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We draw authors' attention to the latest information concerning the reporting of clinical trials at the following URL:
http://www.amedeo.com/statement.htm

If authors have questions about this requirement, feel free to contact the Chief Editor or the Publisher of the MEJFM. Contact details are available in the Editorial box at www.mejfm.com.

  Review this checklist carefully to ensure that your manuscript is complete and conforms to MEJFP manuscript submission guidelines. Submit all materials electronically to the e-mail address aabyad@amc-lb.com.   Submit manuscript and all materials as one electronic file, except for tables and figures. Each table and figure must be a separate file

-      Include a cover letter, with required statements, signed by all authors.

-      Double-space the entire manuscript, and print on one side of page.

-     Number all pages, but do not include a running header/footer.

-      Send manuscript to editorial office in Tripoli-Lebanon 

-      All submissions should have"

o       Title

o       Author(s)

o       Corresponding author contact information

o       Sources of support

o       Prior presentation

o       Word count

o       Numbers of tables and figures

o       Date of manuscript submission

Abstracts
    All manuscripts (except editorials, essays, and letters to editor) must include an abstract.
    Include four-part structured abstract for research articles.
    Key Words

Article Text
    Do not exceed 2,500 words for body of manuscript (excluding abstract, references, tables, and legends).

References

Check all references for accuracy and completeness. Put references in proper format and order. Make sure each reference is cited in the text.
Reference list should NOT include presentations, personal communications, or articles not yet accepted for publication.

Figures and Illustrations

Include photocopies of any figures or illustrations with all copies of the manuscript.
Also provide native digital images of illustrations/figures in gif, jpg, format, minimum 300 dpi.
Provide original copies of black-and-white laser graphics; use shading with contrast.
Include legends for all figures and illustrations.

Please also include any:

Acknowledgements
Conflict of interest statements
Appendices, if any (submit lengthy appendices as one or more separate files)
Tables (each table must be submitted as a separate file)
Figures (each figure must be submitted as a separate file)

Accepted file formats:

1       Text.  Microsoft Word

2       Tables.  Microsoft Word, Excel embedded in Microsoft Word.

3       Graphics.  PowerPoint, TIFF, EPS, or high-resolution PDF.

4       Mixed text and graphics.  Microsoft Word with embedded graphics

Submit hard copies of the following by mail:

Required items:
 Three copies of the paper
Title page copy for identification of mail packet
 Manuscript Agreement forms signed by each author

If needed:

Permission to republish previously published material
Consent of individual to publish material
Figures in non-electronic format
 Related Publications

Manuscript Preparation
In general manuscripts should be prepared according to guidelines described in "Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals," which can be found in the following locations:

• www.icmje.org
• N Engl J Med. 1997;336(4):309-315.
• JAMA. 1997;277(11):927-934.
• Ann Intern Med. 1997;126(1):36-47.

Manuscript Style
Manuscripts should be clear, succinct, well documented, and conform to the "Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals," which can be found in the March 19, 1997, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA 1997;277(11):927-34).

Manuscript Format
Manuscripts that deviate significantly from the format specified below will be returned to authors without review.

The entire manuscript, including title page, reference list, tables, legends, and text, should be double-spaced on one side of 81/2 x 11-in. white paper. Pages should be numbered. The manuscript should not include a running header or footer, and the name of the author(s) should not appear on the manuscript anywhere but on the title page, as noted below.

Authors should submit one copy of the manuscript electronically via e-mail to aabyad@amc-lb.com (your attachment should include, in one file, the entire manuscript, including tables, reference list, etc but with figures/illustrations as separate files.  and three printed copies of the entire manuscript, including tables, figures, reference list, etc. Each copy should be stapled in the upper left-hand corner. Format of the copies should be prepared as described below. Each copy of the manuscript should include photocopies of any illustrations or figures.

One-inch margins should be used on all sides. Manuscripts should be typewritten or printed with letter-quality printers; obvious dot matrix printing is not acceptable. Justify only the left-hand margin. Do not hyphenate words at the margin. Use one space, not two, following the period at the end of each sentence.

Elements of the manuscript, in the order in which they should appear, include the following:

Title Page
Limit titles to 75 characters in length. Titles should be descriptive and summarize the most important point of the manuscript.

On three copies of the manuscript, the title page should include the following information: manuscript title; name, professional degree, and institutional affiliation of each author; name, address, telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address of the corresponding author; the date on which the manuscript was submitted; a word count for the body of the text (ie, main text, excluding abstract, tables, legends, and references); financial support for the project being reported, if applicable; and a statement about the name, date, and location of any professional meetings at which the content of the manuscript has been presented. Two to six key words, using standard Index Medicus terminology, should also be included on the title page.

On two copies of the manuscript, the title page should include only the title of the article, word count, and date of submission. No information that might identify the author should be included on these two copies of the title page.

Abstract
All manuscripts (excluding editorial commentary, essays, and letters to the editor) require an abstract of no more than 200 words. The abstract should be printed on a separate page, following the title page. It should be labeled as the abstract and include the title of the manuscript. The name of the author(s) should not appear on the abstract.

Rather than stating what will be described in the paper, abstracts should actually summarize or review the main points of the paper. For example, instead of saying, "This article will describe the relationship between test scores and clinical performance," the abstract should describe the methods used to investigate the relationship and report the actual results that were obtained.

Articles reporting the results of research should be in structured format, consisting of four paragraphs, labeled Background and Objectives, Methods, Results, and Conclusions.

Main Text
The length of the body of the text (excluding abstract, references, tables, and legends) should normally be between 1,000 and 2,500 words. Presentation of a manuscript in the format described below will improve the likelihood that the manuscript will be rated favorably by peer reviewers. In general, authors should avoid having their manuscripts stand out as different by preparing them in unusual or unconventional formats.

Scholarly review articles should be well referenced and should avoid anecdotal reports and personal opinions. Such manuscripts should provide the reader with background on why the topic of the manuscript is important to the discipline of family medicine and/or medical education. Relevant literature should be reviewed and cited. The main argument or points of the paper should proceed logically and coherently, focusing on issues of particular relevance to family medicine academicians, including researchers, educators, and/or clinicians. The manuscript should conclude with a discussion of recommendations and/or implications for family medicine academicians that is based on the issues raised in the main arguments/point of the paper.

Essays and commentary should relate to medical education, practice, or research. Authors should be attentive to readability and clarity of writing, as only exceptionally well-written essays and commentary will be considered for publication.

Manuscripts reporting research (both qualitative and quantitative investigations) or educational interventions should generally be divided into four sections, titled Background and Objectives, Methods, Results, and Conclusions.

Introduction. The introduction section of manuscripts reporting research or educational interventions should generally include a brief review of relevant literature to establish the need for the research project and/or the educational intervention being reported. The introduction should always address the following questions:

1. What issue is being addressed in the research?

2. Why is the issue important?

3. How will the discipline of family medicine and/or medical education benefit from having addressed the issue?

4. What have others done to address the issue?

5. What remains to be done to address the issue?

6. What will you do (ie, what are your study's objectives)?

The introduction section of all research papers should include an explicit statement of the research objectives and hypotheses. If the research is evaluating a new curriculum or educational intervention, the introduction should also comment on how the intervention is different than curricula or interventions that have been previously reported or that exist at other institutions.

Methods. For both qualitative and quantitative research, the methods should be described in sufficient detail to permit readers to fully understand how the research was performed. This should include a complete description of sampling methods, instruments used, methods of data collection and data analysis, and steps taken to avoid or adjust for bias and confounding. Copies of actual survey instruments, evaluative tests, and curricula are generally not suitable for publication in the body of the manuscript, but may be considered for summarization or reproduction in tables or appendices. In selected cases, editorial staff may request a copy of such documents before a decision is made on a manuscript. For research involving human subjects, authors should also indicate the status of the research with their institution's human subjects review board.

Manuscripts reporting educational methods, curricula, or interventions should include the goals and objectives of the educational method, curricula, or intervention, along with a description in sufficient detail to permit readers to understand how the educational activity might be reproduced at their own institutions. Programs that are completely unique to a particular institution, without potential for reproduction elsewhere, may be assigned a lower priority for publication.

Research on educational methods, curricula, or other interventions should generally include an evaluation of the effect of the intervention. A description of the techniques used for evaluation should be described in the methods section of the manuscript. Manuscripts that merely describe an educational activity, without any evaluation of its effect, often receive lower priority for acceptance for publication because they offer no evidence that the proposed educational activity is beneficial.

Several methods may be used for evaluating the effect of an educational method, curriculum, or intervention. Methods (both qualitative and/or quantitative) that convincingly demonstrate changes in learners' behaviors and attitudes (particularly over long time periods) are generally the most desirable.

Even for manuscripts reporting non-interventional work, it is important that authors carefully describe methods, curricula, and other aspects of their work to provide a full sense of the scope and nature of the project.

Results. Results should be presented in coherent fashion, and should be specifically tied to the objectives and methods presented earlier in the manuscript. Results are often most effectively reported in tables, reserving the text for general descriptive statements and clarifications. In general, quantifiable results should be reported numerically, rather than with relative terms such as "most" or "many." It is unnecessary to present all results collected in the research process. Rather, results pertinent to the a priori hypotheses and objectives are of most importance.

Discussion. The discussion section should (a) reiterate the principal findings of the research, (b) comment on methodological weaknesses of the study, and (c) discuss the importance and/or implications of the investigation. Authors should be careful not to draw conclusions or make inferences that are not specifically supported by the data reported in the study. When the article reports on a new educational intervention, the discussion should comment on what had to be deleted from an educational program to permit inclusion of the new intervention.

References
References should be listed on a separate page(s) following the text. Emphasize recent references. The reference list should not include manuscripts in preparation, manuscripts submitted for publication but not yet accepted, observations, or personal communications.

Personal communications should be included parenthetically in the text, ie, "In a conversation with H.E. Marman, MD, (August 1998) . . ." or " Similar findings have been noted by Roberts6 and by H.E. Marman, MD (written communication, August 1998)."

References to unpublished material may include 1) articles that have been read before a conference but not published and 2) material accepted for publication but not yet published.

Information about software programs should not be included in the references but can be listed parenthetically in the text, ie, ÒThe investigators compared findings using Ethnograph,¨ a software program for the computer-assisted analysis of text-based data (version 3.0, March 1988, Qualis Research Associates, Amherst, Mass, 413-256-8835)."

References should be numbered in the order in which they appear in the text. References should be double spaced and written in the style shown in the examples below. Each reference should include the names and initials of the author(s), title of the journal (abbreviated according to Index Medicus usage) or book, the year, volume, and first and last page numbers.

Journal Reference:
1. DeHaven MJ, Wilson GR, O'Connor-Kettlestrings P. Creating a research culture: what we can learn from residencies that are successful in research. Fam Med 1998;30(7):
501-7.

Book Reference:
2. Stanton TK, Giles DE, Cruz NI. Service learning: a movement's pioneers: reflections on its origins, practice, and future. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1999.

Book Chapter:
3. Rhyne R, Cushman S, Kantrowitz M. An introduction to community-oriented primary care (COPC). In: Rhyne R, Bogue R, Kulkulka B, Fulmer H, eds. Community-oriented primary care: health care for the 21st century. Washington, DC: American Public Health Association, 1998:1-15.

Unpublished Material:
4. Simpson DE, Morzinski J. Moving beyond the traditional faculty development program. Presented at the 1996 Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Annual Spring Conference in San Francisco.

5. Jones PQ, Moon ML. Assessing the knowledge of practicing physicians. Fam Med 1999;in press.

The journal does not verify the accuracy of literature citations in reference lists. Therefore, it is essential for authors to ensure that all citations are correct and complete.

Acknowledgments
Acknowledgments should appear on a separate page, following the reference list. Acknowledgments should be brief.

Appendices
The use of appendices is discouraged in Family Medicine. If the material in question is essential to understanding the article, it may be handled as a table or figure or integrated into the text. Appendices may be published on rare occasions when they contain helpful information for the readers not covered in the manuscript, ie, additional reading materials, addresses and telephone numbers for national organizations, etc.

Tables
Tables should be self-explanatory, concise, and should not duplicate material presented in the text. Tables should include labels and explanatory notes sufficient to permit readers to understand them without reference to the text. Submit each table on a separate page (not within body text) and reference the table within the text, ie: (Table 1.)

Figures and Illustrations
Illustrations and figures (including charts and graphs) must be in high-quality, camera-ready, reproducible form. The following are acceptable: high-resolution digital images saved in a TIFF or eps format, with a minimum 300 dpi resolution; photographs; computer-generated laser graphics; and professionally drawn illustrations. Digital images or black-and-white prints are preferred; however, color prints (but not slides) are also acceptable.
As noted previously, each copy of the manuscript should contain photocopies of all figures and illustrations. In addition, submit digital images of the native figure file in jpg or gif format (300 dpi minimum) or submit two camera-ready copies of figures and illustrations. On the back of each copy, use a self-adhesive label to indicate the figure number, the last name of the first author, and the proper orientation (ie, "top"). Do not use paper clips or write on the back of photographs.
All figures and illustrations should be accompanied by a legend, printed on a separate page. The legend should be included in the manuscript on the page preceding the illustration or figure. Legends should include sufficient explanatory information to permit readers to understand the illustration or figure without reference to the text.

STYLE GUIDELINES

1. Headings. Use ALL CAPITALS to indicate major sections of a paper, and Initial Capitals to indicate subsections.
2. SI Units. Include SI units in parentheses after conventional units. See the January 6, 1993, issue of JAMA (vol. 269, p. 156) for a table of preferred SI units and conversion factors.
3. Measurements. Do not put periods after metric measurements (e.g., 3.5 mmol per L, 11.6 mg per kg).
4. Numbers. Spell out numbers one through nine. Use numerals for 10 and higher. Exception: Always use numerals in dosages, percentages, degrees of temperature, and metric measurements.
5. Drug Names. Use the generic name for all drugs. Include the trade name in parentheses after the first mention of a drug in the text.
6. Abbreviations. Except for units of measurement, abbreviations are discouraged. When first used, an abbreviation should be preceded by the words for which it stands.
7. Percentages. Use the word "percent" rather than the percent sign (%).
8. Style Questions. For questions about medical writing style, consult the American Medical Association Manual of Style.²
9. Formatting Text. Note the following general text formatting guidelines: (1) do not justify the right margin; (2) do not use bold print or italics; and (3) use a single, standard typeface of letter quality.
10. Use of Inclusive, Humanistic Language. Avoid sexual and racial bias; use gender-inclusive language whenever possible. Do not mention the race of a patient in a case summary unless it is clinically relevant. Refer to "men and women" rather than "males and females" where possible. Do not refer to a patient as a case or a subject.

Submission of Manuscripts
Mail manuscripts to A. Abyad , MD, Editor,

A. Abyad, MD, MPH, AGSF
Director, Abyad Medical Center & Middle East Longevity Institute 
Coordinator. Ain WaZein Elderly Care Center
Abyad Medical Center
Azmi Street , Abdo Center, 2nd Floor
POBOX 618
Tripoli-Lebanon 

Tel & Fax : 961-6-443684/5/6
E-Mail    : aabyad@amc-lb.com

In addition to the required number of printed copies, also send an electronic copy of the manuscript to aabyad@amc-lb.com

All manuscripts must be accompanied by necessary statements

Manuscript Agreement

Each author must read and sign all 4. statements:

1. Authorship statement on criteria and responsibility.

2. Financial disclosure statement.

3. Copyright transfer statement (or the statement of federal employment, if applicable).

4. Human and animal subject protections.

 In addition, the corresponding author must sign:

5.  Acknowledgment statement.

If necessary, photocopy this document to distribute to co-authors for their signatures. Please send all copies to the Editorial Office at the time you submit your manuscript.

1. Authorship statement (must be signed by all authors). I have participated sufficiently in the conception and design of this work or the analysis and interpretation of the data, as well as the writing of the manuscript, to take public responsibility for it. I believe the manuscript represents valid work. I have reviewed the final version, and I approve it for publication. Neither this manuscript nor one with substantially similar content under my authorship has been published or is being considered for publication elsewhere, except as may be described in an attachment to this statement.

2. Financial disclosure (must be signed by all authors). I certify that this manuscript is not sponsored directly or indirectly by a pharmaceutical company, medical device manufacturer, public relations firm, or other commercial entity, except as may be

specified in an attachment to this statement. Moreover, I certify that neither I nor any immediate family member currently has a financial interest in or arrangement with any organization that may have a direct interest in the subject matter of this article, except as may be disclosed in an attachment to this statement. [Financial interest or arrangement here includes but is not limited to the following: financial support, assistance with manuscript preparation, honoraria, consultancies, grant receipt, research support, directly purchased stock holdings, speakers’ bureau listing, employment or other material support.]

3. Copyright assignment or statement of federal employment (must be signed by all authors). Please complete either (a) or (b) below:

(a) Copyright assignment statement. In consideration of the action taken by the journal in reviewing and editing this manuscript, I hereby assign, transfer and convey all rights, title and interest in the work, including copyright ownership, to MEJFM in the event that this work is published by MEJFM. In making this assignment of ownership, I understand that all accepted manuscripts become the permanent property of MEJFM and may not be published elsewhere without prior written permission from MEJFM.

3. Human and animal subject protections (must be signed by all authors). This study was approved or exempted by the appropriate institutional human and/or animal subject review committees. This approval is stated in the Methods section of the article. Informed consent was obtained from any human participants in this research.

5. Acknowledgments (must be signed by corresponding author only). All persons who have made substantial contributions to the work reported in the manuscript, including its editing and writing, but who are not named as authors, are named in the Acknowledgments section. Each has given their written permission to be so named. If the manuscript does not include acknowledgments, it is because the authors have not received substantial contributions from non-authors.

Permission to Republish Previously Published Material  

Dear [SALUTATION]:

I request permission to [REPUBLISH or ADAPT]

[SPECIFY MATERIAL]

This material was originally published in the following source:

[SOURCE CITATION]

I have enclosed a copy of what I propose to publish.   I would like to use this material in an article I am writing with [AUTHORS] on [SUBJECT]. The article would be published in the Middle East Journal of Family Medicine a journal published 3 times per year  with an estimated readership of about ????.  I would, of course, include appropriate acknowledgment of the source.

In particular, I am requesting permission for the following uses:

·        One-time print publication in MEJFM, including any reprints made of the Annals article.

·        Publication in MEJFM made available through the Internet.

Please sign below and return this letter in the enclosed reply envelope. Cross out either of the uses noted above for which you are not granting permission

I will need this information by [DATE] in order to meet my deadline. I appreciate your generous permission and prompt reply. If you have questions, please telephone me at [NUMBER] or fax me at [NUMBER].  I can also be reached by e-mail at [E-MAIL ADDRESS]. Thank you.

Sincerely yours,

[NAME]

[TITLE]

Enclosures

Permission is granted as indicated above.

_____________________________________                        _____________________

Signature                         Date

Consent of Individual to Publish Material in the MEJFM

I hereby give the MEJFM, the right and permission to use, publish (in print and electronic versions), and copyright the following images of or information about ____________________:

                                [Insert subject’s name]

[Insert description of photographs and/or other materials covered by this consent form. Example: “3 photos of lower extremity skin lesion in different stages of healing”]

I understand that, subject to the conditions on use set forth below, this permission may not be revoked.

Conditions on use of material

1.      The subject’s name will not be published, and reasonable efforts will be made to protect the subject’s anonymity. I understand, however, that complete anonymity cannot be guaranteed.

2.      The material may be published in the MEJFM a scientific journal that has a readership of about ??? regionally. Most readers are doctors, but many are not medical professionals, and the readership may include journalists and the general public.

3.      The material may also be published on the MEJFM on the Global Family Doctor - Wonca Online website. This site is currently open to everybody for free.

4.     The MEJFM., may grant permission to others to reprint the material from the MEJFM so that it appears in other publications and media (both print and electronic versions).

5.      The material will not be used for advertising or packaging.

___________________________________                        _____________________

Signature                                Date

If consent is signed by a responsible person other than the subject

Name of person giving consent:                         _______________________________

Relationship to the subject:                         _______________________________

Tables of Contents

Editorial
Letters to the editor
Original Contribution/Clinical Investigation
Review Articles
Progress in family Medicine
Literature review and Update
Case Report
Medicine and Society 
International Health Affairs
Education and Training
Clinical Research and Methods
Faculty Development
Office Based Family Medicine
CME Quiz
Book Review 
Model and System of Primary Care
Practice guidelines
Information for Authors 

Middle-East Journal of Family Medicine invite authors to begin preparing manuscripts for the journal. The journal will begin print and online publication four times a year with its first issue in May, 2003. We plan to apply for indexing in Index Medicus and PubMed at the earliest opportunity.

The Journal welcomes manuscripts from authors in the region and elsewhere with new contribution to understanding and improving health and primary care. The ME-JFM will include a broad range of content, from reviews to original contribution, and qualitative research, to the application of research in practice, to the development and implementation of policy. We particularly welcome work that tackle issues related to the development of the discipline in the region, and comparative studies bridging  boundaries between disciplines and comparing how primary care being applied in the developed versus developing countries. 

We encourage a variety of contributions:

• Original Research. Reports of clinical, biomedical, behavioral, social, health-services, and policy research.
• Clinical Research and Method . Development of methods to advance understanding.
• Faculty Development. Issues related to the training of the trainer .
• Reviews. Critical synthesis of topics relevant to health and primary care.
• Education and Training.  Description of existing and new programs, in addition to new  initiative in education.  
• Primary Care. Model and systems of primary care.
• Case reports.  Case reports that are relevant to primary care.
• International Health care.  Issues of relevance to the Middle-east.
• Practice guidelines.  Different practice guidelines and office based family medicine. 

Categories

Case Reports
These reports  have instructional value to primary care , such as successful interventions in managing uncommon syndromes or cautioning against a poor outcome of management of treatment.   They must include practical educational issue to primary care physicians , and should be 500-1000 words in length.

Original Contribution/Clinical investigation

This category includes manuscripts reporting clinical, epidemiologic, health policy, or health services research, or describing new or important administrative or management strategies, clinical interventions, patient education methods, treatments, etc.

Editorials
Editorials in are either solicited by the editors; or freestanding editorials. Editorials should range from 250 to 750 words in length and may include up to six references

Editorials may include short articles expressing the opinion of a qualified and experienced individual on a certain highly pertinent or controversial issue in primary care. However, commonly they comprise invited commentary that accompanies a certain article in the Journal.

Letters
Letters to the Editor are encouraged to be brief, about  250-750 words with a limit of one table or figure, and six or fewer references. Those referring to an article published earlier in the Journal should be submitted within three months of the article’s publication. Other letters may serve to express a view on a relevant topic or event in primary care or comment on matters of general interest to health care professionals.

Medicine and Society
We plan to periodically features sociopolitical commentaries written by leaders in Primary care or health care administrators. Unsolicited contributions are occasionally accepted. Manuscripts should be 750 to 1,250 words in length and may include six to 12 references.

Reviews
Review articles  give a thorough, critical, up-to-date overview of existing literature on a clinical topic relevant in the care of patients. These manuscripts are typically around 1500 to 2500 words in length, not including references, tables, or llustrations. Articles that demonstrate a family practice perspective and approach to a common clinical condition are particularly desirable. Reviews topics may include among other issues related to Faculty Development,  Model and systems of primary care,International Health care and   Practice guidelines. 

Education and Training

Articles about the educational process in family medicine will be accepted. Such articles include scholarly reviews, manuscripts reporting educational research, and papers describing the content and effectiveness of educational innovations pertinent to medical students, residents, fellows, academic physicians and scientists, or practicing physicians.

Review Process
All manuscripts submitted for publication in ME-JFM  are reviewed by members of the editorial staff. Manuscripts appropriate for peer review are then reviewed by members of the Editorial Board, independent expert peer reviewers, and statistical consultants, as appropriate. Reviewers are blinded to the authors' identity. The corresponding author will be notified of the reviewers’ decision within 12 weeks of submission. Accepted manuscripts are edited according to AMA style, and sent to the corresponding author for final review prior to publication.

Selection of manuscripts for publication is based on anonymous peer review and emphasizes quality, originality, scientific content, and relevance to the discipline. Articles published in the journal are considered under the following general categories:

Please submit articles by e-mail as Microsoft Word attachments to the editor.

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