Instructions for Authors
The APUA Newsletter is a quarterly publication of APUA established expressly to curb antibiotic resistance and improve the use of antibiotics worldwide. The newsletter has an international scope and is intended for a broad audience that includes clinicians, researchers and policy makers. We welcome contributions from researchers or policy makers in academia, industry, clinical practice and public health, as well as from specialists from other disciplines such as economics or sociology. Authors may seek the editors' general level of interest in any proposed article by faxing or emailing an abstract or general description of the article to the editorial office. 


Types of Articles
The APUA Newsletter is published in English and provides information on antibiotic use, antibiotic resistance and its effect on public health. The most frequent categories of articles published are described below:

  • Feature Articles (800-1000 words including references with up to four tables and figures): Research studies, surveillance reports or literature reviews to inform readers of fields and advances that are undergoing unusually rapid or exciting development. Use of descriptive subheadings in the main body of the text is recommended.
     
  • Brief Reports (300-500 words including references with up to two tables or figures): Short reports of research studies or surveillance findings.
     
  • Ask the Expert (500-775 words including references): Generally written by a healthcare clinician who provides an answer to a single clinical question on antibiotic use and resistance. The column includes the author's photograph.
     
  • Letters (fewer than 300 words): Letters may address a published article or comment on specific issue of broad interest to the readership. As we can only publish a few of the many letters that we receive, priority is given to short, well-written letters. Letters should not be divided into sections, nor should they contain figures or tables. If necessary, up to three references may be provided.
     
  • News & Notes (50-100 words): Brief announcements of timely events of interest to our readers such as summaries of conferences or meetings.

Manuscript Submission
Email submission: Include a cover letter verifying that the final manuscript has been seen and approved by all authors. If possible, submit text files as an MSWord or Rich Text Format (RTF) file. For graphic files, send graphics in their original format along with either TIFF or EPS files. Submit the manuscript and any figures (black-and-white only) to the Associate Editor:

Email Address: apua@tufts.edu

Postal mail submission: Include a cover letter verifying that the final manuscript has been seen and approved by all authors. Submit one copy of the original manuscript, any artwork (photographs should be matte-finish and line art must be black-and-white 300 dpi), and, if possible, a diskette with an electronic version of the document, to:

Address: APUA Newsletter, 136 Harrison Ave, M&V Suite 811, Boston MA 02111-1901, USA

Editorial Review & Processing
Manuscripts are reviewed initially by APUA editors. If a manuscript is rejected, the author will be notified of the editor's decision usually within 6-8 weeks.For information about the status of a submitted manuscript, please contact us by email via the address given above.

Accepted manuscripts will be copyedited to adhere to APUA Newsletter style and/or to increase clarity. If appropriate, external peer reviewers may be asked to comment on a specific manuscript. Edited manuscripts will be returned to the author for approval. Authors are responsible for all statements made in their work, including changes made by the copy editor and authorized by the corresponding author.

Manuscript Preparation
Articles should address the subject of antimicrobial resistance and appeal to a broad audience. Because of the international nature of the readership, clarity is especially important: articles should be concise and clearly written. Well-chosen subtitles, tables, and figures will enhance presentation.

Formatting
Double-space everything, including the title page, references, tables and figure legends. Type only on one side of the paper and number all pages, beginning with the title page. Indent paragraphs five spaces; leave no extra space between paragraphs. After a period, leave only one space before beginning the next sentence. Below is specific information on format style:

  • Abbreviations, acronyms and units of measure. Except for units of measurement, abbreviations and acronyms are discouraged. The first time an abbreviation appears it should be preceded by the words for which it stands.Drug Names: Use non-proprietary names of drugs, unless the specific trade name of a drug is directly relevant to the discussion.
     
  • Footnotes should contain information relevant to specific entries or parts of the table.
     
  • References: Place reference numbers in superscripts. Number references to both published and unpublished articles in order of appearance including within text, figures and tables. References that are always cited together should be grouped under a single number. Use conventional abbreviations for well-known journals; provide complete titles for other journals. List up to the first three authors and/or editors followed by "et al." The following are sample references:

    1Bosu WK, Ofori-Adjei D, Williams MB et al. 1997. East African Medical Journal79:150-160.
    2Gaynes R, Monnet D. 1997. In Antibiotic Resistance: Origins, Evolution, Selection and Spread edited by DJ Chadwick, J Goode. West Sussex, England: Wiley, Chichester (Ciba Foundation Symposium 207): 47-60.
    3American Society for Microbiology. 1997. New and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases: A Global Crisis and Immediate Threat to the Nation's Health. Washington, DC: ASM.

  • Scientific Names: Italicize rather than underline scientific names.
     
  • Tables & Figures: Tables should supplement rather than duplicate the text. They should be numbered in the order of their citation in the text. The first sentence of the legend should be a brief descriptive title that is in text format (i.e., it should not be part of the graphic). Three horizontal lines are used in tables: at the top and bottom of the table and between the column headings and the table body. Vertical lines are not used between the columns. Every vertical column should have a heading consisting of a title with the unit of measure in parentheses. Units should not change within a column. Text within tables and figures should be 9-point sans serif font such as Futura, Arial or Helvetica. Tables and figures should be black-and-white.
     
  • Title Page: Provide a concise title for article; list authors including the full names, two highest academic degrees and affiliations of all authors; designate a corresponding author and provide name, postal and email addresses, and telephone and fax numbers; provide 3-10 key words or short phrases to be used to index the article; provide a total word count that includes titles, subtitles, text body figure legends and references.
     
  • Titles & Subheadings should be short descriptive clauses, not full sentences. Scientific subheadings (i.e., Introduction, Materials & Methods, Results and Discussion) and abbreviations should not be used.