Submissions

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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.
  • The submission has not been published previously or submitted elsewhere. Any permitted prior dissemination has been disclosed.
  • All authors and metadata are complete, accurate, and consistent with the title page, including ORCID identifiers when available.
  • Funding, competing interests, acknowledgments, and author contributions are disclosed on the title page.
  • The title page and masked manuscript are uploaded as separate editable files in Microsoft Word, OpenDocument, or RTF format.
  • The manuscript is complete, readable, consistently formatted, and suitable for editorial assessment and peer review.
  • The manuscript meets the structure, word limits, abstract, reporting, and reference requirements for the selected article type.
  • At least one qualifying medical student or recent medical graduate is an author and meets the Journal’s authorship criteria.
  • Applicable reporting checklists and supporting files are included. Tables and figures remain in the masked manuscript unless requested separately.
  • The corresponding author confirms that the manuscript is accurate, transparent, complete, and explains any material deviations from the protocol or registration.
  • The authors confirm compliance with the IJMS artificial-intelligence policy and accept responsibility for all submitted content.

Author Guidelines

The International Journal of Medical Students (IJMS) publishes scholarly work involving medical students and physicians within three years of medical-school graduation. This page provides an overview of the submission process and directs authors to the detailed requirements for preparing and submitting a manuscript.

Before beginning a submission, authors should confirm their eligibility, select the correct article type, prepare the required files, and complete the Submission Checklist.

Start a New Submission

 

Submission language English
Initial formatting Your Article, Your Way
Required files One editable title page and one editable masked manuscript
Submission method Online submission system
Submission fee None
Article processing charge None
Publication fee None
Peer-review model Two-stage, double-masked editorial and peer review

Contents

The Author Journey

Step What to do Where to find the requirements
1 Confirm eligibility Review the eligibility summary below and the complete author eligibility requirements.
2 Choose an article type Determine which manuscript category best matches the purpose, design, scope, and content of the work on the Article Types page.
3 Prepare the manuscript Prepare the title page, masked manuscript, tables, figures, references, statements, and supporting files according to the Manuscript Preparation instructions.
4 Complete the checklist Use the Submission Checklist to confirm that the submission is complete and ready to upload.
5 Submit through OJS Enter the manuscript metadata, add every author, upload the required files, and complete the submission through the online submission system.
6 Respond to editorial decisions Review the Editorial and Peer-Review Process for information about screening, internal assessment, external peer review, decisions, and revisions.
7 Prepare for publication If the manuscript is accepted, follow the requirements on the After Acceptance page.
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Author Eligibility

Every submission must include at least one author who is:

  • a current medical student enrolled in a recognized primary medical-degree program; or
  • a physician within three years of medical-school graduation.

The qualifying author must have made a genuine intellectual contribution and must independently satisfy the Journal’s authorship criteria. A medical student or recently graduated physician must not be added solely to make a manuscript eligible for submission.

The three-year period is calculated from the date of medical-school graduation, not from the beginning or completion of internship, residency, fellowship, licensure, employment, or independent clinical practice.

Authors from other professions, disciplines, and career stages may participate as coauthors when they satisfy the applicable authorship criteria. Some article types also require the involvement of a senior researcher. Complete category-specific requirements are provided on the Article Types page.

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Your Article, Your Way

The IJMS follows a Your Article, Your Way approach for initial submission. Authors do not need to convert a complete manuscript to the Journal’s final publication style before editorial consideration.

At initial submission, the manuscript may use an existing scholarly format when it is:

  • complete and clearly organized;
  • written in readable, professional English;
  • internally consistent;
  • submitted in an editable word-processing format;
  • scientifically and ethically complete;
  • structured according to the selected article type; and
  • suitable for double-masked editorial assessment and peer review.

The IJMS manuscript template is recommended because it organizes the information required for editorial processing, but it is not mandatory at initial submission.

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Two Required Files

Authors must upload two separate editable files. Both files must represent the same version of the manuscript.

File Required content
1. Title Page Author names, affiliations, ORCID identifiers, corresponding-author information, acknowledgments, funding, conflicts of interest, CRediT contributions, and other identifying or administrative information.
2. Masked Manuscript The title, abstract, keywords, main text, references, tables, figures, and figure legends, with unnecessary author-identifying information removed.

The title page is retained for editorial administration. The masked manuscript is used for double-masked editorial assessment and external peer review.

Detailed file and masking requirements are provided on the Manuscript Preparation page.

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Before You Submit

Do not begin the online submission until the manuscript files and author information are complete. Before proceeding, confirm that:

  • the manuscript is consistent with the Journal’s Aims and Scope;
  • the author group satisfies the eligibility and authorship requirements;
  • the correct article type has been selected;
  • all authors have approved the manuscript, author list, and author order;
  • the manuscript has not been published previously, except as permitted under Journal policy;
  • the manuscript is not under consideration by another journal;
  • all necessary ethics approvals, consent procedures, registrations, permissions, funding statements, and disclosures have been completed;
  • the title page and masked manuscript are separate editable files;
  • the masked manuscript has been checked for author-identifying information;
  • the information in the manuscript files and OJS metadata is accurate and consistent; and
  • the corresponding author is authorized to communicate with the Journal on behalf of every author.
Download the Template Review the Checklist Submit the Manuscript
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Submission Guides

Article Types

Compare the manuscript categories, purposes, submission status, required structures, word limits, abstract formats, and senior-researcher requirements.

Manuscript Preparation

Prepare the title page, masked manuscript, abstract, main text, references, tables, figures, statements, and supporting materials.

Submission Checklist

Perform the final eligibility, file, ethics, authorship, manuscript, and metadata checks before uploading the submission.

Submit a Manuscript

Begin a new submission, upload the required files, enter complete metadata, add every author, and submit the manuscript through OJS.

Editorial and Peer-Review Process

Understand administrative screening, supervised internal editorial assessment, external peer review, editorial decisions, revisions, withdrawals, and appeals.

After Acceptance

Prepare final files, verify author information, complete publication formatting, respond to production queries, and review the proof.

Author FAQs

Find answers concerning unusual eligibility circumstances, article classification, manuscript masking, authorship changes, OJS difficulties, revisions, publication, and other recurring questions.
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Diamond Open Access

The IJMS is a peer-reviewed Diamond Open Access journal. Authors are not charged submission fees, article processing charges, or publication fees. Published articles are made immediately available to readers without subscription charges.

Submission fee None
Article processing charge None
Publication fee None
Reader subscription None
Access to published articles Immediate and free
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Questions and Technical Assistance

Authors should first consult the Author FAQs. Questions that are not resolved by the submission instructions may be sent through the Contact Us page.

Technical problems with the online submission system should be described clearly and should include the manuscript identification number, when available, the affected submission step, the browser and device being used, and a screenshot of any error message.

Review the Author FAQs Start a New Submission
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Copyright Notice

  1. The Author retains copyright in the Work, where the term “Work” shall include all digital objects that may result in subsequent electronic publication or distribution.
  2. Upon acceptance of the Work, the author shall grant to the Publisher the right of first publication of the Work.
  3. The Author shall grant to the Publisher and its agents the nonexclusive perpetual right and license to publish, archive, and make accessible the Work in whole or in part in all forms of media now or hereafter known under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License or its equivalent, which, for the avoidance of doubt, allows others to copy, distribute, and transmit the Work under the following conditions:
    1. Attribution—other users must attribute the Work in the manner specified by the author as indicated on the journal Web site; with the understanding that the above condition can be waived with permission from the Author and that where the Work or any of its elements is in the public domain under applicable law, that status is in no way affected by the license.
    2. The Author is able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the nonexclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the Work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), as long as there is provided in the document an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
    3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post online a prepublication manuscript (but not the Publisher’s final formatted PDF version of the Work) in institutional repositories or on their Websites prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work. Any such posting made before acceptance and publication of the Work shall be updated upon publication to include a reference to the Publisher-assigned DOI (Digital Object Identifier) and a link to the online abstract for the final published Work in the Journal.
    4. Upon Publisher’s request, the Author agrees to furnish promptly to Publisher, at the Author’s own expense, written evidence of the permissions, licenses, and consents for use of third-party material included within the Work, except as determined by Publisher to be covered by the principles of Fair Use.
    5. The Author represents and warrants that:
      1. the Work is the Author’s original work;
      2. the Author has not transferred, and will not transfer, exclusive rights in the Work to any third party;
      3. the Work is not pending review or under consideration by another publisher;
      4. the Work has not previously been published;
      5. the Work contains no misrepresentation or infringement of the Work or property of other authors or third parties; and
      6. the Work contains no libel, invasion of privacy, or other unlawful matter.
    6. The Author agrees to indemnify and hold Publisher harmless from the Author’s breach of the representations and warranties contained in Paragraph 6 above, as well as any claim or proceeding relating to Publisher’s use and publication of any content contained in the Work, including third-party content.

Privacy Statement

The names and email addresses entered in this Journal site will be used exclusively for the stated purposes of this Journal and will not be made available for any other purpose or to any other party.

The information published in the International Journal of Medical Students are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the Journal nor its Executive Board. Neither the IJMS and bodies nor any person acting on their behalf may be held responsible for the use which may be made of the information contained therein.  

Creative Commons License

New articles published in the International Journal of Medical Students are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.