Instructions for Authors

For guidelines on BMJ Journals policy and submission please click on links below.
Manuscript Formatting
Editorial policies
Patient consent forms
Licence forms
Peer Review Process
Online First process

Editorial policy

The Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry publishes original articles, short reports, editorials, commentaries and more, covering the whole field of clinical neurological practice, neurosurgery and neuropsychiatry. Emphasis is given to common disorders such as cerebrovascular disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, peripheral neuropathy, epilepsy, and subarachnoid haemorrhage.

Neurology in Practice is a quarterly educational supplement, free to JNNP subscribers. It covers a specific common disorder in each issue. The articles are designed to fill the gap between the knowledge available from textbooks and journal articles and its implementation in everyday clinical practice; they are all commissioned from leading international experts.

Articles should be of direct relevance to clinical practise. Thus we do not generally publish research based on animal experiments nor studies of normal nervous system function. We do publish papers on cognitive neuropsychology if they are of clinical, as opposed to purely theoretical interest. Paediatric papers will be considered if of general interest and relevant to adult neurology. Novel mutations in known disease related genes are unlikely to be published unless they relate to a new phenotype or provide new pathophysiological information.

The JNNP publishes a small number of quality of life and health economic papers where these are of general interest, thus it is unlikely we would publish a health economic paper that was limited to only one health system or economy.

We aim to make an early decision of suitability for the journal with the result that around 50% of papers are rejected without going out to review following in house discussion. This decision would normally be made within a week of submission. Following review the decision to accept the paper for publication or to invite revision is made at a weekly editorial committee meeting.

Article types and word counts

• Papers
• Short reports
• Neurological pictures
• Reviews
• Editorials
• Letters
• Supplements

The word count excludes the title page, abstract, tables, acknowledgements and contributions and the references.

When a paper has been submitted from the Editor or Associate Editors' departments, they have no role in the reviewing or decision making process. This also applies to any Associate Editors who are authors, in which instance the reviewing process is handled by the Editor in Chief. The Editor in Chief does not submit any articles to the JNNP.

Papers

Full papers must present important and substantial new material. Articles should be of direct relevance to clinical practise. Thus we do not generally publish research based on animal experiments nor studies of normal nervous system function.

Word count: 3500 words maximum.
Abstract: 250 words.
Tables/Illustrations: should not normally exceed 8.
References: 40.

Short reports

Topics suitable for presentation for short reports include single case reports which illustrate important new phenomena, or reports of short, original research studies.

Word count: no more than 1500 words.
Tables/Illustrations: up to one of each.
References: should not normally exceed 15.

Neurological pictures

Neurological Pictures are very brief case reports or historical vignettes, for guidance, view the current Neurological pictures.

Word count: 500 words maximum; no more than 4 authors.

Reviews

Reviews will be solicited by the Editor and are subjected to a review process. Authors wishing to submit a review should seek the advice of the Editor in advance. Authors should bear in mind that the journal is also available online and the inclusion of additional material, eg video clips and sound files, and links to useful websites is strongly encouraged.

Word count: 5000 words maximum - bullet points encouraged.
Tables/Illustrations: 1 table and 1 figure.
References: should not normally exceed 40.

Editorials

Editorials will be solicited by the Editor and are subjected to a review process. Authors wishing to submit an editorial should seek the advice of the Editor in advance.

Word count: 1500 words.
Tables/Illustrations: 1 table or figure.
References: should not normally exceed 25.

Letters

Letters in response to articles published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry are welcome and should be submitted electronically via the website. Contributors should go to the abstract or full text of the article in question. At the top right corner of each article is a "contents box". Click on the "eLetters: Submit a response to this article" link. Some letters in response to an article may be published in the print version of the journal.

Letters containing original research should be submitted via Bench>Press and must be typed in double line spacing. Letters may be published in a shortened form at the discretion of the editor. Proofs will not be sent to the authors.

Word count: 1000 words.
Tables/Illustrations: 1 table or figure.
References: 5.

Supplements

The BMJ Publishing Group journals are willing to consider publishing supplements to regular issues. Supplement proposals may be made at the request of:

1. The journal editor, an editorial board member or a learned society may wish to organise a meeting, sponsorship may be sought and the proceedings published as a supplement.
2. The journal editor, editorial board member or learned society may wish to commission a supplement on a particular theme or topic. Again, sponsorship may be sought.
3. The BMJPG itself may have proposals for supplements where sponsorship may be necessary.
4. A sponsoring organisation, often a pharmaceutical company or a charitable foundation, that wishes to arrange a meeting, the proceedings of which will be published as a supplement.

In all cases, it is vital that the journal's integrity, independence and academic reputation is not compromised in any way.

For further information on criteria that must be fulfilled, download the supplements guidelines (PDF).