AUTHOR GUIDELINES
Qanun Medika – Medical Journal of the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surabaya

These Author Guidelines provide instructions for preparing and submitting manuscripts to Qanun Medika – Medical Journal of the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surabaya. Authors are expected to follow the journal's editorial requirements and publication ethics policies throughout the submission, peer-review, and publication processes. The journal's ethical framework is informed by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices, which identify essential standards for responsible scholarly publishing.

Qanun Medika is a peer-reviewed, open-access medical journal published by the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surabaya, Indonesia, in collaboration with the Asosiasi Pendidikan Kedokteran dan Kesehatan Muhammadiyah (APKKM). The journal publishes scientific contributions in basic medicine, clinical medicine, and public health, including original research articles, review articles, and case reports. The journal aims to disseminate scientifically sound findings that contribute to medical knowledge, healthcare practice, and the development of medical and health sciences.

Manuscripts must fall within the journal's scope and demonstrate scientific relevance, appropriate methodology, accurate reporting, and a clear contribution to existing knowledge. Authors should consult the journal's current official website for information about its scope, publication schedule, and current submission requirements.

The journal considers the following manuscript types:

2.1. Original Research Articles
Original research articles report new findings from systematic investigations using appropriate research designs, methods, and analyses. Manuscripts should clearly describe the research objectives, methodology, results, interpretation, limitations, and implications.

2.2. Review Articles
Review articles critically synthesize published research on a relevant medical or health-science topic. Authors should explain the purpose and scope of the review, describe the approach used to identify and assess the literature where applicable, and provide a balanced interpretation of the evidence. Systematic reviews should report their methods transparently and follow an appropriate reporting guideline, such as PRISMA, when applicable.

2.3. Case Reports
Case reports should describe clinically relevant cases that provide educational value or meaningful insights for medical practice. Authors must protect patient confidentiality and obtain appropriate consent for publication, particularly when a patient could be identified from the text, images, or other information.

Submitted manuscripts must be original and must not have been published previously in a form that constitutes redundant publication. A manuscript submitted to Qanun Medika must not be under consideration by another journal at the same time. Authors must disclose any related manuscripts, previous publications, preprints, or overlapping reports that may be relevant to the editorial assessment.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that all sources, ideas, data, and materials obtained from other works are properly acknowledged. Plagiarism, unattributed substantial copying or paraphrasing, duplicate publication, and misleading presentation of previously published findings are unacceptable. These requirements are consistent with the COPE Core Practices on publication ethics and the journal's Ethical Publication Policy.

Submission of a manuscript indicates that the corresponding author has confirmed the manuscript's exclusive submission status and has obtained the agreement of all co-authors. If a related work has been published or submitted elsewhere, the authors must disclose this information to the editor and explain the relationship between the works.

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made substantial scholarly contributions to the conception or design of the study, the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data, or the development of the manuscript. All listed authors must approve the final version and agree to its submission to Qanun Medika. Individuals who do not meet the authorship criteria should be acknowledged appropriately rather than listed as authors.

The corresponding author is responsible for communicating with the editorial office, ensuring that all authors have approved the manuscript, providing complete author information, and coordinating responses to editorial and reviewer comments. The corresponding author must not include an individual as an author without that person's agreement.

Any request to add, remove, or reorder authors after submission must be explained to the editor and accompanied by written agreement from all authors concerned, including those being added or removed where applicable. The editor may request further documentation before deciding whether to approve the change. These requirements follow the principles in COPE's guidance on authorship and contributorship, which emphasizes transparent authorship criteria and processes for resolving authorship disputes.

Research involving human participants, identifiable human data, human biological materials, or animals must comply with applicable legislation, institutional requirements, and recognized ethical standards. Authors must state whether ethical approval was required and, where applicable, identify the approving ethics committee or institutional review board, the approval number, and the approval date or relevant approval details.

Journals should maintain clear policies on ethical oversight, including research involving human participants and animals, consent to publication, and the protection of vulnerable groups. Authors should consult the COPE Core Practices, particularly Ethical Oversight, when preparing statements about the ethical conduct of their research.

5.1. Research Involving Human Participants
Research involving human participants must have approval from an appropriate research ethics committee or institutional review board whenever required by applicable regulations and institutional policies. The manuscript must identify the approving body and provide the approval reference. If formal approval was not required, authors should explain the basis for that determination where relevant.

Authors must explain how informed consent was obtained when required by the study design and applicable ethical standards. They must protect participants' privacy and confidentiality and must not disclose identifying information unless disclosure is ethically justified and the necessary permissions have been obtained.

5.2. Informed Consent and Consent for Publication
Authors must obtain informed consent from participants when required for participation in research. Separate consent for publication must be obtained when a case report, photograph, clinical image, or other material contains information that could identify an individual. Consent procedures must comply with applicable ethical requirements and respect the rights of participants.

Authors must not submit identifiable patient information without the necessary consent and authorization. Ethical oversight policies should address consent to publication and the protection of vulnerable populations, as described in the COPE Core Practices.

5.3. Animal Research
Studies involving animals must comply with applicable institutional and national animal welfare regulations and recognized standards for the care and use of laboratory animals. Authors must identify the relevant ethics committee and approval details where approval is required. The manuscript should describe measures taken to minimize pain, distress, and unnecessary animal use.

5.4. Clinical Trials and Research Registration
Authors reporting clinical trials should provide the trial registration number, the name of the registration registry, and the registration date, where applicable. The registration information should be included in the manuscript, preferably in the abstract or methods section. Authors should follow relevant reporting guidelines and disclose whether the study protocol or analysis plan differed from the registered version.

All authors must disclose financial, professional, institutional, or personal relationships that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the research, its interpretation, or the presentation of its findings. Potential conflicts may include employment, consultancies, honoraria, grants, stock ownership, patents, personal relationships, or other relevant interests.

All sources of financial support must be identified, including the funding organization and grant or award number where applicable. Authors should also state whether the funder had any role in the study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation, or decision to submit the work.

If no conflicts of interest exist, authors should include the statement: “The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.” If there was no external funding, authors should state: “This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors,” provided that this statement accurately reflects the circumstances.

COPE identifies conflicts of interest as a core area of publication ethics and recommends clear definitions and procedures for handling competing interests involving authors, reviewers, editors, journals, and publishers. Authors should follow the COPE guidance on competing interests when preparing their disclosures.

All manuscripts are subject to an initial editorial screening, which may include similarity checking using Turnitin or another appropriate tool. A similarity report is an aid to editorial assessment and does not, by itself, establish whether plagiarism has occurred. Editors may examine the nature, extent, context, and attribution of overlapping text before making a decision.

Authors must not plagiarize, fabricate or falsify data, manipulate images deceptively, misrepresent research findings, or engage in duplicate publication or other practices that compromise research integrity. Any suspected misconduct may be investigated by the journal, and the authors may be asked to provide the original data, supporting documentation, ethical approval, or other relevant evidence.

COPE states that journals should have clearly described processes for handling allegations of misconduct and should take allegations seriously both before and after publication. Authors should consult the COPE guidance on misconduct and the COPE Core Practices for further information.

If a manuscript contains unattributed material, questionable data, or other suspected ethical violations, the journal may request clarification, return the manuscript for correction, reject it, or take other appropriate action based on the evidence and seriousness of the issue. If a concern arises after publication, the journal may publish a correction, expression of concern, or retraction as appropriate.

Authors must report their methods and findings accurately and ensure that the data presented support the conclusions. Images, tables, statistical results, and other research materials must not be altered or selectively presented in a way that misleads readers. Authors should retain the underlying data and research records in accordance with applicable institutional, funder, and legal requirements.

Where appropriate and ethically permissible, authors are encouraged to make supporting data, protocols, analytical code, and other relevant research materials available through a suitable repository or upon reasonable request. Any restrictions arising from privacy, confidentiality, consent, intellectual property, or legal requirements should be explained clearly.

COPE's Core Practices on Data and Reproducibility recommend that journals maintain policies on data availability and encourage suitable reporting guidelines and study registration where applicable. Authors should ensure that data-sharing statements are consistent with participant consent, ethics approval, and applicable data-protection requirements.

Manuscripts must be written in clear, concise academic English and submitted in Microsoft Word format through the journal's online submission system. Authors should check spelling, grammar, terminology, units, and consistency before submission. The manuscript should be double-spaced and use consistent formatting, unless the current journal template specifies otherwise.

Authors should use the journal's latest manuscript template where available. If the template differs from these general instructions, authors should follow the current template and contact the editorial office if the requirements are unclear.

The title page must contain:

1. The full manuscript title, written clearly and concisely.
2. The full names of all authors, without academic titles.
3. The institutional affiliations of all authors, including department, institution, city, and country.
4. The ORCID iD of each author, where available.
5. The email address of the corresponding author and other required contact details.
6. An indication identifying the corresponding author.

The authors' names, affiliations, and contributions must be accurate and complete. Authorship information should be consistent between the manuscript file and the online submission metadata. Transparent authorship and contributorship policies are recommended by COPE's authorship guidance.

11.1. Title
The title should be concise, informative, and representative of the study's main subject. It should include relevant keywords and avoid unnecessary abbreviations, unexplained acronyms, and non-standard symbols. Authors should avoid titles that overstate the results or imply conclusions that are not supported by the evidence.

11.2. Abstract
The abstract must not exceed 250 words. It should summarize the purpose of the study, the principal methods, the most important results, and the main conclusion. The abstract should be understandable on its own, minimize abbreviations, and avoid citations, tables, and figures. Authors should ensure that the abstract accurately reflects the full manuscript.

11.3. Keywords
Provide three to five keywords that represent the main concepts of the article and complement terms already used in the title. Medical and health-science authors are encouraged to use appropriate terms from the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) thesaurus where relevant. MeSH is available from the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

11.4. Introduction
The introduction should explain the background, the importance of the research problem, relevant previous findings, and the knowledge gap addressed by the study. It should state the research question or objective clearly and explain the significance of the investigation without providing an extensive review of unrelated literature.

11.5. Materials and Methods
The methods section must provide sufficient detail for readers to understand how the study was conducted and, where applicable, to reproduce the procedures. Authors should describe the study design, setting, participants or samples, inclusion and exclusion criteria, data collection procedures, instruments, interventions, outcomes, and statistical analyses as relevant to the research.

Previously published methods may be summarized with appropriate citations, but any modifications must be explained. Authors should identify relevant equipment, reagents, software, and analytical tools when this information is necessary to understand or reproduce the study. Ethics approval and informed-consent information should be included where applicable.

Authors should use appropriate reporting guidelines for their study design, such as CONSORT for randomized trials, STROBE for observational studies, PRISMA for systematic reviews, CARE for case reports, and ARRIVE for animal research, where applicable. The EQUATOR Network provides a searchable collection of health-research reporting guidelines at equator-network.org.

11.6. Results
The results section should present the study findings clearly, logically, and objectively. Findings may be described in the text and supported by tables or figures. Authors should avoid duplicating all information from tables and figures in the text and should ensure that the data, statistical results, and descriptions are consistent throughout the manuscript.

11.7. Discussion
The discussion should interpret the main findings in relation to the research question and relevant published evidence. Authors should explain the significance of the findings, discuss similarities or differences with previous studies, acknowledge limitations, and avoid conclusions that exceed the available evidence. The discussion should distinguish clearly between findings supported by the study and hypotheses or implications that require further investigation.

11.8. Conclusion
The conclusion should answer the research objective and summarize the main contribution of the study. It should be concise and supported by the results. Recommendations or future research directions may be included where justified by the findings.

11.9. Acknowledgments
Individuals or organizations that contributed to the work but do not meet the criteria for authorship may be acknowledged with their permission. Financial support, technical assistance, language editing, or other substantial non-author contributions should be disclosed where relevant.

11.10. Statements and Declarations
Where applicable, authors should include a separate section containing the following declarations:

1. Ethics approval and consent to participate.
2. Consent for publication.
3. Funding.
4. Conflicts of interest.
5. Data availability.
6. Author contributions.
7. Acknowledgments.

If a declaration is not applicable, authors should state this clearly where appropriate rather than leaving the issue ambiguous. Statements must accurately reflect the study and must not be included merely as formalities.

12.1. Tables
Tables must be numbered consecutively in the order in which they are first mentioned in the text. Each table must have a concise, informative title and clearly labeled columns. Tables should be editable and submitted in an appropriate format rather than inserted solely as screenshots. Abbreviations, symbols, statistical tests, and explanatory notes must be defined in the table or its footnotes.

Authors should ensure that table values agree with the results described in the manuscript. Tables reproduced or adapted from other sources must be cited, and permission must be obtained where required by copyright or licensing terms.

12.2. Figures and Images
Figures must be cited in numerical order in the manuscript and supplied at a resolution suitable for publication. The figure legend should explain the content, abbreviations, symbols, and essential details required to interpret the image. Graphs should include clear axis labels and units where relevant. Authors should follow the journal's current template for figure placement and file specifications.

Photographs, clinical images, and other figures must not disclose identifiable personal information without the necessary consent and authorization. Authors are responsible for obtaining permission to reproduce material owned by third parties and for providing the appropriate attribution. Any image processing must not misrepresent the underlying data.

Abbreviations should be defined at their first occurrence in the main text and used consistently thereafter. Unnecessary abbreviations should be avoided, particularly in the title and abstract. Scientific nomenclature, chemical names, microorganisms, proteins, enzymes, genes, and other technical terms should follow recognized standards relevant to the field. Units of measurement should be reported consistently using accepted scientific conventions.

Authors are responsible for the accuracy, completeness, and relevance of all references. Every source cited in the text must appear in the reference list, and every reference listed must be cited in the manuscript. Authors should provide a DOI in URL format or a stable publisher link when available and verify bibliographic details before submission.

Important editorial requirement: The journal's publicly available instructions have contained different descriptions of the reference style, including APA and numbered superscript citations. Before publication of this policy, the editorial team must select and consistently apply one reference system in the journal website, manuscript template, and published articles. This draft uses APA 7th edition as the proposed author-date system; if the journal retains numbered citations, this section and all examples must be revised to match that system.

For the proposed APA 7th edition system, in-text citations should use the author-date format and the reference list should be arranged alphabetically by the first author's surname. Journal titles and volume numbers should be formatted according to APA requirements. Include a DOI as a clickable URL whenever one is available. Authors may use reference-management software to improve consistency but remain responsible for checking the final references.

Example of a journal article with a DOI:
Jatmiko, S. W. (2019). Telaah sel basofil sebagai sel penyaji antigen pada manusia. Qanun Medika: Medical Journal Faculty of Medicine Muhammadiyah Surabaya, 3(1), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.30651/jqm.v3i1.1591

Manuscripts must be submitted through the journal's online submission system using the author's registered account. Authors should ensure that their profile and manuscript metadata are complete and accurate. The main manuscript should be uploaded in Microsoft Word format, together with any required supplementary files, ethics documentation, permissions, and signed declarations requested by the journal.

The corresponding author should check that the manuscript file is complete, the abstract and keywords are entered correctly in the submission metadata, and all authors have been included in the correct order. Supplementary materials may include relevant tables, figures, instruments, checklists, or other files necessary for editorial assessment.

The journal's submission page provides access to the online submission system and submission preparation checklist. Authors should use the current instructions displayed in the system and contact the editorial office if technical or procedural difficulties arise.

The cover letter or signed author declaration must confirm that the manuscript is submitted exclusively to Qanun Medika, has not been published previously in a manner that constitutes duplicate publication, and is not under consideration by another journal. The authors must confirm that they have reviewed and approved the submitted version and that the manuscript accurately acknowledges the contributions and sources of others.

Authors must disclose any related publications, overlapping manuscripts, prior dissemination, or other circumstances that may affect the assessment of originality. They must also confirm that permissions and ethical approvals required for the work have been obtained.

Each submission is initially assessed by the editor for relevance to the journal's scope, completeness, originality, ethical compliance, and general suitability. Manuscripts that pass the initial assessment may be sent to expert reviewers for evaluation of scientific quality, methodological rigor, interpretation, and relevance. The editor may reject a manuscript at the initial stage if it does not meet the journal's requirements.

Reviewers are expected to assess manuscripts objectively, maintain confidentiality, identify relevant work that has not been cited, and disclose any conflict of interest that could affect their assessment. Reviewers should not use unpublished information obtained through peer review for personal advantage. These expectations are set out in the COPE Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers.

Editorial decisions may include acceptance, rejection, or a request for revision. Authors must respond to reviewer and editor comments professionally and provide a clear explanation of changes made or reasons for disagreement. Resubmission after revision does not guarantee acceptance, and the editor makes the final editorial decision.

When revision is requested, authors should submit a revised manuscript within the deadline specified by the editorial office and provide a point-by-point response to the comments. Changes should be identifiable in the revised file where requested. If authors cannot meet the deadline, they should contact the editorial office before it expires.

After acceptance, the corresponding author may receive page proofs for checking. Proofreading should focus on typographical errors, formatting, and accuracy of production. Substantive changes to the study, authorship, data, or conclusions must not be made without the editor's approval.

Authors should promptly notify the editor if they discover a significant error or inaccuracy in their submitted or published work. Authors are expected to cooperate with the journal in assessing the issue and determining whether a correction, retraction, or other editorial action is necessary.

The journal may publish a correction when a limited error can be corrected without invalidating the article's overall findings. A retraction may be considered when the findings are unreliable because of major error or misconduct, when plagiarism or serious ethical violations are identified, or in other circumstances consistent with recognized publication-ethics guidance.

COPE's Retraction Guidelines recommend that retraction notices clearly identify the affected article, explain the reasons for retraction, and link to the original publication wherever possible. Editorial action should be based on the available evidence and handled transparently rather than solely on whether all authors agree to the action.

Requests to withdraw a manuscript before publication must be submitted to the editorial office with a clear explanation. Authors must not assume that a manuscript has been withdrawn until the journal confirms the outcome. Withdrawal of a submitted manuscript and retraction of an already published article are different procedures and should be handled accordingly.

Qanun Medika is an open-access journal. According to the journal's published copyright information, authors retain copyright in their articles and grant the journal the right to publish the work. Authors should review the journal's current copyright notice and licensing terms before submission and ensure that any third-party material is used in accordance with applicable permissions and license conditions.

The journal's published information identifies the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). Under this license, reuse is permitted subject to its terms, including appropriate attribution. Authors should check the license displayed on the journal website and on the published article.

COPE's Core Practices and Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing emphasize clear, accessible publication policies and transparent information about journal practices. Authors should consult the journal's published policies when questions arise concerning publication rights, access, and reuse.

The journal's currently published Author Guidelines state that no Article Processing Charges (APCs) are charged. Authors should consult the official journal website for the latest information and contact the editorial office if they require confirmation of any publication-related fees.

Before submitting the manuscript, authors should confirm that:

1. The manuscript falls within the aims and scope of Qanun Medika.
2. The manuscript has not been published previously in a manner that constitutes duplicate publication and is not under consideration elsewhere.
3. All authors have approved the submitted version and agreed to the author order.
4. The title page contains complete author names, affiliations, ORCID iDs where available, and corresponding-author details.
5. The abstract does not exceed 250 words and includes three to five keywords.
6. The manuscript follows the journal's current template and formatting instructions.
7. Ethical approval, informed consent, and consent for publication are documented where applicable.
8. Funding sources and conflicts of interest have been disclosed.
9. Tables and figures are numbered, cited in the text, clearly labeled, and submitted in suitable formats.
10. All sources are cited accurately and the reference style is consistent with the journal's confirmed requirements.
11. Required permissions for third-party material have been obtained.
12. The required cover letter, author declaration, and supplementary documents have been provided.
13. The manuscript and its data are accurate, and any relevant limitations or related publications have been disclosed.