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For FPs who have felt the absence of a family practice research journal acutely, this month will bring a sort of homecoming: Annals of Family Medicine will launch its first issue May 30. The issue will hit mailboxes in early June.
Annals, a collaborative effort of AAFP and five other sponsoring organizations, will publish peer-reviewed research to support the field of generalist health care. The only ads that will appear will be those of the six sponsoring organizations and classified advertisements. Joetta Melton, publisher of Academy journals American Family Physician and Family Practice Management, will serve as publisher of Annals.
The first issue of the bimonthly journal will be sent to AAFP active members, second- and third-year FP residents, and members of the other sponsoring organizations. Recipients can return a postcard from that issue to request a free one-year subscription.
The journal will help readers be effective physicians, says editor Kurt Stange, M.D., Ph.D. of Cleveland. An online discussion group for each published article will allow Academy members and others to discuss Annals articles and interact with their colleagues.
Living up to its purpose of covering topics of importance to primary care, Annals' first issue will include original research articles on the treatment of comorbidities, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and prostate cancer screening.
The task of selecting articles has been aided by the many excellent papers submitted already, said Stange.
"I am personally very excited about the high quality of papers that we are receiving," he said. "Academy members and others are really coming through by sending us some of their best work, including original research from both practice and academic settings, as well as some pieces that advance knowledge of methods and theory."
In addition, Academy members and others have devoted much time and energy to the peer-review process, said Stange.
The articles also will appear on Annals' Web site, free of charge. To read more, go to http://www.annfammed.org.
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Copyright © 2003 by
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