Medical DeviceLink
INFORMATION FOR AUTHORS
Scope of website
Material on Medical DeviceLink is written exclusively for original equipment manufacturers of medical devices and in vitro diagnostic products. The goal of MDL is to offer industry professionals comprehensive information on the development, design, and manufacture of medical products that meet regulations and market requirements.
Readers are professional personnel in product R&D, design, manufacturing, quality assurance, regulatory affairs, and corporate management. MDL is visited by approximately 10,000 people a day. Subjects covered include:
- Business & Marketing
- Clean Manufacturing
- Design
- Diagnostics
- Drug Delivery
- Electronics
- Human Factors
- Labeling
- Legal Affairs
- Manufacturing/Production
- Materials
- New Technologies
- Packaging
- Plastics
- Quality Control/Assurance
- Regulatory Affairs
- Research & Development
- Site Selection
- Software
- Standards
- Sterilization
- Testing/Validation
- Training
Requirements for Publication
The publishability of a manuscript on MDL is determined by a variety of factors. Manuscripts must be clearly directed to MDL's readership, must not repeat recent coverage of the same topic, must be sharply focused on a well-defined thesis, and must meet the standards of peer reviewers. When possible, authors should consult with editorial staff before beginning manuscripts. Query letters, summaries, and outlines are welcome.
Manuscript Format
Manuscripts must be typed double-spaced and should have an unjustified (ragged) right column. References and bibliographies are acceptable (see below for format); abstracts and footnotes to the text are not.
The appropriate length of submitted manuscripts varies with subject matter and audience. In general, manuscripts addressing topics of broad interest to a wide variety of MDL readers range from 1500 to 2000 words long; topics appealing to narrower audiences, such as one specific job category or type of manufacturer, typically do not exceed 1000 words. Guest Editorials, however, should be no longer than 1000 words. In special cases, manuscripts longer than 2000 words may be accepted.
Whenever possible, please submit manuscripts via e-mail to submissions@devicelink.com. We will also accept manuscripts on a 3 1/2 inch, IBM-compatible disk, in either Microsoft Word for Windows, Wordperfect, or ASCII format.
Review Process
All manuscripts are subjected to double-blind peer review to ensure the quality and relevance of the materials. Manuscripts are also subject to copyediting. Authors are given the opportunity to review and approve or alter the edited draft before publication.
Conditions
1. Manuscripts are accepted for consideration with the understanding that they are unpublished and are not under review elsewhere. 2. While MDL does not discourage vendors or others engaged in the sale of products or services to our readers from submitting articles for publication, we do ask that authors disclose any financial interest in the material presented and strive to discuss it in a balanced, objective way. 3. No promotion of a specific brand or source of products or services is acceptable. Similarly, efforts to steer readers toward products or services offered by authors must be avoided. 4. Canon Communications, Inc., assumes the copyright to published manuscripts. 5. Canon Communications, Inc. assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or artwork, although they are accepted for review. Unsolicited materials will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
Tables
1. Tables should be typed on separate, standard-size pages and must not be included in manuscript copy. 2. Tables should contain only words and common mathematical and technical symbols; art (arrows, etc.) should not be included. 3. Tables should be numbered (Roman numerals) in order of mention and clearly identified on the back. 4. Each must have a brief title or legend; additional information may appear as footnotes to the table or as discussion in text. 5. Tables should be limited to one per four manuscript pages.
Figures and Illustrations
1. Artwork must be provided via e-mail or on a 3 1/2 inch, IBM-compatible disk and must be formatted as either .jpg or .gif files. Artwork must not be included in the manuscript copy and must correspond exactly to the text explanation. 2. Figures should be numbered (Arabic numerals) in order of mention and clearly identified on the back. 3. Each must have a brief title or legend; additional information should appear as discussion in text. 4. Figures or illustrations should be limited to one per four manuscript pages.
References and Bibliographies
1. References should be typed double-spaced on a separate page, should be numbered in the order in which they are mentioned, and should be indicated in text by superscript Arabic numerals. 2. Bibliographies (i.e., suggested readings) are unnumbered and should be organized alphabetically. 3. Use the following styles:
Article in journal—
Culver DH, Horan T, Gaynes RP, et al., "Surgical Wound Infection Rates by Wound Class, Operative Procedure, and Patient Risk Index," Am J Med, 91:1525-1575, 1991.Placencia AM, Arin ML, Peeler JT, et al., "Physical Tests Are Not Enough," Med Dev & Diag Indust, 11(9):72-78, 1988. (Issue number [9] needed because journal not consecutively paginated.)
Book and book chapter—
Putz-Anderson V, Cumulative Trauma Disorders, New York, Taylor & Francis, 1988.Small A, "Design for Older People," in Handbook of Human Factors, Salvendy G (ed), New York, John Wiley, pp 499-500, 1987.
Standards and reports—
Selected ASTM Standards on Packaging, 2nd ed., Philadelphia, American Society for Testing and Materials, 1987.
Human Factors Engineering Guidelines and Preferred Practices for the Design of Medical Devices, AAMI HE-1988, Arlington, VA, Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation, 1988.
Proceedings and meeting abstracts—
Hernandez J, Klein K, Learned V, et al., "Isokinetic Wrist Strength of Females with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome," in Proceedings of the Human Factors Society 34th Annual Meeting, Santa Monica, CA, Human Factors Society, p 795, 1990.
Margolis WE and Finniman F, "What Quality Means to the Drug Industry," presented to the American Society for Microbiology at the 78th Annual Meeting, Dallas, May 1980. (For unpublished proceedings, give city and date of meeting where presentation was made, not the city of the organization's office.)
Legal citations—
Federal Register, 57 FR:10702
21 USC 551(4)
Community Nutrition Institute v. Young, 818 F2d, 943 (DC Cir 1987).
SMDA, Section 16, amending FD&C Act, Section 503.
Mailing Address
Submissions should be directed to one of the following:
Or by mail:
Submissions
Medical DeviceLink
11444 W. Olympic Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90064
Thank you for your interest in Medical DeviceLink, which is read by more than 10,000 professionals a day working in product design, development, quality control, regulatory affairs, and other sectors of the medical device and diagnostics industry. Before you begin writing, please take a few minutes to read these guidelines.
When you are writing:
Other Tips:
- Avoid cliches.
- Use active instead of passive voice. (For example, rather than writing "This standard was published by ISO in 1996," write "ISO published this standard in 1996.")
- Don’t promote a commercial product, service, or company.
- Avoid excessive jargon, and define the terms you use.
- Ask an objective colleague to read your article and provide feedback.
- Before mailing your article, double-check the facts.
Once we receive your article:
- Your Article Will Be Edited. Everyone who writes for MDL is edited for space, clarity, or style. Typically articles are edited to eliminate wordiness and awkward sentences, to add punch to a lead or part of an article, or to make the organization more logical. You will receive a copy of your edited article to review prior to publication to ensure no factual errors have occurred.
Thanks again for your interest in Medical DeviceLink. We look forward to seeing your article.
