Submissions

Author Guidelines

International Journal of Occupational Safety and Health accepts manuscripts in accordance with the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals, obtained from the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors Recommendation, updated May 2022.

Contributions to the following sections of the journal are welcome:

• Editorials
• Letters to the editor
• Short communication
• Review articles
• Original articles
• Meta-analysis
• Systematic Reviews
• Case studies

Where to send your contribution:

The manuscript should be submitted online. 

Authors should note: 
All contributions must be original work; by submitting the manuscript, the authors declare that the manuscript represents valid work and that neither this manuscript nor one with substantially similar content under the present authorship has been published or is being considered for publication elsewhere, and the authorship of this article will not be contested by anyone whose name(s) is/are not listed here.

All articles are submitted to an editorial committee for an acceptance decision. Anonymity is preserved between authors and referees;

A letter of ethical clearance for the study must be submitted at the time of manuscript submission.

Although the Editorial Board's decisions regarding whether to accept or reject a manuscript for publication are final and conclusive, authors who disagree with those decisions, suspect conflicts of interest, or competing interests may appeal those decisions to the Editor-in-Chief. An investigation committee that includes the Editor-in-Chief, himself, the Managing Editor, one Adviser of the Editorial Board, and one External Reviewer will be formed by the Editor-in-Chief. IJOSH follows the complaints and appeals investigation as per the COPE guidelines and flowcharts.

Online Submission of the Manuscripts 
Articles can also be submitted online from http://nepjol.info/index.php/IJOSH/index. You will need to register as an Author with this journal so that you can use the 5 steps online submission process.

1. First Page File: Prepare the title page, covering letter, acknowledgment, etc. using a word processor program. All information that can reveal your identity should be here. Use only Docx files. Do not zip the files.
2. Article file: The main text of the article, beginning from Abstract to References (including tables) should be in this file. Do not include any information (such as acknowledgment, your names in page headers, etc.) in this file. Use Docx files. Do not zip the files. Limit the file size to 400 kb. Do not incorporate images in the file if the file size is large. If the file size is large, graphs can be submitted as images separately without incorporating them in the article file to reduce the size of the file.
3. Legends: Legends for the figures/images should be included immediately after the texts.
4. List of contributors: When you submit the list of contributors online, please provide full name, surname, genuine email address, ORCID ID, name of department, institution, complete address of the affiliated institution, and rank in the department or institution. This information is mandatory.

Preparation of the Manuscript
The text of original articles and Field Reports should be divided into sections with the headings: Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, References, Tables, Figures, Figure legends, and Acknowledgment. Do not make subheadings in these sections.

Presentation and format

• Use Docx files
• Double spacing
• Margins 2.5 cm from all four sides
• The title page contains all the desired information
• The abstract page contains the full title of the manuscript
• Headings in title case (not ALL CAPITALS)
• References cited in superscripts
• References according to the journal's instructions, punctuation marks checked

Language and grammar

• Uniformly American English
• Abbreviations spelled out in full for the first time

Length of the manuscript

IJOSH accepts short communication up to 3000 words, original research articles up to 4000 words, and review articles up to 6000 words, excluding references. 

Title Page

The title page should carry

1. Type of manuscript (e.g. Original article, Review articles, Short communication, etc.)
2. The title of the article, which should be concise, but informative;
3. Running title or short title, not more than 50 characters (not mandatory);
4. The name by which each contributor is known (Last name, First name, and initials of middle name), with his or her highest academic degree(s), ORCID ID, email ID, and rank and complete institutional affiliation;
5. The name of the department(s) and institution(s) to which the work should be attributed;
6. The name, address, phone numbers, facsimile numbers and e-mail address of the contributor responsible for correspondence about the manuscript;
7. Acknowledgment, if any; and

Abstract

The second page should carry the full title of the manuscript and an abstract (of no more than 150 words for Field reports, brief reports, short communication and 250 words for original and review articles). For original articles, the abstract should be structured and state the Introduction, Methods, Results and Conclusion. It may be unstructured in short communication and review articles. Below the abstract should provide 3 to 5 keywords in alphabetical order. Please refer to the MeSH index https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/ for appropriate keywords which makes it easier to search an article.

Introduction 

The introduction should be concise and include a summary of already existing scientific information about your research, what important researchers have found and what is still lacking to clarify the hypothesis, and what exactly you wish to achieve by conducting this research.

Methods 

Answer three important questions- How was the study designed? How was the study carried out? and How was the data analyzed?

Make the sampling procedure, size, and rationale clear. Clearly mention and provide a rationale for the use of different outcome measures, a place where the study was conducted, duration of the study, data collection methods/tools, inclusion and exclusion criteria, type of statistical analysis, and its rationale (not under separate subheadings).

The Methods section should include only information that was available at the time the plan or protocol for the study was written; all information obtained during the conduct of the study belongs in the Results section.

Results 

Present your results in logical sequence in the text, tables, and illustrations, giving the main or most important findings first. Do not repeat in the text all the data in the tables or illustrations; emphasize or summarize only important observations. Do not submit big tables. We recommend not more than four tables and three figures in the manuscript. Tables and figures should be positioned appropriately within the text. Kindly note that IJOSH follows Système Internationale (SI) Units and requires that only SI Units are used. Extra or supplementary materials and technical details can be placed in an appendix where they will be accessible but will not interrupt the flow of the text; alternatively, they can be published only in the electronic version of the journal. (Do not write the Results section  under separate subheadings)

Discussion 

Include a summary of key findings (primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, results as they relate to the hypothesis); Strengths and limitations of the study (study question, study design, data collection, analysis and interpretation); Interpretation and implications in the context of the totality of evidence (is there a systematic review to refer to, if not, could one be reasonably done here and now? what this study adds to the available evidence, effects on patient care and health policy, and possible mechanisms). Do not repeat in detail data or other material given in the Introduction or the Results section. Avoid claiming priority and alluding to work that has not been completed. Do discuss the differences and similarities of the current study to other similar studies and provide possible explanations. Discussion may be concluded by a short conclusion paragraph or a separate conclusion paragraph is also accepted.

References 

Editorials and Short communications are allowed 15 references. Original Articles and Meta-analyses are limited to 40 references and Review articles are allowed 60 references.

References should be cited in the text by superscript numbers (² not ⁽²⁾, placed after the punctuation). Number references consecutively in the order in which they are first mentioned (based on the Vancouver system). 

If a referenced publication has six or fewer authors, all of the authors should be listed. If there are more than six, list the first six authors followed by ", et al.".

Authors are responsible for ensuring that their words do not infringe copyright.

References to books should include authors' surnames and initials, full title, place of publication, the full name of publisher and date of publication.

References to journal articles should include authors' surnames and initials, the full title of the article, the full title of the journal (or its official abbreviation), date of publication, volume number, issue number and page span. Where available, URLs for the references must be provided.

Journal article. An example of the correct method of citing a journal article is as follows:

1. Reuben RC, Danladi M, Saleh DA, Ejembi PE. Knowledge, attitudes and practices towards COVID-19: an epidemiological survey in North-Central Nigeria. Journal of community health. 2021;46(3):457-70. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs10900-020-00881-1

2. Belete ZW, Berihun G, Keleb A, Ademas A, Berhanu L, Abebe M, et al. Knowledge, attitude, and preventive practices towards COVID-19 and associated factors among adult hospital visitors in South Gondar Zone Hospitals, Northwest Ethiopia. PLOS ONE. 2021;16(5):e0250145. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0250145

Books. An example of the correct method of citing a book is as follows:

1. Mann A. Medical assessment of injuries for legal purposes (4th ed). Sydney: Butterworths, 1985.

Some variations of the standard citation given in the example above are as follows:

Editor as author 
1. McGrath JE (ed). Social and psychological factors in stress. New York: Holt/Reinhart/Winston, 1970.

Book chapter 
1. Schwartz GE. Psychosomatic disorder and biofeedback: a psychobiological model of disregulation. In Maser, JD and Seligman, EP (eds). Psychopathology: experimental models. San Francisco: WH Freeman, 1977.

Books in press 
Books cited that are in the process of being published should be indicated by placing the words "in the press" in parentheses after the year of publication, as follows:

1. Chandler J, Berg E and Barry J. Workplace stress in the UK: contextualizing difference. In Peterson, CL (ed). Work stress: content and context. Amityville: Baywood, 2003 (in press).

Some periodicals combine aspects of both books and journals.

Example 
1. ACTU-VTHC Occupational Health and Safety Unit. ACTU health and safety policy: screen-based equipment. Health and Safety Bulletin, March 1983, no 26.

Conference proceedings. An example of the correct method of citing conference proceedings is as follows:

1. Wakula J and Wimmel F. Ergonomic and medical analysis of plasterwork: a basis for ergonomic redesign. In the proceedings of the Second International Conference of the CIB Working Commission, W99: Implementation of Safety and Health on Construction Sites, Honolulu, Hawaii, 24-27 March 1999, pp 365-72.

Official reports. An example of the correct method of citing official reports is as follows:

1. Interim National Occupational Health and Safety Commission. Report May 1984. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service, 1984.

Tables and figures should be positioned appropriately within the text.

Tables

• Tables should be self-explanatory and should not duplicate textual material.
• Tables with more than 10 columns and 25 rows are not acceptable.
• Number tables, in Arabic numerals, consecutively in the order of their first citation in the text and supply a brief title for each.
• Explain in footnotes all non-standard abbreviations that are used in each table.
• For footnotes use the following symbols, in this sequence: *, †, ‡, §, ||, , **, ††, ‡‡

Illustrations (Figures)

• Send sharp, glossy, un-mounted, color photographic prints, with a height of 4 inches and width of 6 inches.
• Figures should be numbered consecutively according to the order in which they have been first cited in the text.
• Each figure should have a label pasted (avoid the use of liquid gum for pasting) on its back indicating the number of the figure, the running title, top of the figure and the legends of the figure. Do not write the contributor/s' name/s. Do not write on the back of figures, scratch them, or mark them by using paper clips.
• Labels, numbers, and symbols should be clear and of uniform size. The lettering for figures should be large enough to be legible after reduction to fit the width of a printed column.
• Symbols, arrows, or letters used in photomicrographs should contrast with the background and should be marked neatly with transfer type or by tissue overlay and not by pen.
• Printouts of digital photographs are not acceptable. For digital images send JPEG files of a minimum 1200 x 1600 pixel size.
• The Journal reserves the right to crop, rotate, reduce, or enlarge the photographs to an acceptable size.

Legends for Illustrations
Type or print out legends (maximum 40 words, excluding the credit line) for illustrations using double spacing, with Arabic numerals corresponding to the illustrations.

Ethics
Article reporting experiments on human subjects should disclose whether the procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional or regional) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1964, revised in 2013. The authors should indicate when reporting animal experiments whether the institutions adhered to any national laws or guidelines for the care and use of laboratory animals. 

Manuscripts will not be accepted if an ethical approval letter from the institutional or regional Institutional Review Board/ Committee is not submitted.

Do not use patients' names, initials, or hospital numbers, especially in illustrative material.

Conflicts of Interest
To ensure the readers' rights and provide clear and unbiased scientific results to the public, manuscripts should be accompanied by clear disclosures from all authors of the nature and level of their contribution to the article, their understanding of the obligation to share data and materials, and any affiliations, funding sources, or financial holdings that might raise questions about possible sources of bias.

Reporting Guidelines for main study types

The authors need to follow the following standard reporting guidelines in their manuscripts based on their study types. The reporting guidelines can be found on the Equator Network website. Manuscripts not following the prescribed guidelines will be returned to the authors for revision.

Copyright
Articles with original material are accepted for consideration with the understanding that, except for abstracts, no part of the data has been published, or will be submitted for publication elsewhere, before appearing in this journal. Copyright in all material submitted for publication in the journal is vested to the authors under attribution CC BY-NC.

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Note: Submissions not fulfilling the Author Guidelines will be declined immediately without further clarification.

If you have any queries, you may contact:
The Editor-in-Chief 
International Journal of Occupational Safety and Health 
Email: editor@ijoshnepal.com