Annals of Internal Medicine

Text Formatting

✓ Poetry Line Limit

Poetry (Ad Libitum) must be 80 lines or fewer

— Text Structure (Original Research)

Original research text must follow IMRAD structure: Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion

— Funding Source Disclosure

Identify the funding source and its role under the last subheading of the Methods section titled 'Role of the Funding source'

— No Footnotes in Text

Footnotes are only allowed on the title page and in tables, not in the main text

— Page Numbers Required

All submitted manuscripts should include page numbers

Abstract Requirements

✓ Abstract Word Limit

Abstract must be 275 words or fewer

— Abstract Sections (Original Research)

Structured abstract with sections: Background, Objective, Design, Setting, Patients (or Participants), Interventions (if any), Measurements, Results, Limitations, Conclusion, Primary Funding Source

— Abstract Sections (Cost-Effectiveness Studies)

Structured abstract for cost-effectiveness studies with sections: Background, Objective, Design, Data Sources, Target Population, Time Horizon, Perspective, Intervention, Outcome Measures, Results of Base-Case Analysis, Results of Sensitivity Analysis, Limitations, Conclusion, Primary Funding Source

— Abstract Sections (Systematic Reviews)

Structured abstract with sections: Background, Purpose, Data Sources (must include start and end search dates), Study Selection, Data Extraction, Data Synthesis, Limitations, Conclusions, Primary Funding Source

— Registration Statement in Abstract

If the study is registered, specify the registry and the study's unique registration number at the end of the abstract

Reference Requirements

✓ Personal Essay Reference Limit

On Being a Doctor/Patient essays typically have no references, but up to 5 if necessary

✓ Reference Format (NLM Style)

References should follow NLM/Vancouver style as specified in Citing Medicine, 2nd edition

✓ Citation Order

Number references using Arabic numerals in parentheses in the order they first appear in the text

— Author Limit in References

List all authors when 3 or fewer; when more than 3, list only the first 3 and add 'et al.'

— No ibid or op cit

Do not use ibid. or op cit. in references

— URL Access Date Required

URLs used as references must include the date on which the author accessed the URL

✓ All References Must Be Cited

All references must be cited in the text

Table Requirements

— Combined Tables/Figures Limit

Original research should have no more than 4-6 tables or figures combined

— Table Numbering

Number tables with Arabic numerals in the order they appear in the text

— Table Titles Required

Tables must have titles that concisely describe content so reader can understand without referring to text

— Units of Measure in Tables

Give the units of measure for all numerical data in a column or row

— Footnote Symbol Order

Use footnote symbols in order: *, †, ‡, §, ||, ¶, **, ††, ‡‡. Do not use numbers or letters

Figure Requirements

— Figure Numbering

Number figures with Arabic numerals in the order they appear in the text

— Figure Legend Format

Each figure should have a legend beginning with a short title; use phrases rather than sentences

— Abbreviations Explained in Figures

Explain all abbreviations and symbols on the figure, even if explanation appears in text

— Histology Figure Requirements

For pictures of histologic slides, give stain and magnification data at the end of the legend

— Avoid Pie Charts

Avoid pie charts and 3-dimensional graphics

— Bar Plots Must Show Variability

Avoid simple bar plots that do not present measures of variability

— Forest Plot Raw Data

For meta-analysis forest plots, provide the raw data (numerators and denominators) in the margins

— Survival Plot Numbers at Risk

For survival plots, provide the numbers of people at risk by group and time below the horizontal axis

Statistical Reporting

✓ Auto-fix Percentage Decimal Places

Report percentages to one decimal place when sample size ≥200; no decimal places when sample size <200

— Standard Deviation Notation

Use 'mean (SD)' rather than 'mean ± SD' notation

— Confidence Intervals Preferred

Report confidence intervals rather than standard errors when possible

— P-value Formatting

P values 0.001-0.20: report to nearest thousandth; >0.20: nearest hundredth; <0.001: report as 'P<0.001'

— Trend Term Usage

Only use 'trend' when describing a test for trend or dose-response; avoid for P values near 0.05

— Avoid P-values in Descriptive Tables

Avoid reporting P values in tables that simply describe characteristics of groups (e.g., Table 1 of a clinical trial)

— Statistical Software Specification

Specify statistical software version, manufacturer, and specific functions used for analyses

Reporting Guidelines

— CONSORT for Controlled Trials

Follow CONSORT reporting guidelines for controlled trials

— PRISMA for Systematic Reviews

Follow PRISMA reporting guideline for systematic reviews and meta-analysis

— STROBE for Observational Studies

Follow STROBE reporting guidelines for observational studies

— STARD for Diagnostic Studies

Follow STARD 2015 reporting guidelines for diagnostic test studies

— CHEERS for Cost-Effectiveness

Follow CHEERS reporting guidelines for cost-effectiveness analyses

— MOOSE for Meta-analysis of Observational Studies

Follow MOOSE reporting guidelines for meta-analysis of observational studies

— TRIPOD for Prediction Models

Follow TRIPOD for multivariable prediction models for individual prognosis or diagnosis

— SQUIRE for Quality Improvement

Follow SQUIRE reporting guidelines for quality improvement studies

— COREQ for Qualitative Research

Follow COREQ reporting guidelines for qualitative research

Clinical Trial Requirements

— Clinical Trial Registration Required

Clinical trials must be registered in an ICMJE-accepted registry before patient enrollment begins

— Protocol Submission Required for Trials

Authors of manuscripts reporting clinical trial results must submit the original preenrollment protocol with any dated amendments

— Data Sharing Statement Required

Manuscripts reporting clinical trial results must contain a data sharing statement meeting ICMJE recommendations

Systematic Review Requirements

— Flow Diagram Required

Systematic reviews must include a flow diagram depicting the search and selection processes

— Methods Subheadings Required

Methods should have subheadings: Data Sources and Searches; Study Selection; Data Extraction and Quality Assessment; Data Synthesis and Analysis

— Search Dates Required in Abstract

Abstract Data Sources section must include start and end search dates

Ethics and Disclosure

— IRB Approval Required

Confirm that an Institutional Review Board approved the study prior to data collection, or provide documentation of exemption

— ICMJE Disclosure Form Required

Each author must complete an ICMJE disclosure of interest form

— AI Use Disclosure Required

Authors must attest whether they used AI-assisted technologies and describe how in both cover letter and manuscript

— AI Cannot Be Listed as Author

Chatbots and AI tools cannot be listed as authors

Authorship Requirements

— ICMJE Authorship Criteria

All authors must meet ICMJE criteria: substantial contribution, drafting/revision, final approval, and accountability

— Brief Report Author Limit

Brief research reports and case reports should typically have 5 or fewer authors

— Correspondence Author Limit

Correspondence letters should typically have 5 or fewer authors

New Section

Supplementary Material

— Supplement Table of Contents Required

Supplementary material should include its own Table of Contents page detailing the file contents

— Supplement Component Numbering

Supplement components must be labeled in numerical order (e.g., Supplement Table 1, Supplement Table 2)