Focus and Scope

Majalah Kedokteran Bandung (MKB)/Bandung Medical Journal publishes peer-reviewed original articles and case reports in basic medical research, clinical research, applied medical science, and public health research. MKB only publishes case reports only 2 times a year and with rare case report.

This journal is published quarterly (March, June, September, and December) with 10 articles.  (abbrev: MKB) 

Subjects suitable for publication include, but are not limited to the following fields of:

• Anesthesiology and Intensive Care
• Biochemistry
• Cardiovascular
• Child Health
• Dentristy
• Dermatology and Venerology
• Epidemiology
• Forensic Medicine
• Geriatric
• Histopathology
• Internal Medicine
• Neurology
• Nutrition
• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Opthalmology
• Orthopedics and Traumatology
• Otorhynolaryngology
• Oral Biology 
• Pharmacology/Pharmacy
• Physical medicine and rehabilitation
• Preventive Medicine
• Public Health
• Pulmonology
• Radiology
• Reproductive Health
• Surgery

Section Policies

Articles

Open Submissions

Indexed

Peer Reviewed

Case Report

Open Submissions

Indexed

Peer Reviewed

Editorial

Open Submissions

Indexed

Peer Reviewed

Literature Review

Open Submissions

Indexed

Peer Reviewed

Peer Review Process

An editor initially reviews the submitted manuscript to determine if it aligns with our journal’s focus and scope, typically within one to two weeks. If the manuscript fits within the journal’s scope, an editorial assistant will then verify that all submission requirements are complete, also within one to two weeks. Authors will have one week after receiving notification to address any incomplete requirements or make necessary corrections to the manuscript. The editor may reject the manuscript outright if it does not fit the journal’s scope, lacks general interest, or is otherwise deemed inappropriate. All manuscripts passing this initial screening will undergo a plagiarism check before being sent for peer review.

Each manuscript that clears this stage will be reviewed by two or three reviewers through a double-blind peer-review process. At least one reviewer will be from a different institution or country. The manuscript will be sent to reviewers anonymously, and their comments will be forwarded to the corresponding author, who will then address the feedback. The review process typically takes 3-6 weeks, depending on the complexity of the feedback and the adequacy of the manuscript.

The editor will consider the peer review reports when making a decision, but is not bound by the reviewers’ opinions or recommendations. Concerns raised by a peer reviewer or the editor may lead to manuscript rejection. Authors will receive the peer review report based on the editorial decision, which may include one of the following outcomes: "manuscript accepted," "manuscript accepted with minor revisions," "manuscript accepted with major revisions," or "manuscript rejected."

Authors should carefully review and address the reviewers’ comments. Revisions should be based on these comments, and a point-by-point response should be provided to indicate how each comment has been addressed. If certain revisions cannot be made, authors should offer sufficient explanations. After completing the revisions, authors should resubmit the revised manuscript to the journal. The revised manuscript may be reviewed by the editor alone or by both the editor and reviewers during the second round of review.

Finally, the editor will provide the final decision. If the editor determines that the revisions have satisfactorily addressed previous concerns and that the manuscript has improved, it will proceed to the final step. Accepted manuscripts will then be checked by a copyeditor for language editing.

Publication Frequency

This journal is published quarterly. (March, June, September and December)

Open Access Policy

This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. Free access to the full text of all published articles without charge readers or their institutions for access.

1. This journal has been indexed by CrossRef and all articles have DOI number.
2. This journal is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-BY-NC)
3. This journal is an open-access with abstracts and articles appearing in hypertext meta-language (HTML) and full articles downloadable for free as Adobe portable document format (PDF) files.

Archiving

Majalah Kedokteran Bandungutilizes the Public Knowledge Project Private LOCKSS Network (PKP-PLN) to create a distributed archiving system among participating libraries, which are permitted to create permanent archives of the journal for purposes of preservation and restoration. Read More

Publisher Manifest Page in LOCKSS can be seen here, while Manifest Page in CLOCKSS can be seen here. 

More about LOCKSS, CLOCKSS, and the PKP PLN.

All published articles are assigned to Digital Object Identifier (DOI)- CrossRef. IJIHS journal deposits publications in multiple digital archives around the world to guarantee long-term digital preservation. All published articles are indexed in Portal Garuda, SINTA, Google Scholar, DOAJ, Index Copernicus, and WOS-Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI). All articles are permanently archived and available in HTML and PDF formats.

Plagiarism Policy

All manuscripts must be free from plagiarism contents. Plagiarism is scientific misconduct and should be addressed as such. Majalah Kedokteran Bandung (MKB) does not allow any form of plagiarism. All manuscripts submitted to MKB will be screened for plagiarism by using Turnitin at least two times (during the initial checking process and after acceptance). A maximum of 20% similarity in articles is accepted. However, manuscripts that have more than this limit will be returned to the author for correction and resubmission.

Subscription

The price per volume (four printed issues): IDR 400,000 (does not include shipping costs)

Subscription form for ordering journal hardcopy can be downloaded here. The filled and signed subscription form should be sent  to pemesanan.mkbfkunpad@hotmail.com with subject: Pemesanan Jurnal [MKB].

All payments should be made via transfer to BNI (Account holder: Majalah Kedokteran Bandung). Account number will be given after we receiving the order form.

The order shall be executed only pemesanan.mkbfkunpad@hotmail.com if the payment has been made and the proof of payment has been scanned and sent accordingly.

Retraction, Withdrawal, & Correction Policy

Majalah Kedokteran Bandung adapts the article retraction guidelines based on the COPE Retraction Guidelines.

Retraction: Notification of erroneous results that have the potential to undermine the trustworthiness of a previously published publication. Despite the fact that the original publication has been retracted, it is still available to readers, and the retraction statement informing readers of the invalidity of the published work is bidirectionally connected to the original published document.

Articles in Majalah Kedokteran Bandung may be retracted for several reasons, including:

1. the article or the data contained in the article have previously been published elsewhere without proper Crossref referencing permission or justification (i.e. cases of redundant publication),
2. it constitutes plagiarism,
3. it reports unethical research.

If an article is removed from MKB, a removal notice will be issued instead.

Withdrawal Policy: Manuscript withdrawal will only be allowed for the most compelling and unavoidable reasons. For manuscript withdrawal, authors must submit a "Manuscript Withdrawal Form", signed by all authors stating the reason for withdrawal to the Editorial Office. Authors should not assume that their manuscript has been withdrawn until they receive appropriate notification from the editorial office.

Erratum (Publisher Correction): An erratum refers to a correction of errors introduced to the article by the publisher. All publisher-introduced changes are highlighted to the author at the proof stage, and any errors are ideally identified by the author and corrected by the publisher before final publication. Errata should be published for scientifically relevant formatting changes, or changes to authorship if the author or contributor list is incorrect when a deserving author has been omitted, or somebody who does not meet authorship criteria has been included. Scientifically relevant formatting issues that require an Erratum might include missing or unclear figures, or errors introduced during proofreading (e.g., missing text). Minor errors that do not affect readability or meaning (e.g., spelling or grammatical errors) do not qualify for an Erratum. All authors should proofread the final version carefully.

Corrigendum (Author Correction): A corrigendum refers to a change to an article that the author wishes to publish at any time after acceptance. Authors should contact the editor of the journal, who will determine the impact of the change and decide on the appropriate course of action. Majalah Kedokteran Bandung will only instigate a corrigendum to a published article after receiving approval and instructions from the editor.

Publisher's notes inform readers that the article has been corrected after publication. These notes are issued by the Publisher and are used in cases where typos or production errors (which are the Publisher's fault) affect the integrity of the article's metadata (such as title, author list, or byline) or would significantly affect the reader's ability to understand the article. The original article has been removed and replaced with an improved version. Publisher notes are freely available to all readers. Minor errors that do not affect the integrity of the metadata or the reader's ability to understand the article and that do not involve scientific errors or omissions will be corrected at the Publisher's discretion.

Allegations of Misconduct

Research misconduct means fabrication, falsification, citation manipulation, or plagiarism in producing, performing, or reviewing research, writing an article by authors, or reporting research results. When authors are found to have been involved with research misconduct or other serious irregularities involving articles that have been published in scientific journals, Editors have a responsibility to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the scientific record.

In cases of suspected misconduct, the Editors and Editorial Board will use the best practices of COPE to assist them in resolving the complaint and addressing the misconduct fairly. This will include an investigation of the allegation by the Editors. A submitted manuscript that is found to contain such misconduct will be rejected. In cases where a published paper contains such misconduct, a retraction can be published and linked to the original article.

The first step involves determining the allegation's validity and assessing whether the allegation is consistent with the definition of research misconduct. This initial step also involves determining whether the individuals alleging misconduct have relevant conflicts of interest.

If scientific misconduct or the presence of other substantial research irregularities is a possibility, the allegations are shared with the corresponding author, who, on behalf of all of the coauthors, is requested to provide a detailed response. After the response is received and evaluated, additional review and involvement of experts (such as statistical reviewers) may be obtained. For cases in which it is unlikely that misconduct has occurred, clarifications, additional analyses, or both, published as letters to the editor, and often including a correction notice and correction to the published article, are sufficient.

Institutions are expected to conduct an appropriate and thorough investigation of allegations of scientific misconduct. Ultimately, authors, journals, and institutions have an important obligation to ensure the accuracy of the scientific record. By responding appropriately to concerns about scientific misconduct and taking necessary actions based on evaluating these concerns, such as corrections, retractions with replacement, and retractions, Majalah Kedokteran Bandung will continue to fulfill the responsibilities of ensuring the validity and integrity of the scientific record.

Advertising and Direct Marketing Policy

Advertisements are reviewed in light of appropriate ethical considerations before being accepted for publication. All advertisements and commercially sponsored publications are independent of editorial decisions. Majalah Kedokteran Bandung (MKB) does not endorse any product or service marked as an advertisement or promoted by a sponsor in MKB publications. Advertisement will appear in the print or online version depending on request. Advertisements may not be deceptive or misleading, and must be verifiable. Advertisements will not be accepted if they appear to be indecent or offensive in either text or artwork, or if they relate to content of a personal, racial, ethnic, sexual orientation, or religious nature. MKB will not accept advertising for products or services known to be harmful to health (e.g., tobacco and alcohol products).

For all inquiries, contact the Majalah Kedokteran Bandung editorial office at Gedung Rumah Sakit Pendidikan Unpad (Teaching Hospital Building) Faculty of Medicine Unpad, Majalah Kedokteran Bandung, 3rd Floor, Jl. Prof. Eyckman No. 38 Bandung, 40161, West Java, Indonesia, Phone: +6222-2038115 ext. 1401, Mobile Phone: +6282216237668, or e-mail to: mkb.fkunpad@gmail.com

Direct Marketing Policy

In promoting the results of publications to the public, Majalah Kedokteran Bandung tries not to do things detrimental to other parties (e.g., spreading spam) and to avoid misleading information between prospective authors and publishers.

Revenue/Funding Sources

Majalah Kedokteran Bandung accepts revenues from various sources to ensure the quality of the peer-review process and published articles. The sources of income include publication fees (APC), hardcopy reprints, advertising (currently not applicable), and support from Faculty of Medicine Universitas Padjadjaran. The revenue sources do not influence editorial decision-making.

For information about APC, please click here.

Complaints and Appeals

MKB deals with complaints and appeals in accordance with the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE): https://publicationethics.org/appeals.

The below procedure applies to appeals to editorial decisions, complaints about failure of processes such as long delays in handling papers and complaints about publication ethics. The complaint should in first instance be handled by the Editor-in-Chief(s) responsible for the journal and/or the Editor who handled the paper. If they are the subject of the complaint please approach the in-house publishing contact.

Authors who wish to request a review of a rejected manuscript can do so by sending an email to mkb.fkunpad@gmail.com with the intention written in the email subject and including the manuscript ID number.

Complaint about scientific content, e.g. an appeal against rejection

The Editor-in-Chief considers the authors’ argument, the reviewer reports and decides whether

• The decision to reject should stand;
• Another independent opinion is required
• The appeal should be considered.

The complainant is informed of the decision with an explanation if appropriate. Decisions on appeals are final and new submissions take priority over appeals.

Complaints about processes, e.g. time taken to review

The Editor-in-Chief will investigate the case. The complainant will be given appropriate feedback. Feedback is provided to improve processes and procedures.

Complaint about Publication Ethics

Complaint about publication ethics includes any complaint and/or appeal regarding any misconduct happened, either from the author’ or reviewer’s side. The Editor-in-Chief follows guidelines published by the Committee on Publication Ethics. The Editor-in-Chief decides the appropriate action and provides feedback to the complainant. If the complainant remains dissatisfied, he can submit the complaint to the publisher. 

Any appeals or complaint email sent to mkb.fkunpad@gmail.com will be acknowledged within a week. The Editor-in-Chief will conduct an investigation following Committee on Public Ethics (COPE) guidelines. The investigation will establish whether the correct procedures have been followed and assess whether the concerns have been addressed fairly and without prejudice.

Data Sharing Policy

Where necessary, we encourage authors to share data to support the publication of studies and to interlink data with their published articles. “Research data” refers to the results of observations or experiments that confirm research findings, including but not limited to raw data, processed data, software, algorithms, protocols, models, methods, and other related materials.

In following this policy, if authors have made their study data accessible in a data repository, they can link their articles directly to the dataset.

Informed Consent Policy

For articles published in the Majalah Kedokteran Bandung (MKB), each participant must obtain informed consent. Informed consent is written permission given by the patient or the patient's family on behalf of the patient to publish information, images, or case reports related to the patient's clinical condition in MKB.

In Majalah Kedokteran Bandung, patients have a right to privacy that should not be violated without written consent. Identifying information, including name, initials, or hospital number, should not be published in written descriptions, photographs, or pedigrees unless the information is essential for scientific purposes and the patient (or parent or guardian) gives written consent for publication. Written consent for this purpose requires identifiable patients to be shown the manuscript to be published. Patient consent should be written and archived with the journal, authors, or both, as local regulations or laws dictate. 

Failure to include a patient consent form at the time of submission may result in the manuscript being rejected.

Authorship and Contributorship

Author responsibility

1. The authors of each manuscript are asked to confirm that:
2. The manuscript has not been published or submitted elsewhere;
3. They made a significant contribution to the work and approved the final version of the manuscript;
4. Their work complies with ethical standards;
5. They take responsibility for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved;
6. They have obtained all necessary permissions to publish figures or tables in the manuscript and ensure that the author will pay the Article Processing Charge (APC) if applicable.

Authorship criteria

Authorship criteria is based on the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) (http://www.icmje.org/):

• Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; and
• Drafting the work or reviewing it critically for important intellectual content; and
• Final approval of the version to be published; and
• Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Contributors who do not meet these four criteria should not be listed as authors, but they should be acknowledged. Such individuals can be listed in the Acknowledgments section with a description of their contribution to the research.

Submission to Majalah Kedokteran Bandung means that all listed authors have approved all content, including the author list and author contribution statement.

Authors should disclose in the Cover Letter, Methods, and Acknowledgments to apply artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted technologies tools (e.g., Large Language Models [LLMs], ChatGPT) in the writing of the manuscript, production of figures or graphical elements of the paper, or in data collection and analysis. Authors take full responsibility for the content of their manuscripts, even the parts generated by AI tools, and are thus liable for violations of publication ethics. For further recommendations, please see the WAME Recommendations on Chatbots and Generative Artificial Intelligence in Relation to Scientific Publications: https://wame.org/page3.php?id=106

Contributorship Statement

A contribution statement is required for each submitted article and should outline who has contributed to the planning, execution and reporting of the work described in the article. The statement of contribution should include author contributors, non-author contributors, and author group contributors (collaborators).

Each contribution statement should describe who is responsible for the overall content as a guarantor. The guarantor takes full responsibility for the final results and/or conduct of the research, has access to the data, and controls the decision to publish.