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Southern Medical Journal
Online Submission and Review System
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Author Resources
Contact Information
Email: smjedit@etsu.edu
Phone: (423) 439-8091
Fax: (423) 979-3438
Mailing Address: Southern Medical Journal
ETSU PO Box 70429
Johnson City, TN 37614
Manuscripts are considered for publication in the Southern Medical Journal with the understanding that they, or their essential substance, have neither been published nor simultaneously submitted for publication elsewhere.
Online manuscript submission: All manuscripts must be submitted online through the SMJ web site at https://www.editorialmanager.com/smj/.Description of items required for submission: (Further details are available in the Organization of Text section)
- Title page;
- Brief description;
- Key points;
- Key words;
- Abstract (approximately 150 words—original articles should follow format listed in the Categories of Manuscripts below);
- Manuscript;
- Figures;
- Tables;
- Three multiple choice questions (and answers) relating to your manuscript which may be used for CME credit;
- Permission letters (if applicable).
First-time users: Please click the Register button from the menu above and enter the requested information. On successful registration, you will be sent an e-mail indicating your user name and password. Note: If you have received an e-mail from us with an assigned user ID and password, or if you are a repeat user, do not register again. Just log in. Once you have an assigned ID and password, you do not have to re-register, even if your status changes (that is, author, reviewer, or editor).Copyright Transfer/Financial Disclosure Form
Authors: Please click the log-in button from the menu at the top of the page and log in to the system as an Author. Submit your manuscript according to the author instructions. You will be able to track the progress of your manuscript through the system. If you experience any problems, please contact the editorial office at smjedit@etsu.edu, phone: 423-439-8091.
A signed copyright transfer/financial disclosure form will be required upon acceptance of the manuscript. This form may be accessed at https://www.editorialmanager.com/smj/ and the signed forms may be faxed, scanned and e-mailed, or mailed back to the editorial office. The manuscript will not be submitted to the publisher until all forms have been obtained.
Compliance with NIH and Other Research Funding Agency Accessibility Requirements
A number of research funding agencies now require or request authors to submit the post-print (the article after peer review and acceptance but not the final published article) to a repository that is accessible online by all without charge. As a service to our authors, LWW will identify to the National Library of Medicine (NLM) articles that require deposit and will transmit the post-print of an article based on research funded in whole or in part by the National Institutes of Health, Wellcome Trust, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, or other funding agencies to PubMed Central. The revised Copyright Transfer Agreement provides the mechanism.
Accepted articles become the permanent property of the SMJ and may not be published elsewhere without permission. Rejected manuscripts will not be returned. Articles are subject to editing for clarity, consistency, and syntax, but authors remain responsible for the statements in the work, editorial changes, and accuracy of references. The corresponding author will receive an electronic proof via e-mail for approval. Instructions for the return of proof changes will be included in the file.
Categories of Manuscripts
- Original Articles - A scientific study of a certain question; usually follows the AIMRAD format:
- Introduction - statement of the problem or question;
- Material and Methods - how the problem was studied;
- Results - what was found in the study;
- Discussion - what the findings mean;
- Conclusion - a brief summary of the paper.
- Title page;
- Brief description;
- Key points;
- Key words;
- Abstract (see below);
- Acknowledgments (if applicable).
Specific items required for submission:
- Review Articles - A review of a given condition highlighting recent information. The length of a review article should not exceed 3,000 words (including figures, tables and references).
Specific items required for submission:- Title page;
- Brief description;
- Key points;
- Key words;
- Abstract (see below);
- Acknowledgments (if applicable);
- Three CME questions and answers (in the event the manuscript is chosen for CME).
- Case Reports - Usually an individual report of an interesting case, although there can be more than one. The average length of a case report is 750 to 1,000 words, including illustrations and references. Regardless of the number of cases reported, this article follows an ICDC format:
Specific items required for submission:- Title page;
- Brief description;
- Key points;
- Key words;
- Abstract;
- Acknowledgments (if applicable).
- Editorials - Brief essays on topical issues. Editorials should be philosophical rather than scientific in nature and should stimulate the readers to consider controversial issues. The average length of an editorial is 750 words, including references, which should number about 5.
Specific items required for submission:- Title page;
- Author’s photo (if desired).
- Letters to the Editor - Commentary on recently published articles, or a brief case report. The average length of a letter to the editor is 300 to 500 words; it should not contain more than 5 references.
Specific items required for submission:- Title page.
- Fillers - The SMJ occasionally publishes "fillers," which include quotations or interesting facts. Readers are encouraged to submit fillers. Full reference of the quotations or reported facts must be included. The contributing person, as well as the original source, will be acknowledged. These may be e-mailed to the editorial office.
- Special CME Features - Special CME Features centered on a particular topic include a brief overview of the topic, a summary of relevant consensus conferences, selected published guidelines, a review of commonly prescribed medications, an annotated bibliography, selected resources available, and published books. Contributions to this section are usually by invitation; however, authors may contact the Editor to discuss potential topics.
The following items will not be attached as separate files, but will be typed or “cut and pasted” into text fields:
- Category of manuscript;
- Long title;
- Short title;
- Author(s) contact information;
- Abstract;
- Key words;
- Manuscript classification (to assist the editorial office with finding a suitable reviewer);
- Comments to the editor (to include information usually provided in the cover letter);
- Suggested reviewers;
- Opposed reviewers;
- Region of origin.
- A concise title;
- Name(s) of the author(s), including first name and academic degrees;
- Name(s) of the department(s) and institution(s) in which the work was done;
- The name and address of the author to whom correspondence and reprint requests should be addressed;
- Disclosure of all financial support (see below);
- Statement of proprietary interest (see below);
- Acknowledgments (if applicable);
- For Original Articles reporting experimental results, statement of Institutional Review Board approval (see below);
- Since manuscripts are peer reviewed anonymously, authors' names and/or affiliations must not appear in any form after page 1.
- Financial Disclosure
Authors must acknowledge all financial support, and must indicate all provision of supplies used in their study. The title page of the article should include a footnote supplying grant or contract numbers and the complete name and location of the funding agency or institution. Please disclose any funding received for this work from any of the following organizations: National Institutes of Health (NIH), Wellcome Trust, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), and other(s).
- Proprietary Statement
Authors must submit a confidential statement on the title page of the article specifying whether they have any commercial or proprietary interest in any drug, device, or equipment mentioned in the submitted article. This statement must also identify any financial interest any author might have (as a consultant, stock owner, employee, evaluator, etc) in any item mentioned in the article. The Editor will decide whether this information will be published.
- Institutional Review Board Approval
Articles reporting the results of experimentation should clearly state on the title page of the article that institutional review board approval was received.
- Brief description of manuscript (50 – 100 words. This brief narrative will be included in the table of contents).
- Key points (3 to 5 separate sentences summarizing the key points of the article);
- CME questions and answers (if necessary. See Categories of Manuscripts above).
- Format: Double-space all copy. Each page should be prepared in 12-point type and should have 1-inch margins on all sides.
- Abbreviations and Nomenclature: Abbreviations should be kept to a minimum; terms should be spelled out on first mention, with the abbreviation immediately following in parentheses. Generic names of drugs should be used. If proprietary names are included, they should be capitalized and enclosed in parentheses after the generic name. Measurements should be expressed in the metric system.
- Style: With a few exceptions, the style for the SMJ is based on the Manual of Style of the American Medical Association. Further details on manuscript preparation are also given in the document "Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals," prepared by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, Ann Intern Med 1997; 126:36-47.
- References: The authors are responsible for the accuracy of the references. References must be double-spaced and numbered consecutively as they are cited. List the names and initials of the first three authors, followed by et al if there are more than three. Personal communications and unpublished data may not be included as numbered references but may be footnoted in the text. Website citations must include a “last accessed” date.
Journal article
Ricci ZJ, Haramati LB, Rosenbaum AT, et al. Role of computed tomography in guiding the management of peripheral bronchopleural fistula. J Thorac Imaging. 2002;17:214-218.
Book chapter
Steiner RM. Radiology of the heart and great vessels. In: Braunwald E, Zipes D, Libby P, eds. Heart Disease. Philadelphia: WB Saunders; 2001:15-18.
Entire book
Kellman RM, Marentette LJ. Atlas of Craniomaxillofacial Fixation. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 1999.
Software
Epi Info [computer program]. Version 6. Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1994
Online journals
Friedman SA. Preeclampsia: a review of the role of prostaglandins. Obstet Gynecol [serial online]. January 1988;71:22-37. Available from: BRS Information Technologies, McLean, VA. Accessed December 15, 1990.
Database
CANCERNET-PDQ [database online]. Bethesda, MD: National Cancer Institute; 1996. Updated March 29, 1996.
World Wide Web
Gostin LO. Drug use and HIV/AIDS [JAMA HIV/AIDS web site]. June 1, 1996. Available at: http://www.ama-assn.org/special/hiv/ethics. Accessed June 26, 1997.
- Tables: Create tables using the table creating and editing feature of Microsoft Word. Do not use Excel or comparable spreadsheet programs. Tables should be submitted separately. Cite tables consecutively in the text, and number them in that order. Key each on a separate sheet, and include the table title, appropriate column heads, and explanatory legends (including definitions of any abbreviations used). Do not embed tables within the body of the manuscript. They should be self-explanatory and should supplement, rather than duplicate, the material in the text.
- Figures: Digital art should be created/scanned and saved and submitted as a TIFF (tagged image file format), an EPS (encapsulated postscript) file, or a PPT (Power Point) file. Electronic photographs-- radiographs, CT scans, and so on-- and scanned images must have a resolution of at least 300 dpi (dots per inch). Line art must have a resolution of at least 1200 dpi. If fonts are used in the artwork, they must be converted to paths or outlines or they must be embedded in the files. Color images must be created/scanned and saved and submitted as CMYK files. If you do not have the capability to create CMYK files, please disregard this step. Indicate in your cover letter that you are unable to produce CMYK files. Cite figures consecutively in the text, and number them in the order in which they are discussed. For a step-by-step guide for submitting digital art, please visit www.LWWonline.com. Click "For Authors", then click "Artwork" in the menu to the right. Visit the "Digital Art Checklist" and "5 Steps for Creating Digital Artwork" for specific guidelines. All patient information MUST be removed from images prior to submission!
- Color Figures: The SMJ accepts for publication color figures that will enhance an article. Authors who submit color figures will receive an estimate of the cost for color reproduction. If they decide not to pay for color reproduction, they can request that the figures be converted to black and white at no charge.
- Permissions: Authors must submit written permission from the copyright owner (usually the publisher) to use direct quotations, tables, or illustrations that have appeared in copyrighted form elsewhere, along with complete details about the source. Any permissions fees that might be required by the copyright owner are the responsibility of the authors requesting use of the borrowed material.
Manuscripts are reviewed by the editors and by outside reviewers. In order to ensure an impartial review, the names and institutions of the authors are not released to the reviewers. The name(s) of the reviewer(s) will not be released to the authors unless specifically requested by the reviewer. Authors may suggest up to three reviewers who are not from the same institution or locality as the authors. Authors are notified of the disposition of their paper as soon as possible. Delays are occasionally unavoidable due to the review process.
Decision to Publish
The Editor's decision is mostly based on peer reviewers' recommendations, but other factors independent of the quality of the work may also influence the decision, such as the topicality of the subject addressed, whether a similar paper has been published recently or is being considered for publication, and the backlog of accepted articles. The Editor determines whether the reviewers' comments will be passed on to the authors. The Editor's decisions concerning acceptance/rejection of submitted articles and sharing reviewers' comments with the authors are final. No correspondence will be provided concerning the reasons for rejection of an article. The identities of the peer reviewers are kept confidential.
Page Proofs and Corrections
Corresponding authors will receive electronic page proofs to check the copyedited and typeset article prior to publication. Portable document format (PDF) files of the typeset pages and support documents (e.g., reprint order form) will be sent to the corresponding author by email. Complete instructions will be provided for downloading and printing the files and for faxing the corrected page proofs to the publisher. Those authors without an email address will receive traditional page proofs. It is the author's responsibility to ensure that there are no errors in the proofs. Changes that have been made to conform to journal style will stand if they do not alter the authors' meaning. Only the most critical changes to the accuracy of the content will be made. Changes that are stylistic or are a reworking of previously accepted material will be disallowed. The publisher reserves the right to deny any changes that do not affect the accuracy of the content. Authors may be charged for alterations to the proofs beyond those required to correct errors or to answer queries. Proofs must be checked carefully and corrections faxed within 24 to 48 hours of receipt, as requested in the cover letter accompanying the page proofs.
Publish Ahead of Print The SMJ is now pleased to offer electronic publication of accepted papers prior to print publication. After the author corrections are completed on the first galley proof, LWW will deliver the PDF of the article along with citation information (title, author listing, abstract, DOI, etc.) to the journal web site and to Ovid Gateway where subscribers may access them freely. Additionally, the citation of the article will be transmitted to PubMed for indexing and the article may be cited using the unique DOI number provided in the citation. A disclaimer will appear on the journal website to indicate that the article is still in press and may contain errors. The Publish Ahead of Print version of the article will be removed from the journal website and from Ovid Gateway when the article is printed and the full issue is posted online.
Reprints
Authors will receive a reprint order form and a price list with the page proofs. Reprint requests should be faxed to the publisher with the corrected proofs, if possible. Reprints are normally shipped 6 to 8 weeks after publication of the issue in which the item appears. Contact the Reprint Department, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 351 W. Camden St., Baltimore, MD 21201. Phone: 1-800-341-2258, Email: reprints@wolterskluwer.com with any questions. The editorial office regrets that it is no longer able to provide authors with complimentary copies of the print journal; however, authors may contact our publisher if they are interested in purchasing a hard copy of the SMJ. Members of the SMA receive gratis access to PDFs on the SMJ website, as well as 12 issues/year of the print Journal
