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INSTRUCTIONS TO AUTHORS |
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Pediatrics and Neonatology is the official peer-reviewed publication of the Taiwan Pediatric Association and The Society of Neonatology ROC, and is indexed in EMBASE and SCOPUS. Articles on clinical and laboratory research in pediatrics and related fields are eligible for consideration.
The Editorial Board requires authors to be in compliance with the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals (URMs); current URMs are available at http://www.icmje.org |
1. |
Manuscript Submission |
| Manuscripts may be submitted by |
| 1) |
e-mail to tpa98@www.pediatr.org.tw
OR |
| 2) |
saving it onto a CD-R and posting it, together with 3
copies of your manuscript (that match the disk file
exactly), to:
Editorial Office, Taiwan Pediatric Association,
10F-1, No. 69, Section 1, Hang Chow South Road,
Taipei 100, Taiwan
Tel: (+886) 2-23516446
Fax: (+886) 2-23516448 |
| Please note that manuscripts should be submitted using only one of the above methods, NOT both. |
| Important information |
| • |
Articles submitted by e-mail or on disk should be in Microsoft Word document format and prepared in the simplest form possible. We will add in the correct font, font size, margins and so on according to the journal style. |
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You may use automatic page numbering, but do NOT use other kinds of automatic formatting such as footnotes, endnotes, headers and footers. |
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Put text, references, tables, figures, and legends in one file, with each table and figure on a new page. |
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If submitting by e-mail, figures must be submitted as picture files (JPEG or TIF), at the correct resolution of a minimum of 300 dpi. |
| • |
If submitting by post, enclose 1 set of the original glossy prints of the figures and 2 sets of clean, sharp photocopies to the Editorial Office at the above address. Protection against damage must be made during mailing. The prints will not be returned. |
| Which ever method of submission you choose, please ensure that the following documents are also included (refer also to the checklist that follows these author instructions): |
| (1) |
A cover letter. It must include your name, address, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail address, and state that all authors have contributed to the paper and have never submitted the manuscript, in whole or in part, to other journals. Your signature and those of ALL your coauthors must be included. If you have a list of reviewers who you wish to review or not to review your manuscript, please include this list in the cover letter. |
| (2) |
A conflict of interest disclosure statement (see relevant section below). |
| (3) |
A copyright transfer statement. You may use the form that follows these author instructions. |
| (4) |
Articles covering the use of human samples in research and human experiments must be accompanied by a letter of approval from the relevant review committee (see relevant section below). |
| (5) |
Articles covering the use of animals in experiments must be accompanied by a letter of approval from the relevant authorities. |
| (6) |
Articles where human subjects can be identified in descriptions, photographs or pedigrees must be accompanied by a signed statement of informed consent to publish (in print and online) the descriptions, photographs and pedigrees from each subject who can be identified (see relevant section below). |
| (7) |
Where material has been reproduced from other copyrighted sources, the letter(s) of permission from the copyright holder(s) to use the copyrighted sources must be supplied. |
2. |
Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest |
| All authors are required to sign and submit the following financial disclosure statement at the time of manuscript submission: |
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I certify that all my affiliations with or financial involvement in, within the past 5 years and foreseeable future, any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript are completely disclosed (e.g. employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, royalties). |
| Authors who have no relevant financial interests should provide a statement indicating that they have no financial interests related to the material in the manuscript. |
3. |
Ethical Approval of Studies |
| For human or animal experimental investigations, appropriate institutional review board or ethics committee approval is required, and such approval should be stated in the methods section of the manuscript. For those investigators who do not have formal ethics review committees, the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki should be followed (World Medical Association. Declaration of Helsinki: ethical principles for medical research involving human subjects. Available at: http://www.wma.net/ e/policy/pdf/17c.pdf). |
4. |
Identification of Patients in Descriptions, Photographs and Pedigrees |
| A signed statement of informed consent to publish (in print and online) patient descriptions, photographs and pedigrees should be obtained from all subjects (parents or legal guardians for minors) who can be identified (including by the subjects themselves) in such written descriptions, photographs or pedigrees. Such persons should be shown the manuscript before its submission. Omitting data or making data less specific to deidentify patients is acceptable, but changing any such data is not acceptable. |
5. |
Previous Publication or Duplicate Submission |
| Submitted manuscripts are considered with the understanding that they have not been published previously in print or electronic format (except in abstract or poster form) and are not under consideration in totality or in part by another publication or electronic medium. |
6. |
Basic Criteria |
| Articles should be written in English (using American English spelling) and meet the following basic criteria: the material is original, the information is important, the writing is clear and concise, the study methods are appropriate, the data are valid, and the conclusions are reasonable and supported by the data. |
7. |
Categories of Articles |
7.1. Review Articles
These should aim to provide the reader with a balanced overview of an important and topical subject in the field, and should be systematic and critical assessments of literature and data sources. They should cover aspects of a topic in which scientific consensus exists as well as aspects that remain controversial and are the subject of ongoing scientific research. All articles and data sources reviewed should include information about the specific type of study or analysis, population, intervention, exposure, and tests or outcomes. All articles or data sources should be selected systematically for inclusion in the review and critically evaluated. The text should not exceed 4500 words.
7.2. Original Articles
These may be randomized trials, intervention studies, studies of screening and diagnostic tests, laboratory and animal studies, cohort studies, cost-effectiveness analyses, case-control studies, and surveys with high response rates, which represent new and significant contributions to the field. Each manuscript should state the objective/hypothesis, design and methods (including the study setting and dates, patients/participants with inclusion and exclusion criteria, or data sources and how these were selected for the study), the essential features of any interventions, the main outcome measures, the main results, discussion placing the results in context with the published literature, and conclusions. Section headings should be: Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Acknowledgments (if applicable), References. The text should not exceed 3500 words.
7.3. Brief Communications
These should clearly and concisely describe clinical or technical notes, preliminary experimental results or instrumentation and analytic techniques. The text should not exceed 1500 words. The Editors reserve the right to decide what constitutes a Brief Communication.
7.4. Case Reports
These are short discussions of a case or case series with unique features not previously described that make an important teaching point or scientific observation. They may describe novel techniques, novel use of equipment, or new information on diseases of importance. Section headings should be: Abstract, Introduction, Case Report, Discussion, Acknowledgments (if applicable), References. The text should not exceed 2000 words.
7.5. Letters to the Editor
These include brief constructive comments concerning previously published articles, interesting cases that do not meet the requirement of being truly exceptional, and other communications of general interest. Letters should have a title and include appropriate references, and include the author’s mailing and e-mail addresses. Letters are edited, sometimes extensively, to sharpen their focus. They may be sent for peer review, at the discretion of the Editors. The text should not exceed 500 words.
7.6. Invited Articles
The format for invited articles will be jointly decided by the Editors and the contributing author. |
8. |
Manuscript Preparation |
Text should be typed double-spaced on one side of white A4 (297 × 210 mm) paper, with outer margins of 2.5 cm. Each section of the manuscript should begin on a new page. Pages should be numbered consecutively, beginning with the title page.
8.1. Title Page
The title page should contain the following information (in order, from the top to bottom of the page):
- category of paper
- concise article title
- names (spelled out in full) of all authors*, and the institutions with which they are affiliated
- running title not exceeding 50 characters
- corresponding author details (name, e-mail, mailing address, telephone and fax numbers)
*The name of each author should be written with the family name last, e.g. Jing-Long Huang. Authorship is restricted only to direct participants who have contributed significantly to the work.
8.2. Abstracts
The abstract must be no longer than 250 words; 3-5 relevant key words (MeSH index terms) should be provided in alphabetical order. Abstracts for Original Articles should be structured, with the section headings: Background, Methods, Results, Conclusion. Abstracts for articles of all other categories are unstructured.
8.3. Main Text
The text for Original Articles should be organized in sections as follows: Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion. Sections for Case Reports are: Introduction, Case Report, Discussion. Each section should begin on a new page.
8.3.1. Abbreviations
Where a term/definition will be continually referred to, it must be written in full when it first appears in the text, followed by the subsequent abbreviation in parentheses. Thereafter, the abbreviation may be used. Restrict the number of abbreviations to those that are absolutely necessary.
8.3.2. Ethical Approval
For human or animal experimental investigations, appropriate institutional review board or ethics committee approval is required, and such approval should be stated in the Methods. Investigators who do not have formal ethics review committees should state whether the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki were followed. For work involving experimental animals, the guidelines for the care and use of the animals that were followed should be included in the Methods.
8.3.3. Informed Consent
For investigations of human subjects, state explicitly in the Methods that informed consent was obtained from all participating adult subjects and from parents or legal guardians for minors or incapacitated adults, together with the manner in which informed consent was obtained (i.e. oral or written).
8.3.4. Identification of Patients in Descriptions, Photographs and Pedigrees
Omitting data or making data less specific to deidentify patients is acceptable, but changing any such data is not acceptable.
8.3.5. Units
Système International (SI) units must be used, with the exception of blood pressure values which are to be reported in mmHg. Please use the metric system for the expression of length, area, mass, and volume. Temperatures are to be given in degrees Celsius.
8.3.6. Drug Names
The generic term for all drugs and chemicals should be used, unless the specific trade name of a drug is directly relevant to the discussion.
8.3.7. Statistical Requirements
Statistical analysis is essential for all research papers except case reports. Use correct nomenclature of statistical methods (e.g. two sample t test, not unpaired t test). All p values should be presented to the third decimal place for accuracy, unless they are less than 0.001. Descriptive statistics should follow the scales used in data description. Inferential statistics are important for interpreting results and should be described in detail.
8.3.8. Acknowledgments
General acknowledgments for consultations, statistical analysis, etc., should be listed at the end of the text, including the names of the individuals involved. All financial and material support for the research and work from external agencies, including commercial companies, should be clearly and completely identified. Ensure that any conflicts of interest are explicitly declared.
8.4. References
The text for Original Articles should be organized in sections as follows: Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion. Sections for Case Reports are: Introduction, Case Report, Discussion. Each section should begin on a new page.
8.4.1. In the Main Text, Tables, Figure Legends
- References should be identified using superscripted numbers, in sequential order.
- References cited in tables or figure legends should be included in sequence at the point where the table or figure is first mentioned in the main text.
- Do not cite uncompleted work or work that has not yet been accepted for publication as references.
- Do not cite abstracts unless they are the only available reference to an important concept.
8.4.2. In the References Section
- References should be limited to those cited in the text and listed in numerical order, NOT alphabetical order.
- They should include, in order, author names, article title, journal name, year, volume and inclusive page numbers. The last names and initials of all the authors up to 6 should be included, but when authors number 7 or more, list the first 3 authors only followed by “et al”. Abbreviations for journal names should conform to those used in MEDLINE.
- If citing a website, provide the author information, article title, website address and the date you accessed the information.
- Reference to an article that is in press must state the journal name and, if possible, the year and volume.
Authors are responsible for the accuracy and completeness of their references and for correct text citation.
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| Examples are given below. |
Journal articles:
- Wang AC, Chen SJ, Yuh YS, Hua YM, Lu TJ, Lee CM. Breastfeeding-associated neonatal hypernatremic dehydration in a medical center: a clinical investigation. Acta Paediatr Taiwan 2007;48:186–90.
- Chang YH, Chen PC, Hsieh CJ, et al. Perinatal and infant health outcomes among neonates born to aboriginal parents in Taiwan. Acta Paediatr Taiwan 2007;48:135-40.
- Hofele C, Schwager-Schmitt M, Volkmann M. Prognostic value of antibodies against p53 in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma—five years survival rate. Laryngorhinootologie 2002;81:342-5. [In German]
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Book:
Bradley EL. Medical and Surgical Management. Philadelphia: Saunders, 1982:72-95.
Book chapter:
Greaves M, Culligan DJ. Blood and bone marrow. In: Underwood JCE, ed. General and Systematic Pathology, 4th ed. London: Churchill Livingstone, 2004:615-72.
Website:
Glueckauf RL, Whitton J, Baxter J, et al. Videocounseling for families of rural teens with epilepsy—project update. Telehealth News 1998;2. Available at: http://www.telehealth. net/subscribe/newslettr_4a.html#1 [Date accessed: July 4, 2007]
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8.5. Tables
Tables should supplement, not duplicate, the text. They should have a concise table heading, be self-explanatory, and numbered in the order of their citation in the text. Information requiring explanatory footnotes should be denoted using these symbols (in order of appearance): *, †, ‡, §, ∥, ¶, #, **, ††, ‡‡. Abbreviations must be spelled out in full in the footnotes. If you include a block of data or table from another source, whether published or unpublished, you must acknowledge the original source.
8.6. Figures
The number of figures should be restricted to the minimum necessary to support the textual material. They should have an informative figure legend and be numbered in the order of their citation in the text. All symbols and abbreviations should be defined in the legend. Patient identification should be obscured. All lettering should be done professionally and should be in proportion to the drawing, graph or photograph. For photomicrographs, include the type of specimen, original magnification and stain.
Figures should be in the form of unmounted and unretouched glossy prints, 3 × 4 inches (minimum) to 5 × 7 inches (maximum) in size, with good black-and-white contrast or color balance. They should be marked on the back with the figure number, an arrow to indicate the top of the figure, and the principal author’s name, using a soft lead pencil or stick-on labels. Do not staple, clip or write heavily on the back. One set of glossy prints and 2 sets of clean, sharp photocopies should be submitted with the 3 copies of your manuscript. If submitting by e-mail, figures must be submitted as picture files (JPEG or TIF), at the correct resolution of a minimum of 300 dpi. The cost of color illustrations will be charged to the author. |
9. |
The Editorial and Peer Review Process |
As a general rule, the receipt of a manuscript will be acknowledged within 2 weeks of submission. If such an acknowledgment is not received in a reasonable period of time, the author should contact the Editorial Office.
Manuscripts are reviewed by the Editorial Office to ensure that the submission contains all parts. The Editorial Office will not accept a submission if the author has not supplied all parts of the manuscript as outlined in this document.
Manuscripts are then forwarded to the Editor-in-Chief, who makes an initial assessment of the manuscript. If the manuscript does not appear to be of sufficient merit or is not appropriate for the Journal, then the manuscript will be rejected. Rejected manuscripts will not be returned to authors unless requested.
Manuscripts that appear meritorious and appropriate for the Journal are reviewed by at least two Editorial Board members or consultants assigned by the Editor-in-Chief. Authors may, at the time of manuscript submission, also submit a list of reviewers who they wish to review or not to review their manuscript. Authors will usually be notified within 10 weeks of whether the submitted article is accepted for publication, rejected, or subject to revision before acceptance. However, do note that delays are sometimes unavoidable. |
10. |
Preparation for Publication |
Once a manuscript has been accepted for publication, the authors should submit the final version of their manuscript (in MS Word format, with all tables/figures as applicable) by e-mail to: tpa98@www.pediatr.org.tw (OR, the manuscript may be saved on a CD-R and posted, together with 1 paper copy of the manuscript that matches the disk file exactly, to the Editorial Office.)
Accepted manuscripts are copyedited according to the journal’s style and the galley proofs in the form of a PDF file are e-mailed by the Publisher to the corresponding author for final approval. Authors are responsible for all statements made in their work, including changes made by the copy editor. |
11. |
Publication Charges and Reprints |
The journal will bear the cost of publication for articles of 5 printed pages or less for Original Articles, and 3 printed pages or less for Case Reports and Brief Communications. Authors will be charged for the cost of extra pages at NT$1800/page. Authors will also be charged NT$6500 per illustration, figure or table that is in color.
Authors receive 50 stapled offprints of their articles free of charge, which will be sent by the Editorial Office to the first author. Additional professional reprints (which include a cover page for the article) may be ordered at prices based on the cost of production. A reprint order form is provided by the Publisher, together with the galley proofs. |
12. |
Copyright |
| Published manuscripts become the permanent property of the Taiwan Pediatric Association and may not be published elsewhere in any form without written permission. |
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COPYRIGHT TRANSFER STATEMENT |
The Taiwan Pediatric Association will be pleased to publish your article (“the Work”), tentatively entitled |
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in Pediatrics and Neonatology if the Work is accepted for publication. The undersigned authors transfer all copyright ownership in and relating to the Work, in all forms and media, to the Taiwan Pediatric Association in the event that the Work is published. However, this agreement will be null and void if the Work is not published in Pediatrics and Neonatology. |
The undersigned authors warrant that the Work is original, is not under consideration by another journal, and has not been previously published. |
(This agreement must be signed by all authors. A photocopy of this form may be used if there are more than 10 authors.) |
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CHECKLIST |
| Only complete manuscript submissions will be considered for publication. Complete submission must include: |
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Cover letter for manuscript submission |
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Signed conflict of interest disclosure statement* |
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Signed copyright transfer statement* |
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Three copies of the manuscript |
| AND, where applicable |
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Letter of approval from review committee for use of human samples in research and human experiments |
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Letter of approval from relevant authority for use of animals in experiments |
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Signed consent to publish (in print and online) from human subjects who can be identified in your manuscript |
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Letter(s) of permission from copyright holder(s) to use copyrighted sources in your manuscript |
| *You can submit these to the Editorial Office by fax or by scanning and emailing as a PDF file. |
| In the actual article, ensure that the following information is provided: |
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Title page (double spaced)
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Article category |
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Article title |
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Name(s) and affiliation(s) of author(s) |
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Running title not exceeding 50 characters |
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Corresponding author details (name, e-mail, mailing address, telephone and fax numbers) |
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Abstract (double spaced) |
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3-5 key words (MeSH index terms; double spaced) |
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Main text (double spaced) |
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References (double spaced), on a new page |
| AND, where applicable |
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Tables (double spaced), each on a new page |
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Figure legends (double spaced), on a new page |
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Figures, properly labeled (1 set of glossy prints + 2 sets of clean, sharp photocopies) |
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