Prospective authors might find it worthwhile to become familiar with some inner workings of the Journal of Allied Health that pertain to the peer review process, reasons why manuscripts are accepted or rejected for publication, improving manuscript quality, multiple authorship, and related topics of possible interest. An E-Book entitled From Fish To Philosopher: Journal of Allied Health Editorials 2008-2020 by Thomas W. Elwood, Editor of the Journal, consists of Episodes that address cross-cutting issues. 

Priced at $9.99 a copy, it can be obtained at https://www.asahp.org/asahpbooks. All proceeds from the sale of this book will go to the Scholarship of Excellence Fund, which was established by the Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP) to provide financial assistance to students at the organization’s member institutions. Cross-cutting issues are:

To be published in the Journal of Allied Health, an article should meet the following three criteria:

Importance: Makes a significant contribution to health professions research, theory, education, or practice. Articles that introduce novel practices or illustrate generally accepted practice in an exemplary manner are particularly desirable. Implications for other health professions are important.

Relevance to Audience: Is it relevant to health professionals in diverse fields?

Methodological Adequacy: Manuscripts reporting empirical studies have clearly described designs and methods, and clearly formulated findings/conclusions supported by valid, reliable data. Other manuscripts (e.g., on theory development or methodological issues) are supported by appropriate documentation, reasoning, and/or examples.

Submission Procedure

Part I. Features

Authors will be required to specify a feature category, as discussed below.

Original Articles: This feature presents original research or scholarship that addresses an important issue in allied health. Manuscripts should report recent, original work that expands the body of knowledge in one or more allied health disciplines. The manuscript should either have implications for the improvement of practice, provide a better understanding of contemporary issues, present a program evaluation, or advance a theoretical framework. Both quantitative and qualitative research approaches are encouraged. Manuscripts reporting original research must be methodologically sound and supported by data. They should include: an abstract; an introduction stating the purpose and relevance of the study; a clear and full description of materials and methods, including criteria for subject selection; a report of the results; a discussion of the findings; and a list of references. Original articles usually will be limited to 12-15 double spaced pages.

Research Notes: This feature is used to publish pilot or other small-scale research studies, investigations that address a contemporary issue in allied health, but for one reason or another, such as small sample size, would not meet the requirements of a research article. These studies may highlight an important research question and stimulate others to conduct larger studies. While not generalizable, they must be methodologically sound and data driven. Research notes usually will be limited to 5-6 double spaced pages. Research Notes are indexed by PubMed.

Commentary: This feature is used for the presentation of scholarly discussion of an issue of interest to allied health professionals. Unlike an Original Research Article, there is much less emphasis on the inclusion of data. Manuscripts can focus on such topics as applications of theory to practice, a critique of current practice, recommendations for change, or contemporary controversial issues. Manuscripts accepted in this category may generate a point-counterpoint discussion. Commentary articles usually will be limited to 12-15 double spaced pages.

Potential Patterns: Manuscripts submitted for potential patterns should describe change-oriented projects, usually related to an issue in allied health education or practice. Manuscripts can address clinical issues, programmatic change, new approaches to teaching or other creative approaches to the education of students or to clinical practice. They may describe on-going or completed projects. While the focus can be on one discipline, preference will be given to those involving more than one. Potential Patterns usually will be limited to 5-6 double spaced pages.

Allied Abstracts: This feature presents abstracts of key articles that deal with current thinking in allied health education and practice. Appropriate articles may be found in the professional journals of the individual allied health disciplines and in journals with a wider spectrum of interest. Topics might include, but not be limited to, research and development in allied health education and practice; current trends and history in allied health; health care policy and planning; legal and political issues in allied health; interpersonal skills development; simulation; and unique audiovisual approaches. Abstracts should be limited to 200-250 words and should include title, author, journal name, volume and number, and year of publication of the article. Contributors should list their names and affiliation at the end of the abstract.

Book Reviews: Readers are invited to review current books, monographs, or audiovisual materials of general or specific interest to the allied health community. This material may be from a single discipline or be of interdisciplinary interest. Reviews should contain the following information: title, author, publisher, city and state of publication, year of publication number of pages, and price. The review should include a description of the central theme of the work, a brief objective summary of the content and a critical analysis regarding the potential value of the material to allied health education and/or practice. The review should not exceed two double-spaced pages.

Special Features/Contemporary Issues: This feature is reserved for special topics of potential interest to the allied health community, chosen at the discretion of the Editor. Features may include such information as summaries of proceedings of conferences; abstracts of submitted papers and speeches; executive summaries of government reports; and summaries of special studies related to important issues in allied health. It is used primarily to communicate significant matters to the allied health community. Special Features/Contemporary Issues usually will be limited to 5-6 double spaced pages.

Methodologist Corner: Methodologist Corner consists of articles solicited that address questions of research methodology.  This feature is designed for investigators to share ideas related to the improvement of research.  Topics may include descriptions of new approaches to the analysis of data; reports of new statistical techniques; critiques of approaches to the analysis of data; innovative ways to approach research questions; methodologic critiques of published research; providing a forum for debates between researchers on methodological issues; or reviews of research or statistical texts. Articles usually will be limited to 5-6 double spaced pages.

Part II. Manuscript Guidelines

Manuscript:  Authors electronically should submit an original manuscript and one blinded copy in Microsoft Word format with references to the author(s) and their institutions removed. Use only 10- or 12-point font size, in Microsoft Word. If the manuscript is prepared using word-processing software, do not use proportional spacing; use unjustified (ragged) right margins and letter-quality printing. All accepted manuscripts become the permanent property of the Journal of Allied Health .

Preparation of Copy. The manuscript (including references) should be double-spaced and typed with 1-inch margins. Each line of text should be numbered in both the Blinded and Unblinded Files. A separate cover page should indicate the title of the article and name and full academic degrees of the author(s). Choose one author to act as the receiver of all correspondence, and include his or her name, address, position, institution, telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address (if available). Identification of the author(s) should be made only on the cover page so that the manuscript may be reviewed confidentially.

Institutional Review Board: All studies involving human subjects require IRB approval. Manuscripts submitted to the Journal of Allied Health must indicate that IRB approval was obtained. If an IRB determines that a study does not need IRB oversight, the IRB should provide a letter granting exemption and the letter should be noted by the authors in the Methods section of the article.

Length of Manuscript: Although the information presented in the manuscript will determine the appropriate length, it is strongly recommended that the length not exceed 3,000 words, or approximately 12-15 double-spaced prepared pages, not including references, tables, and figures. Reviewers will monitor the length of manuscripts closely to assure adherence to this recommendation. Each line of text should be numbered in both the Blinded and Unblinded Files.

Style, Citations, and References: Manuscripts and citations should be prepared in accordance with standard style. JAH subscribes to the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals.

The style uses a reference format called the “Vancouver style.”
The Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals can be found by clicking the following link:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3142758/

Tables and Figures: Authors are encouraged to submit tables and figures seperately. Figures may be generated by spreadsheet or presentation software (MS Excel, Lotus 1-2-3. PowerPoint, Adobe).

Chargeable Costs: Effective with the Winter 2018 issue, all papers accepted for publication will incur a charge of $60 per published page and $50 per published article. Special charges may be made if authors’ alterations result in composition costs that exceed usual costs.

Proofing and Editing:  Article content is the author’s responsibility. Accepted manuscripts are copyedited to conform to JAH style, and to meet space limitations. Authors should note that the editing process is separate from and occurs after the Editorial Board review process. The corresponding author will receive a galley proof of the article and thus will have an opportunity to review editorial changes before publication. However, changes should not be altered by authors unless a scientific error has been introduced. Authors are responsible for all statements made in their work, including changes made by the copy editor and authorized by the corresponding author.

Part III. Author Disclosure Statements

Authors will be required to accept several disclosure statements, as listed below.

Authorship: Authorship follows the procedures outlined in the “Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals.” In order to conform with these requirements, and to ensure the publication of scientific manuscripts that link credit and accountability, it is important for all authors to follow common ethical standards of the research community. All individuals designated as authors must have participated sufficiently in the work to take public responsibility for the paper. In addition, a general rule is to limit the number of authors for all articles to six, unless there are extenuating circumstances.

The following definitions are provided as a guide to help determine criteria for authorship and placement in the author listing.

Responsible (primary) author: The person who usually drafts the manuscript, contributes significantly to the published work and who, together with the Principal Investigator, assumes the public responsibility for the work. This author should be listed first on the list of authors.

Co-author: The person who has contributed data or made a significant intellectual or practical contribution to the manuscript. This author should be listed second on the list.

Significant contributor(s): One who takes responsibility for one or more of the following: contribution of experimental data or materials, conception and design, execution or direction of the study, analysis and interpretation of data, and preparation or revision of the manuscript. These authors should be listed in order of their contributions.

“Honorary” author: An individual who does not satisfy the criteria for authorship by making a significant contribution as defined above to the manuscript. In some scientific papers it has been customary to include individuals who have made other than intellectual contributions to the manuscript, such as providing funds or granting access to subjects. This practice is prohibited by the Journal of Allied Health .

II.A. Criterion for Authorship

All persons designated as authors must meet the aforementioned criteria for authorship. The corresponding author must accept the statement below, as well as acknowledge that all co-authors have been notified and agree to the statement:

1) Participation
(a) In the Author Cover Letter, please be sure to insert the following: We (or “I”) certify that we have participated substantially in the conception and design of this work and the analysis of the data (when applicable), as well as the writing of the manuscript. We have reviewed the final version of the manuscript submitted for publication, approve it for publication, and take public responsibility for its content. Neither this manuscript nor one with substantially similar content under our authorship has been published or is being considered for publication elsewhere, except as described in an attachment.

We or “I” also certify that (a) all co-authors whose names are listed agree to have their names on the manuscript. and (b) that these individuals also agree with the order in which their names are listed.

Moreover, if you also submitted your work to any pre-print platforms or related venues prior to submitting your paper to the Journal of Allied Health (JAH), you should describe the nature of such an arrangement and agree to remove it from those sources, which do not include products that check grammar and spelling. Authors also must agree that there will be no further involvement with any other publication and the only revisions allowed in the paper will be based on recommendations made by JAH reviewers.

(b) Blinded Article File must include an Abstract. Each line of text should be numbered.

(c) Unblinded Article File must include an Abstract, along with the names of author(s) and their workplace affiliation(s). Each line of text should be numbered.

Note: A copy of the Uniform Requirements is available through the American College of Physicians, online at: http://www.icmje.org

2) Copyright Transfer
The JAH holds the copyright on all materials published in the Journal. The corresponding author must accept the statement below, as well as acknowledge that all co-authors have been notified and agree to the statement:

In consideration of JAH’ s decision to review and publish this work, the author(s) undersigned hereby transfer(s), assign(s), or otherwise convey(s) all copyright ownership to the Journal of Allied Health (JAH) in the event that such work is published by the JAH .

Manuscripts submitted by authors who were employees of the United States federal government at the time the subject of their work was investigated and the piece was written are not subject to the Copyright Act; these authors must inform the Editor of their status as federal employees. Authors who transfer their copyright will not lose the right to reprint material from the articles but will be required to acknowledge and credit the JAH in all reprints. If a manuscript is not accepted, or is withdrawn before publication, the transfer of copyright is null and void.

On written request, JAH will grant permission to authors to post their published articles in University digital archives, provided the works appear no sooner than 12 months after publication in JAH. A link to the paper on the JAH website can be listed during that time. Permission extends only to posting in digital archives and does not affect copyright, which remains held by JAH and ASAHP.

3) Conflicts of Interest
During the submission process, authors will have the opportunity to inform the Editor of any financial arrangements, organizational affiliations, or other relationships that might constitute a conflict of interest regarding the subject matter of the manuscript.

4) Acknowledgements
Authors will also have the opportunity to acknowledge persons who have made substantial contributions to the development of the study or manuscript, but must obtain permission from all persons named in an acknowledgement. Authors must inform the Editor in writing that such permission has been obtained; this information can be included in a cover letter submitted with the manuscript. Authors should also disclose financial support of gifts of equipment or supplies in an acknowledgement.

5) Permission to Reprint
Authors who include illustrations or tables taken from other publications in their manuscript must obtain written permission to reproduce this information from the original publisher of the source material. A copy of the reprint permission must be submitted with the manuscript.