Dear Colleagues,
Latest issue of the West African
Journal of Medicine Vol. 36, No. 1,
January - April, 2019 will be available soon! You may access free abstract-text
content of this issue through the links below;
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/wajmedic
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/wajmedic
Blog:
https://wajmeditor.blogspot.com
Website: www.wajmed.org
The West African Journal
of Medicine is indexed/abstracted
in PubMed Central, EMBASE, Excerpta Medica, African Journals on Line and
African Index Medicus amongst others.
We are looking
forward to receiving your valuable submissions and thank you in advance for
your contributions.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF'S
PERSPECTIVE
For the past few
weeks, I have been asked several questions regarding the West African Journal
of Medicine. I will answer these questions successively below. I want to thank
all our researchers and Fellows of the WACP and WACS for their continued
interest in the Journal.
·
The WAJM did not
publish for a long period of time. Will this situation reoccur?
No. We have totally
revamped our system and our goal is to make sure we produce the journal
consistently and promptly. Our existing structure is strategically constituted
to achieve this.
·
Why is the acceptance
rate low?
One of my major
goals is to help upcoming researchers improve their writing skills. If an
article is found unsuitable for the journal in its original form, we encourage
and assist the author in improving his/her manuscript, for new submission. We
also give authors all the reviewers' comments to further help improve their
manuscripts.
·
Why does it take a long
time to review and publish articles?
A few delays have
been due to difficulties in finding suitable reviewers and we have experienced
slow response from some of our reviewers, on occasion. We are working hard to
address this issue in our subsequent editions. As much as possible, our
reviewers are given between two to four weeks for review. As soon as the
articles are submitted and found suitable for publishing, they are published
promptly. Presently, we publish quarterly.
·
What are the
publication and processing fees and why do we have to pay?
Our Journal is
self-supporting. Funds generated by the Journal are used for payment of staff,
printing of the Journal and other logistics. I am particularly grateful to the
WACP and WACS for their support. The processing fee and the publication charges
are used to process and publish the Journal quarterly. The processing fee is 50
dollars while the publication fee ranges between N45,000 to N50,000
naira based on the number of tables, figures, pie charts, histograms, etc. in
the article. In order to allow the Journal to retain its standard, and
considering all the logistics, we believe the current fees are adequate. Presently,
we do not intend to increase the fees. However, there may be changes later
depending on the economic situation.
·
Can I contact the
Editor-in-Chief personally if I have issues regarding the Journal?
I am willing to receive calls or mails
concerning any clarification regarding the Journal at any time. This is
particularly so, in this critical period, when efforts are geared towards
revamping and sustaining the Journal.
·
Is WAJM a local,
regional or international Journal?
The WAJM is an
international Journal that covers all subspecialties in Medical Sciences and
Surgery. All manuscripts are subjected to thorough peer-review process by
eminent scholars. The Editors are chosen and rotated between the West African
College of Physicians (WACP) and West African College of Surgeons (WACS).
Although, it is an international journal, we encourage articles that are of
particular relevance to Africa.
·
Must I be a Fellow of
the West African College of Physicians or West African College of Surgeons to
submit manuscripts?
Anyone can submit manuscripts as long as it is in line with the
Journals missions and goals. We accept manuscripts from all fields of medicine,
surgery, paediatrics, o b s t e t r i c s a n d g y n a e c o l o g y,
histopathology, amongst several others. However, my goal is to encourage
members of the College (WACP and WACS).
·
What kind of manuscript
can I submit?
- Original research articles
- Reviews and meta-analysis
- Brief communication and case reports
- Medical education matters and issues
- Conference and workshop
reports/proceedings
- Supplements
- Editorials and commentaries
- Correspondence (Letters)
- Patient vignettes
- Book Reviews
- Association News
- Medical and Health News
- Miscellaneous (prose, poetry,
sociopolitical issues with medical bias, etc.)
·
How do I submit
manuscripts?
An electronic copy
of the manuscript should be sent to the email address of the Editor-in-Chief, Professor
Gregory E. Erhabor; wajmeditorinchief@gmail.com, wajmeditorinchief@wajmed.org. Other details on submission can be found in the Journal.
·
How can I support the
Journal?
- By submitting manuscripts and
encouraging your colleagues to also submit manuscripts pertaining to all
aspects of Medicine and Surgery.
- By being part of the review process.
- By subscribing to the Journal
individually and through your institution.
- By soliciting for adverts on the Journal
which will help to fund the journal in its present state.
- By sending in useful suggestions on how
we can move the Journal forward.
·
Do you receive adverts
for the Journal?
WAJM is a good
platform for advertising relevant health products because it is widely accessed
by clinicians and researchers in Africa. In fact, advertising in WAJM is highly
rewarding and encouraged.
·
How can I get the hard
copy of the Journal?
You can contact the
editorial assistant at the Editorial Office, 6 Taylor Drive, Yaba, Lagos,
Nigeria.
The details of the
subscription fees can be found in any of the recent Journals or on request.
Finally, we are
committed to increasing the impact factor of the Journal and making it one of
the most prestigious journals in the world.
PROF. G. E. ERHABOR, MBBS, FWACP, FCCP, FRCP (Edin), FRCP (Lond.)
Editor-in-Chief - West African Journal of Medicine (WAJM)
College of Health Sciences,
Department of Medicine,
Obafemi Awolowo
University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife,
Osun State, Nigeria
