Instruction for authors

The Biomedical Imaging and Intervention Journal (biij) is an open access multidisciplinary peer-reviewed quarterly online journal, published by the Department of Biomedical Imaging, University of Malaya, Malaysia. biij is a multidisciplinary journal covering all the clinical and technical aspects of biomedical imaging and intervention, radiotherapy and oncology, minimally invasive image guided therapy, image processing and informatics, molecular medicine, medical physics and radiobiology as well as radiography and bioengineering related to imaging or intervention.

Mission

To promote the science and art of biomedical imaging and intervention among the physicians and allied professional for the betterment of the public health.

Objectives

• To provide clinicians and allied professionals with continuing education in basic and clinical sciences related to biomedical imaging and intervention to ensure that informed decisions are made
  
• To enable clinicians and allied professionals to remain informed in the multiple areas of biomedical imaging and intervention including developments in fields other than their own
  
• To improve health and health care internationally by elevating the quality of screening, diagnosis, therapy and prognostication in areas related to biomedical imaging and intervention
  
• To maintain the highest standards of editorial integrity independent of any special interests
  
• To publish original, important, well-documented, peer-reviewed articles on a diverse range of biomedical imaging and interventional topics
  
• To foster responsible and balanced debate on issues related to biomedical imaging and intervention
  
• To anticipate important issues and trends in biomedical imaging and intervention
  
• To inform readers about issues including the management, leadership, political, philosophic, ethical, legal, environmental, economic, historical, as well as the cultural aspects that relate to biomedical imaging and intervention
  
• To recognize that, in addition to these specific objectives, biij has a social responsibility to improve the total human condition and to promote the integrity of science through advancements in biomedical imaging and intervention
  
• To achieve the highest level of ethical medical journalism and to produce a publication that is timely, credible, and enjoyable to read

All materials submitted to biij must be original work, and may not have been published elsewhere. biij also accepts review articles reflect practical everyday clinical applications geared to the practicing clinicians, scientists, other allied professionals, and these may cover clinical management, applications of a particular imaging modality, imaging of specific anatomic, disease states, clinical problems as well as administration, technical, or medicolegal issues.

biij is an international multidisciplinary open access journal and is available online to the public in electronic format at www.biij.org. Both full-text HTML and PDF versions of articles are available.

In view of the need to look at the scientific basis of research projects, we are prepared to review research proposals to ensure both the scientific and research basis for research projects.

Submission

biij now uses an online submission and manuscript tracking system, available at http://www.biij.org/system/. To submit your paper, please register as an author (in your user profile) and go to the author home page.

You will then be guided through the submission process. You may upload your manuscript as an .rtf or .doc file, as well as supplementary files such as figures, program codes, video clips, animations, and other multimedia files. Upon submission, you will receive an automatic email acknowledging receipt of your paper. If you do not receive a response within 24 hours, please verify that the paper has been submitted (using the manuscript tracking system).

Please note that all submissions must be accompanied by Author Contribution Form, uploaded as a supplementary file. Each author must complete a separate Author Contribution Form.

A typical page usually contains 1000 words of text or 4 average size tables or 6 average size figures or 40 references. The average handling time to publish a paper, including peer-review, is 4 months and this excludes author revision time.

Note that e-mail submissions will no longer be accepted, unless for exceptional cases approved by the Editorial Board. Please contact the Managing Editor at managingeditor@biij.org for any queries regarding the submission of your paper.

Peer review process

All submitted manuscripts will undergo peer-review. Each manuscript shall be allocated two reviewers who will receive the manuscripts with blind title pages to ensure an unbiased review. Every effort is made to ensure that the reviewers provide detailed constructive comments in the shortest time to assist the authors in getting their work published. Every effort is taken to ensure that the reviews are fair and thorough.

The Editors will make a final decision on each manuscript which shall be classified as:

• Acceptable for publication in present form
  
• Acceptable for publication but suggest that author(s) consider the accompanying comments before submitting final copies
  Acceptable for publication provided the paper is revised in accordance with the accompanying comments
  
• Not acceptable, but should be reconsidered for publication after revision along the lines indicated in the accompanying comments
  
• Not acceptable, but material might be suitable for another specialist journal
  
• Not acceptable
  

It is strongly advised that when revisions are requested, all points raised by the reviewers must be answered by the authors on a separate sheet, and returned with the revised manuscript. In the event of any disagreement with any specific reviewers' recommendations, authors are free to explain their reasoning when resubmitting their paper.

Categories of paper accepted

Original Research Papers
"Full length" paper, reporting scientific investigation of significant issue. Involves appropriate literature review, full discussion of results, implications and shortcomings.

Commentaries/Editorials
Cover specific, sometimes controversial, subjects that are currently hot topics, even those raised at specialty scientific meetings. The author should provide a brief explanation of the current position; followed by an outline the various viewpoints that exist, and then expound his/her own particular view point or analysis of the situation. Future perspectives of the situation should also be stated. Commentaries should be approximately 800-2500 words. May contain no more than 6 references.

Short Communications/Technical Reports
This category includes work-in-progress, short reports, and technical notes. These communications should aim to be as concise as possible and should not include more than 12 references.

"How I Do It" Articles
The article should contain an abstract (Objective and Conclusion) of no more than 75 words, followed by an introduction which defines the scope of the paper. The main body will cover the technical aspects of the procedure. Headings may be used to separate and organise text.

Review Articles
Proffered review articles and suggestions for such material are usually solicited by the Honorary Editors.

Pictorial Reviews
These aim to provide an up-to-date visual portrayal of any issue especially those with important educational content. The pictorial review may be based on a poster presentation at a scientific meeting. No more than 8 key references should be included. There should be no more than 3 authors.

Case Reports
Case reports should provide a brief description of a case with unique features that have been previously unreported. References should be limited to 8 and there may not be more than 3 authors.

Expert Slide Presentations
These aim to provide online access to educational material used at any of the conferences or scientific meetings. These may either be in the form of digital video recording or in MS PowerPoint which will then be converted to PDF files.

Letters to the Editor
May fall into one of the three categories: A letter on any matter of interest to readers of the BIIJ; a response to an issue that may have appeared in the media, raised at conferences, practices, etc; a response to an article that has appeared in a previous issue of BIIJ. This will be forwarded to the authors of that article to allow them to reply. If accepted, the letters will be published together. Tables and figures should not be included, unless absolutely necessary. All the authors of a letter to the editor are required to sign it.

Book Reviews
These aim to provide summaries of the currently available books or other monographs that may be of interest to the audiences of BIIJ.

Preparation of manuscripts

For all papers submitted, the following requirements apply:

• Only papers written in English are accepted
  
• No hard-copy submissions will be accepted
• Manuscripts should be submitted as a formatted MS Word document
• The manuscripts are submitted as a single MS Word document with the information in the following order: abbreviated title page, abstract, text, appendix, references, tables (embedded), and captions
  
• The manuscript should be typed in double line spacing, with margins of at least 25 mm on each side
  
• Text should be Times New Roman, font size 12
  
• Figures and Tables should be provided and labeled as separate files and should not embedded within the main text
  
• Figures should be submitted in digital format using JPEG or TIFF format (see section on Figures for further details)
  
• The authors' names or affiliations should not appear anywhere on the manuscript pages or the images to ensure that the peer-review is blinded
• Authors are encouraged to ensure that their files are clear of any viruses
  
• A cover letter, signed by all the authors with the telephone and fax numbers of the corresponding author, plus email address must be provided
  
• Corresponding authors are responsible for obtaining the approval of all co-authors regarding any subsequent revisions to a paper. The type of paper being submitted should also be stated

Title page
The title page should provide the following information:

• Title of the paper. The use of abbreviations should not be used in the title
  
• Category of paper other than original research paper should be stated
  
• Names of the authors should comprise: initials, surnames plus qualifications (not more than three qualifications per author) along with the address(es) where the work reported in the paper was undertaken and linked to the appropriate author(s) using superscript numerals
  
• In the event of a change in the address of the corresponding author, the current address may be included as a footnote, again linked to the relevant name by an asterisk
  
• Footnotes stating a conference or meeting where any part of portion of the paper was presented should be included
  
• Footnotes stating any source of funding or financial interest where relevant must be stated. This includes actual, potential or potential conflicts of interest by any of the authors
  
• The order of the names of the authors shall be decided prior to submission. The editors will not entertain any subsequent requests for change once the paper has been submitted

Blind title page
To ensure a fair and honest peer review process a "blind" title page should be included after the main title page, giving only the title without the authors' names and affiliations.

Further do not include the name of the institution where the work was performed or authors' names or initials, either within the text or at the top of each manuscript page.

Abstract
The abstract should be typed on a separate page as a single paragraph except for separate section headings for the original research paper. The abstract should be an accurate and concise synopsis of the paper, and should not exceed 250 words. No references should be quoted.

For the original research paper, the abstract must be divided into four paragraphs with the following headings:

• Purpose – State the hypothesis being tested or the procedure being evaluated.
  
• Materials and methods – Briefly state what was done and what materials were used, including number of subjects. Also include the methods used to assess the data and to control bias, along with the statistical analyses performed.
  
• Results – Provide the findings of the study, including indicators of statistical significance. Include actual numbers, as well as percentages
  
• Conclusion – Summarize in one or two sentences the conclusion(s), based solely on the data provided

An abstract of 100 words or less must be submitted for each Case Report or Short communication/technical report. The abstract must state (a) what was done, (b) what was found, and (c) what was concluded, but specific headings should not be included.

For commentaries/editorials, or other similar submissions, an abstract of 100-200 words should summarise the content of the submission, but specific headings should not be included.

Main text
The main body of a paper should begin on the page following the abstract.

• Avoid repetition between sections.
  
• Abbreviations and acronyms may be used where appropriate, but must always be defined where first used.
  
• The names and locations (town, country) of manufacturers of all equipment and non-generic drugs must be given.
  
• For the purposes of clarity, up to three clearly differentiated levels of subheading may be used.
  
• Avoid the use of footnotes.

1. Introductory section
   • Briefly describe the pertinent background information and references that inform the reader as to why you undertook your stdy.
     
   • An extensive literature is not necessary.
     
   • The final paragraph of this section should clearly state the hypothesis or purpose of your study.
     
   • Brevity and focus are important.
     
   • It is generally recommended that Introduction should not exceed 1½ double-spaced page.
   
   
2. Methods and materials/patients:
   • The aim of the study should be clearly described and a suitable design, incorporating an appropriate number of subjects, should be used to accomplish the aim
     
   • For human studies, it is essential to state in the first paragraph whether or not ethical clearance and patient informed consent were obtained. This applies for both prospective and retrospective studies.
     
   • In the case of animal experiments, a statement regarding approval by the institutional animal care committee or appropriate substitute should be provided.
     
   • The number and selection of the subjects studied (patients or experimental animals, including controls) must be clearly stated.
     
   • Details of on inclusion and exclusion criteria should be clearly stated and reason for them
     
   • Information on subject characteristics in groups being compared should be given for any factors that could potentially bias the comparison of the groups; such information is often best presented in a tabular format in which the groups are in adjacent columns
     
   • It should also be clear as to the retrospective or prospective nature of your study.
     
   • In the event of the study being randomized, details of the randomization procedure should be included.
   • The methods, instrumentation (trade names and manufacturer’s name and location in parentheses), and procedures must be identified in sufficient detail to allow other workers to reproduce the study.
     
   • It is essential that the manner in which studies were evaluated i.e. independent readings, consensus readings, blinded or unblinded to other information, time sequencing between readings of several studies of the same patient or animal to eliminate recall bias, random ordering of studies or otherwise be clearly defined .
     
   • Give references to established methods, including statistical methods that have been published but are not well known; describe new or substantially modified methods and give reasons for using these techniques.
     
   • Briefly state the statistical methods used to analyze your data. It is strongly recommended that all authors seek statistical consultation prior to planning a study to ensure that collection of data and the statistical tests to analyze those data are appropriate especially in studies related to cost analysis or cost-effectiveness.
     
   • In the event of any discrepancy the editors reserve the right to request the raw data to recalculate the results.
     
     
3. Results
   • Results should be presented in a clear logical sequence.
     
   • Any exclusions or losses to follow-up that might affect the study population are required to be stated
     
   • When tables are used, do not duplicate tabular data in the text, but do describe important trends and points
     
   • Summarize only important observations, and do not repeat in the text all the data in the tables and/or illustrations.
     
   • Make sure to give results for all items evaluated mentioned in Materials and Methods section
     
   • State the statistical significance of your findings.
     
   • Numerators and denominators must be provided either in the text or the tables for all percentages given. The same applies to sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and positive and negative predictive values.
     
   • When using subheadings in Materials and Methods, it may be helpful to present the results in the same sequence using the same subheadings.
     
     
4. Discussion and Conclusion
   • Emphasize the advances in knowledge provided by your study and the conclusions that follow from them.
     
   • Detail data given in the results section should not be repeated unless it used to compare with the results of other studies.
     
   • The implications of the findings as well as their limitations, in particular with reference to the use of modified methods, statistical or otherwise should be discussed.
     
   • Also link the conclusions with the objectives of the study, but unqualified statements and conclusions not supported entirely the data should be avoided.
     
   • In addition reporting on the results of any ongoing investigations, not yet completed is not advised.
     
   • Recommendations, with necessary conditions, when appropriate, may be included.
     
   • Potential future practical applications should be discussed when related to experimental studies, animal or otherwise
   
   
5. Acknowledgments (if relevant).

References

• This should be written on a separate page, with references in numerical order corresponding to the order in which they appear in the text.
  
• It is the responsibility of authors to determine the accuracy of the references.
  
• Cite only those papers closely related to the work and exhaustive lists should be avoided.
  
• All references must appear both in the text and the reference list.
  
• References should follow the Vancouver format.
  
• In the text, references are cited in numerical order as numerals in square brackets. Within the brackets, numerals are separated by commas, and three or more consecutive references are given as ranges, e.g. [1, 2, 7, 10�12, 14].
  
• A reference cited in a table or figure caption counts as being cited where the table or figure is first mentioned in the text.
  
• Papers in press may be included in the list of references.
  
• Abstracts and/or papers presented at meetings not in the public domain should not be cited. Neither should uncompleted work or work that has not yet been accepted for publication be included.
  
• The use of private communications should be given only in the text with the author and year should be provided in brackets. No reference number need to be given.
  
• The name of ALL authors of the reference must be listed.
  
• When abbreviations for titles of medical periodicals are used, then these should conform to those used in the latest edition of Index Medicus.
• If in doubt, please consult the sample references list set out by ICMJE Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals, available at: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/bsd/uniform_requirements.html

Examples of references:

• Journal article – Include author names and initials, paper title, abbreviated journal title, year of publication, volume number, and first and last page numbers of paper, e.g.
  
  Lenconi R, Goletti O, Armillotta, A. Radio-frequency thermal ablation of liver metastases with a cooled tip electrode: results of a pilot trial. Eur Radiol 1998;8:1205-1211

• Complete book – This should include authors'/Editors' names, title of the book, city/country of publication as well as the publisher name, plus year of publication, e.g.
  
  Weast RC, Astle MJ, Beyer WH, eds. CRC handbook of chemistry and physics, 64th ed. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 1983.

• Chapter in book – Include authors of the relevant chapter, title of chapter, followed by "In: " and editors' names, title of book, town/country of publication and publisher name, year of publication, and first and last page numbers of material cited, e.g.
  
  Wray-Cahen D, Vossoughi J, Karanian JW. Large animal models in pre-clinical trials. In: Vossoughi J, Kipshidze N, Karanian JW, eds. Stent graft update. Washington, DC: Medical and Engineering Publishing, 2000;201–214.

• Conference proceedings – Include names of editors, title of publication, title of meeting, date and location of meeting, town/country of publication and publisher name, and year of publication, e.g.
  
  Harnden P, Joffe JK, Jones WG, editors. Germ cell tumours V. Proceedings of the 5th Germ Cell Tumour Conference; 2001 Sep 13-15; Leeds, UK. New York: Springer; 2002.

• Conference paper – Include author(s) and title of paper followed by "In:" and the details of the Conference Proceedings in which it appears, e.g.
  
  Christensen S, Oppacher F. An analysis of Koza's computational effort statistic for genetic programming. In: Foster JA, Lutton E, Miller J, Ryan C, Tettamanzi AG, editors. Genetic programming. EuroGP 2002: Proceedings of the 5th European Conference on Genetic Programming; 2002 Apr 3-5; Kinsdale, Ireland. Berlin: Springer; 2002. p. 182-91.

• Internet – Include author(s), title of article, URL, and accessed date, e.g.
  
  Keller M, Hughes KF, Pethig R. Evidence based radiology [Web Page]. Available at http://www.evidencebasedradiology.net/ebr_practice/ebr_practice.html (Accessed 14 July 2004).

Tables

• All tables should be referred to specifically in the text of the paper but provided as a separate.
  
• Tables should be numbered consecutively using Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.), in the order in which they appear in the text
  
• There should be a short descriptive title after the table number
  
• They should be self-explanatory and aim for maximum clarity with no duplication data.
  
• All columns and rows are properly aligned with appropriate space between rows and columns
  
• Include horizontal rules at the top and bottom of a table and one below the column headings. If a column heading encompasses two or more subheadings, then the main headings and subheadings should be separated by a single short rule. No other rules should be included, neither horizontal nor vertical.
  
• Footnotes may used if necessary provided that they are referred to within the table by superscript letters. Begin each footnote on a new line.
  
• To allow faster review, all abbreviations in tables should be defined in footnotes even if defined in the text or a previous table.

Figures

• Image files should only be supplied in EPS, TIFF or JPEG format.
  
• Images in PowerPoint files should not be used as these cause problems with respect to quality rendering
  
• Image files supplied in Word or Excel will also not be accepted. Other formats will not be usable.
  
• EPS is preferred for drawn artwork (line drawings and graphs) and should be submitted with a preview file along with all the fonts attached.
  
• TIFF is preferred for halftones, or grey scale images i.e. medical images such as radiographs, MR scans, etc.
  
• For JPEG files, it is essential to save at maximum quality, i.e. “10”, to ensure that image quality is satisfactory when the files are eventually decompressed.
  
• Each figure should be saved as a separate file named “Figure 1”, “Figure 2” etc.
  
• Each figure should have a detailed but concise legend listed on a separate page e.g. list of legends.
  
• Authors’ names and affiliations do not appear anywhere on the images
  
• Any manipulations or enhancements of the images beyond grey-scaling should be clearly stated. If an image has been enhanced electronically, explain the alterations that have been made and send an original image along with the enhanced one.
  
• Images to be combined into one array, such as postero-anterior and lateral views, should be sized the same to facilitate reproduction.
  
• When several images of a given type (e.g., CT, MR, US) are being shown, please reproduce each specific type at the same magnification.
  
• Images should correspond in appearance to the tonal relations of the original radiograph (i.e., showing the bones white on a dark background, with the patient’s right to the observer’s left
• CT scans and MR images should employ the “view from below”).
  
• Drawings and graphs should be rendered professionally in black and white.
  
• Image files should be saved at the appropriate dpi (dots per inch) for the type of graphic (the typical screen value of 72 dpi will not yield satisfactory printed results). Lower resolutions will not be usable.
  
• All line drawings should be digitised or scanned at 1200 dpi, TIFF
  
• Halftone and colour work should be digitised or scanned at 300 dpi, TIFF
  
• Combination halftones (image and line art) should be 600 dpi, TIFF.
  
• Digital images with labels should be submitted with the labels on layers. Do not flatten image or merge layers.
  
• Each image's file size will typically range from 1.5 MB to 10 MB
  
• All files must be accompanied by two (2) sets of label prints marked for orientation.
  
• Images should preferably be submitted as a zipped file
  
• biij is not responsible for failed media, conversions, or transmissions.
• The image should be cropped to show just the relevant area (i.e. no more than is necessary to illustrate the points made by the author whilst retaining sufficient anatomical landmarks).
  
• The amount of white space around the illustration should be kept to a minimum.
  
• Illustrations should be supplied at the size they are to be printed, usually 76 mm wide (across a single column of text) or for especially large figures, a 161 mm (across two columns of text). The intermediate width of 100 mm is also available should neither of these suffice.
  
• Annotations, e.g. arrows, should be used to indicate subtle but salient points. All annotations should be included within the images supplied.
  
• Patient identification must be obscured.
  
• No box should be placed around graphs, diagrams or other artwork.
  
• Background gridlines should be avoided unless these are essential (e.g. confidence limits).
  
• All units of measurement must be demonstrated on axes.
  
• All lines (e.g. graph axes) should have a minimum width of 1 pt weight.
  
• Avoid using tints (solid black and white or variations of crosshatching are preferred), but any tints that are used must be at a minimum 5% level to print (but do not use too high a tint as it may print too dark).
  
• Do not use three-dimensional histograms when the addition of a third dimension gives no further information.

Appendices
Authors are discouraged from including appendices if the material can be included in the main text.

Disclosure statement

The Biomedical Imaging and Intervention Journal endorses and conforms to the following statements made by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors ("Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals") -- February 2006:

"Public trust in the peer review process and the credibility of published articles depend in part on how well conflict of interest is handled during writing, peer review, and editorial decision making. Conflict of interest exists when an author (or the author's institution), reviewer, or editor has financial or personal relationships that inappropriately influence (bias) his or her actions (such relationships are also known as dual commitments, competing interests, or competing loyalties). These relationships vary from those with negligible potential to those with great potential to influence judgment, and not all relationships represent true conflict of interest. The potential for conflict of interest can exist whether or not an individual believes that the relationship affects his or her scientific judgment. Financial relationships (such as employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony) are the most easily identifiable conflicts of interest and the most likely to undermine the credibility of the journal, the authors, and of science itself. However, conflicts can occur for other reasons, such as personal relationships, academic competition, and intellectual passion."

"Patients have a right to privacy that should not be infringed without informed consent. Identifying information, including patients' names, initials, or hospital numbers, should not be published in written descriptions, photographs, and pedigrees unless the information is essential for scientific purposes and the patient (or parent or guardian) gives written informed consent for publication. Informed consent for this purpose requires that a patient who is identifiable be shown the manuscript to be published. Authors should identify Individuals who provide writing assistance and disclose the funding source for this assistance.

Identifying details should be omitted if they are not essential. Complete anonymity is difficult to achieve, however, and informed consent should be obtained if there is any doubt. For example, masking the eye region in photographs of patients is inadequate protection of anonymity. If identifying characteristics are altered to protect anonymity, such as in genetic pedigrees, authors should provide assurance that alterations do not distort scientific meaning and editors should so note.

The requirement for informed consent should be included in the journal's instructions for authors. When informed consent has been obtained it should be indicated in the published article."

"When reporting experiments on human subjects, authors should indicate whether the procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000 (5). If doubt exists whether the research was conducted in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration, the authors must explain the rationale for their approach, and demonstrate that the institutional review body explicitly approved the doubtful aspects of the study. When reporting experiments on animals, authors should be asked to indicate whether the institutional and national guide for the care and use of laboratory animals was followed."

The complete statements relating to the conduct and reporting of research as outlined in the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals: Writing and Editing for Biomedical Publication may be accessed at www.icmje.org.

In addition, biij also upholds the Editorial Policy Statements made by the Council of Science Editors (CSE) that cover the responsibilities and rights of editors of peer-reviewed journals. The full policy statements may be read at the CSE website.