Deborah Holtzman, PhDDepartment Editor, Framing Health Matters

American Journal of Public Healthand

Associate Director for Science, Division of Viral HepatitisCenters for Disease Control and Prevention

March 24, 2012

The Submission and Review Process at Peer Review Journals as Exemplified by the American Journal of Public Health

National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD & TB Prevention

Division of Viral Hepatitis

What You Need to Know

• The Journal’s mission, reach, and audience

• The Journal’s format

• The Journal’s submission requirements

• The Journal’s review and notification process

The American Journal of Public Health

Official Journal of and Published by the

American Public Health Association

American Journal of Public Health

Mary E. Northridge, PhD, MPH, Editor-in-Chief

Georges C. Benjamin, MD, FACP, Publisher

We aim to embrace all of public health, from global policies to the local needs of public health practitioners.

We welcome contributions of original unpublished research, social science and policy analyses, scholarly essays, critical commentaries, departments, and letters to the editor.

American Journal of Public Health

Foremost mission of AJPH is to promote public health research, policy, practice, and education

Formal Submissions:2006 – 2032 manuscripts2007 – 2063 manuscripts2008 – 2236 manuscripts2009 – 2779 manuscripts

Currently <5% of all unsolicited papers received are published.

American Journal of Public Health

In Year 2009, AJPH published 12 regular issues and 3 supplements: HIV/AIDS, Mental Health, and Diversity; Influenza Preparedness and Response; and Environmental and Occupational Justice.

Year 2010 Theme Issues:

Celebrating 100 Years of PublishingIntegrating Public Health Across SectorsGender and SexualityHealthier America: One Community at a TimeAsian American, Native Hawaiian, & Pacific Islander Health

American Journal of Public Health

Public Health in a World of Scarcity and Abundance

Modeling to Advance Tobacco Control PolicyPromote, Prevent, ProtectSchool-based Health CarePeak PetroleumSocial JusticeMental Health Promotion and ProtectionApril 2010 Supplement: The Science of Eliminating Health Disparities

Journal Format, AJPH

General

• Peer-reviewed• Monthly• General public health readership• Global distribution

Categories of Papers

• Letters to the Editor and Responses• Editor’s Choice• Editorials• On the Other Hand• Statistically Speaking• Field Action Reports• Going Public• Faces of Public Health• Commentaries

Categories of Papers (continued)

• Analytic Essays (designed specifically for 3 AJPH departments)

• Health Policy and Ethics Forum• Government, Politics, and Law• Framing Health Matters

• Public Health Then and Now• Voices from the Past• Images of Health

Categories of Papers (continued)

• Briefs (preliminary or novel findings up to 800 words)

• Research and Practice Articles (results of original quantitative or qualitative public health research up to 3500 words)

Submission Requirements, AJPH

Manuscript Style, File Formats and Cover Letter

• Style: The AMS Manual of Style, 10th Edition

• File format: Word documents, all versions

Manuscript Style, File Formats and Cover Letter

• Cover letter– Authors must state compliance with Principles of the

Ethical Practice of Public Health to which AJPH adheres– Disclosure of all possible conflicts of interest– Disclosure of all previous publications based upon the

same material and value added of the submission beyond related previous publications

– Brief indication of the importance of the manuscript to the field of public health

– If manuscript based on a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) or Group Randomized Trial (GRT), the trials must have been previously registered

Manuscript Components

• Title page (authors names deleted to ensure double blind peer review)

• Abstractso Structuredo Unstructured

• Headings• References• Tables, figures, and images• Supplemental files• Reproduced material

Submission Process, AJPH

Editorial Manager

– Set up an account– Register– Follow the prompts to enter requested information– Adhere to requirements for submission categories

• Abstract type and word count• Article type and word count• Reference format and number of references• Number of tables, figures, and images

Editorial and Peer Review Process, AJPH

Evaluation Criteria by AJPH Editorial Team

• Original and timely material• Clear writing• Appropriate study methods• Valid data• Reasonable conclusions supported by the

data• Important information• Topic is of general public health interest 

Of note…

• At this stage, if a manuscript is deemed of insufficient priority, it is rejected. Decisions about a manuscript are based only on its importance, methodological rigor, originality, clarity, and relevance to the AJPH mission. Studies with negative results, or those challenging previously published work or widely held beliefs, receive equal consideration.

Words of Wisdom

• It is imperative that authors prepare their papers according to the specifications outlined in the Instructions to Authors. By not doing so, a submission could be delayed. It also may be helpful to authors to peruse recent issues which can be informative regarding current Journal priorities and paper formats for the various categories and departments.

Submission Screening Process

• Each submission reviewed by Editor-in-Chief or designee

• Review considerations– Appropriateness for Journal – Quality– Reader interest– Extent to which topic (or related topics)

covered in recent issues

Submission Screening Process (continued)

• 80% of submissions rejected at this stage• Turnaround relatively short; authors notified

within 5-10 days• If submission selected for further review, it

is assigned to an Associate or Department Editor

• At this stage about 50% of papers sent out for peer review are ultimately published

Submission Screening Process (continued)

• Time from submission to first decision averages 3 months

• First decision typically requires a revision extending the time period an additional 3 months on average

• Time from acceptance to publication varies depending on whether the paper is scheduled for a particular (e.g., theme) issue

Examples of Publications using BRFSS Data

• Holtzman D, Bland SD, Lansky A, Mack K. HIV-related behaviors and perceptions among adults in 25 states, 1997 BRFSS. American Journal of Public Health 2001;91:1882-1888.

•  • Denny CH, Holtzman D, Goins RT, Croft J.

Disparities in chronic disease risk factors and health status between American Indian and Alaska Native and white elders: Findings from a telephone survey, 2001 and 2002. American Journal of Public Health 2005;95:825-827.

For more information please contact Centers for Disease Control and Prevention1600 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30333Telephone, 1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636)/TTY: 1-888-232-6348E-mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov Web: www.cdc.gov

The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Thank you

National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD & TB Prevention

Division of Viral Hepatitis