Instructions for Authors
Authors should kindly note that submission of a manuscript implies: that the work described has not been published before (except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture, review, or thesis); that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere; that its publication has been approved by all co-authors, if any, as well as by the responsible authorities at the institution where the work has been carried out; and that, if and when the manuscript is accepted for publication, the authors agree to transfer of the copyright to the publisher.
Authors wishing to include figures, tables, or text passages that have already been published elsewhere or republish their own data, that has previously been published in a language other than English, are required to obtain permission from the copyright owner(s) for both the print and online format and to include evidence that such permission has been granted when submitting their papers. Any material received without such evidence will be assumed to originate from the authors and not to have been published before in any language.
Once the submission materials have been prepared in accordance with the instructions laid out in the following chapters, please use the link “Submit your Manuscript” to upload your manuscripts following the instructions given on the screen. Please note that you must be registered to submit a manuscript. If you experience any problems with submission, please contact the editorial office at journal@laserandhealth.com.
Sections:
Contribution Type
The following types of contributions are accepted:
| Title page | Abstract and key words | Main text | References | Guidelines | ||
| CLINICAL NOTE | A short protocol description with case photographs.
Includes a short CV & photo of the author(s) |
✓ | – | Parameters table Protocol description |
– | Guidelines for Clinical Notes. |
| CASE REPORT | Peer reviewed submissions presenting especially challenging cases or novel treatment approaches on one or a few cases. | ✓ | ✓ | Introduction Case Report Discussion Conclusion |
20 maximum | CARE |
| RESEARCH ARTICLE | Peer reviewed submissions presenting research results; e.g. prospective or retrospective clinical studies, pre-clinical studies, modelling studies. | ✓ | ✓ | Introduction Materials and Methods Results Discussion Conclusion |
✓ | CONSORT (randomised trials)
STROBE (observational studies) ARRIVE (animal studies) |
| REVIEW ARTICLE | Peer reviewed submissions presenting the latest information on the subject. | ✓ | ✓ | Introduction Headings Conclusion |
✓ | PRISMA (systematic reviews and meta-analyses) |
| SYMPOSIUM SUMMARY | Summary of LA&HA Symposium contribution | Format depends on LA&HA Symposium guidelines. | ||||
Research articles, review articles and case reports undergo peer-review. For more details on the peer-review process see our “Instructions for reviewers” webpage.
Preparation of Manuscripts
Manuscripts must be written in English.
The manuscript should be submitted in separate files: main text file; figures.
Use Times New Roman 12 pt or similar font. The material double-spaced, on one side of letter-sized paper, with suitably wide margins.
All pages should be numbered consecutively, beginning with page 1, the title page. Tables and figures should be numbered serially. Tables and figures will be placed near their first mention in the text; all tables and figures must be referred to in the manuscript.
Accurate, complete, and transparent reporting of all health research studies improves research reproducibility and usefulness. Authors are encouraged to follow the study-type specific guidelines. A comprehensive list and additional advice on medical writing and useful toolkits can be found at the EQUATOR Network.
When preparing the manuscript please refer to the ICMJE: Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals, Section IV. Manuscript preparation and submission A. Preparing a Manuscript for Submission to a Medical Journal. The recommendations are available also in several different languages.
Randomized clinical trials should be registered. To register a trial, submit the details directly to any one of the Primary Registries in the WHO Registry Network or an ICMJE approved registry.
Title Page: The following elements must be included:
- Title of the article;
- Name(s) of author(s), with first names spelled out;
- Affiliation(s) of author(s);
- Name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address of the corresponding author.
Abstract: Review articles, research articles and case reports are to be preceded by a succinct structured abstract, of up to 300 words. Abstracts should be divided into the following sections: “Background”, “Aim”, “Methods”, “Results”, and “Conclusion”.
Key Words: To identify the subjects under which the article may be indexed, 3–10 key words should be provided.
Main Text: In general, terms should not be abbreviated unless they are used repeatedly and the abbreviation is helpful to the reader. Initially, use the word in full, followed by the abbreviation in parentheses. Thereafter use the abbreviation only.
Chemical substances should be referred to by the generic name only. Trade names should not be used. Drugs should be referred to by their generic names. If proprietary drugs have been used in the study, refer to these by their generic name, mentioning the proprietary name and the name and location of the manufacturer in parentheses.
Acknowledgements: of collaboration or preparation assistance may be included before References. Please note the source of funding for the research.
References: A reference list must be included using the following information as a guide. Only cited text references are included. Each reference is referred to in the text by a number enclosed in a square bracket (i.e. [3] or [4-8] for more references). If the in-line citation is at the end of the sentence, it should be placed before the punctuation. No reference to the author is necessary. References must be numbered and ordered according to where they are first mentioned in the paper, not alphabetically. All references must be complete and accurate.
References should be cited as follows:
Journal article: name(s) and initial(s) of author(s), year in brackets, full title, name of the journal (Always use the standard abbreviation of a journal’s name according to the ISSN List of Title Word Abbreviations – https://www.issn.org/services/online-services/access-to-the-ltwa/), volume number, first and last page numbers:
Gamelin FX, Baquet G, Berthoin S, Thevenet D, Nourry C, Nottin S, Bosquet L (2009) Effect of high intensity intermittent training on heart rate variability in prepubescent children. Eur J Appl Physiol 105:731-738
Article by DOI: name(s) and initial(s) of author(s), year in brackets, full title, name of the journal (Always use the standard abbreviation of a journal’s name according to the ISSN List of Title Word Abbreviations – https://www.issn.org/services/online-services/access-to-the-ltwa/), DOI
Slifka MK, Whitton JL (2000) Clinical implications of dysregulated cytokine production. J Mol Med. doi:10.1007/s001090000086
Book: name(s) and initial(s) of editor(s)/author(s), year in brackets, full title, publisher, city
South J, Blass B (2001) The future of modern genomics. Blackwell, London
Book chapter: name(s) and initial(s) of chapter author(s), year in brackets, full title of chapter, In: name(s) and initial(s) of editor(s), full book title publisher, city, first and last page numbers of chapter
Brown B, Aaron M (2001) The politics of nature. In: Smith J (ed) The rise of modern genomics, 3rd edn. Wiley, New York, pp 230-257
Online document: name(s) and initial(s) of author(s), year in brackets, full title, name of the website, URL, date of access
Cartwright J (2007) Big stars have weather too. IOP Publishing PhysicsWeb. http://physicsweb.org/articles/news/11/6/16/1. Accessed 26 June 2007
Dissertation: name(s) and initial(s) of author(s), year in brackets, full title, Dissertation, name of university
Trent JW (1975) Experimental acute renal failure. Dissertation, University of California
Tables: Tables should be self-contained and complement, not duplicate, information found elsewhere in the manuscript. Tables must be numbered consecutively, in the order they are referred to in your text. They should be referred to in both the text and the table heading as Table 1, Table 2, etc. Table heading should be concise but comprehensive – the table, heading, and footnotes must be understandable without reference to the text. All abbreviations must be defined in footnotes.
Figures: Figures must be numbered consecutively, in the order they are referred to in your text. They should be referred to in both the text and the figure legends as Figure 1, Figure 2, etc. Legends should be concise but comprehensive – the figure and its legend must be understandable without reference to the text. All abbreviations and symbols must be defined in the figure legend. For specific guidelines on Clinical Note figures see here. Authors are encouraged to send the highest-quality figures and photographs possible. Upload the figures as separate files in their original formats.
For guidance on acceptable handling of photographs and other safeguards of patient confidentiality and anonymity, refer to section II.E of the ICMJE’s (International Committee of Medical Journal Editors – http://www.icmje.org) Uniform Requirements: Protection of Research Participants.
Useful guidelines on many aspects of medical photography are available from The Institute of Medical Illustrators National Guidelines, https://www.imi.org.uk/resources/professional-resources/national-guidelines/.
Guidelines for CLINICAL NOTES:
Clinical notes are accompanied by photograph(s) of the authors(s) and a short CV of the author(s). The CV should include a short mention of your highest level of education, work experience and experience with the laser (or other type of medical device) used in the procedure described. The CV and photographs should not be part of the main text file; they are to be uploaded separately during the submission process. The main text of the Clinical note should be short (no more than 1 printed page). No references should be cited. The author(s) should only describe their own procedure and results. The main text should include the following:
- Introduction to the case (or procedure)
- Parameters table: Please ensure all relevant parameters are included. For lasers these may include model, wavelength, mode, handpiece, spot size, fluence/energy/power/irradiace, pulse duration, frequency, overlap/coverage, number of passes, cooling etc. In case more than one set of parameters was used (e.g. for different steps of a multi-step procedure or in different sessions) introduce additional columns to the parameters table.
- Case (or procedure) description: Include any pre- and post-treatment procedures and any post-treatment instructions to the patient. Provide details about the procedure without duplicating the information in the parameters table. Describe why you used the parameters listed in the table and how they were adjusted to particular case if relevant, the treatment endpoint, and treatment tolerability. If multiple treatments were performed provide the number of sessions and interval. Include the treatment outcome in the description; e.g. downtime, side effects, patient satisfaction, how long the follow-up was, how long the results are expected to last.
- Photograph headers: The results should be illustrated by pre- and post- treatment photographs. Please name your photograph files Figure 1, Figure 2, etc. and include a short header for each figure in your main text file e.g. “Figure 1: Baseline”, “Figure 2: After second treatment session”, “Figure 3: 6 months after end of treatment”.
Editorial policies and ethical considerations
The LA&HA Journal policy is based on The Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly work in Medical Journals (http://www.icmje.org/recommendations/).
The acceptance criteria for all papers are the quality and originality of the research and its significance to journal readership. Research articles, case reports, and review articles are subjected to a double-blind peer review. Manuscript will only be sent to review if the Editor-in-Chief determines that the paper meets the appropriate quality and relevance requirements. For more details on the peer-review process see our “Instructions for reviewers” webpage.
- Authorship: All those designated as authors should meet all criteria for authorship, and all who meet the criteria should be identified as authors. For criteria on authorship, refer to section II.A of the ICMJE’s Uniform Requirements: Defining the Role of Authors and Contributors. Those who do not meet authorship criteria may be listed in Acknowledgements, provided that they have given you permission to do so.
- Conflicts of interest and funding sources need to be disclosed during submission. For guidance on what may constitute a conflict of interest, refer to section II.B of the ICMJE’s Uniform Requirements: Disclosure of Financial and Non-Financial Relationships and Activities, and Conflicts of Interest. The existence of a conflict of interest does not preclude publication. If the authors have no conflict of interest to declare, they must also state this at submission.
- Protection of Research Participants: For guidance see ICMJE’s Uniform Requirements section II.E. For manuscripts reporting case reports or medical studies that involve human participants confirmation that the study conforms to recognized ethical standards is required during submission. A list of the national ethics committees with contact information is available from the World Health Organization: National Ethics Committees Database. Written informed consent should be obtained for publication of any patient photographs.
- Animal Studies: For manuscripts reporting studies that involve live animals confirmation that the experiments were performed in accordance with relevant institutional and national guidelines and laws, and international conventions for the protection of animals used for scientific purposes is required during submission. The relevant guidelines and ethics approval should be outlined in the methods section of the manuscript.