Instructions for Authors

Notice: Thank you for your interest in publishing with Wound Management & Prevention. Due to a higher-than-usual intake volume, the journal is halting new submissions through Editorial Manager as of April 26, 2024. Authors who may wish to submit their manuscripts for consideration in Wounds may find additional information here: https://www.hmpgloballearningnetwork.com/site/wounds/submission-information

Wound Management & Prevention (WMP) is a peer-reviewed and indexed journal that embraces the overlapping disciplines of ostomy care, wound care, incontinence care, and related skin and nutritional issues. Readers include health care professionals from multiple disciplines, and the journal's largest readership is among advanced practice nurses.

WMP is the latest incarnation of Ostomy Wound Management, which was founded in March 1980 as Ostomy Management. The name of the journal was changed in 2019 to better reflect health care's shifting focus to evidence-based management and prevention in all aspects of wound care.

WMP is indexed in PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL Information Systems; EMBASE; SCOPUS; Current Contents (under Clinical Medicine); Science Citation Index Expanded (included in the Web of Science); ISI Alerting Services; and Custom Information Services. WMP is also a member of the Publishers’ Circle with Medscape (www.medscape.com).

To meet its editorial purpose and reduce potential barriers to accessing published information, single copies of all published articles (in PDF format) are available free of charge on the WMP website; readers are required to register on the site without charge. There is no fee to publish in the journal, and there are no fees associated with including figures/photographs.

Because the WMP Editorial Board recognizes the importance of a timely exchange of scientific information, authors usually receive a decision about their manuscript within 3 months of submission. This time frame assumes that manuscripts meet the requirements set forth in this document.

Manuscripts that meet the WMP editorial purpose include, but are not limited to:

1) Empirical studies/original data: Includes all direct and indirect observational studies (eg, preclinical and clinical studies, meta-analyses, surveys, and studies designed to evaluate changes in practice or educational intervention outcomes). This type of manuscript typically includes an introduction/literature review, methods, results, discussion, conclusion, references, tables/figures (optional but recommended);

2) Review articles: Critical evaluation of available information about a topic, including theories, using established literature review types and methods. Includes introduction, methods, results, discussion, conclusion, references, tables/figures (optional but recommended);

3) Methodological articles: Presents new methodological approaches, including modifications of existing methods or discussions about approaches to study designs or data analysis. Includes introduction, methods, results, discussion, conclusion, references, tables/figures (optional but recommended);

4) Case studies and descriptive articles: Detailed reports of observations from working with an individual, group, community, or organization that illustrate a problem and may help inform practice or research. Includes introduction/literature review, case/patient information, discussion, conclusion, references, tables/figures (optional but recommended);

5) Brief reports: Occasional publications of important observations that may affect patient care and outcomes, such as brief reviews of recent evidence; changes in health care policies, regulations, or reimbursement; and clinical study observations or unique clinical challenges. Includes introduction, report data, summary, and 1 small table and/or 1 or 2 clinical pictures;

6) Opinions: Commentary on timely, important concerns relevant to the clinical, professional, regulatory, or legal arena in which readers practice; and

7) Letters to the Editor: Responses to articles published in the journal. Letters are forwarded to the authors of the articles eliciting the commentary, and the original letter and the authors’ response are published.

All reports that involve human participants must describe Institutional Review Board (or Ethics Committee) approval procedures and how participants’ rights were protected and informed consent was obtained. Manuscripts that do not contain this information will not be reviewed.

Studies involving animals are occasionally published. However, authors must keep in mind that the majority of readers are practicing clinicians who are seeking content that can be applied directly to the current patient care setting. When animal studies are considered for publication, they must describe procedures used to comply with all legal and ethical requirements of the institution(s) at which, and in the jurisdictions under which, the work was done. Manuscripts that do not contain this information will not be reviewed.

I. General Manuscript Preparation Guidelines

WMP editorial policies for authors, reviewers, and editorial staff are based on the “Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals” published by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors” (ICMJE; for complete guidelines, visit: www.icmje.org), the “Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing,” and the American Medical Association (AMA) Manual of Style, 11th edition (www.amamanualofstyle.com).

A few common concerns. All abbreviations must be spelled out when first used, followed by the abbreviation in parentheses. Similarly, proprietary product name(s) (ie, trade names) should be included once in the body of the manuscript (not in the title or abstract) in conjunction with the generic name, which is then used throughout the remainder of the manuscript.

Authors are strongly encouraged to consult the AMA Manual of Style regarding patient-centered language when writing a manuscript.

II. Preparing the Manuscript

All manuscripts follow the same general format outlined below and are based on the AMA Manual of Style guidelines. The Editors of WMP hesitate to put restrictions on word count. Manuscripts typically range from 2000 to 8000 words, including references; the generally accepted manuscript length is 18 to 20 typewritten, double-spaced pages (not including tables and figures). References and tables/figures may be published online only to conserve space in the print journal.

A. Authorship

Criteria for authorship, as defined by the ICMJE and adopted by WMP, include the following:

1) Substantial contributions to conception and design, data acquisition, analysis, or interpretation;

2) Drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content; and

3) Final approval of the version to be published. Authors should meet conditions 1, 2, and 3.

All persons who meet the above criteria must be listed as authors. As part of the submission process, authors must indicate whether any writing assistance other than copy editing was provided.

Authors’ credentials and his/her facility name and location are published with the manuscript and must be provided in the submission. This information will be blinded during the peer-review process.

A.1. Student authors

WMP encourages clinicians advancing their education to submit research and/or studies undertaken during or as part of their coursework. Novice authors may request an Editorial Board member mentor to critique and guide manuscript preparation by contacting the Managing Editor. All manuscripts must conform with the journal’s style, tone, and level of scientific rigor. Authors of published student manuscripts become eligible for a Student Author award, presented yearly, and free registration to one Symposium on Advanced Wound Care.

B. Title

The title of the manuscript should convey the topic, clinical condition, or concern and content (eg, retrospective review, randomized controlled clinical study, literature review).

C. Abstract

All manuscripts should be accompanied by a structured 150- to 200-word abstract containing the following:

1) Background: an introductory statement about the topic and/or concern;

2) Purpose: purpose of the paper or study;

3) Methods used;

4) Results: most salient findings, results, or observations; and

5) Conclusion.

The abstract should be followed by 3 to 5 key words. Authors should refer to the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) vocabulary of the National Library of Medicine to find key words pertaining to the type of manuscript (eg, study), health condition, and topic. Authors should visit: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/authors.html.

D. Introduction and/or Literature Review

The purpose of an introduction and/or literature review is to describe the topic, summarize previous research and existing evidence, and identify relationships, contradictions, gaps, and inconsistencies. Summaries of previous research should use as many primary/original references and sources of information as possible. Secondary information sources (eg, review articles, textbooks) may be appropriate at times but should be identified as review articles, opinions, and the like. Details about pertinent references (eg, study type, design, and sample size) should be included to clarify the strength of existing evidence.

E. Study/Publication Purpose

The study/publication purpose and design or hypothesis flows from and concludes the introduction.

F. Methods

All methods and procedures must be described in detail, including literature search methods for literature reviews. Institutional Review Board approval and informed consent procedures must be included for all studies involving patient interventions or use/retrieval of clinical data. Authors of clinical studies, especially randomized
controlled tirals, should consult and follow the minimum set of recommendations for reporting the results of their work promulgated by the CONSORT group (http://www.consort-statement.org). A description of data entry and analysis methods used usually concludes the methods section.

F.1. Case studies/descriptive articles

Case studies should follow the same format as other types of clinical studies and include a detailed description of the patient(s) and address age, sex, clinical history (eg, comorbidities, medications, confounding factors), previous treatment(s), diagnosis, current treatments, outcomes, and prognosis.

G. Results

All findings and results of all variables collected and analyzed are described in the text and, if appropriate, presented in tables and figures. P values should not be reported alone in the text; numbers and percentages must be included.

Authors should follow AMA guidelines for the use of tables and figures. Figures are usually reserved for showing data patterns. Titles and legends should provide enough detail to make illustrations comprehensible without reference to the text.

H. Discussion

The discussion section evaluates and interprets the reported results and observations with respect to the study or project hypothesis or purpose. The most salient findings are highlighted while similarities and differences between the results described and previously published studies and observations are examined. Suggestions for future research to answer new or remaining questions as well as potential implications for practice should be described.

I. Limitations

Limitations of the project or study (eg, small sample size, methodological limitations) are described in this section.

J. Conclusion

The conclusion should recap the most salient parts of the research (purpose, type of study, key participants, key findings, conclusion, and implications for practice when relevant).

K. Acknowledgment (optional)

Additional contribution of human or financial resources are mentioned here.

L. References

References are numbered chronologically as they appear in the text. If a reference is cited multiple times, it is noted using the number of its initial appearance.

References are listed at the end of manuscript in the numerical order in which they appear in the text. All information needed to identify and retrieve the source must be included. For articles with more than 6 authors, only the first 3 authors are listed, followed by et al.

1. References to articles in journals, magazines, and other periodicals: Smith AA, Jones BB, Brown CC, et al. Article title: subtitle. Journal Name.  Year;volume(issue no.):page numbers. doi:XXXXXXX

2. References to book chapters: Smith AA, Jones BB, Brown CC, et al. Title of the chapter. In: Miller RR, Cohen WW, eds. Title of the Book. 3rd ed. Publisher name; Year:page numbers.

3. References to websites: Smith AA, Jones BB, Brown CC, et al. Title of the specific item cited. Name of the Website. Year published. Accessed month, day, year. URL

4. References to government/organization reports: Smith AA, Jones BB, Brown CC, et al. Name of the report. Publishing organization. Publication no. if applicable. Year published.  Accessed Month, day, year. URL

Please see AMA Manual of Style, 11th edition, for citation styles for other types of references.

M. Tables and Figures

Tables and figures should be labeled per their citations in text in numeric order. Tables and figures should not be embedded within the text of the Word document submitted. Tables should  appear at the end of the document. Figure legends should also appear at the end of the manuscript, and separate JPG files should be submitted for each figure. All photographs must comply with current HIPAA regulations protecting patient identity.

Per the AMA Manual of Style, “photographs with black bars or other objects placed over the eyes of patients or partially obscuring part of a face should not be used in publication in print, online, video, or other multimedia.”

Patient consent requirements according to privacy practices for dissemination of health information and for all patient photographs must be met. Patient releases must be available and provided when requested by the Editors and/or as part of the manuscript submission process.

III. Submission Process

Manuscripts submitted to WMP are reviewed and accepted with the understanding that they have not been previously published and are not submitted for review elsewhere.

A. Submitting the Manuscript

All manuscript materials are to be submitted using the online Editorial Manager system at www.edmgr.com/OWM/. Authors should select the Author option and follow the online instructions found on this website for uploading the manuscript and all related material. WMP will work with the corresponding author,  who will be responsible for all correspondence regarding submission, review, revision, and acceptance. It is the responsibility of the corresponding author to ensure all deadlines are met and all documents are distributed to additional authors and returned promptly. It is also the corresponding author’s responsibility to keep the Editors abreast of his/her reliable contact information.

B. Overall Quality

All manuscripts should be written at a professional level with regard to grammar, structure, and usage. In addition, manuscripts should be organized according to the principles expressed herein and be well-organized and complete. Articles that do not meet these requirement will be rejected without review.

C. Disclosures

Authors will be required to complete financial disclosure and copyright transfer forms as part of the submission process.

D. Copyright

Manuscripts accepted for publication are copyrighted in the volume and issue in which they are published. Although HMP Global holds the copyright, no fee is assessed for the author to use/have access to the article for noncommercial/educational purposes.

E. Duplicate Publication

In accordance with the AMA, American Psychological Association, and ICMJE guidelines, duplicate or redundant publication of manuscripts is generally unacceptable. Failure to disclose the existence of duplicate articles, manuscripts, or other material is unethical and may represent a violation of copyright law. Exceptions to this rule, providing proper attribution to the report or disclosure of presentation is provided, may include summaries or abstracts of findings printed in conference proceedings, short reports of author findings distributed at meetings, reports from government documents or reports in the public domain, and translation of reports in another language. Material directly quoted from previously published work can be incorporated in a short quotation (with appropriate attribution). Approval from the copyright holder (institution, publisher, or author) to use more than 40 words or any tables, figures, and photographs from previously published work must be obtained in writing and provided to the Managing Editor.

F. Cover Letter

The cover letter should provide the manuscript title as well as the corresponding author name and contact information (complete mailing address, telephone number, and email). If the manuscript contains a case study or research information, the corresponding author should explain in the cover letter how the rights and dignity of all participants involved were protected and where the information is included in the manuscript.

IV. Manuscript Review

Manuscripts that are not relevant to the focus of the Journal and/or that do not meet the standards outlined in this document will be rejected without review. The Managing Editor reserves the right to limit the number of articles on a given topic.

All manuscripts are reviewed for plagiarism using the online platform iThenticate. Manuscripts found to be plagiarized will be rejected without review.

WMP's peer-review process is double-blind; the identity of the author(s) is not revealed to the reviewers and vice versa. Manuscripts are reviewed for accuracy, completeness, contribution to the literature, relevance to the focus of the Journal, timeliness, sound research practices, patient safety, clinical relevance, and originality.

After review, the corresponding author will receive a letter indicating acceptance, request for (minor or major) revision, or rejection.

If the author chooses to revise the manuscript and submit a revision through Editorial Manager, the revision will be re-reviewed to ensure that concerns have been addressed.

If all revisions have been made appropriately, the article will be accepted for publication and undergo copy editing. A copy-edited manuscript will be sent to the author for review and corrections. Finally, the author will receive a PDF of the layout of the article for final review before publication.

V. Editorial Policies

Statements and opinions (including specific drug dosages) expressed in WMP are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Editors or the Publisher. The Editors, Publisher, and the Journal deny responsibility for such materials.

In addition, the Editors, Publisher, and the Journal do not guarantee, warrant, or endorse any product or service advertised in the publication nor guarantee any claim made by the manufacturer of such product or service.n

Resources

1. American Medical Association. AMA Manual of Style: A Guide for Authors and Editors. 11th ed. Oxford University Press; 2019.

2. American Psychological Association. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. 7th ed, American Psychological Association; 2020.

3. CONSORT. The CONSORT Statement. CONSORT: The Transparent Reporting of Trials. 2010. Accessed April 26, 2021. http://www.consort-statement.org/consort-2010

4. International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals.  ICMJE; 2019. Accessed April 26, 2021. http://www.icmje.org/icmje-recommendations.pdf

5. Editorial Policy Committee Council of Science Editors. CSE’s White Paper on Promoting Integrity in Scientific Journal Publications.  Council of Science Editors; 2018. Accessed April 26, 2021. www.councilscienceeditors.org/wp-content/uploads/CSE-White-Paper_2018-update-050618.pdf