General information

• Turkish Journal of Internal Medicine (TJIM) is an international, double-blind peer-reviewed scientific journal that publishes manuscripts describing clinical research in medicine.
• Manuscripts must describe original data that has not been published previously nor submitted for publication elsewhere.
• Manuscripts that adhere to the TJIM submission guidelines and are deemed appropriate for the scope of the journal are sent to two reviewers who are specialists in the field.
• The members of the Editorial Board who discuss the suitability then consider the reviewers’ comments on each submission.
• The final decision for all submitted manuscripts rests with the Editor-in-Chief.

Institutional review board/ethics committee approval (IRB)

If a study involves either human subjects, human-derived materials, and/or medical records, authors must include in the Methods section either a statement that an Institutional Review Board (IRB)/Ethics Committee approval has been obtained or a statement that the IRB/Ethics Committee had ruled that approval was not required for the study. When reporting experiments conducted with humans indicate that the procedures were in accordance with ethical standards set forth by the committee that oversees human experimentation. Approval of research protocols by the relevant ethics committee, in accordance with international agreements (Helsinki Declaration of 1975, revised 2002 available at http://www.wma.net/e/policy/b3.htm, “Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals” www.nap.edu/catalog/5140.html/), is required for all experimental, clinical, and drug studies. Patient names, initials, and hospital identification numbers should not be used. Manuscripts reporting the results of experimental investigations conducted with humans must state that the study protocol received institutional review board approval and that the participants provided informed consent.

Copyright transfer

The publisher retains the copyright to all material published in the TJIM. The publisher is not responsible for any legal claims arising from the publication of a manuscript. A Copyright Transfer Agreement form must be submitted together with the manuscript at the time of initial submission. All authors/corresponding author must sign the form, indicating that all authors agree to the publication of their manuscript in the TJIM should their manuscript be accepted. A scanned file (PDF, TIFF, or JPEG) of the signed Copyright Transfer Agreement may be submitted at the time of online submission of the manuscript. The Editorial Office must receive the Copyright Transfer Agreement before any action can be taken regarding the manuscript.

Copyright of all publications is protected under a creative commons license (CC BY-NC-ND). This license allows reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator. 

CC BY-NC-ND includes the following elements:
BY – Credit must be given to the creator
NC – Only noncommercial uses of the work are permitted
ND – No derivatives or adaptations of the work are permitted

Conflict of interest policy

Authors are required to disclose all conflicts of interest that may have influenced their research or the preparation and writing of their manuscript. Conflicts of interest may include both financial and non-financial relationships. Because it is often difficult to determine whether a conflict of interest exists, the Editorial Board requests that all potential conflicts be declared at the time of initial submission of the manuscript on the title page. Other pertinent relationships that may be relevant should be disclosed to the Editor-in-Chief in the cover letter at the time of submission.

Manuscript submission

All manuscripts must conform to the language and writing style of the TJIM. This includes submission of the manuscript with correct medical English as well as submission of any figures and tables in the formats specified. Authors should submit their manuscript and accompanying material to the TJIM via the online Editorial Manager system by logging on http://dergipark.org.tr/ and uploading all manuscript files following the instructions are given.

Authorship

All authors should have been directly involved in the work described in the manuscript. Additional contributors to a manuscript, such as professors or others who gave helpful advice or companies that donated material, may be thanked in the Acknowledgments section following the main text. TJIM does not permit two or more authors to be “equal contributors” to a manuscript.

Permission

All figures, tables, and text passages that have been previously published require permission from the copyright owner(s) for the TJIM. All expenses related to obtaining such permission must be borne by the authors. By signing the copyright form, you state that TJIM owns the copyright to the material in your article. Permission must be obtained for any material to which the authors do not own the full copyright. No material such as clinical images or charts, photos, and graphs as well as images of devices that may have been obtained from their producers, can be published without such permission. To secure the right to publish material that you do not own, contact the holder of the copyright (journal in which it was published, book publishers, or company that developed the instrument) by e-mail describing in detail the material you wish to use and stating that you wish to include that material in your manuscript (including the title The copyright owner will usually reply stating that permission has been granted. A copy of the reply must be forwarded to the TJIM offices with the number of your manuscript and a description of the materials in question. Most copyright permissions will specify conditions relating to the way in which reference to the permission should be stated. These conditions must be adhered to in full, otherwise, the permission may be invalid. Note that in some instances copyright owners may require payment. In these cases, the authors must bear all such costs. As papers cannot be changed once accepted, authors are advised to apply for copyright permission early to prevent the possibility of the paper having to be withdrawn from publication. Note that receiving permission may take up to eight weeks and that the paper cannot be processed for publication before such permission has been granted.

Title page
The title page should present a title (and running title) that includes, if appropriate, the study design, and should list the full names and institutional addresses for all authors. 

Types of Papers
All papers published by the Turkish Journal of Internal Medicine are peer-reviewed. 

Original Article
An article is a full-length report on original primary research that will interest the journal's readers. They must describe significant and original observations.
Review Article
The review article is a comprehensive analysis of specific topics and recent developments in a particular area. A review should focus on recent research and issues. It should also include the authors' opinion on how to approach the topic/situation under discussion and what is needed to advance the field in the future.
Communications
Short (brief) communications are short papers that focus on a particular aspect of a problem or a new finding that is expected to have a significant impact and present original and important material. Short communication is not intended to publish preliminary results. They may be given rapid publication. Short communication should not be subdivided. The paper should include an abstract, main body of text (combined methods, results, and discussion in a single section), and references.
Rapid communications are similar to short communications. These are usually articles used to disseminate preliminary results that are original, of high interest, and likely to have a significant impact on the relevant scientific community. In the healthcare field, this can include information that is urgent from a public health perspective or findings in a rapidly changing specialty. Their format is similar to short communications.
Case Report
Case reports and case studies should present significant new insights or cases with an unusual and noteworthy course. It is recommended that case reports include an up-to-date review of all previous cases in the field. The novelty of the case(s) may lie in the phenotype, the presentation, the investigation, and/or the management.
Letter
Letters are encouraged if they directly concern articles recently published in the journal. If accepted, the editors reserve the right to submit such letters to the authors of the articles concerned prior to publication, in order to permit them to respond in the same issue of the journal.

Manuscript preparation

Manuscripts should be created using Microsoft Word and be double-spaced with 2.5-cm margins on all sides. Pages should be numbered consecutively, with consecutive line numbering from the first through the last page, using the automatic numbering function of the software. The recommended font is Times New Roman and the recommended font size is 11 points. The entire manuscript for a full-length article, excluding references and tables, should be no more than 6000 words. Do not use field functions. For indenting, use tab stops, not the space bar. For tables, use the table function, not spreadsheets. For equations, use either the equation editor or MathType.

Abstracts

A structured abstract of no more than 250 words is required. The Abstract for all manuscripts except case reports and review articles should be divided into Introduction, Methods, Results, and Conclusions.

Keywords

Keywords are required for indexing and abstracting services. Up to ten words should be listed.

Main text

The main text of an original article should be divided into Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion sections. The case report should include an abstract, introduction, case report, discussion, and references. Abbreviations must be defined following their first use in the Abstract as well as in the main text and in the figures and tables. Only commonly accepted abbreviations should be used. Drug and chemical names should be stated using generic or standard chemical nomenclature. Units of measurement should conform to the International System (SI); however, clinical data may be presented in conventional units where deemed more appropriate.

Headings and subheadings

Use no more than three levels of headings.

Footnotes

Footnotes may be used to give additional information but should not consist of a reference citation, which is not included in the reference list at the end of the manuscript and must not contain figures or tables. Footnotes should be numbered consecutively and separately for the title page, the main text, and each table. Footnotes should be indicated by superscript lowercase letters or numbers, or by asterisks for significance values and other statistical data. Footnotes should be positioned at the bottom of the page or table in which they appear.

Acknowledgments

The Acknowledgments section should follow the main text. If data from other published sources are used, the authors must obtain permission as explained above and state full acknowledgment as indicated by the copyright owners. Acknowledgments should also be made of research grants, technicians and colleagues who assisted in the study, individuals or companies who provided materials, and mentors who provided advice and encouragement.

References

The references consecutively should be indicated in the order in which they appear in the main text, and be cited using Arabic numerals in superscript after the punctuation. The reference list must not contain personal communications, manuscripts in preparation, and other unpublished data or observations as references. At the end of the article, the full list of references should give the name and initials of all authors. They should only include works that are cited in the text and that have been either published or accepted for publication. The authors' names should be followed by the title of the article, the title of the journal abbreviated according to the style of PUBMED, year-month of publication, volume-issue numbers, first-last page numbers, and doi number. The style and punctuation of the references should follow the formats outlined in the examples below:

Journal
1. Koca N, Ersoy A, Şensoy B, Kırhan E, Güllülü S, Ersoy C, Dirican M, Sarandöl E. The association between cardiac valvular calcification and fetuin-A levels in kidney transplant recipients. Clin Exp Nephrol. 2019 Oct;23(10):1250-6. doi: 10.1007/s10157-019-01761-2.

Supplement
2. KDOQI; National Kidney Foundation. KDOQI Clinical Practice Guidelines and Clinical Practice Recommendations for Anemia in Chronic Kidney Disease. Am J Kidney Dis. 2006 May;47(5suppl.3):S11-145. doi: 10.1053/j.ajkd.2006.03.010.

Article not in English
3. Yıldız A, Ersoy A, Doğan S, Gül CB, Oruç A, Aktaş N, Ocakoğlu G, Ermurat S, Hartavi M, Güllülü S, Güllülü M. Evaluation of arterial stiffness after successful renal transplantation in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. Turkish J Nephrol. 2012;21(3):282-6 (in Turkish). doi: 10.5262/tndt.2012.1003.14.

Complete book
4. Gouveia C, Melo D, eds. Weight Change: Patterns, Risks and Psychosocial Effects. 1st ed. New York, NY: Nova Science Publishers; 2012.

Chapter in Book
5. Ersoy A, Gul CB. Vitamin C supplementation in dialysis patients: benefits and risks. In: Jackson CM, ed. Vitamin C: Nutrition, Side Effects and Supplements. 1st ed. New York, NY: Nova Publishers; 2011:205-231.

Item presented at a meeting but not yet published
6. Imamoğlu Ş, Orhan B, Aydınlar A, Ertürk E, Tuncel E, Ersoy A, Arınık A. Changes of cardiac functions after the therapy of hyperthyroid and hypothyroid patients. Poster presented at: The Endocrine Society, 76th Annual Meeting; June 15-18, 1994; Anaheim, CA.

Published meeting abstract
7. Kanat FM, Kordan Y, Kaygisiz O, Coskun B, Vuruskan H, Oruc A, Yildiz A, Ayar Y, Ersoy A. The effect of renal arterial anastomosis techniques on the development of complications and graft dysfunction in recipients after kidney transplantation [ERA-EDTA abstract SP760]. Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2017 May 26;32(suppl.3):iii400. doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/ndt/gfx157.SP760.

Website/Web page
8. University of Alabama School of Medicine. Interagency Registry for Mechanical Circulatory Support. Available at: www.uab.edu/intermacs. Accessed April 13, 2012.

Unpublished specialty thesis in medicine/master thesis / doctoral dissertation
9. Koca N. The evaluation of the relationship between fetuin-A and traditional and non-traditional cardiovascular risk factors in kidney transplantation recipients. Unpublished specialty thesis in medicine (supervisor: Ersoy A). Bursa Uludağ University, Faculty of Medicine. Bursa, 2011 (in Turkish).

Proceedings (a published report of a set of meetings, conferences, workshops, or similar events with ISSN number)
10. Ertaş H, Kıraç R, Demir RN. Investigation of the relationship between digital literacy and E-health literacy. In: Akbolat M, ed. 3. International - 13. National Congress on Health and Hospital Administration Proceedings. Sakarya, 2019:554-67 (in Turkish).

Tables

Create tables using Microsoft Word so that any corrections or revisions made can be tracked. Tables should be numbered using Arabic numerals and should follow the References section. Each table should have an appropriate title briefly explaining the contents of the table. Tables should always be cited in text in consecutive numerical order. Identify any previously published material by giving the original source in the form of a reference at the end of the table caption. Footnotes to tables should be indicated by superscript lower-case letters (or asterisks for significance values and other statistical data) and included beneath the table body.

Figures

Each figure should be added into the main text following references or tables in separate pages. Number all figures consecutively. For figures with multiple parts, each part should be denoted by lowercase letters (a, b, c, etc.). If you use an appendix in your manuscript containing one or more figures, continue the consecutive numbering of figures from the main text. Do not number the appendix figures “a1, a2, a3, etc.”.

Figure legends

Legends for all figures should be included at the end of the manuscript, beginning with the word “Figure” in bold type, followed by the figure number also in bold type. Do not use any punctuation following the figure number, and do not place any punctuation at the end of the legend. The legend should define all elements included in the figure such as boxes, circles, and arrows. Identify previously published material by giving the original source in the form of a reference citation at the end of the figure legends.

Multicenter clinical trials

TJIM welcomes the submission of manuscripts reporting results of multicenter clinical trials. These manuscripts may be submitted with authorship in one of the following styles:

• The name of a study group only (collective authorship)
• The names of no more than five individuals and the name of a study group

In each case, one individual must serve as the corresponding author and the names of all individuals specifically involved in the preparation of the manuscript should be listed under the heading Writing Committee following the Acknowledgments section. This should be followed by a list of investigators from each institution under the heading Study Group Investigators. Each author and each Writing Committee member must sign the Copyright Transfer Agreement.

Proofreading

The purpose of proofreading is to check for typesetting or conversion errors and the completeness and accuracy of the text, tables, and figures. Substantial changes in content, e.g., new results, corrected values, or changes in title and authorship, are not allowed without the approval of the editor. After online publication, further changes can be made only in the form of an Erratum, which will be hyperlinked to the article.

Content responsibility

Content and scientific accuracy of all manuscripts as well as of any electronic supplementary material, are the sole responsibility of the authors. No responsibility will be assumed by the TJIM for any legal claim arising from injury and/or damage to persons or property as a matter of product liability, negligence, or other circumstances; nor from any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions, or ideas contained in the published material. No test or procedure should be carried out unless the reader judges it to be safe. Independent verification of all diagnoses and drug dosages should be performed. Discussions, views, and recommendations regarding medical procedures, choice of drugs, and drug dosages are the sole responsibility of the authors.

Disclaimer

Although all advertising material in TJIM is expected to conform to ethical (medical) standards, their inclusion in this publication does not constitute a guarantee or endorsement by TJIM regarding the quality or value of any product or of the claim made for it by its manufacturer.

Submission Preparation Checklist

As part of the submission process, authors are required to check off their submission’s compliance with all of the following items, and submissions may be returned to authors that do not adhere to these guidelines.

1. Confirm that you have seen, read, and understood the publisher's guidelines on copyright and author rights.
2. Confirm that the manuscript has been submitted solely to this journal and is not published, in-press, or submitted elsewhere
3. Confirm that all the research meets the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements of the study country.
4. Please confirm that you have added all of your co-authors. Failure to do so may result in your co-authors not being listed on the paper at publication.
5. Main Document must be structured as;

Title and running title

Abstract (Structured abstract for Original articles),

Introduction,

Methods,

Results,

Discussion,

Conclusion,

Acknowledgment

Conflict of interests,

References,

Tables,

Figure & Legends (high-resolution images may be required if accepted for publication)

6. References

References should be written according to Journal rules