Writing Rules

The Journal of Medical Topics & Updates (Journal of MTU) is an international, multidisciplinary, and peer-reviewed journal for researchers and healthcare providers. It is published three times a year by the Rectorate of Malatya Turgut Özal University and accepts submissions in Turkish and/or English.

As the official publication of Malatya Turgut Özal University Rectorate, the journal follows the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work. Authors are responsible for ensuring the scientific and ethical compliance of their articles (http://www.icmje.org/about-icmje/faqs/conflict-of-interest-disclosure-forms/).

All papers must be submitted online through the system and undergo an initial review by the editor. If a manuscript deviates from the provided guidelines or falls outside the scope of the journal, it may be rejected without undergoing peer review. Accepted manuscripts will undergo evaluation by at least two referees. Once a manuscript is accepted for publication, no further changes will be allowed after the completion of revisions suggested by the referees.

Originality, high scientific quality, and citation potential are crucial criteria for acceptance. Submitted articles for review should not have been previously presented or published in any electronic or print medium. The journal does not hold legal responsibility if authors fail to comply with this condition.

Authors should inform the journal if an article, previously submitted to another journal, has been rejected for publication. The submission of previous reviewer reports will expedite the evaluation process. Articles presented at a conference should include detailed information about the organization, including its name, date, and location.

The Copyright and Author Contribution Form must be completed and uploaded along with the manuscript. Journal of MTU is an open-access journal, and no fees are charged to authors during the submission, evaluation, and printing stages.

The journal publishes articles in the following categories:

Original Article
Case Presentation
Review
Letter to the Editor (and responses)
Authors are required to adhere to the provided guidelines. The editorial office may return the manuscript for standard requirements before proceeding to the review.

Original articles should be categorized as basic or clinical research and include the following sections: Title, Abstract, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, Acknowledgments (if necessary), Conflict of Interest Disclosure (indicating whether it exists or not), References, Tables, Figure Captions, and Figures. Research articles should be limited to 5000 words and 40 references.

Case presentations should include Title, Abstract, Introduction, Case Presentation, Discussion, Acknowledgments (optional), Conflict of Interest Disclosure (indicating whether it exists or not), References, Tables, Figure Captions, and Figures. The Introduction and Discussion sections of case presentations should be concise and not exceed 1500 words.

Review articles, submitted by authors according to their expertise, should include Title, Abstract, Introduction, Results, Conclusion, Acknowledgments (if necessary), Conflict of Interest Disclosure (indicating whether it exists or not), References, Tables, Figure Captions, and Figures. The number of references should ideally be limited to 50.

Letters to the Editor should be related to articles published in the last four issues. These letters should be brief, not exceeding 500 words and 5 references.

Manuscripts should be prepared in Microsoft Word, with figures and graphs submitted electronically. The manuscript should be in A4 size, 'Times New Roman' font, 12-point size, double-spaced, justified on both sides, and saved as a Microsoft Word file. The first line indentation in paragraphs should be 0.5 cm, and margins should be 2.5 cm on all sides.

All measurements should be in the metric system (International System of Units, SI). Abbreviations in the text should be explained in parentheses at their first usage.

The journal follows the Index Medicus abbreviations for journal names. The citation style for references should be as follows:

For journal articles:
Fonken LK, Weil ZM & Nelson RJ. Dark nights reverse metabolic disruption caused by dim light at night. Obesity. 2013;21(6):1159-64.

For national journals in Turkey (excluding indexed ones):
Öztürk İA, Ertürk C, Bilge A, Altay MA, Altay N, Işıkan UE. Tibia Kırıklarında Cerrahi Tedavi Yöntemlerinin Kompartman Basıncına Etkisi. Harran Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Dergisi. 2017;14(3):160-70.

For books:
Baş O, Yoldaş A, Köse E, Pekmez H ve Ark. “İNSAN” ANATOMİ. Editör: Prof. Dr. Davut Özbağ. 486 pp., İstanbul Medikal Sağlık ve Yayıncılık Hiz. Tic. Ltd. Şti. 2019.

For internet articles or websites:
Dünya Sağlık Örgütü. Osteoporoz Tanısı için DSÖ Kriterleri. Son Erişim Tarihi: 15.06.2017. Şu adresten edinilebilir: (http://www.4bonehealth.org/education/world-health-organization-criteria-diagnosis-osteoporosis/)

For theses:
Tatar N. Profesyonel bayan sporcularda, alt ekstremite antropometrik ölçümleri. Yükseklisans Tezi. Fırat Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Enstitüsü, 2015. Elazığ.

Conflict of Interest Disclosures:
Authors must declare any potential conflicts of interest, financial or non-financial, in their articles. The ICMJE Potential Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form should be filled out by all contributing authors and submitted. The resolution of potential conflicts of interest cases involving editors, authors, or reviewers will be handled by the journal's Editorial Board following COPE and ICMJE guidelines.

Copyright and License:
Each submission must be accompanied by a Copyright Agreement and Author Contribution Form (available at ………..). Authors should obtain permission from copyright holders when using previously published content, including figures, tables, or other materials. Legal, financial, and criminal responsibilities related to this matter lie with the authors.

Tables:
Tables should be written on a separate page with double-spacing. Each table should be numbered and have a descriptive title at the top. If abbreviations are used, an alphabetical list of explanations should be provided below the table. Tables should not duplicate information already present in the text.

Figures:
Figures (photographs, drawings, diagrams, charts, graphs) should be submitted as separate files, and each figure should be numbered and cited in the text. Titles and explanations for figures should be presented on a separate page. High-resolution files in TIFF, JPEG, or EPS formats are preferred.

Ethical Considerations:
All submitted articles should comply with ethical standards, including the Declaration of Helsinki, the International Conference on Harmonization for Good Clinical Practice (ICH-GCP), and the International Conference on Harmonization for Good Laboratory Practice (ICH-GLP). Research involving human subjects should have received approval from the appropriate ethics committee, and informed consent should be obtained from all participants.

Plagiarism Detection:
All submitted manuscripts will undergo plagiarism detection using appropriate software. If plagiarism or unethical conduct is identified, the manuscript will be rejected, and the author(s) may be reported to their institution and other relevant bodies.

Submission Process:
Manuscripts can be submitted through the online submission system at …………….. The system will guide authors through the submission process, including uploading files and completing forms.

Review Process:
Manuscripts will be initially reviewed by the editor for adherence to guidelines and appropriateness for the journal. Submissions that pass this stage will undergo peer review by at least two independent experts in the field. The peer-review process aims to provide constructive feedback to authors and assist the editor in making editorial decisions.

Editorial Decisions:
The editorial board reserves the right to make the final decision regarding the acceptance or rejection of manuscripts. The editor may request revisions or edits before making a final decision. Authors will be informed of editorial decisions along with feedback from reviewers.

Publication Ethics:
Authors, reviewers, and editors are expected to adhere to high standards of publication ethics. Any deviation from ethical guidelines will be thoroughly investigated, and appropriate action will be taken, including rejection of the manuscript or retraction of published articles.

Open Access:
The Journal of MTU is an open-access journal, meaning that all content is freely available without charge to the user or their institution. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author. This is in accordance with the BOAI definition of open access.

Archiving:
The journal is committed to digital preservation and is archived through …………….

Contact:
For inquiries, contact the editorial office at ……………."

(Note: The ellipses ("...") in the text are placeholders for specific information, such as the journal's website, submission system, and contact details, which should be filled in with the relevant information before publishing or sharing this text.)