Submissions

All manuscripts must be submitted in MS Word® or RTF format using Times New Roman font size 10 and single-spacing. Headings must be in Bold. All the named authors must have approved the final manuscript. Pages should be numbered consecutively in the midline of the bottom of the page. The following contributions are accepted (word counts exclude abstracts, tables and references):

1. Original research 
2. Letters to the Editor 
3. Case reports/series 
4. Review articles. 

Format Title page: All articles must have a title page with the following information and in this particular order:

• Title of the article.
• Full names and affiliations of each author.
• The name, postal address, e-mail address and telephone of the corresponding author.
• At least 5 keywords.
• Running Title of less than fifty characters.

Please do not use capital letters for all the letters in headings and names but stick to the normal use of capital letters.

Abstract. All articles should include an abstract. The structured abstract for an Original Research article should be between 200 and 250 words and should consist of four paragraphs labelled “Background, Methods, Results, and Conclusions“. It should briefly describe the problem or issue being addressed in the study, how the study was performed, the major results, and what the authors conclude from these results. The abstracts for other types of articles should also not be longer than 250 words and need not follow the structured abstract format.

Keywords. All articles should include keywords. Up to five words or short phrases should be used. Use terms from the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) of Index Medicus when available and appropriate. Key words are used to index the article and may be published with the abstract.

Acknowledgements. In a separate section, acknowledge any financial support received or possible conflict of interest. This section may also be used to acknowledge substantial contributions to the research or preparation of the manuscript made by persons other than the authors.

References. References should be cited in numerical order within the text using the Vancouver superscript format. In the References section, ensure that references are numbered consecutively following the order in which they appear in the text, not alphabetically. The formatting of references must adhere to the guidelines outlined in the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals

We recommend using a reference manager to format your references; if doing so, please select the Vancouver Superscript style. For Zotero users, this corresponds to the Vancouver Superscript option. Journal title abbreviations should conform to the Index Medicus format.

The responsibility for the accuracy of all references lies with the authors. Personal communications and unpublished data should not be cited in the references. If it is essential to include such information, it should be integrated directly into the text at the relevant point. However, Authors may be cited provided that a DOI or archive URL is available. Citations should clearly indicate that the work is a preprint (Please below for further information regarding preprint).

Tables. Tables should be self-explanatory, clearly organised, and supplemental to the text of the manuscript. Each table should include a clear descriptive title on top and numbered in Arabic numerals (1, 2, etc.) in order of its appearance in the text. Tables must be inserted in the correct position in the text, not placed at the end of the document. Headings should be placed above columns, left justified.  Authors should place explanatory matter in footnotes, not in the heading. Explain in footnotes all nonstandard abbreviations. For footnotes use the following symbols, in sequence: *,†,‡,§,||,,**,††,‡‡. Apart from the guidelines provided above, there is no need for authors to format tables in any specific way. The journal team will handle the formatting of tables to meet our publication standards during the editing process.

Figures. All figures must be inserted in the appropriate position of the electronic document. Symbols, lettering, and numbering (in Arabic numerals e.g. 1, 2, etc. and be listed in order of appearance in the text) should be placed below the figure, clear and large enough to remain legible after the figure has been reduced. Figures must have clear descriptive titles.

Photographs and images:

If photographs of patients are used in your submission, ensure that the subjects are not identifiable. Alternatively, if subjects are identifiable, their use must be accompanied by written permission from the subjects. This authorization should be included with your submission. The position of photographs and images should be clearly indicated in the text. Electronic images should be saved as either jpeg or png files. All photographs should be scanned at a high resolution (300dpi, print optimised). Provision is made to upload individual images on the website as supplementary files. Please number the images appropriately.

Permission. Permission should be obtained from the author and publisher for the use of quotes, illustrations, tables, and other materials taken from previously published works, which are not in the public domain. The author is responsible for the payment of any copyright fee(s) if these have not been waived. The letters of permission should accompany the manuscript. The original source(s) should be mentioned in the figure legend or as a footnote to a table.

Review and action. Manuscripts are initially examined by the editorial staff and are usually sent to independent reviewers who are not informed of the identity of the author(s). When publication in its original form is not recommended, the reviewers’ comments (without the identity of the reviewer being disclosed) may be passed to the first author and may include suggested revisions. Manuscripts not approved for publication will not be returned. Please see Policy Statements of the Journal for further description of the journal’s peer review process

Ethical considerations. Papers based on original research must adhere to the Declaration of Helsinki on Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects; and must specify from which recognised ethics committee approval for the research was obtained. Please include the approval number.

Conflict of interest. Authors must declare all financial contributions to their work or other forms of conflict of interest, which may prevent them from executing and publishing unbiased research. [Conflict of interest exists when an author (or the author’s institution), has financial or personal relationships with other persons or organizations that inappropriately influence (bias) his or her opinions or actions.]* The following declaration may be used if appropriate: “I declare that I have no financial or personal relationship(s) which may have inappropriately influenced me in writing this paper.”

Author Contributions

To enhance transparency and accountability in the contributions to scholarly articles, our journal adopts the Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT). This taxonomy provides a standardized way to credit authorship by specifying the role each author played in the creation of the manuscript. Each author is required to specify their individual contributions based on the following roles:

• Conceptualization: Initiating and planning the goals and objectives of the research.
• Data Curation: Managing the data (e.g., acquisition, validation) to ensure its accessibility and preservation.
• Formal Analysis: Applying statistical, computational, or mathematical techniques to analyze study data.
• Funding Acquisition: Obtaining financial support for project execution.
• Investigation: Conducting the primary empirical research.
• Methodology: Developing the methods and procedures used in the research.
• Project Administration: Managing the project’s administrative activities including oversight and coordination.
• Resources: Providing the essential materials, reagents, or equipment for the research.
• Software: Designing, programming, or customizing software used in the research.
• Supervision: Providing guidance on the research plan and execution; mentoring team members.
• Validation: Verifying other components of the research such as methods and results.
• Visualization: Generating data displays that aid in the interpretation of the data.
• Writing – Original Draft: Writing the initial draft of the manuscript, including the main text.
• Writing – Review & Editing: Reviewing and making significant revisions to the content of the manuscript.

Authors should identify their contributions at the end of the manuscript. We encourage authors to agree on the roles prior to submitting the manuscript and to ensure that all contributors are properly credited for their roles. Misrepresentation of contributions may lead to corrections, retractions, or other editorial actions.

Submissions and correspondence.

Recommended Reporting Guidelines

To enhance the quality and transparency of research published in our journal, we encourage authors to adhere to internationally recognized reporting guidelines appropriate to their study design. Utilizing these guidelines not only facilitates a comprehensive and systematic presentation of research but also aids in peer review and critical appraisal by readers. Depending on the nature of your research, please consider the following guidelines:

• For Observational Studies: Authors should follow the STROBE guidelines (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology), which help in detailing observational cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies.
• For Randomized Controlled Trials: The CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials) statement should be used. It provides a checklist and flow diagram to aid in the complete reporting of randomized trials.
• For Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: We recommend adhering to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines, which facilitate the clear reporting of reviews and meta-analyses.
• For Diagnostic Accuracy Studies: The STARD (Standards for Reporting Diagnostic Accuracy Studies) checklist is advisable.
• For Case Reports: The CARE (Case Report) guidelines should be used to ensure completeness in reporting clinical cases.
• For Qualitative Research: COREQ (Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research) is recommended for articles involving qualitative research methods.

Authors are encouraged to visit the Equator Network (https://www.equator-network.org/ ) for comprehensive resources and access to all reporting guidelines. Utilizing the appropriate guideline from the start of your research planning will facilitate a smoother submission and review process.

Step-by-Step-Guide: Please visit here for a step-by-step guide that will guide you from submission to publication.

Supplementary Files Submission Guidelines

Purpose: The Sierra Leone Journal of Medicine (SLJM) allows authors to submit supplementary files along with their manuscripts to enhance the reader's understanding of the research and to provide additional support for the findings presented in the main article.

Guidelines:

1. Types of Supplementary Files: Authors may submit various types of supplementary materials, including but not limited to:
   • Data Sheets: Excel, CSV, or other data formats.
   • Presentations: PowerPoint or PDF files that summarize findings or methodologies.
   • Images: High-resolution images (JPEG, PNG, TIFF) that are too large for inclusion in the main article.
   • Tables: Additional tables that provide detailed data or analyses.
   • Audio and Video Files: Multimedia content that enhances the article's content.
2. Formatting Requirements:
   • Files should be clearly labelled to correspond with their content (e.g., Supplemental_Table_1, Supplemental_Figure_1).
   • Ensure all supplementary files are in their final format as they will not be edited or typeset.
   • Provide concise and descriptive captions for each file. Captions should be included in the main manuscript file.
3. Submission Process:
   • Supplementary files should be uploaded along with the manuscript files during the submission process.
   • Indicate clearly in the manuscript text where the reader can find the supplementary material (e.g., "See Supplementary File 1").
4. Review and Accessibility:
   • All supplementary files are subject to peer review and must adhere to the journal’s standards for scientific rigor and clarity.
   • Ensure that supplementary materials are accessible to all readers, following the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) where applicable.
5. Ethical Considerations:
   • Any supplementary material involving patient data or sensitive information must comply with privacy laws and regulations.
   • Obtain necessary permissions for any copyrighted content included in the supplementary files.

Data Availability Statement

Purpose: The Sierra Leone Journal of Medicine (SLJM) is committed to enhancing the transparency and reproducibility of research. To achieve this, SLJM requires that authors provide a Data Availability Statement, detailing the availability of the data underlying the findings described in their manuscript.

Guidelines:

1. Open Data: Where possible, authors should deposit their data in a recognized open data repository before submission and reference the data set's DOI in the manuscript. See below on how to do it.
2. Controlled Access: For sensitive data that cannot be made freely available (such as human subject data where privacy issues are a concern), authors must mention the restrictions and describe the conditions under which the data can be accessed.
3. Data Citation: Data sets, whether housed in a repository or provided as supplementary materials, should be cited in the reference list of the manuscript.
4. Exemptions: If data are unavailable for sharing (for legal or ethical reasons), authors must clearly state the reason in the Data Availability Statement.
5. Supplementary Material: Authors may upload supplementary material such as data tables, protocols, questionnaires, and additional figures during submission. These materials are subject to peer review and will be available alongside the published article.
6. Preparing Data Sets: Data should be de-identified and prepared in accordance with relevant data protection regulations. Authors should ensure the data are presented clearly and in a reusable format.

Example of a Data Availability Statement:

• Open Access Data Example: "The data that support the findings of this study are openly available in [name of repository] at http://doi.org/[doi], reference number [reference number]."
• Controlled Access Data Example: "The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to [reason]."

Policy Regarding Preprint

Preprints are defined as the author’s version of a research manuscript before formal peer review at a journal and are deposited on a public server. The Sierra Leone Journal of Medicine supports the posting of preprints of primary research manuscripts on preprint servers of the authors' choice, as well as on authors' or institutional websites.

Preprints may be posted at any time during the peer review process. The posting of preprints is not considered prior publication and will not jeopardize consideration by the SLJM.

Authors may be cited provided that a DOI or archive URL is available. Citations should clearly indicate that the work is a preprint. If a peer-reviewed journal publication of the same work exists, the official journal publication should be cited as the preferred source.

ORCID ID Requirement:

The corresponding author is required to provide an ORCID iD at the time of manuscript submission. This ID must be linked to the submitting author’s profile in our submission system. The corresponding author’s ORCID iD will be used to verify their identity and to ensure the accuracy of the academic record.

During Acceptance:

Upon acceptance of the manuscript, all authors must provide their ORCID iDs before the final publication of the article. Each author’s ORCID iD will be published alongside their name and affiliation, providing a clear and precise indication of their contribution to the research community.

How to Register for an ORCID iD:

Authors who do not yet have an ORCID iD can register for one free of charge at https://orcid.org/register. Registration is quick, and an ORCID iD is for life, accompanying the researcher throughout their career irrespective of institutional or geographic changes.

We strongly advocate for the use of ORCID iDs as they enhance the discoverability of researchers’ contributions, ensure the recognition of their work, and reduce the risk of identity confusion.

Submission Details

All submissions should be made via our submission platform. Please log in or register at the following URLs:

For existing users: http://sljm.org/journal/index.php/sljm/login

For new users: http://sljm.org/journal/index.php/sljm/user/register

On rare occasions, if you encounter any difficulties with the online submission process, you may contact us directly via email:

Primary Contact: editor.sljm@uslthc.edu.sl

Alternate Contact: kehinde.oluwadiya@uslthc.edu.ng or  oluwadiya@gmail.com   

Submission Checklist

Before submitting your manuscript, please ensure the following components are included and complete:

1. Full Manuscript
2. Title Page
3. Manuscript excluding the title page.
4. Keywords
5. Running title
6. A conflict-of-interest statement at the end of the paper, before reference. The following declaration may be used if appropriate: “The authors declare that they have no financial or personal relationship(s) which may have inappropriately influenced them in writing this paper.
7. Names, email addresses, and affiliations of three potential reviewers who are knowledgeable in your manuscript's subject area but do not have any conflicts of interest with your work.
8. Data availability statement provided
9. Author Contributions Included: (Please refer to the "Author Contributions" section above.)
10. Corresponding Author’s ORCID Number Provided: (Please refer to the "ORCID Requirement" section above.)
11. All supplementary files (If necessary).

*Modified from: Davidoff F, et al. Sponsorship, Authorship, and Accountability. (Editorial) JAMA