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Guide for Authors
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Donald E Stull, PhD
Health Outcomes Research in Medicine
United BioSource Corporation
20 Bloomsbury Square
London WC1A 2NS
MANAGING EDITOR
David Newcombe
Stellar
Medical Publications
20 North Street-Unit 1
Plymouth, MA 02360
Tel: 508-732-6767 ext. 11
Fax: 508-732-6766
dnewcombe@stellarmed.com
PUBLISHER
Elsevier Inc.
360 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10010-1710 USA
Pamela M. Poppalardo
Publishing
Director
Voice: 212-633-3911
Fax: 212-633-3913
Cell: 201-755-5957
p.poppalardo@elsevier.com
Editorial Policies
General Information
Health Outcomes Research in Medicine (HRIM) publishes Original
Research Articles, systematic reviews and meta-analyses, examples of putting research into practice, research methods didactics,
comparative effectiveness studies, health policy papers, letters to the editor, editorials, and commentaries. There will be periodic
supplements on special topics. Contributors are welcome to submit suggestions for supplements. Invited Commentaries, Special Articles, Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs, Inc. (AMSPDC) commentaries, Insights, Letters to the Editor,
and Supplements.
Duplicate/Prior/Overlapping Publication or Submission
Manuscripts are accepted for review with
the stipulation that they are submitted solely to HRIM. The Journal will not consider for review manuscripts that have
been published elsewhere, even if in another language, manuscripts that are being considered by another publication, are in press, or
will be published or submitted elsewhere. Although poster presentations and abstracts are not considered duplicate publication, they
should be stated in the initial letter of submission.
If any part of a manuscript by the same author(s) contains any information that
was previously published, is in press, or is under consideration by another publication, a reprint of the previous article or a copy
of the other manuscript must be submitted to the Editor at the point of submission, with a justification or explanation by the authors
of any potential overlap or duplication.
The Editors are disinclined to publish more than one paper arising from the study of the
same patient population. Please combine papers from the same study whenever possible. If you are unable to combine the papers, a reprint
of the other article(s) or a copy of the other manuscript(s) must be submitted to the Editor at the point of submission, with a justification
or explanation by the authors as to why the papers could not be combined.
If the Editor is made aware of such overlapping or duplicate
manuscripts that have not been disclosed by the authors, a written explanation will be requested. If, in the judgment of the Editor,
the explanation is inadequate, the submission will be rejected. If there is no disclosure, an appropriate official of the primary author's
academic institution may be notified.
Authorship Criteria
As a condition of authorship, all authors must have seen and
approved the submission of the manuscript and be willing to take responsibility for the entire manuscript. Multi-authored manuscripts
must have a declaration of each author's contributions in the letter of submission. If there are concerns about how all persons listed
as authors meet the criteria for authorship according to the "Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals:
Writing and Editing for Biomedical Publication" available at www.icmje.org,
we will request further information from the corresponding author and, if necessary, request written documentation of each person's work
on the report. The names, along with any conflicts of interest, funding sources, and industry-relation, of persons who have contributed
substantially to a study but who do not fulfill the criteria for authorship are to be listed in the Acknowledgment section of HRIM. This
section should include individuals who provided any writing, editorial, statistical assistance, etc.
If the byline includes the
name of a study group, a list of all members of the study group must be provided and would be published in the online version of The
Journal. All authors of a submitted manuscript must sign a form declaring that they meet the criteria for authorship according to www.icmje.org, approve the most recent submitted version of the manuscript, and take full responsibility for the manuscript. This form will be sent
to the corresponding author when the Editors reach a decision that the manuscript may be potentially publishable. An explanation for
adding, removing, or changing the order of an author(s) must be provided with direct verification from the added/removed author(s).
Ethical
Approval of Studies and Informed Consent
Research manuscripts must include a statement in the Methods section that ethical approval
for human research was received from the appropriate independent review board (IRB) and/or meets the Helsinki Declaration. If this study
was not approved by the appropriate IRB, include a statement as to why it was exempt.
Manuscripts describing research involving human
subjects should indicate that written informed consent was obtained from the parents or guardians of the children who served as subjects
of the investigation and, when appropriate, from the subjects themselves. In the event that either the Editors or the reviewers question
the propriety of the human investigation with respect to the risk to the subjects or to the means by which informed consent was obtained,
HRIM may request more detailed information about the safeguards employed and the procedures used to obtain informed consent. Copies of
the minutes of the committees that reviewed and approved the research also may be requested. Authors should verify compliance with the
Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) prior to submission.
Clinical Trials Registration
Although currently not required for submission or publication, the Editors encourage registration of clinical trials in an appropriate
registry. Provide the site of the registry and the registration number in the letter of submission and on the title page; this information
may be published. Please see the guidelines for registering clinical trials at http://www.icmje.org/#clin_trials.
Conflict
of Interest/Disclosure Policy
According to the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME) (http://www.wame.org/resources/publication-ethics-policies-for-medical-journals#conflicts ):
"...a conflict of interest (competing interest) is some fact known to a participant in the publication process that if revealed
later, would make a reasonable reader feel misled or deceived (or an author, reviewer, or editor feel defensive). Conflicts of interest
may influence the judgment of authors, reviewers, and editors; these conflicts often are not immediately apparent to others. They may
be personal, commercial, political, academic, or financial. Financial interests may include employment, research funding (received or
pending), stock or share ownership, patents, payment for lectures or travel, consultancies, nonfinancial support, or any fiduciary interest
in the company. The perception of a conflict of interest is nearly as important as an actual conflict, since both erode trust."
Authors are required to disclose on the title page of the initial manuscript any potential, perceived, or real conflict of interest.
Authors must describe the role of the study sponsor(s), if any, in 1) study design; 2) the collection, analysis, and interpretation of
data; 3) the writing of the report; and 4) the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. Authors should include statements even
when the sponsor had no involvement in the above matters. Authors should also state who wrote the first draft of the manuscript and whether
an honorarium, grant, or other form of payment was given to anyone to produce the manuscript. If the manuscript is accepted for publication,
the disclosure statements may be published.
Preparation of Manuscripts
General Information
Manuscripts are
to be submitted via the Elsevier Editorial System (EES), the electronic submission website at http://ees.elsevier.com/horm.
Authors should review carefully the Authors' Tutorial for the system at http://ees.elsevier.com/eeshelp/EES_Author_Tutorial.html.
Manuscripts must adhere to standard layout and length guidelines, outlined below. After submission, the corresponding author can log
onto EES to view the status of the manuscript. All accepted manuscripts are subject to editorial revision and shortening. Authors should
avoid redundancy between sections of text and between illustrations and text.
Letter of Submission
A letter of submission
must accompany all submissions and provide the following information in accordance with the "Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted
to Biomedical Journals: Writing and Editing for Biomedical Publication" available at http://www.icmje.org :
- Disclosure
of any prior publications or submissions with any overlapping information including Methods; a copy of the work(s) must be provided;
or a statement that there are no prior publications or submissions with any overlapping information;
- A statement that the
work is not and will not be submitted to any other journal while under consideration by Health Outcomes Research in Medicine;
- A statement of any potential conflict of interest, real or perceived, the role of the study sponsor, and additional disclosures,
if any; this must also appear on the title page;
- A statement that each author listed on the manuscript has seen and approved
the submission of this version of the manuscript and takes full responsibility for the manuscript; if more than 6 authors, an explanation
of the contributions of each author must be provided.
Potential Reviewers
To assist with a prompt, fair review
process, authors should provide in the letter of submission the names, complete addresses, fax numbers, and e-mail addresses
of 3 to 4 potential reviewers who have the appropriate expertise to evaluate the manuscript. Failure to provide 3 to 4 potential reviewers
may result in delays in the processing of your manuscript. Authors may also provide the names of persons who should not be asked to
review the manuscript. Ultimately, the Editors reserve the right to choose reviewers.
Title Page
The title page should
include authors' full names and highest academic degrees; departmental and institutional affiliations of each author; and sources of
financial assistance or potential conflicts of interest, if any (see Conflicts of Interest/Disclosure Policy). Listed authors
should include only those individuals who have made a significant, creative contribution to the manuscript as defined by the International
Committee of Medical Journal Editors (www.icmje.org); a list of more than 6
authors must be justified to the Editors in the letter of submission. One author must be designated as the correspondent, with complete
address, business telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address. The corresponding author is responsible for communicating with the
Editorial Office and all other co-authors. Proofs and order forms for reprints will be sent to the corresponding author if the manuscript
is published. Include a list of key words not in the title. Trade names of drugs and other products must not appear in the article title.
Drug Nomenclature
Drugs should be described in both the United States Adopted Name (USAN) and International Nonproprietary
Name (INN) nomenclature. At first usage (once in the Abstract and once in the Methods section), cite the USAN, with the INN and manufacturer
name in parentheses; subsequent appearances should use the USAN only. Trade names of drugs and other products must not appear in the
article title. The trade name may appear once in the abstract and once in the introduction or methods section; all other mention of the
product must be in the form of the generic name.
Laboratory Values
Laboratory values should be described in metric mass
units. The International System of Units (SI units) can be provided in parentheses immediately after metric units. Conversion tables
are available (see JAMA 1986; 255:2329-39 or Ann Intern Med 1987; 106:114-29).
References
References must be numbered
according to order of appearance in the text and use superscript or parenthesized numbers in the text. For reference style, follow the
format set forth in "Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals" (http://www.icmje.org/ ) and
the National Library of Medicine of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/bsd/uniform_requirements.html
).
Tables
Tables are to be uploaded into EES as separate files, formatted in .doc or .xls. A concise title should be
supplied for each. Tables should be self-explanatory and should supplement, not duplicate, the text. If a table or any data therein have
been previously published, a footnote must give full credit to the original source. (See Permissions)
Figure Legends
Each illustration must be provided with a legend. Legends should be double-spaced on a separate page within the main document file following
the references page. If an illustration has been previously published, the legend must give full credit to the original source. (See Permissions)
Illustrations
A reasonable number of black-and-white illustrations will be reproduced at no cost to
the authors, but the Editors retain the right to edit or delete illustrations and tables for the sake of brevity (See Article Type).
Figure legends must be separate from the figures. (See Figure Legends) Each figure must be uploaded into EES as a separate file.
All illustrations must be clear and legible. Patterns or shadings must be distinguishable from each other and dark enough for reproduction.
Lines, symbols, and letters must be smooth and complete. Illustrations may be original drawings in black ink with typographic lettering;
typewritten or freehand lettering is unacceptable.
Color illustrations are acceptable. Note that the colors must be of sufficient
contrast for viewing on color monitors/screens. If the Editors determine that color illustrations will be clear in black and white,
the illustrations may be published online in black.
All images should be at least 5 inches wide. Images may be provided in a variety
of formats, preferably .tif, .eps, or .jpg. Line art (black lines on a white background) must be created at 1000 dpi. Combination line
art (e.g. line art with gray fill patterns) must be created at 1200 dpi. Black and white or color photographs must be created at 300
dpi. For complete instructions, please go to http://ees.elsevier.com/horm/ and click on
Artwork Guidelines
.
If you are unable to upload illustrations into EES, please go to http://ees.elsevier.com/horm/ and click on
Help
to contact EES Technical Support.
Multi-Media Files
In addition, short movie, animation, or audio files can be published
in the online version of The Journal; a reference to the electronic material would appear in the print version. Each file should
be uploaded into EES as an "e-component." For specifications for these types of files, please go to http://ees.elsevier.com/horm/
and click on
Artwork Guidelines
.
Permissions
Direct quotations, tables, or illustrations, even if modified,
that have appeared in copyrighted material must be accompanied by written permission for their use from the copyright owner and original
authors along with complete information as to source. For further information on how to obtain permission, please go to www.elsevier.com/permissions and follow the instructions.
Written permission from the patient, or parent or guardian of a minor child, is
required for publication of photographs or other images that include the upper portion of the face; black bars over the eyes are not
sufficient. Patient initials should not be used anywhere in the text, tables, or figures.
Abbreviations
Complex terms
used frequently in the manuscript may be abbreviated. Abbreviations are placed in parentheses at first use in the abstract and again
at first use in the text. The manuscript should include a list of all abbreviations used.
Article Types
Original
Articles
Full-length manuscripts for the Original Articles section of Health Outcomes Research in Medicine must include
a structured abstract of ?250 words, to appear after the title page, in the general outline described by the Ad Hoc Working Group
for Critical Appraisal of the Medical Literature (Ann Intern Med 1987; 106:598-604 and 1990; 113:69-76). The abstract must contain the
following headings: Objective(s), Study design, Results, and Conclusion(s). The objective(s) reflects the purpose of the study, that
is, the hypothesis that is being tested. The study design should include the type of study, the setting for the study, the subjects (number
and type), the treatment or intervention, principal outcomes measured, and the type of statistical analysis. The results section should
include the outcome of the study and statistical significance if appropriate. The conclusion(s) states the significance and relevance
of the results to clinical practice and health care.
Original research articles should not exceed 6 published pages (about 18 double-spaced
manuscript pages, including the title page, references, figures, and tables). Failure to comply with length restrictions may result in
a delay in the processing of your paper. The following length targets are recommended for Original Articles:
Structured Abstract: ?250 words
Introduction: 1 page
Methods: 2-3 pages
Results: 2-3 pages
Discussion: 3-5 pages
Graphics: 4 Tables
+ Figures total for OA
References: 30
Letters to the Editor
Letters to the Editor should pertain to papers published
in Health Outcomes Research in Medicine within the past year or to related topics and should not exceed 300 words. Provide a
unique title for the Letter on the title page with complete contact information for the author(s). Double-space the text of the Letter.
References, including reference to the pertinent article(s) in The Journal, should conform to style for manuscripts (see References).
Invited Commentaries
Commentaries are generally invited only. Authors who wish to propose a commentary should e-mail a proposal
letter and outline to the Editors for approval before submitting the full manuscript. Commentaries should serve as a forum for governmental
health policies, economic issues, medical/scientific ethics, psychosocial issues, and international health, particularly in the developed
world.
Methods Corner
Manuscripts presenting new statistical or research methodologies of relevance to health outcomes and clinical
research or comparative effectiveness and health policy should provide some non-technical discussion of the method, its relevance to
the readers of the journal, and how the method provides new insights to our understanding of health outcomes in medicine and
health care practice and policy. The Journal encourages authors to include any software syntax and corresponding data or matrices
to allow readers to conduct the analyses themselves as part of the didactics of this section.
Supplements
HRIM
publishes funded supplements after approval and review by the Editorial Office. Initial inquiries and proposals for supplements should
be directed to
- Brian Jenkins, Senior Supplements Editor
Elsevier Supplements Department
360 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10010
Tel: 212-462-1924
Fax: 212-462-1935
E-mail: b.jenkins@elsevier.com
Books
for Review
HRIM does not publish book reviews. Books sent to the Editor will not be returned.
Decisions
Authors will receive e-mail notification from the Editorial Office of HRIM after a decision has been made. All accepted manuscripts
are subject to editorial revision and shortening. Authors should avoid redundancy between sections of text and between illustrations
and text.
Inquiries Regarding Decisions
All inquiries concerning manuscript decisions should be in writing from the designated
corresponding author; please see contact information above. The complete manuscript file will be forwarded to the appropriate
Editor for response to the inquiry. The Editors are not available for telephone calls regarding decisions.
Release to Media/Embargo
Policy
It is a violation of the copyright agreement to disclose the findings of an accepted manuscript to the media or the public
before publication in HRIM. Information in the manuscript may be announced when it is published on The Journal's website.
Please notify the Editorial Office if your institution anticipates writing and distributing a press release regarding an accepted article.
Public Access Policy Mandate
As of April 7, 2008, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced a revision to its
Public Access Policy for accepted manuscripts receiving NIH funding. Please see Elsevier's NIH Policy Statement for details (http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/authors.authors/nihauthorrequest ). Additional funding body agreements and policies can be found at http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/authorsview.authors/fundingbodyagreements.
Checklist for Manuscripts
• Review Guide for Authors and instructions for submitting manuscripts through Elsevier
Editorial System (EES), the electronic submission website at http://ees.elsevier.com/horm
• Letter of submission
- o Names and complete contact information for 3-4 suggested reviewers
o Disclosure of any prior publications or submissions
with any overlapping information, including Methods; a copy of the work(s) must be provided -OR- A statement that there are no prior
publications or submissions with any overlapping information;
o A statement that the work is not and will not be submitted to any
other journal while under consideration by HRIM;
o A statement of any potential conflict of interest, real or perceived;
this includes a description of the role of the study sponsor(s), if any, in 1) study design; 2) the collection, analysis, and interpretation
of data; 3) the writing of the report; and 4) the decision to submit the paper for publication. Include statements even when the sponsor
had no involvement in the above matters. Also state who wrote the first draft of the manuscript and whether an honorarium, grant, or
other form of payment was given to anyone to produce the manuscript. This information must also appear on the title page;
o A statement
that each author listed on the manuscript has seen and approved the submission of this version of the manuscript and takes full responsibility
for the manuscript; if more than 6 authors, an explanation of the contributions of each author must be provided (See
Authorship
Contributions
).
• Title page
- o Title of article;
o Full name(s), academic degrees, and affiliations
of authors;
o Name, address, e-mail address, telephone and fax numbers of corresponding author;
o Name of corresponding author;
o List of key words not in the title;
o Source of funding and conflict of interest statement, if applicable.
•
Abstract (double-spaced), structured (?250 words) for Original Article
• Article proper (double-spaced), including
- o List of abbreviations (double-spaced)
o References (double-spaced), in a separate section following main
body of text
• Tables including title (double-spaced), each on a separate page, saved and uploaded as a separate
file
• Illustrations, each on a separate page, saved and uploaded as a separate file
• Letter(s) of permission
to reproduce previously published material in all forms and media-must be mailed or scanned and e-mailed
• Letters of permission
to publish patient photographs in all forms and media-must be mailed or scanned and e-mailed
• Copies of prior and/or
in press publications-if not uploaded, must be e-mailed, faxed, or mailed
Updated June 2009
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