Instructions to Authors old

General Information
Manuscript categories
Copyright transfer
Manuscript guidelines
Title Page
Abstract and key words
Text
Tables
Figures
Acknowledgements
References
Legends
Manuscript submission
Publication process
Copyright information
Disclaimer

General Information
Full name: The International Journal of Biological Markers
Journal name abbreviation: Int J Biol Markers
ISSN 0393-6155
E-ISSN 1724-6008

Indexed in:
CURRENT CONTENTS/Clinical Medicine,
Biochemistry & Biophysics Citation IndexTM,
ISI Web of Science®,
Science Citation Index-Expanded®,
ISI Alerting Services®,
Biochemistry & Biophysics Citation Index®,
Biotechnology Citation Index®,
EMBASE/Excerpta Medica,
INDEX MEDICUS/MEDLINE,
CURRENT CLINICAL CANCER,
Chemical Abstracts Service,
Biosis/Biological Abstracts®

Impact Factor 2011: 1,479
Frequency: quarterly

Editorial Office
Dr. Massimo Gion
Centro Regionale Specializzato per i Biomarcatori
Diagnostici, Prognostici e Predittivi
Azienda ULSS 12 Veneziana
Ospedale Civile di Venezia
Campo S.S. Giovanni e Paolo
30122 Venezia (Italy)
Phone +39 041 529 5649 - Fax +39 041 529 4910
Email: massimo.gion@ulss12.ve.it - journal.biomarkers@ulss12.ve.it

The International Journal of Biological Markers publishes only peer reviewed manuscripts in the following categories: Full papers, Review articles, Short communications and Letters to the Editor. Manuscripts will be reviewed for possible publication with the understanding that they are being submitted to one journal at a time and have not been published, simultaneously submitted, or already accepted for publication elsewhere. This does not preclude consideration of a manuscript that has been rejected by another journal or of a complete report that follows publication of preliminary findings elsewhere, usually in the form of an abstract. Copies of any possibly duplicative published material should be submitted with the manuscript that is being sent for consideration. Although the Editors and referees make every effort to ensure the validity of published manuscripts, the final responsibility rests with the Authors, not with the Journal, its Editors, or the Publisher. It is the Corresponding Author's responsibility to be sure that all Authors meet the required criteria.

MANUSCRIPT CATEGORIES

Full papers
These should concern the results of clinical or biological studies based on sound patient series, validated analytical methods and appropriate statistical evaluation. The typical length is 3000-4000 words (not including tables, figures and references); the abstract should not exceed 200 words. Manuscripts should include the following sections: Abstract, Introduction, Materials and methods, Results, Discussion and References.

Short communications
These should report preliminary data of ongoing studies or marginal findings that may be of interest to a limited audience. Typical length 1500-2500 words. A limited number of tables and/or figures (no more than 4 in total) and no more than 20 references may be included. Short communications should be subdivided into sections like full papers.

Letters to the editor
The typical length is 750-1000 words, including one figure or table and no more than 10 references.

Review articles
Systematic critical assessments of published data concerning biomarkers and their clinical use are appreciated. The methodology used for the search of source material, the selection of literature and the attribution of levels of evidence to conclusions or recommendations should be carefully explained. Meta-analyses will also be considered as reviews. Review articles should include headings that are appropriate to the text.

COPYRIGHT TRANSFER
With the acceptance of the manuscript for publication the Publisher acquires full and exclusive copyright for all languages and countries. It is the Corresponding Author's responsibility to complete and sign on behalf of all Authors the Copyright Transfer Form together with the initial submission. Authors grant the copyright holder full and exclusive copyright for all languages and countries on the manuscript in return for which they can re-use their paper in their future printed work, with the understanding that full acknowledgement will be given to the manuscript published in the International Journal of Biological Markers.

MANUSCRIPT GUIDELINES
The Journal adopts the Vancouver style with the Uniform Requirements For Manuscripts Submitted To Biomedical Journals. Type manuscript, preferably using Arial font size 12, double-spaced on white A4 paper and number pages consecutively in the top right corner of each page beginning with the title page. Begin each of the following sections on separate pages:

• Title page
• Abstract and key words
• Text
• Acknowledgments
• References
• Tables
• Legends

Abbreviations
The Journal accepts standard abbreviations indicated by the Journal of Biological Chemistry and by the IUPAC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry). All non-standard abbreviations should be defined in parentheses when they first appear in the text. In addition, they should be listed on the second page of the manuscript. 

Title page
The title page should contain:

1 - Title of the article (avoid abbreviations in the title).
2 - Short running head of no more than 40 characters (count letters and spaces)
3 - First name, middle initial and last name of each Author
4 - Institutional affiliation for each Author, using superscripts and not symbols (e.g. Paul Smith1)
5 - Name of department(s) and institution(s) to which the work should be attributed
6 - Name, complete mailing address, telephone number, fax number and e-mail address of the Author to whom correspondence and request of reprints should be sent.
7 - If the paper was presented at a meeting, the name of the organization, place and date on which it was read
8 - Financial support. Identify all sources, public and private, of grants and funds in support of the study. Supply the agency name and city, company name and city, fellowship name and grant number
9 - When reporting experiments on human subjects, indicate whether the procedures followed were in accord with the ethical standards of the committee on human experimentation of the institution in which the experiments were done or in accord with the Helsinki Declaration
10 - Conflict of interest. All manuscripts must state, in a footnote, whether any Authors have proprietary interest or not

Abstract and key words
The second page should carry an abstract of no more than 200 words. The abstract should state the purposes of the study or investigation, basic procedures, main findings, and the principal conclusions.
Key (indexing) terms: Below the abstract, provide and identify 3 to 10 keywords in alphabetical order under which you believe the article should be indexed.

Text
The International Journal of Biological Markers adopts the guidelines for the Reporting of tumor Marker Studies (REMARK). Please organize your manuscript in the following sections:

Introduction
State the marker examined, the study objectives, and any prespecified hypotheses.

Materials and Methods
Patients
Describe the characteristics (e.g., disease stage or comorbidities) of the study patients, including their source and inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Describe treatments received and how chosen (e.g., randomized or rule-based).

Specimen characteristics
Describe the type of biological material used (including control samples) and methods of preservation and storage.

Assay methods
Specify the assay method used and provide (or reference) a detailed protocol, including specific reagents or kits used, quality control procedures, reproducibility assessments, quantitation methods, and scoring and reporting protocols. Specify whether and how assays were performed blinded to the study end point.

Study design
a) State the method of case selection, including whether the study design was prospective or retrospective and whether stratification or matching (e.g., by stage of disease or age) was used. Specify the time period from which cases were taken, the end of the follow-up period, and the median follow-up time.
b) Precisely define all clinical end points examined.
c) List all candidate variables initially examined or considered for inclusion in models.
d) Give rationale for sample size; if the study was designed to detect a specified effect size, give the target power and effect size.

Statistical analysis methods
a) Specify all statistical methods, including details of any variable selection procedures and other model-building issues, how model assumptions were verified, and how missing data were handled.
b) Clarify how marker values were handled in the analyses; if relevant, describe methods used for cutpoint determination.

Results
Data
a) Describe the flow of patients through the study, including the number of patients included in each stage of the analysis (a diagram may be helpful) and reasons for dropout. Specifically, both overall and for each subgroup extensively examined report the number of patients and the number of events.
b) Report distribution of basic demographic characteristics (at least age and sex), standard (disease-specific) prognostic variables, and tumor marker, including number of missing values.

Analysis and presentation
a) Show the relation of the marker to standard prognostic variables.
b) Present univariate analyses showing the relation between the marker and outcome, with the estimated effect (e.g., hazard ratio and survival probability). Preferably provide similar analyses for all other variables being analyzed. For the effect of a tumor marker on a time-to-event outcome, a Kaplan-Meier plot is recommended.
c) For key multivariable analyses, report estimated effects (e.g., hazard ratio) with confidence intervals for the marker and, at least for the final model, all other variables in the model.
d) Among reported results, provide estimated effects with confidence intervals from an analysis in which the marker and standard prognostic variables are included, regardless of their statistical significance.
e) If done, report results of further investigations, such as checking assumptions, sensitivity analyses, and internal validation.

Discussion
a) Interpret the results in the context of the prespecified hypotheses and other relevant studies; include a discussion of limitations of the study.
b) Discuss implications for future research and clinical value.

Other types of articles such as case reports, reviews, and Editorials are likely to need other formats. Use of the Systeme International d'Unites (SI) for measurements is preferred throughout the manuscript.

Acknowledgments
Acknowledge only persons who have made substantive contributions to the study. Authors are responsible for obtaining written permission from everyone acknowledged by name because readers may infer their endorsement of the data and conclusions.

References
References should follow text and begin on a separate page. They must be double-spaced and numbered consecutively in order of appearance in the text. Switch off any automated reference numbering tool, if in use. Identify references in text, tables, and legends by Arabic numerals (in parentheses). References cited only in tables or in legends to figures should be numbered in accordance with a sequence established by the first identification in the text of the particular table or illustration. (References used within tables should appear as footnotes in the table legend). These references should not be repeated in the main reference list unless they are also cited within the text. The titles of journals should be abbreviated according to Index Medicus. If there is any doubt about abbreviation of a journal name, it should be spelled out completely. Authors must verify all references against the original documents. You may use the reference checking tool available at www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query/static/citmatch.html.  Cite only published studies as references. Any references (including books or articles) that have been accepted for publication, but not yet published, should have the term "in press" in the reference in place of volume and page numbers. These must be updated prior to publication, if possible. You may also acknowledge "unpublished data" or "submitted" articles within parentheses in the text. For abstracts, oral or poster presentations follow the same rules as for unpublished materials.

Examples of correct forms of references are given below:
1. Standard journal article - (List all Authors when six or less; when seven or more, list only first three and add et al.)
You CH, Lee KY, Chey WY, Menguy R. Electrogastrographic study of patients with unexplained nausea, bloating and vomiting. Gastroenterology 1980; 79: 311-4.
2. Chapter in a book
Weinstein L, Swarts MN. Pathogenic properties of invading microorganisms. In: Sodeman WA Jr., Sodeman WA, eds. Pathologic physiology: mechanisms of disease. Philadelphia: WB Saunders, 1974; 457-72.

Tables
As a general rule, tables should not unnecessarily offer duplicate information offered in the text. Type each table on a separate sheet, using double spacing. Tables should be created in a Word document using the table tools. Do not format tables as columns or tabs and do not submit tables as figures. Tables should be numbered consecutively in Roman numerals by order of citation in the text. Each table must include title, appropriate column heads and explanatory legends, including definitions of any abbreviation used. References used within tables should appear as footnotes in the table legend. These references should not be repeated in the main reference list unless they are also cited within the text.

Figures
Cite each figure in the text in consecutive order and always submit each figure as a separate file, identifying it as Fig. 1, Fig. 2, etc. Do not embed figures in a Word file and do not submit PowerPoint (PPT) figures. No text should appear on the face of a figure. Lettering, arrows, and other symbols should be large enough to remain legible after reduction to a figure with a base of 10 cm. All symbols or letters that appear on the figures should be defined in the legend. Arial font should be used for any lettering or text on a figure. If possible use the same font type and size in all artworks (we recommend Arial font size 12). When a patient is identifiable in a photograph, the Author or Authors must supply the Journal with evidence of the patient's permission to publish the photograph. If a figure has been published elsewhere, acknowledge the original source and submit written permission from the copyright holder to reproduce the material. Permission is required, regardless of authorship or Publisher, except for documents in the public domain

The Publisher charges Authors directly for colour figures included in their manuscript. Colour figure charge is Euro 650,00 for the first page plus Euro 80,00 for each additional figure. Authors will receive a Colour Charge Form from the Publisher together with the Galley proofs, to be signed prior to publication and will be invoiced after publication in print of the Manuscript.

Colour figures, graphs and figures
Create and save your artwork as CMYK, as it provides a better print copy for publishing, in TIFF, EPS or JPG format with a resolution of at least 300 dpi. To ensure the best printing results any figure containing text should be saved only as TIFF file.

Black and white illustrations, graphs and figures
Save your file converting it from the software used to create it setting the colour mode as greyscale and saving it as TIFF format with a resolution of at least 600 dpi if text is included. If not text is included, set the resolution at a minimum of 300 dpi.

Legends
Type legends to figures double-spaced, starting on a separate page with Arabic numerals Corresponding to the figures. When symbols, arrows, numbers, or letters are used to identify parts of the figures, identify and explain each one clearly in the legend.

MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION
Only manuscripts submitted by email are accepted. Send you manuscript  to journal.biomarkers@ulss12.ve.it or massimo.gion@ulss12.ve.it

Submit your manuscript as follows:
Manuscript file: submit a Word (.doc) file complete with the title page. Place the figures and tables within the text, where they should be published. This file will be used during the revision process. Submit also copies of any permission needed to reproduce published material or to use illustrations of identifiable subjects. Label the text file with the surname of the Corresponding Author
Tables: include them in the manuscript file.
Figures: submit all figures also as separate files (.JPG or TIFF format) according to the Instructions to Authors. Label figures with the name of the Corresponding Author and Fig. 1, Fig. 2, etc
Copyright Transfer Statement: include a digital copy signed by all authors.

Submit also copies of any permission needed to reproduce published material or to use illustrations of identifiable subjects.

PUBLICATION PROCESS
The Editor-in-Chief accepts the manuscript with the understanding that the Authors cooperate in a timely manner with the production process, including any response to future correspondence from the International Journal of Biological Markers or its readers. All manuscripts will be read by the Editor(s) and reviewed further by two reviewers. The Editors reserve the right to make corrections in grammar and style. If accepted, your article will be copyedited, then processed into page proofs, with all figures and tables in place. The Production Editor will then send the Corresponding Author proofs by e-mail, together with a notification for manuscript charges if applicable and an Offprint Order Form. Page proofs must be returned within 48 hours of receipt together with Copyright Transfer Form, otherwise they will be published with Publisher's corrections only. Form and contents should be very carefully checked to exclude the need for later corrections. The approximate positions of figures and tables must be marked in the margin. The Publisher does not send reminders and replying to the Publisher with responses to queries is the Corresponding Author's responsibility. The Journal reserves final editorial approval for style, format, and grammar.

Copyright information
Photographic reproduction, microfilm, or any other reproduction of similar nature of material in this journal, either in part or whole, is prohibited.  The use of published material for personal or institutional use (including reprinting, digital copies and transmission, display and web sharing) is subject to written authorization by the copyright holder. For authorization, please send a request through the Journal's web site. The use of registered names, trade marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.

Special regulations for the USA
In the USA copies may be made for personal or internal use, provided the required fee for copying beyond that permitted by Section 107 or 108 of the United States Copyright Law is paid through the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. The copyright owner’s consent does not extend to copying for general distribution, for promotion, for creating new works, or for resale. Specific written permission must be obtained from the publisher for such copying..

Disclaimer
The statements and opinions contained in the International Journal of Biological Markers are solely those of the individual Authors and contributors and to not reflect the opinions of the Editors or of the Publisher. The appearance of advertisements in the Journal is not a warranty, endorsement or approval of the products or services advertised or of their safety. The Publisher and the Editors disclaim responsibility for any injury to persons or property resulting from any ideas or products referred to in articles or advertisements.