Information For Authors

The editors of The IHS Primary Care Provider welcome articles that promote communication and share timely information relevant to the clinical practice of Indian Health Service (IHS) tribal, and urban health care professional providers.

The editors are frequently asked for information about how to prepare an article for publication. To respond to these requests, the following guidelines were developed. These are merely suggestions; articles that do not meet these guidelines will still be considered even though an alternate format is used.

Permission to Publish

Anyone planning to do a study, a survey, or research involving American Indians and/or Alaska Natives must obtain permission from the tribe(s) involved before the activity is initiated. Permission to publish the results of any study, survey, or research involving American Indians and/or Alaska Natives must be obtained (in writing) from the tribe(s) involved, prior to publication. In addition, IHS staff or IHS contractors must obtain permission from their IHS Area Research and Publications Review Committee (ARPRC) before initiating a study, survey, or research; permission to publish must also be obtained from the ARPRC.

A copy of the permission to publish must be submitted to the IHS Clinical Support Center before publication in The Provider.

Manuscripts

Send your manuscript to the Editors at the above address as an e-mail attachment typed in MS Word.

The Title Page

Include name, highest pertinent academic degrees, job title, and affiliation of all authors as they wish them to be published. Show the location of each author (city and state) at the time the paper was written or the study was done, and include the current, complete address and phone number for each author.

The Abstract

Abstracts are not required. However, if you choose to write an abstract, it should be kept as brief as possible.

The Text

Define all abbreviations. Cite, in numerical order, every figure and table (the order of mention in text determines the number given to each).

The References

Number references in order of mention. References should be sequentially designated in the text by superior number (superscript) and listed at the end of the article in numerical sequence. For the reference section at the end of the article, follow guidelines for arrangement, abbreviations, and punctuation as given in the Standard Format for Published References.

The Figures

When submitting a manuscript, place figures on separate pages (separated from text), when possible. We may need to scan your article into our word processor if you haven't sent the article to us on a diskette, and this can be difficult when the figures are included in the body of the text. Give each figure a number and a title. Number the figures in the order in which they are mentioned in the text. Identify all abbreviations at the bottom of each figure. Submit written permission from publisher and author to reproduce any previously published figures.

The Tables

When submitting a manuscript, place tables on separate pages (separated from the text), when possible. We may need to scan your article into our word processor, and this can be difficult when the tables are included in the body of the text. Give each table a number and a title. Number the tables in the order in which they are mentioned in the text. Identify all abbreviations at the bottom of each table.

Photos

Submit one glossy black and white print (original) and caption for each photo. Photos should capture the essence of a moment, not merely record who was there. Photos should have high contrast to show up well when printed in The Provider. One way to do this is to use ASA 400 film, but set the camera at 200. Then have photos developed where they will do special requests; ask to have the development time cut by 25%. Tell them you want high contrast for publication.

Please note that photos will not be returned.

Submit written permission to reproduce the photo in a publication from any identifiable persons in the photo(s). This is critical in photos in clinical settings (e.g., patients); however, in other instances permission to publish the photo may also be advisable. When in doubt, obtain permission.

Submit the name of the person who took the pictures, so they may be properly acknowledged.

Acceptance of Submitted Articles

The editors will make the final decision about the acceptability of a submitted article. All articles will be peer reviewed when indicated. Manuscripts may be edited when necessary. Simple editing changes (such as changes in punctuation or syntax) will be at the editors' discretion, and these changes may not be made known to the author prior to publication. More substantial changes may be required of the author or may be done by the editors in cooperation with the author; galley proofs of such changes will be sent to the author for correction and approval prior to publication. Scheduling the publication of a specific manuscript is affected by its timeliness, editorial mix, amount of editing required prior to publication, and space available.