Instructions to Authors
Feature articles are aimed at GPs in Training. It is important that they are easy to read, give the AiTs a strategy for dealing with problems/situations that they might encounter during the course of their work in primary care, provide an accurate and full knowledge base on the topic, and are closely linked to the GP curriculum.
Preparation of Manuscript
Articles should be between 2000 and 6000 words in length (3-4 pages of A4 12 font) and use summary boxes, flow charts, tables and pictures to illustrate the text and highlight the most important points for the readers
Articles should be written with 5 main sections:
- Introduction - a single paragraph summarising the topic and aims of the article. Please do not use a heading for this section.
- Section defining how the article is applicable to and addresses specific statements within the GP curriculum. Details of the GP curriculum statements can be accessed via this website. Please reference the curriculum statement(s) to which the article applies within the references section at the end of the article.
- Main section covering the topic material - please use headings and subheadings to break the text up. We have just 2 heading levels – do not introduce any more
- Key points - these should summarize the major learning points from the article in the form of 5-6 brief bullet points.
- References and further information - these should include all the key references for the topic and their sources, and additional sources of information that may be helpful to the reader
Title Page
The title page should include the title, name and affiliation of each author. The corresponding author should also include their email address.
Text
Articles must not be written in note format and will not be accepted until they are in prose form. It is acceptable to use bullet points in the main text to make specific points clearer but we cannot accept whole sections consisting simply of bullet points. Single sentence paragraphs must not be included.
Numbers under 10 should be spelt out, except for measurements with a unit (8 mmol/l) or age (7 weeks old) Define all abbreviations used within the text. . Use only standard abbreviations. Use words rather than mathematical symbols i.e. less than 12 cm (not <12 cm).
We do not generally use references in the text. If you need to refer to a specific reference in the text please include the names of the authors and date of the publication within the text. For example:
‘Snow (2008) states that……’ , or
‘Refer urgently to a specialist (NICE, 2005)’.
Please do not use footnotes within the text.
Boxes, figures, tables and pictures
Boxes, figures, tables and pictures should be referred to within the text, and be included at the end of the text with the preferred location indicated by a textual note. Number all boxes, figures and tables consecutively, as they should appear in the text.
All photographs should be of the highest quality possible as reproduction reduces the quality.
Resolution – figures should be supplied at a minimum resolution of 600 dpi for line drawings (charts/graphs in black and white), and 300 dpi for colour or greyscale images.
Most figure file formats are acceptable, although TIFF is preferable.
Please do not include more than five figures and pictures combined.
If diagrams, figures, tables, assessment tools or pictures are not original, the source of those items must be stated so that the editorial office may seek permission for their use. Non-original figures without this information cannot be printed. Please ensure as much information as possible about the source of the material is included.
If the material you would like to reproduce is from a book please supply the following information:
Publisher
Book title
Authors' names
Volume number, issue date, page numbers (provide all that apply)
Specific figure numbers or portion of text
References and further information
Authors are responsible for the accuracy of the References. Published articles and those in press (state the journal which has accepted them) may be included. At the end of the article, the references should be listed in alphabetical order, with the author's surname followed by the initial. References should include in the following order: author, year, paper title, journal title, volume number and inclusive page numbers. The name of the journal should not be abbreviated.
For book references, names and initials of all authors, the full title, year of publication, publisher, location of publisher, and the ISBN should be given.
Web references should include the name of the website, title of the work, date and the full URL followed by the date the page was last accessed.
Please note: It's the style of the journal to use a bullet point list for the references rather than a numerical list so if necessary you must state in the text where something has come from rather than citing the number of the reference.
Examples of references:
Journal
- Griffiths F. Becoming pregnant: exploring the perspectives of women living with diabetes. British Journal of General Practice (2008) 58:3, 184–190
- Bower P, Rowland N, Hardy R. The clinical effectiveness of counselling in primary care. Psychological Medicine (2003) 33: 203-15
Book
- Simon, C. Oxford General Practice Library: Neurology (2006) Oxford University Press, Oxford. ISBN: 978019929804-4.
- Haydon J, ed. Genetics in practice: a clinical approach for health care practitioners (2007) John Wiley & Sons, UK. ISBN: 1861564643.
Website
- NICE Brief Interventions and Referral for Smoking Cessation in Primary Care and Other Settings (2006). Accessed via: www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/pdf/PH001_smoking_cessation.pdf (date last accessed 01.01.2008)
- RCGP GP Curriculum statement 11: Sexual Health. Accessed via www.rcgp-curriculum.org.uk/PDF/curr_11_Sexual_Health.pdf (date last accessed 01.01.2008)
- Department of Health National Suicide Prevention Strategy for England (2002). Accessed via www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4009474 (date last accessed 01.01.2008)
Submission
All material to be considered for publication in InnovAiT should be submitted in electronic form via Manuscript Central the journal's online submission site.
If you experience any problems during the online submission process please consult the Author's User Guide which provides detailed submission instructions on how to submit your paper. Alternatively, please contact the journal's editorial office who will be pleased to assist you.
