Article Outline
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General considerations
•The topic should be of interest to the majority of readers.
•The manuscript should be properly organized and written in a clear and concise manner.
•The principles and concepts presented should be consistent with accepted principles, concepts, and practices of prosthodontics (J Prosthet Dent 1995;73:73-94).
•The manuscript should represent original material that has not been published elsewhere.
•Authors should use the approved terminology contained within the seventh edition of the Glossary of Prosthodontic Terms (J Prosthet Dent 1999;81:39-110).
•The confidentiality of the author and reviewer must be kept.
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Content
Title
The title should be as concise as possible and yet define the study's scope, content, and clinical significance.
Abstract
1.The abstract should clearly and concisely describe the study.
2.Tips articles do not have abstracts.
3.Clinical reports and technique articles should include a 1-paragraph, nonstructured abstract that summarizes the article and the presented procedure's advantages.
4.Clinical Sciences/Research articles should include a structured abstract that contains the following sections:
•Statement of Problem
•Purpose
•Material and Methods (including statistical analysis, if used)
•Results (reported in terms of statistical significance, if appropriate)
•Conclusions
•Clinical Implications (a brief statement [2 to 4 sentences] of the application of the facts and theories derived from the study to the clinical practice of prosthodontics)
Introduction
1.The problem or subject should be explained completely and accurately.
2.The author should summarize the relevant literature. The literature should include only significant material needed to orient the reader, and it should be evaluated to validate its accuracy and identify any bias.
3.Limitations of the study should be at least mentioned (but discussed in full in the Discussion).
4.The objective(s) or hypothesis should be clearly stated so that the objective can be tested statistically to determine whether differences are significant or a matter of chance. The objective should be stated at the end of this section.
5.For a thorough development of the literature review, all references, except those introduced in Material and Methods and those that relate directly to the findings of the study, should be cited in the Introduction.
Material and methods
1.The initial paragraph should present an overview of the entire experiment.
2.The author should provide a brief description of the material and equipment. The study should be adequately described so that it may be repeated by the reader.
1.When materials are cited, the following must be provided in parentheses: name and model number of product, manufacturer, and manufacturer's city/state/country (if not the United States). Conditions of use, validity, and accuracy should also be addressed.
2.If there are many materials, their details (including batch numbers) should be presented in a table.
3.For methods, the author should describe what was measured, how it was measured, and the units of measure. The author should list criteria for quantitative judgment, such as the sources of data, types of data, and procedures used to analyze the data.
4.The author should describe the experimental design and variables.
1.Did the study have defined criteria to control variables?
2.Was the study standardized?
3.Were the samples (subjects) randomly selected and/or distributed?
4.Was the sample size (population) adequate?
5.Were there adequate controls?
6.Were examiner and instrument reliability established?
7.The statistical design should be correct and appropriately described. The statistical analysis and level of significance should be included. (The reviewer may wish to recommend that a statistical consultant review the manuscript.)
Results
1.The Results should be a clear and accurate description of the data, including how, when, and where the data were collected, analyzed, and classified. The results of the study should be presented as they were outlined in the Material and Methods section.
2.For extensive data listing, data should be presented in tabular or graphic form to help the reader. Each table or figure should be explained and the significant facts, trends, and outcomes should be presented. The data should not be repeated in the text, table, or figures.
3.Standard statistical procedures (mean, range, P values, confidence intervals, and analysis of variance) need not be explained in detail. If the formulas are unusual or original, however, they need to be explained.
4.Results noted as significant or statistically significant must be validated by statistics; otherwise, they should be labeled as interesting or substantial.
Discussion
1.Most, if not all, references should first be cited in the Introduction and/or Material and Methods section(s). If references are introduced for the first time in the Discussion and do not directly relate to the outcomes of the study, they should be moved to the sections mentioned above.
2.Results should be interpreted and evaluated in this section.
3.The author should explain the interrelationships among various types of data.
4.If results do not agree with accepted opinions or with other studies, then the authors should state how and why the results differ. The agreement of the study's findings with other studies should also be stated.
5.If previous studies in the field of the article are lacking, the author should relate the findings to the current philosophies of the field.
6.The author should discuss the limitations of the study or the data.
7.The author should make clear but brief recommendations based on the data and findings.
8.Statements (ie, opinion or generalizations) should not be accepted unless they are supported by the data.
Conclusions
1.Conclusions must be pertinent to the objectives and justified by the data.
2.Conclusions should not be overstated. In most situations, the conclusions are true for only the population of the experiment.
3.Conclusions should be presented in the same order as they appear in the results (ie, same order as tables or illustrative material).
4.The hypothesis should be answered.
5.This section should focus on the results of the study only; reference to other authors' works or works that are being conducted by the author should not be mentioned.
References
1.References must be formatted in Vancouver style and evaluated for accuracy, validity, and appropriateness.
2.All journal references should be from referred sources. It should be kept in mind that books often reflect the opinions of their authors and/or editors and may not present unbiased information.
3.Abstracts are not acceptable references unless they were followed by a full investigation. If follow-up studies were not undertaken, abstract references should be eliminated or replaced.
4.Foreign references should be limited to 3. They are permitted only when the original article has been translated into English.
Illustrations
1.Legends should adequately describe the figures.
2.Illustrations should be clear and concise and focus on the item of interest. Computer-generated graphic illustrations should be of high quality and resolution. Illustrations drawn by hand should be of the highest quality (smooth lines and shapes) with professional lettering.
3.For photomicrographs, unit(s) of measurement must be either on the figure or stated in the legend; the units should be indicated on the figure with a bar scale.
4.The reviewer should indicate whether the figures should be reproduced in color or black and white.
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Checklist
Abstract
•None for Tips articles
•Nonstructured for Clinical Report/Technique articles
•Structured for Research/Clinical Science articles.
•Includes Clinical Implications statement.
Introduction
•Relevant literature cited and discussed.
•Majority of references in paper cited in this section.
•Objective of study stated at end of section.
Material and methods
•Materials cited with proper information (product, manufacturer, and manufacturer's city/state/country).
•Methods explained fully, with attention to criteria for quantitative judgment and procedures for data analysis.
•Study had defined criteria to control variables, was standardized, had an adequate sample size (population), and involved adequate controls. Examiner and instrument reliability were established.
Results
•Presented in logical sequence, with appropriate reference to tables, graphs, and/or illustrations.
•Claims of significance backed up by statistics.
Discussion
•Results discussed, not merely presented again.
•Findings related to other studies in the literature or, in their absence, philosophy of field.
•Limitations of the study/data addressed.
•Few if any references cited for the first time in this section.
Conclusions
•Conclusions justified by the data and not overstated.
•Focus is on the present study only, not other authors' work or future studies.
References
•Book citations must include the page numbers for the material consulted.
•Abstracts not acceptable references unless followed by a complete investigation.
•Foreign references limited to 3 and permitted only when article has been translated into English.
