I frequently send authors who have submitted articles to the International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Implants a set of guidelines that we use in formulating a goal for manuscript submission. It is based upon the ICMJE but it also includes some other guidelines that may assist an author in preparing an article for journal submission. It gives a few guidelines is to what you should do with the comments that you get and it has reasons why different recommendations are made. Some journals have other guidelines, that's up to them. These are the ones that we use.

These are the guidelines that we recommend:

When responding to a request for revision:

· Always reply to every comment provided by the reviewer

· Include all sections of the article with the revision (abstract, introduction with purpose and/or specific aims, materials and methods, results, discussion, conclusions based upon the purpose or specific aims

· Respond to the text (not in a letter to the editor justifying the article as it was written)

· If requests for changes in study design are made the authors should address these requests in the discussion section with an explanation as to why the chosen method was used and also describe alternatives that could have been considered

· Make the changes apparent to the Journal. Highlighting of changes will speed the review process

· Always follow the guidelines for manuscript preparation provided by the journal (those guidelines are described below)

· Notify the journal if you have no intention of responding to the review

Submission Guidelines for IJOMI

Title:

The title should identify the information in the study.

Authors should avoid the use of proprietary terms in the title and should identify the items that are included in the article. For example, an article should not be described a six-year study unless all subjects reached six years of treatment (unless censored before that time).

The title should be clear, descriptive and concise.

Abstract:

For SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES, STRUCTURED ABSTRACTS ARE REQUIRED. (Purpose, Materials and Methods, Results, Conclusions) A structured abstract will include all the sections that are included in the article except the discussion section. Since the discussion is the one section of an article that allows subjective material to be presented and since abstracts are limited in length it is not possible to provide any meaningful discussion in an abstract. Hence, remove the discussion from an abstract.

For CASE REPORTS the abstract will not be structured. These articles are descriptive and as such should not have an appearance of being a scientific article. For a case or technical report the abstract should describe what is described in the article itself. This is not a description of what will be said but instead is a summary of what is said in the article.

Abstracts must STAND ALONE. Abstracts are not introductory comments to an article but instead must represent the information presented in the article in a clear and concise way. THE SECTIONS IN AN ABSTRACT OF A SCIENTIFIC ARTICLE ARE PURPOSE, MATERIALS AND METHODS, RESULTS, CONCLUSIONS.

Keywords are generally provided at the end of the abstract. Keywords may consist of 3 to 10 words or short phrases that capture the main topics of the article. Terms from the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) list of Index Medicus should be used; if suitable MeSH terms are not yet available for recently introduced terms, present terms may be used.

MeSH terms may be found at: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/cgi/mesh/2014/MB_cgi?term=Biomedical%20and%20Dental%20Materials

Abstracts are limited in length primarily because the retrieval systems limit the length of abstracts. THE LIMIT SET BY MEDLINE IS APPROXIMATELY 300 WORDS.

Because abstracts are the only substantive portion of an article indexed in many electronic databases, and the only part many readers read, authors need to be careful that ABSTRACTS REFLECT THE CONTENT OF THE ARTICLE ACCURATELY. Please ensure that the information presented in the abstract agrees with the text of the article.

The following sections appear in scientific articles:

Introduction:

Summarize the rationale, hypothesis, specific aims and/or purpose of the study, giving only pertinent references. Clearly, state the working hypothesis.

The introduction should provide a context or background for the study. The specific purpose of the study must be provided at the end of the introduction. The introduction should be specific, sharply focused towards the question involved in this article. References used in the introduction should be pertinent to the specific aims of this study. The introduction should not present data or conclusions from the article that is being presented. Figures and/or images should not appear in an introduction.

Specific aims or the purpose of the research should appear near the end of the introduction. Ultimately any specific aim or purpose statement MUST be addressed/answered in the article conclusions.

Materials and Methods:

Present materials and methods in sufficient detail to allow the reader to understand the way the study was conducted and ultimately to confirm the observations of the study. Published methods should be referenced and discussed only briefly unless modifications have been made. Indicate the statistical methods used, if applicable.

THE METHODS SECTION SHOULD INCLUDE ONLY INFORMATION THAT WAS AVAILABLE AT THE TIME THAT THE PLAN OR PROTOCOL FOR THIS STUDY WAS WRITTEN. ALL INFORMATION OBTAINED DURING THE CONDUCTION OF THE STUDY BELONGS IN THE RESULTS SECTION. For example: when a prospective study is developed the investigators may plan to include a specific number of patients that should be enrolled in the study (this number should appear in the materials and methods section, but the results may actually describe a different number as the conduction of the study may have altered the number of included subjects) but the investigators will not determine the ages of all enrolled patients or the gender of the enrolled patients, this will be established through the study and it would be appropriate to report it in the results. LIKEWISE, RETROSPECTIVE STUDIES WOULD NOT REPORT THE NUMBER OF INCLUDED SUBJECTS AS THIS WOULD NOT BE KNOWN UNTIL THE STUDY IS CONDUCTED.

The methods for selection of patients (inclusion criteria) and exclusion of patients should be identified.

WHEN MATERIALS OR DEVICES ARE DESCRIBED, IT IS BEST TO DESCRIBE THESE IN GENERIC TERMS THROUGHOUT THE MANUSCRIPT, however, the proprietary name and manufacturer information should be included when the materials or devices are first identified. (describe specific proprietary information, manufacturer, and location of manufacturer).

Statistical methods should be identified in the materials and methods section. Please remember that if an article presents confidence intervals or p-values in the results section, these indicate that statistical analysis was performed in the study. This statistical analysis must be described in materials and methods section.

Results:

Present results in a logical sequence in the text, tables, and illustrations. Do not repeat in the text all the data in the tables or illustrations; emphasize only important observations. Provide numeric results not only as derivatives (for example, percentages if more than 100 subjects/items were assessed) but also as the absolute numbers from which the derivatives were calculated.

Please remember that when fewer than 100 subjects are involved in the study, percentages should not be used and only the absolute numbers should be provided. Avoid non-technical uses of technical terms in statistics, such as "random" (which implies a randomizing device/method), "normal," "significant," "correlations," and "sample." If any of these terms are used the author should identify the methods that were used to perform these technical actions (this would be reported in the materials and methods section).

Discussion:

EMPHASIZE THE NEW AND IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF THE STUDY and the conclusions that follow from them. Do not repeat in detail data or other material given in the Introduction or Results section. Relate observations to other relevant studies and point out the implications of the findings and the limitations of the observed outcomes.

The discussion section of the article is the only section where subjective information is provided. Authors have the opportunity in the discussion section to address the reasons behind their choice of one method in comparison to another. The rationale for study design, particularly if it is a departure from traditional designs, should be explained in the discussion section.

Conclusions:

CONCLUSIONS NEED TO BE BASED UPON THE DATA PRESENTED IN THIS STUDY. CONCLUSIONS THAT RELATE TO DISCUSSION ITEMS OR EXTRAPOLATIONS FROM THE DATA SHOULD NOT BE PRESENTED.

When suggestions are derived from the data in the study, it is more appropriate to present those suggestions in the discussion section, perhaps near the end of the discussion, to give the reader direction and improve their understanding of the author's interpretation of the data.

Link the conclusions with the goals of the study but avoid unqualified statements and conclusions not adequately supported by the data. In particular, authors should avoid making statements on economic benefits and costs unless their manuscript includes appropriate economic data and analysis. Avoid claiming priority and alluding to work that has not been completed.

The following information pertains to Case or Technical reports

In IJOMI case or technical reports will be limited to 8 pages of double-spaced typewritten text and no more than 20 illustrations. These numbers were reassessed in November 2013 and were increased dramatically. The reason for this change is that case and technical reports appear only as an abstract in the printed journal while the complete article and illustrations will appear in the online journal.

Further comments on manuscript preparation:

Scientific article should generally be presented in 20 or fewer pages of double-spaced typewritten text. The author should prepare the manuscripts in keeping with the guidelines described above which should allow them to present their information in this page limit without any particular difficulty.

Brevity is appreciated in scientific writing. Scientific writing is not artistic. It should be written clearly and concisely. Scientific writing is similar to journalism in that it describes factors of who, what, why, when, where, and how. Rather than re-state the observations of others, it would be better to summarize the previous findings. Likewise, rather than creating complex and confusing sentences, short sentences that get directly to a point will better serve the reader.

It is wise to use simple language and sentence structure.

IJOMI is an English language, international journal that will be read by many individuals for whom English is not their primary language. This is why it is better to simplify.

If English is not your primary language, it may be appropriate to have this manuscript reviewed by an individual who is fluent in English and has published scientific articles in English journals. The Editorial Staff of IJOMI will assist in manuscript revision, but it cannot rewrite articles when language difficulties exist.

If you are attempting to identify an editor that you wish to hire to edit your article choose one who is familiar with scientific writing in the English language you would likely find such an individual by performing an internet search (such as a google search) using the following search terms: Dental, editing, revising, English, correction, journal, manuscript, paper, scientific, research, publishing, publication, edit

Once the search is performed, you should carefully evaluate the identified editors to ensure that their qualifications meet your needs. Remember, every journal has different criteria for manuscript development. An editor that follows the journal guidelines will provide you with a valuable service. Conversely, an editor who disregards journal guidelines may be of little benefit to you in your efforts to identify an editor to take your article closer to publication.

Lastly, it might be prudent to determine if the editor you select has published in the journal to which you are submitting your article.

Jargon should be avoided. If the author can eliminate unnecessary words in a sentence, those words should be removed.

Terminology should be found in standard medical and dental dictionaries or glossaries. The Glossary of Oral and Maxillofacial Implants (GOMI, the official glossary of IJOMI) should be used for implant terminology, Glossary of Prosthodontic terms and Glossary of Periodontal terminology should be used for prosthodontic and periodontal terminology respectively.

Personal pronouns should not be used in scientific writing as these terms create the appearance of subjectivity and scientific writing is to be objective.

Contractions should never be used in scientific writing.

Pronouns may be confusing because the reader may lose contact with the subject.

Acknowledge persons who have made substantive contributions to the study. Specify grant or other financial support, citing the name of the supporting organization and grant number.

Abbreviations and Acronyms. The full term for which an abbreviation stands should precede its first use in the text unless it is a standard unit of measurement. Use of acronyms and abbreviations can be confusing to the readers. This is particularly true when the created acronym/abbreviation is not universally understood. Although the editor appreciates efforts to create more concise manuscripts, these created (artificial) terms can interfere with the clarity of the writing.

For this reason, authors are encouraged to use descriptive terms rather than creating abbreviations or acronyms.

Trade names: Generic terms are to be used whenever possible, but trade names and manufacturer name, city, state, and country should be included parenthetically at first mention of a proprietary product.

REFERENCES

All references must be cited in the text, numbered in order of appearance.

The reference list should appear at the end of the article in numeric sequence.

Do not include unpublished data or personal communications in the reference list. Cite such references parenthetically in the text and include a date.

Avoid using abstracts as references.

Provide complete information for each reference, including names of all authors (up to six). If the reference is to part of a book, also include the title of the chapter and names of the book's editor(s).

Journal reference style:

Johansson C, Albrektsson T. Integration of screw implants in the rabbit: A 1-year follow-up of removal torque of titanium implants. Int J Oral Maxillofac Implants 1987;2:69-75.

Book reference style:

Skalak R. Aspects of biomechanical considerations. In: Brånemark P-l, Zarb GA, Albrektsson T (eds). Tissue-Integrated Prostheses: Osseointegration in Clinical Dentistry. Chicago: Quintessence, 1985:117-128.

IJOMI follows, as much as possible, the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (Vancouver Group) http://www.icmje.org/. These recommendations provide a format for the sections of a scientific article and describe the information that should be included, or possibly excluded, from the sections of an article.

There are a variety of reporting guidelines for different types of studies. The website www.equator-network.org provides links to most of the types of reporting guidelines/standards. Following the guidelines such as CONSORT for randomized trials, PRISMA for systematic reviews, STROBE for observational studies, CARE for case reports and others listed on the Equator network would provide more standardization of reporting which ultimately would make it easier for the reader to understand better the information that is presented to the reader. Although IJOMI has not, as of today, mandated the use of these guidelines/standards it does highly recommend their use.

Authors are also encouraged to evaluate the Effective Health Care Program described on the website www.effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov as this site describes factors that improve the quality of health care evidence.

http://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/search-for-guides-reviews-and-reports/?pageaction=displayproduct&productID=1752

ICMJE.org

International Committee of Medical Journal Editors

If you look at this document you will find that it outlines the way information should be developed into manuscripts using specific headings for the sections of an article. Personally I find it to be excellent background information that keeps authors presenting information in the appropriate sections of an article while avoiding subjectivity. Remember scientific writing should be objective not subjective and even if you have an objective author, if they prepare their document incorrectly it may well appear to be far more subjective than would be desired.

I recently wrote a post about this:

https://www.researchgate.net/institution/Peerwith_Connecting_Experts/post/5bd6d44111ec735a1a7cbfba_Preparing_Your_Manuscript_for_Editing

It's a good starting point for authors and could be used in tandem with the other resources mentioned here (or on service websites like Peerwith).

Very interesting topic.

I frequently send authors who have submitted articles to the International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Implants a set of guidelines that we use in formulating a goal for manuscript submission. It is based upon the ICMJE but it also includes some other guidelines that may assist an author in preparing an article for journal submission. It gives a few guidelines is to what you should do with the comments that you get and it has reasons why different recommendations are made. Some journals have other guidelines, that's up to them. These are the ones that we use.

These are the guidelines that we recommend:

When responding to a request for revision:

· Always reply to every comment provided by the reviewer

· Include all sections of the article with the revision (abstract, introduction with purpose and/or specific aims, materials and methods, results, discussion, conclusions based upon the purpose or specific aims

· Respond to the text (not in a letter to the editor justifying the article as it was written)

· If requests for changes in study design are made the authors should address these requests in the discussion section with an explanation as to why the chosen method was used and also describe alternatives that could have been considered

· Make the changes apparent to the Journal. Highlighting of changes will speed the review process

· Always follow the guidelines for manuscript preparation provided by the journal (those guidelines are described below)

· Notify the journal if you have no intention of responding to the review

Submission Guidelines for IJOMI

Title:

The title should identify the information in the study.

Authors should avoid the use of proprietary terms in the title and should identify the items that are included in the article. For example, an article should not be described a six-year study unless all subjects reached six years of treatment (unless censored before that time).

The title should be clear, descriptive and concise.

Abstract:

For SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES, STRUCTURED ABSTRACTS ARE REQUIRED. (Purpose, Materials and Methods, Results, Conclusions) A structured abstract will include all the sections that are included in the article except the discussion section. Since the discussion is the one section of an article that allows subjective material to be presented and since abstracts are limited in length it is not possible to provide any meaningful discussion in an abstract. Hence, remove the discussion from an abstract.

For CASE REPORTS the abstract will not be structured. These articles are descriptive and as such should not have an appearance of being a scientific article. For a case or technical report the abstract should describe what is described in the article itself. This is not a description of what will be said but instead is a summary of what is said in the article.

Abstracts must STAND ALONE. Abstracts are not introductory comments to an article but instead must represent the information presented in the article in a clear and concise way. THE SECTIONS IN AN ABSTRACT OF A SCIENTIFIC ARTICLE ARE PURPOSE, MATERIALS AND METHODS, RESULTS, CONCLUSIONS.

Keywords are generally provided at the end of the abstract. Keywords may consist of 3 to 10 words or short phrases that capture the main topics of the article. Terms from the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) list of Index Medicus should be used; if suitable MeSH terms are not yet available for recently introduced terms, present terms may be used.

MeSH terms may be found at: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/cgi/mesh/2014/MB_cgi?term=Biomedical%20and%20Dental%20Materials

Abstracts are limited in length primarily because the retrieval systems limit the length of abstracts. THE LIMIT SET BY MEDLINE IS APPROXIMATELY 300 WORDS.

Because abstracts are the only substantive portion of an article indexed in many electronic databases, and the only part many readers read, authors need to be careful that ABSTRACTS REFLECT THE CONTENT OF THE ARTICLE ACCURATELY. Please ensure that the information presented in the abstract agrees with the text of the article.

The following sections appear in scientific articles:

Introduction:

Summarize the rationale, hypothesis, specific aims and/or purpose of the study, giving only pertinent references. Clearly, state the working hypothesis.

The introduction should provide a context or background for the study. The specific purpose of the study must be provided at the end of the introduction. The introduction should be specific, sharply focused towards the question involved in this article. References used in the introduction should be pertinent to the specific aims of this study. The introduction should not present data or conclusions from the article that is being presented. Figures and/or images should not appear in an introduction.

Specific aims or the purpose of the research should appear near the end of the introduction. Ultimately any specific aim or purpose statement MUST be addressed/answered in the article conclusions.

Materials and Methods:

Present materials and methods in sufficient detail to allow the reader to understand the way the study was conducted and ultimately to confirm the observations of the study. Published methods should be referenced and discussed only briefly unless modifications have been made. Indicate the statistical methods used, if applicable.

THE METHODS SECTION SHOULD INCLUDE ONLY INFORMATION THAT WAS AVAILABLE AT THE TIME THAT THE PLAN OR PROTOCOL FOR THIS STUDY WAS WRITTEN. ALL INFORMATION OBTAINED DURING THE CONDUCTION OF THE STUDY BELONGS IN THE RESULTS SECTION. For example: when a prospective study is developed the investigators may plan to include a specific number of patients that should be enrolled in the study (this number should appear in the materials and methods section, but the results may actually describe a different number as the conduction of the study may have altered the number of included subjects) but the investigators will not determine the ages of all enrolled patients or the gender of the enrolled patients, this will be established through the study and it would be appropriate to report it in the results. LIKEWISE, RETROSPECTIVE STUDIES WOULD NOT REPORT THE NUMBER OF INCLUDED SUBJECTS AS THIS WOULD NOT BE KNOWN UNTIL THE STUDY IS CONDUCTED.

The methods for selection of patients (inclusion criteria) and exclusion of patients should be identified.

WHEN MATERIALS OR DEVICES ARE DESCRIBED, IT IS BEST TO DESCRIBE THESE IN GENERIC TERMS THROUGHOUT THE MANUSCRIPT, however, the proprietary name and manufacturer information should be included when the materials or devices are first identified. (describe specific proprietary information, manufacturer, and location of manufacturer).

Statistical methods should be identified in the materials and methods section. Please remember that if an article presents confidence intervals or p-values in the results section, these indicate that statistical analysis was performed in the study. This statistical analysis must be described in materials and methods section.

Results:

Present results in a logical sequence in the text, tables, and illustrations. Do not repeat in the text all the data in the tables or illustrations; emphasize only important observations. Provide numeric results not only as derivatives (for example, percentages if more than 100 subjects/items were assessed) but also as the absolute numbers from which the derivatives were calculated.

Please remember that when fewer than 100 subjects are involved in the study, percentages should not be used and only the absolute numbers should be provided. Avoid non-technical uses of technical terms in statistics, such as "random" (which implies a randomizing device/method), "normal," "significant," "correlations," and "sample." If any of these terms are used the author should identify the methods that were used to perform these technical actions (this would be reported in the materials and methods section).

Discussion:

EMPHASIZE THE NEW AND IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF THE STUDY and the conclusions that follow from them. Do not repeat in detail data or other material given in the Introduction or Results section. Relate observations to other relevant studies and point out the implications of the findings and the limitations of the observed outcomes.

The discussion section of the article is the only section where subjective information is provided. Authors have the opportunity in the discussion section to address the reasons behind their choice of one method in comparison to another. The rationale for study design, particularly if it is a departure from traditional designs, should be explained in the discussion section.

Conclusions:

CONCLUSIONS NEED TO BE BASED UPON THE DATA PRESENTED IN THIS STUDY. CONCLUSIONS THAT RELATE TO DISCUSSION ITEMS OR EXTRAPOLATIONS FROM THE DATA SHOULD NOT BE PRESENTED.

When suggestions are derived from the data in the study, it is more appropriate to present those suggestions in the discussion section, perhaps near the end of the discussion, to give the reader direction and improve their understanding of the author's interpretation of the data.

Link the conclusions with the goals of the study but avoid unqualified statements and conclusions not adequately supported by the data. In particular, authors should avoid making statements on economic benefits and costs unless their manuscript includes appropriate economic data and analysis. Avoid claiming priority and alluding to work that has not been completed.

The following information pertains to Case or Technical reports

In IJOMI case or technical reports will be limited to 8 pages of double-spaced typewritten text and no more than 20 illustrations. These numbers were reassessed in November 2013 and were increased dramatically. The reason for this change is that case and technical reports appear only as an abstract in the printed journal while the complete article and illustrations will appear in the online journal.

Further comments on manuscript preparation:

Scientific article should generally be presented in 20 or fewer pages of double-spaced typewritten text. The author should prepare the manuscripts in keeping with the guidelines described above which should allow them to present their information in this page limit without any particular difficulty.

Brevity is appreciated in scientific writing. Scientific writing is not artistic. It should be written clearly and concisely. Scientific writing is similar to journalism in that it describes factors of who, what, why, when, where, and how. Rather than re-state the observations of others, it would be better to summarize the previous findings. Likewise, rather than creating complex and confusing sentences, short sentences that get directly to a point will better serve the reader.

It is wise to use simple language and sentence structure.

IJOMI is an English language, international journal that will be read by many individuals for whom English is not their primary language. This is why it is better to simplify.

If English is not your primary language, it may be appropriate to have this manuscript reviewed by an individual who is fluent in English and has published scientific articles in English journals. The Editorial Staff of IJOMI will assist in manuscript revision, but it cannot rewrite articles when language difficulties exist.

If you are attempting to identify an editor that you wish to hire to edit your article choose one who is familiar with scientific writing in the English language you would likely find such an individual by performing an internet search (such as a google search) using the following search terms: Dental, editing, revising, English, correction, journal, manuscript, paper, scientific, research, publishing, publication, edit

Once the search is performed, you should carefully evaluate the identified editors to ensure that their qualifications meet your needs. Remember, every journal has different criteria for manuscript development. An editor that follows the journal guidelines will provide you with a valuable service. Conversely, an editor who disregards journal guidelines may be of little benefit to you in your efforts to identify an editor to take your article closer to publication.

Lastly, it might be prudent to determine if the editor you select has published in the journal to which you are submitting your article.

Jargon should be avoided. If the author can eliminate unnecessary words in a sentence, those words should be removed.

Terminology should be found in standard medical and dental dictionaries or glossaries. The Glossary of Oral and Maxillofacial Implants (GOMI, the official glossary of IJOMI) should be used for implant terminology, Glossary of Prosthodontic terms and Glossary of Periodontal terminology should be used for prosthodontic and periodontal terminology respectively.

Personal pronouns should not be used in scientific writing as these terms create the appearance of subjectivity and scientific writing is to be objective.

Contractions should never be used in scientific writing.

Pronouns may be confusing because the reader may lose contact with the subject.

Acknowledge persons who have made substantive contributions to the study. Specify grant or other financial support, citing the name of the supporting organization and grant number.

Abbreviations and Acronyms. The full term for which an abbreviation stands should precede its first use in the text unless it is a standard unit of measurement. Use of acronyms and abbreviations can be confusing to the readers. This is particularly true when the created acronym/abbreviation is not universally understood. Although the editor appreciates efforts to create more concise manuscripts, these created (artificial) terms can interfere with the clarity of the writing.

For this reason, authors are encouraged to use descriptive terms rather than creating abbreviations or acronyms.

Trade names: Generic terms are to be used whenever possible, but trade names and manufacturer name, city, state, and country should be included parenthetically at first mention of a proprietary product.

REFERENCES

All references must be cited in the text, numbered in order of appearance.

The reference list should appear at the end of the article in numeric sequence.

Do not include unpublished data or personal communications in the reference list. Cite such references parenthetically in the text and include a date.

Avoid using abstracts as references.

Provide complete information for each reference, including names of all authors (up to six). If the reference is to part of a book, also include the title of the chapter and names of the book's editor(s).

Journal reference style:

Johansson C, Albrektsson T. Integration of screw implants in the rabbit: A 1-year follow-up of removal torque of titanium implants. Int J Oral Maxillofac Implants 1987;2:69-75.

Book reference style:

Skalak R. Aspects of biomechanical considerations. In: Brånemark P-l, Zarb GA, Albrektsson T (eds). Tissue-Integrated Prostheses: Osseointegration in Clinical Dentistry. Chicago: Quintessence, 1985:117-128.

IJOMI follows, as much as possible, the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (Vancouver Group) http://www.icmje.org/. These recommendations provide a format for the sections of a scientific article and describe the information that should be included, or possibly excluded, from the sections of an article.

There are a variety of reporting guidelines for different types of studies. The website www.equator-network.org provides links to most of the types of reporting guidelines/standards. Following the guidelines such as CONSORT for randomized trials, PRISMA for systematic reviews, STROBE for observational studies, CARE for case reports and others listed on the Equator network would provide more standardization of reporting which ultimately would make it easier for the reader to understand better the information that is presented to the reader. Although IJOMI has not, as of today, mandated the use of these guidelines/standards it does highly recommend their use.

Authors are also encouraged to evaluate the Effective Health Care Program described on the website www.effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov as this site describes factors that improve the quality of health care evidence.

http://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/search-for-guides-reviews-and-reports/?pageaction=displayproduct&productID=1752

Related question:

How to create more impactful research?https://www.researchgate.net/post/How_to_create_more_impactful_research

ICMJE.org

The is the international committee of Medical Journal Editors. They provide a clear description Of information that would go into a scientific paper. If you navigate to the homepage and then go to recommendations and then to preparing for submission it will give a thorough background of what could/should be in the article. My suggestion is that you use this as background information but it is best to contact the journal that you are submitting to to see if they already have submission guidelines. Individual journals may have slightly different guidelines then the ICMJE, so I would use the committee as relatively strong background material but if there are specifics it would probably be in the individual journals.