Instructions to Authors

1. Aims and Scope:
The Fukushima Journal of Medical Science is the official peer-reviewed journal of the Fukushima Society of Medical Science, aiming to advance medical progress and development. The journal invites review articles, original articles, and case reports pertaining to clinical and surgical practice, basic and translational medical research, radiation disaster medicine, and other related topics in accord with editorial board consensus.

2. Submission of Papers:
All authors are requested to submit their original manuscript and figures digitally, in Microsoft Word format for text, and TIFF, JPEG, or PNG format for figures. Files must be submitted online via Editorial Manager®, with a cover letter to the Fukushima Journal of Medical Science, Fukushima Medical University Center for Academic Information Services, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima City, Fukushima, 960-1297, Japan. Tel: +81-24-547-1696, Fax: +81-24-547-1996. Authors must complete a Conflict-of-Interest Statement and a Certificate of Exclusive Submission at the time of submission of each manuscript.

3. Manuscript Preparation:
Manuscripts must be written in English, double-spaced with wide margins in A4 paper format, with page numbers included. High-quality English is required. The journal reserves the right to lightly edit manuscripts deemed worthy of publication. In such cases, the final, published text will differ from what was submitted. If the manuscript requires substantial editing, it may be rejected outright or conditionally accepted, pending native-level editing and re-submission. Manuscripts should comply with “Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly work in Medical Journals” as published by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). For any information that is not included in this instruction, authors should refer to the ICMJE Recommendations, which are available at www.icmje.org. The types of manuscripts accepted by the Fukushima Journal of Medical Sciences are: 1) Original Articles, 2) Review Articles, 3) Case Reports, 4) Brief Reports and 5) Meeting Reports.

Original articles:
Original articles should include the following sections: Abstract (approximately 200 words), Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, Acknowledgements, Conflict of Interest Disclosure (required), References, and Figure Legends. Original Articles should contain no more than 3,000 words of text, a maximum of 10 tables and/or figures and a maximum of 30 references.

1)Title page
The title page must include (1) the title, (2) the full names of all authors, (3) their institutions, (4) running head (not exceeding 45 characters including spaces), (5) keywords/phrases (5 or less), and (6) the mailing address of the corresponding author including telephone and FAX numbers and an e-mail address.

2)References
References should be formatted as shown in the examples below, citing the names of all authors when there are six or fewer; when seven or more, list the first three authors followed by et al:
1. Ohira H, Iwasaki M, Takiguchi J, et al. HLA-A2-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocyte activity during interferon beta therapy in patients with chronic1hepatitis C. Fukushima J Med Sci, 48:75-83, 2002.
2. Morimura Y, Watanabe T, Nishiyama H, Yamada H, Yanagida K, Sato A. Apoptosis of tumor cells and prediction of radiotherapy response in uterine cervical carcinoma. (in Japanese) Fukushima Med J, 53:21-29, 2003.
3. Mollison PL, Engelfriet CP, Contreras M. Immunology of leukocytes, platelets and plasma components. In: Blood Transfusion in Clinical Medicine. 10th ed. Blackwell Science, Oxford, 425-458, 1997.
4. McDougall IR, Cavalieri RR. In vivo radionuclide tests and imaging. In: Braverman LE, Utiger RD, eds. Werner & Ingbar’s the thyroid: a fundamental and clinical text. 8th ed. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, 355-375, 2000.

3)Figures and Tables
Figures should be clear, suitable for reproduction or reduction in size without retouching. Figures should be cited in the text and have figure legends. Acceptable formats are TIFF, JPEG, and PNG. Images must be supplied exactly as they are to be reproduced. Scales should be included in photographs, if necessary. Tables should be numbered serially and given suitable titles, with each table typed on a separate sheet. Footnotes to tables should be typed below each table. Figures and tables should be original works of the author(s) rather than reproductions or adaptations from other sources such as journals, textbooks, websites, etc. Any exceptions must be negotiated prior to peer review. In all cases, liability for plagiarism and violations of copyright or privacy rests entirely with the author(s).

4)Clinical trial Registry
Fukushima Journal of Medical Science requires that all clinical trials should be registered on public trial registries. If the trial is the subject of the manuscript, the registration number should be included.
Example 1: Registration ID: UMIN 0000112547
Example 2: Registration ID: NCT 0000112547

Review Articles:
Review Articles are considered from authors with respected scientific background and extensive knowledge of a particular field. Such authors may even be invited by the journal. Review Articles should describe, discuss, and evaluate the current level of knowledge of a topic relevant to medical practice, to guide future studies. Review Articles should include the following sections: Abstract (approximately 200 words), Introduction, Clinical Significance and Research Implications, Conclusion, Acknowledgements, Conflict of Interest Disclosure (required), References, and Figure Legends.

Case Reports:
Case reports should make a contribution to medical knowledge, must have educational value, and include 1) unexpected or unusual presentations of a disease, 2) unreported or unusual side effects or adverse interactions, 3) an unexpected association between diseases and/or symptoms, 4) findings that shed new light on the possible pathogenesis of a disease, etc. Case Reports should include the following sections: Abstract (approximately 200 words), Introduction, Case Report, Discussion, Acknowledgements, References, and Figure Legends. A typical case report should be no more than 1,500 words, excluding references, tables and figures. Up to 5 figures/tables are allowed. A single figure may include multiple panels.

Brief Reports:
A study that falls short of the criteria for full research papers may be submitted as a Brief Report. A Brief Report should include a Title, an Abstract (approximately 200 words), and a Description, with no more than 1,500 words of text, a maximum of two tables and/or figures (multi-panel figures allowed) and a maximum of 20 references.

Meeting Reports:
A Meeting Report should focus on the key developments presented and discussed at a recent academic meeting, rather than being a fully referenced accounts of a field. Meeting Reports should include a Title, an Abstract (approximately 200 words), and a Description section, and contain no more than 1,500 words of text, a maximum of two tables and/or figures (multi-panel figures allowed) and a maximum of 10 references (if necessary).

4. Peer Review:
Manuscripts submitted for papers or reports will be forwarded to at least two anonymous peer reviewers to be selected by the Editorial Committee. With the reviewers’ approval, the Editorial Committee makes decision on acceptance of the paper/report for publication.

5. Ethics:
All studies that involve human subjects must abide by the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki and be approved by at least one institutional ethics committee with appropriate authority and jurisdiction. In cases where informed consent is required, it should be clearly stated that all subjects gave their informed consent prior to their inclusion in the study. Investigators should also follow guidelines for care and use of laboratory animals of their institution or national animal welfare committee.

6. Disclosed Potential Conflict of Interest:
When submitting a manuscript to the Fukushima Journal of Medical Science, all authors are required to disclose any financial relationship with biotechnology manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, or other commercial entities relevant to the subject matter, materials, or process discussed in the manuscript.

7. Publications fees:
There is no charge for submitting a manuscript. Manuscripts accepted for publication require a payment of ¥2,000 per printed page, except for invited manuscripts or those authored by members of the Fukushima Society of Medical Science. Additional editing fees may be applied if significant changes are required to comply with the journal’s linguistic standards. Fee assessments will proceed in an open, transparent way.