Wilderness & Environmental Medicine

Instructions for Authors
Please print out read these instructions BEFORE submitting your manuscript.

To submit your manuscript electronically, go to:  http://wem.allentrack.net/

SUBMISSION PROCESS
The manuscript submission process is broken into a series of 5 screens that gather detailed information about your manuscript and allow you to upload the pertinent files. The sequence of screens is as follows:

1. A long form asking for author information, title, abstract, and file quantities.

 2. A screen asking for the actual file locations on your computer (via an open file dialog). After completing this screen, your files will be uploaded to our server.

3. A screen requesting the order files should appear in the system-generated merged PDF.

4. A completion screen that will provide you with a specific manuscript number for your manuscript.
 
5. An approval screen that will allow you to verify that your manuscript was uploaded and converted correctly. You are allowed to replace and delete files, as well as withdraw the manuscript, on this page.

Before submitting a manuscript, please gather the following information:

• All Authors
  • First Names, Middle Names or Initials, Last Names
  • Institutions
  • Departments
  • Phone and Fax Numbers
  • Street Addresses
  • E-mail Addresses
• Title and Running Title (you may copy and paste these from your manuscript)
• Abstract (you may copy and paste this from your manuscript)
• Key words (3 to 6)
• Manuscript files in Word, WordPerfect, or Text formats
• Figures/Images in TIF, EPS, PDF, or JPG formats
• Tables in XLS or DOC formats
• 2 suggested reviewers and their e-mail addresses
• Copyright/Authorship Agreement signed and dated. Available at http://wem.allentrack.net/html/Author_Copyright_Release_03_07_06.pdf   Upon uploading your manuscript, use the section for supplementary material to upload your signed and dated agreement.

 

After the manuscript is submitted, you will be asked to select the order you would like the files to be displayed in a merged PDF file that the system will create for you. Next, you will be directed to a page that will allow you to review your converted manuscript. If the conversion is not correct, you can replace or delete your manuscript files as necessary. You may also add additional files at this time. After you have reviewed the converted files, you will need to click on "Approve Converted Files." This link will have a red arrownext to it. Throughout the system, red arrowsreflect pending action items that you should address.

 

File Conversion
After the manuscript is submitted, you will be asked to select the order you would like the files to be displayed in a merged PDF file that the system will create for you. Next, you will be directed to a page that will allow you to review your converted manuscript. If the conversion is not correct, you can replace or delete your manuscript files as necessary. You may also add additional files at this time. After you have reviewed the converted files, you will need to click on "Approve Converted Files." This link will have a red arrownext to it. Throughout the system, red arrowsreflect pending action items that you should address.

Getting Help: If you need additional help, you can click on the help signsspread throughout the system. A help dialog will pop up with context-sensitive help.
 

Manuscript Status
After you approve your manuscript, you are finished with the submission process. You can access the status of your manuscript at any time via:

1. Logging into the system with your password (will be assigned the first time you log in to Allen Track)
2. Clicking on the link represented by your manuscript tracking number and abbreviated title
3. Clicking on the "Check Status" link at the bottom of the displayed page

This procedure will display detailed tracking information about where your manuscript is in the submission/peer-review process.

 

Starting
The manuscript submission process starts by pressing the "Submit Manuscript" link on your "Home" page. Please make sure you have gathered all the required manuscript information listed above BEFORE starting the submission process.

 

 

WILDERNESS & ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE  SCOPE AND CATEGORIES

Wilderness & Environmental Medicine (WEM) is the official journal of the Wilderness Medical Society. It is published quarterly and is devoted to original scientific and technical contributions related in whole or in part to wilderness or environmental medicine.

TOPICS

Pertinent topics include, but are not limited to, medical, physiological, pharmacological, and expeditionary considerations of (but are not limited to) medical, physiological, pharmacological, and expeditionary considerations of: high altitude and climbing; hypothermia and cold-induced injuries; heat/cold-related disorders; weather-related phenomena and natural environmental disasters; toxinology; drowning and near-drowning; diving and barotrauma; hazardous plants, reptiles, insects, and marine animals; ethnobotany; animal attacks; medicine practiced in rugged environments; tropical disease and immunizations; search and rescue; ethical and legal issues. 

 Manuscripts are considered for the following categories:

Editorials: Commentaries on major current issues or controversies with significant implications for wilderness medicine, generally not to exceed 6 double-spaced pages plus references.

Original Research: Original studies of basic or clinical research in areas relevant to wilderness medicine.

Concepts: Descriptions of clinical and non-clinical wilderness medical problems and solutions. Articles may focus on practical “how-to” management techniques and/or new approaches to the planning, management, or provision of wilderness medical services. 

 

Review Articles: Extensive, well-referenced reviews of the literature on a narrow clinical topic. 

Case Reports: Brief descriptions of unique wilderness medicine problems or situations. Include narrative abstract, introduction, and discussion of implications. 

Clinical Updates: Expert analysis, based on recent research, of a clinical topic in wilderness medicine. Papers should provide statistical evidence of prevalence, a brief historical perspective, etiology, diagnosis, treatment, and range of outcome for the injury, illness, reaction, or disorder. 

Brief Reports: Preliminary findings or small sample-sized studies that generate new hypotheses for further research. Reports should generally follow the guidelines under Manuscript Preparation and be limited to 8 double-spaced pages plus the structured abstract and no more than 10 references.

Letters to the Editor: Observations, opinions, and/or corrections on topics appearing in WEM, generally not to exceed 4 double-spaced pages with a maximum of 5 references. 

Lessons from History: Classic papers in the medical literature relating to wilderness medicine. Such papers should have been first to describe a new problem, providing new information about old subjects, or describing new, effective methods of treatment or prevention. The contributor should submit a short commentary that emphasizes the importance of the original article and puts it into historical context. Include the full citation of for the original text.

Clinical Images: Pictures that teach something about wilderness medicine, as well as tell an engaging story. The focus will be on clinical images, each accompanied by text explaining the photograph and briefly reviewing the diagnosis and treatment of the condition it illustrates. 

Wilderness Images: High-quality, high-resolution (300 ) digital images of wilderness subjects.

Wilderness Essays: Personal essays or anecdotes relating to the wilderness and medicine.

Wilderness Instructor: Articles focusing on teaching techniques and insights relevant to wilderness medicine education at any level. 

 

MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION
Manuscripts are considered for publication in WEM on the understanding that neither the manuscript nor any part of its text, figures, or tables have been published in, accepted for publication in, or submitted at the same time to another journal. This does not preclude consideration of a complete report that follows publication of preliminary findings elsewhere, such as in the form of an abstract. 

When submitting a paper, the author should make a full statement to the Editor about all submissions and previous reports that might be regarded as prior or duplicate publication of the same or very similar work. Copies of such material should be included with the submitted paper to help the Editor decide how to deal with the matter. WEM endorses the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals (JAMA 1997:277:927-934). WEM uses the American Medical Association Manual of Style, 9th edition, for editorial style.

Please include in your upload to http://wem.allentrack.net/ the following files:

 

1. Cover letter to Editor Dr. Robert Norris providing corresponding author’s information (name, address, telephone and fax numbers, and email address) and stating the category of article the manuscript represents. Suggest two or three potential Peer Reviewers whom you deem appropriate and knowledgeable to review your manuscript, include contact information and email addresses.
 

2. Copyright Release signed by each author. Available to print-out on our website, wms.org or by following this link: http://wem.allentrack.net/html/Author_Copyright_Release_03_07_06.pdf

 

3. The full text includes: title page, abstract, key words, article, references, and acknowledgments. Upload tables and figures in separate files. Include a legend for tables and figures.
 

NOTE: This manuscript template can serve as an example of what your manuscript should include. You may cut and paste your manuscript into this template OR simply refer to it as an example of how your submission should be formatted.

 

4. If appropriate, a copy of the permission to reproduce previously published materials from the publisher or owner of the material; permission to use photographs of identifiable subjects.

 

If you are unable to access http://wem.allentrack.net/ send all manuscript files to jonna@wms.org, or copy  the manuscript to a CD and mail to Jonna Barry, WEM Editorial Office, 1505 N. Royer St, Colorado Springs, CO 80907.

Submitted manuscripts will not be returned. Hard copies of original artwork, photographs, and similar materials will be returned only on request and if accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. Once accepted for publication, all manuscripts are subject to editorial changes, and the paper becomes the permanent property of WEM and may not be published elsewhere without permission from the Editorial Office.

The Editor reserves the right to edit manuscripts to comply with WEM’s format, remove redundancies, and improve clarity without altering the meaning. 

 

PREPARATION OF MANUSCRIPTS

The manuscript should be double-spaced with 1-inch margins on 8.5 x 11-inch page and pages numbered.

Do not embed author names, dates, fonts, links, footnotes in a hidden field, field codes, bookmarks, comments, hypertext links, passwords, objects, worksheets, databases, artwork, or slides (such as PowerPoint) in the text.

All persons designated as authors should qualify for authorship. Include first names of the author(s), NOT initials, highest degrees and affiliations. The order of authorship should be a joint decision of the co-authors. Each author should have participated sufficiently in the work to take public responsibility for the content. Authorship credit should be based only on substantial contributions: (l) to conception and design or to analysis and interpretation of data; (2) to drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content; and (3) to final approval of the version to be published. General supervision of the research group is not sufficient for authorship.

Scientific submissions should contain the sections described below. Each section should begin on a new page and should be in the sequence shown below.

Final/Revised Manuscript Preparation:: After receiving a decision from the Editor and revising the manuscript as instructed, the final revision of the manuscript should include: ( 1) a cover letter to Editor Dr. Robert Norris explaining revisions based on reviewers’ comments, (2) the final/revised manuscript and accompanying files. Upload revisions to http://wem.allentrack.net/.

TITLE PAGE

The title page (page 1) should contain (1) a concise and informative title; (2) an identified short running head (short title) of no more than 40 characters, including spaces; (3) the first name (spelled out), middle initial, and last name of each author with highest academic degree(s) and institutional affiliation; (4) the name of the department(s) and institution(s) to which the work is attributed; (5) any disclaimer; (6) contact information for the corresponding author; (7) contact information for author who shall receive requests for offprints, or a statement that offprints will not be available from the author; and (8) the source(s) of support in the form of grants, equipment, and/or drugs. If the work described in the manuscript has been formally presented at a scientific meeting, provide the name of the organization, date, and location of the meeting.  

ABSTRACT

All manuscripts that are reports of original data from scientific investigations must be submitted with a structured abstract of no more than 250 words with the following headings: Objective, Methods (include information on design, setting, participants, interventions, and main outcomes measured), Results, and Conclusions.

Case Reports, Reviews, Clinical Updates, Wilderness Instructor, and Concept articles should include a narrative abstract of 250 words or less and outline the purpose of the article, major findings, and recommendations. Abstracts for Review Articles should specify how the literature was searched and how cited articles were chosen. 

KEY WORDS 

Be prepared to include 3 to 6 key words or short phrases that will assist indexers in cross-indexing your article and that may be published with the abstract. Use terms from the medical subject headings (MeSH) list of Index Medicus. 

TEXT
Introduction. Clearly state the purpose of the article. Summarize the rationale for the study, report, or observation. Give only strictly pertinent references, and do not review the subject extensively. Do not include data or conclusions from the work being reported. 

Methods. Describe the selection of the observational or experimental subjects, including controls. Identify the methods, apparatus (manufacturer’s name and address, i.e., city, state, province, and country in parentheses), and procedures in sufficient detail to allow other workers to reproduce the results. Give references to established methods, including the statistical methods; provide references and brief descriptions of methods that have been published but are not well known; and describe new or substantially modified methods. Precisely identify all drugs and chemicals used, including generic name(s) and route(s) of administration. Proprietary names may be included, but should be capitalized, enclosed in parentheses, and should follow the generic names. 

IRB (Institutional Review Board): All studies involving human or animal research must indicate approval by an institution’s human or animal subject review committee. Authors should confirm that written informed consent was obtained from all human subjects or that this requirement was waived by the review committee. 

Results. Present the results in a logical sequence, using tables and illustrations where possible. Include numbers of observations and statistical significance of the findings when appropriate. Do not repeat in the text all of the data found in the tables or illustrations. Report measurements in the units in which they were made. Include Système International units in parentheses whenever possible. Measurements of length, height, weight, and volume should be reported in metric units; temperatures should be given in degrees Celsius (°C).

Statistics. All statistical techniques must be clearly identified and referenced where appropriate. Describe statistical methods with enough detail to enable a reader with access to the original data to verify the reported results. When possible, quantify findings and present them with appropriate indicators of measurement error or uncertainty. Discuss eligibility of experimental subjects, randomization, methods of blindings, treatment complications, numbers of observations, and losses to observation. Specify any computer programs used.

Put general descriptions of statistical methods in the Methods section. When data are summarized in the Results section, specify the statistical methods used to analyze them. Restrict tables and figures to those needed to explain the argument of the paper and to assess its support. Use graphs as an alternative to tables with many entries: do not duplicate data in graphs and tables. 

Discussion. Emphasize the new and important aspects of both the study and the conclusions that follow from them. Do not repeat in detail data given in the Introduction or the Results sections. Include in the Discussion the implications of the findings and their limitations, including implications for future research. Relate the observations to other relevant studies. Link the conclusions with the goals of the study, but avoid unqualified statements and conclusions not completely supported by the data. Clearly label new hypotheses. Appropriate recommendations may be included. 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

One or more statements should specify (l) contributions that need acknowledging but do not justify authorship, such as general support by a departmental chairman; (2) acknowledgments of technical help; (3) acknowledgments of financial and material support, specifying the nature of the support; and (4) financial relationships that may pose a conflict of interest. 

REFERENCES 

Number references consecutively in the order in which they are first mentioned in the text. Identify references in the text, figures, tables, and legends by Arabic numerals. References cited only in tables or in legends should be numbered in accordance with a sequence established by the first identification in the text of the particular table or illustration. Inclusive pages must be given for all references. The titles of journals should be abbreviated according to the style used in Index Medicus. References to written communications may be inserted (in parentheses) into the text. The references must be verified by the author(s) against the original documents. When in doubt, refer to the American Medical Association Manual of Style, 9th edition. Examples of correct forms of reference are:

Standard journal article (List all authors when 6 or less; when 7 or more, list only the first 3 and add et al)

1. Hackett PH, Roach PC. Medical therapy of altitude illness. Ann Emerg Med 1987;16:980-986.

Chapter in a book 

2. Schantz EJ. Historical perspective on paralytic shellfish poisoning. In: Ragelis EP, ed. Seafood Toxins. Washington, DC: American Chemical Society; 1984:99-111.

Entire book

3. Auerbach PS, ed. Wilderness Medicine. 4^th ed. St. Louis, MO: Mosby, Inc; 2001.

Conference proceedings

4. Vivian VL, ed. Child abuse and neglect: a medical community response. Proceedings of the First AMA National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect; 1984 Mar 30-31; Chicago, Ill. Chicago, Ill: American Medical Association; 1985.

In press 

5. Lillywhite HB, Donald IA. Pulmonary blood flow regulation in an aquatic snake. Science. In press.

URLs

6. Health Care Financing Administration. 1996 statistics at a glance. Available at: http://hcfa.gov/. Accessed April 2, 2005.
 

TABLES
Cite each table in the text in consecutive order as Table 1, Table 2, etc. Format each table double-spaced in a separate file. Do not submit tables as photographs. Number each table consecutively in the order of its first citation in the text, and supply a brief title. Give each column a short heading. Place explanatory matter in footnotes, not in the heading. Explain in footnotes all nonstandard abbreviations. Identify statistical measures of variation such as standard deviation and standard error of the mean. Omit internal horizontal and vertical rules. If data are used from another published or unpublished source, obtain permission and acknowledge fully.

FIGURES

Cite each figure in the text in consecutive order as Fig 1, Fig 2, etc.

GUIDELINES FOR ELECTRONIC FIGURE PREPARATION / PLEASE READ CAREFULLY
The Journal uses a streamlined production process that takes authors' files straight to typesetting from the submission system. The specifications listed here will ensure your submitted artwork will transition smoothly to production. Following these instructions also ensures that you will create the smallest possible file size, which will speed the file upload step of the submission process.

Authors should submit their figures according to the specifications listed below. Figures should be submitted at one of two widths to match the column widths used in the Archives and submitted at a high-resolution. Please carefully review the specific instructions below before submitting your figures.

Minimum Figure Requirements

• Dimensions: Your figures should be sized to the closest applicable printed column width. Figure width should be equal to or larger than 3.37 in/8.56 cm/20.3 picas (1 column width) and equal to or smaller than 6.97 in/17.7 cm/42 picas (2 column width).* Generally, most photomicrographs should be submitted at 3.37 in. width. The editorial office reserves the right to enlarge or reduce a figure for publication purposes. Do not assume that every figure will be published at 2-column width.
• Resolution: At one of the 2 widths specified above, the resolution should be 300 ppi for color figures and halftones, 600 ppi for figures that have a combination of color and halftone areas, or 1200 ppi for line art; please see section 6 below for a thorough explanation (is roughly the same as ppi).*
• Mode: CMYK, grayscale, or black & white bitmap.
• Font: When text appears in figures, font sizes for the text should be greater than or equal to 6 points. Figure labels should be less than or equal to 10 points. Preferred fonts to use are Arial and Helvetica. You must embed fonts in vector graphics and PDFs.
• File Formats: Accepted figure formats are TIFF (tif), EPS (eps), PDF (pdf), JPEG (jpg), Word (doc), Excel (xls), and PowerPoint (ppt).
• File Compression: TIFF files should be saved using LZW compression (see Photoshop_LZW.jpg for a screenshot of where to find this in Photoshop); very large graphics files can be zipped individually (see below)*

 

IMPORTANT NOTES:

• Figures submitted at dimensions and resolutions greater than those specified above make digital file sizes larger and, therefore, can take longer to upload and access. Specifically, attempting to load figure files that exceed 14 MB can cause a delay in the submission process.
• Be sure that when your figures are reduced to the specific column widths listed above that the text is still readable and the images meet our resolution requirements.
• Images created for or captured from a computer screen or the Web are not optimal for printing purposes because they are down-sampled to ~72ppi.
• Please submit only high-resolution images. Do not submit files that have been "up-sampled" from low-resolution originals.
• TIFF images, even when saved at the proper size and resolution, can be quite large and may take a long time to transfer over the Internet. To further reduce the file size of TIFF files, please select LZW compression whenever possible in Photoshop (see link above for a screenshot of where to find LZW compression in PhotoShop).
• *Zipping a file can also reduce file size and transmission time. Use compression software such as WinZip or StuffIt to zip each file individually. When uploading the file, select the original file type. The submission program will recognize that the file is zipped, will unzip it, and the file will be displayed and converted in its original format. Do not zip multiple files into one .zip archive.
• Color:  There is no charge for black and white figures and tables. Color may be considered for certain figures at the discretion of the Editor. A quote will be given to the author for the color fee, and if the author agrees to the fee, the fee must be paid before the article is published. If the author wishes colors for figures and/or tables for print or online (Archives) publication (www.wemjournal.org), that should be stated in the cover letter. There will be a $75 charge billed directly from Allen Press to the author for the online color request. 
  In graphs, pattern fills are often a better choice than color fills. When using color in graphs and line art, use bold, dark colors that differ significantly from one another. Light colors do not reproduce well on a screen or in print. When using color in graphs and line art, use bold, dark colors that differ significantly from one another. Light colors do not reproduce well on a screen or in print.        Note: Colors appear/reproduce differently depending on the type of monitor and printer being used. Color on monitors is displayed as RGB, whereas the Archives are published using CMYK.

   

File Formats

• You may submit your image files in these formats: TIFF (tif), EPS (eps), PDF (pdf), JPEG (jpg), Word (doc), Excel (xls), and PowerPoint (ppt).
• The quality of your figures will only be as good as the lowest-resolution element placed in them. In other words, if you place a 72-ppi line graph in a 600 ppi TIFF or PowerPoint file, the result is still a 72-ppi image, which is unacceptable for print purposes. Be sure your originals are submitted at the required resolution (see above).
• Warning! Some programs may down-sample your images to low resolution. Do not use the "optimize for web" wizard in PowerPoint for any figures you intend to use in print.

• Note: JPEG uses a lossy data compression technique, and every time you re-save a JPEG, resolution is lost. Please submit first-generation JPEGs only.

 

Combination Figures and Line Art

• Combination figures are the most common type of scientific figure because most images combine halftones with text, and while the former only needs to be at 300 ppi resolution, the latter needs to be submitted at 1200 ppi—otherwise text ends up looking soft, and lines can appear faint and/or pixilated. We split the difference and require a resolution of 600 ppi. Depending on what type of image dominates the figure, you may want to prepare it using the software program that is most capable of creating that dominate portion. For example, Photoshop could be used for halftones, while Illustrator is good for line art. Photographs without text labels should be submitted at 300 ppi.
• The distinguishing feature of line art is that it has sharp, clean lines and geometrical shapes, usually against a white background, such as tables, charts, graphs, and gene sequences. Line art can be color or black & white; color fills are solid color or patterns without gradients or fades. To prepare and manipulate line art graphics, use Illustrator or a comparable vector drawing program, and save the files in EPS format. Line-art resolution should be around 1200 ppi in order to maintain the crisp edges of the lines and shapes. Note that text placed in an image is for all practical purposes line art.

 

Photographs and Halftones

• The best example of a halftone is a photograph, but halftones include any image that uses continuous shading or blending of colors or grays, such as gels, stains, microarrays, brain scans, and molecular structures. We require halftone images to have a resolution of 300 ppi. To prepare and manipulate halftone images, use Photoshop or a comparable photo-editing program, and save the files in TIFF format.

 

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Authors must disclose to the Editor any commercial affiliations that might pose a conflict of interest. These include patent-licensing agreements, stock ownership or other equity interest, consultancies, institutional affiliations, and corporate sponsorship.

PEER REVIEW 

The manuscript will be referred to acknowledged expert Peer Reviewers and, if appropriate, the Section Editor, prior to the Editor’s decision regarding publication. If necessary, the manuscript will be returned to the author(s) for revision(s) prior to a final decision. All attempts are made to obtain prompt reviews and a decision regarding need for revision, acceptance, or rejection. 

REVISIONS

After receiving a decision from the Editor and revising the manuscript as instructed, the final revision of the manuscript should include: a cover letter to Editor Dr. Robert Norris explaining revisions based on reviewers’ comments, the final/revised manuscript and accompanying files. Upload revisions to http://wem.allentrack.net/.

 

PROOFS

Once your article is accepted for publication, galley proofs in .pdf format will be sent via email to the corresponding author for correction prior to publication. The difficulty and expense involved in making amendments at the proof stage make it essential for authors to prepare the original manuscript carefully. Please be aware that alterations to the original text at the proof stage are strongly discouraged and may result in charges to the author. To enable rapid publication, the authors are encouraged to return all correspondence within 72 hours. 

Questions? Contact…

jonna@wms.org

Jonna Barry, Managing Editor

Wilderness and Environmental Medicine

Editorial Office 1505 No Royer St.
Colorado Springs, CO 80907
719.330.7523 (tel) 801.705.1483 (fax)