Author Guidelines
Introduction
The Journal of Rapti Academy of Health Sciences (JRAHS) is an open access, peer-reviewed, biannual published, multidisciplinary biomedical journal devoted to Health Sciences. JRAHS is an official publication of the Rapti Academy of Health Sciences (RAHS), Dang, Nepal. The journal adheres to the principles and publishing ethics guidelines established by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), and the Council of Science Editors (CSE).
JRAHS is committed to increasing the visibility and accessibility of open access scientific and scholarly articles, which in turn promotes greater usage and impact on medical knowledge and research activities. The journal grants permission to read, copy, print, download, distribute, search, or link to the full texts of these articles, which are freely available online. Currently, authors are not required to pay for the submission, processing, or publication of manuscripts in JRAHS.
Focus and Scope
JRAHS accepts Original Research Papers, Review Articles, Case Reports, Brief Reports, viewpoints, Short Communications, Medical Education, Clinical Experiences, and letters to the editor that provide new insights into any aspect of medical, dental, and allied health sciences. The journal particularly welcomes submissions in the fields of basic and clinical medical sciences, medical education, public health, hospital, and healthcare management. Any attempt at dual publication will result in automatic rejection and may prejudice future submissions.
Authorship
JRAHS follows the authorship criteria set by the ICMJE. All authors should meet the following criteria:
- Significant contributions to the conception or design of the work, or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data.
- Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content.
- Final approval of the version to be published.
- Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
Contributors who do not meet these criteria should be acknowledged in the acknowledgments section. The corresponding author must ensure all listed authors meet these criteria, no one who qualifies for authorship is omitted, and all authors have approved the final manuscript and its submission.
Manuscript Rejection
Manuscripts with insufficient originality, scientific or technical flaws, or that do not follow submission guidelines may be rejected. However, authors are encouraged to revise and resubmit. Reasons for preliminary rejection include being out of scope, incorrect formatting, and incomplete submissions. Final rejection may result from lack of originality, methodological flaws, unanswered peer reviewer comments, plagiarism, or publication misconduct.
Reporting Guidelines
- Authors should follow relevant reporting guidelines, such as:
- ARRIVE: Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments
- CARE: Case Report
- CONSORT: Reporting of Randomized Controlled Trials
- TREND: Nonrandomized Evaluations of Behavioral and Public Health Interventions
- COREQ: Reporting Qualitative Research
- STARD: Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies
- STROBE: Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology
- PRISMA: Reporting of Systematic Reviews
- SPIRIT: Reporting Protocols for RCTs
- CHEERS: Reporting of Health Economic Evaluations
The Equator Network provides a comprehensive list of reporting guidelines.
Manuscript Submission Guidelines
Authors must submit the following documents along with their manuscript:
- Forwarding letter
- Authorship declaration
- Manuscript
- Ethical approval letter (for research articles)
- Patient Consent (for case report)
- Supplementary files, if necessary.
Submissions not adhering to the JRAHS format or missing required documents will be rejected. To minimize the risk of rejection, authors should use the appropriate templates for different types of articles and refer to the JRAHS checklist and citation guidelines.
Publication and Decision Time
If the submission is complete as per the guidelines, JRAHS will initiate the review process in its turn and may provide feedback through the online system. Authors are advised to regularly check their submission status.
- First Decision: 7-14 days (initial decision without review); 90 days (with review).
- Publication Timeline: Most submissions are accepted and published within 6 months, though this may vary depending on the queue.
JRAHS is committed to timely publication and will provide decisions as promptly as possible. Authors should check their submission status online and ensure that communications from JRAHS have not been directed to spam folders before inquiring about updates. For inquiries, contact [email protected].
Manuscript Preparation
EDITORIAL
Description: Editorials are written by the editor or members of the editorial board and are not open for external authors unless invited.
Content: This section includes editorials submitted by the editorial board or invited pieces on the most pertinent health issues in Nepal or globally.
Review Process: Editorials undergo a fast-track peer review process.
Original Article
Description: Original research articles conducted in fields such as basic and clinical medical sciences, forensic science, medical education, public health, hospital and healthcare management, allied health sciences, and research and publication ethics.
Word Limit: 2500-3500 words (excluding an abstract of up to 250 words).
Content: Includes randomized controlled trials, interventional studies, studies of screening and diagnostic tests, outcome studies, cost-effectiveness analyses, case-control series, and surveys with high response rates.
Review Process: Undergoes a rigorous peer review process, and authors should expect substantial communication from JRAHS.
CASE REPORTS AND CASE SERIES
Description: Reports of cases with literature reviews, including unexpected disease associations or events, new insights into disease pathogenesis, unique therapeutic approaches, or challenging cases.
Word Limit: Up to 1000 words (excluding references, up to 10, and an abstract of up to 150 words).
Content: Must include photographs (maximum of 3). Authors should use the CARE Case Report Checklist and submit a Case Report Consent Form.
Review Process: Undergoes peer review. The journal welcomes cases with clinical significance or implications.
REVIEW ARTICLE
Description: Systematic critical assessments of literature and data sources, summarizing the current state of understanding on a topic.
Word Limit: Up to 4000 words (excluding references, 50-100, and an abstract of up to 250 words).
Content: Thorough literature reviews identifying trends, major discoveries, research gaps, and current debates.
Review Process: Undergoes rigorous peer review.
SHORT COMMUNICATION
Description: Short, peer-reviewed articles focusing on a high-quality, hypothesis-driven, self-contained piece of original research or the proposal of a new theory or concept.
Word Limit: Maximum 2000 words (excluding references, up to 30, and an abstract of up to 250 words).
Content: Should be significant and of broad interest to the field of medical sciences. Not for preliminary reports or purely incremental data.
Review Process: Undergoes peer review.
MEDICAL EDUCATION
Description: Perspectives on undergraduate, postgraduate, and continuing medical education.
Word Limit: Up to 1500 words (excluding an abstract of up to 150 words).
Content: Includes topics such as teaching methods, curriculum reform, training of medical teachers, selection of entrants, assessment techniques, curriculum development, performance evaluation, training needs, and evidence-based medicine.
Review Process: Undergoes peer review.
VIEWPOINT
Description: Personal views and opinions on issues relevant to health sciences, aimed at raising awareness, presenting new ideas, and provoking thought.
Word Limit: Maximum 800 words (excluding references, up to 5-8).
Content: Articles in this section are based on health science issues and provide personal expert opinions.
Review Process: Undergoes peer review.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Description: Short, decisive observations not requiring a later paper for validation.
Word Limit: Maximum 500 words and up to 5 references.
Content: Should present concise and clear observations.
Review Process: Undergoes peer review.
The Journal of Rapti Academy of Health Sciences (JRAHS) requires that all submissions adhere strictly to the provided guidelines and formats. Submissions that do not include the necessary documents or are not formatted according to JRAHS standards will be rejected outright. To ensure compliance and avoid such rejections, please submit your manuscript with all supplementary and required files, using the appropriate templates provided below.
Templates
To assist authors in preparing their manuscripts correctly, JRAHS offers specific templates for different types of articles. Using these templates will help ensure proper formatting, including the correct use of headings and subheadings. The templates are as follows:
- Original Article Template
- Case Report Template
- Review Article Template
- Medical Education Template
- Viewpoint Template
- Letter to the Editor Template
Peer Review Process of JRAHS
Double-Blind Review Process: The Journal of Rapti Academy of Health Sciences (JRAHS) adheres to a double-blind peer review policy. This ensures that the identity of both the authors and reviewers remains anonymous throughout the review process.
One-Stage Review
In the initial review phase, the manuscript is reviewed by two independent reviewers. The reviewers provide their evaluations, and the Chief Editor oversees the process, moving the manuscript forward based on the initial reviews. The reviewers are not involved in evaluating the revisions made by the authors based on their comments.
Two-Stage Review
In special circumstances, particularly for controversial or complex submissions, a two-stage review process is employed. After the authors revise their manuscript based on the initial reviewer comments, the same reviewers reassess the revised manuscript. This ensures thorough evaluation and validation of the revisions made.
Submission and Review Procedure
Submission: Authors must submit their manuscripts according to the JRAHS section policy.
Initial Review: All submitted articles undergo international peer review, blinded to two peer reviewers simultaneously. If their decisions conflict, a third reviewer is consulted.
Review Timeline: The typical review process takes a minimum of 4-6 weeks. This includes 2 weeks for the peer review itself and additional time for handling the process. However, unforeseen workloads may extend this period.
Review Outcomes
Based on the peer review, the following decisions are possible:
- Accept Submission: The manuscript is accepted without any revisions.
- Revisions Required: The manuscript will be accepted after minor changes are made according to the reviewers' comments.
- Resubmit for Review: The manuscript requires significant revisions and will undergo a second round of review.
- Resubmit Elsewhere: The manuscript does not meet the focus and scope of JRAHS and should be submitted to a different journal.
- Decline Submission: The manuscript will not be published in JRAHS.
Feedback to Authors
All comments received from the reviewers are forwarded to the authors within 4-6 weeks after receiving the reviews. Providing appropriate feedback, regardless of the acceptance status, is essential to maintaining the integrity of the review process.
Reviewer Guidelines and Ratings
Reviewers are provided with detailed review guidelines upon accepting to review a submission. JRAHS rates reviewers on a five-point quality scale after each review to ensure high standards and consistency in the review process.
Editor's Responsibility
The editors’ direct manuscripts to appropriate reviewers with the requisite knowledge and expertise. Manuscripts are accepted or declined based on reviewers' comments and other factors, with the Chief Editor having the final decision. In cases of groundbreaking or controversial articles, further reviews may be sought. The decision ultimately rests with the Chief Editor, ensuring the integrity of the science and adherence to guidelines set by ICJME, WAME, CSE, and COPE.
