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Author Guidelines

The journal Memorias del IICS is the official publication of the Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (IICS), of the National University of Asunción, As of the year 2023, it adopts the article publication system in continuous flow, without a pre-established periodicity with one volume and one numbre per year.

The magazine publishes results, data and trials from the last 3 years of research.

LANGUAGE: The official language of the magazine is Spanish, it also receives articles published in English. The title of the article must be indicated in the original language of the text and a faithful translation into the other language of the journal.

I. GENERAL RULES

a) TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

  1. The articles should be sent to the Editorial’s e-mail (editorial@iics.una.py) or to the journal platform: https://revistascientificas.una.py/index.php/RIIC/login in a Microsoft Word file, A4 (212x297 mm) page size, no letterhead, with margins of at least 25 mm and size 12 Verdana font. In case they contain figures, these should be sent in editable jpg format. 
  2. In case they contain figures, these should be sent in editable jpg format. The terms Table and Figure are written in bold with the first letter in upper case and the rest in lower case, the numbering must be in sequence and with Arabic numbers, with a period at the end.
  3. Titles (in Spanish and English) should be capitalized with the first letter and lowercase letters, except for proper names or other words that normally require capitalization. The full names of the authors, along with their ORCID codes, should be included below the title. Institutional affiliations should be listed below, in order of relevance.
  4. The title of each table will be placed at the top of the table, while the title of each figure will be placed at the bottom. All tables and figures must be cited in the body of the text. Each main section of the manuscript (epigraph) should begin on a new page.
  5. Pages should be numbered consecutively, starting with the title page, and the number should be located in the lower right corner of each page.
  6. Bibliographic references should be cited within the text in parentheses and in superscript.
  7. Additionally, include a brief description of each author’s contribution to the work https://casrai.org/credit/.

    The 14 CRediT Contributor Roles:

      • Conceptualization: Development of the main ideas of the study.

      • Data curation: Management, organization, and preservation of data.

      • Formal analysis: Use of statistical or mathematical tools to analyze data.

      • Funding acquisition: Seeking and managing research funding.

      • Investigation: Conducting the research, including data collection and analysis.

      • Methodology: Design and application of research methods.

      • Project administration: Oversight and coordination of the research project.

      • Resources: Provision of materials, equipment, or other resources.

      • Software: Development and implementation of software used in the research.

      • Supervision: Oversight and mentorship during the research process.

      • Validation: Verification of the accuracy and validity of results.

      • Visualization: Preparation of figures, tables, and other visual content.

      • Writing – original draft: Preparation of the first version of the manuscript.

      • Writing – review & editing: Review and editing of the manuscript.

The corresponding author must ensure that all individuals listed as authors have made significant contributions to the work and that each of them has reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript prior to submission. This approval must be explicitly indicated in the individual contribution statements, in accordance with the journal’s editorial guidelines.

8. Sources of financing: Authors must disclose all sources of funding that supported the work, including scholarships, grants, institutional funds, contracts, or other financial support. If no funding was received, the following statement should be included: "The authors declare that they received no funding for this study.

9. Conflict of interest: Authors must disclose any financial, personal, or professional conflicts of interest that could influence, or appear to influence, the content of the manuscript. If no conflicts exist, the following statement should be included: "The authors declare no conflicts of interest."

10. Declaration of Preprints:

If your manuscript has been published as a preprint, please be sure to:

  • Inform the journal about the preprint during the submission process.
  • Provide the DOI or persistent link to the preprint in the submission section or cover letter.
  • Update the preprint record with a link to the final version published in our journal once the manuscript is accepted and published. This helps link versions and ensure a clear research trajectory.

Examples of preprint repositories: arXiv, bioRxiv, medRxiv, SSRN, OSF Preprints, SciELO Preprints, institutional repositories, among others.

Note: Posting a preprint is not considered duplicate publication and will not affect your manuscript's consideration in our journal. We encourage authors to take advantage of the benefits of preprints to accelerate scientific communication.

11. Data availability:

Authors should include a section titled "Data Availability" at the end of their manuscript, before the "References" section. 

The following are some examples of how this can be presented, depending on the case:

  • Data Availability Upon Request:
    The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the study are available upon request to the corresponding author:
    [Author's Name], Email: [author@institution.edu]
  • Publicly Available Data:
    The data used in this study are publicly available in repositories such as Dryad, Figshare, Zenodo, SciELO Data, Mendeley Data, or institutional repositories, at the following address: [URL or DOI]. No permission is required for use.
  • Unavailable Data:
    Due to the nature of the data, which contain sensitive information about participants, the data are not publicly available. Data access requests may be considered by [committee/institution name]."
  • Other
    All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article (and its Supplementary Information files).

12. Ethical issues: The works must mention in the text that the protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee, indicating the work approval code, and that informed consent was obtained from the study subjects or their tutors.

13. Include a note addressed to the editor/publisher expressing the consent of all authors for the publication of the work, signed by them.

Format of the first page of the manuscript.

  • Section name
  • Short, clear, concise and specific title of the paper in Spanish. It should contain the minimum number of words that adequately describe the article and allow its classification. Do not include abbreviations.
  • Title in English, a faithful translation from the Spanish version.
  • Names, family names and institutional affiliations of the authors as well as the ORCID https://orcid.org/signin
    identifier of each author
  • Name and e-mail address of the corresponding author

b) ETHICAL ASPECTS 

The journal respects ethical conduct and good publishing practices - The Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), the Open Access Scholarly Publishing Association (OASPA), and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), the Codes of conduct published by COPE, https://publicationethics.org/core-practices 

When it comes to work that includes experiments on human beings, respect procedures that meet ethical standards of the Council of International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS) https://cioms.ch/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/CIOMS-EthicalGuideline_SP_INTERIOR-FINAL.pdf - https://cioms.ch/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/WEB-CIOMS-EthicalGuidelines.pdf and the Helsinki declaration of 1975, 6th September 2022, https://www.wma.net/policies-post/wma-declaration-of-helsinki-ethical-principles-for-medical-research-involving-human-subjects/
Do not use patient names or their initials or numbers in the hospital, especially in illustrative material. Descriptions, photos or other details that contributes to identify the patient cannot be published unless the information is indispensable for the publication. In such case, the patient, father/mother or legal responsible should provide his written consent.
In case of experiments with animals, indicate that the basic guiding international principles elaborated by CIOMS and the International Council of Laboratory Animals and Science (ICLAS) applicable to biomedical research with animals have been followed, https://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/Guiding_Principles_2012.pdf.

The papers, should mention that the protocol was approved by an Ethical Committee of the institution where the study was carried out or a higher one indicating the approval code and that the informed consent was obtained from the study subjects or their guardians.

Conflict of interest. When there is a relationship between the authors of an article and any public or private institution that could generate a conflict of interest, it should be communicated in a separate letter to the Editor, who will guarantee its confidentiality. If the article is accepted for publication, the authors and the Editor will agree the most convenient form to communicate this information to the readers.

c) CITATIONS IN VANCOUVER STYLE

The Citation is a paragraph or idea extracted from a work to support, corroborate or contrast the opinion. Quotes can be direct or indirect.

Direct quotation is the one that is transcribed verbatim. It must be brief, of less than five lines, it is inserted within the text between quotation marks, and the corresponding number is placed at the end, after the quotation marks and before the punctuation mark.
Example: "The gluten-free diet should be established only after confirming the diagnosis, since it can alter the serological and histological results"(2).

Indirect quotation is the mention of the ideas of an author with the words of the writer. It is included within the text without quotation marks, and the reference number is written after the author's last name and before citing his idea.
Example: As Vitoria(2) says, a gluten-free diet can alter serological and histological results.
Example: The gluten-free diet can alter the serological and histological results, so it should be established after confirming the diagnosis(2).
The editorial coordination and/or the scientific committee reserve the right to make the editorial adjustments they deem pertinent.
In case of a work carried out by more than two authors, the first of them is cited followed by the abbreviation “et al.” and its reference number.
If the author is not named, the number will appear at the end of the sentence.

Citing more than one source at the same time
If more than one source in the same sentence will be cited, it must include a number for each source cited. If consecutive numbers are entered, they must be joined by a hyphen; if they are non-consecutive, the numbers must be separated by commas.
Example: In the following example, sources numbered 6, 7, 8, 9, 13 and 15 are cited in the same sentence: Several studies (6-9,13,15) have analyzed the effect of alcohol on driving.

d) BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES

Follow Vancouver guidelines https://www.icmje.org/recommendations/.
Number the references consecutively following the order in which they are mentioned for the first time in the text. In the text, tables and figures, references should be identified by Arabic numbers, superscript and between brackets.
Use the style of the following examples.
Refrain from using abstract as references. Either, do not use “unpublished observations' and 'personal communications' as references. You may include articles accepted for publication even though they are not published yet, in this case indicate the journal title and add "In press".

SOME EXAMPLES OF BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES

 A) Articles from scientific journals

(1) Standard article
Author/s*. Title of article. International abbreviation of the journal**. year; volume (number***): initial page-end page.

Medrano MJ, Cerrato E, Boix R, Delgado-Rodríguez M. Factores de riesgo cardiovascular en la población española: metaanálisis de estudios transversales. Med Clin (Barc). 2005; 124(16): 606-12.

*If there are more than six authors, mention the first six followed by et al. (Note: the National Library of Medicine in the Medline database includes all authors).
**You can consult international abbreviations at “Journals Database” from PubMed.
*** The number and moth are optional if the journal has a continuous pagination in the volume.

(2) Organization or team as author
Grupo de Trabajo de la SEPAR. Normativa sobre el manejo de la hepmotisis amenazante. Arch Bronconeumol 1997; 33: 31-40.

(3) Authorship shared between authors and a team
Jiménez Hernández MD, Torrecillas Narváez MD, Friera Acebal G.  Grupo Andaluz para el Estudio de Gabapentina y Profilaxis Migrañosa. Eficacia y seguridad de la gabapentina en el tratamiento preventivo de la migraña. Rev Neurol. 2002; 35: 603-6.

(4) No author indicated
21st century heart solution may have a sting in the tail. BMJ. 2002; 325(7357): 184

(5) Supplement of a volume
Plaza Moral V, Álvarez Gutiérrez FJ, Casan Clará P, Cobos Barroso N, López Viña A, Llauger Rosselló MA et al. Comité Ejecutivo de la GEMA. Guía Española para el Manejo del Asma (GEMA). Arch Bronconeumol. 2003; 39 Supl 5: 1-42.

(6) Supplement of a number
Glauser TA. Integrating clinical trial data into clinical practice. Neurology. 2002; 58 (12 Suppl 7): S6-12.

(7) Article published electronically before the printed version
Sait KH, Ashour A, Rajabi M. Pregnancy outcome in non-gynecologic cancer. Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2004 Jun 2 [Epub ahead of print].
Sait KH, Ashour A, Rajabi M. Pregnancy outcome in non-gynecologic cancer. Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2005 Apr; 271(4): 346-9. Epub 2004 Jun 2.
Note: The quote Epub ahead of print is a reference sent to PubMed by the editors of journals that are first published on-line, going ahead of the printed version. Later, when the article is published in printed form, the reference is modified appearing the data of the printed version followed by the Epub. Example of a reference in PubMed published in electronic version and then when it is printed.

B) Books and other monographs

(8) Individual authors
Author/s. Book title. Edition. Place of publication: Editorial; year.
Jiménez Murillo L, Montero Pérez FJ. Compendio de Medicina de Urgencias: guía terapéutica. 2ª ed. Madrid: Elsevier; 2005.
Note: It is not necessary to state the first edition. Edition is always in Arabic numbers and abbreviated: 2nd ed. If the work is formed by more than one volume, it should be stated after the book title: Vol. 3.

(9) Director(s) or compilator(s) as authors
Espinás  Boquet   J.  coordinator.  Guía de actuación en Atención Primaria.  2ª ed. Barcelona: Sociedad Española de Medicina; 2002.
Teresa E de, editor. Cardiología en Atención Primaria. Madrid: Biblioteca Aula Médica;
2003.

Note:  In the original edition, “Editor” appears, which is an English word that refers to the Literary Editor. In Spanish, this word should be translated into Director (of a journal) or Director, Compilator or Coordinator (of a book). In Spanish, it is frequent to misuse (anglicism) the English word “Editor” as synonymous of Director or Coordinator. If this word appears, we will keep it.

(10) Author(s) and editor(s)
Breedlove GK, Schorfheide AM. Adolescent pregnancy.  2nd ed. Wieczorek RR, editor. White Plains (NY): March of Dimes Education Services; 2001.

(11)  Organization (s) as author
Royal Adelaide Hospital; University   of Adelaide, Department   of Clinical   Nursing. Compendium of nursing research and practice development, 1999-2000. Adelaide (Australia): Adelaide University; 2001.

(12) Book chapter
Author/s of the chapter. Title of the chapter. In: Director/Coordinator/Editor of the book. Book title. Edition. Place of publication: Editorial; year. Initial page-end of chapter.

Mehta SJ.  Dolor abdominal.  In:  Friedman HH, coordinator. Manual de Diagnóstico Médico. 5ª ed. Barcelona: Masson; 2004. p.183-90.

Note: If the book is in English: use the word in.

(13) Congress act
Segundo Congreso Nacional de la Asociación Española de Vacunología.  Las Palmas de Gran Canaria; 13-15 de Noviembre 2003. Madrid: Asociación Española de Vacunología; 2003.
(14) Conference article
Christensen S, Oppacher F. An analysis of Koza's computational effort statistic for genetic programming. In: Foster JA, Lutton E, Miller J, Ryan C, Tettamanzi AG, editors. Genetic programming.  EuroGP 2002: Proceedings of the 5th European Conference on Genetic Programming; 2002 Apr 3-5; Kinsdale, Ireland. Berlin: Springer; 2002. p. 182-91.

(15) Dissertation
Borkowski MM.  Infant sleep and feeding:  a telephone survey of Hispanic Americans [dissertation]. Mount Pleasant (MI): Central Michigan University; 2002.

(16) Patent
Pagedas AC, inventor; Ancel Surgical R&D Inc., assignee. Flexible endoscopic grasping and cutting device and positioning tool assembly. United States patent US 20020103498. 2002 Aug 1.

C) Other published materials

(17) Newspaper article
Article author*. Article title. Newspaper’s name**. Day month year; Section***:
page (column) ****.
* Article author (if appears).
** Newspapers’ names are not abbreviated.
*** If it is identified as such.
**** If it is identified as such.

Carrasco D. Avalado el plazo de cinco años para destruir parte de la HC. Diario Médico. Viernes 23 de julio de 2004; Normativa: 8.

Espiño I. ¿Le va mejor al paciente que participa en un ensayo clínico?. El Mundo sábado 31 de enero de 2004. Salud: S6 (Oncología).

D) Not published material

(18) In press

Note: NLM prefers "forthcoming” because not all journals publish in printed versions.

Leshner AI. Molecular mechanisms of cocaine addiction. N Engl J Med. In press 1997.

E) Electronic Material

(19) CD-ROM
Author/s. Title [CD-ROM]. Edition. Place: Editorial; year.
Best CH. Bases fisiológicas de la práctica médica [CD-ROM].  13ª ed. Madrid: Editorial Médica Panamericana; 2003.

Note: This example is applicable to other supports: DVD. It can be added the document type [Monograph in CD-ROM], [Journal in CD-ROM].

(20) Journal article in internet
Article author/s. Article title. Journal name [journal in Internet]* year
[consultation date]**; volume (number): [Extension/pages***]. Electronic address.

- Francés I, Barandiarán M, Marcellán T, Moreno L. Estimulación psicocognoscitiva en las demencias.  An Sist Sanit Navar [Internet journal]* 2003 September-December. [access: October 19, 2005]; 26(3). Available in: http://www.cfnavarra.es/salud/anales/textos/vol26/n3/revis2a.html
* It can be replaced by: [On-line journal], [Internet], [On-line journal]
**    [access….],    [consulted…],    [cited…]
*** If existent.

(21) Monograph in Internet
Author/s or Director/Coordinator/Editor.  Title [monograph in the Internet]*. Edition. Place of publication: Editor; year [consultation date]. Electronic address.

- Moraga Llop FA. Protocolos diagnósticos y terapéuticos en Dermatología Pediátrica. [monograph in Internet] *. Madrid: Asociación Española de Pediatría; 2003 [access: December 19, 2005].
Available in: http://www.aeped.es/protocolos/dermatologia/index.htm

(22) Website or Starting main page in a website
Note: An starting page is defined as the first page of a website.
Author/s. Títle [Website]*. Place of publication: Editor; Publication date [update date; access date]. Electronic address.

- Fisterra.com, Atención Primaria en la Red [sede Web]. La Coruña: Fisterra.com; 1990- [updated January 3, 2006; access January 12, 2006]. Available in: http://www.fisterra.com

*It can be replaced by: [Main page in Internet], [Internet], [Starting page in Internet], [Homepage], [Website].

(23) Part of a page of a website
Page title [Website]*.  Publication place: Editor; Publication date [update/revision date; access date]. Section title [page or screen number]. Electronic address.

- Medicina Interna de Galicia [Website]*. Lugo: Sociedad Gallega de Medicina Interna; 2005 [access: December 19, 2005]. De Pablo Casas M, Pena Río JL. Guía para la prevención de complicaciones   infecciosas   relacionadas con catéteres intravenosos. Available in: http://www.meiga.info/guias/cateteres.asp.

- American Medical Association [Website]*. Chicago: The Association; c1995-2002 [updated; December 5, 2005; access December 19, 2005]. AMA Office of Group Practice Liaison; [approximately two screens]. Available in: http://www.ama- assn.org/ama/pub/category/1736.html.

(24) Internet database
Institution/Author. Title [Internet database]*. Place of publication: Editor; Creation date, [update date; consultation date]. Electronic address.
* It can be replaced by: [On line database], [Internet], [Recovery system in Internet].

- Open database (active):
·   Cuiden [Internet database]. Granada: Fundación Index [updated in April 2004; access December 19, 2005]. Available in: http://www.doc6.es/index/

PubMed [Internet database]. Bethesda: National Library of Medicine; 1966- [Access date: December 19, 2005].
Available in: http:// www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed/

Cancelled database:
Jablonski S.   Online   Multiple   Congenital   Anomaly/Mental   Retardation (MCA/MR) Syndromes [Internet database].  Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US). c1999 [updated November 20, 2001; access December 19, 2005]. Available in: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/jablonski/syndrome_title.html

(25) Part of an Internet database
MeSH Browser [Internet database]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US); 2002-[access December 19, 2005]. Meta-analysis; unique ID D015201 [approximately 3 screens]. Available in: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/MBrowser.html.   Files updated weekly.

The Cochrane Database, Issue 3, 2004. [Internet database].  Oxford: Update Software Ltd; 1998- [consultation date August 17, 2005]. Cranney A, Welch V, Adachi JD, Guyatt G, Krolicki N, Griffith L, Shea B, Tugwell P, Wells G. Etidronate for treating  and  preventing  postmenopausal  osteoporosis  (Cochrane  Review) [approximately 2 screens]. Available in: http://www.update-software.com/cochrane/.

In case you have doubts about how to cite your references, you can enter into this electronic address: www.ICMJE.org (International Committee of Medical Journal Editors).

e) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Include this section in the text appendix. Specify:
- contributions that need acknowledgement but do not justify authorship such as the general support of the department head;
-  technical help received;
-  acknowledgement for the financial and material support, specifying its nature
-  financial relationships that could generate a conflict of interests.

II. SPECIFIC RULES

FORM AND PREPARATION OF MANUSCRIPTS

a) ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Manuscript should have the following order: title in Spanish and English, author name, department or laboratory where the work has been performed, name and address of the institution, abstract, keywords, introduction, materials and methods, results, discussion, acknowledgements (if they exist) and references. The sponsors should be mentioned as a footnote in the first page.

1) Abstract and keywords

The second page will include an abstract. It should have no more than 250 words and will be written as one paragraph only, in past tense. In the paragraph, the following will be indicated: title, introduction or backgrounds, study design, objectives of the study or research, material and methods (population, interventions, and statistical analysis), most important results, and main conclusions. The subtitles of these sections should not be written. The new and important aspects as well as the observations should be emphasized. Following the abstracts, 3 to 10 key words or short sentences that help indicators to classify the article should be added. For this purpose, use the terms of the “Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)” list from the “Index Medicus”. New terms can be also used. Include also an abstract in English with the corresponding keywords.

2) Introduction

Express the objective of the article. Summarize the logical foundation of the study or observation. Mention only strictly pertinent references without making a deep revision of the subject. Do not include either data or conclusions of the work you are presenting.

3) Material and methods

Clearly describe the way observed or participating subjects were selected. Identify the methods, devices, equipment and procedures with enough details so that other researchers can reproduce the results. Provide references of the accredited methods, including the statistical ones. Identify exactly the medicines and chemical products used, without forgetting generic names, doses and administrations vias. Do not use the name, initials or number of the clinical records of the patients especially in the illustrative material.

Describe the statistical methods with enough details so that the reader, knowledgeable in the subject and with access to the original data, could verify the informed results. If possible, quantify the results and present them with appropriate error indicators or measurement uncertainty (for example: confidence intervals). Do not exclusively depend on statistical hypothesis tests such as the use of ‘p’ valuesthat do not transmit important quantitative information. Provide the details of the subject randomization process. Specify the software used.

4) Results

Present results following a logic sequence using text, tables and figures. Do not repeat in the text the data of the tables or illustrations, emphasize or summarize only important observations.

Tables, figures and pictures should be presented vertically in separate sheets of paper and numbered consecutively, mention them in the text. Tables should adjust to the publication format and the editorial could modify them if they present technical difficulties.

The graphics (generally no more than 5) should be presented in a separate file with title and explicative note at the footnote. Describe what you obtained without bibliographic references.

5) Discussion

Emphasize the new and important aspects of the study and the originated conclusions. Do not repeat with details the data or other information already presented in the introduction or results. 

Explain in this section the meaning of the results and its limitations, including the consequences for future investigation. Relate the observations with other relevant studies. Establish the link between the conclusions with the study objectives but refrain from drawing conclusions that are not completely backed up by the data. Propose new hypotheses when there is justification for them but clearly identify them as such. When appropriate, you can include recommendations.

6) Bibliography

Follow Vancouver guidelines.

b) REVIEW ARTICLES

It is a document that results from an investigation where the results of published and unpublished works on a science or technology field are analyzed, systematized and integrated in order to report the advances and development trends. It is characterized by presenting a careful bibliographic review of at least 50 references. It should have: 1. Title in Spanish and English, 2. Abstract (no more than 250 words) and keywords in Spanish and English, 3. Subject development 4. Conclusion and 5. Bibliographic references. Tables and figures, five in total.

c) CURRENT TOPICS

They will be requested by the Editorial Board and like the review articles, they should contribute with real scientific interest but without the depth of the critical analysis required by a review article. It should have an unstructured abstract, introduction, text and conclusions. It could include no more than four graphics or figures. It should have: 1. Title in Spanish and English, 2. Abstract (no more than 250 words) and keywords in Spanish and English, 3. Subject development, 4. Conclusion, 5. Bibliographic references. Tables and figures, five in total.

d) CASE REPORTS

Clinical cases of one to three patients or a whole family are described. In this case, the text should have a maximum of 2,000 words without references. It should have the following points: 1. Title in Spanish and English 2. Abstract and keywords in Spanish and English 3. A brief introduction, 4. Case presentation, 5. Discussion based in literature and if possible, include the differential diagnosis 6. Bibliographic references (no more than 25) 7. Tables and figures, three in total.

e) LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

These are short communications with several objectives: 1) Encourage the discussion of the articles published in the journal Memorias del IICS. The scientific community is invited to write constructive critiques no longer than two pages and, in a time, no longer than two months after the article in question is published.  2)  Communication of brief observations which the author considers does not require the space of an original article. In this case, a maximum of 3 pages will be allowed, 1 table or figure and 5 bibliographic references.  The number of authors should not exceed 3, having a corresponding author to whom the correspondence will be sent.

f) SHORT COMMUNICATIONS

Communications that involve few results, in general preliminary, that are not enough for a full paper. These communications will incorporate the essential elements of a complete publication, but in a concise manner, ensuring that the entire work is limited to 3 to 5 pages. The other items will be just like in a full paper (acknowledgement, bibliographic references, figures).

g) EDITORIAL

Document written by the editor, a member of the Editorial Board or a guest researcher about orientations in the theme domain of the journal.

h) OTHER SECTIONS:

Congress, seminars or scientific meetings abstracts, guidelines and technical specifications.

 

III. ACCEPTANCE OF PAPERS

An evaluation process is necessary for the acceptance or rejection of the articles including: A first revision is carried out by the editors, which determines the importance, relevance and depth of the work, whether the manuscript follows the editorial line of the journal, it adjusts to the guidelines of Memorias del IICS and complies with the general criteria of publication.

Then, a second revision, assigned to at least two experts, takes place. In case their decisions are opposite, the manuscript is subjected to the consideration of the Editorial Board or a third evaluation is requested.

The decision can be acceptance, rejection or modifications according to the suggestions of the reviewers.

Any decision will be communicated in written to the author in a term of two to three months from the day of reception. If modifications of the manuscript have been requested, the new printed and digital versions should be submitted in the term indicated that could not exceed 30 days in any case. The journal accepts pre-published or pre-printed articles (preprint) on servers with this methodology.

Availability of peer review reports

Since 2025, the journal Memorias del IICS, following SciELO's editorial policy and management framework to operate fully under the new open science modus operandi, has incorporated the availability of peer review reports. Upon completion of the review process, peer reviewer data and comments may remain open with their prior consent and be made available through a link that must appear in the publication.

PLAGIARISM DETECTION

In the preliminary review process, technological tools will be used to detect plagiarism in the works sent to the journal (currently the PlagScan program https://www.plagscan.com/es/  is used). If plagiarism is found, the article will be rejected regardless of the editorial stage it is in. 

Submission Preparation Checklist

All submissions must meet the following requirements.

  • Tables and figures included within the article.
  • The submission is original and has not been submitted to another journal (or this is explained in the Comments to the Editor).
  • Authors with their respective ORCID and numbered affiliations, listed from the main institution to the specific unit (e.g., University, Institute/Center, Department).
  • References in Vancouver style, including DOI or URL when available.
  • Ethical considerations: mention in the text the approval of the protocol by the Ethics Committee.
  • Preprint declaration, if applicable.
  • Compliance with the Author Guidelines: all information regarding format, style, ethics, author contributions, affiliations, and examples can be found at: https://revistascientificas.una.py/index.php/RIIC/about/submissions
  • Abstract in Spanish and English with a minimum of 3 to 5 keywords. Text proofread for spelling and grammar.
  • Brief description of each author's contribution, Declaration of conflict of interest, Sources of funding (if applicable), Data availability (if applicable).
  • Clear and concise title in Spanish and English. Manuscript in Word, Verdana 12 font, 1.5 line spacing, 2.5 cm margins.

Editorial

The Editorial section publishes opinion pieces, reflections, or institutional position statements written by the Editor-in-Chief or members of the Editorial Committee of the journal Memorias del IICS. Its purpose is to contextualize the contents of the issue or volume, communicate institutional news, comment on relevant advances in health sciences, or present positions on topics of scientific interest.

Specific Policies:

  • Authorship: Texts are prepared by invitation from the Editorial Committee; unsolicited submissions are not accepted for this section.

  • Maximum Length: 1,000 words.

  • Abstract and Keywords: Not required.

  • Conflict of Interest: A declaration is not required, unless justified by the topic.

  • References: May or may not include bibliographic references. If included, Vancouver style must be used.

  • Review Process: The review process is internal; it is not subject to external peer review.

  • Language: Published in Spanish and/or English, according to editorial criteria.

Agradecimientos

This section likely refers to the Acknowledgements (or Funding) section of the journal. Here is the professional translation:

Acknowledgements

This section is for the exclusive internal use of the editorial process. It manages the mention of financial, institutional, or personal support provided to the works published in the journal. It does not constitute an independent article type.

Specific Policies:

  • Placement: Acknowledgements must be included at the end of the main manuscript to which they correspond, before the bibliographic references.

  • Scope: Sources of funding, technical, statistical, or other support that has contributed to the work must be mentioned.

  • Authorship Restrictions: Acknowledgements are not accepted for individuals who meet the criteria for authorship according to the CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) system.

  • Maximum Length: The text must not exceed 100 words.

  • Funding Details: Mentions of funders must include the full name of the institution and, where applicable, the project code or number.

  • Commercial Restrictions: Advertising or the mention of commercial brands is not permitted in this section.

Original Articles

Original Articles constitute the main section of the journal. They present unpublished results of scientific research conducted in the health field, including clinical medicine, biomedical research, microbiology, molecular biology, dentistry, nursing, nutrition, public health, biotechnology, genetics, biochemistry, and related disciplines.

Specific Policies:

  • Originality: Works must be original, unpublished, and not simultaneously submitted for evaluation to another journal.

  • Length: Between 2,500 and 5,000 words (excluding abstract, tables, figures, and references).

  • Mandatory Structure: Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusions.

  • Structured Abstract: Required in both Spanish and English (maximum 250 words each), with the following sections: Objective, Materials and Methods, Results, and Conclusions.

  • Keywords: Between 4 and 8 keywords in Spanish and English, selected from DeCS/MeSH terms.

  • References: A maximum of 40 bibliographic references in Vancouver format.

  • Illustrations: A maximum of 6 tables or figures in total.

  • Ethical Approval (Humans): Studies involving human subjects must include approval from an institutional Ethics Committee and the protocol number, as well as the informed consent of participants.

  • Ethical Standards (Animals): Studies involving animals must indicate compliance with CIOMS/ICLAS principles.

  • Declarations: An author contribution statement according to the CRediT taxonomy and a conflict of interest declaration are required.

  • Clinical Trials: Intervention studies must be registered in a recognized public repository (e.g., ClinicalTrials.gov, REPEC) before recruitment begins.

  • Reporting Guidelines: It is recommended to follow the corresponding reporting guidelines: CONSORT (trials), STROBE (observational studies), PRISMA (systematic reviews), or CARE (case reports), as applicable.

  • Peer Review: Submissions undergo a double-blind peer review process with at least two external evaluators.

Review article

Review Articles present critical, updated, and systematic syntheses of the available knowledge on a specific topic within the health sciences. They may include narrative reviews, systematic reviews, or meta-analyses.

Specific Policies:

  • Length: Between 3,000 and 7,000 words (excluding abstract, tables, figures, and references).

  • Abstract: Structured or unstructured abstract in Spanish and English (maximum 300 words), depending on the type of review.

  • Keywords: Between 4 and 8 keywords in Spanish and English, selected from DeCS/MeSH terms.

  • Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses: Authors are required to follow the PRISMA guidelines and register the protocol in PROSPERO or another recognized registry.

  • Narrative Reviews: These must clearly describe the search strategy, the databases consulted, and the period covered.

  • References: A maximum of 80 bibliographic references in Vancouver format.

  • Author Qualifications: The author or group of authors must demonstrate expertise in the topic being reviewed.

  • Declarations: A conflict of interest declaration and an author contribution statement according to CRediT are required.

  • Peer Review: Submissions undergo a double-blind peer review process with at least two evaluators

Tema de actualidad

The Current Topics section publishes analysis and commentary on emerging, controversial, or immediately relevant aspects of health sciences, both nationally and internationally. This includes reflections on health policies, technological advances, epidemiological alerts, or other topics of interest to the scientific community.

Specific Policies:

  • Length: Between 1,500 and 3,000 words.

  • Abstract: Unstructured abstract in Spanish and English (maximum 150 words each).

  • Keywords: Between 3 and 6 keywords in Spanish and English.

  • References: A maximum of 25 bibliographic references in Vancouver format.

  • Structure: Does not require the IMRaD (Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion) structure. It must include an Introduction, thematic development, and Conclusions or final reflections.

  • Submission: May be requested by the Editorial Committee or submitted as an unsolicited manuscript.

  • Review Process: Subject to editorial review and, depending on the topic, may require external peer review.

  • Conflict of Interest: A conflict of interest declaration is required.

Short communications

Short Communications present preliminary results, novel data, or relevant findings that, due to their nature, justify rapid dissemination before a broader study is completed. They also include specific observations of scientific interest.

Specific Policies:

  • Maximum Length: 1,500 words (excluding abstract, tables/figures, and references).

  • Abstract: Unstructured abstract in Spanish and English (maximum 150 words each).

  • Keywords: Between 3 and 5 keywords in Spanish and English, selected from DeCS/MeSH terms.

  • Illustrations: A maximum of 2 tables or figures in total.

  • References: A maximum of 15 bibliographic references in Vancouver format.

  • Suggested Structure: Brief Introduction, description of the finding or result, and Discussion/Conclusion.

  • Ethical Requirements: Studies involving humans or animals must comply with the same ethical requirements as Original Articles.

  • Declarations: An author contribution statement and a conflict of interest declaration are required.

  • Peer Review: Submissions undergo a double-blind peer review process.

Case report

Case Reports describe the clinical presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and evolution of one or more patients whose uniqueness, rarity, or contribution to clinical knowledge justifies publication. This section also includes case series when the number of patients is limited.

Specific Policies:

  • Length: Between 1,000 and 2,500 words.

  • Abstract: Unstructured abstract in Spanish and English (maximum 200 words each).

  • Keywords: Between 3 and 6 keywords in Spanish and English, selected from DeCS/MeSH terms.

  • Mandatory Structure: Introduction, Case Presentation, Discussion, and Conclusions.

  • Illustrations: A maximum of 4 figures or tables (including clinical photographs or diagnostic images).

  • References: A maximum of 20 bibliographic references in Vancouver format.

  • Informed Consent: It is mandatory to obtain and declare the informed consent of the patient or their legal representative for publication.

  • Patient Anonymity: Data that could identify the patient (name, initials, medical record number) must not be included unless it is essential and the patient has provided explicit consent.

  • Reporting Guidelines: It is recommended to follow the CARE guidelines for reporting clinical cases.

  • Peer Review: Submissions undergo peer review by at least one specialized clinical evaluator.

Especificaciones Técnicas

The Technical Specifications section publishes detailed descriptions of methods, protocols, procedures, equipment, or tools useful in research or practice within the health sciences. This includes the development or validation of measurement instruments, laboratory techniques, or other procedures performed with methodological rigor.

Specific Policies:

  • Length: Between 1,500 and 3,500 words.

  • Abstract: Unstructured abstract in Spanish and English (maximum 200 words).

  • Keywords: Between 3 and 6 keywords in Spanish and English.

  • Replicability: The procedure must be described in sufficient detail so that it can be replicated by other researchers.

  • Validation: Authors must include validation, performance tests, or comparisons with reference methods when applicable.

  • Illustrations: A maximum of 4 tables or figures.

  • References: A maximum of 25 bibliographic references in Vancouver format.

  • Conflict of Interest: A conflict of interest declaration is required (especially in cases of relationships with manufacturers or suppliers).

  • Peer Review: Submissions undergo a double-blind peer review process by reviewers with expertise in laboratory methodology or related fields.

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor provide a space for scientific dialogue between the readership and the journal. They allow for commenting, discussing, or expanding upon the content of articles published in recent issues, as well as raising methodological observations, rebuttals to previous publications, or brief communications of scientific relevance.

Specific Policies:

  • Maximum Length: 600 words.

  • Abstract and Keywords: Not required.

  • References: A maximum of 5 bibliographic references in Vancouver format.

  • Illustrations: A maximum of 1 table or figure.

  • Referencing: When a letter comments on an article published in the journal, explicit reference must be made to it (title, authors, volume, year, DOI).

  • Right of Reply: The authors of the commented article shall have the right of reply, which will be published in the same or the following issue.

  • Authorship: A maximum of 3 signing authors.

  • Review Process: Submissions undergo editorial review; they may require peer review depending on the content.

  • Restrictions: Letters of a personal or promotional nature, or those that do not contribute scientific value, will not be accepted.

  • Conflict of Interest: A conflict of interest declaration is required.

Normas Técnicas

The Technical Standards section publishes documents that present, describe, or analyze guidelines, regulations, standards, or rules of relevance to scientific, clinical, or public health practice in Paraguay and the region. It may include adaptations or critical commentaries of international standards within the local context.

Specific Policies:

  • Length: Between 1,500 and 4,000 words.

  • Abstract: Unstructured abstract in Spanish and English (maximum 200 words).

  • Keywords: Between 3 and 6 keywords in Spanish and English.

  • Identification: The issuing body or institution of the standard and its scope of application must be clearly identified.

  • Adaptations: In the case of adaptations of international standards, the process and criteria used must be described.

  • References: A maximum of 30 bibliographic references in Vancouver format.

  • Conflict of Interest: A conflict of interest declaration is required.

  • Submission: The Editorial Committee may request documents of this type from regulatory bodies, academic institutions, or experts.

Conceptos Actuales

The Current Concepts section publishes articles that present or update definitions, theoretical frameworks, conceptual models, or emerging paradigms in the health sciences. Its purpose is to provide conceptual clarity on evolving topics or those used frequently but inconsistently in scientific literature.

Specific Policies:

  • Length: Between 2,000 and 4,000 words.

  • Abstract: Unstructured abstract in Spanish and English (maximum 200 words).

  • Keywords: Between 3 and 6 keywords in Spanish and English, selected from DeCS/MeSH terms.

  • Literature Review: Submissions must present a literature review that supports the proposed conceptual update.

  • References: A maximum of 40 bibliographic references in Vancouver format.

  • Illustrations: May include comparative tables or conceptual diagrams.

  • Declarations: A conflict of interest declaration and an author contribution statement according to CRediT are required.

  • Peer Review: Submissions undergo a double-blind peer review process.

Notas

The Notes section hosts brief publications of scientific interest that do not fully fit into other categories, such as: methodological notes, comments on incidental findings, health alerts, communications of epidemiological interest, or field observations with informative value for the scientific community.

Specific Policies:

  • Maximum Length: 1,000 words.

  • Abstract: Unstructured abstract in Spanish and English (maximum 100 words each).

  • Keywords: Between 3 and 5 keywords.

  • References: A maximum of 10 bibliographic references in Vancouver format.

  • Illustrations: A maximum of 1 table or figure.

  • Structure: Does not require a fixed structure, but must maintain clarity in its purpose, development, and conclusion.

  • Review Process: Subject to editorial review; depending on the content, peer review may be required.

  • Conflict of Interest: A conflict of interest declaration is required.

Articulo Especial

Special Articles are publications that, due to their exceptional nature, institutional relevance, timely subject matter, or innovative format, are invited or accepted by the Editorial Committee outside of the standard categories. These include consensus documents, institutional position statements, scientific tributes, or contributions of significant impact.

Specific Policies:

  • Authorship: Most Special Articles are published by invitation from the Editorial Committee.

  • Proposals: They may also be proposed by external authors; in such cases, acceptance is at the discretion of the Editorial Committee.

  • Format: The format, length, and structure are defined on a case-by-case basis in coordination with the authors and the editorial team.

  • Standards: Submissions must meet the journal's ethical and quality standards.

  • Conflict of Interest: A conflict of interest declaration is required.

  • Review Process: These articles may or may not be subject to external peer review, depending on editorial criteria.

  • Language: Published in Spanish and/or English.

Otros

The Others section includes contributions that do not fall into any of the categories defined by the journal, but which the Editorial Committee deems valuable to the scientific community. This category is used on an exceptional and discretionary basis.

Specific Policies:

  • Discretionary Publication: Publication is at the sole discretion of the Editorial Committee.

  • Format: The format and length will be agreed upon with the authors.

  • Ethical Standards: Submissions must comply with the general ethical requirements of the journal.

  • Conflict of Interest: A conflict of interest declaration is required.

  • Review Process: These contributions may or may not be subject to peer review, depending on the editorial decision.

Temas de interés

The Topics of Interest section publishes high-level scientific outreach articles, academic essays, and thematic analyses on aspects relevant to public health, clinical practice, or research in Paraguay and the region. Its purpose is to bridge scientific knowledge with the needs and realities of the local healthcare context.

Specific Policies:

  • Length: Between 1,500 and 3,500 words.

  • Abstract: Unstructured abstract in Spanish and English (maximum 200 words each).

  • Keywords: Between 3 and 6 keywords.

  • Structure: Does not require the IMRaD structure. It must include an Introduction, thematic development, and Conclusions.

  • References: A maximum of 30 bibliographic references in Vancouver format.

  • Illustrations: May include tables, figures, or infographics of the authors' own creation.

  • Submission: May be submitted spontaneously or requested by the Editorial Committee.

  • Review Process: Subject to editorial review and, when the topic warrants it, external peer review.

  • Conflict of Interest: A conflict of interest declaration is required.

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