FOR SUBMISSION OF MANUSCRIPT ONLINE

Manuscript Submission

IJCP welcomes the submission of manuscript in all areas of treatment, prevention and promotion of mental health especially on issues that appeal to clinicians, researchers, academicians and practitioners in the field of mental health. This journal publishes Research / Original Articles, Review Articles, Brief Communications, Case Reports, Letter to Editor, Book Reviews and News about conferences etc. Manuscript must be prepared in IJCP format outlined below. Before submission of a manuscript to IJCP it is mandatory that all authors have read the manuscript and owe the responsibility. The research that is reported in IJCP must be conducted after the approval of ethical committee and information regarding the same should be furnished in the method section. In general, at least fifty percent of the author should be member of IACP (any category).
IJCP (for ethical principles one can visit www.apa.org/ethics). IJCP requires from Author/ Authors to transfer copyright to IJCP for accepted manuscript before publication.
New authors will have to register as author, which is a simple two step procedure.

Submission Preparation Checklist

As part of the submission process, authors are required to check off their submission’s compliance with all of the following items, and submissions may be returned to authors that do not adhere to these guidelines.
• The submission has not been previously published, nor is it before another journal for consideration (or an explanation has been provided in Comments to the Editor).
• The submission file is in Microsoft Word document file format.
• Where available, URLs for the references have been provided.
• All illustrations, figures, and tables are placed within the text at the appropriate points, rather than at the end.
• The text adheres to the stylistic and bibliographic requirements outlined in the Author Guidelines.

AUTHOR GUIDELINES

Manuscript Preparation
Preliminary and final submission:
The manuscript needs to be prepared electronically in a Word (.doc, .docx) then sent via the online submission system after registration. The submission should be in the English language. Referencing and Citation must be according to APA style. Do not type authors names and affiliations for the sake of blind peer review. The author’s names and affiliations should be submitted completely during the paper submission and they cannot be changed after paper acceptance.
After the manuscript acceptance, the production team at the IJCP will format the manuscript according to the journal final-stage template (camera-ready paper).
Units of Measurement
Units of measurement should be presented simply and concisely using System International (SI) units.
Length and style of Manuscript
Full length manuscript length [in MS Word Only] should not exceed more than 5000 words tentatively 15 typed pages total (including cover page, abstract, text, references, tables, and figures), with appropriate margins (at least 1 inch) on all sides and a standard font (e.g. Times New Roman) of 12 points ( not smaller). The entire manuscript (text, references, tables etc) must be double spaced. The text of observational and experimental study should be divided into following sections: Title of the Paper, Name of the Author (s), Abstract, Introduction, Method, Results, Discussion and References. Manuscript should be prepared in following format:
Cover Page / Title Page (Page 1) should consist of Title of the Article, name of the author (s) / corresponding author (s), institutional affiliation, telephone / mobile number, e mail addresses. It should also consist of source of support, if any, received in any form (grant, equipment, drugs etc.) and word count, number of tables, figures used in the article.
Abstract:
Abstract up to 250 words should be given on page 2 of the manuscript and must include: Aims / Objectives: A brief about the purpose of the study. Method: description of the data (e.g. N, age, sex, SES. etc) briefly procedure, tools used, statistical procedure, etc. and Results. Abstract must communicate the glimpse of the study. Abstract Page should consist of only title of the study abstract and key words (up to 6 key words).
Key Words:
After the abstract, authors should provide key word (5-6 in numbers) which mainly deals with the study.
Page 3 should contain the actual article beginning with title, introduction and ending with references.
Introduction
Provide a context for the study. Focus on the theoretical origin of the problem and its nature and significance in present scenario. Also deals with existing knowledge of present day.
Method
Includes: Aims/Objectives, Hypothesis, source of population and selection criteria, participants, tools and techniques used. This section of each empirical report must contain the description of participants, detail description of measure used for study and statistical procedure applied. Statistical procedure should be described with enough detail by emphasizing the procedure used for processing the data including software package and its version. Statistical reporting must convey clinical significance. Author should report descriptive statistics for all continuous study variable and effect sizes for the primary study findings. Authors submitting review articles should describe the method used for locating, selecting, extracting and synthesizing data.
Results
After processing the data, obtained values to be presented in table/graphic form or in illustrations. This should include the demographic correlates and study variables.
Discussion
This section should focus on the discussion of the findings in the light of currently available literature whether supporting the results or contradictory. Findings to be concluded and limitation, implication of the findings on current clinical or academic set up and future direction should also be delineated clearly.
Conclusions:
This should clearly explain the main conclusions of the work highlighting its importance and relevance.
Conflict of Interest:
Authors are required to complete a declaration of competing interest on their cover letter or on separate page. They should also describe their role and participation in designing the study; data collection; analysis; interpretation of data; writing of report and / or in decision to submit the report for publication.
Acknowledgements:
Acknowledge to them who have been involved / contributed substantially in conception, design, data collection, and interpretation of data or any other significant contribution in study.
References:
References must be included in the manuscript and authors are responsible for the accuracy of references. Manuscripts without them will be returned. IJCP is following APA System of Referencing.
Article from Journal
Singh., R. S., & Oberhummer, I. (1980). Behaviour therapy within a setting of karma yoga. Journal of Behaviour Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry,11, 135-141
Journal Article in Press
Kharitonov, S. A., & Barnes, P. J. (in Press), Behavioural and social adjustment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
Conference Proceedings Published
Jones, X. (1996). Prevalence of Mental & Behavioural disorder. In Proceedings of the First National Conference of World Psychiatry Association, 27-30 June; Baltimore. Edited by Smith Y. Sumeham: Butter \vorth-Heinemann; pp. 16-27.
Book Chapter or Article in Edited Books
Singh, A K., Mishra, R S., & Banerjee, S (2012). Pattern of perception of mental illness in North America and Central India : A cross cultural study. In Hutton, J., Devika, N., Mohd, S H., & Robert, L S. Perception of Mental Illness Across the Globe. (Pp 456-479), Print Vision Press, India.
Entire Issue or Special Section of Journal
Ponder, B., Johnston, S., & Chodosh, L. (Eds.) (2006). Innovative oncology. In Breast Cancer Research, 10, 1-72.
Whole Conference Proceedings
Smith, Y. (Ed) (1996). Proceedings of the First National Conference of World Psychiatry Association, 27-30 June : Baltimore. Edited by Stoneham : Butterworth-Heinemann. Pp 16-27.
Complete Book
Margulis, L. (2005) Cognitive Sciences. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Monograph or Book in a Series
Gupta, S.C., & Sethi B.B. (1987). Psychiatric Morbidity in Uttar Pradesh. Monograph of Culture & Society, 10 (1, Serial No. – 25).
Technical & Research Reports
Shankar, M., Dutta, K., & Tiwari, A. K. (1995). Mental Health in Schools (DGHS Publication No. 10, 2), Delhi. Govt. Printing Press.
Ph. D. Thesis
Kohavi, R. (1995). Psychosocial function in diabetics, Ph.D. thesis. All India Institute of Medical Sciences. New Delhi.
Link/URL
Morse, S.S. (1995). Factors in the emergence of infectious diseases. F merg Infect Dis [serial on the Internet] Jan-Mar [cited 1996 Jun 5); 1(1). Available from: URL: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/eid.htm.
Preparation of Figures
Upon submission of an article, authors are supposed to include all figures and tables in the file of the manuscript. Figures should be supplied as a bitmap format (TIF, GIF, JPEG, etc.). Bitmap images should be of 300 dpi resolution at least unless the resolution is intentionally set to a lower level for scientific reasons. If a bitmap image has labels, the image and labels should be embedded in separate layers.
Preparation of Tables
Tables should be cited consecutively in the text. Every table must have a descriptive title and if numerical measurements are given, the units should be included in the column heading. Vertical rules should not be used. Table should be clearly prepared and double space typed with proper margin, presented on separate sheet. All table should be numbered and the same must appear in text (e. g. table number …. to be inserted here). Avoid long and multiple box / table.
Equations:
Equations should be numbered consecutively. An Equation should be cited in the text by the word Equation and its number only [e.g., “see Equation (1)”]. If referring to two or more equations in the same sentence, each should be names separately. For example, use “see Equation (1), Equation (2), and Equation 93),” instead of “see Equation (1) through (3).”
English Grammar:
To save the time of our reviewers, authors are encouraged to use grammar check software or find the help of a native speaker to proofread the manuscript before submission.
Original Contribution
The originality of the scientific contribution should be clearly stated in the manuscript.
Plagiarism:
We use plagiarism detection. According to Oxford on-line dictionary, Plagiarism means: The practice of taking someone else’s work or ideas and passing them off as one’s own. The Editorial Board of IJCP will check any case of plagiarism on its own merits. If the plagiarism is detected, either by the editor or peer reviewer at any stage before publication of the manuscript – before or after acceptance, during editing or at page proof stage, we will alert the author(s), asking him/her to either rewrite the text or quote the text exactly and to cite the original text. If at least 10% of the original submission is plagiarized, IJCP has the right to reject the manuscript.
Effective Writing:
Effective writing is readable — that is, clear, accurate, and concise. When you are writing a paper, try to get your ideas across in such a way that the audience will understand them effortlessly, unambiguously, and rapidly. To this end, strive to write in a straightforward way. There is no need to write about science in unusual, complicated, or overly formal ways in an effort to “sound scientific” or to impress your audience. If you can tell a friend about your work, you are off to a good start. (see more on this topic at nature.com).

JOURNAL SECTIONS

Original research article: Articles section is for original research articles present a scientific advance. These manuscripts should present well-rounded studies reporting innovative advances that further knowledge about a topic of importance to the fields of Clinical Psychology. These should only include original findings from high-quality planned research studies such as experimental designs, outcome studies, meta-analysis, cohort studies, case–control series and surveys with high response rates, randomized controlled trials, epidemiological assessment, intervention studies, studies of screening and diagnostic tests, cost-effectiveness analyses and decision analyses. The word limit is 3500 excluding abstract, tables, figures, acknowledgments and references. The abstract should be structured and cover 5 headings: Background, aim, methods, results and conclusion. The word limit for abstracts is 250.The number of tables and images (combined) should not exceed 5. The number of references should not exceed 40. The article should include an introduction, methods, results, discussion, acknowledgement if any, and references. The discussion section should include a paragraph mentioning the limitations of the study. All original research papers should follow EQUATOR reporting Guidelines. Clinical trials should conform to CONSORT Checklist available from http://www.consort-statement.org. Meta-analyses of clinical trials should include the PRISMA flow diagram and checklist whereas meta-analyses of observational studies should incorporate the MOOSE checklist. Registration of clinical trials at an online public trial registry is mandatory, if the trial has been conducted after 2014. Permission from ethics committee/ Institutional Review Board (IRB), is mandatory and it must be mentioned in the “methods” section of all manuscripts. The authors must mention statement of sources of support and conflict of interest.
Brief Research Communication: These manuscripts, with not more than 2 tables/figures, should contain short reports of original studies or evaluations, preliminary investigative findings and early information of therapeutic trials, or unique first-time reports. The word limit is 1500 words (excluding abstract, tables, figures, acknowledgments and references) and up to 20 references, and an abstract (structured format incorporating background, aim, methods, results and conclusion) of not more than 150 words. Permission from ethics committee/ Institutional Review Board (IRB), is mandatory and it must be mentioned in the “methods” section. The authors must mention statement of sources of support and conflict of interest.
Case Reports: Case reports are only considered as letters to the editor.
Case Series: This should include 3 or more cases which are novel or interesting in terms of presentation or management. The word limit is 1500 words (excluding abstract and references, but including tables, if any) and upto 10 references. There should be a structured abstract of not more than 100 words. The case series should have a brief introduction, description of individual cases followed by discussion and clinical implications
Review Articles (invited): Review articles are meant to critically assess and evaluate existing literature on a topic of general interest in the field of psychiatry and allied sciences. Review articles are usually invited by the Editorial Office although unsolicited reviews may also be considered in exceptional cases depending upon the quality of the review and its clinical relevance. Review articles can be either systematic reviews or narrative reviews. Systematic Reviews require a complete systematic search of literature with the help of several databases across many years. The quality of the cited evidence is to be graded subsequently. Systemic reviews should follow EQUATOR Reporting Guidelines which include a PRISMA style flow diagram and a PRISMA Checklist. Narrative Reviews are usually written by recognized experts on a particular field. These do not require a systematic review of literature but the recommendations and conclusions should be based on evidence including recent systematic reviews and guidelines. Review articles should include a structured abstract of not more than 300 words describing the purpose of the review, collection and analysis of data, main conclusions and relevance. The review article should include an introduction, methods, discussion/observation, conclusion and references. The word limit is 4000 words excluding tables, references and abstract. Tables/figures (combined) should not be more than 5. Number of references should not exceed 70.
Letters to the Editor: Brief letters in this section should be accompanied by a cover letter stating that the correspondence is “for publication”. Case reports may be considered for publication under this section. The word limit is 500 words (excluding references) and up to 5 references. Number of authors should not exceed 3. Letters discussing a recent article published in this journal may be considered provided it is received within 8 weeks of publication of the article. The word limit is 500 words (excluding references) and up to 5 references and number of authors should not exceed 3. One of the references in such cases should be that of the parent article which is being discussed. Such letters should provide objective, evidence-based feedbacks sighting proper references and avoid pejorative and judgmental language. Such letters, when considered for publication, will be sent to the authors of the original article so that they have an opportunity to reply. The authors of the original article must send their reply within 8 weeks of receiving the letter. Or else, their rebuttal will not be considered for publication. Letters written in reply should also be limited to 500 words and 5 references. Uncontrolled and preliminary observations may also be considered as letters to the editor. In such cases, the word limit is 700 words and 7 references.
Viewpoint: Contributions in this column should be clear, focused and well written and must deal with current issues or controversies that affect the mental health profession. The author(s) should have considerable experience and expertise on the topic. They are allowed to express their views and opinions on the topic which should be backed by evidence as far as possible. The article should not have more than 1500 words (excluding references), 15 references and 3 authors.
Copyright Notice
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License [CC BY-NC-ND 4.0] that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work’s authorship and initial publication in this journal.
2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal’s published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
Privacy Statement
The names and email addresses entered in this journal site will be used exclusively for the stated purposes of this journal and will not be made available for any other purpose or to any other party.

The journal will no longer accept manuscripts by post or e-mail.

How to Submit Articles Online

Articles can be submitted online from http.ijcp.co.in. New authors will have to register as author, which is a simple two step procedure. For online submission articles should be prepared in two files (first page file and article file). Images should be submitted separately.
First Page File: Prepare the title page, covering letter, acknowledgement, etc. using a word processor program. All information which can reveal your identity should be here. Use word files. Do not zip the files.
1. Type of manuscript (Original/Review/Case)
2. The title of the article, which should be concise, but informative;
3. Running title or short title of not more than 50 characters
4. The name by which each contributor is known (Last name, First name and initials of middle name), with institutional affiliation;
5. The name of the department(s) and institution(s) to which the work should be attributed;
6. The name, address, phone numbers, mobile numbers and e-mail address of the contributor responsible for correspondence;
7. The total number of pages, photographs and word counts separately for abstract and for the text (excluding the references and abstract).
8. Acknowledgement: Specify contributions that need acknowledging but do not justify authorship, such as general support by a departmental chair and  acknowledgments of technical, financial and material support; and
9. If the manuscript was presented as part at a meeting, the organization, place, and exact date on which it was read.
Article file: The main text of the article, beginning from Abstract till References (including tables) should be in this file. Do not include any information (such as acknowledgement, your names in page headers, etc.) in this file. Use doc files. Do not zip the files. Limit the file size to 400 kb. Do not incorporate images in the file. If file size is large, graphs can be submitted as images separately without incorporating them in the article file to reduce the size of the file.
Images: Submit good quality colour images. Each image should be less than 400 kb in size. Size of the image can be reduced by decreasing the actual height and width of the images (keep up to 800 pixels or 4 inches). All image formats (jpeg, tiff, gif, bmp, png, eps, etc.) are acceptable; jpeg is most suitable. Do not zip the files. Please obtain permission for all images wherever required. Or else, it may attract legal action.
Legends: Legends for the figures/images should be kept ready for copy-paste during the submission process.

Tables:
1. Tables should be self-explanatory and should not duplicate textual material. Tables with more than 10 columns and 25 rows are not acceptable. Limit the number to minimum required.
2. Number tables, in Arabic numerals, consecutively in the order of their first citation in the text and supply a brief title for each.
3. Place explanatory matter in footnotes, not in the heading. Explain in footnotes all non-standard abbreviations that are used in each table. For footnotes use the  following symbols, in this sequence: *, †, ‡, §, ||, ¶, **, ††, ‡‡
4. Obtain permission for all fully borrowed, adapted, and modified tables and provide a credit line in the footnote.

Submission of copyright form: All the authors have to submit the signed copyright form by scanning and uploading it. This may not be required at the time of submission of article at the first instance; however, if the authors are asked to submit the revised version of the manuscript, submission of signed copyright form along with the revised version is a must.

Protection of Patients’ Right to Privacy

Identifying information should not be published in written descriptions, photographs, sonograms, CT scans, etc., and pedigrees unless the information is essential for scientific purposes and the patient (or parent or guardian, wherever applicable) gives informed consent for publication. Authors should remove patients’ names from figures unless they have obtained informed consent from the patients. The journal abides by ICMJE guidelines:
Authors, neither the journals nor the publisher, need to obtain the patient consent form before the publication and have the form properly archived. The consent forms are not to be uploaded with the cover letter or sent through email to editorial or publisher offices.

If the manuscript contains patient images that preclude anonymity, or a description that has obvious indication to the identity of the patient, a statement about obtaining informed patient consent should be indicated in the manuscript.

Checklist you need to prepare

(to be tick marked, as applicable and one copy attached with the manuscript)
Covering letter
® Signed by all contributors
® Previous publication / presentations mentioned
® Source of funding mentioned
® Conflicts of interest disclosed
Authors
® Middle name initials provided
® Author for correspondence, with e-mail address provided
® Identity not revealed in paper except title page (e.g. name of the institute in
material and methods, citing previous study as ‘our study’, name of institute in
photographs, etc.)

Presentation and format
® Title page contains all the desired information (vide supra)
® Running title provided (not more than 50 characters)
® Abstract page contains the full title of the manuscript
® Abstract provided (150 words for case reports and 250 words for original articles)
® Structured abstract provided for an original article
® Key words provided (three or more)
® Introduction of 75-100 words
® Headings in title case (not ALL CAPITALS, not underlined)
® References cited in superscript in the text without brackets
® References according to the journal’s instructions.

Language and grammar
® Uniformly American English
® Abbreviations spelt out in full for the first time
Tables and figures
® No repetition of data in tables/graphs and in text
® Actual numbers from which graphs drawn, provided
® Figures necessary and of good quality (colour)
® Table and figure numbers in Arabic letters (not Roman)
® Figure legends provided (not more than 40 words)
® Patients’ privacy maintained (if not, written permission enclosed)
® Credit note for borrowed figures/tables provided