Guide to Contributors

Guide to Contributors THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF THE MEDICAL SCIENCES considers for publication manuscripts reporting original clinical or laboratory investigations, Brief Reviews, Rapid Communications, and Case Reports. Each manuscript must be accompanied by a statement indicating that the material has not been previously published elsewhere and is being considered solely by the AJMS. This statement also must indicate that the authors "transfer, assign or otherwise convey all copyright ownership of the article to The Southern Society for Clinical Investigation if the article is published." All clinical research should be conducted in accordance with the guiding principles for human experimentation summarized in the Declaration of Helsinki. Manuscripts: All manuscripts should be submitted in triplicate, with triplicate figures and tables. The manuscript should be typewritten, and double-spaced on one side of8 X 11-inch bond paper with one-inch margins on all sides. Manuscripts should not be stapled. Authors are asked to send a copy of their manuscript on disk labeled with their names, article title, and software used. The format should be as follows: title page, abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion, acknowledgments, references, tables, figure legends, and figures. Each section should be indicated by centered headings. The Arabic numbering system should be used. Abbreviations should be defined at first appearance. Title Page: The title page should be separate and include: title of the manuscript (not to exceed 90 characters), author(s) name(s) and degrees, laboratory or institution of origin with city and state, address for mailing proofs and reprint requests, and an abbreviated title not to exceed four words to be used as a running head. Page numbering should begin with the title page. A preliminary report or abstract should be credited by use of a footnote to the title. Abstract: The abstract should not exceed 150 words and should summarize relevant information in the paper. A list of no more than five key indexing terms also should be listed. References: References are to be cited consecutively in the text and typewritten, double-spaced at the end of the article. Abbreviation of journal names should conform to the Index Medicus. Articles that are "In Press" may be cited in the references. Citations such as "In preparation," "Submitted for publication," "Unpublished data," and "Personal communication" should not be included in the references but may be inserted in the text in parentheses. All authors should be listed for each citation (up to six authors, with et al used for more), and inclusive pagination should be used. Journal titles should be cited as they existed at the time of publication, and unlisted journals should not be abbreviated. Authors are responsible for bibliographic accuracy. The following are samples showing this Journal's style: Article:

Iber FL, McGonagle T, Serebro HA, Luebbers E, Bayless TM, Hendrix TR. Unidirectional sodium flux in small intestine in experimental canine cholera. Am J Med Sci. 1969;258:340-50.

Books:

Finneson BE. Low Back Pain. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott; 1984:164-9.

Secondary Citations:

Greenberg MS. Ulcerative, vesicular, and bullous lesions. In: Lynch MA; eds. Burket's Oral Medicine. 4th ed. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott; 1984:164-9.

References should be restricted to 30 citations. mustrations: Three sets of unmounted glossy prints, preferably 5 X 7 (or high quality laseIjet printouts), should be enclosed in a separate envelope and backed by cardboard. The back of each figure should contain the figure number and name of author, and the top of the figure should be marked lightly in pencil. Figure legends should be listed on a separate sheet of paper. Tables: Tables should be given an Arabic number and a brief title and should be double-spaced on separate pages. No vertical lines or ditto marks should be used. The table number should be centered at the top of the page with the table title beneath it. Footnotes should be designated within the table (symbols for footnotes are listed below). Abbreviations should be explained at the bottom of the table after the footnotes. Footnotes: Footnotes to the text and tables should be cited as necessary and typed at the foot ofthe appropriate page, separated from the text or table by a horizontal line. Designate footnotes by the following symbols: *, , , **, , , consecutive superior letters. Abbreviations and Nomenclature: Abbreviations shouldconform to the Style Manual for Biological Journal, ed. 2, 1964, published by the American Institute of Biological Sciences, 2000 P Street, NW, Washington, D.C. Abbreviations should be confined to tables and kept to a minimum in the text. Periods are not used after abbreviations (eg, mm, mL). Generic names are preferred for drugs. Brief Reviews: Brief Reviews should summarize the present state of knowledge concerning a particular aspect of research. The length should not exceed 25 double-spaced, typewritten pages, including figures, tables and references. Rapid Communications: Rapid Communications should contain new and important research that justifies their accelerated appearance. Double-spaced manuscripts cannot exceed six pages, including figures, tables and references. The manuscripts will undergo a detailed editorial review and will be accepted, accepted with minor revision, or rejected. After acceptance, the manuscripts will be published within 2 months. Authors will not receive galley proofs. Reprints: An order form detailing the cost of reprints will be included with page proofs. Mail Manuscripts: Manuel Martinez-Maldonado, MD, Editorin-Chief, The American Journal of the Medical Sciences, Atlanta Dept. of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Medical Service (111), 1670 Clairmont Road, Decatur, GA 30033. Page Charges: Authors will be billed by the publisher a publication page rate of $40.00 per printed page. Authors will be charged for color illustrations (photos, slides, graphs, etc.) they wish to include in the publication of thei; manuscript. There is no charge for black-and-white illustrations. Page charges and color charges will be billed by and are payable to the publisher. Publisher's Address: Lippincott-Raven Publishers, 227 East Washington Square, Philadelphia, PA 19106.