The Bulletin of the American College of Surgeons is the monthly newsmagazine that brings readers timely and fresh insights, important information, and practical advice on topics that impact surgical practice and the surgical profession, including new research, best practices, socioeconomic trends, surgical innovation, advocacy efforts, professionalism, volunteerism, and more. ACS activities and events, including Clinical Congress and programs instituted through the Board of Regents, Board of Governors, Advisory Councils, and divisions, also are covered in the magazine.
The Bulletin is distributed without charge online, with a limited number of print issues, to ACS members and others. Current magazine articles and archives are available online.
Manuscript Submission
Contributions are invited in the form of complete and authoritative original papers, which have special significance and are presented clearly and concisely.
It is advised that you contact the Editor-in-Chief, Jennifer Bagley, MA, at jbagley@facs.org, before you begin writing.
Articles—which should be submitted at least 10 weeks before the publication date—must be considered relevant to and interesting for ACS members. Selection of manuscripts for publication is based on timeliness, originality, significance to the surgical field, and quality of presentation.
Manuscripts are accepted for consideration with the understanding that they are intended for publication solely in the Bulletin, and they are not under review nor have they been published or committed for publication elsewhere. If a paper has been prepared for presentation at a meeting, this information should be noted on the cover letter that accompanies the manuscript.
All manuscripts are subject to editorial modification and revisions necessary to bring them into conformity with Bulletin style (based on the Chicago Manual of Style) and publication-readiness.
Before submission, ensure that the manuscript includes a headline, an introduction paragraph, and a conclusion paragraph, and has been spell- and grammar-checked. Importantly, for abbreviations/acronyms, confirm that the full term is spelled out at its first mention with the abbreviation in parenthesis, and the abbreviation is used thereafter. In addition, verify that all references (if any) mentioned in the reference list are cited in the text, and vice versa, and permission has been obtained for use of any copyrighted material from other sources, including tables, figures, images, and other graphic elements.
Electronic submission is required; send files via email to jbagley@facs.org. Submissions will be acknowledged and sent to appropriate reviewers.
Use of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies
When authors use AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process, these technologies should only be used to improve readability and language of the work and not to replace key authoring tasks.
Applying the technology should be done with human oversight and all work should be reviewed and edited carefully. The authors are ultimately responsible and accountable for the contents of the work.
Authors should disclose in their Bulletin manuscript the use of AI and AI-assisted technologies, and a statement will appear in the published work.
Style and Format
Format and Word Count
Manuscripts should be composed in Microsoft Word and are limited to the following word counts:
- 2,500 words for feature stories
- 1,000 words for columns
- 500 words for news stories
These word counts are exclusive of tabular material or illustrations.
Authors
To be included in the byline, manuscripts should include no more than:
- 7 authors for a feature story
- 4 authors for a column
- 2 authors for a news story
Provide full names of authors and their degrees. All manuscripts must include a brief biography for the lead author, including institutional affiliations, specialty, academic title, and city and state.
References
References (if any) should be listed numerically upon first mention in the text, with full citations on a separate page at the end of the article text. Do not use the feature in Word that automatically generates footnotes.
The maximum number of references are:
- 10 for a feature story
- 5 for a column
- 3 for a news story
References should follow American Medical Association style guidelines:
- Henry S, Brasel KJ, Joseph K. ATLS at 40: Distinguished past, bright future. Bull Am Coll Surg. 2018;103(3):12−18.
- Rowe JW, Allen-Meares P, Altman S, et al. Retooling for an Aging America: Building the Health Care Workforce. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2008.
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Quality Payment Program. Available at: https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Payment-Program/Quality-Payment-Program.html. Accessed March 22, 2018.
Tables/Illustrations
Figures, tables, and/or other illustrations are encouraged as long as they add significantly to the authors’ discussion in the text.
Due to space limitations, tables, figures, and other illustrations should be limited to a maximum of:
- 4 for feature stories
- 2 for columns
- 1 for news stories
Drawings (including graphs and charts) should be created either in MS Word or provided separately as JPG, TIF, or PDF files. Any data used to create the graphs/charts should be provided in an Excel file, if available.
A separate page with legends for the illustrations should be supplied. Tables submitted with the manuscript should be on separate pages at the end of the manuscript. Be sure to label the tables and illustrations clearly and refer to their placement in the text of the article.
Photographs or other illustrative art should be supplied as separate, high-resolution JPG, TIF, or PDF files—no less than 300 DPI. Provide captions with complete details on a separate page.
Proofs
Authors will receive an edited manuscript for review, with edits noted via track changes.
Inquiries
Inquiries regarding potential articles for consideration, deadlines, the submission of manuscripts, author proofs, or style should be directed to Jennifer Bagley, MA, Editor-in-Chief, Bulletin of the American College of Surgeons, at jbagley@facs.org; or Natalie Boden, MBA, Director, ACS Division of Integrated Communications, at nboden@facs.org.
