Frequently Asked Questions

We have compiled a list of frequently asked questions we often get from authors.

Is the journal indexed in PubMed and MEDLINE?

Yes, papers are submitted to PubMed and PubMed Central for indexing immediately after publication. The journal is also currently indexed for MEDLINE from 2014.

Is there a publication fee?

Yes. We will charge a one-off fee of 1,375 GBP, with the exact quote depending on the nature of your article. We will confirm the exact amount within 24 hours of your submission to ensure you are happy to proceed. We can only provide a quote once we have received your manuscript and assessed its administrative workload, but this will not exceed the stated amount above. The paper may then be submitted for peer-review. If your paper is not accepted for publication, we will fully refund your money. There is also a "no questions asked" 100% refund policy if authors wish to withdraw their paper for whatever reason (and any time before the paper is accepted for publication) if they have made a payment. Please note that we will fully refund your money as we receive. We will not take any responsibility If PayPal charges the refund money for any reason (e.g., foreign exchange rates or service fees,...).

IJME offers waivers and discounts to corresponding authors based in low- and middle-income countries. The corresponding authors from these countries should request a waiver or discount for their submissions.

What is the review policy?

All submissions will undergo a rigorous, fair and prompt peer review. Papers are reviewed by two or three referees who have good knowledge and experience of the topic. All manuscripts will be reviewed anonymously. Our initial editorial review process (assessing scope and suitability for external review) takes less than a week and you will be notified as such if the editors do not find your paper suitable so you can submit your manuscript elsewhere as quickly as possible. The journal follows a double-blind review process. However, if you do not anonymise your manuscript before submission, the author names will be visible to reviewers. We strongly encourage you to anonymise your manuscript for peer review.The external peer review process takes approximately 4-6 weeks. The overall publication process however is usually around 3-5 months.

When will papers be published after acceptance?

Once a paper is accepted for publication, it takes approximately two weeks to be published. However, this depends on how quickly authors respond to the proofs.

What is the journal’s ethical approval policy?

The journal does not consider papers that require ethical approval if this has not been obtained. All research studies should be reviewed by an appropriate Research Ethics committee or Institutional Review Board (IRB) in the author’s institution. A statement must also appear in the Methods section of the manuscript, including the name of the body which gave approval. If ethical approval was not required, authors should comprehensively explain why it was not required. If authors do not have access to an ethics committee they need to explain in the manuscript how they have dealt with ethical issues for study participants. For example, studies could use consent forms that deal with participant safety, privacy and confidentiality and should be aware of protecting vulnerable participants and equality issues.

What is the formal structure of the journal?

Structured abstract must be ≤ 250 words: Objectives, Methods, Results, Conclusions. Do not include the context of the study in "Objectives". The main text should be organised with the formal structure: Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion. The following subheadings can clarify the methodology described: Study Design, Participants, Sample size and sampling Methods, Data Collection, Data Analysis.

How to format in-text references and end references according to IJME?

When inserting references into the text of a paper the reference number should be placed as a superscript at the end of the sentence to which it refers, after the full stop. If the reference number is within the sentence, make sure that it is also a superscript. References must be formatted according to IJME guidelines. For further detail, please read the author guidelines. Alternatively, please look at the research articles in IJME in order to organise the reference list according to the journal. References may be managed using EndNote (style: Intl J Med Educ) or other reference managers. Please make sure the references provided are correct and fully addressed.

When listing references at the end of a paper please make sure each reference is correct in terms of authors, title, journal, volume, issue and pages. Please visit PubMed and check each reference is using the correct journal abbreviation. Providing a correct reference list will speed up the publication process.

What disciplines are considered by IJME?

All medical and professional health educators can submit their papers to IJME, including veterinary education, dentistry education, nursing and midwifery education, pharmacy education, and physiotherapy education.

What is the line spacing of manuscripts?

Manuscripts should be double-spaced. Tables and figures are not required to be double-spaced, but the reference list should be double-spaced.

What are the main reasons for rejecting manuscripts without sending them to referees?

The editors will reject papers if they are not important to the study of education in the medical and health professions; do not contribute to a body of existing knowledge; are poorly organised; are mainly descriptive without any critical analysis; or have a poor study size, an inappropriate methodology or if the discussion section is not based on the study results,

What do I need to do if I cannot find the answer to my question in FAQs?

Please make sure you read through our author guidelines. Alternatively, get in touch with our editorial team.

As a non-native English speaker, my English is not as fluent as a native speaker of English. Does the Journal decline papers just because of English issues?

No, however, we strongly encourage non-native English speakers to ask a native speaker of English to proofread and edit their papers. Good English will help our reviewers to read the paper more easily. We do not recommend commercial companies for editing and proofreading of papers.