Editorials--The voice of
The Lancet, editorials are written in house by the journal's editorial-writing team and signed "
The Lancet".
Commentaries--Most are commissioned, but spontaneous Commentaries (no more than 1000 words and 15 references) are welcome on papers published elsewhere within the past 3 months. Some spontaneous Commentaries that are thought worth pursuing are peer reviewed.
Articles--The Lancet gives priority to reports of original research that are likely to change clinical practice or thinking about a disease (
Lancet 2000;
356: 2-4). Articles need to be of general interest--eg, they cross the boundaries of specialties or are of sufficient novelty and importance that the journal's readers, whatever their specialty, should be made aware of the findings. Reports of randomised trials must conform to
CONSORT guidelines (see
www.thelancet.com/info/ info.isa?n1=authorinfo&n2=CONSORT+guidelines), and should be submitted with their protocols. Systematic reviews should be written according to the Cochrane Collaboration guidelines (see
www.cochrane.de/cochrane/ hbook.htm). Aim for 3000 words and 30 references. A semistructured summary in four paragraphs (Background, Methods, Findings, and Interpretation) is needed. Summaries should not exceed 250 words; if space is short, report only the primary outcomes.
Checklist for submission of Articles
The Lancet uses the SI system of units and the recommended international non-proprietory name (rINN) for drug names. Gene names should be those approved by the Human Gene Organisation (
www.gene.ucl.ac.uk/nomenclature). Novel gene sequences should be deposited in a public database (GenBank, EMBL, or DDBJ), and the accession number provided. Authors of microarray papers should include in their submission the information recommended by the MIAME guidelines (
www.mged. org/Workgroups/MIAME/miame_checklist.html). Necessary additional data should be submitted on a CD-ROM (three copies are required for review purposes). Additionally, authors should submit their experimental details to one of the publicly available databases: ArrayExpress (
www.ebi.ac.uk/arrayexpress) or GEO (
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo).
Mechanisms of disease--Submissions to this section should be original research that provides a substantial insight into the cause of a disease, or how a treatment works. These papers will often involve basic science, but must be directly relevant to human disease. Aim for 3000 words and 30 references, and include a semistructured summary as for Articles. Authors should include a short glossary of terms that might be unfamiliar to clinicians, and use, where appropriate, illustrations to explain complex ideas. We rarely publish work that has been done exclusively on animals. Authors can submit abstracts of proposed submissions, to get an idea of suitability (to e-mail:
mechanisms@lancet.com).
Research letters--These are brief reports of novel research findings that might stimulate further research or alert readers to clinically relevant, but preliminary, information such as adverse drug reactions. We also consider as Research letters follow-up or planned subgroup analyses of previously published randomised trials. A Research letter should have no more than 900 words, a maximum of five references, and two tables or figures. An unstructured summary of no more than 100 words is required, to include background, methods, findings, and interpretation.
Checklist for submission of Research Letters
Case reports--These papers describe, in 600 words, a single interesting case, which should not be a rarity but one that a general physician might encounter, in which there was some difficulty in reaching a diagnosis, and that provides a teaching point. Preferably the case should have a good illustration. Consent for publication in print and electronically must be obtained from the patient or, if this is not possible, the next of kin before submission. A consent form is available (at
http://image.thelancet.com/extras/ consentform.pdf).
Clinical pictures--We currently have a large stock of accepted Clinical pictures. Regretfully, we will not be able to accept any new submissions until January, 2004.
News--The Lancet has a function as an international newspaper covering news about science, medicine, policy issues, and people. Most, but not all, of the writers are professional journalists and an event in your country that might be of wider interest can be brought to the attention of our news desk.
Seminars, Reviews, and Series--Seminars are disease-oriented clinically focused overviews for the generalist, covering epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management, whereas Reviews have a narrower remit. Most Seminars and Reviews are commissioned, but unsolicited one-page outlines or complete manuscripts, directed to The Editor, are welcome. Series are commissioned to run over consecutive weeks, and ideas are also welcome. We aim to provide comprehensive balanced review papers for clinicians and researchers on topics that we judge to be of widespread interest. When writing any review paper, it is important that there should be complete transparency about the choice of material included. All Seminars, Reviews, and some Series should therefore include a brief section entitled "Search strategy and selection criteria" stating the sources (databases, journal or book reference lists, &c) of the material covered, and the criteria used to include or exclude studies. Since these papers should be comprehensive, we encourage citation of publications in non-English languages. All Seminars, Reviews, and Series should be no more than 4500 words, with a maximum of 140 references, and a 150-word unstructured summary. At least five illustrations, which can be redrawn in house, are helpful to include.
Rapid reviews--These short reviews, or long commentaries, aim to put research findings published in the preceding 3 months into context. A summary panel of up to 400 words should include text under the headings Context, Starting point, and Where next to explain the background, the new research finding, and future directions. Aim for no more than 1400 words, another 400 words for the panel, 20 references, and two tables or figures.
Hypotheses--An hypothesis paper outlines a substantial jump in thinking that is testable but not so easily testable that readers will wonder why you have not already done it. New data are not part of an hypothesis, but you must include a section on how to test your idea. Sharing a new idea takes courage and conciseness. If you cannot express your line of thought in 1500 words and 20 references it is not an hypothesis.
Other departments--Much of
The Lancet's role in encouraging debate and opinion takes place in sections such as Public Health, Viewpoint, Essay, Reportage, Health and human rights, and the Departments of medical history, Ethics, Medicine and art, and Literature and medicine. 1500 words and 20 references are the general guidelines here, except for Health and human rights, where 500-800 words and three references should suffice.
Uses of error--We wish to encourage debate about errors in medicine so that readers might learn from others' mistakes. We will consider narratives of personal errors for this section. In 300 words or less, describe your mistake in clinical judgment and the lesson that you might have learned from your experience.
Correspondence--Comment letters on what has been published in
The Lancet must reach the journal within 2 weeks of publication of the original item. Letters of general interest are also welcome even though they are unlinked to earlier items in the journal. Correspondence letters are not usually peer reviewed, but the journal may invite replies from the authors of the original publication. For accepted letters a proof will be sent only if an e-mail address is provided. Length must not exceed 500 words, only one table or figure is permitted, and there should be no more than five references. No more than five authors can be included. Electronic submissions should be as a Word file attached to an e-mail (sent to e-mail:
correspondence@lancet.com). The corresponding author's signature will be sought at proof stage and is taken to be a signature provided on behalf of all authors.
Department of error--Any substantial error in what has been published should be corrected as soon as possible. Blame is not apportioned; the important thing is to set the record straight. If errors are spotted quickly any reprints that have been ordered can usually be amended.
Obituaries--We invite suggestions from readers to commemorate the lives of remarkable individuals who are internationally renowned for their contributions to medicine.
Dissecting room--This section rounds off the journal every week. Poetry, art, reviews of books and other media, Lifelines, and Jabs & Jibes are often commissioned, but spontaneous contributions are welcome.
| What to do before submission |
| Submissions to The Lancet should include: |
| 1 Covering letter (see below) |
8 Acknowledgments--include written consent of cited individual |
| 2 Manuscript--two copies double-spaced |
9 Personal communications--include written consent of cited individual |
| 3 Figures--two sets |
10 Protocols and CONSORT details for randomised controlled trials (see Articles) |
| 4 Authors' contributions and signatures (see below) |
11 Copies of correspondence from other journals and reviewers, if previously submitted |
| 5 Conflict of interest and source of funding (see below) |
| 6 Patients' consent and permission to publish (see below) |
|
| 7 In-press papers--one copy of each with acceptance letters |
Covering letter--Use the covering letter to explain why your paper should be published in
The Lancet, a leading international general medical journal, rather than elsewhere (eg, a specialty journal). It is also helpful to indicate here what concessions you might be prepared to make to shorten your paper. Remember that the full paper can be reviewed and a shorter version published; a table or figure, details of a DNA sequence, or further references, for example, can be left out of the printed version but published on our website or made available from the authors. Your letter should indicate who will deal with the paper prepublication; this person may be different from the corresponding author provided in the paper itself.
Authors' contributions and signatures--We ask authors of Articles, Mechanisms of disease, Research letters, and Case reports to specify their individual contributions at the end of the text.
The Lancet will not publish an item unless it has the signatures of all authors, a task best done before submission. We suggest the following format for Articles, Mechanisms of disease, Research letters, and Case reports: "I declare that I participated in the (here list contributions made to the study) and that I have seen and approved the final version". A similar format can be used for other types of submission. These signatures need not be dated; when provided on separate sheet(s) these statements will be returned if the paper is rejected so that they can be used for submission to another journal. Disputes over authorship usually arise late in the publication process, but are far better resolved early on, preferably before the study begins. For complex studies, group authorship might be the only answer, and a clearly identified writing committee is essential here.
Conflict of interest and source of funding--A conflict of interest exists when an author or the author's institution has financial or personal relationships with other people or organisations that inappropriately influence (bias) his or her actions. Financial relationships are easily identifiable, but conflicts can also occur because of personal relationships, academic competition, or intellectual passion. A conflict can be actual or potential, and full disclosure to The Editor is the safest course. All submissions to
The Lancet must include disclosure of all relationships that could be viewed as presenting a potential conflict of interest (see
Lancet 2001; 358: 854-56). The Editor may use such information as a basis for editorial decisions, and will publish such disclosures if they are believed to be important to readers in judging the manuscript.
Conflict of interest statements for authors At the end of the text, under a subheading "Conflict of interest statement", all authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organisations that could inappropriately influence (bias) their work. Examples of financial conflicts include employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony, patent applications, and travel grants, all within 3 years of beginning the work submitted. If there are no conflicts of interest, authors should state that there are none. The corresponding author should state that he or she had full access to all the data in the study and had final responsibility for the decision to submit for publication. For Commentaries, Seminars, Reviews, and Series,
The Lancet may decide not to publish on the basis of a declared financial interest of an author in a company (or its competitors) that makes a product discussed in the paper. However, we would much prefer such matters to be resolved earlier, at the commissioning stage.
Role of the funding source All sources of funding should be declared as an acknowledgment at the end of the text. At the end of the Methods section, under a subheading "Role of the funding source", authors must describe the role of the study sponsor(s), if any, in study design; in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; and in the decision to submit the paper for publication. If there is no Methods section, the role of the funding source should be stated as an acknowledgment. If the funding source had no such involvement, the authors should so state.
Patients' consent and permission to publish--Studies on patients or volunteers require ethics committee approval and informed consent, which should be documented in your paper. Where there is an unavoidable risk of breach of privacy--eg, in a clinical photograph or in case details--the patient's written consent, or that of the next of kin, to publication must be obtained and enclosed with your submission. Consent must be obtained for all Case reports and Clinical pictures. A consent form is available (at
http://image. thelancet.com/extras/consentform.pdf).
Presentation of data at a scientific meeting, as a poster, abstract, orally, on a CD, or as an abstract on the web, has no conflict with submission to
The Lancet.
Fast-track publication
For papers, which will usually be primary research (Articles, Mechanisms of disease, and Research letters), judged to warrant fast dissemination,
The Lancet will publish a peer-reviewed manuscript within 4 weeks of receipt. The
process is set out on
www.thelancet.com/info/info.isa?n1=authorinfo &n2=Fast+track; the essential first step is an e-mail to
fasttrack@lancet.com or a telephone call to one of the editorial offices (London +44 [0] 20 7424 4943 or New York +1 212 633 3810).
Early online publication
The Lancet posts a selection of articles (updated weekly) on its website (
http://www.thelancet.com) before publication in the print journal. A paper published early online is citeable with the URL that is published with the article. The version that is posted online is the final edited version and does not differ from the subsequently printed paper. If your paper is chosen for early online publication you will be forewarned by an editor, who will provide you with an online date. Your paper may also be chosen for
The Lancet's Press release. See
http://www.thelancet.com/ press for further details.
Protocol review
The Lancet will assess protocols of randomised trials and systematic reviews and will publish on our website summaries of those protocols that survive review (see
www.thelancet.com/info/info.isa?n1=authorinfo&n2=Protocol +review). It is best to submit your protocol before the start of the trial, or as near to its start as possible. We also make a commitment to seek peer review of the paper reporting the primary clinical data of those protocols that we publish (see
Lancet 2001; 357: 1819-20), and therefore encourage submission of such papers to
The Lancet.
Electronic research archive
This archive is intended to offer a means of electronic peer review and publication of research in international health (see
http://www.thelancet.com/era).
Acknowledgment--Whether you submitted your paper to the London or New York editorial office, your paper's receipt will be acknowledged, with a reference number, which should be used in all future communications with either editorial office.
Peer review--Every Article, Mechanisms of disease, Research letter, Case report, Hypothesis, and review papers of all types that are published have been peer reviewed. Occasional contributions (eg, an Essay) are accepted without peer review. Your report will first be read by one or more of the journal's staff of physicians and scientists. Our acceptance rate overall is less than 10% and it is an important feature of our selection process that many papers are turned away on the basis of in-house assessment alone. That decision will be communicated quickly. More positive in-house views are followed by peer review by at least two reviewers for all research papers and for most other types of paper. You will receive notification of which editor is handling the peer review of your paper. If reports are encouraging, and the editorial consensus is also favourable, then statistical advice is sought where appropriate.
Electronic submission--Guidelines on format for text and figures can be found at
http://image.thelancet.com/ lancet/extra/Diskettes.pdf.
Decision--Submissions that survive in-house and peer review might be referred back to authors for revision. This is an invitation to present the best possible paper for further scrutiny by the journal; it is not an acceptance. Authors should give priority to such revisions; the journal will reciprocate by making a final decision quickly. Two copies of the revised version should be sent back, one of which should be highlighted to show where changes have been made. Detailed responses to reviewers' comments, in a covering letter, are necessary too. We also need an electronic copy (see
http://image.thelancet.com/lancet/extra/ Diskettes.pdf for guidelines on format for text and figures).
Appeals--Sometimes editors make mistakes. When we do, we like to hear about them. The journal receives well over 10 000 unsolicited submissions each year, and most of these are rejected. If an author believes that an editor has made an error in declining a paper, we welcome an appeal. In your appeal letter, please state why you think the decision is mistaken and set out your specific responses to any peer reviewers' comments if those seem to have been the main cause of rejection.
Proofs--The Lancet employs highly skilled Assistant editors, and it is likely that your paper will be substantially edited after acceptance. You will receive a proof from a named editor. That proof should be corrected and returned within 48 hours.
Editorial research - We are keen to better understand and improve editorial conduct, decision making, and issues related to peer review. Therefore, we occasionally take part in or conduct editorial research and your submitted paper might be used in such research. If you do not want your paper entered into such a study please let us know in your covering letter. Your decision to take part or not will have no effect on the editorial decision on your paper.
Press release--Your submission could be chosen for the journal's press release, and even if it is not there may be inquiries from the media, so it is best to be available for comment. You will receive advance notice of your paper's inclusion in our press release. Selecting the content of an issue begins 17 days beforehand so no more notice can be given. The content of any interview you give to the media is subject to our embargo of 0001 h (London time) on the Friday or 1830 h (EST) on the Thursday before publication.
Offprints--100 offprints of Articles, Mechanisms of disease, Case reports, and most types of review papers are dispatched free of charge.
Reprints--All requests for reprints should be addressed to the Reprints Department in the London office (tel +44 [0] 20 7424 4968, fax +44 [0] 20 7424 4286, e-mail:
e-mail: reprints@lancet.com).
Data storage--At any time up to 5 years after publication of research in the journal, authors may be asked to provide the raw data.
Copyright--Authors will be asked to sign a transfer of copyright agreement, which recognises the common interest that both journal and author(s) have in the protection of copyright. We accept that some authors (eg, government employees in some countries) are unable to transfer copyright. However, such open-access policies do not provide anyone other than
The Lancet the right to make in any form facsimile copies of the version printed. All requests to reproduce or make available anything in the journal--in whole or in part, in electronic or in any other form, including translation--must be sent to:
Global Rights Department, Elsevier Ltd, PO Box 800, Oxford OX5 1DX, UK
(tel +44 [0] 1865 843 830, fax +44 [0] 1865 853 333, e-mail:
permissions@elsevier.co.uk)
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