Instructions for authors

Croatian Journal of Health Sciences follows the “Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals”, published by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) (http://www.icmje.org/recommendations) and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines (https://publicationethics.org/resources/guidelines).

Croatian Journal of Health Sciences is a scientific and professional peer reviewed journal that publishes the articles from all fields of biomedicine and health related professions in the following categories: original scientific articles, professional articles, reviews, clinical and laboratory observations, case reports and letters to the editor.

Croatian Journal of Health Sciences is a Diamond Open Access journal. The copyright of all material published is vested in the Croatian Journal of Health Sciences. Articles are available to read, download and share from the time of publication under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.  

Editor-in-Chief has full authority over the entire content of the Journal and the timing of publication of that content. Editor-in-Chief will base decisions on the validity of the work and its importance to the readers of the Croatian Journal of Health Sciences. Statements and opinions contained in the articles in the Croatian Journal of Health Sciences are exclusively those of the authors and not of the Editorial Board and the University Department of Health Studies.

The manuscripts are sent electronically via the OJS platform on the web page of the Journal (http://www.paedcro.com/ojs/) Each manuscript undergoes double-blinded peer review and is checked for plagiarism.

The Croatian Journal of Health Sciences will correspond only with the corresponding author upon the manuscript submission. The corresponding author is responsible for communication with the co-authors. At the time of submission the corresponding author is required to provide the postal/mail address, e-mail address, mobile phone and telephone numbers. 

All authors must sign Uniform ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest (http://www.iCMJe.org/coi_disclosure.pdf) and submit the completed form to Croatian Journal of Health Sciences together with manuscript.

Authors should clearly state in their accompanying statement that they submit the manuscript only to the Croatian Journal of Health Sciences, and that it has not been published elsewhere and that all named authors have contributed to the manuscript.

MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION

Manuscripts should follow the style of the Vancouver agreement detailed in the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors’ revised Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals: Writing and Editing for Biomedical Publication, as presented at  http://www.icmje.org/index.html

We recommend individual file sizes of no more than 500 kB, with the total size for all files not exceeding 4 MB. 

Manuscript files should be in doc and docx. formats. Do not submit your manuscript in PDF format. Use 10-point font size and double space text.

The papers can be published in Croatian or English language. If the article is written in the Croatian language, the title, abstract and key words have to be written in the English language as well. If the article submitted is written in English, the title, abstract and key words will be translated into Croatian.

Parts of the Manuscript

Manuscripts should contain: Title page, Abstract, Keywords, Text, and References. Tables with titles and Figures with legends are supplemental data. Start each of these sections on a new page. Page number is at the bottom of the page, in the lower right corner.

Title page

Title page should contain:

  • The title of the paper (without abbreviations)
  • Type of manuscript
  • Full names of the authors with their academic titles and affiliations
  • ORCID ID of the author
  • Name, Surname, postal and e-mail address, and telephone number of the corresponding author
  • Short title

Abstract

Abstract should have up to 250 words. It is recommended for original articles and other types of articles to have a structured abstract.  The structured abstract should contain following headings: Aim, Methods, Results, and Conclusions. All information reported in the abstract must appear in the manuscript. The abstract should not include references or abbreviations.

Keywords should be taken from those recommended by the US National Library of Medicine’s Medical Subjects Headings (MeSH) browser list (visit: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/MBrowser.html)

A list of abbreviations used in the text with adequate explanation should be placed at the bottom of the abstract page.

Article Types

When preparing the manuscript for Croatian Journal of Health Sciences, authors must first determine the article type, and then select the appropriate manuscript preparation instructions from the types listed below:

Original Article

Maximum text length is 4000 words. Maximum number of tables and figures is 5. It should contain no more than 50 references. Components of an Original Article include Structured Abstract, Introduction, Participants and Methods, Results, Discussion and Conclusion.

Professional Article

Maximum text length is 4000 words. Maximum number of tables and figures is 4. It should contain no more than 40 references. Components of a Professional Article include Abstract, Introduction, Participants and Methods, Results, Discussion and Conclusion.

Review Article

Maximum text length is 5000 words. Maximum number of tables and figures is 5. It should contain no more than 50 references. Review Articles data provides an overview of previously published papers and knowledge about a particular problem or topic. These articles can include systematic reviews and meta-analyses. 

Clinical and Laboratory Observations (CLOs)

Maximum text length is 3000 words. Maximum number of tables and figures is 4. It should contain no more than 30

references. CLOs are not designed to present information that is generally available in textbooks, even if the reported entity is novel. CLOs are designed to provide readers with new information and stimulate new approaches to diagnosis, clinical management, or research. It is recommended that they contain following headings: Abstract, Introduction, Participants and Methods, Results, Discussion and Conclusion.

Case Reports

Maximum text length is 3000 words. Maximum number of tables and figures is 4. It should contain no more than 20 references. Case Report articles are descriptions of a case or small number of cases revealing novel, rare and important insights in patients to improve patient treatment and care. 

Brief Report

Maximum text length is 1500 words. Maximum number of tables and figures is 3. It should contain no more than 10 references. Brief Reports are written in the form of letters of observations that contribute to new insights. They should not contain Abstract, but it is advisable to list keywords. They are also subject to review.

Letters to the Editor

Maximum text length is 800 words. No tables and figures. It should contain no more than 5 references. Letters are generally short commentaries related to specific points of agreement or disagreement with the published work. 

Supplemental Data

Figures

All illustrations (line drawings, photographs, charts, graphs) are classified as figures. Authors should number figures in the order in which they appear in the text. Each figure should be supplied as a separate file, with the figure number incorporated in the file name. It is recommended to upload .jpg or .bmp files for ease of transmission during the review process.

Tables

Tables should be numbered in the order in which they are cited in the text. They should include a title no longer than 12 words.  Tables are to be uploaded as separate documents, formatted in .doc or .xls.

References

Authors are responsible for the accuracy of references. The Vancouver system of referencing should be followed. References are identified by Arabic numerals in the order in which they appear in the text. At the end of a reference a DOI number should be included if available. When there are more than 6 authors, the six are listed and followed by et al.

Examples:

Journal article

                Less than six authors

Perrone S, Tataranno ML, Buonocore G. Oxidative stress and bronchopulmonary dysplasia. J Clin Neonatol. 2012;1:109-14. doi.org/10.4103/2249-4847.101683

    More than 6 authors 

           Ramadža DP, Sarnavka V, Vuković J, Fumić K, Krželj V, Lozić B et al. Molecular basis and clinical presentation of classic galactosemia in a  Croatian population. J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab. 2018; 31:71-5.  doi: 10.1515/jpem-2017-0302.

 

Book - Turnpenny P, Ellard S, ed. Emery's Elements of Medical Genetics. 14th ed. Philadelphia: Elesevier Churchill Livingstone; 2010.

Book Chapter -  Bender DA. Put pentoza fosfata i ostali putevi u metabolizmu heksoza. U: Lovrić J, Sertić J, ur. Harperova ilustrirana biokemija, 28. izd. Zagreb: Medicinska naklada; 2011: 174-83.

Web page - Zhang M, Holman CD, Price SD, Sanfilippo FM, Preen DB, Bulsara MK. Comorbidity and repeat admission to hospital for adverse drug reactions in older adults: retrospective cohort study. BMJ. 2009 Jan 7;338:a2752. doi: 10.1136/bmj.a2752