Author Guidelines

Urology Journal Author Guidelines [Download PDF version]

Updated July 2020

As the official journal of the Urology and Nephrology Research Center (UNRC) and the Iranian Urological Association (IUA), Urology Journal is a comprehensive digest of useful information on modern urology. Emphasis is on practical information that reflects the latest diagnostic and treatment techniques. Our objectives are to provide an exceptional source of current and clinically relevant research in the discipline of urology, to reflect the scientific work and progress of our colleagues, and to present the articles in a logical, timely, and concise format that meets the diverse needs of today's urologists.

Urology Journal publishes manuscripts on urology and kidney transplantation, all of which undergo extensive peer review by recognized authorities in the field before their acceptance for publication. Original research papers, systematic reviews or meta-analyses, and case reports of exceptional importance in clinical and experimental urology are considered for publication.

REVIEW PROCESS

 

All original research papers and case reports submitted to the Urology Journal undergo extensive peer review, which is performed by at least 2 expert consultants, one editor, and one statistician. Author(s) also revise their manuscripts at least once in the process. Based on the comments of reviewers and the responses or revisions of the author(s), the Editorial Board either accepts or rejects the manuscripts. Author(s) should send their revised manuscripts within 2 weeks (or as otherwise agreed). Reviewers' and authors' identities are kept confidential. The existence of a submitted manuscript is not revealed to anyone other than the reviewers and editorial staff.

SUBMISSION OF MANUSCRIPTS

 

Manuscripts should be submitted only via the online submission system. You should register/login and select your role as "Author" to start the submission of your manuscript.

 

Please upload the following material via the online submission system: cover letter, manuscript file (including title page, abstract, main text [organized with subheadings of INTRODUCTION, MATERIALS, AND METHODS, RESULTS, DISCUSSION, CONCLUSIONS, REFERENCES], tables, and legends to figures), figures, and authors' agreement form. Figures can be uploaded separately or as part of the main manuscript after legends to figures.

PREPARATION OF MANUSCRIPTS

Cover Letter

 

All manuscripts must be accompanied by a cover letter signed by all authors. Please upload a cover letter as a Word document or a PDF file. Other than any comment you would like to write to the editor, these issues must be addressed in this letter: any potential conflict of interest, sources of financial support of the study, any previous presentation or publication of the paper (electronic or print version), and the name, address, telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address of the corresponding author. In the cover letter, you are encouraged to mention the names of three potential preferred referees that can be considered for reviewing your manuscript.

Note: The Urology Journal does not publish a paper that overlaps substantially with one already published in any language.

General Instructions

It is the responsibility of the author(s) to ensure that papers are written in clear, concise English. Manuscripts should follow the stylistic conventions outlined in the American Medical Association Manual of Style, 10th edition. The journal editors are not prepared to undertake major corrections of language. Manuscripts that do not adhere to the journal's Instructions will be returned without being read. The Editor has the right to make editorial corrections and additional changes with the knowledge and approval of the corresponding author. Proofs will be sent to the corresponding author by e-mail as a PDF file. Corrections should be kept to a minimum. Authors are asked to return their corrected proofs within 3 days of receipt. Please note that if no corrections are returned then the article will be published as it stands.

The preferred word processing format is Microsoft Word, but files produced using other packages can be translated. Manuscripts should be double-spaced, on one side of A4 paper only, with 2.5-cm margins on all sides.

Standard abbreviations may be used without definition. Nonstandard abbreviations must be spelled out the first time they are used, followed by the abbreviated form in parentheses. Thereafter, only the abbreviation should be used. Abbreviate units of measure only when used with numbers. Units of measurement must have complied with the International System of Units (SI).

Original Research Papers

Papers must describe significant and original observations that can be critically evaluated and, if necessary, repeated. Papers describing only specialized methods are not acceptable unless they contain meaningful results obtained with the methods. Original research papers should be arranged as follows: Title Page, ABSTRACT, INTRODUCTION, MATERIALS AND METHODS, RESULTS, DISCUSSION, CONCLUSIONS, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, REFERENCES, Tables, Legends to figures, and Figures (Figures can also be uploaded separately).

TITLE PAGE: The title page must include the following: Title of submission; full first name and surname of authors; affiliations of each contributor; the name, full postal address, and telefax/telephone numbers of the corresponding author; and a brief descriptive running title not to exceed 60 characters, including spaces. Between 3 and 10 keywords for indexing should be typed at the bottom of the title page. These words should be identical to the medical subject headings (MeSH) that appear in the Index Medicus of the National Library of Medicine. The total word count of the manuscript excluding abstract, references, and tables should not exceed 3000 words.

ABSTRACT: A structured abstract (with the subheadings Purpose, Materials and Methods, Results, and Conclusion) should appear on the second page of the manuscript and should not exceed 250 words. As far as possible, abbreviations should be avoided in the abstract.

MANUSCRIPT TEXT: The INTRODUCTION should state concisely the purpose and rationale for the study and cite only the most pertinent references as background. The MATERIALS AND METHODS section should describe briefly (but in sufficient detail to permit other workers to repeat the study) the plan, patients, experimental animals or other species, material, controls, methods, procedures, and statistical method(s) used. The RESULTS section should present detailed findings. Refer to all tables and/or figures in this section. Figures and tables should supplement, not duplicate, the text; presentation of data in either one or the other will suffice. In the DISCUSSION section, state the importance and significance of your findings, but do not repeat the details given in the Results section. Compare your findings with those of others. No new data should be presented in this section. The paper should conclude with a brief section that summarizes the clinical and research implications of the work, as appropriate. The CONCLUSIONS section should provide a summary of the main findings of the study.

Reports of Clinical Trials. Original research papers that report a randomized controlled trial, should comply with the guidelines provided by the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) group. Also, supplying the manuscript with a CONSORT flowchart diagram is highly encouraged. Please refer to the CONSORT website to see the guidelines and the flowchart template.

All researchers who would like to publish reports of their clinical trials in the Urology Journal must register their studies in a registry of clinical trials proposed by the World Health Organization or the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. As an option, the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials is a registry suggested by the World Health Organization.

Review Articles

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are actively encouraged and should be composed of systematic, critical assessments of literature and data sources on clinical topics, emphasizing factors such as to cause, diagnosis, prognosis, therapy, or prevention. They should have structured abstracts with the original article headings. All articles and data sources reviewed should include information about the specific type of study or analysis, population, intervention, exposure, and tests or outcomes. Word counting should not exceed 4000 words. The PRISMA guidelines for reporting systematic reviews should be adhered to. The authors are strongly encouraged to register their review protocol within PROSPERO.

Brief Communications

Original research papers can also be published in a brief format. Submitted papers that are of interest but are not acceptable as a full-length original contribution are offered by the editor to be published in this section. Also, the authors can primarily submit their papers for consideration of publication in this section. An unstructured abstract not longer than 150 words is required for this section. The body of the manuscript should not exceed 1500 words. Tables and/or Figures should be limited to 2 ones and references to 15 in maximum.

Case Reports

Case reports will be considered only if they present a significant advance in therapy or highlight substantial scientific advances in understanding the mechanism(s) of the disease process. They should be prefaced by a brief introduction, highlighting the salient message, and their discussion should be confined to unusual aspects, not a major review of the literature. The length should not exceed 600 words excluding abstract and references. They should be arranged as follows: Title Page, Introduction, Case Report, Discussion, References, and Legends to figures.

Points of Technique

Case reports presenting a new technique or innovation are considered for the Point of Technique section of the journal by the editor. They should be arranged as follows: Title Page, Introduction, Case Report, Technique, Results, Discussion, References, and Legends to figures.

Letters to the Editors

Correspondence will be considered for publication if it contains constructive criticism on previously published articles in this journal, the authors of which will be given the right of reply. The length should not exceed 750 words.

REFERENCES section:

References should not exceed 30 readily available citations for all original articles. Self­-citation should be kept to a minimum. Number references in the order in which they appear in the text; do not alphabetize. In-text, tables, and legends, identify references with superscript Arabic numerals in parentheses. Our reference style requirements are in accordance with the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors.

Note: List all authors when there are 6 or fewer; when there are 7 or more, list the first 3, followed by "et al".

 

For authors using EndNote®, the following output style file supports the formatting of in-text citations and reference list: Endnote output style format file

Examples:

 

Articles in journals:

 

Halpern SD, Ubel PA, Caplan AL. Solid-organ transplantation in HIV-infected patients. N Engl J Med. 2002;347:284-7.

More than six authors:

Rose ME, Huerbin MB, Melick J, et al. Regulation of interstitial excitatory amino acid concentrations after cortical contusion injury. Brain Res. 2002;935:40-6.

 

Books and other monographs:

Meltzer PS, Kallioniemi A, Trent JM. Chromosome alterations in human solid tumors. In: Vogelstein B, Kinzler KW, editors. The genetic basis of human cancer. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2002. p. 93-113.

Figures and Tables

Figures and tables should be kept to a necessary minimum and their information should not be duplicated in the text. Tables should be typed on separate sheets, be numbered (with Arabic numbers), and have a title. Include double-spaced legends (maximum length, 60 words) on separate pages. Place tables at the end of the manuscript after REFERENCES. Place Legends to figures after Tables. Figures can be uploaded as separate files or within the manuscript file after Legends to figures. Each Figure should have a legend. Computer-generated images and photographs must have acceptable quality (at 300 dpi or higher).

Details of journal style

The Urology Journal adheres to the AMA style. Details of the journal style are included in the following file: Style of the journal. The authors are encouraged to study this file carefully before submitting their manuscripts to avoid returning back their manuscripts for revisions of style.

A sample file prepared according to the instructions given above and published in the previous issues of the journal has been provided below as a sample illustrating the above comments for authors.

 

SAMPLE FILE according to the style of the journal

AUTHOR'S RESPONSIBILITY AND ETHICAL REQUIREMENTS

Author(s) should certify that neither the submitted manuscript nor any other one with substantially similar content under their authorship in any language has been published or being considered for publication elsewhere, except as described in the covering letter.

 

The Urology Journal follows the latest definition for authorship provided by the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals. All authors should have a substantial contribution to the manuscript and take public responsibility for its contents. All persons designated as authors are assumed to qualify for authorship and all those who qualify are listed. The corresponding author takes responsibility for the integrity of the work as a whole, from inception to published article. In the event that an author is added or removed from the list of authors, written acceptance, signed by all authors, must be submitted to the editorial office.

Submission of the manuscript elsewhere can be done only if the authors decline their submission to the Urology Journal and make sure that the editor is informed.

Any financial interests, direct or indirect, in connection with the author(s) 's manuscript must be disclosed in the cover letter. Furthermore, sources of financial support for the project are named in the covering letter as well as the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS section.

If the work involves experimentation on living animals, the author(s) must provide evidence that the study was performed in accordance with local ethical guidelines. If the study involves human beings, the author(s) must include a statement that the study was approved by the local ethical committee and that informed consent was obtained from the study participants. Authors should report the ethics committee approval number in their manuscript. For those investigators who do not have formal ethics review committees, the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki should be followed.

All relevant permissions to cite the unpublished observations of others must be obtained by the manuscript author(s). The names and initials of these persons must be cited in the text, and permission from the original author(s) must be obtained. Permission also must be obtained to reproduce or adapt any figures or tables that have been published previously.

Misconduct

The Urology Journal complies with international regulations against scientific misconduct (fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism). Any suspected act of misconduct in the submitted materials to the journal will be meticulously assessed and the needful action will be taken based on the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).  Authors are asked to be careful about using others' words, ideas, and materials and fully cite any sources of the contents of their submitted papers if they are not original.  Sentences extracted from other sources should be supported by reference citation and be in quotation marks or be appropriately paraphrased.

All submitted manuscripts to the Urology Journal will be subject to plagiarism checking software. The authors authorize the urology journal to perform plagiarism checking on their manuscripts upon submission. Manuscripts with plagiarism will be instantly returned back to authors.

  

ARTICLE CHARGES

Open access publishing is not without costs. Urology Journal defrays these costs through publication charges because it does not have subscription charges for its research content. The Urology Journal believes that immediate, worldwide, barrier-free, open access to the full text of research articles is in the best interests of the scientific community.  

 

The publication charge is 650 Euros for case reports, brief communication, and Point of techniques.

For Original Articles and review articles, the publication charge is 750 Euros.

Systematic reviews or meta-analyses invited by journal editors will not be subject to publication charges.

The above charges are subject to accepted manuscripts. Submitted manuscripts not accepted for publication are not subject to any charges.

Manuscript submission fee

Starting from June 2017, the Urology Journal has removed the article processing charge which was previously obtained from all submissions. We do not normally charge submitted articles before acceptance for publication. If a manuscript is accepted for publication, the publication charge as detailed above will be applicable to the submission. Nevertheless, there are submission charges of 200 Euros for Expedited Track articles and 300 Euros for Super-Fast Track articles which are explained in detail below:

Rapid publication service:

When research articles are of exceptional clinical importance and urgency or where there is a public policy reason for urgent publication we can fast track their internal and external peer review and offer full online publication within four weeks of submission. This formal fast track process is only for original research articles, although we may be able to offer rapid peer review and publication of other article types as appropriate. Requests for expedited track and superfast track evaluation should be directed to the journal email at urol_j@unrc.ir after submission. After acceptance of expedited or superfast track by journal editors and payment of relevant fees, the relevant evaluation track is started.

1. 
   A)    Expedited Track:

Expedited Track offers submission to online ("Prior to Print") publication in 8 weeks. Authors are required to submit a revised manuscript within 14 calendar days following receipt of the Review Report as well as to turn around page proofs promptly.

Service Fees: There is a 200 Euros fee for expedited track publication.

1. 
   B)    Super-Fast Track:

Super-Fast Track offers the top level of service-with 7 working days- peer review turn around and manuscript submission to online publication in 4 weeks.  Authors are required to submit a revised manuscript with 7 calendar days.

Service fees: There is a 300 Euros fee for Super-fast publication.

Note: The fees for expedited and superfast track evaluation have no relevance to the acceptance or rejection of the submission.

 

Submission Preparation Checklist

As part of the submission process, authors are required to check off their submission's compliance with all of the following items, and submissions may be returned to authors that do not adhere to these guidelines.

 

1.The submission has not been previously published, in any languages, nor is it submitted to another journal for consideration.

 

2.The manuscript is organized as Title page, ABSTRACT, INTRODUCTION, MATERIALS AND METHODS, RESULTS, DISCUSSION, CONCLUSIONS, [ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS if any], REFERENCES, Tables, Legends to figures, and Figures (Figures may also be uploaded as separate files).

 

3.The submission file is in Microsoft Word, RTF, or WordPerfect document file format.

 

4.Abstract is less than 250 words and is structures as Purpose, Materials and Methods, Results, Conclusions.

 

5.The text adheres to the stylistic and bibliographic requirements outlined in the Author Guidelines, which is found in About the Journal.

 

6.The authors have read and signed the Authors' Agreement Form and they are going to submit it as a supplementary file or will fax it to the editorial office (+98 21 2259 4204) within 1 week.

 

7.The authors are willing to publish their work in Urology Journal unless they officially decline it and make sure that the editor is informed.