The Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine

Manuscripts

We prefer manuscripts to be submitted electronically as e-mail attachments, preferably in Microsoft Word, to the following e-mail address: editorial@sram.org. Format manuscripts for letter-size paper (8.5 x 11 in or 210 x 297 mm). At least two hard copies and a computer disk copy may be requested after initial review.

Include a cover letter indicating the name, mailing address, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail address of the corresponding author. Indicate the category of submission:

All manuscripts may be edited for form, length, and language. Nonphysicians are reminded that certain literary, language, and form conventions are maintained to conform to medical journal standards developed by the Vancouver Group and its derivative organizations. Language used in original research reports, analyses, reviews, and commentaries will be edited to be nonprovocative and tasteful. Letters may contain more florid language and opinion. All submissions will be reviewed and edited so that they are not legally actionable.

All manuscripts are submitted with the understanding that their copyright will be transferred to the Center for Inquiry upon acceptance. In addition, authors and co-authors must fill out, sign and return the journal's "Authorship Responsibility, Financial Disclosure, Copyright Transfer, and Contributor Acknowledgment" form: (Word Doc)  (Acrobat).

A single copy of a cover letter to the Editor is sufficient initially and it may be sent electronically. The letter must contain a statement confirming authorship of the manuscript and all listed authors must have contributed meaningfully to the design and conduct of the study, or contributed meaningfully to the manuscript's content. The cover letter must state whether the manuscript represents original work and whether it is being considered for publication elsewhere.

All submissions will be reviewed by at least one internal editor and will be sent for outside peer review at the editor's discretion. Authors may suggest reviewers' names. Depending on the need for reviews, the editors may request submission of at least two hard copies of text, references, legends, tables, figures, and other required elements.

Arrange the manuscript in the following order: (1) title page, (2) abstract, (3) text, (4) references, (5) tables, and (6) figures and legends.

Number all pages in sequence, beginning with the title page as 1, abstract as 2, etc. Put the name of the first author on each page.

Title Page and Abstract

Include first and last names and middle initial of all authors, highest academic degrees, the name of the department(s) and institution(s) from which the work originated, and the name, address, e-mail address, and telephone and fax numbers of the author to whom reprint requests should be addressed.

Provide three to six key words.

For clinical studies, provide a structured abstract containing the following clearly labeled elements: Purpose, Subjects, and Methods (or Materials and Methods), Results, and Conclusion. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses must include an additional element, following the Methods section, labeled Data Extraction.

Provide a nonstructured abstract (250 words max.) for analyses, other reviews, or commentaries.

Text and Style

Use standard acronyms or abbreviations for units of measurement (ml, meq, mg, gm, etc.). Spell out the first representation of other abbreviations, followed by the abbreviation in parentheses. Avoid use of "scare quotes." Quotation marks should be limited to direct quotes from text. Minimize the use of parentheses in the text. Rather than use footnotes, generally include relevant material in the text. Measurements of length, height, weight, and volume should be reported in metric units (meter, kilogram, liter) or their decimal multiples. List temperatures in degrees Celsius, blood pressures in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). Use standard units (e.g., mg/dL, meq/dL); if SI units are provided, provide the conversion factors. Round data to the units of measurement.

References

Cite each reference, figure, and table by number, according to their appearance in the text.

Provide inclusive page numbers for journal references and specific page numbers for book references. Identify all abstracts and letters as such.

Follow general arrangement, abbreviations, and punctuation as given in Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals. For periodicals, follow Index Medicus style, listing all authors when four or fewer; when five or more, list only the first three followed by "et al."

Tables

Start each table at top of new page. Double-space. Do not use interior lines. Give each table a title. Number them (using Arabic numerals: Table 1, Table 2, etc.) in the order in which they are mentioned in the text.

Provide a footnote for each table that identifies any abbreviations used.

Figures and Figure Legends

Submit three glossy prints (not originals) of each photo and drawing. Laser quality figures may be submitted. Use one figure per page; print the legend on a separate page.

Label glossy figures on back by number and first author's name and indicate the top. Please note that artwork of published articles will not be returned. Use black ink for all charts (line drawings). Make decimals, broken lines, etc., bold and sharp enough for reproduction. All lettering should be of approximately equal size, using only sans serif fonts. Use arrows to designate special features. Submit high-contrast prints for X-ray photographs; some detail will be lost in reproduction. Crop photomicrographs to show the essential field. Indicate staining method used and magnification for all photomicrographs. Titles should be included in the figure legend, not in the figure. Number figures in the order that they are mentioned in the text, using Arabic numerals (Figure 1, Figure 2, etc.). At the end of each legend, identify all abbreviations used in the figure. If legends are submitted separately from their figures, they should be listed in order on a single page. Submit written permission from publisher and author to reproduce previously published figures.

Conflicts of Interest

All authors must thoroughly disclose conflicts of interest, including:

• All authors' commercial interests in companies and products discussed in the manuscript, including offices held and grant amounts, if applicable.


• All positions on boards of directors or other positions held within organizations associated with the subject matter of the article. Complete curricula may be requested.


• All support from private and public granting agencies, including ideologically or religiously oriented organizations, and organizations and agencies oriented toward support of specific methods or the field of "alternative" medicine. In addition to the name of the organizations, include their mission statement or aims and the year and amount of any grant(s).

The editorial staff may research sponsoring or allied organizations and, if not included in the author's statement, their ideological positions may be provided in an editorial comment.

Questions?

If you have questions about these instructions, contact the editorial office at (800) 818-7071, ext. 216. These policies are in accord with the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals. For more information, refer to the following: International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Uniform requirements for manuscripts submitted to biomedical journals. Ann Intern Med. 1997;126:36-47.

Address correspondences to:

The Editors
The Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine
P.O. Box 741
Amherst, NY 14226