Submissions

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Submission Preparation Checklist

As part of the submission process, authors are required to check off their submission's compliance with all of the following items, and submissions may be returned to authors that do not adhere to these guidelines.
  • The submission has not been previously published, nor is it before another journal for consideration (or an explanation has been provided in Comments to the Editor).
  • The submission file is in Microsoft Word file format.
  • Where available, DOIs for the references have been provided.
  • The text is single-spaced; uses Times New Roman 12-point font; employs italics, rather than underlining (except with URL addresses); and all illustrations, figures, and tables are placed within the text at the appropriate points, rather than at the end.
  • The text adheres to the stylistic and bibliographic requirements outlined in the Author Guidelines, which is found in About the Journal.
  • If submitting to a peer-reviewed section of the journal, the instructions in Ensuring a Blind Review have been followed.

Author Guidelines

Journal of Psychiatrists’ Association of Nepal (JPAN) is a biannual, peer reviewed national medical journal. It is an official journal of Psychiatrist’s Association of Nepal (PAN). The fundamental objective of this medical journal is to encourage psychiatrists and relevant experts to share eminent psychiatric issues that they encounter during their professional career. The journal will also provide a platform to advocate various issues on psychiatry.

Categories of article (Scope)

The various categories under which articles can be submitted are:

  • Original Research Articles
  • Case studies/Case Series
  • Review Articles
  • Book review
  • Educational Articles
  • Editorials

The original research articles will be the prime focus of the JPAN. We will also look forward to publishing conference declarations, decision of the PAN that are of interest to all the psychiatrists including policy level updates in the field of Psychiatry in Nepal. The author should clearly state to which category the article falls. The Editorial Board will have the full discretion to decide on the category of article.

Articles outside the scope
The categories mentioned above are not static and can be changed as per decision of the Editorial Board. So please do not hesitate to send any articles that do not fall under the above stated categories.

If the article falls outside the scope of JPAN, the author(s) should justify why such category of article should be considered for publication in no more than 300 words at the beginning of the manuscript. If the author(s) is able to provide a satisfactory justification only then the article will be considered for review by the Editorial Board.

Copyright
Copyright on any research article is transferred in full to the Journal of Psychiatrists' Association of Nepal upon publication in the journal. The copyright transfer includes the right to reproduce and distribute the article in any form of reproduction (printing, electronic media or any other form).

Creative Commons Licence

All works in the Journal of Psychiatrists' Association of Nepal are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Peer-Review
Manuscripts submitted to the editorial board are reviewed for originality, significance, adequacy of documentation, reader interest and composition.

Manuscripts not fulfilling the criteria of the Journal will be returned to the author by the editor for correction prior to beginning the peer review/process. Revised manuscripts are judged on the adequacy of responses to suggestions and criticisms made during the initial review. These articles submitted to the journal editor are forwarded to the experts in the field. These reviewers carefully evaluate the quality of the submitted manuscript, check for the accuracy and assess the validity of the research methodology and procedures. This generally involves anonymized refereeing by at least two independent reviewers.

Manuscript Submission Procedure
Manuscript submission will be via email in Microsoft Word Format (.doc or .docx format) in the following address:

journalofpan@gmail.com

The following documents needs to be produced at the time of submission
A Letter of Declaration:
The letter should be addressed to the Editor in Chief. The First paragraph of the letter should state that the manuscript presented represents the valid work of the author(s) and the manuscript with its present content and authorship has not been published or has not been considered for publication elsewhere, also it should ensure that authorship of the article will not be challenged or contested by any individual whose name has not been stated in the present list of authors. The letter should also state that the order in which author’s names have been placed is as per acceptance from all the authors.

The second paragraph of the letter should state that the manuscript has been submitted to JPAN and the journal reserves the exclusive copyright of the manuscript, which means that work shall not be published elsewhere in any language without the written consent of JPAN. The article published is protected by copyright which covers translation rights and also right to reproduce and distribute the article printed in the journal.

The letter should be signed by all the authors in the order of their authorship. The electronic copy (scanned version) of letter should be sent along with the manuscript.

B. Manuscript File in the assigned format.
The original research article should be based on the following format: The manuscript should not exceed 2500 words excluding references (upto 50)

Title
The title should be in bold letters. The author’s names, address, affiliations, complete address should be stated clearly. Indicate the corresponding author with an asterisk sign as a superscript following the author’s name. An email address, easily accessible phone number and a complete postal address of the corresponding author will be required.

Abstract
The abstract is the quintessence of the whole research article. Therefore it should be noted that it should summarize whole manuscript and no discrepancies should exist between abstract and the remainder of the manuscript. Note that any such discrepancies can lead to rejection of the manuscript. The abstract should not be more than 250 words and should be structured in the following format:

  • Background
  • Methods and materials
  • Results
  • Conclusion
  • Keywords ( Three to five)

Note: The final sentence of the background sub heading should bear the precise objective of the research.

Introduction
It should incorporate aims and objectives of the study. The author(s) should provide a rationale for conducting the study based on valid literature review. If it is an analytical study it should also include a well defined hypothesis.

Materials and methods
This section should clearly state the study design, procedures, site/location, study period, study settings, statistical and data collection tools, method of administration of tools, ethical clearances of Institutional review board of the institution in which the author(s) works or carries out the study. If such institutions do not exist then such clearances can be obtained form Nepal Health Research Council or any other respected body.

Results
The results section should only present most significant findings. Author(s) should make best utilization of tables, graphs, charts etc to simplify their resultants of the study.

Tables: The tables should be numbered as 1, 2, 3… and headings should be in bold letters. Footnote to tables if necessary to further clarify the table content can be accepted. The brief written statement on the results section illustrating the table should be present. The initial sentence should bear the table number, for example it can state “data on the Table 2 states/ shows that…” The data should not be presented in percentages unless there are more than 100 subjects. When interpreting the results it should include the number of subjects, the central tendency (Mean ± Standard Deviation), and the confidence interval for mean. For any unexpected results presented the author(s) should account for it in the discussion section.

Illustrations: The author(s) must try and make the graphs, charts, diagrams etc as understandable as possible with suitable legends. The illustrations will be presented in black and white so select colors suitably. For the images the file format may be in extension .jpeg or. tiff with 300 dots per inch of resolution.

Discussion
This section should only be confined to discussing the study’s most significant findings. It should include basic reason or underlying factors leading to generation of such study findings. For analytical study it should state whether the proposed hypothesis was accepted or not. This section should also state the limitations of the study, biases leading to deviation of study results and comparison of results with other similar literature. If the study findings are not in line with previous studies the author(s) should clearly state reason for such deviation. The discussion should also include the scientific implications of such study. Recommendation is very important aspect a study. The experiences of author(s) can be fruitful for other enthusiast of the topic. Therefore it should also recommend on the prospects of further study.

Conclusion
State most important finding which often happens to be the answer to the research question or hypothesis.

Funding Source:
Please state if any funding support was obtained for conceptualizing, conducting, analyzing and writing this research.

Acknowledgement
Acknowledge the people/institutions that have been of great help on any aspect of the study. But in doing so be careful not to disclose the name of any study site which should not have been otherwise disclosed. Take prior permission of the people or the institution concerned.

References
Authors should strictly follow the Vancouver style of referencing. Those manuscripts not following this style of referencing will be sent back for revision.

Abbreviations will not have a separate section; therefore an abbreviation must be fully explained in their first occurrence.

Case reports
New/interesting/very rare cases can be reported within 1000 words excluding references (upto 10). It should include abstract with key words, Introduction, Method/materials, Case report/results, discussion, conclusion and acknowledgement if needed. Abstract should also be structured and contain introduction, method, discussion, conclusion, keywords (three to five). It should be noted that valid informed written consent must be taken from study subjects. The case reserves the right to confidentiality; hence any statement leading to identity of the subject would be considered unethical and sent back for revision. The course of action undertaken should be clearly described, including the need for that particular course of action. It would be better if the authors make an effort to relate between the manifested health condition and underlying and/or confounding factor.

Review articles
Review article should be written only by the experts of the associated field. It should be based on a broad discussion on the topic of interest with valid literature review. The total word count should not exceed 3000 words excluding references (up to 50).

Educational articles
It should be confined to education process in the field of psychiatry.

Editorial
It is not open for external authors. It is accessible to only member of the editorial board or invitees by the editorial board.

C. Supplementary files when necessary.

Manuscript reviewing
The manuscript will be reviewed based on the following policy:

The reviewer(s)/editor(s) will

  • Provide constructive criticism to the author(s) regardless of its probability for final publication.
  • Treat the manuscript in reputable manner.
  • Will avoid forwarding insulting and sarcastic statements.
  • Comment on manuscript only and not on author(s).
  • Suggest room for improvement so as to increase the possibility for publication.

While reviewing the following factors will confound to eventual publication:

  • Manuscript based on contemporary issues.
  • Manuscript with well designed methodology.
  • Manuscript that is statistically sound and logical.
  • Manuscript that has accounted for the limitation, bias and error.

Factors leading to rejection
The following factors will be lead to eventual rejection of the article

  • Insufficient problem statement
  • Sample population too small or biased
  • Misleading reference/misinformation
  • Statistical and methodical errors
  • Incomplete referencing
  • Failure to account for biases and errors
  • Incomplete information

Criteria for authorship
He/she will qualify as an author only when the individual has contributed significantly to study design, idea, data collection, analysis and interpretation, manuscript preparation, statistical analysis, supervision (specially for thesis or dissertation) and obtaining funding.

Dual publication
If the article published in the JPAN is found simultaneously or previously published or published in future in any other Journal or scientific magazines or proceedings the author(s) will be blacklisted and termed not qualified (NQ) for future publication.

Translation and Republication
For the republication of the article in another journal the author(s) must take prior permission from JPAN, the work published without such permission will be considered an act of plagiarism.

The article cannot be translated into any other language and published without the permission from JPAN.

Privacy Statement

Nepal Journals Online (NepJOL) is a member of the Ubiquity Partner Network coordinated by Ubiquity Press. According to the EU definitions, NepJOL is the data controller, and Ubiquity Press are the service providers and data processors. Ubiquity Press provide the technical platform and some publishing services to NepJOL and operate under the principle of data minimisation where only the minimal amount of personal data that is required to carry out a task is obtained.

More information on the type of data that is required can be found in Ubiquity Press’ privacy policy below.

Ubiquity Press Privacy Policy

We take seriously our duty to process your personal data in a fair and transparent way. We collect and manage user data according to the following Privacy Policy. This document is part of our Terms of Service, and by using the press portal, affiliated journals, book, conference and repository websites (the “Websites”), you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy and the Terms of Service. Please read the Terms of Service in their entirety, and refer to those for definitions and contacts.

What type of personal data do we handle?

There are four main categories of personal data stored by our journal platform, our press platform, and our book management system; Website User data, Author data, Reviewer data and Editor data.

The minimum personal data that are stored are:

  • full name
  • email address
  • affiliation (department, and institution)
  • country of residence

Optionally, the user can provide:

  • salutation
  • gender
  • associated URL
  • phone number
  • fax number
  • reviewing interests
  • mailing address
  • ORCiD
  • a short biography
  • interests
  • Twitter profile
  • LinkedIn profile
  • ImpactStory profile
  • profile picture

The data subjects have complete control of this data through their profile, and can request for it to be removed by contacting info@ubiquitypress.com

What do we do to keep that data secure?

We regularly backup our databases, and we use reliable cloud service providers (Amazon, Google Cloud, Linode) to ensure they are kept securely. Backups are regularly rotated and the old data is permanently deleted. We have a clear internal data handling policy, restricting access to the data and backups to key employees only. In case of a data breach, we will report the breach to the affected users, and to the press/journal contacts within 72 hours.

How do we use the data?

Personal information is only used to deliver the services provided by the publisher. Personal data is not shared externally except for author names, affiliations, emails, and links to ORCiD and social media accounts (if provided) in published articles and books which are displayed as part of the article/book and shared externally to indexes and databases. If a journal operates under open peer review then the reviewer details are published alongside the reviewer details.

How we collect and use your data:

1. When using the website

1.1 what data we collect

  • When you browse our website, we collect anonymised data about your use of the website; for example, we collect information about which pages you view, which files you download, what browser you are using, and when you were using the site.
  • When you comment on an article or book using Disqus, we are not collecting, controlling or processing the data. More details on the DISQUS privacy policy can be found on their website.
  • When you annotate an article or book, this is done via a 3rd party plugin to the website called Hypothes.is. In using this plugin we are not collecting, controlling or processing the data. More details on the Hypothes.is privacy policy can be found on their website.

1.2 why we collect the data

  • We use anonymised website usage data to monitor traffic, help fix bugs, and see overall patterns that inform future redesigns of the website, and provide reports on how frequently the publications on our site have been accessed from within their IP ranges.

1.3 what we do (and don’t do) with the data

  • We do not collect personal information that can be used to identify you when you browse the website.
  • We currently use Google Analytics for publication reports, and to improve the website and services through traffic analysis, but no personal identifying data is shared with Google (for example your computer’s IP is anonymised before transmission).

1.4 what to do if you want to get a copy of your data, or want your data to be removed

  • Please contact info@ubiquitypress.com to request a copy of your data, or for your data to be removed/anonymised.

2. When registering as an author, and submitting an article or book

2.1 what data we collect

  • When registering an account we ask you to log in and provide certain personal information (such as your name and email address), and there is the option to register using an ORCiD which will pre-fill the registration form.
  • As part of submitting an article for publication, you will need to provide personally identifying information which will be used for the peer review process, and will be published. This can include ‘Affiliation’, ‘Competing interests’, ‘Acknowledgements’.

2.2 why we collect the data

  • Registering an account allows you to log in, manage your profile, and participate as an author/reviewer/editor. We use cookies and session information to streamline your use of the website (for example in order for you to remain logged-in when you return to a journal). You can block or delete cookies and still be able to use the websites, although if you do you will then need to enter your username and password to login. In order to take advantage of certain features of the websites, you may also choose to provide us with other personal information, such as your ORCiD, but your decision to utilize these features and provide such data will always be voluntary.
  • Personal data submitted with the article or book is collected to allow follow good publication ethics during the review process, and will form part of the official published record in order for the provenance of the work to be established, and for the work to be correctly attributed.

2.3 what we do (and don’t do) with the data

  • We do not share your personal information with third parties, other than as part of providing the publishing service.
  • As a registered author in the system you may be contacted by the journal editor to submit another article.
  • Any books published on the platform are freely available to download from the publisher website in PDF, EPUB and MOBI formats on the publisher’s site.
  • Any personal data accompanying an article or a book (that will have been added by the submitting author) is published alongside it. The published data includes the names, affiliations and email addresses of all authors.
  • Any articles published on the platform are freely available to download from the publisher website in various formats (e.g. PDF, XML).
  • Ubiquity Press books and articles are typeset by SiliconChips and Diacritech.This process involves them receiving the book and book associated metadata and contacting the authors to finalise the layout. Ubiquity Press work with these suppliers to ensure that personal data is only used for the purposes of typesetting and proofing.
  • For physical purchases of books on the platform Ubiquity Press use print on demand services via Lightning Source who are responsible for printing and distribution via retailers. (For example; Amazon, Book Repository, Waterstones). Lightning Source’s privacy policy and details on data handling can be found on their website.

2.4 why we store the data

  • We store the account data so that you may choose to become a reviewer and be able to perform those tasks, or to become an author and submit an article and then track progress of that article.
  • Published personal data that accompanies an article or a book forms part of the official published record in order for the provenance of the work to be established, and for the work to be correctly attributed.

2.5 what to do if you want to get a copy of your data, or want your data to be removed

  • You are able to view, change and remove your data associated with your profile. Should you choose to completely delete your account, please contact us at support@ubiquitypress.com and we will follow up with your request as soon as possible.
  • To conform to publication ethics and best practice any personal data that is published alongside an article or book cannot be removed. If you have a query about a publication to which you are attributed please contact info@ubiquitypress.com

3. When registering as a reviewer

3.1 what data we collect

  • To become a reviewer you must first register as a user on the website, and set your preference that you would like to be considered as a reviewer. No new personal data is collected when a registered user elects to become a reviewer.
  • When registering an account we ask you to log in and provide certain personal information (such as your name and email address), and there is the option to register using an ORCiD which will pre-fill the registration form.
  • Reviewers can also be registered by editors who invite them to review a specific article. This requires the editor to provide the reviewer’s First Name, Last Name, and Email address. Normally this will be done as part of the process of inviting you to review the article or book.
  • On submitting a review, the reviewer includes a competing interest statement, they may answer questions about the quality of the article, and they will submit their recommendation.

3.2 why we collect the data

  • The data entered is used to invite the reviewer to peer review the article or book, and to contact the reviewer during and the review process.
  • If you submit a review then the details of your review, including your recommendation, your responses to any review form, your free-form responses, your competing interests statement, and any cover letter are recorded.

3.3 what we do (and don’t do) with the data

  • This data is not shared publicly and is only accessible by the Editor and system administrators of that journal or press.
  • The data will only be used in connection with that journal or press.
  • Data that is retained post final decision is kept to conform to publication ethics and best practice, to provide evidence of peer review, and to resolve any disputes relating to the peer review of the article or book.
  • For journals or presses that publish the peer reviews, you will be asked to give consent to your review being published, and a subset of the data you have submitted will become part of the published record.

3.4 what to do if you want to get a copy of your data, or want your data to be removed

  • If you would no longer like to be registered as a reviewer you can edit your profile and tick the box ‘stop being a reviewer’. This will remove you from the reviewer database, however any existing reviews you may have carried out will remain.
  • If you have been contacted by an editor to peer review an article this means that you have been registered in the system. If you would not like to be contacted for peer review you can reply to the email requesting that your data be deleted.

4. When being registered as a co-author

4.1 what data we collect

  • Co-author data is entered by the submitting author. The submitting author will already have a user account. According to standard publishing practice, the submitting author is responsible for obtaining the consent of their co-authors to be included (including having their personal data included) in the article/book being submitted to the journal/press.
  • The requested personal data for co-authors are at the bare minimum; first name, last name, institution, country, email address. This can also include; ORCID ID, Title, Middle Name, Biographical Statement, Department, Twitter Handle, Linkedin Profile Name or ImpactStory ID.

4.2 why we collect the data

  • Assuming that it is accepted for publication, this data forms part of the official published record in order for the provenance of the work to be established, and for the work to be correctly attributed.
  • Author names, affiliations and emails are required for publication and will become part of the permanent cited record.

4.3 what we do (and don’t do) with the data

  • The co-author’s personal data is stored in the author database. This personal data is only used in relation to the publication of the associated article.
  • Any co-author data collected is added to the author database and is only used in association with the article the user is co-author on.

4.5 what to do if you want to get a copy of your data, or want your data to be removed

  • To receive a copy of your data, please contact info@ubiquitypress.com
  • To conform to publication ethics and best practice any personal data that is published alongside an article or book cannot be removed. If you have a query about a publication to which you are attributed please contact info@ubiquitypress.com

5. When signing-up to receive newsletters

5.1 what data we collect

  • We require you to include your name and email address

5.2 why we collect and store the data, and for how long

  • This data would be collected to keep you updated with any news about the platform or specific journal

5.3 what we do (and don’t do) with the data

  • We use mailchimp to provide our mailing list services. Their privacy policy can be found here

5.4 what to do if you want to get a copy of your data or want your data to be removed

  • All emails sent via our newsletter client will include a link that will allow you to unsubscribe from the mailing list

Notification about change of ownership or of control of data

We may choose to buy or sell assets. In the case that control of data changes to or from Ubiquity Press and a third party, or in the case of change of ownership of Ubiquity Press or of part of the business where the control of personal data is transferred, we will do our best to inform all affected users and present the options.

(Updated: 18 May 2018)