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“Submission Checklist”
Types of articles
The Journal of Adolescent Health publishes the following types of articles. Word count limits apply only to the main body of the manuscript and do not include the title, references, or figure and table captions.
Original Articles
Original Articles are full-length scientific reports on the results of original research. Text is limited to 3500 words with a 250-word structured abstract, 5 tables/figures, and 40 references. Original articles should include a 50-word Implications and Contribution summary statement.
Adolescent Health Briefs
Adolescent Health Briefs are brief scientific reports of original research that represent preliminary findings, small samples, and newly described associations in unique populations. Briefs are limited to 1000 words, with a structured abstract of 150 words or less. A combined total of 2 figures and/or tables and a maximum of 20 references will be accepted. Briefs should include a 50-word Implications and Contribution summary statement.
Review Articles
Review Articles provide a high-quality summary of existing science in a specific area. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are preferred, though strong, evidence-based integrative will be considered for publication. All review articles are subject to a rigorous peer-review process. The format of the review article should include the introduction, review of the relevant literature, discussion, summary and implications section. Each review article must have a 200-word summary abstract. Review articles are limited to 4500 words, 5 tables/figures, and an unlimited number of references. Review articles should include a 50-word Implications and Contribution summary statement.
Clinical Case Reports
Case Reports represent rare and new observations in the clinical arena. Papers in this format are limited to 1000 words and should include an introduction, concise discussion of the clinical observation, and discussion. Clinical observations should include a 200-word summary abstract. A combined total of 1 figure, table, or illustration and 10 references will be accepted.
Letters to the Editor
Letters to the Editor typically represent correspondence regarding articles published in the Journal within the preceding 6 months. The author(s) of the article that is the subject of the correspondence will be invited to respond. Letters to the Editor may also be utilized to notify the Journal audience about reports, events, organizations, or other announcements that may be relevant to the international adolescent and young adult health community. Letters should not exceed 400 words. If appropriate, Letters can be accompanied with up to 5 references. This correspondence is published at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief and the Associate Editors.
Commentaries
Commentaries serve as a forum for thoughtful discussions of critical issues in adolescent and young adult health, placed within the context of the scientific literature. Topics may include changes in relevant healthcare training and guidelines, governmental health policies and reports, international health, medical/scientific ethics, and meeting reports. Commentaries should not exceed 1,000 words and 10 references. Commentaries are published at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief and the Associate Editors.
Editorials
Editorials are invited by the Editor-in-Chief and are linked to an original research article published in the same Journal issue. Editorials aim is to highlight important research findings and to place findings within a broader context for a wide audience. Editorials should not exceed 1,000 words and 20 references. Editorials are published at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief and the Associate Editors.
JAH Intersection
JAH Intersection Section is a platform for sharing creative and artistic work by young people, family and community members, and health professionals. JAH Intersection intends to deepen our insights into the health and well-being of adolescents and young adults that can augment scientific peer-reviewed research. JAH Intersection amplifies the intersection of childhood with adulthood, and art with science. Submitted work may take the form of written word (e.g., poetry, personal narratives), or images (e.g., photographs or two-dimensional artwork). Submissions from persons under the age of 18 years must be accompanied by written permission to submit from a legal guardian. If the submission involves a true patient story or image, the patient must be adequately de-identified or the author/artist must obtain the patient's written permission for publication and current contact information. This should be provided in a cover letter to the editorial team upon submission. Items accepted for publication in JAH Intersection Section may also be used by the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine for professional educational and awareness purposes, and the person who submitted the work will always be acknowledged. Submissions are reviewed and selected by the JAH Intersection Section Committee, and published at the discretion of The Intersection Section Editor(s), Editor-in-Chief, and Associate Editors.
The editorial process
Acceptance for review
Manuscripts submitted to the Journal of Adolescent Health are reviewed internally for interest and relevance. Approximately two thirds of all submitted manuscripts are returned to the authors following this internal review by the Editors; the remaining one-third are subjected to full peer-review. This decision is made quickly, within 10 days of submission.
Peer review and decision
Manuscripts accepted for peer review are sent to three external reviewers. Reviewers are anonymous; authors' names are revealed. The Journal's goal is to complete peer review and reach a decision within six weeks of submission.
Manuscripts will either be declined based on reviewer comments or referred back to the authors for revision.
Revisions requested
A Revise and Resubmit decision is an invitation to present a carefully revised draft for further peer review; it is not an acceptance.
Authors are asked to complete revisions within 30 days. If the authors do not respond within 30 days, the editors may decline to consider the revision. The editors reciprocate by providing a final decision quickly upon receipt of the revision.
Revised manuscripts should highlight changes to the text. Please include a response letter that describes how the authors have responded to each of the reviewer critiques. A response organized in a table format is preferred. The editors of the Journal of Graduate Medical Education have written an excellent guide to writing response letters.
Appeal process
Authors may appeal decisions. All appeals are reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief, on a case-by-case basis, or a designated Associate Editor if the Editor-in-Chief is recused from the review. This appeal must: (1) be submitted by the primary author in writing, (2) rebut the negative decision, and (3) be submitted within 30 days after the decision is rendered. Consideration of the appeal will be based on the appeal letter and the version of the manuscript that was peer reviewed. The decision of an appeal is final.
Acceptance for publication
All manuscripts accepted for publication will require a written assignment of the copyright from the author(s) to the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Elsevier Inc. will maintain all records of the copyright for the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. No part of the published material may be reproduced elsewhere without written permission from the publisher.
Authors will receive typeset galley proofs via e-mail from the Journal Manager at Elsevier. Proofs should arrive approximately four to six weeks following acceptance. It is the corresponding author's responsibility to carefully review typeset galley proofs for accuracy.
Articles Online First
The Journal of Adolescent Health publishes articles online ahead of print publication in the Articles Online First section of our web site. Articles are published online approximately six to eight weeks following the galley proofs. The online article is identical to the version subsequently published in the print journal and is citable by the digital object identifier (DOI) assigned at the time of online publication.
Fast-tracking for critical issues in adolescent health and medicine
Manuscripts accepted for a fast-track review will receive a two-week expedited review. The Journal will notify authors of the outcome of the review within three weeks of submission. If the review is favorable, fast-track authors will be asked to complete any necessary revisions within two weeks.
Upon acceptance, fast-track manuscripts are prioritized for publication and should appear in print within two months.
Fast tracking is a rare event intended for high-priority findings and should not be viewed simply as a mechanism for an expedited review. The article should be prepared in the same manner as an Original Article.
Release to media
Until the time of publication on the Journal of Adolescent Health's website, it is a violation of the copyright agreement to disclose the findings of an accepted manuscript to the media or the public. If you require an embargo date for your article, please contact the editorial office.
Supplements
The Journal of Adolescent Health publishes funded supplements containing peer-reviewed articles. Initial inquiries and proposals for supplements should be directed to the JAH Managing Editor, JAH Supplement Editor, and/or to Elsevier's Senior Supplements Editor:
Craig Smith
Elsevier Supplements Department
230 Park Avenue
Suite 800
New York, NY 10169-0901
Tel: (212) 462-1933
Fax: (212) 462-1935
E-mail: [email protected]
Contact details for submission
Editor
Carol A. Ford, M.D., Editor-in-Chief
Tor D. Berg, Managing Editor
Phone: 415-502-1373
E-mail: [email protected]
Editorial Office, Journal of Adolescent Health
University of California, San Francisco
Research and Policy Center for Childhood & Adolescence
3333 California Street, Suite 245
San Francisco, CA 94118-6210
Publisher
Luke Verrillo, Publisher
Phone: 215-239-3712
E-mail: [email protected]
Elsevier
1600 John F. Kennedy Blvd, Suite 1600
Philadelphia, PA 19103
http://www.jahonline.org/
https://www.editorialmanager.com/jah/default.aspx
Ethics in publishing
Please see our information on Ethics in publishing.
Human and animal rights
Studies of human subjects must document that approval was received from the appropriate institutional review board. When reporting experiments utilizing human subjects, it must be stated in writing, in the Methods section, that the Institution's Committee on Human Subjects or its equivalent has approved the protocol. Secondary data analyses require formal exemption from review by the Committee on Human Subjects or its equivalent. The protocol for obtaining informed consent should be briefly stated in the manuscript. The Editor-in-Chief may require additional information to clarify the safeguards about the procedures used to obtain informed consent. Within the United States, the authors should verify compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) prior to submission. When reporting experiments on animal subjects, it must be stated that the institution's animal care and use committee has approved the protocol.
Authors must immediately disclose to the Journal of Adolescent Health in writing the existence of any investigation or claim related to the manuscript with respect to the use of human or animal subjects that may be initiated by an institutional, regulatory, or official body at any time, including investigations or claims arising subsequent to manuscript submission, approval, or publication.
Conflict of interest
According to the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME):
"...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. All accepted manuscripts, commentaries, and letters to the editor will be published with a conflict of interest statement as a footnote on the first page of the article. If no conflict is reported, the footnote will state that no conflict has been reported. 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. See also https://www.elsevier.com/conflictsofinterest. Further information and an example of a Conflict of Interest form can be found at: https://service.elsevier.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/286/supporthub/publishing.
Declaration of generative AI in scientific writing
The below guidance only refers to the writing process, and not to the use of AI tools to analyse and draw insights from data as part of the research process.
Where authors use generative artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process, authors should only use these technologies to improve readability and language. Applying the technology should be done with human oversight and control, and authors should carefully review and edit the result, as AI can generate authoritative-sounding output that can be incorrect, incomplete or biased. AI and AI-assisted technologies should not be listed as an author or co-author, or be cited as an author. Authorship implies responsibilities and tasks that can only be attributed to and performed by humans, as outlined in Elsevier’s AI policy for authors.
Authors should disclose in their manuscript the use of AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process by following the instructions below. A statement will appear in the published work. Please note that authors are ultimately responsible and accountable for the contents of the work.
Disclosure instructions
Authors must disclose the use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process by adding a statement at the end of their manuscript in the core manuscript file, before the References list. The statement should be placed in a new section entitled ‘Declaration of Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process’.
Statement: During the preparation of this work the author(s) used [NAME TOOL / SERVICE] in order to [REASON]. After using this tool/service, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take(s) full responsibility for the content of the publication.
This declaration does not apply to the use of basic tools for checking grammar, spelling, references etc. If there is nothing to disclose, there is no need to add a statement.
Submission declaration
Submission of an article implies that the work described has not been published previously (except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture or academic thesis; poster and platform presentations and abstracts are not considered duplicate publications but should be noted in the manuscript's cover letter and Acknowledgements section of the manuscript); that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere; that its publication is approved by all authors and tacitly or explicitly by the responsible authorities where the work was carried out; and that, if accepted, it will not be published elsewhere including electronically in the same form, in English or in any other language, without the written consent of the copyright-holder.
If the submitted manuscript contains data that have been previously published in print or online, is in press, or is currently under review by another publication in any format, the authors are required to submit a reprint of the published article or a copy of the other manuscript to the Editor-in-Chief with a clarification of the overlap and a justification for consideration of the current submitted manuscript.
The editors encourage authors to report fully the complete findings of their studies. The editors recognize that large and longitudinal datasets often result in multiple publications both on different topics and on the same topics across the span of development. Therefore, it is the authors' strict responsibility both to notify the editors of the existence of multiple manuscripts arising from the same study and to cross-reference all those that are relevant.
Manuscripts accepted for peer review may be submitted to the iThenticate plagiarism checker. iThenticate compares a given manuscript to a broad range of published and in-press materials, returning a similarity report, which the editors will then examine for potential instances of plagiarism and self-plagiarism.
Failure to disclose multiple or duplicate manuscripts may result in censure by the relevant journals and written notification of the appropriate officials at the authors' academic institutions.
Use of inclusive language
Inclusive language acknowledges diversity, conveys respect to all people, is sensitive to differences, and promotes equal opportunities. Content should make no assumptions about the beliefs or commitments of any reader; contain nothing which might imply that one individual is superior to another on the grounds of age, gender, race, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, disability or health condition; and use inclusive language throughout. Authors should ensure that writing is free from bias, stereotypes, slang, reference to dominant culture and/or cultural assumptions. We advise to seek gender neutrality by using plural nouns ("clinicians, patients/clients") as default/wherever possible to avoid using "he, she," or "he/she." We recommend avoiding the use of descriptors that refer to personal attributes such as age, gender, race, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, disability or health condition unless they are relevant and valid. When coding terminology is used, we recommend to avoid offensive or exclusionary terms such as "master", "slave", "blacklist" and "whitelist". We suggest using alternatives that are more appropriate and (self-) explanatory such as "primary", "secondary", "blocklist" and "allowlist". These guidelines are meant as a point of reference to help identify appropriate language but are by no means exhaustive or definitive.
Reporting sex- and gender-based analyses
Reporting guidance
For research involving or pertaining to humans, animals or eukaryotic cells, investigators should integrate sex and gender-based analyses (SGBA) into their research design according to funder/sponsor requirements and best practices within a field. Authors should address the sex and/or gender dimensions of their research in their article. In cases where they cannot, they should discuss this as a limitation to their research's generalizability. Importantly, authors should explicitly state what definitions of sex and/or gender they are applying to enhance the precision, rigor and reproducibility of their research and to avoid ambiguity or conflation of terms and the constructs to which they refer (see Definitions section below). Authors can refer to the Sex and Gender Equity in Research (SAGER) guidelines and the SAGER guidelines checklist. These offer systematic approaches to the use and editorial review of sex and gender information in study design, data analysis, outcome reporting and research interpretation - however, please note there is no single, universally agreed-upon set of guidelines for defining sex and gender.
Definitions
Sex generally refers to a set of biological attributes that are associated with physical and physiological features (e.g., chromosomal genotype, hormonal levels, internal and external anatomy). A binary sex categorization (male/female) is usually designated at birth ("sex assigned at birth"), most often based solely on the visible external anatomy of a newborn. Gender generally refers to socially constructed roles, behaviors, and identities of women, men and gender-diverse people that occur in a historical and cultural context and may vary across societies and over time. Gender influences how people view themselves and each other, how they behave and interact and how power is distributed in society. Sex and gender are often incorrectly portrayed as binary (female/male or woman/man) and unchanging whereas these constructs actually exist along a spectrum and include additional sex categorizations and gender identities such as people who are intersex/have differences of sex development (DSD) or identify as non-binary. Moreover, the terms "sex" and "gender" can be ambiguous—thus it is important for authors to define the manner in which they are used. In addition to this definition guidance and the SAGER guidelines, the resources on this page offer further insight around sex and gender in research studies.
Changes to authorship
Authors are expected to consider carefully the list and order of authors before submitting their manuscript and provide the definitive list of authors at the time of the original submission. Any addition, deletion or rearrangement of author names in the authorship list should be made only before the manuscript has been accepted and only if approved by the journal Editor. To request such a change, the Editor must receive the following from the corresponding author: (a) the reason for the change in author list and (b) written confirmation (e-mail, letter) from all authors that they agree with the addition, removal or rearrangement. In the case of addition or removal of authors, this includes confirmation from the author being added or removed.
Only in exceptional circumstances will the Editor consider the addition, deletion or rearrangement of authors after the manuscript has been accepted. While the Editor considers the request, publication of the manuscript will be suspended. If the manuscript has already been published in an online issue, any requests approved by the Editor will result in a corrigendum.
Registration of clinical trials
Clinical trials are studies that prospectively assign human subjects to an intervention or comparison group to test cause-and-effect relationships. Assignments are generally, but not necessarily, randomized. Interventions include behavioral treatments, process-of-care changes, nutritional programs, surgical procedures, drug regimens, medical and other devices, and the like.
Authors reporting results of a clinical trial must affirm that the study has been registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov or another WHO-approved national or international registry prior to the enrollment of the first subject. A list of registries can be found at http://www.icmje.org/about-icmje/faqs/clinical-trials-registration/. The trial registration number must be listed on the title page of the manuscript submission packet.
Authors are strongly encouraged to include the CONSORT Flow Chart Diagram and a CONSORT Checklist (MSWord document) with their manuscript submission.
Copyright
Upon acceptance of an article, authors will be asked to complete a 'Journal Publishing Agreement' (see more information on this). An e-mail will be sent to the corresponding author confirming receipt of the manuscript together with a 'Journal Publishing Agreement' form or a link to the online version of this agreement.
Subscribers may reproduce tables of contents or prepare lists of articles including abstracts for internal circulation within their institutions. Permission of the Publisher is required for resale or distribution outside the institution and for all other derivative works, including compilations and translations. If excerpts from other copyrighted works are included, the author(s) must obtain written permission from the copyright owners and credit the source(s) in the article. Elsevier has preprinted forms for use by authors in these cases.
Author rights
As an author you (or your employer or institution) have certain rights to reuse your work. More information.
Elsevier supports responsible sharing
Find out how you can share your research published in Elsevier journals.
Role of the funding source
You are requested to identify who provided financial support for the conduct of the research and/or preparation of the article and to briefly describe the role of the sponsor(s), if any, in study design; in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; and in the decision to submit the article for publication. If the funding source(s) had no such involvement, it is recommended to state this.
Open access
Please visit our Open Access page for more information.
Language (usage and editing services)
Please write your text in good English (American or British usage is accepted, but not a mixture of these). Authors who feel their English language manuscript may require editing to eliminate possible grammatical or spelling errors and to conform to correct scientific English may wish to use the English Language Editing service available from Elsevier's Author Services.
Submission
Manuscript Preparation
General information
Submission to this journal proceeds totally online, and you will be guided stepwise through the creation and uploading of your files. The system automatically converts source files to a single PDF file of the article, which is used in the peer-review process. Please note that even though manuscript source files are converted to PDF files at submission for the review process, these source files are needed for further processing after acceptance. Please do not submit PDF documents as source files. All correspondence, including notification of the Editor's decision and requests for revision, takes place by e-mail, removing the need for a paper trail.
Manuscript documents must comply with layout and length requirements outlined below. All accepted manuscripts may be subject to editing and revision by the editors and their agents. Authors should take care to avoid redundancy within the text and between the tables, figures, and text. Due to page limitations, the editors may decide that figures, appendices, tables, acknowledgments, and other materials be published online only and referenced in the print edition of the Journal.
Online submission
Manuscripts must be submitted online via Editorial Manager (EM). To access EM, go to https://www.editorialmanager.com/jah/default.aspx and register as a new user. You will be guided stepwise through the creation and uploading of the various files and data. Once the uploading is done, the system automatically generates an electronic (PDF) proof, which is then used for reviewing. All correspondence regarding submitted manuscripts will be handled via e-mail through EM.
For the purposes of EM, a manuscript submission consists of a minimum of four distinct files: a Cover Letter, Manuscript, Title Page (with any Acknowledgments), and at least one Author Statement. EM accepts files from a broad range of word processing applications. Files should be set in 12-point double-spaced type. The manuscript file should follow the general instructions on style/arrangement, and, in particular, the reference style. Pages in the manuscript file should be numbered consecutively.
In addition, Tables and Figures should be included as separate and individual files.
If electronic submission is not possible, please contact Tor Berg, the Managing Editor, at [email protected], or by phone at 415-502-1373 or by mail at: Editorial Office, Journal of Adolescent Health, University of California, San Francisco, Research and Policy Center for Childhood and Adolescence, 3333 California Street, Suite 245, San Francisco, CA 94118.
Cover Letter
A Cover Letter must accompany all submissions. The Cover Letter should describe the manuscript's unique contribution 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, 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 the Journal of Adolescent Health;
• A statement of any potential conflict of interest, real or perceived, the role of the study sponsor, and additional disclosures, if any; potential conflicts must also appear on the Title Page
Submit your article
Referees
To assist with a prompt, fair review process, authors are asked to provide the names, institutional affiliations, and e-mail addresses of 5 potential reviewers who have the appropriate expertise to evaluate the manuscript. Failure to provide at least 3 potential reviewers may result in delays in the processing of your manuscript. Do not refer potential reviewers with whom you have a current or past personal or professional relationship. Do not recommend members of the Journal's editorial board. 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.
Proprietary products
Authors should use nonproprietary names of drugs or devices unless mention of a manufacturer is pertinent to the discussion. If a proprietary product is cited, the name and location of the manufacturer must also be included.
Use of word processing software
It is important that the file be saved in the native format of the word processor used. The text should be in single-column format. Keep the layout of the text as simple as possible. Most formatting codes will be removed and replaced on processing the article. In particular, do not use the word processor's options to justify text or to hyphenate words. However, do use bold face, italics, subscripts, superscripts etc. Turn on page numbering in your manuscript file. When preparing tables, if you are using a table grid, use only one grid for each individual table and not a grid for each row. If no grid is used, use tabs, not spaces, to align columns. The electronic text should be prepared in a way very similar to that of conventional manuscripts (see also the Guide to Publishing with Elsevier). Note that source files of figures, tables and text graphics will be required whether or not you embed your figures in the text. Please do not submit PDF documents as source files. See also the section on Electronic artwork. To avoid unnecessary errors you are strongly advised to use the 'spell-check' and 'grammar-check' functions of your word processor.
Use of word processing software
It is important that the file be saved in the native format of the word processor used. The text should be in single-column format. Keep the layout of the text as simple as possible. Most formatting codes will be removed and replaced on processing the article. In particular, do not use the word processor's options to justify text or to hyphenate words. However, do use bold face, italics, subscripts, superscripts etc. When preparing tables, if you are using a table grid, use only one grid for each individual table and not a grid for each row. If no grid is used, use tabs, not spaces, to align columns. The electronic text should be prepared in a way very similar to that of conventional manuscripts (see also the Guide to Publishing with Elsevier). Note that source files of figures, tables and text graphics will be required whether or not you embed your figures in the text. See also the section on Electronic artwork.
To avoid unnecessary errors you are strongly advised to use the 'spell-check' and 'grammar-check' functions of your word processor.
Article structure
Subdivision
Divide your article into clearly defined sections. Each subsection is given a brief heading. Each heading should appear on its own separate line. Subsections should be used as much as possible when cross-referencing text: refer to the subsection by heading as opposed to simply 'the text.'
The text of Original Articles and Briefs should usually, but not necessarily, be divided into the following sections: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. Additionally, the Journal requests an Implications and Contribution summary statement.
Implications and Contribution: In addition to the abstract, please include a summary statement at the beginning of your manuscript. This summary should be no more than 50 words in length and should describe the significance of your study's findings and its contribution to the literature in plain language. These summaries appear on the published articles and in various digests and newsletters.
Introduction: The introduction should clearly state the purpose(s) of the article and summarize the rationale for the study of observation. Please do not include an “Introduction” heading, just text. Only pertinent references should be used.
Methods: The selection of observational or experimental subjects (patients or experimental animals, including controls) should be clearly described in the Methods section. The methods, apparatus, and procedures used should be described in enough detail to allow other workers to reproduce the results. References should be provided for established methods, including statistical methods. Methods that are not well known should be concisely described with appropriate references. Any new or substantially modified method(s) should be carefully described, reasons given for its use, and an evaluation made of its known or potential limitations. All drugs and chemicals used should be identified by generic name(s), dosage(s), and route(s) of administration. The numbers of observations and the statistical significance of findings should be included when appropriate. Patients' names, initials, or hospital numbers should not be used.
*Note that when reporting experiments utilizing human subjects, approval of the protocol by the sponsoring Institution's Committee on Human Subjects or its equivalent must be stated explicitly within the Methods section of the manuscript. In addition, the protocol for obtaining informed consent should be briefly described. Secondary data analyses require formal exemption from review by a Committee on Human Subjects or its equivalent.
Results: Results should be presented in a logical sequence in the text, table(s), and illustration(s). Only critical data from the table(s) and/or illustration(s) should be repeated in the text.
Discussion: Emphasis in the Discussion section should be placed on the new and important aspects of the study and the conclusions that can be drawn. Detailed data from the results section should not be repeated in the discussion. The discussion should include the implications and limitations of the findings and should relate the observations to other relevant studies. The link between the conclusion(s) and the goal(s) of the study should be carefully stated, avoiding unqualified statements and conclusions not completely supported by the data. The author(s) should avoid claiming priority and alluding to work that has not yet been completed. New hypotheses, when stated, should be clearly identified as such. Recommendations, when appropriate, may be included.
Grammar, punctuation, and scientific writing style should follow the AMA Manual of Style, 10th edition.
Appendices
If there is more than one appendix, they should be identified as Appendix A, Appendix B, etc. Tables and figures in appendices should be given separate numbering: Table A1, Fig. A1, etc.
Essential title page information
• Title. Concise and informative (titles are limited to 140 characters). Titles are often used in information-retrieval systems. Avoid abbreviations and formulae where possible.
• Author names and affiliations. Where the family name may be ambiguous (e.g., a double name), please indicate this clearly. Include the full names of all authors, as well as the highest academic degrees (excluding bachelor-level degrees) and the departmental and institutional affiliation of each. Please note that the Journal does not list fellowships of professional or certifying organizations as credentials. Relevant sources of financial support and potential conflicts of interest should be reported for all authors. Present the authors' affiliation addresses (where the actual work was done) below the names. Indicate all affiliations with a lower-case superscript letter immediately after the author's name and in front of the appropriate address. Provide the full postal address of each affiliation, including the country name and, if available, the e-mail address of each author.
• Corresponding author. Clearly indicate who will handle correspondence at all stages of refereeing and publication, also post-publication. Ensure that phone and fax numbers (with country and area code) are provided in addition to the e-mail address and the complete postal address. Contact details must be kept up to date by the corresponding author.
• Present/permanent address. If an author has moved since the work described in the article was done, or was visiting at the time, a 'Present address' (or 'Permanent address') may be indicated as a footnote to that author's name. The address at which the author actually did the work must be retained as the main, affiliation address. Superscript Arabic numerals are used for such footnotes.
• Acknowledgments. The title page should also include an Acknowledgments section, listing any sources of support such as grants, equipment, or drugs; and any acknowledgments of persons who have made a substantive contribution to the study. Authors should obtain written permission from anyone that they wish to list in the Acknowledgments section. The corresponding author must also affirm that he or she has listed everyone who contributed significantly to the work in the Acknowledgments. Previous oral or poster presentations at local, regional, national or international meetings should be reported here.
Authorship Criteria
As a condition of authorship, all named authors must have seen the final draft of the manuscript, approve of its submission to the Journal, and be willing to take responsibility for it in its entirety.
All named authors must complete a signed Statement of Authorship. The Journal's Statement can be downloaded in PDF format at https://www.elsevier.com/__data/promis_misc/jah_soa.pdf. We prefer an electronic copy of the statement: please electronically sign the PDF using Acrobat or print the PDF, sign it by hand, and scan it. Completed forms should be uploaded with your manuscript submission. We can also receive statements by email at [email protected] or byfax at (415) 476-6106, though it may delay processing of your manuscript.
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 http://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 Journal does not list corporate authors, such as research networks, professional societies, or think tanks. Only individuals meet the Journal's criteria for authorship.
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 Acknowledgments section. This section should include individuals who provided any writing, editorial, statistical assistance, etc.
Abstract
A concise and factual abstract is required. The abstract should state briefly the purpose of the research, the principal results and major conclusions. An abstract is often presented separately from the article, so it must be able to stand alone. For this reason, References should be avoided, but if essential, then cite the author(s) and year(s).
The abstract should be provided in a structured table format with the following bolded headings: Purpose, Methods, Results, and Conclusions. Emphasis should be placed on new and important aspects of the study or observations. Only common and approved abbreviations are acceptable, and they must be defined at their first mention in the abstract itself. Three to 10 key words or short phrases should be identified and placed below the abstract. These key words will be used to assist indexers in cross-indexing the article and will be published with the abstract. For this, terms from the Medical Subject Headings list in the Index Medicus should be used whenever possible.
Graphical abstract
Although a graphical abstract is optional, its use is encouraged as it draws more attention to the online article. The graphical abstract should summarize the contents of the article in a concise, pictorial form designed to capture the attention of a wide readership. Graphical abstracts should be submitted as a separate file in the online submission system. Image size: Please provide an image with a minimum of 531 × 1328 pixels (h × w) or proportionally more. The image should be readable at a size of 5 × 13 cm using a regular screen resolution of 96 dpi. Preferred file types: TIFF, EPS, PDF or MS Office files. You can view Example Graphical Abstracts on our information site.
Abbreviations
Authors should provide a list of abbreviations on the title page. All acronyms in the text should be expanded at first mention, followed by the abbreviation in parentheses. The acronym may appear in the text thereafter. Do not use abbreviations in the title. Acronyms may be used in the abstract if they occur 3 or more times therein. Generally, abbreviations should be limited to those defined in the AMA Manual of Style, 10th edition.
Formatting of funding sources
List funding sources in this standard way to facilitate compliance to funder's requirements:
Funding: This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health [grant numbers xxxx, yyyy]; the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, WA [grant number zzzz]; and the United States Institutes of Peace [grant number aaaa].
It is not necessary to include detailed descriptions on the program or type of grants and awards. When funding is from a block grant or other resources available to a university, college, or other research institution, submit the name of the institute or organization that provided the funding.
If no funding has been provided for the research, it is recommended to include the following sentence:
This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
Units
Follow internationally accepted rules and conventions: use the international system of units (SI). If other units are mentioned, please give their equivalent in SI.
Math formulae
Please submit math equations as editable text and not as images. Present simple formulae in line with normal text where possible and use the solidus (/) instead of a horizontal line for small fractional terms, e.g., X/Y. In principle, variables are to be presented in italics. Powers of e are often more conveniently denoted by exp. Number consecutively any equations that have to be displayed separately from the text (if referred to explicitly in the text).
Artwork
Electronic artwork
General points
• Make sure you use uniform lettering and sizing of your original artwork.
• Embed the used fonts if the application provides that option.
• Aim to use the following fonts in your illustrations: Arial, Courier, Times New Roman, Symbol, or use fonts that look similar.
• Number the illustrations according to their sequence in the text.
• Use a logical naming convention for your artwork files.
• Provide captions to illustrations separately.
• Size the illustrations close to the desired dimensions of the printed version.
• Submit each illustration as a separate file.
A detailed guide on electronic artwork is available on our website:
https://www.elsevier.com/artworkinstructions
You are urged to visit this site; some excerpts from the detailed information are given here.
Formats
If your electronic artwork is created in a Microsoft Office application (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) then please supply 'as is' in the native document format.
Regardless of the application used other than Microsoft Office, when your electronic artwork is finalized, please 'Save as' or convert the images to one of the following formats (note the resolution requirements for line drawings, halftones, and line/halftone combinations given below):
EPS (or PDF): Vector drawings, embed all used fonts.
TIFF (or JPEG): Color or grayscale photographs (halftones), keep to a minimum of 300 dpi.
TIFF (or JPEG): Bitmapped (pure black & white pixels) line drawings, keep to a minimum of 1000 dpi.
TIFF (or JPEG): Combinations bitmapped line/half-tone (color or grayscale), keep to a minimum of 500 dpi.
Please do not:
• Supply files that are optimized for screen use (e.g., GIF, BMP, PICT, WPG); these typically have a low number of pixels and limited set of colors;
• Supply files that are too low in resolution;
• Submit graphics that are disproportionately large for the content.
Letters and symbols should be clear and even throughout and of sufficient size that when figures are reduced for publication (to approximately 3 inches wide), each item will still be legible. When symbols, arrows, numbers, or letters are used to identify parts of the illustrations, each should be identified and clearly explained in the legend.
If photomicrographs are to be submitted, the requirements for their presentation should be obtained from the Editor-in-Chief prior to submission.
If photographs of persons are used, either the subjects must not be identifiable or their pictures must be accompanied by written permission to publish the photograph.
If an illustration has been published, the original source must be acknowledged and accompanied by written permission from the copyright holder to reproduce the material. Permission is required regardless of authorship or publisher except for documents in the public domain.
Color artwork
Please make sure that artwork files are in an acceptable format (TIFF (or JPEG), EPS (or PDF), or MS Office files) and with the correct resolution. If, together with your accepted article, you submit usable color figures then Elsevier will ensure, at no additional charge, that these figures will appear in color online (e.g., ScienceDirect and other sites) regardless of whether or not these illustrations are reproduced in color in the printed version. For color reproduction in print, you will receive information regarding the costs from Elsevier after receipt of your accepted article. Please indicate your preference for color: in print or online only. Further information on the preparation of electronic artwork.
Figure captions
Ensure that each illustration has a caption. Supply captions separately, not attached to the figure. A caption should comprise a brief title (not on the figure itself) and a description of the illustration. Keep text in the illustrations themselves to a minimum but explain all symbols and abbreviations used.
Tables
Tables should be submitted as separate and individual files. Number tables consecutively in accordance with their appearance in the text. Each table should be given a brief title; explanatory matter should be placed in a table footnote. Place footnotes to tables below the table body and indicate them with superscript lowercase letters. Any nonstandard abbreviation should be explained in a table footnote. Avoid vertical rules. Be sparing in the use of tables and ensure that the data presented in tables do not duplicate results described elsewhere in the article. Statistical measures should be identified as measures of variation such as SD or SEM. If data from another published or unpublished source are used, permission must be obtained and the source fully acknowledged. EM will accept files from a wide variety of table-creation software.
References
Citation in text
Authors are responsible for the accuracy of references. References should be numbered consecutively in the order in which they are first mentioned in the text. References cited only in tables or figure captions should be numbered in accordance with the sequence established by the first identification in the text of the particular table or figure. Identify references in text, tables, and captions by Arabic numerals in brackets. Please ensure that every reference cited in the text is also present in the reference list (and vice versa). Any references cited in the abstract must be given in full. An effort should be made to avoid using abstracts as references. Unpublished observations and personal communications are not acceptable as references, although references to written, not verbal, communications may be inserted into the text in parentheses. Citation of a reference as 'in press' implies that the item has been accepted for publication. References to manuscripts accepted but not yet published should designate the journal followed by (in press) or use the DOI if assigned. All references must be verified by the authors against the original documents.
Reference links
Increased discoverability of research and high quality peer review are ensured by online links to the sources cited. In order to allow us to create links to abstracting and indexing services, such as Scopus, Crossref and PubMed, please ensure that data provided in the references are correct. Please note that incorrect surnames, journal/book titles, publication year and pagination may prevent link creation. When copying references, please be careful as they may already contain errors. Use of the DOI is highly encouraged.
A DOI is guaranteed never to change, so you can use it as a permanent link to any electronic article. An example of a citation using DOI for an article not yet in an issue is: VanDecar J.C., Russo R.M., James D.E., Ambeh W.B., Franke M. (2003). Aseismic continuation of the Lesser Antilles slab beneath northeastern Venezuela. Journal of Geophysical Research, https://doi.org/10.1029/2001JB000884. Please note the format of such citations should be in the same style as all other references in the paper.
Data references
This journal encourages you to cite underlying or relevant datasets in your manuscript by citing them in your text and including a data reference in your Reference List. Data references should include the following elements: author name(s), dataset title, data repository, version (where available), year, and global persistent identifier. Add [dataset] immediately before the reference so we can properly identify it as a data reference. The [dataset] identifier will not appear in your published article.
Preprint references
Where a preprint has subsequently become available as a peer-reviewed publication, the formal publication should be used as the reference. If there are preprints that are central to your work or that cover crucial developments in the topic, but are not yet formally published, these may be referenced. Preprints should be clearly marked as such, for example by including the word preprint, or the name of the preprint server, as part of the reference. The preprint DOI should also be provided.
Reference management software
Most Elsevier journals have their reference template available in many of the most popular reference management software products. These include all products that support Citation Style Language styles, such as Mendeley. Using citation plug-ins from these products, authors only need to select the appropriate journal template when preparing their article, after which citations and bibliographies will be automatically formatted in the journal's style. If no template is yet available for this journal, please follow the format of the sample references and citations as shown in this Guide. If you use reference management software, please ensure that you remove all field codes before submitting the electronic manuscript. More information on how to remove field codes from different reference management software.
Reference style
The titles of journals should be abbreviated according to the style used in the list of Journals Indexed for MEDLINE, posted by the NLM on the Library's web site, http://www.nlm.nih.gov/tsd/serials/lji.html. Reference style should follow that of the AMA Manual of Style, 10th edition, as shown in the following examples:
Journals
1. Standard journal article:
References should list all authors when four or fewer; when more than four, only the first three should be listed, followed by ‘et al.’
Aalsma MA, Tong Y, Wiehe SE, et al. The impact of delinquency on young adult sexual risk behaviors and sexually transmitted infections. J Adolesc Health 2010;46:17-24. DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2009.05.018.
2. Corporate Author:
Center for Health Promotion and Education. Guidelines for effective school health education to prevent the spread of AIDS. J Sch Health 1988;58:142-8.
Books and Monographs
1. Personal Author(s) :
Romer D. Reducing Adolescent Risk: Toward an Integrated Approach. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2003.
2. Editor(s), Compiler(s), Chairman as Author(s) :
Rosen DS, Rich M, eds. The adolescent male. In: Adolescent Medicine: State of the Art Reviews. vol 14. Philadelphia, PA: Hanley & Belfus, 2003.
3. Chapter in a Book:
Marcell AV, Irwin CE Jr. Adolescent substance use and abuse. In: Finberg L, Kleinman RE, eds. Saunders Manual of Pediatric Practice. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: WB Saunders, 2002:127-139.
4. Agency Publication:
America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being 2009. Washington, DC: Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, 2009.
Web sites
World Health Organization. Good information practice essential criteria for vaccine safety web sites. Available at: http://www.who.int/vaccine_safety/good_vs_sites/en. Accessed January 13, 2010.
Reference style
Text: Indicate references by number(s) in square brackets in line with the text. The actual authors can be referred to, but the reference number(s) must always be given.
List: Number the references (numbers in square brackets) in the list in the order in which they appear in the text.
Examples:
Reference to a journal publication:
[1] Van der Geer J, Hanraads JAJ, Lupton RA. The art of writing a scientific article. J Sci Commun 2010;163:51–9.
Reference to a book:
[2] Strunk Jr W, White EB. The elements of style. 4th ed. New York: Longman; 2000.
Reference to a chapter in an edited book:
[3] Mettam GR, Adams LB. How to prepare an electronic version of your article. In: Jones BS, Smith RZ, editors. Introduction to the electronic age, New York: E-Publishing Inc; 2009, p. 281–304.
Reference to a website:
[4] Cancer Research UK. Cancer statistics reports for the UK, http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/aboutcancer/statistics/cancerstatsreport/; 2003 [accessed 13.03.03].
Reference to a dataset:
[dataset][5] Oguro M, Imahiro S, Saito S, Nakashizuka T. Mortality data for Japanese oak wilt disease and surrounding forest compositions, Mendeley Data, v1; 2015. http://dx.doi.org/10.17632/xwj98nb39r.1.
Note shortened form for last page number. e.g., 51–9, and that for more than 6 authors the first 6 should be listed followed by 'et al.' For further details you are referred to 'Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts submitted to Biomedical Journals' (J Am Med Assoc 1997;277:927–34) (see also Samples of Formatted References).
Video data
The Journal of Adolescent Health accepts video material and animation sequences to support and enhance your scientific research. Authors who have video or animation files that they wish to submit with their article are strongly encouraged to include links to these within the body of the article. This can be done in the same way as a figure or table by referring to the video or animation content and noting in the body text where it should be placed. All submitted files should be properly labeled so that they directly relate to the video file's content. In order to ensure that your video or animation material is directly usable, please provide the files in one of our recommended file formats with a preferred maximum size of 50 MB. Video and animation files supplied will be published online in the electronic version of your article on JAHOnline.org and Elsevier's ScienceDirect: http://www.sciencedirect.com. Please supply 'stills' with your files: you can choose any frame from the video or animation or make a separate image. These will be used instead of standard icons and will personalize the link to your video data. For more detailed instructions please visit our video instruction pages at https://www.elsevier.com/artworkinstructions. Note: since video and animation cannot be embedded in the print version of the journal, please provide text for both the electronic and the print version for the portions of the article that refer to this content.
Supplementary data
The Journal of Adolescent Health accepts electronic supplementary material to support and enhance your scientific research. Supplementary files offer the author additional possibilities to publish supporting applications, high-resolution images, background datasets, sound clips and more. Supplementary files supplied will be published online alongside the electronic version of your article on JAHOnline.org and Elsevier's ScienceDirect: http://www.sciencedirect.com. In order to ensure that your submitted material is directly usable, please provide the data in one of our recommended file formats. Authors should submit the material in electronic format together with the article and supply a concise and descriptive caption for each file. For more detailed instructions please visit our artwork instruction pages at https://www.elsevier.com/artworkinstructions.
Research data
This journal encourages and enables you to share data that supports your research publication where appropriate, and enables you to interlink the data with your published articles. Research data refers to the results of observations or experimentation that validate research findings. To facilitate reproducibility and data reuse, this journal also encourages you to share your software, code, models, algorithms, protocols, methods and other useful materials related to the project.
Below are a number of ways in which you can associate data with your article or make a statement about the availability of your data when submitting your manuscript. If you are sharing data in one of these ways, you are encouraged to cite the data in your manuscript and reference list. Please refer to the "References" section for more information about data citation. For more information on depositing, sharing and using research data and other relevant research materials, visit the research data page.
Data linking
If you have made your research data available in a data repository, you can link your article directly to the dataset. Elsevier collaborates with a number of repositories to link articles on ScienceDirect with relevant repositories, giving readers access to underlying data that gives them a better understanding of the research described.
There are different ways to link your datasets to your article. When available, you can directly link your dataset to your article by providing the relevant information in the submission system. For more information, visit the database linking page.
For supported data repositories a repository banner will automatically appear next to your published article on ScienceDirect.
In addition, you can link to relevant data or entities through identifiers within the text of your manuscript, using the following format: Database: xxxx (e.g., TAIR: AT1G01020; CCDC: 734053; PDB: 1XFN).
Data statement
To foster transparency, we encourage you to state the availability of your data in your submission. This may be a requirement of your funding body or institution. If your data is unavailable to access or unsuitable to post, you will have the opportunity to indicate why during the submission process, for example by stating that the research data is confidential. The statement will appear with your published article on ScienceDirect. For more information, visit the Data Statement page.
Submission checklist
The following list will be useful during the final checking of an article prior to sending it to the Journal for review. Please consult this Guide for Authors for further details of any item.
Ensure that the following items are present:
Cover letter
• Disclosure of any prior publications or submissions with any overlapping information
• A statement that the work is not under consideration elsewhere
• Disclosure of any potential conflict of interest, real and perceived, for all named authors
• Names and contact information for 5 potential reviewers
Statements of Authorship
•Please submit a separate statement for each named author
Title page
• Article title
• Full names, academic degrees (Masters level and above), and affiliations of all authors
• Name, address, e-mail address, telephone and fax number of the corresponding author
• Sources of funding and acknowledgements of support and assistance
• Disclosure of potential conflicts, real and perceived, for all named authors
• Clinical trials registry site and number
• List of abbreviations
Manuscript
• Please double-space
• BR>• Abstract in the appropriate format: Structured for Original Articles and Briefs or Summary for Review Articles and Clinical Observations
•BR>• List of keywords
•Implications and Contributions statement
• IRB statement in the Methods section
• References should be in the correct format for this journal; all references mentioned in the Reference list are cited in the text, and vice versa
• Figure titles should be on a new page
• Manuscript has been 'spell-checked' and 'grammar-checked'
Tables
• Each saved as a separate document, including title and footnotes
Figures
• Each saved as a separate file, with captions/legends (without titles)
• Color figures are clearly marked as being intended for color reproduction on the Web (free of charge) and in print, or to be reproduced in color on the Web (free of charge) and in black-and-white in print; if only color on the Web is required, black-and-white versions of the figures are also supplied for printing purposes
• Permission has been obtained for use of copyrighted material from other sources (including the Web)
• Copies of prior and/or in press publications related to the current submission can be uploaded as separate files or e-mailed to the Managing Editor
• For any further information please visit our customer support site at https://service.elsevier.com.
Online proof correction
To ensure a fast publication process of the article, we kindly ask authors to provide us with their proof corrections within two days. Corresponding authors will receive an e-mail with a link to our online proofing system, allowing annotation and correction of proofs online. The environment is similar to MS Word: in addition to editing text, you can also comment on figures/tables and answer questions from the Copy Editor. Web-based proofing provides a faster and less error-prone process by allowing you to directly type your corrections, eliminating the potential introduction of errors.
If preferred, you can still choose to annotate and upload your edits on the PDF version. All instructions for proofing will be given in the e-mail we send to authors, including alternative methods to the online version and PDF.
We will do everything possible to get your article published quickly and accurately. Please use this proof only for checking the typesetting, editing, completeness and correctness of the text, tables and figures. Significant changes to the article as accepted for publication will only be considered at this stage with permission from the Editor. It is important to ensure that all corrections are sent back to us in one communication. Please check carefully before replying, as inclusion of any subsequent corrections cannot be guaranteed. Proofreading is solely your responsibility.
Offprints
The corresponding author will, at no cost, receive a customized Share Link providing 50 days free access to the final published version of the article on ScienceDirect. The Share Link can be used for sharing the article via any communication channel, including email and social media. For an extra charge, paper offprints can be ordered via the offprint order form which is sent once the article is accepted for publication. Corresponding authors who have published their article gold open access do not receive a Share Link as their final published version of the article is available open access on ScienceDirect and can be shared through the article DOI link.
For inquiries relating to the submission of articles (including electronic submission) please send an email to [email protected]. For detailed instructions on the preparation of electronic artwork, please visit https://www.elsevier.com/artworkinstructions. Contact details for questions arising after acceptance of an article, especially those relating to proofs, will be provided by the publisher. You can track accepted articles at https://www.elsevier.com/trackarticle. You can also check our Author FAQs at https://www.elsevier.com/authorFAQ and/or contact Customer Support via https://service.elsevier.com.
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