Author and Referee Guidelines

Czech-Slovak dermatology is an official journal of the Czech and Slovak Dermatovenerological Society. It publishes articles dealing with dermatology and related fields. Each manuscript is subject to evaluation by two independent referees. Their opinions are prerequisites for publication of the contribution or for revisions. The manuscripts could be sent in the following languages: Czech, Slovak or English.

Submissions containing a cover letter (instructions see below) must be made online (e-mail) to the Editorial Office of The Czech-Slovak Dermatology jiri.stork@vfn.cz. Manuscript text must be written in Microsoft Word for Windows Editor (if possible Microsoft Office 2000 or in newer versions), text file must be identified (e.g. author ´s name, title), double-spaced, in recommended font Times New Roman size 12b, with 25mm wide margins. Number pages consecutively in the lower right-hand corner with the title page as page 1. The text including tables and diagrams should be sent in one file, figures must be saved as separate files (not inserted in the text) reffered to the legend in the text by the same number.

Text shoud be divided into sections in the following order with each section beginning on a separate page

• 1.   The title page

• 2.   Summary and Key words

• 3.   Summary and Key words in Czech (not necessary)

• 4.   Original text with Acknowledgements at the end

• 5.   References (listed alphabetically, initials of the author(s) in capital letters, formated as below) with the address and contacts of the corresponding author at the and of the article

• 6.   Tables and Graphs with legends

• 7.   Legends to figures

• 8.   Illustrations should be sent separately in JPG or TIF formats

Electronic artwork [photographs (color photographs as well), instrument data output] should be saved in JPG, TIF and EPS formats suitable for printing.

Graphs must be elaborated separately as photographs in EPS, TIFF, JPG formats (excel, word).

Tables must be elaborated in microsoft word, excel (not as JPEG, TIFF formats).

Images in JPG format must be print quality, high-resolution (the best compression ratio). Color images must be scanned at a minimum of 300DPI in a required print size.

Contributions must be written

• In straight setting without tap stops, bullets, underscore, changes in the font size, format (centered, using tabs) and any graphic experiments, returns at the end of paragraphs only.

• All defaults should be cancelled.

1. Title page

The title page must contain

a)      brief and informative title

b)     authors’ surname and initials of authors´names, the institutions linked to respective authors using superscript numbers

c)      names of the institutions, departments at which the work was done, head of the department with the highest academic dergrees

d)     sources supporting the work (grants, equipment, drugs).

Authorship

All designated authors should have contributed sufficiently

•   to the work conception and data analysis and interpretation or

•   to the revision of the article text or content and

•   should approve the version of the manuscript to be published.

Conditions must all be met to approve the authorship.

2. Summary and Key Words

The second page of the manuscript includes summary of up to 150 words that specifies

• the aim of the study

• the methods used (selection of patients, experimental animal species, methods of analysis and follow-up)

• the main results including their statistic significance

• conclusions – what the article adds to our knowledge

followed by 3–10 terms titled ”Key words“ hyphenated, summarizing the content of the study.

The key words should conform to the terms in Index Medicus.

3. Summary

 (in Czech) and Key words (in Czech) is not necessary.

4. Text

This should be, not necessarily, divided into following sections:

•   Introduction

•   Methods

•   Results

•   Discussion

In longer articles these sections, especially Results and Discussion should be divided using subtitles to make the content more transparent. Editorials, Review articles and Case reports etc. should be organized differently.

Case reports should be divided into sections: Introduction – Case History – Discussion – Conclusion – References.

Clinico-pathological correlations should be divided into sections: Case history – Histological examination – Conclusion – Follow-up – Discussion, minireview – Summary –References.

Tables and figures should be included separately, reffered in the text as follows: Fig. No or Table No., place returns at the end of the paragraphs only. The section subtitles should be written in bold font only, not in capitals, e.g. Case history. Manuscripts should use more understandable Czech terms in text and special terminology, eventually use foreign terms in parentheses inside quotes.

Introduction

• Explains the intent of the work and introduces the subject

• Do not include results or conclusions

Methods

•   Describe the selection of followed or experimental subjects (patients, experimental animals including controls), methods and apparatus used (manufacturers´name and location in parentheses), examination procedures (readers should be able to reproduce them).

•   In well-known methods including statistical refer to appropriate source, in less known already published methods provide short description.

•   Describe thoroughly new or substantially modified methods, justify their choice and evaluate their limitations.

•   Identify precisely all drug and chemicals used including generic names, doses and route of administration.

Ethics

•   Do not use patients’ names, initials or hospital numbers. In photographs the patient should not be recognizable unless patient(s) give(s) written informed consent for publication.

Statistics

•   Readers using original data should be able to verify results from the description of statistical methods.

•   Discuss pertinence of experimental objects, describe randomization, provide the number of surveys, number of excluded cases , treatment complications.

•   Define statistical terms, abbreviations and especially symbols.

Results

•   Present data in logical sequence in text, tables or figures.

•   Do not repeat the information from tables and figures in the text, summarize only significant findings.

Discussion

•   Emphasize the new and important perspectives and conclusions of the study.

•   Do not repeat information from “Introduction”and “Results.”

•   Compare results with the others and with the study setting. Do not refer to incomplete studies.

•   Offer new hypotheses if competent but specify them as such.

•   Possibly include recommendation for future research.

Aknowledgements

•   Present at the end of the text.

1. References

•   Appear in alphabetical order according to the ČSN ISO 690, 010197.

•   Include only publications referred to in the text or significant publications.

•   Do not include publications only on formal grounds.

•   Refferences in the text, tables and legends must be identified by Arabic numerals in round parentheses.

•   Abstracts, unpublished results and personal communications should not be cited in the reference list

•   Correctness of reference should be checked against the original source by the author (s).

•   Provide full corresponding author´s address, email address and bank connection at the end of the reference list to send the proofs.

Examples of references

For books

•   ZEMAN, M. První pomoc. 2. vyd. Praha: Galén, 1998. 143 s. Edica Scripta, sv. IV. ISBN 80-85824-46-9.

For chapters in books

•   LINEK, V. Poruchy paměti. In PREISS, V. aj. Klinická neuropsychologie. Praha: Grada Publishing, 1998, s. 96–115.

For journal articles

•   PELIKÁNOVÁ, T. Současné trendy inzulinoterapie. Vnitř Lék, 2002, 48(6), s. 523–529.

•   RAHMAN, SA., SETOYAMA, M., KAWAHIRA, M. et al. Erythema multiforme associated with superficial fungal disease. Curie, 1995, 55 (4), p. 249–251.

Use standard abbreviations for journal titles as in the ČSN 01 01 96 Abbreviations of journals and other periodical titles.

6. Tables

•   Tables should not be inserted in the text – reffered in the text as follows (Tab. No…) in round parentheses. Each table must be provided on separate page! double spaced.

•   Tables must be numbered sequentially in order of their mention in the text.

•   Each table and each table column must have a heading, explanations should be written below the table, not on the top.

•   Explain abbreviations used in the tables.

7. Legends for Illustrations

 Legends should be typed on a separate page.

•   Describe and explain all symbols, arrows, numbers and letters used on the illustrations.

•   For microscopic figures specify magnification and stain.

•   Mark referrences to the tables and figures in the text and their location on the side of the manuscript text.

8. Illustrations

Each picture must be numbered. The patient should not be recognizable on a photograph express unless written permission from the patient is provided or written request to mask the eye region to the redaction and press-room is included in the footnotes.

Illustrations should be provided in TIF or JPEG format, graphs in MS Excel. Submit illustrations and graphs as separate files not included in the text.

Measurements

Length, height, weight and volume must be expressed in metric units (meter, kilogram, liter) and their decimal multiples. Temperatures must be expressed in degrees centigrade, blood pressure in millimeters of mercury.

Abbreviations and symbols

Use only standard abbreviations. Do not use abbreviations in title and summary. The terms must be spelled out at the first mention (before use of abbreviation in the text).

Submission of manuscript

Manuscript should be submitted online (see above). Each submission! must include a cover letter with the main author’s signature (scanned in electronic submissions) including following information:

1.      statement that the manuscript is original and is not under consideration elsewhere (as a whole or partially)

2.      statement that all authors have approved the manuscript for sumbission

3.      number of pages including Summary, References, Tables and Illustrations

4.      full name, address, telephone (event. cell phone), email and bank connection of the corresponding author responsible for dealing with other authors, proof correction and communication with the editor.

5.      conflict of interests dislosure: the author did not received financial support from any pharmaceutical company for the last 12 months related to the work published.

Editor claims the right to request the author to shorten, correct or revise the manuscript after review process of each submitted paper. Page proofs will be sent to the corresponding author for corrections. Only print errors corrections are possible. Significant textual alterations (sentence insertion) are not acceptable. If we do not receive corrections in time we will assume that we have your approval for publication Use correction marks! We do not return manuscripts.

Manuscripts should be sent to following address:

Prof. MUDr. Jiří Štork CSc.

Dermatovenerologická klinika 1. LF UK a VFN,

U Nemocnice 2, 128 08 Praha 2,

tel. +420 2 24962400, fax: +420 2 24962401,

e-email:jiri.stork@vfn.cz