Winning the Publications Game - 4th Edition (2016)

First set yourself a brief 29
FIGURE 3.3 Guidance to authors
All journals publish some kind of guidance to authors, ranging
from sporadically published Instructions to authors to large
series of web pages devoted to everything an author needs
to know (and some things they probably don’t). This guidance
is valuable information, and prospective authors must study
it closely and often, both while choosing a target journal and
subsequently working on the manuscript. They should also bear
in mind that this information has its limitations: it is what editors
think they want rather than what they actually do, and it should
not replace looking at, and analysing, the actual contents.
On one level this information will give precise instructions in
important areas such as how to present the manuscript, where
and how to send it, and so on. It will also deal with some of the
issues that come with publication, such as copyright assignment
and whether offprints are supplied. On a more subtle level it
will give you a valuable flavour of the journal’s personality and,
presumably, that of the editor(s). Compare these two contrasting
extracts:* apart from the specific instructions, what clues do they
give about what each journal wants?
The British Journal of Dermatology (BJD) strives to publish the
highest quality dermatological research. In so doing, the journal
aims to advance understanding, management and treatment of
skin disease and improve patient outcomes.
BJD invites submissions under a broad scope of topics relevant
to clinical and experimental research and publishes original
articles, reviews, concise communications, case reports and items
of correspondence . . .
BJD is an official organ of the British Association of
Dermatologists but attracts contributions from all countries in
which sound research is carried out, and its circulation is equally
international. The overriding criteria for publication are scientific
merit, originality and interest to a multidisciplinary audience.