Author Guidelines

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 a maximum of 10 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. Qt. 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. 4^th 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.