Table of Contents

Introduction: Author responsibility, Basic elements, Where to submit

General Requirements: Topics of Interest, Originality, Simultaneous submission, Peer review policy, Editing

Research Articles: Cover letter, Length, Abstract and key words, Title pages and running head, Acknowledgements, Main sections, References, Supplemental data

Other Articles, Letters: Review articles, Commentaries, Letters

Format Requirements: General guidance, Manuscript style, Tables and figures

Permissions and Informed Consent

Post-submission Process for Research Articles: Notification

Introduction

The editors encourage authors to read and refer to these guidelines before and during preparation of any manuscript. They are based on standard practice of most journals and reflect steps that will ensure manuscript transmission and accurate reproduction, which will expedite its review and publication. These guidelines will also save the amount of time authors spend reworking manuscripts.

Author responsibility

The submitting or corresponding author is responsible for assembling the article in accordance with the specifications in the Guidelines and answering correspondence and other inquiries about the manuscript from the Editor and the Journal staff. Manuscripts with missing references, elements out of order, and excessive style discrepancies may be returned for correction before being sent to peer review or simply not accepted for review. The terminology must address the needs of a multidisciplinary audience. The Journal staff is ready to assist authors in preparing manuscripts ready for submission and to provide clarification of these guidelines.

Basic elements

Each submission should include a cover letter, manuscript and accompanying tables and figures, electronic files matching these (see "Research Articles" and "Format Requirements") and any Supplemental Data Sheets.

Where to submit

All submissions and correspondence should be sent to the following address:

Editor
Adolescent and Family Health
P.O. Box 16560
Washington, DC 20041

Inquiries, may be made by telephone at 703-471-8750 or email through the website at www.afhjournal.org.

General Requirements

Topics of Interest

Adolescent and Family Health, a Journal of the Institute for Youth Development, is an interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed ("closed" system protocol) publication for original, scientific research that focuses on the common factors influencing adolescent adoption or avoidance of alcohol, drugs, sex, tobacco, and violence. The Journal seeks articles based on original research and/or evaluations of programs that illuminate the relationships between adolescent risk behavior and the influence of such factors as parents and family, religiosity, other adult authority figures, extracurricular activities, sports, academic achievement, peer groups, and the media. As an interdisciplinary publication, the Journal invites contributions from researchers in the fields of addiction therapy, family medicine, preventive medicine, anthropology, biology, public and private education, public health, health education, nursing, pediatrics, physiology, psychology, and sociology, as well as from the humanities and the arts. The Journal accepts research articles, review articles, and commentary (the latter by invitation of the Editor). The following sections apply to research articles. Guidelines for review articles, commentaries, and letters are in a separate section ("Other Articles, Letters").

Originality

All research articles submitted must be original work that has not been published, accepted for publication, or simultaneously submitted to other journals or publications (either print or electronic). These restrictions will generally not apply to the following if authors disclose (see Cover Letter) and supply copies of them to the editors:

1. Papers presented at a scientific meeting or conference that are elaborated extensively in the submitted manuscript.
2. Publications in unrefereed proceedings of such meetings.
3. Abstracts of the paper.
4. Posting of previously unpublished data or other material by the author or personal or academic or research sponsored web sites.

Authors will be expected to disclose in the cover letter accompanying the manuscript any previous publications or submissions that might be regarded as redundant or very similar to their submission to the Journal (see Cover Letter).

Simultaneous submission

Manuscripts submitted simultaneously to another journal or publisher will not be considered for publication in the Journal.

Peer review policy

The Journal uses a "closed" system review protocol. Authors may suggest reviewers, but the Editor will select two or more reviewers based on their expertise and interest in the primary subject matter presented.

Reviewers will be instructed to make one of the following recommendations: that the article (1) be accepted (2) accepted but conditioned on incorporation of recommended revisions or (3) rejected.

Articles must be recommended for publication by a minimum of two reviewers. In the event of contrary recommendations from two reviewers, the Editor may assign additional reviewers and/or make the final decision on acceptance. The Editor may also decide not to submit it for peer review based on relevance to the Journal's interests or other factors. The identity of reviewers will not be disclosed to authors.

Editing

Authors are asked to follow the formatting and style guidelines set forth and to revise their manuscripts, if they have been conditionally accepted, in response to peer review comments as well as any suggestions from the Editor on how to handle them. The Journal staff will copyedit final manuscripts submitted to conform to Journal style and will resolve any issues of clarity or consistency with authors.

Research Articles

The elements of a Research Article submission are described below with the specifications the author should follow.

Cover letter

The cover letter accompanying the manuscript should cover the information and statements indicated below:

1. Name, address, institution, telephone, fax, email, and Internet URL. Include for the submitting author or research facility if available. ONLY THE COVER LETTER should carry such identifying information.
2. A list of joint authors (maximum of six). List them in alphabetical order by last name with their degrees, positions, and university or institutional affiliations. If an alternate order is used, the letter should explain the reasons for using it. Only list authors that have contributed substantially to the writing of the article. Others participating in research or providing assistance may be listed in the Acknowledgements section. (For a definition of what constitutes authorship, see in Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts endnote.)
3. Originality. Please affirm that the manuscript has not been submitted or published simultaneously elsewhere. Give precise and detailed information on any prior public disclosure or publication of data, text, abstract, or other material from the manuscript (attach references and photocopies thereof).
4. Potential conflict of interest. State the precise nature of any financial support or promise thereof the author has received from any entity or organization that has a financial interest in the subject matter of the accompanying manuscript.
5. Copyright transfer. Indicate the willingness of the author(s) to promptly sign an agreement transferring all copyright ownership to the publisher in the event that the article is accepted.
6. Permissions. Confirm that the author accepts responsibility for obtaining any permissions for use of copyright material and for forwarding them to the Journal within 30 days of acceptance of the manuscript.
7. Patient privacy and informed consent. If applicable, state that all identifying information regarding individuals that are subjects of a study has been omitted unless the individuals have given written consent for such disclosure (see Permissions and Informed Consent).

Length

Overall length of the entire manuscript including references generally should not exceed 18 double-spaced pages or about 4,500 words (see Formats for Submission). No more than five tables and figures should be needed to present findings.

Abstract (unstructured) and key words

The abstract should not exceed 250 words. Cover as much of the purpose and methodology as necessary but focus on the new and important aspects of findings, analysis, and conclusions. For use as metadata and indexing, list three to ten key words and place them below the abstract. Try to select the most frequently used terminology in the discipline or specialty. For medical terms, consult the Medical Subject Headings list of Index Medicus.

Title pages and running head

First title page carries the main title (not to exceed 20 words), names of all authors, degrees and institutional affiliations at the time of the work, date of submission, and key words (repeat from the abstract page). Second title page contains nothing except the title. A running head conveying substance of title no longer than 20 characters should go at the top of the second page of the text only (the typesetting feature will incorporate it on all the print pages). Do not use an automated feature for the running head; type it in manually.

Acknowledgements

Place acknowledgements on a separate page. The authors should obtain and maintain in their files signed hard copies of permissions (faxes accepted if originals are preserved by the sender) from individuals or institutions or other entities acknowledged.

Main sections

The presentation should include the standard matter for scholarly papers usually found in the following order: Introduction, Methodology (IRB status should be included), Results, and Discussion. A heading should precede each section if there is sufficient text to justify it. Text should illuminate the key findings, but not repeat data that is self-explanatory in tables or illustrations. Emphasize the new and important aspects and conclusions of the study. Any observations or recommendations for further research may be included here. The Journal is interdisciplinary and should communicate methods and findings in a readable manner for the educated public. Terms, phrases, and acronyms which are unique to a particular discipline are discouraged. If such terms are necessary to the text, they must be clearly defined or explained.

References

Bracket and number the references consecutively (Arabic numerals) in the order in which they are first mentioned in the text. For references cited only in tables or figure legends, list them in sequence established by the first reference in the text to a particular table or figure. Repeat references should be numbered to conform to the number of their first appearance. Follow style for references carried in the Uniform Requirements (see endnote). Include all basic elements in each reference such as authors (more than three use et. al.), title, name of journal or book publisher, date of issue or year of publication, volume, and page range. Sample styles may be accessed elsewhere on the Journal's Web site.

Supplemental data (optional)

These may be supplied if the author refers to them in the text or wishes the reviewers to have them. These may be used to support data in tables, for example.

Other Articles, Letters

Review articles should generally not exceed 2,500 words and be focused on recent studies in a special field and be related to certain problems or themes. Historical overviews are discouraged.

Commentaries will usually be assigned by the Editor and present new or differing ideas and opinions on topics of interest to the Journal. Desired length is 500 to750 words.

Letters should pertain to published articles and be submitted in time to be published for the next quarterly issue (within one month of publication). Desired length is 150 to 200 words maximum.

Format Requirements

General guidance

For writing style, grammar, syntax, compound words, punctuation, capitalization, language, consult the Chicago Manual of Style (14th edition). For usage of technical terms in medicine the American Medical Association Manual of Style (5th edition) is the most authoritative and contains guidance on style and avoidance of sexist or other discriminatory language. For technical terms in psychology, consult the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (4th edition), which also has extensive guidance on avoidance of sexist language

Manuscript style

In general, the simpler the manuscript is formatted, the quicker and less costly it will be to prepare it for publication. Please, therefore, follow these specifications:

1. Word processing. Use Windows 95 or later version of WordPerfect or Microsoft Word to fit 8-1/2 by 11 inch (216x279mm) bond with minimum margins of 1 inch (25mm) all around. Type flush left and double-space throughout, including references, tables, and figure legends.
2. Automated features. Do not use automated features to track editing changes or for footnotes, endnotes, superscript and subscript, headers and footers. If these features are removed by software, some codes may remain that adversely affect typesetting.
3. Electronic version. The original submission may be via e-mail. For final copy (after peer review changes have been incorporated), please use 3-1/2 inch or Zip disk along with the hard copy.
4. Fonts. Use a 12-point serif font such as Times, Times New Roman, Courier, or Palatino.
5. Hard copies. Print out the complete manuscript in original at a minimum 300-dpi resolution (in case any part of your manuscript has to be scanned). Provide this and three clear photocopies.
6. Hard returns or page breaks. No hard returns at the end of a line except before a paragraph, no page or section breaks.
7. Measurements. Use metric throughout and Arabic numerals.
8. Page numbers. Number consecutively in the upper right or lower right corner beginning with the second title page.
9. References. If reference numbers in the text are linked to the list of references at the end of the manuscript, please disable the links before turning in the electronic version.
10. Tables. Use only one for a paragraph.

Tables and figures (graphs and illustrations).

Tables

1. Size limits. Generally not more than 5 columns and 10 rows (see Supplemental Data for submitting larger data sets).
2. Non-embedded tables. Tables should not be integrated into the text but placed on a separate page following the first reference to the table and be stored electronically in a separate file.
3. Embedded (small) tables. Limit to three columns by five rows or less. These may be set up within the word-processing simply as text lines with one tab between each column of headers and data.
4. Numbering. Establish a Table sequence separate from that for Figures such as Tables 1, 2, 3, and Figures a, b, c)
5. Footnotes. Use lower case letters and type the footnotes directly under the table.
6. Formats. Table formats in Word, WordPerfect, or Excel are acceptable.

Figures

1. Size. Inside charts and drawings, use sufficiently large type, arrows, and lines, to assure that reduction by 50 percent will leave them legible. Hairlines do not show up on negatives for typesetting, so use not less than 3 pixels or .75 of a point for lines.
2. Placement and numbering. Each chart, graph, or illustration should appear on a separate page following the page with the first reference to it and be numbered consecutively in the order of appearance (all labeled as figures viz.: Figure 1. Adolescent Population Growth, U.S., 1990-99).
3. Legends and titles. Keep legends and titles out of the graphic file. Place them as text after the reference section in the main manuscript. This procedure is essential for reducing and manipulating graphics, assuring uniform type throughout the Journal. Number legends and titles sequentially and place them in a separate electronic file. For the hard copy, the figure should be incorporated in the text near the first reference for ease of reading by reviewers.
4. Credits. Data, if not created by the author, should be credited outside the table proper along with the title or legend as follows: Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census (also give survey series and date of survey).
5. Format. Submit figures in both electronic format (EPS) and hard copy. The electronic file should be recorded on a 3.5 inch or Zip disk separate from the text. Identify each figure with a document name like "Fig1authorinitials", "Tble1authorinitials", etc. Label the disk clearly with the author's name and the title of the article (abbreviated). Please enclose a list of document names and software used to create them.

Illustrations

1. Quality. Only professionally drawn or photographed art should be provided. Submit 5" x 7" (17x22 cm) glossy prints suitable for black and white reproduction.
2. Electronic generated art. Depending on quality, this material may be acceptable. Journal staff will consult with the author if editing or redrawing is required. Please submit hard copy as well.
3. Format. Illustrations must comply with the same format guidelines as Figures (see above).
4. Packaging. Prints should be protected in a rigid, flat cardboard or plastic sleeve. Use a gummed label affixed to the back of the print to record the appropriate figure number and page number where first referenced in the text, and author's return address.

Permissions and Informed Consent

The submitting author is responsible for obtaining permissions for use of copyright material in connection with publication of a manuscript and forwarding it to the Journal within 30 days of acceptance of the manuscript. In general, short quotations (roughly up to 250 words) clearly credited from copyrighted material may be used without permission. Any table, chart, figure, graph, or illustration carrying a copyright requires permission.

Authors should follow the Uniform Guidelines for "Informed Consent" (see endnote) policy regarding protection of patient rights to privacy when describing individual or groups who are subjects of a research project. If consent is obtained, this must be noted in the cover letter, and such note will be published as a footnote in your article.

Post-submission Process for Research Articles

The Journal review and production process generally requires a minimum of six months from submission to publication.

Notification

Authors can expect to hear whether research articles have been accepted for peer review within three to four weeks of submission. Peer review comments will be available within six to eight weeks after submission. Review articles and commentaries submitted for quarterly issues will be accepted or rejected no later than two months prior to publication. The milestones in the process are described below.

1. Acceptance notice. Authors will be informed through written notification whether their manuscript has been (a) accepted (b) accepted conditioned on incorporation of recommended revisions or (c) rejected.
2. Revisions. Depending on the complexity and number of changes suggested by reviewers, authors will have from two to four weeks to complete revisions and to make their own final minor changes. The Editor will inform authors of specific deadlines in forwarding peer review comments.
3. Copyright. Before publication, all authors will be required to sign an affidavit stating the following: "The author(s) signing this document hereby transfer, assign, or otherwise convey all copyright ownership to their manuscript (Title) to the Institute for Youth Development in the event such work is published by the Institute."
4. Publication date. Research article(s) accepted by the Journal will appear in the following quarterly issue. Abstracts of each research article will be posted in the Journal's website. Review articles will not appear on the web before print publication. Commentaries and letters will be posted along with the research article(s) to which they refer.
5. Reprints. The submitting author of a research article(s) will receive 10 free copies of the print published version. Information regarding additional reprints can be obtained from the Journal address above.

These guidelines are generally consistent with the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals prepared by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors which can be viewed at the American College of Physicians Web site www.acponline.org. The ACP document defines the qualifications for claiming authorship as "substantial contributions to all of the following: 1) conception and design, or analysis and interpretation of data; 2) drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content, and 3) final approval of the versions to be published." The Journal will assume that condition three is met if the corresponding author obtains author colleague approvals of the final manuscript submitted after peer review.