GUIDELINES FOR SUBMITTING MANUSCRIPTS

The Malaysian Journal of Nutrition (Mal J Nutr) is an international peer-reviewed journal that welcomes manuscripts on current and emerging topics in human nutrition and related fields. Contributions can take the form of original articles, review articles, case reports, short communications, or letters to the Editor.

All materials submitted for publication are assumed to be submitted exclusively to the Malaysian Journal of Nutrition (Mal J Nutr) unless the contrary is stated.

All manuscripts submitted must be original and must be submitted through the online submission system (https://mjn.opussoft.io/).

In order to avoid delays in publication, authors are advised to adhere closely to the instructions below.

MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION

The manuscript must adhere to the following instructions before it is considered eligible for review.

Cover letter
Submissions should be accompanied by a cover letter that includes a statement that the manuscript represents the original work of the authors and that the content has not been published or submitted for publication elsewhere. The cover letter should be uploaded as part of the online submission process.

Plagiarism/Similarity Index Report
Effective from October 1, 2024, manuscript submissions should be accompanied by a plagiarism/similarity index report to ensure the originality of the papers submitted to the journal. Authors may use any reliable plagiarism detection software/facility (e.g. Turnitin) to generate a similarity index report for their manuscript.

The similarity index should be below 30%. Manuscripts with a similarity index above this threshold will be subjected to rejection. Ensure that the report clearly displays the overall similarity percentage and that the full report is submitted along with the manuscript during submission.

Authors who do not have access to plagiarism detection software or facilities should kindly contact the journal’s Managing Editor, mjnadmin@nutriweb.org.my for assistance.

Copyright
Manuscripts accepted for publication become copyright of Mal J Nutr. Corresponding authors are requested to provide a transfer of the Copyright Agreement Form, which is part of the online submission process.

The manuscript
Manuscripts must be submitted in MS Word format and in English (British English). Unless otherwise stated, the manuscript should be typed in 10-point font Bookman Old Style, 1.0 spacing, with a margin of 2.5 cm on all sides. Two (2) main parts of the manuscript should be submitted separately in the online submission system:

1. Title page [Template for Title Page: Click HERE to Download Word file] [Instructions for Title Page: Click HERE to Download PDF file]
2. Main document [Template for Main Document: Click HERE to Download Word file] [Instructions for Main Document: Click HERE to Download PDF file]

Title page
A title page should be submitted separately from the main document. The title page should state the title of the manuscript, the full first name and surname of each author, the author’s department and institution, and the city and country. Kindly also enclose the complete postal address, telephone number, fax number and e-mail address of the author, who will be responsible for all correspondence regarding the manuscript. Each author's contribution to the manuscript should also be specified on the title page. Please provide the suggested format for citation. Please follow the [Template for Title Page: Click HERE to Download Word file] [Instructions for Title Page: Click HERE to Download PDF file] for the correct format.

Main document
The main document should have page numbers and include line numbering in the left margin. Indent new paragraphs. Turn the hyphenation option off, including only those hyphens that are essential to the meaning. Template for main document preparation is available at [Template for Main Document: Click HERE to Download Word file] [Instructions for Main Document: Click HERE to Download PDF file].

Below are the descriptions of the components of the main document.

Language
Manuscripts should be written in clear, concise, and grammatically correct scientific English. Authors who are uncertain about the language quality of their manuscript are encouraged to obtain professional English language editing or proofreading prior to submission.

Set language in your word processor to: English (UK). Exceptions are to be made for names of organisations, references or quoted sources, e.g. World Health Organization.

Abstract and keywords
An abstract not exceeding 250 words in length should be provided. Make sure the title of the manuscript is included on the Abstract page. Do not include names and other details of the author(s) on the Abstract page. The abstract is structured according to the following headings: Introduction (rationale and purpose of the study), Methods (study design, analytical methods), Results (main findings), and Conclusion (key aspects derived from the study). The abstract should not contain abbreviations or references. Below the abstract, please provide 3 - 5 keywords which can be used for indexing purposes. Refer to the appropriate subject headings (MeSH) list of Index Medicus found in https://www.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/.

Text
The main text of the manuscript should be organised according to the following sections: INTRODUCTION, METHODOLOGY, RESULTS, DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION, Acknowledgements, Conflict of Interest and References.

In the Methods section, authors should state the authority that provided ethical approval for the study and provide a statement regarding participants' informed consent. If applicable, the study or clinical trial registration number should also be provided.

Human and animal research
Reports of human studies must include a statement that the protocol was approved by the appropriate ethics committee (the institution name should not be mentioned during manuscript submission) or that it complied with the Helsinki Declaration as revised in 2013. A statement regarding the informed consent of participants or parent/guardian consent for those under 18 years of age is required.

Conflict of Interest and Funding Disclosure
Authors should declare any financial support or relationships that may pose a conflict of interest. The source of financial support should be acknowledged.

Acknowledgements

Technical assistance and advice may be acknowledged in this section.

Manuscript Length
The total number of words in the text for Original and Review Articles should not exceed 3500 words, excluding the Abstract, References, Tables and Figures.

Citations and References

It is the author’s responsibility to check all references very carefully for accuracy and completeness. In the text, references are cited by surname(s) of the author(s) and year of publication parenthetically at the appropriate place. Three authors appear in full on first citation, e.g, Bray, Whipp & Koyal (1994), but subsequently as Bray et al. (1994). For four or more authors, indicate the first author followed by et al. Total number of references should not exceed 30 except for Review Papers.

In the reference section, list the references in alphabetical order. For each reference, all authors’ names should be included. Journal names should be ISO-abbreviated or follow Index Medicus formatting. Do not include full stops/periods after abbreviated words. Examples of correct forms of references are given below:

1. Articles in Journal:

Mostafa Kamal SM & Md Aynul Islam (2010). Socio-economic correlates malnutrition among married women in Bangladesh. Mal J Nutr 16(3): 349-359.

Blasbalg TL, Hibbeln JR, Ramsden CE, Majchrzak SF & Rawlings RR (2011). Changes in consumption of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in the United States during the 20th century. Am J Clin Nutr 93:950-962. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.110.006643

2. Books and Monographs:

de Benoist B, McLean E, Egli I & Cogswell ME (eds) (2008). Worldwide Prevalence of Anaemia 1993-2005: WHO Global Database on Anaemia. WHO Press, Geneva.

Institute of Medicine (2010). Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin D. Ross AC, Taylor CL, Yaktine AL & Del Valle HB (eds). National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC.

3. Chapter in a Book or Monograph:

Haller J (2005). Vitamins and brain function. In HR Lieberman, RB Kanarek & C Prasad (eds). Nutritional Neuroscience (pp. 207-233). CRC Press, Florida.

Cole TJ (2006). Sampling, Study Size, and Power. In BM Margetts & M Nelson (eds). Design Concepts in Nutritional Epidemiology (pp. 64-86). Oxford University Press Inc., New York.

4. Online Sources:

World Health Organization (2015). In: Global Health Observatory: Malaysia Statistics Summary, 2002-present. From http://apps.who.int/gho/data/node.country.country-MYS?lang=en. [Retrieved March 1 2016].

The World Bank (2016). In: Safe Motherhood and Maternal Health. From http://go.worldbank.org/V5EPGZUL40. [Retrieved May 23 2016].

5. Online Report:

SEA-PHN Network (2022). Promotion and Consumers’ Use of Food-based Dietary Guidelines (FBDGs) in Southeast Asia Countries. Webinar Report Series 2/2022. Southeast Asia Public Health Nutrition Network. From https://sea-phn.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/SEA-PHN-Network-2022_Report-of-Webinar-2-on-Promotion-and-Consumers-Use-of-FBDGs-in-Southeast-Asia-Countries-final-1.pdf [Retrieved 19 April 2024].

6. Dissertation or Thesis:

Theses published online (e.g. in institutional repositories).

Woon FC (2020). Relationships of maternal vitamin D status and feeding practices with development of allergic diseases and malnutrition among infants. [Doctoral thesis, Universiti Putra Malaysia]. http://ethesis.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/16750

Theses from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global

Kabir JM (2016). Factors influencing customer satisfaction at a fast food hamburger chain: The relationship between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty (Publication No. 10169573) [Doctoral dissertation, Wilmington University]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global.

7. Conference Presentation:

Hardinsyah (2023). School Nutrition Promotion Programme Using the GNKHC Module. Southeast Asia Public Health Nutrition Network [Conference presentation]. 14th Asian Congress of Nutrition, 14-17 September 2023, Chengdu, China.

Tables and Figures

The combined total number of tables and figures should not exceed five (5) tables except for Review Papers.

Tables should be sufficiently labelled to be comprehensible and complement the information in the text. Tables should be numbered consecutively in Arabic numerals in the sequence they are mentioned in the text. Tables should be typed in 9-font Bookman Old Style and single-spaced. Do not use border lines on the right and left sides of the table or vertical lines within the table body. Use a single top line, a single line below the headings, and a single bottom line.

Example:

All abbreviations used in the table should be defined in footnotes. The table and its legend/footnotes should be understandable without reference to the text.

Footnote symbols

†, ‡, §, ¶, †† should be used (in that order).
Examples:
†BMI-for-age z-score: Overweight and obese (z-score>1SD)
‡Adjusted for age and energy intake

Superscript a, b, c should be used to denote group differences in statistical tests such as ANOVA
Examples:
a, b Different alphabets denote significant difference between groups

*, **, *** should be reserved for p values
Examples:
*p<0.05, **p<0.01, ***p<0.001

All illustrations and diagrams referred to as Figures can be in black and white or colour. All figures must be numbered consecutively in Arabic numerals. Text in graph/flowchart/diagram should be typed on 9-font Bookman Old Style. Images or photos provided should be in 300 dpi jpg format. Graphs, figures, and diagrams provided should be in AI format or high resolution (300 dpi & above) in PDF / JPG format.

Please ensure that all tables and figures can be copied into a journal page.

Place tables and figures after the References and not within the main text.

Units and Abbreviations

All measurements should be reported using the metric system. Explain any abbreviations used. Only standard SI units should be used, such as gram (g), kilogram (kg), centimetre (cm), and metre (m). Statistical notations should be italicised, for example, N for population number, n for sample number, t for t-test, F for ANOVA, p for p-value, SD for standard deviation.

Explain any abbreviations used. Abbreviations (if used) should be written in full for the first instance, with the abbreviation in parentheses, e.g. recommended nutrient intake (RNI). If abbreviations are defined, ensure they are used accordingly within the manuscript. Please refer to the [Mal J Nutr House Style] for more examples of abbreviations, and units of measurement format.

Decimal points

Standardise decimal points throughout the manuscript. Numerical results and p-values should be presented in text, tables and figures with no more than three (3) significant figures unless there are exceptional circumstances.


Examples:

64.35 kg should be written as 64.4 kg
p=0.0123 should be written as p=0.012

There should be no decimal point for energy (kcal). Use full stop (.) to indicate decimal point, for example, 37.4%, NOT 37,4%.

Numbers

Numbers below 10 should be spelt out for descriptions.
Examples: five samples, six sets

Exception will be made for values
Examples: 7 years old, 5 kg, Table 1, Question 1

Range of numbers should be hyphenated, with no spacing, rather than written out
Examples: Instead of “between the ages of 7 and 12 years old”, use “7-12 years old”

ADDITIONAL NOTES FOR MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION

Guidelines for Short Communication

• Total number of words should not exceed 2000, excluding abstract and references.
• References should be limited to 10
• No more than a total of two tables and figures

Guidelines for Review Paper

A review paper should comply with all the Mal J Nutr manuscript submission guidelines, except for the total number of references, which may exceed the limit of 30 for the original research article.

Guidelines for Book Review

A book review is a description and critical evaluation of a book. The purpose of the review is to provide enough information to help decide whether the book will be of use or interest to potential readers.

The total number of book review words is 400-600. The scope of the review includes an Introduction, Body of the Review and Conclusion, as in the details below:

1. Introduction
   Identify the book by author, title, and publishing information.
   Provide some information on the author, including his/her relevant qualifications and background for writing this book.
   Possible introductions usually state the Author’s purpose and the topicality of the work or its significance.
2. Body of the Review
   Provide a brief description of the scope of the book.
   Include comparing the work to others by the same author or within the same genre.
   Include an evaluation of the book's strengths and weaknesses based on the author's purposes and use evidence to support the reviewer's argument.
3. Conclusion
   Include an overall critical assessment of the book. You may make a final judgement regarding the book.

Potential Reviewers

Authors must provide three (3) suitable reviewers with designations, affiliations, and email addresses. All reviewers should not be from any of the author’s own institutions, and at least one referee should be from outside the country of the corresponding author. It is the editor’s discretion to use the recommended reviewers.

ARTICLE PROCESSING CHARGE

For papers submitted after October 1, 2024, an article processing charge of RM 1500 (for Malaysian authors) or USD 400 (for international authors) per accepted manuscript will be imposed, payable upon acceptance. The manuscript's corresponding author is responsible for arranging the payment to the Nutrition Society of Malaysia (NSM). The article processing charge rates are subject to periodic review.

Please note that the RM 1500/USD 400 article processing charge does not cover bank charges, and all bank charges (if any) are to be borne by the author. Please add the required bank charges (if applicable) when transferring. We seek your understanding that NSM maintains a no-discount policy on article processing charges and cannot waive the charge for any author.

CURRENT & PAST ISSUES

For viewing current and past issues of the Malaysian Journal of Nutrition, refer to: https://maljnutr.org.my

NAME CHANGE POLICY FOR PUBLISHED ARTICLE

Mal J Nutr will not consider any request for name change after the article has been published. Authors are responsible for making sure all authors’ names are accurate during the submission of the manuscript.

Also, kindly note that it is not permitted to change authorship order and/removal of authors unless in exceptional circumstances, which would require a new copyright agreement and a written authorisation by any or all affected authors.

However, Mal J Nutr recognises that authors may change their names during their careers for various reasons such as marriage, religious conversion, or gender affirmation. Authors may wish to update their published articles to reflect these changes. For these reasons, we will facilitate the updates on our website. We will also ensure that the new metadata and updated articles are sent to indexation databases like Scopus, where applicable.

However, please note that these indexation services may have their policies regarding author name changes. Mal J Nutr is not responsible for ensuring updates on third-party sites and services once an article has been disseminated. Our current process for name change requests does not guarantee the removal of the author’s previous name from all public records. Mal J Nutr will not issue a correction notice for name change requests. We do not update outdated affiliations or email addresses unless they are related to a name change. To help co-authors correctly cite the paper in the future, we suggest that the author informs them of the name change, although this is optional. Mal J Nutr will not consider any request for name change for another co-author without latter’s written consent.

To request a name change, please contact the journal’s Managing Editor at mjnadmin@nutriweb.org.my

CONTACT INFORMATION

Editorial correspondence should be addressed to:
Prof Dr Poh Bee Koon
Editor-in-Chief
Malaysian Journal of Nutrition
Email: mjneditor@nutriweb.org.my

Administration Office
Malaysian Journal of Nutrition
Email: mjnadmin@nutriweb.org.my