Medscape

The publisher prefers that communication between authors and Medscape, Inc., occur via email. Contact Ursula Snyder, PhD, Site Editor & Program Director for Medscape Women's Health, at usnyder@webmd.net. Phone inquiries at 212-624-3725 and fax messages at 212-624-3820 also are welcome.

Electronic Submission: All manuscripts should be submitted electronically. The publisher supports Microsoft Word and WordPerfect for Macintosh, Windows, or DOS computers. If using another application for preparation of the text, save the file as Plain Text (ASCII) or Rich Text Format (RTF). When preparing the manuscript, please keep the format simple (ie, no hidden codes that indent text or create auto-numbered lists). Also, please do not use codes that place references at the bottom of each page or reference-managing programs to create reference lists. Instead of embedding graphics in the manuscript, leave a box or space with a note for placement of graphics and submit graphics as separate files (see below). Text files can be sent as email enclosures or on 3.5" floppy diskettes formatted for Macintosh or Windows/DOS computers. On the disk or email cover note, please include the name and version of the word-processing program and the type of computer used. Manuscripts submitted electronically should be accompanied by 1 printed copy of the text and graphics. For technical assistance in submitting a manuscript as an email enclosure or in saving a manuscript on a floppy disk, contact Ursula Snyder, by phone at 212-624-3725, or by email at usnyder@webmd.net.

Electronic Submission of Art: Images -- high-resolution illustrations or photos may be submitted electronically (via disk or email). Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop High Resolution (.TIFF, EPS, PICT) files are preferred; as are PowerPoint files, saved as version 4 or earlier Mac-compatible files. All PowerPoint slides should be saved within 1 presentation. We can also use hard copies of images and slides. We cannot re-create or scan in hand-drawn charts or graphs. Do not embed images in Word documents or create images within Word documents. Give each figure a number, note its placement within the article, and list all captions at the end of the article. For technical assistance in saving and submitting visual material electronically, contact Ursula Snyder at 212-624-3725, or by email at usnyder@webmd.net.

All articles that survive the initial editor's screening are sent for peer review, the process by which editors ask experts to read, criticize, and comment on the suitability of a manuscript for publication. Articles may be edited for clarity. All major revisions will be submitted to the author for approval prior to publication.

Target Audience: Obstetrician/gynecologists, specialist's in Women's health in disease, and primary care physicians.

Length: Flexible, ranging from 2500 to 5000 words (10 to 20 double-spaced, typed pages), plus photos, charts, tables, and illustrations. Subjects that require extended treatment may be presented as a series (ie, Part I, Part II).

Format: Narrative text can be used for review articles, case studies, grand rounds, journal club discussions, and research reports. Case-history and question-and-answer formats can be used for interactive case challenges. In the interactive case challenge format, authors (a) give HPI and other case information, (b) pose 3 or more diagnostic and/or treatment choices from which the reader/viewer must select the correct action, and (c) discuss why each choice is right or wrong.

Organization: Where possible, articles presenting original data should be organized using standard scientific sections and subheadings: Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, and Discussion. For articles in which these headings are not appropriate, such as review articles, descriptive subheadings should be provided to clarify the article's content. Reviews and other types of articles may be organized in a similar manner. For example, the introduction to a review article could describe the number of studies reviewed and the basic conclusions reached.

Presenting Data: Essential to any scientific article- -- be it original research or a review article- -- is the clear presentation of statistically significant numeric relationships. The American Society of Information Science classifies relationships as significant (P < .05), nonsignificant, and not statistically tested. Numeric relationships are preferable to language descriptors of a relationship: For example, instead of "most infections were community acquired," it is preferable to write, "in one series, 60% of infections were community acquired." Statistics should, of course, always be double-checked for accuracy and completeness. Errors most commonly occur when lists of statistics are presented: "Of the total suggested dose, 53% is excreted unchanged and 30% as the hydroxylated form" (what happened to the last 17%?). Wherever possible, statistical information presented in the text should be repeated in a figure or table.

Drug Names and Doses: Use the generic drug name in text and include in parentheses any trade names that would be more recognizable to clinicians than the generic name. Drug dosing information should include dose, frequency, route, and length of time it was administered.

Author Responsibilities: It is required that all authors (including every author of a multiauthored article):

• Certify sufficient participation in the conception, design, analysis, interpretation, writing, revising, and approval of the manuscript.
• Attest no other article by the author substantially similar in content has been published or is currently being considered for publication.
• Disclose any and all financial information relevant to the article.

Every manuscript should contain the following elements, each beginning on a new page:

• Title page
• Abstract and keywords
• References
• Tables
• Illustrations and captions
• Acknowledgments and permissions
• Copyright transmittal

Title Page: The title should be concise and informative. Authors should be listed by first name, middle initial, last name, and degree(s). A primary academic title and department affiliation should be provided for each author. Give the name, mailing address, and email address of the author responsible for correspondence.

Abstract and Keywords: The abstract, structured or unstructured as appropriate, should highlight the significant content of the article. A list of 3 to 5 keywords should be provided beneath the abstract for use by indexing and abstracting services.
When submitting original articles, clinical research and trials, critical reviews, and consensus reports, authors should submit a structured abstract. The structured abstract is to be up to 250 words with the following headings: Context, Objective, Design, Setting, Patients, Interventions (if any), Main Outcome Measures, Results, and Conclusions.
Authors submitting a metaanalysis report are asked to provide a structured abstract of up to 250 words with the following headings: Objective, Data Source, Study Selection, Data Extraction, Data Synthesis, and Conclusions.
When consensus statement manuscripts are submitted, authors should include a structured abstract of up to 250 words with the following headings: Objective, Participants, Evidence, Consensus Process, and Conclusions. Other major manuscripts should be accompanied by an unstructured abstract of up to 150 words. Unstructured abstracts should address the objective, main points, and conclusion of the article.
Abstracts are not required for editorials, commentaries, policy papers, book reviews, or special features.

References: References should be numbered in the order they appear within the text. References should not be listed in alphabetical order. Use AMA style for references [For books: Iverson CL, Flanagin A, Fontanarosa PB, et al. American Medical Association Manual of Style: A Guide for Authors and Editors. 9th ed. Baltimore, Md: Williams & Wilkins; 1998. For journals: Colditz GA, Hankinson SE, Hunter DJ, et al. The use of estrogens and progestins and the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women. N Engl J Med. 1995;332:1589-1593.] Please remove all autoformatting and automatic reference numbering from the final document.

Captions: Captions for graphics or other supplemental material should be no more than 50 words. Include magnification, stain, and other pertinent data where applicable.

Acknowledgments and Permissions: Illustrations and tabulated data from other publications must be acknowledged and must have received permission from the previous publisher. Provide the following information where applicable: author(s), title of article or chapter, title of journal or book, volume number, page number(s), month and year of publication, and publisher name and location. The publisher's signed permission to reprint or adapt must be submitted with the manuscript.

Informed Consent: When human or animal subjects have been used in experimental investigations, the Methods section of the manuscript should include confirmation that appropriate institutional review board approval has been secured. When human subjects have participated in the investigation, the Methods section should also include a description of how informed consent was obtained from the patients.

Financial Disclosure, Conflict of Interest, and Data Access and Responsibility: All financial support for work should be noted in the submitted manuscript. Authors should disclose all financial information relevant to the article, such as employment, stock ownership or options, grants or patents received or pending, royalties, expert testimony, and the like. If there are no disclosures to be made, please state so clearly. For reports containing original data and funded by an agency with a proprietary or financial interest in the outcome, at least one author should state that he/she "had full access to all of the data in this study and takes complete responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis." See http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v286n10/ffull/jed10056.html

Copyright Transmittal: Copyright law requires that prior to publication of any manuscript the principal author sign a statement transferring the copyright and other rights to the publisher. The publisher will send a copyright transmittal form once the manuscript has been accepted for publication.

Additional Information: Further information on the preparation of manuscripts is available from the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. See http://www.icmje.org/ (The entire "Uniform Requirements" document is currently undergoing revision; the revised version should be available in early 2002.)

Reprint Permission: Authors and readers are welcome to print copies of articles in this eJournal for personal use. However, all published articles are the permanent property of Medscape and may not be published elsewhere, or reprinted for anything other than personal use, without written permission from Medscape. For information about permissions, contact the permissions editor at permissions@webmd.net.

Citing Your Article After Online Publication: To reference your Medscape Women's Health eJournal article, use the following example as a format:

Szczech LA. Expert Column: Recent developments and current issues in HIV-related renal disease. Medscape HIV/AIDS. 2001;7(3). Available at: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/408276