Sexually Transmitted Infections - Instructions for Authors

For guidelines on BMJ Journals policy and submission please click on links below.
Manuscript Formatting
Editorial policies
Patient consent forms
Licence forms
Peer Review Process
Online First process

Open access/Unlocked articles

Authors are able to make their articles freely available online, immediately on publication, for a fee, using the Unlocked service. This service is available to any author publishing original research in a BMJ Journal for a fee of £1,200(+VAT)/€1,775(+VAT)/$2,220.

Colour figure charges

During submission you will be asked whether or not you agree to pay for the colour print publication of your colour images. This service is available to any author publishing within this journal for a fee of £250 per article. Authors can elect to publish online in colour and black and white in print, in which case the appropriate selection should be made upon submission.

Article types and word counts

For more detailed information, please refer to the printable PDF of the author guidelines.

• Research studies
• Systematic reviews and data analyses
• Case series
• Case reports
• Correspondence
• Miscellanea
• Supplements

Research studies

General

Some types of research study that we frequently publish are:

• Controlled trials (randomised or not randomised);
• Observational studies;
• Diagnostic accuracy studies;
• Basic science;
• Qualitative research;
• Quality improvement reports;
• Economic evaluations;
• Modelling studies.

Authors may choose to present their research in one of two forms:

• a full-length article (with a maximum of 3000 words, and a maximum of four tables/figures and 30 references);
• a short report (with a maximum of 1000 words, and a maximum of one table/figure and 10 references).

In the case of articles, we are sometimes able to publish additional material "web only", but the paper version must be self-contained.

Article or Short Report?

You should consider presenting your findings as an article rather than a short report in the following situations:

• where the research is generalizable and of widespread significance;
• where your work provides a stand-alone contribution to the literature;
• where the findings relate to a substantial piece of research, and not only a pilot or preliminary investigation.

You should consider presenting your findings as a short report rather than a full-length article in the following situations:

• where the research, though interesting, is of mainly local significance;
• where your findings provide a largely additional or complementary perspective on existing research;
• where these findings correspond to a still early and relatively incomplete stage in the development of your project.

Both articles and short reports should be prefaced with an abstract of no more than 250 words (additional to the 3000/1000 words of the main body of the text). Structure your abstract under the headings: Objectives, Methods, Results, Conclusions. For an example of an abstract, please view the PDF files of an article and a short report given below.
Articles must, in addition to an abstract, include as part of the text a key messages box. This should contain three or four bullet points of no more than 25 words each, highlighting the main features of, and lessons from, the paper. For an example of a key messages box, please view the PDF file of an article given below .

View a model article (PDF)
View a model short report (PDF)

Systematic reviews and data analyses

General

A systematic review is a review of a clearly formulated question that uses systematic and explicit methods to identify, select, and critically appraise relevant research, and to collect and analyse data from the studies that are included in the review. Statistical methods (meta-analysis) may or may not be used to analyse and summarize the results of the included studies. Meta-analysis refers to the use of statistical techniques in a systematic review to integrate the results of included studies.
Although we sometimes commission systematic reviews, we welcome unsolicited contributions.
Systematic reviews have a word limit of 3,000 words. They should contain no more than four tables/figures and a maximum of 60 references. Preface your review with an abstract of no more than 250 words (additional to the 3,000 words of the main body of the text), structured in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Include a key messages box. For an example of an abstract and a key message box, view the PDF file given below.

View an example of a review article (PDF).

Case series

A case series should not exceed 3,000 words, and should include no more than three tables and 30 references.

A case series is rarely best design to answer a research question as it lacks formal hypotheses and study designs. This means that a case series has serious scientific limitations, and generalizable conclusions cannot so reliably be drawn as they could from a scientific paper. On the other hand, in certain circumstances (e.g. early in a disease outbreak), they may be the only effective means of feeding helpful preliminary information to clinicians and policy-makers. Sexually Transmitted Infections will therefore consider as research studies case series where they are sufficiently informative for clinical practice and/or public health practice or policy.
When a case series raises controversial issues for health services and policy, warranting detailed discussion, a systematic review might be the best format.
Please note that patient permission is required for the use of images (see electronic submission system for consent form).
For guidance on presentation, see below (CASE REPORTS)

Case reports

We occasionally publish individual case reports, if - only if - they convey an important learning point for our community of clinicians (e.g. cases involving a new manifestation of a disease, or important diagnostic or management issues). It is vital, if you are seeking publication in Sexually Transmitted Infections, that you make absolutely clear in your covering letter, as well as in the case report itself, why you see the lessons of the case to be important for other people's practice.

In cases of submitted case reports that the editorial committee to be of insufficient importance for publication in Sexually Transmitted Infections, we would often advise submission to BMJ Case Reports.

Case reports should not exceed 750 words, and should contain a maximum of 1 table and 10 references. They should be prefaced by an abstract of not more than 150 words.

Please note that patient permission is required for the use of images (see electronic submission system for consent form).

View an example of a case report (PDF).

Correspondence

We publish correspondents'letters. Correspondence includes:

• Short research letters (maximum 400 words);
• Rapid response to published papers;
• Contributions to a controversy or debate;
• Blogs and comments posted as blogs.

Short research letters may be used to present findings that are interesting, but are insufficiently important, or not yet at a stage, to warrant publication as a RESEARCH STUDY. They should be submitted through our electronic submission system in the same way as an article or a short report. They will not have an abstract. They may be subject to external review.

Rapid response should be submitted to the journal electronically via the website. Go to the abstract or full text of the article in question. At the top right corner of each article is "contents box". Click on the link "eLetters: Submit a response to this article".

Readers wishing to initiate a debate, or contribute to a debate that is ongoing should contact the blogmaster, leslieginlewes{at}yahoo.co.uk. This is the forum for debates relating to issues of concern to the journal.

Miscellanea

Filler article with a maximum of 300-400 words, if they have no tables or figures. If the article contains a table or figures there is a maximum word count of 150 words with a single small table, or figure.

In all cases, it is vital that the journal's integrity, independence and academic reputation is not compromised in any way.

Supplements

The BMJ Publishing Group journals are willing to consider publishing supplements to regular issues. Supplement proposals may be made at the request of:

1. The journal editor, an editorial board member or a learned society may wish to organise a meeting, sponsorship may be sought and the proceedings published as a supplement.
2. The journal editor, editorial board member or learned society may wish to commission a supplement on a particular theme or topic. Again, sponsorship may be sought.
3. The BMJPG itself may have proposals for supplements where sponsorship may be necessary.
4. A sponsoring organisation, often a pharmaceutical company or a charitable foundation, that wishes to arrange a meeting, the proceedings of which will be published as a supplement.

In all cases, it is vital that the journal's integrity, independence and academic reputation is not compromised in any way.

When contacting us regarding a potential supplement, please include as much of the information below as possible.

• Journal in which you would like the supplement published
• Title of supplement and/or meeting on which it is based
• Date of meeting on which it is based
• Proposed table of contents with provisional article titles and proposed authors
• An indication of whether authors have agreed to participate
• Sponsor information including any relevant deadlines
• An indication of the expected length of each paper Guest Editor proposals if appropriate

For further information on criteria that must be fulfilled, download the supplements guidelines (PDF).

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