Wisconsin Medical Journal
107 #6
107 #6
Instructions for Wisconsin Medical Journal Authors
Revised: June 11, 2007
The Wisconsin Medical Journal, a peer-reviewed journal in which authors may publish scientific articles and report on research pertinent to Wisconsin medicine, publishes a number of types of manuscripts. Authors should indicate in which category they are submitting their work:
Editorials are solicited rather than submitted and relate to content in the specific issue. Word count should be between 700-900 words. All manuscripts are editorially reviewed.
Commentaries are a reflection on a theme contained in the issue and include up to 15 references. Commentaries are meant to provide an in-depth overview of an area of clinical medicine, policy or education that the Editor and the Editorial Board have chosen to highlight. These are generally solicited but on occasion are published from submissions. Word count should be between 700-1500 words. All manuscripts are editorially reviewed.
Original Research includes biomedical, clinical, educational or policy research that has not been previously published. Articles undergo a peer review process by members of the editorial board and others with expertise in the field addressed in the research. Manuscripts should include a structured abstract in standard form not to exceed 250 words. Original articles are generally up to 15 manuscript pages, or about 3000 words in length, and may contain up to 25 references.
Review Articles provide an in-depth analysis of a clinical, educational or public health topic, with emphasis on evidence for differences in the literature and an emphasis on evidence based research. They must be up-to-date with references and current opinions. They may be up to 20 manuscript pages (less than 4000 words) and include no more than 50 references. (If more than 50 references are desired, additional references can be placed with the on-line version.) All manuscripts are peer reviewed.
Case Reports can be either a single case or a case series that address unusual manifestations of common problems or unusual or rare occurrences in the clinical setting. Case reports should contain sufficient clinical information for readers to understand the case itself and provide a thoughtful review of how the case fits into the context of the problem being addressed. Generally case reports should be less than 2000 words and include up to 15 references. All manuscripts are peer reviewed.
As I See It is a section of the Journal for original essays or stories that relate to medical practice, education or biomedical research. The manuscript does not require references, and the length should reflect the essay but not exceed 900 words or 4 pages. The author should be sure that the topic area would be of interest to the readers of the Journal. All manuscripts are editorially reviewed.
Letters to the Editor should be addressed to the editor and, when commenting on a published article, should include the correct reference. Letters should not exceed 400 words and may include up to 5 references.
Cover Letters: Each scientific and socioeconomic manuscript must be accompanied by a cover letter containing the following sentence: “In consideration of the Wisconsin Medical Journal’s taking action in reviewing and editing this submission, the author(s) hereby transfer(s), assign(s), or otherwise convey(s) all copyright ownership to the Wisconsin Medical Journal in the event that this work is published in the Wisconsin Medical Journal.” All co-authors must sign the letter.
Title Page: a. The title page must designate a corresponding author and provide a complete address, telephone number, fax number and e-mail address.
b. Affiliations are needed for each author.
Disclosures: Wisconsin Medical Journal expects authors to disclose any commercial associations that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article. All funding sources supporting the work must be acknowledged, as must all institutional or corporate affiliations of all authors. Author disclosure declarations must be filled out and signed by each author and must accompany the initial submission. (See the Author Disclosure Form.)
Authorship: The Journal follows the ICMJE guidelines for biomedical publications. See >www.icmje.org/. “Authorship credit should be based on 1) substantial contributions to conception and design, or acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data; 2) drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content; and 3) final approval of the version to be published. Authors should meet conditions 1, 2, and 3.”
Submissions that do not meet the following requirements will be returned to the authors for revision prior to review by the Editorial Board. (See the Submission Checklist.)
Manuscripts should be computer-generated. PC-compatible floppy disks, zip disks or cds are acceptable. A printed copy must accompany or follow all electronic submissions.
Use 1-inch margins and double-space throughout. 12 pt. font, Times New Roman is preferred. Pages must be numbered, beginning with the title page.
Please provide any illustrations electronically as EPS or TIF files or as clean black and white hard copy. Do not embed illustrations in Microsoft Word documents.
Methods — Describe the selection of observational or experimental subjects, including controls. Identify the methods, procedures, and equipment well enough to allow replication. If the study involves human subjects, please indicate the IRB that approved the study in this section of your article.
Results — Provide test results. If tables or illustrations are used, they should emphasize or summarize only the most important observations in the text.
Discussion — Discuss the conclusions that follow from the results, as well as their limitations and relations to other studies. Show how the conclusions relate to the study’s purpose. Recommendations, when appropriate, may be included.
References — Limit to 25 except for review articles, which may use up to 50. Authors are responsible for the accuracy and completeness of references. References must follow AMA style and abbreviations of journal names must follow those in Index Medicus. Consult the Wisconsin Medical Journal for examples of proper form.
All illustrations and tables taken from other publications must be acknowledged, and written permission to reprint from the copyright holders must be submitted.
Regular manuscripts should be <3000 words, or no longer than 15 pages, including references; review articles should be <4000 words or no longer than 20 pages, including references; case reports should be <2000 words or no longer than 10 pages, including references.
Avoid the use of medical jargon. Words or phrases that are particular to conversations among medical personnel are inappropriate in scientific writing. (Examples: For “presented with” use “had;” for “experienced a weight loss” use “lost weight.”)
Supply the full and correct names of drugs. Use generic names of drugs, unless the specific trade name of a drug is directly relevant to the discussion. Brand names may be inserted in parentheses.
Units of measure are to be provided in metric, followed by International System units (SI) in parentheses.
Provide each author’s full name and highest academic degree in the byline. If an author holds two doctoral degrees (eg, MD and PhD, or MD and DDS), either or both may be used, according to the author’s preference.
Figure legends must be typed double space on pages separate from the text and figure. Abbreviations used in the figure must be listed in the legend and all symbols must be explained. All lettering and symbols must be of a readable size—12 pt is recommended.
Tables should be self-explanatory and should not duplicate the text or figures. Please place tables at the end of the document, with each on a separate page.
Editorials, letters, and commentary are reviewed by the medical editor, Society staff, and legal counsel. Editorials and letters are signed by the authors, are the authors’ opinions, and do not necessarily reflect the policies of the Society. Letters are limited to 500 words and subject to editing for length, clarity, and style.
The Wisconsin Medical Journal, a peer-reviewed journal in which authors may publish scientific articles and report on research pertinent to Wisconsin medicine, publishes a number of types of manuscripts. Authors should indicate in which category they are submitting their work:
Editorials are solicited rather than submitted and relate to content in the specific issue. Word count should be between 700-900 words. All manuscripts are editorially reviewed.
Commentaries are a reflection on a theme contained in the issue and include up to 15 references. Commentaries are meant to provide an in-depth overview of an area of clinical medicine, policy or education that the Editor and the Editorial Board have chosen to highlight. These are generally solicited but on occasion are published from submissions. Word count should be between 700-1500 words. All manuscripts are editorially reviewed.
Original Research includes biomedical, clinical, educational or policy research that has not been previously published. Articles undergo a peer review process by members of the editorial board and others with expertise in the field addressed in the research. Manuscripts should include a structured abstract in standard form not to exceed 250 words. Original articles are generally up to 15 manuscript pages, or about 3000 words in length, and may contain up to 25 references.
Review Articles provide an in-depth analysis of a clinical, educational or public health topic, with emphasis on evidence for differences in the literature and an emphasis on evidence based research. They must be up-to-date with references and current opinions. They may be up to 20 manuscript pages (less than 4000 words) and include no more than 50 references. (If more than 50 references are desired, additional references can be placed with the on-line version.) All manuscripts are peer reviewed.
Case Reports can be either a single case or a case series that address unusual manifestations of common problems or unusual or rare occurrences in the clinical setting. Case reports should contain sufficient clinical information for readers to understand the case itself and provide a thoughtful review of how the case fits into the context of the problem being addressed. Generally case reports should be less than 2000 words and include up to 15 references. All manuscripts are peer reviewed.
As I See It is a section of the Journal for original essays or stories that relate to medical practice, education or biomedical research. The manuscript does not require references, and the length should reflect the essay but not exceed 900 words or 4 pages. The author should be sure that the topic area would be of interest to the readers of the Journal. All manuscripts are editorially reviewed.
Letters to the Editor should be addressed to the editor and, when commenting on a published article, should include the correct reference. Letters should not exceed 400 words and may include up to 5 references.
Submissions
Manuscripts: Manuscripts are considered with the understanding that they have not been published previously and are not under consideration by another publication.Cover Letters: Each scientific and socioeconomic manuscript must be accompanied by a cover letter containing the following sentence: “In consideration of the Wisconsin Medical Journal’s taking action in reviewing and editing this submission, the author(s) hereby transfer(s), assign(s), or otherwise convey(s) all copyright ownership to the Wisconsin Medical Journal in the event that this work is published in the Wisconsin Medical Journal.” All co-authors must sign the letter.
Title Page: a. The title page must designate a corresponding author and provide a complete address, telephone number, fax number and e-mail address.
b. Affiliations are needed for each author.
Disclosures: Wisconsin Medical Journal expects authors to disclose any commercial associations that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article. All funding sources supporting the work must be acknowledged, as must all institutional or corporate affiliations of all authors. Author disclosure declarations must be filled out and signed by each author and must accompany the initial submission. (See the Author Disclosure Form.)
Authorship: The Journal follows the ICMJE guidelines for biomedical publications. See >www.icmje.org/. “Authorship credit should be based on 1) substantial contributions to conception and design, or acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data; 2) drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content; and 3) final approval of the version to be published. Authors should meet conditions 1, 2, and 3.”
Copyright
Accepted manuscripts become the property of the Wisconsin Medical Journal and may not be published elsewhere, in part or in whole, without permission from the Wisconsin Medical Journal. Abstracts may be reproduced without specific permission, provided that acknowledgment of the source is made.Preparation of Scientific Manuscripts
Submit papers to: Wisconsin Medical Journal, PO Box 1109, Madison, WI 53701 or e-mail wmj@wismed.org.Submissions that do not meet the following requirements will be returned to the authors for revision prior to review by the Editorial Board. (See the Submission Checklist.)
Manuscripts should be computer-generated. PC-compatible floppy disks, zip disks or cds are acceptable. A printed copy must accompany or follow all electronic submissions.
Use 1-inch margins and double-space throughout. 12 pt. font, Times New Roman is preferred. Pages must be numbered, beginning with the title page.
Please provide any illustrations electronically as EPS or TIF files or as clean black and white hard copy. Do not embed illustrations in Microsoft Word documents.
The following outline is recommended for the organization of scientific manuscripts:
Abstracts — 200 words or less, stating the problem considered, methods, results and conclusions. Do not cite references and use complete sentences All peer-reviewed manuscripts that contain original work must have a structured abstract. For an example of a structured abstract, go to: http://jama.ama-assn.org/misc/ifora.dtl#Abstracts.Methods — Describe the selection of observational or experimental subjects, including controls. Identify the methods, procedures, and equipment well enough to allow replication. If the study involves human subjects, please indicate the IRB that approved the study in this section of your article.
Results — Provide test results. If tables or illustrations are used, they should emphasize or summarize only the most important observations in the text.
Discussion — Discuss the conclusions that follow from the results, as well as their limitations and relations to other studies. Show how the conclusions relate to the study’s purpose. Recommendations, when appropriate, may be included.
References — Limit to 25 except for review articles, which may use up to 50. Authors are responsible for the accuracy and completeness of references. References must follow AMA style and abbreviations of journal names must follow those in Index Medicus. Consult the Wisconsin Medical Journal for examples of proper form.
All illustrations and tables taken from other publications must be acknowledged, and written permission to reprint from the copyright holders must be submitted.
Regular manuscripts should be <3000 words, or no longer than 15 pages, including references; review articles should be <4000 words or no longer than 20 pages, including references; case reports should be <2000 words or no longer than 10 pages, including references.
Style
Do not use abbreviations in the title or abstract, and limit their use in the text. Acceptable abbreviations of clinical, technical and general terms can be found in the AMA Manual for Authors and Editors and AMA Manual of Style, 9th ed. All abbreviations must be spelled out on first use.Avoid the use of medical jargon. Words or phrases that are particular to conversations among medical personnel are inappropriate in scientific writing. (Examples: For “presented with” use “had;” for “experienced a weight loss” use “lost weight.”)
Supply the full and correct names of drugs. Use generic names of drugs, unless the specific trade name of a drug is directly relevant to the discussion. Brand names may be inserted in parentheses.
Units of measure are to be provided in metric, followed by International System units (SI) in parentheses.
Provide each author’s full name and highest academic degree in the byline. If an author holds two doctoral degrees (eg, MD and PhD, or MD and DDS), either or both may be used, according to the author’s preference.
Figure legends must be typed double space on pages separate from the text and figure. Abbreviations used in the figure must be listed in the legend and all symbols must be explained. All lettering and symbols must be of a readable size—12 pt is recommended.
Tables should be self-explanatory and should not duplicate the text or figures. Please place tables at the end of the document, with each on a separate page.
Review Process
Original research, review articles, and case reports undergo a peer review process, with members of the editorial board and others with expertise on the subject serving as reviewers. The medical editor has the final decision as to whether these types of papers will be published.Editorials, letters, and commentary are reviewed by the medical editor, Society staff, and legal counsel. Editorials and letters are signed by the authors, are the authors’ opinions, and do not necessarily reflect the policies of the Society. Letters are limited to 500 words and subject to editing for length, clarity, and style.
Revisions
It is rare that a paper is accepted without revision as suggested by the editorial board or Wisconsin Medical Journal editor. After making revisions, send a hard copy of the manuscript with an electronic version on a PC-compatible disk or e-mail the file to wmj@wismed.org.Editing
All manuscripts will be edited by the Wisconsin Medical Journal staff for clarity, organization, grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and in accordance with AMA style. Suggestions for titles are welcome, but are subject to editorial constraints.Galley Proofs
The author will be asked to review a galley proof prior to publication to verify statements of fact. Galley proofs are for correcting minor and typographical errors only. Revisions in the paper are not possible at this stage and should have been made prior to final acceptance of the paper. Authors are responsible for all statements made in their work, including any changes made by the editors and authorized by the corresponding author. Turnaround time on galley proofs is very short, so be sure an alternate author is available to review them if you will be unavailable for a long stretch of time.Questions
If you have questions, contact us at 866.442.3800 or 608.442.3800, or e-mail wmj@wismed.org.© Wisconsin Medical Society - All rights reserved - 2008
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