Author Guidelines
Electronic, online submissions at www.sapj.co.za/authors are preferred.
All new users to the website must register first. Once registered, simply log in, click on “Information for authors" and then on “START SUBMISSION PROCESS". An easy 5 step process guides you through the uploading of your manuscript.
All manuscripts must be submitted in MS Word® (not RTF) format using Times New Roman font size 10 and single-spacing. The author must always retain a copy. All the named authors must have approved the final manuscript. Pages should be numbered consecutively in the lower right corner.
The following contributions are accepted:
Original research
(3200-4600 words)(4-6 pages). Structured abstract (Background, Methods, Results and Conclusion(s).
Pharmacy-orientated clinical reviews
First part:
1-2 pages clinical review of the condition and rationale for selecting drugs and...
Second part:
2-3 pages on the role of the pharmacist (referral criteria/warning signs, dispensing notes (compliance issues, drug interactions etc,) monitoring a treatment response, side-effect management, SAE reporting, generic substitution with particular drug classes). (3200-4600 words)(4-6 pages)
Scientific review articles
Reviews in the following disciplines – pharmaceutics, pharmacology, pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmacy practice, social and administrative pharmacy. (1800-2400 words)
Short clinical updates
(1800 words)(3 pages) Short clinical review to update pharmacist on new developments of a condition – clinically or in the therapeutic approach.
Evidence-Based-Pharmacy-Initiated Pharmacotherapy (EBPIP)
(1800-2400 words)(3-4 pages) Over the counter medication as well as prescription only medication. Important to include clear guidelines on clinical presentations and rationale for drug selection. For OTC medication, must include a section on “when to see your doctor.."
Pharmacovigilance
(SAE reporting, clinical articles on identifying adverse drug reactions, reviews on side-effect management (choosing a drug with best side-effect profile (For example Antidepressants and erectile dysfunction – what the pharmacist should know. Myalgia and statins – what pharmacists should know and tell their patients.)
Pharmaco-economics
Reviews on the cost-effectiveness of therapy. (2 400 words)(3-4 pages)
Regulations/Policy
(1800-2400 words)
Case studies
A pharmacy case study. (1 200 words)(2 pages)
Critical appraisals of clinical trials
(300 word trial summary and 300 word commentary)(<600 words in total including references)
Scientific Letters
(2400 words)(3-4 pages)
Letters to the Editor
(400-800 words)(1 page)
Open Forum/Opinion paper
(2400 words)(4 pages maximum)
Format
All manuscripts must be submitted in UK English, typed in MS Word, Times New Roman, font size 10. All articles must be proof read by a language specialist or a colleague proficient in English before submission.
Title page
All articles must have a title page with the following information and in this particular order: Title of the article; surname, initials, qualifications and affiliation of each author; name, postal address, e-mail address and telephonic contact details of the corresponding author and at least 5 keywords.
Abstract
All articles should include an abstract. The structured abstract for an Original Research article should be between 200-230 words and should consist of four paragraphs labeled Background, Methods, Results, and Conclusions. It should briefly describe the problem or issue being addressed in the study, how the study was performed, the major results, and what the authors conclude from these results. The abstracts for other types of articles should be no longer than 230 words and need not follow the structured abstract format.
Keywords
All articles should include keywords. Up to five words or short phrases should be used. Use terms from the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) of Index Medicus when available and appropriate. Key words are used to index the article and may be published with the abstract.
Web-long, paper-short policy for original articles
The full text of original research articles will be available online only. The structured abstract (up to 230 words) will be published in hardcopy and the reader will be referred to the open access website to print the full copy if required.
Acknowledgments
In a separate section, acknowledge any financial support received or possible conflict of interest. This section may also be used to acknowledge substantial contributions to the research or preparation of the manuscript made by persons other than the authors.
References
Cite references in numerical order in the text, in superscript format (Format> Font> Click superscript). Please do not use brackets or do not use the foot note function of MS Word. In the References section, references must be typed double-spaced and numbered consecutively in the order in which they are cited, not alphabetically. The style for references should follow the format set forth in the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals(http://www.icmje.org) prepared by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors.
Abbreviations for journal titles should follow Index Medicus format. Authors are responsible for the accuracy of all references. Personal communications and unpublished data should not be referenced. If essential, such material should be incorporated in the appropriate place in the text. List all authors when there are six or fewer; when there are seven or more, list the first three, then "et al". When citing URLs to web documents, place in the reference list, and use the following format: Authors of document (if available). Title of document (if available). URL. (Accessed [date]).
The following are sample references:
- London L, Baillie R. Notification of Pesticide Poisoning: Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Doctors in the Rural Western Cape. S A Fam Pract 1999;20(1):117-20.
- FDA Talk Paper: http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ANSWERS/2002/ANS01151.html (Accessed 04/10/2002).
More sample references can be found at: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/bsd/uniform_requirements.html
Tables
Tables should be self-explanatory, clearly organised, and supplemental to the text of the manuscript. Each table should include a clear descriptive title on top and numbered in Roman numerals (I, II, etc) in order of its appearance as called out in text. Tables must be inserted in the correct position in the text (not at the end).
Authors should place explanatory matter in footnotes, not in the heading. Explain in footnotes all non-standard abbreviations. For footnotes use the following symbols, in sequence:
*,†,‡,§,||,**,††,‡‡
Figures
All figures must be inserted in the appropriate position of the electronic document. Symbols, lettering, and numbering (in Arabic numerals e.g. 1, 2, etc. in order of appearance in the text) should be placed below the figure, clear and large enough to remain legible after the figure has been reduced. Figures must have clear descriptive titles.
Photographs and images
If photographs of patients are used, either the subject should not be identifiable or use of the picture should be authorised by an enclosed written permission from the subject. The position of photographs and images should be clearly indicated in the text. Electronic images should be saved as either jpeg or gif files. All photographs should be scanned at a high resolution (300dpi, print optimised). Please number the images appropriately.
Permission
Permission should be obtained from the author and publisher for the use of quotes, illustrations, tables, and other materials taken from previously published works, which are not in the public domain. The author is responsible for the payment of any copyright fee(s) if these have not been waived. The letters of permission should accompany the manuscript. The original source(s) should be mentioned in the figure legend or as a footnote to a table.
Review and action
Manuscripts are initially examined by the editorial staff and are usually sent to independent reviewers who are not informed of the identity of the author(s). When publication in its original form is not recommended, the reviewers' comments (without the identity of the reviewer being disclosed) may be passed to the first author and may include suggested revisions. Manuscripts not approved for publication will not be returned.
Ethical considerations
Papers based on original research must adhere to the Declaration of Helsinki on "Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects" and must specify from which recognized ethics committee approval for the research was obtained.
Conflict of interest
Authors must declare all financial contributions to their work or other forms of conflict of interest, which may prevent them from executing and publishing unbiased research. [Conflict of interest exists when an author (or the author's institution), has financial or personal relationships with other persons or organisations that inappropriately influence (bias) his or her opinions or actions.]*
*Modified from: Davidoff F, et al. Sponsorship, Authorship, and Accountability. (Editorial) JAMA 2001: 286(10)
The following declaration may be used if appropriate: "I declare that I have no financial or personal relationship(s) which may have inappropriately influenced me in writing this paper."
Submissions and correspondence
All submissions and correspondence regarding manuscripts should be addressed to Lorraine Osman, E-mail: lorraine@pharmail.co.za or an electronic copy on CD may be sent to, The Editor, SAPJ, PO Box 26039, Arcadia, 0007
