Submissions

Author Guidelines

Authors willing to submit their manuscript to NJIM have to be abiding by the Guidelines provided.  The guidelines enlisted  1. Manuscripts  Guideline, 2. Submission Guideline, and 3. Author Guideline. [Download PDF]
Note: Follow NJIM Templates only to make submissions to the NJIM Platform.         

                                            1. NJIM MANUSCRIPT GUIDELINE: 

Introduction: 
A manuscript is to be duly prepared following the Requirement for Manuscripts. NJIM follows “Uniform Requirements for manuscripts submitted to biomedical Journals” for accepting articles for publish. 

GENERAL INSTRUCTION: 

1. NJIM AUTHOR CHECKLIST is to be followed. Checklist enlists the compulsion submission of 1. Forwarding letter | 2. Authorship | 3. Declaration | 4.a Title Page | 4.b Full Text of Manuscript – this document (as per your Category of the Research mentioned by NJIM) | 5. Ethical Approval letter/ Consent Letter. Upload documents individually in the indexed Upload Portion in NJIM Journal Platform. 
2.  Use the NJIM Journal Platform for the Submission, Processing, Replying to the comments from the Journal. 
3. Draft the Abstract and Full Article as per the Comments mentioned for the Authors in Template. 
4. The submission file is to be in  Microsoft Word (.docx) *MS word 2007 version or above, Google doc or RTF document file format. The text is multiple 1.15 spaced; uses a 12-point, TIMES NEW ROMAN font; employs italics, rather than underlining (except with URL addresses); and all illustrations, figures, and tables are placed at the end of the document. 
5. Use PUBMED MESH Words for the Keywords.  Ayurveda and Alternative Medicines words, follow  NAMASTE | Standard Terminology. 
6. Abbreviations spelled out in full for the first time. No abbreviation in the abstract.
7. Look over the word limit for your article and section within the article.
8. Translate Ayurveda/ Alternative Medicine words to superficial English parallels (follow NATIONAL AYUSH MORBIDITY AND STANDARDIZED TERMINOLOGIES- NAMASTE Portal). In case of unavailability of Standard Ayurveda Terminologies, provide translated terminology along with symbol index (~). The translation terminology to be duly mentioned once at the first word of the article, and not compulsive to translate in running text. Make Italic to Ayurveda and Alternative Medicine words only, not translated words. 
9. Tables and figures are placed at the end of the text. And their number is indexed in the text. 
10. Follow the Standard Reporting Guidelines as per the categorization of the article. 
11. Use author number style (Vancouver) which is based on an ANSI standard adopted by the National Library of Medicine(NLM). Provide DOI number wherever possible. 
12. Follow NJIM Reference Style for Ayurveda and Alternative Medicine Classics. Provide "esamhita links" in the URL.
13. References should be numbered consecutively in the order in which they are first mentioned in the text. Identify references in the text, tables, and legends by Arabic numerals in superscript only. 

CHECKLIST FOR SUBMISSION 
The authors are requested to strictly follow the checklist below for submission of a manuscript to NJIM  for publication. The following documents are to be submitted for publication.  (Please find the templates provided. Some basic instructions are mentioned in the Comments. Remove all the comments after completing the manuscript). 

1. Forwarding letter [Download]| 2. Authorship [Download] | 3. Declaration [Download] | 4.a Title Page [Download] | 4.b Full Text of Manuscript –(as per your Category of the Research mentioned by NJIM, Templates are provided) | 5. Ethical Approval letter/ Consent Letter [Download].

1. Forwarding Letter

• It should clearly indicate the publication type (Original/ Review/Case report/letter etc.) 
• Should also mention the expected benefit of medical science from  publishing of this article

2. Authorship: 

• All authors must sign after seeing the manuscript with the statement that they are the only authors. 
• The corresponding author should mention the contribution of each author to the work. The email address of each author should be mentioned. Journal will acknowledge receipt of a submission by emailing all authors. 

3. Declaration: 
It should contain a declaration that this manuscript has not been submitted elsewhere or not under consideration in any journal. 

4.a. Title Page:
It should contain the description of your Manuscripts, Author needs to prepare as per the Template provided. 

4.b Manuscript:
It contains the Abstract and Full Text of the Manuscript. An author needs to prepare as per the selection of the category of their article. The template comment has to be addressed along with the manuscript content of the article. 

TEMPLATES
Every checklist is to be framed as per the Templates provided by NJIM. Failure or non-submission of those items leads to the rejection of the article. 

The majority of the submitted manuscript lacks proper formatting, on the top of that heading and subheading, is not correctly written. Therefore, we encourage you to use the appropriate template for your manuscript. Some of the major instructions, where authors get confused/miss the format are commented at templates. Authors are instructed to choose their article-type template; - prepare their manuscripts on template format specific to article type along with following guidelines for manuscript (this document) side-wise- side. 

1. Original Article Template [Download
2. Review Article Template [Download]
3. Case Report Template [Download]
4. Integrative Medicine Template [Download]
5. Traditional Knowledge Template (Original article format is mentioned, in case of Traditional Knowledge review or case report, the author can send as according to their prioritize Template format, for Traditional Knowledge Category.) [Download]
6. Miscellaneous Template [Download]
7. Letter to the Editor Template [Download]

• Please note: Delete the Guiding Comments given in templates before submission: Review ⇨ "Delete All comments in Documents".

NJIM ARTICLE CATEGORIZATION (TYPES OF MANUSCRIPTS): 

1. ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Conceptual study/Fundamental research/ Randomized controlled trails/ Intervention study/ Studies of screening and diagnostic test/ Outcomes studies/ Case-control series and survey. These should be divided into sections with headings Abstract, Key Words, Introduction, Methods, Observations and Results, Discussion, Conclusion, Acknowledgement, References, Tables, and Figure legends.  Up to 3000 words excluding references (up to 30). 
2. REVIEW STUDY: Systematic critical assessment of literature and data sources/ Literary review) Up to 3000 words excluding references (>30 and <100).
3. CLINICAL CASE REPORT: Clinical Case study/ Case series. New/ interesting/ very rare/ clinically successful evidence-based implications can be reported. Upto 1000 words excluding the references (upto 10), upto  5 (five) photographs. 
4. INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE: The study related to the integrative approach made along with Ayurveda and alternative medicine. Original/ review/ clinical case of integrative practices/ Integrated modality approaches is considered special. Any framework/ discussion/concept of ongoing innovation and creativity that benefit global health as well as society are included in this section. Up to 3000 words excluding references (up to 30). 
5. TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE: The study related to traditional knowledge, traditional cultural expressions. Original/ review/ clinical case of indigenous system/ traditional medicine is considered. Any framework/ discussion/concept of ongoing innovation and creativity that benefit indigenous and local communities as well as society are included in this section. Up to 3000 words excluding references (up to 30). 
6. MISCELLANEOUS (Meta-analysis /Systematic study/ Viewpoint): Viewpoint refers to base on issues related to health sciences to raise new ideas, thought to provoke concepts, and personal expert opinion to improve the health/ education/ research in Ayurveda.  Up to 2000 words excluding references (more than 5, less than 30). 
7. LETTER TO THE EDITOR 
   The section includes a reaction and issue relating to NJIM, be it a comment relating a recent article, an elaboration of an important discovery, or simply a thought-provoking commentary of fewer than 1000 words without an abstract.

Research & Reporting Guidelines
The NJIM article categorization and its description are mentioned in NJIM AUTHOR GUIDELINE.
Manuscripts submitted to NJIM journals prioritizes to conform to the following guidelines as appropriate:

• CONSORT guidelines for Randomized Controlled Trials http://www.consort-statement.org/
• STROBE (& MOOSE) guidelines for observational studies http://www.strobe-statement.org/
• PRISMA (& MOOSE) guidelines for systematic reviews and meta-analyses http://www.prisma-statement.org/
• STARD guidelines for studies of diagnostic accuracy http://www.stard-statement.org/
• MIAME checklist for genomic and proteomic studies http://fged.org/projects/miame/
• NIH principles and guidelines for reporting preclinical research http://www.nih.gov/about/reporting-preclinical-research.htm

Authors are encouraged to review the standards available for many research applications from http://www.equator-network.org/ and use those that are relevant for the reported research applications.

Clinical Trial registration: 
NJIM recommends clinical trial articles registered in the Nepal Clinical Trail Registry, or respective National Clinical Trials Registry like  CTRI (The Clinical Trials  Registry- India (CTRI).

NJIM MANUSCRIPT STYLE:
Every Author has to be framed their manuscript as per the NJIM Templates. Failure to frame in NJIM Templates leads to the decline of the submitted articles in the Submission Stage.

Organization: Typing 

• Multiple 1.15 spaced throughout with Justified and 2.5 cm margins 
• Title- font size 16, Headings - font size 14, subheading- font size 12 (all in BOLD). 
• Text -Font type is Times New Roman with a size 12. 
• The manuscript should have a uniform style, correct journal format, carefully proofread for grammar, spelling, and punctuation. 
• Ayurveda and Traditional Knowledge or Traditional Cultural Expressions related terms to be indexed in Italic font. 

Manuscript format
In general, the original article should be divided into the following sections: Title page, Abstract, Text, Acknowledgment, References, Tables with titles and footnotes, alternatively graph with title and Illustrations with legends. Each of the sections is to start on a separate page. Pages should be numbered consecutively beginning from the abstract.  

Manuscript Translating Words for Ayurveda and Alternative Medicine: 
Authors are suggested to translate Ayurveda words to superficial English parallels (follow NATIONAL AYUSH MORBIDITY AND STANDARDIZED TERMINOLOGIES- NAMASTE Portal). In case of unavailability of Standard Ayurveda Terminologies, provide translated terminology along with symbol index (~). The translation terminology to be duly mentioned once at the first word of the article, and not compulsive to translate in running text. 
Example: Following are some terminology available at NAMASTE: Padhartha (knowable objects), Satwo (purity or goodness), Tama (delusion, ignorance), Dosha (regulatory functional factors of the body), Vaidya (physician), Basti (urinary bladder) as it has been provided standard terminology in the database (http://namstp.ayush.gov.in/#/sat).
Example: In case of non-availability of the Standard Ayurveda Terminology on the database or according to the context of the article, mention as following: Luta Visha (~spider poison), Kamala (~ jaundice), Basti (~medicated enema). 

Abstract:

• Title of the article
• Structured with headings (Introduction, Methods, Results & Conclusions).
• The author's name should not be given. 
• Preferably within about 350 words. 
• Avoid abbreviations in the title and abstract except standard abbreviations. 
• A non-structured abstract is suggested for review articles and case reports. 

Keywords:
3-5 words arranged alphabetically, separated by a semicolon and ending with a full stop. 4.    Use PUBMED MESH Words for the Keywords.  Ayurveda and Alternative Medicines words, follow  NAMASTE | Standard Terminology.

Text:

• Text should be arranged into the following sections: Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusions, Acknowledgement, & References (all in Uppercase and Bold). 

Introduction:

• Statement of the problem with a short discussion of its importance and significance
• Review of the literature related to the problem with pertinent reference. 
• Objectives/ hypothesis/ benefits expected stated in 1-2 paragraph. 

Methods:

• Study type, place and time.
• Description of study variables.
• Description of study subjects and grouping.
• Selection criteria.
• Approval of the study involving human subjects by an ethical review committee and description of the ethical aspects in such study.
• Description of procedure, methods, apparatus, drugs or chemicals as applicable.
• Description of statistical procedure with enough detail to enable a knowledgeable reader with access to the original data to verify the reported results.

Results:

• Present result in logical sequence in text, table and illustration with the most important finding first.
• Describe without comment.
• Restrict number of tables and figures needed to support assessment of paper (max 5-7).
• Do not duplicate data in tables and figures.

Table:

• Simple self-explanatory with brief title, not duplicate in text.
• Each table should be numbered in Romans and printed on a separate page.
• Do not use internal horizontal and vertical rules. Uses of many tables are not encouraged.
• Identify statistical measures of variations, such as standard deviation and standard error of the mean.
• Be sure that each table is cited in the text.

Illustration:

• All illustrations must be numbered consecutively in Arabic numerals as they appear in the text. 
• Submit a print photograph/ copy of each illustration along with its electronic file.
• Figure number, the title of the manuscript, the name of the corresponding author and arrow indicating top should be written on a sticky label affixed on the back of each. 
• Scanned picture, graph,  chart with title and figures number should be printed on a separate page and original data presentation file should be inserted in the CD along with the text. Authors must submit 1 hard copy of all documents and one copy in electronic form preferably written on a CD with adequate labeling corresponding address of the Journal after the Journal’s approval for publication. Journals may enquire about all the documents in electronic form at any moment after submission. Authors are requested to submit their related images/ documents related to materials and methods, analysis, results, and more. This will help Journal Editorial Team to be convinced of the originality of the article.  

Legend:

• Must be typed on a separate sheet of paper.
• Photomicrograph should indicate the magnification, internal scale and the method of staining.

Acknowledgment:
Individuals, institutions, sponsors, organizations, or bodies can be acknowledged in the article for their contribution or financial or any form of assistance to the work. 

References: 
Use author number style (Vancouver) which is based on an ANSI standard adopted by the National Library of Medicine(NLM). Provide DOI number wherever possible.  The standard format of NJIM for referencing is to be properly followed which is mentioned below for Ayurveda and Alternative Medicine referencing Style. The author needs to compulsory mention the DOI number wherever available. 

Abbreviations and Symbols:
Use only standard abbreviations; the use of non-standard abbreviations can be extremely confusing to readers. Avoid abbreviations in the title. The full term for which an abbreviation stands should precede its first use in the text unless it is a standard unit of measurement. Do not use abbreviations like @, & in the text.

Units of Measurement

• Ayurveda measurements of length, height, weight, and volume should also be reported in metric units (meter, kilogram, or liter) or their decimal multiples.
• Temperatures should be in degrees Celsius. 
• Blood pressures should be in millimeters of mercury.
• The author should report laboratory information in both the local and International System of Units (SI). Drug concentrations may be reported in either SI or mass units, but the alternative should be provided in parentheses where appropriate.

References Style and Format: 
For reference, use author number style (Vancouver) which is based on an ANSI standard adopted by the National Library of Medicine(NLM). Editors follow Citing Medicine Citing. For any confusion, please follow the “Citing Medicine: The NLM Style Guide for Authors, Editors, and Publishers [Internet]. 2nd edition”.

• References should be numbered consecutively in the order in which they are first mentioned in the text
• Identify references in the text, tables, and legends by Arabic numerals in superscript.
• All citations to electronic references should be presented in numbered references following the text
• The titles of the journals should be abbreviated according to the style used in Index Medicus. 
• Write names of 6 authors followed by et al. if the author’s number is more than six.
• The reference list is not usually checked by the reviewer. It is the total responsibility of author to provide accurate information. The references comment may be obtained from editorial team. 

Basic Rules from NJIM: 

• Capitalize name and surnames and enter spaces within according to appear in the document cited on the assumption that the author approved the form used, like Gunjan Garg.  
• Begin location with "p." followed by a space.  Enter the page number or numbers for the part, such as p. 438 and p. 663-4. Enter the total page number for entire books citation or standard pagination with page number followed by "p", such as 660p. (Careful its small p, not capital P). 
• Enter "Vol." and a space. Follow the abbreviation for volume with the number of the volume. Use arabic numbers only. For example: convert VI or Six to 6, like Vol. 6. 
• Mention available “Pubmed Number”,“Accessed Link of Reference”, “DOI Number, and for references, especially Journal articles references. (Although, DOI Numbering is not mentioned in our Guiding citations examples).

Example: Doni PK, Janaki CS, Vijayaraghavan V, Delhiraj U. A study on   measurement   and   correlation   of   cephalic   and   facial   indices  in  males  of  south  Indian  population.  Int  J  Med  Res  Health Sci. 2013;2(3):439-46. [Pubmed ID | Link of Reference | DOI]. 

Referencing Ayurvedic and Alternative Medicine Classics:
(This structure has been formulated by NJIM Team Members, it may not be similar to other Journals Referencing outline). 
Basic Rules: 

•  Author (mentioned what is indexed in the book only, do not alter for the surname and first name) has to be mentioned if only provided  in the book. 
• If no direct name authors are provided, then start the reference with editors or even translators in absence of editors. Editors/ Translators differentiation is to be made properly based on the information provided in the particular book only.  
• Mention the Textbook name (including subheading of Textbook)  in Title of the Book, like Ashtanga Samgraha of Vagbhata : Commentary Shashilekha of Indu.
• Provide position of the verse/ text after completion of the date of publication only in Italic, separated by comma (,),  followed by full stop (.)  at the end, like  Sutrasthan, Chapter 6, Verse 10-6.
• References from a classical text, like Samhita,  are more than three, then please cite once the reference of the text and add numbers of verses in running text. Like: .1[Chikitsa Sthana, chapter 15, verse 21] following completing the reference sentences explaining in a paragraph. These references will be also counted as individual references in review study.
• Compulsion to mention the link from the online URL . Provide "esamhita links" in the URL for classics.

Text from a classic:
Sharma S, editor. Ashtanga Samgraha of Vagbhata. 1st ed. Vol. 2. Varanasi: Chowkhambha Sanskrit Series, 2006. Sutrasthan, Chapter 6, Verse 10-6. p. 37-38. Available from:

Verse /Text in a commentary on classic: 
Sharma S, editor. Ashtanga Samgraha of Vagbhata : Commentary Shashilekha of Indu. 2nd ed.vol. 3. Varanasi: Chowkhambha Sanskrit Series, 2006.  Sootra Sthana (Dravadravya Vidnyaniya),  Chapter 6, Verse 10-16. p. 37-38. Available from:

Yadav Trikamji Acharya, editor. Sushrutha Samhita. Varanasi: Chaukhambha Sanskrit Sansthan; 2007. Sharirasthana, chapter 4, verse 65-76. p. 361. Available from: 

Note: Please note again that if the references from a classical text/ Traditional Knowledge Book  (e.g. Samhita) are more than three, then please cite once the reference of the text and add numbers of verses in running text.

                                                     2. NJIM SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Submission Instruction : 
The Author has to compulsory submit their article online through the website: NJIM Website First-time users will have to register (not login)  at this site. Registration is free but mandatory. Registered authors can keep track of their articles after logging into the site using their user name and password. Authors do not have to pay for submission, processing or publication of articles. If you experience any problems, please contact the editorial office by e-mail at info@NJIM.org. 

Authors are requested register for an ORCID iD if possible and associate it to your manuscript while making a submission. This will ensure that your published article is listed on your ORCID record.

Check as per the Checklist, before you move forward!!!

Tracking the submission: 
Registered authors can keep track of their articles (like submission accepted, reviewing, on publication)  after logging into the site using their username and password. The notification on email is alert for any queries or information from editorial team. 

Resubmission  Instruction : 
The author is informed about the rejection/acceptance of the manuscript with the peer reviewer’s comments And even from the editorial team  (maybe multiple times) for the correction. Accepted articles have to be resubmitted after making the necessary changes or clarifying questions made during the peer-review process or corrections mentioned to be made in case of editorial corrections.

The accepted articles are edited for grammatical, punctuation, print style and format errors and page proofs and are sent to the corresponding author who should return them within a week (Conditions applied). Non-response to galley proof or editorial may result in the delay of publication or even rejection of the article.

                                                       3. NJIM AUTHOR GUIDELINES

Author Article:
Focus and Scope: NJIM invites original research papers, review articles, case reports, Integrative medicine, traditional knowledge, medical education, viewpoints letter to the authors containing new insight into any aspect of Health Sciences. The journal is particularly interested and welcomes literary, fundamental, clinical, drug, interdisciplinary research papers on Integrative medicines.

Editorial Article
It is written by NJIM editors or invited (Guest Editorial) on the most pertinent issues/context of Integrative Medicine.  It undergoes a fast-track peer review process. 

AUTHORS SHOULD FOLLOW
These paragraphs are mentioned for Basic terminology instructions and guide during submission. 

• Authorship: 
• Conflicting Interest:  
• Blinded Article file:
• Data and Reproducibility:   

Authorship: 
The NJIM follows ICMJE recommendation for  authorship -  4 authorship 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.

NJIM doesn't follow the order of naming the contributors based on the relative contribution of the contributor towards the study and writing the manuscript. All the contributors hold equal credits.  Once submitted the order cannot be changed without the written consent of all the contributors. The journal prescribes a maximum number of authors for manuscripts depending upon the type of manuscript, its scope, and the number of institutions involved (vide infra). The authors should provide a justification if the number of authors exceeds these limits.

Corresponding author for NJIM: The corresponding author is the one individual who takes primary responsibility for communication with the journal during the manuscript submission, peer review, and publication process, and typically ensures that all the journal’s administrative requirements, such as providing details of authorship, ethics committee approval, clinical trial registration documentation, and gathering conflict of interest forms and statements, are properly completed, although these duties may be delegated to one or more co-authors. The corresponding author should be available throughout the submission and peer review process to respond to editorial queries in a timely way and should be available after publication to respond to critiques of the work and cooperate with any requests from the journal for data or additional information should questions about the paper arise after publication in NJIM. 

Please visit: COPE Discussion document on what constitutes authorship?

Authors Conflicts of Interest/ Competing Interests
All authors must disclose and all conflicts of interest during submission. Articles should be published with statements or supporting documents, such as the NJIM Declaration letter (includes conflict of interest statements), declaring:

• Authors’ conflicts of interest; and
• Sources of support for the work, including sponsor names along with explanations of the role of those sources if any in study design; collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; writing of the report; the decision to submit the report for publication; or a statement declaring that the supporting source had no such involvement; and
• Whether the authors had access to the study data, with an explanation of the nature and extent of access, including whether access is ongoing.

Blinded Article file: 
To ensure the integrity of the blind peer-review for submission to this press, every effort should be made to prevent the identities of the authors and reviewers from being known to each other. This involves the authors, editors, and reviewers (who upload documents as part of their review) checking to see if the following steps have been taken with regard to the text and the file properties:

The manuscript (abstract page and text)  must not contain any mention of the authors' names or initials or the institution at which the study was done or acknowledgments. Article Title Page includes Manuscript Page headers/running title where the author can include the title, Author’s info, and Correspondence includes Author detail. Manuscripts not in compliance with Journal's blinding policy will be returned to the corresponding author.

• During Manuscript Submission, Title Page and Manuscript have to be separately uploaded. Templates from NJIM are prepared as according. Only Authors have to follow the NJIM Templates. 
• The authors of the document have to delete their names from the text, with "Author" and year used in the references and footnotes, instead of the authors' name, article title, etc.
• With Microsoft Office documents, author identification should also be removed from the properties for the file (see under File in Word), by clicking on the following, beginning with File on the main menu of the Microsoft application: File > Save As > Tools (or Options with a Mac) > Security > Remove personal information from file properties on save > Save.
• With PDFs, the authors' names should also be removed from Document Properties found under File on Adobe Acrobat's main menu.

Data and Reproducibility: 
NJIM requires, as a condition for publication, that the data supporting the results in the paper will be peer-reviewed and archived in an appropriate public repository. Authors are required to provide a data availability statement, including a link to the repository they have used, and to cite the data they have shared. Whenever possible the scripts and other artifacts used to generate the analyses presented in the paper will be publicly archived. Exceptions may be granted at the discretion of the editor. If sharing data compromise ethical standards or legal requirements then authors are not required to share it.”

And: “Peer review of empirical data will be conducted to confirm the quality of the shared data, for example, the variables described in the article are present as fields in the data repository, that data is complete; that data is properly labeled and described; and that it has the appropriate metadata for the kind of data being shared.”

The NJIM Editorial Process (Brief Information to Author) 
The submitted manuscripts are duly acknowledged and initially reviewed for possible publication by the Editors with the understanding that they are being submitted only to the NJIM, have not been published, simultaneously submitted, or accepted for publication elsewhere.

Editorial Process Follows a. Submission Stage | b. Review Stage || c. Copyediting Stage || d. Production Stage  

1. SUBMISSION STAGE

Condition: Rejection

Most of the submitted manuscript is rejected by the preliminary in-house review process, mostly due to lack of format/ templates [to avoid preliminary rejection, please go through submission guidelines in detail, follow them strictly and prepare your manuscript accordingly to NJIM].

On average, commonly the manuscripts with insufficient originality or insignificant message, serious scientific and technical flaws are rejected after peer review. However, we do encourage the author to resubmit after the revision if the research was conducted scientifically. The preliminary rejection of the manuscript is related to; manuscript being out of scope, the manuscript not formatted correctly, not following checklist and guidelines accurately, submission below publishable standards, incomplete submission (e.g. lack of ethical approval letter in condition mandatory for research article). The rejection could also be due to lack of originality, flaws in the methods section, generalizing and exaggerating the finding not supported by internal and external validity, peer reviewers' comments not adequately answered or unanswered, plagiarism, publication misconduct, and more. While declining the submission, we do not make comment on each aspect of the manuscript but give the reason for inadequate NJIM  formatting, which means one or all of the above reasons.

If you follow the NJIM  guideline in detail, you will find out the reason for the rejection. If you fail to pinpoint, we request you to consult a modern epidemiologist, methodologist, or medical statistician. Therefore, we request you to go through the author guideline in detail to avoid rejection of your submission.

We truly value your hard work and wish to publish most of the submissions to the NJIM. We have to maintain the highest standard of scientific values in our work to maintain quality. Therefore, we urge you to help us to improve scientific work together. We hope that the rejection of your current submission will not deter you to continue submitting your work to the NJIM.

2. REVIEW STAGE:
The Peer Review Process (Brief Information to Author) 
The manuscripts after review from the Editorial Team are sent to two expert peer reviewers blinded to the contributor’s identity and vice versa for meticulous review, inputs, and comments. The final decision on whether to accept or reject the article is taken by the Editor-in-Chief based on the editorial board and peer reviewers. The contributors are informed about the rejection/acceptance of the manuscript with the peer reviewer’s comments. Accepted articles have to be resubmitted after making the necessary changes or clarifying questions made during the peer-review process.

3. COPYEDITING, PRODUCTION STAGES, AND DECISION TIME

The accepted articles from the Review stages are edited for grammatical, punctuation, print style and format errors, and page proofs and are sent to the corresponding author who should return them within a week (condition applied). Non-response to galley proof on this stage may result in the delay of publication or even rejection of the article.

Decision Time:

Time to first decision overall (average) within3 -5 days for initial decision (without review); 30-45 days (with the review). Those articles which have been submitted six months to a year ago undergo auto-pruning (automatic declining). It happens due to one of the following reasons i) to iii) or due to loss of contact with the authors.

If you find encounter delay and find no update on your NJIM submission account, which could be due to;

1. i) submission was incomplete or 
2. ii) submission was without following NJIM format and supplementary documents or 

iii) there is an issue with your submission (e.g. ethical issues or research misconduct or related)

Any issues or any other reasons, if you do not receive any information or update about your submission within 2-4 weeks, please contact NJIM as soon as possible. We will make sure that your voice is heard and addressed appropriately.

N.B. Please do not contact on personal email, social media, or phone number to Editor-in-Chief, Editorial team (except the mail and number provided on the website) related to your submission. All communication must be made via NJIM official email address only. NJIM best editorial practice ensures that it publishes the highest standard articles.

AUTHORS ARE ENCOURAGED 
We encourage authors, to follow standard procedures - make a submission for manuscript authentication. 

• Standard reporting guidelines (standard reporting guidelines listed in Equator Network, Care guidelines for AYUSH related clinical cases) 
• Protocol submission: Center for Open Science.
• Clinical trial registry (For clinical study). 

Plagiarism Policy

Plagiarism detecting software (currently Grammarly software) is employed to check the originality of an article submitted to NJIM. The manuscript that is submitted is understood to be unpublished work and is not considered for publication elsewhere. Duplicate publication of the submitted manuscript in whole or in parts will be considered as a breach of plagiarism policy and is not welcome by the journal. NJIM follows instructions to prevent or handle plagiarism and benefit from higher levels of academic honesty. Best practices and advice for building academic integrity policies as per plagiarism.org are considered at the level of best. 

Complaint Statement

For any concern or complaint regarding publication misconduct, please email at njim2020@gmail.com with your name, affiliation, address with phone number making HEADING TITLE: Complaint followed by subject matter. The privacy of the person will be maintained as long as legally permitted. According to the nature of the complaint, as per the NJIM Journal Policy and international rules and regulations, NJIM will take appropriate action.