AUTHOR GUIDELINES

Kerala Journal of Psychiatry aims to promote and publish research related to the mental health of the people of Kerala.

All submissions should be made through the online manuscript submission and tracking system at www.kjponline.com.

All submissions will be screened by the Editors, and suitable articles will be forwarded for peer review. Submitted manuscripts that do not follow the guidelines below will be returned to the authors for necessary corrections.

Authors who do not check their email regularly are requested to include their cell phone numbers in the "Comments for the editor" box in step 1 of the online submission process.

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 4-5 keywords, which best represent the 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 not be included in the manuscript file and can be provided to the editor once the manuscript is accepted for publication.

TEXT

  • The title should not be more than 12 words long.
  • Use font size 12, Times New Roman, Fourier MT 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 must be used, including those of the Système international.
  • On the first appearance in both abstract and text, place abbreviations and acronyms in parentheses following the term in full.
  • Use the official (generic) name throughout; trade (proprietary) names may be placed in parentheses the first time the drug is mentioned, if necessary.
  • Numerals from 1 to 10 are spelled out. Numerals at the beginning of the sentence are also spelled out.

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 brackets, 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.
  • 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 the 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 Academy Press; 2001[cited 2002 Jul 9]. Available from: http://www.nap.edu/books/030907402

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: Nursing World: 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 Cancer Guide 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 a 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 website with the 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 website 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 the credit line)

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

FIGURES

  • Acceptable graphic files include TIFF or JPEG formats. Graphs can be submitted in the original program files.
  • The 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. The size of the image can be reduced by decreasing the actual height and width of the image (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 of the illustrations, not in 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 freehand 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 each table on a separate page, after the references.
  • Tables should not have more than ten 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

The manuscript -

  • Should not exceed 5000 words (excluding references and abstract).
  • Should have a structured abstract, within 250 words, under the 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, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion.
  • 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).
  • 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.
  • When data are summarized in the Results section, specify the computer software and the statistical analyses used. All p-values include the exact value and are 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.

CASE SERIES

  • Should not exceed 3O00 words (excluding the abstract and references)
  • Should not use more than twenty references
  • Should have an unstructured abstract within 150 words
  • Should be divided into Introduction, Case report, and Discussion.
  • Patient consent or IEC approval/ waiver must be obtained as the case mat be.

CASE REPORTS

  • Should not exceed 1500 words (excluding the abstract and references)
  • Should not use more than ten references
  • Should have an unstructured abstract within 150 words
  • Should be divided into Introduction, Case report, and Discussion.
  • Patient consent must be obtained.

REVIEW ARTICLES

  • Should not exceed 5000 words (excluding abstract and references)
  • Should have an unstructured abstract within 200 words

NEW IN PSYCHIATRY

Review articles that describe and critically evaluate any new treatment modality relevant to psychiatrists practising in Kerala can be submitted to this section.

  • 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 Kerala settings can be submitted to this section.

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

PSYCHIATRY IN KERALA

This section will accept articles that review and/or scrutinize any aspect of psychiatric practice in Kerala or issues related to the state's mental health scenario of the state, suggest steps for improvement, etc.

  • 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 in Kerala 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 THE EDITOR

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

RATING SCALES

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

  • Authors should include the details of the validation process they 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 KJP.)

BOOK REVIEWS

This section will feature reviews of books written by or of interest to Kerala psychiatrists. The editor usually invites book reviews. Those interested in writing a book review may also send their proposals to editor@kjponline.com.

MOVIE REVIEWS

This section would feature reviews of movies that explore mental health themes. The editor usually invites movie reviews. Those interested in writing a movie review may also send their proposals to editor@kjponline.com.

AFTER SUBMISSION

Instructions about revised manuscripts and proofs are available at www.kjponline.com