ISSN Number
Print: 1995 - 8811
Online: 2409 - 5567
Journal Guidelines
Author Guidelines
We invite authors to submit their articles for publication. The guidelines are given to endorse smooth submission, review, and publication processes. Content should be unique, and original, also the presentation must be of potential interest to the readers.
Articles that describe original research, short communication, case reports, comments, commentary, reviews, letters to the editor, opinions, and special reports may be submitted for publication. All articles must be submitted through the journal's online system after registration on the Pakistan Journal of Neurological Surgery website (www.pakjns.org).
Manuscripts must be submitted by one of the authors of the manuscript, and should not be submitted by anyone on their behalf. The principal/corresponding author must submit an undertaking along with the MSWrod copy of the manuscript on behalf of all co-authors (please refer to the undertaking form). The author(s) will confirm that the manuscript (or any part thereof) has not previously been published or is being considered for publication elsewhere. In addition, any illustration, structure, figure, or table must be included with permission from a third party.
In case of any difficulty/ problem through the online submission, the article may be submitted via email to admin@pakjns.org, chiefeditor.pjns@gmail.com
Hard-copy submissions are not accepted. Properly format your manuscript as per journal format.
Supporting documents i.e. undertaking/conflict of interest forms can be downloaded from the website.
Manuscripts Preparations |
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Define abbreviations at their first appearance. Use generic names of drugs. Number the references by their first appearance in the text and cite them by that subscripted number. The original article must be under the following heads:
Title: It must be brief and contain no abbreviations.
Structured Abstract: This section should clear concise and accurate summary of not more than 250 words, containing no abbreviations, citation and should describe the Introduction/Objective, Materials &Methods, Results, Conclusion, and six Keywords (as per Medical Subject Heading -MeSH). Choose important and relevant keywords. The abstract should briefly focus on the main objectives and results/conclusions of the research work; it should give the reader a clear idea of what has been achieved.
Introduction: This section should briefly state what was studied and why including its relationship to previous work in the field, especially the previous 10 years of international literature.
Materials and Methods: It should contain the place of the study, study design & setting, sampling technique, sample size calculations, patient population, and the methodology of the study in detail. Neurosurgical techniques, procedures/investigation should be clearly explained. Inclusion /exclusion criteria and statistical methods, data collection procedures should also be clearly explained.
Results: This section should include the results of the study with tables, and illustrations. Images should be of a minimum of 300 dpi. No comparison should be made in this section with other studies. Repetition of data must be avoided and should be well explained. Blurred or unclear photographs and figures not be accepted. Tables should be cited in parenthesis after the punctuation mark e.g. (Table1). Images and Figures may be sent in the form of JPG, or PNG. Images of MRI and CT scans that patient identity like name and date should not be mentioned.
Discussion: It includes the comparison of results with other studies, specifically in the light of relevant literature.
Highlight the unique and key features of your research and put your results in the context of the totality of the significant proof. Do not repeat in detail like data or other information given in other parts of the manuscript, such as in the Introduction or the results section.
Conclusion: It may be included to briefly summarize the net result of your study.
References: The references should be listed as they appear in the text. It should contain the name of the authors, the title of the article, its volume number, the year of publication, and the page numbers. All references should be enlisted in Vanocur style. The following web addresses can be logged on for various sources that can be used for reference/ citation purposes.
https://guides.library.uq.edu.au/referencing/vancouver/introduction
Scientific Reporting Guidelines
Authors are recommended to consult following scientific reporting guidelines while writing and compiling the research and manuscript. The guidelines developed by EQUATOR Network, are available online for each type of study design. Authors can use the following checklists for each study design:
STROBE (https://www.strobe-statement.org/) for observational studies in epidemiology (cross-sectional, cohort & case-control);
ORION (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17376385/) for infection control intervention studies; REMARK (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29873743/) for tumor marker prognostic studies; STREGA (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19278015/) for genetic association studies;
CONSORT for randomized control trials; (https://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/consort/)
TREND for non-randomized controlled trials; (https://www.cdc.gov/trendstatement/index.html)
STARD for diagnostic accuracy studies; (https://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/stard/)
GRRAS for reliability and agreement studies; (https://www.equator-network.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/GRRAS-checklist-for-reporting-of-studies-of-reliability-and-agreement.pdf)
PRISMA for systematic reviews and meta-analyses; (https://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/prisma/)
SPIRIT for study protocols; (https://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/spirit-2013-statement-defining-standard-protocol-items-for-clinical-trials/)
MOOSE for meta-analysis of observational Studies; (https://www.elsevier.com/__data/promis_misc/ISSM_MOOSE_Checklist.pdf)
SRQR for qualitative research studies; (https://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/srqr/)
COREQ for qualitative research; (https://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/coreq/)
SQUIRE for quality improvement studies and TRIPOD for multivariate prediction models. (https://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/squire/)
The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) Statement: guidelines for reporting observational studies:
https://www.strobe-statement.org/index.php?id=strobe-home
See link below for more information:
https://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/strobe/
Case Reports: Studies of more than 5 patients are considered as the original study. If the number of patients is 4 or fewer it is considered a case report.
Review Article should be on any subject reviewing the literature in its past, present, and future aspects.
Randomized controlled trials (RCTs): Authors are required that all randomized trials they will submit should be registered at the International RCT Registry. World Health Organization (WHO) has indicated recognized clinical trial registries. The International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) was established by WHO (https://www.who.int/clinical-trials-registry-platform/network).
Primary registries in the WHO registry network: Primary Registries in the WHO Registry Network meet specific criteria for content, quality and validity, accessibility, unique identification, technical capacity, and administration. Primary Registries meet the requirements of the ICMJE.
The registries that currently meet these criteria are indicated here: https://www.who.int/clinical-trials-registry-platform/network/primary-registries
The list is as follows: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR), Brazilian Clinical Trials Registry (ReBec), Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR), Clinical Research Information Service (CRiS), Republic of Korea, Clinical Trials Registry - India (CTRI), Cuban Public Registry of Clinical Trials(RPCEC), EU Clinical Trials Register (EU-CTR), German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS), Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT), ISRCTN, International Traditional Medicine Clinical Trial Registry (ITMCTR), Japan Registry of Clinical Trials (jRCT), Lebanese Clinical Trials Registry (LBCTR) , Thai Clinical Trials Registry (TCTR), Pan African Clinical Trial Registry (PACTR), Peruvian Clinical Trial Registry (REPEC), and Sri Lanka Clinical Trials Registry (SLCTR)
Editorial may be on any topic and it may or may not be related to scientific research.
Experimental Work includes the work done in the laboratory or on cadavers or animals.
Email: Please send articles online. Articles may be sent by Email to:
admin@pakjns.org
dranwarchaudary@yahoo.com
Author Undertaking Form |
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Pakistan Journal of Neurological Surgery follows the guidelines of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors
Authorship Statement & Contributionship:
All authors should declare their contribution to the research and the preparation of the publication. Authors are required to fill out the proforma to indicate the contribution made by each author. Below is the proforma:
Conflicts of Interest/Funding Source
All authors must disclose individual or financial conflicts of interest at the time of submission, which might bias or be seen to bias their work. This includes, for example, personal or institutional financial interest in drugs, materials, or devices described in the document. The source of financial support and industry affiliations of all those involved must be stated. All grants relevant to the submission must be documented. Any conflicts should be disclosed in the Author Agreement form AND in the title page file. If there is no conflict(s), it should be clearly expressed. Disclosure statements are published with each article.
Copyright Form
The copyright form is completed by the principal/corresponding author once the manuscript is sent to the Pakistan Journal of Neurological Science.
| Forms can be downloaded from the following link Authors undertaking Conflict of interest |
Ethical Approval of Research |
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If any human or animal studies were carried out during the research work a letter of ethical approval from the institutional ethical review board (IRB) should be attached.
Note: All authors will submit copy of research approval from the ethical review board/IRB.
Who is an Author|
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The ICMJE recommends that authorship be based on the following 4 criteria:
- Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND
- Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; AND
- Final approval of the version to be published; AND
- Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.
Other article contributors who do not fit into these four criteria should be acknowledged.
Acknowledgment: Acknowledged those authors & institutional administrative support who did not qualify for authorship (defined in journal policy and recommended by ICMJE). Acknowledge anyone who provided intellectual writing assistance, technical editing, language editing, data entry, and proofreading. |
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Open Access Copyrights: Authors retain the rights of free downloading/unlimited e-print of full text and sharing/disseminating the article without any restriction, by any means including Twitter, scholarly collaboration networks like Google Scholar, LinkedIn, Academia.edu, ResearchGate, Twitter, Facebook, and any other professional or academic networking site. ||
Limitation: If there are any limitations (Sample size calculation/ latest References) in the manuscript please mention them at the end of the conclusion.
Editorial Policies
About the Journal
Pakistan Journal of Neurological Surgery is a quarterly multidisciplinary, double-blind peer-reviewed, open-access, quarterly journal, published in both printed and online versions, published by Pakistan Society of Neurosurgeons and Department of Neurosurgery, Punjab Institute of Neurosciences, Lahore General Hospital, Lahore, agrees to accept manuscripts prepared in accordance with the “Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to the Biomedical Journals” as approved by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), last updated in December 2017.
It has now enhanced the rules about the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Works in Medical Journals: www.icmje.org
Aims and Scope |
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1. Encourage all neuroscientists to exchange their research, opinions, and ideas in all fields of neuro and spine surgeries, clinical neuroscience/neurology, and other similar sub-specialties.
2. PJNS provides a platform for the readers regarding the transfer of knowledge.
3. In the PJNS domain, the journal covers a range of unique research, reviews, commentary, and case reports in all areas of neuroscience.
4. The journal facilitates communication between neurosurgeons and related specialists around the world by providing an integrated and balanced vision of basic clinical research in neurosurgery.
Peer Review Policy |
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The peer-reviewed journal uses "double-blind" reviews and reviewers and authors are still unknown in the entire review procedure. Submitted manuscripts are initially screened by the section editors to check the scope, suitability, plagiarism, and formatting. Rejected manuscripts are sent back to the authors. After initial screening recommended manuscripts are then sent to reviewers who are requested to respond within three weeks. If there is no reply from the reviewer within the given time, they may be replaced with other suitable to keep the review process without any delay. Should the referees' reports contradict one another or a report is unnecessarily delayed, a further expert opinion will be sought.
Note: The authors are requested not to check plagiarism themselves from unauthorized software of plagiarism detection.
Open Access Publication and Creative Commons Licensing |
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The work published by PJNS is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0).
The work published in PJNS may be “Shared copied and redistributed in any medium or format” and “Adapt remix, transform, and build upon the material.” Authors retain the rights of free downloading/unlimited e-print of full text and sharing/disseminating the article without any restriction, by any means including Twitter, scholarly collaboration networks like Google Scholar, LinkedIn, Academia.edu, ResearchGate, Twitter, Facebook, and any other professional or academic networking site.
Plagiarism Policy |
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Pakistan Journal of Neurological Surgery is equipped with Turnitin (text-matching / anti-plagiarism software. The software checks for plagiarism and repetition in submitted manuscripts. All submitted manuscripts are firstly screened for similarity index on Turnitin software. As per HEC policy, The similarity index (SI) must not be greater than 19%. From a single source, it must be below 5%. The similarity index greater than 19% will be automatically rejected and sent back to the authors.
Manuscript extracted by an author from his/her M.Phil. Or Ph.D. thesis must have to declare the “title of the thesis”, “Supervisor name”, Department and University name, and “year of submission” on the original later paid and submitted during the submission process.
Note: Authors must not check plagiarism through unreliable or unauthentic websites or softwares.
Text Recycling |
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Publications effectively publish accepted manuscripts for text recycling prior to publication. Text recycling is not a tolerated practice. Manuscripts containing high levels of self-plagiarism will be reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief for originality. Authors found to have self-plagiarized will be asked to rewrite selected portions of their accepted manuscripts and or to quote exactly and cite the original source.
The Journal management team will investigate any allegations of publication misconduct and may contact the authors' institutions or funders if necessary. If proof of misconduct is found, appropriate action will be taken to correct or retract/withdraw the publication. The editors of PJNS consider such distributing publishing ethics issues very seriously and are trained to continue in such cases with a zero-tolerance policy.
Processing fees |
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Revenue Source:
Authors are required to pay the amount as decided by the editorial board for handling and publication of the manuscript. The title of the account for the cross cheque/pay order is “Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences”. Publication fee may also be transferred online, details are given below:
Account Type: Current Account Branch Code:1607
Account No: 4003291465
Bank Name: National Bank of Pakistan, New Muslim Town Lahore
Publication Fee Details
- Original Article: Rs. 17000/-
- Case Report: Rs. 17000/-
- Review Article: Rs. 17000/-
Wavier Policy:
Eligibility Criteria to Apply for Waiver
- Waivers will be provided to authors who are from low or middle-income countries defined by the World Bank. https://data.worldbank.org/income-level/lower-middle-income
- The waiver policy will not be applicable if the research is funded.
- Applicable for Undergraduate students.
