Submission Process
Electronic Submission
PLEASE READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE PROCEEDING (PDF Version)
Submission Process
The manuscript submission process is broken into a series of 5 screens that gather detailed information about your manuscript and allow you to upload the pertinent files.
The sequence of screens are as follows:
A long form asking for author information, title, abstract, and file quantities.
A screen asking for the actual file locations on your computer (via an open file dialog). After completing this screen, your files will be uploaded to our server.
A screen requesting the order files should appear in the system-generated merged PDF.
A completion screen that will provide you with a specific manuscript number for your manuscript.
An approval screen that will allow you to verify that your manuscript was uploaded and converted correctly. You are allowed to replace and delete files, as well as withdraw the manuscript, on this page.
Before submitting a manuscript, please gather the following information:
- All Authors First Names, Middle Names/Initials, Last Names
- Author affiliations/Institutions
- Departments
- Phone and Fax Numbers
- Street Addresses
- E-mail Addresses
- Title and Running Title (you may copy and paste these from your manuscript)
YOUR TITLE MUST BE UNDER 80 CHARACTERS (including spaces)
- Structured Abstract (unless a Review Article, then Unstructured)
File Formats
Manuscript files in Word, WordPerfect, or Text formats
Images should be of the highest quality, submitted electronically as a TIF, EPS, PDF, or JPG file at a minimum of 300 dpi and at a size large enough for the printed journal (i.e. not less than 3 1/2” wide).
Figure/File mode/Ideal resolution/Minimum resolution
Line Bitmap 1200 ppi(ideal) 600 ppi(min)
Color photo CMYK 350 ppi(ideal) 200 ppi(min)
B/W halftone (black and white photo) Grayscale 350 ppi(ideal) 200 ppi(min)
Line/halftone combination Grayscale 600 ppi(ideal) 200 ppi(min)
Tables in XLS or DOC formats
Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals: Writing and Editing for Biomedical Publication International Committee of Medical Journal Editors
For detailed instructions regarding style and layout refer to “Uniform requirements for manuscripts submitted to biomedical journals”. Copies of this document may be obtained on the website http://www.icmje.org. Articles should be submitted under conventional headings of introduction, methods and materials, results, discussion, but other headings will be considered if more suitable. For Uniform Requirements for Sample References go to http://www.nlm.nih.gov/bsd/uniform_requirements.html.
After the manuscript is submitted, you will be asked to select the order you would like the files to be displayed in a merged PDF file that the system will create for you. Next, you will be directed to a page that will allow you to review your converted manuscript. If the conversion is not correct, you can replace or delete your manuscript files as necessary. You may also add additional files at this time. After you have reviewed the converted files, you will need to click on "Approve Converted Files." This link will have a red arrow next to it. Throughout the system, red arrows reflect pending action items that you should address.
Cover Letter
A cover letter is required and must state that the manuscript: has not been published elsewhere, except in abstract form, and is not under simultaneous consideration by another journal. Once a decision is made by the Editor on your manuscript, the Journal office will send you an Author Release form and a Conflict of Interest form if your manuscript has been accepted for revision.
Abstracts
Original Articles should be accompanied by a Structured abstract of 250 words or less on a separate page, in either English or French. The Journal will provide translation to the other language if required. Abstracts should consist of four paragraphs headed: Background (or objective), Methods, Results and Conclusions. Review articles should be accompanied by an Unstructured abstract of 150 words or less. Brief Communications (Case Reports) require no Abstract.
Acknowledgements
Acknowledgements, including recognition of financial support, should be typed on a separate page at the end of the text. The SI system (système international d'unités) should be used in reporting all laboratory data, even if originally reported in another system. Temperatures are reported in degrees celsius. English language text may use either British or American spelling, but should be consistent throughout.
References
References should be numbered in the order of their citation in the text. Those cited only in tables and legends for illustrations are numbered according to the sequence established by the first identification in the text of a particular table or illustration.
Titles of journals should be abbreviated according to the style used in Index Medicus.
List all authors when there are six or fewer; for seven or more, list only the first three and add "et al".
Provide the full title, year of publication, volume number and inclusive pagination for journal articles. Unpublished articles should be cited as [in press]. Do not reference unpublished or "submitted" papers; these can be mentioned in the body of the text.
Avoid "personal communications" and, if necessary, include them in the body of the text, not among the references. Reference citations should not include unpublished presentations or other non-accessible material. Books or chapter references should also include the place of publication and the name of the publisher.
For Reference Guidelines www.nlm.nih.gov/bsd/uniform_requirements.html
Examples of correct forms of reference:
Journals
1. Rose ME, Huerbin MB, Melick J, et al. Regulation of interstitial excitatory amino acid concentrations after cortical contusion injury. Brain Res. 2002;935(1-2):40-6.
Chapter in a book
1. Meltzer PS, Kallioniemi A, Trent JM. Chromosome alterations in human solid tumors. In: Vogelstein B, Kinzler KW, editors. The genetic basis of human cancer. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2002. p. 93-113.
Tables
Type tables double-spaced on pages separate from the text. Provide a table number and title for each. Particular care should be taken in the preparation of tables to ensure that the data are presented clearly and concisely. Each column should have a short or abbreviated heading. Place explanatory matter in footnotes, not in the heading. Do not submit tables as photographs.
Review Articles
Review articles on selected topics are also published. They are usually invited, but unsolicited reviews will be considered. Review articles should be accompanied by an Unstructured abstract of 150 words or less.
Brief Communications
Updated July 29, 2010
Brief Communications (formerly Case Reports) are published on various topics and should be limited to approximately 9 double-spaced manuscript pages (3 Journal pages), including references (limit to approx. 5 references) and may include illustrations and tables. Brief Communications do not require an abstract.
Editor Correspondence
Correspondence to the Editor concerning matters arising in recent articles are welcome. Correspondence should be limited to two double-spaced pages and may include one illustration and a maximum of four references.
Critically Appraised Topics (CATs)
Current research in clinical neurosciences. Each CAT will appraise one or two recent research articles dealing with a particular topic. Meta-analyses and systematic reviews will also be considered if pertaining to evidence-based neurological/neurosurgical practice. A complete CAT is a one or 2 page summary that includes all of the following:
A brief title that summarizes the conclusion reached about the article.
Clinical Bottom Lines consisting of short statements summarizing the key "take-home" points.
The clinical problem which cues the reader to the nature of the case. The clinical problem comes from real life dilemmas that are faced by clinicians.
The clinical question includes the patient, intervention, comparator, and outcome.
The search strategy - including search terms, search engines used, and the reasons why the article chosen is the best evidence for the clinical question.
The evidence is described briefly including the type of study, patient population, and outcomes reported for the article reviewed.
The data is usually presented in tabular form and highlights the clinically significant data such as number needed to treat, specificity, hazard ratios, etc.
Comments are added regarding the quality of the study and any concerns which were identified by the critical appraisal process.
The reference, the appraiser, the date appraised, and the date expired.
Lastly, it will include a clinical comment from an "expert" on the particular topic.
Neuroimaging Highlights
Neuroimaging Highlights are selected by the Editor-in-Chief and Neuroimaging Highlight Editors on the basis of two factors. The first is high quality “state of the art” imaging of a novel and uncommon (or common with an uncommon twist) neurological or neurosurgical disorder. The second factor is the clinical novelty of the case.
Neuroimaging Highlights require a figure of several panels that clearly outlines all features of the relevant imaging. For example, for MR images this may require different cuts and sequences, etc. Combining more than one imaging modality strengthens the report. The report may also benefit from a single additional panel in a figure if it is directly relevant, e.g. a pathological image or patient image. The text should include a very brief discussion of the case history confined to the relevant history, pertinent abnormal findings, and clinical course with outcome. An additional one to two paragraphs should briefly describe the Neuroimaging panels present, and very briefly review relevant aspects of the literature. Overall, the Neuroimaging Highlights should be 500 words or less, with no more than 10 references.
Suitability for publication is judged by a Neuroimaging Highlight Editor, the Editor-in-Chief and up to one additional external referee.
Permissions and Releases
Any non-original material (quotations, tables, figures) must be accompanied by written permission from the author and the copyright owner to reproduce the material in the Journal. Photographs of recognizable persons must be accompanied by a signed release from the legal guardian or patient authorizing publication.
Conflict of Interest
Authors who have non-scientific or non-academic gain, whether it be financial or other, from publishing their article are responsible for declaring it to the Editor. Any financial interest, research grant, material support, or consulting fee associated with the contents of the manuscript must be declared to the Editor. These guidelines apply to each author and their immediate families. Conflicts of interest are not necessarily wrong, nor do they necessarily change the scientific validity of research or opinion, but the Journal and readers should be aware of the conflict. If the Editor considers the conflict to compromise the validity of the paper, it will not be accepted for publication.
Authors, editorial staff and reviewers are asked to declare any relationship that would be considered as a conflict of interest whether or not they believe that a conflict actually exists. Information that the Journal receives about conflict or potential conflict will be kept confidential unless the Editor or Associate Editor considers it to be important to readers. Such conflicts will be published in the author credits or as a footnote to the paper, with knowledge of the authors.
Getting Help
If you need additional help, you can click on the help signs spread throughout the system. A help dialog will pop up with context-sensitive help.
Manuscript Status
After you approve your manuscript, you are finished with the submission process. You can access the status of your manuscript at any time via:
Logging into the system with your password
Clicking on the link represented by your manuscript tracking number and abbreviated title
Clicking on the "Check Status" link at the bottom of the displayed page
This procedure will display detailed tracking information about where your manuscript is in the submission/peer-review process.
Starting
The manuscript submission process starts by pressing the "Submit Manuscript" link on your "Home" page or the link below. Please make sure you have gathered all the required manuscript information listed above BEFORE starting the submission process.
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