Instructions to Authors

Refereeing

All contributions are read by two or more referees to ensure both accuracy and relevance. As a result, amendments to the script may be required before final acceptance. On acceptance, contributions are subject to editorial amendment to suit house style.

Copyright

The submission of a paper will imply that, if accepted for publication, it will not be published elsewhere in the same form, in any language, without the consent of the Publisher. Before publication, authors are requested to assign Copyright to the Publisher to sanction reprints and to authorise the reprinting of complete issues or volumes according to demand. Authors’ traditional rights will not be jeopardised by assigning Copyright in this manner, as they will retain the right to re-use and veto third party publications. It is the author’s responsibility to obtain written permission to quote material that has appeared in another journal.

Preparation of Scripts

Papers should be written in clear and concise English. Spelling should follow the Oxford English Dictionary. Authors whose native tongue is not English are assured that in-house editorial attention to their contributions will improve clarity and acceptability to readers. Contributions should be typed in double spacing using size 12 Times’ New Roman font. Do not underline anything. Leave wide margins. Number every page.

Arrangement of Papers.

Papers should be arranged in the following order
article title
author(s) as first inititals, last name
affiliation(s)
abstract
grant support (if applicable)
keywords
corresponding author contact information including email

• Title page. Please see the Sample Title Page below.
• 50-100 word abstract should outline the purpose, scope and conclusions of the paper.
• The text suitably divided under headings, with Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion. Begin each section and references on a new page.
• Acknowledgements (if any)
• References.

Tables.
Number tables consecutively throughout the paper (with Arabic numerals) referring to them in the text as Table 1, Table 2, etc. with a caption at the top of each table. Avoid the use of vertical rules. Tables should not duplicate results presented in graphs or text. Tables, graphs, diagrams and illustrations should be placed in the text in appropriate positions.

Illustrations
Number illustrations (graphs, bar charts, line drawings, etc.) consecutively throughout the paper (with Arabic numerals) referring to them in the text as Fig. 1, Fig. 2, etc. with a caption at the top of each figure.
The minimum amount of descriptive text should be used on graphs and drawings (label curves, points, etc., with single letter symbols). Descriptive matter should be placed in the figure legend, which should accomplany each figure. Scale grids should not be used in graphs unless required for actual measurements. Graph axes should be labelled with variables written out in full along the length of the axes with the unit in parentheses ( e.g. Time (s) ). A table is usually more satisfactory for recording data.

References.
Indicate references to the literature in the text by Arabic numerals in square brackets that run consecutively through the paper. Where a reference is cited more than once in the text, use the same number each time. References should take the following form:

1. Paterson HM, McMillan R, Nixon SJ. True day surgery or 23-hour admission for unselected elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy? Ambulatory Surgery 2006;12: 177–180.
2. Hunt SM, McEwan J, McKenna SP. Measuring Health Status. London: Croom Helm, 1986.
3. Reich H. New techniques in advanced laparoscopic surgery. In: Sutton C. ed. Bailliere’s Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Vol 3, 1989:655-681.

Please ensure that references are complete i.e. that they include, where relevant, author’s name, article or book title, volume and issue number, publisher, year and page reference.