Uniform requirements for manuscripts submitted to biomedical journals. International Committee of Medical Journal Editors

A small group of editors of general medical journals met informally in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1978 to establish guidelines for the format of manuscripts submitted to their journals. The group became known as the Vancouver Group. Its requirements for manuscripts, including formats for bibliographic references developed by the US National Library of Medicine (NLM), were first published in 1979. The Vancouver Group expanded and evolved into the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), which meets annually; gradually it has broadened its concerns. The Committee has produced 5 editions of the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals. Over the years, issues have arisen that go beyond manuscript preparation. Some of these issues are now covered in the Uniform Requirements; others are addressed in separate statements. Each statement has been published in a scientific journal. The fifth edition (1997) is an effort to reorganize and reword the fourth edition to increase clarity and address concerns about rights, privacy, descriptions of methods, and other matters. The total content of the Uniform Requirements may be reproduced for educational, not-for-profit purposes without regard for copyright; ICMJE encourages distribution of the material. Journals that agree to use the Uniform Requirements (over 500 do so) are asked to cite the 1997 document in their instructions to authors.

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Towards uniform requirements for manuscripts submitted to journals in occupational medicine
Smith and Takahashi
Occup Med (Lond) 2007;57:613-614.
FULL TEXT  

Studies Should Report Estimates of Treatment Effects With Confidence Intervals
Cummings
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2007;161:518-519.
FULL TEXT  

Editorial Commentary
Scand J Public Health 2005;33:243-243.
 

A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials on physical interventions for lateral epicondylalgia * Commentary
Bisset et al.
Br. J. Sports. Med. 2005;39:411-422.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Bias, not conflict of interest, is the enemy
Schwid and Gross
Neurology 2005;64:1830-1831.
FULL TEXT  

Orthodontic Clinical Trials III: Reporting of ethical issues associated with clinical trials published in three orthodontic journals between 1989 and 1998
Harrison
J. Orthod. 2005;32:115-121.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Lower phenytoin serum levels in persons switched from brand to generic phenytoin
Wiberg et al.
Neurology 2005;64:1485-1486.
FULL TEXT  

Sixth version of the "Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals": lots of ethics, some new recommendations for manuscript preparation
Garcia
J. Epidemiol. Community Health 2004;58:731-733.
FULL TEXT  

Towards complete and accurate reporting of studies of diagnostic accuracy: the STARD initiative
Bossuyt et al.
Fam Pract 2004;21:4-10.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Reporting of informed consent and ethics committee approval in genetics studies of stroke
Meschia and Merino
J. Med. Ethics 2003;29:371-372.
FULL TEXT  

Instructions for Authors
Arch Gen Psychiatry 2003;60:1056-1056.
FULL TEXT  

Developing and Evaluating Criteria to Help Reviewers of Biomedical Informatics Manuscripts
Ammenwerth et al.
J. Am. Med. Inform. Assoc. 2003;10:512-514.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Exploring the APA Fifth Edition Publication Manual's Impact on the Analytic Preferences of Journal Editorial Board Members
Capraro and Capraro
Educational and Psychological Measurement 2003;63:554-565.
ABSTRACT  

MANUSCRIPT CRITERIA AND INFORMATION
Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2003;129:916-916.
FULL TEXT  

MANUSCRIPT CRITERIA AND INFORMATION
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2003;157:832-832.
FULL TEXT  

MANUSCRIPT CRITERIA AND INFORMATION
Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2003;129:684-684.
FULL TEXT  

Reporting Statistical Information in Medical Journal Articles
Cummings and Rivara
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2003;157:321-324.
FULL TEXT  

MANUSCRIPT CRITERIA AND INFORMATION
Arch Dermatol 2003;139:556-556.
FULL TEXT  

MANUSCRIPT CRITERIA AND INFORMATION
Arch Dermatol 2003;139:410-410.
FULL TEXT  

MANUSCRIPT CRITERIA AND INFORMATION
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2003;157:308-308.
FULL TEXT  

MANUSCRIPT CRITERIA AND INFORMATION
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2003;157:212-212.
FULL TEXT  

Towards Complete and Accurate Reporting of Studies of Diagnostic Accuracy: The STARD Initiative
Bossuyt et al.
ANN INTERN MED 2003;138:40-44.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Towards complete and accurate reporting of studies of diagnostic accuracy: the STARD initiative
Bossuyt et al.
BMJ 2003;326:41-44.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Towards Complete and Accurate Reporting of Studies of Diagnostic Accuracy: The STARD Initiative
Bossuyt et al.
Clin. Chem. 2003;49:1-6.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Neonatal Encephalopathy and Cerebral Palsy: A Knowledge Survey of Fellows of The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
Hankins et al.
Obstet Gynecol 2003;101:11-17.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Manuscript Criteria and Information
Arch Gen Psychiatry 2003;60:103-103.
FULL TEXT  

MANUSCRIPT CRITERIA AND INFORMATION
Arch Dermatol 2003;139:252-252.
FULL TEXT  

MANUSCRIPT CRITERIA AND INFORMATION
Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2003;129:272-272.
FULL TEXT  

MANUSCRIPT CRITERIA AND INFORMATION
Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2003;129:388-388.
FULL TEXT  

Towards Complete and Accurate Reporting of Studies of Diagnostic Accuracy: The STARD Initiative
Bossuyt et al.
Radiology 2003;226:24-28.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Past and Future American Psychological Association Guidelines for Statistical Practice
Finch et al.
Theory Psychology 2002;12:825-853.
ABSTRACT  

Follow the Yellow Brick Road: Preparing a Manuscript forSubmission to a Scientific Journal
Rogers
Am. J. Roentgenol. 2002;179:1099-1100.
FULL TEXT  

Protecting Research Participants
Bauchner
Pediatrics 2002;110:402-404.
FULL TEXT  

Reporting clinical trials: full access to all the data
Rosenberg et al.
Brain 2002;125:i-i.
FULL TEXT  

Reporting clinical trials: Full access to all the data
Rosenberg et al.
Neurology 2002;58:347-348.
FULL TEXT  

Reporting clinical trials: full access to all the data
Rosenberg et al.
J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry 2002;72:143-143.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Reporting Clinical Trials: Full Access to All of the Data
Rosenberg et al.
Arch Neurol 2002;59:27-28.
FULL TEXT  

Reporting Clinical Trials: Full Access To All the Data
Rosenberg et al.
Stroke 2001;32:2734-2734.
FULL TEXT  

Colloquium on Effect Sizes: the Roles of Editors, Textbook Authors, and the Publication Manual: Reporting of Statistical Inference in the Journal of Applied Psychology: Little Evidence of Reform
Finch et al.
Educational and Psychological Measurement 2001;61:181-210.
ABSTRACT  

Writing for the Asian Cardiovascular & Thoracic Annals
Welman
Asian Cardiovasc. Thorac. Ann. 2000;8:205-206.
FULL TEXT  

Uneasy Alliance -- Clinical Investigators and the Pharmaceutical Industry
Bodenheimer
NEJM 2000;342:1539-1544.
FULL TEXT  

Determining When Quality Improvement Initiatives Should Be Considered Research: Proposed Criteria and Potential Implications
Casarett et al.
JAMA 2000;283:2275-2280.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Assessing the Relative Quality of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine Internet Mailing Lists
Hernandez-Borges et al.
Anesth. Analg. 1999;89:520-520.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Commentary: Health-Industry Advertising in Medical Journals: Conflict of Interest or Much Ado About Nothing?
Berkwits
J Law Med Ethics 1999;27:122-125.
 

The Fate of Neuroradiologic Abstracts Presented at National Meetings in 1993: Rate of Subsequent Publication in Peer-Reviewed, Indexed Journals
Marx et al.
Am. J. Neuroradiol. 1999;20:1173-1177.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Letters: A Forum for Scientific Discourse
Winker and Fontanarosa
JAMA 1999;281:1543-1543.
FULL TEXT  

What is publication?
Smith
BMJ 1999;318:142-142.
FULL TEXT  

Whodunit?
Rothstein
ptjournal 1999;79:6-7.
FULL TEXT  

Reporting of Public Health Hazards or Major Advances--Revision of Uniform Requirements
Glass
JAMA 1998;280:2035-2035.
FULL TEXT  

Surviving Your Resident Research Requirement
Neale et al.
JAMA 1998;280:1802-1802.
FULL TEXT  

Authorship: The Coin of the Realm, The Source of Complaints
Wilcox
JAMA 1998;280:216-217.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Financial Interest and Its Disclosure in Scientific Publications
Krimsky and Rothenberg
JAMA 1998;280:225-226.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Adherence to Published Standards of Reporting: A Comparison of Placebo-Controlled Trials Published in English or German
Junker
JAMA 1998;280:247-249.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

American Medical Association Manual of Style: A Guide for Authors and Editors
Yankauer
JAMA 1998;279:1752-1753.
FULL TEXT  

Introduction to Neonatal Systematic Reviews
Sinclair et al.
Pediatrics 1997;100:892-892.
FULL TEXT  

Authorship
Scott et al.
BMJ 1997;315:744-744.
FULL TEXT