Author Guidelines

Thank you for considering Balkan Medical Journal for your manuscript submission. Please review these guidelines carefully before preparing your manuscript. Adherence to these instructions will ensure a smooth submission and review process.

Quick Start Checklist

  • Select article type first; limits and structure depend on type.
  • Balkan Medical Journal does not accept case reports (submit as Letter to the Editor or Clinical Image when appropriate).
  • Follow ICMJE manuscript format rules before upload.
  • Prepare five separate upload components in required order (Section 2).
  • Register eligible clinical trials and include registry details in the abstract.
  • Use this page's tables as the operational summary of limits and reporting requirements.

Manuscript format must be in accordance with the ICMJE Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals (updated January 2026). Papers that do not comply with the format of the Journal will be returned to the author for correction without further review.

1.1 General Format

  • Microsoft Word file, single-column, double-spaced, 2.5 cm margins, 11-point Times New Roman.
  • Define abbreviations at first use in abstract and main text; limit abbreviations to accepted AMA Manual of Style terms.
  • Use decimal points consistently and SI units throughout.
  • For drugs, software, hardware, or products, include product name, manufacturer, city, and country in parentheses, e.g., “Discovery St PET/CT scanner (General Electric, Milwaukee, WI, USA)”.

SI references: ibiblio.org/units and AMA SI conversion table (archived).

1.2 Article Type

Article type defines formatting, abstract structure, and manuscript limits. Choose article type before drafting your final submission files.

Article type summaries:

  • Original Article: Substantial novel clinical/experimental research; structured abstract and IMRAD-structured full text (Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion); up to 4000 words (main text), 500-word abstract, and 50 references; ethics approval required except cell studies.
  • Brief Reports: Short peer-reviewed reports (including preliminary or negative findings); structured abstract (Aims, Methods, Results, Conclusion); no more than 3 display items; ethics approval required.
  • Invited Review Article: Invitation-based comprehensive topic review; peer reviewed before acceptance; unstructured abstract; up to 5000 words, 500-word abstract, 150 references, and up to 7 authors.
  • Consensus Report: Position or guidance statements from international organizations; pre-submission inquiry is recommended; up to 9000 words, 500-word abstract, and 300 references.
  • Clinical Image: Educational image-focused manuscript; no abstract; main text structured as Case and References; 700 words including figure legend, legend up to 100 words, 10 references, up to 5 authors, and 1 figure/table; patient consent required.
  • Letter to the Editor: Commentary on published work or overlooked points; no abstract; 700 words (excluding references), up to 10 references, up to 4 authors, and 1 figure/table; reply may be requested.
  • Scientific Letter: Concise report of a research project's progress/findings; no abstract; 1250 words (excluding references), up to 15 references, up to 5 authors, and 1 figure/table.
  • Editorial Comment: Brief expert comment, usually invited; no abstract; 1250 words (excluding references), up to 15 references, and 1 figure/table.
  • Health Policy: Submit in Original Research or Review format to address policy impact on patients, institutions, or populations; main text up to 3000 words with up to 50 references and 4 figures/tables.
  • Other: Editorials, editorial comments, book reviews, and publication/research ethics reports are commissioned by the Editorial Board.

Case reports are not accepted. Suitable cases may be adapted to Letter to the Editor or Clinical Image formats.

Type of Manuscript Word Limit Abstract Word Limit Reference Limit Author Limit
Original Article 40001 5004 50 None
Brief Reports 20001 300 30 None
Invited Review 50001 500 150 7
Clinical Image 7002 N/A 10 5
Letter to Editor 7003 N/A 10 4
Scientific Letter 1250 N/A 15 5
Editorial Comment 1250 N/A 15 4
Consensus Report 9000 500 300 None
  • 1Does not include abstract, references, tables, or figure legends.
  • 2Includes figure legends.
  • 3Does not include references.
  • 4Use subheadings: Background, Aims, Study Design, Methods, Results, and Conclusion.
  • The Editorial Board may allow exceptions to author and manuscript limits when justified.

1.3 Clinical Trials and Reporting Guidelines

The journal encourages registration of all clinical trials at ClinicalTrials.gov or a WHO ICTRP registry. Phase 3 trials should be registered at or before first patient enrollment. Include registry name, registration number, and funding information at the end of the abstract.

Authors should also follow reporting guidelines matched to study design:

Type of Study Guideline
Randomized controlled studies CONSORT (consort-statement.org/home)
CONSORT translations (consort-statement.org/consort-statement/translations)
SPIRIT (spirit-statement.org)
Observational research: cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies STROBE (strobe-statement.org)
Diagnostic accuracy studies STARD (stard-statement.org)
Genetic association studies STREGA (equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/strobe-strega)
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses PRISMA (prisma-statement.org)
Non-randomized behavioral and public health intervention studies TREND (cdc.gov/trendstatement)
Experimental animal studies ARRIVE (nc3rs.org.uk/arrive)

clinicaltrials.gov | WHO ICTRP | EQUATOR Network

For additional reporting guidance across study designs, consult the EQUATOR network.

1.4 Data Sharing: Please see the editorial policy.

1.5 Reporting Sex/Gender: Please see the editorial policy.

1.6 Preprint: Please see the editorial policy.

All submissions are completed online at balkanmedj.manuscriptmanager.net. During submission, authors are asked to suggest two potential reviewers.

Required Upload Order

  1. Cover Letter
  2. Title Page
  3. Main Document (main text, references, tables, figure legends; abstract is entered in system fields)
  4. Figures (separate files)
  5. ICMJE Conflict of Interest Form and Data-sharing Statement Form

2.1 Cover Letter

  • Article title, article type, and corresponding author full name.
  • Brief statement of novelty and scientific value.
  • Conflict of interest declaration (present or absent).
  • Originality declaration: not published, accepted, or under simultaneous review elsewhere.
  • For conference-presented work, include date and location of oral/poster presentation.
  • Multiple and duplicate submissions are not accepted, including prior publication in another language.

Cover letter example/template | ICMJE overlapping publications

2.2 Title Page

  • Complete manuscript title and running head.
  • Word counts for abstract and text (text count excludes references, tables, and figure legends).
  • Total number of references, figures, and tables.
  • All authors' full names, ORCIDs, affiliations, and e-mail addresses (all authors must meet ICMJE authorship criteria).
  • Corresponding author address, telephone, fax, and e-mail.
  • Keywords (3-6 MeSH terms).
  • Presentation history (if previously presented).
  • Acknowledgements, funding, and conflict of interest declarations.

Note: Author-identifying title-page details should be uploaded separately in the submission system.

Abstracts by Article Type

  • Original Article: Structured abstract (Background, Aims, Study Design, Methods, Results, Conclusion).
  • Invited Review: Abstract required (unstructured).
  • Clinical Image, Editorial, Letter to the Editor, Commentary: No abstract.
  • For all other types, follow the specific article-type guidance in Section 1.2.

2.3 Main Document

Main document order: main text, references, tables, then figure legends. Remove all information that could identify authors or institutions to preserve blinded review.

References

  • Cite primary studies whenever possible.
  • Use ICMJE style and number references in order of citation.
  • Prefer current literature; include DOI for ahead-of-print items.
  • Abbreviate journal names according to Index Medicus/Medline/PubMed.
  • If more than 6 authors, list first 3 followed by "et al."
  • Cite references in text using Arabic numbers in parentheses.

Journal article: Korytina G, Kochetova O, Akhmadishina L, Viktorova E, Victorova T. Polymorphisms of cytochrome P450 genes in three ethnic groups from Russia. Balkan Med J. 2012;29:252-260.

Book: Tos M. Cartilage tympanoplasty. 1st ed. Stuttgart-New York: Georg Thieme Verlag; 2009.

Book chapter: Tos M, Stangerup SE. The relationship between secretory otitis and cholesteatoma. In: Tos M, Thomsen J, Peitersen E, editors. Cholesteatoma and mastoid surgery. Amsterdam: Kugler & Ghedini; 1989:325-330.

Abstract: Gurakar A, Elsahwi K, Akdogan M, Wright H, Nour B, Sebastian T, et al. Asplenia and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC): A mere coincidence? Hepatology. 2002;36:673a (abstract).

Electronic format: Morse SS. Factors in the emergence of infectious diseases. Emerg Infect Dis (serial online) 1995 Jan-Mar (cited 1996 June 5): 1(1): (24 screens). Available from: NCBI PDF.

ICMJE Sample References

Tables

Place tables after references in the main document. Number in citation order, provide titles above tables, and define abbreviations below tables (even if already defined in text). Use the word processor's insert-table function.

2.4 Figures and Figure Legends

  • Upload figures as separate TIFF/JPEG files; do not embed in Word.
  • Submit figure subunits separately; do not merge into one file.
  • Do not place a/b/c labels directly on images.
  • Figures must be blinded and free of author/institution identifiers.
  • Minimum image quality: 300 DPI and at least 100x100 mm.

Figure legends should be listed at the end of the main document. Example: Figure 1. a-c. Primary culture of choroid plexuses on day 2 after seeding of dissociated cells (×400). Nestin staining in green (a). GFAP staining in red (b). Nuclear labelling in blue and merged images (c).

2.4.1 Graphical Abstracts

When submitting your manuscript, also upload a graphical abstract. It should summarize your study with clear visual elements (tables, figures, or key statistical outputs).

Sample graphical abstracts

2.5 Copyright Agreement and Acknowledgement of Authorship Form

This form documents scientific contribution and responsibility for each author.

Copyright Agreement and Acknowledgement of Authorship Form

ICMJE authorship requires all four criteria:

  1. Substantial contribution to conception/design or data acquisition/analysis/interpretation.
  2. Drafting or critically revising intellectual content.
  3. Final approval of the version to be published.
  4. Accountability for all parts of the work and integrity of the record.

Contributors not meeting all criteria should be listed in acknowledgements, not as authors.

ICMJE authorship details

2.6 ICMJE Conflict of Interest Form and Data-sharing Statement Form

  • Submit ICMJE Conflict of Interest form with every manuscript submission.
  • Data-sharing Statement form is required for clinical trials.
  • For clinical trials registered on or after January 1, 2019, a data-sharing plan must be registered.

Creative Commons License Agreement Form: After acceptance, the corresponding author must sign and return the Creative Commons License Agreement form according to the open access policy.

To finalize submission, the corresponding author should ensure that all files mentioned below have been uploaded:

  • A cover letter containing the article title/type, corresponding author name, novelty/importance statement, conflict/ethics/consent/funding/data availability statements, and originality declaration.
  • A title page including affiliations and e-mail addresses, corresponding author details, date/place of presentation if applicable, and acknowledgements.
  • Structured abstract and text.
  • All figures uploaded and displayed correctly.
  • Author contribution and conflict of interest statement forms (ICMJE).
  • Permission for reprinted figures, tables, materials, or photographs.

When submitting a revised version, the author must submit a detailed Response to Reviewers (point-by-point) and an annotated copy of the main document.

Revised manuscripts must be submitted within 45 days of the decision letter. Extension requests must be made before the initial 45-day period ends.

Accepted manuscripts are assigned a DOI immediately after acceptance. Manuscripts are copyedited for grammar, punctuation, and format, then published online ahead of print before scheduled issue publication.

A PDF proof is sent to the corresponding author and publication approval is requested within 2 days of receipt.

Appeal and complaint cases are handled within the scope of COPE guidelines by the Editorial Board of the journal. Appeals should be based on the scientific content of the manuscript. The final decision on the appeal and complaint is made by Editor in Chief. An Ombudsperson or the Ethical Editor is assigned to resolve cases that cannot be resolved internally. Authors should get in contact with the Editor in Chief regarding their appeals and complaints via e-mail at [email protected].

Editor-in-Chief: Prof. Servet ALTAY
Department of Cardiology, Trakya University Faculty of Medicine, Edirne, Türkiye.
Phone: +90 284 235 76 41 / 4217-4315 (internal)
E-mail: [email protected]

Editorial Office: Balkan Medical Journal, Balkan Campus of Trakya University, Medical Faculty, 22030 Edirne, Türkiye.
Phone: +90 284 235 76 41 / 1430 (internal)
Fax: +90 284 235 76 52
E-mail: [email protected]

Corporate Contributor: Galenos Publishing House
Molla Gürani Mahallesi Kaçamak Sokak No: 21
34093 Fındıkzade - İstanbul, Türkiye
+90 (212) 621 99 25
+90 (212) 621 99 27
[email protected]