Please submit your paper online at the Manuscript Manager website: www.manuscriptmanager.com/nzmj.

Microsoft Word must be used for papers. If you are using MS Word 2007 software then save the file as Word 97-2003 (with .doc suffix, not .docx).

A number of issues during the year will contain articles relating to specific themes.  For 2013, these issues and themes are:

All authors are required to read and/or fill in the following documentation:

• Instructions to authors (PDF)
• Editor information
• Preferred layout for NZMJ articles
• Additional advice for NZMJ articles

Authors should be aware of the broad general readership of the Journal. Highly technical articles such as those involving physiological experiments on laboratory animals and at the cellular level will not be accepted. Please send such articles to a specialised physiology journal instead. Brevity and clear expression are essential.

3000 words and 30 references is the maximum for most original manuscripts. Where there is good reason for a longer paper we will listen to argument. All manuscripts submitted to the Journal are assumed to be sent to it exclusively unless otherwise stated.

All submissions should be made electronically. An accompanying e-mail should state;

1. "I (We) accept full responsibility for the conduct of the study, had access to the data, and controlled the decision to publish".
2. Authors must state where potential conflicts of interest exist.
3. All sources of funding must be stated explicitly and this information will be published with the paper.

If your work is accepted for publication...

The following forms must be completed and submitted only if your submission is accepted for publication (not required for letters to the editor).

• Copyright form (MS Word)
• Media form (MS Word)
• ICMJE Uniform Disclosure Form for Potential Conflicts of Interest (PDF) – all authors are required to fill out one form each.
• Sample ICMJE Uniform Disclosure Form for Potential Conflicts of Interest (PDF)

Preferred layout for NZMJ original articles

The paper: Please organise your paper as follows.

Title: The title should be without abbreviations. Author names (first name and surname) with no degrees. Corresponding author details with postal and email addresses plus phone and fax numbers.

Abstract: This should not exceed 200 words and should describe the core of the papers message, including essential numerical data. Use four headings: Aims, Methods, Results, Conclusions.

Body of the paper: There should be a brief introduction (no heading) followed by sections for Methods, Results, Discussion.

References: In the text, use superscript numbers for each reference (with no linking to the reference list or footnotes whatsoever - these features cause problems when webpages are created). For example:
...International research has demonstrated lower referral to cardiac rehabilitation programmes for women,^14,22-24 with women being 20% less likely to be referred.²² This audit demonstrated...

Titles of journals are abbreviated according to the style used by Index Medicus for articles in journals. Include all authors where there are four or less; for five or more authors include only the first three authors followed by "et al". Personal communications and unpublished data should also be cited as such in the text (with the year of the communication).
For example:
1. Rothwell PM, Eliasziw M, Gutnikov SA, et al. Endarterectomy for symptomatic carotid stenosis in relation to clinical subgroups and timing of surgery. Lancet. 2004;363:915-24.
2. Hsia DC, Krushat WM, Moscoe LM. Epidemiology of carotid endarterectomies among Medicare beneficiaries. J Vasc Surg. 1992;16:201-8.
3. Marks P. Hypertension. In: Baker J, editor. Cardiovascular disease. 3rd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 1998, p567-95.

Important note: Please check the accuracy and completeness of references in http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query/static/citmatch.html.  (Then, use Edit/Paste Special/Unformatted text to transfer references to your MS Word document.).

Tables and figures: These should be inserted into the text at the appropriate positions (where they are first mentioned). Insert the total number of tables and figures (including if zero) on the title page of your manuscript.  Do not use the tab key to separate columns - data must be contained within visible borders.

Images: Any jpegs for insertion should be less than 300kb each.

Referees: In your cover letter (as part of the Manuscript Manager online submission) you may write the names of any referees you would like us to exclude for whatever reason.

When finished, please submit online via Manuscript Manager: http://www.manuscriptmanager.com/nzmj/ excluding obituaries which can be emailed to nzmj@nzma.org.nz.

You can presume letters to the editor will be published, we will only reply if additional information is required or if publication of the letter is declined.

Additional advice for other NZMJ submissions

All articles must be submitted to Manuscript Manager (http://www.manuscriptmanager.com/nzmj/), excluding obituaries which can be emailed to nzmj@nzma.org.nz.

• Editorials
• Case reports
• Letters
• Obituaries
• Viewpoint
• Medical image

The Journal does not hold itself responsible for statements made by any of its contributors. Statements or opinions expressed in the Journal reflect the views of the author(s) and do not reflect official policy of the New Zealand Medical Association unless stated as such.