Authors guidelines

Scope & content:

Journal of The West Bengal University of Health Sciences (JUHS), is the official publication of The West Bengal University If Health Sciences. The Journal aims to provide an easily accessible, peer-reviewed, international research platform for all the different types and modes of health care delivery for the improvement of health conditions of the country and abroad. It strives to foster all the branches of Medicine, like Modern Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Homoeopathy, Ayurveda, Unani and the Auxiliary paramedical disciplines including healthcare management to provide the avenue with research publications to promote and protect the health of the community and the country at large.

The Editorial Board reflects the major thematic branches of the healthcare under the aegis of the University. The Journal welcomes submissions in the form of original research article; short communications, review articles; clinical case series reports, commentaries, letter to editors etc. in the fields mentioned hereinabove. Authors will therefore understand that manuscripts without relevant content and conclusions are declined without assessment.

As a committed Open Access journal, there are no subscription fees, nor are there fees for authors. Readers may register to receive a return email notification of published articles in the journal.

Indexing and abstracting services & Impact Factor

Journal editorial structure:

The Journal is supervised by a team of International and National Advisors. The other Editorial Board members work under the guidance of the Editor-in-chief in their capacity and responsibilities bestowed upon them. All the different branches of Medicine are taken care of by Sectional Editors to do justice to the scientific content of the article by a valid blinded peer review to evaluate the propriety of publication of the article.

The complete list of the current editorial board can be obtained at the Journal website.

Ethics & copyright

Ethical concerns:

Submission of a manuscript to JUHS implies that all authors have read and agreed to its content, and that research approval has been obtained from an ethics committee (where appropriate), in compliance with the Helsinki Declaration.

Ethics approval is mandatory for original research and short communications manuscripts. At the end of the Methods section under a sub-heading ‘Ethics approval’ please provide the full name of the Board or Committee which approved the research.

If there are context-specific reasons why this is not possible, or if the type of permission varies from what is required, please indicate this in the cover letter to the Editor on the first page of your manuscript. An explanation of variation from the required approval should also be placed in the text at the end of the Methods section.

Information or clinical photographs that relate to individual patients may only be used if the authors have obtained and provided written and signed consent from each identifiable person.

Avoiding duplicate publication:

In order to avoid the academic misconduct of ‘duplicate publication’, please ensure that the content of any manuscript submitted to JUHS is not under consideration by any other journal, and has not been published previously in any print or electronic form; in a domestic or international journal or text book or any other print format; in any other language or world region; under any other title or with a slightly or largely different author group. JUHS vigorously investigates suspected duplicate publication. However, submission is welcome of articles based on verbal or poster presentations at conferences or meetings.

Authorship:

All authors should be listed on the title page or first page of the manuscript. Each author should have participated in the work sufficiently to take responsibility for some part of the content. One or more authors should take responsibility for the integrity of the work as a whole. Others who might have contributed to the work in any sundry way; but are not authors should be named in the manuscript Acknowledgments and their contributions stated. Further definition of authorship may be obtained from http://www.icmje.org/.

Changes to authorship:

Once a manuscript has been submitted to the Journal, requests to add or remove an author should be made in writing by the corresponding author to the editor in agreement of all other authors.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism has always been a serious issue, and authors are cautioned to take extreme care in manuscript preparation, being vigilant about what they present as their own work, and scrupulously referencing the ideas or comments of others. Any detected instances of plagiarism in submitted, reviewed or published manuscripts will be dealt with rigorously, following the Committee on Publication Ethics protocol (http://publicationethics.org/). Self-plagiarism is potentially a copyright violation, so authors must always attribute text repeated verbatim from their previously published works by full referencing of clearly identified text.

Copyright

Author information:

Authors are required to have obtained permission to use any copyright-protected material in their submitted manuscript, including material in the form of figures or tables. Any costs incurred relating to permissions is the authors' responsibility. Please ensure that you have avoided any libelous statements, because authors are liable for any subsequent legal action.

While you retain copyright of your original material, by publishing in JUHS you will have agreed to the following contractual terms:

The article is the original work of the stated author(s)
The work has not been published previously
The JUHS may use the article for publicity purposes
The JUHS may publish the article on third-party sites

Prior to publication of your article, you will be requested to log on to the journal site, accept and agree to the final, copyedited version of your manuscript and also to indicate agreement to these terms

Submission

Journal of The West Bengal University of Health Sciences welcomes the submission of relevant manuscripts.
When submitting a manuscript, be prepared to provide for each author: full name, highest academic qualification, designation, title, organization of research, phone contact current email address and contribution to the manuscript.
You will also have the option to suggest three potential reviewers (their title, name, institution and email address) for your manuscript.
You are to upload your manuscript (as a Microsoft Word document) and any non-embedded figures separately and e-mailed to the designated mail address of the journal.
The nominated, submitting, contact author must be mentioned clearly as all official communication at every stage in the publication process will be sent to that person's email address. It is therefore NOT appropriate for a person other than an author to submit the manuscript. The submitting or contact author should ensure that any email address is current and working.
An acknowledgement with a manuscript number will be sent to the corresponding author after successful manuscript submission.
Quote this manuscript number in all future correspondences with the editorial board.

Preparation of the manuscript

Use word-processing package such as MS Word to prepare the manuscript, Normal text may be used with bold and italic fonts. Please follow the Vancouver system to include footnoted material in brackets in the text at the appropriate place.

File format: Please use a common word-processing program (such as Microsoft Word) for the text. For MS Word files, either .doc or .docx file extension is acceptable.

Style

Manuscripts should follow the style of the Vancouver Agreement as detailed in the 'Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals 'http://www.icmje.org/ except that JUHS requires complete (not abbreviated) journal names in the reference list. The article should be written in font size of 12 with 1.5 spacing between the lines.

Text structure & article length

In order to facilitate and maximize readers' comprehension of your work, as well as best use of web space the recommended word count of your text structure (all words between the first word of the introduction and the final word of the conclusion, with the exception of tables and figures and their legends, acknowledgements, reference list, appendix) are:

Editorial: less than 2000 words
Commentary: less than 3000 words
Original research: less than 4000 words
Review article: less than 5000 words
Clinical case series: less than 1500 words
Short Communication: less than 2000 words
Conference report: less than 1500 words
Biography, Tribute or Obituary: less than 1000 words
Book review: less than 500 words
Letter (research letter*, standard letter to the editor): less than 500 words

*A ‘research letter’ is different from a standard letter to the editor, short report or research note. It is a brief referenced outline of the issue discussed, followed by detail about the present study, bringing one or two novel or important conclusions to the attention of readers - all presented in the format of a letter to the editor, without an abstract. A detailed discussion is not required. There should be a maximum of 5 references. The total word count for the letter text should be approximately 500 words, with the addition of one small table, if necessary.

Spelling & capitalization:

Authors may use UK or US spelling, but please avoid using a mixture of spelling styles within the manuscript. JUHS uses minimal capitalization, therefore authors are asked to capitalize only proper nouns (e.g. names and personal, program and institutional titles).

Abbreviations & local terminology:

All abbreviations and acronyms should be spelled out at first use, with the exception of any acronym that is globally accepted like AIDS for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. Abbreviations are unnecessary in the abstract unless the term is repeated in the abstract.

Units:

In accordance with international scholarly convention, all units must be provided as Système Internationale (SI) units.

Special characters:

Because non-keyboard characters may not reproduce reliably across platforms and after electronic transfer, the use of special characters/symbols in the text should be accompanied by a spell-out of that character in brackets.

Statistics:

Please describe statistical methods with sufficient detail to enable a knowledgeable reader with access to the original data to verify your reported results. Provide actual numbers as well as percentages in both text and tables and, wherever possible, include 'total' rows and columns in tables. For surveys, ensure that the response rate is described and, if necessary, discuss any biases due to a low response. A justification should be provided for sample size based on the required accuracy of results. In addition, 95% confidence intervals should be given for the main results. For intervention studies/trials, ensure that the response rate is described and any biases discussed. A justification should be provided for sample size, based on the required power. All statistical tests should be described. If parametric analyses (e.g. t-test, analysis of variance or multiple regression) have been undertaken, make sure that the dependent variable was first checked for normality. Specify in the text the statistical software used.

Sections of the manuscript

Title page file:

The first page or beginning of the manuscript file should identify the type of article you are submitting, the title of your manuscript, the full names, position titles, institutional addresses (current at the time the work was undertaken) and current email and institutional addresses for all authors. The highest academic qualification of each author should be given. The correspondence nominated author should be indicated by adding an asterisk after his or her name - and a current address provided if it is different from the study address. Sources of support in the form of grants, equipment and/or drugs should also be specified here, as should declarations of conflict of interest.

Headings:

The article should have 'structure' the abstract and the main text using the research headings: Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion and Conclusions (note: the 'Discussion' heading is not used in the abstract). However in situations where such a rigid structure is not possible try the following headings: Context, Issue, Lessons learned. The same main headings will be used in abstract and main manuscript text. A mixture of main heading types is never appropriate.

Abstract:

JUHS requires that the abstract be a structured one of 300 words' length (for short communication: 200 words). The abstract should state the purpose/s of the study or investigation, basic procedures followed (selection of study subjects; observational and analytical methods), main findings (including specific data and their statistical significance, if applicable), and the main conclusions. New and important aspects of the study should be emphasized.

Keywords:

Provide 5 – 8 key words in alphabetical order when submitting the manuscript. The key words will also assist in cross-indexing the article at abstracting services.

Main text file:

All the articles should contain structured abstract / unstructured summary for inclusion in Pubmed etc.

Original articles: These include population based surveys, program evaluations, impact assessment studies, randomized controlled trials, intervention studies, studies of screening and diagnostic test, outcome studies, cost effectiveness analyses, meta-analysis, systematic reviews, cohort studies and case-control studies,. The text of original articles amounting to up to 4000 words (excluding Abstract, references and Tables) should be divided into sections with the headings Abstract, Key-words, Introduction, Material and Methods, Results, Discussion, References, Tables and Figure legends. Abstract should be structured, not more than 250 words, briefly mentioning background, objectives, methods, results and conclusion. Introduction: State the purpose and summarize the rationale for the study or observation. Materials and Methods: It should include and describe the following aspects: Ethics: The journal will not consider any paper which is ethically unacceptable. A statement on ethics committee permission and ethical practices must be included in all research articles under the ‘Materials and Methods’ section. Reporting guidelines for specific study types are: CONSORT for Randomized controlled trials, available from http://www.consortstatement.org, PRISMA for Systematic reviews and meta-analyses, available from http://prismastatement.org/prismastatement/Checklist.aspx, MOOSE for Meta-analyses of observational studies in epidemiology, available from http://www.consortstatement.org/Initiatives/MOOSE/moose.pdf, STROBE for Observational studies in epidemiology available from http://www.strobestatement.org.

Statement of regarding the clearance from the Institutional Ethics Committee with its reference number is a must for all research articles (original or short communications) in case of any type of studies. For all clinical trials, mention the Clinical Trial Registration Number as well. The articles may be summarily rejected if these are not mentioned at the very outset of consideration for publication of the articles. Results: Present your results in a logical sequence in the text, tables, and illustrations, giving the main or most important findings first. Do not repeat in the text all the data in the tables or illustrations; emphasize or summarize only important observations. Extra- or supplementary materials and technical detail can be placed in an appendix where it will be accessible but will not interrupt the flow of the text; alternatively, it can be published only in the electronic version of the journal. When data are summarized in the Results section, give numeric results not only as derivatives (for example, percentages) but also as the absolute numbers from which the derivatives were calculated, and specify the statistical methods used to analyze them. Restrict tables and figures to those needed to explain the argument of the paper and to assess its support. Restrict the number of figures and tables below four. Use graphs as an alternative to tables with many entries; do not duplicate data in graphs and tables. Where scientifically appropriate, analyses of the data by variables such as age and sex should be included. Discussion: Include summary of key findings (primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, results as they relate to a prior hypothesis); Strengths and limitations of the study (study question, study design, data collection, analysis and interpretation); Interpretation and implications in the context of the totality of evidence (is there a systematic review to refer to, if not, could one be reasonably done here and now?, what this study adds to the available evidence, effects on patient care and health policy, possible mechanisms); Controversies raised by this study; and Future research directions (for this particular research collaboration, underlying mechanisms, clinical research). Do not repeat in detail data or other material given in the Introduction or the Results section. In particular, contributors should avoid making statements on economic benefits and costs unless their manuscript includes economic data and analyses. Avoid claiming priority and alluding to work that has not been completed. New hypotheses may be stated if needed, however they should be clearly labeled as such. About 30 references can be included. These articles generally should not have more than six authors.

Review Articles: It is expected that these articles would be by invitation, written by individuals who have done substantial work on the subject or are considered experts in the field. Articles by other public health experts can be accepted on the basis of merit of article. A short summary of the work done by the contributor(s) in the field of review/their area of expertise should accompany the manuscript. The prescribed word count is up to 3000 words excluding tables, references and abstract. The manuscript may have about 90 references. The manuscript should have an unstructured summary (250 words) representing an accurate summary of the article. The section titles would depend upon the topic reviewed. Authors submitting review article should include a section describing the methods used for locating, selecting, extracting, and synthesizing data. These methods should also be summarized in the abstract. Restrict the maximum number of tables and or/figures to four. The journal expects the contributors to give post-publication updates on the subject of review. The update should be brief, covering the advances in the field after the publication of the article and should be sent as a letter to editor, as and when major development occurs in the field. Review articles could be authored by upto six authors.

Short Research article: These should contain interesting observations/ brief reports of original studies presenting the authors' views on a topic of current interest. It should be limited to 2,000 words with unstructured summary not exceeding 200 words, no more than two tables and/or figures, and no more than 10 references. It could be authored by up to six authors. Ethical consideration as per original article should be followed.

Case Studies/ Case Series Report: New, interesting and intriguing case studies can be reported. They should be unique and have demonstrated methods to overcome any public health challenge by use of novel tools and techniques and provide a learning point for the readers. Case studies with public health significance or implications will be given priority. These communications could be of up to 1500 words (excluding Abstract and references) and should have the following headings: Abstract (unstructured summary not exceeding 150 words), Key-words, Introduction, Case report, Discussion, Reference, Tables and Legends in that order. It must not have more than 10 references. Case Reports could be authored by up to four authors.

Acknowledgements:

The Acknowledgement section is the place to list all contributors who do not meet the criteria for authorship. Financial and material support should also be acknowledged here, including detail of any organisation that has made a contribution to your research.

Conflict of Interest:

All authors must disclose any and all conflicts of interest they may have with publication of the manuscript or an institution or product that is mentioned in the manuscript and/or is important to the outcome of the study presented. Authors should also disclose conflict of interest with products that compete with those mentioned in their manuscript.

References:

When listing references; follow the Vancouver style at http://www.icmje.org. However, please list the journal titles in the reference list IN FULL (ie do NOT abbreviate them). References should be cited consecutively in the text using numbers as superscripts. The numbered reference list follows the order in which references first appear in the text. Note: list all authors and/or editors up to 6; if there are more than 6, list the first 6 and add 'et al'. Personal communications (which may only be included with permission), unpublished data and personal observations should not be included in the reference list; however they may be placed in the text (eg P Singh, pers. comm., 2001).

Tables & Figures:

Figure legends should be added to the main text, immediately after the references. Table and figure legends should describe the table or figure without need for reference to the text. Do NOT repeat a table or figure legend in the actual table or figure.

Tables and figures should be cited in the text at least once and numbered according to their sequence of citation.

References cited in a figure, table or legend should be numbered according to the first citation of that figure or table in the text. That is, reference numbering will be continuous with the text surrounding figures and tables.

Make table column headings descriptive but brief, with units of measurement in brackets. If you are providing both number and percent for an item, please indicate both in one column as n (%).

Footnote symbols †, ¶, §, ‡, should be used (in that order) with *, **, *** reserved for p-values.

If you have figures or photos in jpg or gif format that are not included in your manuscript, these can be submitted in a separate file in the e-mail.

Checklist for submission

Before making a submission to the journal, please ensure you have completed all the items in this check list. Read Instructions for Authors.

Supplied all author details, including institutional and current addresses.
Indicated the nominated, submitting, contact author by including their present address (if different from the study address) and marked that name with an asterisk.
Indicated the type of article.
Quoted material is used with written permission and clearly identified in the manuscript.
Used the Vancouver style of referencing, with superscript text citations.
Research manuscript is written in the passive (reporting) voice.
Provided detail of ethics approval (name of IRB & approval number) at the end of the Methods section.
References are only listed ONCE in the reference list.
Numeric data are given in SI units Prepared tables and figures, and their legends, conform to Journal requirements
Major headings conform to Journal requirements and are consistently applied to both abstract and main text.
Spelling is consistent within the manuscript according to regional usage and appropriate dictionary, and only proper nouns (names and their titles) are capitalized.
Met requirements for consent from patients described, people who have been quoted in personal communications and those acknowledged.

After submission

After submission, your manuscript will be assessed by the Editorial board. They may decide to send your manuscript for peer review, to decline your manuscript, or to return it to you with feedback and a request to resubmit before the manuscript is sent for review.

Peer review

The de-identified review copy is sent to 2 anonymous peer reviewers. The process is 'double blinded' so the identities of the author group and reviewers are concealed.

Your manuscript may be returned with feedback and a request for revision before the manuscript is sent out for review. After review, most contributors can expect to be asked to revise aspects of their manuscript according to reviewers' recommendations before the manuscript is accepted for publication.

Revision

The editorial board makes the final decision about the revised manuscript's suitability for publication in JUHS, based on her or his own informed opinion and the recommendation of the external reviewers. On this basis, a decision is made between the options ‘accept after revision’, ‘consider after revision’ or ‘reject’ the manuscript. Sometimes the authors of a rejected manuscript will be encouraged to revise the material and submit it as a new or different type of manuscript.

The revision decision, with reviewer comments and any other editorial feedback, is provided on the author’s status page, and an email is sent to the corresponding author.

What the journal now asks of authors is to:

make a careful and thoughtful revision, according to the reviewer comments
use MS Word’s track changes function when making changes to the manuscript
provide notes about the revision to assist the editorial board for assessment of the changes
provide a revised manuscript that complies with the journal’s requirements
submit the revised manuscript within 6 weeks

Resubmission

Following review, please revise your manuscript using MS Word's "track changes" function so the changes made during revision will be clear to the assessing editor. When preparing your file for resubmission, please save the manuscript as a Word documents with either a .doc or .docx file extension. It is important at the end of the revision that all authors agree with the final version of the manuscript. Please submit the revised manuscript via email indicating that it is a revised article with the original manuscript number.

Registration

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