Author Guidelines

Majalah Kedokteran Bandung (MKB) accepts Original Research Articles, Case Reports, and Systematic Reviews/Meta-analyses within the journal’s scope. All manuscripts must be written in American English and comply with the current MKB manuscript template and journal policies.

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General Requirements

• Times New Roman, 12-point font; A4 paper; double spacing unless otherwise specified.
• Manuscript length is strongly encouraged to be limited to 3,500 words, excluding the running title, title page, abstracts, and references.
• Maximum combined number of tables, figures, and charts: six.
• Main text should be written in narrative paragraphs; bullets and numbered lists are not allowed in the manuscript body.
• MKB does not accept single-author manuscripts. A minimum of two authors is required.
• The manuscript must not have been published previously or be under consideration elsewhere.

Title and Abstract

The English title should contain no more than 14 words. The Indonesian title should contain no more than 14 words or 200 characters. An Indonesian title and abstract are not required for manuscripts submitted by international authors.

Abstracts must be unstructured. The English abstract should not exceed 250 words and the Indonesian abstract should not exceed 200 words. Provide 3–5 MeSH-based keywords without abbreviations, arranged alphabetically.

Original Research Article

Structure: Title Page → Abstracts → Introduction → Methods → Results → Discussion → Conclusion → End-of-Manuscript Statements → References.

Introduction: The Introduction should briefly establish the scientific or clinical problem, provide relevant background and current evidence, identify the research gap and novelty, and end with a clear study objective. It should be 1–2 pages in length and consist of no more than five paragraphs. Subtitles or subheadings are not allowed.

Methods: The Methods should provide sufficient detail to allow the study to be understood and reproduced. Authors should describe the study design, subjects or materials, sampling method and sample size, study setting and period, research procedures, measurement criteria, instruments or questionnaires and their validation when applicable, statistical analysis, and ethical approval including the approval number when applicable. Information should be written in narrative paragraphs without internal subheadings.

Results: The Results should correspond directly to the study objective or research questions. Important findings may be presented in the text, tables, figures, or charts. Each table or figure must be cited and described in the text before it appears. The narrative should clarify the findings without unnecessarily repeating numerical data shown in tables or figures. Interpretation and comparison with previous studies should be reserved for the Discussion.

Discussion: The Discussion should interpret the findings rather than repeat the Results. Authors should explain whether the findings address the study objective or hypothesis, compare the findings with relevant literature, discuss agreements or discrepancies, provide possible explanations, and describe the clinical, scientific, or practical implications. Recommendations for further research may be included when relevant. Study limitations should be stated concisely in the final part of the Discussion. Subtitles or subheadings are not allowed.

Conclusion: The Conclusion must be presented as a separate section. It should directly address the study objective, emphasize the principal take-home message, and be based only on the findings presented in the manuscript. It should be concise and should not introduce new data, arguments, or references.

Case Report

Structure: Title Page → Abstracts → Introduction → Case(s) → Discussion → Conclusion → End-of-Manuscript Statements → References.

Introduction: The Introduction should provide the clinical background of the case, summarize the relevant literature, and explain why the case is rare, unusual, important, or educational. The novelty and clinical significance should be clear, and the purpose of reporting the case should be stated at the end. Subtitles or subheadings are not allowed.

Case(s): The Case section should present the patient’s clinical course clearly and chronologically. It should include relevant demographic information, medical and family history, presenting symptoms and signs, diagnostic assessments, diagnosis and differential diagnosis when applicable, treatment or intervention, follow-up, clinical outcomes, and other important case-specific information. Written informed consent for publication is required. Tables and figures may be used when they improve clarity, but information should not be unnecessarily repeated in the narrative.

Discussion: The Discussion should explain the importance of the case in relation to existing literature and should not simply repeat the Case section. Authors should compare the presentation, diagnostic approach, management, and outcomes with previously reported evidence; discuss relevant disease mechanisms, clinical guidelines, diagnostic pathways, or treatment considerations when appropriate; and explain similarities or differences with other reports. The clinical implications and lessons learned should be clearly stated. Limitations should be described concisely at the end of the Discussion.

Conclusion: The Conclusion must be presented as a separate section and written concisely in one paragraph. It should emphasize the principal clinical lesson or take-home message of the case without introducing new information or references.

Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Structure: Title Page → Abstracts → Introduction → Methods → Results → Discussion → Conclusion → End-of-Manuscript Statements → References. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses should be reported in accordance with PRISMA 2020.

Introduction: The Introduction should provide the clinical or scientific background, summarize the current evidence, identify gaps or uncertainties in the literature, and explain the rationale for conducting the review. The objective should be clearly stated at the end and, when applicable, formulated using the PICOS framework (Population, Intervention, Comparator, Outcome, and Study Design).

Methods: The Methods should describe the eligibility criteria, information sources and databases, search period and last search date, search strategy, study selection process, data extraction, risk of bias assessment, effect measures, and data synthesis. Meta-analysis methods, assessment of heterogeneity, subgroup or sensitivity analyses, reporting or publication bias, and certainty of evidence should be reported when applicable. Protocol registration, including the PROSPERO registration number or another appropriate registry, should be stated when available. The complete search strategy should be provided in an appendix or supplementary material when appropriate.

Results: The Results should report the study selection process and include a PRISMA flow diagram. Characteristics of included studies should be summarized, preferably in a table. Authors should report the risk of bias assessment, results of individual studies, qualitative synthesis and/or pooled estimates when meta-analysis is performed, heterogeneity, subgroup or sensitivity analyses, publication bias when applicable, and certainty of evidence when assessed. Forest plots or other relevant figures may be included when appropriate.

Discussion: The Discussion should interpret the main findings in relation to the review objective and existing literature. Authors should discuss the clinical or scientific significance of the findings, consistencies or discrepancies with prior evidence, implications for practice or policy when relevant, and recommendations for future research. The strengths and limitations of the review, including limitations related to the search strategy, included studies, risk of bias, heterogeneity, and certainty of evidence, should be stated concisely.

Conclusion: The Conclusion must be presented as a separate section. It should provide a concise overall interpretation of the evidence, directly address the review objective, and reflect the strength and limitations of the available evidence without introducing new information or references.

Reporting Requirements: A PRISMA 2020 flow diagram and completed PRISMA checklist should be provided. Authors should also submit or cite the review protocol or registration record when applicable.

Tables

Tables should be prepared using single spacing and numbered consecutively with Arabic numerals according to the order of their first citation in the text. Each table should have a clear and concise title and must be placed within the main text, close to its first citation. Only horizontal lines above and below the column headings and at the bottom of the table are permitted; vertical lines should not be used. All abbreviations, symbols, and annotations used in tables must be defined in footnotes below the table. Footnote symbols should be used consistently, such as *, **, and #. Information presented in tables should not be unnecessarily repeated in the main text. The combined number of tables, figures, and charts in the manuscript must not exceed six.

Photos/Pictures/Charts

Photos, pictures, and charts should be numbered consecutively according to the order of their first citation in the text and should have clear and concise legends. Personal or identifiable patient photographs must be accompanied by written informed consent for publication. Previously published images must be appropriately cited, and permission for reuse must be obtained when required. For publication-quality reproduction, figures should also be uploaded as separate image files in JPEG, TIFF, or EPS format. Color images should use RGB mode; grayscale images should be submitted in grayscale mode. The minimum resolution for photographs, radiological images, scans, pathology images, and photomicrographs is 300 dpi. A resolution of 600 dpi is recommended for line art, charts, and figures containing text or typographic elements. The combined number of tables, figures, and charts in the manuscript must not exceed six.

End-of-Manuscript Statements

• Acknowledgment: include meaningful non-author contributions and all sources of financial support or research funding, including the funding agency and grant number when applicable.
• Conflict of Interest: all authors must disclose relevant conflicts; if none exist, state “The authors declare no conflict of interest.”
• Authors’ Contributions: clearly state each author’s contribution.
• Data Availability Statement: include when applicable.
• AI Disclosure: required only when generative AI or AI-assisted technologies were used, in accordance with the MKB AI Policy.

References

References must follow Vancouver AMA (American Medical Association) style and be numbered consecutively in order of first citation. For six authors or fewer, list all authors; for more than six authors, list the first six followed by et al. Original Research Articles and Case Reports should include 15–25 references published within the last 10 years. At least 80% of references must be journal articles and no more than 20% may consist of textbooks. For systematic reviews and meta-analyses, up to 35 references is recommended, but the limit may be exceeded when necessary to cite all included studies and relevant methodological guidelines.

Ethics and Consent

Original research involving human participants or animals must report the ethics committee/institutional review body and approval number when applicable. Case reports must have written informed consent for publication. Systematic reviews of published data generally do not require ethics approval, but protocol registration should be reported when applicable.

Submission Files

Authors should upload all required documents according to the submission stage, including the manuscript, cover letter, conflict of interest declaration, ethics approval and/or consent documentation when applicable, proofreading certificate when required, reporting guideline checklist, and revision files when requested.

Examples of Reference Format

Authors should follow the examples below when preparing the reference list. The examples are provided to help authors apply the AMA reference style consistently.

From Journal

Standard Article

Langan NP, Pelissier BMM. Gender differences among prisoners in drug treatment. J Subst Abuse. 2011;13(3):291–301.

Reference with More Than Six Authors

Polanco FR, Dominquez DC, Grady C, Stoll P, Ramos C, Mican JM, et al. Conducting HIV research in racial and ethnic minority communities: building a successful interdisciplinary research team. J Assoc Nurses AIDS Care. 2011;22(5):388–96.

Organization as Author

WHO. Rubella vaccines: WHO position paper-recommendations. Vaccines. 2011;29(48):8767–8.

Reference without Author Name

Role of diagnostic imaging in early diagnosis and stage determination of rheumatoid arthritis. Clin Calcium. 2011;21(7):949–53.

Article Not Written in English

Budiman A, Hilmanto D, Garna H. Musim hujan sebagai faktor risiko kambuh pada anak penderita sindrom nefrotik sensitif steroid. MKB. 2011;43(3):112–6.

Reference with DOI

Finley JP, Ramsay JM, Bullock A, Chen RP, Warren AE, Wong KK. Benefits of an international working exchange in pediatric cardiology. Pediatr Cardiol. 2011;32(1):59–62. doi:10.1007/s00246-010-9816-4

Volume with Supplement

Van Spronsen FJ, Huijbregts SC, Bosch AM, Leuzzi V. Cognitive, neurophysiological, neurological and psychosocial outcomes in early-treated PKU-patients: a start toward standardized outcome measurement across development. Mol Genet Metab. 2011;104(suppl 1):S45–S51.

Issue with Supplement

Dietz CA, Nyberg CR. Genital, oral, and anal human papillomavirus infection in men who have sex with men. J Am Osteopath Assoc. 2011;111(3 suppl 2):S19–S25.

Books and Other Monographs

Individual Author

Gatterman M. Whiplash: A Patient-Centered Approach to Management. Missouri: Elsevier Mosby; 2011.

Editor as Author

Nriagu J, ed. Encyclopedia of Environmental Health. Michigan: Elsevier BV; 2011.

Organization as Author

UNAIDS. Update on the HIV Epidemic, 2011: Global HIV/AIDS Response—Progress Report 2011. Geneva: WHO Library Cataloguing Data; 2011.

Chapter in a Book

Belott PH, Reynolds DW. Permanent pacemaker and implantable cardioverter-defibrillator implantation. In: Ellenbogen K, Wilkoff B, Kay GN, Lau CP, eds. Clinical Cardiac Pacing, Defibrillation and Resynchronization Therapy. 4th ed. Birmingham: Elsevier Inc; 2011:443–515.

Conference Proceeding

Nicolai T. Homeopathy. Proceedings of the Workshop Alternative Medicines; November 30, 2011; Brussels, Belgium. Brussels: ENVI; 2011.

Paper in Conference Proceedings

Tirilly P, Lu K, Mu X. Predicting modality from text queries for medical image retrieval. In: Cao Y, Kalpathy-Cramer J, Unay D, eds. MM 11: Proceedings of the 2011 International ACM Workshop on Medical Multimedia Analysis and Retrieval; November 28–December 1, 2011; Arizona, USA. New York: ACM; 2011:7–12.

Dissertation

Suprapto. Penjatuhan pidana mati terhadap pelaku tindak pidana narkotika dan psikotropika di Indonesia dalam perspektif hak asasi manusia berdasarkan UUD 1945 [dissertation]. Bandung: Universitas Padjadjaran; 2011. Accessed April 25, 2020. https://pustaka.unpad.ac.id/archives/84877

Electronic Material

Homepage/Website

NIH; National Library of Medicine. Andermann syndrome. Published 2020. Accessed April 25, 2020. https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/andermann-syndrome