Author Guidelines

Aims and Scope

"Basic & Clinical Cancer Research" of the Cancer Institute of Iran aims to publish the highest quality material, both basic and clinical, on all aspects of cancer. It includes articles related to research findings, technical evaluations, and reviews. In addition, it provides a forum for the exchange of information on all aspects of cancer, including educational issues. "Basic and Clinical Cancer Research" is an official journal of the Cancer Research Center of the Cancer Institute of Iran and is published quarterly. Each article type published by BCCR follows a specific format, as detailed in the corresponding instructions for authors. The instructions for authors include information about preparing a manuscript for submission to BCCR, criteria for publication and the online submission process.

Papers submitted to this journal which do not adhere to the Instructions to Authors will be returned for appropriate revision to be in line with the Instructions. They may then be resubmitted. Submission of an article implies that the work described has not been published previously (except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture or academic thesis), that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere, that its publication is approved by all authors and tacitly or explicitly by the responsible authorities where the work was carried out, and that, if accepted, it will not be published elsewhere in the same form, in English or in any other language, without the written consent of the publisher.

 Manuscript submission

All manuscripts should be submitted to the Editor’s Office via the journal’s web-based online manuscript submission and peer-review system at:

http://bccr.tums.ac.ir/index.php/bccrj 

http://www.bccrjournal.com/index.php/bccrj

The online system offers easy straightforward register, log-in and submission; eliminates the need to submit manuscripts as hard-copy printouts, disks, and/or e-mail attachments; and enables real-time tracking of manuscript status by the author.

All manuscripts submitted to the Journal are reviewed by the editor and in many instances also by members of the editorial board. Manuscripts that do not fulfill the needs of the Journal or which are determined not to meet its scientific standards are declined at this stage in the review process. Other manuscripts are sent out for expert peer review and a publication decision based on the result of at least two peer reviewers in the field.

Authors also can contact editorial office of journal through sending email to bccr@tums.ac.ir

Conditions of submission and publication policies

Manuscripts are reviewed with the understanding that:

• They are original;
• They are not under consideration by any other publisher;
• They have not been previously published in whole or in part;
• They have not been previously accepted for publication;
• They will not be submitted elsewhere until a decision is reached regarding their publication in the BCCR.

Manuscripts containing original material are accepted for consideration with the understanding that neither the article nor any part of its essential substance, tables, or figures has been or will be published or submitted for publication elsewhere. This restriction does not apply to abstracts or short press reports published in connection with scientific meetings.

Manuscript Style

All manuscripts should be double-spaced. Margins should be one inch (2.5cm) at the top, bottom and sides of the page. Font should be Times New Roman with size of 12 point. The main emphasis of the journal is on original research including Brief Communications, Correspondence Editorials, Invited Commentaries, Reviews, Case reports, Book Reviews and Thesis Abstracts will also be considered. Page proofs are sent to the corresponding author for approval prior to publication.

 Sections of the manuscript

 Original articles should be divided into the following sections:

(1) Title page, (2) Abstract and Keywords, (3) Introduction, (4) Methods, (5) Results, (6) Discussion, (7) Conclusions, (8) Acknowledgements, (9) References, (10) Figure legends, (11) Tables, (12) Figures, and (13) Appendices.

Manuscripts reporting initial results of innovative research that deserve immediate dissemination before finalization. Brief communications should follow the IMRaD style (Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion) and should have a structured abstract (Background, Methods, Results and Conclusion).

Word count: up to 1500.

Structured Abstract: up to 300.

Tables/Illustrations: up to 2.

References: 10-20.

Title page

 title page should include the following: (1) the title, (2) the name (s) of authors and their highest degree ( no more than 12 authors are acceptable), (3) the institution (s) where work was performed, (4) institution, and location of all authors, (5) the address, telephone number, fax number and e-mail address of the corresponding author.

Abstract

The second page of the manuscript must contain only the Abstract and keywords. The abstract should be structured under the following headings: Background; Methods; Results; Conclusions; and Keywords. Reference citations should be avoided. The abstract should be no longer than 300 words. Authors should provide a maximum of 6 Keywords or short phrases that follow Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) list of Index Medicus.

Figures 

The review process will not begin until all figures are received. Figures should be limited to the number necessary for clarity and must not duplicate data given in tables or in the text. They must be suitable for high quality reproduction and should be submitted in the desired final printed size so that reduction can be avoided. Figures should be no larger than 125 (height) × 180 (width) mm (5× 7 inches) and should be submitted in a separate file from that of the manuscript.

Electronic submission of figures 

Figures should be saved in TIFF format at a resolution of at least 300 pixels per inch at the final printed size for colour figures and photographs, and 1200 pixels per inch for black and white line drawings. Although some other formats can be translated into TIFF format by the publisher, the conversion may alter the tones, resolution and contrast of the image. Digital colour art should be submitted in CMYK rather than RGB format, as the printing process requires colours to be separated into CMYK and this conversion can alter the intensity and brightness of colours. Therefore authors should be satisfied with the colours in CMYK (both on screen and when printed) before submission. Please also keep in mind that colours can appear differently on different screens and printers. Failure to follow these guides could result in complications and delays. 

Photographs

Photographs should be of sufficiently high quality with respect to detail, contrast and fineness of grain to withstand the inevitable loss of contrast and detail inherent in the printing process. Please indicate the magnification by a rule on the photograph. Colour figures: There is a special charge for the inclusion of colour figures. Figure legends: These should be on a separate, numbered manuscript sheet grouped under the heading "Legends" on a separate sheet of the manuscript after the References. Define all symbols and abbreviations used in the figure. All abbreviations and should be redefined in the legend.

Tables

Tables should be typed with double spacing, but minimizing redundant space and each should be placed on a separate sheet. Tables should be submitted, wherever possible, in portraits, as opposed to landscape, layout. Each Table should be numbered in sequence using Arabic numerals. Tables should also have a title above and an explanatory footnote below. All abbreviations and should be redefined in the Footnote. 

Acknowledgment

All sources of funding and support, and substantive contributions of individuals, should be noted in the Acknowledgements, positioned before the list of references.

References

References must be numbered consecutively as they are cited (Vancouver style). Authors should use Endnote or Reference Manager for preparing their reference list. References first cited in tables or figure legends must be numbered so that they will be in sequence with references cited in the text. Only articles, datasets, clinical trial registration records and abstracts that have been published or are in press, or are available through public e-print/preprint servers, may be cited; unpublished abstracts, unpublished data and personal communications should not be included in the reference list, but may be included in the text and referred to as "unpublished observations" or "personal communications" giving the names of the involved researchers. Obtaining permission to quote personal communications and unpublished data from the cited colleagues is the responsibility of the author. Please avoid excessive referencing. List all authors when there are six or fewer; when there are seven or more, list the first three, then 'et al'.

 Citation samples are as follows:

• Standard journal article: Gillespie NC, Lewis RJ, Pearn JH, Bourke ATC, Holmes MJ, Bourke JB, et al. Ciguatera in Australia: occurrence, clinical features, pathophysiology and management. Med J Aust. 1986;145:584-90.
• Article in a foreign language: Include English translation of original title in parentheses.
• Book reference: Beiki O. Cancer and Migration: Epidemiological Studies on Relationship Between Country of Birth, Socio-economic Position and Cancer. Stockholm, Sweden: Omid Beiki; 2010.
• Chapter in a book: Beiki O, Brigitta S, Moradi T. Country reports: Sweden. In: Razum O, Spallek J, Reeske A, Arnold M, editors. Migration-sensitive Cancer Registration in Europe: Challenges and Potentials. Frankfurt: Peter Lang International Academic Publishers; 2011. p. 106-23.
• Conference paper: Harley NH. Comparing radon daughter dosimetric and risk models. In: Gammage RB, Kaye SV, editors. Indoor air and human health. Proceedings of the Seventh Life Sciences Symposium; 1984 Oct 29-31; Knoxville (TN). Chelsea (MI): Lewis, 1985:69-78.
• Dissertation: Khoshknab YP. Dietary and Genetic Determinants of Iron Status [dissertation]. London: King's College London; 2007.
• Website: Federal Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs, Austria: http://www.bmags.gv.at Accessed [Date (i.e. date reference item accessed on organization website)].

The number of references used in a paper are limited to the following:

Original Articles: 15-60

Brief Reports: 10-20

Letters: 3-5

 Original Articles

Original articles should be between 3000 and 4000 words with no more than 6 tables or figures.

Original articles should be presented in the following format: title page; abstract with keywords; introduction; methods; results; discussion; acknowledgements; conflicts of interest; references; tables (each table on a separate page, complete with title and footnotes); figure legends; figures.

Review Articles

Manuscripts reporting exhaustive, critical assessments of published literature on relevant epidemiological questions. Reviews should be prepared in strict compliance with MOOSE or PRISMA guidelines or with Cochrane's complementary guidelines for systematic reviews of health promotion and public health interventions. The journal encourages authors to use alternative databases covering scientific literature from low- and middle-income countries not indexed in the traditional international databases (ie, Medline, Web of Science).

Word count: up to 4500.
Structured abstract: up to 350.
Tables/Illustrations: up to 5.
References: 40-100.

Case or Technical Reports

Case (technical) reports submitted to BCCR should make a contribution to knowledge and must have educational value or highlight the need for a change in practice or approaches. Case (technical) reports should include an up-to-date review of all previous cases in the field and should include a description on how the case is rare or unusual as well as its educational merits. Case (technical) report should follow Introduction, Case Reports, and Discussion style and should have an unstructured abstract. Case (technical) report submissions will be assessed by the Editors and will be sent for peer review if considered appropriate for the journal.

Word count: up to 1500.
Abstract: up to 300.
Tables/Illustrations: up to 4.
References: 10-20.

 Brief Reports

Manuscripts reporting initial results of innovative research that deserve immediate dissemination before finalization. Short Reports or Communications should follow the IMRaD style (Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion) and should have a structured abstract (Background, Methods, Results and Conclusion).

Word count: up to 1500.
Structured Abstract: up to 300.
Tables/Illustrations: up to 2.
References: 10-20.

 Editorials

Editorials are usually commissioned, but we are happy to consider and peer review unsolicited editorials.

Word count: up to 1200.
Tables/Illustrations: 1.
References: up to 12.

 Letter to the Editor

Letters to the Editor are expected to include original data or substantiated comments or criticism arising from recent articles published in the journal. Letters should be prepared in direct response to articles published in the journal, should include reference to the published paper in the letter

Word count: up to 400 words.
Tables/ Illustrations: 1.
References: up to 5.

 Conflict of Interest

At the point of submission, BCCR’s policy requires that each author reveal any financial interests or connections, direct or indirect, or other situations that might raise the question of bias in the work reported. As an integral part of the online submission process, Corresponding authors are required to confirm whether they or their co-authors have any conflicts of interest to declare, and to provide details of these.

If the manuscript is published, Conflict of Interest information will be communicated in a statement in the published paper.

 Funding

Details of all funding sources for the work in question should be given in a separate section entitled 'Funding'. This should appear before the 'Acknowledgements' section.

The following rules should be followed:

• The sentence should begin: ‘This work was supported by …’