Submissions

Author Guidelines

Authors submitting articles for consideration for publication by the SAPJ are required to familiarise themselves with the ethics and malpractice policy prior to submission. The policy is available on the journal website: https://www.sapj.org.za

Guidelines for authorship

• Each author should participate and is responsible for the content and design of the study, the preparation of the manuscript and its revisions, and final approval.
• In order to qualify for authorship, authors should satisfy all four the criteria for authorship as specified by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICJME; https://www.icmje.org/):

1. Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND
2. Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; AND
3. Final approval of the version to be published; AND
4. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

• Other ‘contributors’ or ‘collaborators’ can be acknowledged at the end of the manuscript together with their contribution. Those whose contributions do not justify authorship may be acknowledged individually or together as a group under a single heading (e.g., “Clinical Investigators” or “Participating Investigators”), and their contributions should be specified (e.g., “served as scientific advisors,” “critically reviewed the study proposal,” “collected data,” “provided and cared for study patients”, “participated in writing or technical editing of the manuscript”.
• The SAPJ accepts a maximum of 8 authors per article. If there are more than eight authors, the first eight authors must be listed along with the group name at the end. The remaining authors and their affiliations must then be listed in an appendix.
• On submission of the article, the ORCID (Open Researcher and Contributor ID) identifier of at least the corresponding author will be required. ORCID provides a persistent digital identifier that distinguishes you from every other researcher and supports automated linkages between you and your professional activities, ensuring that your work is recognised. To register and find more information, please visit: https://orcid.org

Registration of clinical trials

• A clinical trial is defined as any research study that prospectively assigns human participants or groups of humans to one or more health-related interventions to evaluate the effects of health outcomes. Interventions include drugs, surgical procedures, devices, behavioural treatments, dietary interventions, and process-of-care changes.
• Clinical trials should be registered in a public trials registry in accordance with ICMJE
• Trials must be registered and approved by the relevant authorities before the onset of patient enrolment.
• The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) reference number and the SA National Clinical Trial Register (SANCTR) registration number should be included at the end of the abstract of the article.
• Purely observational studies (those in which the assignment of the medical intervention is not at the discretion of the investigator) do not require registration.

Reporting guidelines

• All articles should be prepared in accordance with the guidelines relevant to the study design, as described in the Equator Network Guidelines (https://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/).
• Randomised trials should be accompanied by a flow diagram that illustrates the progress of patients through the trial, including recruitment, enrolment, randomisation, withdrawal and completion, and a detailed description of the randomisation procedure.

Reporting of statistics

In terms of the statistical reporting, the Equator Network advises on the use of the SAMPL guideline: https://www.equator-network.org/2013/02/11/sampl-guidelines-for-statistical-reporting/

The SAMPL guidelines provide two guiding principles

1. “Describe statistical methods with enough detail to enable a knowledgeable reader with access to the original data to verify the reported results.” When possible, quantify findings and present them with appropriate indicators of measurement error or uncertainty (such as confidence intervals). Avoid relying solely on statistical hypothesis testing, such as P values, which fail to convey important information about effect size.
2. “Provide enough detail that the results can be incorporated into other analyses.” This requires reporting the descriptive statistics from which other statistics are derived, such as the numerators and denominators of percentages, especially in risk, odds, and hazards ratios. Likewise, P values are not sufficient for re-analysis. Needed instead are descriptive statistics for the variables being compared, including sample size of the groups involved, the estimate (or “effect size”) associated with the P value, and a measure of precision for the estimate, usually a 95% confidence interval.

Some specific guidelines applicable to the SAPJ:

• Consistency is one of the most important factors in presenting a well-formatted, professional manuscript.
• The nature of the measurements and variables reported on will often dictate the amount of precision required. Report numbers—especially measurements—with an appropriate degree of precision. For ease of comprehension and simplicity, round to a reasonable extent.
• The recommendation is to report the number of decimals that have both clinical and statistical meaning and consistently reporting all other variables in the same manner.
• Note: Generally, for descriptive purposes, percentages are reported as whole numbers except when dealing with really large sample sizes.
• At least for the primary outcomes, report a measure of precision (a confidence interval).
• Although not preferred to confidence intervals, if desired, P values should be reported as equalities to three decimal places (e.g., p = 0.031 and not as inequalities: e.g., p < 0.05). Do NOT report “NS”; give the actual P value. The smallest P value that needs to be reported is p < 0.001.
• Report numerators and denominators for all percentages.
• Summarise data that are approximately normally distributed with means and standard deviations (SD). Use the format: mean (SD), not mean ±
• Summarise data that are not normally distributed with medians and interpercentile ranges, ranges, or both.
• Do NOT use the standard error of the mean (SE) to indicate the variability of a data set. Use standard deviations, inter-percentile ranges, or ranges instead.

Formatting examples:

• p = 0.028 or p < 0.001
• (43% vs 21%; p = 0.002)
• (odds ratio (OR) 0.38; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.71 to 1.82; p = 0.822) or after first use (OR 1.62; 95% CI 1.41 to 1.86; p < 0.001)
• Descriptive stats normal distribution: mean age 36 years (SD 4 years) or 36 years (SD 4; range 40 to 97 years)
• Descriptive stats non-normal distribution: median age 36 years (IQR 44 to 88 years) or 36 years (IQR 44 to 88 years; range 40 to 97 years)
• Descriptive stats percentage: (149 of 202; 74%)

Formatting of submissions

Text formatting

• Use Times New Roman, font size 12.
• Use 1.5 line spacing throughout the document.
• Use italics for emphasis.
• When referring to an article with multiple authors, please use the following format: Rabinowitz et al. published their retrospective review.
• Do not use field functions.
• Use tab stops or other commands for indents, not the space bar.
• Use the table function, not spreadsheets, to make tables.
• Use the equation editor or MathType for equations.
• Save your file in docx format (Word 2007 or higher) or doc format (older Word versions).

Headings

• Use no more than three levels of displayed headings.

Abbreviations

• Define abbreviations and acronyms at first mention and use consistently thereafter.

Units

• Follow internationally accepted rules and conventions: use the international system of units (SI). If other units are mentioned, please give their equivalent in SI.

Figures

• Figures should be numbered consecutively with illustration Arabic numbers 1, 2, 3, etc.
• The figure should be listed in the text as follows: … wound irrigation and splinting (Figure 1).
• Figures should be clear and easily understandable with a full descriptive legend stating any areas of interest and explaining any markings, letterings or notations. All figures should be understandable without the main text.
• For radiographs, please ensure you state the view used and the time point at which it was taken, as well as the demographic details of the patient if applicable.
• Figures should not be imbedded in the text file but should be submitted as separate individual files. Each figure should be a separate file, entitled Figure 1, Figure 2, etc.
• Remove all markings, such as patient identification, from radiographs before photographing.
• All line or original drawings must be done by a professional medical illustrator.
• We accept a maximum of six figures.
• Do not submit any figures, photos, tables, or other works that have been previously copyrighted or contain proprietary data unless you have obtained and can supply written permission from the copyright holder to use that content.

Tables

• Tables should carry uppercase Roman numerals, I, II, III, etc, e.g. Table III.
• Tables should always be cited in the text in consecutive numerical order.
• The table should be identified in the text as follows: Details of results are listed in Table I. Or, alternatively, … high-energy trauma that is often associated with these fractures (Table II).
• Tables should be used to present information in a clear and concise manner. All tables should be understandable without the main text.
• For each table, please supply a table heading explaining the components of the table.
• Identify any previously published material by giving the original source in the form of a reference at the end of the table heading.
• Footnotes to tables should be indicated by superscript lower-case letters and included beneath the table body.
• Please submit tables as editable text and not as images. They should be created using the Table tool in Word.
• Do not embed tables in the text file but submit them as separate individual files. Each table should be a separate file, entitled Table I, Table II, etc.
• We accept a maximum of eight tables.
• Do not duplicate information given already in the text.
• Do not submit any figures, photos, tables or other works that have been previously copyrighted or contain proprietary data unless you have obtained and can supply written permission from the copyright holder to use that content.

References

• References should be numbered consecutively in the order that they are first mentioned in the text and listed at the end in numerical order of appearance.
• Identify references in the text by Arabic numerals in superscript after punctuation.
• References should not be a listing of a computerised literature search but should have been read by the authors and have pertinence to the manuscript.
• Accuracy of references is the author’s responsibility, and the author is to verify the references against the original documents.
• Manuscripts in preparation, unpublished data (including articles submitted but not in the press) and personal communications may not be included in the reference listing. They may be listed in the text in parentheses only if absolutely necessary to the contents and meaning of the article.
• The titles of journals should be abbreviated according to the style used in Index Medicus, obtainable through the website http://www.nlm.nih.govshould
• The following format should be used for references:

Journal article:

1. Zaletel K, Gaberšček S. Hashimoto's thyroiditis: From genes to the disease. Current Genomics. 2011;12(8):576-588. https://doi.org/10.2174/138920211798120763.

Online journal article:

Cooper DS. Antithyroid drugs. N Engl J Med. 2005;352:905-917. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMra042972. 

Web reference (with authors):

Smith RP, Kaunitz AM. Primary dysmenorrhea in adult women: Clinical features and diagnosis. In: Barbieri RL (Ed.), UpToDate. 2018. Available from: https://www.uptodate.com/contents/primary-dysmenorrhea-in-adult-women-clinical-features-and-diagnosis. Accessed 16 June 2018.

Web reference (no authors listed):

Department of Health. Pharmacy Act 53 of 1974. Pretoria: Government Printer. Available from: http://www.mm3admin.co.za/documents/docmanager/0C43CA52-121E-4F58-B8F6-81F656F2FD17/00010723.pdf (Accessed May 2018).

Chapter in a book:

Young W. Neurophysiology of spinal cord injury. In: Errico TJ, Bauer RD, Waugh T (eds). Spinal Trauma. 3rd ed. Philadelphia: JB Lippincott; 1991:377-94.

Dissertation:

Borkowski MM. Infant sleep and feeding: a telephone survey of Hispanic Americans [dissertation]. Mount Pleasant (MI): Central Michigan University; 2002.

Abstract:

Peterson L. Osteochondritis of the knee treated with autologous chondrocyte transplantation [abstract]. ISAKOS Congress, 2001.

Categories of Submission

Shorter items are more likely to be accepted for publication, owing to space constraints and reader preferences.

Original articles

Original articles on research relevant to the pharmaceutical sciences should not exceed 3 000 words, no more than 30 references, with up to 6 tables or figures. A structured abstract under the following headings, Background, Methods, Results, and Conclusions is a requirement and should not exceed 250 words. Please provide 5 keywords.

Case reports

Case reports should not exceed 1 500 words with no more than 10 references. Figures are limited to 2 figures and may include images or photographs. The case report should have three headings: Summary (not exceeding 100 words), Case report (with no introduction) and Discussion. Case reports will be published online only. The summary and the URL will appear in the printed version. Please provide 5 keywords.

Review articles

Review articles relevant to pharmaceutical sciences should not exceed 5 000 words, with a maximum of 50 references and no more than 6 tables or figures. A summary of 250 words or less is required. Please provide 5 keywords.

Scientific letters/short reports

Short reports should not exceed 1 500 words with a maximum of 10 references. Only one table or illustration is permissible. A structured abstract under the following headings, Background, Methods, Results, and Conclusions, is a requirement and should not exceed 250 words. Please provide 5 keywords.

Editorials

Opinions, etc. should not exceed 1 000 words and are welcome, but unless invited, will be subjected to the SAPJ peer review process. 

Letters to the editor

Letters to the editor should be 400 words or less with only one image or table.

Obituaries 

Obituaries should be 900 words or less and should be accompanied by a photograph.

Title page

Title

• The title should be concise and informative.

Author names and affiliations

• Please provide the following information for each author:
• Full names and surname, as well as title
• Qualifications
• Designation
• Affiliation and address
• ORCID ID (see Article Submission section)
• Please check that all names are accurately spelled.
• Indicate all affiliations with a lower-case superscript letter immediately after the author’s name and in front of the appropriate affiliation details.
• Provide the full postal address of each affiliation, including the country name and, if available, the e-mail address of each author.

Corresponding author

• Clearly indicate who will handle correspondence at all stages of refereeing and publication, including post-publication.
• Ensure that the email address and permanent address is given and that contact details are kept up to date by the corresponding author.
• Please note that the corresponding author’s contact details will be provided in the final article.
• Provide the following information for the corresponding author:
• Full names and title
• Affiliation
• Physical address
• Postal address
• Telephone number
• Email address

Declarations

Authors are to insert a section at the end of the title page entitled declarations (please provide the author's name, signature and date). The following statements are required under the declarations section:

Authorship

The authors confirm that all authors have made substantial contributions to all of the following:

• The conception and design of the study, or acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data.
• The drafting of the article or its critical revision for important intellectual content.
• Final approval of the version to be submitted.

Sound scientific research practice

The authors further confirm that:

• The manuscript, including related data, figures and tables, has not been previously published and is not under consideration elsewhere.
• No data have been fabricated or manipulated (including images) to support conclusions.
• This submission does not represent part of a single study that has been split up into several parts to increase the quantity of submissions and submitted to various journals or to one journal over time (e.g. ‘salami-publishing’).

Plagiarism

The authors confirm that the work submitted is original and does not transgress the plagiarism policy of the journal.

• No data, text or theories by others are presented as if they were the authors’ own.
• Proper acknowledgements of others’ work have been given (this includes material that is closely copied, summarised and/or paraphrased); quotation marks are used for verbatim copying of material.
• Permissions have been secured for copyrighted material.

Conflict of interest

A conflicting interest exists when professional judgment concerning a primary interest (such as the patient’s welfare or the validity of research) may be influenced by a secondary interest (such as financial gain or personal rivalry). It represents a situation in which financial or other personal considerations from authors, reviewers or editors have the potential to compromise or bias professional judgment and objectivity. It may arise for the authors when they have a financial interest that may influence their interpretation of their results or those of others. Examples of potential conflicts of interest include employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony, patent applications/registrations, grants, or other funding. All potential conflicts of interest need to be declared. The conflict of interest statement should list each author separately by name, e.g.,

‘Author A.B. (use initials of relevant author, not full name in order for the document to remain blinded) has received research grants from Company A. Author B.C. has received a speaker honorarium from Company X and owns stock in Company Y. Author C.D. is a member of committee Z.’

If no conflicts of interest exist, state this as follows:

‘The authors declare they have no conflicts of interest that are directly or indirectly related to the research.’

Funding sources

All sources of funding should be declared. Also, define the involvement of study sponsors in the study design, collection, analysis and interpretation of data; the writing of the manuscript; and the decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

List all funding sources as follows:

‘This work was supported by the xxxx (grant numbers xxxx, yyyy).’

When funding is from a block grant or other resources available to a university, college or other research institution, submit the name of the institute or organisation that provided the funding.

If no funding was received, state as follows:

‘No funding was received for this study.’

Compliance with ethical guidelines

• For all publications:

‘The author/s declare that this submission is in accordance with the principles laid down by the Responsible Research Publication Position Statements as developed at the 2nd World Conference on Research Integrity in Singapore, 2010.’

Available from: http://publicationethics.org/resources/international-standards-for-editors-and-authors

Approval from an accredited ethics committee must have been given if the study involves human subjects or animals. Please provide the approval number. Ethics Committee documentation should be available upon request.

‘Prior to the commencement of the study, ethical approval was obtained from the following ethics committee: Provide name and reference number’

• For studies with human subjects include the following:

‘All procedures were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2008.’

‘Informed written consent was or was not obtained from all patients for being included in the study.’

• For studies with animals, include the following sentence:

‘All institutional and national guidelines for the care and use of laboratory animals were followed.’

• For articles that do not contain studies with human or animal subjects:

‘This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects.’

• If doubt exists whether the research was conducted in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration, the authors must explain the rationale for their approach and demonstrate that the institutional review body explicitly approved the doubtful aspects of the study. If any identifying information about patients is included in the article, the following sentence should also be included: Additional informed consent was obtained from all patients for which identifying information is included in this article. The Helsinki Declaration 2008 can be found at http://www.wma.net/en/30publications/10policies/b3/

Generative AI

The following instructions are specific to the writing process and do not pertain to the use of AI tools for data analysis and research insights.

When utilising generative artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-assisted technologies in your academic writing, it should be solely for enhancing readability and language. Ensure that all AI application undergoes human oversight and control. Review and edit the generated content, as AI may produce text that could be inaccurate, incomplete, or biased. Authors bear the ultimate responsibility and accountability for the contents of their work.

Avoid attributing AI and AI-assisted technologies as authors or co-authors or quoting them as such, as authorship should only apply to humans directly involved in the research process.

Authors must disclose the use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process by incorporating a declaration statement under the title: 'Declaration of the use of Generative AI and AI-assisted Technologies in the Writing Process.'

Statement: During the preparation of this work, the author(s) used [NAME TOOL / SERVICE] to [REASON]. After employing this tool/service, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as necessary, assuming full responsibility for the content of the publication.

If your work does not involve the use of Generative AI and AI-assisted Technologies, please include the following statement:

Statement: No Generative AI and AI-assisted Technologies were used during the preparation of this work.

Please note: These declarations do not apply to the use of basic tools for grammar checking, spelling, referencing, etc. Such routine tools do not need to be mentioned in the disclosure statement.