Neurology Manuscript Classifications

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Short Article in Print/Expanded Article Online for Research Articles

Short-format (1 page) versions of research Articles accepted by Neurology will be written by a medical writer for the print journal. The full article, with expanded word and figure limits and considered the version of record, will be published online. The short-form article places the research in context by summarizing the study question and answer, what is known and what the paper adds, design and setting, primary outcomes or main results, confounding factors, and generalizability to other populations. Research of our readership informed Neurology that readers prefer to read short articles across subspecialties and that researchers in a subspecialty access the online article when reading articles and selecting citations. Note that authors will not be requested to write the short article (this will be done by a medical writer after acceptance), but will have the opportunity to edit and proof it. To allow authors to more fully describe their research, the word limits for the expanded online article have increased to 4500 words, the number of tables or figures increased from 5 to 7, and references increased to 50. We encourage authors to incorporate as much data as possible within these limits in an effort to reduce any online supplemental data posts (e-Methods, etc). Read more about the 2018 pilot initiative in the January 2, 2018 editorial  "The new Neurology: Redesigns, short articles for print, full articles online, and data availability policies".

Manuscript Classifications (expanded descriptions below)

Manuscript type	Word count (excluding abstract, tables, figure legends, references, and supplemental data)	Abstract required, word count	Maximum references allowed	Total figures/tables allowed	Description
Scientific Contributions
Articles	≤ 4500	Yes ≤ 250	≤ 50	≤ 7	Full-length reports of original research
Articles (Smaller Scope Studies)	≤ 1250	Yes,≤ 250	≤ 10	≤ 3	Smaller (e.g. 10-50 participants) uncontrolled, nonrandomized, or unblinded clinical trials
Null Hypotheses	≤ 4500	Yes, ≤ 250	≤ 50	≤ 7	Negative, inconclusive, or replication studies
Clinical/Scientific Notes	≤ 750	No	≤ 7	≤ 1	Abbreviated reports on cases or preliminary studies
Disputes & Debates	≤ 200	No	≤ 5	None	Correspondence; “letters to the editor”
NeuroImages, Video NeuroImages	≤ 100, ≤ 50 in legend	No	≤ 2	≤ 2	Photomicrographs, patients photographs, neuroradiologic images videos
Special Categories
Views/Reviews	≤ 5000	Yes,≤ 250	≤ 60	≤ 8	Literature review or opinion statement
Medical Hypotheses	≤ 3000	Yes,≤ 250	≤ 40	≤ 5	Proposes an explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation
Contemporary Issues in Neurologic Practice (Education, Clinical Research, Professionalism)	≤ 3500	Yes, >≤ 250	≤ 40	≤ 5	Presents topics related to the contemporary practice of neurology in the United States, such as education
Historical Neurology	≤ 2000	Optional, >≤ 250	≤ 30	≤ 2	Original research on historical aspects of neurology
Other Contributions
Global Perspectives	≤ 1250	No	≤ 5	≤ 2	International news about scientific findings or academic issues
Teaching NeuroImages (Resident & Fellow Section)	≤ 100	No	≤ 2	≤ 2	Same guidelines but targeted to Resident & Fellow Section readers
Other Contributions, Resident & Fellow Section	1500	Optional	≤ 10	≤1 (unless approved to show a sequence)	Serves the resident, fellow, and broader trainee and educator readership

Scientific Contributions

Articles

Articles are full-length reports of original research. These include large-scale pivotal trials of new therapies (randomized clinical trials). According to ClinicalTrials.gov, clinical trials "are generally considered to be biomedical or health-related research studies in human beings that follow a pre-defined protocol. ClinicalTrials.gov includes both interventional and observational types of studies. Interventional studies are those in which the research participants are assigned by the investigator to a treatment or other intervention, and outcomes are measured. Observational studies are those in which individuals are observed and their outcomes are measured by the investigators."

Specifications:

• Effective November 1, 2017 for new submissions: Maximum of 4500 words not including abstract, figure legends, table legends, or references (about 15 double-spaced manuscript pages).
• Structured abstract containing a 1-sentence Objective, Methods, Results, and Conclusions (maximum 250 words).
• Limit of 50 references. The best references should be included rather than duplicative citations for single points. Citations to non-peer-reviewed work should be avoided. If additional references are deemed important, they can be published online as supplemental data. (see Supplemental Data/Additional Files).
• Limit of 7 figures and tables total. Additional figures or tables can be published online. Tables should not repeat data in the text.
• If a table is longer than two double-spaced manuscript pages (including the legend), it will be published online as supplementary material.
• Figure legends must explain what is represented in the figure rather than repeating results, methods, and conclusions.
• If Methods contain widely available, detailed protocols, appropriate portions may be posted online only (as supplemental data) at the Editor's discretion.

Articles (Smaller Scope Studies)

Neurology will consider smaller (e.g., 10-50 participants), uncontrolled, nonrandomized, or unblinded clinical trials as Articles (Smaller Scope Studies) articles. This category includes preliminary observations or pilot studies or presentation of one or a few informative cases. These manuscripts should be uploaded under "Article" in the Neurology tracking system with “Smaller Scope Study” noted in the cover letter. The editors reserve the right to make final decisions regarding length of these articles.

Specifications:

• Maximum of 1250 words (not including abstract, figure legends, table legends, references)
• Structured abstract, maximum of 250 words
• No more than 10 references
• Maximum of 3 tables and/or figures

Null Hypothesis

This section represents an ongoing collaboration between Neurology and the Center for Biomedical Research Transparency. Null Hypothesis articles present well-conducted negative, inconclusive, or replication studies, aiming for a research reporting culture where hypotheses and study quality can be equally viewed, whether the null hypothesis is rejected or not. Read the full background and objectives in the Editorial. The specifications are the same as an Article.

Clinical/Scientific Notes

Clinical/Scientific Notes are abbreviated reports on cases or preliminary studies.

Specifications:

• Maximum of 750 words
• No abstract (the title serves as abstract)
• No more than 1 table or figure
• No more than 7 references

Disputes & Debates: Rapid Online Correspondence

The WriteClick rapid online correspondence has been replaced by Disputes & Debates. The goal of this section is to encourage concise, rapid debate among authors and readers of Neurology. Disputes & Debates is restricted to comments about studies published in Neurology within the past eight weeks, with the exception of submissions identifying possible errors in data or data analysis, or by appeal to the Editor. Disputes & Debates comments will be edited for clarity and length with the goal of posting within 72 hours of submission. At the editor’s discretion, comments may be published later in the print section “Disputes & Debates: Editor’s Choice” and indexed by PubMed (online-only comments are not indexed by PubMed).

Readers wishing to submit a comment on an article can access the Disputes & Debates area at the end of the online article and click on the “Comment” button (the comment button at the top of the article webpage will also bring you to the Disputes & Debates area). As a forum for professional feedback, comment submissions are open to all. You do not need to be a subscriber. Follow the instructions for comment submission. Required fields are marked with a red asterisk. Contributor information will be published with your comment We also require that any competing financial interests are declared. Unprofessional submissions will not be considered.

Authors of Disputes & Debates comments sent to Neurology should keep the following statement from the Uniform Requirements for Medical Journal Editors in mind:

"Although editors have the prerogative to sift out correspondence material that is irrelevant, uninteresting, or lacking in cogency, they have a responsibility to allow a range of opinion to be expressed. The correspondence column should not be used merely to promote the Journal's or the editors' point of view. In all instances, editors must make an effort to screen out discourteous, inaccurate, or libelous statements, and should not allow ad hominem arguments intended to discredit opinions or findings."

Specifications:

• Maximum of 200 words
• Maximum of 5 references; reference 1 must be the article on which you are commenting
• Maximum of 5 authors (replies can incorporate full original article author list)

NeuroImages

NeuroImages are interesting, previously unpublished photomicrographs, patient photographs, neuroradiologic images, or other pictorial material. Authors submitting in this category do so with the understanding that, if accepted, their NeuroImage may appear online-only. Preference for acceptance will be given to well-written, superbly illustrated novel examples from neurological practice. Particularly clear examples of established observations may be considered for the Resident and Fellow section.

Specifications:

• No more than 2 figures
• A title of 96 characters maximum (including spaces and punctuation)
• A legend of 50 words or less
• A case summary of 100 words or less
• No more than 2 references

Video NeuroImages

Video NeuroImages have the same requirements as NeuroImages except they are accompanied by a video. Authors should submit Video NeuroImages according to the requirements listed in the Video Format section. These submissions should portray activity (e.g., seizure activity, movement disorders, tics). Print readers will be alerted that the online version contains the full-length video.

Specifications:

• No more than 2 figures
• A title of 96 characters maximum (including spaces and punctuation)
• A legend of 50 words or less
• A case summary of 100 words or less
• No more than 2 references

Special Categories

Views/Reviews

Views/Reviews are either a review or an opinion statement that provides a summary of the most important recent information on a topic. If the review summarizes recommendations for practice, use the word "Recommendations" in the title rather than "Guidelines." (Guidelines published in the Journal are created by an established process by the American Academy of Neurology.)

Specifications:

• Effective November 1, 2017 for new submissions: Maximum of 5000 words, excluding references
• Abstract (structured optional), maximum 250 words
• Maximum of 60 references (additional may appear as supplemental data)
• No more than 8 tables and/or figures

Medical Hypotheses

Medical Hypotheses are papers that propose an explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation. Neurology will consider these manuscripts only if written by an acknowledged contributor to the field.

Specifications:

• Maximum of 3000 words, excluding references
• Abstract (structured optional), maximum 250 words
• Maximum of 40 references (additional may be added as online supplementary material). They should cite the most important papers in the field.
• No more than 5 tables and/or figures

Contemporary Issues

Contemporary Issues in Neurologic Practice are articles that address topics related to the contemporary practice of neurology in the United States.

Innovations in Education: In addition to other topics, we seek research studies that address important neurologic issues in the education of practitioners; the practitioners may be trainees, practicing neurologists, or persons in related fields. (Depending on the focus, a study may be more appropriate for the journal’s Resident and Fellow section or Neurology: Clinical Practice. Authors may submit to any of these three; the editors reserve the final decision as to most appropriate placement.)

Specifications:

• Maximum of 3500 words, excluding references
• Abstract (structured optional), maximum 250 words
• Maximum of 40 references
• No more than 5 figures and/or tables

Historical Neurology

Historical Neurology articles present original research on historical aspects of neurology: neurologists, diagnostic methods, or particular events that have shaped the field.

Specifications:

• Maximum length of 2000 words
• Abstract (structured optional), maximum of 250 words
• Maximum of 30 references
• No more than 2 tables and/or figures.

Global Perspectives

Global Perspectives submissions may be news about academic issues, spotlights on specific neurologic practice concerns within a country, or important information about international educational or scientific collaborative efforts. Submissions will be peer reviewed. Please note that this submission category is not designated for original research. Global Perspectives articles will be linked to from the Without Borders specialty site (see below). In some instances, the article may be a subject of a blog or interview on the Without Borders site.

Specifications:

• Maximum length of 1250 words
• No abstract
• Maximum of 5 references
• No more than 2 tables and/or figures.

Without Borders is a specialty interest site for the neurology global community (it is not a submission category). It features research from Neurology journals emanating from global, resource-limited settings (specifically from countries classified by the World Bank as [LMICs]), links to resources for those interested in global neurology, original blog entries, and interviews with authors. Without Borders coverage also includes activities conducted in higher–income settings that address conditions unique to LMICs (e.g. nodding syndrome, konzo). Contributions with original research from LMICs should be submitted to Neurology under the appropriate manuscript classification for Scientific Contributions (e.g., Article, Views & Reviews). Global Perspectives articles will also be linked to, and may be further discussed in, the Without Borders site.

Resident & Fellow Section

The Resident & Fellow Section is a primarily online-only feature that serves the resident, fellow, and broader trainee and educator readership. Trainees, including medical students, and others involved in neurology education (e.g., clerkship and program directors) are encouraged to submit articles for the Section under several specific categories. Click here for a list of topics. The length restrictions listed below apply to all categories in the Resident & Fellow section except Teaching NeuroImages. Teaching NeuroImages should adhere to the same specifications as NeuroImages. Papers submitted for this Section will undergo the same thorough peer review process as all Neurology submissions, and it is anticipated they will reflect the same high level of quality. While most submissions will be published on-line, exceptional papers may be published in print. The Resident & Fellow category (e.g., Clinical Reasoning) must be mentioned in the cover letter of the submission.

Specifications:

• Maximum length of 1500 words
• Longer with pre-approval by Section Editor
• No more than 10 references
• No more than 1 table and/or figure unless approved by the Editor to show a sequence
• Teaching NeuroImages: same as for NeuroImages

For submissions to the Teaching NeuroImage section: If the paper is accepted, authors will be required to submit PowerPoint slides of the Teaching NeuroImage. Authors must upload the Teaching Slide Deck as a supplemental file and label it “Teaching Slide Deck".

• Slide #: Slide Body (notes)
• Slide 1: Title slide
• Slide 2: Vignette
• Slide 3: Imaging (figure caption)
• Slide 4: Conclusions (references)