Author's Instructions
Manuscripts submitted to Revista Especialidad Médica should preferably be submitted through the journal’s online platform. To submit a manuscript, authors must first register in the system by creating a user account with a valid and active email address, as this will be the primary means of receiving notifications and tracking the editorial process.
Once registered, authors may access the “Submit” section, complete the steps indicated by the platform, upload the required files, and confirm the submission. From the same account, authors may also check the status of their manuscript and review submissions that are pending or under evaluation.
In the event of difficulties, authors may exceptionally submit their manuscript by email to the journal at: revistaespecialidadmedica@fmposgrado.unam.mx
In this case, authors must attach the complete manuscript, the cover letter, and the corresponding ethics committee approval or opinion, when applicable.
The following are the mandatory instructions for preparing and submitting manuscripts to Revista Especialidad Médica. Please read them carefully and make sure to follow the specific template available on the journal’s website for each type of article.
1. Accepted Article Types
The journal accepts the following types of manuscripts. A specific template for each article type is available on the journal’s website.
Original Articles
Primary research (quantitative or qualitative) following the IMRyD structure.
| Length | Graphics | References |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 4500 words | Up to 5 | Between 24 and 40 |
Special Articles
Theoretical analyses, institutional position statements, methodological proposals, or critical reflections.
| Length | Graphics | References |
|---|---|---|
| Between 2000 and 3000 words | Up to 5 | Between 20 and 40 |
Case Reports
Distinctive clinical cases of educational value.
| Length | Graphics | References |
|---|---|---|
| Between 1500 and 2000 words | Up to 3 | Between 15 and 25 |
Letters to the Editor
Observations, comments, or responses concerning published articles.
| Length | Graphics | References |
|---|---|---|
| 800 words | Up to 1 | Up to 10 |
Brief Communication
Pilot studies, preliminary findings, or methodological innovations.
| Length | Graphics | References |
|---|---|---|
| 1500 words | Up to 3 | Between 10 and 20 |
Patient Communication
Clear and accessible educational texts intended for non-specialist audiences.
| Length | Graphics | References |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1500 words | Between 3 and 5 | Between 5 and 15 |
2. Manuscript Submission
The person responsible for the submission must send the article meeting all the specifications indicated above, together with the following documents:
Narrative Review
Critical synthesis with a clearly described search methodology.
| Length | Graphics | References |
|---|---|---|
| Between 3000 and 6000 words | Up to 3 | Between 30 and 60 |
Cover Letter — required
Submit in PDF format, on institutional letterhead, addressed to the Editor-in-Chief of Revista Especialidad Médica (To download the template, click here). It must include:
- Brief description of the relevance and novelty of the manuscript.
- Confirmation of compliance with ethical and citation requirements.
- Contact information of the corresponding author: full name, institutional affiliation, city and country, email address and ORCID.
Statement of Originality and Authorization for Publication — required
Submit in PDF format, on institutional letterhead, addressed to the Editor-in-Chief of Revista Especialidad Médica, duly completed and signed by all authors of the article, and sent together with the original manuscript (To download the template, click here). It must include:
- Full title of the manuscript.
- Statement of originality: that the work has not been previously published nor is under review at another journal.
- Statement that all authors have read and approved the final version, as well as the order of authorship.
- Each author's contribution.
- Authorization to the journal, contingent on acceptance of the manuscript, for its first publication, reproduction, distribution, and public communication.
- Statement of absence of conflicts of interest.
Ethics Committee Addendum
Copy of the approval from the corresponding ethics committee.
Authors must also confirm that they have written permission from all persons to be acknowledged or mentioned in the article.
3. General Formatting Requirements
File: Word (.docx). PDF files or other formats are not accepted.
Authors must use the appropriate template according to the type of manuscript being prepared.
ORCID: All authors must have an active ORCID and include it with their affiliations.
Funding and conflicts of interest must be declared in specific sections.
Author contributions must be reported according to the CRediT taxonomy.
Manuscripts that do not follow the corresponding templates or contain spelling, grammatical, or structural errors may be rejected during the preliminary editorial review.
4. Mandatory General Structure (Order and Content)
Each manuscript must include the following, as applicable:
- Title: maximum of 15 words, in bold; unnecessary capitalization should be avoided.
- Authors and affiliations: full name, institution, city, country, and ORCID.
- Corresponding author: name and institutional email address.
- Resumen (Spanish) and Abstract (English): 150–250 words, depending on the article type.
- Palabras clave / Keywords: 3–6, preferably validated using MeSH.
- Main text: structure according to the article type (IMRaD for original articles; appropriate sections for other manuscript types).
- Acknowledgments: when applicable.
- Author Contributions (CRediT): specify the roles performed (e.g., Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing – Original Draft, Writing – Review & Editing, Supervision, Funding Acquisition, etc.).
- Funding: state the funding sources or “No funding.”
- Conflicts of Interest: disclose all potential conflicts of interest.
- References: Vancouver style, cited in superscript, verified and up to date.
5. References (Style and Recommendations)
Style: ICMJE recommendations — Vancouver style, with citations in superscript.
The recommended number of references specified in the template for each article type must be followed (click here).
Whenever possible, it is recommended that ≥70% of references be international publications and no more than 5 years old.
References should be carefully checked for accuracy, including authors, titles, year, volume, issue, pages, and DOI. The use of reference management software such as EndNote, Zotero, Mendeley, or similar tools is recommended.
Examples of accepted Vancouver style:
Journal article:
Rouleau K, Bourget M, Chege P, Couturier F, Godoy-Ruiz P, Grand’Maison P, et al. Strengthening primary care through family medicine around the world: collaborating toward promising practices. Fam Med. 2018;50(6):426-36. doi:10.22454/FamMed.2018.210965.
Webpage:
World Health Organization. Life expectancy at birth 2000–2015 [Internet]. Geneva: WHO; 2016 [cited 2016 Nov 22]. Available from: https://gamapserver.who.int/gho/interactive_charts/mbd/life_expectancy/atlas.html
Book:
Bell J. Doing your research project. 5th ed. Maidenhead: Open University Press; 2005.
Book chapter:
Franklin AW. Management of the problem. In: Smith SM, editor. The maltreatment of children. Lancaster: MTP; 2002. p. 83-95.
6. Ethical Considerations — Mandatory
Depending on the type of manuscript, authors must comply with international ethical principles for health research and scholarly publishing:
- Declare approval by the appropriate ethics committee, when applicable to research involving human participants, including the registration or approval number.
- Include informed consent from participants when applicable.
- Ensure the confidentiality and anonymity of clinical data and remove any information that could identify participants.
- Declare the availability of research data, when the manuscript reports results derived from research data, in accordance with the journal's Data Sharing and Availability Policy.
- Disclose funding sources, conflicts of interest, and author contributions (CRediT).
- Follow the guidelines and recommendations of ICMJE, WAME, and COPE to ensure research integrity and transparency.
7. Graphical Resources (Figures, Tables, and Illustrations)
Graphical resources must be original and unpublished and must include a title and explanatory caption.
Minimum resolution: 300 DPI; recommended width: 20 cm.
Files must be provided in editable format (e.g., Excel for tables; TIFF/PNG/EPS or vector files for figures).
Images obtained from the Internet or previously published materials must not be used unless explicit permission for their use has been obtained and the corresponding source is properly cited.
The maximum number of graphical resources must comply with the limits established for each article type.
8. Authors’ Responsibilities
By submitting a manuscript, authors certify that:
- The work is original and unpublished and has not been submitted to another journal.
- The data are accurate and the methodology is described transparently.
- Funding and conflicts of interest have been disclosed.
- All authors have approved the final version and accept responsibility for its content.
- The appropriate manuscript template has been used.
9. Editorial Process (Summary)
Initial review: verification of technical and ethical requirements by the editorial team.
Peer review: double-blind peer review involving at least two external reviewers.
Editorial decision: acceptance, rejection, or request for minor or major revisions.
Final version: editorial verification and copyediting before publication.
10. Practical Recommendations for Submission
- Use the journal template corresponding to your article type, available on the journal’s website.
- Before submission, check spelling and formatting, verify references and DOIs, and confirm the ORCID of each author.
- Attach the cover letter as a PDF on institutional letterhead.
- If the manuscript contains copyrighted material, such as previously published figures or tables, attach the corresponding permissions for reproduction.
- Respond promptly to requests from editors and reviewers.