Author Guidelines

GETTING STARTED

The Journal currently publishes articles in the following categories: Original Article, Review, Research Letter, Image Letter, Opinion, Commentary, Letter to the Editor, and Editorial. Article categories and descriptions follow. Adhere to article guidelines and the Journal’s style guide (below).

Upload all pertinent files and complete all metadata  on the Journal’s online Manuscript Management and Submission System on dpcj.org. Do not forget to key in each author. Please do not send files via email, as this will delay the processing of your submission.

Language: Submit all text files in English, thoroughly checked for errors in grammar, sentence structure, spelling, and punctuation (consult the Journal’s style guide below for specific instructions). If the text does not meet the Journal's standards for clarity of language, you will receive a communication form the Journal's editorial team via dpcj.org.

File Format: We accept Word  or RTF files (Times New Roman, 12 pt, including text in tables). The abstract and main text should be double-spaced, line-numbered, and page-numbered. Individual tables should not exceed 1 single-spaced typed page. Eliminate all identifying properties from all files, as the submission will undergo double-blind reviews.

Authorship: A submitted manuscript is received with the understanding that it is an original contribution not previously published (except as an abstract or preliminary report) and that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere. If your report has been published previously in meeting abstracts or conference proceedings, please declare that in your Cover Letter.

All primary authors and coauthors listed on the paper must have:

  1. Made significant contribution to the work reported.
  2. Shared responsibility and accountability for the results of the work, for example, the conception, design, and acquisition of data, analysis, and interpretation.
  3. Shared in drafts or revisions of the paper.
  4. Reviewed and agreed on the final version.
  5. Agreed on the journal to which the paper will be submitted.
  6. Agreed that the corresponding author will be acting on their behalf for any communication about the paper during the submission, peer review process, and after publication.

Authorship statement (examples):

  • 1 author: The author takes full responsibility for this work.
  • >1 author: All the Authors contributed equally to this work.

Plagiarism: Text similarity and plagiarism software (PlugScan) will be used to check all manuscripts.

Conflict of Interest Statement: A disclosure/conflict of Interest statement must accompany each manuscript. In the case of no conflict of interest, that statement may be declared in your Cover Letter in lieu of separately signed forms.

Creative Commons License Agreement: A signed License Agreement must accompany each manuscript.

Images: See instructions below for artwork and image specifications, table format, use of abbreviations, and supplementary material formats.

SUBMISSION CATEGORIES

Original Article

    • Experimental study (randomized, nonrandomized trials)
    • Observational study (cohort study, case control study, cross-sectional study)
    • Large case series

    Consult the  STROBE statement for observational studies, the CONSORT statement for randomized controlled trials, and the STARD statement for studies of diagnostic accuracy.

    Key Message 
    Outline the key message of your study in about 30 words (2 or 3 sentences), which will be listed in the table of contents.

    Abstract 
    Structured (Introduction, Objectives, Methods, Results, and Conclusions).  

    Word count: ≤250.

    Main Text

    • Headings: Introduction, Objectives, Methods, Results, and Conclusions.
    • Word count:  ≤3,000 excluding the abstract, references, figure legends, and tables.
    • Figures and Tables: ≤10 combined total.
    • References: Well balanced; no limit.
    • Keywords: ≤5.

Review

    • Systematic Review; Meta-Analysis
    • Clinical Guideline
    • Narrative review*

    High-quality systematic reviews and meta-analyses have a clearly defined search strategy and method, present a balanced, critical discussion, and use a well-defined method to identify and select relevant research and to collect and analyze data from the studies that are included. Consult the PRISMA reporting guidelines for systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

    A complete, accurate, and in-depth Review should aim at improving decision-making in clinical medicine or medical education. It should be relevant to the field. The comparative or descriptive study should accurately present a balanced, critical discussion and address a clearly formulated question relevant to clinical practice.

    *Narrative or historical reviews are welcome, and authors are free to choose their own section headings. An unstructured Abstract ≤250 words must be provided.

    Key Message 
    Outline the key message of your study in about 30 words (2 or 3 sentences), which will be listed in the table of contents.

    Abstract 
    Structured (Introduction, Objectives, Methods, Results, and Conclusions).

     Word count: ≤250. 

    Main Text

    • Headings: Introduction, Objectives, Methods, Results, and Conclusions. 
    • Word count:  ≤3,000, excluding the Abstract, references, figure legends, and tables.
    • Figures and Tables: ≤10 combined total.
    • References: Well balanced; no limit.
    • Keywords: 4–5

Research Letter

Small observational study or small case series written in response to content published previously in the Journal or a report on new information not readily available in textbooks for continuing medical education.

Abstract: None

Main text

  • Headings:  Introduction, Case Presentation, and Conclusion.
    • Introduction: Describe why the case is unique and what it adds to the scientific literature. Note: priority statements will not be published by the Journal.
    • Case Presentation: Describe important clinical and diagnostic findings and challenges and diagnosis.
    • Discussion: Section may be added; however, the case report must adhere to the 500-word limit.
    • Conclusion: Describe the primary “take-away” lessons of this case report.
  • Authors: ≤6.
  • Word count: ≤500, excluding references and figure legends.
  • Figures: ≤2; Table: ≤1.
  • References: ≤6.
  • Keywords: ≤5.

Image Letter

A case presentation consisting of one (1) image (clinical, dermoscopic, or histopathologic) that represents a “teaching point.” An Image Letter may report new information not readily available in textbooks for the continuing medical education.

Abstract: None

Main text

  • Headings:  Case Presentation and Teaching Point
  • Authors: ≤6.
  • Word count: ≤250, excluding references and figure legend.
  • Figure: 1; Table: 0.
  • References: ≤2.

Commentary

Brief communication on important news in dermatology, ethics, or public health.

  • Authors: ≤6.
  • Word count: ≤500 excluding references, figure legend.
  • Figure or Table: ≤1.
  • References: ≤10.

Opinion

A brief, provocative, opinionated communication on a controversial subject. Most commentaries are commissioned, but unsolicited commentaries are also welcome. Unsolicited commentaries will be peer-reviewed.

  • Authors: ≤6.
  • Word count: ≤1,000, excluding references, figure legend.
  • Figures and Tables: ≤10 combined total.
  • References: ≤10.

Letter to the Editor

Address to the Editor-in-Chief a brief communication discussing a recent article in Dermatology Practical & Conceptual.

  • Authors: ≤6.
  • Word count: ≤400, excluding references, figure legend.
  • Figures & Tables: 0.
  • References: ≤5.

Editorial

Editorials will be published at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief.

Formatting

Titles: Capitalize the first letter of each word in the title.

Numbers: Use numerals unless the numeral is the first word of a sentence.

US Punctuation: Punctuation should be placed inside quotation marks.

IMAGES

Photographs and micrographs should be submitted as TIFF or maximum quality JPG files, RGB or grayscale color mode, with a resolution of 300 dpi and a maximum size of 3 MB. Crop all white space from around or between all images—single or composite.

Figures must be cited consecutively in the text and numbered in the order in which they are discussed. Legends should be brief and specific and placed on a separate page at the end of the manuscript document. Use scale markers within electron micrographic images. Indicate type of stain used in histologic images.

Line art (an image composed of lines and text with no tonal or shaded areas) should be scanned, if possible, in bitmap mode, 900-1200 dpi, and saved in TIFF format. If the line art file is only available in RGB or grayscale mode, supply at 500-900 dpi and save as maximum quality JPG. Combinations of photographs and line art (an image containing half tone plus text or line art elements) should be submitted in RGB or grayscale color mode, at 500-900 dpi, saved as maximum quality JPG.

TABLES

Tables should be self-explanatory and should supplement, rather than duplicate, the material in the text. Tables are limited to one typed page only (see Style Guide for formatting information) Use the tables tool in your word processing application. Double-space and use a separate cell for each value.  Cite tables consecutively in the text in number order. Titles should be clear, concise, and descriptive. Include the table title, appropriate column and row headings, and explanatory legends (include definitions of all abbreviations used). 

SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL

Submission of supplementary material is allowed. Supplementary material may be material that cannot be included in the article because of length restrictions or because the file is too large or in a format that does not allow for its inclusion in the article (see acceptable formats below). Files including datasets, large tables, or videos may be included as supplementary materials and will be linked to the published article.

Supplementary material should be uploaded as a separate file during the submission process. As the supplementary material will not undergo peer review or editing, authors should ensure the conciseness and clarity of presentation. If more than one file is submitted, each additional file should be called out in sequence within the main text. Avoid adding the authors’ names, affiliations, or correspondence information in the supplementary files.

Do not include supplementary material in the References section. Supplementary material will be listed at the end of the text as an appendix. Title each supplementary file with the prefix S (e.g., Table S1, Figure S1).

The following formats for supplementary materials are acceptable:

  • PDF (preferable for supplementary figures and tables)
  • MS Word Document
  • MS Excel sheet
  • .mpg, .mp4, .mp3 multimedia files

REFERENCES

A list of references should be provided at the end of an article. Follow the Journal’s citation style. The author(s) are responsible for the accuracy of the references. References must be cited consecutively in the text and be numbered in the order in which they are discussed. In-text citation numbers should appear in brackets before any punctuation, for example, “… for all participants [5].” Use journal name abbreviations if possible. Italicize journal names. For abbreviations of journal names, refer to List of Journals Indexed in Index Medicus. This can be accessed at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/tsd/serials/lji.html.

Include PMID and/or DOI when available.

Sample References:

Journal article
Iuliano A, Strianese D, Uccello G, Diplomatico A, Tebaldi S, Bonavolonta G. Risk factors for orbital exenteration in periocular basal cell carcinoma. Am J Ophthmal. 2012;153(2):238–241.  DOI: 10.1016/j.ajo.2011.08.004. PMID: 21982108.

Authors: If there are more than 6 authors to one reference, list the names of the first 3 authors followed by et al.

Online-only journals; no DOI
Marreiros HF, Loff C, Calado E. Osteoporosis in paediatric patients with spina bifida. J Spinal Cord Med. 2012;35(1):9-21. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22330186. Accessed March 28, 2012.

Book chapter
Calonje E, Wilson-Jones E. Vascular tumors. In: Elder D, ed. Lever’s Histopathology of the Skin. 8th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott; 1997:889-932.

Entire book
Elder D, Elenitsas R. Lever’s Histopathology of the Skin. Philadelphia: Lippincott; 1997.

Website
International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals. Updated December 2018. Accessed March 9, 2019. http://www.icmje.org/recommendations/

Software
Epi Info [computer program]. Version 6. Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 1994.

Database
CANCERNET-PDQ [database online]. Bethesda, MD: National Cancer Institute; 1996. Updated March 29, 1996. Accessed June 26, 1997. Website Gostin LO. Drug use and HIV/AIDS. American Medical Association web site. Available at: http://www.ama-assn.org/special/hiv/ethics. Published June 1, 1996. Accessed June 26, 1997.

ABBREVIATIONS AND STYLE

Abbreviations must be defined at first mention in text and in each table and figure. If a brand name is cited, manufacturer and address (city and state/country) should be supplied. For a list of standard abbreviations, consult the Council of Biology Editors Style Guide (available from the Council of Science Editors, 9650 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20814) or other standard sources. The full term for which an abbreviation stands should precede its first use unless it is a standard unit of measure. Refer to drugs and therapeutic agents by their accepted generic or chemical names, and do not abbreviate the name. Use code numbers only when a generic name is not yet available. In that case, supply the chemical name and a figure giving the chemical structure of the drug. Consult the latest edition the Manual of Style by the American Medical Association for current usage.

PAGE PROOFS

Corresponding authors will be alerted via email when page proofs of copyedited articles are ready. Log into the Journal’s Manuscript Management and Submission System for updates. It is the author’s responsibility to ensure that there are no errors in the proofs. Changes that have been made to make the article conform to Journal style should be allowed to stand if they do not alter the authors’ meaning. Proofs must be checked carefully and returned as requested in the cover letter accompanying the page proofs.

JOURNAL SECTIONS

The following topics are highlighted in the Journal:

  • Allergology
  • Autoimmune & Blistering Diseases
  • Cosmetics & Aesthetic Dermatology
  • Dermatologic Surgery
  • Dermatopathology
  • Hair & Nail Diseases
  • Infectious Diseases & STDs
  • Inflammatory Diseases
  • Oncology (including Dermoscopy, Confocal & Skin Imaging)
  • Pediatric Dermatology

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

All others who contributed to the work who are not authors should be named in the Acknowledgments, and their contribution(s) should be described. All those listed should be aware of it.