INFORMATION FOR CONTRIBUTORS

Authors of manuscripts submitted to SURGERY FOROBESITY AND RELATED DISEASES (SOARD) will receive atimely review and will be notified within two months as to whethertheir work is accepted, rejected, or requires revision. Submit manu-scripts to the SOARD Editorial Office via the Elsevier EditorialSystem (EES) website for this journal; go to http://ees.elsevier.com/SOARD and select “Submit Manuscript”. All correspondenceregarding submitted manuscripts will be handled via e-mailthrough EES. Send all other correspondence to:

Mrs. Angelica KerrManaging EditorElsevier360 Park Ave. SouthNew York, NY 10010Tel: 212-633-3957Fax: 212-633-3913E-mail: soard@elsevier.com

Manuscripts should be prepared in accordance with the UniformRequirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals,available at: http://www.icmje.org. Studies in humans require ap-proval from the local Institutional Review Board (IRB) and inanimals from the Animal Care and Use Committee. All clinicaltrials must be registered in the National Institutes of Health website: www.clinicaltrials.gov. This information must be stated inboth the Cover Letter and the Materials and Methods section of themanuscript.

Previous Publication or Duplicate Submission:Manuscripts are considered with the understanding that they

have not been published previously in print or electronic format andare not under consideration by another publication or electronic me-dium. Copies of possibly duplicative materials (i.e., those containingsubstantially similar content or using the same or similar data) thathave been previously published or are being considered elsewheremust be provided at the time of manuscript submission.

Previous Presentation or Release of Information:A complete report following presentation at a meeting or

publication of preliminary findings elsewhere (e.g., an abstract)can be considered. Media coverage of meeting presentations willnot jeopardize consideration, but direct release of informationthrough press releases or news media briefings may precludeconsideration by SOARD.

Authorship:Each author should have participated sufficiently in the work

to take public responsibility for appropriate portions of the content.One or more authors should take responsibility for the integrity ofthe work as a whole, from inception to publication. Authorshipcredit should be based on (1) substantial contributions to concep-tion and design; (2) drafting the article or revising it critically forimportant intellectual content; and (3) final approval of the versionto be published. All conditions must be met. Authors are required toidentify their contributions to the work described in the manuscript.

Conflict of Interest:All authors must disclose any conflict of interest they may

have with an institution or product that is mentioned in the manu-script and/or is important to the outcome of the study presented.

This would include funding for the research, membership in anyspeaker’s bureau or corporate advisory committee, stockholder, orsupport for travel (please refer to the conflict of interest list in theJanuary/February 2007 issue or go to www.SOARD.org). Authorsshould also disclose conflict of interest with products that competewith those mentioned in their manuscript. The Editor will discuss withthe authors on an individual basis the method by which any conflictsof interest will be communicated to readers. Manuscripts withoutconflict of interest disclosures from all authors will be returned.

SOARD publishes the following types of articles in addi-tion to standard research manuscripts:1. RAPID COMMUNICATION ARTICLES: Manuscripts that

are extremely timely, of utmost importance, and that the Ed-itor deems warrant rapid publication. These manuscripts willbe reviewed by two expert consultants within 48 hours and theauthors will receive notification of the status within 72 hours.Accepted manuscripts will be published in the next availableissue of SOARD. The submission/processing fee for a RapidCommunication Article is $300. Payment may be made viacredit card or check (please make checks payable to Elsevier,Inc.). Payment must accompany the submission for the manu-script to be reviewed. Manuscripts that the Editorial Boardbelieves do not warrant rapid communication will have thesubmission fee returned, giving the authors the choice to havethe manuscript continue with the standard SOARD reviewprocess. Submission fees for manuscripts processed as a RapidCommunication not found acceptable for publication willNOT be refunded. Please note that this opportunity is forRAPID COMMUNICATION of important timely findingsand does not represent a means to obtain a RAPID REVIEW.

2. IMAGES IN OBESITY SURGERY: Concise, one-page pictorialdescription of a unique case will be published as space permits.No more than three authors may represent each submission.

3. SURGEON AT WORK: Short, concise articles plus photosand/or drawings on: “How I do it” techniques will be publishedas space permits.

4. CASE REPORTS: Unique cases demonstrating concepts ofdiagnosis and management that are relevant to the practicingbariatric surgeon. Each report must contain an Introduction,Case Presentation and Management, and Discussion. CaseReports do not require an abstract.

5. REVIEW ARTICLES: This comprehensive review-type articlecovers timely bariatric surgery topics of clinical relevance andmust be well-referenced. These articles should serve as a source ona clinically useful subject for the practicing bariatric surgeon, pri-mary care physician, nutritionist, psychiatric specialist, obesity in-vestigator and resident, or fellow-in-training of current information.

6. UPDATES: This shorter review-type article covers current obesitytopics of clinical relevance.

7. EDITORIALS/PAIRED EDITORIALS: These will be solicited bythe Editor and should not be submitted without prior written ap-proval.

8. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Short communications regardingrecent articles or comments on timely topics in letter form that shouldbe supported by relevant references. Authors of the cited article willhave the opportunity to read and reply to the letter. ALL LETTERSTO THE EDITOR must be submitted within one month of thepublishing date of the cited article. Letters if accepted will be pub-lished as space permits.

9. CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES: These are articles dealing with con-troversial topics such as: Is bariatric surgery appropriate in patientswith schizophrenia or bi-polar disorders? Which should come first inthe morbidly obese patient with chronic renal failure: renal transplantor bariatric surgery? How do you manage the patient with an ana-tomically intact, non-obstructive Roux-en-Y gastric bypass who“can’t eat”? These articles can be associated with a case report or justpresent a philosophical or reasoned medical approach. They will belinked to a “paired editorial” and subsequent “letters to the editor”will be invited.

10. ALLIED HEALTH ARTICLES: A section for Allied Health manu-scripts will be published periodically during the year. These manu-scripts should be related to nursing, nutritional, exercise, and psycho-logical issues relevant to bariatric surgery.

Editorial ProcessPEER REVIEW: Manuscripts will be reviewed by internation-

ally recognized experts on the subject. When relevant, a biostatisti-cian, radiologist, psychological specialist, nutritionist, or pathologistconsultant will also review the manuscript. The reviewers will beblinded to the names of the authors and the institution and countryfrom which the manuscript has been sent. Reviewers will be asked tolist all current conflicts of interest (please refer to the conflict ofinterest list in the January/February 2007 issue or go to www.SOARD.org) and comment if any of these or other conflicts areassociated with the manuscript they are being asked to review.

Submission ProcessManuscripts must be submitted via the Elsevier Editorial System

(EES) website for this journal; go to http://ees.elsevier.com/SOARDand select “Submit Manuscript.” You will be guided stepwise throughthe creation and uploading of the various files and data. Once theuploading is done, the system automatically generates an electronic(PDF) proof, which is then used for reviewing. All correspondenceregarding submitted manuscripts will be handled via e-mail throughEES. The article must be typed in 12-point type, double-spaced withone-inch margins (with all pages numbered consecutively) andline numbers inserted at every 5 lines. The file should follow thegeneral instructions on style/arrangement, and, in particular, thereference style. The file should use the wrap-around end-of-linefeature, i.e., returns at the end of the paragraph only. Place two returnsafter every element, such as title, headings, paragraph. Please do NOTuse any automatically generated numbering or bulleting systems orhidden text (e.g., for references, footnotes, lists). Unless specificallyindicated in the various categories listed, each manuscript must con-tain an Abstract and Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results,Discussion, Conclusions, and References sections, with the appropri-ate subheading preceding each section.

Structured Abstracts should be 250 words or less and dividedinto five sections with the subheadings: (1) Setting, (2) Objectives,(3) Methods, (4) Results, and (5) Conclusions.

Using lower-case superscript letters, link each author with theappropriate affiliation. Measurements of length, height, weight,and volume should be reported in metric units. Weight loss shouldbe reported in kg lost, BMI reduction, percent weight lost, andpercent excess weight lost, with excess weight defined as thatabove the median weight for height in the Metropolitan LifeInsurance tables. Laboratory data should be reported in both thelocal and international System of Units (SI). Manuscripts must beaccompanied by a cover letter, which should include a statementabout submissions that might be regarded as redundant publica-tion, a statement about financial or other relationships that mightlead to a conflict of interest, a statement that the manuscript has

been read and approved by all authors, and contact information forthe corresponding author. Include the full names, degrees, andaffiliations of all authors on the title page and upload separatelyfrom the manuscript. Do not include any author contact informa-tion within the manuscript. Please also include key words withyour submission. Manuscripts with incorrect format or that areover maximum length will be returned unreviewed for modifica-tions (see table for correct format/length).

TABLES: Each table should be counted as 250 wordstoward the final word count. Tables should supplement, notduplicate, the text/figures. The tables must be numbered and citedin order as they first appear in the text, and each must have aprecise heading the understanding of which does not require ref-erence to the text. Do not imbed tables with the text.

ILLUSTRATIONS: Each figure should be counted as 250words toward the final word count. Color figures are welcomed,and will appear in color on the web at no extra charge; however,there is a charge, paid in advance, for the reproduction of colorillustrations in print ($650 for the first color figure and $100 foreach additional color figure), unless waved by the Editor andPublisher. Alternatively, the illustrations can be reproduced inprint in black and white at no extra charge. All illustrations mustsupplement, not duplicate the tables/text. Figures must clearlyconvey their message and be of high quality and of sufficient sizeand clarity (especially lettering, arrows, and data points) to beinterpretable when reduced for publication. Shading does not al-ways reproduce well. Consider using widely spaced cross-hatchingpatterns, for example, that will remain distinct on reduction. Useblack and white arrows, depending on the background color. Allillustrations must be numbered and cited in order as they firstappear in the text. Concise legends (typed on a separate page) mustaccompany each illustration and adequately describe the figurewithout the need to reference to the text. Do not embed artworkwith text; illustrations should be supplied as separate files. Guide-lines for submitting your illustrations in an electronic format canbe found at http://ees.elsevier.com/SOARD

VIDEO/COMPUTER GRAPHICS: An original, edited CD-ROM in IBM compatible PC format will be the standard format forsubmission of videos and computer graphics (i.e., slide presenta-tions with or without animation). SOARD will not edit any videoor computer graphics, but reviewers, following the usual policywith illustrations, may suggest changes in the video or computergraphic. A sound track is highly recommended. Maximum cumu-lative length of videos or computer graphics is 8 minutes, and maybe divided into several smaller clips not to exceed 8 minutes intotal. If the video or animation is divided into several clips, eachclip should be identified at the beginning of the section: e.g., VideoClip 1 or Graphic 1, and on the CD-ROM. Several videos/graphicsmay be on the same CD-ROM, but if they are separate clips, theseparation must be clearly identified. For ease of download, filesshould not exceed 10 MB. Any size over this limit may preventviewers from successfully viewing the video. Concise legends(typed on a separate page) must accompany each video clip orcomputer graphic presentation. The following formats for videowill be accepted: MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 (.mpg), Quicktime (.mov),Audio/Video Interface (.avi), or Compuserve GIF (.gif). Pleasecontact the publisher about the use of other formats. A graphic willbe used to indicate the location of a video clip or computer graphic.Videos/computer graphics for accepted manuscripts will not bereturned. Videos and computer graphics will not be acceptedseparately and must be uploaded along with your manuscript.If the article is accepted for publication, the video will be digi-

tized and permanently archived on the SOARD website (http://ees.elsevier.com/SOARD). The location of the video on theWorld Wide Web will be linked with the online version of thearticle.

PERMISSION: Authors must submit written permission uponmanuscript submission from both the author and publisher of theoriginal source when material is reproduced from other sources.This permission must include reproduction in both print and elec-tronic formats for worldwide distribution.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Acknowledgement(s) requirewritten permission of the person being acknowledged.

REFERENCES: References must be limited to those cited inthe text, be numbered consecutively in the order in which they arefirst mentioned, with their positions indicated in the text by asuperscript Arabic number. Any authors beyond six will be re-placed by the first three authors, et al. References to articles inpress must state journal name and year. Personal Communicationswill not be included in the reference list and should be accompa-nied with written verification and be noted within the text. Au-thors are responsible for the accuracy and completeness oftheir references and for correct text citation.

For journal articles: Surname and initials of author(s). If 6or fewer authors, all authors need to be listed. If more than 6, thenlist the first 3 followed by “et al.” Title of article. Name of journal,year; volume: first and last pages. For example:

1. Fetner R, McGinty J, Russell C, Pi-Sunyer FX, Laferrere B,Incretins, diabetes, and bariatric surgery: A review. Surg ObesRel Dis 2005;1:589–99.

2. Nguyen NT, Goldman C, Rosenquist CJ, et al. Laparoscopicversus open gastric bypass: a randomized study of outcomes,quality of life, and costs. Ann Surg 2001;234:279–89.

For Books: Surname and initials of author(s). Title and sub-title, edition (other than first). City: Publishing house; year. andpages as specific reference, as follows:1. Mason EE. Surgical Treatment of Obesity. Philadelphia, Lon-

don, Toronto: W.B. Saunders Company; 1981. p. 1–493.For articles or chapters in books: Surname and initials of

author(s). Title of article/chapter. Surname and initials of editor.Title of book. City. Publishing house; year, and pages, as follows:1. Brolin RE. Metabolic postoperative complications after bariat-

ric surgery. In: Martin LF, editor. Obesity surgery. New York:McGraw-Hill; 2004. p. 275–300.

PROOFS: To avoid publication delay, authors must returnproofs in 48 hours.

RESPONSIBILITY: Manuscripts are subject to editorialmodification to bring them into conformity with the style of thejournal. Statements in articles or opinions expressed by any con-tributor in any article, including changes made by the copy editorand approved by the corresponding author, are not the responsi-bility of the editors or the publishers.

Abstract Abstract WordLength

Maximum TextWord Length

Maximum #Figures/Tables

Maximum #References

Standard Manuscript Structured 250 3000 6 30Rapid Communication Structured 250 1500 4 15Images in Obesity Surgery None N/A 200 3 10Surgeon at Work None N/A 1500 * 15Case Report None N/A 1200 3 15Review Article None N/A 4000 * 50Update None N/A 2000 4 30Paired Editorial None N/A 1500 2 15Letter to Editor None N/A 500 1 5Controversial Issues None N/A 2000 * 15Allied Health Articles Structured 250 3000 6 30

* Number of figures/tables are up to authors’ discretion; however, each figure/table (or composite figures/tables) should be counted as 250 wordstoward the final word count.