MARITIME MEDICINE. PUBLISHING REQUIREMENTS

Since 1995, the Sociedad Española de Medicina Maritima (SEMM), a non -profit scientific society, has published a journal called MEDICINA MARÍTIMA (Med Mar). The purpose of this half-yearly magazine is to publish scientific articles and to provide information on topics related to the health of seafarers, such as fishermen, merchant sailors, divers, dock workers Topics range from health care to prevention, and deal with vaccinations, tropical and traveller`s medicine, psycho-social aspects, risk prevention in all areas, telemedicine, underwater and hyperbaric medicine, cruise medicine, health care in ports, hygiene (toxicology.), safety, ergonomy, organisational and epidemiological aspects, particularly those related to Maritime Occupational Medicine. Bibliographic documentation is also dealt with, as well as any other information which may be of interest and contribute to training medical staff or any other professionals related to maritime health. Peer-review forms part of the process.

The MEDICINA MARITIMA journal includes the following sections:-

Editorial - Current topics of interest to the sector.

Originals : This refers to clinical and epidemiological research papers. Priority will be given to the following subject-matter:

Risks Inherent to maritime work: occupational accidents and illnesses.

Sea workers' pathologies: clinical and epidemiological studies.

Underwater Medicine: preventive action and risk analysis.

Living and working conditions on board: hygiene and medical-social aspects.

Other topics related to maritime work

- Clinical notes: This space will contain descriptive analyses of occupational accidents or clinical cases detected in medical check-ups, or in the course of medical care on board, the originality of which makes them potentially useful to professionals related to maritime medicine.

- Continuing education: There will be current affairs related to maritime medicine, both of a theoretical and practical nature.

- To the editor: Opinion articles on current affairs.

- Window to the world: Special interest topics presented at international forums.

- News: This will deal with information about scientific activities, annotated Bibliography and legislation related to health and risks in Maritime Work, as well as other interesting news items.

STRUCTURE OF ORIGINAL PAPERS

MEDICINA MARITIMA's publishing norms follow "the uniform requirements for manuscripts submitted to bio medical magazines" (1997 issues, fifth edition and all those published at a later date may be checked), bibliography [formats for bibliographic references initially developed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and updated once a year by the International Committee of Editors of Medical Journals -Comité Internacional de Directores de Revistas Médicas (CIDRM)-, for further information see http://www.icmje.org], according to the Vancouver requirements. The text in the papers submitted will not be longer that 12 DIN A-4 pages (double spaced). The paper must also be submitted in an electronic format, as a file (Word or Word Perfect) so that it may be processed on a PC, and this format must not contain more than a maximum of six tables or of six images. It is also recommendable to limit the maximum number of authors to six. The authors' full name(s), their work place and the first or main author's full name and address, including a contact e-mail address and phone, must be shown on the first page, below the title. Only articles written in Spanish or English will be accepted. Texts must include the following sections (acknowledgements can be added).

-Abstract: This must not be longer than 250 words and should preferably contain: objectives, methodology, results and conclusions. Whenever possible, an English and an Spanish version of the abstract should be attached. Keywords should be listed and contrasted so that they may be included in the index.

-Introduction

-Materials and methods or Methodology

-Results

-Discussion

-Bibliography: Bibliographic references must appear in the same order as in the text and numbered correlatively. These reference numbers are to appear in the text, with superscript Arabic numerals.

Tables and images are to be presented on separate sheets, thus not included in the actual text. Each separate sheet will contain no more than one table or image, with Arabic numerals and any initials or abbreviations they may contain must be defined at the foot of the table or image.

SUBMITTING PAPERS

Should original papers be submitted by post, three printed paper copies must be sent in, together with the corresponding computer backup copy. WordPerfect and Word are the preferred word processor programmes, with images shown using Power Point. Please specify which version of each programme has been used and the exact item to which each file name refers). All proposals must be sent to Dr. Jorge Herrador Aguirre, C/ Sporting, 3. 5º A, 33203 Gijón-Asturias (España)

Or, alternatively, to Dr. Serafín Balanza Galindo. Casa del Mar, Muelle Alfonso XII s/n 30071 Cartagena-Murcia (España).

Papers may also be submitted by internet, in "attached file" format by sending them to to Dr. M. Luisa Canals at the following e-mail address, - : semm@semm.org

If any of the papers, or part of them, have been presented as a Report, Thesis, Funded Projects or in Collaboration with an entity other than the Spanish Society for Maritime Medicine, this must be declared on submission of the paper. Together with the paper, we advise authors to enclose a form listing the following data: section of the journal the paper is being proposed for (editorial, originals, in-service training, etc.), title and author(s). If the paper has not been published previously, a signed statement should be included declaring this, and also that all the authors who have contributed intellectually to it transfer their author's rights to the publisher, SEMM, so that the latter may duly publish the paper(s), make copies of it and distribute them as well as prepare any paper, electronic or multimedia copies of publications that may subsequently derive from the original paper and include the article in national and international indexes or data bases. Should the article be published, it is understood that the publishers do not necessarily share the authors statements or opinions.

Acknowledgement of receipt will be issued for all the papers submitted for publication. In order to avoid unnecessary duplication, papers published previously as such will not be accepted. Papers that do not fit in with the topics and objectives prescribed by the SEMM will also accordingly be rejected.