Submission guidelines
Shortcuts to Research, Practice, Analysis, Commentary, Review, Humanities
All manuscripts must be submitted on ScholarOne, our online submission system.
To submit a letter, see Submitting a Letter to the Editor.
To submit an obituary, please contact inmemoriam@cma.ca. (In Memoriam page)
Scientific articles should conform to the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) recommendations for manuscripts submitted to biomedical journals. The Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) also follows the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines.
Required at first submission for all article types
- Cover letter (should provide context for the submitted manuscript within the existing medical landscape and literature and should outline why you think your manuscript should be published in CMAJ. State the specific contributions of each author to the preparation of the manuscript. Please note the maximum number of authors for specific article types)
- Title page (may be uploaded as a separate file, or as the first page of the manuscript)
- title (for research, the title must include the study type)
- authors' names, degrees (no fellowships) and up to two affiliations for each author
- corresponding author's email address
- funding statement
- declaration of author(s) competing interests
- Text (editable files), tables, figures, appendices (clear, legible; they should adhere to CMAJ's requirements for the manuscript type)
Required at revision
- A contributor's statement (states the specific contributions of each author to preparation of the manuscript). Each author must meet the four authorship criteria of the ICMJE: substantial contributions to the conception, design, acquisition, analysis or interpretation of data for the work; drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; final approval of the version to be published; agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved
- Contributors who do not meet all four authorship criteria may be listed in the Acknowledgements section
- Editable text, table and figure files
- graphs, charts and diagrams: Microsoft Word (doc, docx), Excel (xls, xlsx), PowerPoint (ppt, pttx), Windows Metafile (wmf) or Enhanced Metafile (emf)
- photographs and images: high-resolution (~300 dpi), grayscale or CMYK, Graphics Interchange Format (gif), JPEG (jpeg, jpg, jpe), Tagged Image File Format (tiff, tif); any manipulation of the image should be identified in the Methods section; see examples on our Pinterest page
- tables and figures should not duplicate information in the text
- text should be written in the active rather than the passive voice
- No footnotes
- References formatted in the Vancouver style
- Multimedia, if possible; we encourage submission of video abstracts or clinical demonstrations on video; see examples on our YouTube channel
- Relevant signed forms: copyright/publication agreement, ICMJE (declaration of competing interests), acknowledgment, personal communication, permissions, etc. (See Author Forms)
Permission to reproduce previously published material
If your article contains previously published material (table, figure, appendix, box) or modified material, you must obtain permission from the publisher and/or copyright or licence holder. CMAJ Group's requirements are as follows:
- Commercial use
- In perpetuity
- Online and print publication
FAQs:
- How do I know if I need permission?
- Review the publisher's policy (look for: Terms of Use, Copyright and Permissions, Policies).
- Compare the previously published, original material to that in the manuscript you are submitting to the CMAJ Group. If the material in your manuscript is the same as or is a modified version of the source material, you need to obtain permission. If you are modifying the material, the permission you obtain from the publisher and/or copyright holder must specify that you are allowed to modify it. If you have consulted other sources to create an original table or figure you do not need permission, but those sources should be referenced.
- How do I determine who needs to give permission?
- Find the original source online; there is usually a link to request permission.
- If you are the author of the original article and hold copyright, please ensure that you have commercial permission to reproduce.
- The material to be reproduced is open access, do I still need permission?
- Open access allows one to read the information, not to reuse the information. Please consult the publisher's policy.
- Why do I need to obtain commercial rights?
- CMAJ Group sells its material to online aggregators (e.g., Ovid, EBSCO, Clinical Key)
Specific requirements by article type
Article type |
Description |
Limits |
---|---|---|
Research about humans, with focus on patients, diseases, populations and health services; topics relevant to the medical profession |
2,500 words |
|
Common presentations of important rare conditions; important unusual presentations of common problems |
1,500 words |
|
Emphasizes an area of controversy or difficulty in diagnosis, investigation or treatment of a condition |
1,500 words |
|
Highlights recent diagnostic and therapeutic innovations (e.g., devices, tools, rules, therapies) |
1,000 words |
|
Practical evidence-based approach to a common presentation in primary care |
650 words |
|
5 of the most important, most missed, most controversial or newest pieces of information on a topic of interest to physicians, general medical audience |
300 words |
|
Intriguing, classic or dramatic image(s); common presentations of important rare conditions; important unusual presentations of common problems |
300 words |
|
Assessment of current thinking on a topic and presentation of future options; presents evidence-based consideration of views and arguments (including the situation in other countries) and proposes new ways to carry thinking forward |
2,000 words |
|
Opinion pieces on controversial issues in health care or clinical medicine |
1,000 words |
|
Up-to-date guide to clinical practice based on comprehensive understanding of the existing literature (systematic review not required) |
2,000 words |
|
Social analysis of the medical and health sciences; discussion of ongoing research particularly welcome |
1,400 words |
|
Individuals of historical significance, or a person who currently shapes health perceptions and policy (profiles commissioned, but ideas welcome) |
1,400 words |
|
Narratives written by patients and health care practitioners commenting on their experience of illness or medicine; personal, professional encounters with a sense of immediacy and realism |
750 to 1400 words |
See below for details on how news articles, letters, clinical guidelines, and supplements are handled.
Research
CMAJ publishes research of interest to a general medical audience that also contributes to the international literature. This includes:
- research about humans, including patients, diseases, populations and health services (NOT research on animals or healthy human volunteers)
- topics relevant to the medical profession (e.g., medical education, medical workforce, physician behaviour, medical journal publication) including, but not limited to, CMAJ's four areas of focus — mental health, health of vulnerable populations, health services and sepsis.
- research that uses any method – including quantitative, qualitative and modelling methods – that is appropriate to the research question
Maximum length: 2,500 words (longer only by agreement with the editor), excluding title page, abstract, figures, tables and references. Accepted manuscripts may be published as a synopsis in print, with complete versions appearing online.
For details about the review process, see Editorial process
If we judge an article to have demonstrated sound methods but it is not selected for publication in CMAJ, for example, because the findings have limited generalizability, we may offer transfer to CMAJ Open. CMAJ Open also publishes some types or research which CMAJ does not publish or only rarely publishes (e.g. case series, protocols, quality improvement studies, and others).
Editorial contact: Ken Flegel (ken.flegel@cmaj.ca)
Research manuscript structure |
||
---|---|---|
Abstract |
The abstract should contain: |
~250 words |
Introduction |
|
Ideally 2 paragraphs; max of 400 words |
Methods |
|
|
Results |
|
|
Interpretation |
This section should include five parts:
|
4-5 paragraphs; ~800 words |
Randomized trials
Registration: In common with other major medical journals, CMAJ asks that reports of randomized controlled trials adhere to CONSORT guidelines and requires treatment trials to be registered in a clinical trials registry if patient recruitment began on or after July 1, 2005. For more information, see Clinical Trial Registration on the ICMJE website.
Data-sharing: We also require authors of clinical trials of drugs and medical devices to provide a data-sharing statement that indicates (1) whether any, all or portions of the data are available to others; (2) where, through whom, when and on what terms data will be available; (3) how data may be accessed.
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses should attempt to answer a focused question and adhere to PRISMA methods. In some circumstances, we will publish secondary or duplicate publications of Cochrane or other published reviews. Authors of such reviews must make it clear that the prior publication exists, and must seek the permission of the other journal before submission to CMAJ. To be considered for publication, these reviews must be especially relevant and important to the journal's readers.
Observational studies
Such studies need not be registered but if they are prospectively registered a registration number should be supplied. All observational studies should seek to address a specific pre-defined research question and primary outcomes should be outlined in a protocol before study inception. Observational studies should follow the STROBE reporting guidelines. Those that make use of routinely collected data should additionally follow the RECORD reporting guidelines.
Surveys
Survey studies and studies which use survey data should include a reporting guideline, such as CHERRIES for reporting a web based survey, or COREQ for reporting interviews and focus groups. The 2015 CMAJ article on "How to assess a survey report" is recommended for further guideance.
For examples of published research articles, see Research.
Practice
The Practice section publishes evidence-based, educational articles intended to be useful to practising clinicians. All published articles have been peer reviewed.
For all practice sections, the writing should be evidence-based and authors should comment on the referenced articles, instead of merely adding a reference number (e.g., "A well-designed randomized controlled trial found that…", "Most of the evidence that supports this intervention comes from small observational studies…").
Authors of articles based on real patients must obtain patient consent before submission. See Author Forms for more information. If the patient’s face is shown, or if distinctive markings (e.g., an unusual tattoo) are shown that might make the patient identifiable, please include the patient consent form with your submission. A consent form that indicates the patient is aware that they will be identifiable is preferable.
Each submission should identify a senior clinician or expert as guarantor so that readers can identify who takes overall responsibility for the content. We request therefore that submissions include the following statement: "[guarantor name] is the guarantor of the clinical content of this submission."
Submissions whose number of authors exceed the maximum for the article type must justify the presence of additonal authors in the cover letter. Each author must be shown to meet the four authorship criteria of the ICMJE.
Visual and multimedia elements are encouraged for each type of article (high-resolution images, videos, boxes, etc.). Also encouraged is a box with helpful resources for patients or physicians.
We particularly encourage submission of video abstracts or clinical demonstrations on video; see examples on our YouTube channel
Editorial contact: Andreas Laupacis (andreas.laupacis@cmaj.ca)
Cases
These are brief case reports that convey clear, practical lessons relevant to a general audience. Preference is given to common presentations of important rare conditions and important unusual presentations of common problems. Topics are varied and include, but are not limited to, CMAJ's four areas of focus — mental health, health of vulnerable populations, health services and sepsis.
Structure:
- 1,500 word limit; up to four authors; up to 10 references, formatted in the Vancouver style
- real case presentation (≤ 500 words)
- discussion of underlying condition (≤ 1,000 words) with an emphasis on practical information and new or changing practice
- visual elements (e.g., boxes with the differential diagnosis, clinical features or diagnostic approach, videos or images) are encouraged
- include up to four key points – each in a short sentence – highlighting the article's main message
For examples, see Cases
What is your call?
These articles emphasize an area of controversy or difficulty in diagnosis, investigation or treatment of a condition and involve clinical reasoning. Topics are varied and include, but are not limited to, CMAJ's four areas of focus — mental health, health of vulnerable populations, health services and sepsis.
Structure:
- 1,500 word limit (including questions, answers and discussion); up to four authors; up to 10 references formatted in the Vancouver style
- real case presentation, clinical details with images
- subheads are questions, each followed by multiple-choice questions and the answers; of particular interest are questions involving steps in clinical reasoning
- brief discussion section concludes the article
- writing should be evidence-based and authors should comment on the referenced articles (e.g., "A well-designed randomized controlled trial found that…", "Most of the evidence that supports this intervention comes from small observational studies…")
- visual elements encouraged (e.g., high-resolution images with captions, box of patient/physician resources, differential diagnosis, videos)
For examples, see What is your call?
Innovations
Recent diagnostic and therapeutic innovations (e.g., new devices, diagnostic tools, decision rules, therapies) are highlighted. Novel uses of older treatments will also be considered. Benefits of the innovation, its availability and its limitations must be highlighted — clearly but briefly. Topics are varied and include, but are not limited to, CMAJ's four areas of focus — mental health, health of vulnerable populations, health services and sepsis.
Structure:
- 1,000 word limit; up to four authors; up to 10 references formatted in the Vancouver style
- should be structured in five sections:
- Introduction describing the setting for the innovation (why was it developed, what is the background, etc.)
- Description of the innovation, including three subsections: What is it? How is it delivered? Who is eligible?
- What are the harms?
- What is the evidence so far?
- What can be expected in the future? (For example, should this innovation be widely adopted, what might help its adoption?)
- include up to four key points – each in a short sentence – highlighting the article's main message
- visual elements (high-resolution images or videos) are encouraged
For examples, see Innovations
Decisions
Focus is on a practical, evidence-based approach to a common presentation in primary care (clinic or emergency department). Include information that would usually be covered in a typical primary care appointment. Topics are varied and include, but are not limited to, CMAJ's four areas of focus — mental health, health of vulnerable populations, health services and sepsis.
Structure:
- 650 word limit and up to 1 box or figure; up to four authors; up to seven references formatted in the Vancouver style
- title should be short (up to 50 characters) and compelling
- should be structured into three main sections:
- Brief (75 words or less) description of the clinical situation (fictional or real)
- Three to four clinical questions addressing key decisions the clinician must make during the appointment (e.g., examination, investigation, treatment, harm reduction, follow-up, referrals); the questions should directly relate to the patient described in the case
- "Case revisited" section that provides a summary of the decisions/actions the clinician makes at the end of the patient visit (e.g., testing, follow-up appointment, referrals)
For examples, see Decisions
Five things to know about...
Articles present five key statements on topics of interest to physicians. The focus is on the most important, most missed, most controversial or newest information on the topic. The articles are not meant to be comprehensive. Areas covered may include diagnosis, prevalence, red flags, differential diagnoses, treatment, prognosis or recent advances, and will vary depending on the topic. The information should be relevant to a general medical audience. Topics are varied and include, but are not limited to, CMAJ's four areas of focus — mental health, health of vulnerable populations, health services and sepsis.
Structure:
- 300 word limit; up to three authors; up to five references formatted in the Vancouver style
- each key sentence should be clear, short and specific, supported by one or two explanatory sentences and a reference
- you may include one box, figure or image in the article
For examples, see Five things to know about...
Clinical images
Images are chosen because they are particularly intriguing, classic or dramatic. Preference is given to common presentations of important rare conditions and important unusual presentations of common problems. Topics are varied and include, but are not limited to, CMAJ's four areas of focus — mental health, health of vulnerable populations, health services and sepsis.
Structure:
- 300 word limit; up to three authors; up to three references formatted in the Vancouver style
- Figure and case pertaining to a real patient; clear, appropriately labelled, high-resolution images must be accompanied by a figure caption
- A brief case description is followed by a concise explanation of the educational significance of the images that typically includes epidemiology, differential diagnosis, investigations, management and prognosis
- We highly encourage submission of clinical demonstration videos to accompany the article. See examples on our YouTube channel
For examples, see Clinical images
Guidelines
Clinical guidelines developed or endorsed by relevant national or international specialty societies, colleges and associations will be considered. Payment of a publication fee is required for all guidelines published in CMAJ. The fee must be negotiated separately with the publisher in advance of submission. That an author group is able to pay the publication fee does not affect editorial decision-making.
We expect that guidelines adhere to the AGREE II reporting guideline and that a recognized tool such as GRADE is used to grade the quality of evidence and strength of recommendations. In particular, relevant stakeholders should be included in the guideline development group and competing interests need to be managed. All guidelines submitted after January 1, 2020 need to adhere to the Guideline International Network principles for managing competing interests in guidelines (full CMAJ policy).
For further details:
We strongly suggest that guideline developers contact editorial@cmaj.ca well in advance to discuss proposals.
Analysis
Analysis articles discuss a topic relevant to health policy or practice to further understanding of that topic area and to offer solutions or suggestions for ‘next-steps’. Topics vary. Many discuss health systems and policy issues. Topics are varied and include, but are not limited to, CMAJ's four areas of focus — mental health, health of vulnerable populations, health services and sepsis.
Analysis articles are not long commentaries. As their name suggests, they must analyse something sufficiently well to extend knowledge; description of a status quo (or two) and some unsupported opinion that this should change is inadequate. Although analysis articles may have a Canadian focus, the international context of the topic must also be discussed. While these articles do not present primary data, they may analyse secondary data, or discuss particular cases using a framework or theory, for the purposes of extending understanding on a particular issue.
Analysis articles should be written in an evidence-based style, which means that authors must comment on, or discuss, the type, quality, recency and findings of primary research cited. Merely making a statement and supplying a reference is usually insufficient.
Structure:
- Analysis article template
- 2,000 word limit; up to 25 references formatted in the Vancouver style
- title should be short (up to 50 characters) and compelling
- includes brief introduction (250 words mac) to indicate the direction of the article; must answer "Why should I read this article?"
- organize your article using a scaffold of subheadings framed as questions. Include details about the issue, most important concerns (strength and weaknesses), knowledge gaps, future direction, recommendations for a way forward, and more
- can present a particular point of view, as long as the other side is presented as well (not necessarily equal in length)
- include up to four key points – each in a short sentence – highlighting the article's main message
- visual elements encouraged (e.g., high-resolution image with caption, table, video, etc.)
Editorial contact: Prospective authors who have a well-developed idea and wish to discuss it before submission should contact Dr. Kirsten Patrick (kirsten.patrick@cmaj.ca). To facilitate the process, send a fleshed out summary of what you plan to write. An introduction that explains why readers of CMAJ should be interested in this topic at this time, and a list of main points/arguments to be covered in the article, will usually suffice.
For examples, see Analysis.
Commentary
Commentary articles are typically commissioned, but we sometimes accept unsolicited commentaries. They are limited to 1,000 words and 10 references formatted in the Vancouver style, with a maximum of two authors.
We publish two types of commentaries:
- Linked commentaries that accompany another article published in CMAJ (usually a research paper). Their aim is to contextualize the specific research findings or provide extra information related to the subject of another article or research paper.
- Standalone commentaries are scholarly articles that discuss controversial clinical or health care policy concerns. Authors may support one point of view, but articles must be written in an evidence-based, scholarly style.
Editorial contact: Prospective authors who have a well-developed idea and wish to discuss it before submission should contact Dr. Kirsten Patrick (kirsten.patrick@cmaj.ca). To facilitate the process, send a fleshed out summary of what you plan to write. An introduction that explains why readers of CMAJ should be interested in this topic at this time, and a list of main points/arguments to be covered in the article, will usually suffice.
For examples, see Commentary.
Review
Reviews provide an evidence-based, current guide to practice in a given clinical area. Although clinical reviews don't require a rigorous systematic literature review, we expect that authors will base the review on a comprehensive and up-to-date understanding of the existing literature. Topics are varied and include, but are not limited to, CMAJ's four areas of focus — mental health, health of vulnerable populations, health services and sepsis.
Reviews are structured around five to six clinical questions that are clearly answered in the text and by tables and visuals that help to present complex information. They should offer clear advice on how to apply existing evidence in clinical practice.
Article should be evidence-based and authors should comment on the referenced articles, instead of merely adding a reference number (e.g., "A well-designed randomized controlled trial found that…", "Most of the evidence that supports this intervention comes from small observational studies…").
Structure:
- 2,000 word limit (excluding words in figures, boxes, tables, reference lists); up to four authors; up to 40 references formatted in the Vancouver style
- title should be short (up to 50 characters) and compelling
- includes brief introduction (150 words) to indicate the direction of the article; must answer "Why should I read this article?"; also includes a comment on the overall quality of the evidence
- include a box describing the evidence used to develop the paper: details of your search (search terms, databases, limits), brief description of the number of articles, type and quality of the literature
- focus on answering five to six clinical questions, with supporting evidence
- include a box with unanswered questions where evidence is lacking
- include up to four key points – each in a short sentence – highlighting the article's main message
- visual elements encouraged (e.g., high-resolution image with caption, table, video, etc.)
Editorial contact: Prospective authors who have a well-developed idea and wish to discuss it before submission should contact Dr. Kirsten Patrick (kirsten.patrick@cmaj.ca). To facilitate the process, send a fleshed out summary of what you plan to write. An introduction that explains why readers of CMAJ should be interested in this topic at this time, and a list of main points/arguments to be covered in the article, will usually suffice.
For examples, see Review.
Humanities
Contributions are welcome in the following areas:
Medicine and society
This section provides readers with concise critical social analysis of the medical and health sciences. Scholars in medical sociology, history, sociocultural anthropology and science studies examine biomedical practices and theories in relation to political, sociocultural, economic, historical or technological developments. Discussion of ongoing research is particularly welcome.
Submissions should include a maximum of 10 references formatted in the Vancouver style, and be no more than 1,400 words (including references). If appraised as being suitable for the category contributions will undergo peer-review.
Editorial contact: Dr. Dorian Deshauer, associate editor (dorian.deshauer@cmaj.ca)
Encounters
Encounters are nonfiction narrative descriptions of health care experiences written by patients, clinicians, and other caregivers. We encourage authors to reflect on their experience of health care and especially value contributions that convey personal and professional encounters with a sense of immediacy and realism. The writing should be candid, but must respect patient and colleague confidentiality in the clinical context. Signed releases must be obtained from all people who may potentially self-identify. Narratives should be limited to 1,000 words.
Encounters that potentially meet our needs undergo single-blind peer review. Final decisions are made by consensus of a minimum of 2 editors.
Narratives are memoirs that become narratives through a turn of the poetic possibility and a nod to literature, as well as imagination and storytelling. We especially value contributions that convey personal and professional encounters with a sense of immediacy and realism. The writing should be candid, but with patient and colleague confidentiality respected. Signed releases must be obtained from all people who may potentially self-identify. Narratives should be limited to 1,000 words.
Editorial contact: Barbara Sibbald, associate editor, Humanities (barbara.sibbald@cmaj.ca)
News
News articles are written by professional journalists; ideas and news tips are welcome. Contact Lauren Vogel (Lauren.Vogel@cmaj.ca) for more information or to discuss ideas.
Letters
We welcome correspondence and comment on articles published in CMAJ. To submit a letter, find the relevant article on cmaj.ca, then, in the right-hand 'This Article' column, select 'submit a response'.
For more information, see Submitting a Letter to the Editor.
Supplements
Proposals for print and online supplements will be considered. Payment of a publication fee is required, and is negotiated separately with the publisher.
Contact editorial@cmaj.ca to discuss proposals.