Guidelines for Editing Biomedical Journals: Recommended by Academy of Medical Sciences of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Izet Masic; Slobodan M Jankovic; Asim Kurjak; Doncho M Donev; Muharem Zildzic; Osman Sinanovic; Izet Hozo; Snjezana Milicevic; Sefik Hasukic; Emir Mujanovic; Kenan Arnautovic; Senaid Trnacevic; Enisa Mesic; Mirza Biscevic; Mustafa Sefic; Vjekoslav Gerc; Abdulah Kucukalic; Zlatko Hrgovic; Jacob Bergsland; Mirko Grujic

doi:10.5455/aim.2020.28.232-236

Guidelines for Editing Biomedical Journals: Recommended by Academy of Medical Sciences of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Acta Inform Med. 2020 Dec;28(4):232-236. doi: 10.5455/aim.2020.28.232-236.

Authors

Izet Masic^{1

2

3}, Slobodan M Jankovic^{1

4}, Asim Kurjak^{1

2

5

6

7}, Doncho M Donev^{1

5

8}, Muharem Zildzic¹, Osman Sinanovic^{1

7}, Izet Hozo^{1

9}, Snjezana Milicevic^{1

10}, Sefik Hasukic^{1

11}, Emir Mujanovic^{1

12}, Kenan Arnautovic^{1

13}, Senaid Trnacevic^{1

14}, Enisa Mesic^{1

14}, Mirza Biscevic^{1

15}, Mustafa Sefic¹, Vjekoslav Gerc¹, Abdulah Kucukalic¹, Zlatko Hrgovic¹, Jacob Bergsland^{1

16}, Mirko Grujic¹

Affiliations

¹ Academy of Medical Sciences of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
² World Academy of Art and Science, Washington, USA.
³ International Academy of Health Science Informatics, Geneva, Switzerland.
⁴ Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia.
⁵ European Academy of Sciences and Arts, Salzburg, Austria.
⁶ International Academy of Perinatal medicine, Zagreb, Croatia.
⁷ Sarajevo School of Science and Technology, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
⁸ Faculty of Medicine, Ss Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje, R.N. Macedonia.
⁹ Faculty of Medicine, University of Split, Split, Croatia.
¹⁰ Faculty of Medicine, University of Banja Luka, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
¹¹ Department of Surgery, University Clinical Center Tuzla, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
¹² Medical center Bayer, Tuzla, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
¹³ Semmes Murphey Leaders in Brain and Spine Care, Memphis, Tennessee, USA.
¹⁴ University Clinical Center Tuzla, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
¹⁵ General Hospital "Prim. Dr. Abdulah Nakas", Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
¹⁶ University Hospital Oslo, Oslo, Norway.

Abstract

Background: Enormous number of medical journals published around the globe requires standardization of editing practice.

Objective: The aim of this article was to enlist main principles of editing biomedical scientific journals adopted at annual meeting of Academy of Medical Sciences of Bosnia & Herzegovina (AMSB&H).

Methods: The evidence for writing this Guideline was systematically searched for during September 2020 in the PUBMED and GOOGLE SCHOLAR databases. The inclusion criteria were: original studies, systematic reviews, invited expert opinions, guidelines and editorials. The exclusion criteria were narrative reviews and uninvited opinion articles. The retrieved evidence was analyzed by members of the AMSB&H, then discussed at 2020 annual meeting of the AMSB&H and adopted by nominal group technique.

Results: In total 14 recommendations were made, based on A to C class of evidence. The editors should educate potential authors and instruct them how to structure their manuscript, how to write every segment of the manuscript, and take care about correct use of statistical tests. Plagiarism detection softwares should be used regularly, and statistical and technical editing should be rigorous and thorough. International standards of reporting specific types of studies should be followed, and principles of ethical and responsible behavior of editors, reviewers and authors should be published on the journal's web site. The editors should insist on registration of clinical studies before submission, and check whether non-essential personal information is removed from the articles; when essential personal information has to be included, an article should not be published without signed informed consent by the patient to whom these information relate.

Conclusions: Principles of editing biomedical scientific journals recommended in this guideline should serve as one of the means of improving medical journals' quality.

Keywords: editing; evidence-based; medical journals; recommendations.

© 2020 Izet Masic, Slobodan M. Jankovic, Asim Kurjak, Doncho M. Donev, Muharem Zildzic, Osman Sinanovic, Izet Hozo, Snjezana Milicevic, Sefik Hasukic, Emir Mujanovic, Kenan Arnautovic, Senaid Trnacevic, Enisa Mesic, Mirza Biscevic, Mustafa Sefic, Vjekoslav Gerc, Abdulah Kucukalic, Zlatko Hrgovic, Jacob Bergsland, Mirko Grujic.

Publication types

Editorial