Instructions for authors

Submission policies

For guidelines on policy and submission across our journals, please click on the links below:

Authors may find it useful to consult our pre-submission checklist (查看本页中文译文).

The word count excludes the title page, abstract, tables, acknowledgements and contributions and the references. If you are not a native English speaker and would like assistance with your article there is a professional editing service available.

BMJ’s pre-submission checklist

When a paper has been submitted from the Editor, Deputy 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.

Editorials

Stroke and Vascular Neurology welcomes editorials. The purpose of an editorial is to provide a novel perspective on a clinically-relevant issue. We welcome suggestions for possible topics and authors.

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

Brief reports

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

Word count: no more than 1500 words
Abstract: structured, 200 words
Tables/Illustrations: up to one of each
References: should not normally exceed 15.

Original research

Original research papers should follow the basic structure of abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion, references, and tables and figures as appropriate.

Supplementary and raw data can be placed online separately from the text, and we may request that you separate out some material into supplementary data files to make the main manuscript clearer for readers.

Word count: up to 3500 words
Abstract: up to 300 words
Tables/Illustrations: maximum 8 tables and/or figures
References: up to 40

Case reports

Case reports need to show either an unusual clinical development, and/or a new insight into a well recognised clinical problem. A case report needs to have an educational message and must provide evidence of how the case contributes to our understanding of the condition/treatment.

All SVN case reports must be submitted on this Word template.

Summary: up to 150 words
Word count: up to 1000 words
References: up to 10
Images and multimedia files etc are encouraged.

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. The inclusion of additional material, e.g. video clips and sound files, and links to useful websites is strongly encouraged.

Word count: 5000 words maximum – bullet points encouraged
Tables/Illustrations: should not normally exceed 5
References: should not normally exceed 40, though the editorial team is willing to accept manuscripts with up to 200 references with the approval of the Managing Editor.

Supplements

Journals from BMJ are willing to consider publishing supplements. Supplement proposals may be made at the request of:

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • The BMJ Group itself may have proposals for supplements where sponsorship may be necessary.
  • 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.

When contacting us regarding a potential supplement, please include as much of the information below as possible:

  • Journal in which you would like the supplement published
  • Title of supplement and/or meeting on which it is based
  • Date of meeting on which it is based
  • Proposed table of contents with provisional article titles and proposed authors
  • An indication of whether authors have agreed to participate
  • Sponsor information including any relevant deadlines
  • An indication of the expected length of each paper Guest Editor proposals if appropriate

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