Information for Contributors
General Information
The Journal of Histopathology and Cytopathology (JHC) aims in our understanding of the pathophysiological and pathogenetic mechanisms of human disease by publishing original papers, review articles, case reports and short communications related to basic and translational fields in pathology. It serves as bridges between basic biomedical science and clinical medicine with particular emphasis on, but is not restricted to, tissue based studies only. It is published twice a year as the Journal Committee of the Bangladesh Academy of Pathology.
Manuscript Preparation.
Manuscripts should be prepared in MS Word format in accordance with The Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals
(see http://www.icmje.org). All pages of the manuscript should be double-spaced and numbered consecutively beginning with the Title page. Each of the following sections should begin on separate pages: Title, Name and affiliation of authors, Abstract and Keywords, Text, Acknowledgements, References, individual Tables and legends. Reformatting of the accepted papers may be needed according to the Journal specifications.
Title Page
The title page should include (i) type of publication (original, review, case report etc.) (ii) the complete title of the article (iii) authors’ name in abbreviation (iv) list of authors including full name, highest degree, signature, designation and institutional affiliation and (v) name, mailing address, email and telephone/mobile number of author responsible for correspondence.
Abstracts
It should begin with full title of the article. Do not write authors name in the abstract page. The abstracts should not be more than 200 words. The abstract should state the purpose of the study or investigations, basic procedures, main findings and principal conclusion. Three to ten keywords may be provided below the abstract using terms from the Medical Subject Headings (Index Medicus, NLM, USA). Abbreviations and citations should be avoided.
Text
The text of the original articles should be divided into following sections: Introduction, Methods, Result and Discussion.
References
References to literature should be numbered in Arabic numerical in superscripts consecutively in the order in which they are mentioned in the text. At the end of article the full list of references should give the name of all authors followed by the title of the article, the title of the journal abbreviated according to Index Medicus, the year of publication, volume number and first and last pages of the article. Title of the books should be followed by the edition, place of publication, the publisher, the year and the relevant pages. Examples of correct form of reference are given below: References should begin on a new page, be double-spaced and numbered in order of citation in the text, including citations in tables and figure legends. Citations that first appear in tables, figures, or supplemental data should be numbered according to the item’s first call out in the text; a separate reference list should not be prepared for supplemental data. Complete author citation is required (use of “et al” is only acceptable for sources with more than 35 authors).
References should conform to the style of the Journal.
Examples
Journals: van Riel D, Leijten LM, Kochs G, Osterhaus AD, Kuiken T: Decrease of Virus Receptors during Highly Pathogenic H5N1 Virus Infection in Humans and Other Mammals. Am J Pathol 2013, 183:1382-1389
Electronic Journals: Moher D, Liberati A, Tetzlaff J, Altman DG, The PRISMA Group: Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: The PRISMA Statement. PLoS Med 2009, 6:e1000097. https://www.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000097.
Books: Frosch MP: Central Nervous System. Robbins Basic Pathology, 9th Edition. Edited by Kumar V, Abbas AK, Aster JC. Philadelphia, PA, Saunders, 2012, pp. 811-850
Product Inserts: Cite in text only: (Affymetrix technical note: Globin Reduction Protocol: A Method for Processing Whole Blood RNA Samples for Improved Array Results. Santa Clara, CA).
Web sites: Cite in text only. See Data Supplements and Non-Traditional Media section below for proper use of web site references. Use the doi when available. Include the name of the institution sponsoring the web site, URL address with direct linkage to the referenced information, and date of last access.
Tables
Tables should be typed written on separate numbered pages submitted after the main text on separate pages, as part of the manuscript. The preferred file format for Tables is MS Word. and should follow the reference list. All tables should be numbered consecutively using Roman numerical. Each must carry a brief descriptive heading. Tables should be planned to fit within print area. Table footnotes should use the sequential symbols: *, †, ‡, §, ¶, ∥; and abbreviations.
Illustrations
Figure file formats (including those embedded in the text) are unacceptable.
Photographs and photomicrographs should be of high resolution (minimum 5 mega pixels), in original unedited form and jpg format. These should contain a legend with magnification and stain used. Figure number and name of the first author should be mentioned in each file. Legend should be given in separate page. Patients’ identification should be hidden.
Abbreviation
Standard abbreviation should be used whenever possible. The full term for which the abbreviation stands followed by abbreviation in parenthesis should be proceed the first use of the abbreviation in the text except for standard units of measurements like 27OC and 25 mmol/L etc.
Letters to the editor
Communications with reference to an article published in the journal and current health problems in the community will be accepted as letter to the editor.
Electronic Copy
An electronic copy (soft copy) in the form of CD must be submitted with the printed copy of the article. Electronic copy may be send by email attachment at sadequel@yahoo.com. Text should be processed with MS Word and pictures should be saved in JPG format.
Manuscript Submission
Electronic version of the manuscripts should be submitted through email to the Executive Editor. Alternatively send DVD/CD to: The Executive Editor of the Journal of Histopathology and Cytopathology. A cover letter to the editor must accompany the manuscript stating any, (a) conflicts of interest (both financial and personal), (b) that the manuscript has not been published previously and is not being considered concurrently by another publication, and (c) all authors and acknowledged contributors have read and approved the manuscript. Submissions are not considered for review if previously published in any form (print or online) other than as an abstract. The editor reserves the customary right to style and if necessary shorten the material accepted for publication and to determine the priority and time of publication. Editor assumes that work based on honest observations. It is not the task of the editor to investigate scientific fraud paper.
Proofs
The corresponding author will be contacted by email once proofs are ready, and will be directed to download electronic proofs from a secure website. The author should check the proofs carefully, mark any printer’s errors, and answer queries as requested. Author changes should be kept to a minimum. Proof corrections and replacement figures (if any) must be returned within 48 hours to avoid any delay in publication.
The Review Strategy
On receipt, manuscripts are assessed by the Editor-in-Chief, to one Associate Editor. The Reviewers’ and Associate Editor’s views are used by the Editor-in-Chief (or a Senior Editor) in reaching a decision, usually within three weeks of submission.
Summary of Submission, General points
Format the word processing document as double spaced A4 pages with an additional space between paragraphs and margins of at least 2 cm all round. Use a 12-pt standard font such as Times, Helvetica or Arial (with Symbol for special characters). Do not use line numbering, but include page numbers in the header or footer, aligned right. Use consistent, preferably UK English spelling.
Manuscript title
This should be clear, simple and concise; long titles lack impact. Please remember that many readers will only scan titles, so they should reflect the message of the paper and catch the readers’ attention.
A short running title
This must be 75 characters or less, including spaces, and reflect the main title and content of the manuscript.
List of authors
Authorship credit should be based only on 1) substantial contributions to conception and design, or acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data; 2) drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content; 3) final approval of the version to be published.
A statement outlining the specific contribution of each author to the manuscript and the work reported in it must appear after the acknowledgements section (see below).
Full affiliations of all authors
Include the name of the department(s) and institution(s) to which the work should be attributed. Append the corresponding author(s) full postal address, phone number and email address.
Conflict of interest statements
Authors must disclose all financial and personal relationships that might bias their work; to prevent ambiguity, a conflict of interest statement must appear on the manuscript title page, detailing any conflicts (or the absence thereof) for each author.
Word count (from beginning of Introduction to end of Discussion)
Concise articles make a greater impact than long ones and are less likely to be delayed by editing to a suitable length. Full articles should be no more than 4000 words from the beginning of the Introduction to the end of the Discussion. Review articles and special features may occasionally exceed this limit by arrangement with the Editor-in-Chief.
Abstract (not structured and no more than 300 words)
Following the title page(s), the next page should carry an unstructured prose abstract of 300 words or less. It should clearly convey the purposes of the study, and the main procedures, findings and conclusions. It should be understandable without reference to the rest of the paper, and contain no citation to references in the reference list. Only standard abbreviations as listed below are permitted.
Keywords (3 to 10)
Below the abstract, authors should provide and identify as such 3 to 10 keywords or short phrases to assist indexing the article and that may be published with the abstract. MESH headings are a useful guide for authors in considering keywords.
Manuscript structure
Research articles are divided into sections with the headings: Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion. Long articles may need subheadings (especially within the Results and Discussion) to clarify their content. The sections should not be numbered. Other types of articles, such as reviews and commentaries, still need a title and abstract and should adhere as closely as possible to these guidelines.
