SUBMISSION OF PROSPECTIVE ARTICLES - GUIDANCE FOR AUTHORS

The editorial team of PHV are happy to receive articles from prospective authors. All articles are reviewed by the magazine's editorial team and an editorial panel composed of experts from the field of pre-hospital care. After the article has been reviewed, a member of the magazine's editorial team will contact the prospective author and discuss whether or not the article has been accepted for publication and, if so, whether any changes need to be made prior to publication.

The PHV editorial team reserves the right to amend headings, add sub-headings, form 'box items' from the text, and generally edit for accuracy, readability, style and length. Any major changes would, of course, be discussed with the author in advance.

Prospective authors who have not written for PHV before, or who are not generally considered as a 'recognised expert', are strongly advised to submit, in the first instance, a summary, or outline of the proposed article, on the basis of which the editorial team can decide whether or not it will be of interest to the readers. This avoids unnecessary effort and time-wasting on behalf of the author, should the proposal be turned down.

Basic details

Published articles tend to be around 1000 to 1250 words in length with a title that reflects the direction and subject matter of the text. Text must be supplied in electronic format, i.e. sent via e-mail or on disk. PHV can accept Microsoft Word and Adobe Creative Suite files. Relevant diagrams, drawings, charts, and photographs, together with captions, should accompany the article. You should own the copyright (or have authority to use) of any photographs and other images. A short 'About the author' paragraph should also be supplied, giving details of relevant qualifications, vocational experience, etc. PHV does not republish old articles, so submissions should not be either pending publication, or have been published elsewhere.

Product manufacturers and PR/marketing agents should be aware that advertisements disguised as articles are not welcome. If your company/client is in a position to write knowledgeably about a pre-hospital care issue owing to their experience in the market, that is fine - and the market perspective is a welcome alternative - but the opportunity to increase knowledge, share experiences and further best practice should not be abused in order to increase one company's profits. PHV does undertake reviews of new equipment, where pre-hospital professionals see how the item fairs over a period of time, for example, six months.

Context and chosen topic

PHV publishes a wide range of articles, ranging from discussions of topical issues and current theoretical thinking, to specific 'case studies', i.e. how a particular pre-hospital care situation was managed and resolved. Most importantly, articles should reflect current thinking and knowledge. Care should be taken to use the correct terminology and references, PHV readership includes both novices and experts and articles should be worded to take this into account.

Texts plainly written for academic purposes (e.g. university papers, theses, texts aimed at learned journals, etc.) are generally unwelcome. This is not to discourage those authors who may have carried out a good deal of relevant and interesting research in fields of interest to our readers. Rather, it is to remind those authors not to simply submit their paper/thesis as is, but to rework it and present it for publication in a magazine - an altogether different style than academic publishing, remember the purpose of the publication is to improve knowledge and understanding of pre-hospital care. There are numerous publications concerned with pre-hospital care that are more suitable for publishing research and theses.

Referencing

When a quote is used, or if statistics are mentioned, the source of that information should be given a reference at the end of the article, while these are not published they allow the editorial team to reference the document when reviewing the feature. Details required are: author; title of source publication; date of source publication; publisher; ISBN and any other information that would allow a reader to find the reference.

Conflict of interest

If data, confidential information, references or specific examples come from sources such as an identifiable employer or organisation, please ensure that permission to use this information is given and that acknowledgement is obtained. PHV does not print product profiles (except as part of the new products pages) or company profiles. However, if a new development has taken place, which has official approval, we will consider the item.

Readability

Please ensure that your article is clear and concise. Often, asking a colleague to read the article can help you identify and iron out any weaknesses. Use of abbreviations, acronyms and specific terminology should be explained at the point of first reference, whether or not they are considered to be in common usage.