Quick-Reference Checklist for Manuscript Preparation and Submission
Manuscript Preparation
Title page
- Give the article an informative title that includes study design (also include details relevant to the study’s generalizability, e.g., setting or population characteristics)
- For individuals whose assistance is acknowledged, list highest degree(s) as applicable, institutional affiliation (including funding source for acknowledged assistance), and any relevant financial disclosure
- Describe financial support received for the study, and include grant numbers as applicable
- Indicate previous presentation of the data, including meeting date(s) and location
Abstract [do not include with letters to the editor]
- Provide a structured abstract of about 250 words or less ; use the required formats
- For clinical trials, include the trial registry, URL, and registration number at the end of the abstract
- Specify the diagnostic criteria used (for example, DSM-IV), if applicable
- Specify the primary outcome measure of the study
- For original research, give the relevant range of dates in which the study was conducted (month/year to month/year)
- State the significance level (CIs, p values, or other relevant measure) of statistically significant results
- Ensure that data in the abstract match data in the article text and tables
Text
- For experimental studies with human subjects, include a statement that subjects gave informed consent to participate, and state whether institutional review board approval was obtained; if not, please explain. Investigators without access to formal ethical review committees should follow Declaration of Helsinki guidelines and state this
- For systematic reviews and meta-analyses, include keywords, database(s), and any year or language limits used
- Cite references using the required format, numbered sequentially in the text. Do NOT use auto-reference programs that bury references within the text
Tables and figures
- For studies with a sample size < 100, include the corresponding numbers of patients if percentages of patients are given
- Submit tables in Excel, PDF, or Word format. If necessary, set the print settings to landscape (instead of portrait) for Excel files. All files will be converted to PDF for review purposes
- Clearly label figure/image files and submit in TIFF, PDF, Postscript, or EPS format. For guidelines about publication-quality figures, please see Tables and Figures
Letters to the Editor
- Give the letter a descriptive title with relevant details (e.g., number of cases reported)
Case reports and studies:
- Include a short introductory paragraph
- Ensure that the chronology of events is clear, and specify the month/year of events
- Specify diagnostic criteria used
- Provide references for scales/assessment tools used
- For multiple case reports, ensure that clinical and demographic details are given consistently (e.g., if occupation is given for 1 case, it should be given for all cases)
- If a literature search was conducted, specify the data sources, keywords, and any date/language limitations
Letters commenting on a Companion article:
- Include a numbered reference to the article discussed
- Support your assertions with references as applicable [Note: the authors of the original article will be given the opportunity to reply to letters commenting on their article]
Manuscript Submission
- Gather the following information for each author:
- First names, middle names/initials, last names [consistent presentation of an author's name prevents scattering of the author’s publications within databases]
- Postal addresses
- Work telephone numbers
- E-mail addresses
- Gather contact information (e-mail address and institution) of 5 experts on your topic to list as potential peer reviewers at the time of electronic submission
- Have each author submit an Authorship/ Copyright/ Disclosure/ Acknowledgment Form with the manuscript number and corresponding author indicated at the top [Forms can be mailed to Physicians Postgraduate Press, P.O. Box 752870, Memphis, TN 38175-2870; faxed to the Production Coordinator at 901-273-2752; or scanned and uploaded during the electronic submission process]
- Supply at least 2 keywords
- Submit cover letter and manuscript files in Word, WordPerfect, text, or RTF format
