About

Welcome to the website for the Michigan Journal of Medicine (MJM). We are a peer-reviewed, medical student-led journal focused on publishing and promoting clinical and scientific biomedical research generated by the members of the University of Michigan to the scientific community at large. The journal’s editorial work is conducted under the guidance of faculty at the University of Michigan Medical School, and the issues are produced in collaboration with Michigan Publishing, a division of the University of Michigan Library.

Focus and Scope

The Michigan Journal of Medicine focuses on publishing original research, reviews, perspective pieces and brief communication articles created by graduate students at the University of Michigan.

Submission Checklist

Thank you for submitting to MJM! Before submitting, please ensure that at least one of the authors of your work is a graduate or professional student at the University of Michigan.

Please refer to the submission guidelines below. All manuscripts should be submitted with a title page listing all authors, followed by a de-identified abstract and manuscript with appropriately labeled subsections. Each author must attest to reviewing journal policies.

• One or more authors must be a graduate or professional student at the University of Michigan
• Documents:
• Title Page
• (Link to Example):
• Manuscript Title
• Author Names and Degrees
• All Author Institutional Affiliations
• Corresponding Author Information
• Author E-mail List
• All Authors ORCiD
• List of Manuscript Keywords
• Body of Manuscript with the following sections (if applicable)
• Introduction
• Methods
• Results
• Discussion
• Conclusions
• Figure and Table Legends
• Acknowledgements (if applicable)
• References in AMA format
• Abstract/Manuscript
• No author-identifying information should be found on any page other than title page.
• Specific article requirements vary by submission type. Use hyperlinks below to jump to corresponding requirements for your submission type:
• Original research
• Reviews
• Perspective pieces
• Brief communication articles.
• ICMJE Disclosure Form completed by each author.
• Figures – submitted separately according to the Style Guide
• Tables – submitted separately according to the Style Guide

Submissions are routed to reviewer and editorial teams prior to final reviews by the editors-in-chief. Authors whose manuscripts are still under review will receive periodic notifications by the journal’s managing editor informing them as such. Additionally, authors should anticipate receiving a decision on their submissions in 8-12 weeks. These decisions will be communicated to the authors via the managing editor to maintain a blinded process.

The authors are required to fill out the ICMJE Disclosure Form at the time of initial submission and update the form at the time of publication if there are any changes. MJM complies with the position of the ICMJE on conflict of interest (COI). Examples of COI include, but are not limited to: employment, consultancies, stock ownership or options, honoraria, patents, and paid expert testimony. Failure to report these relationships or activities on the disclosure form is a form of misconduct. All reported COI will be published with the article.

Please review ‘Style Guide’ for other important information.

Authorship Criteria

MJM follows the ICJME requirements for authorship. Each author must meet the criteria for authorship outlined below:

1. Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND
2. Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; AND
3. Final approval of the version to be published; AND
4. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Original Research Article

Original research articles contain descriptions and analysis of an original and relevant study performed by authors. This study can include clinical, translational, or basic science research.

Examples of original research reports include but are not limited to: randomized controlled studies, cohort studies, case-control studies, intervention/experimental studies, cross-sectional studies, qualitative studies, survey studies, and cost-effectiveness analyses. The requirements for Original Research Article Submissions are listed below:

Title page

Abstract Specifications:

• 350 words or less
• A Caslon font for all documents submitted for publication
• Installment Guide
• Include labeled sections:
• Introduction
• Methods
• Results
• Conclusion
• Graphical abstract (optional)

Manuscript Specifications

• 5000 words or less
• ACaslon font for all documents submitted for publication, including figure and table legends.
• Installment Guide
• Include labeled sections:
• Introduction
• Methods
• Results
• Discussion
• Conclusions
• Acknowledgements (if applicable)
• References in AMA format
• Disclosures document
• Tables and figures with appropriate titles and captions
• See Style Guide for Table and Figure Specifications

Please review ‘Style Guide’ for other important information.

Specific Components of Original Research

De-identified data and investigation: Data should not contain any identifying factors over subjects, researchers, nor authors in order to maintain anonymity in the reviewing process.

Title Page

Title page should include the title, involved authors, author e-mail addresses, corresponding author, author affiliations, conflicts of interest, key words (at least four), and ORCID IDs as exemplified here.

Abstract

Manuscripts should include an abstract of no more than 350 words outlining the significance, objective, experimental design, results, and conclusions. Each heading should include a brief description highlighting the most important components of the manuscript. There can not be any identifying information on any pages excluding the Title Page.

Graphical abstract (Optional)

The graphical abstract is a visual representation of the major findings and places importance on the biological context of the results (subcellular compartment, species, etc.). There should be minimal text and a clear start and end to the diagram, reading easily. This visual should be distinct from figures in the paper and should not include excess information. An example and editable outline are shown here, with additional external examples here.

Manuscript body

Each manuscript should include no more than 5000 words with headings describing the introduction, methods, results, discussion, conclusions, and references. The manuscript should distinctly denote a hypothesis or objective of the study, methods for how the hypothesis was explored, the study’s main results, a discussion section highlighting the importance of the results within the current literature, and a conclusion accentuating the implications of the study for the field of medicine or relevant scientific field. Manuscripts should also include a complete reference list using AMA format. Data and investigation should be de-identified.

Introduction

The introduction should captivate the reader on the importance of the subject being studied and introduce any necessary components of the subject appearing in the manuscript. There should be pertinent descriptions on previous, relevant studies in the field as well as a proposed problem and solution. The nature of the study and used methods should be briefly described.

Methods

The methods should clearly and concisely outline and specify institutional setting, patients, and study population (including number of patients, selection procedures, inclusion/exclusion criteria, randomization, and masking), experimental design, main outcome measure(s), and statistical analyses performed. Software programs used for statistical analysis should be identified. Authors should state their cut-off for significant P-values.

Results

Clearly and objectively stated experimental findings. No interpretation of the results should be conducted in the Results section. Tables and figures should be cited in text in sequence. Confidence intervals to the 95% interval should be included. P-values should be included up to 3 significant figures.

Discussion

Summarize results and place them in the context of existing literature. Describe their significance and potential implications. Identify statistical or clinically significant limitations of the study. Avoid undue speculation or generalization. Discuss both the positive and negative findings of the study.

Conclusion

Summarize the most important points of your manuscript and possible future direction while demonstrating the importance of your findings. Conclude with the appropriate clinical applications or implications of your study.

References

The references section should include numbered references of articles or manuscripts used to introduce the subject and place the current study within the longitudinal accumulation of knowledge in the field, support guiding thoughts during the study, previous uses of experimental methods, and to refer to any previously published manuscripts. The formatting should be standard AMA format and in-text citations should use author-year system i.e. (Smith, 2013).

Human Subjects Research: Manuscripts reporting data from research utilizing human subjects must include a statement in the Methods section stating that the study received ethical approval, reporting the name of the board and institution that approved the study protocol with the IRBMED/Clinical trials registration/Investigational New Drug/Investigational Device Exemption number where applicable, and stating that informed consent was obtained from each patient. For US authors, the Methods section should also state if the study was in accordance to HIPAA regulations. If the study was IRB exempt, please indicate the adherence to the tents Declaration of Helsinki and all federal or state laws in your country in the Methods section. Avoid using patient names, initials, dates, or hospital numbers in both manuscript text and illustrative materials.

Animal Research: Manuscripts reporting data from experiments using animals must include a statement in the Methods section stating that study protocols comply with the institution's guidelines, reporting the name of the board and institution that approved the study protocol, and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee protocol number.

Review Article

An article that analyzes and/or summarizes prior primary research articles on a given subject matter.

Title page

Abstract requirements

• 350 words or less
• A Caslon font for all documents submitted for publication, including figure and table legends.
• Installment Guide
• Include labeled sections:
• Introduction
• Methods
• Results
• Conclusion
• Graphical abstract (optional)

Manuscript body requirements

• 5000 words or less
• ACaslon font for all documents submitted for publication, including figure and table legends.
• Include labeled sections
• Introduction
• Methods
• Results
• Discussion
• Conclusions
• Acknowledgements (if applicable)
• References:

• Must be in AMA format

• Disclosures document
• Tables and Figures with appropriate titles and captions
• See Style Guide for Table and Figure Specifications

Please review ‘Style Guide’ for other important information.

Specific Components of a Review Article

Title Page

Title page should include the title, involved authors, author e-mail addresses, corresponding author, author affiliations, conflicts of interest, key words (at least 5), and ORCID IDs as exemplified here.

Abstract

Manuscripts should include an abstract of no more than 350 words including the importance, objective, experimental design, results, and conclusions. Each heading should include a brief description highlighting the most important components of the manuscript. Data and investigation should be de-identified.

Graphical abstract (Optional)

The graphical abstract is a visual representation of the major findings and places importance on the biological context of the results (subcellular compartment, species, etc.). There should be minimal text and a clear start and end to the diagram, reading easily. This visual should be distinct from figures in the paper and should not include excess information. An example and editable outline are shown here, with additional external examples here.

Manuscript body

Each manuscript should include no more than 5000 words with headings describing the introduction, methods, results, discussion, conclusions, and references. The manuscript should distinctly denote a hypothesis or objective of the study, methods for how the hypothesis was explored, the study’s main results, a discussion section highlighting the importance of the results within the current literature, and a conclusion accentuating the implications of the study for the field of medicine or relevant scientific field. Manuscripts should also include a complete reference list using AMA format. Data and investigation should be de-identified.

Introduction

The introduction should captivate the reader on the importance of the review. Authors should define the clinical question and its importance to medical practice or public health. There should be some summary of the clinical problem, epidemiology of the disease or condition, and discussion of the material to be covered in the review.

Methods

The methods should clearly and concisely outline and specify the literature search criteria in sufficient detail such that a reader or reviewer could duplicate the findings. Define the inclusion/exclusion criteria for studies. The rating system used to evaluate the quality of the literature should be described, the methods to evaluate quality, number of raters, how agreement between raters was assessed, and how disagreement between raters were resolved.

Results

Briefly report the results of the literature search, including the number of articles reviewed, the number included, and number of types of studies. A brief summary of the quality of literature should be included.

Discussion

Key findings should be summarized. The literature should be assessed, synthesized, and interpreted. The limitations of the literature and review should be outlined along with gaps in evidence. A discussion of the possible future direction of research, controversial, or unresolved issues should also be included.

Conclusion

Conclude with the appropriate clinical applications or implications of your study.

Perspective Piece

An article that addresses an up-to-date topic relating to medicine that can offer a unique or updated viewpoint on a particular subject. These can be essays, personal vignettes, or opinion pieces which contain well formulated, scholarly ideas clearly presented, but should not contain findings of new research or data that have not been published.

Title page

Manuscript body requirements

• De-identified viewpoint
• 1200 words or less
• Adobe Caslon font for all documents submitted for publication, including figure and table legends
• Acknowledgements (if applicable)
• References:
• Maximum of 7 references
• Must be in AMA format
• Disclosures document
• Tables and Figures with appropriate titles and captions
• See Style Guide for Table and Figure Specifications

Please review ‘Style Guide’ for other important information.

Perspective Pieces do not typically follow the standard research template of sections and authors are allowed to organize their manuscript per their preference assuming they follow the conditions above and those listed in the Style Guide.

Brief Communication

A short letter addressing an important topic or advancements that challenge the status quo in clinical medicine, public health, medical research, or health policy in an evidenced-based manner. Examples of this could include a case-report, critical appraisal, or original findings that are not suitable for a full research article.

Title page

Manuscript; Requirements below

• 750 words or less
• ACaslon font for all documents submitted for publication
• Installment Guide
• Acknowledgements (if applicable)
• References
• Maximum of 7 references
• Must be in AMA format
• Disclosures document

Please review ‘Style Guide’ for other important information.

Specific Components of Brief Communications

The main text, or manuscript body, should be written under the heading “Findings”. The Text should chronologically consist of a brief introduction, aim, materials/methods, a focused discussion, and brief conclusion. There does not need to be additional subheadings in addition to “Findings”.

Graphical Abstract

The “graphical” or “visual” abstract is a concise, visual summary of main article findings. It can include part of the concluding figure or be a unique representation designed for displaying the central idea of the article at a glance. An example and editable outline are shown here, with additional external examples here.

Requirements:

• Graphical Abstracts should be submitted as a single high-resolution (300 dpi or greater) image file; preferred file types are .tif, .jpg, or .eps.
• Font: Please use Adobe Caslon in 12 pt, with 8 pt for sub- and superscript.
• Colors: The use of color is encouraged. Color figures should be in RGB format. When available, use Adobe RGB

Label the graphic “Graphical Abstract”

Style Guide

Articles with frequent, overt grammatical errors, or those which have not followed submission guidelines will not be reviewed and will be automatically advised to resubmit with revisions to protect the time and energy of fellow medical students reviewing these submissions.

De-identified data and investigation

Abstracts and manuscripts submitted should not contain any identifying factors over subjects, researchers, nor authors in order to maintain anonymity in the reviewing process. MJM is in support of an equitable and impartial process for reviewing, editing, and publishing manuscripts. This is why we require all identifying information to be listed on Title Page and nowhere else throughout the manuscript. Reviewers are unaware of author information aiding this unbiased process and allowing all submissions to be evaluated solely on their content and relevance to the scientific field.

Please follow the AMA Manual of Style in general and the specific guidelines outlined below.

• No author identifying information outside of Title Page
• A Caslon font for all submitted documents, including figure and table legends
• Installment Guide
• Not required for Disclosures Document
• Font Size
• Headings: 20
• Body: 12
• Legends: 11
• Manuscript body should be double-spaced, in a single column, on standard 8.5 x 11in pages.
• One-inch margins should be used on all sides.
• Headings are bolded.
• Spell out acronyms at first use.
• When using numbers to describe ranges, use dashes only.
• No italics for integers.
• Capitalize prepositions 4 characters or longer in headings and titles.
• Data is plural.
• Use (1), (2), … for series list within running text.
• Use (1,2) for two consecutive numbers in superscript/note callouts, but en dashes for sequences of three or more (3–5).
• Okay to use comma (rather than space) in digits greater than four numbers.
• Figures
• File formats accepted: .tif, .jpg, or .eps.
• Figures should be uploaded in an independent file separate from the manuscript text file.
• Figures should be numbered sequentially as they appear in the text.
• Titles and captions should be clear enough that the figure can be understood independently from the manuscript text.
• Tables
• All tables should be created in Microsoft Word using the table tool.
• Do not format tables using columns or tabs.
• Footnotes in tables should be superscripts letters in alphabetical order.
• All abbreviations in each table must be defined even if repeated from other tables or in the text.
• Tables should be uploaded individually, separate from the manuscript text file.
• Tables should be numbered sequentially as they appear in the text.
• Titles and captions should be clear enough that the table can be understood independently from the manuscript text.
• Statistics
• Statistical methods must be identified whenever they are used.
• Software methods should be described so that reviewers and readers can verify calculations.
• When reporting P-values, reporting the actual value up to the three significant figures is preferred over inequalities.
• Authors should report basic summary statistics such as mean, standard error, and confidence intervals.
• Authors should state levels for alpha and beta error.
• Inclusive Language
• Inclusive language seeks to acknowledge diversity, conveys respect to all, and is sensitive to differences among people.
• Content should not promote one individual or group of individuals superior to another on the grounds of age, gender, race, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, disability, or health condition.
• Authors should ensure that their writing is free of bias, stereotypes, slang, or references to dominant culture.
• Sex and gender are often incorrectly portrayed as a binary and unchanging when a fluid spectrum is a more accurate representation of these constructs. Authors should clearly define the manner in which “sex” and “gender” are discussed in their manuscript.

The manuscript title should tell the reader about the subjects and the setting in addition to one or two of the following (if applicable): Methods, Results, Conclusions, or Name of study or data set.

The body of your submitted manuscript, if published, would be in the following font: Adobe Caslon. This font, used by MJM’s typesetter for the final PDF design template, is unable to be changed. Thus, we recommend using Adobe Caslon when creating your figures/graphs/tables.

The Adobe Caslon font is available through Adobe Fonts. As a University of Michigan Medical School student, you have free access to the Adobe Creative Suite through the university. Here's the information to set up Adobe on your computer, and here's the page where you can “activate” ACaslon through Adobe Fonts. Once the font is activated, it will be available in any Adobe software (including Illustrator or Photoshop) as well as in other desktop applications like Word.

ICMJE Disclosure Document

Conflicts of interest may occur when authors have financial or personal associations that may impact or effect bias of author actions, research, or text. These associations are required to be disclosed under the Acknowledgement section of the manuscript and within the Disclosures document.

Title Page Example:

Article Type: Original Research

Title: Migration Patterns of Wolverines in Michigan are Different Between Maize and Blue

[Title should tell the reader about the subjects and the setting in addition to one or two of the following (if applicable): methods, results, conclusions, name of study or data set.]

IRB Approval ID (If applicable): HUM00116423

Authors: Maize Wilson BS¹, John Blue MD, MS², Jane Wolverine MD²

Author Affiliations:

¹University of Michigan Medical School
²Michigan Medicine, Department of Urology

Corresponding Author:

Maize Wilson
maizewilson@med.umich.edu

Author E-mail List:

maizewilson@med.umich.edu
johnblue@med.umich.edu
janewolverine@umich.edu

Preferred Faculty Reviewers: List the contact information of two to three Michigan Medicine faculty members with expertise in field who you believe would be appropriate reviewers of your submission.

ORCID IDs (optional):

Maize Wilson: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1234-4321
John Blue: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6789-9876
Jane Wolverine: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3456-6543

Conflict of Interest Statement: None of the authors has any conflicts of interest to disclose OR Authors with financial interests or relationships to disclose are listed in the Acknowledgements

Key words: migration,wolverines,michigan,medical school
(all lowercase with no spaces unless two words)

Resubmissions

All revised manuscripts should be submitted with additions to the text highlighted in yellow and deletions should be red and strikethrough. Additionally, authors should provide a revisions rebuttal, outlining each individual revision request and the corresponding changes and/or rebuttal. MJM provides a template in the form of a Microsoft excel file, here, that may be used.

Resources

Graduate Student Writing Support: https://lsa.umich.edu/sweetland
Statistical Support: http://www.cscar.research.umich.edu
Graphical Abstracts: https://rupress.org/jcb/pages/graphical-abstract https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YibeggO2wcOx-PSwduG008y3UqVyZEpf/view?usp=sharing

Copyright Notice

Copyright - More Information   
© the author(s). All rights reserved.

CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 - More Information   
Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes. ShareAlike — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original. No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.

Peer Review

This journal uses a double-blinded, peer review process. On submission, your work will be assigned a review team who will compile feedback and a suggested decision for your manuscript. Following initial review, your work will be reviewed by an Editor-in-Chief who will issue a final decision on your manuscript.

Publication Fees

The Michigan Journal of Medicine currently does not charge any fees for submission.

Publication Cycle

The MJM currently publishes an annual issue. 

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