FEATURE
Journal of the American Pharmacists Association guidelines for authors The Journal of the American Pharmacists Association (JAPhA) welcomes original research, experience, and opinion articles that concisely report meaningful developments and advances in the drug use process and pharmacy practice. Articles may introduce new information about improving pharmacists’ patient care services, medication use, and health outcomes. Also of interest are articles on new medications and emerging therapeutic trends, new technologies, and research methods with applicability to pharmacy practice. JAPhA will only consider articles that have not been previously published, are not accepted for publication, and are not currently under consideration by other publications. These guidelines serve to maintain and improve the quality of the Journal. Questions regarding these guidelines or inquiries can be directed to the JAPhA editorial team.
Preparing the manuscript Before submission, articles should be reviewed for accuracy, clarity, and completeness. JAPhA will consider papers prepared in accordance with the Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals.1 For current recommendations, refer to the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors webpage, available at www. icmje.org. Submitting files that do not meet the requirements detailed below may result in immediate rejection. For guidance in manuscript preparation, refer to the Chicago Manual of Style, 16th ed.2; the American Medical Association Manual of Style, 10th ed.3; and Stedman’s Medical Dictionary, 28th ed.4 All accepted manuscripts are edited to conform to JAPhA style. JAPhA articles must be submitted in a single word-processing file as follows (additional detail is provided in the subsequent text): ❚❚ Title page (include word counts; see Table 1) ❚❚ Abstract ❚❚ Key points ❚❚ Article text ❚❚ References Tables and figures for all categories of submission should be uploaded as separate files.
Table 2 contains a useful compilation of reporting guidelines on how to report research studies.
Title page Specific information contained in the title page should include names of authors; corresponding degree abbreviations; job titles; current and past affiliations at the time of the manuscript and/ or project completion; funding support (financial or material); previous presentations of the work (e.g., professional meetings); and any present conflicts of interest. Conflicts of interest may include but are not limited to involvement in peer-reviewed publication and personal or financial interests that may bias the writing. Financial interests consist of grants, employment, gifts, stock holdings, honoraria, consultancies, expert testimonies, patents, and/or royalties. Potential conflicts of interest must be clearly stated. For guidance on conflicts of interest, authors are referred to the website of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors.5 Correspondence-related information should be provided for one author and should include current mail and e-mail addresses. Word counts for the abstract and the manuscript should be specified on the title page. These counts allow editors and reviewers to determine whether the information in the submission warrants the amount of space required and if the submitted manuscript fits within the word limits. Table 1 provides detailed information on word count criteria for each section.
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Abstracts Abstracts are limited to 300 words total. Specific subheadings are required in the abstract depending on the section of manuscript submitted (Table 1); if one does not apply, include it and write “not applicable” for that subsection. Abstracts are required with the exception of submissions to the Departments category (i.e., Letters and Viewpoints).
Key points For manuscripts in the Research, Reviews, Tools for Advancing Pharmacy Practice, Experience, and Commentary sections, authors are required to prepare key points in a bulleted format that describe the article’s relevance and contribution to the literature. These are presented as Background and Findings. Two or three key points in each of these categories should be provided that provides the context for the article (what is already known on the topic, other relevant background) and what the manuscript findings adds to existing knowledge on the topic (i.e., relevance).
Article title Article titles are subject to editing by Journal staff after articles are accepted. Although longer titles may sometimes be allowed, authors should make an effort to restrict titles to no more than 95 characters and spaces (approximately 12 words) in length. In addition, use of acronyms in titles should be avoided whenever possible.
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Table 1. Description of and requirements for submission to Journal sections Journal sections Descriptiona Research Hypothesis-driven and generalizable studies with sufficient power to show statistical significance that are based on scientific method and scholarly investigations Research Notes Concise but complete accounts of preliminary or focused original research
Word countsb,c,d 5,000 words plus up to 5 tables/ figures 2,500 words and up to 2 tables/ figures
Systematically driven, comprehensive, and reproducible summaries of current research in primary pharmacy and biomedical literature on clinical, administrative, legal, humanistic, or economic topics; may be evaluated quantitatively (e.g., meta-analysis) or qualitatively based on objective criteria (see reference 13)
5,000 words plus up to 5 tables/ figures (inclusion of a flowchart showing search strategies and study selection is encouraged)
Tools for Advancing Information about experience with emerging Pharmacy Practicee methods, measures, instruments, theories, or frameworks; analysis of “tools” that pharmacists can use in daily practice or for practicebased research; emphasis is on adaptations of research and novel ideas that can be developed into useful tools for pharmacy practice or practice-based research Experience Experientially based descriptions of innovations in pharmacy practice (e.g., clinical case reports, care systems, or administrative idea) or other topics considered germane to advances in pharmacy practice; may report experience in a single pharmacy location or care site; should describe in sufficient detail how to develop and evaluate the innovative practice in such a way that another pharmacist could implement it Commentary Informed (supported by referenced citations) personal opinions about events, trends, and/or developments in pharmacy or health care Viewpointf Brief, informed (supported by referenced citations) personal opinions about events, trends, and/or developments in pharmacy or health care Lettersf A forum for APhA members and other readers of JAPhA to discuss current events in pharmacy and health care and comment on material previously published in this Journal
5,000 words plus up to 5 tables/ figures
Reviews
Text subheadings Required: Introduction, Objectives, Methods, Results, Discussion, Limitations, Conclusion Required: Introduction, Objective(s), Methods, Results, Discussion, Limitations, and Conclusion Suggested: Introduction, Objectives, Methods (subheadings may include Search strategy [search terms, databases], Study selection [selection criteria], Data extraction [how selected studies were reviewed]), Results, Discussion, Limitations, Conclusion Suggested: Objectives, Setting, Practice description, Practice innovation, Interventions, Evaluation (impact of innovation), Results, and Conclusion
3,500 words plus Suggested: Objectives, Setting, Practice description, up to 5 tables/ Practice innovation, Evalufigures ation (impact of innovation), Results, Discussion, Conclusion
Abstract subheadingse Objectives, Design, Setting, Patients or Participants, Intervention, Main outcome measures, Results, and Conclusion Objectives, Methods, Results, and Conclusion Objectives, Data sources, Study selection, Data extraction, Results, and Conclusion
Objectives, Setting, Practice description, Practice innovation, Interventions, Evaluation (impact of innovation), Results, and Conclusion
Objectives, Setting, Practice description, Practice innovation, Evaluation, Results, and Conclusion
2,000 words plus up to 2 tables/ figures 750 words plus 1 brief table/figure
Suggested: Objectives; Data sources (if applicable); Summary; Conclusion Not applicable
Objectives, Data sources (if applicable), Summary, and Conclusion Not applicable
250 words plus 1 brief table/figure
Not applicable
Not applicable
Journal articles should link science with pharmacy practice in these general content areas: pharmacists’ patient care services, medication use, pharmacy services, health outcomes, new medications, emerging therapeutic trends, new technologies in health care, and research methods with applicability to pharmacy practice. Other content areas relevant to pharmacy practice will be considered. b Care should be taken by the author to include sufficient methodological information to evaluate the quality of the research. c As applicable, the word count includes the title page, abstract, article relevance and contribution to literature, text, and references. Survey instruments, data sets, and data-heavy tables not necessary for interpretation of study results should be included in the submission and cited in the text as online-only supplemental content (e.g., “the survey instrument is in Appendix 1, available on JAPhA.org as supplemental content”). d The specified number is the sum of the number of tables plus the number of figures. A table is a series of columns and rows displaying numeric and/or textual information; it is usually provided in a Word file and is edited to and displayed in JAPhA style. A figure is an image that is reproduced largely without change; it is usually accompanies by a caption informing the reader of what is in the image. The images may be column, bar, pie or other displays of numeric data or photographic displays in the form of a JPEG, TIFF, or PNG file. e Submissions to this section are handled by Contributing Editors David A. Mott, PhD; Jean V. (Kelly) Goode, PharmD; and Jon C. Schommer, PhD, under the guidance of Editor-inChief Andy Stergachis and Executive Editor L. Michael Posey. f Unsolicited contributions to other JAPhA departments (i.e., Association Report, Vaccine Update, New Drugs, and Science Updates) are not accepted as these are written and/or coordinated by Journal Contributing Editors. a
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FEATURE
Table 2. Guidelines for reporting research
Research method Qualitative research: Interviews and focus groups Randomized controlled trial Observational research Survey
Systematic review: Quantitative research and meta-analyses Systematic review: Qualitative research
Recommendations and requirements Requirement: Use the COREQ Checklist published through the Equator Network and available at: http://www.equator-network.org/ (Accessed Fall 2014) Requirement: Use the CONSORT Checklist published through the Equator Network and available at: http://www.equator-network.org/ (Accessed Fall 2014) Requirement: Use the appropriate STROBE Checklist published through the Equator Network and available at: http://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/strobe/ Requirements: Include survey instrument. Typically published as an online-only appendix. Submissions describing surveys without instruments will be rejected immediately. Statement of sampling frame and sample selection methods/target population (see reference 6]) Detailed description of methods including survey development with evidence for reliability and validity Citation of limitations (e.g., quota sample is not a random sample; biases; small sample size) Characterization of respondents and non-respondents Address nonresponse bias potential with response rates less than 60% (see references 6–8) Recommendation: Use Dillman’s Mail and Internet Surveys: The Tailored Design Method (reference 7) and Salant and Dillman’s How to Conduct Your Own Survey (reference 8) Requirement: Use the PRISMA Checklist published through the Equator Network and available at: http://www.equator-network.org/ Requirement: Use the ENTREQ Checklist published through the Equator Network and available at: http://www.equator-network.org/
Article text Headings are used by JAPhA to introduce an article’s main sections, as represented in the headings described in Table 1. Within the text of an article, medications should be referred to by generic names. For single-source products or to identify a specific product, place the brand name followed by the manufacturer in parentheses following the generic name: generic name (brand name—manufacturer). Use of trademark symbols is not allowed. Brand names are not included for multisource drugs unless a specify product is being discussed (e.g., the brand used in a case report). Articles involving human participants are required to state within the article text that approval or exemption has been granted by an institutional review board (IRB) or similar body. Articles not containing this statement will be not be considered for peer review until IRB status is determined. If IRB review information cannot be provided or is refused, the article will be rejected. If a waiver or modification of consent was previously granted by an IRB, briefly describe in the text the rationale for the modification.
Clinical trials of therapeutic interventions must provide evidence of registration by providing the name of the trial registry, registration number, and URL of the registry.
Footnotes and references All statements of fact in JAPhA articles from other sources should be acknowledged through the use of footnotes and references. Nonpeer-reviewed publications, nonauthoritative websites, and written personal communication should be denoted as footnotes. Oral personal communications are not acceptable. Use lowercase letters (i.e., a, b, c, etc.) as superscripts to denote the use of a footnote within text and place the text for footnotes immediately after the Conclusion section. Personal communications may be included parenthetically in the text with the date of communication (month, year). If the source is in the peer-reviewed literature (published or accepted for publication) or from other authoritative entities (e.g., reports of expert working groups or governmental agencies), these should be cited in the text as references using superscript sequential integers and
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placed in a reference list after the Conclusion section and the text of any footnotes. JAPhA style for references is based on the format of the National Library of Medicine, with these considerations: ❚❚ ❚❚
❚❚ ❚❚
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Journal and book names should not be italicized. Journal title names should be abbreviated using the system of the National Library of Medicine. The system is explained online at http://www.nlm.nih. gov/pubs/factsheets/constructitle.html. Only the first letter of the first word of a book name or article title should be capitalized. If a cited work has one to four authors (or editors), all names should be listed. If an article has five or more authors (or editors), list the first three followed by the words “et al.” For journals paginated by volume, issue numbers may be included but are not required [e.g., J Am Pharm Assoc. 2015;55(1)]. Issue dates (e.g,., “2015(Jan/ Feb)”) should not be included.
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❚❚ ❚❚
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GUIDELINES FOR AUTHORS
No spaces are placed between the year, volume, and issue numbers. Use beginning and ending page numbers with all digits displayed (e.g., 1455–1459, not 1455–9). All references must be cited in the text and numbered sequentially in order of use. References that are listed but not cited will be deleted. For references to online material, include a URL with all elements (e.g., include http:// or https:// as appropriate). Use a persistent URL when one is available. Examples of appropriately referenced styles include the following: ❙ Journal article. Witry MJ, Doucette WR. Community pharmacists, medication monitoring, and the routine nature of refills. J Am Pharm Assoc. 2014;54(6):594–603. ❙ Book (if applicable, cite specific chapter or pages used). El-Ibiary SY, Raney EC. In: Krinsky DL, Ferreri SP, Hemstreet BA, et al. (eds). Handbook of nonprescription drugs: an interactive approach to self-care. 18th ed. Washington, DC: American Pharmacists Association; 2015:151–167. ❙ Newspaper/news magazine article. Bonner L. Pharmacists key to novel coordinated care model. Pharm Today. 2014;20(12):48. ❙ Web-published article. Yap D. Pharmacists and chronic disease highlight by CDC’s Hall. http:// www.pharmacist.com/ node/835944. Accessed December 20, 2014. ❙ Website or webpage. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Vaccines & immunizations. http://www. cdc.gov/vaccines. Accessed December 11, 2014.
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Tables and figures The number of accepted tables and figures varies by category of article submission. Please refer to Table 1 for specific criteria. Tables and figures should be uploaded as separate files to JAPhA’s Scholar One website (see Web-based manuscript submission). For figure or table titles, numbers in integers should appear in the same order as in the body of text. Tables. Tables must be created using the “Insert Table” command in Word. Tabs or spaces to create tables, columns, or rows or to indicate indentation should not be used. Images of tables (as opposed to the original table) embedded within a Word file will not be accepted for consideration as a table. Authors must consecutively number and cite appearance of tables within the body of text. Careful consideration should be taken to ensure that tables do not merely repeat information included in the text. Only the most important data or highlights should be provided in table format. Authors must consider whether a table stands alone. The table itself should contain all information needed to convey the intended meaning without need for the reader to refer to the text. This should include careful consideration that all acronyms and/or abbreviations used within the table are defined in a footnote below the table. For math and calculations displayed in table format, math totals must be correct. For ease of interpretation of the table appearing with column headings, these headings should be appropriately labeled. Figures. Similar to submission of tables, figures must be submitted in a format compatible with current JAPhA typesetting systems. Figures should not be embedded in a Word document. Specifically, charts and graphs should be submitted in their native, editable format (usually Excel, Word, or PowerPoint). Submission in this format allows Journal editors and staff to perform basic ja p h a.org
house-style edits, such as changing fonts in label axes. To accomplish this, Journal editors and staff must be able to “click” into figure files to edit the file to conform to house standards. Photographs or illustrations submitted as figures should be provided in PNG, TIFF, or JPEG formats in 300 dots per square inch (dpi) for color images or 600 dpi for black-and-white images. Consider the use of supplemental files that are made available by the Journal online only for certain photographs, illustrations, and complex tables and figures.
Journal sections
Manuscripts are considered for six peer-reviewed sections within the Science & Practice section of JAPhA (Table 1). Following completion of peer review, articles may be pursued and accepted as either print or online publications. Abstracts of online-only articles are provided in the print edition’s JAPhA stat! department. A summary of the sections of JAPhA and corresponding requirements is shown in Table 1.
Web-based manuscript submission The Journal has a Web-based manuscript submission and author communication system (ScholarOne Manuscripts; located online at https://mc.manuscriptcentral. com/japha). This system prompts authors to enter required information in a standardized way to increase the consistency of information available during peer review. A help center for the site has answers to frequently asked questions and an author guide; it is accessed by clicking on “Help” in the upper right corner of the site. All submissions must be made through this website. The ScholarOne Manuscripts system allows the manuscript submission package to be created gradually during multiple visits. Authors should access the site early in
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the writing process to register in the Author Center and become familiar with the way that information is requested. Authors receive information about manuscripts by accessing the website at any time as the submission moves through the staff review, peer review, and decisionmaking steps.
Peer review process All manuscripts are initially screened by the editor and/or associate editors in a staff review process for overall originality, quality, utility, value, and relevance to the scope of the Journal. Authors of manuscripts that are not selected for peer review are generally notified of this decision within 4 weeks after submission. JAPhA uses a partially open peer review process in which the identities of authors are disclosed but reviewers’ identities are masked. Although not required, authors may request that a certain editor handle the paper, provide names of reviewers knowledgeable in the subject area, and request that specific reviewers be chosen or not chosen for a particular paper. After critiques are received from multiple reviewers, the corresponding editor considers these reviews in reaching an initial decision to accept, request minor or major revisions, reject, reject and resubmit, or obtain additional reviews.
Scientific ethics policy An alleged violation of any of the basic rules of scientific ethics, in accord with the procedures set forth in the American Medical Association Manual of Style (10th ed.), will be investigated confidentially. If the violation is deemed sufficiently serious, the editor will request a written explanation from the authors. If an explanation is not provided by the authors, or the explanation is unsatisfactory, such that the Journal’s editor and as-
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sociate editors believe that the evidence clearly shows that scientific misconduct occurred, the editor will promptly reject the manuscript or proceed to retract a published manuscript. In addition, the editor reserves the right to notify the authors’ institution of the violation of the Journal’s scientific ethics policy. The editor also reserves the option to request that the authors’ institution initiate a formal investigation into the alleged violation of scientific ethics and to report back to the Journal in a timely manner. If the formal institutional investigation confirms scientific misconduct, the editor will promptly reject a pending manuscript or proceed to retract a published manuscript. Further, the JAPhA editor reserves the right to impose punitive actions (e.g., ban on publishing in the Journal) on authors proven to have violated any of the basic rules of scientific ethics.
Copyright transfer When a paper is submitted to JAPhA, one of the following statements must be included by the corresponding author on behalf of the author team: ❚❚
In consideration of the American Pharmacists Association’s (APhA’s) reviewing and editing of this submission, the author(s) undersigned hereby transfer(s), assign(s), or otherwise convey(s) all copyright ownership to APhA in the event that this work is published by APhA. ❚❚ I was an employee of the United States government when this work was investigated and prepared for publication; it is therefore not protected by the Copyright Act and there is no copyright that can be transferred. Copyrighted material taken from other sources must be accompanied by evidence that permission
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to use the material has been obtained from the publisher and the authors. If a manuscript is selected for publication in the Journal, a signed document may be requested from each author that includes the appropriate copyright statement as well as authorship, acknowledgments, and conflict of interest statements. doi: 10.1331/JAPhA.2015.15501 References 1. International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Recommendations for the conduct, reporting, editing and publication of scholarly work in medical journals (ICMJE Recommendations, formerly the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts). www.icmje.org. Accessed January 2, 2015. 2. Chicago manual of style. 16th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press; 2010. 3. American Medical Association manual of style: a guide for authors and editors. http//www.amamanualofstyle.com. Accessed January 2, 2015. 4. Stedman’s medical dictionary. http:// stedmansonline.com. Accessed January 2, 2015. 5. International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Recommendations for the conduct, reporting, editing, and publication of scholarly work in medical journals: roles and responsibilities of authors, contributors, reviewers, editors, publishers, and owners: author responsibilities—conflicts of interest. http://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/roles-and-responsibilities. Accessed January 2, 2015. 6. Draugalis JR, Coons SJ, Plaza CM. Best practices for survey research reports: a synopsis for authors and reviewers. Am J Pharm Educ. 2008;72(1):11. 7. Dillman DA. Mail and Internet surveys: the tailored design method. 2nd ed. (2007 update). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons; 2007. 8. Salant P, Dillman DA. How to conduct your own survey. New York: John Wiley & Sons; 1994.
Journal of the American Pharmacists Association
Journal of the American Pharmacists Association guidelines for authors The Journal of the American Pharmacists Association (JAPhA) welcomes original research, experience, and opinion articles that concisely report meaningful developments and advances in the drug use process and pharmacy practice. Articles may introduce new information about improving pharmacists’ patient care services, medication use, and health outcomes. Also of interest are articles on new medications and emerging therapeutic trends, new technologies, and research methods with applicability to pharmacy practice. JAPhA will only consider articles that have not been previously published, are not accepted for publication, and are not currently under consideration by other publications. These guidelines serve to maintain and improve the quality of the Journal. Questions regarding these guidelines or inquiries can be directed to the JAPhA editorial team.
Preparing the manuscript Before submission, articles should be reviewed for accuracy, clarity, and completeness. JAPhA will consider papers prepared in accordance with the Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals.1 For current recommendations, refer to the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors webpage, available at www. icmje.org. Submitting files that do not meet the requirements detailed below may result in immediate rejection. For guidance in manuscript preparation, refer to the Chicago Manual of Style, 16th ed.2; the American Medical Association Manual of Style, 10th ed.3; and Stedman’s Medical Dictionary, 28th ed.4 All accepted manuscripts are edited to conform to JAPhA style. JAPhA articles must be submitted in a single word-processing file as follows (additional detail is provided in the subsequent text): ❚❚ Title page (include word counts; see Table 1) ❚❚ Abstract ❚❚ Key points ❚❚ Article text ❚❚ References Tables and figures for all categories of submission should be uploaded as separate files.
Table 2 contains a useful compilation of reporting guidelines on how to report research studies.
Title page Specific information contained in the title page should include names of authors; corresponding degree abbreviations; job titles; current and past affiliations at the time of the manuscript and/ or project completion; funding support (financial or material); previous presentations of the work (e.g., professional meetings); and any present conflicts of interest. Conflicts of interest may include but are not limited to involvement in peer-reviewed publication and personal or financial interests that may bias the writing. Financial interests consist of grants, employment, gifts, stock holdings, honoraria, consultancies, expert testimonies, patents, and/or royalties. Potential conflicts of interest must be clearly stated. For guidance on conflicts of interest, authors are referred to the website of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors.5 Correspondence-related information should be provided for one author and should include current mail and e-mail addresses. Word counts for the abstract and the manuscript should be specified on the title page. These counts allow editors and reviewers to determine whether the information in the submission warrants the amount of space required and if the submitted manuscript fits within the word limits. Table 1 provides detailed information on word count criteria for each section.
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Abstracts Abstracts are limited to 300 words total. Specific subheadings are required in the abstract depending on the section of manuscript submitted (Table 1); if one does not apply, include it and write “not applicable” for that subsection. Abstracts are required with the exception of submissions to the Departments category (i.e., Letters and Viewpoints).
Key points For manuscripts in the Research, Reviews, Tools for Advancing Pharmacy Practice, Experience, and Commentary sections, authors are required to prepare key points in a bulleted format that describe the article’s relevance and contribution to the literature. These are presented as Background and Findings. Two or three key points in each of these categories should be provided that provides the context for the article (what is already known on the topic, other relevant background) and what the manuscript findings adds to existing knowledge on the topic (i.e., relevance).
Article title Article titles are subject to editing by Journal staff after articles are accepted. Although longer titles may sometimes be allowed, authors should make an effort to restrict titles to no more than 95 characters and spaces (approximately 12 words) in length. In addition, use of acronyms in titles should be avoided whenever possible.
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Table 1. Description of and requirements for submission to Journal sections Journal sections Descriptiona Research Hypothesis-driven and generalizable studies with sufficient power to show statistical significance that are based on scientific method and scholarly investigations Research Notes Concise but complete accounts of preliminary or focused original research
Word countsb,c,d 5,000 words plus up to 5 tables/ figures 2,500 words and up to 2 tables/ figures
Systematically driven, comprehensive, and reproducible summaries of current research in primary pharmacy and biomedical literature on clinical, administrative, legal, humanistic, or economic topics; may be evaluated quantitatively (e.g., meta-analysis) or qualitatively based on objective criteria (see reference 13)
5,000 words plus up to 5 tables/ figures (inclusion of a flowchart showing search strategies and study selection is encouraged)
Tools for Advancing Information about experience with emerging Pharmacy Practicee methods, measures, instruments, theories, or frameworks; analysis of “tools” that pharmacists can use in daily practice or for practicebased research; emphasis is on adaptations of research and novel ideas that can be developed into useful tools for pharmacy practice or practice-based research Experience Experientially based descriptions of innovations in pharmacy practice (e.g., clinical case reports, care systems, or administrative idea) or other topics considered germane to advances in pharmacy practice; may report experience in a single pharmacy location or care site; should describe in sufficient detail how to develop and evaluate the innovative practice in such a way that another pharmacist could implement it Commentary Informed (supported by referenced citations) personal opinions about events, trends, and/or developments in pharmacy or health care Viewpointf Brief, informed (supported by referenced citations) personal opinions about events, trends, and/or developments in pharmacy or health care Lettersf A forum for APhA members and other readers of JAPhA to discuss current events in pharmacy and health care and comment on material previously published in this Journal
5,000 words plus up to 5 tables/ figures
Reviews
Text subheadings Required: Introduction, Objectives, Methods, Results, Discussion, Limitations, Conclusion Required: Introduction, Objective(s), Methods, Results, Discussion, Limitations, and Conclusion Suggested: Introduction, Objectives, Methods (subheadings may include Search strategy [search terms, databases], Study selection [selection criteria], Data extraction [how selected studies were reviewed]), Results, Discussion, Limitations, Conclusion Suggested: Objectives, Setting, Practice description, Practice innovation, Interventions, Evaluation (impact of innovation), Results, and Conclusion
3,500 words plus Suggested: Objectives, Setting, Practice description, up to 5 tables/ Practice innovation, Evalufigures ation (impact of innovation), Results, Discussion, Conclusion
Abstract subheadingse Objectives, Design, Setting, Patients or Participants, Intervention, Main outcome measures, Results, and Conclusion Objectives, Methods, Results, and Conclusion Objectives, Data sources, Study selection, Data extraction, Results, and Conclusion
Objectives, Setting, Practice description, Practice innovation, Interventions, Evaluation (impact of innovation), Results, and Conclusion
Objectives, Setting, Practice description, Practice innovation, Evaluation, Results, and Conclusion
2,000 words plus up to 2 tables/ figures 750 words plus 1 brief table/figure
Suggested: Objectives; Data sources (if applicable); Summary; Conclusion Not applicable
Objectives, Data sources (if applicable), Summary, and Conclusion Not applicable
250 words plus 1 brief table/figure
Not applicable
Not applicable
Journal articles should link science with pharmacy practice in these general content areas: pharmacists’ patient care services, medication use, pharmacy services, health outcomes, new medications, emerging therapeutic trends, new technologies in health care, and research methods with applicability to pharmacy practice. Other content areas relevant to pharmacy practice will be considered. b Care should be taken by the author to include sufficient methodological information to evaluate the quality of the research. c As applicable, the word count includes the title page, abstract, article relevance and contribution to literature, text, and references. Survey instruments, data sets, and data-heavy tables not necessary for interpretation of study results should be included in the submission and cited in the text as online-only supplemental content (e.g., “the survey instrument is in Appendix 1, available on JAPhA.org as supplemental content”). d The specified number is the sum of the number of tables plus the number of figures. A table is a series of columns and rows displaying numeric and/or textual information; it is usually provided in a Word file and is edited to and displayed in JAPhA style. A figure is an image that is reproduced largely without change; it is usually accompanies by a caption informing the reader of what is in the image. The images may be column, bar, pie or other displays of numeric data or photographic displays in the form of a JPEG, TIFF, or PNG file. e Submissions to this section are handled by Contributing Editors David A. Mott, PhD; Jean V. (Kelly) Goode, PharmD; and Jon C. Schommer, PhD, under the guidance of Editor-inChief Andy Stergachis and Executive Editor L. Michael Posey. f Unsolicited contributions to other JAPhA departments (i.e., Association Report, Vaccine Update, New Drugs, and Science Updates) are not accepted as these are written and/or coordinated by Journal Contributing Editors. a
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Table 2. Guidelines for reporting research
Research method Qualitative research: Interviews and focus groups Randomized controlled trial Observational research Survey
Systematic review: Quantitative research and meta-analyses Systematic review: Qualitative research
Recommendations and requirements Requirement: Use the COREQ Checklist published through the Equator Network and available at: http://www.equator-network.org/ (Accessed Fall 2014) Requirement: Use the CONSORT Checklist published through the Equator Network and available at: http://www.equator-network.org/ (Accessed Fall 2014) Requirement: Use the appropriate STROBE Checklist published through the Equator Network and available at: http://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/strobe/ Requirements: Include survey instrument. Typically published as an online-only appendix. Submissions describing surveys without instruments will be rejected immediately. Statement of sampling frame and sample selection methods/target population (see reference 6]) Detailed description of methods including survey development with evidence for reliability and validity Citation of limitations (e.g., quota sample is not a random sample; biases; small sample size) Characterization of respondents and non-respondents Address nonresponse bias potential with response rates less than 60% (see references 6–8) Recommendation: Use Dillman’s Mail and Internet Surveys: The Tailored Design Method (reference 7) and Salant and Dillman’s How to Conduct Your Own Survey (reference 8) Requirement: Use the PRISMA Checklist published through the Equator Network and available at: http://www.equator-network.org/ Requirement: Use the ENTREQ Checklist published through the Equator Network and available at: http://www.equator-network.org/
Article text Headings are used by JAPhA to introduce an article’s main sections, as represented in the headings described in Table 1. Within the text of an article, medications should be referred to by generic names. For single-source products or to identify a specific product, place the brand name followed by the manufacturer in parentheses following the generic name: generic name (brand name—manufacturer). Use of trademark symbols is not allowed. Brand names are not included for multisource drugs unless a specify product is being discussed (e.g., the brand used in a case report). Articles involving human participants are required to state within the article text that approval or exemption has been granted by an institutional review board (IRB) or similar body. Articles not containing this statement will be not be considered for peer review until IRB status is determined. If IRB review information cannot be provided or is refused, the article will be rejected. If a waiver or modification of consent was previously granted by an IRB, briefly describe in the text the rationale for the modification.
Clinical trials of therapeutic interventions must provide evidence of registration by providing the name of the trial registry, registration number, and URL of the registry.
Footnotes and references All statements of fact in JAPhA articles from other sources should be acknowledged through the use of footnotes and references. Nonpeer-reviewed publications, nonauthoritative websites, and written personal communication should be denoted as footnotes. Oral personal communications are not acceptable. Use lowercase letters (i.e., a, b, c, etc.) as superscripts to denote the use of a footnote within text and place the text for footnotes immediately after the Conclusion section. Personal communications may be included parenthetically in the text with the date of communication (month, year). If the source is in the peer-reviewed literature (published or accepted for publication) or from other authoritative entities (e.g., reports of expert working groups or governmental agencies), these should be cited in the text as references using superscript sequential integers and
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placed in a reference list after the Conclusion section and the text of any footnotes. JAPhA style for references is based on the format of the National Library of Medicine, with these considerations: ❚❚ ❚❚
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Journal and book names should not be italicized. Journal title names should be abbreviated using the system of the National Library of Medicine. The system is explained online at http://www.nlm.nih. gov/pubs/factsheets/constructitle.html. Only the first letter of the first word of a book name or article title should be capitalized. If a cited work has one to four authors (or editors), all names should be listed. If an article has five or more authors (or editors), list the first three followed by the words “et al.” For journals paginated by volume, issue numbers may be included but are not required [e.g., J Am Pharm Assoc. 2015;55(1)]. Issue dates (e.g,., “2015(Jan/ Feb)”) should not be included.
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No spaces are placed between the year, volume, and issue numbers. Use beginning and ending page numbers with all digits displayed (e.g., 1455–1459, not 1455–9). All references must be cited in the text and numbered sequentially in order of use. References that are listed but not cited will be deleted. For references to online material, include a URL with all elements (e.g., include http:// or https:// as appropriate). Use a persistent URL when one is available. Examples of appropriately referenced styles include the following: ❙ Journal article. Witry MJ, Doucette WR. Community pharmacists, medication monitoring, and the routine nature of refills. J Am Pharm Assoc. 2014;54(6):594–603. ❙ Book (if applicable, cite specific chapter or pages used). El-Ibiary SY, Raney EC. In: Krinsky DL, Ferreri SP, Hemstreet BA, et al. (eds). Handbook of nonprescription drugs: an interactive approach to self-care. 18th ed. Washington, DC: American Pharmacists Association; 2015:151–167. ❙ Newspaper/news magazine article. Bonner L. Pharmacists key to novel coordinated care model. Pharm Today. 2014;20(12):48. ❙ Web-published article. Yap D. Pharmacists and chronic disease highlight by CDC’s Hall. http:// www.pharmacist.com/ node/835944. Accessed December 20, 2014. ❙ Website or webpage. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Vaccines & immunizations. http://www. cdc.gov/vaccines. Accessed December 11, 2014.
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Tables and figures The number of accepted tables and figures varies by category of article submission. Please refer to Table 1 for specific criteria. Tables and figures should be uploaded as separate files to JAPhA’s Scholar One website (see Web-based manuscript submission). For figure or table titles, numbers in integers should appear in the same order as in the body of text. Tables. Tables must be created using the “Insert Table” command in Word. Tabs or spaces to create tables, columns, or rows or to indicate indentation should not be used. Images of tables (as opposed to the original table) embedded within a Word file will not be accepted for consideration as a table. Authors must consecutively number and cite appearance of tables within the body of text. Careful consideration should be taken to ensure that tables do not merely repeat information included in the text. Only the most important data or highlights should be provided in table format. Authors must consider whether a table stands alone. The table itself should contain all information needed to convey the intended meaning without need for the reader to refer to the text. This should include careful consideration that all acronyms and/or abbreviations used within the table are defined in a footnote below the table. For math and calculations displayed in table format, math totals must be correct. For ease of interpretation of the table appearing with column headings, these headings should be appropriately labeled. Figures. Similar to submission of tables, figures must be submitted in a format compatible with current JAPhA typesetting systems. Figures should not be embedded in a Word document. Specifically, charts and graphs should be submitted in their native, editable format (usually Excel, Word, or PowerPoint). Submission in this format allows Journal editors and staff to perform basic ja p h a.org
house-style edits, such as changing fonts in label axes. To accomplish this, Journal editors and staff must be able to “click” into figure files to edit the file to conform to house standards. Photographs or illustrations submitted as figures should be provided in PNG, TIFF, or JPEG formats in 300 dots per square inch (dpi) for color images or 600 dpi for black-and-white images. Consider the use of supplemental files that are made available by the Journal online only for certain photographs, illustrations, and complex tables and figures.
Journal sections
Manuscripts are considered for six peer-reviewed sections within the Science & Practice section of JAPhA (Table 1). Following completion of peer review, articles may be pursued and accepted as either print or online publications. Abstracts of online-only articles are provided in the print edition’s JAPhA stat! department. A summary of the sections of JAPhA and corresponding requirements is shown in Table 1.
Web-based manuscript submission The Journal has a Web-based manuscript submission and author communication system (ScholarOne Manuscripts; located online at https://mc.manuscriptcentral. com/japha). This system prompts authors to enter required information in a standardized way to increase the consistency of information available during peer review. A help center for the site has answers to frequently asked questions and an author guide; it is accessed by clicking on “Help” in the upper right corner of the site. All submissions must be made through this website. The ScholarOne Manuscripts system allows the manuscript submission package to be created gradually during multiple visits. Authors should access the site early in
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the writing process to register in the Author Center and become familiar with the way that information is requested. Authors receive information about manuscripts by accessing the website at any time as the submission moves through the staff review, peer review, and decisionmaking steps.
Peer review process All manuscripts are initially screened by the editor and/or associate editors in a staff review process for overall originality, quality, utility, value, and relevance to the scope of the Journal. Authors of manuscripts that are not selected for peer review are generally notified of this decision within 4 weeks after submission. JAPhA uses a partially open peer review process in which the identities of authors are disclosed but reviewers’ identities are masked. Although not required, authors may request that a certain editor handle the paper, provide names of reviewers knowledgeable in the subject area, and request that specific reviewers be chosen or not chosen for a particular paper. After critiques are received from multiple reviewers, the corresponding editor considers these reviews in reaching an initial decision to accept, request minor or major revisions, reject, reject and resubmit, or obtain additional reviews.
Scientific ethics policy An alleged violation of any of the basic rules of scientific ethics, in accord with the procedures set forth in the American Medical Association Manual of Style (10th ed.), will be investigated confidentially. If the violation is deemed sufficiently serious, the editor will request a written explanation from the authors. If an explanation is not provided by the authors, or the explanation is unsatisfactory, such that the Journal’s editor and as-
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sociate editors believe that the evidence clearly shows that scientific misconduct occurred, the editor will promptly reject the manuscript or proceed to retract a published manuscript. In addition, the editor reserves the right to notify the authors’ institution of the violation of the Journal’s scientific ethics policy. The editor also reserves the option to request that the authors’ institution initiate a formal investigation into the alleged violation of scientific ethics and to report back to the Journal in a timely manner. If the formal institutional investigation confirms scientific misconduct, the editor will promptly reject a pending manuscript or proceed to retract a published manuscript. Further, the JAPhA editor reserves the right to impose punitive actions (e.g., ban on publishing in the Journal) on authors proven to have violated any of the basic rules of scientific ethics.
Copyright transfer When a paper is submitted to JAPhA, one of the following statements must be included by the corresponding author on behalf of the author team: ❚❚
In consideration of the American Pharmacists Association’s (APhA’s) reviewing and editing of this submission, the author(s) undersigned hereby transfer(s), assign(s), or otherwise convey(s) all copyright ownership to APhA in the event that this work is published by APhA. ❚❚ I was an employee of the United States government when this work was investigated and prepared for publication; it is therefore not protected by the Copyright Act and there is no copyright that can be transferred. Copyrighted material taken from other sources must be accompanied by evidence that permission
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to use the material has been obtained from the publisher and the authors. If a manuscript is selected for publication in the Journal, a signed document may be requested from each author that includes the appropriate copyright statement as well as authorship, acknowledgments, and conflict of interest statements. doi: 10.1331/JAPhA.2015.15501 References 1. International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Recommendations for the conduct, reporting, editing and publication of scholarly work in medical journals (ICMJE Recommendations, formerly the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts). www.icmje.org. Accessed January 2, 2015. 2. Chicago manual of style. 16th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press; 2010. 3. American Medical Association manual of style: a guide for authors and editors. http//www.amamanualofstyle.com. Accessed January 2, 2015. 4. Stedman’s medical dictionary. http:// stedmansonline.com. Accessed January 2, 2015. 5. International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Recommendations for the conduct, reporting, editing, and publication of scholarly work in medical journals: roles and responsibilities of authors, contributors, reviewers, editors, publishers, and owners: author responsibilities—conflicts of interest. http://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/roles-and-responsibilities. Accessed January 2, 2015. 6. Draugalis JR, Coons SJ, Plaza CM. Best practices for survey research reports: a synopsis for authors and reviewers. Am J Pharm Educ. 2008;72(1):11. 7. Dillman DA. Mail and Internet surveys: the tailored design method. 2nd ed. (2007 update). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons; 2007. 8. Salant P, Dillman DA. How to conduct your own survey. New York: John Wiley & Sons; 1994.
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