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    Author Guidelines

    Submitting an article

    Instructions to authors

    Introduction

    Ceylon Journal of Medical Science (CJMS) is a general medical science journal that will consider original contributions that advance medical science or practice, or that educates the journal’s readers.

    Manuscripts must be the work of the author(s) stated, must not have been previously published elsewhere, and must not be under consideration by another journal.

    Ceylon Journal of Medical Science follows the recommendations issued by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE)  {http://www.icmje.org/recommendations/} for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals. As for ethical responsibilities and research integrity, we follow the Code on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines (https://publicationethics.org/). Authors are expected to go through these recommendations and guidelines before submitting a manuscript to the CJMS.

    How to submit your manuscript to CJMS online?


    Submitting a manuscript to CJMS is entirely free. All manuscripts should be submitted online via the Sri Lanka Journal Online (SLJOL) submission system. The site can be accessed through https://cjms.sljol.info/

    • Log into SLJOL ( https://www.sljol.info) and click the journal page (upper bar) which will give you all the journals, scroll down and click on the link to the CJMS
    • Go to “start submission” on the right side of upper bar and click on it.
    • From there onwards, you will need only to follow the instructions to complete the submission process
    • If it is your first submission, you will need to register as an author. This will generate a username and a password.
    • It is important that you use this same user name and password when you login next time.
    • Make sure that your contact details are entered accurately as those details would be used for our future correspondence with you. 

    If submission fails, the first time please retry. If you still have difficulty in submitting your article online, please email the soft copy of your article with all the required supporting documents to editor@cjms.cmb.ac.lk contact the editor at editor@cjms.cmb.ac.lk

    Authors are expected to follow the requirements for the submission and preparation of manuscript. Manuscripts not conforming to these requirements will not be subjected to peer review and will be returned to authors for amendments. 

    Requirements for your submission

    1. Covering letter which should include a declaration on any conflicts of interest as well as transmission of copyrights to CJMS. Covering letter should also contain a table indicating author responsibilities and contributions by each author (you can download the temple covering letter and author responsibilities). Your cover letter should inform the editor of any special considerations regarding your submission, including but not limited to:
               a. Details of related papers by the same author(s) already published or under consideration for publication.
               b. Details of previous reviews of the submitted article
    2. Title page should be submitted separately. It should give the names and institutional affiliations of all authors in the order of authorship, total number of words, tables, figures/ illustrations. Author names should be written as first name written in full (i.e. John) followed by the surname. Multiple initials will not be required. The contact details (postal address, e mail address and telephone numbers) of the corresponding author should also be included which should furnish current place of employment (Institution) and country at the end (e. g. Sri Lanka). Include your highest academic qualification as well.
    3. Abstract (Word count varies depending on type of articles)
    4. Main body of the manuscript (including acknowledgment and references)
    5. Other supporting documents as may deemed necessary e.g. CONSORT checklist if a clinical trial, Patient Consent form if a case report or picture story and a copy of ethical clearance when relevant.
    6. Tables
    7. Figures
    8. We encourage disclosure of correspondence from other journals and reviewers, if the manuscript was previously submitted, and we might contact relevant editors of such journals
    9. Completed pre-submission check list (in the template covering letter)

    Types of manuscripts

    CJMS will accept submissions of the following categories:

    1. Original research paper
    2. Students original research paper
    3. Brief reports
    4. Case reports
    5. Picture stories
    6. Review article/ Leading article
    7. Letters, perspectives and point of view
    8. Correspondence
    9. Update
    10. Miscellaneous

    Original research articles:

    • These articles are based on original research and/or clinical studies on topics related to medical practice, health sciences, medical education or allied health sciences but not limited to them.  Articles which show evidence of positive contribution to improving scientific evidence in the relevant field or which shows promise of improving health care delivery and or  policy changes in medical practice are welcome.   There should be adequate justification about its contribution towards improving scientific evidence in the relevant fields or improve service to the country.
    • Abstract should be structured to include the background, objectives, methods, results and conclusions with a total word count of not more than 300.   
    • Article structure: Background, clearly stated objective/s, methods which should include the study setting, dates and inclusion - exclusion criteria, results, discussion, conclusions, competing interests, acknowledgements, ethics clearance, author contribution, funding and references. The discussion section should place the results in context with the existing literature and address any study limitations.  Word count should not exceed 3000 (excluding the title page, tables, figures, figure captions, acknowledgement and references).
    • Images (tables and figures) should not be more than 6.
    • References should not exceed 40.

    Student original research articles:

    • These articles should be based on original research projects conducted by medical or allied health undergraduates. Each paper will be reviewed based on its merits. Papers which only present descriptive data specific to a particular geographical area, and or relates to a restricted number of subjects and or not novel may still be considered if reasonable justification is provided and findings are useful towards improving the current health system or service in the country or in a region.  
    • Abstract should be structured to include the background, objectives, methods, results and conclusions. Word count should not exceed 250.   
    • Article structure: Background, objectives, methods, results, discussion, conclusions, competing interests, acknowledgements, ethics clearance, author contribution, funding and references.
    • Word count should not exceed 2000 (excluding the title page, tables, figures, figure captions, acknowledgement and references).
    • Images (tables and figures) should not be more than 4.
    • References should not exceed 30.

    Brief reports:

    • Original research and /or clinical studies that do not require a full paper may be submitted as brief reports. These papers may detail a smaller number of observations or may include a smaller number of patients
    • Abstract should be structured to include the background, objectives, methods, results and conclusions. Word count should not exceed 200.   
    •  Article structure: Background, objectives, methods, results, discussion, conclusions, competing interests, acknowledgements, ethics clearance, author contribution, funding and references.
    • Word count should not exceed 1500 (excluding the title page, tables, figures, figure captions, acknowledgement and references).
    • Images (Tables and Figures) should not be more than 3.
    • References should not exceed 20.

     Case Reports:

    • Case reports should be short articles of a clinical case, which illustrate an underlying principle of a disease state, its diagnosis, and/or its therapy, the challenges faced and a key message for the readers. Cases with an important clinical lesson are preferred(or most welcome?).
    • Authors must obtain signed informed consent from patients for publication in print and electronically.
    • Abstract structure: A summary not exceeding 200 words.
    • Article structure: Introduction, description of the case, discussion, learning point or take home messages, references.
    • Word count should not exceed 1000 
    • References should not exceed 10. 

    Picture stories:

    • These include images of an unusual diagnosis or presentation, which clearly display the abnormality.  They should be of high image quality.  Refer Instructions for authors for more details about the required quality.
    • Authors must obtain signed informed consent for publication in print and electronically.
    • No abstract.
    • Article structure: Introduction, description of the case, image/s and discussion
    • Word count should not exceed 750 (excluding the title page).
    • References should not exceed be more than 3.

     Review articles and Leading article:

    • Reviews are invited articles or an overview of a particular topic from areas  related to health sciences, medical education or allied health sciences.
    • Abstract: Unstructured. The word count should not exceed 250.
    • Article structure: No uniform format prescribed. Authors are expected to follow a structure which attracts the readers.
    • Word count should not exceed 4000.
    • Images (Tables and Figures) should not be more than 6.
    • References should not exceed 100.

     Letters to the Editor:

    • Letters may be in response to a recently published article in CJMS (to be submitted within 8 weeks of publication of the initial article) or any other item of interest to clinicians, academics or researchers.
    • Abstract: not required
    • Article structure: No uniform format prescribed.
    • Word count should not exceed 500 (excluding the title page).
    • No images (Tables and Figures).
    • References should not exceed 5.

    Perspectives 

    Perspectives may focus on personal opinion, hypotheses and updates on controversial issues as well as recent developments on a topic, with an accent on future directions and may include original data as well. They could be on diverse subjects such as basic sciences, medical humanities, health systems and recent advances in medical education.  The author needs to have an in-depth knowledge of the topic.
    Word count should be 750-1000
    References should not exceed 10.

    Correspondence and Replies to Letters:

     The journal may forward all correspondence related to a publish article. The original author must respond to these. The letter pertaining to the published research should be cited.  

    • Abstract and article structure: No uniform format prescribed. Word count should not exceed 500 (including all except the title page).
    Preparation of the manuscript

    All material submitted is assumed to be submitted exclusively to the journal unless otherwise stated. Submissions will be returned to the author for amendment if presented in the incorrect format. For rest of the documents, please refer the section on “requirements for your submission” 

    Keywords

    Authors are required to provide 3-5 keywords relevant to the content of the manuscript during the submission process. This assists in the identification of the most suitable reviewers for the manuscript. Keywords should be included in the abstract itself.

    Manuscript format

    The manuscript must be submitted as a Word document in font size 12. PDF is not accepted.
    The manuscript should be presented in the following order:

    1. Title page.
    2. Abstract or a summary for all other than picture story, point of view or letter
    3. Main text separated under appropriate headings and subheadings.
    4. Tables should be in Word format and placed in the main text where the table is first cited.
    5. Tables must be cited in the main text in numerical order.
    6. Acknowledgments, Competing Interests, Funding and all other required statements. If a clinical trial, the trial registration number should be stated.
    7. List of references.
    • Images must be uploaded as separate files (view further details under the figures/illustrations section). All images must be cited within the main text in numerical order and legends should be provided at the end of the manuscript.
    • Appendices should be uploaded using the File Designation "Supplementary File" and cited in the main text.
    • Copies of related papers, previous editors’ and reviewers' comments, and responses to those comments can be submitted using the File Designation "Supplementary file for editors only". Editors encourage authors to submit previous communications from other journals as doing so is likely to expedite the review process.
    • Please remove any hidden text headers or footers or track changes from your file before submission.

     

    Style
    Abbreviations and symbols must be standard. SI units should be used throughout, except for blood pressure values which should be reported in mmHg.
    Whenever possible, drugs should be given their approved generic name. Where a proprietary (brand) name is used, it should begin with a capital letter.
    Acronyms should be used sparingly and fully explained when first used.

    Figures/illustrations
    Images must be uploaded as separate files. All images must be cited within the main text in numerical order and legends must be provided (ideally at the end of the manuscript). Figure numbers should be indicted within the text.

    Colour images and charges
    Alternatively, authors are encouraged to supply colour illustrations for online publication and black and white versions for print publication. Colour publication online is offered at no charge, but the figure legend must not refer to the use of colours.

    File types

    Figures should be submitted in TIFF or EPS format. JPEG files are acceptable in some cases. A minimum resolution of 300 dpi is required, except for line art which should be 1200 dpi. Histograms should be presented in a simple, two-dimensional format, with no background grid.

    During submission, ensure that the figure files are labelled with the correct File Designation of “Mono Image” for black and white figures and “Colour Image” for colour figures.

    Figures are checked using automated quality control and if they are below the minimum standard you will be alerted and asked to resupply them.

    Please ensure that any specific patient/hospital details are removed or blacked out (e.g. X-rays, MRI scans etc.). Figures that use a black bar to obscure a patient’s identity are NOT accepted.

    Tables

    Tables should be in Word format and placed in the main text where the table is first cited. Tables must be cited in the main text in numerical order. Please note that tables embedded as Excel files within the manuscript are NOT accepted. Tables in Excel should be copied and pasted into the manuscript Word file.

    Tables should be self-explanatory and the data they contain must not be duplicated in the text or figures. Any tables submitted that are longer/larger than 2 pages will be published as online only supplementary material.

    References
    Authors are responsible for the accuracy of cited references and these should be checked before the manuscript is submitted.

    Citing in the text

    References must be numbered sequentially as they appear in the text. References cited in figures or tables (or in their legends and footnotes) should be numbered according to the place in the text where that table or figure is first cited. Use Arabic numerals within parentheses e.g. [1]. Reference numbers in the text should be inserted immediately before punctuation (with no word spacing)—for example, [6].

    Where more than one reference is cited, these should be separated by a comma, for example,[1, 4, 39]. For sequences of consecutive numbers, give the first and last number of the sequence separated by a hyphen, for example,[22-25]. References provided in this format are translated during the production process to superscript type, and act as hyperlinks from the text to the quoted references in electronic forms of the article.

    Please note that if references are not cited in order the manuscript may be returned for amendment before it is passed on to the Editor for review.

    Preparing the reference list
    References must be numbered consecutively in the order in which they are mentioned in the text.

    Only papers published or in press should be included in the reference list. Personal communications or unpublished data must be cited in parentheses in the text with the name(s) of the source(s) and the year. Authors should request permission from the source to cite unpublished data.

    CJMS reference style
    This uses a slightly modified version of the Vancouver style of referencing. List the names and initials of all authors if there are 3 or fewer; otherwise list the first 3 and add ‘et al.’  Use one space only between words up to the year and then no spaces. The journal title should be in italic and abbreviated according to the style of Medline. If the journal is not listed in Medline then it should be written out in full.  Include year, volume and first and last page numbers.  Insert a full stop at the end. The DOI, if available, should be inserted at the last in all.
    Given below is a sample reference style as required by the CJMS.

    Journal article

    13. Willerslev-Oslen M, Choe Lund M, Lorentzen J et al. Impaired muscle growth precedes development of increased stiffness of the triceps surae musculotendinous unit in children with cerebral palsy. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology 2018 Jul;60(7):672-679. doi: 10.1111/dmcn.13729. Epub 2018 Mar 24.

    Chapter in book

     

    14. Nagin D. General deterrence: a review of the empirical evidence. In: Blumstein A, Cohen J, Nagin D, eds. Deterrence and Incapacitation: Estimating the Effects of Criminal Sanctions on Crime Rates. Washington, DC: National Academy of Sciences 1978:95–139.

    Book

    If there are only two authors indicate as Author A and Author B. If there are more than two indicate as Author A et.al.

    15. Hourigan P. Ankle injuries. In: Chan D, ed. Sports medicine. London: Elsevier, 2008: 230–47

    Abstract/supplement

    16. Roxburgh J, Cooke RA, Deverall P, et al. Haemodynamic function of the carbomedics bileaflet prosthesis [abstract]. Br Heart J 1995;73(Suppl 2):P37.

     

    Electronic citations

    Websites are referenced with their URL and access date, and as much other information as is available. Access date is important as websites can be updated and URLs change. The "date accessed" can be later than the acceptance date of the paper, and it can be just the month accessed.

    Electronic journal articles

    Morse SS. Factors in the emergency of infectious diseases. Emerg Infect Dis 1995 Jan-Mar;1(1). www.cdc.gov/nciod/EID/vol1no1/morse.htm (accessed 5 Jun 1998).

    Electronic letters

    Bloggs J. Title of letter. Journal name Online [eLetter] Date of publication. url eg: Krishnamoorthy KM, Dash PK. Novel approach to transseptal puncture. Heart Online [eLetter] 18 September 2001. http://heart.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/86/5/e11#EL1

    Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

    A DOI is a unique string created to identify a piece of intellectual property in an online environment and is particularly useful for articles that are published online before appearing in print (and therefore have not yet been assigned the traditional volume, issue and page number references). The DOI is a permanent identifier of all versions of an article, whether raw manuscript or edited proof, online or in print. Thus the DOI should ideally be included in the citation even if you want to cite a print version of an article.

    Permissions

    If you are using any material e.g. figures, tables or videos that have already been published elsewhere, you must obtain permission to reuse them from the copyright holder (this may be the publisher rather than the author) and include any required permission statements in the figure legends. This includes your own previously published material, if you are not the copyright holder.

    It is the author’s responsibility to secure all permissions prior to publication.

    Statistics

    Methods used in the statistical analyses should be explained in the methods section of the article.

    Reporting guidelines
    The guidelines listed below should be followed where appropriate. Please use these guidelines to structure your article. Completed applicable checklists, structured abstracts and flow diagrams should be uploaded with your submission; these will be published alongside the final version of your paper.

    Pre-submission checklist for authors

    To increase the chance of acceptance of your manuscript please check if you have adhered to the style and bibliographic requirements set out in the Author Guidelines section.

    1. Have you gone through CJMS copyright, peer review, fees and funding policies and understood them?

    2. Have you provided required details of all authors?

    3. Is your manuscript formatted according to CJMS requirements?

    • Is the document in Microsoft Word (DOC) format?
    • Is it typed double spaced?
    • Does it use Times New Roman 12 point font?
    • Are page numbers inserted?
    • Is the word count within specified range for the type of article?
    • Is the number of references within the specified range for the type of article?
    • Is the abstract formatted according to specified guidelines?
    • Have you done a thorough English language and style editing?
    • Have u indicated keywords?

    4. Have the tables and figures been formatted according to specified guidelines?

    • Are all the tables and figures cited in text, is the first letter of tables and figures capitalised?
    • Do all tables and figures carry an appropriate legend?
    • Are figures submitted as separate files fitting a single page in portrait format?
    • Are the figure keys incorporated into the graphic and not legend?

    5. Have you obtained permission from copyright holders to reproduce figures or tables published elsewhere? Have the resources been acknowledged?

    • Are the figures cropped to reduce white space around them?
    • Do figure format, size and resolution adhere to CJMS guidelines?
    • Are the references formatted according to the style specified by CJMS? Are all references cited in text?
    • Are any additional files submitted in correct format with title and description?
    • Is all supporting information included?

    6.Have you included a covering letter, including the completed checklist?

    • Have you included statements regarding authorship, authors' permission and approval for   submission, conflicts of interest, ethical approval/ consent/ clinical trials registration?
    • Have you included a statement that this article has not been published or submitted for consideration elsewhere? 
    • Have you included suggested peer reviewers or details of anyone you would prefer not to review your manuscript?
    • Have you prepared the manuscript to ensure blind peer review process?
    • Have you included a standard research reporting format suitable for your study type

     

    Articles would not be accepted if the above instructions are not adhered to.

    Submission Preparation Checklist

    As part of the submission process, authors are required to check off their submission's compliance with all of the following items, and submissions may be returned to authors that do not adhere to these guidelines.

    1. The submission file is in Microsoft Word, RTF, or WordPerfect document file format.
    2. The text is double-spaced; uses a 12-point font; employs italics, rather than underlining (except with URL addresses); and all illustrations, figures, and tables are placed within the text at the appropriate points, rather than at the end.

    3. The text adheres to the stylistic and bibliographic requirements outlined in the Author Guidelines, which is found in about the Journal. Every effort has been made to ensure that author names are removed from the manuscript (following the instructions to ensure blind peer review).

    4. All references have been inserted according to the requirements outlined in the  Author Guidelines. Where available, URLs for the references have been provided.

    Copyright Notice

    Creative Commons Licence
    Articles in the Ceylon Journal of Medical Sciences (CJMS) are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 

    Authors of articles published in CJMS retain the copyright of their articles. They are free to reproduce and disseminate their work. The source (CJMS) should be cited with a DOI link to the published journal article when articles published in the CJMS are reproduced or stored in a repository.

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