From January 2002 QSHC will be linked into a new online submission and reviewing system. Developed by Highwire Press (CA, USA), Bench>Press© is a fully integrated electronic system which utilises the web to allow rapid and efficient submission of manuscripts. It also enables the peer review process to be conducted entirely online. QSHC is one of the first in the BMJ Publishing Group to go on line in this way; the aim—apart from saving trees—is to speed up the frequently frustrating progress of papers from submission to publication.

Authors can submit manuscripts in any standard word processing software. Standard graphic formats acceptable include .jpg, tiff, .gif, and eps. Text and graphic files are automatically converted to PDF for ease of distribution and reviewing purposes. Authors will be asked to approve their submission before it formally enters the reviewing process; once that has been done, papers will be sent to the editor and to reviewers via the web. All transactions are secure.

You can access the system by clicking on “Submit Your Manuscript Here” on the QSHC home page (http://www.qualityhealthcare.com) or you can access Bench>Press directly at http://submit-qhc.bmjjournals.com.

We are very excited with this new development and want to encourage authors and reviewers to use the online system where possible. It really is simple to use and should be a big improvement on the current peer review process. Full instructions can be found on Bench>Presshttp://submit-qhc.bmjjournals.com and QSHC online at http://qhc.bmjjournals.com. Please contact Natalie Davies, Project Manager, ndavies{at}bmjgroup.com for further information.