Instructions for Authors
Papers for publication should be submitted to the Editors, Health Policy and Planning, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street (Gower Street), London WC1E 7HT, UK. All papers should be written in English and should preferably be less than 5000 words in length. The manuscript should be accompanied by an assurance that the paper has not been published elsewhere nor submitted to another journal. The editors cannot enter into correspondence about papers considered unsuitable for publication and their decision will be final. Neither the editors nor the publishers accept responsibility for the views of authors expressed in their contributions. The editors reserve the right to make amendments to the papers submitted although, whenever possible, they will seek the authors' consent to any changes made.
Reprints
Authors of articles will be supplied free with 50 reprints and one copy of the journal in which their publication appears. Reprint order forms are sent out with the proofs, and must be returned to Oxford University Press if extra reprints are required. Late orders submitted after the journal is printed are subject to a surcharge.Copyright
It is a condition of publication in the Journal that authors assign copyright to Oxford University Press. This ensures that requests from third parties to reproduce articles are handled efficiently and consistently and will also allow the article to be as widely disseminated as possible. In assigning copyright, Authors may use their own material in other publications provided that the Journal is acknowledged as the original place of publication, and Oxford University Press is notified in writing and in advance.Organization of manuscript
Three copies of the manuscript should be submitted. It should be typed with double spacing on A4 (30 cm x 21 cm) size paper, with a 2.5 cm left-hand margin. All pages must be numbered in sequence. The sections should be arranged in the following sequence, with each section starting on a new page:- Title page showing title, short running title, authors' names and brief addresses.
- Brief biography of each author of not more than 150 words, including qualifications, position held and full address. Where there is more than one author, note which address should be used for reprint requests.
- Summary of not more than 300 words.
- Main text.
- Conclusions.
- Acknowledgements.
- References.
- Tables.
- List of captions for illustrations.
- Illustrations.
Illustrations
Illustrations should be lightly marked on the back with the figure number and the author's name and the top edge should be indicated. They should have neat, typed labels. Original drawings may be submitted, although high-quality glossy photographs or prints are preferable.References
Referencing may be either by author/date (Harvard) or by numbers (Vancouver system), but the format chosen must be used consistently throughout the article. The style of the reference list varies between the two systems, but in both cases, the following details must be included in a reference to a journal article: the surnames and initials of all authors when six or less (when seven or more, list three and add et al), title of article, name of journal abbreviated according to Index Medicus style, year, volume, first and last page numbers. For books, names and initials of all authors, the full title, place of publication, publisher, year of publication and page number should be included. Examples of the style for the two systems are shown below.Vancouver system
References should be numbered sequentially in the text, with a number being inserted above the line on each occasion a reference is cited.- 2 Ganapati R, Naik SS, Acharekar MY, Pade SS. Leprosy endemicity in Bombay: an assessment through surveys of municipal schools. Lepr Rev. 1976; 43: 127-31.
- 4 Abrams C. Housing in the modern world: man's struggle for shelter. London: Faber Editions, 1969: 185.
For more details of the Vancouver style see Br Med J 1982; 284: 1766-76.
Harvard system
In the text the author's name and the date of publication are quoted, e.g. 'as confirmed by Abrams (1969)' or 'as confirmed in another study (Abrams 1969)'.- Ganapati R, Naik SS, Acharekar MY, Pade SS 1976 Leprosy endemicity in Bombay: an assessment through surveys of municipal schools. Lepr Rev 47: 127-31
- Abrams C 1969 Housing in the modern world: man's struggle for shelter. London: Faber Editions, p. 165.
Units
All measures should be reported in SI units, followed (where necessary) by the traditional units in parentheses. For general guidance on the International System of Units and some useful conversion factors, see 'The SI for the Health Professions' (WHO 1977). There are two exceptions; blood pressure should be expressed in mmHg and haemoglobin in g/dl.Change of address
Please notify both the publishers and the editors of any change of address. The editors' address is given above. The publishers' address is: Journals Production Department, Oxford University Press, Great Clarendon Street, Oxford OX2 6DP, UK. Telephone +44 (0) 1865 556767, Fax +44 (0) 1865 267773.Review of books
Books and monographs will be reviewed as space permits and may be sent to Health Policy and Planning, c/o Oxford University Press.Important notes to authors
- It is the responsibility of the authors to obtain permission to quote material from copyright sources.
- The manuscripts will not be returned to authors following submission unless specifically requested.
- To avoid delays in the production of the journal, proofs will be sent to contributors for information only, and the editors will be responsible for checking, correcting and passing all proofs to press.
- Any amendments or corrections should be sent to the editors as soon as possible after being notified that an article has been accepted for publication.