Focus and scope:

Journal of Practical Emergency Medicine (eISSN: 3115-7289), formerly published as "Iranian Journal of Emergency Medicine (eISSN: 2383-3645)", is an international, peer-reviewed, continuous journal dedicated to improving the quality of care and emergency knowledge by publishing high-quality works concerned to emergency medicine and related medical specialties. The journal publishes articles in critical care medicine, disaster and trauma management, environmental diseases, toxicology, pediatric emergency medicine, emergency medical services, emergency nursing, health policy and ethics, and other related topics. Following types of articles are supported:

Original/Research Article

Review Article

Brief Report

Case Report

Letter to the Editor

Photo Quiz

Submission process:

Title page and manuscript text file should be separately submitted online via the online submission system.

Manuscript preparation:

1- Summary (for busy authors)

Title page, including title of the article, authors' names, affiliations, and detailed information of corresponding authors; Phone and Fax number, Email, and Postal Address should be supplied and submitted as a separate file.

Manuscript text file should be prepared according to specific research reporting guidelines. In addition, declaration section including acknowledgment, funding, and authors' contribution, should be addressed at the end of the manuscript text in all types of the above-mentioned articles. All clinical trials should be registered in a registry of clinical trials approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) or the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). As an option, the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT) is one of the suggested registries.

2- Details

The journal adheres to the recommendations of International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). The main manuscript should carry the title, abstract, main text, acknowledgment, funding, authors' contribution, references, figures, and tables of the paper. The preferred word processing format for the manuscript file is Microsoft Word version 2003 or newer. Manuscripts should be double-spaced, with 2.5 cm margins on all sides. All abbreviations must be spelled out the first time used, followed by the abbreviated form in parentheses. Units of measurement must be complied with the International System of Units (SI). For indexing, three to five key words should be typed at the end of the abstract for each manuscript. These words should be identical to the medical subject headings (MeSH)that appear in the Index Medicus of the National Library of Medicine.

Observational Studies

Cohort, case control, and cross-sectional studies should be arranged based on Strengthening the Reporting of Observational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement and checklist as: Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, Acknowledgements, References, Tables, and Figures. A structured abstract (with the subheadings title, introduction, methods, results, and conclusion) should appear on the first page of the manuscript and should not exceed 350 words. The main text (excluding the abstract and references) should not exceed 3500 words.

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. In addition, supplying the manuscript with a CONSORT flowchart diagram is highly encouraged. Researchers who would like to publish their clinical trial reports in Journal of Practical Emergency Medicine are strongly encouraged to register their studies in a registry of clinical trials, which meets the criteria of WHO or ICMJE. As an option, the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT) is a registry suggested by WHO.

Reviews

Review articles should be composed of systematic critical assessments of literature and data sources pertaining to clinical topics, emphasizing factors such as cause, diagnosis, prognosis, therapy, or prevention. They should have unstructured abstracts. All articles and data sources should include information about the specific types of study or analysis, population, intervention, exposure, and tests or outcomes. Authors of review articles should be expert and have contributions in the field of the addressed subject. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses on clinical trials and observational studies should be prepared based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and Meta-analysis of observational studies in epidemiology (MOOSE), respectively.

Case Reports

Case reports should be arranged in accordance with Consensus-based Clinical Case Reporting (CARE) as follows: Abstract (unstructured, not exceeding 200 words), Introduction, Case Report, Discussion, References, and Figures. The length should not exceed 1000 words.

Brief Reports

Original research papers can also be published in a brief format. Submitted papers that are of interest but not acceptable as a full-length original/research article, are offered by the editor to be published in this section. The authors can also primarily submit their papers for consideration of publication in this section. An unstructured abstract no longer than 200 words is required for this section. The body of the manuscript should not exceed 2000 words, and no heading or subheading should be used. The number of tables and/or figures should be limited to 2 and references to a maximum of 15.

Letters to the Editor

All correspondence will be considered for publication if it contains constructive criticism on previously published articles in Journal of Practical Emergency Medicine, the authors of which will have the right of reply. In addition, reports of limited research or clinical experiences can be submitted in the form of a letter. The length should not exceed 700 words.

Photo Quiz

Photo quiz should be arranged as follows: patient's imaging(s), brief case presentation followed by a question as “what is your diagnosis”, diagnosis, and discussion. It may be up to 1500 words. The maximum number of images is six. Number of references should not exceed ten.

Declarations:

  • Conflict of Interest

Authors are expected to disclose any commercial associations or sources of support that might pose a conflict of interest regarding the submitted article.

  • Funding and Support

All funding sources supporting the work must be declared in the declaration section at the end of the manuscript. Whole affiliations with or financial involvement in any organization on entity with a direct financial interest in the subject matters or materials of the research discussed (examples: employment, consultancies, stock ownership or other equity interest, patent-licensing arrangements) should be cited as conflict of interest at the end of manuscript text file.

  • Authorship

Based on the ICJME recommendations "all those designated as authors should meet all four criteria for authorship, and all who meet the four criteria should be identified as authors. Those who do not meet all four criteria should be acknowledged". Author contribution should be stated in the declaration section. All authors should be accountable for all sections of the manuscript and declare that it is written originally and there is no data fabrication; data falsification including deceptive manipulation of images and plagiarism.

Any change in authorship (i.e. order, addition, and deletion of authors) after initial submission must be approved by all authors via written confirmation, in line with COPE guidelines. It is the corresponding author’s responsibility to ensure that all authors confirm they agree with the proposed changes. If there is disagreement amongst the authors concerning authorship and a satisfactory agreement cannot be reached, the authors must contact their institution(s) for a resolution. It is not the journal editor’s responsibility to resolve authorship disputes. A change in authorship after publication of an article can only be amended via publication of an Erratum.

  • Ethical Statement and Informed Consent

If the study involves human beings, animal models, or biological samples, the author(s) must include a statement that the study was approved by the local ethical committee. In addition, authors must include a statement confirming that informed consent was obtained from human participants or their legal guardians when the research involves human subjects or their biological samples. For those who do not have formal ethics review committees, the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki should be followed. Also, n any research involving human subjects, a declaration of adherence to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki is required. For animal research, the compliance of maintenance and care of experimental animals with National Institutes of Health guidelines for the human use of laboratory animals, should be declared in text.

All relevant permissions to use unpublished observations of others must be obtained by the manuscript author(s) and stated in the text. The names of the original author(s) should be declared. Also, permission must be obtained to reproduce or adapt any figures or tables that have been published previously and declared in the legend/footnote.

Author(s) should certify that their research study is in agreement with the regulations of their institution(s) and generally accepted guidelines governing such work; contains no violation of any existing copyright or other third party right; and is free of any obscene, indecent, libelous, or otherwise unlawful material.

  • Availability of Supporting Data

Author(s) should guarantee that data of the study are available and will be provided if anyone needs them.

  • Using Artificial Intelligence Chatbots

With advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and development of tools that can perform human-like tasks such as summarizing articles, writing essays, creating images, and preparing presentation drafts, authors of scholarly articles may find these tools helpful and plan to use them for preparing their manuscripts. However, they should note that these tools have important limitations. They may use phrases from previously distributed material verbatim and/or without proper referencing, thus generating plagiarized material. They may also make statements that are not true or dismiss views opposing the one expressed in the output.

Based on the WAME recommendations, AI tools cannot be listed as authors since they do not meet the authorship criteria as they cannot take responsibility for the integrity of the work, approve the manuscript's final version, understand conflict of interest, or hold copyright. Yet, authors who have used these tools for preparing their manuscript should clearly introduce the tool they have used and how they have used it in the manuscript. The authors should note that they are responsible for the content of their manuscript, including the parts produced by the AI tools. They should make sure that publication ethics are observed throughout the manuscript.

References:

Our reference style requirements are in accordance with the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals by the ICMJE. The references should be numbered in the order in which they appear in the text. In the text, tables, and legends, identify references using Arabic numerals in parentheses.

Note: List all authors when there are six or fewer; when there are seven or more, list the first six, followed by “et al”

Samples:

- Articles in journals

Stratton SJ. Should Helicopters Dispatched for EMS Trauma Response Be Grounded?. Ann Emerg Med. 2013;61(2):167-74.

-  Articles in journals with more than six authors

Newgard CD, Schmicker RH, Hedges JR, Trickett JP, Davis DP, Bulger EM, et al. Emergency medical services intervals and survival in trauma: assessment of the “golden hour” in a North American prospective cohort. Ann Emerg Med. 2010;55(3):235-46.

-  Article In press

Sakles JC, Patanwala AE, Mosier JM, Dicken JM. Comparison of video laryngoscopy to direct laryngoscopy for intubation of patients with difficult airway characteristics in the emergency department. Int Emerg Med. Forthcoming 2013.

- Article In other languages

Gholami A, Barati M, Vahdani M, Vahdani H, Karimi M. [Pattern of Empirical Antibiotic Administration in Emergency Department of an Educational Hospital in Tehran]. Razi J Med Sci. 2011;18(82):17-23. Persian.

-  Books and other monographs

Marx JA, Hockberger RS, Walls RM, Adams GA. Rosen's emergency medicine: concepts and clinical practice. 6th ed. Philadelphia: Mosby Incorporated; 2010. p. 1215-75

Figures and tables:

Figures and tables should be kept to a minimum necessary and presented at the end of the manuscript file after the references, numbered (with Arabic numbers), and have a title. Include double-spaced legends (maximum length, 60 words) on separate pages.

Responsibility and ethical requirements:

Author(s) should certify that neither the submitted manuscript nor another one with substantially similar content under their authorship has been published in any language or being considered for publication elsewhere. Author(s) should take 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 author(s), must be submitted to the editorial office. Sources of financial support for the project should be acknowledged. 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 written informed consent was obtained from the study participants. For those who do not have formal ethics review committees, the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki should be followed. Also, the compliance of maintenance and care of experimental animals with National Institutes of Health guidelines for the human use of laboratory animals should be declared in text. All relevant permissions to use unpublished observations of others must be obtained by the manuscript author(s) and stated in the text citing the names of the original author(s) should be declared. Also, permission must be obtained to reproduce or adapt any figures or tables that have been published previously and declared in the legend/footnote. Journal of Practical Emergency Medicine conforms to the international regulations against scientific misconduct including fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, and etc. Journal of Practical Emergency Medicine is an official member of Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and any cases of suspected misconduct will be assessed during the peer-review and publication process based on COPE guidelines.

Editorial Independence:

The editor in chief makes the final decision regarding publication or rejection of the submitted articles without interference of its owner (Emergency Medicine Department of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences) or economic interests.

Article Processing Charge:

For providing researchers with Open Access and freely available contents publishing an article in this journal requires payment of an article processing charge (APC) that will be billed to the corresponding author following acceptance for publication. These fees are used to cover the costs of providing and maintaining a publication infrastructure, managing the journal, and processing the manuscripts through peer-review and the editorial procedure. No submission charges, page charges, or color charges exist apart from the APC. The fees are demonstrated in the table below:

Manuscript Type          

Iranian authors              

Other Countries           

Research Article

20,000,000 Rials

100 USD

Review Article

25,000,000 Rials

150 USD

Brief Report

20,000,000 Rials

100 USD

Case Report

10,000,000 Rials

100 USD

Photo Quiz

10,000,000 Rials

100 USD

Other types

5,000,000 Rials

100 USD

Fast Track Evaluation
Authors who should meet a deadline and wish to have their manuscript published more rapidly may ask for fast track evaluation. In this model, an editorial decision will be made within a maximum of 2 weeks. The cost of fast track evaluation is 5,000,000 Rials (50 USD), which should be paid upon submission and before the initiation of the peer review process. This fee should only be paid by those who opt to ask for fast track evaluation and is independent of the publication fee received upon publication. It should also be noted that paying this fee only accelerates the peer review process and does not guarantee acceptance of the manuscript for publication. Those who wish to ask for fast track evaluation should send their requests directly to yousefifardm@gmail.com upon submission of their manuscript.

The journal offers a waiver of APC to authors based in countries classified as Low-income or Lower-middle-income economies by the World Bank. In addition, if a valuable article is submitted and accepted, the journal will not avoid publishing it for not paying the APC. Therefore, authors who are not able to pay the charge, are encouraged to contact the journal by sending an Email to yousefifardm@gmail.com to explain their situation and ask for a waiver before or during submission and the journal will evaluate the request. Unfortunately, the journal is not able to consider the APC waiver request after acceptance.

Peer Review Process:

Peer review helps editors select suitable manuscripts, however, the editor makes the final decision regarding all the content. Decisions may be made by issues unrelated to the quality of a manuscript, such as suitability for the journal. The editor can reject any article at any time before publication, including after acceptance if concerns arise about the integrity of the work.

Manuscripts selected for peer review will be refereed by two reviewers during six weeks according to specific research reporting guidelines for different study designs; including CONSORT for randomized trials, STROBE for observational studies, PRISMA for systematic reviews and meta-analyses, and STARD for studies of diagnostic accuracy. Authors better send their revised manuscripts within 2 weeks and if the revised version is not uploaded within 2 months, the submission will be archived.

- 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.

- Reviewers are required to keep manuscripts and their information confidential.

- They must not use knowledge of the manuscript before its publication for their personal interests.

- The reviewers' comments should be constructive, honest, and polite.

- Reviewers should declare their conflicts of interest and decline review if a conflict exists. Knowing the author(s) must not affect their comments and decision.