Instruction to Authors
‘The Journal of Acupuncture and Moxibustion’ Instructions to Authors
I. Aims and Scope
The Journal of Acupuncture and Moxibustion (JAM), founded by The Japan Society of Acupuncture and Moxibustion (JSAM), is an official online journal published in English. JAM is a peer-reviewed journal that seeks to increase understanding of acupuncture and moxibustion and their benefits on patient care through the publication of original and innovative papers on acupuncture and moxibustion from both members and non-members of the JSAM. Contributions may include clinical and basic research on acupuncture and moxibustion, as well as clinical applications. JAM welcomes articles on acupuncture research, education, ethics, law, history, society, and culture.
II. Editorial review and Acceptance
The acceptance criteria for all papers are the novelty, quality, and originality of the research and their significance to our readership. Except where otherwise stated, manuscripts are double-blind peer-reviewed by two anonymous reviewers and the Editor. The final decision on the manuscript rests with the Editorial Board, which reserves the right to refuse any material for publication. Manuscripts should be written in a clear, concise, and direct style. Where contributions are judged as acceptable for publication on the basis of content, the Editor and the Publisher reserve the right to modify typescripts to eliminate ambiguity and repetition and improve communication between author and reader. If extensive alterations are required, the manuscript will be returned to the author for revision.
III. Pre-submission resources
1. Contribution qualifications
JAM welcomes manuscript submissions from authors based anywhere in the world.
2. Copyright and licensing
JAM is fully Open Access and uses a Creative Commons (CC) license to publish articles, which allows users to use, reuse and build upon the material published in the journal without charge or the need to ask prior permission from the publisher or author, within the stated conditions of the license. Authors are required to assign all copyrights in the work to the JSAM, who then publish the work under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 (Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International). This license allows users to share unmodified articles, non-commercially, as long as appropriate credit is given.
Some funding bodies require articles funded by them to be published under a specific Creative Commons license. Before submitting your work to the journal, check with the relevant funding bodies to ensure that you comply with any mandates.
3. Ethical Considerations
(1) Human Studies
Authors must state that the protocol for the research project has been approved by a suitably constituted Ethics Committee of the institution within which the work was undertaken and that it conforms to the provisions of the Declaration of Helsinki (as revised in 2013), available at: https://www.wma.net/what-wedo/medical-ethics/declaration-of-helsinki/.
The authors must state the full name and the institution of the review committee with the approval number in the Disclosure section of their manuscript using the following phrases:
The protocol for this research project has been approved by a suitably constituted Ethics Committee of the institution and it conforms to the provisions of the Declaration of Helsinki. Committee of xxxx, Approval No. xxxx. (If cases are involved). All informed consent was obtained from the subject(s) and/or guardian(s). The journal retains the right to reject any manuscript based on unethical conduct of either human or animal studies. All investigations on human subjects must include a statement that the subject gave informed consent. Patient anonymity should be preserved. Photographs need to be cropped sufficiently to prevent human subjects being recognized (or an eye bar should be used).
In general, submission of a clinical study as well as a case report should be accompanied by the written consent of the subject (or parent/guardian) before publication; this is particularly important where photographs are to be used or in cases where the unique nature of the incident reported makes it possible for the patient to be identified.
(2) Animal Studies
Any experiments involving animals must be demonstrated to be ethically acceptable and, where relevant, conform to national guidelines for animal use in research (https://arriveguidelines.org/arrive-guidelines). For experimental animals, specify the species, strain number used, and other pertinent descriptive characteristics. When describing surgical procedures on animals, identify the preanesthetic and anesthetic agents used. The author must state the above in the disclosure section using the following phrases: All animal experiments were conducted following the national guidelines and the relevant national laws on the protection of animals.
The JSAM retains the right to reject any manuscript based on unethical conduct of either human or animal studies.
(3) Secondary Publication
Secondary publication in the same or another language, especially in other countries, is justifiable, and can be beneficial, provided all of the following conditions are met:
1) The authors have received approval from the editors of both journals (the editor concerned with secondary publication must have access to the primary version).
2) The priority of the primary publication is respected by a publication interval negotiated by both editors with the authors.
3) The paper for secondary publication is intended for a different group of readers (an abbreviated version could be sufficient).
4) The secondary version faithfully reflects the authors, data and interpretations of the primary version.
5) The secondary version informs readers, peers, and documenting agencies that the paper has been published in whole or in part elsewhere . for example, with a note that might read, “This article is based on a study first reported in the [journal title, with full reference]” . and the secondary version cites the primary reference.
6) The title of the secondary publication should indicate that it is a secondary publication (complete or abridged republication or translation) of a primary publication.
Articles submitted for secondary publication will undergo the same review process as articles not previously published. The manuscript will be reviewed in the same manner as other categories.
(4) Authorship
The JSAM follows the recommendations formulated by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors regarding criteria for authorship. Accordingly, each person listed as an author or coauthor for a submitted manuscript must meet all four criteria. An author or coauthor shall have:
1) Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work, or acquisition, analysis or interpretation of data for the work.
2) Drafting the work or reviewing it critically for important intellectual content.
3) Final approval of the version to be published.
4) 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.
Meeting these criteria should provide each author with sufficient knowledge of and participation in the work that he or she can accept public responsibility for the report. Persons who do not meet the above four criteria should be mentioned in the acknowledgment section. The corresponding author must state in the cover letter that all authors in the manuscript have met these criteria. At the end of the paper, we require a statement of the contribution of each author.
(5) Clinical trial registry
We strongly recommend, as a condition of consideration for publication, registration in a public trials registry. Registration in a public trial registry is a condition of consideration for publication. Trials must be registered at or before the onset of patient enrollment. This policy applies to any clinical trial commencing enrollment after January 1, 2006. For trials that began enrollment before this date, we request registration by April 1, 2006, before considering the trial for publication. A clinical trial is defined as any research project that prospectively assigns human subjects to intervention or comparison groups to study the cause-and-effect relationship between a medical intervention and a health outcome. Studies designed for other purposes, such as to study pharmacokinetics or major toxicity (e.g., phase 1 trials) are exempt. We do not advocate one particular registry, but registration must be with a registry that meets the following minimum criteria:
1) accessible to the public at no charge;
2) searchable by standard, electronic (Internet-based) methods;
3) open to all prospective registrants free of charge or at minimal cost;
4) validates registered information;
5) identifies trials with a unique number; and
6) includes information on the investigator(s), research question or hypothesis, methodology, intervention and comparisons, eligibility criteria, primary and secondary outcomes measured, date of registration, anticipated or actual start date, anticipated or actual date of last follow-up, target number of subjects, status (anticipated, ongoing or closed) and funding source(s). We prefer that each trial be registered with each country’s trials registry organization and that is registered with the International Clinical Trial Registry Platform (ICTRP), known as the WHO Primary Registry.
(6) Randomized controlled trials
Reporting of randomized controlled trials should follow the guidelines of the CONSORT Statement: http://www.consort-statement.org.
IV. Manuscript category
1. Original Articles: Full-length reports of current research in either basic or clinical science are considered. New, significant, innovative, and original findings are suitable.
2. Short Communications: Papers containing new findings and important data that will substantially and immediately affect research or clinical practice but derived from incomplete or partial studies are considered.
3. Case Reports: New observations, clinical findings or novel/unique treatment outcomes relevant to practitioners are considered. Only cases of exceptional interest and novelty are suitable.
4. Review Articles [including by invitation from editors]: Reviews should be overview articles related to other authors’ original research. Reviews are usually solicited by the editor, but author(s) wishing to submit unsolicited reviews are requested to consult with the Editors at the earliest possible stage, i.e. before commencement.
5. Letters to the Editor: Letters comment about articles recently published in the Journal, or describe short clinical observations or opinions.
| Manuscript category | Word limit (words) | Figures & Tables | Key Words | Abstract (words) | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Original Articles | 3,000 | 8 | 5 | 400 | Unlimited |
| Short Communications | 1,500 | 2 | 3 | 400 | 5 |
| Case Reports | 1,000 | 6 | 5 | 400 | 15 |
| Review Articles | 5,000 | 8 | 8 | 400 | Unlimited |
| Letters to the Editor | 1,000 | － | 3 | － | 5 |
V．Preparation of Manuscripts
1. Cover letter
Manuscripts must be accompanied by a cover letter including briefly a summarized statement of the background, object, and significance of the research in English. Authors who are less familiar with English usage are required to have the manuscript checked by English-speaking colleagues. Any special considerations (e.g., secondary publication) relating to the paper being submitted should also be mentioned.
2. Title and Abstract
(1) Abbreviations must not be used in the title or abstract.
(2) Abstract structure
1) Original Articles and Short communication: this should be structured with Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion
2) Case report: Introduction, Case Presentation, and Discussion
3) Review Articles: The first sub-heading should be titled ‘Objective/Background’ and the last sub-heading should be titled ‘Conclusion.’ Any titles are fine for the second, third, and fourth sub-headings.
3. Main text
(1) Main text structure
1) Original Articles and Short communication: Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, Acknowledgements, Authors ’ Contributions, Funding statement, Conflicts of Interest (COI), References, table, and figure legends.
2) Case report: Introduction, Case Presentation, Discussion, Conclusion, Acknowledgements, COI, References, table, and figure legends.
3) Review Articles: Objective/Background for the first sub-heading and Conclusion for the last sub-heading. Any titles are fine for the second, third and fourth sub-headings. Additionally, subsequent text should continue in the order of Acknowledgments, Authors’ Contributions, Funding statement, COI, References, table, and figure legends.
(2) Units
The following units should be used: length (m, cm, mm, μm, nm), mass (kg, g, mg, μg, ng, pg, mol, mmol, μmol, nmol), volume (L, mL, μL), time (ms, s, min, h, d), temperature (oC, K), radiation (Bq, Ci, dpm, Gy, rad), and concentration (M, mM, mol/l, mmol/l, mg/ml, μg/ml, ng/ml, pg/ml, %, % (v/v), % (w/v), ppm, ppb).
Otherwise, SI or SI-derived units should be used. More information on SI units is available at the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM) website.
(3) Notation of Acupuncture Points and Size of Acupuncture Needles
Notation of acupuncture points and locations are based on “WHO Standard Acupuncture Point Locations in the Western Pacific Region (2008).” In the first appearance of an acupoint in the text, its name should be described, for example, as ST36 (Zusanli), but for the second appearance and hereafter, only the description of ST36 is required.
For example, pre-sterilized disposable acupuncture needle (0.3-mm diameter, 60-mm length) was inserted into the acupoint BL23 (Shenshu).
(4) Numbering system Numbering of the sections should be made in the following order:
I, II, III. …
1., 2., 3. …
(1), (2), (3) …
1), 2), 3) …
(5) Words and phrases repeatedly used in a paper may be abbreviated, provided that in the first appearance, the official usage of the word or phrase must be written followed by the abbreviation in parentheses. For example, activity of daily living (ADL) ･･･
(6) Significance probability is designated by an uppercase and italic ‘P.’ The abbreviation of “not sig nificant” shall be ‘n.s.’
(7) Format of plural references in the text should be as follows:
For two consecutive references, use superscript (1/4 font size) and write in a way as “….13, 14).”
For three consecutive references, use superscript (1/4 font size) and write in a way as “….13-16).”
When singular and consecutive literatures are intermingled､use superscript (1/4 font size) and write in a way as “….13-15, 19) .
4. General considerations related to references; References
The Vancouver system of referencing should be used (examples are given below). In the text, references should be cited using superscript Arabic numerals in the order in which they appear. If cited in tables or figure legends, number according to the first identification of the table or figure in the text. Authors are responsible for the accuracy of the references. In the reference list, cite the names of all authors when there are six or fewer; when seven or more, list the first six, followed by et al. Do not use ibid. or op cit. References to unpublished data and personal communications should not appear in the list, but should be cited in the text only (e.g., Smith A, 2000, unpublished data). All citations mentioned in the text, tables or figures must be listed in the reference list. Names of journals should be abbreviated in the style used in Index Medicus.
(1) Journal articles (2) Books (3) Chapter in a Book (4) Electronic Materials International Organization for Standardization. “How ISO develops standards.” International Organization for Standardization. (5) Articles not in English 5. Tables and Figures
(1) Table(s) (2) Figure(s) 1) All illustrations (line drawings and photographs) are classified as figures. Figures should be cited in consecutive order in the text. Each figure should be supplied as a separate file, with the figure number incorporated in the file name. Magnifications should be indicated using a scale bar on the illustration. If figures have been reproduced from another source, a letter from the copyright holder (usually the Publisher), stating authorization to reproduce the material, must be attached to the cover letter.
2) Resolution: Figures should be supplied as high resolution, saved as .eps or .tiff. Halftone figures must be at least 300 dpi (dots per inch), color figures at least 300 dpi saved as CMYK, figures containing text at least 400 dpi, and line figures at least 1,000 dpi. Digital images supplied only as low-resolution files cannot be used for publication.
3) Line figures: Must be sharp, black and white graphs or diagrams, drawn professionally or with a computer graphics package.
4) Figure legends: Type figure legends on a separate page. Legends should be concise but comprehensive- the figure and its legend must be understandable without reference to the text. Include definitions of any symbols used and define/explain all abbreviations and units of measurement.
6. Authors can read the proofs only one time.
7. Author conflicts of interest 1. Article processing charge (APC) 2. Value Added Tax 3. Refund policy [Contact us] To contact the Editorial Office or the Editor-in-Chief, please write to:
Schlaeger JM, Glayzer JE, Villegas-Downs M, Li H, Glayzer EJ, He Y, et al. Evaluation and Treatment of Vulvodynia: State of the Science. J Midwifery Womens Health. 2023; 68(1): 9-34. doi: 10.1111/jmwh.13456.
Stephen AM, Tom M. Differential recruitment of pre-mRNA splicing factors to alternatively spliced transcripts in vivo. PLoS Biol. 2005; 3(11): e374. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.0030374.
Frenkel, D.; Smit, B. Understanding Molecular Simulation: From Algorithms to Applications. 3rd ed. Massachusetts. Academic Press, 2023: 752 p.
*Append “p” after the page number to indicate that it is the total number of pages.
Ito K. The geist in the institute: The production of quantum physicists in 1930s Japan, Pedagogy and the practice of science. Kaiser D, ed. Massachusetts. MIT Press. 2005: 151-84.
http://www.iso.org/iso/about/how_iso_develops_standards.htm (accessed 2024-02-01)
Munera-Campos M, Bielsa I, Martinez-Morillo M, Aparicio G, Olive A, Ferrandiz C. Manifestationen, Krankheitsverlauf und prognostische Parameter bei kutaner Polyarteriitis nodosa. J Dtsch Dermatol Ges. 2020; 18(11): 1250-60. doi: 10.1111/ddg.14271_g. [in German]
Tables should be self-contained and complement, but not duplicate, information contained in the text. Number tables consecutively in the text in Arabic numerals. Type tables on a separate page with the legend above. Legends should be concise but comprehensive . the tables, legends and footnotes must be understandable without reference to the text. Vertical lines should not be used to separate columns. Column headings should be brief, with units of measurement in parentheses; all abbreviations must be defined in footnotes. Footnote symbols: †, ‡, §, and ¶, should be used (in that order) and *, **, and *** should be reserved for P-values. Statistical measures such as SD or SEM should be identified in the headings. Use a tab, not spaces, to separate data points in tables. If you use a table editor function, ensure that each data point is contained within a unique cell (i.e. do not use carriage returns within cells).
When submitting a manuscript, authors must declare a conflict of interest(s) (COI) in accordance with the JSAM guidelines. The relevant portion(s) should be described in the “Self-reported Potential Conflict of Interest Disclosure Statement (Form 2-2) and uploaded upon first submission of the manuscriptVI. Charge
As an Open Access title, publishing an article in this journal requires an Article Processing Charge (APC) that will be billed to the submitting author following acceptance. Apart from this Article Processing Charge there are no other fees. The JSAM covers part or all of the article-processing charge (APC) for papers submitted to the journal. If the first author is a member of the JSAM, the JSAM will cover the full APC. The discounted APC for non-members is USD 1,500.
The JSAM is based in Japan and must charge a 10% consumption tax (VAT) on qualifying transactions. Where applicable, the VAT will be added to the APC fees indicated above. Japanese VAT applies when we supply services to individuals or organizations based in Japan. Transactions with VAT-registered individuals or organizations based outside Japan are outside the scope of Japanese VAT.
Once an article has been accepted for publication, an Article Processing Charge is due. The submitting author assumes responsibility for the Article Processing Charge, and the JSAM will not issue refunds of any kind.’
Editorial Office
The Japan Society of Acupuncture and Moxibustion
3-4-5 Kudanminami, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0074 Japan
Tel: +81-3-6272-3960, Fax: +81-3-6272-3961
E-mail: editorial-office@jsam.jp
For other matters, write to: honbu@jsam.jp