Web Site Features

Annals' Web Site Provides a Unique Interactive Forum for Discussion and Offers Free Access to Journal's Editorial Content

Contact:  
Angela Sharma
913-269-2269
asharma@aafp.org

LEAWOOD, Kan. - Complementing the printed journal, the Annals of Family Medicine's Web site, located at www.AnnFamMed.org, provides readers and authors with an interactive learning community.  In addition to providing the full text of the journal at no cost, the online arm of the Annals offers unique features and capabilities that enable users to freely share new information about health and primary care.

The centerpiece of the online journal is TRACK (Topical Response to the Annals  Community of Knowledge).  These interactive online discussion groups provide an opportunity for readers to actively engage in a dialogue of the implications of published articles. Select aspects of the online discussions will be synthesized in subsequent printed issues of the Annals in a regular editorial feature called On-TRACK.  A limited number of submissions will be printed as letters to the editor.

"One of the aims of the Annals is to stimulate interaction among the diverse communities it serves," said the journal's editor, Kurt Stange, M.D., Ph.D.  "In addition to article-specific discussion, TRACK provides a mechanism for readers to introduce other important topics and suggest directions for further investigation, as well as allowing authors to gather input on new findings."

 "And by making the content available at no charge through the Web site, the journal provides a unique opportunity for sharing new knowledge about health and primary care that is not limited to geographical, financial or disciplinary boundaries," Stange said.

In addition to providing access to the online journal and the interactive discussion groups, the Web site allows access to peer reviewer registration, author guidelines, subscription information and the Annals' totally online manuscript submission and review process, Rapid Review, a product of Cadmus KnowledgeWorks.

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Annals of Family Medicine is a peer-reviewed research journal that provides a cross-disciplinary forum for new, evidence-based information affecting the primary care discipline.  Launched in May 2003, the journal is sponsored by six family medical organizations, including the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM), the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM), the Association of Departments of Family Medicine (ADFM), the Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors (AFMRD) and the North American Primary Care Research Group (NAPCRG).  The journal is published six times per year and contains original research from the clinical, biomedical, social and health services areas, as well as contributions on methodology and theory, selected reviews, essays and editorials.  A board of directors with representatives from each of the sponsoring organizations oversees the Annals. Complete editorial content and interactive discussion groups can be accessed free of charge on the journal's Web site, www.annfammed.org.