Quick Navigation

Information

Keywords

Laboratory Medicine Clinical Pathology Hematology Clinical Biochemistry Medical Microbiology Molecular Diagnostics Immunopathology Histopathology Transfusion Medicine Laboratory Informatics

Author Guidelines

P-ISSN: 3117-8065 | E-ISSN: 3117-8073

Author Instructions & Submission Guidelines

The ICME Journal of Laboratory Medicine welcomes original, scientifically rigorous, ethically conducted, and previously unpublished manuscripts in clinical pathology, hematology, clinical biochemistry, medical microbiology, immunology, molecular diagnostics, molecular pathology, and allied laboratory medicine disciplines.

Authors should carefully follow all applicable submission, ethical, technical, and formatting requirements before submitting a manuscript. These guidelines are informed by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) Recommendations, the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices, and the transparency principles reflected in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) criteria.

Scope & Journal Focus

ICME Journal of Laboratory Medicine considers scholarly work that contributes to advancements in diagnostic laboratory procedures, clinical pathology, biomarker discovery, laboratory automation, quality management, point-of-care testing, and diagnostic technology evaluation. Interdisciplinary studies addressing diagnostic precision and lab-based research are highly encouraged.

Accepted Manuscript Categories

Original Laboratory Research Method Validation & Evaluation Review Articles Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses Case Reports & Lab Diagnostic Series Short Communications Technical Reports & Innovations Editorials & Perspectives

Standard Manuscript Structure (IMRAD Format)

Original research articles should generally follow the standard IMRAD structure. The title page must be uploaded separately, and the main manuscript file must be anonymized to support double-blind peer review:

1. Separate Title Page

2. Structured Abstract

3. Keywords (4–6 MeSH Terms)

4. Introduction

5. Materials & Methods

6. Results

7. Discussion & Limitations

8. Conclusion

9. CRediT Author Statement

10. Funding & Competing Interests

11. Ethics Approval & Consent

12. Data Availability

13. Vancouver References

14. Tables & Figures

1. Separate Title Page Requirements

✓ Article title, running title of up to 50 characters, and manuscript category.

✓ Full author names, institutional affiliations, and ORCID iDs where available.

✓ Corresponding author details, including institutional email address, postal address, and telephone number where required.

✓ Funding sources, grant numbers, acknowledgments, and competing-interest disclosures.

2. Anonymized Main Manuscript File

✓ Must not contain author names, affiliations, email addresses, acknowledgments, or other identifying information.

✓ Avoid self-identifying language in citations and remove author metadata, comments, and tracked changes.

✓ Include a structured abstract with appropriate headings such as Background, Objective, Methods, Results, and Conclusion.

✓ Provide four to six keywords selected, where possible, from the NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH).

ICMJE Authorship Criteria

Each listed author must satisfy all four ICMJE authorship criteria: substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work or to the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data; drafting the work or revising it critically; approving the final version for publication; and accepting accountability for the integrity of the work.

Contributors who do not meet all authorship criteria should be acknowledged with their permission and their contributions described appropriately. Guest, gift, and ghost authorship are not permitted.

Required Submission File Checklist

1. Cover Letter

2. Separate Title Page

3. Anonymized Manuscript

4. Editable Tables

5. High-Resolution Figures

6. Reporting Checklist

7. Ethics Approval Document

8. ICMJE Disclosure Forms

Submissions missing required or applicable files may be returned to the authors during the initial editorial screening.

Article Type Limits & Manuscript Specifications

Main-text word limits generally exclude the abstract, references, tables, figure legends, acknowledgments, and supplementary materials. Editors may approve reasonable exceptions when justified by the nature or complexity of the work:

Manuscript Category	Main Text Word Count	Abstract Limit	Keywords	Max References	Max Tables/Figures
Original Research / Pathology Research	3,000–5,000 words	Up to 300 words (Structured)	4–6 MeSH	Up to 50	Up to 8
Review Article	4,000–7,000 words	Up to 300 words (Unstructured)	4–6 MeSH	Up to 100	Up to 10
Systematic Review / Meta-Analysis	4,000–7,000 words	Up to 350 words (Structured)	4–6 MeSH	As Required	Up to 10
Case Report / Lab Diagnostic Series	1,500–2,500 words	Up to 250 words (Structured)	3–6 MeSH	Up to 25	Up to 5
Short Communication / Tech Report	1,500–2,500 words	Up to 250 words (Structured)	3–6 MeSH	Up to 30	Up to 4
Method Validation Article	2,500–4,500 words	Up to 300 words (Structured)	4–6 MeSH	Up to 50	Up to 6
Editorial / Commentary	1,000–2,000 words	Not Required	Optional	Up to 20	Up to 2

Reporting Guidelines & Methodological Rigor

✓ STARD: Required for diagnostic accuracy studies.

✓ STROBE: Required for observational diagnostic studies.

✓ PRISMA: Required for systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

✓ CARE / ARRIVE: Required for laboratory case studies and animal research studies, respectively.

Vancouver Citation Style

References should follow the Vancouver citation style. Citations must be numbered consecutively according to their first appearance in the text and presented using Arabic numerals in square brackets, such as [1].

General format: Author names. Article title. Abbreviated journal title. Year;Volume(Issue):Page range. Where required by journal style, list the first six authors followed by et al.

Specialized Laboratory & Figure Requirements

Case Report Patient Consent Case reports must include written informed consent for publication from the patient or an authorized representative. Identifying information must be protected in accordance with applicable ethical and privacy requirements.

Clinical Trial & Assay Registration Clinical studies and diagnostic trials must be prospectively registered in a publicly accessible WHO ICTRP-recognized registry or ClinicalTrials.gov. The registration number should be included in the abstract and manuscript.

Microscopy & High-Res Figures Histopathology images, microscopy slides, electrophoretic gel images, and figures should be submitted in high quality (min. 300 dpi for raster images). Staining methods, magnification bars, and proper calibrations must be clearly specified.

Research Ethics & Approval Statements

✓ Identify the approving research ethics committee or institutional review board (IRB) and provide the approval reference number.

✓ State that research involving human specimens or clinical data was conducted in accordance with ethical standards and the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.

✓ Animal research studies must identify the approving animal ethics body and comply with ARRIVE reporting guidelines.

Generative AI Disclosure Requirements

✓ Disclose the use of generative AI tools, including the tool name, version, purpose, and extent of use, in the manuscript.

× Artificial intelligence tools cannot be credited as authors or coauthors because they cannot assume responsibility or accountability for the work.

✓ Human authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, citations, and conclusions of all submitted content.

Double-Blind Peer Review Process

Research submissions that pass initial editorial screening undergo double-blind peer review by at least two independent laboratory medicine experts. Authors submitting revised manuscripts must provide a detailed point-by-point response explaining how all comments were addressed.

No-Fee Open Access & APC Transparency

ICME Journal of Laboratory Medicine operates as a gold open access journal with a USD 0.00 Article Processing Charge (APC). Authors are not charged submission, processing, publication, or mandatory page fees. Because no APC is charged, an APC waiver is not required.

Mandatory Pre-Submission Checklist

Confirm all applicable items before submitting your manuscript through the online submission system:

✓ The manuscript is original, unpublished, and not under consideration by another journal.

✓ All listed authors meet applicable ICMJE criteria and approved the submitted version.

✓ A separate title page and a fully anonymized main manuscript have been prepared.

✓ Ethics approval details and informed-consent documentation are included where applicable.

✓ Funding information and competing-interest disclosures are provided.

✓ An appropriate Data Availability Statement is included in the manuscript.

✓ References follow Vancouver style accurately.

✓ Tables and figures are numbered, captioned, cited, and submitted in high quality.

✓ The relevant reporting checklist, such as STARD or STROBE, is attached where applicable.

✓ Any use of generative artificial intelligence tools has been disclosed transparently.

Related Journal Policies

Authors should read the following policies together with these submission guidelines:

Peer Review Policy APC Policy & Waivers Copyright & Licensing Policy Open Access Policy Authorship Criteria Conflict of Interest Policy Data Availability Policy Generative AI Policy Publication Ethics Policy Corrections & Retractions Policy Disclaimer

Author Responsibility: Authors remain responsible for the originality, accuracy, reliability, research integrity, and ethical compliance of their submitted work. Submission confirms that all listed authors have reviewed and approved the manuscript and agree to follow applicable ICME Journal of Laboratory Medicine policies.