Writing Case Reports

You have a couple of options once your case report is ready for publication.

BMJ Case Reports

BMJ Case Reports is a popular, open access journal that only publishes case reports. 

BMJ has a lot of publication information located on their site. Look at their Author's Site to view their publication policy, case report templates, citation style requirements, patient consent forms (mandatory), etc.

ICOM Library pays a membership fee that allows ICOM students to publish their case report in the the journal for free. Speak to a librarian to get the ICOM fellowship code when you are ready to submit your case report.

Other Journals

You also have the option to submit to other journals that are currently accepting case report submissions. The number of journals that accept case reports are much fewer than in the past. These journals are usually open access journals that require the author pay for submission. Contact the Research Committee to learn about opportunities for submission fees to be covered.

To find journals that are currently accepting case report submissions:

• Talk with your preceptor! Ask if they read case reports published in any of the journals for their specialties.
• Search in PubMed for case reports in the same field (run a search and then on the left hand column, limit results by article type --> Case Report). Do you see one or two journals that most of the case reports are published in? Go to that site and read to learn:
  • Their publication guidelines
  • The cost of submission
  • If the journal is peer reviewed
  • The impact factor of the journal (not all publications have this)
  • Where the journal is indexed
• Browse directories, like the DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals (Medicine)
• Look through this list, complied in 2023
• Learn more by reading the article How to Choose the Best Journal For Your Case Report (2017)

Remember - not all journals are reputable places to publish! If you have any questions about the process or want someone to look over a potential journal, ask a librarian! We're always glad to help out students that are interested in publishing. You should also go over the Think. Check. Submit. guidelines for journals.

If you need to create a poster of your case report for a presentation, an ICOM branded template is available.

Click on the image below to open up a .ppt file to use to create a poster.