Canadian Family Physician is a peer-reviewed scientific journal intended to meet the needs of those practising, teaching, and researching family medicine and primary care. It has more than 30 000 readers worldwide and is indexed in Index Medicus, MEDLINE, Excerpta Medica, and a variety of other databases.

Articles are invited that critically and constructively contribute to family practice literature. We publish original research, short reports, review and CME articles, descriptive reports, Practice Tips, editorials, letters, case reports, resource articles and papers commenting on economic, clinical, social, and political factors affecting health.

Manuscript preparation
Canadian Family Physician accepts only original material not under consideration by any other journal.

Manuscripts should be prepared in accordance with the "Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals" available at http://www.icmje.org/. Manuscripts that do not adhere to the uniform requirements and our Guidelines for Articles will be returned.  Articles should be submitted double spaced;   pages should be numbered.

Guidelines for articles
Detailed guidelines are posted on the Canadian Family Physician page of the College’s website (http://www.cfpc.ca/communications/cfp/cfpguidelines) for the following types of articles: editorials, Reflections, quantitative and qualitative research, surveys, short reports, systematic reviews, CME updates, program descriptions, committee reports, case reports, Practice Tips, and resource articles. Following the guidelines will certainly increase the likelihood of acceptance.

Peer review
Manuscripts to be considered for publication will be sent to two or more reviewers, who might be family physicians or other experts in the field. Whether a manuscript is accepted or not, the author will receive copies of the reviews and the editor’s comments.

Editorial decision
Authors of articles thought to be unsuitable for review initially will be notified within 3 weeks. Manuscripts sent for external and internal review will have a decision of acceptance, a request for revision, or a rejection within 3 months. Accepted manuscripts will be copy edited and galleys will be sent to the author for approval. Authors are responsible for all statements made in their work, including changes made by the editorial staff and authorized by the corresponding author. Manuscripts not accepted for publication will not be returned. Original artwork, photographs, slides, and other illustrations will be returned.

An order form for reprints, along with a list of costs, will be sent to authors with the galley proofs. Fifteen unbound copies of the published article will be mailed to the corresponding author at the time of publication.

Technical specifications

	Place graphic elements in a file separate from the text
	Do not use end notes or paragraph styles
	Do not use headers or footers except for page numbers
	Use Table structure, not spaces and tabs, to format tables
	Tables (simple or complex), graphs, and charts submitted on diskette should always be accompanied by corresponding hard-copy printouts, clearly indicating the authors' = intended visual treatment
	We prefer WordPerfect or Word for word-processing systems
	Original photographs, reprographic prints (ie, camera-ready art), slides, or 35-mm negatives are always preferred to other forms of visual material
	In e-mail submissions, authors should send visual material separately from the main manuscript, whether or not it has been placed in the word-processed document. If visual material was developed in a separate program, the corresponding file should be sent as well (ie, JPG, BMP, or PCX files)
	Images sent via e-mail should be saved in JPEG file format and should not exceed 1 MB. Ideally they should be an 8-bit RGB or CMYK flattened JPEG file, 1500 x 1200 pixels (5 x 4 inches) @ 300 pixels/inch (ppi)

Copyright
All authors must sign a copyright agreement with CFP transferring copyright and waiving moral rights to articles before publication. Authors may use their material in presentations and subsequent publications they write or edit themselves, provided that CFP is notified in writing and is acknowledged as the original publication. Readers may make single copies of articles for their own use, but must seek permission from CFP to make multiple copies or republish any part of the original.

Manuscript submission checklist

	Designate a corresponding author and provide a complete address, telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address.
	Prepare a covering letter indicating that the manuscript is an original submission and identifying any possible conflict of interest, every source of financial or material support, and for research articles, describing the contribution of each author.
	Submit an original and four copies of the entire manuscript double spaced in 12-point type and justified left throughout. Pages should be arranged and numbered in the following sequence: title page, abstract, biographical note, text, acknowledgments, references, tables, and illustrations. A diskette (any program) containing all material should accompany the manuscript (please do not use endnote and footnote features). Manuscripts not adhering to this format will be returned.
	The manuscript should be an attachment to your e-mail (please do not cut and paste from Word or WordPerfect). Attachment or diskette should have one file that includes: 1. Title page with authors' names and medical degrees 2. Corresponding author's name, address, telephone, fax, and e-mail coordinates 3. Biographical note 4. Body of manuscript 5. Tables and figures 6. References
	Photographs or digital illustrations should be in a separate attachment
	Include authors’ full names, medical degrees, specialist certificates (if applicable) and three highest academic degrees and affiliations on title page.
	Check references for accuracy, completeness, and proper format (according to the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals). References should be numbered in the order they appear in the text and should be limited to works cited in the article. List all authors when there are 6 or fewer; when there are 7 or more, list the first 6, then et al.
	Include three or four MeSH key words for your article.
	Tables and figures should clarify and supplement, but not duplicate, the text. Tables must be self-explanatory and concise. Prepare each table or figure on a separate page. Give all tables titles and all figures and other illustrations captions. Ensure that all tables, figures, and illustrations are cited at appropriate places in the text. Prepare tables in Word or WordPerfect only; no spreadsheets please.
	Attach written permission from publishers and authors to reproduce or adapt previously published illustrations and tables. Include consent forms from patients if they can be identified from descriptions or photographs. Acknowledgments will be published only when accompanied by written permission of person(s) acknowledged.

Send manuscripts to Sharon J. Hutchins, Editorial Coordinator, Canadian Family Physician, 2630 Skymark Ave, Mississauga, ON L4W 5A4

Manuscripts can also be sent by email to  shutchins@cfpc.ca