|
Scope
and editorial policy
The journal has a broad publication profile and considers papers related
to basic biomedical sciences, clinical and pathological sciences, surgical
sciences, epidemiological and health sciences, technological sciences
related to human health, stomatology, nursing, human capital formation
for health, historical sciences and social sciences related to health,
as well as medical sciences and bibliometric and scientometric studies,
among other areas and disciplines, which are linked to health and health
services.
The article must conform to the standards established for the typologies
accepted by the journal, which are: original articles, short communications,
review articles, opinion articles, case presentations, letters to the
editor or letters from the editor, and editorials.
Manuscript form and preparation
Types of articles:
Editorial:
Scientific editorials: they provide a rigorous update or an interesting
point of view on a given topic.
Opinion editorials: they gather points of view or socio-scientific positions
of the scientific community on a certain topic of common interest to researchers
and health professionals.
Original
articles:
It is the article that is published for the first time and has the format,
abstract, introduction, method, results, discussion and bibliographical
references.
It is the highest priority paper for scientific publication in the Revista
Médica Electrónica.
Its length should not exceed 4,500 words, not including bibliographical
references or abstracts. It will have the following order: (1) front page,
(2) abstract and key words (both in the original language of the article
and in English), (3) introduction, ending with the objective, (4) methods,
(5) results, (6) discussion, (7) conclusions (which may be included as
the final paragraph of the discussion) and (8) bibliographical references.
Conduct observational studies using the Strengthening the Reporting of
Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement. Systematic review
articles or articles containing meta-analyses should be developed using
the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses
(PRISMA) statement format. For health economic evaluations use the CHEERS
guidelines, and for clinical trials use the CONSORT guidelines.
Introduction: it should be brief and provide only the necessary explanation
so that the reader can understand the development of the research and
the text of the article. It should provide the contextualization and background
of the problem to be addressed and the scientific problem that originates
the research. It must also contain sufficient elements to justify the
study, expressing its importance, benefits and value. It should not contain
tables or figures. It must include a last paragraph in which the objective
of the work is clearly stated.
Methods: they will express the context where the research has been carried
out, the period of duration, the classification adopted for the same,
the detailed description of its universe and of the selection and type
of sampling, the description of the criteria and justification for the
selection of the sample, as well as the inclusion, exclusion and elimination
criteria, if required. It should also mention the variables studied, the
study design, the mode of data collection and the techniques used, both
experimental - if it is a research of this type - and statistical. It
should also include the ethical aspects of the study. In general, sufficient
details should be provided so that the research can be replicated on the
basis of this information.
Provide references of accredited methods, including those of a statistical
nature (only when it is a method not widely known by the readers) and
briefly explain the methods already published, but which are not well
known. Describe new or substantially modified methods, stating the reasons
why they were used and evaluating their limitations. Accurately identify
the drugs and chemicals used, including generic names, doses and routes
of administration. It is unnecessary to express in the text if it was
processed in Word or that the tables and graphs were made in Excel or
other tabulator, nor it is necessary to write that tables and graphs were
used for better understanding.
When reporting on experiments on humans, laboratory animals or others,
indicate whether the procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical
standards of the committee (institutional or regional) that oversees human
experimentation or with the Declaration of Helsinki. State the approval
by any ethics committee and scientific board.
Results: this is the main section of the article. It should be written
in the past tense, using the impersonal (predominance of was found). They
describe, without interpretation, the observations made with the method
used. These data should be presented in the text with the complement of
tables and figures. It is not necessary to repeat in the text all the
data, only the elements of interest that will later be discussed, although
mention should be made of the corresponding number of the tables being
described. It is important that the comments on the results are presented
before the placement of tables, figures or images, keeping a logical sequence
of the text with them.
Discussion: the novel and relevant aspects of the study and the conclusions
derived from them are presented. The authors have to state their own opinions
on the subject. The following should be emphasized here: 1) the significance
and practical application of the results; 2) considerations on possible
inconsistency of the methodology (limitations of the study) and the reasons
why the results may be valid; 3) the relationship with similar publications
and comparison between areas of agreement and disagreement, 4) indications
and guidelines for future research. It should be avoided that the discussion
becomes a review of the topic and that concepts that have appeared in
the introduction are repeated. Neither should the results of the research
be repeated.
Conclusions: these are not obligatory, although they can be presented
as part of the discussion, at the end, and are only presented as a section
in the summary of the article. The conclusion(s) should be related to
the objective(s) of the study. On the other hand, they should not establish
priorities or draw premature conclusions from work still in progress.
They must have an adequate degree of generalization. They respond to the
objectives of the study and are in correspondence with the results and
discussion; the results are not repeated. Conclusions are presented as
part of the discussion, generally at the end, and are only presented as
a section in the abstract at the beginning of the article.
Bibliographical references: it is important that they are made on the
most updated bibliography on the subject in question; 60% or more of the
bibliography used should be from the last 5 years. The number of bibliographic
citations used should be between 15 and 25. They should be in superscript,
with superscript and after the punctuation mark.
Brief communication:
Short communications, also called "short articles", present
the partial, preliminary or definitive results of an investigation, advances
in diagnostic or treatment techniques or other observations of interest
that justify their publication more quickly. They are characterized by
including an abstract, introduction (where the objective is included),
methods, precise results, a well-argued discussion, conclusions and bibliographic
references.
Review article:
It is the article that refers to already published documents. Its basic
function is to compile, analyze and synthesize the current state of research
on a specific topic. It refers to material already published on a topic.
It can be extensive in terms of complexity and the time interval of the
researched material.
Its length shall not exceed 5,000 words, not including bibliographical
references, and shall not have more than three authors. This type of article
offers a critical evaluation of published works, since it compiles, analyzes
and synthesizes the current state of a given topic relevant to science.
The purpose of the review, sources and reference search methods should
be indicated.
The article should include: title, abstract, introduction, method, discussion,
conclusions and bibliographical references. Optionally, the paper may
include tables and figures. Review articles should be prepared with the
most updated bibliography of the subject being addressed and its access
in networks.
Introduction: it should present the brief and clear background with its
bibliographical basis, state the scientific problem that originates the
review and describe the objectives of the work.
Methods: include the criteria and justification for the selection of the
sources consulted, search engines used, databases and search strategies,
as well as the criteria used for the selection of the articles cited and
the period taken for the review. It does not require results, but the
discussion should be expanded as a secondary article.
Discussion: it is the exposition in accordance with the objectives of
the work. Figures and tables can be included to highlight relevant aspects
without repeating information. It will contain the interpretation of the
results indicated in the literature consulted: contrast the differences
and coincidences with the studies analyzed, critique the results of the
study in the light of the works published by other researchers, describe
the possible applicability and generalization of the results, include
new aspects to be considered (if necessary) and point out or highlight
the limitations or contributions of the review.
Conclusions: they respond to the objectives of the study. They must be
clear, concrete and pertinent.
Bibliographic references: the relevant national and international literature
on the subject should be represented, be well dimensioned (with superscript
and after the punctuation mark), and contain 60% of the last 5 years.
The number of bibliographic citations used should not be less than 20
or more than 30.
Opinion article:
This type of article is an opportunity for authors to express and argue
their opinions about a problem, fact or circumstance of scientific interest
in the field of medical sciences and public health. It may cover aspects
of health care, educational and research services, including promotion,
prevention, diagnosis, therapeutics, prognosis and other topics of clinical-epidemiological
and administrative interest. It may also include topics of pedagogy and
didactics in the field of education in the medical sciences, as well as
aspects of research development in its different ontological, epistemological
and methodological approaches, and the development and introduction of
technologies and products.
They are short papers, which must be written following the logical order
of introduction, development and conclusions -without separating the headings-,
and the bibliographical references (this section must be based on the
most updated bibliography on the subject in question; 60% or more of the
bibliography used must be from the last 5 years). The number of bibliographic
citations used should be between 10 and 15.
The introduction should contain the contextualization of the problem,
fact or characteristic that generates the opinion of the author(s), the
importance of the aspects on which the opinion is expressed, as well as
the justification for the article, closing this section with the objective
of the work. The development will be written in a concise but appropriate
way, exposing the main theoretical and empirical argumentation on the
aspects and issues that generate the issuance of the opinion of the author
or authors, according to the ideas presented and argued by them. Finally,
in the conclusions, the essential aspects that give an exit to the objective
are generalized. The author or authors must show power of analysis, synthesis
and induce reflection and debate.
Case presentations:
It is the article that describes one or more clinical cases of exceptional
observation, or a novel aspect of a previously known disease or syndrome,
which represents a contribution of special interest for the knowledge
of the subject or the process described. Before writing a case report
or presentation, it should be verified that it really has value as a publication.
These articles have the characteristic of discussing one or more cases
of interest, which is given by:
- Clinical syndrome or hereditary or congenital alteration, not previously
described.
- The case is known but its frequency is scarce, so there are problems
in its diagnosis.
- Identification of rare clinical manifestations.
- Use of new and more accurate diagnostic procedures than those referred
to above.
- Use of useful therapeutic procedures not previously described.
- Use of new drugs as published in the literature.
In its basic content, the Methods section is omitted and the results are
included in the presentation of the clinical case or cases.
They will have the following structure: introduction (including the objective);
presentation of the case (in chronological order, from the time the patient
was first treated until the outcome), discussion and bibliographical references
(between 10 and 15).
They will be short papers, with no more than 2500 words, not including
bibliographical references. They must have an unstructured abstract, with
a maximum of 250 words. Only three authors will be admitted.
All articles submitted to this section must comply with the CARE guidelines.
Authors interested
in submitting papers to the journal should register on the platform (http://revmedicaelectronica.sld.cu/)
as readers and authors. Thanks to the facilities provided by the Open
Journal Systems (OJS), authors will be able to upload submissions and
follow up on the different phases of the editorial process.
As part of the submission process, authors will fill in the metadata in
OJS and upload the main document and complementary documents to the journal.
All manuscripts must necessarily conform to the publication guidelines.
Otherwise, they may be rejected without peer review.
Once the submission is received, it will undergo an initial review, in
which the assigned editor will evaluate whether it responds to the thematic
profile of the journal, its relevance and adjustment to the publication
standards. The quality of the metadata and the functional ORCID identifier
(complete data of all authors) will also be taken into account, as well
as the presence of the complementary files (letter of authorization for
publication, letter of ethical principles and originality form).
Peer review
The editor, after approval of the proposal to initiate the editorial process,
will assign its review to a pair of referees, under one of the following
selected modalities, according to the authors' statement:
" Double blind: the evaluators ignore the identity of the authors
and vice versa.
" Open : the reviewers know the identity of the authors and vice
versa, being able to exchange with each other. This review will only be
done if the authors give their approval.
The refereeing of articles has two purposes: the first is to decide whether
or not to publish the evaluated article; and the second is to ensure that
an adequate scientific critique is carried out. The authors must evaluate,
in terms of recommendations, some opinions on the research results presented.
For this purpose, there are reviewers with experience in the different
specialties and topics, who will determine both the validity of the ideas
and results and their impact on the world of medical sciences.
After the article has been evaluated, the journal editor will send a communication
to the authors about the acceptance of the work for publication in the
journal.
Rejection decisions are final, and the author is free to submit the work
to the criteria of another publication.
Accepted papers may require clarifications during the editing process,
which will be requested directly by the Editor.
|
|
