The Nigerian Medical Journal (Journal of the Nigerian Medical Association) publishes articles in Clinical, Laboratory and Community Medicine, Basic Medical Sciences, Medical Technology as well as the Economics and Management of Health Care Delivery, especially those relating to the African environment.

The Editor welcomes contributions in the form of Reviews, Original papers, or "Letters to the Editor". The Journal also carries Book Reviews and Medical News. Manuscripts, as well as Books for Review, Notices of Conference,and News of Medical importance , should be sent to:

Manuscripts (three copies of manuscripts, tables, figures, etc.) as well as books for review, notices of conferences, and news of importance, should be sent to:

The Editor,
Nigerian Medical Journal,
Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital,
P. M. B. 5025,
Nnewi, Nigeria.

Manuscripts should be prepared in accordance with the "Uniform Requirement for Manuscripts submitted to Biomedical Journals" (Vide infra).

The Summary should be followed by sections on introduction including literature review, details of study Design or Materials and References in that order, with illustrations (figures or photographs) and Tables and Legends coming last.

All contributions, including those solicited, are reviewed by editors of the Journal and/or invited assessors. The decision of the editors is final. The authors are responsible for all statements contained in their contributions.

MANUSCRIPTS

Manuscripts should be typewritten in English with double spacing on one side only of 21.6 X 27.9cm (A4) white bond paper. The manuscript should consist of Title page, (b) summary, (c) text, (d) acknowledgement, (e) references, (f) tables, (g) figures and (h) legends. Submit the original and two copies of the manuscript with three sets of glossy prints of figures. Number manuscript pages consecutively, beginning with the title page. Each manuscript component should begin on a new page in the sequence given above.

TITLE PAGE

Title page should include the title of the manuscript, initials and surnames (last name) of each authors; names of departments and institutions in which the work was done or affiliated; name and address of corresponding author three to six key words for indexing and a running title of less than forty characters.

SUMMARY

This should contain 150-200 words and should be self-explanatory. The summary should be structured consist of the (a) rationale/objective of the study, (b) the research design, the main findings and (c) the principal conclusions.

TEXT

Text should consist of introduction including a brief review of the literature, details of Research design, of Materials and methods, Ethics, Statistics, Results and Discussion. Long articles should provide sub-headings.

CASE REPORTS AND SHORT COMMUNICATIONS

This should not exceed 1,500 words inclusive of Tables,legends, etc. There should be a maximum of two illustrations, two tables and no more than fifiteen references. Structure of a case report or short communication is the same as for original articles.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Letter to the editor are editorially dealt with and not subject to peer review. Letters should contain a maximum of 1000 words, a maximum of three illustrations/tables and ten references. Contents of letters may be comments on materials published in the journal or clinical observations or other matters of relevance to medicine and allied professions.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

All manuscripts reporting experiments on human subjects should be accompanied by a statement that the author/s have complied with the requirements of the Ethical Committee of the Institution in which the work was done. Avoid using patients' names, initials, or hospital numbers. If full face photographs must be used, such photographs must be accompanied by signed or thumb printed informed consent of the subject. Animal experimentation must also follow institution's guidelines and or National Laws in the use of Laboratory animals in reseach.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Acknowledgement of general support, financial and material support, technical help, etc. should be indicated at the end of the main text. It is the responsibility of authors to obtain consent of those being acknowledged.

REFERENCES

Number references in order of appearance in text. Identify a reference number in text, tables or legends by Arabic numerals in parentheses. References should be in the style laid down in the uniform requirements for manuscripts submitted to biomedical journals (International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Uniform requirements for manuscripts submitted to biomedical Journals. BMJ 1991,302;338-41) and which is reproduced in large part in July issues of the journal.

EXAMPLES OF CORRECT FORMS OF REFERENCES

1. Solanke TF, Ayeni O,, Osanyintaye SO.Effect of a mixture of red pepper (Capsicum Frutescens) and an amino acid on gastric acid secretion. Niger Med J 1976;6:23-25. NB list all authors up to six. If more than six give the first six followed by etal.

2. Konotey-Ahulu FO. The Blood.In Parry EHO (editor). Principles of Medicine in Africa.Oxford: OUP, 1976:370-406.

3. Schram RA. History of the Nigerian Health Services. 2nd ed. Ibadan University Press, 1971.

4. Majekodunmi AA. Ocular Emergencies. In Adeyemi-Doro HO (editor). Manual of Emergency Surgery, Lagos: University of Lagos Press,1991:30-50.

Authors should verify references cited against the original documents. Journal abbrevations should be as in the list of Journals in index Medicus. Spell out fully names of journals not listed in Index Medicus.

UNITS OF MEASUREMENTS AND ABBREVIATIONS

Report Lenght, height weight and volume respectively in metre, kilograms and litre, or their decimal multiples. Temperature should be reported in degrees Celsius while blod pressure should be given in millimetres of mercury. Haematological and clinical chemistry measurements should be reported in conventional units with SI Unit equivalents in parenthesis. In Tables and figures, a conversion factor should be provided.

Conversion factors between conventional units and SI units are published in every issue of the journal. Use only standard abbreviations. The full term for which an abbreviation stands should precede its first use in the text unless it is a standard unit of measurement.

TABLES

Tables should be typed double-spaced on separate sheets of paper numbered consecutively and referred to in the text in Arabic numerals. Their approximate positions in the text should be indicated. Supply a brief title describing the content at the top of the table. Give each column a short or abbreviated heading. Explanatory matters should be placed in footnotes (not in the heading). For footnotes use the following symbols in this sequence *,†,•, §,etc. in order from left to right and from top to bottom in body of table. Avoid use of internal horizontal and vertical rules.

FIGURES AND ILLUSTRATIONS

Submit three complete sets of professionally drawn and photographed figures. Original drawings, x-rays, etc. are not acceptable. Rather send sharp, glossy black and white prints of figures of about the size 127 x 173mm (5 x 7 inches). Letters, numbers and symbols should be clear and even throughout and of sufficient size that when reduced for publication each item will still be legible.

TITLES AND EXPLANATORY NOTES SHOULD BE IN THE LEGEND FOR THE ILLUSTRATIONS NOT ON THE ILLUSTRATIONS THEMSELVES.

Photomicrographs should have internal scale markers and/or a statement of magnification. Symbols, arrows or letters used in photographs must contrast with the background.
Figures should be numbered consecutively in Arabic numerals according to the order in which they have been first cited in the text. Materials taken from other sources must be accompanied by a written permission for reproduction from their publisher and author. Paste a label on the back of each figure indicating the number of the figure, author's name, on top of the figure.
Colour photographs will only be published at the expense of the authors. Submit figures as unmounted and untrimmed prints in a protective envelope.

LEGENDS FOR ILLUSTRATIONS

Type legends for illustrations (figures) double-spaced, starting on a separate sheet, with Arabic numerals corresponding to the figures. Identify and explain in the legend each symbol, number, letter, etc. used in the illustration. Explain the internal scale or any methods of staining in photomicrographs in the legend.

REPRINTS

Reprints are mandatory, and at the expense of the author(s). These must be paid for at the time of final acceptance of contributions. A minimum of 50 reprints must be paid for each published contribution before publication except where such contribution has been solicited.

PROOFS

Proofs may be sent to corresponding author for corrections if only specifically requested. If sent, such proofs must be returned to the editor within seven days of posting by the Editor.