To ensure that you manuscript is not delayed we ask that you return your 'approved' manuscript within 7 days.

Please note: we require separate, non-pdf source files not exceeding 2MB each for:

1. the manuscript file (with tables embedded where cited)
2. any images uploaded as separate files

The EMJ is printed in black and white and only black white images should be submitted.

Images (photographs, line drawings, graphs etc.) should be saved and supplied as: TIFF, GIF, EPS, PowerPoint, or JPEG files to a minimum of 300 dpi.

Your manuscript must meet the following points before it can be considered suitable for publication:

1. Ensure your title is correct with no errors and is in title caps only.
2. Ensure the list of authors (with institutions) is final and correct. Author names CANNOT be removed or added after publication. Again, all authors should be listed in title caps only.
3. Ensure up to five manuscript keywords are included in the manuscript file.
4. Your manuscript file contains the abstract (where applicable).
5. Any sponsors and acknowledgments, a competing interest statement, and figure legends are included at the end of the manuscript (listed before the references).
6. All pages are numbered.
7. All tables must be embedded in the manuscript file where cited. Please ensure that all data in the tables is correct.
8. Images must NOT be included with the manuscript file. They must be uploaded as separate files.
9. All references are numbered correctly; and all references listed are cited in the text.
10. The copyright statement must be included in your text file;
    The Corresponding Author has the right to grant on behalf of all authors and does grant on behalf of all authors, an exclusive licence (or non exclusive for government employees) on a worldwide basis to the BMJ Publishing Group Ltd to permit this article (if accepted) to be published in EMJ and any other BMJPGL products and sublicences such use and exploit all subsidiary rights, as set out in our licence (http://emj.bmjjournals.com/ifora/licenceform.dtl).

Please note: you must upload your original source file. We are not able to accept a PDF.

Bench>Press: To submit your approved manuscript please go to your Author Area and click on the Papers Returned for Post Acceptance Approval queue. Upload your manuscript file (and any images if you wish to make amendments to those as well) and submit to the editorial office.

Please ensure you take the action: Notify Staff - Approved Manuscript Uploaded to inform the editorial office that you have submitted your approved manuscript. The manuscript is not converted to PDF at this stage and will not require your further approval.

We ask the corresponding author to grant this exclusive licence (or non-exclusive for government employees) on behalf of all authors by reading our licence and inserting in the manuscript on submission the following statement: the Corresponding Author has the right to grant on behalf of all authors and does grant on behalf of all authors, an exclusive licence (or non-exclusive for government employees) on a worldwide basis to the BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and its Licensees to permit this article (if accepted) to be published in EMJ and any other BMJPGL products to exploit all subsidiary rights, as set out in our licence .

This licence allows authors to use their own articles for their own non-commercial purposes without seeking permission from us. Only if the use is commercial do we need to know about it. In addition, we will pay authors a royalty on certain commercial uses that we negotiate.

Thus authors may use their own articles for the following non-commercial purposes without asking our permission (and subject only to acknowledging first publication in EMJ and giving a full reference or web link, as appropriate).

1. Making a reasonable number of copies for personal or non-commercial professional use. This includes the contributors own teaching purposes.

2. Republishing part or all of the article in a book or other publication edited by the author (except for multiple contributions in the same book or publication, for which permission needs to be sought). Please refer to our Copyright and Permissions Guidelines.

3. Using individual figures or tables or extracts of text (up to 250 words) in other publications published by a third party.

4. Using the article in a course pack or compilation (whether paper or electronic) in the authors' institution. This does not apply if a commercial charge is made for the compilation or training programme.

5. For non "Author pays" (Unlocked) articles, the right to post the accepted manuscript, but not the final published version of the article, on the contributor’s own and/or his/her institution’s website 6 months after the print publication date or if not published in print, from being published online.

6. For Unlocked articles, the completed final published version may be posted on the contributor’s own and/or his/her institution’s website immediately on publication, whether online as publish ahead of print (Online First) or in print.