FORMATTING YOUR MANUSCRIPT
Q: Does “Information for Authors” appear in print?
A: Yes, in the first print issue of each volume, in January and July.
Q: What is the limit on the number of authors for an original research article? A case report? A review article? A Sounding Board article?
A: There is no limit on the number of authors for these types of manuscripts.
Q: What are your word limits for original
research articles? Sounding Board articles? Review articles? Will the editors
refuse to look at my article if it’s over the word limit? What
does the word count include?
A: Word limits are as follows: 2,000 for Sounding Board articles, Brief Reports, and Occasional Notes; 2,700 for Original and Special Articles; 2,400 for Current Concepts; 2,500 for Clinical Practice and Clinical Therapeutics; and 3,000 for all other review articles.
We will send back manuscripts
far in excess of the word limit.
The word count includes all information from Introduction through
Conclusion/Discussion and does not include the abstract, figure
legends, or table notes.
Q: How many figures and tables may I include?
A: Original research articles should have no more than 5 figures and tables (total); (e.g., one figure consisting of panels A and B, and four tables.) You may include additional figures as supplementary appendixes, and these may be considered for Web-only publication. Please see How to Determine Your Article
Type for figure and table limits on other types of articles.
Q: Do you require the CONSORT diagram?
A: No.
Q: May I send you my manuscript in my native language?
A: We accept only manuscripts written in English.
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CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION
Q: My trial was finished a long time ago. Do I still need to register?
A: If the results of your trial have been previously published and this is a follow-up or secondary publication, then no. Otherwise, yes. If you saw the last patient before September 13, 2005, please register your study before submission and make a note in your cover letter.
Q: I didn’t know I needed to register my trial. The last patient intervention occurred after September 13, 2005. Will you still consider our trial?
A: The NEJM policy is firm. If the trial was ongoing or started after September 13, 2005, it MUST have been registered in a WHO/ICMJE compatible database (of which there were at least four functional world wide) as of December 31, 2005 if there was commercial sponsorship or by December 31, 2006 if there was no commercial sponsorship. If you have not met these requirements, we cannot consider your trial for review.
Q: Does this also apply to pilot trials?
A: No. Only pilot (phase I) trials that began on or after July 1, 2008 need to be registered before first patient enrollment.
Q: We saw patients only for follow-up after September 13, 2005, but they did not receive treatment and we did not register. What can we do?
A: You may register your study before submission and write a letter of appeal. Our editor-in-chief considers each appeal for this particular circumstance on a case-by-case basis.
Q: : Is EUDRACT an acceptable registry? What about Centerwatch? Where can I find a list of ICMJE-approved registries?
A: Currently, registration in the European Clinical Trials Database does not yet meet NEJM requirements because it is not publicly available. We will only consider trials that are registered in an ICMJE/WHO compatible database. The ICMJE maintains a list of acceptable registries. The list can be found in the FAQ section at http://www.icmje.org. Additionally, the ICMJE will accept registration in any of the PRIMARY registries that participate in the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP). That list can be found here: http://www.who.int/ictrp/network/primary/en/index.html.
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PRIOR PUBLICATION
Q: I’m planning to present the abstract of my article at a conference. Will that constitute prior publication?
A: No. Presentation at a scientific conference will not jeopardize your chances of publishing in the Journal.
Q: What if there are journalists at the conference and they write about my abstract presentation? Can I answer their questions about my presentation?
A: Journalists may write about your presentation, and you may answer their questions while at or immediately following the meeting. Their coverage of your presentation will not jeopardize your chances of publishing in the Journal.
Q: Can I tell journalists or colleagues that I’ve submitted my manuscript to NEJM?
A: No. You should not mention to anyone that you have submitted or that you plan to submit your article to us.
For further information on this topic, please see our Embargo Guidelines at http://authors.nejm.org/help/Embargo.asp.
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SUITABILITY
FOR THE JOURNAL
Q: What types of articles does the Journal
publish?
A: Please go to Article Types for
brief summaries of the types of articles that we publish.
Q: I’d like to inquire about NEJM’s general
level of interest in my manuscript, but I don’t want to make
a formal submission yet. May I send you an abstract? How long does
it usually take to get a response?
A: Please visit our Presubmission Inquiries
page. We will attempt to respond to you within a week.
Q: How do I contact the editorial
office if I want to submit an unsolicited review article?
A: Please visit our Presubmission Inquiries
page.
Q: I think my paper could have profound implications
for patient care and could save lives. Do you have some sort of “fast-track”
option? How do I request it?
A: Please submit your abstract using our Rapid
Review request form. We will try to give you a response within
36 hours. Please note that only a small percentage of Rapid Review
requests are accepted.
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ONLINE
MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION
Q: I forgot my password. Now what?
A: Click on the "password help" link. When you receive the temporary password, you will have three days to log in and change to a permanent password. If you wait longer than three days, you will need to again request a new password.
Q: Where do I note conflicts of interest?
A: If you are sending an unsolicited article, you may include relevant conflict-of-interest information in your cover letter. We require submission of financial disclosure forms from (a) authors of solicited review articles and editorials and from (b) authors of all other articles at the revision stage.
Q: May I suggest reviewers?
A: You may indeed. We even have a space for you to add the names of possible reviewers. Please do not propose anyone connected with the study or with your own organization.
Q: In my paper, I am highly critical of the work
of a well-known expert. May I request that this person not review my paper?
A: Yes, if you wish. Please include this information in your cover letter.
Q: I have some beautiful color photographs, but
my files are huge. May I send low-resolution versions instead?
A: You may send low-resolution images at the time of submission. If we ask for a revision of your manuscript, we will request the high-resolution files at that time.
Q: I just sent you the wrong file. What do I do?
A: Send a note to editorial@nejm.org,
explaining which extra files should be deleted. Please do not submit
your full manuscript by e-mail unless specifically asked to do so.
Q: My computer is broken. Can I send my manuscript
to you the old-fashioned way?
A: No. Please submit all articles online.
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TRACKING
YOUR MANUSCRIPT
Q: Can I track my paper through the review process?
What about after publication?
A: The Author Dashboard of ScholarOne Manuscripts™ will provide the status of your article. If your paper is published, the number will allow you to access our Post-Publication
Data Center, which provides information about print distribution, online usage, subsequent citation, and media coverage.
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LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
Q: Why do I have to register?
A: Letters are now tracked in our online peer-review system, which requires registration. Address and contact information is only required upon initial registration. Please retain your User ID and Password – you will need it to log in, submit, revise, and track your submissions.
Q: Is there a submission deadline for letters regarding a Journal article?
A: Yes. Letters about a Journal article must be received within three weeks after publication, and must be submitted through our online submission system. Please note that Journal titles are posted for response on the print publication date each Thursday, and remain posted for three weeks.
Q: I missed the three-week deadline for submitting a letter about a Journal article. May I still submit my letter?
A: No. In order to ensure the timely publication of letters, the Journal does not consider letters submitted after the three-week deadline.
Q: What is the word count limit for Letters to the Editor?
A: Letters about a Journal article may not exceed 175 words. Letters NOT about a Journal article may not exceed 400 words. The word count refers to the text of the letter only, and excludes the title, references, and author signatures.
Q: How many references may I include?
A: Letters to the Editor may list a maximum of five references.
Q: Is there a limit on the number of authors for Letters to the
Editor?
A: Yes, you may list a maximum of three authors. We do not publish acknowledgments in the Correspondence section.
Q: May I list more than one affiliation on my letter?
A: No. The Journal will print either a single institutional affiliation or, if an institutional affiliation is unavailable, a street address. Even if you have multiple affiliations, you may only list one. We do not print department names.
For further submission instructions and guidelines, please review
How to Submit a Letter to the
Editor.
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IMAGES
IN CLINICAL MEDICINE
Q: May I submit my Image in Clinical Medicine online?
Via e-mail?
A: Yes, submit your Image on-line, through ScholarOne Manuscripts™. Submit Images and text as separate files.
Q: How many images may I send in with each
submission?
A: We want to see your best work. Although we do not have a specific limit, the ideal submission will have only one or two high-quality, visually striking images.
Q: Do you accept video submissions for the Images
in Clinical Medicine section?
A: Yes. For video instructions, please refer to For
Video in Technical Guidelines
for Submission of Figures.
Q: How many authors may be listed on our Images
in Clinical Medicine submission?
A: You may list up to two authors. We do not publish acknowledgments.
Q: Do you have a photograph permission form?
A: Yes. If you plan to submit an image of an identifiable patient, the patient must first sign our photograph release form. Click here to download our Release Form for Photographs
of Identifiable Patients.
Q: I want to submit an artistic photograph for the
pages of the Journal not a clinical image. How do I do that?
A: Click here
for instructions for submitting filler photos.
For further submission instructions and guidelines, please review
Instructions for Submitting Images in Clinical Medicine.
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For other questions about manuscript format and submission, please
call our Editorial Office at 1-800-445-8080 or 617-734-9800.
