When research articles are of exceptional clinical importance and urgency, or where there is a public policy reason for urgent publication, we can offer full online publication within four weeks of submission. Please send research articles for fast track submission through our online editorial office - but please ensure that you have read our full advice on research articles first. You may also find helpful.

• Please ensure that your paper matches the BMJ’s format for the type of paper and contains the information required in all BMJ manuscripts.
• Please go to our online editorial office and fill out the necessary information on authors, addresses, possible reviewers, and competing interests and upload your manuscript file.
• Please explain clearly in your cover letter why your article is of sufficient importance and urgency to jump the queue.
• When you submit your paper please suggest three or four people who might be suitable reviewers for your paper and give their contact details (including email).
• We will tell you by the end of the next working day whether we can offer fast track assessment. If we decide not to we may offer to consider your paper in the normal way.
• If we do fast track your paper we will send it to reviewers and reserve a place for it at the next editorial meeting, at which we make our final decisions about publication. You will have a reply within 24 hours of that meeting.
• In return we will need the revised manuscript within 48 hours of your receiving our decision.
• Once the final paper has been edited we will need proofs returned within 24 hours.
• If the paper is accepted we will aim to publish it within four weeks of its registration.

Exceptions to all the timelines above include the situation where a theme issue is planned for a particular date, when the paper arrives over a public holiday, you when you need longer than 48 hours to revise the manuscript, or as otherwise negotiated.