INSTRUCTIONS TO AUTHORS
JBMS has adopted the “Uniform requirements for manuscripts submitted to Biomedical Journals” (BMJ, 1997; 314: 1-10; N. Engl. J. Med., 1997; 336: 309-315). Papers for publication in this Journal include: Report of Original Work, Review, Clinical Trial, Case Report, Cameo, Correspondence, Meeting Reports and Book Review.
Report of Original Work: This is an original article, preferably briefly described. The format for this should be title page, abstract, keywords, introduction, materials/patients and methods, results, discussion, conclusion, acknowledgements, references, tables, figures and plates, in that order. The abstract must be structured and should not be more than 250 words.
Review: This is an article that summarizes an exhaustive literature on a special interest with references. It is equally an authoritative, evidence-based article on topical subjects. Submission in this category is generally by invitation. However, unsolicited manuscripts are also welcome. Authors are encouraged to discuss an outline of their idea with the editor-in- chief of JBMS.
Case report: This is an article of interest, especially one of an uncommon presentation, and should also have an abstract.
Clinical Trial: This is an article of succinct presentation, usually concerning a drug evaluation. This concise article contains minimum number of graphs and tables.
Letter to the Editor: It is a brief substantiated commentary on subject(s) of interest.
Cameo: A report of not more than 800 words with a maximum of 3 illustrations for rapid and elucidating communication.
Correspondence: Short letter to the editor as well as contributions in response to previously published article(s).
Meeting Report: This is a summary of materials presented at scientific meetings, especially those of Basic Medical Societies.
Book Review: Books and monographs of interest will be reviewed based on their values to subscribers. Please, note that books and monographs sent for review will not be returned.
Preparation of Manuscripts
Format: Articles must be prepared using MS-word format and double line-spaced on a standard A4 paper (212×297 mm) with margins of 25 mm. Preferred style is Times New Roman, while the font size should be 12. The title page should bear the title, name(s) of author(s), institutional affiliation(s) and location, the name and address of the corresponding author. Abstract should be structured using the following headings: Background, Objective, Materials/Patients and Methods, Results and Conclusion. At the end of the abstract, include not more than 6 keywords to be used for indexing.
Tables: Tables should be self-explanatory and numbered in Arabic numerals according to the order mentioned in the text. Each table in an article must be on separate sheets and typed double-spaced. A brief title describing the contents in the table should be supplied at the top. No internal horizontal or vertical rules should be used in the table. All tables MUST be prepared using Microsoft Excel but could be copied from this format to Microsoft Word.
Figures and Plates: Figures and plates should be professionally drawn and numbered consecutively in Arabic numerals in the order in which they have been cited in the text. A brief title describing the contents in the figure or plate should be supplied at the bottom. In addition, photomicrographs must be provided with staining techniques and magnification. Pictures and photomicrographs should bear internal scale markers (bar lines/bar scales) for estimation of actual size. Symbols, arrows or letters used in the photomicrographs should contrast with the background and must be explained at the bottom. All previously published illustrations must be fully credited to the original source. All figures MUST be prepared using Microsoft Excel but could be copied from this format to Microsoft Word.
Units of Measurements: Data should be presented using SI units with the conventional equivalents in parentheses in the text. In a table or figure, a conversion factor should be provided as a footnote.
Acknowledgements: Acknowledgement of general support, financial and material assistance, technical support, secretariat help, etc., should be indicated at the end of the main text. It is the responsibility of the authors to obtain consent of those being acknowledged.
References: References must conform to Vancouver style e.g., Nig Q J Hosp Med. 2011; 21(3): 175-178. Journal title should conform to the abbreviation in index medicus. For Journal articles, the format should be: Author’s name and initials, title of article, abbreviated name of journal, year of publication, volume (issue), pages, e.g., Wilkie AO, Morriss-Kay GM. Genetics of craniofacial development and malformation. Nat. Rev. Genet., 2001; 2(6): 458-468. In-text citation is with standard numbers in brackets, e.g., (3,4,5-8). Authors are responsible for completeness and accuracy of all citations. A maximum of six authors should be quoted but if there are more, only the first six should be listed followed by et al. In the list of references, all references in the text are numbered consecutively in the order they appear in the text. For Books: Mbagwu SM. A pictorial self-instruction manual on skin diseases, Lagos: Longman, 2012. For Chapters in Books: Remington JS, McLeod R, Desmonts G. Toxoplasmosis. In: Remington JS, Klein OJ, editors. Infectious disease of the fetus and newborn infant. 4th ed. Philadelphia: WB Saunders Co, 1994; p. 141-267. Journals with abbreviations not yet cited in index medicus should be written in full.
Style: Use simple and acceptable English grammar. Abbreviations must be limited to those in general usage. The full term for which an abbreviation stands should precede its first use in the abstracts and text unless it is a standard unit of measurement.
Ethics: The JBMS expects a high standard of ethical practice from all authors. The authors must indicate the ethical conformity with the Helsinki Declaration 1975 (as amended). Studies on human subjects must have been approved by the institution’s Ethics Committee. Informed consent of human subjects must be clearly stated in the manuscript. Photographs showing human face should have the eyes masked except if consent for full picture view is signed by the patient. Animal experiments must be in conformity with relevant laws and the guidelines of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). The intent to publish in the JBMS must be supported by all authors and the manuscripts must not have been previously published or being considered for publication by any other journal.
Generic names must be used. If a trade name is included, it should follow the generic name in parenthesis when first mentioned.
Covering Letter: A covering letter which could explain why the paper should be published to the JBMS must accompany the manuscript. This should include a statement that the manuscript had been read and approved by all authors, that it has not been published or submitted for consideration of publication elsewhere. The letter should also include names, office or institutional addresses, e-mail addresses and telephone numbers of all the authors. The corresponding author, who is responsible for the contents of the paper as well as answerable to same, must be indicated in the covering letter. It is advisable that authors retain a copy of their work to avoid eventual loss or damage in very rare cases of unforeseen circumstances.
Galley Proofs: Proofs should be corrected and returned by authors within 21 days at the most. After this deadline the corrections of the editorial office will be considered as approved, without responsibility for the publisher. The author who corrects the proofs must sign them on the front page for approval. Delay in re-submitting corrected manuscripts by authors may warrant such to be treated as fresh submissions.
Responsibility
All authors listed on the original manuscript are jointly held responsible for the entire contents of an article. It is the primary responsibility of all the authors to ensure the correctness of their article. In addition, the corresponding author must ensure agreement to publication of an article by all the authors of the article.
Criteria for Authorship
The JBMS like many other medical journals has adopted the criteria for authorship as expressed in the “Uniform requirements for manuscripts submitted to Biomedical Journals” (BMJ, 1997; 314: 1-10; N. Engl. J. Med., 1997; 336: 309-315). Accordingly, “authorship credit should be based only on substantial contribution to: (a) conception and design, or analysis and interpretation of data; (b) drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content; and (c) final revision of the version to be published.”
Conflicts of Interest
Authors should list all financial support, including equipment and drugs on the title page. Details of financial interest that might influence the conduct or reporting of the study should be given in the covering letter. Assessors of articles should also inform the editor of any possible conflict of interest.
Previous and Redundant Publications
Manuscripts that overlap substantially should not be submitted for consideration of publication in the JBMS. Authors should submit a copy of potential duplicate papers to the editor.
Editorial Policies
The JBMS is published biannually by the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine of the University of Lagos, Nigeria. All papers submitted for publication will be edited and subjected to peer review process. The peer review process will be in relation to scientific and statistical contents.
Manuscripts may be required to be modified by author(s) following the review if necessary. All submitted manuscripts remain property of JBMS whether published or not and copyright will be taken in the name of JBMS.
All statements and opinions expressed in the articles and communication published in the journal are strictly those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the Editor(s) or Publisher. The Publisher disclaims any responsibility or liability for such materials. In addition, the publisher is not liable and do not provide guarantee or endorsement for services or products advertised.
Financing
Authors will be expected to contribute to the cost for every printed page, including the cost of illustration and postage. Together with the letter of acceptance, authors will receive a preliminary estimate, which is to be settled as soon as possible to allow publication to proceed. Soon after, they will receive the galley proofs and publication will closely follow. Upon publication, a copy of the journal would be provided to the author. Reprints will be provided as a rule at the time of publication but advance reprints are available upon request. Reproductions are not allowed without the written consent of the publisher through the Editor-in-chief. Reprint order forms will be sent to the corresponding author after publication of article.
All correspondence and enquires pertaining to status of manuscripts should be directed to the Editor-In-Chief.
Advertorial: Inquires for placement of advertisements should be forwarded to the Editor-In-Chief.
All payments should be in favour of the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine of the University of Lagos, Nigeria.
Copyright
All rights reserved. No part of any article published by the JBMS may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical recording or otherwise without written permission from the Publisher through the Editor-in-chief. On acceptance, the copyright of the paper will be vested in JBMS/Publisher.
Editor-In-Chief
Prof. Chikodi N. Anigbogu
University of Lagos, Nigeria
Mobile Number: +2348035666766
E-mail: canigbogu@unilag.edu.ng
