Writing Rules
Bozok Medical Journal (ISSN: 2146-4006, e-ISSN: 2148-2438) is the periodic, peer-reviewed, open access, official scientific publication of the Bozok University Faculty of Medicine. Our journal, which began publication in 2011 and is published free of charge and as open access to the public, has included the CC-BY 4.0 license for all published articles starting from the first issue of 2026. It is published four times a year, in March, June, September, and December, in Turkish or English.
The manuscript format must comply with the ICMJE Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals (http://www.icmje.org/icmje-recommendations.pdf). Manuscripts that do not conform to the journal's format and those with a total similarity rate exceeding 20% as checked by plagiarism detection software will be returned to the author for correction without being taken into evaluation.
All studies submitted to the journal must be original and must not have been published elsewhere before. The exception to this rule is oral presentations or posters that have been presented as abstracts at scientific congresses. It should be stated that your manuscript was previously presented as an oral presentation or poster at a scientific congress. This information must be added to the cover page or the relevant field in the online manuscript submission system, and details such as the name, date, and location of the congress where the abstract was published must be specified. If the manuscript is derived from a graduate thesis, the date and thesis number (from the National Thesis Center) must be indicated. All ethical, scientific, and legal responsibility for published studies lies with the authors.
General Rules
All studies to be submitted to the journal should be double-spaced, in 12-point font size, with 2.5 cm margins on standard A4 paper, and in Microsoft Word format. All figures, graphics, and tables along with the manuscript text should be presented as a single file or electronically in accordance with the instructions. The title and short title of the manuscript must be on the cover page. Both titles must be written in Turkish and English. The short title should not exceed 40 characters. The names, surnames, affiliations, e-mail addresses, and ORCID ID numbers of all authors who contributed to the study must be clearly written on the title page.
For English manuscripts, a certified professional translation language editing document may be requested to verify the language, if deemed necessary.
Since a double-blind peer-review process is applied in our journal, no information identifying the author(s), such as names, institutions, acknowledgements, etc., should be included in sections other than the cover page.
Our journal accepts submissions in the following article types:
A) Original Research
Original research articles reporting original research findings in a relevant field. Articles should include:
o Turkish abstract: Structured under the headings Objective, Material and Methods, Results, Conclusion; English abstract: Structured under the headings Objective, Material and Methods, Results, Conclusion; 200-250 words.
o Keywords: Should be listed separately under the Turkish and English abstract texts; there should be a minimum of three and a maximum of six keywords, separated by commas. The selection of English keywords should comply with the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) database (www.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/MBrowser.html), and the selection of Turkish keywords should comply with the Turkey Science Terms (TBT) portal (www.bilimterimleri.com).
o Main Text: Should be structured in Turkish manuscripts as: Introduction, Material and Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, References; and in English manuscripts as: Introduction, Material and Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, References. The word count, excluding tables, figures, and references, should not exceed 5000. The number of tables or figures should be at most 6. Tables and figures must be named, numbered according to their order of appearance in the text, and indicated at the end of the relevant sentence where they appear in the text. Tables (Table 1., Table 2., ...) and figures (Figure 1., Figure 2.) should be indicated with consecutive numbers. Table titles should be placed above the table, and figure titles should be placed below the figure. For microscopic images, the magnification ratio and technique should be explained. The number of references should not exceed 40.
o References should be written in accordance with the formatting rules below.
o In-text citations should be indicated in parentheses ( ) immediately before the period at the end of the sentence. When citing multiple sources, numbers should be separated by commas (,); for three or more consecutive sources, a hyphen (-) should indicate the range [Example: (5,7,9) or (12-15)].
Journal:
Abbreviations of journal names should follow the Index Medicus/Medline/PubMed list (the list of MEDLINE journals published annually by the NLM can be accessed at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/tsd/serials/lji.html). If the journal name is not listed in these lists, it should be written in full.
In the references, the surnames of the authors and the initials of their first names should be written. If the number of authors is more than 6, the names of the first 6 authors should be written, followed by "et al." for English references and "ve ark." for Turkish references in place of the remaining authors' names.
*Rempel D, Dahin L, Lundborg G. Pathophysiology of nevre compression syndromes: response of peripheral nerves to loading. J Bone Joint Surg. 1999;81(11):1600-10.
Names of national journals published in Turkey (except those indexed) should be written in full.
Öztürk İA, Ertürk C, Bilge A, Altay MA, Altay N, Işıkan UE. Effect of Surgical Treatment Methods on Compartment Pressure in Tibia Fractures. Harran University Medical Faculty Journal. 2017;14(3):160-70.
Supplement:
Solca M. Acute pain management: Unmet needs and new advances in pain management. Eur J Anaesthesiol 2002;19 Suppl 25:S3-10.
Online articles not yet published;
Das RR, Singh M, Naik SS. Vitamin D as an adjunct to antibiotics for the treatment of acute childhood pneumonia. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018;7:CD011597. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD011597.pub2. [Epub ahead of print] Review.
Books:
Kozin SH, Bishop AT, Cooney WP. Tendinitis of the wrist. In Cooney WP, Linscheid RL, Dobins JH, eds. The wrist: diagnosis and operative treatment. Vol. 2. St. Louis: Mosby, 1998. p. 1181-96.
Book Chapter:
Soysal Z, Albek E, Eke M. Fetal Rights. Soysal Z, Çakalır C, ed. Forensic Medicine, Volume III, Istanbul University Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine Publications, Istanbul, 1999:1635-1650.
Freidman WF. The intrinsic properties of the developing heart. In: Sonneblick E, Leschi M, Friedman WF, eds. Neonatal Heart Disease. New York: Grunestratton, 1999:21-50.
Internet Article:
Abood S. Quality improvement initiative in nursing homes: The ANA acts in an advisory role. Am J Nurs [serial on the Internet] 2002 [cited 12 Aug 2002]. Available from: www.nursingworld.org/AJN/2002/june/wawatch.htm
Website:
Cancer-pain.org [homepage on the Internet]. New York: Association of Cancer Online Resources [updated 16 May 2002; cited 9 July 2002]. Available from: www.cancer-pain.org
B) Case Report
o Turkish and English abstracts: Should be written as unstructured, single paragraphs. Should be 100-150 words.
o Keywords: Should be listed separately under the Turkish and English abstract texts; there should be a minimum of three and a maximum of five keywords, separated by commas. The selection of English keywords should comply with the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) database (www.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/MBrowser.html), and the selection of Turkish keywords should comply with the Turkey Science Terms (TBT) portal (www.bilimterimleri.com).
o Main Text: Should be structured in Turkish manuscripts as: Introduction, Case, Discussion, References; and in English manuscripts as: Introduction, Case, Discussion, References. The number of tables or figures should be at most 6. The number of references should not exceed 40.
o References should be written in accordance with the formatting rules below.
o In-text citations should be indicated in parentheses ( ) immediately before the period at the end of the sentence. When citing multiple sources, numbers should be separated by commas (,); for three or more consecutive sources, a hyphen (-) should indicate the range [Example: (5,7,9) or (12-15)].
C) Letter to the Editor
o No Turkish or English abstract.
o Main Text: The word count, excluding tables, figures, and references, should not exceed 500. The number of tables or figures should be at most 6. The number of references should not exceed 5.
o References should be written in accordance with the formatting rules below.
o In-text citations should be indicated in parentheses ( ) immediately before the period at the end of the sentence. When citing multiple sources, numbers should be separated by commas (,); for three or more consecutive sources, a hyphen (-) should indicate the range [Example: (5,7,9) or (12-15)].
D) Short Reports
o No Turkish or English abstract.
o Main Text: The word count, excluding tables, figures, and references, should not exceed 2000. The number of tables or figures should be at most 2. The number of references should not exceed 20.
E) Invited Review
o These types of articles are limited in number and are not subject to peer review. Invited reviews are accepted for publication directly upon the editor's approval.
Copyright Form: The copyright form must be signed by all authors and submitted as an additional file along with the submission.
Editorial Policies
The journal adopts the standards of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Furthermore, it adheres to the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors' (ICMJE) recommendations for the conduct, reporting, editing, and publication of scholarly work in medical journals.
Authorship Criteria
The criteria of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (JAMA. 1997; 277:927-934) are followed. For manuscripts with two or more authors, each author must have made active and significant contributions to the study. Authors should be included based on:
(1) contributing to the concept and design of the study or data analysis and interpretation,
(2) making significant contributions to drafting the manuscript or critically revising it for important intellectual content,
(3) approving the final version to be submitted.
All authors must meet the conditions specified in the 3 items above. Individuals who contributed to the study but do not meet these criteria should be acknowledged separately. The cover letter must confirm that all listed authors meet these authorship requirements. Manuscripts should be submitted for evaluation only after obtaining the written consent of all contributing authors.
Authorship by Editors
The peer review process in our journal is confidential for all parties. The manuscripts of field editors are subject to anonymous peer review, just like those of other authors. Editors-in-chief and field editors are obliged to inform the journal management if there is any conflict of interest between them. Managers cannot suggest and/or pressure editors regarding manuscripts submitted to the journal.
Conflict of Interest
Corresponding authors must declare conflicts of interest and disputes. Any financial and other contributions, support, and funds received for the study that is the subject of the submitted manuscript should be specified (including explanations of how and at which stage of the study this support was received). If no support was received, this must also be declared. If authors, editors, or reviewers experience any conflict of interest that might affect their decision-making processes, they must report it in writing to the Editor-in-Chief.
Plagiarism and Other Violations
The quality of the submitted data and analyses is very important to our journal. Authors are obliged to provide datasets if requested by the editors for review. All submissions are checked for plagiarism and duplication using appropriate software. By submitting a manuscript, authors accept that it may be screened for plagiarism by comparison with previously published work. If plagiarism is detected before publication, the manuscript will be rejected and may be reported to the authors' institutions. Manuscripts currently under review by another journal or previously published elsewhere will not be accepted. Therefore, authors must confirm in their cover letter that the manuscript has not been submitted elsewhere.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Usage Policy for Authors
In line with the principles and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the Bozok Medical Journal acknowledges the increasing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in academic writing and research. However, to ensure transparency, accountability, and integrity, the use of AI must comply with ethical publishing standards. Therefore, authors must adhere to the following rules:
AI Tools Cannot Be Listed as Authors: The journal follows COPE's view that AI tools cannot fulfill the role of an author and therefore cannot be listed as an author in any submission. Only individuals who meet authorship criteria (e.g., significant contribution, accountability, approval of the final version) should be designated as authors.
Declaration of AI Use is Mandatory: "Authors who use AI tools in the writing of a manuscript, the creation of images or graphical elements of the article, or the collection and analysis of data must transparently describe how and which AI tool was used in the Methods section and the cover letter of the manuscript." The following format may be used in the cover letter:
"During the preparation of this manuscript, the author(s) used [Tool Name, e.g., ChatGPT, OpenAI] for [specific purpose, e.g., language editing, drafting parts of the introduction, summarizing background literature]. After using this tool, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take full responsibility for the content of the publication."
Covert or unethical use of AI may lead to rejection of the manuscript or retraction of the published article.
This policy will be periodically reviewed and updated in line with COPE guidance and evolving best practices.
If you have any questions regarding the use of AI tools, please contact the editorial office before submission.
Publication Ethics
The Bozok Medical Journal adopts the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and evaluates all submitted manuscripts within this framework, accepting the principles of publication ethics. For detailed policies and case examples, please visit:
• https://publicationethics.org/guidance/Guidelines
• https://publicationethics.org/guidance/Flowcharts
• https://publicationethics.org/guidance/Case
Ethical Approval
Research involving humans, their data, or materials must comply with the Declaration of Helsinki and must have ethics committee approval and an informed consent form obtained from study participants. If ethical approval is not required, the exemption and the approving board should be specified. Authors must provide supporting documents if requested. The editor may reject studies not conducted within an appropriate ethical framework and may contact the ethics committee for further information. For experimental, clinical, and drug human studies, ethics committee approval and a declaration of conformity of the study protocol with international agreements (World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki "Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects," amendment October 2013) are required. For experimental animal studies, authors must state that the applied procedures comply with animal rights (Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals) and must obtain animal ethics committee approval. The Ethics Committee approval document must be uploaded to the DergiPark system, the online manuscript system of the Bozok Medical Journal, along with the manuscript.