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Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals FREE

[+] Author Affiliations

Members of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors: Frank Davidson, Annals of Internal Medicine; Richard Smith, BMJ; Bruce P. Squires, Canadian Medical Association Journal; George Lundberg, JAMA; Richard Glass, JAMA; Richard Horton, Lancet, Martin VanDer Weyden, Medical Journal of Australia; Robert Utiger, New England Journal of Medicine; Richard G. Robinson, New Zealand Medical Journal; Magne Nylenna, Tidsskrift for Den Norske Laegeforening; Lois Ann Colaianni, US National Library of Medicine; Linda Hawes Clever, Western Journal of Medicine; and Patricia Woolf, Princeton University.

This document is not covered by copyright. It may be copied and distributed without charge for not-for-profit purposes.

The Uniform Requirements has been published in several journals. Please cite a version that appeared in the primary journal literature on or after January 1,1997.

Inquiries and comments should be sent to Kathleen Case, ICMJE Secretariat Office, Annals of Internal Medicine, American College of Physicians, Independence Mall West, Sixth Street at Race, Philadelphia, PA 19106-1572 (e-mail: Kathyc@acp.mhs.compuserve.com).


JAMA. 1997;277(11):927-934. doi:10.1001/jama.1997.03540350077040
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A small group of editors of general medical journals met informally in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1978 to establish guidelines for the format of manuscripts submitted to their journals. The group became known as the Vancouver Group. Its requirements for manuscripts, including formats for bibliographic references developed by the US National Library of Medicine (NLM), were first published in 1979. The Vancouver Group expanded and evolved into the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), which meets annually; gradually it has broadened its concerns. The Committee has produced 5 editions of the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals. Over the years, issues have arisen that go beyond manuscript preparation. Some of these issues are now covered in the Uniform Requirements; others are addressed in separate statements. Each statement has been published in a scientific journal. The fifth edition (1997) is an effort to reorganize and reword the fourth edition to increase clarity and address concerns about rights, privacy, descriptions of methods, and other matters. The total content of the Uniform Requirements may be reproduced for educational, not-for-profit purposes without regard for copyright; ICMJE encourages distribution of the material. Journals that agree to use the Uniform Requirements (over 500 do so) are asked to cite the 1997 document in their instructions to authors.

REFERENCES

References should be numbered consecutively in the order in which they are first mentioned in the text. Identify references in text, tables, and legends by Arabic numerals in parentheses. References cited only in tables or in legends to figures should be numbered in accordance with the sequence established by the first identification in the text of the particular table or figure. Use the style of the examples below, which are based on the formats used by the NLM in Index Medicus. The titles of journals should be abbreviated according to the style used in Index Medicus. Consult the List of Journals Indexed in Index Medicus, published annually as a separate publication by the library and as a list in the January issue of Index Medicus. The list can also be obtained through the library's Web site (http://www.nlm.nih.gov). Avoid using abstracts as references. References to papers accepted but not yet published should be designated as "in press" or "forthcoming"; authors should obtain written permission to cite such papers as well as verification that they have been accepted for publication. Information from manuscripts submitted but not accepted should be cited in the text as "unpublished observations" with written permission from the source. Avoid citing a personal communication unless it provides essential information not available from a public source, in which case the name of the person and date of communication should be cited in parentheses in the text. For scientific articles, authors should obtain written permission and confirmation of accuracy from the source of a personal communication. The references must be verified by the author against the original documents. The Uniform Requirements style (the Vancouver style) is based largely on an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard style adapted by the NLM for its databases. Notes have been added where Vancouver style differs from the style now used by NLM. Articles in Journals
Vega KJ, Pina I, Krevsky B.  Heart trans-plantation is associated with an increased risk for pancreatobiliary disease . Ann Intern Med 1996; (Jun 1) ;124(11):980-3.
Vega KJ, Pina I, Krevsky B.  Heart trans-plantation is associated with an increased risk for pancreatobiliary disease . Ann Intern Med 1996;;124:980-3.
Parkin DM, Clayton D, Black RJ, Masuyer E, Friedl HP, Ivanov E, et al.  Childhood— leukaemia in Europe after Chernobyl: 5 year follow-up . Br J Cancer 1996;;73:1006-12.
The Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand.  Clinical exercise stress testing. Safety and performance guidelines . Med J Aust 1996;;164:282-4.
Cancer in South Africa [editorial]. S Afr Med J 1994;;84:15.
Ryder TE, Haukeland EA, Solhaug JH.  Bilateral infrapatellar seneruptur hos tidligere frisk kvinne . Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen 1996;;116:41-2.
Shen HM, Zhang QF.  Risk assessment of nickel carcinogenicity and occupational lung cancer . Environ Health Perspect 1994;;102 (Suppl 1) :275-82.
Payne DK, Sullivan MD, Massie MJ.  Women's psychological reactions to breast cancer . Semin Oncol 1996;;23( (1 Suppl 2) ):89-97.
Ozben T, Nacitarhan S, Tuncer N.  Plasma and urine sialic acid in non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus . Ann Clin Biochem 1995;;32 ( (Pt 3) ):303-6.
Poole GH, Mills SM.  One hundred consecutive cases of flap lacerations of the leg in ageing patients . N Z Med J 1994;;107( (986 Pt 1) ):377-8.
Turan I, Wredmark T, Fellander-Tsai L.  Arthroscopic ankle arthrodesis in rheumatoid arthritis . Clin Orthop 1995;;( (320) ):110-4.
Browell DA, Lennard TW.  Immunologic status of the cancer patient and the effects of blood transfusion on antitumor responses . Curr Opin Gen Surg 1993;:325-33.
Fisher GA, Sikic BI.  Drug resistance in clinical oncology and hematology. Introduction . Hematol Oncol Clin North Am 1995; Apr;9( (2) ):xi-xii.
Enzensberger W, Fischer PA.  Metronome in Parkinson's disease [letter] . Lancet 1996;;347:1337.
Clement J, De Bock R.  Hematological complications of hantavirus nephropathy (HVN) [abstract] . Kidney Int 1992;;42:1285.
Garey CE, Schwarzman AL, Rise ML, Seyfried TN.  Ceruloplasmin gene defect associated with epilepsy in EL mice [retraction of Garey CE, Schwarzman AL, Rise ML, Seyfried TN . In: Nat Genet 1994;;6:426-31].
Nat Genet 1995;;11:104.
Liou GI, Wang M, Matragoon S. Precocious IRBP gene expression during mouse development [retracted in Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 1994;;35:3127].
Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 1994;;35:1083-8.
Hamlin JA, Kahn AM.  Herniography in symptomatic patients following inguinal hernia repair  [published erratum appears in West J Med 1995;;162:278].
West J Med 1995;;162:28-31.
Ringsven MK, Bond D. Gerontology and leadership skills for nurses . 2nd ed. Albany (NY): Delmar Publishers; 1996;.
Norman IJ, Redfern SJ, editors. Mental health care for elderly people . New York: Churchill Livingstone; 1996;.
Institute of Medicine (US). Looking at the future of the Medicaid program . Washington: The Institute; 1992;.
Phillips SJ, Whisnant JP.  Hypertension and stroke . In: Laragh JH, Brenner BM, editors. Hypertension: pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management . 2nd ed. New York: Raven Press; 1995;. p. 465-78.
Kimura J, Shibasaki H, editors.  Recent advances in clinical neurophysiology . Proceedings of the 10th International Congress of EMG and Clinical Neurophysiology; 1995 Oct 15-19; Kyoto, Japan . Amsterdam: Elsevier; 1996;.
Bengtsson S, Solheim BG.  Enforcement of data protection, privacy and security in medical informatics . In: Lun KC, Degoulet P, Piemme TE, Rienhoff O, editors. MEDINFO 92. Proceedings of the 7th World Congress on Medical Informatics; 1992 Sep 6-10; Geneva, Switzerland . Amsterdam: North-Holland; 1992;. p. 1561-5.
Smith P, Golladay K. Payment for durable medical equipment billed during skilled nursing facility stays. Final report. Dallas (TX): Dept. of Health and Human Services (US), Office of Evaluation and Inspections; 1994 Oct. Report No.: HHSIGOEI69200860.
Issued by performing agency:
Field MJ, Tranquada RE, Feasley JC, editors. Health services research: work force and educational issues . Washington: National Academy Press; 1995;.
Kaplan SJ. Post-hospital home health care: the elderly's access and utilization [dissertation]. St. Louis (MO): Washington Univ.; 1995.
Larsen CE, Trip R, Johnson CR, inventors; Novoste Corporation, assignee. Methods for procedures related to the electrophysiology of the heart. US patent 5,529,067. 1995 Jun 25.
Lee G. Hospitalizations tied to ozone pollution: study estimates 50,000 admissions annually. The Washington Post 1996 Jun 21; Sect. A:3 (col. 5).
HIV+/AIDS: the facts and the future [videocassette]. St. Louis (MO): Mosby-Year Book; 1995.
Preventive Health Ammendments of 1993, Pub. L. No. 103-183,107 Stat. 2226 (Dec. 14, 1993).
Medical Records Confidentiality Act of 1995, S. 1360, 104th Cong., 1st Sess. (1995).
Informed Consent, 42 C.F.R. Sect. 441.257 (1995).
Increased Drug Abuse: the Impact on the Nation's Emergency Rooms: Hearings Before the Subcomm. on Human Resources and Intergovernmental Relations of the House Comm. on Government Operations, 103rd Cong., 1st Sess. (May 26, 1993).
North Carolina. Tuberculosis rates per 100,000 population, 1990 [demographic map]. Raleigh: North Carolina Dept. of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources, Div. of Epidemiology; 1991.
The Holy Bible. King James version. Grand Rapids (MI): Zondervan Publishing House; 1995. Ruth 3:1-18.
Stedman's medical dictionary . 26th ed. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins; 1995;. Apraxia; p. 119-20.
The Winter's Tale: act 5, scene 1, lines 13-16. The complete works of William Shakespeare. London: Rex; 1973.
Leshner AI. Molecular mechanisms of cocaine addiction. N Engl J Med. In press 1996.
Morse SS. Factors in the emergence of infectious diseases. Emerg Infect Dis [serial online] 1995 Jan-Mar [cited 1996 Jun 5]; 1(1):[24 screens]. Available from: URL: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/eid.htm
CDI, clinical dermatology illustrated [monograph on CD-ROM]. Reeves JRT, Maibach H. CMEA Multimedia Group, producers. 2nd ed. Version 2.0. San Diego: CMEA; 1995.
Hemodynamics III: the ups and downs of hemodynamics [computer program]. Version 2.2. Orlando (FL): Computerized Educational Systems; 1993.

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Country-Specific Mortality and Growth Failure in Infancy and Yound Children and Association With Material Stature

Use interactive graphics and maps to view and sort country-specific infant and early dhildhood mortality and growth failure data and their association with maternal

References should be numbered consecutively in the order in which they are first mentioned in the text. Identify references in text, tables, and legends by Arabic numerals in parentheses. References cited only in tables or in legends to figures should be numbered in accordance with the sequence established by the first identification in the text of the particular table or figure. Use the style of the examples below, which are based on the formats used by the NLM in Index Medicus. The titles of journals should be abbreviated according to the style used in Index Medicus. Consult the List of Journals Indexed in Index Medicus, published annually as a separate publication by the library and as a list in the January issue of Index Medicus. The list can also be obtained through the library's Web site (http://www.nlm.nih.gov). Avoid using abstracts as references. References to papers accepted but not yet published should be designated as "in press" or "forthcoming"; authors should obtain written permission to cite such papers as well as verification that they have been accepted for publication. Information from manuscripts submitted but not accepted should be cited in the text as "unpublished observations" with written permission from the source. Avoid citing a personal communication unless it provides essential information not available from a public source, in which case the name of the person and date of communication should be cited in parentheses in the text. For scientific articles, authors should obtain written permission and confirmation of accuracy from the source of a personal communication. The references must be verified by the author against the original documents. The Uniform Requirements style (the Vancouver style) is based largely on an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard style adapted by the NLM for its databases. Notes have been added where Vancouver style differs from the style now used by NLM. Articles in Journals
Vega KJ, Pina I, Krevsky B.  Heart trans-plantation is associated with an increased risk for pancreatobiliary disease . Ann Intern Med 1996; (Jun 1) ;124(11):980-3.
Vega KJ, Pina I, Krevsky B.  Heart trans-plantation is associated with an increased risk for pancreatobiliary disease . Ann Intern Med 1996;;124:980-3.
Parkin DM, Clayton D, Black RJ, Masuyer E, Friedl HP, Ivanov E, et al.  Childhood— leukaemia in Europe after Chernobyl: 5 year follow-up . Br J Cancer 1996;;73:1006-12.
The Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand.  Clinical exercise stress testing. Safety and performance guidelines . Med J Aust 1996;;164:282-4.
Cancer in South Africa [editorial]. S Afr Med J 1994;;84:15.
Ryder TE, Haukeland EA, Solhaug JH.  Bilateral infrapatellar seneruptur hos tidligere frisk kvinne . Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen 1996;;116:41-2.
Shen HM, Zhang QF.  Risk assessment of nickel carcinogenicity and occupational lung cancer . Environ Health Perspect 1994;;102 (Suppl 1) :275-82.
Payne DK, Sullivan MD, Massie MJ.  Women's psychological reactions to breast cancer . Semin Oncol 1996;;23( (1 Suppl 2) ):89-97.
Ozben T, Nacitarhan S, Tuncer N.  Plasma and urine sialic acid in non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus . Ann Clin Biochem 1995;;32 ( (Pt 3) ):303-6.
Poole GH, Mills SM.  One hundred consecutive cases of flap lacerations of the leg in ageing patients . N Z Med J 1994;;107( (986 Pt 1) ):377-8.
Turan I, Wredmark T, Fellander-Tsai L.  Arthroscopic ankle arthrodesis in rheumatoid arthritis . Clin Orthop 1995;;( (320) ):110-4.
Browell DA, Lennard TW.  Immunologic status of the cancer patient and the effects of blood transfusion on antitumor responses . Curr Opin Gen Surg 1993;:325-33.
Fisher GA, Sikic BI.  Drug resistance in clinical oncology and hematology. Introduction . Hematol Oncol Clin North Am 1995; Apr;9( (2) ):xi-xii.
Enzensberger W, Fischer PA.  Metronome in Parkinson's disease [letter] . Lancet 1996;;347:1337.
Clement J, De Bock R.  Hematological complications of hantavirus nephropathy (HVN) [abstract] . Kidney Int 1992;;42:1285.
Garey CE, Schwarzman AL, Rise ML, Seyfried TN.  Ceruloplasmin gene defect associated with epilepsy in EL mice [retraction of Garey CE, Schwarzman AL, Rise ML, Seyfried TN . In: Nat Genet 1994;;6:426-31].
Nat Genet 1995;;11:104.
Liou GI, Wang M, Matragoon S. Precocious IRBP gene expression during mouse development [retracted in Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 1994;;35:3127].
Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 1994;;35:1083-8.
Hamlin JA, Kahn AM.  Herniography in symptomatic patients following inguinal hernia repair  [published erratum appears in West J Med 1995;;162:278].
West J Med 1995;;162:28-31.
Ringsven MK, Bond D. Gerontology and leadership skills for nurses . 2nd ed. Albany (NY): Delmar Publishers; 1996;.
Norman IJ, Redfern SJ, editors. Mental health care for elderly people . New York: Churchill Livingstone; 1996;.
Institute of Medicine (US). Looking at the future of the Medicaid program . Washington: The Institute; 1992;.
Phillips SJ, Whisnant JP.  Hypertension and stroke . In: Laragh JH, Brenner BM, editors. Hypertension: pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management . 2nd ed. New York: Raven Press; 1995;. p. 465-78.
Kimura J, Shibasaki H, editors.  Recent advances in clinical neurophysiology . Proceedings of the 10th International Congress of EMG and Clinical Neurophysiology; 1995 Oct 15-19; Kyoto, Japan . Amsterdam: Elsevier; 1996;.
Bengtsson S, Solheim BG.  Enforcement of data protection, privacy and security in medical informatics . In: Lun KC, Degoulet P, Piemme TE, Rienhoff O, editors. MEDINFO 92. Proceedings of the 7th World Congress on Medical Informatics; 1992 Sep 6-10; Geneva, Switzerland . Amsterdam: North-Holland; 1992;. p. 1561-5.
Smith P, Golladay K. Payment for durable medical equipment billed during skilled nursing facility stays. Final report. Dallas (TX): Dept. of Health and Human Services (US), Office of Evaluation and Inspections; 1994 Oct. Report No.: HHSIGOEI69200860.
Issued by performing agency:
Field MJ, Tranquada RE, Feasley JC, editors. Health services research: work force and educational issues . Washington: National Academy Press; 1995;.
Kaplan SJ. Post-hospital home health care: the elderly's access and utilization [dissertation]. St. Louis (MO): Washington Univ.; 1995.
Larsen CE, Trip R, Johnson CR, inventors; Novoste Corporation, assignee. Methods for procedures related to the electrophysiology of the heart. US patent 5,529,067. 1995 Jun 25.
Lee G. Hospitalizations tied to ozone pollution: study estimates 50,000 admissions annually. The Washington Post 1996 Jun 21; Sect. A:3 (col. 5).
HIV+/AIDS: the facts and the future [videocassette]. St. Louis (MO): Mosby-Year Book; 1995.
Preventive Health Ammendments of 1993, Pub. L. No. 103-183,107 Stat. 2226 (Dec. 14, 1993).
Medical Records Confidentiality Act of 1995, S. 1360, 104th Cong., 1st Sess. (1995).
Informed Consent, 42 C.F.R. Sect. 441.257 (1995).
Increased Drug Abuse: the Impact on the Nation's Emergency Rooms: Hearings Before the Subcomm. on Human Resources and Intergovernmental Relations of the House Comm. on Government Operations, 103rd Cong., 1st Sess. (May 26, 1993).
North Carolina. Tuberculosis rates per 100,000 population, 1990 [demographic map]. Raleigh: North Carolina Dept. of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources, Div. of Epidemiology; 1991.
The Holy Bible. King James version. Grand Rapids (MI): Zondervan Publishing House; 1995. Ruth 3:1-18.
Stedman's medical dictionary . 26th ed. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins; 1995;. Apraxia; p. 119-20.
The Winter's Tale: act 5, scene 1, lines 13-16. The complete works of William Shakespeare. London: Rex; 1973.
Leshner AI. Molecular mechanisms of cocaine addiction. N Engl J Med. In press 1996.
Morse SS. Factors in the emergence of infectious diseases. Emerg Infect Dis [serial online] 1995 Jan-Mar [cited 1996 Jun 5]; 1(1):[24 screens]. Available from: URL: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/eid.htm
CDI, clinical dermatology illustrated [monograph on CD-ROM]. Reeves JRT, Maibach H. CMEA Multimedia Group, producers. 2nd ed. Version 2.0. San Diego: CMEA; 1995.
Hemodynamics III: the ups and downs of hemodynamics [computer program]. Version 2.2. Orlando (FL): Computerized Educational Systems; 1993.
CME Course for:


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To understand the clinical management of acute heart failure syndromes.
Accreditation Information The American Medical Association is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The AMA designates this journal-based CME activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditTM per course. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Physicians who complete the CME course and score at least 80% correct on the quiz are eligible for AMA PRA Category 1 CreditTM.
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