Submissions

Author Guidelines

Authors are invited to make a submission to this journal. All submissions will be assessed by an editor to determine whether they meet the aims and scope of this journal. Those considered to be a good fit will be sent for peer review before determining whether they will be accepted or rejected.

Before making a submission, authors are responsible for obtaining permission to publish any material included with the submission, such as photos, documents and datasets. All authors identified on the submission must consent to be identified as an author. Where appropriate, research should be approved by an appropriate ethics committee in accordance with the legal requirements of the study's country.

An editor may desk reject a submission if it does not meet minimum standards of quality. Before submitting, please ensure that the study design and research argument are structured and articulated properly. The title should be concise and the abstract should be able to stand on its own. This will increase the likelihood of reviewers agreeing to review the paper. When you're satisfied that your submission meets this standard, please follow the checklist below to prepare your submission.

AUTHOR GUIDELINES

UNICROSS JOSET

University of Cross River State

1. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

All manuscripts must be submitted exclusively to the Journal of Unicross Joset and should not be under consideration for publication elsewhere. Each submission must include:

• Article title
• Complete list of authors with full names and affiliations
• Designated corresponding author with full contact details
• Structured abstract (maximum 250 words)
• Full manuscript in Microsoft Word format (.docx)

2. MANUSCRIPT FORMATTING

3. WORD LIMITS

Word count excludes figures, tables, and references.

4. ARTICLE TYPES AND STRUCTURE

4.1 Original/Research Articles

Original research articles present previously unpublished data with comprehensive methodological detail and evidence-based findings. These manuscripts should be structured as follows:

• Introduction: States the research aim and contextualises the study
• Materials and Methods: Describes study design, methodology, participant selection, and analytical procedures
• Results: Presents research findings with appropriate statistical analysis
• Discussion: Interprets main findings, addresses expected and unexpected results, compares with existing literature, explains results, discusses generalisability, and acknowledges methodological limitations and strengths
• Conclusions: Summarises findings and addresses implications for clinical practice or health policy

4.2 Review Articles

Reviews synthesise and critically evaluate published literature on significant research topics, providing in-depth discussion of progress in the field. A structured abstract is required.

4.3 Case Reports

Case reports describe the clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management of novel or unusual clinical cases. These may include a brief literature review of similar reported cases.

4.4 Editorials

Short articles commissioned by the Editor-in-Chief or editorial staff.

4.5 Commentaries

Articles discussing contemporary research topics, addressing challenges, or proposing solutions to specific issues.

4.6 Corrigendum

Corrections or amendments to published articles arising from author errors.

4.7 Expert Opinion

Articles authored by recognised experts to promote research and advance knowledge in specific fields.

4.8 Letters to the Editor

Correspondence addressing specific content of published articles, expressing agreement, disagreement, or correcting perceived errors or misrepresentations. Letters do not require an abstract or subheadings.

4.9 Perspectives

Articles presenting the individual viewpoint of the author on topics of interest to the journal's readership.

5. MANUSCRIPT STRUCTURE

Submissions must include the following components in the order listed:

1. Cover Letter
2. Title Page
3. Abstract and Keywords
4. Blinded Article File (containing: Title, Abstract, Main Text, Acknowledgments, References, Tables, Figure Legends)

6. COVER LETTER

The cover letter, addressed to the Editor-in-Chief, must include:

• Statement of exclusive submission to the Journal of Unicross Joset
• Article title
• Confirmation that all authors have approved the submission
• Declaration that the manuscript is not under consideration elsewhere and has not been previously published
• Conference presentation details (if applicable)
• Article type specification
• Any relationship to previously submitted or published work
• Full contact details of the corresponding author
• Signature of the corresponding author on behalf of all co-authors

7. TITLE PAGE

The title page must contain:

• Full Title: Informative and precise, maximum 130 characters including spaces
• Running Title: Maximum 75 characters including spaces
• Author Names: Listed as first name, middle initial (if applicable), and surname. Authors are separated by commas, with the final author preceded by "and"
• Institutional Affiliations: Complete organisational affiliations for each author
• Corresponding Author Information: Full mailing address, telephone number, fax number, and email address
• Clinical Trial Registry/ Grant Details: Registration numbers and funding information
• Manuscript Word Count: Excluding figures and tables

8. BLINDED ARTICLE FILE

To ensure double-blind peer review, the manuscript must be fully anonymised:

• No author names, initials, or institutional affiliations should appear anywhere in the manuscript
• Acknowledgements must be omitted from the blinded file
• Page headers/running titles may include the article title but not author names
• Manuscripts not complying with the blinding policy will be returned to the corresponding author

The blinded file should contain, in sequence:

• Title (without author names)
• Abstract
• Main text
• References
• Tables
• Figure legends

Pages should be consecutively numbered from the first page of the blinded file.

9. ABSTRACT AND KEYWORDS

9.1 Abstract

• Maximum 250 words
• Structured format: Background, Objectives, Materials and Methods, Results, and Conclusions
• Should be comprehensible to a general readership
• Non-standard abbreviations must be defined on first use
• No bibliographic citations permitted

9.2 Keywords

• 3–5 keywords provided below the abstract
• Arranged alphabetically and separated by semicolons

10. ABBREVIATIONS

• Only standard abbreviations should be used
• Full terms must precede abbreviations on first use in both abstract and main text
• Abbreviations are not permitted in the title
• Abbreviations used in figures or tables must be defined in the corresponding legends

11. MANUSCRIPT TEXT

Authors may structure the main text according to article type and study requirements. The following general guidelines apply:

• References should be cited using superscript Arabic numerals at the end of the statement
• Figures and tables should be numbered sequentially in the order they are cited in the text
• Tables should be placed at the end of the references
• Figures should be submitted as separate files

12. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

A conflicts of interest statement must be included to disclose any potential competing interests among authors. This section should be placed before the acknowledgements.

13. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Acknowledge the following in this section:

• Individuals who contributed to the research or manuscript preparation but do not meet authorship criteria
• Medical writing assistance
• Participating group authors who do not meet full authorship criteria
• Funding sources and financial disclosures for all authors

Written consent must be obtained from individuals acknowledged. Conference presentation details should also be included in this section.

14. REFERENCES

14.1 General Guidelines

• Authors are responsible for the accuracy and completeness of references
• Follow Vancouver referencing style
• References should begin on a separate page after the main text
• Double-spaced formatting
• Identify references in text, tables, and legends using superscript Arabic numerals
• When six or fewer authors: list all authors
• When seven or more authors: list first six followed by "et al."

14.2 Journal Abbreviations

• Abbreviate journal names according to Index Medicus/Medline
• Spell out journal names completely if abbreviation is uncertain

14.3 In-press References

• References accepted but not yet published should include the term "in press" in place of volume and page numbers
• Such references should indicate the anticipated publication location
• These should be updated prior to publication where possible

14.4 Additional Guidelines

• Do not add discussion or commentary to references
• Suffixes such as Jr., Sr., and III should not follow author initials
• References used within tables or figure legends should be included in the reference list and numbered in consecutive order according to the citation in the text

15. TABLES

• Tables should be placed after the references section
• Use Microsoft Word table tools for creation
• Number tables consecutively in the order of citation in the text
• Avoid duplicating data already presented in the text
• Do not submit tables as figures
• References within tables should be included in the reference list and numbered in consecutive order according to the table citation in the text

16. FIGURE LEGENDS

• Include figure legends at the end of the manuscript
• Clearly explain all symbols and expressions used to identify parts of the figures
• References within figure legends should be included in the reference list and numbered consecutively according to the figure citation in the text
• Figures from previously published content must be acknowledged, cited, and accompanied by permission from the copyright holder

17. FIGURES AND ILLUSTRATIONS

• Number all figures in the order of citation in the text
• Include a concise title (10–15 words) for each figure
• Do not embed figures in the Word document
• Submit figures as individual .jpg files
• File size should not exceed 4 MB
• Resolution must be adequate for publication
• Do not submit figures as Word, PowerPoint, or PDF files
• Clinical photographs identifying individuals must be accompanied by a signed patient or guardian consent form granting permission for publication, or images must be masked to prevent identification

18. SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL

Supplementary information supporting the main findings may be submitted for online publication. These should be included as separate files.

19. SUBMISSION CHECKLIST

All submissions should include:

• ☐ Cover letter (required)
• ☐ Title page (required)
• ☐ Blinded manuscript file (required)
• ☐ Figures (as separate .jpg files)
• ☐ Tables (included after references)
• ☐ Supplementary material (if applicable)

20. PEER REVIEW PROCESS

• Initial Quality Check: All submissions undergo screening for duplicate submission and plagiarism
• Peer Review: Accepted manuscripts proceed to a double-blind peer review process
• Review Timeline: The peer review process takes a minimum of 2–3 weeks
• Reviewer Suggestions: Authors are encouraged to provide names and contact information for 3–5 potential external reviewers and may suggest opposed reviewers if necessary

21. PUBLICATION ETHICS

21.1 Exclusive Submission

All articles submitted to the Journal of Unicross Joset must be exclusive submissions and should not be published or under consideration elsewhere.

21.2 Plagiarism Policy

Submissions undergo plagiarism screening. Manuscripts with significant plagiarism issues will be rejected.

21.3 Ethical Approval

Research involving human participants or animal subjects must include a statement confirming ethical approval from the appropriate institutional review board.

22. OPEN ACCESS POLICY

The Journal of Unicross Joset follows an Open Access publication model:

• Content is freely available to readers at no charge
• Readers may view, access, download, and distribute content without limitations, provided the original work is properly cited
• Articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution License
• Publication costs are recovered through Article Processing Charges (APCs) paid by authors
• There are no submission charges
• APCs are structured to provide affordable publication services

23. CONTACT INFORMATION

Journal of Unicross Joset
University of Cross River State

Email: Unicrossjoset@unicross.edu.ng
Telephone: +2348036736808

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