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Author Guidelines

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AMJ (ADVANCED MEDICAL JOURNAL)
COMPLETE INSTRUCTIONS FOR AUTHORS

Publisher: Kurdistan Higher Council of Medical Specialties (KHCMS)
Online ISSN: 2957-3580 | Print ISSN: 2958-8979
DOI: https://doi.org/10.56056/amj
Website: https://amj.khcms.edu.krd/system/index.php/main
Email: [email protected]

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1. ARTICLE TYPES — WORD LIMITS AND REQUIREMENTS
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ORIGINAL RESEARCH
- Minimum words: 3,000 | Maximum words: 4,000
- Abstract: Structured | Minimum: 200 words | Maximum: 250 words
- References: Minimum: 20 | Maximum: 40
- Figures: Minimum: 1 | Maximum: 6
- Tables: Minimum: 1 | Maximum: 6
- Authors: Minimum: 1 | Maximum: 8

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW / META-ANALYSIS
- Minimum words: 5,000 | Maximum words: 7,000
- Abstract: Structured | Minimum: 250 words | Maximum: 300 words
- References: Minimum: 40 | Maximum: 100
- Figures: Minimum: 1 | Maximum: 8
- Tables: Minimum: 1 | Maximum: 8
- Authors: Minimum: 1 | Maximum: 10

NARRATIVE REVIEW
- Minimum words: 4,000 | Maximum words: 6,000
- Abstract: Structured | Minimum: 200 words | Maximum: 250 words
- References: Minimum: 30 | Maximum: 80
- Figures: Minimum: 0 | Maximum: 6
- Tables: Minimum: 0 | Maximum: 6
- Authors: Minimum: 1 | Maximum: 8

CASE REPORT
- Minimum words: 1,500 | Maximum words: 2,000
- Abstract: Unstructured | Minimum: 100 words | Maximum: 150 words
- References: Minimum: 10 | Maximum: 20
- Figures: Minimum: 1 | Maximum: 4
- Tables: Minimum: 0 | Maximum: 2
- Authors: Minimum: 1 | Maximum: 6

BRIEF COMMUNICATION
- Minimum words: 1,000 | Maximum words: 1,500
- Abstract: Unstructured | Minimum: 100 words | Maximum: 150 words
- References: Minimum: 5 | Maximum: 15
- Figures: Minimum: 0 | Maximum: 2
- Tables: Minimum: 0 | Maximum: 2
- Authors: Minimum: 1 | Maximum: 6

LETTER TO THE EDITOR
- Minimum words: 500 | Maximum words: 800
- Abstract: Not required
- References: Minimum: 3 | Maximum: 10
- Figures: Minimum: 0 | Maximum: 1
- Tables: Minimum: 0 | Maximum: 1
- Authors: Minimum: 1 | Maximum: 4

EDITORIAL
- Minimum words: 800 | Maximum words: 1,200
- Abstract: Not required
- References: Minimum: 5 | Maximum: 15
- Figures: Minimum: 0 | Maximum: 0
- Tables: Minimum: 0 | Maximum: 0
- Authors: Minimum: 1 | Maximum: 3

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2. MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION
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2.1 GENERAL FORMATTING
- File format: Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) — REQUIRED
- Font: Times New Roman or Arial
- Font size: Minimum 12-point | Maximum 12-point
- Line spacing: Double-spaced throughout — REQUIRED
- Margins: Minimum 2.5 cm | Maximum 3.0 cm on all sides
- Page numbers: Bottom right — REQUIRED on every page
- Line numbers: Continuous throughout — REQUIRED
- Maximum pages: 11 A4 pages including title page
- Language: Professional English — REQUIRED

2.2 TITLE PAGE (Submitted as Separate File — REQUIRED)
- Title: Minimum 5 words | Maximum 20 words
- Running title: Minimum 3 words | Maximum 8 words
- Author names: Full first name, middle initial, last name
- Affiliations: Department, institution, city, country
- ORCID iD: Required for all authors 
  (register free at https://orcid.org)
- Corresponding author: Full name, address, phone, email
- Word count: Excluding abstract and references
- Number of figures: State exact number
- Number of tables: State exact number
- Conflict of interest statement: REQUIRED for all authors
- Funding statement: REQUIRED
- Author contributions: REQUIRED (CRediT taxonomy)

2.3 STRUCTURED ABSTRACT FORMAT
Required for: Original Research, Systematic Reviews, 
Narrative Reviews

Headings (all required):
- Background: Minimum 30 words | Maximum 60 words
- Methods: Minimum 50 words | Maximum 80 words
- Results: Minimum 50 words | Maximum 80 words
- Conclusion: Minimum 20 words | Maximum 40 words
- Keywords: Minimum 5 | Maximum 8 (from MeSH database)
  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/mesh

2.4 MANUSCRIPT STRUCTURE (Original Research)
The manuscript must follow this exact structure:
1. Title Page (separate file — no author names in main file)
2. Abstract and Keywords
3. Introduction (Minimum 200 words | Maximum 500 words)
4. Methods (Minimum 500 words | Maximum 1,000 words)
5. Results (Minimum 500 words | Maximum 1,000 words)
6. Discussion (Minimum 500 words | Maximum 1,000 words)
7. Conclusion (Minimum 100 words | Maximum 300 words)
8. Acknowledgments
9. Conflict of Interest Statement
10. Funding Statement
11. Author Contributions (CRediT Taxonomy)
12. References
13. Figure Legends
14. Tables
15. Figures (separate high-resolution files)

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3. REPORTING GUIDELINES — REQUIRED
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Authors MUST submit the completed checklist for their study type:

- Randomized Controlled Trial: CONSORT 
  www.consort-statement.org
- Observational Study (cohort, case-control, cross-sectional): 
  STROBE — www.strobe-statement.org
- Systematic Review / Meta-analysis: PRISMA 
  www.prisma-statement.org
- Case Report: CARE — www.care-statement.org
- Diagnostic Accuracy Study: STARD 
  www.stard-statement.org
- Quality Improvement Study: SQUIRE 
  www.squire-statement.org

All checklists: www.equator-network.org

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4. STATISTICAL REPORTING — REQUIRED
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- State statistical software and version number — REQUIRED
  (SPSS, R, Stata, SAS, GraphPad Prism, etc.)
- Report exact p-values to 3 decimal places — REQUIRED
  (e.g., p = 0.023 — NOT p < 0.05)
- Confidence intervals: 95% CI required for all primary outcomes
- Effect sizes: Report odds ratio, relative risk, or hazard 
  ratio where applicable
- Sample size: Justify with formal power calculation
  Minimum power: 80% | Alpha level: 0.05
- Missing data: State how missing data was handled

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5. FIGURES AND TABLES
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FIGURES:
- File formats accepted: TIFF, JPEG, PNG — REQUIRED
- Minimum resolution: 300 DPI (photographs)
- Minimum resolution: 600 DPI (line drawings and graphs)
- Maximum file size per figure: 10 MB
- Maximum number: See article type limits above
- Figure legends: Minimum 20 words | Maximum 100 words each
- Patient photographs: Written consent REQUIRED
- Identifying information: Must be removed — REQUIRED
- Color figures: Accepted — no additional charge

TABLES:
- Format: Editable Microsoft Word — REQUIRED (not images)
- Title: Above the table — Minimum 5 words | Maximum 20 words
- Abbreviations: Defined in footnotes below table — REQUIRED
- Maximum rows: 30 per table
- Maximum columns: 10 per table

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6. REFERENCES — VANCOUVER STYLE
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- Style: Vancouver — REQUIRED
- Numbering: Consecutive superscript Arabic numerals
- Brackets: NOT allowed around reference numbers
- Font style: No italic, bold, or color fonts in references
- Authors: Maximum 6 — if more than 6 list first 6 then et al.
- Each reference ends with a full stop — REQUIRED
- Self-citation: Maximum 10% of total references

FORMAT EXAMPLES:

Journal Article (up to 6 authors):
Smith AB, Jones CD, Brown EF. Title of article. J Abbrev. 
2024;15(2):100–110. doi:10.1000/xyz123

Journal Article (more than 6 authors):
Smith AB, Jones CD, Brown EF, White GH, Black IJ, Green KL, 
et al. Title of article. J Abbrev. 2024;15(2):100–110.

Book:
Smith AB. Title of Book. 3rd ed. London: Publisher Name; 2023.

Book Chapter:
Jones CD. Title of chapter. In: Smith AB, editor. Title of 
Book. 2nd ed. New York: Publisher; 2022. p. 45–67.

Website:
World Health Organization. Title of webpage [Internet]. 
Geneva: WHO; 2023 [cited 2024 Jun 1]. Available from: 
https://www.who.int/example

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7. ETHICAL REQUIREMENTS
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HUMAN STUDIES (REQUIRED):
- IRB or ethics committee approval: REQUIRED
- Approval reference number: Must be stated in Methods
- Written informed consent: REQUIRED from all participants
- Parental consent: REQUIRED for participants under 18
- Ethics statement: Must appear after Materials and Methods

ANIMAL STUDIES (REQUIRED):
- Ethics committee approval: REQUIRED
- ARRIVE 2.0 guidelines: Must be followed
- Approval reference number: Must be stated in Methods

CLINICAL TRIALS (REQUIRED):
- Registration before enrollment: REQUIRED
- Accepted registries:
  - ClinicalTrials.gov (https://clinicaltrials.gov)
  - WHO ICTRP (https://www.who.int/ictrp)
- Trial registration number: Must be stated in manuscript
- CONSORT checklist: Must be submitted

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8. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) POLICY
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AMJ THRESHOLDS FOR AI-GENERATED CONTENT:
- Minimum acceptable: 0% (strongly encouraged)
- Maximum acceptable: 20%
- 0–10%: Acceptable — declaration recommended
- 11–20%: Acceptable — declaration REQUIRED
- Above 20%: Manuscript returned to authors for revision

DECLARATION REQUIREMENT:
All use of AI tools must be declared in the Acknowledgments 
section. AI tools that must be declared include but are not 
limited to: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot, Grammarly AI.

PERMITTED AI USE (with declaration):
- Language editing and grammar correction
- Literature search assistance
- Data visualization and figure preparation
- Translation assistance
- Statistical analysis assistance
- Reference formatting assistance

PROHIBITED AI USE:
- Fabricating or falsifying data, results, or references
- Generating entire manuscript sections without substantial 
  human intellectual contribution
- Creating fake citations or references
- Bypassing plagiarism or AI detection systems
- Using AI without declaring its use

AUTHORSHIP: AI tools cannot be listed as authors under 
any circumstances. Human authors are fully responsible 
for all content.

EXAMPLE AI DECLARATION:
"During the preparation of this manuscript, the authors 
used [AI Tool Name] for [specific purpose]. After using 
this tool, the authors reviewed and edited all content 
and take full responsibility for the published article."

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9. PLAGIARISM POLICY
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AMJ uses Turnitin for plagiarism detection.

THRESHOLDS:
- Target: 0% — strongly encouraged and required
- Overall similarity: Minimum 0% | Maximum 10%
- Per single source: Maximum 5%
- Above 10% overall: Manuscript returned immediately
- Above 5% from single source: Not acceptable

ZERO TOLERANCE:
AMJ has a zero tolerance policy for plagiarism including:
- Direct copying of text without citation
- Paraphrasing without proper attribution
- Self-plagiarism (duplicate publication)
- Data fabrication or falsification
- Image manipulation

CONSEQUENCES:
- Pre-publication: Manuscript rejected immediately
- Post-publication: Article retracted, institution notified, 
  reported to professional bodies per COPE guidelines

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10. CONFLICT OF INTEREST DECLARATION
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REQUIRED from ALL authors — no exceptions.

WHAT MUST BE DECLARED:

Financial Conflicts:
- Employment or consultancy with relevant organizations
- Stock ownership or options in related companies
- Research funding or grants from commercial entities
- Speaker fees, travel expenses, or honoraria
- Patents filed, received, or pending
- Royalties from related intellectual property

Personal Conflicts:
- Personal or family relationships with beneficiaries
- Personal beliefs that may have influenced the research

Professional Conflicts:
- Academic competition with other researchers
- Professional relationships with AMJ editors or reviewers
- Membership in organizations benefiting from findings

DECLARATION LOCATION:
- In manuscript: After Acknowledgments — REQUIRED
- In cover letter: REQUIRED
- In submission form: REQUIRED (For the Editors section)
- ICMJE form: Complete and attach — REQUIRED
  Download at: www.icmje.org/disclosure-of-interest/

EXAMPLE DECLARATIONS:

If conflicts exist:
"Author A has received research funding from [Company]. 
Author B is a consultant for [Company]. Author C declares 
no conflicts of interest."

If no conflicts exist:
"The authors declare no conflicts of interest relevant 
to this manuscript."

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11. AUTHORSHIP AND CONTRIBUTIONS
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AMJ follows ICMJE authorship criteria. All authors must meet 
ALL four criteria:
1. Substantial contributions to conception, design, data 
   acquisition, analysis, or interpretation
2. Drafting or critically revising the manuscript
3. Approving the final version for submission
4. Agreeing to be accountable for all aspects of the work

CREDIT TAXONOMY — Required for all authors:
Roles include: Conceptualization, Methodology, Software, 
Validation, Formal Analysis, Investigation, Resources, 
Data Curation, Writing — Original Draft, Writing — Review 
and Editing, Visualization, Supervision, Project 
Administration, Funding Acquisition.

EXAMPLE:
"Author A: Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing — 
Original Draft. Author B: Data Curation, Formal Analysis. 
Author C: Supervision, Funding Acquisition."

STRICTLY PROHIBITED:
- Guest authorship
- Ghost authorship
- AI authorship

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12. PUBLICATION FEE
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Publication fee: 250,000 IQD (Iraqi Dinars)
Payment location: Finance Department, 3rd Floor, KHCMS
Payment must be made BEFORE manuscript processing begins.

Upon payment authors receive a unique payment code which 
must be included in the submission.

International authors: Contact [email protected] for 
payment arrangements.

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13. LANGUAGE AND EDITING
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- Language: English — REQUIRED
- Standard: Professional academic English — REQUIRED
- AMJ provides paid language editing services
  Contact: [email protected]

Recommended editing services:
- Editage: www.editage.com
- Enago: www.enago.com
- American Journal Experts: www.aje.com

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14. PEER REVIEW PROCESS
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Stage 1 — Desk Review (Internal):
- Timeline: 5–7 working days from submission
- Checks: Scope, quality, plagiarism (Turnitin), 
  AI content, ethical compliance, formatting

Stage 2 — External Double-Blind Peer Review:
- Minimum reviewers: 2 independent external experts
- Maximum reviewers: 4 (if disagreement)
- Review timeline: Minimum 2 weeks | Maximum 4 weeks
- Total decision timeline: Minimum 4 weeks | Maximum 6 weeks

Decision options:
- Accept — no revisions required
- Minor Revision — revisions within 2 weeks
- Major Revision — revisions within 4 weeks
- Reject — detailed reasons provided

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15. QUICK REFERENCE — ALL THRESHOLDS
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PLAGIARISM:
- Target: 0% (REQUIRED)
- Maximum overall: 10%
- Maximum per single source: 5%
- Above 10%: Rejected immediately

AI-GENERATED CONTENT:
- Target: 0–10% (declaration recommended)
- 11–20%: Declaration REQUIRED
- Above 20%: Returned for revision

ABSTRACT LENGTH:
- Minimum: 100 words | Maximum: 300 words
- Structured abstract: Minimum 4 headings required

KEYWORDS:
- Minimum: 5 | Maximum: 8

REFERENCES:
- Minimum: 3 (letters) | Maximum: 100 (systematic reviews)
- Maximum authors before et al.: 6

FIGURES:
- Minimum resolution: 300 DPI
- Maximum file size: 10 MB per figure

SELF-CITATION:
- Maximum: 10% of total references

REVIEW TIMELINE:
- Minimum: 4 weeks | Maximum: 6 weeks

REVISION TIMELINE:
- Minor: Maximum 2 weeks
- Major: Maximum 4 weeks

ETHICAL COMPLIANCE:
- Ethics approval: REQUIRED — no exceptions
- Informed consent: REQUIRED — no exceptions
- AI declaration: REQUIRED if AI used
- Conflict of interest: REQUIRED — no exceptions
- Trial registration: REQUIRED for all clinical trials

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CONTACT THE EDITORIAL OFFICE
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Contact:

Dr. Dahat Hawezy

The submission editor

  1. O. Box 0845/32, Ziraa Square, 

KHCMS, Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq.

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://amj.khcms.edu.krd/system/index.php/main
DOI: https://doi.org/10.56056/amj
Online ISSN: 2957-3580 | Print ISSN: 2958-8979

Submission Preparation Checklist

Item 1:
The manuscript has NOT been previously published and is NOT 
currently under consideration by any other journal.

Item 2:
The submission file is in Microsoft Word format (.doc or .docx) 
only. PDF files are NOT accepted as the main manuscript file.

Item 3:
The title page has been prepared as a SEPARATE Word file 
containing: all author names, affiliations, ORCID iDs, 
corresponding author details, word count, conflict of interest 
statement, funding statement, and author contributions.

Item 4:
The MAIN manuscript file does NOT contain any author names, 
affiliations, or any other identifying information 
(required for double-blind peer review).

Item 5:
The manuscript is double-spaced in 12-point Times New Roman 
or Arial font with continuous line numbers and page numbers 
on every page.

Item 6:
A structured abstract has been included with ALL required 
headings: Background, Methods, Results, and Conclusion. 
Abstract length: Minimum 200 words | Maximum 300 words.

Item 7:
A minimum of 5 and maximum of 8 keywords have been selected 
from the MeSH database (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/mesh).

Item 8:
The appropriate reporting guideline checklist has been 
completed and uploaded as a separate file:
CONSORT (RCT), PRISMA (systematic review), STROBE 
(observational), CARE (case report), or STARD (diagnostic).

Item 9:
Ethics committee or IRB approval has been obtained. The 
approval reference number is stated in the Methods section 
and the approval letter is uploaded as a separate file.

Item 10:
Written informed consent was obtained from all participants. 
For participants under 18, parental or guardian consent 
was obtained.

Item 11:
For clinical trials: The trial was registered before 
enrollment began. The registration number is stated 
in the manuscript.

Item 12:
All figures are submitted as SEPARATE high-resolution files. 
Minimum resolution: 300 DPI. Accepted formats: TIFF, JPEG, PNG.

Item 13:
All tables are in editable Microsoft Word format (NOT images). 
Each table has a title above it and abbreviations defined 
in footnotes below it.

Item 14:
References are in Vancouver style with superscript numbers, 
no brackets, maximum 6 authors then et al., and each 
reference ends with a full stop.

Item 15:
A conflict of interest declaration has been included for 
ALL authors after the Acknowledgments section. The ICMJE 
Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form has been completed 
and attached.

Item 16:
A funding statement has been included. If no funding was 
received state: "This research received no specific funding."

Item 17:
Author contributions have been declared for ALL authors 
using the CRediT taxonomy.

Item 18:
AI tool usage has been declared in the Acknowledgments 
section OR a statement confirming no AI tools were used 
has been included. AI content: Minimum 0% | Maximum 20%.

Item 19:
The manuscript has been checked for plagiarism. Overall 
similarity: Maximum 10%. Per single source: Maximum 5%. 
Target: 0% plagiarism.

Item 20:
The publication fee of 250,000 IQD has been paid to the 
KHCMS Finance Department, 3rd Floor. The payment code 
has been obtained and will be entered in the submission.

Item 21:
The cover letter is addressed to Prof. Saud Jasim Dizayee, 
Editor-in-Chief, and includes: significance of the research, 
confirmation of originality, all author approvals, and 
conflict of interest declaration.

Item 22:
The manuscript adheres to all formatting and stylistic 
requirements outlined in the AMJ Author Guidelines.

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