Information for Authors
Authorship Criteria and Contributions
Ethics of Studies Involving Humans and Animals
Conflicts of Interest
Clinical Trial Registration
Ethics of Scientific Publishing
Scientific Misconducts
Guidelines for Preparation of Manuscript
Manuscript Length
Manuscript Format
Title page
Running title
Requirements for Different Types of Articles
Original Articles
Review articles
Short communication/Brief reports
A letter to the editor
Editorial article
Case Reports
Submission requirements
Page charges
Disposal of material
Submission of manuscript
Review process
Responsibilities of authors
Correction of Errata
Archiving policy
General Information
The International Journal of Reproductive BioMedicine (IJRM), formerly published as "Iranian Journal of Reproductive Medicine (ISSN: 6433-1680)", in continuous publication since 2003, is an international scientific monthly publication of the Research and Clinical Center for Infertility of Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences and Health Services, Yazd, Iran.
All manuscripts must be submitted online via the IJRM online manuscript submission and review system at http://www.ijrm.ir.
Aims and Scope
This journal accepts Original Papers, Review Articles, Short Communications, Case Reports and Letters to the Editor in the fields of fertility and infertility, ethical and social issues of assisted reproductive technologies, cellular and molecular biology of reproduction, including the development of gametes and early embryos, assisted reproductive technologies in a model system and in a clinical environment, reproductive endocrinology, andrology, epidemiology, pathology, genetics, oncology, surgery, psychology and physiology. Emerging topics including cloning and stem cells are encouraged.
Ethical Considerations
IJRM is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and to ensure high-quality scientific publications use COPE's flowcharts and guidelines in approaching any ethical misbehaviour. This Journal also follows the guidelines mentioned in the Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals issued by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) (http://www.icmje.org/#privacy).
The research that involves human beings (or animals) must adhere to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki (http://www.wma.net/en/30publications/10policies/b3/index.html).
Authorship Criteria and Contributions
Based on the Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals, by the ICMJE, authors should have made significant conceptual, intellectual, experimental, and analytical contributions to the research, as well as participate in writing and revising the manuscript. In addition, each author should have participated sufficiently in the work to be responsible for its content.
Each author should meet all criteria (A, B, C, and D) that recommended by the ICMJE as following conditions:
- Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND
- Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; AND
- Final approval of the version to be published; AND
- 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.
Each author should be accountable for the parts of the work he or she has done. In addition, each author should be able to identify which co-authors are responsible for specific other parts of the work and should have confidence in the integrity of the contributions of any coauthors.
The authors also must certify that the manuscript represents valid data and has not been published in any forms and is not being submitted in the form of scientific presentations for publication elsewhere.
If requested, authors should be prepared to provide the data and must cooperate fully in obtaining and providing the data on which the manuscript is based for examination by the editors or their assignees.
All authors must sign the IJRM Authorship Form (the typed or printed name is not acceptable) and include the form on initial submission.
Changes in Authorship: The authors should be agreed with the order of authorship among themselves before submitting the manuscript. Changes in authorship (ie, order, addition, and deletion of authors) should be discussed and approved by all authors. Any requests for such changes in authorship after initial manuscript submission and before publication should be explained in a letter to the editor signed by all the authors or email from all authors.
Ethics of Studies Involving Humans and Animals
The research that involves human beings (or animals) must adhere to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki (http://www.wma.net/en/30publications/10policies/b3/index.html).
All research participants should be informed about the aims of the study and any possible side effects of the drugs and intervention. Written informed consent under protocols approved by an institutional or local review board or approved animal protocols are essential if the research involves human or animal subjects, respectively. This information should be stated in the manuscript and the protocol number or exempt status of approved protocols should be stated in the manuscript at the time of submission for review.
Ethical considerations must be clearly addressed in the Materials and Methods section. Also, the name of the appropriate institutional review board that approved the project should be mentioned.
The Journal reserves the right to request the related documents.
Conflicts of Interest
All authors must inform us about any kinds of financial, personal, political, or academic "Conflict of Interest that would potentially affect their judgment. Authors are preferably asked to fill the uniform disclosure form available through: (http://www.icmje.org/coi_disclosure.pdf)
Clinical Trial Registration
According to the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), a Clinical Trial is any research study that prospectively assigns human participants or groups of humans to one or more health-related interventions to evaluate the effects on health outcomes.
Authors of clinical trials are required to prospectively register their trial with one of the ICMJE-recognized trial registries. The registration number of the trial and the name of the trial registry must be mentioned at the end of the abstract.
All the Iranian Clinical Trials must be registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (www.IRCT.ir), in order to be considered for publication. The clinical trials performed abroad, could be considered for publication, if they register in a registration site approved by W.H.O. such as:
- http://rctregistry.tums.ac.ir
-http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
- http://www.anzctr.org.au
- http://isrctn.org
- http:// www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/index.asp
- http://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr
Ethics of Scientific Publishing
Duplicate Submission: Submission of a paper implies that it reports unpublished work and that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere. Manuscripts that are found to have been submitted elsewhere, or to be under review elsewhere, will incur duplicate submission sanctions. If previously published tables, illustrations or text are to be included, then this should be clearly indicated in the manuscript and the copyright holder's permission must be obtained. Previously published material can be cited in a later review or commentary article, but it must be indicated using quotation marks if necessary.
Duplicate Publication: Manuscripts that have been published elsewhere with the same intellectual material will refer to duplicate publication. If authors have used their own previously published work or work that is currently under review, as the basis for a submitted manuscript, they are required to cite the previous work and indicate how their submitted manuscript offers novel contributions beyond those of the previous work.
Selective Reporting of Data: Selective reporting of data is inappropriate, especially if unreported data are in disagreement with the findings of the selectively reported data. In accordance with the ICJME, the IJRM supports the publication of negative studies. Authors should cite publications in the literature that are relevant to the uniqueness of the research and should be including publications by others, as well as of their own research group. Previous publication of a preliminary report on the data is permissible if this is stated clearly in a footnote in the manuscript.
Conflicts of Interest: Authors must acknowledge and declare any sources of funding and potential conflicting interest, such as receiving funds or fees by, or holding stocks and shares in, an organization that may profit or lose through publication of your paper.
Scientific Misconducts
Fabrication, Falsification or Plagiarism are considered as the serrious publication misconducts by IJRM team and deals with them according to COPE guidelines.
Retraction Policy: The IJRM for retraction of a published article uses the COPE flowchart (http://publicationethics.org/resources/guidelines)
Guidelines for Preparation of Manuscript
Cover Letter and License Agreement
A covering letter identifying the person (full name, address, telephone, fax number and e-mail) responsible for correspondence concerning the submitted article should accompany all manuscripts. Manuscripts are received with the understanding that they are not under simultaneous consideration by another publication. The author's transmittal letter must accompany the manuscript and contain these statements:
“The authors certify that;
- The manuscript is original, has been seen and approved by all authors involved and is neither being published in any other peer-reviewed journal nor being considered for publication elsewhere.
- the article contains nothing that is unlawful, libellous, or which would, if published, constitute a breach of contract or of confidence or of commitment given to secrecy;
- the authors are responsible for all parts of the work. All statements contained in the article are true and any formula or instruction contained in the article will not if followed accurately, cause any injury, illness or damage to the user
All authors are asked to fill and sign a "publishing agreement form" that send via email to the corresponding author before the article can be processed. This transfer agreement enables IJRM to protect the copyrighted material for the authors. The copyright transfer covers the exclusive rights to reproduce and distribute the article, including reprints, photographic reproductions, microform or any other reproductions of similar nature and translations, and includes the right to adapt the article for use in conjunction with the computer system and programs, including reproduction or publication in machine-readable form and incorporation in retrieval systems. Authors are responsible for obtaining from the copyright holder permission to reproduce all figures for which copyright exists.
Manuscript Length
Papers should be of a length appropriate for the amount of information they contain. Failure to restrict the length of manuscripts can negatively influence the editor's decisions.
Manuscript Format
The format of the IJRM manuscripts, including tables, references, and figure legends must be typewritten, on one side of A4 paper, with margins of 2.5. cm. Pages should be numbered consecutively, beginning with the title page and continuing through the last page of typewritten material. Avoid underlining.
Title Page
The title page must contain (1) the title of the article, (2) correct names and highest academic degree of each author, (3) each author's official academic and/or clinical title and affiliation, (5) the name and address of the institution(s), (5) name, address, telephone number, e-mail and fax number of the author to whom correspondence should be sent.
Running Title
The author should provide a running title of no more than 5 characters.
Requirements for Different Types of Articles
Original Articles
Style
Manuscripts should be written using clear and concise English. The manuscript should include Title page; Abstract; Introduction; Materials and Methods; Results; Discussion; Acknowledgements; Conflict of interest and References.
Abstract
All original articles must contain a structured abstract of not more than 250 words. The abstract should include; Background, Objective, Materials and Methods, Results, Conclusions and at least 3 to 5 Keywords, chosen from the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) list of Index Medicus (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/MBrowser.html). They should therefore be specific and relevant to the paper. Authors need to be careful that the abstract reflects the content of the article accurately.
For randomized controlled trials, the method of randomization and primary outcome measure should be stated in the abstract. The registration number of the trial and the name of the trial registry must be mentioned at the end of the abstract.
Introduction
This should summarize the purpose and the rationale for the study. It should neither review the subject extensively nor should it have data or conclusions of the study.
Materials and Methods
This should include the study design and exact method or observation or experiment, definitions such as diagnostic criteria, the population or patient samples, and laboratory and statistical methods. If an apparatus is used, its manufacturer's name and address should be given in parenthesis. If the method is established, give a reference but if the method is new, give enough information so that another author is able to perform it.
Statistical Analysis
Statistical methods must be mentioned and specify any general computer program used.
Inadequate or incorrect statistical analyses frequently cause rejection or delays in the review of manuscripts. Where appropriate, authors should seek advice from a professional statistician before the manuscript is submitted.
Results
This should include the pertinent findings in a logical sequence with tables and figures as necessary. It must be presented in the form of text, tables and illustrations. The contents of the tables should not be repeated in the text. Instead, a reference to the table number may be given. Long articles may need sub-headings within some sections (especially the Results and Discussion parts) to clarify their contents. Unnecessary overlap between tables, figures and text should be avoided.
Discussion
The discussion should emphasize the present findings and the variations or similarities with other work done in the field by other workers. Conclusions based on the findings, evidence from the literature that supports the conclusions, the applicability of the conclusions, and implications for future research. The detailed data should not be repeated in the discussion again. Emphasize the new and important aspects of the study and the conclusions that follow from them. It must be mentioned whether the hypothesis mentioned in the article is true, false or no conclusions can be derived.
The conclusion should state the final result that the author(s) has (have) reached. The results of other studies should not be stated in this section.
Supplementary Materials such as movie clips, questionnaires, etc may be published on the online version of the journal.
Acknowledgements
All contributors who do not meet the criteria for authorship should be covered in the acknowledgement section. Financial and material support should also be acknowledged. Personal acknowledgement should precede those of institutions or agencies.
Conflicts of interest
Authors must acknowledge and declare any sources of funding and potential conflicting interest, such as receiving funds or fees by, or holding stocks and shares in, an organization that may profit or lose through publication of your paper.
References
All manuscripts should be accompanied by relevant references. The reference should provide the following information as stated in the presented models as follows:
References should be numbered sequentially as they appear in the text according to the Vancouver Style. When citing authors in the text, acknowledge only the first author where there are three or more authors, e.g. Williams et al (1) stated that.... Where there are two authors cite both, e.g. Jones and Smith (2) reported that... Citations in the reference list are to be arranged by number in the following format including punctuation.
Journals: Author(s). Title of article. Title of journal (in italics with no full stops) Year; Volume number: Page numbers. (Abbreviations for journals used in the reference list should conform to Index Medicus.) e.g. Salehnia M, Arianmanesh M, Beigi M. The impact of ovarian stimulation on mouse endometrium: a morphometrical study. Iran J Reprod Med 11-7:4; 2006.
Please cite the name of the International Journal of Reproductive Medicine as Iran J Reprod BioMed.
Books: Author(s). Title: sub-title. Edition. Place of publication: Publisher; Year. e.g. Speroof L, Robert H. Clinical gynaecology endocrinology & infertility. 6th Ed. Philadelphia; Robert-D; 1999.
Chapter in a book: Author(s) of the chapter. Title: sub-title of the chapter. In: Author(s) (or editors) of the book. Title: sub-title of book. Place of publication: Publisher; Year; page numbers.
Inclusive page numbers should be given for all references. Print surnames and initials of all authors when there are six or fewer. In the case of seven or more authors, the names of the first six authors followed by et al should be listed.
References to papers accepted for publication, but not yet published, should be cited as such in the reference list e.g. Mohammad Kazem Gharib Naseri M, Mohammadian M, Gharib Naseri Z. Antispasmodic effect of Physalis alkekengi fruit extract on rat uterus, Iran J Reprod Med 2008, in press.
The author is responsible for the accuracy and completeness of the references and for their correct textual citation.
Tables
In limited numbers should be submitted with the captions placed above. Tables should be numbered consecutively with Roman numerals and typed double-spaced, including all headings. Verify tabular statistics to make sure they tally and match data cited in the text. Do not submit tables as photographs.
Figures
Should be in limited numbers, with high-quality artwork and mounted on separate pages. The captions should be placed below. The same data should not be presented in Tables, figures and text, simultaneously.
Illustrations
All illustrations must be numbered as cited in the text in consecutive numeric order. Written permission must accompany any photograph in which the subject can be identified or any illustration that has been previously published.
Review articles
− Systematic reviews should contain original articles' parts. The protocol of these studies should adhere to PRISMA (for systematic reviews of RCTs) or MOOSE (for Observational studies) guidelines. Up to 40 references can be stated. The abstract should be structured.
− Nonsystematic reviews (Narrative reviews) should be written by experts contained the critical assessment of the current knowledge of the field. Different parts of these articles include an abstract, introduction, discussion and conclusion. The abstract should be non-structured. They should contain at least 60 references and a maximum of 5000 words.
Short communication/Brief reports can be in form of the research articles, systematic reviews or ongoing research which reports its interesting findings. The parts in this type of article are like those of the original one but they are smaller and prepared in a maximum of 2000 words. 10-15 references should be stated.
A letter to the editor should be about criticism of previous articles, criticism or review over books, analysis of a related topic with reproductive medicine, expansion and explanation about an idea or a complicated problem. This should be prepared in a maximum of 1000-1500 words. These articles need no structure.
Editorial article should be written by either the editor in chief or the editorial board. The editor in chief could also ask an expert to do such a thing. The context of such articles could involve a deep analysis about the up to date topics in reproductive medicine, challenging systems or proposing solutions in the reproductive medicine field. They should be prepared in a maximum of 2000 words and have at least 5 references.
Case Reports: Both should include abstract, keywords, case presentation, discussion, acknowledgement, references, and 1-4 figures. Necessary documentations of the case(s) like pathology reports, laboratory test reports, and images should be included in the submission package. 5-10 references should be stated.
Submission requirements
- Submit only the final version of the manuscript.
- The file should be in Microsoft Word.
Page charges:
Article-processing charges (APC)
In an open-access model, the publication costs of an article are paid from an author's research budget, or by their supporting institution, in the form of Article Processing Charges (APC). These APC replace subscription charges and allow publishers to make the full-text of every published article freely available to all interested readers. International Journal of Reproductive Biomedicine is an Open Access journal. Publishing an article in International Journal of Reproductive Biomedicine requires APC that will be billed to the submitting author following the acceptance of an article for publication. Apart from these APC, there are no submission charges, page charges, or color charges. The fees to be paid following the acceptance of an article are indicated below from July 1, 2022:
| Type of Article |
For Home Country Authors/Institutions |
For International Authors/Institutions |
| Review and Original |
12,000,000 IRR |
312 USD |
| Short Communication and Case Report |
8,000,000 IRR |
272 USD |
| Letter to Editor |
3,000,000 IRR |
252 USD |
Notes:
Fast Track Fee
To facilitate a speedy turn-around when a rapid decision is required International Journal of Reproductive BioMedicine offers a review model (Fast Track). If you choose the fast-track review, you are guaranteed:
- A rapid editorial decision and peer-review comments within 3 weeks (plus any additional holidays within that period) after submission and payment of the processing charge.
- Follow the instructions for fast tract payment as below:
| Type of Article |
For Home Country Authors/Institutions |
For International Authors/Institutions |
| Review and Original |
25,000,000 IRR |
300 USD |
| Short Communication and Case Report |
15,000,000 IRR |
200 USD |
Note:
Article-processing charges (APC)
Disposal of material
Once published, all copies of the manuscript, correspondence and artwork will be held for 1 year before disposal.
Submission of manuscript
All authors must sign the "Submission form" agreement before the article can be processed. Please name 3 related referees according to your work in "Reviewer suggestion form".
All manuscripts must be submitted as an electronic submission. The authors must declare that it is being exclusively contributed to IJRM. The text should be submitted in Microsoft Word format as an attachment. The figures should be sent in a format of JPEG or GIF which will produce high-quality images in the online edition of the journal. Submission is acceptable via Journal URL: http://www.ijrm.ir.
A cover letter identifies the person (full name, address, telephone, fax numbers and e-mail) responsible for correspondence concerning the submitted article that should accompany all manuscripts. Manuscripts are received with the understanding that they are not under simultaneous consideration by another publication. The author's transmittal letter must accompany the manuscript and contain these statements: "The manuscript has been seen and approved by all authors involved and is neither being published nor being considered for publication elsewhere. The authors transfer copyright to the IJRM."
Review process
The submitted manuscripts will be assessed from editorial points of view, at first. Should the manuscript meet the basic editorial requirements; it will enter the peer-review process. The manuscript will then be sent at least to one in-office and two out of office referees for review. The corresponding author will then be informed to the referee’s remark to accept, reject or require modification.
Revision: Papers may be returned to authors for modification of the scientific content and/or for language corrections. Revised paper and a letter listing point-for-point response to the reviewers must be submitted to the Editor and must be accompanied by a copy of the original version. Suggestion by the Editor about resubmission does not imply that a revised version will necessarily be accepted. If a paper that is returned to the authors for modification is not resubmitted within two months it will be regarded as having been withdrawn and any revised version received subsequently will be treated as a new paper and the date of receipt will be altered accordingly. Authors who resubmit a paper that has previously been rejected must provide the original manuscript and a letter explaining in detail how the paper has been modified. Accepted manuscripts become the property of IJRM.
Proofs: A computer printout will be sent to the corresponding author to be checked for only typographical errors and other essential small changes before publication in order to avoid any mistakes. Major alternations to the text cannot be accepted at this stage. Proofs must be returned to the editor within 2 days of receipt.
Responsibilities of authors
The authors are responsible for the accuracy of all statements and data contained in the manuscript, accuracy of all references information, and for obtaining and submitting permission from the author and publisher of any previously published material included in the submitted manuscript. The corresponding author will receive an edited manuscript for "final author approval".
Correction of Errata
The journal will publish an erratum when a factual error in a published item has been documented.
Archiving policy:
The articles published by IJRM are archived on our website and also in multiple international databases around the world to increase visibility and long-term digital preservation.
These archives include:
Submit manuscripts to: http://www.ijrm.ir
Journal Address:
International Journal of Reproductive BioMedicine,
Research & Clinical Center for Infertility,
Bouali Ave, Safayeh, Yazd, Iran. P.O. Box, 89195-999
Tel: +98(35)38248348
Fax: +98(35)38248087
Email: ijrm ssu.ac.ir
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