| EPIDEMIOLOGY
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INSTRUCTIONS FOR AUTHORS
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Manuscript Submission | Manuscript Preparation |
References | Submission Checklist | Proofs | Reprints
EPIDEMIOLOGY publishes original research from all fields of epidemiology. The journal also welcomes novel hypotheses, descriptions of new methods, and papers that address research theory or public health policy. We give special consideration to papers from outside the developed countries.
EPIDEMIOLOGY publishes about 20% of all submitted manuscripts. About half of submissions are declined by the editors within 7-10 days of receipt; authors are notified promptly by e-mail. The rest are sent for double-blind peer review. Median time to first decision for reviewed manuscripts is 8 weeks, with more than 97% receiving a first decision within three months. Published papers are eligible for the annual Rothman EPIDEMIOLOGY Prize (www.epidem.com/pt/re/epidemiology/rothmanprize.htm), which includes an award of $3000.
Original Research Articles (1500 to 4000 words): Articles should begin with a short introduction (background and reason for undertaking the work), followed by Methods, Results, and Discussion. Papers on methodology are not required to follow this structure. Papers may cite up to 40 references. We discourage policy recommendations in research papers; such recommendations are reserved for commentaries.
Brief Reports and Hypotheses (up to 1500 words): This category is for small but interesting findings, or for imaginative hypotheses with strong plausibility.
Review Articles (up to 5000 words): These summaries should be written for a general epidemiologic audience. There is no fixed limit on number of references.
Commentaries (up to 2000 words): Commentaries may address any topic of interest to the epidemiologic community, including the implications of specific findings for public health policy. The Editors may select commentaries (or occasionally other articles) to feature in the "Epidemiology & Society" section of the journal.
Letters (up to 400 words, 4 references): We invite succinct responses to published papers.
Research Letters (up to 600 words, 1 table or figure, 8 references): We welcome letters with original data on some aspect of epidemiologic research.
Book or Software Reviews (up to 800 words): Authors interested in preparing an essay on a recent book or a critique of new software should consult the Editor-in-Chief.
Remembrances (up to 400 words, with photograph): The journal publishes brief memorials in honor of recently deceased epidemiologists. These should be signed, without references, and include a distilled combination of essential information (full name, dates of birth and death, main institutional affiliations and accomplishments) and personal anecdotes or memories.
Essential Conditions
Compliance with NIH and Other Research Funding Agency Accessibility Requirements:
A number of research funding agencies now require or request authors to submit the post-print version of articles (the article after peer review and acceptance, but not the final published article) to a repository that is accessible online without charge. As a service to our authors, the publisher (LWW) will identify to the National Library of Medicine articles that require deposit and will transmit to PubMed Central the post-print of an article based on research funded in whole or in part by the National Institutes of Health, Wellcome Trust, or the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. The revised Copyright Transfer Agreement provides the mechanism.
Author Responsibility: All submitted manuscripts must be original contributions, not previously published (except as an abstract) and not under consideration for publication elsewhere. Any closely related manuscripts (published, in press, or under review) must also be included so that we can make a full and fair assessment of the contribution of the manuscript under review. Authors may upload these related manuscripts as part of the manuscript submission process, or send as e-mail attachments to eshelman@epijournal.org. We also require that the results of related manuscripts be discussed in the submitted manuscript, providing readers with a synthesis of the findings. See our editorial on this topic (Epidemiology 2003;14:131-132, freely accessible from the Featured Articles page of our Web site, www.epidem.com).
Each author must qualify for authorship by the criteria of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (www.icmje.org). Although the editors and reviewers make every effort to ensure the validity of published manuscripts, this responsibility rests with the authors.
We ask authors to report their place of employment and the study’s sources of funding. We also ask authors to report potential conflicts of interest that could raise questions about a paper’s credibility if disclosed later. For more information on the journal’s policy on conflict of interest, see our editorial and related commentaries (Epidemiology 2006;17:241-251, freely accessible from the Featured Articles page of our Web site, www.epidem.com).
All authors must sign the journal's "Authorship Responsibility, Financial Disclosure, and Copyright Transfer" form. This form can be obtained by clicking on "Copyright Transfer Form" at the top of this Web page. Either (1) fax the form to the journal office (919.680.4599) or (2) scan the signed form and upload it in Editorial Manager. It is not necessary that all authors' signatures be on the same form.
Accepted manuscripts cannot subsequently be published elsewhere in similar form, in whole or in part, in any language, without the consent of Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Permission can be requested by clicking on "Permissions Request" at the top of this Web page.
Research Ethics and Informed Consent: It is the authors' responsibility to verify that any investigation involving human subjects has been approved by the committee on research ethics at the institution where the research was conducted and in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki of the World Medical Association (www.wma.net). State in the manuscript that such approval was received and, where applicable, that informed consent was obtained.
Permissions: In order to use direct quotations, tables, or illustrations that have appeared in copyrighted form elsewhere, authors must submit written permission from the copyright owner (usually the original publisher), along with complete details about the source. Any permissions fees that might be required by the copyright owner are the responsibility of the authors requesting use of the borrowed material, not the responsibility of Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Manuscript Submission
Authors should submit manuscripts online through Editorial Manager, our Web-based manuscript review system: https://www.editorialmanager.com/epid/.
Click the log-in button. If you have previously used the journal's Web site (as either an author or reviewer), enter your log-in information. If you have not used this system, click on "Register now." then, click on "Submit new manuscript" to submit your paper. You can follow your paper's progress through the editorial process on the Web site.
If you experience any problems, please contact EPIDEMIOLOGY’s Production Coordinator, Judy Eshelman (e-mail: eshelman@epijournal.org; phone: 919.667.1688; fax: 919.680.4599).
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Manuscript Preparation
Cover Letter: A cover letter must accompany the submitted manuscript stating that the paper and the data have not previously been published, either in whole or in part (unless as an abstract), and that no similar paper is in press or under review elsewhere.
The cover letter should also state potential conflicts of interest that could raise questions about a paper's credibility if disclosed later. (See above.)
Any closely-related papers by the authors (including manuscripts that are published, in press, or under review) should be sent to the journal editorial office, as described above. The cover letter should make clear the independent contribution of the submitted paper.
Upload the cover letter as a separate file when you submit the manuscript.
Title Page: Create a title page as a separate file, including:
- Type of manuscript (Original Article, Brief Report, etc.)
- Manuscript title
- Authors' full names (without degrees) and affiliations at the time the work was done
- Corresponding author’s name and complete contact information (mailing address, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail address)
- Running head (abbreviated title, up to 50 characters)
- Sources of financial support, including granting agency and grant number, if applicable
- Acknowledgements (including colleagues who contributed to the research but who do not meet the requirements for authorship)
Upload the title page as a separate file when you submit the manuscript.
Style: We prefer text with clear, declarative sentences in the active voice. EPIDEMIOLGY follows the AMA Manual of Style: A Guide for Authors and Editors (10th edition). Authors are encouraged to consult "Writing for Epidemiology" (Epidemiology 1998;9:333-337), which can be accessed through the Featured Articles page of the journal's Web site (www.epidem.com). Submissions should conform to the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals (www.icmje.org).
In order to facilitate blind review, delete all identifying information from all components of the manuscript except the title page. Do not include any information about authors and institutions, funding sources, or acknowledgments, and do not set up page headers or footers with authors' names.
Use metric and SI units of measure. Footnotes are acceptable in tables but not in the main text or figures. Avoid acronyms unless they are widely recognized (eg, HIV is acceptable). Define acronyms and abbreviations at first mention in text. When specifying brand names for software programs, etc., include the company name and location in parentheses.
We discourage the use of P-values or language referring to statistical significance; for discussion of this topic, refer to the May 2001 issue of the journal (editorial and commentaries freely available on the journal's Web site (www.epidem.com) in the Featured Articles section).
Provide submitted manuscript files in a standard word processing format. Microsoft Word is preferred, but the following formats are also acceptable: WordPerfect, RTF, TXT, LaTeX2e, and AMSTex. Application software programs released before 2001 are not supported.
Format the manuscript files for 8.5 X 11-inch paper with at least a 1-inch (2.5-cm) margin on all sides. Use 12-point Times New Roman or similar font. Do not use headers or footers. Align text only on the left side. Include page numbers.
Accepted manuscripts are edited for clarity and returned to the author for approval. Authors are responsible for all parts of their paper, including changes made by the manuscript editor and approved by the corresponding author.
Abstract: For research articles, provide a structured abstract, with headings for Background, Methods, Results, and Conclusions. The Methods section should identify the study population, study years, and location, if appropriate. Unstructured abstracts are allowed for unstructured papers (eg, methodology papers). Abstracts are limited to 250 words (200 words for Commentaries, 150 words for Brief Reports); these do not count as part of the word count for the article. There should be no references in abstracts, and abbreviations should be used sparingly.
Enter the abstract into the appropriate box in Editorial Manager and include it in the main text file.
Tables: Note that Editorial Manager requires each table to be submitted as a separate document.
Tables should have clear titles and explanatory footnotes (using standard footnote symbols). It is not necessary to repeat details that are available in the text.
Please prepare tables using the "Table" feature of your word processing software. Tables prepared using Excel or other spreadsheet programs make a mess later and are not acceptable. Number the tables in their order of presentation in the text. Double-space the tables and use only horizontal lines. (See any recent issue of EPIDEMIOLOGY for examples
Figures: Note that Editorial Manager requires each figure to be submitted as a separate document.
We strongly encourage the use of graphs and other figures in the presentation of your results. Aim for clarity in their design, with words and numbers used sparingly and with font size as large as possible. Show ratio measures (such as odds ratios) on a logarithmic scale. Submit figures in final form, suitable for publication. Figures are typically published as one column width (8.5 cm); prepare them approximately this size.
Number figures in the order they are discussed. For figures with several parts, label each part alphabetically (A, B, etc.) as part of the figure. Color figures are printed at the author's expense (see "Publication Charges" below).
Figures should be submitted as TIFF (tagged image file format), EPS (encapsulated postscript), or PPT (Power Point) files. We cannot use artwork generated from office suite programs such as Corel Draw and MS Word, or artwork downloaded from the Internet (JPEG or GIF files). Line art must have a resolution of at least 1200 dpi (dots per inch); photographs and other scanned images must have a resolution of at least 300 dpi. Fonts in the artwork must be either converted to paths or outlines or embedded in the files.
For a step-by-step guide to submitting digital art, click on “5 Steps for Creating Digital Artwork” on the Editorial Manager log-in page.
We invite good-quality black-and-white photographs of general relevance to the topic of the manuscript; these are published when space permits. You must have written consent of persons in the photographs.
Submit each figure as a separate file. For multi-part figures, submit each part as a separate file if possible.
Figure Legends: Provide brief legends for each figure on a separate manuscript page. This page should follow the references and be included as part of the text file.
Online Appendices: Material that is too extensive for print publication (appendices, non-essential figures, supplemental tables, the study questionnaire, details regarding study methods, or non-English translations) can be provided in the online version of the journal, where it is freely accessible without subscription. Reference this material in the text as an online appendix. They are considered to be part of the paper, and, as such, are included in the copyright transfer. Enter these online appendices in Editorial Manager as part of the submission process. They will appear as you submit them, without copy editing.
References: References should be numbered in order of appearance in the text, tables and figures, and listed immediately after the main text. Reference numbers in the text should be superscripts (following, rather than preceding, a period or comma). Do not use automatic numbering software. If your manuscript was set up with automatic numbering, remove the linkage between citation numbers and the references. Double-space the references.
Cite unpublished data (such as personal communications or papers under review) in the text in parentheses. Personal communications require the name of source, date, and type of communication.
Follow the reference style given in the AMA Manual of Style: A Guide for Authors and Editors (10th edition) . Sample references can also be found below. If there are more than 6 authors, list only the first 3, followed by "et al." Verify all references using MEDLINE (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi). Abbreviate journal names as listed in the Journals Database section of the MEDLINE Web site.
Include references as part of the main text file.
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Examples of Reference Style
Journal article
1. Botto LD, Lynberg MC, Erickson JD. Congenital heart defects, maternal febrile illness, and multivitamin use: a population-based study. Epidemiology. 2001; 12:485-490. NOTE: If the journal article is an editorial, commentary, letter or abstract, include this word in brackets following the title of the article.
Book chapter
2. Greenland S. Applications of stratified analysis methods. In: Rothman KJ, Greenland S, eds. Modern Epidemiology. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 1998:288-300.
Entire book
3. MacMahon B, Pugh TF. Epidemiology: Principles and Methods. Boston: Little Brown and Co.; 1970.
Software
4. Epi Info [computer program]. Version 6. Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 1994.
Online journals
5. Friedman SA. Preeclampsia: a review of the role of prostaglandins. Obstet Gynecol [serial online]. January 1988;71:22-37. Available from: BRS Information Technologies, McLean, VA. Accessed December 15, 1990.
Database
6. CANCERNET-PDQ [database online]. Bethesda, MD: National Cancer Institute; 1996. Updated March 29, 1996.
World Wide Web
7. Gostin LO. Drug use and HIV/AIDS [JAMA HIV/AIDS web site]. June 1, 1996. Available at: http://www.ama-assn.org/special/hiv/ethics. Accessed June 26, 1997.
Unpublished material (personal communications and unpublished papers, including papers submitted but not yet accepted):
Cite in the text, in parentheses. Include name of source or authors, date, and type of communication. For example:
(AK Smith, written communication, June 2003)
(SB Jones, unpublished data, 2003)
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Checklist for Submitted Manuscripts
Please review the list below to be sure you have all relevant components of your submission. See specifications above for each component.
- Cover letter
- Title page
- Abstract (entered into Editorial Manager abstract box, and as part of the text file)
- Text file (including abstract, references and figure legends)
- Tables (numbered, with title)
- Figures (numbered, without legends; legends are included in the text file)
- Authorship Responsibility, Financial Disclosure, and Copyright Transfer form(s) signed by all authors
- Optional appendices for electronic version of the journal
- Copies of any related publications
- Permission to reproduce copyrighted materials and to publish photographs of people, if applicable (send separately to Editorial Office)
Page Proofs and Corrections
Authors will have the opportunity to check the copyedited and typeset article before publication. The corresponding author will receive an e-mail with the PDF files of the typeset pages attached. Please send corrections to the editorial office within 48 hours. It is the authors' responsibility to ensure there are no errors
Only the most critical changes to ensure accuracy are allowed at this stage. Changes that have been made to conform to journal style will stand if they do not alter the authors' meaning. The publisher reserves the right to deny changes beyond those that are absolutely necessary. Authors may be charged for alterations to the proofs beyond those required to correct errors or to answer queries
Publisher's contact: For questions about accessing the proofs, contact: Jordan Hucht, 410.691.5239 (phone), 410.691.6235 (fax), huchtj@cadmus.com
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Reprints and Publication Charges
Reprints: Authors will receive a reprint order form from the publisher. Fax or mail your order form to Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Author Reprint Department, 351 W. Camden Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. Fax: 410.528.4434. Reprints are normally shipped 6-8 weeks after publication.
Electronic reprints are also available. Purchasing these ePrints enables you to redistribute the PDF file either by e-mail or posting it to your website.
You can order both paper and electronic reprints from the journal’s home page (www.epidem.com). Contact the Author Reprint Department with any questions (800.341.2258 or reprints@lww.com).
Publication charges: There is no charge for publication of up to four published pages. Authors are charged $65 per page for pages 5-7 and $90 per page for additional pages.
The charge for the first color figure is $750. Each additional color figure is $150.
Billing follows publication. If you have any billing questions, please contact the Author Reprint Department of Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (800.341.2258 or reprints@lww.com).
