Author Guidelines

Author Guidelines

The Journal of Neurosurgery Academy (JNA) publishes peer-reviewed surgical and educational articles that provide practical and clinically relevant descriptions of surgical procedures, operative techniques, surgical decision-making, and video-based surgical education.

Authors should ensure that submissions are original, prepared specifically for JNA, and comply with the journal's editorial, ethical, and publication policies.

1. General Submission Principles

Authors should observe the following requirements when preparing and submitting a manuscript:

  • Manuscripts should be submitted only to JNA while they are under consideration. Authors should not submit the same manuscript simultaneously to more than one journal.
  • The submitted manuscript should be original and should not have been published previously, in whole or in substantial part, except where appropriately disclosed and permitted under the journal's policies.
  • Authors should disclose any related manuscripts, previous publications, or overlapping content that may be relevant to the submission.
  • All authors should have made appropriate contributions to the work, approved the submitted version, and agreed to its submission to JNA.
  • The manuscript should be prepared according to the article type selected at submission.
  • Authors should ensure that all statements, references, figures, tables, and associated multimedia are accurate and appropriately presented.
  • Patient-identifying information should not be included unless its publication is necessary and appropriately authorized in accordance with the journal's policies.
  • Authors are responsible for ensuring that any third-party material included in the submission can be legally reproduced or published.

Additional requirements relating to publication ethics, patient consent, ethical approval, conflicts of interest, funding, authorship, copyright, licensing, artificial intelligence, and other publication matters are provided in the journal's respective policies and declaration forms.


2. Article Types

JNA publishes the following article types.

2.1 Surgical Procedure / Operative Technique with Associated Video/Media

A Surgical Procedure / Operative Technique with Associated Video/Media article provides a detailed and educational description of a surgical procedure, operative approach, technical modification, or surgical strategy without an individual patient or case being the principal subject of the article.

The article should emphasize the practical and educational aspects of the procedure, including, where appropriate:

  • indications and patient-selection principles;
  • contraindications and limitations;
  • preoperative evaluation and planning;
  • relevant surgical anatomy;
  • patient positioning;
  • surgical approach;
  • operative steps;
  • critical anatomical landmarks;
  • technical nuances;
  • surgical decision-making;
  • potential difficulties and pitfalls;
  • complication avoidance and management;
  • postoperative considerations; and
  • surgical pearls and technical points.

An individual patient, case presentation, or patient-specific outcome is not required for this article type.

An associated or embedded operative video or other relevant multimedia is an integral component of the article and should directly complement the written description. The multimedia should demonstrate relevant operative steps, surgical anatomy, technical nuances, or other educational aspects of the procedure.

Established procedures may be submitted when they provide meaningful technical, practical, or educational value. A completely new surgical procedure is not required.

Authors are encouraged to consult the SUPER (SUrgical tecnique rEporting) reporting guideline when preparing this article type.

2.2 Surgical Procedure Case Report with Associated Video/Media

A Surgical Procedure Case Report with Associated Video/Media describes an individual patient or clinically relevant case in which the surgical procedure, operative strategy, technical challenge, unusual finding, or clinical decision-making provides meaningful clinical or educational value.

The article should present the relevant clinical context together with a detailed description of the surgical procedure.

Depending on the nature of the case, the article may address:

  • clinical presentation;
  • relevant history and examination;
  • investigations and imaging;
  • diagnosis;
  • indication for surgery;
  • patient-specific surgical decision-making;
  • preoperative planning;
  • operative procedure;
  • intraoperative findings;
  • technical challenges;
  • management of important anatomical structures;
  • complications and their management;
  • postoperative course;
  • outcome and follow-up; and
  • key clinical or surgical learning points.

The operative procedure and associated video/media should form an integrated part of the article. The video should directly complement the written description and may demonstrate surgical anatomy, operative steps, technical nuances, intraoperative findings, or other educational aspects of the case.

The case should provide meaningful clinical, surgical, or educational value. An unusual or rare diagnosis is not, by itself, required for consideration.

2.3 Editorial

An Editorial is a scholarly commentary, perspective, opinion, or discussion addressing a topic relevant to neurosurgery, surgical practice, surgical education, or the scope of JNA.

Editorials may address important developments in neurosurgery, surgical techniques or approaches, surgical education, clinical or operative practice, articles published in the journal, emerging developments, controversies, or other matters of relevance to the neurosurgical community.

Editorials are generally commissioned or invited by the Editor or editorial team. They are not intended to present a conventional surgical case report or a detailed operative technique.

The format, length, and reference requirements for an Editorial may be determined by the Editor according to the purpose and scope of the article.


3. Manuscript Preparation and Templates

Authors should prepare manuscripts according to the selected article type and use the appropriate JNA manuscript template.

Surgical Articles

A single Surgical Articles Manuscript Template is provided for both:

  1. Surgical Procedure / Operative Technique with Associated Video/Media, and
  2. Surgical Procedure Case Report with Associated Video/Media.

Please find the template in the below link which provides the recommended manuscript structure, section headings, and instructions for preparing both types of surgical articles.

Manuscript Template

Authors should include the sections applicable to their selected article type.

The Surgical Procedure / Operative Technique pathway is intended for articles describing a surgical procedure or operative technique without an individual patient or case as the principal subject.

The Surgical Procedure Case Report pathway is intended for articles in which an individual patient or clinical case is the principal subject. Case-specific sections identified in the template should be completed where applicable.

Both surgical article types require an associated or embedded operative video or other relevant multimedia that directly complements the written article.

[Surgical Articles Manuscript Template]

Editorials

Editorials are generally prepared by invitation. Specific formatting, length, and submission requirements may be provided by the editorial office.


4. Surgical Video and Multimedia Requirements

Because JNA is focused on video-based surgical education, associated operative video or multimedia should be prepared as an integral component of the surgical article.

Authors should ensure that:

  • the video directly corresponds to the procedure described in the manuscript;
  • the principal operative steps are clearly demonstrated;
  • important anatomical structures and technical nuances are identified where appropriate;
  • narration, subtitles, labels, arrows, or other annotations may be used to improve educational value;
  • unnecessary or unrelated footage is avoided;
  • the video is reviewed for potentially identifying information;
  • patient-identifying information is appropriately removed or obscured where applicable; and
  • editing does not alter the substantive representation of the surgical procedure or create a misleading impression of the operative events.

The manuscript should contain a concise video title, duration, description, and video legend as specified in the Surgical Articles Manuscript Template.


5. Reporting Guidelines

For Surgical Procedure / Operative Technique with Associated Video/Media articles, authors are encouraged to consult the SUPER reporting guideline.

For Surgical Procedure Case Reports with Associated Video/Media, authors are encouraged to consult the CARE guideline and, where applicable, the SCARE guideline.

Authors are encouraged to consult relevant established reporting guidelines when preparing their manuscripts.

Use of a reporting guideline does not replace the journal's manuscript requirements.


6. Submission Checklist

Before submission, authors should ensure that:

  • the correct article type has been selected;
  • the manuscript follows the appropriate JNA manuscript template;
  • the manuscript is not simultaneously under consideration by another journal;
  • all authors have approved the submitted manuscript;
  • relevant overlapping or previously published material has been disclosed;
  • the surgical procedure is described adequately for its intended educational purpose;
  • the associated video or multimedia directly complements the manuscript;
  • the video and manuscript are consistent with each other;
  • figures and tables are appropriately cited and submitted;
  • references are accurate and complete;
  • patient-identifying information has been appropriately managed;
  • required permissions have been obtained for third-party material; and
  • all applicable journal declarations and submission forms have been completed.

Authors should consult the journal's separate policies and declaration forms for detailed requirements relating to ethics, patient consent, conflicts of interest, funding, authorship, copyright, licensing, artificial intelligence, and publication ethic.