The McGill Journal of Medicine currently accepts submissions of the following types: original articles, review articles, letters, research letters, case reports, “crossroads” articles in the humanities, as well as artwork. These are defined below. All submissions must adhere to the following three criteria where applicable:

Authorship
The student must be first author. Authors should have participated sufficiently in the work to take public responsibility for the content. Editors may require contributors to justify the assignment of authorship. Manuscripts submitted to the MJM must contain original work not previously published elsewhere.

All authors are required to attach the following information with their submission:

Full Name(s)
Degree(s) expected or obtained and current position
Institution(s) of work/study
Email Address
Mailing Address
Phone number (optional)
Current research interests, goals and/or expectations (optional)

Manuscript Style
The MJM conforms to the style defined in the CBE Style Manual, 5th ed., Council of Biology Editors, Inc., Bethesda, MD, 1983.

Typing
Manuscripts must be in the English language, typed double spaced in an 8.5"x11" format with 1" margins all around, in 12-point font.

Types of Articles

Original Articles
Original articles represent the communication of medical research to the community. It is highly appropriate to submit original articles containing basic laboratory science, clinical and/or epidemiologic science, or other types of research such as social psychology or economics related to medicine.

Original articles must follow a specific format. Each required component should begin on a new and numbered page, in the following sequence: Title page; abstract and key words; text (introduction, methods, results, and discussion each starting on a separate page); acknowledgements; references; tables and illustrations (each complete with title, table footnotes and illustration legends on a separate page).

Abstract and Keywords
The abstract should be no more than 240 words and should contain the following: the purpose of the study, basic procedures, main findings, and the principal conclusions. The abstract must be self-contained. Below the abstract provide, and identify as such, 3 to 10 key words. If possible, use medical subject headings (MeSH) of Index Medicus, National Library of Medicine, USA.

Text
The text for original articles should not exceed 5000 words and should be divided into its appropriate components. Footnotes should be kept to a minimum and should be indicated in the text as lowercase superscript letters.

Introduction
State clearly the purpose of the article, summarize the rationale for the study or observation, and give pertinent references. Do not include data or conclusions from the work being reported.

Methods
Describe your selection of the observational or experimental subjects clearly (patients or experimental animals, including controls). Describe the experimental design, the methods, the apparatus (manufacturer's name and address in parentheses), and procedures in sufficient detail to allow other workers to reproduce the study. Give references to established methods, including statistical methods; describe new or substantially modified methods, give reasons for using them, and evaluate their limitations. Identify precisely all drugs and chemicals used, including generic name(s), dose(s), and route(s) of administration.
Studies using human subjects must be conducted in accordance with the guidelines outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki of 1975. In all experiments, it should be documented that informed consent was obtained from the subjects. Do not use patients' names, initials, or hospital numbers. All studies involving the use of animals must be conducted in accordance with the highest standards of humane animal care, and in accordance with the institution's internal regulations.

Results
Present your results in a logical sequence in the text, tables, and illustrations. Do not repeat in the text all the data in the tables or illustrations; emphasize or summarize only important observations.

Discussion
The discussion should focus on the interpretation and significance of the findings. State the implications of the findings and their limitations, including possibilities for future research. Relate the observations to other relevant studies.

Acknowledgements
One or more statements should acknowledge (i) contributions that do not justify authorship; (ii) technical help; (iii) financial and material support.

References
Reference citations should appear in numerical order in parentheses throughout the text and listed in their order of appearance. Papers accepted but not yet published may appear with the name of the journal followed by the words "In press".

Journal Articles
List all authors when six or less; otherwise list only first three and add et al. First author's last name, initials, second author's last name, initials, etc. Title of article. Name of Journal Volume: inclusive pages; Year.

Example:
1. Bunny B, Coyote WE, Le Pew P, et al. Impact Trauma and Subdural Hematoma. McGill Journal of Medicine 3:1-6; 1994
Books

Authors' names as above. Title of chapter. In: Editor Name(s), editor(s). Title of book. City, State: Publisher, Year.

Example:
2. Bunny B, Coyote WE, LePew P. Subdural Hematomas. In: Jones J, editor. Head Injuries. New York, AZ: Acme Publishers, 1994.

Tables
Tables, no more than four, must be submitted typewritten. Each table must be constructed as simply as possible. Number tables consecutively with arabic numerals in the order of their first citation in the text and supply a brief title for each. Explain in footnotes all non-standard abbreviations. Footnote symbols should appear in lowercase superscript letters.

Illustrations
Figures and legends, no more than six, should contain sufficient information so that each figure is intelligible without reference to the text. Figures are usually 5"x7" but no larger than 8"x10", and printed on high quality paper. Photographs should be glossy 5"x7" in black and white. Authors may submit color prints but must bear the extra costs. Identify each figure on its reverse side with the name of the first author and the figure number using a soft pencil or adhesive labels. Supply each figure legend (with figure title and figure number) on a separate page.

 

Research Letters
A research letter is a brief scientific communication that presents original data in an intermediate fashion between an abstract and an article. It must be more extensive and informative than an abstract (up to three double-spaced pages, not including references). This allows space for an explanatory introduction and a short discussion on the data, which are not normally contained in abstracts. The research letter is an appropriate, self-sufficient format to present concise research data without tables or figures, in those cases where the amount of data, the length required for the description of methods and the discussion and conclusions driven from results are not sufficient to fulfill an article. It must contain the usual sections in scientific papers (introduction, methods, results, discussion, summary and conclusions), and a short number of selected references (seven maximum). Within this general structure, the writing style can be flexible and does not need subtitled paragraphs. A maximum of three figures are permitted. The purpose of an abstract is to summarize an article, or to anticipate partial results in scientific meetings. MJM does not publish separate abstracts.

Review Articles
MJM review articles are intended to communicate to a broad audience. Review articles should synthesize currently published research and add new insights into the implications of such work. MJM review articles must follow the same format as original articles, except in the text, wherein the structure will be left to the author’s discretion, and the word count should not exceed 3500 words. It is highly appropriate for review articles to be submitted concerning issues surrounding basic medical science and clinical medical science. Articles concerning other areas of medicine such as the humanities may be appropriate here if they are of a scientific and/or experimental nature. Other articles are welcome but may be more suited for the “Crossroads” section of the MJM.

Review articles favoured by the MJM are those which have impressive writing style as well as excellent content.

Letters
Letters to the MJM are intended to make commentary on issues surrounding medicine. They need not have any specific format and do not need to authored by a student. Please note that letters may be edited by the MJM Editorial Board prior to publication.

Case Reports
Case reports should document a single interesting case that would provide important learning points for students in medical fields. The MJM favours reports which use good illustrations and follow the following specific format:

Introduction
Use one paragraph to briefly describe the salient clinical features of the disease being addressed (e.g. epidemiological background of the disease, unique presentations/signs/symptoms )

The Case
Presentation of the case should include pertinent information according to the the format of a typical case report . This includes the chief/presenting complaint, the pertinent history, medications, habits, allergies, history of present illness, family history, personal history, systems review, clinical examination, laboratory investigations, and other diagnostic tests or studies performed (e.g. radiology, biopsy, etc.).

Discussion
Discussion of the case should seek to enlighten the reader about the approaches used toward the clinical scenario presented, to highlight recent advancements in the field of diagnosis and treatment of the condition, and to generally include points of clinical learning.

Acknowledgements, References, Illustrations
These should follow the format and limitations listed under “Original Article”.

Please note that consent for publication of a case report in print or electronically must be obtained from the patient or, if this is not possible, the next of kin before submission.
Please use generic drug names wherever possible.

Crossroads
The intent of the “Crossroads” section of the MJM is to promote ways of knowing in medicine that are not solely scientific. Crossroads articles are expository essays on subjects exploring the relationship between medicine and the humanities (visual arts, literature, history, philosophy, etc.); essays should combine research with original argument; it should be submitted in the format of title, text, references (footnotes, according to the MLA Handbook). The structure of the article is left up to the author, but the work should not exceed 5000 words.

Artwork
The MJM would like to publish original artwork relating to medicine. Prospective authors should note that the art will be reproduced on journal-quality paper and that the work may be edited for size. Submissions in both black and white as well as colour are welcome, however, authors must bear the extra costs of colour reproduction. The MJM does not guarantee the return of any submitted artwork.

Submission of Manuscripts

On diskette: The McGill Journal of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, 3655 Promenade Sir William Osler, Montreal, QC, Canada, H3G 1Y6, telephone: (514)398-6987.

By e-mail: The MJM only takes submission in either Word or Word-compatible format (preferably) or in Adobe PDF format. Also, authors will be required to sign a copyright transfer agreement. Authors will be expected to return edited proofs within 3 weeks. The peer-review can take up to 4 months in duration. Please contact the MJM for the status of your submission.

Please indicate in your email or letter:

1. The email address and phone number at which the author can be reached and
   the address to which all correspondance should be sent.
2. That the submitted manuscript has not been or will be submitted to, or published, in any other journal.
3. A brief description (1-2 sentences) of each of the author, including the degrees obtained.

Questions Related to Submitting Manuscripts
Email is the best contact method: mjm.med@mcgill.ca. We endeavour to respond quickly to all queries.