Baylor Health Care System: Guidelines for authors

	Past Issue: Volume 18, Number 2 • April 2005		Return to Table of Contents
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Guidelines for authors

BUMC Proceedings welcomes research articles, review articles, case studies, and editorials from Baylor or non-Baylor authors. Manuscripts containing Baylor data are particularly desired. Send all manuscripts and editorial correspondence to William C. Roberts, MD, Editor in Chief, Baylor Scientific Publications Office, 3500 Gaston Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75246.

MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION

Electronic files (preferred): Submit the word processing document by e-mail (cynthiao@BaylorHealth.edu). If electronic submission is not possible, mail a copy of the complete manuscript and figures to the editorial office with a disk.

Cover letter and attachments: According to journal policies outlined below, list suggested reviewers and discuss potential conflicts of interest in your cover letter and provide as attachments copies of institutional review board approval or exemption, written permission for reprinting tables or figures, copies of any published material that could be considered duplicative, and release authorization forms for photographs.

Schedule: Deadlines for submission are as follows: January issue, September 15; April issue, December 15; July issue, March 15; and October issue, June 15. The editorial office cannot guarantee that any manuscript submitted by these deadlines will be published in the specified issue; variables include the peer review and revision process and the number of articles already accepted.

MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION

Assistance: The Scientific Publications Office staff can assist authors with editing in the manuscript's early stages, before official submission for peer review. In addition, the office can assist with black-and-white photography, computer-generated graphics, and permissions to reproduce previously published material. All services for BUMC Proceedings articles are provided without charge.

Format: Type manuscripts double spaced on one side of the paper, leaving wide margins. Number all pages, including the title page. Title page: Include on the first page the article's title; the authors' names, highest degree(s), and affiliations; and the name, address, e-mail address, and phone number of the corresponding author. Acknowledge any grant support.

Abstract: Provide a double-spaced abstract of 150 to 250 words for research articles. An unstructured, rather than structured, abstract is preferred. Abstracts may be submitted, but are not required, for review articles and case studies.

References: Limit the number of references to 30. Number references according to the order in which they are cited in the text and type them double spaced at the end of the manuscript. Do not use the footnote or endnote functions of word processing software. The numbers in the text should be on line and in parentheses, such as (14, 16, 17). The references should conform to the following style, listing all authors:
Journal article - Nemunaitis J, Sterman D, Jablons D, Smith JW II, Fox B, Maples P, Hamilton S, Borellini F, Lin A, Morali S, Hege K. Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor gene-modified autologous tumor vaccines in non-small-cell lung cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst 2004;96:326-331.

Book - Wilsey HL. How We Care: Centennial History of Baylor University Medical Center and Baylor Health Care System, 1903-2003. Dallas: Baylor Health Care System, 2003.

Book chapter - Menter A. An overview of psoriasis. In Weinstein GD, Gottlieb AB, eds. Therapy of Moderate-to-Severe Psoriasis, 2nd ed. New York: Marcel Dekker, 2003:1-28.

Abstracts can be included as references only if they were published in a journal within the past 2 years. Abstracts published within meeting proceedings are not accepted as references. Personal communications and unpublished data are not accepted as references but may be identified in parentheses in the text.

Tables and figures: Number tables and figures in the order in which they are discussed in the text. Provide enough details in titles, footnotes, and legends so that the tables and figures can be understood apart from the text. Submit photographs as 350-dpi TIF files (preferred) or as glossy prints labeled with the figure number, the orientation (top), and the author's name. Do not use paper clips on photographs. Submit graphs and diagrams as electronic files (EPS format preferred) or as clean, laser-printed copies. Type figure legends at the end of the manuscript. Contact the Scientific Publications Office for assistance in preparing graphs and diagrams or for referrals for medical illustration.

Style issues: Do not spell out numbers except at the beginning of sentences. Express weights and measures in metric values and temperatures in Celsius. Use generic names for drugs; capitalize any trade names when they are used. Limit the number of abbreviations in a manuscript to 5, and do not abbreviate single words, such as intravenous. Spell out all abbreviations on first usage.

MANUSCRIPT PROCESSING

Peer review: All manuscripts are subject to peer review by editorial board members or other selected reviewers; however, the final decision as to which articles will be published will be made by the editor in chief. At the time of manuscript submission, authors are encouraged to suggest reviewers, within or outside the Baylor Health Care System, and to list any reviewers they feel should not be used because of potential bias. If a manuscript was previously reviewed by another journal, authors should submit those reviews and indicate any revisions that have been made. Such manuscripts will receive expedited processing, since they will not be sent out for rereview.

Editing: Once accepted, all manuscripts will be edited for clarity and conformity to Proceedings' style. The corresponding author will have the opportunity to review editing either before or at the page proof stage.

Reprints: Authors can order reprints directly from Allen Press using the form provided with the page proofs. Reprints are delivered approximately 4 weeks after the issue comes out.

JOURNAL POLICIES

Duplicate publication: When submitting the manuscript, provide a copy of any published article that is similar to what is being submitted to BUMC Proceedings, so that the editor can judge whether the manuscript in question would be a duplicate publication. Once manuscripts are accepted, authors permanently transfer copyright to Baylor University Medical Center and therefore cannot republish the article or any part of it without permission.

Authorship: All authors listed in the manuscript must have participated in the design or analysis of the project. In addition, all authors must review the final text and be prepared to take public responsibility for its content. Other individuals who made contributions should be included in the acknowledgments; the author should get their permission to be acknowledged before the manuscript is submitted.

Ethical treatment of research subjects: For reports of experimental investigations of human or animal subjects, indicate the date of institutional review board approval or exemption within the manuscript. Authors should also explain in the Methods section the procedures followed to obtain informed consent. Conflict of interest: Grant support for a particular study must be indicated on the title page. In addition, authors must communicate to the editor in the cover letter any affiliations that could be perceived as potential conflicts of interest. Examples include honoraria, educational grants, participation in speakers' bureaus, expert testimony, patent licensing arrangements, consultancies, and stock ownership.

Use of protected health information: Authors should not refer to patients by name or initials or provide other specific identifying information, such as Social Security number. Authors are further encouraged to avoid including extraneous social details about patients. Patient authorization forms are required for all identifying photographs. For a copy of Proceedings' full privacy policy, contact the managing editor.

Permissions: Permission is required for reproduction of any material, including figures and tables, that has been published elsewhere. When submitting manuscripts, provide written documentation that permission has been obtained or notify the editorial staff of the need to request permission (providing all necessary source information). For photographs in which the subject can be recognized, submit release authorizations at the time of manuscript submission.

For additional information, please contact Cynthia Orticio, managing editor, at 214-820-9996 or by e-mail (cynthiao@BaylorHealth.edu).