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The principal concern of Tobacco Control is to provide a forum for research, analysis, commentary, and debate on policies, programmes, and strategies that are likely to further the objectives of a comprehensive tobacco control policy. In papers submitted for review the introduction should indicate why the research reported or issues discussed are important in terms of controlling tobacco use, and the discussion section should include an analysis of how the research reported contributes to tobacco control objectives. Papers firmly anchored to a strategic policy and programme context are more likely to be accepted for publication. An original and three copies of submitted manuscripts should be sent to Dr Ronald M Davis, Editor, Tobacco Control, Michigan Department of Public Health, 3423 North Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, PO Box 30195, Lansing, Michigan, 48909, USA (tel +1 517 335 8022; fax +1 517 335 9476). All manuscripts should be prepared according to the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals (Vancouver agreement : BMJ 1991; 302: 338-41, N Engl J Med 1991; 324: 424-8).
General points
All material submitted for publication is assumed to be submitted exclusively to the journal unless otherwise stated. Guidelines regarding duplicate or redundant publication have been published in JAMA 1993; 270: 2495.
Any financial or other relationships that might lead to a conflict of interest should be clearly stated in a covering letter. Authors must read and sign the financial disclosure statement that follows these Instructions.
All authors must read and sign the statement on authorship criteria and responsibility that follows these Instructions.
The Editor retains the customary right to make changes in style and if necessary to shorten, with the approval of the author(s), material accepted for publication.
All manuscripts (including letters) should be typed in double spacing with 5 cm margins at the top and left-hand side.
Number the pages in the top right-hand corner, starting with the title page.
On the cover page, provide name, postal and e-mail address, and telephone and fax numbers of the author to whom correspondence and proofs should be sent. Provide the first and last names and initials, and the main affiliation, of all coauthors. A maximum of four keywords should be provided for use in index compilation.
Spell out abbreviations the first time they are used.
Express all scientific measurements (except blood pressure (mmHg)) in standard international (SI) units.
Permission to reproduce previously published material must be obtained in writing from the copyright holder (usually the publisher); the author(s) and publisher must be acknowledged in the manuscript.
Authors should keep a copy of the manuscript for reference.
An acknowledgement of receipt of the manuscript will be sent, with a manuscript reference number and the approximate time required for review of the manuscript.
If requested, authors shall produce the data upon which the manuscript is based for examination by the editor.
Specific points
Original articles
Articles reporting research work may be full length or brief reports.
Articles should generally conform to the conventional format containing a structured abstract, introduction, patients/methods and materials, results, discussion, and references.
Structured abstracts should have a maximum of 250 words and may include the following headings: objective(s), design, setting, subjects, intervention(s), main outcome measures, results, and conclusions. (See JAMA 1995; 273: 28-30; BMJ 1988; 297: 156; or Ann Intern Med 1987; 106: 626-7.) Use as many of these headings as are appropriate for your article. If possible, use “design”, “subjects”, “intervention(s)”, and “main outcome measures” instead of “methods”.
Whenever possible give numbers of patients/subjects studied (not percentages alone).
All articles may be submitted to outside peer review, statistical assessment, and assessment by the editor; this may take up to eight weeks.
Authors whose papers are accepted for publication, or who are asked to revise their papers for further consideration, will be asked to submit their paper on a DOS diskette in WordPerfect 5.1 (in addition to the paper copies).
Manuscripts rejected for publication will not be returned.
Special communications
Special communications are papers that do not report original research data but which provide a discussion, analysis, or review of a particular subject.
Consensus statements should follow guidelines published in JAMA 1995; 273: 72-3.
Review articles
Review articles provide a review of the literature, usually concerning a particular subject, country, or geographical region.
Commentaries
Commentaries are opinion pieces, which are generally one to two journal pages (1000 to 2000 words) in length.
News analysis
News articles should be sent to David Simpson at the address on the inside front cover of the journal. Submissions from, or concerning, developing countries are particularly welcome. We encourage the inclusion of appropriate, high-quality illustrations to accompany news articles. Original illustrations will generally not be returned.
Ad watch*
Ad Watch is a section of the journal where tobacco advertising and promotional techniques, campaigns, and strategies are profiled and analysed. The text of these articles may be brief (letting the pictures “speak for them-selves”) or may be more in-depth.
Industry watch*
Articles appearing in this section review, analyse, and comment on tobacco industry activities and strategies.
Speaking personally*
Articles appearing in this section allow authors to reflect on, and write about, their personal experiences with regard to tobacco use and tobacco control. A more detailed explanation of the type of material sought by the editors for this section of the journal appeared in an earlier issue (Tobacco Control 1993; 2: 65).
Covers and cover essays
Ideas and contributions for covers of Tobacco Control should be sent to the Editor. As with previous covers, we would like future covers to be colourful and creative - with a tobacco control theme. Original artwork, antitobacco posters, photographs, and cartoons may all be considered. Material with an international flavour is particularly desirable. A cover essay should be submitted to provide appropriate background information and commentary on the proposed cover. Original material or high-quality, camera-ready photographs should be sent to the editor, and will generally not be returned.
Book reviews*
Book reviews are generally commissioned. Books pertaining to tobacco and related areas, such as substance abuse, cancer prevention, and health education, as well as unsolicited book reviews, may be submitted.
The lighter side
The Lighter Side reproduces antitobacco cartoons. Ideas and submissions should be sent either to Philippe Boucher at the address on the inside front cover or to the Editor. Written permission to reproduce the cartoon should be obtained from the artist, publication, or company holding the copyright, and should be submitted with the cartoon. Parodies, satires, and other humorous material may also be submitted for this section (see, for example, Tobacco Control 1993; 2: 41-2), and should be sent to the Editor.
Play IT again*
This section republishes quotes, gaffes, and immortal lines from both friends and foes of tobacco control. An original or photocopy of the sourced item should be submitted, along with the full citation.
Tables
Should be on separate sheets from the text.
Should not duplicate information given in the text of the article.
Should have a title.
Should give numbers of patients/subjects studied (not percentages alone) whenever possible and relevant.
Figures
Should be used only when data cannot be expressed clearly in any other form.
Should not duplicate information given in the text of the article.
Should be accompanied by the numerical data in the case of graphs, scattergrams, and histograms (which may be converted into tables).
Should include numbers of patients/subjects (not percentages alone) whenever possible and relevant.
Legends should be given on a separate sheet.
Figures will not be returned.
Line drawings
Should be of high quality and suitable for direct reproduction - that is, drawn in Indian ink on heavy white paper or card or presented as photographic prints. Computer generated line drawings are acceptable so long as they are clear and well defined. One original and three photocopies of each line drawing must be submitted.
Half tones
Should usually be submitted as prints, not as negatives, transparencies, or x ray films.
Should be no larger than 30 x 21 cm (A4).
Should be trimmed to remove all redundant areas.
The top should be marked on the reverse in pencil.
Labelling should be on copies, not on the prints.
The identity of patients in photographs should be concealed or their written consent to publication obtained.
References
Should be numbered sequentially in the text.
Should be typed in double spacing.
Authors are responsible for the accuracy of references.
At the end of the article the full list of references should give the names and initials of the first six authors, or the first three followed by et al if there are more than six. The authors’ names are followed by the title of the article; the title of the journal (in italics) abbreviated according to Index Medicus or spelt out in full; the year of publication; the volume number (in bold type); and the first and last page numbers. References to books should give the names of any editors, the place of publication, the publisher, and the year of publication.
Information from manuscripts not yet in press, papers reported at meetings, or personal communications should be cited in the text, not as formal references. References to personal communications should indicate the type of communication (written, oral, e-mail), the name (and affiliation, if appropriate) of the source of the communication, and the date or approximate date of the communication.
Examples
Journal article
Warner KE, Goldenhar LM, McLaughlin CG. Cigarette advertising and magazine coverage of the hazards of smoking : a statistical analysis. N Engl J Med 1992; 326: 305-9.
Chapter in a book
Davidson L, Slade J, Stang CL. Knowledge and attitudes about tobacco among pharmacists who do and who do not sell tobacco. In: Aoki M, Hisamichi S, Tominaga S, eds. Smoking and health 1987. Proceedings of the sixth world conference on smoking and health, Tokyo, 9-12 November 1987. Amsterdam: Excerpta Medica, 1988: 343-5.
Government publication
US Department of Health and Human Services. Reducing the health consequences of smoking : 25 years of progress. A report of the Surgeon General, 1989. Rockville, Maryland: Centers for Disease Control, Office on Smoking and Health, 1989. (DHHS Publication No (CDC) 89-8411.)
Proofs and reprints
Printer’s errors alone should be corrected on the proof. Rewriting and alterations may be charged to the author(s).
Justification for corrections, if necessary, should be given in a letter, not on the proof.
Reprints are available; an order form and scale of charges are included when the proof is sent out.
Footnotes
↵* Submissions should be sent to Dr Simon Chapman, Deputy Editor, Department of Community Medicine, University of Sydney, Westmead Hospital, Westmead NSW 2145, Australia. (Tel +61 2 633 6675; fax +61 2 689 1049.)