Author Guidelines
2
AUTHOR GUIDELINES Updated December 12, 2011 SUBMISSION OF MANUSCRIPTS JAMDA is the premiere Journal for issues in long-term care. Therefore, primary priority is given to submissions in this focus area. All new manuscripts should be submitted to our submission/peer review website by using the ‘‘Submit Manuscript’’ link at http://www.jamda. com. The website guides authors stepwise through the creation and uploading of the various files. NOTE: It is important to submit a clean manuscript that does not have evidence of track changes or comments in the margins. Please turn those features off prior to submission. Authors are requested to submit the text, tables, and artwork in electronic form (not as a PDF) to this address. In an accompanying letter, authors should state that the manuscript, or parts of it, have not been and will not be submitted elsewhere for publication. Authors are highly encouraged to include a list of three or more potential reviewers for their manuscript, with email address, affiliation, city, state, and country. Submission items include a cover letter (save as a separate file for upload), suggested reviewers, title page (saved separately from the manuscript main text), the manuscript (including abstract, manuscript text, references, and table/figure legends, without any author identifiers). Revised manuscripts should also be accompanied by a unique file (separate from the covering letter) with responses to reviewers’ comments. The preferred order of files is as follows: cover letter, response to reviewers (revised manuscripts only), title page, manuscript file(s), table(s), figure(s). Files should be labeled with appropriate and descriptive file names (e.g., Text.doc, Fig1.eps, Table3.doc). Do not use an underscore (_) in the file name. Upload text, tables and graphics as separate files. Do not import figures or tables into the text document and do not upload your text as a PDF. Complete instructions for electronic artwork submission can be found on http://ees.elsevier.com/jamda, under the link for Artwork Guidelines, which is located in the Author Information section. REVIEW PROCESS Submissions are reviewed by the editor, and are usually sent to two external reviewers. The typical turnaround time from submission to authors receiving the reviewers’ comments is less than 6 weeks; however, at times there are delays. CRITERIA Evaluation of an article’s suitability for publication is based on: the originality of the material, the clarity of the writing, the appropriateness of the study methods, validity of the data, and how well the conclusions are supported by the data. The information must be important and of interest to long term care providers. PUBLISHING AN ONLINE-ONLY ARTICLE IN JAMDA If your article is rated by the reviewers and the editor as acceptable for publication, JAMDA may suggest publishing your article online only, depending upon the priority the reviewers assign to your article. When an article is published online only, it is still listed in the Table of Contents of the printed Journal and a link is provided to the online publication on JAMDA’s website. The abstract would also appear in the printed Journal. It would still be included in all the usual reporting websites such as PubMed, OVID (Medline), and the citation indices. If your article is selected for online only publication, you will be notified in the Editor’s decision letter. COVER LETTER Briefly describe the contributions of each author. Financial disclosure and any information regarding conflict of interest should be addressed in a cover letter at the time of first submission. ASSURANCES Acknowledgment of support should be reported after the Conclusion section and before References. When human subjects are involved, the article should also include a statement that the research protocol was approved by the relevant institutional review boards or ethics committees and that written consent was obtained from all participants. Alternatively, author(s) should indicate when a waiver of consent was obtained from the IRB. TITLE PAGE List all authors, indicating title and affiliation for each. Every individual who contributed to the article in any way should be acknowledged. Provide a mailing address and phone/fax/email information for the corresponding author and an alternate correspondent, if possible. Please provide 3-4 key words for indexing, and a running title of no more than 45 characters. FORMAT Please double-space the entire manuscript and number the pages. The structure to be used is listed below in the individual categories. TEXT The entire text should be free of any author identification. REFERENCES Full references should be used. List the first four authors’ last names and initials; if more than four, insert ‘‘et al.’’ after the third name. References should be annotated in the text with superscripts and listed at the end of the article in the order in which they appear. Medline abbreviations should be used for journal titles. Style: Journal-Smith J, Jones A, Doe J, et al. Title of article. J Am Med Dir Assoc 2000;6:1-10. Book Chapter-Smith J. Title of Chapter. In: Jones A, Doe J, eds. Title of Book, 3rd Ed. New York: Churchill Livingstone, 2006. Book-Smith J, Jones A, Doe J. Title of Book, 2nd Ed., New York: Churchill Livingstone, 2005. Website-http://www.websiteaddress. Accessed on December 1, 2011. ILLUSTRATIONS Graphs and charts can usually be recreated by the Production Department. Permission to reproduce illustrations that were published elsewhere must be included. The cost of color illustrations must be borne by the authors. CATEGORIES ORIGINAL STUDIES Please provide a structured abstract using the following headings: Objectives, design, setting, participants, intervention (if any), measurements, results, and conclusion. The text portion should be approximately 7-8 double-spaced pages in length, using the following format: Introduction-should describe the question posed that the research was designed to answer.
Transcript of Author Guidelines
AUTHOR GUIDELINES
Updated December 12, 2011
SUBMISSION OF MANUSCRIPTSJAMDA is the premiere Journal for issues in long-term care.Therefore, primary priority is given to submissions in this focus area.
All newmanuscripts should be submitted to our submission/peer reviewwebsite by using the ‘‘Submit Manuscript’’ link at http://www.jamda.com. The website guides authors stepwise through the creation anduploading of the various files. NOTE: It is important to submit a cleanmanuscript that does not have evidence of track changes or comments inthe margins. Please turn those features off prior to submission. Authorsare requested to submit the text, tables, and artwork in electronic form(not as a PDF) to this address. In an accompanying letter, authors shouldstate that the manuscript, or parts of it, have not been and will not besubmitted elsewhere for publication. Authors are highly encouraged toinclude a list of three or more potential reviewers for their manuscript,with email address, affiliation, city, state, and country.
Submission items include a cover letter (save as a separate file forupload), suggested reviewers, title page (saved separately from themanuscript main text), the manuscript (including abstract,manuscript text, references, and table/figure legends, without anyauthor identifiers). Revised manuscripts should also be accompaniedby a unique file (separate from the covering letter) with responses toreviewers’ comments. The preferred order of files is as follows: coverletter, response to reviewers (revised manuscripts only), title page,manuscript file(s), table(s), figure(s). Files should be labeled withappropriate and descriptive file names (e.g., Text.doc, Fig1.eps,Table3.doc). Do not use an underscore (_) in the file name. Uploadtext, tables and graphics as separate files. Do not import figures ortables into the text document and do not upload your text as a PDF.Complete instructions for electronic artwork submission can befound on http://ees.elsevier.com/jamda, under the link for ArtworkGuidelines, which is located in the Author Information section.
REVIEW PROCESSSubmissions are reviewed by the editor, and are usually sent to twoexternal reviewers. The typical turnaround time from submission toauthors receiving the reviewers’ comments is less than 6 weeks;however, at times there are delays.
CRITERIAEvaluation of an article’s suitability for publication is based on: theoriginality of the material, the clarity of the writing, theappropriateness of the study methods, validity of the data, and howwell the conclusions are supported by the data. The informationmust be important and of interest to long term care providers.
PUBLISHING AN ONLINE-ONLYARTICLE IN JAMDAIf your article is rated by the reviewers and the editor as acceptable forpublication, JAMDAmay suggest publishing your article online only,depending upon the priority the reviewers assign to your article.When an article is published online only, it is still listed in the Tableof Contents of the printed Journal and a link is provided to the onlinepublication on JAMDA’s website. The abstract would also appear inthe printed Journal. It would still be included in all the usualreporting websites such as PubMed, OVID (Medline), and thecitation indices. If your article is selected for online only publication,you will be notified in the Editor’s decision letter.
COVER LETTERBriefly describe the contributions of each author. Financialdisclosure and any information regarding conflict of interest shouldbe addressed in a cover letter at the time of first submission.
ASSURANCESAcknowledgment of support should be reported after the Conclusionsection and before References. When human subjects are involved,the article should also include a statement that the research protocolwas approved by the relevant institutional review boards or ethicscommittees and that written consent was obtained from allparticipants. Alternatively, author(s) should indicate when a waiverof consent was obtained from the IRB.
TITLE PAGEList all authors, indicating title and affiliation for each. Everyindividual who contributed to the article in any way should beacknowledged. Provide a mailing address and phone/fax/emailinformation for the corresponding author and an alternatecorrespondent, if possible. Please provide 3-4 key words for indexing,and a running title of no more than 45 characters.
FORMATPlease double-space the entire manuscript and number the pages.The structure to be used is listed below in the individual categories.
TEXTThe entire text should be free of any author identification.
REFERENCESFull references should be used. List the first four authors’ last namesand initials; if more than four, insert ‘‘et al.’’ after the third name.References should be annotated in the text with superscripts and listedat the end of the article in the order in which they appear. Medlineabbreviations should be used for journal titles. Style:
Journal-Smith J, Jones A, Doe J, et al. Title of article. J AmMed Dir Assoc 2000;6:1-10.Book Chapter-Smith J. Title ofChapter. In: JonesA,Doe J, eds.Title of Book, 3rd Ed. New York: Churchill Livingstone, 2006.Book-Smith J, Jones A, Doe J. Title of Book, 2nd Ed., NewYork: Churchill Livingstone, 2005.Website-http://www.websiteaddress. Accessed on December1, 2011.
ILLUSTRATIONSGraphs and charts can usually be recreated by the ProductionDepartment. Permission to reproduce illustrations that werepublished elsewhere must be included. The cost of colorillustrations must be borne by the authors.
CATEGORIES
ORIGINAL STUDIESPlease provide a structured abstract using the following headings:Objectives, design, setting, participants, intervention (if any),measurements, results, and conclusion.
The text portion should be approximately 7-8 double-spaced pagesin length, using the following format:
Introduction-should describe the question posed that theresearch was designed to answer.
Methods-should describe the design, how it was carried out,selection and assignment of subjects, treatment, outcomemeasurements and statistical methods.Results-should be listed in order of importance, and includeany adverse effects.Discussion-should provide a brief synopsis of the findings,limitations of the study, and a comparison with relevantfindings from other studies.Conclusion-should provide a brief summary of theimplications of the study findings.
Meta-analyses will be considered original research.
Brief Reports are a condensed version of Original Studies, limitedto 6-8 double-spaced pages including title page, abstract, text,references, tables and figures. This category is ideal for reportingpreliminary results of a study or reporting a small study.
REVIEW ARTICLESA review article is a systematic, critical assessment of the literatureand data sources relevant to clinical topics (including treatment)that are commonly encountered in long term care settings. Authorsshould emphasize factors such as cause, diagnosis, prognosis,prevention, or therapeutic intervention(s). All articles and datesources reviewed should include information about a specific type ofstudy (eg, case study, double-blind, randomized trial), population,intervention, and outcomes. Articles or data sources should beselected systematically for inclusion in the review and criticallyevaluated. The selection process should be described in the paper.The typical length is 10-12 double-spaced pages, not including tables,figures and references. Submission of a textbook replication isdiscouraged. The review section also includes Brief Reviews. Thesearticles are narrow in scope, answering a single clinical question, suchas: What is an effective intervention for prevention of injurious falls?All review articles should be formatted using the following headings:Objectives/Introduction; Methods (data sources, type of study);Results; Discussion, Conclusion. Review articles should have a briefabstract with or without subheadings.
CONTROVERSIES IN LONG TERM CAREThese articles will deal with behaviors or practices in long term caresettings that lack an evidence base, but rather are guided by opinionsof local leaders and/or regulations without a clearly tested processthat leads to a beneficial outcome. The following structure should beused: Problem, Significance of the Problem, Discussion, Conclusion.These articles should include a brief abstract without subheadings.These should be no longer than 6-8 double-spaced pages.
CLINICAL EXPERIENCEThese articles should address the use of assessment and/orintervention methods in the long term care setting (home, assistedliving, and nursing facilities), which have the potential to improvequality of care or quality of life. Examples: Algorithms, clinicalpractice guidelines, the impact of regulatory requirements onpractice or policy, and procedure implementation. These reportsmay describe a clinical experience or an investigation that ispreliminary but that may be of clinical or scientific interest. Themanuscript should include a short Introduction and Rationale,a Methods section to include subjects and approach, and anOutcomes or Results section. In the case results are not available,some mention should be made of methods to be employed tomeasure outcome of the work process. The reports are limited to 10double-spaced narrative manuscript pages with 1-2 tables and/orfigures, plus a brief, structured abstract using the headings above.Forms and checklists are welcome as tables or appendices.
CASE REPORTSShould be approximately 3-5 double-spaced, typewritten pages andcontain instructional value, such as those of successful interventionsin managing uncommon syndromes or unsuccessful ones wherea diagnosis was made after the fact. These articles should includea brief abstract without subheadings.
QUALITY IMPROVEMENT IN LONG TERM CAREThese articles are case-based presentations of nursing home behavior/practice that led to an adverse regulatory or legal outcome. Thediscussant should review state-of-the-art practice/clinical guidelinesthat, if applied, would have resulted in a satisfactory conclusion. Theformat to use is: Case presentation, comments, recommendations.These articles should include a brief abstract without subheadings.
LONG TERM CARE AROUND THE GLOBEThis section reports on long term care services in different countriesand health systems aimed to educate and exchange information.When feasible, these articles should include a brief structured abstractstating objectives, design, methods, results and conclusion.
SPECIAL ARTICLESSpecial articles are usually solicited by the editor. Topics of interest tothe readers, which do not easily fit into any of the regular categories,will appear in this section. These articles should include a briefabstract without subheadings.
UPDATES FROM THE AMDA MEETINGTopics for Updates articles come from lectures or workshopspresented at the annual AMDA meeting. Examples of Updatesarticles are the Clinical Updates in Nursing Home Medicine byMessinger-Rapport et al published each fall beginning in theSeptember issue, 2008. These should be discussed with and topicsapproved by the editor prior to submission.
IN TOUCHThis section affords authors the opportunity to share personalexperiences with the readers. They are generally 3-5 double-spacedpages, non-clinical in nature, and should pertain, in some way, tolong term care issues. Appropriate topics include: compassion,quality of life, human value, dignity of death and the sanctity of life.A short story format, fact or fiction, is acceptable.
IN THE TRENCHESDebuted in the June issue of 2008, page 291 (T.R. Cote), this providesanopportunity for authors to sharewithother long termcare providerstools theyhavedeveloped toadvancebetter care for theirpatients. It canbe a one-page ‘‘how-to’’ illustration or a two-to-three page descriptionfollowed by a figure that illustrates the procedure or instrument.
LETTERSLetters should be double-spaced and approximately 1-3 pages inlength. Those referring to an article published in the journal shouldbe submitted within 1 month of the article’s appearance and may besent to the author of the paper for a response. References and a smallillustration are acceptable. LETTERS WILL BE PUBLISHEDONLINE ONLY AT THE DISCRETION OF THE EDITOR.
If you have questions for the editorial office contact Valerie Tanner,ManagingEditor; email: [email protected];phone:11314-977-8464 (US).
If you need technical supportwhile working in the online submissionsystem, click the support link to send an e-mail, or call: for theAmericas(toll-free for US&Canada)11 888-834-7287; for Asia & Pacific181 35561 5032; for Europe & the rest of the world1353 61 709190.
