Editorial Process
A manuscript will be reviewed for possible
publication with the understanding that it is being submitted to the Cross River Journal of Medicine only and
not published anywhere, simultaneously submitted, or already accepted for
publication elsewhere. The journal expects that authors would authorize one
among them or a suitable representative as a correspondent for all matters
related to their manuscript. Once chosen, the journal will deal only with such
a person in all correspondences. All manuscripts received are duly
acknowledged. On submission, editors review all submitted manuscripts initially.
Manuscripts with insufficient originality, serious scientific or technical
flaws or lack of a significant message are rejected. Writing unlikely
to interest the Cross River
Journal of Medicine readers is also liable to be rejected at this stage.
Manuscripts found suitable for publication are
sent to at least two expert reviewers. Names of reviewers are to be provided at
the time of submission. This is, however, not mandatory. Reviewers should have experience in a related subject and not
belong to the same institution as the author/s or contributor/s. Names of
reviewers are to be provided at the time of manuscript submission. However, selecting these reviewers is at the editor's sole discretion. The
journal follows a double-blind review system where reviewers are unaware of
each other’s identities. Every manuscript is also assigned to an editorial team member, who, based on the comments, makes a final decision on the
manuscript. The comments and suggestions (acceptance/ rejection/ amendments in
manuscript) received from reviewers are conveyed to the author/s. Where required,
the author is requested to provide a point-by-point response to reviewers’
comments and submit a revised version of the manuscript. This process will
continue until editors are satisfied with the manuscript.
Manuscripts accepted for publication are copy-edited for grammar, punctuation, print style, and format. Page proofs are sent to the
corresponding author, who is expected to return the corrected proofs within
three days. It may not be possible to incorporate corrections received after
that period. The entire process of a final decision and sending and receiving
proofs is completed online. To achieve faster and greater dissemination of
knowledge and information, the journal publishes ‘Ahead of Print’ immediately
upon acceptance
Authorship
Authorship credit should be based only on
substantial contributions to each of the three components mentioned below:
1. Concept and design of study or acquisition of
data or analysis and interpretation of data;
2. Drafting the article or revising it critically
for important intellectual content; and
3. Final approval of the version to be published.
Participation solely in the acquisition of funding, data collection, or the research group's general supervision can only be changed with does not
justify authorship. Contributor/s should have participated sufficiently in the
work to take public responsibility for appropriate portions of the manuscript's content. The order should be based on the relative contribution of the
contributor towards the study and writing of the manuscript. Once submitted, the
order can only be changed with the contributors' approval through a signed memo.
Conflicts
of Interest
Authors are required to disclose any conflicts of interest related to the publication of the manuscript or any affiliations with institutions or products that may influence the study's outcome. This includes disclosing conflicts with products that may compete with those mentioned in the manuscript.
Preparation
of Manuscripts
All manuscripts must be written in English language
and prepared in accordance with "Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts
Submitted to Biomedical Journals" as published by the International
Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). Poorly formatted manuscripts will be desk rejected. Articles should include the
following sections in the outlined sequence:
a. Background/Objective(s): This provides a brief background to the study, including its objectives.
b. Methods/Subjects: Setting and Subjects or Materials and Methods: This
section gives a broad description of the type of study, the site where the
study was carried out and the participants/subjects/materials used in the
study. Interventions (if any): should
also be included here.
c. Results: This includes the main outcome measures and outlines the study's findings.
d. Conclusion: This gives the study's main conclusions and major recommendations (if any).
**Please note that the abstract, references, tables, and images must be included in the manuscript document.
The organizational headings and subheadings used for review articles are at the author’s
discretion. Review articles must cover a
thorough overview of the subject and incorporate the most current research and
opinion on the topic.
Case reports should provide a narrative abstract of not more than 100
words indicating the nature of the case and justifying its worthiness for a special report. The body should include
the following sections: Introduction, Case report, Discussion, References and
Illustrations (if any).
Only standard abbreviations are acceptable. Any special abbreviations must be written out
in full, followed by the abbreviation in parenthesis the first time.
In the case of a clinical trial, the registration number, the name of the registry and its URL must be indicated.
HOW TO BLIND YOUR MANUSCRIPT
To ensure manuscripts are adequately blinded for online submission, authors must follow the checklist below, which includes the following steps:
1. Title page and running header/footers: Remove author names and institutions.
2. Acknowledgments are not required and are best removed from blinded articles.
3. Remove author names, institutions, grant titles, and grant numbers throughout. Remove the research location throughout the paper. Use XXX instead.
4. Authors’ prior research: You can cite your previous research if unavoidable. Always cite yourself in the third person and avoid using pronouns such as “I,” “we,” or “our.” For example, “Smith and Black (2007) have demonstrated” – not “We have previously demonstrated (Smith & Black, 2007).”
5. Reply to the reviewer: When submitting a revision, upload a blinded memo that describes how the editor and referee comments were addressed.
1. Original research articles:
Word count: 3,000 words (excluding abstract and references)
Abstract: Limit to 250 words
References: Limit to 50
Tables & Figures: Limit to 4
2. Review Articles:
Word count: 3000 words (excluding tables, references and abstract).
Abstract: Limit to 250 words
References: Limit to 90
3. Case reports:
Word count: Not more than 1500 words (excluding references and unstructured abstract)
Abstract: Limit to 100 words
References: Limit to 10
4. Case Series article:
More than four cases should be reported in a case series article.
Word count: Limit to 1500 words (excluding references and unstructured abstract)
References: Limit to 10
5. Brief communication article:
Word count: Not more than1500 words
References: Not more than 15
Tables/Figures: Not more than 2
6. Perspective:
Word count: Not more than 2000 words
References: Not more than five references.
Unstructured abstract.
7. Letter to the Editor:
Word count: 600 words
References: Not more than 5.
No abstract.
8. Systematic review and Meta-analysis articles:
Word count: Not be more than 4000 words
References: Not more than 80 references
References
These must be numbered consecutively following the
order of their first appearance in the text.
The references should be identified in the text table and figure legends
in Arabic numerals in superscript (e.g. as noted in other studies 1-5). They should be inserted each time a reference
is cited. Published abstracts can be
included in references, but unpublished observations and personal communications
are not allowed.
References should be listed in the Vancouver style.
The following are sample references:
List all authors, but where they are more than six,
list the first six followed by et al.
Copies
of any permission(s)
It is the responsibility of authors/ contributors to
obtain permission to reproduce any copyrighted material. A copy of the
permission obtained must accompany the manuscript.
Submission
of Manuscripts
Manuscripts should be prepared in Microsoft Word
format and submitted online at crjmed.com. Hard copies will not be received. Submit both a blinded and an unblinded version of the article. The blinded version should be the main article while the unblinded version should be submitted as an additional file. All submissions must be accompanied by
all supporting materials (tables, graphs and images) and a cover letter
addressed to the Editor-in-Chief. The cover letter should be on the first page of the unblinded article and must contain a full
statement to the editor concerning the presentation of the manuscript in part
(abstract) or as a whole in a meeting. The organization, place and exact date it was read must be clearly indicated.
Rejection
of Manuscripts
Submitted manuscripts that are not as per the “Authors Instructions” would be returned to the authors for technical correction and re-submission.
Anti-Plagiarism Policy
Plagiarism includes duplicate publication of one's work, in whole or in part, without proper citation or mispresenting others’ ideas, words, and creative expression as one’s own. The Journal follows a strict anti-plagiarism policy. All manuscripts submitted to the Cross River Journal of Medicine undergoes plagiarism check with commercially available software. Based on the extent of plagiarism, authors may be asked to address any minor duplication or similarity with the previously published work. If plagiarism is detected after publication, the Journal will investigate. The journal will notify the authors’ institution and funding bodies if plagiarism is established and retract the article.
Reporting
guidelines
Reporting guidelines for specific study designs
Guideline | Type of Study | Source |
STROBE | Observational studies including cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies | https://www.strobe-statement.org/index.php?id=available-checklists |
CONSORT | Randomized controlled trials | |
SQUIRE | Quality improvement projects | http://squire-statement.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.ViewPage&PageID=471 |
PRISMA | Systematic reviews and meta-analyses | |
STARD | Studies of diagnostic accuracy | |
CARE | Case Reports | |
AGREE | Clinical Practice Guidelines | https://www.agreetrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/AGREE-Reporting-Checklist-2016.pdf |
The reporting guidelines for other types of studies can be found at https://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/
Publication fees
There are no page charges for submissions to the journal. The Journal only collects a charge for accepted articles before publication.
Publication charge:
Nigeria: N50,000.00 (Fifty thousand Naira).
Fast-tracked: N100,000 (One hundred thousand Naira)
Outside Nigeria: USD 100.00 (One hundred US dollars).
Fast-tracked: USD 125.00 (One hundred and twenty-five US dollars)
CRJMED Final Submission Checklist
This checklist is designed to
assist you in verifying that your submission follows the provided instructions.
Please do not include it in your manuscript submission. ARTICLES THAT ARE NOT
FORMATTED ACCORDING TO THESE GUIDELINES WILL BE SUBJECT TO IMMEDIATE DESK
REJECTION.
Formatting Guidelines for Tables:
1.
One Value per Cell: Your table should
contain only one value or data point per cell. Avoid combining multiple
percentages, values, or data points into a single cell.
2.
Clear Cell Borders: All table cells
should have clear, visible borders to distinguish each data point. Do not hide
any table borders.