|
Federal Practitioner™ welcomes submission of manuscripts
on subjects pertinent to physicians, clinical pharmacists, physician
assistants, advanced practice nurses, and medical center administrators
working within the VA, the DoD, and the PHS. Authored features include
clinical review articles, original research, case reports, discussions
of common errors, practice pearls, evidence-based treatment protocols,
and program profiles. The journal also publishes bylined editorials and
columns, reader letters that pertain to content published in previous
issues, and personal essays (including those submitted in response to
the Sound Off department prompts) on topics of interest to federal practitioners.
Manuscript submissions will be considered for publication only if the
author has certified that the work is original, has not been published
previously, and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere.
All manuscripts are subject to peer review.
Federal Practitioner™ is now using Editorial Manager, a web-based
manuscript submission and review system. As of November 30, 2008, all
manuscripts must be submitted through this system; e-mail or standard
mail submissions will not be accepted after this date. More details about
this system, including a link to the Federal Practitioner™ Editorial
Manager web site, can be found in the SUBMISSION section of these author
guidelines.
STYLE
Federal Practitioner™ uses a straightforward style that balances
scholarly discourse with a reader friendly, conversational tone. Contractions
are acceptable, and the narrative may use the first or second person. Avoid
excessive jargon and define all acronyms. Since the majority of Federal
Practitioner™ readers
are primary care providers, avoid terminology that is unique to a particular
medical specialty. Be concise and use the active voice when possible.
The Federal Practitioner™ style is based upon that established
by the American Medical Association, with some modifications. When preparing
your manuscript, therefore, it may be helpful to consult the 10th edition of
the AMA Manual of Style (2007). If you have additional questions, e-mail us at fedprac@qhc.com.
MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION
In order to facilitate the double-blind peer review process, the manuscript
should contain no author names anywhere in the document, including headers.
Authors should be listed on a separate cover page. The manuscript document
should begin with the title, followed by the introduction, body of the
manuscript, acknowledgements (if applicable),
references,
figure legends
(if applicable), and tables (if applicable). Preferably, figures should
be submitted as separate, high resolution files.
Although abstracts are not published within the journal, the inclusion of an
abstract with a submission assists in the review process and is required for
certain manuscript types. Key words are similarly required. It is not necessary
that these components be included in the manuscript file, however, as you will
be prompted to enter them separately as part of the Editorial Manager manuscript
submission process.
Before submission, review your manuscript for grammar, readability, and accuracy.
FEATURE ARTICLES
In general, manuscripts submitted for consideration as feature articles
should be 4,000 words or less, including references. They should begin
with a strong introduction that catches the reader’s attention,
identifies the need for the article, and explains how the article adds
to the literature on the topic. The preferred format for the introduction
is three to four paragraphs that follow a “lead, need, sell” structure:
- Lead: First paragraph is designed to catch the reader’s
attention. It may include relevant statistics that illustrate the importance
of the information that will be presented in the article, an illustrative
case (either hypothetical or actual), or some other eye-catching technique
appropriate to the article’s style and content.
- Need: Second (and possibly third) paragraphs should clarify
the specific focus of the article, identifying some problem or area of importance
that will be addressed in the article.
- Sell: Third or fourth paragraphs should explain how this
article will address the problem or area of importance identified and how
it will add to current health care literature on this topic.
Present background concepts early in the manuscript, followed by more complex
ideas. Use subheads to differentiate major points of emphasis. For research
articles, follow a standard organizational structure (introduction, background
information, methods, results, discussion, conclusion).
CASE REPORTS
Federal Practitioner™ case reports follow one of four
formats:
- Case in Point is a standard case report and discussion.
It generally runs between 2,000 and 3,500 words. It begins with a short
introduction that raises the important issues that will be illustrated
in the case, followed by a detailed case presentation that usually includes
a description of the patient’s initial presentation and examination,
relevant history, diagnosis, treatment, and outcome. Images (such as
x-rays, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging scans, histologic
slides, or patient photographs) are often used to underscore key points.
The discussion that follows the case expands on issues of diagnosis,
treatment, and prevention as appropriate, citing recent, relevant medical
literature.
- What’s Your Diagnosis? highlights challenging or
unusual diagnoses. It generally runs between 600 and 1,500 words. It
starts by discussing the patient’s initial presentation and examination,
relevant history, and results of any tests required to make the diagnosis.
It then poses the question, “What’s Your Diagnosis?” This
is followed by a section in which the authors detail the actual diagnosis,
treatment, and outcome. A short discussion follows, which explains the
key issues involved in making this diagnosis and provides tips for clinicians
confronted with similar cases.
- A Closer Look is concerned, primarily, with visual
aids to diagnosis or treatment. It generally runs between 600 and 1,200
words and it always includes some type of image (photographic, radiographic,
or histologic). It opens with a case presentation and then discusses
important issues in diagnosis or treatment, emphasizing the value of
a particular imaging procedure or technique.
- Common Errors in Internal Medicine opens with a patient
scenario, based on an actual case or cases, in which the primary care
provider made a common mistake in diagnosis, treatment, infection control,
patient education, or some other area of practice. The patient scenario
includes relevant patient history and provides all important details
of the patient-provider interaction up to the point at which mistakes
were made. This is followed by a brief description of the errors (Can
You Identify the Errors?); a general discussion of the condition(s)
illustrated in the case, of why the errors were made, and why they were
errors (Getting to the Root of the Problem); and a discussion of new
treatments or diagnostic procedures that can help practitioners avoid
making similar types of errors. This feature generally runs between
2,000 and 3,500 words and includes at least 10 references.
COLUMNS
Federal Practitioner™ considers submissions of the following
clinician-authored columns:
- Practitioner Forum columns are general opinion pieces
in which clinicians discuss key issues in federal practice.
- Ethics Forum columns discuss controversial issues
in medical ethics. A short introduction is generally followed by a case
description and a discussion of the important ethical points raised
by the case.
- Tech Talk columns explore the impact of technology
on medical practice. This can include discussions of new technologies
on the horizon, innovative applications of existing technologies, and
the challenges of implementing new systems.
- Notes From the Field columns describe the authors’ experiences
practicing medicine outside the traditional clinic setting. They are
written in a narrative style and often contain photographs.
All columns generally run between 1,200 and 1,800 words, with no more than
10 references. Like features and case reports, columns are subject to peer
review.
COMMUNICATIONS
Federal Practitioner™ has established the following sections
to accommodate certain types of brief communications:
- Reader Feedback: letters from readers regarding
previously published content. When appropriate, letters submitted for
Reader Feedback are sent to the authors of the original article or column
for reply.
- Sound Off: brief essays written by readers in response
to a prompt. Prompts are published in the journal periodically (in the “Behind
the Medicine…” box) along with a deadline for submission.
Sound Off responses should be between 100 and 200 words.
Other types of brief communications may be considered on a case-by-case
basis. To be considered for publication, communications must include the
author’s name, affiliations, and contact information. Identifying information
may be withheld from publication at the author’s request. All communications
are subject to editing for length, clarity, and journal style. We regret
we cannot publish all communications we receive.
GRAPHIC ELEMENTS
Tables and figures (photographs, line drawings, and graphs) should be cited
parenthetically in the manuscript text, using Arabic numerals. Each should
be cited only once. Provide descriptive headers and legends or captions
for each table and figure. Whenever possible, include tables within the
manuscript document, following the reference list. Figures should be submitted
as separate, high resolution files, but legends may be included within
the manuscript document, following the reference list.
If any elements have been adapted or reproduced from a copyrighted source,
the authors must acknowledge this fact upon submission and within the manuscript
(in the appropriate table footnotes or figure legends). Authors are responsible
for obtaining and providing Federal Practitioner™ with written documentation
of permission for usage (in print and online) prior to publication. Include
a signed statement of informed consent to publish (in print and online)
any photographs or other images from which individuals may be identified.
REFERENCES
Use references to document and acknowledge source information. Reference
all statistics and data presented from published studies. Use sound academic
judgment about referencing other material. Controversial statements are
always stronger when referenced.
Citations in the text should be numbered consecutively with superscript
Arabic numerals. Source documents should be listed at the end of the manuscript
in accordance with AMA style. They should be numbered to correspond with
the order in which they are cited in the text. If a reference is cited more
than once in the text, it should appear in the reference list only once,
numbered in accordance with its first citation. Please do not use
your word processing program’s footnote or endnote functions for references. These functions are incompatible with the software used by our art department.
References should include the following information: names of all authors,
complete title of article cited or book chapter, name of journal or book, the
year of publication, volume and issue numbers, and inclusive page numbers of
the article or chapter cited. For sources that were accessed through the internet,
include in the reference the complete URL of the page containing the source,
the access date, and dates of original publication and last update (when available).
Some examples follow:
Books:
1. Kane RL, Ouslander JG, Abrass IB. Essentials
of Clinical Geriatrics. 5th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 2004.
Book chapters:
2. Instability and falls. In: Kane RL, Ouslander JG, Abrass IB. Essentials
of Clinical Geriatrics. 5th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 2004:219244.
Journal articles:
3. Rollason V, Vogt N. Reduction of polypharmacy in the elderly: A systematic review of the role of the pharmacist. Drugs
Aging. 2003;20(11):817832.
Web citations:
4. National Diabetes Fact Sheet: General Information
and National Estimates on Diabetes in the United States, 2005. Atlanta,
GA:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic
Disease Prevention and Health Promotion; 2005.
http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/estimates05.htm. Reviewed November 16,
2005. Accessed March 7, 2007.
5. Total prevalence of diabetes & pre-diabetes
page. American Diabetes Association web site.
http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-statistics/prevalence.jsp. Accessed
March 2, 2007.
6. Bach PB, Jett JR, Pastorino U, Tockman MS, Swensen
SJ, Begg CB. Computed tomography screening and lung cancer outcomes.
JAMA. 2007;297(9):953–961.
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/297/9/953.pdf. Accessed March 12,
2007.
Government documents:
7. Explosions and Blast Injuries: A Primer for
Clinicians.
Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; March 2003.
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/masscasualties/explosions.asp. Reviewed June 14,
2006. Accessed April 10, 2007.
8. Klein RE, Stockford D. The Changing Veteran
Population: 1999–2020. Washington, DC: Department of Veterans Affairs, Office
of the Deputy Assistant Secretary
for Program and Data Analyses; March 2000.
SUBMISSION
To submit a manuscript, go to the Federal Practitioner™ Editorial
Manager web site (http://www.editorialmanager.com/fedprac).” If
you have not already done so, you must register for the site. (Note:
If you have been registered for the site as a reviewer,
you do not need to register again as an author. All reviewers have the
ability to log in as an author should they choose to do so.) After you
have registered, you may log in as an author and begin the submission
process.
The submission process consists of several steps, which vary depending on
the type of manuscript you are submitting. All submissions require you to enter
a title, enter key words, select classifications (subject areas discussed in
the manuscript), answer several questions about the submission, and attach
the following submission components:
- a cover page;
- a statement, for each author, declaring the presence or absence
of any actual or potential conflicts of interest with regard to the
discussion in the manuscript; and
- a manuscript (with no author information).
The cover page should include the title of the manuscript, a byline listing
all individuals who have served in authorship roles for the manuscript, and
brief biographical information on the authors (professional and academic titles
and affiliations). For criteria defining authorship roles, consult the 10th
edition of the AMA Manual of Style (2007) or the ICMJE’s Uniform
Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals: Writing and
Editing for Biomedical
Publication. In the byline, include each author's full name, highest
relevant degrees and certifications, and military rank (when applicable). Do
not include
U.S. fellowships. It is also helpful to identify, on the cover page, which
author will be serving as the corresponding author. Authors may prepare their own conflict of interest statements, or they may
use the standard Federal Practitioner™ disclosure form, available for
download on the Federal Practitioner™ Editorial
Manager web site (on
the Attach Files page that appears during manuscript submission).
Separate figure and table files also may be attached to most types of manuscript
submissions—although it is recommended that tables be included within
the manuscript document whenever possible. Figures, on the other hand, are
best attached separately, as high resolution files.
Certain types of manuscript submissions also require that an abstract be entered
as part of the submission process. This should be typed (or copied and pasted)
into the text box provided.
Once you have submitted a manuscript through the Editorial Manager system,
you may check on its status at any time by logging in as an author.
Communications, such as Reader Feedback letters and Sound Off responses,
are not submitted through the Editorial Manager system. Communications may
be e-mailed directly to the journal office (fedprac@qhc.com)
or mail to: Editor, Federal Practitioner, Quadrant HealthCom Inc., 7 Century
Drive, Suite 302, Parsippany, NJ 07054-4609. For clarification purposes,
please includes the name of the department or section (i.e., Reader Feeback,
Sound Off) in the email subject line or mailing address.
PEER REVIEW AND EDITING
All manuscripts submitted to Federal Practitioner™ for consideration
as feature articles, case reports, or columns are reviewed by at least
two members of our peer review committee. Peer reviews are conducted
in a double-blind fashion, and the reviewers are asked to comment on
the manuscript’s importance, accuracy, relevance, clarity, timeliness,
balance, and reference citation. Final decisions on all submitted manuscripts
are made by the journal’s editor-in-chief (or, in the event of
a potential conflict of interest, a designated surrogate from the journal’s
Editorial Advisory Association).
Manuscripts that are accepted for publication in Federal Practitioner™ undergo
editing for length, clarity, and journal style. Some material may be reworded
or reordered to improve readability and eliminate redundancy, but we make every
effort to retain the authors’ voice and meaning. Edited manuscripts are
returned to the corresponding author for approval prior to publication.
If you have any questions about the preparation or submission of your manuscript
or wish to propose a specific topic, e-mail us at fedprac@qhc.com. |
