Submissions

Author Guidelines

Undertaking by Authors

MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION

PREPARATION OF MANUSCRIPT

The main document with the text and tables of the manuscript should be prepared in Microsoft word and must conform to acceptable English usage. The manuscript prepared double space with a 0.5-inch margin on both sides and a 1-inch margin at the bottom and top. Alignment justified throughout; continuous line number page number should be added at bottom right corner.

The arrangement of the section is as follows title page, abstract, main text, methodology, units’ measurements, tables, illustration, result, discussion/conclusion, acknowledgments, author contribution, conflict of interest, and references, the author should be limited to a minimum. The

abbreviation is not to be used in titles. Abstracts may contain abbreviations for terms mentioned many times in the time it is used. Do not start a sentence with a number. Description of a gene or related structures in a manuscript should include the names and official symbols provided by the US national center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI).

The journal will accept: Original Articles, Review Articles, Case Reports, Short Communications, Case Studies, Letters to the Editor, Commentary, Knowledge, Attitude, Practice (KAP) studies, survey reports, and cross-sectional studies.

GENERAL GUIDELINES

A: TITLE PAGE:

General information about an article and its authors is presented on a manuscript title page and usually includes the article title, author information, any disclaimers, sources of support, word count, and sometimes the number of tables and figures.

A.1: Article title: The title provides a description of the complete article and should include information that, along with the abstract, will make electronic retrieval of the article sensitive and specific. Electronic submission systems may restrict the number of characters in the title.

A.2: Author information: Each author's highest academic degree should be listed. The name of the department(s) and institution(s) or organizations where the work should be attributed should be specified. Electronic submission systems require that authors provide full contact information, including land mail and e-mail addresses, but the title page should list the corresponding authors' telephone and e-mail addresses.

A.3: Disclaimers: An example of a disclaimer is an author's statement that the views expressed in the submitted article are his or her own and not an official position of the institution or funder.

A.4: Source(s) of support: These include grants, equipment, drugs, and/or other support that facilitated the conduct of the work described in the article or the writing of the article itself.

A.5: Word count. A word count for the paper's text, excluding its abstract, acknowledgments, tables, figure legends, and references, allows editors and reviewers to assess whether the information contained in the paper warrants the paper's length and whether the submitted manuscript fits within the journal's formats and word limits. A separate word count for the abstract is useful for the same reason.

B: ABSTRACT

A structured abstract of up to 250 words and 3-7 relevant keywords are required for the following articles categories: Original articles, Narrative Reviews, Systematic Reviews, and Meta-analysis.

Abstracts for Case Reports and Short Communication should be unstructured (200 words), an abstract should state the purpose, duration, location, basic procedure, main findings, and conclusion of the study. The abstract should not contain abbreviations or references.

Abstract for an original article, Systemic Review, and Meta-analysis should be in a structured format with the following subheadings:

B.1: Objective: Briefly explain the importance of the study topic and state a precise study question/purpose/objective.

B.2: Materials and methods: Briefly introduce the methods used to perform the study, including information on study design, setting, subjects, interventions, outcome measures, and analysis as appropriate.

B.3: Results: Briefly present the significant results, with data and statistical details, be sure that the information in the abstract matches that in the main text.

B.4: Conclusion: State the meaning of your findings, be careful to address the study question directly, and confine your conclusion to aspects covered in the abstract, give equal emphasis to positive and negative findings.5

B.5: Keywords: should be ideally taken from the Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) list of Index Medicus.

C: MAIN TEXT

The main text of Original Articles, Systematic Reviews, Meta-analysis, and Short Communication should be organized into the following sections: Introduction, Materials, and Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusions. Present a background of the case including the known facts about disease presentation, diagnosis, management, and side effects of treatment relevant to the study. The background and essential research questions should be laid out, clearly with detailed relevant references to the published literature. The original article should be according to STROBE guidelines. The Systematic Review and Meta-analysis must follow the PRISMA guidelines.

Moreover, the author can use a subheading for clarification and ease of reading.

The Case Reports / Case Series should be presented with Introduction, Case Presentation, Discussion, Conclusion, Acknowledgment, Conflict of interest. Ethical statements, supplementary materials (if any), Authors Contribution, References, Tables, and Figures (each table and picture complete with title and endnote) should be added at the bottom. For all article categories, each section should begin on a new page.

D: ABBREVIATION

Use only standard abbreviations; the use of nonstandard abbreviations can be confusing to readers. Avoid abbreviations in the title of the manuscript. The spelled-out abbreviation followed by the abbreviation in parenthesis should be used on the first mention unless the abbreviation is a standard unit of measurement. Ensure that an abbreviation so defined does appear later in the text (excluding in figure/tables), otherwise, it should be deleted.

E: MATERIALS AND METHODS

The guiding principle of the methods section should be clarified about how and why a study was done in a particular way. The method section should aim to be sufficiently detailed such that others with access to the data would be able to reproduce the results. In general, the study design, duration, place, and sampling methods should be mentioned.

The selection of the observational or experimental subjects (patients or experimental animals, including controls) should be described clearly. The methods and the apparatus used should be identified (with the manufacturer's name and address in parentheses), and procedures are described in sufficient detail to allow other workers to reproduce the results. References to established methods should be given, including statistical methods. For statistical analysis, the

specific test used should be named.

The methods section should include a statement indicating that the research was approved by an independent local, regional, or national review body (e.g., ethics committee, institutional review board). If doubt exists whether the research was conducted following the Helsinki Declaration, the authors must explain the rationale for their approach and demonstrate that the local, regional or national review body explicitly approved the doubtful aspects of the study.

F: TABLES

Tables capture information concisely and display it efficiently; they also provide information at any desired level of detail and precision. Including data in tables rather than text frequently makes it possible to reduce the length of the text.

Data should be placed clearly and concisely and do not repeat the results stated in tables in the text. Tables should be numbered consecutively and cited in the results. Arabic numerals should be used. If any data or table has been included from a published article, the source should be given. The tables should be placed at the end of the manuscript, not scattered throughout the manuscript.

The tables should be designed on MS Word or MS Excel. They should be supplied as editable files, not pasted as images. The title should be short and explanatory and written on top of the table. All abbreviations must be defined in footnotes.

G: ILLUSTRATIONS (FIGURES)

Digital images of manuscript illustrations should be submitted in a suitable format for print publication. Most submission systems have detailed instructions on the quality of images and check them after manuscript upload. Figures and pictures should begin with the term figure followed by figure number (e.g., Figure 6). Although authors are encouraged to send the highest-quality figures possible, for peer-review purposes, a wide variety of formats, sizes, and resolutions are accepted. Figures and pictures should clarify and augment the text. For x-ray films, scans, and other diagnostic images, pictures of pathology specimens, or photomicrographs, high-resolution photographic image files are recommended. Place all the figures at the end of the manuscript, and not scattered throughout the manuscript. Titles should be placed below the figure.

In the manuscript, legends for illustrations should be on a separate page, with Arabic numerals corresponding to the illustrations. When symbols, arrows, numbers, or letters are used to identify parts of the illustrations, identify and explain each one clearly in the legend.5

H: RESULT

These should be presented in a logical sequence in the text, tables, and illustrations. All the data in the tables or illustrations should not be repeated in the text; only important observations should be emphasized or summarized with the due statement of demographic details.

Extra or supplementary materials and technical details can be placed in an appendix where they will be accessible but will not interrupt the flow of the text, or they can be published solely in the electronic version of the journal. Give numeric results not only as derivatives (for example, percentages) but also as the absolute numbers from which the derivatives were calculated.

Separate reporting of data by demographic variables, such as age and sex, facilitate the pooling of data for subgroups across studies and should be routine unless there are compelling reasons not to stratify reporting, which should be explained.

I: DISCUSSION

The discussion should begin with a summary of the main results. These are then discussed with the results of other published studies. Any new findings of the research should be emphasized and the relevance should be stated. These can be used for future research or clinical practice. Details of methodology or introduction should not be included in the discussion. Do not repeat in detail data or other information given in other parts of the manuscript, such as in the introduction or the results section. Limitations of the study should be stated at the end of the discussion in a separate paragraph.

J: AUTHORS CONTRIBUTION

The individual contribution of all the authors to the work described in the manuscript will be published with the Manuscript. Once the manuscript is submitted, the order of authors cannot be changed without written consent from all the authors.

All contributors who do not meet the criteria for authorship should be listed in the acknowledgments section.

K: ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This section acknowledges anyone who contributed towards the study by making contributions like arranging for funds, general supervision or contribution of materials essential for the study, or technical assistance. Authors must obtain permission from all persons mentioned in this section to acknowledge them.

If text and/or figures are being reprinted with the permission of an author or publisher, acknowledge them in this section.

L: UNITS OF MEASUREMENT

Measurements of length, height, weight, and volume should be reported in metric units (meter, kilogram, or liter) or their decimal multiples.

Temperatures should be in degrees Celsius. Blood pressures should be in millimeters of mercury unless other units are specifically required by the journal.

Journals vary in the units they use for reporting hematologic, clinical chemistry, and other measurements. Authors must consult the Information for authors of the particular journal and should report laboratory information in both local and international systems of Units (SI).

Editors may request that authors add alternative or non-SI units since SI units are not universally used. Drug concentrations may be reported in either SI or mass units, but the alternative should be provided in parentheses where appropriate.

M: CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The reviewer should point out if they consider any conflict of interest or authors need to make any disclosure, associations that might be construed as a conflict of interest authors must disclose any conflict of interest.

All funding sources supporting the work, and institutional affiliation of the author (s), should be acknowledged here. If there are no conflicts of interest, authors should still include this heading and write “No to declare.” or “Authors reports no conflict of interest”.

N: REFERENCE

References should adhere strictly to the Vancouver Style. Each reference must be assigned a sequential numerical superscript in the text and subsequently arranged in the reference section in the corresponding numerical order.

Few examples of references listed in the Vancouver Style can be seen below.

Journal Reference Smith, J.A., Johnson, R.W., Williams, L.M. The attitude of dental students toward COVID-19 pandemic. Altamash Journal of Dentistry and Medicine, or Altamash J Dent Med 2022; 10(3): 245-252.

DOI: 10.1234/ajdm.2022.123456789.

Book Reference:5

Alnasir SD. Dental impression techniques in fixed prosthodontics. ed. 2nd, London: SAGE; 2006.

Book Chapter Reference

Johnson, L.M., Anderson, B.E. "Renal, Hepatic, and Pancreatic Physiology." In: Thompson EC, Davis MJ, Jenkins PS, Williams QL, Turner A, Eds. Surgical

Physiology: Fundamentals and Clinical Practice. 10th ed.

Chicago; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2018: p.211-44.

URL (WebPage):

Necrotizing Periodontitis, Adult. Universiti Sains Malaysia, College of Dentistry, Department of

Periodontology and vision sciences.

http://disorders.gingiva.USM.edu/gingiva/necrotizinf

periodontitis adult. (Accessed on 8/14/2022).

E-citations

When citing articles or materials published exclusively online or in open access, it is essential to include accurate web addresses (URLs) at the end of the references, unless the source is posted on an author's website, in which case URLs are included only if editorially essential.

Radiographic depiction of dental caries [Online]. Accessible at: https://367ADA.com/caries/766 [Accessed 01 December 2022].

Some important points to remember

All references must be complete and accurate. Authors should provide direct references to original research sources whenever possible. References should not be used by authors, editors, or peer reviewers to promote self-interests. The list must be numbered serially in the order in which the references appear in the text and typed double-spaced on separate sheets. References shall be latest (preferably last 5 years) local and international, The journal follows the Vancouver (now known as ICMJE) style of referencing.

• In the text, references should be cited using superscript Arabic numerals in the order in which they appear (the actual authors can be referred to, but the references number(s) must always be given).

• If you wish to cite two or more references together, place a comma between the numbers.

• Vancouver Style does not use full journal name, only the commonly used abbreviation. journal-title abbreviations should be those used by U.S National Library Medicine. If you are uncertain about the correct abbreviation for the journal title.

• Journal abbreviations must follow the style used in Cumulated index Medicos. Book references shall include, in the following order: names of the first 6 authors, chapter title, editor (s) book title, volume (if any), edition (if any), city, publisher, year, and pages of citation (if any).

• Book title, chapter, section title, and article capitalize the first letter of the first, proper noun, proper adjectives, and acronyms.

• List all authors. Up to six authors allowed, for more than six authors, please include a advocate letter with the manuscript.

• Self-citation should be avoided.

O: AUTHORSHIP

Authorship should be given based on

1) Author contributions to conception and design, or acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data;

2) Drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content; and

3) Final approval of the version to be published. All contributors who do not meet the criteria for authorship should be covered in the acknowledgment section.

ARTICLE CATEGORIES

The type of manuscript accepted for publication in AJDM includes.

A: ORIGINAL ARTICLE:

• A manuscript will be considered in the original article category if it is a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) or an Observational Study. RCT should be registered with International RCT Registry (Trial Registration Number mandatory).

• The cross-sectional/case-control studies should be according to the STROBE guidelines.

• The trial/experimental clinical should be according to CONSORT guidelines.

• Retrospective studies with an adequate sample size supported by appropriate advance statistical analysis may also be considered in this category.

• The original paper should be of up to 2000 words excluding abstract and references. It should contain a structured abstract of up to 250 words.

• The keywords should include the terms not used in the title

• There should be no more than three tables or illustrations.5

• The data should be supported by sufficient numbers and relevant references up to 20 or 25 references, which should include local as well as international references. Maximum references should be from the last five years from the date of submission.

B: SYSTEMATIC REVIEW:

• A structured abstract of 200 words, including the details for background, objectives, methodology with PRISMA guidelines, results, conclusion, and keywords.

• Rest areas should be written focusing on the Introduction, methodology based upon all recommended details of PRISMA guidelines https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge core/content/view/S1443964600002217 results, discussion, conclusion, limitations, and recommendations.

• The latest references should be written in

Vancouver style.

• Maximum of 75 references
• Section headings of the main text should be the

same as original articles.

C: CASE REPORT/CASE SERIES

• Unstructured abstract: Not more than 200 words.
• Case\case series should be according to CARE

guidelines.

• Keywords up to 4.
• Maximum word count: 1500-1700.
• Maximum 15 references (Case Series).
• Maximum 10 references (Case report).
• Up to 3 tables and or figures shall be accepted.

D: SHORT COMMUNICATION:

• Should have a maximum of 1200 words including non-structured abstract of 150-200 words with 3-4 keywords.
• Maximum 2 table or figure.
• Maximum of 10-20 references.
• Communication regarding a research study should be written in plain text (without heading) but containing a brief Introduction, Methods, results, and discussion in separate paragraphs and references (up to 10).

• Short communication regarding some topic review should comprise of non-structured abstract, Introduction, Methods, Search results, Discussion, and references, maximum 20.

E: LETTER TO THE EDITORS

• Abstract and Keywords: Not required
• Maximum word count of text: 500 words
• Maximum of 5 recent references
• Maximum 1 allowed table or figure
• Should not be signed by more than 3 authors
• Preferably, no section heading is required in the main text, however, state acknowledgement (if any), disclaimer, conflict of interest, ethical statement, and authors contribution before the references.

• Letter to the Editor may be edited for clarity or length and may be subject to Peer review at the Editors discretion.

F: COMMENTARY

The submission should adhere to a maximum length of 10 manuscript pages. A succinct and well-constructed commentary spanning four to six pages is recommended, as it is more likely to be favorably received compared to a lengthy and unfocused 10-page counterpart.

• The author is requested not to summarize the focal article and to just give the reference. They need to assume the reader has just read it and move directly to identifying the key issues you want to raise.
• They should not include general praise for the focal article.
• They should use only essential citations. For commentary purposes, cite only works absolutely essential to support your point.
• A short title that emphasizes your key message should be used. (It should be clear in context that all commentaries are a reaction to a particular paper).
• They may include a non structured abstract.
• They need to make clear your take-home message.
• Preferably, section headings are required in the main text, However, the authors team may mention acknowledgment (s) (if any), disclaimer, conflict of interest and authors contribution (s) before the references.
• They need to make sure there is full author information (name, affiliation, address, phone, email) for all authors.

Publication Misconduct

• When potential publication misconduct is detected, the journal contacts the corresponding author and asks for an explanation based on the evidence.

• If the authors do not respond or their explanation isn't enough, the journal takes steps including rejecting the manuscript (if unpublished) or retracting it (if published).

• Journal retractions are announced in both print and online versions of the journal. Authors involved are blacklisted, meaning they can't submit future manuscripts to the journal.

• To combat plagiarism and other unethical publishing practices, including fabrication, falsification, salami slicing, duplicate submission, redundant publication, multiple submission, and misleading reporting or referencing, we will be adopting strict measures.

Permission for Re-Publication

• A permission letter, obtained from both author(s) and editor of the original (previous) publication, is mandatory for including previously published tables, illustrations, or photographs in your current work.

• Written authorization to reproduce photographs of patients, where their identity is not concealed, must accompany the manuscript. In the absence of such permission, the eyes of the individuals should be obscured. If a medication is referenced, it is essential to use the generic name; however, the commercial name may be mentioned within brackets only if deemed necessary.

• A conflict of interest declaration is required from authors, revealing any financial relationships with the producers of referenced medicines, devices, or materials.

• Declare any other potential conflicts of interest beyond financial ties. Interventional studies require ethical approval from your Institutional Ethical and Research Committee before submission.

• Authors of interventional studies must thoroughly discuss ethical concerns related to the intervention itself, any additional testing costs, and particularly the management of control groups in case-control comparison trials. Additionally, researchers affiliated with multiple institutions need to provide letters of permission from the relevant ethics boards or institute heads as proof of affiliation.