The West African Journal of Medicine
(WAJM), is published by the West African College of Physicians and the West
African College of Surgeons. The Journal accepts articles in English and
French. WAJM is indexed/abstracted in EMBASE, Excerpta Medica, Medline/Index
Medicus, African Journals on Line and African Index Medicus amongst others.
MISSION
The West African Journal of Medicine
(WAJM), a joint publication of the West African College of Physicians and the
West African College of Surgeons, is for clinicians, scientists and others
interested in the field of medicine and the medical sciences.
The Journal which accepts articles
in English and French is indexed/abstracted in EMBASE, Excerpta Medica,
Medline/Index Medicus, African Journals on Line and African Index Medicus.
The West African Journal of Medicine
(WAJM) publishes contributions of professional, scientific and educational
interest to medical and dental practitioners and researchers and those in
related disciplines, with special focus on medical practice and research in
Africa and its people.
The aim of the Journal is to provide
a medium for international dissemination of research findings in West Africa
and elsewhere and to promote co-operation amongst and between medical
researchers in Africa and elsewhere.
The Journal is published in English
and French. Supplements are published upon arrangement with the
Editor-in-Chief.
The mission of WAJM is to educate
clinicians, improve the life and care of patients, stimulate and disseminate
findings from research in medicine and allied biomedical sciences and related
areas and provide a forum for the documentation and exchange of information in
the clinical and biomedical sciences.
The Journal accepts only articles
that have neither been published nor are being considered for publication by
any other journal. WAJM publishes reports of experimental and clinical work on
all aspects of research in medicine, dentistry and related subjects and
disciplines. Manuscripts must be written in the form suggested in the Uniform
Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals:Writing and
Editing for Biomedical Publication by the International Committee of Medical
Journal Editors.
http://www.icmjc.org/urm_full
(a) Original research article,
(1) Title page;
(2) Abstract; Keywords (using MeSH
of Index Medicus);
(3) Abbreviations;
(4) Introduction;
(5) Subjects, Materials and Methods;
(6) Results;
(7) Discussion;
(8) Acknowledgements;
(9) Duality of Interest (if
applicable);
(10) References;
(11) Tables;
(12) Figures;
(13) Legends to Tables and Figures.
WAJM publishes reports of
experimental and clinical work on all aspects of research in medicine,
dentistry and related subjects and disciplines. Manuscripts must be written in
the form suggested in the Uniform Requirements for manuscripts submitted to
Biomedical Journals” and as modified by the Journal.
The Journal welcomes papers in the
form of original research articles, commentaries, editorials, reviews and
educational materials as well as scientific, sociopolitical and economic
contributions in matters that impact on medical care, education and research.
An electronic copy of the manuscript should also be sent to the email address
of the Editor-in Chief.
Professor Gregory Erhabor
The Editor-in-Chief,
West African Journal of Medicine
Department of Medicine,
Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching
Hospital,
IIe-Ife, Nigeria
P. M.B. 2023, LAGOS, NIGERIA.
When revising a manuscript at the
request of the Editor-in-Chief, authors should provide a covering letter
detailing the response to each of the points raised by the assessors or the
editors. A copy should be sent to the Editor-in-Chief by email.
Information about electronic
submissions is available from the Editor-in-Chief. An electronic proof of the
edited manuscript may be sent to the corresponding author for corrections on
request. Such proofs must be returned to the Editor within three days of dispatch
by the Editorial office. Typographical corrections only should be effected when
correcting galley proofs.
Manuscripts should be prepared in
accordance with the “Uniform Requirements Submitted to Biomedical Journals”
(1). The paper should be typed with 3 cm margins and double spaced throughout,
including illustrations and references. Pages should be numbered and word-count
provided for the abstract and the complete paper excluding references, tables
and legends. Point size 12 using Times New Roman should be used throughout the
manuscript, using Microsoft Word application.
All contributions are peer reviewed
by assessors. Accepted manuscripts may be copy-edited according to the Journal
style. The authors are responsible for all statements and claims made in their
work and such claims and statements are not necessarily shared by the Editors
or the Publishers or Owners of the Journal. Similarly, neither the Editors nor
the Publishers guarantee any claims made concerning advertised products or
services.
The manuscript should be accompanied
by a covering letter, which identifies the corresponding author and signed by
all co-authors. Only those who have contributed significantly should be
included as authors (vide infra). All authors should also sign the declaration
and copyright when the contribution is finally accepted. The senior author
should provide an explanation for any of the authors unable to sign.
Offprints
Offprints are obtainable from the
Editor in-Chief at advertised rates.
These should be paid for at the time
of final acceptance of contributions.
TYPES OF CONTRIBUTIONS
Indicate the type of contribution in
the covering letter as follows:
Section A: Original Research
Articles
An original research should concern
itself with aetiology, pathogenesis, pathology, diagnosis, management and
prevention of medical disorders.
Animal research contributions which
impact on human health care are equally welcome in this section. This type of
manuscript should have a maximum of 4,000 words and a maximum total of eight
tables and/ or illustrations and no more than thirty references.
Section B: Brief Communications and
Case Reports
Examples of these include unique
case reports, clinical experiences, reports of adverse drug effects, and short
reports of original research. The text should not exceed 1,500 words, total of
three figures and/or tables and no more than fifteen references. The format
should be as for a standard paper.
Section C: Medical Education
Important innovations in medical
education for clinicians as well as continuing professional improvement. Text
length and other requirements are as for original research publications.
Section D: Reviews and Meta-Analyses
Detailed systematic and critical
evaluation and meta-analysis of the literature on clinical practice topics,
drug therapy, mechanisms of disease, current concepts on clinical topics, or
other topics of scientific or clinical interest. These will normally be
submitted on request but the EIC will also entertain unsolicited contributions.
Maximum length should be 5,000 words and should contain sub-headings (maximum
three sub-sub heads). Maximum number of 60 references and 10
Tables/illustrations.
Section E: Conference and Workshop
Reports and Supplements
Conference and workshop reports
should not exceed 5,000 words, and should be edited before submission.
Proceedings of grand rounds are also welcome in this section. The Journal will
also publish special issues as supplements upon a proposal having been accepted
by the Journal.
Section F: Editorials and
Commentaries
Editorials and commentaries are
normally commissioned. However, unsolicited ones are welcome and subject to
routine assessment. The theme should be topical or on papers published in the
Journal. The maximum length should be 1,000 words with no more than 20
references.
Section G: Correspondence
Letters to the Editor should contain
a maximum of 600 words, five references and no more than two illustrations and/
or tables. Letters may be on matters concerning clinical observations, other
matters of clinical relevance or reactions to articles published in the
Journal.
Correspondence should be typed double-spaced
and submitted in duplicate by e-mail. Accepted letters may be edited before
publishing.
REFERENCES
The references should be numbered in
parentheses in the order in which they appear in the text, tables, or legends. References
should be in the Vancouver style, as laid down in the “Uniform
Requirements for manuscripts
submitted to Biomedical Journals (1)”.
At the end of the article the full
list of references should give the surname and initials of all authors unless
there are more than six, when only the first six should be given, followed by
et al.
The author’s name should be followed
by the title of the article, the title of the Journal abbreviated as in Index
Medicus, the year of publication, the volume number and the first and last
pages.
For books, the references should follow
the following format: the author, title of book, place of publication, the
publisher, the year and the relevant pages. Journals not listed in Index
Medicus should be spelt out in full.
DOCUMENTS CITED
1. International Committee of
Medical Journal Editors. Uniform requirements for manuscript submitted to
Biomedical Journals. http://www.icmjc.org/urm_full
2. 41st World Medical Assembly.
Declaration of Helsinki’s recommendations guiding Physicians in Biomedical
Research and involving human subjects Bulletin PanAmerican Health
Organisation.1990;24: 606–9.
