Gone are the days when an isolated trainee can conjure up a publishable manuscript from a set of medical records. Retrospective case reviews usually have limited appeal, even when they are written by experts. They need to be about unique situations and have a strong clinical message. So, in the absence of collaboration with experienced investigators, it is best to start with a minor publication i.e. Perspective, Letter to the Editor, Images for Surgeons, Media Review, or a Critical Evaluation. Read the Author Guidelines carefully and use recent published articles as a template. Regardless of the type of manuscript, it must contain material that others would find interesting – so write to an audience. At present, Media Reviews and Critical Evaluations have the best chance of being accepted for publication.
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The ISSN (International Standard Serial Number) is used to identify periodicals and journals. Each ISSN consists of two parts separated by a hyphen. The numbers have no particular significance for readers, they are just a catalogue number. Nevertheless, ISSNs are very useful for publishers and libraries because they can be incorporated into databases and barcodes. They link journals with the digital technology used in back-end systems (e.g. warehouse inventories, inter-library loans). The ANZ Journal of Surgery has two ISSNs on the front cover. The two ISSN’s are to differentiate print and online versions of the Journal.
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Most medical journals voluntarily follow the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Their ‘Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals’ addresses a wide range of issues, including ethics. It is an important reference for contributors to surgical journals. It clearly outlines the principles behind the peer review process, but there are considerable variations between journals.
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