality, potential impact, accessibility, and local applicability.

Articles published in the Journal of the Faculty of Medical Sciences (Quito) are indexed in:

• Latindex Catálogo 2.0 
• Biblioteca Virtual de Salud del Ecuador (BVS-Ecu)
• Literatura Latinoamericana y del Caribe en Ciencias de la Salud (LILACS)
• Dialnet
• AmeliCA
• EuroPub

1.

• Subject to Changes: This implies that, for final acceptance, the author(s) must make modifications based on suggestions and/or recommendations provided by the editors/reviewers.
• Accepted: Manuscripts with this classification are considered valid for publication and may proceed to the layout and digital printing process. Each accepted manuscript will be handled directly by the journal staff (editors and layout designers), who may introduce stylistic and formatting modifications, as well as adjust and/or shorten texts when deemed necessary, while respecting the main and most relevant aspects of the original document.
• Not Accepted: Manuscripts receiving this classification may restart the approval process in the Journal of the Faculty of Medical Sciences (Quito), provided the identified deficiencies are corrected. The Journal of the Faculty of Medical Sciences (Quito) and its Editorial Committee (Director, Executive Editor, and Committee Members) reserve the right to reject articles deemed inappropriate at any stage of the review process, based on observations and recommendations issued by the editorial board.

Previously published works or manuscripts simultaneously submitted to other scientific journals will not be accepted.

2. Guidelines for each type of manuscript eligible for publication

Acceptance Criteria for Each Type of Manuscript Eligible for Publication

2.1 General Structure of the Text

Manuscripts must be written entirely in Spanish, English, or Portuguese, in a single-column format, on A4-sized pages, double-spaced, with 2 cm margins on all sides, and submitted as a Microsoft Word file (.doc or .docx). All manuscripts must include the sections enumerated in the final section.

All pages must be numbered consecutively in the bottom-right corner. Similarly, the lines on each page must be numbered consecutively using the automatic tool of the word processor.

The font type and size must be Arial, 12 points.

The title should be centered, bold, and sentence case.

First-level subtitles corresponding to each section should be bold, aligned to the left, and the text should begin on a new paragraph.

Second-level subtitles should be bold, italicized, aligned to the left, and the text should begin on a new paragraph.

Decimal numbers should ideally include only one decimal place, separated by a comma for manuscripts written in Spanish and Portuguese or by a period for those in English. For numbers with multiple digits, thousands should be grouped using a space (e.g., 100 000).

The layout of the manuscript is the direct responsibility of the editorial team; therefore, pages should not contain elements specific to a layout process.

Abbreviations must be introduced in the manuscript body after the first full mention of the term. Footnotes or endnotes should be avoided.

2.2 Editorials

Editorials, unless an exception is made, are written at the request of the Editorial Committee on a current topic. Typically, they should be 800–1,500 words long and include 5 to 10 bibliographic references.

2.3 Original Articles

Original articles include observational designs (cohorts, case-control, and cross-sectional studies), experimental designs (clinical trials), and systematic reviews. These must adhere to international standards:

• STROBE for observational studies.
• PRISMA for systematic reviews (this may also apply to literature or bibliographic reviews). Systematic reviews should ideally be registered in the PROSPERO database (International Prospective Registry of Systematic Reviews) before the eligibility criteria are applied. The registration number must appear at the end of the abstract and in the materials and methods section.
• CONSORT for clinical trials. In Ecuador, clinical trials must be approved by the Agency for Regulation, Control, and Sanitary Surveillance (ARCSA) and registered using ARCSA's clinical trial registration form. The process can be found on the Health Intelligence Directorate's website.
• STARD and REMARK for diagnostic and prognostic accuracy studies.

Original articles must include abstracts in Spanish and English, written in a structured format with the following sections: Introduction, Objective, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusions. The abstract should not exceed 250 words. After the abstract, the author must include 3–5 keywords, which should align with MeSH-DeCS terms.

The body of the manuscript should include the following sections: Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusions. The maximum length for the manuscript body is 6,000 words, with up to 6 tables and 4 figures unless justification is provided for additional content.

Scientific research results must be presented following the guidelines of the  EQUATOR Network.

2.4 Literature Review Articles

It is essential to include an abstract in structured format, in Spanish or Portuguese and English, with a maximum length of 250 words. After the abstract, the author should include 3 to 5 keywords, which must be listed within the MeSH-DeCS terms in each of the languages.

To ensure the quality of literature reviews, it is essential to adhere to as many parameters as possible from the PRISMA guidelines.

The maximum length of the text will be 5,000 words, excluding the abstract and references.

Up to 4 tables and 4 figures are allowed, unless a larger number is justified. The body of the article may contain titles and subtitles as appropriate to facilitate reading.

2.5 Case Reports

Special priority will be given to cases where the presentation and/or resolution of the case is rare or novel. The manuscript structure must follow the CARE guidelines. The maximum length will be 3,500 words. Up to 4 tables and 2 figures will be accepted.

The manuscript body should include the following sections: Introduction, Case Presentation, and Discussion. It is essential to include an abstract in both Spanish and English, written in a structured format, with the segments: Introduction, Objective, Case Presentation, and Discussion. The abstract should not exceed 250 words. After the abstract, the author must include 3 to 5 keywords, which should be listed within the MeSH-DeCS terms.

2.6 Medical Opinion Article

The maximum length of the text will be 1,500 words, including bibliographic references; up to 2 tables and 1 figure are allowed.

The manuscript body should include the following sections: Introduction, Conflict or Problem, and Conclusion. It is essential to include an abstract in both Spanish and English, written in a narrative format, with a maximum length of 100 words. After the abstract, the author must include 3 to 5 keywords, which should be listed within the MeSH-DeCS terms.

2.7 Letters to the Editor

A letter to the editor is a type of scientific publication aimed at fostering interaction between the author and the reader. Its structure and writing are simple and brief but must have a clear focus. They are classified as comment letters and observation letters. Observation letters present an original work, similar to an original article but more concise. Comment letters, the most common type, aim to express an opinion, comment, criticism, ideas, or hypotheses on a specific topic previously addressed in an article published in the journal. They may also provide relevant information and data on the topic, ask questions, or present alternative viewpoints. They also allow for quick communication of novel clinical facts and can address local, national, or international issues of interest in health.

It should be noted that all letters will be reviewed by the Editorial Committee, and if accepted, they will be published. The content must not exceed 1,000 words, including references, and may contain 1 table and 1 figure. A cover letter must be attached in a separate document.

3.Manuscript Preparation

The submission must include the following essential requirements:

1. Cover letter.
2. Informed consent or approval letter from a Human Research Ethics Committee (CEISH) as applicable.
3. The manuscript must include the required sections in the indicated format.
4. The manuscript must include the necessary sections for the final part.

3.1 Cover Letter

Submit your cover letter as a separate Word document from the manuscript.

The cover letter should include the type of article being submitted, the full details of the authors, sources of funding, and conflicts of interest. Additionally, the Revista de la Facultad de Ciencias Médicas adheres to the CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) taxonomy, and authors must declare their contribution in the corresponding section. The required format can be found here.

At the end of the letter, the signatures of all authors must be included.

3.2 Approval and Informed Consent

It is essential to attach the acceptance letter from the CEISH or the obtained informed consent, as appropriate, in PDF format with readable dates and signatures.

The approval or consent declaration should also be included in the Materials and Methods section and in the corresponding section of the final part.

3.3 Title

The title should be specific, understandable, and descriptive for the readers.
It should contain a maximum of 12 to 15 words.
It is recommended to choose an attractive title.
It should be placed in Spanish or Portuguese and English, or in English and Spanish, according to the original language of the article.

3.4 Abstract

The abstract should not exceed 250 words (100 words for medical opinion articles). The format will be structured or narrative, depending on the type of article.

It must be written clearly with the most relevant information from the manuscript. Abbreviations, tables, figures, references, or trade names should not be included.

After the abstract, 3 to 5 keywords must be included, which should be within the MeSH-DeCS terms.

All manuscripts must include the abstract and keywords in both Spanish and English.

3.5 Introduction

The introduction should provide the necessary context to familiarize the reader, explaining the problem being addressed and justifying the study conducted. It must rely on well-chosen bibliographic references.

The introduction should also state, either directly or implicitly, the main objective of the study, as well as the research hypothesis, if applicable.

3.6 Materials and Methods

This section should begin with the study type and design, the start date, and the participating locations/centers.

Details about the materials, subjects, and methods used should be included, such as the study population, the composition of study groups, inclusion/exclusion/withdrawal criteria, informed consent for participant involvement, sampling methods, number of subjects, and assumptions for calculation. The intervention assignment (for experimental studies), study development, and data collection procedures should also be explained, as well as key evaluation variables, measurements, and outcomes, including analysis strategy (approaches, estimators, statistical tests, association measures, etc.). If applicable, mention sample handling, equipment, laboratory tests, and quality control. If referring to drugs or chemicals, identify the generic name, dosage, and route of administration.

The section should also explicitly state the approval from an Ethics Committee and/or the documents authorizing the study.

This section must provide sufficient detail so that the reader can understand the methodology and assess the validity of the results and allow other researchers to replicate the study.

3.7 Results

This section should report the findings and results of the analysis without interpreting them. It should be written in a clear, ordered narrative style, supported by relevant tables and/or figures (to condense information and avoid duplication). Present basic data, study flow charts, and/or baseline comparisons of study groups. Confidence intervals for main estimators, statistical significance levels, response and drop-out information (for experimental studies), and adverse events (for experimental studies) should be presented according to the study's objectives. No new variables should be introduced in this section.

3.8 Discussion

This section is for interpreting the authors' main findings, not for repeating them. It should also include a comparison of study findings with previous reports, interpretations of negative findings, limitations and potential biases, pros and cons of the study, implications for clinical practice, potential areas for future research, identification of new ideas, and gaps in knowledge. Any unexpected results should also be detailed.

This section should not include new results or data not previously mentioned, unfounded speculation, or tangential data.

3.9 Conclusions

The conclusions should be written clearly and concisely, referencing the findings.

4. Final Section

All manuscripts must include the following sections after the conclusions:

4.1 Approval and Informed Consent

In accordance with the Regulation for Human Research Ethics Committees published in the Official Register of Ecuador, Agreement No. 00005-2022, August 2022:

Observational and intervention studies must present a letter of approval from the Human Research Ethics Committee (CEISH). If there is an exemption letter issued by the CEISH President, it must also be attached.
Clinical cases must include informed consent.

For clinical trial authorization, refer to the National Agency for Regulation, Control, and Sanitary Surveillance (ARCSA).

4.2 Author Contribution

Authors must declare their participation in the manuscript, listing their names after each role corresponding to the article. This section will be submitted within the cover letter and included in the article during the editorial process to maintain anonymity during the review process.

4.3 Conflict of Interest

To prevent ambiguity, authors must explicitly declare whether they have any conflicts of interest and provide additional details if necessary in a letter.

Since conflicts of interest are frequent and sometimes inevitable, this declaration serves as guidance for editors, but it is not a condition for accepting or rejecting a manuscript.

4.4 Acknowledgments

When necessary, people, centers, or entities that contributed to the execution of the study or preparation of the manuscript but whose involvement does not imply authorship should be mentioned.

4.5 Funding

Authors must declare the institutions, programs, scholarships, or grants that directly or indirectly supported the study or work. If none, they should state if the work was conducted with the authors' own funds.

5. References

The Vancouver style should be used for referencing. Journal names should be abbreviated according to the style used in the Index Medicus of the National Library of Medicine They should be presented, in the order of appearance in the text, using consecutive numbering. In the text, the numbering of the various references should be presented in bold and superscript format. The use of references such as "unpublished observations" and "personal communication" is not accepted, nor are citations such as "op cit" or "ibid". References in footnotes are prohibited. Bibliographic references must be checked by comparison with the original documents, always indicating the initial and final page of the quotation. A detailed explanation of the citation format for different types of references can be found at the following website: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/bsd/uniform_requirements.html

5.1 Reference Style

The format of bibliographic references should follow the standards adopted by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). The ordering of bibliographic elements and the use of punctuation marks

5.1.1 Article published in journals with consecutive pagination in the different issues of the volume:

Author's Initial of the Name, Author's Initial of the Name. Title. Journal Name. Year; volume: initial page-final page.

Halpen SD, Ubel PA, Caplan AL. Solid organ transplantation in HIV infected patients. N Engl J Med. 2002; 347:284-87

5.1.2 Article published in journals without consecutive pagination in the different issues of the volume

Author's Initial of the Name, Author's Initial of the Name. Title. Journal Name. year; volume (number): initial page-final page.

Ríos Yuil JM, Ríos Castro M. El virus del papiloma humano y su relación con el cáncer cutáneo no melanoma. Rev Med Cient. 2010; 23(2):33-44

5.1.3 Articles with more than six authors

Similar to the previous citation, with mention of the first six authors, followed by the terms "et al."

Rose ME, Huerbin MB, Melick J, Marion DW, Palmer AM, Schiding JK, et al. Regulation of interstitial excitatory amino acid concentrations after cortical contusion injury. Brain Res. 2002; 935:40-46

5.1.4 Organization as author

Organization Name. Title. Journal Name. year; volume (number): initial page-final page.

Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group. Hypertension, insulin and proinsulin in participants with impaired glucose tolerance. Hypertension. 2002; 40:679-86

5.1.5 Book and book chapters

Book author(s): Murray PR, Rosenthal KS, Kobayashi GS, Pfaller MA. Medical microbiology. 4th ed. St Louis: Mosby; 2002.2.

Author(s) of a chapter in a particular book: Meltzer PS, Kallioniemi A, Trent JM. Chromosome alterations in human solid tumors. En: Vogelstein B, Kinzler KW, eds. The genetic basis of human cancer. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2002: 93-113

5.1.6 Thesis

Borkowski MM. Infant sleep and feeding: a telephone survey of Hispanic Americans [thesis]. Mount Pleasant (MI): Central Michigan University; 2002. 2. CD-ROM: Anderson SC, Paulsen KB. Anderson’s electronic atlas of hematology [CD-ROM]. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams &Wilkins; 2002

5.1.7 Journal article published on the Internet

Abood S. Quality improvement initiative in nursing homes: the ANA acts in an advisory role. Am J Nurs [serial on Internet]. 2002 Jun [cited 2002 Aug 12]; 102(6): [about 3 p.). Available from: http://www.nursingworld.org/AJN/2002/june/Wawatch.htm 4. Web site: Cancer-Pain.org [homepage on internet]. New York: Association of Cancer Online Resources, Inc.; C2000-01 [updated 2002 May 16; cited 2002 Jul 9]. Available from: http://www.cancer-pain.org/6.

5.1.8 Comprehensive Databases/Retrieval Systems/Online Data Sets

Jablonski S. Síndromes de anomalías congénitas múltiples/retardo mental (MCA/MR) en línea [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): Biblioteca Nacional de Medicina (EE. UU.), Sección de encabezamientos de temas médicos; abril de 2001 [actualizado el 20 de noviembre de 2001; citado el 31 de enero de 2007]. Disponible en: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/archive//20061212/mesh/jablonski/syndrome_db.htm

6. Tables

Tables condense information by organizing data into columns and rows, facilitating its description and reading. The format they must follow is:

1. They must be presented immediately after the paragraph where they are cited.

2. They must be between two horizontal lines, one at the top and one at the bottom; vertical and horizontal lines separating cells are not allowed.

3. Each table is identified with a self-explanatory title indicating what information it provides, approximately 10 words at the top and consecutive numbering.

4. If abbreviations are included, their meaning must be detailed at the bottom of the table.

7. Figures and Photographs

Any illustrative material such as photographs, data graphics, and diagrams is considered as such.

• They must be presented immediately after the paragraph where they are cited.
• Each one will be in a separate file in JPG format with a resolution of 300 dpi.
• Regarding graphics, these should be sent with their original table in Excel format.
• Each figure/photograph should have a title of approximately 10 words, located at the bottom of the figure, and consecutive numbering.
• Only when necessary, a brief explanation of the content and/or details of abbreviations or marks used may follow the title.
• In the case of patient photographs, they must be correctly anonymized and a statement from the authors indicating that the patient's consent was obtained for publication must be provided.
• If illustrations or tables from another publication are used in a manuscript, the authors must have the corresponding authorization and attach it to the submitted manuscript.

We suggest following:

Equator Network Guidelines: http://www.equator-network.org ICMJE Recommendations: https://www.icmje.org/recommendations/

Last updated: September 2024