AFP Authors' Guide
American Family Physician is a semimonthly, editorially independent, peer-reviewed journal of the American Academy of Family Physicians. AFP’s chief objective is to provide high-quality continuing medical education for more than 190,000 family physicians and other primary care clinicians. The editors prefer original articles from experienced clinicians who write succinct, evidence-based, authoritative clinical reviews that will assist family physicians in patient care. AFP considers only manuscripts that are original, have not been published previously, and are not under consideration for publication elsewhere. Articles that demonstrate a family medicine perspective on and approach to a common clinical condition are particularly desirable.
Article Proposals
Authors are strongly encouraged to discuss their article ideas with the editor before beginning work on a manuscript. This step allows tailoring of the topic to AFP’s needs and prevents content overlap with recently published manuscripts or articles in preparation. Authors must be able to demonstrate expertise in their area of interest or manuscript topic. Clinical reviews, editorials, and other submissions with medical student or other student authors are not considered for publication. Exceptions to this policy are FPIN’s Clinical Inquiries and Help Desk Answers, Photo Quiz, where students can be coauthors, and Letters to the Editor. It is required that resident physicians, if involved with the manuscript, work with an experienced attending physician who should generally serve as first and corresponding author. We expect the experienced author to take the lead in evaluating the available evidence and writing the manuscript. An Author Credentialing form should be completed and returned by the lead author when submitting an article proposal. Additionally, a Conflict of Interest form should be completed by all authors. We expect articles to be written by one to (at most) three authors. In our experience, including more than three authors leads to an uneven quality paper. Topic proposals should be submitted via email to afpjournal@aafp.org with the words “Article Proposal for AFP Editor” in the subject heading.
Note: To avoid bias or the perception of bias, AFP will not consider manuscripts sponsored directly or indirectly by a pharmaceutical company, medical education company, or other commercial entity or those written by an author who has a financial relationship with or interest in any commercial entity that may have an interest in the subject matter of the article within the previous 36 months or in the foreseeable future.
Articles and Departments
Authors may submit manuscripts in one of the following categories. All articles should be submitted to Sumi M. Sexton, MD, Editor-in-Chief, via AFP's Editorial Manager online submission system, unless otherwise noted in this document. For detailed instructions on manuscript submission, see Submitting the Manuscript. Updated information about AFP's acceptance rates and timelines to publication is also available.
Clinical Review Articles
Most articles in AFP are evidence-based clinical reviews. AFP focuses on clinical conditions that are encountered frequently by practicing family physicians, with an emphasis on diagnosis and treatment of common, important diseases. Clinical reviews generally should be 1,500 to 1,800 words in length.
AFP does not publish original research articles. Although case reports are not featured as articles, a brief case summary may be submitted in the form of a Letter to the Editor (see also Curbside Consultation and Diary of a Family Physician).
Authors are expected to reply to published letters about their article, especially any that question the science involved. Failure to do so will disqualify an author from future publication in AFP.
Curbside Consultation
Curbside Consultation is a feature that addresses legal, psychological, and ethical issues physicians may encounter in their day-to-day practice. Each article contains a brief case scenario, followed by a commentary section written by one of our consultants who responds to the particular issue addressed in the case scenario. A collection of Curbside Consultation is available at http://www.aafp.org/afp/curbside.
Authors may submit a case scenario and clinical question to Caroline Wellbery, MD, Associate Deputy Editor of AFP (afpjournal@aafp.org). Materials are edited to retain confidentiality. An expert clinician will provide a commentary in response to the question.
Diary of a Family Physician
AFP is pleased to bring back a beloved series from years ago, “Diary From a Week in Practice,” now titled "Diary of a Family Physician." The goal is to share experiences and foster a sense of camaraderie among readers.
We’re looking for stories that provide a real-life flavor to day-to-day practice. These may reflect the broad range of experience in family medicine and diverse clinical settings (such as solo or group practice, rural, urban, hospitals, nursing homes, emergency department/urgent care, house calls, telehealth, residency programs, community health centers, universities). Submissions should be sent to afpjournal@aafp.org. From these submissions we will select a few regular authors along with some guest authors to ensure we are covering a full spectrum of family medicine.
Below are some examples of Diary entries published previously to serve as a guide, followed by some general principles on content:
https://www.aafp.org/afp/2020/1015/p460.html
https://www.aafp.org/afp/2020/1215/p758.html
Content focus:
The joys and challenges of everyday family practice. The stories can incorporate perspectives on how practice was prior to the current pandemic and/or how day-to-day practice has changed.
Clinical treatment tips (based on evidence, not anecdote or hearsay) with citation.
Noteworthy personal experiences with patients and their families, reflecting our dedication to treating the whole person. Show by example how knowing a patient and/or their family made it easier to manage a medical problem.
Diagnostic puzzles that can be addressed adequately in the space provided (perhaps with their Eureka! solutions).
Some do’s and don’ts:
Keep it short, simple, and personal. The length should be 100 to 200 (maximum) words per entry. Six to seven entries should be provided in a submission (representing different hours or patient encounters on a busy day in family medicine with the inclusion of an evening hour if appropriate to describe a longer day or interesting personal or family event).
Avoid providing any information that might allow anyone to identify a patient. Ask for a signed permission when the diary requires details.
Avoid any stories that promote a specific commercial product.
Tell a story that speaks for itself. Avoid philosophizing or pontificating about a subject. Keep it concrete rather than abstract.
First person is preferred when referring to yourself, but third person may be acceptable in certain cases, such as when referring to the patient.
Avoid relating tales along the lines of "here's something I heard about, so I tried it and it seemed to work for me." We must keep this evidence-based: when relevant, please provide references to support any "here's what I did" practices. We don't want readers trying something questionable for their patients based on hearsay.
Avoid writing about clinical scenarios that would require a lot of explanation or details about the evaluation and treatment because those scenarios are often too progress-note like and too long to fit in the provided space.
Avoid writing about political opinions. The focus should be on the clinical experience. Whereas diverse perspectives are welcome, the intent is not to start a political debate or to invite readers to question your views and the way you practice medicine.
Editorials
Most editorials in AFP are solicited by the editors; however, freestanding editorials are occasionally accepted. Editorials should range from 250 to 750 words in length and may include six to 12 references. Submit editorials via email to afpjournal@aafp.org with the subject heading "Editorial."
Letters to the Editor
Letters to the editor are published in most issues of AFP. Some letters may be published online only; online letters will be listed in the table of contents of the print version. Authors may comment on a previously published article or present a freestanding letter on an important clinical topic. Letters should be fewer than 400 words in length, with a limit of one table or figure, six or fewer references, and no more than three authors. Letters submitted for publication in AFP must not be submitted to any other publication. Possible conflicts of interest must be disclosed at time of submission.
Submission of a letter will be construed as granting the American Academy of Family Physicians permission to publish the letter in any of its publications in any form. Letters will be edited to meet style and space requirements. Send letters to Kenny Lin, MD, Associate Deputy Editor for AFP online (afplet@aafp.org). Letters submitted via regular mail should be sent to 11400 Tomahawk Creek Pkwy., Leawood, KS 66211-2672.
Photo Quiz
Photo Quiz presents readers with a clinical challenge based on a photograph or other figure. Submissions should conform to AFP guidelines. Send submissions to Photo Quiz, AFP Editorial Office, 11400 Tomahawk Creek Pkwy., Leawood, KS 66211-2672 (afpphoto@aafp.org).
Photo Quizzes should be original articles that have not been published previously and are not under consideration for publication elsewhere. Articles that demonstrate a family medicine perspective on and approach to a common clinical condition are particularly desirable.
Authorship:
The first/corresponding author must be an experienced physician. Residents and medical students may be coauthors. Fill out an Author Profile form, and include it with your Photo Quiz submission.
For military authors, please include your medical degree in addition to your military rank.
All authors must complete and sign author statement and conflict-of-interest forms. The forms may be faxed or scanned and e-mailed to Amber Randel at the time of your submission (contact information follows this guideline). View more information about what constitutes a conflict of interest.
Images:
Authors should submit original color photographs, slides, radiographs, or digital images that conform to the illustration guidelines outlined in "Figures" under Preparation of the Manuscript.
Figures should be original images. Do not obtain images from textbooks, journals, the Internet, etc. Acceptance of your Photo Quiz constitutes transfer of copyright.
They must be in focus and clearly show the feature you describe for readers.
If you add wording, arrows, etc., also provide a clean image for our production department to work with.
Each figure should be submitted as a separate digital file, not embedded in a Word document.
Photographs in which a patient is identifiable (i.e., the patient would be able to identify himself or herself) must be accompanied by a signed Consent for Publication form granting AFP permission to publish the photo. Please note that obscuring the eyes does not provide adequate anonymity.
Text:
The text of your Photo Quiz should include the following elements: 1) title, 2) introduction paragraph presenting the clinical scenario, 3) a question with one correct and three or four incorrect answers, 4) discussion of correct answer, 5) brief explanation of incorrect answers, and 6) a differential diagnosis table. The following are specific instructions for each element (view manuscript template):
The Photo Quiz department intends to help our readers improve their clinical skills through learning about common clinical conditions with visual components. The primary avenues for this are images (e.g., a skin rash), radiographs, sonograms, and ECGs.
Photo Quiz is not a case report. It uses case-based teaching to illustrate and educate on a common clinical topic. Two primary criteria for publishing a Photo Quiz are 1) the problem is commonly seen by practicing family physicians and 2) the image shows a typical example. Thus, we prefer images that show typical pathology or common variants rather than “once-in-a-lifetime” cases.
The title should hint at the diagnosis without giving it away.
The introduction paragraph presents the scenario that goes with the image. Include clinical information that would logically be included for the presenting complaint.
The question should be one to four sentences in length and contain the appropriate information needed to answer the question using the image. The question can be arranged in any of the following formats:
Reader chooses the correct diagnosis: “Based on the patient’s history and physical examination, which one of the following is the most likely diagnosis?"
Your answer choices can include other physical findings, laboratory values, typical pathology, appropriate treatment, typical clinical course, appropriate treatment setting, etc: “Based on the patient’s history and physical examination, which one of the following (physical finding, laboratory value, etc.) is most likely?”
Reader chooses the appropriate treatment for the condition: “Based on the patient’s history and physical examination, which one of the following treatment options is most appropriate?”
Please provide one correct and three or four incorrect answer choices. Answers should come from an appropriate differential diagnosis for the condition you present.
The discussion of the correct diagnosis should cover important key features of the diagnosis, including defining features, epidemiology, and clinical findings. Begin with a short explanation of why the photo makes the diagnosis correct. Please limit your discussion to 300–500 words.
Follow your discussion with brief (one to two sentences) explanations of each incorrect answer, describing why they are incorrect or not typical of the photo.
Create a “Selected Differential Diagnosis” table listing your answer choices and key characteristics of each (view table template). Because some clinical presentations may have more than four or five possible diagnoses, you may include other key diagnoses in your differential table. However, please limit this to the most common diagnoses because we do not need to list every possible differential.
Please avoid discussing how you treated your particular patient or managed his or her disease course.
Submit Photo Quizzes to:
afpphoto@aafp.org
11400 Tomahawk Creek Parkway
Leawood, Kansas 66211
Phone: 800-274-2237, extension 5104
Fax: 913-906-6086
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更多详情:
https://www.aafp.org/journals/afp/authors.html