Nigerian Journal
of Cancer Research

Manuscripts must be original, unpublished and not simultaneously under consideration elsewhere. Submissions should be made through the NJCR online submission system or by email to submit@njcr.nicrat.gov.ng.

Only electronic Microsoft Word (.docx) files, double-spaced, in 12-point Times New Roman with 2.5 cm margins are accepted. Authors must submit an Author Declaration Form and cover letter.

Manuscripts undergo initial editorial screening followed by double-blind peer review by at least two independent expert reviewers. NJCR targets a first editorial decision within 6–8 weeks.

Reviewers are normally given four weeks, with one extension of up to two weeks. Decisions may be accept, minor revision, major revision, reject with invitation to resubmit, or reject.

Authorship must meet all four ICMJE criteria: substantial contribution; drafting or critical revision; final approval; and accountability for the work. Contributors who do not qualify should be acknowledged.

Authors should provide individual contributions using the CRediT taxonomy. Changes after submission require written approval from all co-authors.

Authors, reviewers and editors must declare relevant financial and non-financial interests. Declarations are published verbatim with each article, and editors or reviewers with conflicts must recuse themselves.

Studies involving human or animal subjects must include an Ethical Considerations subsection in Methods, naming the reviewing committee, approval number or waiver, consent process and data-protection measures.

Clinical trials must be prospectively registered in a WHO-approved registry before recruitment. Animal research must comply with Nigerian legislation and recognized guidelines such as ARRIVE 2.0.

Original research articles should include Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, References, Figures and Tables.

Abstracts are limited to 300 words and should use Background, Objective, Methods, Results and Conclusion. Keywords should contain 5–8 MeSH-compliant terms.

References must use Vancouver superscript style exclusively and be numbered in the order first cited. Journal titles should follow NLM Index Medicus abbreviations. For more than six authors, list the first six followed by “et al.”

Tables should be self-explanatory and must not exceed 10 columns or 25 rows. Figures must be sequentially numbered, legible after reduction, and accompanied by concise legends. Digital images require a minimum of 300 dpi or 1800 × 1600 pixels in TIFF format.

Identifying patient details must not be published unless scientifically necessary and informed consent for publication has been obtained. Authors are responsible for obtaining and retaining patient consent documentation.

NJCR strongly promotes open science. Authors are encouraged to deposit underlying data, code and analysis files in recognized repositories. Where sharing is restricted, the Data Availability Statement must explain the restriction and access pathway.

NJCR distinguishes errata, corrigenda, retractions and expressions of concern. Post-publication notices remain permanently linked to the original article and retracted articles remain in the archive with clear retraction labels.

Authors may submit a formal appeal within 30 days of rejection where there are fundamental procedural flaws or serious factual inaccuracies. The Editorial Policy is reviewed annually and archived for transparency.

Authors retain copyright and grant NICRAT a non-exclusive licence to publish and archive. Articles are published under CC BY 4.0. Despite institutional affiliation with NICRAT and the Federal Government, NJCR maintains complete editorial independence in publication decisions.