About the Journal
The East African Journal of Neurological Sciences (ISSN: 2957-4323 (online) & 2957-4315 (print)) is the official journal of the East African Association of Neurological Surgeons (EAANS).
Aims and Scope
The East African Journal of Neurological Sciences (EAJNS) is dedicated to advancing the field of neurological sciences through the dissemination of high-quality research and innovative findings. As the official journal of the East African Association of Neurological Surgeons (EAANS), EAJNS aims to provide a platform for researchers, clinicians, and practitioners to share knowledge and contribute to the development of neurosurgery and related disciplines in Africa and beyond. The journal covers a wide range of topics in the neurological sciences, including clinical and experimental neurosurgery, clinical neurophysiology, neuroanatomy, neurology, neuro-ophthalmology, neuroradiology, neuropathology, neuro-otology, neuro-oncology, and molecular biology.
Types of Articles Published:
- Original research articles
- Case reports
- Case series
- Reviews
- Short communications
- Technical notes
- Editorials
- Letters to the editor
- Commentaries
Scope
The East African Journal of Neurological Sciences publishes manuscripts in the following fields:
- Clinical and experimental neurosurgery
- Clinical neurophysiology
- Neuroanatomy
- Neurology
- Neuro-ophthalmology
- Neuroradiology
- Neuropathology
- Neuro-otology
- Neuro-oncology
- Molecular biology
- Innovations in neuroscience
- Historical personalities or events relevant to neurological sciences, particularly in Africa
- Health advocacy in neurological sciences
- Neurosurgical education
- Global neurology
- Basic sciences related to neuroscience
- Genetic and molecular studies relevant to neurological conditions
Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement
The East African Journal of Neurological Sciences (EAJNS) adheres to the guidelines set forth by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the International Committee for Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) to ensure high standards of ethics in all aspects of publication. This document outlines the responsibilities of publishers, editors, authors, and reviewers to maintain the integrity of the publication process.
Authors' Responsibilities
Reporting Standards: Authors must present an accurate account of the work performed and provide an objective discussion of its significance. The paper should contain sufficient detail and references to permit others to replicate the work. Deliberate falsification or misrepresentation of data is unethical and unacceptable.
Data Access and Retention: Authors may be asked to provide raw data in connection with a paper for editorial review and should be prepared to provide public access to such data if possible. Authors should ensure that data are available for a minimum of ten years after publication, provided that participant confidentiality can be protected and legal rights concerning proprietary data do not preclude their release.
Acknowledgement of Sources, Originality, and Plagiarism: Authors must ensure that they have written entirely original works, and if they have used the work and/or words of others, this must be appropriately cited or quoted. Publications that have been influential in determining the nature of the reported work should also be acknowledged.
Multiple, Duplicate, or Concurrent Publication: Authors should not publish manuscripts describing essentially the same research in more than one journal. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable.
Paper Authorship: Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. All those who have made significant contributions should be listed as co-authors. The corresponding author should ensure that all appropriate co-authors are included on the paper and that all co-authors have seen and approved the final version of the paper and have agreed to its submission for publication.
Conflicts of Interest and Disclosure: All authors should disclose in their manuscript any financial or other substantive conflict of interest that might be construed to influence the results or interpretation of their manuscript. All sources of financial support for the project should be disclosed.
Fundamental Errors in Published Works: When an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in their own published work, it is their obligation to promptly notify the journal editor or publisher and cooperate with the editor to retract or correct the paper.
Editors' Responsibilities
Publication Decisions: The editors of EAJNS are responsible for deciding which of the articles submitted to the journal should be published. The decision should be based on the paper's importance, originality, and clarity, as well as the study’s validity and its relevance to the journal's scope. Editors may confer with other editors or reviewers in making this decision.
Fair Play: An editor must evaluate manuscripts for their intellectual content without regard to the authors' race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy.
Confidentiality: The editor and any editorial staff must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, other editorial advisers, and the publisher, as appropriate.
Review of Manuscripts: Editors should ensure that each manuscript is initially evaluated for originality. The editor should organize and conduct peer review fairly and ensure that the peer review process is thorough and objective. Editors should select reviewers who have suitable expertise in the relevant field and avoid those with potential conflicts of interest.
Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in an editor’s own research without the express written consent of the author.
Reviewers' Responsibilities
Contribution to Editorial Decisions: Peer review assists the editor in making editorial decisions and, through editorial communications with the author, may also assist the author in improving the paper.
Standards of Objectivity: Reviews should be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Referees should express their views clearly with supporting arguments.
Promptness: Any selected referee who feels unqualified to review the research reported in a manuscript or knows that its prompt review will be impossible should notify the editor and excuse themselves from the review process.
Confidentiality: Any manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. They must not be shown to or discussed with others except as authorized by the editor.
Acknowledgement of Sources: Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors. Any statement that an observation, derivation, or argument had been previously reported should be accompanied by the relevant citation. Reviewers should also call to the editor’s attention any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under consideration and any other published paper of which they have personal knowledge.
Disclosure and Conflict of Interest: Privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review must be kept confidential and not used for personal advantage. Reviewers should not consider manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or institutions associated with the papers.
Peer Review Process
The East African Journal of Neurological Sciences (EAJNS) employs a rigorous peer-review process to ensure the publication of high-quality research. Our review process involves the following steps:
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Initial Manuscript Evaluation: Upon submission, each manuscript is initially evaluated by the Editor-in-Chief for relevance to the journal's scope and adherence to basic submission requirements. Manuscripts that pass this preliminary check are then assigned to two or more expert reviewers for a detailed evaluation.
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Reviewer Selection: Reviewers are selected based on their expertise in the relevant field of neurological sciences. Reviewers have the right to decline if the manuscript falls outside their area of expertise. In such cases, the Section Editor will reassign the manuscript to a more appropriate reviewer.
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Blind Review Process: EAJNS employs a double-blind review process, meaning both the reviewers and authors remain anonymous to each other. This ensures impartiality and objective evaluation of the manuscript.
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Review Criteria: Reviewers assess the manuscript for originality, scientific rigor, clarity of presentation, and relevance to the field. They use a standardized review form to provide structured feedback and recommendations.
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Review Timeline: Reviewers are given a maximum of three weeks to complete their assessment. If unable to meet this deadline, reviewers must notify the Editor-in-Chief promptly.
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Reviewer Feedback: Reviewers provide detailed comments and suggestions for improvements. They are required to complete the review form available through the journal's electronic submission system. If necessary, reviewers can submit their feedback using a checklist review form in MS Word format.
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Reviewer Recommendations: Based on their evaluation, reviewers will recommend one of the following actions:
- Accept Submission: The manuscript is accepted as is.
- Revisions Required: The manuscript requires minor or major revisions before acceptance.
- Decline Submission: The manuscript is rejected.
- See Comments: Reviewers provide comments for further consideration.
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Editorial Decision: The Board of Editors reviews the recommendations and feedback from the reviewers to make a final decision on the manuscript. This decision may include acceptance, request for revisions, or rejection.
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Revision Stage: Authors receiving a request for revisions are given a specified time to resubmit their revised manuscript—three weeks for major revisions and one week for minor revisions. Authors must include a response to reviewers' comments and a summary of changes made.
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Final Evaluation: The revised manuscript is reviewed by the Board of Editors to ensure that all reviewer concerns have been adequately addressed. The manuscript may still be rejected at this stage if the revisions are found to be insufficient.
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Proofreading: Once accepted, the manuscript undergoes a proofreading process to ensure linguistic quality and accuracy.
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Publication Confirmation: The final version of the manuscript is sent to the author for approval of the layout and content. Authors can make minor typographical corrections at this stage. Upon receiving the author's confirmation, the manuscript is prepared for online publication.
The peer review process at EAJNS is designed to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity and scientific excellence. Our commitment to rigorous peer review ensures that the research we publish is of the utmost quality and relevance to the field of neurological sciences.
Language
Authors whose first language is not English are encouraged to have their submissions undergo language editing. This can be done by a co-author whose first language is English or by professional language editors. Proper language editing ensures clarity and readability, which are crucial for the effective dissemination of research findings. For professional language editing services, authors can refer to reputable providers or seek recommendations from their institutions. Ensuring that manuscripts are well-written and free of language errors helps maintain the quality and integrity of publications in the East African Journal of Neurological Sciences (EAJNS).
Study Design and Ethics
Authors preparing manuscripts for the East African Journal of Neurological Sciences (EAJNS) should adhere to the guidelines specified in the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals: Writing and Editing for Biomedical Publication by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).
Ethical Standards: All studies must comply with the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki.
Patient Consent: For all human studies, patient consent must be obtained and explicitly stated in the manuscript. If consent has not been obtained, a letter of explanation must accompany the submission. Authors are responsible for obtaining and retaining documentation of patient consent, which should not be submitted to EAJNS to protect patient privacy. Patient confidentiality must be maintained in accordance with relevant legal provisions of the study's country.
Ethics Approval: Manuscripts must include a letter indicating Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval or approval by a similar ethics board, and this approval must be noted within the manuscript. Additionally, informed consent forms or a waiver from the IRB should be submitted. If such approvals and consent forms are not provided, a detailed explanation must be given to the Editor-in-Chief, who may further investigate.
Clinical Trials: All clinical trials submitted for publication (defined as any clinical study where patients are randomized into two treatment groups or followed prospectively to compare two different treatments) must be registered in a public trials registry such as www.clinicaltrials.gov. Trials should be registered at the commencement of the research.
Animal Studies: Manuscripts reporting experimental results involving animals must include a statement confirming the study has been approved by an animal utilization study committee. The Editor-in-Chief may verify this statement. Information on the management of postoperative pain for both animal and human subjects must be included.
Conflict of Interest
The East African Journal of Neurological Sciences (EAJNS) is committed to transparency and integrity in the publication process. To this end, all conflicts of interest must be disclosed and managed appropriately.
Editors: All editors at EAJNS have disclosed any potential conflicts of interest to the Editor-in-Chief. The Editor-in-Chief addresses these disclosures to ensure that any conflicts do not influence the review and decision-making process for manuscript submissions.
Authors: Authors are required to disclose any conflicts of interest when submitting a manuscript. This is done using the form provided by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). The form is accessible through the manuscript submission website and must be completed by each author.
Disclosure Process: The information provided in the conflict of interest disclosure does not influence the editorial decision to publish a manuscript. The editorial decisions are based solely on the manuscript's merit, quality, and relevance to the journal’s scope.
Publication of Disclosures: A summary of the conflict of interest statements provided by the authors will be included with the published article. Additionally, each author’s completed ICMJE disclosure statement will be available on request for transparency.
Advertising
The East African Journal of Neurological Sciences (EAJNS) maintains a strict policy to ensure that advertising does not influence editorial content. The following guidelines outline our advertising policy:
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Independence of Editorial Content: The publication of advertisements in EAJNS does not imply endorsement of the advertised products or services. Advertisers and sponsors have no prior knowledge of specific editorial content and do not influence the content in any way.
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Separation of Advertising and Editorial Content: EAJNS ensures a clear distinction between advertising and editorial content. Advertisements are not placed in physical proximity to specific articles discussing the advertised products to avoid any perception of endorsement.
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Editorial Integrity: Editorial decisions are made independently of any influence from advertisers or sponsors. The integrity of the journal's content is paramount, and the presence of advertisements does not impact the objectivity and quality of the editorial process.
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Advertising Guidelines: All advertisements are subject to review and approval by the journal to ensure they meet ethical standards and are appropriate for the journal's readership. EAJNS does not accept advertising for products or services that are not in line with the journal's ethical policies and scientific integrity.
