Quick Start Guide To Submission
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Decide what type of article you want to write. A list of what we are looking for is available below.
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Review the submission criteria for your chosen article type before you begin writing to avoid hassles.
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Choose a topic and write the article! Click here for some suggestions, or feel free to write on a topic of your choice!
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When you are finished writing, review your work to ensure that it meets the submission guidelines for your type of article. Make sure any images are high resolution (see below).
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Fill out the author information document completely. (We will not accept your submission if this is incomplete).
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Submit your article along with the author information document to submissionssmj@rcsi.ie before the deadline of October 16, 2009.
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You are done! We will send you an email to confirm receipt of your submission. Relax and wait to hear back from us! If you have any further queries, you can always contact the editor at editorsmj@rcsi.ie.
Quick Reference Submission Criteria
|
Submission Category |
Word Limit |
Reference Limit |
Expert Co-author Needed? |
|
Original Articles |
2,500 |
50 |
No |
|
Abstracts |
350 |
5 |
No |
|
Case Reports |
1,500 |
10 |
No |
|
Topic Reviews |
2,000 |
75 |
Yes |
|
Standard Reviews |
2,000 |
75 |
No |
|
Perspective/Editorial |
2,000 |
20 |
No |
|
Elective Reviews |
750 |
5 |
No |
|
Entertainment Reviews |
1,000 |
5 |
No |
|
Awards |
Variable |
Variable |
No |
|
Ethics Challenge |
2,500 |
75 |
No |
SUBMISSION CATEGORIES
Original Articles: Definition – Original articles present the findings of research where new data has been analyzed. The author(s) will have performed experiments or audited some other source (for example medical charts) to gather raw data. This data is then compiled and analyzed and the findings are presented and discussed in the paper. Click here for the full guidelines for original articles.
Abstracts: Definition – Abstracts present a summary of a larger piece of work, and are based on research conducted by the student. Abstracts usually provide a brief outline of the topic, the methods used, the main results and the conclusions of the paper. Click here for the full guidelines for standalone abstracts.
Case Reports: Definition – A case report presents an interesting medical or surgical case encountered by the student. Case reports should focus on the case itself, from beginning to end where possible. Some discussion should be included to review the interesting or relevant aspects of the case. Click here for the full guidelines for case reports.
Topic Reviews: Definition – For each edition of the journal, three topics are released for review. RCSI faculty members work with the SMJ to provide topics, which relate to their own field of interest. Students are invited to write a review on the topic and submit it for evaluation. The faculty member who assigned the topic will read all the submissions and choose the best one. The author and the professor will then work together to perfect the article and it will be published with the student(s) as first author, and the professor as co-author. Click here for the full guidelines for topic reviews.
Standard Reviews: Definition – Standard reviews are literature reviews on a subject of the author’s choosing. There are no restrictions on the topic, but keep in mind that the topic should be reasonably student friendly. Click here for the full guidelines for standard reviews.
Perspectives/Editorials: Definition – Perspective and editorial pieces provide a commentary on a topic in medicine. There are no restrictions on the topic, but keep in mind that the topic should be relevant to medicine and/or RCSI students. Click here for the full guidelines for perspectives/editorials.
Elective Reviews: Definition – Elective reviews provide a summary of a recent elective experience. Click here for the full guidelines for elective reviews.
Entertainment Reviews: Definition – Entertainment reviews cover books, movies, TV or other media with a medical theme. Click here for the full guidelines for entertainment reviews.
Awards: Definition – The RCSIsmj is pleased to publish works which have won RCSI awards. Click here for the full guidelines for awards. Please contact editorsmj@rcsi.ie for details.
Ethics Challenge: Definition – Each issue of the RCSIsmj releases an Ethics Challenge. Students are invited to submit critical essays on the topic. The essay should take a position on the ethical issue and provide evidenced arguments for that position. Click here for the full guidelines for ethics challenge submissions.
If you are not sure which category your work falls under, please don’t hesitate to contact us at editorsmj@rcsi.ie.
TOPICS
This Year’s Topic Reviews:
- Pediatrics with Professor Alf Nicholson – “Child Poverty in Europe and its Influence on Child Health”
- Cardiology with Dr. Joe Galvin – “Sudden Cardiac Death in the Young – Causes and Prevention”
- Forensics with State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy - “Determining Cause of Death and the Identity of the Deceased”
- Following the bush fires in Australia, small communities were wiped out; charred remains were found in houses, in cars fleeing the scene, in the streets or in the bush. Reports estimate hundreds died as a result. But who are the deceased and how did they die? As the coroner you have the responsibility to determine the identification and cause of death of the victims. How do you and your teams deal with the situation to ensure that all bodies are correctly identified and returned to their families?
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Specific Instructions:
- Format of all articles (Please read)
- Images, Figures and Illustrations
- Tables
- Media files
- References, bibliographies
Important Issues:
- Authorship
- Double publication
- Peer review
Full Guidelines:
- Original articles
- Abstracts
- Case Reports
- Topic Reviews
- Standard Reviews
- Perspectives/Editorials
- Elective Reviews
- Entertainment Reviews
- Awards
- Ethics Challenge
SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS
Format of all articles
Manuscripts must be in English, in Microsoft Word format, typed in 12-point font with double-spacing on A4 size. There should be 1" margins surrounding the document.
Images, Figures and Illustrations
Your article can contain no more than four figures. Each should contain sufficient information so that a figure is intelligible without reference to the text. Figures and images should be:
- colour
- electronic format such as .jpg, .tif, .gif, etc.
- each in a separate file named figure 1, figure 2 etc.
Please supply each figure legend with figure title and number on a new page after your references (all the image/figure legends can be put on the same page, as long as it is a new one after your references, and each legend is clearly separate from the others; if you have table legends too, please put them on a separate page). Each figure/image should be sent as a separate file. Please list the filename of the associated file under the figure legend. In the body of your text, indicate where the image should appear by leaving two spaces, the figure number and filename, and then two more spaces:
The big brown cat made friends with the mouse.
Figure 1; bigbrowncat.jpg
The history of cats befriending mice dates back to…
NB: Images should be of sufficiently high resolution. This is very important as low resolution images will not look good in print. Minimum file size for photographic images is 500kb. We would strongly recommend providing images which are several Mb in size – we can always shrink images that are too big, but we cannot enlarge images that are too small.
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. Please include an appropriate table legends with table number and title on a new page after your references. If you have image /figurelegends too, please put the image and table legends on separate pages.
Media Files
If you would like to reference a video or other media file in your manuscript, the RCSIsmj is happy to host the file on our website so that our readers can view it. Please do not ask us to host copyrighted material, as we obviously cannot. If any video involves a real patient, you will have to demonstrate to us that you have received their express permission to use the material. Contact editorsmj@rcsi.ie for more details.
References
Reference citations should appear as numerical superscript throughout the text and listed in their order of appearance. The RCSIsmj will follow the citation style of the British Medical Journal i.e. Vancouver style. If using a Bibliography manager like Endnote, use the British Medical Journal style. Papers accepted but not yet published may appear with the name of the journal followed by the words "In press".
Journal citations should follow the following order. 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 in italics
* Name of Journal abbreviated according to the style of Index Medicus
* The year of publication
* The volume number in parenthesis ( )
* First and last page numbers
Example: 1. Schwimmer JB, Burwinkle TM, Varni JW. Health-related quality of life of severely obese children and adolescents. Jama 2003;289(14):1813-9.
References to books should give the names of any editors, place of publication, editor, and year.
Example: 2. Whittaker R. Complement: mechanisms and functions. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1989.
Information from manuscripts not yet in press, papers reported at meetings, or personal communications should be cited only in the text, not as a formal reference.
Authors should get permission from the source to cite personal communications.
IMPORTANT ISSUES
Authorship
The student must be first author. Authors should have participated sufficiently in the work to take public responsibility for the content. If in doubt, RCSIsmj editors may require contributors to justify the assignment of authorship. All manuscripts submitted to the RCSIsmj must contain original work not previously published elsewhere. All authors are required to provide their details with their submission in the author information document attached. When submitting your author information sheet, please save it as author_info_yourlastname.xls.
Double Publication
Articles submitted to the RCSIsmj cannot be subsequently re-published in a separate peer-review journal. Students undertaking research must submit work that is significantly different from the final manuscript intended to be sent to a later journal. For example, a student may write an article based on subsets of data with different analyses or interpretations, similar to RCSI research day.
If a student has any doubt as to what constitutes double publication, he should contact either RCSIsmj or the principal investigator involved in the research. In all cases, students must ensure that their principal investigator is aware and approves of their submission to RCSIsmj.
Peer Review
Original articles and standard review submissions will undergo the RCSIsmj peer review process. 2-3 peer reviewers will review a submission in addition to review by the editorial staff. Peer review involves editing for style and content, and fact checking. This process ensures that the high standard of the RCSIsmj is maintained. In addition, authors of peer-reviewed articles will receive constructive feedback from the reviewers as an aid to perfecting their writing technique.
FULL GUIDELINES
Original Articles
Original articles represent the communication of medical research to the community. We encourage submission of original articles containing basic laboratory science, clinical and/or epidemiologic science, or other types of research such as social psychology. 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 (each starting on a separate page) (IMRAD)
o Introduction
o Methods
o Results
o Discussion
* Acknowledgments
* References
* Tables, illustrations and image details
o Each complete with title, table footnotes and illustration legends on a separate page
o If the illustrations or images are in electronic format in another file, list the name of the relevant files here
Abstract and Keywords
The abstract must be no longer than 225 words and should contain the following: the aim of the study, basic procedures, main findings, and the principal conclusions. The abstract must be self-contained. Underneath the abstract please provide and identify 3 to 10 key words, and where possible use Medical Subject Headings (MeSH).
Text
The text for original articles should not exceed 2500 words and should be divided into its appropriate components (outlined above). Footnotes should be kept to a minimum and should be indicated in the text as lowercase superscript letters.
Introduction
The introduction should state clearly the purpose of the article, summarize the rationale for the study or observation, and include relevant references. Avoid including data or conclusions from the work being reported.
Methods
Describe your selection of the observational or experimental subjects clearly e.g. patients or experimental animals, including controls. Describe the design of your research, the methods, apparatus where appropriate (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.
Acknowledgments
One or more statements should acknowledge (i) contributions that do not justify authorship (ii) technical help (iii) financial (e.g. RCSI Summer Student grant) and material support.
Abstracts
The journal will publish a number of abstracts in the Abstracts section. Abstracts are an opportunity to share your work without submitting a full manuscript. The abstract should briefly state the problem or purpose of your research, indicate the theoretical or experimental plan used, summarize the principal findings, and outline your major conclusions.
The abstract should contain the title and author(s’) information.
The name of the submitting student should be underlined.
Use only standard abbreviations.
Use numerals to indicate numbers except at the beginning of sentences.
Please use Times New Roman font, size 12, with single spacing.
The maximum word count is 350 words.
Use the BMJ style for reference citations.
Example:
Type title of abstract (max 2 lines)
Leave one blank line space between title and authors:
aStudent RC, Coworker S, bFriend K. Departments of aSurgery & bPathology, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin 2.
Presenting author should be listed first and submitting student's name should be underlined
Leave one blank line space between authors and abstract
Abstracts are accepted on the understanding that they have any necessary internal approval from supervisor(s). The text should include: a brief introduction, methods used, results obtained, and a conclusion. Also include where appropriate, the name of the species if the work was in vivo, details of any anaesthesia, and for experiments on human subjects, ethical committee approval should be clearly indicated.
References should be quoted in the text as numbers in parentheses, and listed at the end of the abstract in the style of the BMJ.
Leave one blank line space between abstract and references.
1. You CH, Lee KY, Chey WY, Menguy R. Electrogastrographic study of patients with unexplained nausea, bloating and vomiting. Gastroenterology 1980;79:311-4.
2. The Royal Marsden Hospital Bone-Marrow Transplantation Team. Failure of syngeneic bone-marrow graft without preconditioning in post-hepatitis marrow aplasia. Lancet 1977;2:242-4.
Case Reports
Case reports should document a single interesting case that would provide important learning points for students, and be no more than 1,500 words. The RCSIsmj will favour reports that incorporate good illustrations and images and follow the following format:
Introduction
Use one paragraph to briefly describe the important clinical features of the disease being addressed (e.g. epidemiological background of the disease, unique presentations/signs/symptoms
The Case
The presentation of the case should include pertinent information according to the format of a typical case report. This includes the 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.
Discussion
Discussion of the case should seek to enlighten readers 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.
NB: 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.
Topic Reviews
The RCSIsmj is seeking reviews on the following topics:
The best paper in each category will be selected, by [assigning professors] for publication in the [current] issue of the journal. The article will be co-edited by the respective Professor and editorial team.
A review article should integrate current published research into a topic overview, and provide new insight gained from the author’s assessment. RCSIsmj Topic 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 2,000 words.
Standard Reviews
The RCSIsmj will accept a limited number of review articles on topics other than those prescribed by the “Topic Reviews” section. The topic is left to the author’s discretion. Students who have worked on Student-Selected Component (SSC) projects where no raw data was gathered should consider submitting their work as a Standard Review.
A review article should integrate current published research into a topic overview, and provide new insight gained from the author’s assessment. RCSIsmj Standard 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 2,000 words.
Perspectives/Editorials
RCSIsmj’s “Perspectives” section includes articles describing issues in medicine from a social perspective (i.e. in the context of social welfare, ethics, education or the humanities – including visual arts, literature, history, and philosophy).
Essays should include original argument supported by published research. The structure of the article is left to the author’s discretion, but the overall length should not exceed 2,000 words.
Examples of suitable topics in this section might include
* The Politics of Stem Cell Research
* The History of Analgesia in Labour
* What to wear Today? The Effect of Doctor’s Attire on Patients' Trust and Confidence
* The Public Appeal of Medical Dramas
Topics are only limited by your imagination!
Elective Reviews
The purpose of the “Electives” section of the RCSIsmj is to provide a forum for exchanging anecdotes and stories derived from the medical elective experience. The section will include short pieces (750 word limit for each) showing the diversity of electives.
Pieces can describe electives in the context of an amusing incident, or getting to know new people or new cultures. Alternately, pieces can offer insight and advice gained from the elective experience. Students should include where and when the pertinent elective was completed.
The submission of one or two high quality photographs along with your elective piece is encouraged.
Entertainment Reviews
An entertainment review is an article that critically appraises a recent book, film, audio CD, computer program, art or museum exhibition, theatre play, or other form of media. The subject of the review must have an association with medicine or medical students.
The structure of the article is left to the author’s discretion, but the work should not exceed 1,000 words.
Awards
The awards section is devoted to publishing examples of student work which have won RCSI awards for their excellence. Please contact editorsmj@rcsi.ie for more details.
Ethics Challenge
The RCSIsmj invites students to submit an essay discussing an ethical issue raised in a case published in the most recent edition. The essay will be reviewed by a faculty panel of experts and the best one will be published in the next issue of the journal. Please note that the ethics essay should not be an opinion piece. The essay should discuss ethical issues academically, using appropriate references where necessary. Submissions should not exceed 2,500 words. Please submit entries to submissionssmj@rcsi.ie.
