ISSN 1029-3019
versión online

INSTRUCTIONS TO THE AUTHORS

• Scope and editorial policy
• Methodology and preparation of manuscripts
• Sending of manuscripts

PUBLICATION POLICY OF MEDISAN

INTRODUCTION

Medisan is a fundamental tool for the development of Medicine in Santiago de Cuba territory and is a mean for disseminating and accessing to information in our province, which intensively uses the network to support the fulfilment of its mission. This implies the achievement of the widest dissemination of information and knowledge, and to promote collaboration, integration and collective work between all institutions conforming it.  

Purpose

The publication policy of MEDISAN comprises all health professionals (or those linked to the health branch); from the country, specially those belonging to Santiago de Cuba province who need either to communicate the results of their scientific productions or to accede to it in order to manage information, new knowledge, to collaborate, to update or establish relations whenever they fulfil the present instructions of the author and his works are approved by arbiters (peers evaluation) who are designed for evaluation and approval after they are discussed by the Publications Commission, headed by the Director of the CPICM (Provincial Information Center of Medical Sciences), the Academic Editor and the Production Editor. 

Principles  

1. Institutional Responsibility

a. Declaration When information about the health sector is published (its activities, missions, organizations, publications, and so on) in Medisan, for public access, there must be a clear responsibility for that content.

b. Reason Medisan is a serial publication from the Republic of Cuba, which is in charge of the visibility of the scientific production in the territory, that is why, any information being published must always have an institutional and professional support in correspondence to that mission.

c. Implications Documents, images, videos or any other resource being published in the journal, representing any entity from the territory, whenever possible, should be accompanied by an identification of the organization, person or of the responsible of that entity and of the published information.

The content of what is published in Medisan on any institution from our province, should have clear information on the mission of the entity, its social object, the persons to contact responsible for the contents of that service, so that the responsibility for what has been published is clear.

2. Support, Validity and maintenance of information and services

a. Declaration It is important that the published information by users and institutions in Medisan, is adequately supported, maintained and validated by the responsible institution.

b. Reason The Management Staff from each of the institution or from other countries must assure the integrity and authenticity of the information published in Medisan, so that the information of its organization is adequately represented to fulfil the present policies and regulations. The responsibility with the published information is independent from the growing flexibility of the mean and it must not be an impediment for its intensive and creative use.

c. Implications To guarantee this principle, the staff must be aware, so that its social object must be fulfilled, and use the institutional spaces to organize the publication. The existence more flexible and single tools, to facilitate the publication process, is neither in contradiction with the delimitation of the institutional responsibility on what is published nor with the fulfilment of the existing regulations in this field. This presumes the importance of having clearly delimited the institutional publications, although the publication of documents has an individual responsibility, what must be explicitly remarked. All document must have its source, authors and publication date written down.  

3. Public character of information

a. Declaration All information published in Medisan has public character, and is a responsibility of those who publish, to make regulations on recent public information in the country be fulfil.

b. Reason There are very precise regulations on the management of state information, which establish how its management should be, they back the present legislation and should be respected by all institutions. The use of the network is under the control of these same regulations.

c. Implications Only that information which is public for all institutions and organizations using it may appear in the network. Institutions are responsible for the fulfilment of this principle and should establish the procedures guaranteeing its fulfilment.

4. All scientific productions of the health researchers from the national territory following the requirements to be published will be accepted according to present instructions to the authors (see attachment), which will be evaluated by pairs designed by the Director of the CPICM (Provincial Information Centre of Medical Sciences), or the Editor who will review all the approved works together with the production editor from the institution.

5. Twenty works will be selected according to the journal interests.

6. The journal will not be in charge of congress serial works, symposiums, workshops, events or other scientific activities as its main task is to heterogeneously make possible, highlight and to become multidiscipline the scientific and investigative tasks of the health professional from the territory.

7. Medisan will give technical, scientific and professional advices to all the interested staff, including postgraduate courses, trainings, workshops, conferences and other activities related to this one.

8. Medisan´s director together with the editors and the publications commission will decide the diversity and the works of scientific interest to be published, respecting the mission and editorial policy of the journal, and informing the main authors in due time about the decisions taken on this respect.

9. All scientific work presented to be published will be analyzed by Medisan Managing Editor and the members of the publication commission. Arbiters will program the deadlines for their suggestions and will hand in to the managing editor their results.

Deadlines:

- Review by arbiters ………………………...........15 days

- Review by the managing editor …………......... 1  week

- Analysis by the publications commission ....... 1 day 

10. The head of the Provincial Information Center of Medical Sciences will guarantee that the issues of the journal are disposable in the province Web site and Infomed in the established deadlines and periodicity (the first day of the month in which the journal should be published , with 12 issues: from January to December).

11. The leading commission of the journal is not responsible for the veracity or conflicts of any kind which may be derived from the content of the published scientific works.

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS TO AUTHORS FOR PUBLISHING IN MEDISAN

For publishing in Medisan the author should send the work through the Open Journal System Platform, which is in Santiago Health Web site: http://instituciones.sld.cu/infomedscu/

The publication norms of scientific papers will be adjusted to those dictated by the International Committee of Editors for Medical Journals (CIERM), according to what Vancouver norms.

The following types of publications may be proposed:

1. Editorial

2. Original papers (IMRYD)

3. Experimental notes or brief communication

4. Clinical notes

5. Review works

6. Letters to the editor

7. News

Other sections may be: Clinical conference (Pathological or epidemiological conference), Book review, Comments, Statistics, Obituary, History, Arts and Medicine, Foreign cooperation, Anecdotes, as well as special variety of original works: Random controlled Assay, Multiple Centers Study, etc.

Works should present the following order:

I. Title (from 15 to 20 words maximum), Author(s), Institution(s), Address (that of the author`s institution), and academic notes not bureaucratic (scientific degree and teaching category). Management and administration responsibilities are excluded.

II. Abstract (from 100 to 150 words, according to the type)

III. Text: They should be ordered according to these 4 independent items in original works:

1. Introduction

2. Methods

3. Results

4. Discussion

IV. Gratefulness, if any.

V. Literature cited: journal citation: 75% from the last 5 years, books: the same percentage from the last 5 to 7 years.

THE FOLLOWING SECTIONS ARE PREFERABLY RECOMMENDED:

1. EDITORIAL: A declaration of opinions, believes, and policies from the editor or director of the journal, on matters of medical or scientific interest. Works expressing opinions or containing an updating on a certain scientific topic, written by the director, secretary of the journal or invited professor. It should avoid containing anniversaries, congresses or prizes.

Length: 2 pages. Just an author with the support of bibliographic references.

2. ORIGINAL WORKS: They describe the original results of the investigation. Preferably prospective works from clinical or experimental investigations and other original contributions on etiology, pathophysiology, pathology, epidemiology, and diagnosis and treatment methods. They must constitute a significant contribution in the investigation field.

Length: 8 to 10 pages, including tables and figures.

Number of authors: Up to 5 (if the number is higher, the contribution of each of them will be clarified by writting, but just in exceptional cases).

Number of tables and figures: 5 in a word

Literature cited: Up to 20

3. EXPERIMENTAL NOTES OR BRIEF COMMUNICATION: They should be well argumented and presented with the definite or preliminary results from the investigation: advances on diagnosis techniques or treatment or other observation interesting enough, justifying its faster publication. They should contain: objectives, methods, precise results, and an excellent discussion. They are also considered “short works”.

Text length: Up to 6 pages

Number of tables and figures: Up to 3

Literature cited: Up to 10

Number of authors: Up to 3

4. CLINICAL NOTES

Description of one or more case reports of exceptional observation or some new aspect of a previously known disease or syndrome, which constitute a contribution of particular interest to the knowledge of the topic or the process described. Their structure is as follows: Introduction, Cases Reports and Comments.

Text length: 4 pages  
 
Tables and figures: 3  
 
Literature cited: 10  

5. REVIEW ARTICLES

A published material, which collects, analyzes and summarizes the current state of the research on a particular topic. The author must indicate the purpose of the review and sources and methods of searching for references as well. Reviews can be large or small in scope whenever they are current. Basic structure:

1. Abstract  
 
2. Introduction  
 
3. Body  
 
4. Conclusions  
 
5. Literature cited (25 to 50)  
 
Length:12  to 15 pages  
 
Tables and figures: up to 5 

Authors: 4

6. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

For comments or objections related to articles published in the journal.  Report of an advance or preliminary finding of unconcluded research in short text. This section intends to allow a lively exchange of knowledge and experiences in quality among the readers of the journal.

Maximum length: 2 pages  
 
Authors: 1 or 2  

Literature cited: 10

7. NEWS  

Reports and news of the societies. Announcements of scientific events. Reports and memories on conferences, courses, meetings and conventions. Announcements of awards and scholarships.

8. REFLECTION AND DEBATE

Abstract: 80 to 100 words

Introduction: 1 page

Title of the topic

Final Considerations

Literature cited: up to 10, although they may be more

Length : 4 - 8 pages

Authors: up to 3

MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION OF ORIGINAL PAPERS AND EXPERIMENTAL NOTES

I.A) TITLE: It is one of the most important parts of the paper as it will be read by hundreds or thousands of people. Must be chosen carefully to be brief, clear, attractive and encodable. Do not exceed 15 or 20 words. Do not use subtitles, abbreviations, acronyms jargons, and should be ordered from the general to the particular, capable of expressing the content of the text and of being recorded in the national and international levels. Avoid superfluous words in the title, namely "Study on.. ", "Research on.. ". "Analysis of the results... ", etc.  
 
B) AUTHORS: Full name of all authors with their academic (no bureaucratic) and scientific degree.  Name and institutional or personal address of the author to whom correspondence should be sent and e-mail (if available).  
 
C) INSTITUTION: Name of the centers where the work was carried out.  
 
II ABSTRACT: It will be concise (100 to 150 words) according to the type. Should include objective (which were the main problem that motivated the work and the purpose of the study), methods (how the work was carried out), results (which were the main  findings) and conclusions (which were the most important conclusions). Should not include abbreviations or references and the content must be intelligible without having recourse to any other text, tables or figures.  
 
III.TEXT. The fundamental prerequisite is that the technical and scientific writing should be understood from the first reading by the average reader who knows the general discipline, but who is not a specialist on the specific topic of the research. The text include 4 separate epigraphs.  
 
a) INTRODUCTION. State briefly and concisely the problem, with analysis of its background; establish clearly the purpose of the study and the hypothesis is being tested, and do not include results or conclusions of the work is being reported.  
 
b) METHODS. This part should be written very clearly. Provide the required information so that another researcher can repeat the study, describe the general design of the research and define the universe and sample, as well as techniques and methods applied, variables and terms, and statistical analysis, but also indicate the materials and equipment used with their brand and model. In reference to drugs the generic name will be used. In chemicals if the trade name is used, it will be written in parentheses, preceded by the generic name. If drugs are administered, specify dose and routes  
 
If necessary, the statistical method used and the reasons for its choice will be mentioned. If it is usual procedures, references will be only cited; if no well-known published methods, a brief description will be made and quotation will be restricted; if new or substantially modified methods, explain them concisely so that they can be reproduced.  
 
Avoid no technical use of statistical terms as randomly, normal, significant, correlation, sample, validity, etc.  
 
Ethical issues will be taken into account when required.  
 
c) RESULTS. The results inform, they do not interpret the observations. It is the shortest and essential part of the article as it represents the new knowledge that is being contributed.  
 
Data should be brief, clear, accurate and free of excessive words. Only mention the most important results, included the opposites to the hypothesis formulated. 
 
Text is the main and most efficient way to state the results, which must be presented in writing. A good text does not need tables and figures, which are only used to reinforce the information, not to duplicate it, so that it will go to them when their content cannot be explained clearly in the text.  
 
The only valid reason to include illustrative material is to improve the presentation of the scientific content.  
 
d) DISCUSSION. It tests intelligence, creativity, update, and ethics of the author. The discussion should refer to the new and important issues of the study and it is not designed to repeat the information provided in the introduction or the results, but to discuss it.  
 
Here the results presented within the context of the existing knowledge of the topic will be analyzed and their significance and limitations explained; the similarities and differences between this work and that of other authors will be identified and criteria given (coincident or not) so that the reader can reach appropriate conclusions.  
 
Conclusions should be brief, clear and precise. Propose new hypothesis when there is justification for them, but identifying them clearly as such  
 
Conclusions are included at the end of the discussion, preferably in paragraph form, and they are not an independent heading.  
 
The nexus of the conclusions with the objectives of the study will be established, but without making statements and inferences that are not fully supported by the data obtained in the research.  
 
e) ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. Persons or entities contributing decisively to the achievement of the work are mentioned. Mention persons that should be recognized, but whose participation does not justify their author condition.  
 
f) LITERATURE CITED (according to Cuban Adequacy of the Vancouver style) 
References will be listed and placed by order of appearance in the text. They allow to identify the original sources of review articles, therefore it should be selected only the important ones related to the paper and those published in journals or books. Neither personal communications nor unpublished works will be included; these will be mentioned in the text (in parentheses). In papers accepted by other journals that have not been published they will be added in parentheses (in press).  
 
Avoid using as references abstracts, theses from residents and other documents that are not accessible to the reader; they detract from the paper because they are non-recoverable material. In indispensable cases residents' or doctoral theses unpublished are recorded as footnotes or in parentheses in the text.  
 
The number of references will be limited to the minimum necessary for understanding the work.  
 
g) TABLES. They will be presented and identified consecutively with Arabic numerals, and mentioned in the text (not more than 3 by page).  
 
h) FIGURES. Pictures, graphics, drawings, and diagrams coming from computers, other representations and non linear formulas have consecutive Arabic numerals. Avoid repetitions among figures, tables and text, and use those strictly necessary.  
 
I) ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS. Must be preceded by the complete name the first time they appear in the text. Use both national and international ones.  
 
j) INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM OF UNITS (SI): All clinical laboratory results should be reported in SI units. If it is desirable to add traditional units, these are written in parentheses. 

Digital versions should be sent through the OJS platform http://www.medisan.sld.cu/index.php/san/index, in Infomed – Santiago  Web Site  http://instituciones.sld.cu/infomedscu/