NOTE:
The journal website - jephc.com
is evolving. The following has been released as a guide
to potential contributors and readers. The content will
be updated as the website is developed, as policies are
developed and in response to feedback.
Ethics
The editors of medical journals are often confronted with ethical
issues unique to publishing journals, referred to as "publication
ethics". The British Medical Journal (BMJ) has now introduced
an ethics committee to advise the journal editor. A good introduction
to an overview of these issues can be found on the BMJ website
http://bmj.com and
also on the United Kingdom's Committee on Publication Ethics www.publicationethics.org.uk.
The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors also has
guidelines on publication ethics: Sponsorship, Authorship, and
Accountability.http://www.icmje.org.
JEPHC does not have an ethics committee at this time. However,
the need for an ethics committee will be considered as the editorial
team gains more experience.
All reports of studies involving humans must have been
approved by an appropriate institutional ethics committee
before the article can be considered for publication in
JEPHC. Further, intending authors are advised to consider
if there are additional ethical issues of their article
being published before submitting them for editorial review.
Existing Standards as Policies
The editorial team has decided to adopt existing international
standards in the production of medical journals to provide a sound,
internationally recognised base for JEPHC. These international
standards include:
- Guidelines of the World Association of Medical Editors: http://www.wame.org
- Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical
Journals (Updated October 2001) and the Separate Statements
of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors: http://www.icmje.org
- World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki on Ethical
Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects. Updated,
52nd WMA General Assembly, Edinburgh, Scotland, October 2000.
http://www.wma.net/e/policy/17-c_e.html
Scope
JEPHC will reflect the inclusive
paradigm of "emergency primary health care".
Article Categories
JEPHC encourages articles from a wide range of disciplines,
methodologies and approaches as they relate to emergency primary
health care. The underpinning requirement is that articles meet
the guidelines for publication, in particular that they are reflective
and scholarly in nature.
JEPHC will include articles in the following categories (categories
with an asterisk * will be peer reviewed), however articles from
each category may not be included in every issue.
In this issue:
An editorial commentary highlighting the contents of the respective
issues prepared by the editorial team.
Editorial(s):
Two or three editorials per issue which may be invited contributions
to highlight a current controversy or a major event, or prepared
by one of the JEPHC associate editors on a selected theme or to
complement one or more articles published in that issue.
Profile(s):
This section aims to profile notable people, institutions, systems
or events of significance to the leadership or directions of the
emergency primary health care, either in Australia or internationally.
Profiles may be submitted from the readership, invited by the
editorial team or prepared by a JEPHC section editor. As an initial
theme, throughout 2003 JEPHC will profile each Australian University
offering Paramedic degree programs, commencing with Charles Stuart
University, as the first university to offer a Paramedic degree
program in Australia.
Original Research:*
This section will include articles of the highest quality in original
research reporting on completed studies that advance the body
of knowledge in emergency primary health care. JEPHC
will seek to publish articles from both Australian and international
researchers and research teams. Reports of collaborative and multidisciplinary
research are particularly encouraged.
Original literature reviews, work-in-progress and reflective analysis
of research studies, methodologies or directions relevant to emergency
primary health care, will also be sought and published in JEPHC.
JEPHC will promote efforts to further develop both national and
international research agendas for emergency primary health care.
JEPHC acknowledges that there are many quality studies completed
by investigators in Australian emergency primary health care but,
for various reasons, are not published. JEPHC is committed to
encouraging and supporting investigators in emergency primary
health care to publish their work, including both positive and
negative outcomes from well?structured studies.
Evidence-based Practice:*
JEPHC is committed to developing both the evidence-base and the
use of best evidence to inform the practice of research, education,
clinical care, policy and service delivery in emergency primary
health care. Reports on strategies to remove or minimise barriers
to incorporating evidence into practice are particularly encouraged.
JEPHC recognises that "the science of pre-hospital care is weak",
that "decision making in pre-hospital care cannot rely on randomised
controlled trials alone" and that evidence from other forms of
critical enquiry needs to be systematically developed and considered.
JEPHC will include articles on this theme in each issue. JEPHC
will welcome articles on the principles, methodologies
and critiques of evidence-based practice, as well as
the outcomes of specific projects on evidence-based
practice ranging from rigorous meta-analyses
and systematic reviews, to the analysis of the
clinical effectiveness of specific interventions,
to the critical appraisal of individual articles relating to emergency
primary health care.
Education:*
Education is the link between the evolution of research and evidence,
and their incorporation into clinical practice and service delivery.
The Australian Paramedic, emergency care, primary health care
and public health education programs have enjoyed international
reputations for many years. JEPHC acknowledges these reputations
and aims to provide an opportunity for educators to report on
the critical analysis of their programs, investigations to understand
and enhance pedagogy in emergency primary health care education
at all levels in all disciplines and primary research in this
field.
JEPHC will also use the medium of the journal to inform and educate
its readers on research methods, preparing articles for publication
and the broader social, cultural and ethical issues confronting
emergency primary health care.
Clinical Practice:*
Clinicians form the bulk of the emergency primary health care
workforce and JEPHC will reflect their needs. In addition to articles
on original research in clinical practice, JEPHC will welcome
and encourage shorter articles that critically analyse a clinical
event, ie case reviews, or present a thoughtful
analysis of a case series or of a clinical
audit, or provide an innovative examination,
approach or solution of a particular clinical problem encountered
in emergency primary health care.
Reports of collaborative and multidisciplinary approaches to clinical
practice are particularly encouraged.
Policy and service delivery:*
Ambulance services have been shaped over the years on multiple
internal and external reviews which provide a rich source of understanding
the current nature of emergency service policy and service delivery.
Unfortunately few of these have been published in the public domain.
JEPHC encourages authors of evaluations and strategy
plans to contribute their outcomes for publication.
Reports of collaborative and multidisciplinary approaches to emergency
service policy and service delivery are particularly encouraged.
Student contributions:*
Although students may be sole or co-author of papers published
in one of the above sections, JEPHC is committed to providing
the opportunity for students to publish their work. Thus, JEPHC
will maintain this section as a feature of the journal.
To be considered for publication in this section, authors, or
at least one co-author, must be a registered student at the time
the work upon which the paper is based was undertaken.
Articles will be classified in two sections, those authored or
co-authored by undergraduate students, and those authored or co-authored
by graduate students. The topic of the articles may reflect any
of the journal's themes and may be based in any of the disciplines
contributing to emergency primary health care. The only essential
criteria is that the article be underpinned by an appropriate
methodology and demonstrate critical reflection. Student's perspectives
on current issues and controversies, notably on multidisciplinary
approaches, are particularly encouraged.
Reviews:
JEPHC will provide contemporary information to its readers by
including critical reviews on, but not necessarily limited to,
recent keynote news events, recently published
books, relevant journals and
websites, conference reports,
and equipment/technology reflecting the interests of the emergency
primary health care community.
Continuing education events:
JEPHC will also provide contemporary information to its readers
by including updated details on conferences, courses, workshops,
university programs and other continuing education opportunities
of potential interest to the emergency primary health care community.
Conference abstracts:
JEPHC is committed to promoting the ACAP National Conference and
will publish the abstracts of each National conference.
JEPHC will explore establishing relationships with other kindred
organisations contributing to emergency primary health care and,
if they also conduct an annual scientific conference, JEPHC will
offer to negotiate publication of their abstracts.
ACAP update:
As the Official Journal of the Australian College of Ambulance
Professionals, JEPHC will include a short update of College activities
in each edition.
Letters to the Editor:
Letters to the editor are welcomed.
Special Issues
JEPHC intends to build in special issues which will include major
issues, commemoration of significant events and both horizontal
and vertical themes. The editorial team will announce these special
issues in the production schedule so that both invited and offered
papers can be considered.
Copyright
JEPHC will adopt a modern copyright policy, promoted by
the Scholarly
Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC)
whereby the copyright of articles published will remain
with the author(s) of the articles. Authors will licence
JEPHC to publish their articles.
Permission to Copy
Access to jephc.com is free to all readers. Policy on downloading
articles in JEPHC will be defined before the inaugural issue is
released.
Linking
JEPHC is pleased for other organisations to link jephc.com to
their website, provided they do not include our content. There
is no need to ask our permission.
Production schedule
JEPHC will be published in March, June, September and December
in each year.
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