Submissions

Author Guidelines

The IJKD publishes manuscripts on nephrology, dialysis, and transplantation. Original research papers, case reports, and letters to the editor are considered for publication, all of which undergo extensive peer review before their acceptance. Review articles and Editorials are invited, but unsolicited reviews can be proposed to the editors by sending the title for initial consideration. Primarily, they are reviewed by the editors and biostatistical advisors. If extensive revision is not required, peer review will be done by at least 2 experts in the field. Otherwise the author(s) have to revise their manuscripts before the peer review process. Based on the comments of reviewers and the responses or revisions of the author(s), the Editorial Board either accepts or rejects the manuscripts. Reviewers’ and authors’ identities are kept confidential, and the existence of a submitted manuscript is not revealed to anyone other than the reviewers and editorial team.

Aims and Scope

The IJKD, is the official publication of the Iranian Society of Nephrology. The aim of the IJKD is the worldwide reflection of the knowledge produced by the scientists and clinicians in nephrology. Published quarterly, the IJKD provides a new platform for advancement of the field. The journal’s objective is to serve as a focal point for debates and interchange of knowledge and experience among researchers in a global context. Original papers, case reports, and invited reviews on all aspects of the kidney diseases, hypertension, dialysis, and transplantation will be covered by the IJKD. Research on the basic science, clinical practice, and socio-economics of renal health are all welcomed by the editors of the journal.

 Submission of Manuscripts

Manuscripts along with a covering letter and the signed Authors’ Agreement Form should be submitted to the Editor-in-Chief of the IJKD via the online submission system.

Preparation of Manuscripts

General Instructions. Manuscripts should follow the stylistic conventions set forth in the American Medical Association Manual of Style, 10th edition. The Editors have the right to make editorial corrections and additional changes with the knowledge and approval of corresponding author. The preferred word processing format for the manuscript file is Microsoft Word. The main manuscript should carry the title page, abstract, main text, references, figures legends, and tables of the paper. Figures, including diagrams, photographs, etc, should be supplied separately and submitted as supplementary files. Please do not attach figures in the digital format of the main manuscript.

Manuscripts should be double-spaced, with 2.5-cm margins on all sides of the paper. All abbreviations must be spelled out the first time they are used, followed by the abbreviated form in parentheses. Units of measurement must be complied with the International System of Units (SI).

Original Research Papers. Original papers should be arranged as: Title Page, Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, Acknowledgements, References, Tables, and Legends. The title page must include the following: title; full first name; surname; affiliations of each contributor; each author's highest academic degree; the name, full postal address, telefax/telephone numbers of the contributor who will deal with correspondence; keywords; and the total number of pages and figures being submitted. A structured abstract (with the subheadings Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, and Conclusion) should appear on the second page of the manuscript and should not exceed 250 words. The main text (excluding the abstract and references) should not exceed 3000 words.

Reports of Clinical Trials. Original research papers that report a randomized controlled trial, should comply with the guidelines provided by the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) group. Also, supplying the manuscript with a CONSORT flowchart diagram is highly encouraged. Please refer to the CONSORT web site to see the guidelines and the flowchart template.

Although it is not obligatory yet, researchers who would like to publish reports of their clinical trial in IJKD are strongly encouraged to register their studies in a registry of clinical trials proposed by the World Health Organization or the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. As an option, the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials is a registry suggested by the World Health Organization.

Reviews. Anyone wishing to write a review for the journal should first contact the editors. Review articles should be composed of systematic critical assessments of literature and data sources pertaining to clinical topics, emphasizing factors such as cause, diagnosis, prognosis, therapy, or prevention. They should have unstructured abstracts. All articles and data sources reviewed should include information about the specific type of study or analysis, population, intervention, exposure, and tests or outcomes. Authors of review articles should be experts and have contributions in the field of the addressed subject.

Special Reports. Manuscripts that cannot be considered as a review or original article, or those with special features, such as national reports, will be considered to be published in this section, upon the decision of the editor. An unstructured abstract not longer than 120 words is required for this section. The body of the manuscript should not exceed 1200 words. Tables and/or Figures should be limited to 2 ones and references to 15 in maximum.

Nephro-Quiz. The editor plans to invite experts to write a Nephro-Quiz and unsolicited submissions are not accepted. However, authors can contact the editor if they have any original material suitable for this section.

Case Reports. Case reports should be arranged as follows: Title Page, Abstract (nonstructured, not exceeding 150 words), Introduction, Case Report, Discussion, References, and Legends. The length should not exceed 700 words.

Brief Communications. Original research papers can also be published in a brief format. Submitted papers that are of interest but are not acceptable as a full-length original contribution are offered by the editor to be published in this section. Also, the authors can primarily submit their papers for consideration of publication in this section. An unstructured abstract not longer than 150 words is required for this section. The body of the manuscript should not exceed 1500 words, and no heading or subheading should be used. Tables and/or Figures should be limited to 2 ones and references to 15 in maximum.

Letters to the Editors. Correspondence will be considered for publication if it contains constructive criticism on previously published articles in the IJKD, the authors of which will have the right of reply. Also, reports of limited research or clinical experiences can be submitted in the form of a letter. The length should not exceed 700 words.

Photo-Nephrology. Photo-Nephrology is a section for publishing interesting images of medical conditions. Any kind of images (pictures, radiological images, pathologic images, etc) that show a typical, unique, or rarely seen variety of a condition related to nephrology, or those with a highly educational value can be submitted to this section. However, the section is not a place for case reports.

Only high-quality images that are not submitted or published elsewhere will be considered for publication. To submit an image, please send the materials via e-mail (info@ijkd.org). A maximum of 4 images can be submitted. A short title accompanied by a legend of no more than 200 words is required. A short description of the case and images, as well as a brief discussion on the images should be provided in the text. No more than 2 references can provided for the text. For photographs of an identifiable patient, a written consent is required. No more than 3 authors can be listed for this section.

Fillers. Fillers are materials, including text and image, to be published in the blank spaces of the journal. The subject is not restricted, but those related directly or indirectly to medicine are preferred. Quotations, interesting pictures, historical notes, and notice on events are some examples. Please contact the editorial office via e-mail (info@ijkd.org) to send fillers.

References. Our reference style requirements are in accordance with the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE updated October 2008). Number references in the order in which they appear in the text; do not alphabetize. In text, tables, and legends, identify references with superscript Arabic numerals in parentheses.

Note: List all authors when there are 6 or fewer; when there are 7 or more, list the first 3, followed by “et al”

Samples:

Articles in journals

Raaijmakers R, Schroder C, Monnens L, Cornelissen E, Warris A. Fungal peritonitis in children on peritoneal dialysis. Pediatr Nephrol. 2007;22:288-93.

More than 6 authors

Piraino B, Bailie GR, Bernardini J, et al. Peritoneal dialysis-related infections recommendations. Perit Dial Int. 2005;25:107-31.

Books and other monographs

Brady HR, Clarkson MR, Lieberthal W. Acute renal failure. In: Brenner BM, Livine SA, editors. Benner & Rector’s the kidney. 7th ed. Philadelphia: WB Saunders; 2004. p. 1215-75.

For samples of reference citation formats, see the National Library of Medicine web site (click here or here):

Keywords. Between 3 and 10 key words for indexing should be typed at the bottom of the title page for each manuscript. These words should be identical to the medical subject headings (MeSH) that appear in the Index Medicus of the National Library of Medicine.

Figures and Tables. Figures and tables should be kept to a necessary minimum and their information should not be duplicated in the text. Figures must be supplied either as JPEG or TIFF. Do not embed the figures in the manuscript file. Tables should be typed on separate sheets of the manuscript file, be numbered (with Arabic numbers), and have a title. Include double-spaced legends (maximum length, 60 words) on separate pages. Computer-generated images and photographs must have acceptable quality (at 300 dpi or higher).  

Covering Letter. All manuscripts must be accompanied by a covering letter signed by all authors. The name, address, telephone number, fax number, and E-mail address of the corresponding author must be provided. Previous publications or presentations of the manuscript or its parts, conflict of interests, and financial supports, if any, should be addressed in the covering letter.

Authors’ Agreement Form. Please click here to download the form. It should be signed and submitted as one of the supplementary file along with the manuscript or be faxed to the editorial office.

Ethical Requirements and Authors' Responsibility

Author(s) should certify that neither this manuscript nor one with substantially similar content under their authorship has been published or being considered for publication elsewhere in any language, except as described in the covering letter.

The IJKD follows the latest definition for authorship provided by the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals. All authors should have a substantial contribution to the manuscript and take public responsibility for its contents. All persons designated as authors are assumed to qualify for authorship and all those who qualify are listed. The corresponding author takes responsibility for the integrity of the work as a whole, from inception to published article. In the event that an author is added or removed from the list of authors, written acceptance, signed by all authors, must be submitted to the editorial office.

Any financial interests, direct or indirect, in connection with the author(s) manuscript must be disclosed in the covering letter. Furthermore, sources of financial support of the project are named in the covering letter as well as the Acknowledgements.

If the work involves experimentation on living animals, the author(s) must provide evidence that the study was performed in accordance with local ethical guidelines. If the study involves human beings, the author(s) must include a statement that the study was approved by the local ethical committee and that informed consent was obtained from the study participants. For those investigators who do not have formal ethics review committees, the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki should be followed.

All relevant permissions to cite the unpublished observations of others must be obtained by the manuscript author(s). The names and initials of these persons must be cited in the text, and permission from the original author(s) must be obtained. Permission also must be obtained to reproduce or adapt any figures or tables that have been published previously.

Misconduct. The IJKD complys with the international regulations against scientific misconduct (fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism). Any suspected act of misconduct in the submitted materials to the journal will be meticulously assessed and the needful action will be taken based on the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).  Authors are asked to be careful about using the others’ words, ideas, and materials and fully cite any sources of the contents of their submitted papers, if they are not original.  Sentences exctracted from other sources should be supported by reference citation and be in quotation marks or be appropriately paraphrased. Please see the definitions of FFP. For further information see below:

Avoiding plagiarism, self-plagiarism, and other questionable writing practices: A guide to ethical writing

Office of Research Integrity

Plagiarism: where unawareness makes a lame excuse

Copyright

The Iranian Society of Nephrology is the copyright owner of the material published in the IJKD. However, all published works are open access and are immediately available without cost to anyone at the journal’s web site. The users are free to use of the work, subject to proper attribution of authorship and ownership of the rights. Authors may use their material in presentations and subsequent publications they write or edit themselves, provided that the IJKD is notified in writing and is acknowledged as the original publication. All authors should read the Authors’ Agreement Form carefully and submit a completed and signed copy of it along with their manuscript.

Disclaimer

The statements and opinions expressed in the IJKD reflect solely the views of the author(s) and contributor(s) and not of the opinion of the Iranian Society of Nephrology. The Iranian Society of Nephrology disclaims responsibility for any injury to persons or property resulting from any ideas or products referred to in the articles, and the authors are the sole responsibe individuals.