Writer’s Guides
Meet CMA Today Readers
Manuscript Specs
Manuscript Review and Selection
Where to Send Manuscripts
Meet CMA Today Readers
Review these pages to learn more about CMA Today and its readers:
Manuscript Specs
Manuscripts that do not meet the following specifications are subject to refusal.
Original Authorship | Manuscripts must be submitted exclusively to CMA Today and must not have been published previously.
Ineligibility | Current members of AAMA boards or volunteer teams may not submit manuscripts or serve as interviewees.
Submissions | Manuscripts must be emailed as Word document attachments.
Length | Manuscripts must meet the following word count requirements:
- CE articles: 4,000 to 4,500 words
- Departments (e.g., Practice Manager, Educators Forum): 1,150 to 1,375 words
The final determinant of an acceptable length is the subject matter of the manuscript. The editor reserves the right to edit manuscripts for length.
Cover Page | Include the complete information for author(s), including name, credentials, address, daytime phone, and email.
Biography | Submit a brief (50 words or less) biography. State your current position and relevant professional experience.
References | All quotes, facts, figures, or material gained from another source and referred to in the text must be properly and completely referenced. Follow AMA's Manual of Style. Cite references in numerical order as they appear in the manuscript. Within the text, citations should be numbered only. The list of references must include the following information:
Journals: (1) authors' surnames and initials; (2) title of article and subtitle, if any; (3) abbreviated name of journal; (4) year; (5) volume number; (6) part or supplement number, when pertinent, and issue month or number when pagination is not consecutive throughout a volume; and (7) inclusive page numbers.
Books: (1) authors' surnames and initials; (2) surname and initials of editor or translator, if any; (3) title of book and subtitle, if any; (4) number of editions after the first; (5) place of publication; (6) name of publisher; (7) year of publication; (8) volume number, if there is more than one volume; and (9) page numbers, if specific pages are cited.
Online Journals:
Example 1: For those without volume, issue, and page information, the date of access, preceded by a URL and date of publication (if available) may be used:
1. Trapp D. Medicare's rule changes are drawing fire. Am Med News. 2007. http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2007/11/19/gvsa1119.htm. Published November 19, 2007. Accessed March 28, 2008.
Example 2: For those with volume and page information, include date accessed:
1. Paller AS, Siegfried EC, Langley RG, et al. Etanercept treatment for children and adolescents with plaque psoriasis. N Engl J Med. 2008; 358(3): 241-251. http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/358/3/241. Published January 17, 2008. Accessed May 7, 2009.
Note: If the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) number is listed with the article, this may be used in place of a URL in the citation.
Websites: Include pertinent data, updated date, and access date.
Example:
1. Health on the Net Foundation code of conduct (HONcode) for medical and health web sites. Health on the Net Foundation. http://www.hon.ch/conduct.html. Updated March 15, 2007. Accessed June 26, 2008.
Heads and Subheads | Manuscripts may be denied for lack of headings. Headings provide meaningful structure and make the manuscript easier to understand. Heads and subheads should be kept short, succinct, and meaningful, and they should be similar in sense and tone.
Manuscript Review and Selection
Review Process | Submissions to CMA Today are carefully reviewed for professional content and potential value to readers. Acceptance for publication depends primarily on these reviews and recommendations, as well as on long-range editorial plans based on the current and future needs and interests of medical assistants. Publication and/or publication dates are not guaranteed. Consideration for publication may take several weeks, depending on the volume of articles received. Several months might elapse before an accepted manuscript is assigned a publication date.
Commercial Publicity | It is AAMA policy not to promote product names, manufacturers, or services in published articles. Authors are cautioned not to endorse products or companies. Manuscripts with such material are immediately dropped from consideration.
Copyright and Releases | CMA Today is copyrighted in the name of the AAMA. Authors release copyright to AAMA for articles accepted for publication in CMA Today.
Submission of photographs, charts, graphs, and documents with manuscripts is encouraged. Such items must be legally released for CMA Today use, so you must include complete reference information.
Manuscripts are considered for publication with the understanding that they are the original work of the signatory author(s) and that they are not concurrently being submitted elsewhere for publication.
Publication | While every effort is made to preserve the author's style, CMA Today reserves the right to edit articles for clarity, style, and space requirements.
Reprints | Published articles in CMA Today become the property of AAMA and reprint or reproduction permission must be obtained from the AAMA. Reprints can be purchased from the publisher.
Where to Send Manuscripts
Email manuscripts and questions to:
CMAToday@aama-ntl.org