Author Guidelines
Preliminary and final submission:
The manuscript needs to be prepared electronically in a Word (.doc, .docx) then sent via the online submission system after registration. The submission should be in the English language. Referencing and Citation must be according to APA style. Do not type authors names and affiliations for the sake of blind peer review. The author’s names and affiliations should be submitted completely during the paper submission and they cannot be changed after paper acceptance.
After the manuscript acceptance, the production team at the IJCIBS will format the manuscript according to the journal final-stage template (camera-ready paper).
Units of Measurement
Units of measurement should be presented simply and concisely using System International (SI) units.
Length and style of Manuscript
Full length manuscript length [in MS Word Only] should not exceed more than 5000 words including cover page, abstract, text, references, tables, and figures, with a standard font (e.g. Times New Roman) of 12 points ( not smaller). The text of observational and experimental study should be divided into following sections: Title of the Paper, Name of the Author (s), Abstract, Introduction, Method, Results, Discussion and References. Manuscript should be prepared in following format:
Cover Page / Title Page (Seperate File) should consist of Title of the Article, name of the author (s) / corresponding author (s), institutional affiliation, telephone / mobile number, e mail addresses. It should also consist of source of support, if any, received in any form (grant, equipment, drugs etc.) and word count, number of tables, figures used in the article.
Abstract:
Abstract up to 250 words should be given on page 1 of the manuscript and must include: Title, Aims / Objectives: A brief about the purpose of the study. Method: description of the data (e.g. N, age, sex, SES. etc) briefly procedure, tools used, statistical procedure, etc. and Results. Abstract must communicate the glimpse of the study. Abstract Page should consist of only title of the study abstract and key words (up to 6 key words).
Key Words:
After the abstract, authors should provide key word (5-6 in numbers) which mainly deals with the study.
Actual article beginning with title, introduction and ending with references.
Introduction
Provide a context for the study. Focus on the theoretical origin of the problem and its nature and significance in present scenario. Also deals with existing knowledge of present day.
Method
Includes: Aims/Objectives, Hypothesis, source of population and selection criteria, participants, tools and techniques used. This section of each empirical report must contain the description of participants, detail description of measure used for study and statistical procedure applied. Statistical procedure should be described with enough detail by emphasizing the procedure used for processing the data including software package and its version. Statistical reporting must convey clinical significance. Author should report descriptive statistics for all continuous study variable and effect sizes for the primary study findings. Authors submitting review articles should describe the method used for locating, selecting, extracting and synthesizing data.
Results
After processing the data, obtained values to be presented in table/graphic form or in illustrations. This should include the demographic correlates and study variables.
Discussion
This section should focus on the discussion of the findings in the light of currently available literature whether supporting the results or contradictory. Findings to be concluded and limitation, implication of the findings on current clinical or academic set up and future direction should also be delineated clearly.
Conclusions:
This should clearly explain the main conclusions of the work highlighting its importance and relevance.
Conflict of Interest:
Authors are required to complete a declaration of competing interest on their cover letter or on separate page. They should also describe their role and participation in designing the study; data collection; analysis; interpretation of data; writing of report and / or in decision to submit the report for publication.
Acknowledgements:
Acknowledge to them who have been involved / contributed substantially in conception, design, data collection, and interpretation of data or any other significant contribution in study.
References:
References must be included in the manuscript and authors are responsible for the accuracy of references. Manuscripts without them will be returned. IJCIBS is following APA System of Referencing.
Preparation of Figures
Upon submission of an article, authors are supposed to include all figures in the file of the manuscript. Figures should be supplied as a bitmap format (TIF, GIF, JPEG, etc.). Bitmap images should be of 300 dpi resolution at least unless the resolution is intentionally set to a lower level for scientific reasons. If a bitmap image has labels, the image and labels should be embedded in separate layers.
Preparation of Tables
Tables should be cited consecutively in the text. Every table must have a descriptive title and if numerical measurements are given, the units should be included in the column heading. Vertical rules should not be used. Table should be clearly prepared and double space typed with proper margin, presented on separate sheet. All table should be numbered and the same must appear in text (e. g. table number …. to be inserted here). Avoid long and multiple box / table.
Equations:
Equations should be numbered consecutively. An Equation should be cited in the text by the word Equation and its number only [e.g., “see Equation (1)”]. If referring to two or more equations in the same sentence, each should be names separately. For example, use “see Equation (1), Equation (2), and Equation 93),” instead of “see Equation (1) through (3).”
English Grammar:
To save the time of our reviewers, authors are encouraged to use grammar check software or find the help of a native speaker to proofread the manuscript before submission.
Original Contribution
The originality of the scientific contribution should be clearly stated in the manuscript.
Plagiarism:
We use plagiarism detection. According to Oxford on-line dictionary, Plagiarism means: The practice of taking someone else’s work or ideas and passing them off as one’s own. The Editorial Board of IJCIBS will check any case of plagiarism on its own merits. If the plagiarism is detected, either by the editor or peer reviewer at any stage before publication of the manuscript – before or after acceptance, during editing or at page proof stage, we will alert the author(s), asking him/her to either rewrite the text or quote the text exactly and to cite the original text. If at least 10% of the original submission is plagiarized, IJCIBS has the right to reject the manuscript.
Effective Writing:
Effective writing is readable — that is, clear, accurate, and concise. When you are writing a paper, try to get your ideas across in such a way that the audience will understand them effortlessly, unambiguously, and rapidly. To this end, strive to write in a straightforward way. There is no need to write about science in unusual, complicated, or overly formal ways in an effort to “sound scientific” or to impress your audience. If you can tell a friend about your work, you are off to a good start. (see more on this topic at nature.com).
Original research article: Articles section is for original research articles present a scientific advance. These manuscripts should present well-rounded studies reporting innovative advances that further knowledge about a topic of importance to the fields of Scientific Psychology. These should only include original findings from high-quality planned research studies such as experimental designs, outcome studies, meta-analysis, cohort studies, case–control series and surveys with high response rates, randomized controlled trials, epidemiological assessment, intervention studies, studies of screening and diagnostic tests, cost-effectiveness analyses and decision analyses. The word limit is 4000 excluding abstract, tables, figures, acknowledgments and references. The abstract should be structured and cover 5 headings: Background, aim, methods, results and conclusion. The word limit for abstracts is 250.The number of tables and images (combined) should not exceed 5. The number of references should not exceed 40. The article should include an introduction, methods, results, discussion, acknowledgement if any, and references. The discussion section should include a paragraph mentioning the limitations of the study. All original research papers should follow EQUATOR reporting Guidelines. Clinical trials should conform to CONSORT Checklist available from http://www.consort-statement.org. Meta-analyses of clinical trials should include the PRISMA flow diagram and checklist whereas meta-analyses of observational studies should incorporate the MOOSE checklist. Registration of clinical trials at an online public trial registry is mandatory, if the trial has been conducted after 2014. Permission from ethics committee/ Institutional Review Board (IRB), is mandatory and it must be mentioned in the “methods” section of all manuscripts. The authors must mention statement of sources of support and conflict of interest.
Brief Research Communication: These manuscripts, with not more than 2 tables/figures, should contain short reports of original studies or evaluations, preliminary investigative findings and early information of therapeutic trials, or unique first-time reports. The word limit is 1500 words (excluding abstract, tables, figures, acknowledgments and references) and up to 20 references, and an abstract (structured format incorporating background, aim, methods, results and conclusion) of not more than 150 words. Permission from ethics committee/ Institutional Review Board (IRB), is mandatory and it must be mentioned in the “methods” section. The authors must mention statement of sources of support and conflict of interest.
Case Reports: Case reports are only considered as letters to the editor.
Case Series: This should include 3 or more cases which are novel or interesting in terms of presentation or management. The word limit is 1500 words (excluding abstract and references, but including tables, if any) and upto 10 references. There should be a structured abstract of not more than 100 words. The case series should have a brief introduction, description of individual cases followed by discussion and clinical implications
Review Articles (invited): Review articles are meant to critically assess and evaluate existing literature on a topic of general interest in the field of mental health and allied sciences. Review articles are usually invited by the Editorial Office although unsolicited reviews may also be considered in exceptional cases depending upon the quality of the review and its scientific relevance. Review articles can be either systematic reviews or narrative reviews. Systematic Reviews require a complete systematic search of literature with the help of several databases across many years. The quality of the cited evidence is to be graded subsequently. Systemic reviews should follow EQUATOR Reporting Guidelines which include a PRISMA style flow diagram and a PRISMA Checklist. Narrative Reviews are usually written by recognized experts on a particular field. These do not require a systematic review of literature but the recommendations and conclusions should be based on evidence including recent systematic reviews and guidelines. Review articles should include a structured abstract of not more than 300 words describing the purpose of the review, collection and analysis of data, main conclusions and relevance. The review article should include an introduction, methods, discussion/observation, conclusion and references. The word limit is 5000 words excluding tables, references and abstract. Tables/figures (combined) should not be more than 5. Number of references should not exceed 70.
Letters to the Editor: Brief letters in this section should be accompanied by a cover letter stating that the correspondence is “for publication”. Case reports may be considered for publication under this section. The word limit is 500 words (excluding references) and up to 5 references. Number of authors should not exceed 3. Letters discussing a recent article published in this journal may be considered provided it is received within 8 weeks of publication of the article. The word limit is 500 words (excluding references) and up to 5 references and number of authors should not exceed 3. One of the references in such cases should be that of the parent article which is being discussed. Such letters should provide objective, evidence-based feedbacks sighting proper references and avoid pejorative and judgmental language. Such letters, when considered for publication, will be sent to the authors of the original article so that they have an opportunity to reply. The authors of the original article must send their reply within 8 weeks of receiving the letter. Or else, their rebuttal will not be considered for publication. Letters written in reply should also be limited to 500 words and 5 references. Uncontrolled and preliminary observations may also be considered as letters to the editor. In such cases, the word limit is 700 words and 7 references.
Viewpoint: Contributions in this column should be clear, focused and well written and must deal with current issues or controversies that affect the mental health profession. The author(s) should have considerable experience and expertise on the topic. They are allowed to express their views and opinions on the topic which should be backed by evidence as far as possible. The article should not have more than 1500 words (excluding references), 15 references and 3 authors.
