Author Guidelines

AUTHOR GUIDELINES

  Indian Journal of Mental Health and Neurosciences (IJMHNS) aims to promote and publish research related to mental health and associated neuro-science subjects from across the world. The Journal will be published biannually – in January and in July. However, the articles will be published online immediately.

All submissions should be made through the online manuscript submission and tracking system at www.ijmhns.com. Submitted manuscripts that do not follow the below guidelines will be returned to the authors for necessary corrections. All submissions will be screened by the Editors and suitable articles will be forwarded for peer review. 

For all submissions, at least one of the authors should be a member of the Indian Psychiatric Society - Tamil Nadu Chapter or a relevant professional body in their region of practice and should have made a significant contribution to the paper.

During the online submission process, you will be asked to provide the email addresses of all authors of the manuscript.

The Corresponding Author's email address and the mobile Phone Number MUST be mentioned in the Covering Letter.

CONTRIBUTOR’S FORM 

IJMHNS’ Contributor Form, available at www.ijmhns.com/contributors_form.doc, should be read and signed by all the authors; and a scanned copy of the same should be emailed to editor@ijmhns.com at the time of manuscript submission.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Submit the following word files in the given order:

1. First Page File  ( Must include a brief covering letter to editor, author list (in the desired order of publication),their affiliations, email id of all authors, email & phone number of the corresponding author, previous publications/ research experience. Acknowledgements or Conflict of interest or funding / sponsorship details, if any, must be mentioned)

2. Manuscript File ( Must start with the Title, structured abstract, followed by the article (as per following guidelines) and ending with references. No names / personal identifiers / affiliations should be included in this file). Tables and Figures (with their title) must be positioned in the appropriate places in this file only.

3. Supplementary File(s) (Colour Images , Large tables or data set can be uploaded as supplementary files-numbered as SF1,SF2,SF3...so on. Kindly note that even when submitted as supplementary files , they should appear in the Manuscript file at the appropriate position.

Do note that Supplementary file is for the technical editor/designer, but Manuscript file is for the Reviewer. Hence do not merely refer/indicate to the supplementary file in your manuscript file. 

Use the "Add File(s)" button in your submission page to upload these files in sequence.

MANUSCRIPT FILE 

• Authors should upload their manuscript file during step 2 of the online submission process. 
• Use .doc or .docx files. PDF files will not be accepted.
• Names, affiliations and email addresses of all authors, and the mailing address of the author to whom correspondence should be sent should be entered at the boxes provided in step 3 of the submission process. These details should NOT be included in the manuscript file.
• Abstract and references SHOULD be included in the manuscript file, and should also be entered at the specific boxes provided in step 3 of the submission process. 
• Include 3-4 key words, which best represent your submission, below the abstract in the manuscript file.
• Do not incorporate images in the manuscript file. Upload them as supplementary files in step 4 of the submission process. 
• Acknowledgments should be be included in the First Page file ONLY. 

TEXT

• The title should not be more than 12 words long.
• Use double spacing throughout the manuscript— including the title page, abstract, text, acknowledgments, references, and legends.
• Use font size 12, Times New Roman, in black color
• Number the pages consecutively in the upper right hand corner.
• The language should be American English.
• Internationally accepted units, symbols, and abbreviations, including those of the Système international, must be used.
• On first appearance in both abstract and text, place abbreviations and acronyms in parenthesis following the term in full.
• Use the official (generic) name throughout; trade (proprietary) names may be placed in parenthesis the first time the drug is mentioned, if necessary.
• Numerals from 1 to 10 are spelt out. Numerals at the beginning of the sentence are also spelt out.
• Whenever possible, quantify findings and present them with appropriate indicators of measurement error or uncertainty (such as confidence intervals). Report losses to observation such as dropouts from a clinical trial.
• Specify the computer software used for statistical analyses. For all P values include the exact value and not less than 0.05 or 0.001. Mean differences in continuous variables, proportions in categorical variables and relative risks including odds ratios and hazard ratios should be accompanied by their confidence intervals.

REFERENCES

Authors are responsible for the accuracy of the references.

• References should be numbered consecutively in the order in which they are first mentioned in the text (not in alphabetic order).
• Identify references in text, tables, and legends by Arabic numerals in superscript without bracket after the punctuation marks.
• References cited only in tables or figure legends should be numbered in accordance with the sequence established by the first identification of that particular table or figure in the article text.
• Use the style of the examples below, which are based on the formats used by the NLM in Index Medicus. Journal titles should be abbreviated as per the style used in Index Medicus. For non-indexed journals, use the complete name.
• Information from manuscripts submitted but not accepted should be cited in the text as "unpublished observations" with written permission from the source.
• Avoid citing a "personal communication" unless it provides essential information not available from a public source, in which case the name of the person and date of communication should be cited in parentheses in the text.  Obtain written permission and confirmation of accuracy from the source of a personal communication.

ARTICLES IN JOURNALS

Standard journal article: Vinekar A, Dogra MR, Sangtam T, Narang A, Gupta A. Retinopathy of prematurity in Asian Indian babies weighing greater than 1250 grams at birth: Ten year data from a tertiary care center in a developing country. Indian J Ophthalmol 2007; 55:331-6.

List the first six contributors followed by et al.

Volume with supplement: Shen HM, Zhang QF. Risk assessment of nickel carcinogenicity and occupational lung cancer. Environ Health Perspect 1994; 102 Suppl 1:275-82.

Issue with supplement: Payne DK, Sullivan MD, Massie MJ. Women's psychological reactions to breast cancer. Semin Oncol 1996; 23(1, Suppl 2):89-97.

BOOKS AND OTHER MONOGRAPHS

Personal author(s): Ringsven MK, Bond D. Gerontology and leadership skills for nurses. 2nd ed. Albany (NY): Delmar Publishers; 1996.

Editor(s), compiler(s) as author: Norman IJ, Redfern SJ, editors. Mental health care for elderly people. New York: Churchill Livingstone; 1996.

Chapter in a book: Phillips SJ, Whisnant JP. Hypertension and stroke. In: Laragh JH, Brenner BM, editors. Hypertension: and management. 2nd ed. New York: Raven Press; 1995. pp. 465-78.

ELECTRONIC SOURCES AS REFERENCE

Journal article on the Internet: Abood S. Quality improvement initiative in nursing homes: the ANA acts in an advisory role. Am J Nurs [serial on the Aug 12];102(6):[about 3 p.]. Available from: http://www.nursingworld.org/AJN/2002/june/Wawatch.htm

Monograph on the Internet: Foley KM, Gelband H, editors. Improving palliative care for cancer [monograph on the Internet]. Washington: National 2002 Jul 9]. Available from: http://www.nap.edu/books/0309074029/html/.

Homepage of a Website: Cancer-Pain.org [homepage on the Internet]. New York: Association of Cancer Online Resources, Inc.; c2000-01 [updated Jul 9]. Available from: http://www.cancer-pain.org/.

Homepage with author(s): Hooper JF. Psychiatry & the Law: Forensic Psychiatric Resource Page [Internet]. Tuscaloosa (AL): University of Alabama, Department of Psychiatry and Neurology; 1999 Jan 1 [updated 2006 Jul 8; cited 2007 Feb 23]. Available from: http://bama.ua.edu/~jhooper/.

Homepage with an organization(s) as author: Gene Ontology Consortium. the Gene Ontology [Internet]. [place unknown]: the Gene Ontology; c1999-2007 [cited 2007 Feb 22]. Available from: http://www.geneontology.org/.

Homepage with no authors or editors: Mesothelioma.com: the web's most trusted source on mesothelioma [Internet]. New York: Early, Ludwick, Sweeney & Strauss; c2005 [cited 2007 Feb 21]. Available from: http://www.mesothelioma.com/.

Homepage with title having a subtitle: NursingWorld: Official Web site of the American Nurses Association [Internet]. Silver Spring (MD): American Nurses Association, Inc.; c2007 [updated 2007 Feb 20; cited 2007 Feb 20]. Available from: http://www.ana.org/.

Homepage with place of publication inferred: National Library for Health [Internet]. [London]: NHS; c2005 [cited 2007 Jun 11]. Available from: http://www.library.nhs.uk/.

Homepage with unknown place of publication: Dunn S. The CancerGuide Page [Internet]. [place unknown]: Steve Dunn; c1995-2004 [updated 2004 Aug 9; cited 2007 Feb 20]. Available from: http://www.cancerguide.org/.

Homepage with government agency or other national body as publisher: National Center for Infectious Diseases [Internet]. Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US); [reviewed 2007 Feb 15; cited 2007 Feb 20]. Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/index.htm

Homepage with unknown publisher: Huckstep RL, Sherry E. World Ortho [Internet]. [place unknown: publisher unknown]; [updated 2007 Mar 23; cited 2007 Mar 23]. Available from: http://www.worldortho.com/.

Homepage with no date of publication or copyright: EPERC: End of Life / Palliative Education Resource Center [Internet]. Milwaukee (WI): Medical College of Wisconsin; [updated 2007 Feb; cited 2007 Feb 21]. Available from: http://www.eperc.mcw.edu/.

Part of a Website: American Medical Association [homepage on the Internet]. Chicago: The Association; c1995-2002 [updated 2001 Aug 23; cited 2002 Aug 12]. AMA Office of Group Practice Liaison; [about 2 screens]. Available from: http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/1736.html

Part of a Web site with date of citation only: Complementary/Integrative Medicine [Internet]. Houston: University of Texas, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center; c2007. Bladder cancer; [cited 2007 Mar 27]. Available from: http://www.mdanderson.org/diseases/bladder/.

Part of a Web site with date(s) of update/revision: Chlamy Center: an Online Informatics Resource for Chlamydomonas [Internet]. Durham (NC): Duke University, Department of Biology; [modified 2007 Mar 8]. Core collections; [modified 2006 Jan 25; cited 2007 Mar 27]; [about 3 screens]. Available from: http://jupiter.biology.duke.edu/strains.html

LEGENDS TO FIGURES AND TABLES

Type legends (maximum 40 words, excluding credit line)

• Captions should briefly explain the figures / tables without the use of abbreviations, and should be understandable without reference to the text.
• Using double spacing, with Arabic numerals corresponding to the illustrations.
• When symbols, arrows, numbers, or letters are used to identify parts of the illustrations, identify and explain each one in the legend.

FIGURES

• Acceptable graphic files include TIFF or JPEG formats. Graphs can be submitted in the original program files. 
• Minimum resolution is 300 dpi or 1800 x 1600 pixels in TIFF format. 
• Each image should be less than 1024 kb (1 MB) in size. Size of the image can be reduced by decreasing the actual height and width of the images (keep up to 1240 x 800 pixels or 5-6 inches)
• Figures should be numbered consecutively, according to the order in which they are first cited in the text.
• Titles and detailed explanations belong in the legends for illustrations, not on the illustrations themselves.
• When graphs, scatter-grams or histograms are submitted, the numerical data on which they are based should also be supplied.
• Identifying information (including patients’ names, initials or hospital numbers) should not be visible in the images unless the information is essential for scientific purposes. If any identifiable images are used, the patient (or parent or guardian) should have given written informed consent for publication.
• If a figure has been published elsewhere, acknowledge the original source and submit written permission from the copyright holder to reproduce the material. A credit line should appear in the legend for such figures.
• The Journal reserves the right to crop, rotate, reduce, or enlarge the photographs to an acceptable size.
• Do not send graphs or diagrams as free hand drawings.

TABLES

• Please do not duplicate information in the text.
• Number of tables permitted: ≤ 6 for Review and Research articles; ≤ 2 for Case Reports.
• Type or print each table, with double spacing, on a separate sheet of paper.
• Tables should not have more than 10 columns or more than 25 rows.
• Number tables consecutively in the order of their first citation in the text. Supply a brief title for each.
• Ensure that each table is cited in the text.
• For footnotes, use the following symbols, in this sequence: *, †, ‡, §, ||,¶ , **, ††, ‡‡
• Explain abbreviations. Place explanatory matter in footnotes, not in the heading.
• If means are used, the standard deviation (or error) and "n" should be included.
• Report actual values of p > 0.01 to 2 decimal places and p < 0.01 to 3 decimal places; report p < 0.001 as "p < 0.001" only.
• If you use data from another published or unpublished source, obtain permission and acknowledge them fully.

SPECIFICATIONS BY MANUSCRIPT TYPE

RESEARCH REPORTS

IJMHNS will consider only those studies which have been -

• Conducted after proper procedures are adhered to including IERB (Institutional Ethical review Board) approval wherever required.
• Done by a group of researchers comprising of psychiatric fraternity worldwide, who are members of WPA or affiliated national organisations or related professional bodies.

The manuscript -

• Should not exceed 5000 words (excluding references and abstract).
• Should have a structured abstract, within 250 words, under following headings: Background (the rationale for the study); Methods (how the study was done); Results (major findings); Conclusions (a discussion of the results).
• Should be divided into sections with the following headings: Introduction, Material and Methods, Results, Discussion.
• In the Methods section, name the ethics review board that approved the study, and provide details of informed consent from human subjects and the manner in which it was obtained (written or oral).
• When data are summarized in the Results section, specify the statistical analysis used.

CASE REPORTS

• Should not exceed 1500 words (excluding the abstract and references)
• Should not use more than 10 references
• Should have an unstructured abstract within 150 words
• Should be divided to Introduction, Case report, and Discussion.

REVIEW ARTICLES

• Should not exceed 3000 words (excluding abstract and references)
• Should have an unstructured abstract within 200 words

LOCAL INNOVATIONS

Detailed descriptions and methodology of any innovative approaches to psychiatric treatment, community interventions, service delivery, etc. implemented and found practical, acceptable and successful (even without any associated objective data) in Indian  or international settings can be submitted to this section.

• Should not exceed 2000 words (excluding the references)
• Should have an unstructured abstract within 200 words
• Should not exceed 3000 words (excluding the references)
• Should have an unstructured abstract within 200 words

VIEWPOINTS

Experience-based views and opinions on important, debatable or controversial issues that affect the practice of Psychiatry can be submitted to this section. 

• The author should have sufficient, credible experience on the subject.
• Should not exceed 3000 words.
• Need no abstract

LETTERS TO EDITOR

• Need no abstract
• Should not exceed a word count of 1000 (excluding the references)
• Should not use more than five references.

RATING SCALES

Translations of valid rating scales available in English or other languages can be submitted to this section.

• Authors should include the details of validation process they have used while translating the scale.
• Include a copy of the original rating scale in English along with the submission. (The original version will not be published in IJMHNS.)

BOOK REVIEWS

This section would include reviews of books written by or would be of interest to  Psychiatrists. Book reviews are usually invited by the Editor. Those who are interested in writing a book review may also send their proposals to editor@ijmhns.com

MOVIE REVIEWS

This section would feature reviews of movies that explore mental health themes. Movie reviews are usually invited by the Editor. Those who are interested in writing a movie review may also send their proposals to editor@ijmhns.com