Authors Guide

1. Preamble
The Scholar: Journal of Health Sciences is an institution-based biannual peer-reviewed journal
published by the Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare, Bauchi State, Nigeria. Provided
the authors comply with the guide, THE SCHOLAR publication time (interval between
submission of an original manuscript and final decision) is about 3-5 months. Contributing
authors are requested to carefully read this guide and adhere to the instructions provided.

2. Aim and Scope
THE SCHOLAR is a forum for communication among medical and allied health scientists,
clinicians, and other health professionals. The Journal provides an opportunity for the exchange
of novel and significant information pertinent to health sciences.

3. Types of Article
THE SCHOLAR accepts and publishes the following types of articles:
i. Editorials and commentary
ii. Original research articles
iii. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses
iv. Reviews
v. Case reports/case series
vi. Letters/emails to the Editor
vii. Short communications

4. Manuscript Preparation
4.1 Research Article
The manuscript for original articles should include the following sections:
Title Page
i. The title page should contain the following:
a. A title that is clear, descriptive, and not more than 25 words. It must be in
sentence case and bolded and end without a full stop (e.g. Original article).
b. Full first and family names with a superscribed identifier (e.g. Mohamed D.
Abdullahi 1 )
c. Full address of all the authors.
d. Indicate the corresponding author and provide his/her email address and phone
number.

Abstract
The abstract should not exceed 250 words and should be structured into Background, Objectives,
Methods, Results, and Conclusions.
Keywords

Below the abstract, provide 3-6 keywords representing the main content of the article. Keywords
should be in alphabetical order

Introduction
This section should be used to provide background to the study including existing facts, a
statement of the research problem, and the significance. It should be able to justify the study

Materials and Methods
This structured section should include a clear description of all the processes such as study area,
study design, subject enrolment, sample collection, clinical and laboratory procedures, ethical
issues, and statistical analyses.

Results
There must be a clear and orderly presentation of the important findings in texts, tables, or
figures and the presentation of the same findings in different formats should be avoided.

Discussion
The discussion section is expected to provide explanations for the findings in the context of the
existing knowledge. In addition, the strength(s) and limitation(s) of the study should be stated.

Conclusion
This section should provide a concise summary of the general findings.

Conflict of Interest
Authors are required to declare all financial and non-financial conflicts of interest and where
there is none, it must be clearly stated.

Authors’ Contribution

In line with the recommendation of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors
(ICMJE), authors are required to clearly state their contributions (Available at:
www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/roles-and-responsibilities/defining-the-role-of-authors-
and-contributors.html ).

Acknowledgements
This section is optional. It may be used to appreciate those who have directly contributed to the
study and do not meet the criteria for authorship (see the link for a guide on authorship:
https://publicationethics.org/authorship).

4.2 Reviews
Review articles should contain the following:
i. Title page (see section 4.1)
ii. Abstract

iii. Keywords
iv. Introduction
v. Body – the main focus of the review and may be structured into relevant sub-headings
vi. Conclusion
vii. Conflict of interest
viii. Authors’ contribution
ix. Acknowledgements

4.3 Case Reports
Reports of previously unreported or unusual cases of medical conditions (including reactions to
drugs and medical devices) and treatment approaches should be presented using the pattern
below:
i. Title page (see section 4.1)
ii. Abstract – This should be structured into Background, Case Summary, and
Conclusion.
iii. Keywords
iv. Introduction
v. Case presentation
vi. Discussion
vii. Conclusion
viii. Conflict of interest
ix. Authors’ contribution
x. Acknowledgements

4.4 Other Reporting Templates
In line with international best practices, authors are required to prepare their manuscripts using
the appropriate standards of reporting relevant to the study design used (Available at:
https://bmjopen.bmj.com/pages/authors/ ). For instances:
STROBE ( https://www.equator-network.org/index.aspx?o=1032 ) for observational, case-control,
and cross-sectional studies.
PRISMA ( www.prisma-statement.org ) for a systematic review of controlled trials.
MOOSE ( https://www.equator-network.org/index.aspx?o=1032 ) for systematic review and meta-
analysis of observational studies.
CONSORT ( www.consort-statement.org ) for randomized controlled trials.
TREND ( https://www.cdc.gov/trendstatement/ ) for quasi-experimental/non-randomized studies.
STARD ( https://www.equator-network.org/index.aspx?o=1032 ) for the study of diagnostic
accuracy and assessment scale.
SPIRIT ( www.spirit-statement.org ) for study protocols.

4.5 Writing Styles
i. The manuscript should be prepared in Microsoft Word using Times New Roman with
font size 12 except where otherwise specified.
ii. Use double line spacing (2.0) except for the list of references.
iii. Main headings should appear in bold sentence case (e.g. Materials and method) while
sub-headings should be in sentence case but not bolded (e.g. Study area).
iv. Insert page number at the centre bottom of each page.

v. Use simple and clear English expressions, preferably British spellings.
vi. All abbreviations must have been initially written in full where they first appear.
vii. All measurements should be in SI Unit.

4.6 Tables
i. All tables must appear after the reference section with a table per page.
ii. Using Arabic numerals (e.g. Table 1), tables must be numbered in the order in which they
are cited in the text.
iii. The title should be written in bold sentence cases at the top of each table and where
necessary key/legend should be provided below the table. The legend should be in font
size 10.
iv. Use a full colon (:) to separate the number of the table and the title (e.g. Table 1:
Haematocrit values).

4.7 Figures
i. All figures must appear after the tables with a figure per page.
ii. Using Arabic numerals (e.g. Figure 1), figures must be numbered in the order in which
they are cited in the text.
iii. Legend conveying the title should be written in sentence cases below the figures.
iv. White space surrounding figures should be minimal.
v. Each figure should not exceed 10MB in size.
vi. Figures may be presented in TIFF, JPEG, BMP, PNG, or PowerPoint.
vii. Use a full colon (:) to separate the number of the figure and the legend (e.g. Figure 1: Sex
distribution).

4.8 References
THE SCHOLAR adopts the Vancouver reference style and intending authors are required to
strictly adhere to this style. All references should be numbered in the order in which they are
cited and should be in superscript after punctuation marks (e.g. …in the blood. 1 ). References in
the list should include only those publications that are cited in the text and should be arranged in
the numerical order in which they appear in the text. For indexed journals, the names should be
written as they appear in the INDEX MEDICUS while the full names of non-indexed journals
should be used. Materials submitted for publication but not yet accepted may be cited in the text
as "unpublished data" and must not be included in the reference list.

4.8.1 In-text Citations
i. Citing one reference at the same time
…findings are similar to the previous report. 1
ii. Citing more than one reference (consecutive e.g. 1, 2, 3, 4 ) at the same time.
…findings are similar to previous reports. 1-4
iii. Citing more than one reference (inconsecutive e.g. 3, 6, 9 ) at the same time
…findings are similar to previous reports. 3, 6, 9
iv. Citing the author’s name in the text …finding is similar to previous reports by Johnson. 3
…finding is similar to previous reports by Richard et al.

 List of References
 (a) Journal articles
Weiji WA, Hillen B. Relationship between masticatory muscle cross-section and skull shape. J
Dent Res 2021; 63(9): 1154-1157.
(b) Books
West KM. Epidemiology of diabetes and its vascular lesions. New York: Elsevier; 2022.
(c) Chapters in Books:
Ley P. Patient satisfaction. In: Macer D, (ed.) Communicating with patients. London: Chapman
and Hall 2015: 1-30.
(d) Online Publications (e.g. journals and books)
Ley P. Patient satisfaction. Association of Psychotherapists. Available at:
http://www.cms/unimaid.edu.ng (Accessed 25th May 2023).
(e) Conference Proceedings
Abdulwahab YA. Risk factors of pre-eclampsia among patients seen at the University of
Maiduguri Teaching Hospital. In: Lee BC, Ji A (eds.) Proceedings of the 10th International
Conference of the Nigerian Medical Association, 10-14 January 2018, Abuja, Nigeria. London:
Taylor & Francis; 2018. p.110-115.
(f) Reports
Taylor F. Malaria burden in Africa. World Health Organization. Report number: 20, 2018.
(g) Web Page/Website
World Health Organization. Malaria indicators. Available at: http://www.who.com (Accessed
12th March 2023).
(h) Email (Sender and receiver must give consent to include their details in the reference list)
Yusuf AM. Email sent to: Sheriff BA. 5th May 2018.
Please note the following:
Yusuf AM is the sender of the mail.
Sheriff BA is the receiver of the mail.
The date is when the mail is sent.
(i) Personal Communication
Stone AC. Consultant-Physician. Personal communication. 23rd April 2019.
(j) Lectures/Presentations
Ibrahim MA. Pharmacotherapy of bipolar disorders. (Lecture or Presentation). Federal
University of Health Sciences, Azare, Bauchi State, Nigeria. 10th May 2019.

5. Submission of Manuscript
The corresponding author may submit the manuscript(s) through the online submission system
(https://thescholarjournalfuhsa.com/)Automated acknowledgement mail will be sent
once the submission is received. Submission of a manuscript will be taken to imply that it is
unpublished work except in abstract form and is not being considered for publication elsewhere.
This point should be clearly stated in the author cover letter. Before submission, intending
authors are strongly advised to observe the following:
i. Strict adherence to the THE SCHOLAR style of writing (see Section 4).
ii. Effective proofreading to ensure acceptable grammatical expressions in the English
Language (preferably British spellings).
iii. The manuscript conforms to COPE principles of publications
(http://publicationethics.org).
iv. All authors read the manuscript and agree on submission to THE SCHOLAR (should be
indicated in the cover letter).

6. Editorial Process
On submission, the editor/s reviews the manuscript to assess its suitability The Scholars.
Manuscripts that do not follow the journal guidelines, have serious scientific or technical flaws
or lack significant messages are rejected before proceeding for formal peer review.
Manuscripts that are found suitable for publication in The Scholars are sent to two or more
appropriate expert reviewers. The reviewers are usually not affiliated with the same
institution/centres as the author/s. The Scholar follows a double-blind review process, wherein
the reviewers and authors are unaware of each other’s identity. The comments and suggestions
(acceptance/ rejection/ corrections) of reviewers guide the editor/s decision regarding the
manuscript. This decision is conveyed to the corresponding author. If required, the author is
requested to provide a point-by-point response to reviewers’ comments and submit a revised
version of the manuscript. This process may be repeated till reviewers and editors are satisfied
with the manuscript.
Manuscripts accepted for publication are copy-edited for grammar, punctuation, print style, and
format. The manuscripts are then typsetted and the page proofs are sent to the corresponding
author for correction/s if any. The corresponding author is expected to return the corrected proofs
within 48 hours. The whole process of submission of the manuscript to the final decision and
sending and receiving proofs usually takes 3-5 months. The Scholar publishes articles online
before the publication of the print version.

7. Clinical trial registration
The Scholars recommend registration of clinical trials preferably in a clinical trial registry that
allows free online access to the public. Registration in the following trial registers is acceptable:
http://www.ctri.in/ ; http://www.actr.org.au/ ; http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ ; http://isrctn.org/ ;
http://www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/index.asp ; and http://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr .

8. Plagiarism Check
In line with COPE principles, all manuscripts submitted to THE SCHOLAR will be subjected to
plagiarism checks during the editorial process. Manuscripts with at least 75% originality will be
considered for further editorial review. Thus, authors are encouraged to consider using Cross
Check ( http://www.crossref.org/crosscheck.html ) to determine the originality of their
manuscripts before submission to THE SCHOLAR.

9. Peer Review Process
Reviewers will be given 2-4 weeks to provide opinions that could improve the quality of the
manuscript. They are expected to provide written, fast, concise, polite, unbiased, and justifiable
reports following COPE Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers (Available at:
https://publicationethics.org/files/Peer%20review%20guidelines.pdf ) within the stipulated time
and make recommendations based on their overall assessment of the manuscript. Where
applicable, reviewers’ comments will be sent to the authors through the corresponding author
who is expected to provide a point-by-point response to all the comments and submit the same
along with the revised manuscript within 2-4 weeks. In THE SCHOLAR, the model of peer
review use is a Double-blind model (Available at: (
https://publicationethics.org/files/Who_owns_peer_reviews_discussion_document.pdf).

10. Decisions (Acceptance or Rejection)
The decision to accept or reject the original or revised manuscripts is the primary responsibility
of the Editor-in-Chief who is guided by the reviewers’ reports. Emphasis will be placed on the
originality, importance, clarity, and relevance of the manuscript to the scope of THE SCHOLAR.
Such a decision will be communicated to the corresponding author as early as possible. Please
note that rejected manuscripts may be re-submitted as new manuscripts provided all the issues
that led to the rejection have been adequately addressed.

10. Copyright
Authors retain the copyright of their article published in THE SCHOLARS and since THE
SCHOLAR operates an open access policy, articles published in THE SCHOLAR will be freely
available for public use. Users of such articles are required to cite the authors appropriately in
line with COPE core practices (Available at: https://publicationethics.org/core-practices ).

11. Galley Proofs
Galley proofs will be sent to the corresponding author via the email address provided. They are
required to proofread the documents and return same to the Editor-in-Chief within 72 hours.
They are particularly advised to ensure that the names and addresses are correctly written. At this
stage, authors should not introduce new information into the accepted manuscript or make
changes except where mistakes are made while generating the galley proof.

12. Publication Charges
THE SCHOLAR charges the sum of fifty thousand Naira (₦50,000) only or Dollar equivalent as
publication charges which are expected to be paid into THE SCHOLAR account Fidelity Bank 1311657154. This will only be paid following acceptance of the manuscript, thus, authors are advised to wait for
the decision of the editorial board and the instruction to proceed to payment. Opportunity for a
waiver (part of full) will be provided for authors with financial challenges and who have
requested a waiver with convincing evidence during the submission of the manuscript. THE
SCHOLAR will not reject a manuscript based on the inability of the authors to fulfill their
financial obligation provided such manuscript is of exceptional quality.
13. Ethical Consideration

Research and publication ethics are paramount to the publication of any article by THE
SCHOLAR. Authors should comply with relevant research ethics as applied to their work
including ethics governing the use of human subjects, human tissues and medical records, and
experimental animals. Evidence of ethical approval from the appropriate authority must be
indicated in the appropriate section of the manuscript. Issues of research misconduct are taken
with absolute seriousness by THE SCHOLAR and are handled according to COPE principles
(Available at: https://publicationethics.org/misconduct ). In addition, good publication practice
must be imbibed by authors (http://publicationethics.org).

14. Conflicts of Interest
THE SCHOLAR considers conflict of interest since this may influence the judgment of the
authors, reviewers, and editors. Thus, authors are required to declare a conflict of interest and
where there is none, this should be clearly stated. The scope of such conflict may include
personal, commercial, political, financial, and scientific interests. Please note that editors may
need to withdraw from the review process of manuscripts that conflict with their interests.

15. Reprint requests
The Journal copies will be sent to the corresponding author after publication. Order forms and
price lists will, however, be sent with the proofs for additional reprint orders by authors. The
forms and the appropriate fee in bank draft, certified bank cheque, or authenticated transfer
receipt must be submitted with the proofs.