From the Editor

Participation of private practitioners

I am very pleased to see that the number of case report submissions from private practitioners is increasing. Experience from the field is often not written and disseminated in a manner that can be used as an educational opportunity for others in our profession.

If you wish to submit a manuscript for publication, how do you get started? Please begin by reading the instructions to authors to ensure that the layout of the manuscript is correct. You can find these at http://www.aasv.org/shap/guidelines.pdf. Next, read a few published case reports to get an idea of the flow of the manuscript, what is expected, and where to put each piece of information. These will also give you an idea about the level of detail that is expected in a case report. Write your first draft and edit it to the best of your ability. Do not forget to include coauthors. These are people who have helped with the case or the scientific process in the investigation. Send your manuscript to the coauthors for their comments and editorial suggestions. When everyone is satisfied that the manuscript is ready for submission, send it in as an e-mail attachment.

What can you expect after you have submitted your manuscript? The journal staff will send your manuscript to at least three reviewers who will each give you feedback. I was once told that each manuscript will have two people who think the manuscript is worth publishing and one person who dislikes the manuscript and may even recommend rejection. This has nothing to do with your worth as a veterinarian. The best response to their feedback is to begin editing the manuscript immediately. Change what you can, and if the reviewers have asked for the impossible, describe what cannot be accomplished. Submit your edited manuscript with a letter describing how you addressed the reviewers' concerns. Typically, one or more reviewers will re-read your manuscript to ensure that the required changes have been made. After this, your manuscript is sent to Dr Judi Bell, our associate editor. She will make recommendations about how to do the final edit of your manuscript. Once those changes are made, Tina Smith, our graphic designer, will produce a proof that will be sent to you for approval. Then you will see your manuscript in print. That is a very satisfying feeling.

I realize that writing these manuscripts takes a significant amount of time and effort and that the work is likely done at the end of a busy day. Congratulations to those of you who have written manuscripts and taken them from the first draft to the final published version. You are a credit to our profession.

-- Cate Dewey