Submissions

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Submission Preparation Checklist

As part of the submission process, authors are required to check off their submission's compliance with all of the following items, and submissions may be returned to authors that do not adhere to these guidelines.
  • The submission has not been previously published, nor is it before another journal for consideration (or an explanation has been provided in Comments to the Editor).
  • The submission file is in OpenOffice, Microsoft Word, RTF, or WordPerfect document file format.
  • Where available, URLs for the references have been provided.
  • The text is single-spaced; uses a 12-point font; employs italics, rather than underlining (except with URL addresses); and all illustrations, figures, and tables are placed within the text at the appropriate points, rather than at the end.
  • The text adheres to the stylistic and bibliographic requirements outlined in the Author Guidelines, which is found in About the Journal.
  • If submitting to a peer-reviewed section of the journal, the instructions in Ensuring a Blind Review have been followed.

Author Guidelines

GUIDANCE TO AUTHORS

Thank you for your interest in submitting an article to the Journal of Forensic Odonto-Stomatology

Papers submitted for publication in this Journal may be accepted on condition that they have not been published elsewhere and are not currently being considered by other journals. The Journal Management reserves the copyright of all material published. Final publication, after peer review is at the discretion of the Editor.

On receipt of a manuscript, you will receive confirmation of its safe arrival and be given a reference number for all further correspondence.

Manuscripts should ideally be no longer than 3000 words and include no more than 30 references.

1. All copies should be word-processed in Arial 12, with no indented paragraphs, single spaced and with 2.54cm margins. All section headings to be in capital letters and bold. Please number the pages consecutively in the top right hand corner.

2. The “title page”, shows the title of the manuscript, along with the author(s) name, qualifications and affiliations and indicate clearly the name and contact details for the corresponding author, keywords and running title.

The title page should be uploaded as a separate file in step 4 of the submission process: Uploading supplementary file.

3.The “manuscript” includes:

3.1 The title of the manuscript.

3.2 The abstract:
A short and concise abstract (150 – 300 words depending on manuscript length/complexity), giving a review of the main text should be prepared for all submissions, including case reports. Abbreviations or the insertion of references in the abstract are not allowed. Briefly state the purpose of the manuscript/research along with the principal results and major conclusions. Emphasize new and important aspects of the study or observations when relevant. Note: The abstract should explain the manuscript – should it be published separately elsewhere.

3.3 Keywords:
At least 4 and maximally 6 keywords should be given.

3.4 The main manuscript (text):
Suggested headings for research manuscripts: introduction, materials and methods, results, discussion, conclusion(s). Included journal titles should be abbreviated according to the Index to Dental Literature and the Index Medicus. Proprietary Names must state the manufacturer and the place of manufacture.

3.5 Acknowlegments:
Place any acknowledgements at the end of the article, but before the reference list. Acknowledge those whose contributions do not justify authorship, for example: general support by a department chair, technical assistance, data collection etc. Their permission must be requested before they are named. The acknowledgments header should be italicized and bold.

3.6 References:
All references to the literature should be inserted in the text as a superior number (superscript 1 or 1,2 or 1-3) and references should be numbered consecutively. All punctuation marks should precede the numbers, for example; ………. as early as 1971,5 ; ….. for this factor.3 ; ….. molar attrition.1-9 Even if the author is named in your text, a number must still be used. Personal communications should be cited in the text, in parentheses, at the appropriate location – and not in the reference section. If citing several pieces of work in the same sentence, a hyphen should be used to link numbers which are inclusive, and use a comma when numbers are not consecutive. For example: Where works 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 15 and 19 have been cited in the same place in the text: Several studies 4-8, 15, 19 have discussed the use of reference scales in bite mark photography.
See point 4 for reference guidelines.

3.7 Tables, photographs, and illustrations:
Should be prepared on separate pages and should be identified and numbered clearly. All photographs need to be of high resolution: image files at least 6cm wide and 300 dpi, JPEG. Line drawings should be clear and on a white background, and should include lettering large enough to allow reduction without becoming illegible. Figures and tables are to be numbered using Arabic numerals and referred to in the text as Fig. 1 (Figs. 1 and 2) and Table 1 (Tables 1 and 2). and placed below the figure. Table legends are included at the top of each table.

3.8 Explanatory legends:
Lists explanations of the figures numbered using Arabic numerals as referred to in the text. The manuscript should be uploaded as a separate file in step 2 of the submission process: Uploading the submission.

4. Reference guidelines

References must be conform to the Vancouver style as follows (note spacing, punctuation and Book titles and Journal article titles should be in italics): Ellis B, Lamb DJ. The setting characteristics of alginate impression materials. Br Dent J 1981;151:343-6.

*Books (print)
Author/Editor (editor/editors put ed./eds. after the name).
Book title (in italics)
Edition (if not the first edition)
Place of publication (more than one place – use the first named)
Publisher
Year of publication
Page numbers where relevant
Bowers CM. Forensic Dental Evidence – An Investigator’s Handbook. San Diego, California. Elsevier; 2004.

*Books (chapter in an edited book)
Author of chapter
Title of chapter, followed by, In:
Editor
Title of book (in italics)
Edition (if not the first edition)
Place of publication
Publisher
Year of publication
Page numbers (use ‘p’ before the page numbers).
Palmer RN. Fundamental Principles. In: Stark MM (ed.). Clinical Forensic Medicine – A Physicians Guide.
2nd ed. Totowa, New Jersey. Humana Press; 2005. p 47-51.

*Corporate author
Tariffs, Instruments, Materials and Equipment Committee, Australian Dental Association Inc.
Cotton pellets and gingival retraction cords. Clinical Notes No.2 Aust Dent J 1984;29:279.

*For Editor or Compiler
Meyer J, Squier CA, Gerson SJ, eds. The structure and function of oral mucosa.Oxford: Permagon;1984.

*Journal articles (print)
Author
Title of article
Title of journal (in italics)
Year of publication
Volume number (issue number if present)
Page numbers of article
Ellis B, Lamb DJ. The setting characteristics of alginate impression materials. Br Dent J 1981;151:343-6.

*Journal articles (electronic)
Author
Title of article
Title of Journal (in italics)
Year of publication
Volume number (issue number if present)
Page numbers
URL or DOI
Date of access
Arrami M, Garner H. A tale of two citations. Nature 2008;451(7177):397-°©‐9.
Available from: www.nature.com/nature/journal/v451/n7177/full/451397a.html [cited 20 January 2008].

*Websites
Medecins sans Frontieres [Internet]. [updated 2006 Jul 8; cited 2009 Mar 23];
Available from: http://www.msf.org/home-uk.cfm.

*Newspaper articles
Author (if no author, use the name of the newspaper)
Title of article
Title of newspaper (in italics)
Day, month and year of publication
Page number
Lawrence F. School meal spending: aces and dunces. The Guardian. Thursday Mar 24 2005: 6

*Newspaper Articles (electronic)
Author (if no author, use the name of the newspaper)
Title of article
Title of newspaper (in italics)
Day, month and year of publication
Page number
URL
Date of access
Lawrence F. School meal spending: aces and dunces. The Guardian. Thursday Mar 24 2005: 6
Available from: www.nature.com/nature/journal/v451/n7177/full/451397a.html [cited 20 January 2008].

*Audiovisual material
Chason KW, Sallustio S. Hospital preparedness for bioterrorism [videocassette]. Secaucus (NJ): Network for Continuing Medical Education; 2002.

5. Authors should have WRITTEN PERMISSION to use illustrations that may identify human subjects or to disclose sensitive personal information about identifiable persons. Please send a copy of this document with your manuscript.

6. It is important that the manuscript be submitted in its final form and that the author(s) keep copies of all material provided.

7. Please state any conflict of interest.

8. Confidentiality of your manuscript will be maintained at all times during the review process. Manuscripts should be submitted electronically using the instructions on the IOFOS.eu website. This facility is available since January 2012.xc

Contact address:

Prof Vilma Pinchi 

The Editor, Journal of Forensic Odonto-Stomatology
vilma.pinchi@unifi.it

 

Privacy Statement

The names and email addresses entered in this journal site will be used exclusively for the stated purposes of this journal and will not be made available for any other purpose or to any other party.

  •  Editorial Policy

According to General Constitution (point 2.b) the mission statement of IOFOS is “to promote goodwill, advancement and research in forensic odontology”. One way to achieve this objective is by the collection and publication of appropriate research and scientific papers regarding Forensic Odonto-Somatology.

The authenticity of the work is guaranteed by the authors and reviewers.

All of the research and scientific papers submitted must be in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki declaration (World Health Authority – 1975). Articles which do not comply with these principles are declined by the International Editorial Board.

Research involving human beings must comply with the ethical standards of the appropriate responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional or regional) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, revised in 2002 (available at http://www.wma.net/en/30publications/10policies/b3/ or in pdf version at http://www.wma.net/en/20activities/10ethics/10helsinki/DoH-Oct2013-JAMA.pdf). Personal details of subjects agreeing to participate in research projects including, for example, names, initials, or hospital numbers must not be revealed in any circumstances, particularly when illustrative material is used. In circumstances where animals are involved in research projects it must be clearly stated that there has been compliance with the appropriate institutional, regional or national laws or guidelines on the care and use of laboratory animals.

 

  •  Editorial and Peer Review Processes

IOFOS assure a double-blind review process. Reviewers are recruited from experts in the field of Forensic Odonto-Stomatology. Reviewers possess an academic degree and /or hold a teaching or research position at a university, academic or governmental institution.

In selecting articles for publication, the editor gives preference to those of significance that are well written, well organized, and intelligible to the IOFOS audience. Membership in IOFOS is not a factor in selection. IOFOS aims to publish high quality articles with an important impact factor. Articles generally take a “broad brush approach”.

 

  • Advertising Policies for print and web publications

IOFOS does not permit any advertising that could influence editorial decisions.

Advertisements should be clearly identifiable as advertisements. The International Editorial Board has full and final authority in the approval of advertisements and for the enforcement of advertising policy. Advertisement for products proven to be seriously harmful to health are forbidden. Editors should consider all criticisms of advertisements prior to inclusion for publication.

 

  • Statements concerning Conflict of Interest, Human and Animal Rights, and Informed Consent for publications

 

– Conflict of interest:

IOFOS requires authors to declare competing interests or conflicts of interest in relation to their work. A 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). The potential for a conflict of interest can exist whether or not an individual believes that the relationship affects his or her scientific judgment. Financial relationships are the most common reason for a conflict of interest but conflicts can occur for other reasons, for example, personal relationships, academic competition and intellectual passion.

All sources of funding (including private, public and commercial) in respect of papers submitted for publication, as well as potential conflicts of interest (informal agreements with commercial companies, consultancy work, sponsored lectures on behalf of manufacturers or dealers of pertaining materials) must be clearly disclosed at the end of manuscript under the heading “Acknowledgements”. Individuals who assisted in the study or manuscript preparations and are not listed as coauthors should also be listed under the heading “Acknowledgements”.

For more information please visit http://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/roles-and-responsibilities/author-responsibilities–conflicts-of-interest.html

– Human and Animal Rights:

All research must comply with an appropriate ethical framework. Published research must comply with the guidelines for human studies and animal welfare regulations. Authors should state that subjects have given their informed consent and that the study protocol has been approved by the institute’s committee on human research. Further, they should also state that animal experiments conform to institutional, regional or national standards.

– Informed Consent

It is problematic to achieve complete anonymity and informed consent should always be obtained where there is any doubt. For all research involving human subjects, informed consent to participate in the study should be obtained from participants (or their parent or guardian in the case of children under 18 and a statement to this effect should appear in the manuscript. 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. In cases where images are entirely unidentifiable and there are no details on individuals reported within the manuscript, consent for publication of images may not be required. The final decision on whether consent to publish is required lies with the Editor.

  • Compliance with ICMJE Recommendations

IOFOS follows the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (Vancouver Group) with regard to preparation of manuscripts and authorship (Uniform requirements for manuscripts submitted to biomedical journals. International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Ann Intern Med. 1997;126(1):36-47).

For more information please visit http://www.icmje.org/icmje-recommendations.pdf