For Authors

GENERAL INFORMATION

Scripta Scientifica Medica publishes articles aimed to provide the most current information in various medical fields. All types manuscripts that have not been published previously in whole or part and are not under consideration for publication elsewhere can be submitted to the Journal. The following types of articles are approved for publication:

  • Reviews are comprehensive analyses of specific topics in medicine. They can be narrative reviews following SANRA guidelines, rapid reviews, umbrella reviews, systemic reviews and meta-analyses following PRIZMA guidelines, and clinical practice guidelines. For information on the reporting guidelines for health research refer to the EQUATOR network website (http://www.equator-network.org/). The author(s) should have substantial experience and publications on the review subjects. Review articles must not exceed 5000 words for the main text (excluding references, tables, and figure legends); font Times New Roman, 12-point size, 2.5cm margins, 1.15-spaced lining and 500 words for the abstract. A review article can be signed by up to 5 authors and can have up to 100 references. A review article should contain no more than 6 tables and 10 figures.
  • Original articles: Original articles are manuscripts containing substantial novel research. They can be randomized controlled trials following CONSORT, SPRIT guidelines; observational (cohort, case-control or cross-sectional) studies following STROBE guidelines; non-randomized behavioural and public health interventional studies following TREND guidelines; diagnostic accuracy studies following STARD guidelines; genetic association studies following STREGA guidelines; experimental animal studies following ARRIVE guidelines, or any other clinical or experimental studies. For information on the reporting guidelines for health research refer to the EQUATOR network website (http://www.equator-network.org/). Abstracts should not exceed 250 words and should be structured inro following subsections: Introduction, Aims, Material and Methods/Patients and Methods, Results, and Conclusions. The body text should be structured as follows: Introduction, Aim, Material and Methods/Patients and Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusions, Acknowledgments, References. Tables and Figures with figure legends should be placed within the body text at appropriate places. The body text should not exceed 3000 words, font Times New Roman, 12-point size, 2.5cm margins, 1.15-spaced lining. No more than 30 references are required. An original article should contain no more than 6 figures and 6 tables.
  • Case Reports
  • Clinical case reports: describe unusual presentations, difficult diagnoses, challenging management decisions, pathophysiological mechanisms and complications. Adverse events, when reported, should be carefully described for learning purposes only. Case Reports should have two key elements: 1) Substantial novel learning value; 2) Be patient-centred. Case reports that: assess the efficacy or effectiveness of new interventions, new drugs, unlicensed substances, or lifestyle changes; describe drug efficacy, drug interactions or adverse drug effects in patients enrolled in ongoing clinical trials will NOT be published. Identifying data: Care should be taken not to reveal any personal identifying information. Translation to English or correction of grammar/phrasing may be performed by the authors with the patient’s approval. Authors should remove information from photographs and manuscripts that might identify a patient. Where this is impossible, submissions must be accompanied by a written release from the patient. The body text should be in font Times New Roman, 12-point size, 2.5cm margins, 15-spaced -spaced lining. A sufficient amount of images illustrating the case (a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 4), tables (if possible), around 15 references should be included.
  • Global health case reports - focus on the causes, the social determinants of health and access to healthcare services, prevailing local and national issues that affect health and wellbeing, and the challenges in providing care to vulnerable populations or with limited resources. The body text should contain an introduction with a review of the literature of, followed by a presentation of the global health case report and a discussion (max. 1500 words), tables (if possible a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 4), around 15 references. The body text should be in font Times New Roman, 12-point size, 2.5cm margins, 1.15-spaced-spaced lining. The Abstract does not need to be structured.
  • Short Research Communication presents a concise study, or sometimes preliminary but innovative and important research findings that might be less substantial than a full research paper. Short research communication must not exceed 1500 words (excluding references), and no more than 10 references. The text should be in font Times New Roman, 12-point size, 2.5cm margins, 15-spaced lining. Abstract is not required.
  • Scientific Letters: Scientific letters are informative documents describing the progress and findings of a research project. They should provide a summary and key details of the methods used in the research. The scientific letter should end with conclusions that are supported by the research and recommendations for future studies. Scientific letters must not exceed 1000 words (excluding references). The text should be in font Times New Roman, 12-point size, 2.5cm margins, 1.15-spaced lining. An abstract is not required with this type of manuscripts. A letter can be signed by no more than 3 authors and can have no more than 10 references and 1 figure and/or table.
  • Letters to the Editor:  Letters in reference to a journal article and letters not related to a journal article must not exceed 1000 words (excluding references). An abstract is not required with this type of manuscripts. A letter can be signed by no more than 2 authors and can have no more than 5 references and 1 figure and/or table. The text should be in font Times New Roman, 12-point size, 2.5cm margins, 1.15-spaced-spaced lining. Authors might be asked for a reply to the letter.
  • Editorial Comment: a brief remark on an article published in the journal by the reviewer of the article or by a relevant authority. Editorial comments are invited by the Editor-in-Chief. It must not exceed 1000 words (excluding references). The text should be in font Times New Roman, 12-point size, 2.5cm margins, 1.15-spaced-spaced lining. An abstract is not required. No more than 10 references and 1 figure or table are recommendable.
  • Clinical Trials – only registered clinical trials via EMA https://emanet.org/ EudraGMDP database https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/human-regulatory-overview/research-development/compliance-research-development/good-manufacturing-practice/eudragmdp-database, Clinical Trial.gov https://clinicaltrials.gov/, and by the Bulgarian Drug Agency (https://www.bda.bg/bg/%D0%B7%D0%B0-%D0%B8%D0%B0%D0%BB) will be published. The name of the registry, the registration number, information of funding source should be provided at the end of the abstract. The CONSORT, SPRIT guidelines should be followed when preparing the manuscript. For further information on the reporting guidelines for health research refer to the EQUATOR network website (http://www.equator-network.org/).
  • Other: Book reviews and reports on publication and research ethics are requested by the Editor-in-Chief or/and Editorial Board.

AUTHORSHIP

It is the responsibility of every person listed as an author of an article submitted to SSM to follow the 4 criteria about the authorship recommended by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) https://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/roles-and-responsibilities/defining-the-role-of-authors-and-contributors.html:

  1. Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND
  2. Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; AND
  3. Final approval of the version to be published; AND
  4. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

ORCID ID

ORCID (Open Researcher and Contributor) ID is a free, unique, persistent identifier (PID) for individuals to use as they engage in research, scholarship, and innovation activities. Detailed information about ORCID can be found at https://orcid.org/. ORCID numbers should be listed in the metadata section. The specification of an ORCID number for each author is mandatory for authors publishing in SSM.

ETHICS OF RESEARCH AND PUBLICATION

Manuscripts must follow ethical guidelines to be considered for publication (Committee on Publication Ethics, COPE – https://publicationethics.org/; Code of Conduct for Publication Procedures and Ethics - https://degruyter-live-craftcms-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/authors/Code-of-Conduct-Journal-Authors-EN.pdf?mtime=20211008110427&focal=none).

Before submitting the manuscript, all authors must agree to the applicable requirements: declaring conflicts of interest or proving compliance with legal requirements related to human and animal testing. Authors must declare their responsibility for the entire content of the manuscript. The Submission Checklist must be filled in. Please make sure that the information in the manuscript matches the information in the Checklist.

Plagiarism

Manuscripts are screened for plagiarism upon submission, and if such is found, they will be returned to the authors and re-checked again after correction. In case that a paper is already published in our journal but plagiarism is still detected or later reported by readers, it will be retracted from the journal and the authors' institutions and department heads will be notified to take actions. This includes data fabrication, data falsification and image manipulation.

Research ethics for participation of human subjects

Informed consent

The Protection of Privacy is a legal right that must not be infringed without individual informed consent. In cases where the identification of personal information is necessary for scientific reasons, authors should obtain written permission from the patient or their legal guardians prior to inclusion in the study.

The following (or similar) statement should be given at the end of the “Material and Methods” section: Example: “The current study was approved by the Ethics committee/other relevant institution (Protocol number, date). Informed consent was obtained from all individuals included in the study”.

Research ethics for use of experimental animals

Manuscripts containing information of the use of laboratory animals should clearly state that the research has complied with all relevant National regulations and Institutional policies. For Bulgarian researchers’ information on research ethics and/or approval by the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency should be given in the Methods section (Protocol/Approval number, date). International researchers must consult their National Agency.

Conflict of interest

Potential conflict of interests includes: professional or financial gain; personal or academic relationships or competition; religious, philosophical, or political beliefs; or any factor that prevents the independent preparation or publishing of a manuscript.

To ensure fair and objective decision-making, authors must declare any associations that pose a conflict of interest (financial, personal, or professional) in connection with the manuscript under evaluation. Authors should disclose in the main text of the manuscript before the list of references a potential conflict of interests.

  • Examples:
    • This research received additional support from an organization beyond the authors' academic institutions/ There are personal financial interests or professional relationships to disclose/ There are patents to disclose/Additional relationships or activities to declare.
    • If no conflict of interest exist, “Nothing to declare” should be stated.

Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in scientific writing

Authors should strictly follow the rules for Generative AI policies for journals

(https://www.elsevier.com/about/policies-and-standards/generative-ai-policies-for-journals).

The following should be taken into account:

  • Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies should only be used in the writing process to improve the readability and language of the manuscript.
  • The technology must be applied with human oversight and control and authors should carefully review and edit the result. Authors are ultimately responsible and accountable for the contents of the work.
  • Authors must not list or cite AI and AI-assisted technologies as an author or co-author on the manuscript.
  • Authors should disclose in the main text of the manuscript before the list of references the use of AI and AI-assisted technologies and a statement will appear in the published work. There is no need to declare the use of AI if only basic tools, such as check grammar, spelling and references tools have been used.
  • Examples:
    • “During the preparation of this manuscript the author(s) used [NAME TOOL / SERVICE] for [REASON]. After using this tool/service, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take(s) full responsibility for the content of the published article”.
    • “During the preparation of the manuscript the authors did not use AI and AI-assisted technologies” (when there is nothing to disclose).

SUPPORTING AGENCIES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Research funding (supporting agencies)

Funding sources should be given in the Metadata section.

  • Examples:
    • “This work was supported by the ………………. [grant numbers xxxx, yyyy]”.
    • If no funding was provided for the research, this should be stated in the Metadata section. Example: “This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors”.

Acknowledgements

In this section should be mentioned individuals who provided help during research, or help with language, writing or proof reading. Do not include acknowledgements on your title page, or anywhere in your article.

PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION OF A MANUSCRIPT

The manuscripts must be submitted through the online submission system, which requires a registration in order to use it (https://press-muv.com/ssm/web/index.php/ssm/submission). Submissions by email of any manuscript files, either to the editors or to the journal office, are not acceptable and are discarded automatically.

During the submission process the authors will be asked to suggest up to 3 potential reviewers external to the authors’ institution with their full names, work address, phone and e-mail address.

Online Submission

  1. The users should register using the link "Register " to create user name (ID) and password (PW).
  2. Registered users can log in with the username and password to the Journal;
  3. Clicking "Make a new submission" starts the process of submission;
  4. To begin the submission, the user must fill in the required fields: Title of the article, Section (type of article), Submission checklist and Privacy consent must be confirmed.
  5. Submission process encounters five steps:
  • Step 1. Submission details: the keywords, abstract, references should be filled in;
  • Step 2. Upload files: using the link “Add File” upload as a separate files cover letter, article text, tables, figures, and authorship contribution form. The article text of manuscript should be uploaded in Microsoft Word.doc/.docx format including all images, figures and tables at their appropriate places in the text. For cover letter, tables, figures, and authorship contribution form specify “Other” as an option that best describes these files.
  • Step 3. Contributors: add authors (given name and family, e-mail, country, ORCHID ID, competing interests’ declaration, bio statement, affiliation) and mark contributor’s role and publication lists. Set the Corresponding author by clicking “Primary contact”.
  • Step 4. For the Editors: in the appropriate fields fill in the Supporting Agencies with project ID, provide “Data availability statement”. In the field “Comments for the Editor” the authors should suggest up to 3 potential reviewers external to the authors’ institution with their full names, work address, phone and e-mail address and Acknowledgements (if any). да се укаже в текста (potential Reviewers? Acknowledgements?).
  • Step 5. Review: Review the information entered in the metadata section and make changes (if any).
  1. The cover letter includes the manuscript title, type, the full name of the corresponding author. The cover letter should include a statement declaring the absence or presence of a conflict of interest and a statement that the manuscript has not already been published, accepted or under review for publication elsewhere. А sample cover letter can be found at https://press-muv.com/ssm/web/index.php/ssm/author-forms.
  2. The authorship contribution form indicates the type of contribution for each author. А sample authorship contribution form can be found at https://press-muv.com/ssm/web/index.php/ssm/author-forms.
  3. Once submission is complete, the system will generate a manuscript ID sent to author's contact email.

Documents to upload

  1. Cover Letter
  2. Authorship Contribution form
  3. Article text
  4. Reference list
  5. Tables
  6. Figures

After approval of accepted manuscript

Proof reading and copy editing

After approval for publishing a proof-reading and copy-editing is performed. The purpose of the proof is to check the typesetting, editing, completeness and correctness of the manuscript text, tables and figures. Significant changes at the proofing stage will only be considered with approval of the journal editor.

Corresponding authors receive an e-mail with the corrected version of the manuscript and need to e-mail the Copy-Editor for approval the edited version.

Layout editing and proof corrections

For manuscripts accepted for publication, Galley PDFs will be produced by a Layout Editor and uploaded to the online manuscript tracking system. Once the Galley PDF is available, the authors will be informed by e-mail to log in to the system, download the Galley PDF, do proof-reading and return a list with corrections. No major changes in, or additions to, the edited manuscript will be allowed at this stage. Proofreading is solely the Authors' responsibility. Corrections to the proofs must be returned using the online manuscript tracking system within 72 hours after receipt. If the Publisher receives no response from the Author(s) after 72 hours, it will be assumed that there are no errors to correct and the article will be published as it is.