HKMJ - Author

(1) Authors should refer to a current issue of the HKMJ and to the uniform requirements for manuscripts submitted to biomedical journals for guidance on style. For reports of randomised controlled trials, please follow the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) guidelines.

(2) Use Arabic numerals for numbers above nine, for designators (eg case 5, day 2, etc) and for units of measure; numbers should be spelled out if below 10, at the beginning of sentences, and for fractions below one. All papers should be written in English, and the spelling should be in British form (eg anaemia, physiological) and conform to the Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English Usage.

(3) Manuscripts should be word-processed, as double-spaced 12-point Times text, on one side of good quality A4 (21 x 30 cm) paper. Pages should have margins of 1 inch (2.5 cm). Three copies of the manuscript (complete with tables and figures) should be provided.

(4) Once the paper or other contribution (eg letter to the Editor) is considered likely to be accepted for publication in the HKMJ, the author will be asked to send the finalised paper via e-mail or a 3.5" floppy disk. Authors must name the software program used (eg Microsoft Word 5.1a). Computer disks should be labelled with manuscript number; name of first author; manuscript title; program; and file name. The Editorial Office uses Macintosh OS10/Word 2001 for Mac, and the preferred form is Word 5.1 for Macintosh (and no higher than version 7.0) or Text Only.

(5) Use Systeme International (SI) measurements only, except for mm Hg and cm H2O.

(6) Use generic names of drugs, unless the specific trade name of a drug used is directly relevant to the discussion. When generic names are not available, brand names which take an initial capital can be used; the maker of the study drug must be given. The HKMJ uses the new British Approved Name (BAN) and/or Recommended International Non-proprietary Name (rINN), according to the British National Formulary. With the exception of adrenaline and noradrenaline, the former BAN or UK name may appear in parentheses after the new BAN/rINN, at the drug's first mention.

(7) Do not use abbreviations in the title or abstract and limit their use in the text. Standard abbreviations may be used and should be defined on first mention in the text unless it is a standard unit of measurement. In general, terms should not be abbreviated unless they are used repeatedly and the abbreviation is helpful to the reader.

For further information about types of manuscript, sections of a manuscript, disk submission, and word processing requirements - please refer to the following link / documents:

HKMJ style is based on these following resources:

General:
- Uniform requirements for manuscripts submitted to biomedical journals. International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).
- Dorland's medical abbreviations. Philadelphia: WB Saunders Co.; 1992.
- Oxford concise medical dictionary. 4th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 1996.
- Random House Webster's medical spell checker. New York: Random House; 1998.
- The Oxford Quick Reference Spelling Dictionary. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 1998.
- The new shorter Oxford English dictionary. 4th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 1993.
- Fowler's modern English usage. A dictionary of modern English usage. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 1996.
- Dorland's illustrated medical dictionary. 28th ed. Philadelphia: WB Saunders Co.; 1992.
Style and technical editing:
- American Medical Association. Manual of style. 9th ed. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins; 1998.
- BMJ house style guide. Website http://bmj.com/advice/stylebook/basics.shtml
- CBE Style Manual Committee. CBE style manual: a guide for authors, editors, and publishers in the biological sciences. 5th ed. Chicago (IL): Council of Biology Editors, Inc.; 1983.
- Altman DG. Practical statistics for medical research. London: Chapman & Hall; 1991.
- Tufte ER. The visual display of quantitative information. Cheshire (CT): Graphics Press; 1993.
Production:
- The Chicago manual of style. 14th ed. Chicago (IL): The University of Chicago Press; 1993.
Drug nomenclature:
- British Medical Association and Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. British national formulary. BNF 38. September 1998. London: BMJ Books; 1999.

Queries about manuscript submissions, format, and style should be sent to the Managing Editor directly. Please refer to the contact information of the Editorial Office.

Note to authors: please forward queries regarding the progress of peer review or publication of any specific manuscripts to the Managing Editor by e-mail only, quoting the assigned manuscript number.