Author Guidelines

Before you start – is this journal right for you? Please check the journal’s scope, and if you have any questions, contact [email protected] or the editor of this journal at [email protected].

Author responsibilities

We want to provide you with an easy and professional experience at every stage of your publishing journey.  

To help us achieve this goal, you as the author also have some responsibilities. These include:

  • Responding quickly to queries during the review and publication process
  • Taking responsibility for all aspects of your work, including ensuring copyright is not violated and permissions are obtained, and swiftly resolving any issues relating to the integrity and accuracy of your research should any arise
  • Familiarizing yourself with our ethical policies for authors and complying with all of our guidelines, including acknowledging everyone who has made a substantial and meaningful contribution to the submitted manuscript.

Research and publishing ethics

At KnE Publishing, we aim to ensure everything we publish is ethically sound and complies with the policies and principles set out by the leading authorities in this arena. Please see our Ethics [link] pages for more details.

Copyright permissions

Before submitting a manuscript, you must ensure that you have applied for and received written permission to use any third-party materials included in your manuscript that are under copyright.

Permissions we require:

  • Non-exclusive rights to reproduce the third-party material in the article
  • Print and electronic rights
  • The right to use the material for the life of the published work (ie. no time restrictions on the permission granted)

By submitting an article to use for consideration, you are confirming that you have obtained all the necessary copyright permissions required to publish your article.

Open Access

This journal is a diamond Open Access journal. This means the journal is published Open Access and if your article is accepted for publication, you will not have to pay an article processing charge (APC). All published articles are freely available on the journal website without any charge.

Preparing your submission

We offer a full array of manuscript preparation services to help improve the quality of your manuscript, save time, and maximize the impact of your research. Our easy-to-use platform connects authors with relevant experts in language support, translation, editing, statistical review and more. More details are available here. 

Please note that this is an optional service and does not guarantee acceptance.

Manuscript requirements

Before submitting your manuscript, please read the guidelines below and make sure your work complies with them all.

Types of manuscripts and guidelines for their preparation

SJMS publishes original articles, case reports, reviews, letter to the editor, randomized clinical trials and meta-analyses, commentaries and short communications, editorials, book reviews, state-of-the-art reviews, and conference reports. All accepted manuscripts are requested to be proofread by the corresponding author. Researchers can submit a manuscript if it falls within the journal's scope.

Manuscript impact

SJMS aims to improve research and healthcare in Sudan and the surrounding regions; therefore, authors are advised to submit relevant manuscripts and explain how they meet this need. In addition, the authors should clearly explain the impact of the work and future directions in the manuscripts.

Manuscript preparation

The Editorial Policies and General Guidelines for manuscript preparation specified below are based on the Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals (ICMJE Recommendations) of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (2013, archived at http://www.icmje.org/). In addition, the format of SJMS complies with the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals, as published by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1979 (the widely accepted ‘Vancouver style’), as described in the Annals of Internal Medicine (1982, 96 [pt 1],  114–29) for guidance.

Manuscripts, including tables, references, and figure legends, must be typewritten and double-spaced, on 8½ x 11 inches (21.5 x 28 cm) A4-size paper, with margins of at least one inch (2.5 cm). Times New Roman is the preferred font type with font size 12. Pages should be numbered consecutively in Arabic numerals throughout the manuscript, and in good English.

Our preferred file format is DOCX or DOC. A single word file containing all materials in the manuscript, including figures and figure legends, should also be provided.

Abbreviations should be avoided as much as possible. When used, at the first use, the full term of the abbreviation should be given with the abbreviation in parentheses. Standard widely known abbreviations, however, may be used, such as DNA. An abbreviation can be used if it is listed as a MeSH subject heading. Authors should conform to the most recent edition of the American Medical Association Manual of Style.

File sequence

The sequence of the files should be as follows: cover letter (a must), a separate title page file, manuscript (abstract and keywords, introduction, materials and methods, results, discussion, conclusion, declaration section, references, tables and figures, and other submission elements). Each section title should begin on a new page. Ethical approval, clearance, or consent of publication should be uploaded in studies involving humans or animals.

Cover letter

The covering letter must be addressed to SJMS, and must state that the submitted work is original, influential, and not under consideration for publication elsewhere. The cover letter should include (1) statements about manuscript type, (2) single-journal submission affirmation, (3) conflict of interest statement, (4) sources of outside funding, (5) equipment (if applicable), and (6) approval of language for articles in English and approval of statistical analysis for original research articles.

Title page

The title page must contain:

  • The title of the article
  • The correct names of the authors, their official academic and/or clinical titles, the email address and ORCID iD for each author, and the name and address of their institutional affiliation(s). The unique ORCID iD will be embedded in the published article linking it to the ORCiD registry, so that readers can identify the author. If you don’t have an ORCID iD yet, register here for free to create one -- it only takes a few moments.
  • The name, address and phone number of the author to whom correspondence should be sent
  • Any disclaimers (an example of a disclaimer is an author's statement that the views expressed in the submitted article are their own and not an official position of the institution or funder)
  • The clinical trial registration number, if applicable
  • Each author's contributions should be stated as follows: (a) study concept and design or acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data, (b) drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content, (c) final approval of the version to be published, and (d) agreement to be accountable for the accuracy and integrity of all aspects of the work.

Changing the authors' names and adding or deleting them is the corresponding author's responsibility in agreement with the editorial office.

Abstract

An abstract of no more than 250 words should be submitted. It should be structured into the following four subsections: Background, Methods, Results, and Conclusions.

Keywords

5–10 keywords should be provided.

Introduction

A background relevant to the manuscript topic is stated with proper citation of the resources.

Materials and Methods

The authors should appropriately describe the study's objective and hypothesis in the methodology section. According to the study's objective, the primary/secondary endpoints are predetermined sensibly.

Results

In the Results section, describe the statistical tests used in the study in detail so that the readers can obtain the same results if the original data are available. The name and version of the statistical package should be provided, and the characteristics of the measured variables should determine the use of a parametric or nonparametric statistical method. The normality of data should be examined to analyze a continuous variable. The p-value, defined as the limit of significance, and appropriate measurement error and uncertainty (confidence interval, etc.), should be specified. Statistical terminology (random, significant, correlation, etc.) should not be used in non-statistical contexts. Designate the name and result of the method to test normality. When analyzing a categorical variable, if the number of events and samples is small, the exact test or asymptotic procedure with appropriate adjustments should be used. The standard Chi-squared test or difference-in-proportions test may be performed when the sample size and the number of events are sufficiently large. A prior sample size calculation should be described in detail. The sample size calculation must prevent false-negative results about the primary instead of the secondary endpoint. Usually, the mean difference and standard deviation are typical parameters in estimating the effect size. The power must be equal to or greater than 80%. In the case of multiple comparisons, an adjusted level of significance is acceptable.

Discussion

The study impact should be mentioned. The study limitations should be stated. The conclusion can be included in the discussion section.

Declaration section

This section includes the following:

  • Acknowledgements: contributors who do not meet the criteria for authorship should not be listed as authors but should be acknowledged under this section.
  • Ethical considerations: for human or animal research, the consent to participate or have their information published in a case report should be taken and reported in this section. Approval from an Ethical Committee should also be obtained and reported in this section.
  • Competing interests: all conflicts of interest (including financial, personal, academic and/or ideological) must be declared upon submission. It should be noted that editors and reviewers are likewise responsible for disclosing any conflicts of interest.
  • Availability of data and material
  • Funding
  • Abbreviations and symbols: it is recommended to only use standard abbreviations; nonstandard abbreviations can confuse readers. Avoid abbreviations in the title of the manuscript. The spelt-out abbreviation followed by the abbreviation in parentheses should be used on the first mention unless the abbreviation is a standard unit of measurement.

References

References are to be listed, double-spaced, in consecutive numerical order according to the order of citation in the manuscript. Once a reference is cited, all subsequent citations should be to the original number. All references must be cited in the text or tables and appear as numbers between square brackets. Unpublished data and personal communications will not be accepted as references. For endnote references, SJMS follows APA 7th Edition. The detailed style guide can be accessed here. 

Tables

Each table should be typed double-spaced, including all headings. Verify tabular statistics to make sure they match the data cited in the text. Tables should be placed after the Results section. Tables capture information concisely and display it efficiently; they also provide information at any desired level of detail and precision. Including data in tables rather than text frequently makes it possible to reduce the length of the text. Number tables consecutively in the order of their first citation in the text. Be sure that each table is cited in the text.

Supply a title for each table. Titles in tables should be short but self-explanatory, containing information that allows readers to understand the table's content without going back to the text. Give each column a short or an abbreviated heading. Authors should place explanatory matter in footnotes, not in the header. Explain all nonstandard abbreviations in footnotes and use symbols to explain information if needed.

If you use data from another published or unpublished source, obtain permission and acknowledge that source fully. Additional tables containing backup data too extensive to publish in print may be appropriate for publication in the electronic version of the journal, deposited with an archival service, or made available to readers directly by the authors. A relevant statement should be added to the text to inform readers that this additional information is available and where it is located.

Figures

Figures should be numbered consecutively according to the order cited in the text.

The captions for the figures must be typed, double-spaced, and must not appear with the figures. High-resolution photographic image files should be provided for X-ray films, scans, other diagnostic images, and pictures of pathology specimens or photomicrographs. Photomicrographs should have internal scale markers. Symbols, arrows, or letters used in photomicrographs should contrast with the background. Explain the internal scale and identify the method of staining in photomicrographs.

The legends for illustrations should be on a separate page in the manuscript, with Arabic numerals corresponding to the images. When symbols, arrows, numbers, or letters are used to identify parts of the illustrations, identify and explain each one clearly in the legend and send it in separate files.

Details about types of manuscripts and guidelines

Original research article

Research articles should report on original primary research. SJMS encourages authors to make available to readers all datasets on which the paper's conclusions rely. We encourage authors to ensure that their datasets are presented in the main manuscript or additional supporting files.

The STARD checklist for reporting diagnostic accuracy of studies should be followed (Bossuyt PM, Reitsma JB, Bruns DE, Gatsonis CA, Glasziou PP, Irwig LM, et al., for the STARD Group. Towards complete and accurate reporting of diagnostic accuracy studies: the STARD initiative. Ann Intern Med 2003;138:40-4. Available from: http://www.stard-statement.org/ ). The STROBE statement checklist of items that should be included in reports of observational studies is recommended (http://www.strobe-statement.org/).

Case report

Please ensure that all patient data have been de-identified and that necessary approval has been obtained, if necessary, from an ethics commission or an institutional review board. These guidelines are based on the CARE guidance.

Letter to the editor

This should be a short commentary related to current developments in the medical field and their scientific and social aspects. It may be submitted to ask questions or offer further contributions in response to work published in the journal. Letters do not include a title or an abstract; they should not exceed 1000 words and can have up to five references. The references in the letters should not exceed 15 words; there should be no more than two figures and no more than two tables. The subdivisions of sections are encouraged to help orient the reader but should be general, such as ‘The Study’ and ‘Conclusions’.

Systematic review

Systematic reviews, as the name implies, typically involve a detailed and comprehensive plan and search strategy derived a priori, intending to reduce bias by identifying, appraising, and synthesizing all relevant studies on a particular topic. Systematic reviews should address a specific question or issue relevant to clinical practice and provide an evidence-based, balanced, patient-oriented review on a focused topic. The PRISMA statement of preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses should be followed (Moher D, Liberati A, Tetzlaff J, Altman DG, The PRISMA Group. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: The PRISMA Statement. PLoS Med 2009; 6(7): e1000097. Available from: http://www.prisma-statement.org/ ).

You can check the MOOSE guidelines for meta-analyses and systematic reviews of observational studies (Stroup DF, Berlin JA, Morton SC, et al. Meta-analysis of observational studies in epidemiology: A proposal for reporting meta-analysis of observational studies in epidemiology (MOOSE) group. JAMA 2000; 283: 2008-12).

Clinical Trial

According to the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), a clinical trial is “any research study that prospectively assigns human participants or groups of humans to one or more health-related interventions to evaluate the effects on health outcomes”. Authors of clinical trials are required to prospectively register their trial with one of the trial registries recognized by the ICMJE or World Health Organization. The registration number of the trial and the name of the trial registry must be mentioned in the manuscript.

A CONSORT statement for randomized controlled trials should be included (Moher D, Schultz KF, Altman D, for the CONSORT Group. The CONSORT statement revised recommendations for improving the quality of reports of parallel-group randomized trials. JAMA 2001; 285: 1987-91. Available from: http://www.consort-statement.org/).

Commentary or short communication

These are commentaries that accompany papers published in SJMS or on issues of wide-reaching concern in the medical sciences or clinical care. Short communications linked to policy decisions or challenges faced by health care workers in the region are welcomed. Most commentaries and short communications are commissioned, but unsolicited ones (no more than 750 words, 10 references, and one figure, panel, or small table) are also welcome. Comments may be peer reviewed.

Book review

A book review typically evaluates recently written works. The reader should gain insight into the strengths and weaknesses of the book, aided by input from the reviewer. The four stages of writing a book review are: introducing the book, outlining its contents, highlighting parts of the book by selecting particular chapters or themes, and giving a detailed evaluation. When writing a short summary of the book, assume that your audience has not read it and address the book's main topics and ideas and explain why they matter.

Book reviews are usually 600 to 2000 words in length. It is best to aim for about 1000 words, as you can say a fair amount in 1000 words without getting bogged down.

State-of-the-field review

This should provide both a comprehensive summary and also address the future challenges which the field faces. It is expected to critically assess the extant research, put forward stimulating new research questions, and develop specific proposals for advancing any field of the medical sciences. It is best to aim for about 1000 words.

Conference report

A scientific meeting/conference report is a critical analysis based on the research presented at an annual meeting of a scientific society or reputable national/international conference. 1000 words is optimal.

Please download and use the journal manuscript templates for Original article, Case report, and Review article for submitting your manuscript to the journal.

Please download and submit the copyright form of the manuscript, and checklist.

Submission checklist

Submitting your manuscript is simple with our online submission system. But to make sure the process is as easy as possible, read through the below checklist to ensure you have everything you need ready.

  • Always double check your manuscript before submitting it, as it is your responsibility to ensure that it is complete and meets the journal’s criteria, and has no spelling or typographical errors.
  • Have a final read of the journal’s scope and aims and make sure your article is a good fit and that your research is presented in a suitable way to match the scope.
  • Does the manuscript comply with all of the stated ethics policies?
  • Have you acquired all the necessary copyright permissions?
  • Make sure you have removed all information that would allow the peer reviewers to identify you and thereby compromise the blind peer review process. (Also, if quoting your previous work do not state it explicitly as ‘my / our’)
  • Keep acknowledgements and author biographies as separate documents.

Submission process

Manuscripts should be submitted via our submission system [Link] by the corresponding author.

You will be asked to create a personal account. Please remember to note down your username and password as you will need these to check on the status of your manuscript and to respond to editorial enquiries.

Workflow and what happens next

  • Author receives an automated email noting receipt of submission
  • The editor reads and decides whether to send the manuscript to peer review or to reject it if it is not a fit with the journal aims and scope or the quality is not high enough for the journal
  • If the editor thinks it is suitable for publication, the manuscript is sent to two independent reviewers for double blind peer review
  • The reviewer reports are returned to the editor
  • The editor decides whether to reject, return with minor or major suggestions for improvements and resubmission, or accept
  • If the editor decides that improvements are needed, the paper is sent back to the authors
  • The authors make the suggested corrections
  • Authors should receive a decision within about four weeks. If you have not received an answer after this point, please email [email protected] or the Editor at [email protected] to request an update.

If accepted, the manuscript will then undergo the following steps:

  • Proofing and typesetting
  • Author checks
  • Editor checks
  • Galley proof preparation
  • Final checks
  • Publishing online

How to share and promote your paper

This journal is listed with a range of indexes and bibliometric databases. We also promote published papers through social media and content alert emails.

KnE Publishing also partners with Kudos, a free service we offer all our authors to help them increase the accessibility and visibility of their work, to reach a wider audience. More details can be found here.