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Authors are the souls of any journal, and deserve much respect. To publish a journal manuscripts are needed from authors. Authors have a great responsibility for producing facts of their work in terms of number and results truthfully and an individual honesty is expected from authors in this regards. Both ways its true "No authors-No manuscripts-No journals" and "No journals–No manuscripts–No authors". Reviewing a manuscript is also a very responsible and important task of any peer-reviewed journal and to be taken seriously. It needs knowledge on the subject, sincerity, honesty and determination. Although the process of reviewing a manuscript is a time consuming task butit is expected to give one's best remarks within the time frame of the journal.
Salient features of the JCDR: It is a biomedical, multidisciplinary (including all medical and dental specialities), e-journal, with wide scope and extensive author support. At the same time, a free text of manuscript is available in HTML and PDF format. There is fast growing authorship and readership with JCDR as this can be judged by the number of articles published in it i e; in Feb 2007 of its first issue, it contained 5 articles only, and now in its recent volume published in April 2011, it contained 67 manuscripts. This e-journal is fulfilling the commitments and objectives sincerely, (as stated by Editor-in-chief in his preface to first edition) i e; to encourage physicians through the internet, especially from the developing countries who witness a spectrum of disease and acquire a wealth of knowledge to publish their experiences to benefit the medical community in patients care. I also feel that many of us have work of substance, newer ideas, adequate clinical materials but poor in medical writing and hesitation to submit the work and need help. JCDR provides authors help in this regards.
Timely publication of journal: Publication of manuscripts and bringing out the issue in time is one of the positive aspects of JCDR and is possible with strong support team in terms of peer reviewers, proof reading, language check, computer operators, etc. This is one of the great reasons for authors to submit their work with JCDR. Another best part of JCDR is "Online first Publications" facilities available for the authors. This facility not only provides the prompt publications of the manuscripts but at the same time also early availability of the manuscripts for the readers.
Indexation and online availability: Indexation transforms the journal in some sense from its local ownership to the worldwide professional community and to the public.JCDR is indexed with Embase & EMbiology, Google Scholar, Index Copernicus, Chemical Abstracts Service, Journal seek Database, Indian Science Abstracts, to name few of them. Manuscriptspublished in JCDR are available on major search engines ie; google, yahoo, msn.
In the era of fast growing newer technologies, and in computer and internet friendly environment the manuscripts preparation, submission, review, revision, etc and all can be done and checked with a click from all corer of the world, at any time. Of course there is always a scope for improvement in every field and none is perfect. To progress, one needs to identify the areas of one's weakness and to strengthen them.
It is well said that "happy beginning is half done" and it fits perfectly with JCDR. It has grown considerably and I feel it has already grown up from its infancy to adolescence, achieving the status of standard online e-journal form Indian continent since its inception in Feb 2007. This had been made possible due to the efforts and the hard work put in it. The way the JCDR is improving with every new volume, with good quality original manuscripts, makes it a quality journal for readers. I must thank and congratulate Dr Hemant Jain, Editor-in-Chief JCDR and his team for their sincere efforts, dedication, and determination for making JCDR a fast growing journal.
Every one of us: authors, reviewers, editors, and publisher are responsible for enhancing the stature of the journal. I wish for a great success for JCDR."
Thanking you
With sincere regards
Dr. Rajendra Kumar Ghritlaharey, M.S., M. Ch., FAIS
Associate Professor,
Department of Paediatric Surgery, Gandhi Medical College & Associated
Kamla Nehru & Hamidia Hospitals Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 462 001 (India)
E-mail: drrajendrak1@rediffmail.com
On May 11,2011
Dr. Shankar P.R.
"On looking back through my Gmail archives after being requested by the journal to write a short editorial about my experiences of publishing with the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research (JCDR), I came across an e-mail from Dr. Hemant Jain, Editor, in March 2007, which introduced the new electronic journal. The main features of the journal which were outlined in the e-mail were extensive author support, cash rewards, the peer review process, and other salient features of the journal.
Over a span of over four years, we (I and my colleagues) have published around 25 articles in the journal. In this editorial, I plan to briefly discuss my experiences of publishing with JCDR and the strengths of the journal and to finally address the areas for improvement.
My experiences of publishing with JCDR: Overall, my experiences of publishing withJCDR have been positive. The best point about the journal is that it responds to queries from the author. This may seem to be simple and not too much to ask for, but unfortunately, many journals in the subcontinent and from many developing countries do not respond or they respond with a long delay to the queries from the authors 1. The reasons could be many, including lack of optimal secretarial and other support. Another problem with many journals is the slowness of the review process. Editorial processing and peer review can take anywhere between a year to two years with some journals. Also, some journals do not keep the contributors informed about the progress of the review process. Due to the long review process, the articles can lose their relevance and topicality. A major benefit with JCDR is the timeliness and promptness of its response. In Dr Jain's e-mail which was sent to me in 2007, before the introduction of the Pre-publishing system, he had stated that he had received my submission and that he would get back to me within seven days and he did!
Most of the manuscripts are published within 3 to 4 months of their submission if they are found to be suitable after the review process. JCDR is published bimonthly and the accepted articles were usually published in the next issue. Recently, due to the increased volume of the submissions, the review process has become slower and it ?? Section can take from 4 to 6 months for the articles to be reviewed. The journal has an extensive author support system and it has recently introduced a paid expedited review process. The journal also mentions the average time for processing the manuscript under different submission systems - regular submission and expedited review.
Strengths of the journal: The journal has an online first facility in which the accepted manuscripts may be published on the website before being included in a regular issue of the journal. This cuts down the time between their acceptance and the publication. The journal is indexed in many databases, though not in PubMed. The editorial board should now take steps to index the journal in PubMed. The journal has a system of notifying readers through e-mail when a new issue is released. Also, the articles are available in both the HTML and the PDF formats. I especially like the new and colorful page format of the journal. Also, the access statistics of the articles are available. The prepublication and the manuscript tracking system are also helpful for the authors.
Areas for improvement: In certain cases, I felt that the peer review process of the manuscripts was not up to international standards and that it should be strengthened. Also, the number of manuscripts in an issue is high and it may be difficult for readers to go through all of them. The journal can consider tightening of the peer review process and increasing the quality standards for the acceptance of the manuscripts. I faced occasional problems with the online manuscript submission (Pre-publishing) system, which have to be addressed.
Overall, the publishing process with JCDR has been smooth, quick and relatively hassle free and I can recommend other authors to consider the journal as an outlet for their work."
Dr. P. Ravi Shankar
KIST Medical College, P.O. Box 14142, Kathmandu, Nepal.
E-mail: ravi.dr.shankar@gmail.com
On April 2011 Anuradha
Dear team JCDR, I would like to thank you for the very professional and polite service provided by everyone at JCDR. While i have been in the field of writing and editing for sometime, this has been my first attempt in publishing a scientific paper.Thank you for hand-holding me through the process.
Dr. Anuradha
E-mail: anuradha2nittur@gmail.com
On Jan 2020
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Full Version
Approach to Publish Medical Literature- A Guide for Students in the Field of Healthcare
Correspondence Address :
Dr. Alhad Mulkalwar,
Intern, Seth Gordhandas Sunderdas Medical College and the King Edward Memorial Hospital, Acharya Donde Marg, Parel East, Parel, Mumbai-400012, Maharashtra, India.
E-mail: alhad.mulkalwar@gmail.com
Significant contributions have been made to the field of medical science by numerous students in the formative stages of their career. While medical research was earlier an exclusive domain of residents and senior doctors, we are now witnessing a positive trend of increasingly more number of undergraduate students indulging in research projects and today, research has become an integral and indispensable component of medical education. While undertaking research activities, it is imperative for young researchers to understand the importance of publishing quality data in journals of repute, without compromising on any aspect of the process.
Indexing, Impact factor, Journal, Research
The journey from inception of a research study to completion is a long, arduous one which a student undertakes in addition to his/her existing commitments to academics. Undergraduate medical research, its problems and solutions have been much discussed and debated since a long time. This article summarises the author’s experiences on the last in a series of hurdles faced by undergraduates in their quest of completing a quality research study- Publication!
“It’s not how you start that’s important, but how you finish!”- Jim George
Although the above quote holds true for most of our academic pursuits, it is of special significance in the world of research. Now-a-days, although many undergraduate students do get involved in research activities, a high rate of attrition is witnessed amongst these students, with very few of them eventually publishing their data (1). We may also lose out on the fruits borne by their hard work if they do not publish their manuscripts in quality peer reviewed journals. There are multiple criteria which may help students find the right platform to publish their research. Students must ensure that they approach only journals which are indexed with reputed agencies such as Medline, PubMed Central, Citation Index, Sciences Citation Index, Expanded Embase, Scopus or Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) to ensure that the articles undergo a thorough peer review. This would also enable students to stay away from predatory journals which bypass this vital stage of peer review, thus assuring publication with a quick turnaround time in exchange of a hefty publication fee (2). Another criterion for choosing the right journal could be the impact factor of the journal. It is a parameter which assesses the importance or rank of a journal by measuring the frequency with which the average article published in that particular journal has been cited by authors in a given period of time. Both the indexing status and the impact factor of a journal are usually mentioned on its website. High quality journals often have a low acceptance rate and long turnaround time. However, this should not discourage students from approaching them. Authors should ensure compliance of their articles with the journal’s ‘Instructions to Authors ’ and scan their manuscripts for any plagiarism before making the final submission to prevent further delays in the process.
While students often find it difficult to publish their work in medical journals of repute, initiatives like Student IJMR launched by the Indian Journal of Medical Research which specifically solicit research submissions from undergraduate medical students have given them some hope in this regard (3). All these submissions undergo a thorough peer review. If such manuscripts are accepted by other journals too, where the process is fine tuned according to the needs of medical students, it would go a long way in helping them publish their articles in eminent journals, without fear of competition by other large scale multi-centric studies or trials. Another common impediment faced by students is the high publication fee charged by a few journals which they are often unable to afford. Before dismissing such journals due to lack of funds, students should contact the editorial team seeking a waiver for the same. Concessions given for submissions of undergraduate students would definitely help and motivate young researchers in approaching standard journals for publishing their work. Additionally, the institute may completely or partly reimburse the publication fees for articles authored by its students so as to promote undergraduate research.
Another quite popular option for students is to opt for Medical Student Journals (MSJs). They are entirely student-led periodicals that publish student-authored articles. The MSJs have characteristically been known to employ a student-friendly and feeble peer review process and they also have a quick response time which incentivises many student authors to send their articles to these journals for publication (4). However, their opaque peer-review process, lack of MEDLINE® indexing, absence of official journal impact factor data and low article visibility and exposure to the scientific community are other factors which must be considered while approaching student-run publications (5).
Students are important stakeholders in the medical community and hence, their feedback plays an important role in improving medical education and furthering the profession at large. Inputs from the young ignited minds can reveal new dimensions and offer a fresh perspective about the issues which plague the medical profession. Thus, it’s imperative that the scientific community gives medical students an appropriate platform for the same. Quite a few medical journals also accept reviews of books, films and other media within the scope of the subject matter of the journal. Original poems and stories related to the medical experience, whether from the point of view of a healthcare worker or patients, or simply an observer, are also solicited by many medical journals. Following are a few non scientific avenues for medical students to commence their journey in the world of literature:
• Students@nmji (6): Opinion articles, experience as an undergraduate medical student, interviews with eminent personalities, critical analyses of diseases in popular culture and letters to the editor. The manuscripts we received covered a wide array of topics, ranging from the importance of quizzes in improving medical education to substance use.
• Student’s corner (7) : Short narratives of real life experiences in the medical field during student life or residency with a clear informative, educative, or enlightening message.
• Creative space and student’s corner (8) : Commentaries, discussions, reflections, short stories and poems by students of any discipline on topics on themes linked with the journal’s core areas of interest-bioethics, healthcare ethics and humanities.
• Experiences (9) : Noteworthy experiences of medical students in the areas of academic, social outreach, student exchanges, research and others.
• A piece of my mind (10) : Personal vignettes (e.g., exploring the dynamics of the patient-physician relationship) taken from wide-ranging experiences in medicine; occasional pieces express views and opinions on the myriad issues that affect the healthcare profession.
• Life (11) : Feature that looks at a topical or controversial issue in studying or practising medicine from multiple angles and explains what students need to know, or explains how to make the most of a clinical placement or another part of medical school. Authors should interview and quote key people involved, such as first hand witnesses or experts from organisations linked to the topic. Life articles should have a practical takeaway where possible.
• Student’s corner (12) : Short essays and viewpoints by students and trainees in the health professions on all aspects of medical education, but in particular suggestions on how to improve medical education, and suggestions for new technologies, applications and approaches.
• Speaking for myself (6) : A personal viewpoint on any aspect of healthcare in India. This provides a forum for airing individual views on different facets of debatable and topical subjects in healthcare.
• Opinion (11) : Articles focusing on a single strong, novel, and well argued point. They are often topical, insightful, and attention grabbing. Make sure that what you write is fair and based on verifiable facts.
• Looking back (7) : Historical account of a stream of medicine or an institution or department that has made significant contribution to medicine, medical education, medical research or bio-ethics.
• The arts and medicine (10) : Essays that demonstrate the relevance of the arts to the science and practice of medicine.
DOI: 10.7860/JCDR/2022/51887.16100
Date of Submission: Aug 11, 2021
Date of Peer Review: Nov 02, 2021
Date of Acceptance: Nov 18, 2021
Date of Publishing: Jun 01, 2022
AUTHOR DECLARATION:
• Financial or Other Competing Interests: None
• Was Ethics Committee Approval obtained for this study? NA
• Was informed consent obtained from the subjects involved in the study? NA
• For any images presented appropriate consent has been obtained from the subjects. NA
PLAGIARISM CHECKING METHODS:
• Plagiarism X-checker: Aug 17, 2021
• Manual Googling: Nov 08, 2021
• iThenticate Software: Dec 20, 2021 (14%)
ETYMOLOGY: Author Origin
- Emerging Sources Citation Index (Web of Science, thomsonreuters)
- Index Copernicus ICV 2017: 134.54
- Academic Search Complete Database
- Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)
- Embase
- EBSCOhost
- Google Scholar
- HINARI Access to Research in Health Programme
- Indian Science Abstracts (ISA)
- Journal seek Database
- Popline (reproductive health literature)
- www.omnimedicalsearch.com