Bariatric Times is designed to provide the most comprehensive readership of allied health professionals in bariatric care with timely, relevant news and commentary about developments in the field of bariatrics. Bariatric Times will provide a single, concise venue for communications that provide new and detailed information regarding the most updated bariatric total patient care, new clinical findings and industry developments, and all relevant topics and insights that can be applied to the bariatric allied health professionals’ working lives.
SCOPE OF MANUSCRIPTS
Manuscripts that meet our editorial purpose include, but are not limited to, concise articles on surgical technique, reports of preclinical and clinical research that expands existing knowledge, case studies and reports, in-depth reviews and reports on treatment, management, prevention, education, ethics, legal issues, and other relevant topics in bariatrics, and letters to the editor. Manuscripts are to be in accordance with the American Medical Association (AMA) style.
Please pay close attention to the referencing information under the Manuscript Preparation section.

• Review Articles. Comprehensive articles summarizing basic strategies to facilitate the physician and multi-disciplinary bariatric team’s approach to treatment, as well as pre-and post-operative care. May also include in-depth reviews of clinical practice, management, reimbursement, educational, ethical, and legal issues. Current references requested. Illustrative material is preferred.
• Case Reports. Short presentations of actual cases that stimulate research and the exchange of information and illustrate the signs and symptoms, diagnosis, and ongoing treatment of obesity. Current references requested. Illustrative material is preferred.
• Original Research. Reports of investigations that address questions about treatment, surgery, and ongoing patient care or expand existing knowledge. References and illustrative material are recommended.
• Letters to the Editor. Opinions on cases or articles published in Bariatric Times, opinions on other current topics, or short reports of clinical interest. Please indicate whether the letter is intended for publication. Text should not exceed 600 words, with no more than 5 references. Letters should be received within 2 months of the article’s publication and may be sent to the original author for reply. Letters may be edited for style, clarity, and length.

MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION

Submissions for consideration may be sent electronically to: Colleen Hutchinson, Managing Editor, chutchinson at matrixmedcom.com

Hard copies may be mailed to:  Colleen Hutchinson, Managing Editor, Matrix Medical Communications, PO Box 445, Edgemont, PA 19028-0445. If a hard copy is sent, the original manuscript must be accompanied by an electronic copy on a CD labeled with the name of the corresponding author and the type of word processing program used.

• Cover Letter. Manuscripts should be submitted with a cover letter indicating the article type. If the manuscript is submitted electronically, please specify the format in a covering e-mail. The cover letter should give details on any previous or duplicate publication of any of the content and should state that the paper is not under consideration for publication elsewhere. In the letter, authors should disclose any financial arrangements or affiliations with companies or organizations having a direct interest in the subject of the paper. For Letters to the Editor, please indicate whether the letter is intended for publication.
  Author Form. Authors are asked to complete an Author Form, which has several components: authorship statement, financial disclosure, and copyright transfer. If the manuscript is accepted and published in Bariatric Times, authors must transfer copyright to Matrix Medical Communications.
• Inclusion of previously published materials. Any material submitted to Bariatric Times that is reproduced from previously published copyrighted material must be accompanied by a letter of permission from the copyright holder. All such material should include a full credit line (e.g., in the figure or table legend) acknowledging the original source. The author is responsible for obtaining the permission and is reponsible for any associated fees.
  

MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION- PLEASE MAKE SPECIAL NOTE OF REFERENCE INFORMATION!!

• Title Page. The title page should contain the following elements: title, author names and institutional affiliations, sources of financial support, name of corresponding author with his or her complete contact information (mailing address, telephone and fax numbers, e-mail address), and word count (text only).
• Spacing and Pagination. The manuscript should be typed using double spacing throughout. Do not use a running head. Pages should be numbered beginning with the title page.
• References. Citation accuracy is the responsibility of the author. Before submission, please review your paper to ensure that every statement that requires a reference has one. This is extremely important. Requirements are in accordance with the “Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals.” References must be cited in text in numerical order, and must appear as a complete list at the end of the manuscript. (See Uniform Requirements.) Do not superscript references; please place them at the end of the sentence after the period and between brackets. Abbreviate names of journals according to Index Medicus style. Book references should include the author(s), editor(s), title, edition number, publisher and city, copyright date, volume, and specific page numbers for quoted material.

The sequence for a journal article should be: authors (up to four; for five or more authors, list the first three, followed by et al); title of paper; journal name abbreviated as in the Index Medicus, year of publication, volume number, issue number, and first and last page numbers. Example:
Cadiere GB, Himpens J, Vertruyen M et al. The world’s first obesity surgery performed by a surgeon at a distance. Obes Surg 1999;9(4):206-9.

The sequence for chapters of a book should be: author(s), chapter title, editors, book title, edition, place of publication, publisher, year, page numbers. Example:
Angel A, Winocur JT, Roncari DAK. Morbid obesity - the problem and its consequences. In: Deitel M (ed.) Surgery for the Morbidly Obese Patient. Philadelphia: Lea & Febiger 1989:19-26.

The sequence for conference proceedings is:
Heller T. Promoting healthy aging and community inclusion of adults with developmental disabilities. Presented at the National Association for the Dually Diagnosed; 2003 Oct 24; Chicago.
Authors are responsible for ensuring that the list contains all references cited in the text, in order, accurately.

• Abstract. Include a structured abstract when submitting an original research paper. Abstracts should be limited to 250 words and should be organized into the following categories: Objective, Design, Setting, Participants, Measurements, Results, Conclusion.
• Abbreviations/Acronyms. All abbreviations and acronyms should be spelled out at first mention.
• Tables and Figures. All illustrative material must be numbered consecutively according to citation in text. If a figure or table has been previously published, the complete reference information must be cited. Photographic illustrations may be submitted as color or black-and-white slides or prints. Other types of illustrations (eg, drawings, graphs, charts) must be professionally executed. Symbols and abbreviations should be defined/spelled out. Each illustration must be labeled with the corresponding author’s name and an arrow indicating the top of the figure; avoid indenting photographs with paper clips. Authors should keep at least one copy of all original artwork to guard against loss or damage by mail. Attach a copy of each table and figure, and an original of each photograph, to each copy of the manuscript. For black-and-white or color photographs, the required resolution is at least 300 dpi. For line drawings, the resolution must be at least 600 dpi.

EDITORIAL PROCESS

• Peer Review. Review articles and original research will undergo peer review to ensure that the material is clinically relevant and concise. Strict confidentiality regarding the submitted manuscript is maintained. If you have expertise in a relevant field and would like to be considered as a manuscript reviewer, please contact the Editor.
• Editing and Page Proofs. Articles accepted for publication will be edited for consistency of style, clarity, and correct grammatical construction. Page proofs will be sent to the author for approval and may contain author queries that will need to be addressed. The author will be given no more than 48 hours to return page proofs with corrections. The author is responsible for all changes in the manuscript, including those of the copy editor.

REPRINTS AND COMPLIMENTARY COPIES
All authors receive a complimentary copy of the issue in which their article appears. Article reprints are available at a discounted price to the corresponding author. Orders must be for a minimum of 100 copies. Contact chutchinson at matrixmedcom.com for details.
MANUSCRIPT CHECKLIST

1. Original manuscript (double-spaced) and 2 copies (copies not required for electronic submission)
2. Cover letter affirming the manuscript’s originality and stating any financial disclosures
3. Corresponding author’s name, address, phone number, fax number, and e-mail address on the title page
4. Copy of the manuscript on a CD labeled with computer program and corresponding author’s name
5. References cited in consecutive order in text and conformed to AMA style
6. Black-and-white or color slides or prints labeled to indicate the top of the figure or digital images (minimum 300dpi)
7. Professionally executed drawings, algorithms, graphs, charts, etc, with all symbols and abbreviations/acronyms defined
8. Copies of permission letters to reproduce previously published and unpublished material.