Instruction to Authors

Ceylon Medical Journal 1996: 41; 2; p 83 - 86

SUBMITTING MANUSCRIPTS

Cover letter

Manuscripts should be submitted with a letter stating (I) that the contents have not been published elsewhere; (2) that the paper is not being submitted elsewhere (or provide information on possible prior publication); and (3) that the authors agree to transfer copyright to the CMJ if the article is selected for publication. The letter should acknowledge any potential conflict of interest (see Ethical Responsibilities below) and call the Editors' attention to any possible overlap with prior publications. The name, full mailing address, and telephone number of the author responsible for correspondence about the paper should also be included.

Number of copies

Submit an original copy and three copies (photocopies are acceptable) of all parts of the manuscript, three original glossy prints of all figures and two copies of the cover letter.

The manuscript should be mailed, with adequate protection for figures, to the Editors, Ceylon Medical Journal, 6 Wijerama Mawatha, Colombo 7, SRI LANKA.

ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Criteria for authorship

Only persons who contributed to the intellectual content of the paper should be listed as authors. Authors should meet all of the following criteria and be able to take public responsibility for the content of the paper:

1. Conceived and planned the work that led to the paper, or interpreted the evidence it presents, or both.
2. Wrote the paper or reviewed successive versions and took part in revising them.
3. Approved the final version.

Collecting and assembling data reported in a paper and performing routine investigations are not, by themselves, criteria for authorship.

Conflict of interest

Financial support for the work, including equipment and drugs, should be listed on the title page. Authors should describe in the cover letter any financial interests, direct or indirect, that might affect the conduct or reporting of the work they have submitted. If the authors are uncertain as to what might be considered a potential conflict of interest, they should err on the side of full disclosure. Information about potential conflict of interest may be made available to referees and may be published with the manuscript, at the discretion of the Editors.

Previous publication

In the cover letter give full details of any possible previous publication of any content of the paper. Examples of such content include:

1. Reworked data already reported.
2. Patients in a study already described in a published report.
3. Content already published or to be published in another format such as the proceedings of a meeting, a chapter in a book, or a letter to the editor.

Previous publication of some content of a paper does not necessarily preclude its being published in the CMJ, but the Editors need information about previous publication when deciding how to make efficient use of space in the journal, and regard failure of a full disclosure by authors of possible prior publication as a breach of scientific ethics.

Informed consent

The authors must ensure that informed consent forms have been obtained. Authors should state in the Methods section, when appropriate, the ethical guidelines followed. If patients are recognisable in illustrations, signed consent by the patients (or guardians) must be submitted with the paper: