Scope and Publication Policy

The Bangkok Medical Journal is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal published by Bangkok Dusit Medical Services (BDMS). The journal is published twice yearly, in February and September. Manuscripts are submitted and published in English.

Aims and Scope

The Bangkok Medical Journal aims to disseminate medical and healthcare knowledge, research, and innovation to support evidence-based practice, improve patient care, and advance healthcare quality. It welcomes research and scholarly contributions relevant to physicians, nurses, researchers, and other healthcare professionals across specialties.

The journal’s scope includes:

• Clinical medicine and clinical research
• Laboratory medicine and translational research
• Nursing and healthcare services research
• Public health and epidemiology

The journal is published twice yearly, in February and September. Manuscripts are submitted and published in English.

Submissions must be original, must not have been published previously, and must not be under consideration by another journal. Prior dissemination as a preprint, conference abstract, thesis, or report must be disclosed. Eligible manuscripts undergo plagiarism screening and double-blind peer review. The Editor-in-Chief makes the final publication decision based on academic merit, journal policy, reviewer reports, and advice from the Editorial Board when appropriate.

Mission

The journal aims to advance medical knowledge and serve as an educational resource supporting safe, evidence-based clinical practice. It provides physicians, researchers, and healthcare professionals with access to clinically relevant research and scholarly discussion across medical specialties.

Quality Standards

The journal’s editorial policies emphasize a clearly defined scope, regular publication, transparent peer review, qualified and independent reviewers, research integrity, accurate citation practice, disclosure of conflicts of interest, and clear procedures for corrections and retractions. These policies are informed by relevant TCI quality principles and ICMJE recommendations.

Open Access and Publication Fees

All published articles are immediately available to read free of charge. The journal charges no submission, review, article processing, or publication fees. There are no hidden charges. Editorial decisions are based on scientific quality, integrity, relevance, and contribution to medical knowledge.

Types of Manuscripts

• Original Article: Original clinical, laboratory, basic science, epidemiological, diagnostic, prognostic, interventional, or health-services research.
• Case Report: Reports involving one to three patients or a single family, with a clear educational message or practical clinical insight.
• Review Articles: Narrative, systematic, scoping, or other recognized reviews that critically synthesize evidence for a broad medical readership.
• Special Features: Scholarly contributions concerning medical knowledge, healthcare practice, education, policy, or health systems that do not fit the categories above.
• Medical Images: Original clinical images with concise descriptions and educational significance.

Preparation: Original Article

Original Article should present a clearly defined research question, an appropriate and reproducible method, complete results, and conclusions supported by the data.

The usual order is: separate Title Page; Structured Abstract; Keywords; Introduction; Materials and Methods; Results; Discussion; Limitations; Recommendations, where appropriate; Conclusion; Acknowledgements, if any; Funding; Conflicts of Interest; Ethical Approval; Informed Consent, when applicable; Data Availability; and References.

The structured Abstract should use the headings OBJECTIVES, MATERIALS AND METHODS, RESULTS, and CONCLUSION and accurately reflect the main text. The abstract should not exceed 250 words.

Materials and Methods should identify the study design, setting, participants, eligibility criteria, sampling, variables, measurements, interventions or exposures, outcomes, statistical methods, ethics approval, and trial registration when applicable. Provide sufficient detail to permit evaluation and replication.

Results should follow the study objectives and report participant flow, descriptive and analytical findings, effect estimates, measures of uncertainty, and relevant adverse events. Avoid duplicating all data in both text and tables.

Discussion should interpret the principal findings in relation to previous evidence, explain clinical or scientific implications, and address limitations and generalizability. Avoid unsupported claims.

Use the reporting guideline appropriate to the study design, such as CONSORT for randomized trials, STROBE for observational studies, STARD for diagnostic accuracy studies, or SQUIRE for quality-improvement reports.

Preparation: Case Report

Case Report should describe one to three patients or a single family and provide a distinct educational or clinical message.

The usual order is: separate Title Page; unstructured Abstract: The abstract should not exceed 250 words; Keywords; Introduction; Case Presentation; Discussion; Conclusion; Acknowledgements, if any; Funding; Conflicts of Interest; Ethical Approval, when required; Informed Consent; and References.

The Case Report should include relevant clinical information, history, examination, investigations, differential diagnosis, treatment, follow-up, and outcomes. Include a timeline when useful and remove unnecessary identifying details.

Discussion should explain the novelty and educational value of the case, compare it with relevant literature, and avoid conclusions unsupported by a single case or small case series.

Follow the CARE guideline and submit its checklist when applicable. Written consent for publication is required when a patient could be identified from text, images, pedigree, or other information. Consent for treatment or research participation alone does not constitute consent for publication.

Preparation: Review Articles

Review Articles may be invited or submitted independently and undergo peer review and editorial assessment. Identify the review type in the title and Abstract. Reviews should critically synthesize evidence rather than merely summarize studies individually.

The Abstract should not exceed 250 words. Use a structured Abstract for systematic or scoping reviews and an appropriate concise format for narrative reviews.

The usual order is: separate Title Page; Abstract; Keywords; Introduction; Methods; Results or Evidence Synthesis; Discussion; Limitations; Conclusion; Acknowledgements, if any; Funding; Conflicts of Interest; Data Availability, when applicable; and References.

Methods should describe the information sources, search dates, search terms or strategy, eligibility criteria, selection process, quality or risk-of-bias assessment, and synthesis method as appropriate.

Systematic and scoping reviews should provide a reproducible search strategy and study-selection flow diagram and follow PRISMA, PRISMA-ScR, or another applicable guideline. Report registration information when the review was registered.

Narrative reviews should explain how literature was identified and selected, describe the scope and limitations of the approach, distinguish evidence from expert interpretation, and provide a balanced critical synthesis.

Preparation: Special Features

Special Features present scholarly accounts of healthcare initiatives, quality improvement, educational innovations, tool development, healthcare delivery, policy, or significant medical and public health situations. Contributions should explain their relevance and educational value beyond the institution concerned.

Provide an Abstract of no more than 250 words and 3–6 keywords. A structured Abstract is appropriate for reports with defined objectives, methods, and measured outcomes. An unstructured Abstract may be used for descriptive or conceptual contributions.

The manuscript may include Introduction and Objectives; Setting and Background; Methods or Description of the Initiative; Findings or Outcomes; Discussion and Lessons Learned; Limitations; and Conclusion. Adapt or combine headings to suit the contribution. Use an applicable reporting guideline where relevant.

Explain the approach, evidence sources, implementation process, and evaluation methods as applicable. For reports presenting numerical outcomes, identify the data sources, assessment periods, definitions, and denominators. Distinguish measured findings from observations or expert interpretation, and keep conclusions proportionate to the evidence.

Include only tables, figures, and references necessary to explain the contribution. Avoid unnecessary duplication. Use the journal’s modified Vancouver reference style with superscript citations.

Provide applicable statements on ethical approval or exemption, consent, funding, conflicts of interest, and AI use. Classification as Special Features does not automatically exempt a submission from ethical review or consent requirements.

Submit a separate Title Page and an anonymous manuscript using the corresponding templates. Author contributions belong in the Title Page.

Preparation: Medical Images

Medical Images present clinically informative images accompanied by a concise clinical description and discussion of their educational significance. Images may include clinical photographs, diagnostic imaging, endoscopic findings, pathological findings, or other visual material relevant to medical practice. An Abstract is not required.

Provide a concise, descriptive title. Explain the relevant clinical presentation, investigations, key image findings, diagnosis, management, and outcome or follow-up, where available. Discuss the principal learning points and support relevant statements with appropriate references. Headings may be combined or adapted to suit the material.

Submit original, clear, publication-quality images as separate files and cite them in the text in order. Provide a legend for each figure, identifying panels, arrows, symbols, and abbreviations. Remove patient identifiers from images, labels, and file metadata. Relevant image processing must preserve the original clinical information and be disclosed.

Include only the text, images, tables, and references necessary to explain the findings and their educational value. Avoid unnecessary repetition. The editors may request clarification, consolidation, or reduction to improve readability.

Include statements on consent for publication and ethical approval or exemption, as applicable. Written consent for publication is required when a patient could be identified from the text, images, or accompanying information. Research or treatment consent does not replace consent for publication.

If consent has not been obtained or cannot be obtained, explain the circumstances, attempts to obtain consent, and proposed privacy measures to the editorial office in a separate cover letter. This explanation does not constitute an automatic exemption. Do not state “Not applicable” solely because patient names have been removed.

Provide funding, conflicts of interest, acknowledgements, and declarations of AI use in accordance with journal policy. Use the journal’s modified Vancouver reference style with superscript citations.

Submit a separate Title Page containing author names, affiliations, corresponding-author details, and author contributions. The manuscript and image files intended for double-blind review must not contain author-identifying information. Keep signed consent forms and patient identifiers out of review files; supporting documentation should be provided confidentially when requested.

Manuscript Preparation

• Submit the manuscript in English.
• Provide a concise title, an appropriate Abstract, and 3–6 keywords.
• Define abbreviations at first use in the Abstract and again in the main text. Avoid nonstandard abbreviations in titles.
• Use international nonproprietary drug names and SI units. Include brand names and manufacturers only when necessary for reproducibility.
• Describe statistical methods sufficiently to permit assessment and reproduction. Identify the software and version, report effect estimates and confidence intervals when appropriate, and provide exact P values when feasible.
• Explain how missing data and multiple comparisons were handled and distinguish prespecified from exploratory analyses.
• Number tables and figures in order of first citation. Provide self-contained titles or legends and define abbreviations, symbols, and statistical measures.
• Submit publication-quality figures. Do not selectively enhance, obscure, move, remove, or introduce individual image features. Relevant adjustments must preserve the original information and be disclosed.
• Submit the appropriate reporting checklist and flow diagram when applicable.
• After the Conclusion, include the applicable declarations: Acknowledgements, Funding, Conflicts of Interest, Ethical Approval, Informed Consent, and Data Availability, followed by References.
• Use “None” or “Not applicable” only when accurate.

Tables, Figures, and References

The journal does not impose a fixed numerical limit on tables, figures, or references for Original Articles. Authors should include only those necessary to address the research objectives, explain the methods, present the findings, and support the interpretation. Tables and figures should complement the text without unnecessary duplication. The editors may request consolidation or reduction to improve clarity and readability.

All tables and figures must be cited in the text and numbered consecutively in the order of first citation. Each table must have a descriptive title, and each figure must have an informative legend. Titles, legends, and footnotes should provide sufficient information for readers to understand the material without referring to the main text. Define abbreviations, units, denominators, and statistical symbols where applicable.

Figures must be clear and of publication quality. Remove patient identifiers and obtain written consent for publication when required. Authors are responsible for obtaining permission to reproduce or adapt copyrighted material and acknowledging its source.

References should be relevant, reliable, and sufficient to support the work, rather than included solely to increase their number. Use the journal’s modified Vancouver style. Every reference must be cited in the text, and every citation must correspond to an entry in the reference list.

Additional supporting material may be submitted as supplementary files. Each file must be clearly labeled, described, and cited in the manuscript. Submit supplementary files with the manuscript so that they can be assessed during peer review.

Title Page and Anonymous Manuscript

Submit a separate Title Page containing the manuscript title, full author names, numbered institutional affiliations, and the corresponding author’s complete contact details, including postal address and email.

Files intended for double-blind review must not contain author names, identifying affiliations, identifying acknowledgements, or other information that reveals authorship. Remove identifying information from file names, document properties, and comments. Use descriptive file names such as “Manuscript”, “Table 1”, or “Figure 1”.

Provide identifying information separately to the editorial office. Necessary ethics and methodological information should be retained or anonymized in consultation with the editorial office without compromising scientific assessment.

References

Use the journal’s modified Vancouver style. Authors are responsible for the accuracy, completeness, and relevance of all references.

• Number references consecutively in order of first citation.
• Use superscript Arabic numerals after punctuation, for example: findings.¹ findings.^1,3,6 findings.^2-5
• Reuse the same reference number for repeated citations.
• References first appearing in a table or figure legend must follow the sequence established by the first mention of that table or figure in the text.
• Begin References on a separate page and list entries numerically. Every citation must have a corresponding entry, and every listed entry must be cited.
• For three or fewer authors or editors, list all names. For four or more, list the first three followed by “et al.”
• Write surnames followed by initials without periods.
• Use sentence case for article titles and Index Medicus/NLM journal abbreviations. Use “BKK Med J” for The Bangkok Medical Journal.
• Include a verified DOI when available, formatted as “doi: 10.xxxx/xxxxx”, without the “https://doi.org/” prefix or a final full stop.
• For webpages and updateable online documents, include “[Internet]”, place and publisher when available, year, cited date, and URL.
• Most references should normally be from the preceding 10 years. Older landmark, classic, or method-defining sources may be retained when justified.
• Cite personal communications and unpublished data in the text only, with permission when required.

Journal article format:
Author(s). Article title. Journal abbreviation. Year;volume(issue):pages or article number. doi: [verified DOI]

Submission

Submit manuscripts through the journal’s online submission system on ThaiJO. First-time authors must register before submitting.

Include a Cover Letter explaining the manuscript’s originality, relevance, and suitability for the journal. Disclose related or overlapping work and any use of AI-assisted technology.

Upload the separate Title Page, anonymous manuscript, tables, figures, supplementary files, reporting checklist, permissions, and other required documents.

The corresponding author must confirm that all authors meet authorship criteria, approve the submitted version and author order, and agree to accountability for the work.

View submission information and access the submission system

Authorship

Authorship should follow the four ICMJE criteria: substantial contribution to the work; drafting or critical intellectual revision; final approval; and accountability for accuracy and integrity. Authors must meet all four criteria. Contributors who do not qualify for authorship should be acknowledged with their permission.

Authorship and Contributions

The journal does not impose a fixed limit on the number of authors. All listed authors must meet all four ICMJE authorship criteria, and everyone who meets these criteria must be included as an author.

An Author Contributions statement describing each author’s role must be provided in the separate Title Page. All authors must approve the manuscript and the agreed author order. Contributors who do not meet all four authorship criteria should be acknowledged, with their permission, in the Acknowledgements section.

Requests to change authorship after submission must be explained to the editorial office and agreed to by all affected authors.

Declaration of AI Use

Authors must disclose any use of AI-assisted technology in the Cover Letter and the appropriate manuscript section. Writing assistance should be disclosed in Acknowledgements. Use in data collection, analysis, or figure generation must be described in Materials and Methods in sufficient detail to permit assessment.

Identify the tool, its version where available, and the purpose of its use. AI tools must not be listed as authors. Human authors must review the resulting content and remain responsible for its accuracy, originality, citations, confidentiality, and integrity.

Suggested statement for AI writing assistance:

During preparation of this manuscript, the authors used [tool name and version] for [purpose]. The authors reviewed and edited the resulting content and take full responsibility for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of the final manuscript.

Suggested statement when generative AI was not used:

The authors did not use generative AI tools in preparing this manuscript.

Statements must accurately reflect the authors’ actual use of these tools.

Plagiarism and Research Integrity

Submissions are screened using iThenticate. A similarity score above 20% prompts editorial assessment but does not, by itself, establish plagiarism. Editors assess the nature and context of overlapping material.

Unattributed copying, data or image misuse, duplicate publication, fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate authorship may result in rejection. Processing may be suspended while concerns are investigated and authors are invited to respond.

Confirmed misconduct after publication may result in correction, retraction, notification of relevant institutions, or other action consistent with journal policy.

Peer Review and Decisions

All submissions undergo initial assessment for journal scope, article type, completeness, formatting, originality, ethical compliance, and scientific suitability. Manuscripts may be returned for correction or rejected without external review.

Eligible manuscripts undergo double-blind peer review. Normally, at least three independent reviewers evaluate each manuscript; the number may vary according to the subject matter and complexity. Authors and reviewers do not receive identifying information about one another.

Reviewers assess originality, methodological quality, ethical conduct, accuracy, clarity, clinical or scientific relevance, and whether the conclusions are supported by the evidence.

Reviewer comments are communicated without disclosure of reviewer identities. Authors invited to revise must submit a revised manuscript and a point-by-point response addressing every comment or explaining why a suggested change was not made.

Revised manuscripts may be reassessed by editors or returned to reviewers. The Editor-in-Chief may request additional review and makes the final decision to accept, request revision, or reject the manuscript. Reviewer recommendations inform but do not determine this decision.

Manuscripts, reviewer reports, correspondence, and editorial deliberations are confidential. Editors and reviewers must not use unpublished information for personal advantage.

Ethical Approval and Consent

Research involving human participants, identifiable human material, or personal data must comply with applicable ethical standards and Good Clinical Practice where relevant.

Authors must identify the approving Ethics Committee or Institutional Review Board and state the approval number and approval date in the manuscript. If the approval document does not provide a number or date, authors must explain this and provide supporting documentation for editorial assessment. Authors must also describe the informed consent arrangements. Any exemption from ethical review or waiver of informed consent must be determined by the appropriate authority and explained in the manuscript. Supporting documentation must be provided when requested by the journal.

Protect participant confidentiality. Publication of identifiable patient information or images requires appropriate written consent for publication. Research or treatment consent alone does not replace publication consent.

Animal research must comply with applicable institutional, national, and internationally accepted standards. Identify the approving animal ethics committee and approval or protocol number, or explain an applicable exemption. Report the relevant welfare standards followed.

Prospective clinical trials must be registered in a publicly accessible registry before participant enrollment in accordance with applicable ICMJE requirements. Include the registry name and registration number in the manuscript.

Funding and Conflicts of Interest

Identify all sources of financial and material support. State the funder’s role in study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation, and the decision to submit.

Disclose financial and nonfinancial relationships or activities that readers could reasonably consider relevant to the work. Editors and reviewers must also disclose competing interests and withdraw from assessment when impartial evaluation is not possible.

Editorial decisions remain independent of commercial, institutional, and personal interests.

Corrections, Retractions, Complaints, and Appeals

Authors must promptly notify the journal of significant errors or ethical concerns identified before or after publication and cooperate in resolving them.

The journal may publish a correction, expression of concern, or retraction to preserve the accuracy and integrity of the scholarly record. Notices identify the affected article and explain the reason for the action.

Authors may submit an evidence-based appeal or complaint to the editorial office. Concerns involving an editor are referred to an appropriate independent handler. An appeal does not guarantee reversal of an editorial decision.

Proofs and Publication

Proofs are sent electronically as PDF files and should be returned within three days unless another deadline is agreed with the editorial office.

The corresponding author must verify author names, text, tables, figures, legends, and references. Proof corrections should focus on production errors and accuracy. Substantive changes require editorial approval and may require additional assessment or delay publication.

Accepted articles are scheduled for a February or September issue according to completion of production and space availability. Acceptance does not guarantee publication in a particular issue.

Privacy and Publicity

Names and email addresses entered on the journal website are used for journal operations and are not made available for unrelated purposes except as required by law.

The print journal may include institutional publicity for organizations within the BDMS network without charge. The journal website does not carry advertising. Institutional publicity is distinguished from scholarly content and does not influence reviewer selection, manuscript assessment, or acceptance and rejection decisions.

Copyright, Permissions, and Licensing

Authors must complete any publishing or copyright agreement required by the journal upon acceptance. Copyright ownership and retained author rights are governed by the applicable agreement.

Articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).

Users may copy and redistribute unadapted material for noncommercial purposes with appropriate attribution, a link to the license, and retention of relevant copyright notices. Distribution of adapted material or commercial use requires permission from the copyright holder, except where otherwise permitted by applicable law.

Authors must have the right to include all submitted text, data, tables, figures, photographs, instruments, and other material. Obtain written permission and provide complete acknowledgment for third-party material when required. Ethics approval does not replace copyright permission or consent for publication.

Read the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license

Journal Identification and Contact

Online ISSN: 2287-0237
Print ISSN: 2228-9674
Journal abbreviation: BKK Med J

 

Editorial Office: The Bangkok Medical Journal
Email: bangkokmedjournal@bdms.co.th
Website: www.bangkokmedjournal.com