Editing guidelines

Editing guidelines

EDITING GUIDELINES (download)

 

To facilitate the editorial process and peer-review evaluation, authors are kindly requested to follow the instructions of this guide carefully, in order to ensure that the evaluation and publication of submitted manuscripts are as fast and efficient as possible.

1. RESEARCH AREAS, ACCEPTED LANGUAGES, ORIGINALITY REQUIREMENTS

OHRM publishes articles in the fields of medical and biological sciences, as well as interdisciplinary topics within the One Health paradigm. Original research articles are preferred.

Manuscript language: English.

Originality: The manuscript must not have been published previously nor submitted simultaneously to another journal. Any overlap with previously disseminated material (including preprints, theses, or reports) must be declared in the Cover Letter.

Integrity: Plagiarism, data fabrication or falsification, image manipulation, and fictitious citations will result in immediate rejection of the manuscript.

The One Health & Risk Management journal’s policy on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies and AI-assisted tools in preparing manuscripts and publishing articles is available at: https://journal.ohrm.bba.md/index.php/journal-ohrm-bba-md/policy-artificial-intelligence.

2. TYPES OF ACCEPTED ARTICLES AND RECOMMENDED LENGTH LIMITS

OHRM publishes 7 types of manuscripts, which are selected by the authors at the time of submission. The recommended length limits (excluding title/affiliation/abstracts/references) for each manuscript type are as follows:

  • Original Article (Research Article): up to 3,000 words
  • Review Article: up to 4,500 words
  • Opinions / Perspectives: up to 2,500 words
  • Case Report / Clinical-Laboratory Images: up to 1,700 words
  • Short Experimental/Clinical Notes: up to 1,300 words
  • Didactic (Educational) Article: up to 4,000 words
  • Book Reviews: up to 2,000 words

The length limits are indicative, and editors may ask authors to shorten the manuscript where necessary.

The total number of tables and figures should not exceed one-third of the manuscript length. The journal reserves the right to make any necessary editorial and formatting adjustments.

3. MANUSCRIPT STRUCTURE

The manuscript should normally include the following sections, presented under clearly designated headings in uppercase:

Original Article / Review Article

The sections (with clear titles) should normally include:

  • Abstract (Structured Abstract)
  • Introduction
  • Materials and Methods
  • Results
  • Discussion
  • Conclusions
  • Declarations (Conflict of Interest, Acknowledgements and Funding, Ethics, Contributions)
  • References

Case Report

Recommended sections:

  • Abstract
  • Introduction
  • Case Presentation
  • Discussion
  • Conclusions
  • Declarations (Conflict of Interest, Acknowledgements and Funding, Ethics)
  • References.

4. REQUIREMENTS FOR THE STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS OF THE MANUSCRIPT

TITLE — must be as concise as possible (maximum 120 characters including spaces) and clearly reflect the content of the manuscript.

AUTHORS’ NAMES — provide the full given name and family name of each author, with the family name in uppercase (e.g., Ion RUSU)

AFFILIATION — for each author, affiliation must include:

Section/Department/Chair, University/Hospital, City, Country.

CORRESPONDING AUTHOR — the corresponding author must provide a valid e-mail address, preferably an institutional one (e.g., Corresponding author: Ion RUSU, email: ion.rusu@usmf.md).

ABSTRACT.

  • Articles written in English must include two abstracts, with identical content:
  • in English and Romanian.
  • The abstract must not exceed 1,600 characters including spaces.
  • The abstract should be structured under the following headings: Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Conclusions, and Keywords. Please include 5–7 keywords. The headings within the abstract should be in bold.
  • The abstract should not contain tables, figures, bibliographic citations, or results that do not appear in the main text.

INTRODUCTION. The Introduction should provide a clear and up-to-date scientific background, highlight the importance of the studied problem, and logically lead to the aim and hypothesis of the study. The Introduction must coherently include the following:

  • Background and relevance of the topic (a concise overview of the field and the current state of knowledge; the scientific, clinical, or biological rationale of the addressed problem; supporting statements with recent and relevant references);
  • Scientific problem and knowledge gaps (a clear statement of the scientific problem addressed, together with the relevant gaps in current knowledge, including issues that remain insufficiently studied, inconsistent, or unresolved in the literature);
  • Justification of the study (motivation for the proposed research; potential contribution of the study relative to existing research);
  • Aim ( a clear statement of the main aim of the study, together with the hypothesis or research question, where applicable, and any specific objectives, if relevant).

References should primarily reflect recent literature, preferably published within the past 3–5 years, while also citing fundamental works where necessary.

MATERIALS AND METHODS. This section should describe the study design, materials, procedures, and analytical methods in sufficient detail to enable readers to understand, critically evaluate, and reproduce the study.

Study design

The overall study design is required to be clearly specified to ensure transparency and reproducibility of the research, including:

  • Methodological approach: quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods;
  • Type of study: observational, experimental, clinical, laboratory (in vitro / in vivo), in silico, etc.;
  • Study period, when the data was collected; location of study.

General population (quantitatively described), sample population – quantitatively justified (sample size) and by design (representative study or not, etc.).

For experimental, clinical study (experimental and control groups), inclusion/exclusion criteria; randomization, blinding, and sample size (with justification when applicable).

Data collection method – indicated, reasoned (advantages and disadvantages);

Research tool (standardized, etc.).

Statistical analysis (for quantitative research)

  • Statistical tests and techniques used, including significance level;
  • Software package used.

Ethical and safety considerations

Authors required state: ethics committee approval (institution, number, date), when applicable; compliance with ethical principles for research on human subjects and animals; risks associated with experiments (toxicity, biological, chemical, or physical hazards); procedures for safety, handling, and waste disposal, according to current regulations.

Reporting guidelines (where applicable)

Authors are encouraged to follow international reporting guidelines: CONSORT – clinical trials; STROBE – observational studies; PRISMA – systematic reviews; ARRIVE – animal studies.

RESULTS.

  • In an Original Research Article, the Results section must present the data obtained in the study in a clear, coherent, and objective manner, without describing experimental procedures or methodology.

The results of the study (percentages, correlation coefficients, selected citations, etc.) are presented without interpretation. Statistically, biologically or clinically significant findings must be highlighted. Results must be supported by well-structured figures and/or tables. Each figure or table must be cited in the text and accompanied by a clear, self-explanatory legend. Tables and figures must be self-sufficient for interpretation, that is, have a clear name and deciphered abbreviations, explanations are necessary from the footnotes below. The same data must not be duplicated simultaneously in figures and tables. In the text, it is recommended not to repeat exactly the same numerical data presented in figures or tables, but rather to highlight key trends or group characteristics.

  • In a Review Article, the Results section (or Findings / Results of the Review) must reflect an organized synthesis of the information from the analyzed literature. The information should be organized by themes, mechanisms, study types, or fields of application. General trends, convergences, and discrepancies between studies must be highlighted. The use of synthesis tables or diagrams is recommended; purely descriptive or enumerative listing of studies should be avoided.
  • The opinions of the author(s) must be clearly distinguished from the data reported in the analyzed literature. All statements must be supported by appropriate bibliographic references.

CASE PRESENTATION. The Case Presentation section must describe the analyzed case in a detailed, clear, and chronological manner, providing sufficient information to understand the clinical or biological context and its particular features.

General requirements: a brief description of the context (clinical, biological, experimental); relevant characteristics of the subject or studied system (age, sex, biological/clinical status, species, experimental conditions, etc.), with preservation of anonymity; chronological presentation of initial symptoms, observations, or findings; description of the evolution of the case during the observation period; results of clinical, paraclinical, biological, or laboratory investigations relevant to the case; inclusion of only essential information for understanding the peculiarity of the case; description of diagnostic, therapeutic, or experimental interventions, if applicable; response of the case to interventions and any subsequent changes; highlighting unusual, rare, or innovative aspects of the case; justification of the scientific or clinical relevance of the case report; confirmation of informed consent for publication when applicable. Personal data must be fully anonymized.

DISCUSSION.

  • In an original research article, the Discussion section should provide a critical interpretation of the results, emphasizing their scientific significance as well as the strengths and limitations of the study.

General requirements: discuss the main findings in relation to the stated aim and hypothesis of the study; explain convergent, divergent, or contradictory results and their possible causes; critically compare the findings with those reported in relevant and up-to-date specialized literature; clearly describe the limitations of the study and their potential impact on the interpretation of the results; indicate directions for future research arising from the findings and identified gaps.

  • In a Review Article, the Discussion section must highlight the significance of the synthesized findings and outline directions for development within the field.

General requirements: discussion of major trends, models, and emerging concepts identified in the analyzed literature; evaluation of the strengths and limitations of the included studies; identification of inconsistencies, controversies, or knowledge gaps; placement of synthesized evidence within the context of current knowledge in the field; highlighting the biological, medical, or clinical relevance of the conclusions; discussion of implications for research, clinical practice, health policy, or biotechnological applications where applicable; clear differentiation between consolidated evidence and emerging hypotheses; formulation of well-reasoned recommendations for future research.

CONCLUSIONS.

Conclusions should be based on the results presented, consistent with the aim of the study, and limited to what is supported by the findings.

For review articles, the conclusions should synthesize the current state of knowledge, highlight the main emerging trends, and emphasize the key concepts and insights arising from the critical analysis of the literature.

General requirements should be clear and concise and should not repeat the results in detail. Unsupported speculation and overgeneralization should be avoided. The conclusions must be directly supported by the data and analysis presented in the article. No new information, interpretations, or references should be introduced in this section.

5. DECLARATIONS (CONFLICT OF INTEREST, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND FUNDING, ETHICS)

Conflict of interest. Must be specified for each author, including “none declared” if no conflict exists.

Acknowledgements and funding (optional). Information regarding grant/contract, number, institution, and the role of the funder must be specified.

Ethical approval. In studies involving animals, approval from the competent ethics committee must be provided, as well as compliance with animal welfare guidelines.

In clinical cases/images, written consent for publication must be declared, including for potentially identifiable images.

If the study does not require ethical approval, the reason must be specified (e.g., analysis of fully anonymized public data).

6. REFERENCES

References must be numbered in the order of appearance in the text. Citation must follow the AMA style, placed at the end of the article, and must include only references cited in the text (indicating the reference number in round brackets). Each bibliographic source shall include the DOI, if available, in the form of a hyperlink. Official journal title abbreviations must be used. If the same reference is cited multiple times, it must appear in the text with the same number as in the first citation. The total number of references should not exceed 50 sources (for review articles, the recommended number of references is up to 80 sources), at least 70% of which should be indexed in recognized international databases within the last 3–5 years.

7. TECHNICAL FORMATTING (WORD), TABLES AND FIGURES

The manuscript should comply with the following technical requirements:

Font: Cambria 11, spacing 1.0; justified alignment; margins 2 cm; numbered pages (continuous numbering at the bottom right of the page); line numbering is recommended for review; abbreviations must be defined at first appearance; SI units must be used; scientific names must be written in italics (genus/species).

Figures and tables must be cited consecutively in the text (e.g., Figure 1, Table 1).

Text included in figures must be written in Cambria font, size 10 pt. Each figure must be accompanied by a title and legend. Figures must be numbered with Arabic numerals and cited in the text in round brackets (e.g., Figure 1). The figure title (e.g., Figure 1) and legend must be centered below the figure.

Figures must also be uploaded separately as files (TIFF/JPG/PNG at min. 300 dpi for images; 600–1200 dpi for line art/diagrams; or PDF/EPS).

For graphs and diagrams, the source file must also be uploaded (e.g., .xlsx/.csv + R/Python script when applicable) for verification purposes.

Screenshots from Excel are not accepted; use clear symbols and legends.

Image processing is permitted only for global adjustments (brightness/contrast, insertion of arrows, scales, and other markings intended to identify points of interest) without altering the content; any montage must be indicated.

Tables must be editable (not images). Text included in tables must be written in Cambria, size 10 pt. Each table must be accompanied by a title. Tables must be inserted in the text without exceeding the width of one page. They must be numbered with Arabic numerals and cited in the text in round brackets (e.g., Table 1). The table title must be positioned above the table and centered (e.g., Table 1).

AUTHOR RESPONSIBILITIES

The author(s) must:

  • be responsible for the accuracy of the data presented and obtain any authorization required for publication;
  • confirm that the submitted manuscript has not been accepted for publication in another journal. In cases where portions of the content overlap with material already published or submitted elsewhere, the authors must ensure proper acknowledgement and citation of the source;
  • confirm that all work within the submitted manuscript is original, acknowledge and cite content reproduced from other sources, and obtain permission to reproduce such material where necessary. Plagiarism in any form is strictly prohibited (ranging from presenting fragments of publications as the author’s own ideas, to copying or paraphrasing substantial parts of other authors’ work without attribution, or even claiming results obtained by others). Plagiarism constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable. Manuscripts containing plagiarized text will be rejected;
  • contribute substantially to the conception and design of the study, to data acquisition, or to data analysis and interpretation, to an equivalent extent;
  • ensure that any research involving human subjects or animals complies with national, local, and institutional laws and requirements, and confirm that appropriate approval has been sought and obtained when applicable. Authors must obtain explicit permission from human participants and ensure the protection of confidentiality;
  • acknowledge that the content of the manuscript is the sole responsibility of the author(s);
  • ensure that the final version of the manuscript has been seen and approved by all authors, in the case of multi-author manuscripts;
  • declare any potential conflicts of interest;
  • promptly notify the editorial board if a significant error is identified in their publication and cooperate with the editor to retract or correct the article;
  • the corresponding author must ensure that all co-authors listed in the manuscript have made specific contributions to the research and writing of the manuscript.

By submitting material for publication in the journal, authors and co-authors confirm that they:

  • accept the conditions described below, through the completion of the Cover Letter (download Cover Letter pdf; doc);
  • permit publication under Open Access and the distribution of materials in both print and online versions, through the journal’s website, IBN, and the international indexing databases in which the journal is included;
  • affirm that copyright is fully respected.

Note: If a manuscript submitted for publication contains information originating from other publications, the authors must assure the editorial board that they hold written permission from the authors of the referenced material to reuse certain data in a new analysis, or that such permission is implied based on bibliographic citation.

To publish selected materials, the journal’s editorial board requires the consent of the authors and co-authors through completion of the Author Declaration (download Author Declaration pdf; doc), signed by all authors and scanned. The specific contribution of each author must be indicated in accordance with CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy).