Submissions

Login or Register to make a submission.

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.
  • I understand and declare that this submission is an original work and that neither this work nor one with substantially similar content has been published elsewhere in whole or in part [except in abstract form], that it has only been submitted for this publication, and that it will not be submitted elsewhere pending written notice of acceptance or rejection by this journal.
  • I understand and declare that all authors stipulated have participated sufficiently in the conception and design of this work and the analysis of the data [where applicable], as well as the writing of the manuscript and take responsibility for it. All authors believe the manuscript represents valid work and have reviewed the final version of the manuscript and approve it for publication.
  • I understand and declare that all the data, upon which the manuscript is based, shall be produced for the evaluation by the editors or the assignees should it be requested.
  • I understand and declare that the manuscript contains no libelous or unlawful statements and does not infringe on the rights of others including a person’s rights to privacy and confidentiality. If excerpts [e.g. text and artwork] from all types of copyrighted works are included in this manuscript, written permission will be secured, by the authors, and proper credit will be shown in the manuscript.
  • The name/s of all author/s and their qualifications are clearly stipulated in the submitted manuscript.
  • The contact details of the main author is provided with the submitted manuscript.
  • The title, abstract, keywords, figures, graphs, tables are in the specified format and within permitted numbers as stipulated under AUTHOR’S GUIDELINES.

  • The submitted manuscript is in the correct format (MS Word), layout, and reference method as stipulated under AUTHOR’S GUIDELINES.

    The  submitted  manuscript  has been language edited.

  • In the event of requesting withdrawal of the submitted manuscript (see condtions of submission form), after it has reached review stage or awaiting publication, I/we accept responsibility for payment of costs to the Society of Radiographers of South Africa, and accept that the editor will only agree to the withdrawal request after payment has been received.

  • In-house layout/ formatting

    Authors  to   use italics  without  inverted  commas  for verbatim  responses/comments  of  participants  in    qualitative  research. The  comments/responses in italics  to be  indented within the manuscript.

    Authors  to   refer to the online  instructions for  layout  of   papers/case  reports.  Vancouver   system to be  used for  referencing.

    If  you  are unsure  then  kindly email  sorsaeditor@gmail.com to  request a template.

  • Proofreading of  galley  PDF:  turnaround deadline for  main  author

    The   turnaround time   to proofread  a  galley PDF  is 72 hours  (3 days)  from when an online email  is  sent  to the main author

  • LANGUAGE  EDITING


    Submitted manuscripts  have to be  have been language edited.

    Authors by uploading material

    • confirm  that  the submitted  manuscript has been  edited by a language editor/copyeditor 
    • agree  to obtaining the  services of a language  editor if  revisions are required. 

    Note  that  minor copy editing will be done  by the section  editor/editor when  the manuscript is  accepted  for publication.

  • ORCID ID of author/s to be uploaded in a separate file: Intial, surname and 16 digit ORCID number. If authors do not have a 16 digit ORCID number they should register at https://orcid.org/register
  • Conditions of submission
  • Conditions of submission form to be downloaded and completed then uploaded as a Supp file or emailed to sorsaeditor@gmail.com
  • Download the conditions of submission
    Click on the above link to download the form to complete as stated above

Author Guidelines

ONLINE SUBMISSION v2
Submissions are received online at http://www.sar.org.za. Using this system, authors can upload manuscript files (text and figures) directly to our office and check on the status of their manuscripts during the review process.

  • Registration and login are required to submit items online and to check the status of submissions during the review process.
  • Only MS WORD documents (.doc and .docx) are acceptable and must be uploaded as one text file with separate files uploaded for images, tables and graphs (one per file). Two images and one table will equal 3 separate files.
  • Please bear in mind at this point, that should your article be accepted for publication, the editor may ask you for high-resolution, print acceptable images to be submitted (see our FINAL ARTWORK section for specific requirements).

 

SUBMISSION POLICIES
Original articles, opinion articles, technical reports and case reports are invited and should be submitted as MS WORD documents online to The Editor (Please see Section Policies).
Manuscripts must be submitted exclusively to SAR on the understanding that they have not and will not be published elsewhere (refer to document: Conditions of Submission). Authors are encouraged to visit www.sar.org.za for online submission of articles for potential publication. The Editor retains the right to modify the style and length of the submitted manuscript (major changes being agreed with the corresponding author) and to decide the time of publication.

The SAR publishes all material on the understanding that the design of the work has been approved by a relevant ethics committee and/or it conforms to the professional standards and legislation currently applied in the country of origin.
All material to be submitted online.

  • Contributers are requested to adhere closely to the following requirements. Failure to comply will lead to delay in publication.
  • PDF proofs/galleys will be uploaded online for corresponding author approval only. If no comments are received within three (3) days the editor/publisher will assume that the author/s accept the changes made to the material. Major changes to material sent for publication are only allowed in exceptional circumstances and the additional cost may be charged to the author.
  • The SAR reserves the right to make the final decision about matters of style, layout and the size of figures.



 

PRIMARY RESEARCH FORMATS

ORIGINAL ARTICLES
Each typescript component (MS WORD .doc or .docx files only) should begin on a new page in the following order:

  • Title page – should include title, authors’ names (initials, surname, qualifications and departmental addresses), a short title of not more than 45 characters for the running headlines and the corresponding authors' details (name, postal address, telephone/cell and email address), to whom the proofs and offprint requests should be directed.
  • Abstract and Keywords (max. 250 words) – a summary highlighting the design and objective of the investigation/research, results and conclusions. The abstract should be followed by a list of Keywords (max. 5 words) that do not appear in the main title.
  • Lay abstract of not more than 80 words
  • Main text (max. 4000 words) – Should include headings:
    - Introduction
    - Methodology/Materials & methods
    - Results
    - Discussion
    - Conclusion
    - Acknowledgements.
  • Conflict of  interest/competing interests
  • If  two or more authors then role of  each must be  provided. For example, BS (University of Pretoria) was the main researcher; MN ( Central University of Technology) was  responsible for data capturing and presentation of the results;  VC ( Central University of  Technology) assisted with interpretation of the  results.  BS  drafted the  manuscript. MN and VC provided  critical comments and recommendations  regarding  literature  review.

     - Informed  consent must be  obtained if  patient  data is  used

  • References – no more than 50
  • Note  Vancouver  system must be  used :  e.g. in text  Smith [1].

Note: Figures, tables and graphs must not be included in the main text file as these are considered supplementary (supp) files.
Each one must be a separate file (max. 8) and must be uploaded one at a time. They must all conform to material specifications – smallest file size that provides sufficient resolution, preferably less than 1MB, so that the referees do not have to download extremely large files.
Supp. files (plus brief title and legend) to be uploaded in any of these formats:
.doc (MS Word document)
.jpg (JPEG image)
.pdf (Adobe Acrobat file)

When a paper is accepted, the editor will request HIGH RESOLUTION supplementary files suitable for publication.

 

OPINION ARTICLES
Follow the same layout requirements as ORIGINAL ARTICLES above.

 

CASE REPORTS
Each typescript component (MS WORD .doc or .docx files only) should begin on a new page in the following order:

  • Title page – should include title, authors’ names (initials, surname, qualifications and departmental addresses, no more than 3 author's), a short title of not more than 45 characters for the running headlines and the corresponding authors' details (name, postal address, telephone/cell and email address), to whom the proofs and offprint requests should be directed.
  • Abstract and Keywords (max. 100 words) – a summary of the main text. The abstract should be followed by a list of Keywords (max. 4 words) that do not appear in the main title.
  • Lay abstract of not more than 80 words
  • Main text (max. 1000 words) – Should include headings: 
    - Case report: patient's clinical history, investigations and results.
    - Discussion: relevant published literature pertaining to the case report.
    - Concluding comments: main issues and further management of patient, if applicable.
    - Acknowledgements.
  • Informed  consent must be  obtained if  patient  data is  used
  • Competing interest ( as in original papers)
  • If more than  two authors then same format  as  original  papers
  • References – no more than 10.
  • Vancouver  system to be  used (  see  example  above).

Note: Figures, tables and graphs must not be included in the main text file as these are considered supplementary (supp) files.
Each one must be a separate file (max. 4) and must be uploaded one at a time. They must all conform to material specifications – smallest file size that provides sufficient resolution, preferably less than 1MB, so that the referees do not have to download extremely large files.
Supp. files (plus brief title and legend) to be uploaded in any of these formats:
.doc (MS Word document)
.jpg (JPEG image)
.pdf (Adobe Acrobat file)

When a paper is accepted, the editor will request HIGH RESOLUTION supplementary files suitable for publication.

 

OTHER FORMATS
Letters to The Editor intended for publication are encouraged, particularly letters referring to a paper already published in SAR and correspondence on pertinent original topics. The style of references is the same as given for manuscripts. Anonymous letters will not be published, unless the name and address of the author is supplied to the editor.
Book reviews relevant to the profession of radiography, including education, are encouraged. The review should contain the reviewer’s name (initials and surname, affiliations, departmental address, telephone, fax and e-mail address), title of book, edition, publisher, place, date, ISBN number, price of the book and total number of pages. The review should begin on a separate page and it should clearly cover the main theme of the book. A brief mention should be made of its layout, quality of print and its suitability for radiographers and/or student radiographers.

 

For specific section guidelines please see Section Policies

 

PREPARING THE MANUSCRIPT

  • Papers must be in English and spelling should conform to the Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English (no American English, please).
  • Material for potential publication must be submitted in MS WORD format (.doc or .docx) and any tables, graphs and/or images must be clearly labelled and submitted as separate files.
  • Please use a standard, 12-point font throughout your manuscript, e.g. Times/Times New Roman.
  • Please use single spacing with all pages numbered consecutively, including those of acknowledgements and references. Do not use upper case (capitals) for headings. Do not insert page breaks at the end of sections. Do not insert a double space at the end of sentences.
  • When quoting specific materials or drugs, authors should give their approved names, with if necessary, proprietary names in parenthesis (brackets) with the name of the manufacturer.
  • Abbreviations should be unambiguous and only used where appropriate. Their meaning should be clearly explained where they are first introduced e.g. anterior-posterior (AP); computed tomography (CT).
  • Measurements of height, length, mass (weight) and volume should be given in metric units (metre, kilogram, litre) or their decimal multiples. Temperatures should be given in degrees Celsius and blood pressure in mmHg. Other measurements including laboratory measurements should be reported in the metric system in terms of the International System of Units (SI).
  • References in the text should be given as numbers in square brackets as  per the  Vancouver system: in order of citation,e.g. [1], [4-7]. Reference cited more than once to retain first number throughout the text. References should be listed in numerical order at the end of the article on separate page(s) using the following format:
  1. Proto A. Conventional chest radiographs: understanding newer observations. Radiology. 1992; 183, (3): 593-603.
  2. Barnes GT, Tishler JM. Fluoroscopic image quality and its implications regarding equipment selection and usage. In: Coulam CM, Erickson JJ, Rollo FD, James AE, eds. The physical basis of medical imaging. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts; 1981: 93-106.
  3. Curry TS 111, Dowdey JE, Murray RC, Jr. Christensen’s physics of diagnostic radiology, 4th ed. Philadelphia: Lea & Febiger; 1990: 190-131.
  4. International Occupational Safety and Health Information Centre (CIS) 1999. [cited  2020 March 12]. Avialable from :  http://www.iol.org/public/english/protection/safework/cis/products/safetytytm/toxic.htm

It is the responsibility of the author(s) to ensure that references quoted in the text are included in the list of references and vice versa. The accuracy of the references is the responsibility of the author(s).

 

ONLINE SUBMISSION OF FIGURES

  • Figures and tables should be uploaded as separate files.
  • Each file must be clearly numbered (referring to number within the article) and must include a brief title and legend.
  • Please use the smallest file size that provides sufficient resolution, preferably less than 1MB, so that the referees do not have to download extremely large files (online submission only).
  • Should your article be accepted for publication the editor will request suitable high-resolution files.
  • Please bear this in mind when sourcing images for your article.
  • Acceptable formats for figures and tables are:
    .doc/.docx – MS Word documents (tables and graphs)
    .jpg – JPEG image (images and photographs)
    .pdf – Adobe Acrobat file

 

When a paper is accepted, the editor will request high-resolution files suitable for publication.

 

FINAL HIGH-RESOLUTION ARTWORK/IMAGES FOR PUBLICATION (if requested)

The following instructions only apply if your article and artwork have been accepted for publication in SAR.

  • Final artwork and any image queries can be sent straight to the layout editor Ms Karen Adamson
  • Authors are advised to refer to printed copies of the SAR for a sense of general sizes and style points.
  • Contributors are responsible for obtaining written permission to publish any figures or illustrations that are protected by copyright, including figures published elsewhere and pictures taken by professional photographers.
  • Contributors  are  responsible for obtaining  written permission from patients to  publish any of  the data/records/images.
  • Contributores are  responsible  to ensure that patient privacy must be adhered to and  that their  details must not be included in manuscripts.
  • Patient identification must be obscured. Side markers and arrows should be applied to depict a particular feature where necessary.
  • Lettering on figures should be in a clear sans-serif typeface (for e.g. HELVETICA or ARIAL) and, if possible, the same typeface in approximately the same font size should be used for all figures in a paper. Use SYMBOL font for Greek letters. Labeling must be of sufficient size and contrast to be readable after appropriate reduction. Where possible, avoid placing lettering over images or shaded areas. Minimum text size should be 8pt.
  • All figures, tables, radiographic images (e.g. plain-film radiographs, CT/MRI/US scans and illustrations) must be supplied in an appropriate high resolution for print publication (300-600dpi). SAR’s standard image size is 12cm across (the size of one column) or larger.
  • All tables and figures must be referred to in the article.
  • Acceptable high-resolution formats for figures are:
    EPS (high resolution 300-600dpi)
    PDF (print-ready embedded .pdf only)
    JPEG (high resolution 300-600dpi)
    If JPEG is the only option available then set to the highest possible size and quality to minimize loss of information.
  • Please note that images downloaded from the Internet are not suitable for publication.
  • Other formats that we can accept are .doc/.docx (MS WORD), but images MUST be 12cm across or larger at a resolution of not less than 300dpi.
  • All SAR articles in  digital format thus both B&W and  colour images are accepted.
  • Please send editable tables as .doc files (MS WORD) and not as JPEGs. Column headings should be brief with units of measurements in parenthesis.
  • Artificially increasing an image’s size and resolution in MS WORD will NOT improve its quality.
  • Please do not send us digital figure files of previously printed articles.
  • Figures that do not meet SAR's guidelines will not reproduce well and will delay publication.

 

Cases: imaging quiz

Must  include  5 multiple  choice  questions  for  each  case

Congress proceedings

Congress  abstract  of   research  study:  aim,  method, results , conclusion based on  findings

Copyright Notice

Copyright on all published material belongs to the Society of Radiographers of South Africa (SORSA).

I hereby understand and declare that:

  • All proprietary rights other than copyright are reserved to the authors, as well as the right to reproduce original figures and tables from this item in their future works, provided full credit is given to the original publication The South African Radiographer ISSN 0258 0241.
  • In consideration of the reviewing and editing done by the editors of The South African Radiographer of the above named manuscript, the author/s hereby transfer, assign, or otherwise convey all copyright ownership world-wide, in all languages, to the Society of Radiographers of South Africa in the event that this manuscript is accepted for publication.
  • If the manuscript has been commissioned by another person or organisation, or if it has been written as part of the duties of an employee, that full authorisation has been given by the representative of the commissioning organisation or employer to be published in the The South African Radiographer.

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.