Instructions to authors
Below are instructions for submitting original manuscripts and revisions to the American Journal of Epidemiology (AJE). If you have any questions, please contact the editorial office at [email protected].
Table of Contents
Initial Submission
Manuscript Submission Guidelines
We at the AJE appreciate the time and effort our authors expend to prepare manuscripts for publication. We will consider for publication articles submitted in any format and reference style. Our only text requirements are the following:
- Articles must be blinded (i.e., no authors, affiliations, or disclosures/conflicts of interest listed within the article.
- Abstracts must be provided for those articles types that require them (see below).
- Word counts must fall within the prescribed limits (see below). Note that word counts should not include the abstract, references, tables, or figure legends.
Please visit ScholarOne to submit. Please follow this link for instructions on how to submit your manuscript online.
If your paper is a new version of a previously rejected one, please include the original article number and a detailed explanation of why it is being resubmitted as a new paper in the cover letter.
Correspondence
The author who submits the manuscript will remain the contact author throughout the entire publishing process. At the time of submission, the corresponding author must confirm that all authors meet the authorship criteria and have seen and approved of the paper. When the final revision of the manuscript has been accepted, the senior author must sign a Publication Agreement (see "Copyright") and a statement accepting responsibility for publication charges.
Manuscripts
The AJE considers manuscripts for which copyright has not been assigned, that do not essentially duplicate already published material, and that are not being simultaneously considered for publication elsewhere. We do accept manuscripts that have been published on preprint servers (see below). If the submitted manuscript is based on the findings of an article that is in press or if such an article is cited in support of current findings, a copy of the article should be uploaded along with the submitted manuscript.
Descriptions of manuscript types and associated word counts are available in the table below. Although we typically follow the author’s suggested section, the editorial board reserves the right to change the section in which the paper will be published if it is found to be acceptable for publication. Editors can request that authors shorten their papers further. Lengthy, encyclopedic tables should be avoided.
Abstracts are limited to 200 words and should be unstructured. For Original Contributions and Practice of Epidemiology articles, abstracts should state concisely the research question that was asked, the methods used, and the results and conclusions of the research. For opinion pieces, it should include a brief summary of the arguments being presented. Because the abstract is used by abstracting services such as MEDLINE and must make sense when read alone, it should not include citations of the scientific literature or figures or tables. However, it should include the study year(s), location, and population studied, if applicable.
| Manuscript Type | Description | Word Count | Abstract? |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLES | ||
| Original Contribution | Reports of original research comprising laboratory, field, clinical, or mathematical modeling studies of conditions that impact the population's health, as well as studies of statistical or methodological issues. We encourage methodological contributions aimed at improving the design and analysis of epidemiologic studies. Although we recognize that such papers may require a technical level above that of the typical original contribution published in the Journal, we encourage authors of methodological papers to make them as comprehensible as possible by using examples based on epidemiologic studies and by relegating highly technical material to appendices. | 4,000 | Yes |
| Practice of Epidemiology and Methodology | Papers dealing with the practical application of epidemiologic or statistical methods (such as the implementation of statistical techniques or the evaluation of interview strategies). | 4,000 |
Yes |
| Study Design | Manuscripts that describe designs, methods, and procedures of specific epidemiologic studies, particularly large and/or multicenter studies. |
4,000 |
Yes |
| Systematic Reviews and Meta- and Pooled Analysis | In-depth reviews and analyses on both substantive subject areas and methodologic aspects of epidemiology. | 4,000 | Yes |
| The AJE Classroom | Short articles in which basics of epidemiologic methods are explained. | 1,500 | No |
| Research Letter | Articles presenting new data (often preliminary) that are not of sufficient length to warrant an Original Contribution. Only 1 figure and 1 short table are permitted. | 1,500 | No |
|
|
OPINION ARTICLES | ||
| Commentary | Opinion piece about either an epidemiologic topic or a previously published AJE article. | 2,000 | Yes |
| Data-Driven Commentary | Article in which authors present the state of knowledge on a topic along with their opinions on the topic. The purpose is to effectively synthesize the available data while also commenting on the current state of affairs | 4,000 | Yes |
| Point–Counterpoint | Groups of 2 articles in which authors present different sides of a discussion. | 2,000 each | Yes |
| Editorial | A short opinion piece written by an editor/editors of the AJE. Similar articles written by those who are not editors should be submitted as commentaries. | 1,500 | No |
| Letter to the Editor | Brief response to an article recently published in the AJE. The authors of the original paper will be invited to respond. Note that letters to the editor are not blinded. | 500–600 | No |
| Erratum | A brief article detailing necessary corrections to a previously published AJE article. They must include a description of the error, the corrected text, and a reference to the original article. | No limit | No |
Authorship
Authorship credit should be based on criteria developed by the International Committee for Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE): 1) substantial contributions to conception and design, or acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data; 2) drafting the article or reviewing it and, if appropriate, revising it critically for important intellectual content; 3) final approval of the version to be published. Authors should meet all conditions. In addition, each author must certify that he or she has participated sufficiently in the work to believe in its overall validity and to take public responsibility for appropriate portions of its content. Author names should be listed in ScholarOne and author contributions should be detailed in the cover letter (e.g., “Author A designed the study and directed its implementation, including quality assurance and control. Author B helped supervise the field activities and designed the study’s analytic strategy. Author C helped conduct the literature review and prepare the Methods and the Discussion sections of the text.”) Neither names nor contributions should appear in the blinded manuscript.
Responses to Invited Commentaries and Letter Replies: The lead authors of responses are responsible for contacting all authors of the original paper to ascertain whether they wish to be included in the reply.
Conflicts of Interest
At the point of submission, AJE policy requires that each author reveal any financial interests or connections, direct or indirect, or other situations that might raise the question of bias in the work reported or the conclusions, implications, or opinions stated—including pertinent commercial or other sources of funding for the individual author(s) or for the associated department(s) or organization(s), personal relationships, or direct academic competition. This information should be entered into ScholarOne at initial submission. When considering whether you should declare a conflicting interest or connection, please consider the conflict of interest test: Is there any arrangement that would embarrass you or any of your coauthors if it was to emerge after publication and you had not declared it?
If the corresponding author is unable to confirm this information on behalf of all coauthors, the authors in question will then be required to submit a completed Conflict of Interest form to the Editorial Office. It is the corresponding author’s responsibility to ensure that all authors adhere to this policy.
If the manuscript is published, conflict of interest information will be communicated in a statement in the published paper.
Crossref Funding Data Registry
In order to meet your funding requirements authors are required to name their funding sources, or state if there are none, during the submission process. For further information on this process or to find out more about CHORUS, visit the CHORUS initiative.
CONSORT Guidelines
For papers in which results of randomized trials are reported, the Journal encourages authors to follow the CONSORT guidelines. Please note that the CONSORT guidelines help to guarantee that the paper has the information necessary for the integration of the trial into meta-analyses and systematic reviews.
Multipart Papers
The Journal strongly discourages the submission of multipart papers. If submitted, multipart papers should be prepared so they can be assigned to different editorial board members and independent outside expert reviewers.
Language Editing
Language editing, if your first language is not English, to ensure that the academic content of your paper is fully understood by journal editors and reviewers is optional. Language editing does not guarantee that your manuscript will be accepted for publication. Please follow this link for further information on this service. Several specialist language editing companies offer similar services and you can also use any of these. Authors are liable for all costs associated with such services.
Supplementary Data
If your article has supplementary data, please note that we cannot guarantee that it will be peer reviewed. Please see below for guidelines for accepted manuscripts.
Revisions
Revisions should be submitted online to ScholarOne using the same "Contact Author" account that was used for the original submission. At this site, authors will find a link to the current paper and instructions on how to upload the revisions. Authors are requested to upload an unblinded copy showing the changes, deletions, and/or additions that is double spaced and includes page numbers but not line numbers. Along with these copies, responses to the editor's and reviewers' comments are also requested.
Revisions should include the following (note that all but the references should appear on the first page(s)):
Author names: Note that degrees are not required.
Acknowledgments section: Provide an ordered list of material that may be included: 1) author affiliations; 2) statement about authors contributing equally to the work; 3) grants and/or financial support; 4) data-availability statement; 5) thank-you’s (in this part only, "Dr." should precede the name of each person with a medical and/or doctoral degree (e.g., “The authors thank Dr. Penny Kerkovich for his contributions to this study.”); do not thank reviewers or study subjects; 6) members of a study group; 7) presentation at a meeting, report number in a series, or student prize paper; 8) preprint information; 9) disclaimer; and 10) conflict of interest statement.
Author affiliations: These should be listed in a single paragraph. If an author is associated with more than 1 department or institution, that name should be listed after each relevant affiliation. Each affiliation should be as detailed as possible (e.g., section, unit, department; division; school at the university; university name; city and state/province or country). Write out names of states, provinces, and countries. Sample: Author affiliations: Department of Epidemiology, Villanueva School of Public Health, Solano University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States (Janet Mendoza, Rebecca Chan, and Joshua G. Serrano); Department of General Medicine, Villanueva School of Public Health, Solano University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States (Rebecca Chan, Michael Shellstrop, Jane Williams); and Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Public University, Newark, Delaware, United States (Darryl Proctor, Jacob Boyle, and Eleanor A. Hartz).
Funding information: The sentence should begin: "This work was supported by….” The full official funding agency name should be given rather than the abbreviation. Grant numbers should be complete, accurate, and provided in parentheses. Multiple grant numbers should be separated by a comma. Agencies should be separated by a semicolon (plus "and" before the last funding agency). If individuals need to be specified for certain sources of funding, the following text should be added after the relevant agency or grant number: "to [author initials]." Example: "This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (grants P50 CA098252 and CA118790 to E.S.A.); and the Alcohol & Education Research Council (grant HY GR667789)."
Oxford Journals will deposit all NIH-funded articles in PubMed Central. Refer to our funder policies page for details. Authors must ensure that manuscripts are clearly indicated as NIH-funded using the guidelines above.
Data-availability statement: The Journal encourages all authors, where ethically possible, to publicly release all data underlying any published paper. Authors must include a data-availability statement in their published article.
Keywords: Please include a list of 3–8 keywords. Stand-alone adjectives are not permitted (e.g., longitudinal), but phrases that include adjectives are (e.g., longitudinal study).
References: References in revisions should be formatted in basic AMA style; that is, numbered references cited chronologically in text.
Acceptance
Once the editor(s) handling your paper have determined that it is suitable for publication in the AJE, it will be moved to the “accept with technical review” phase. You will receive from the editorial office a customized list of necessary changes that must be made to the text, table, figures, and/or supplementary data before final acceptance. However, for citation purposes, you can consider articles at this stage as in press.
Text Guidelines
Below are text, figure, table, reference, and supplementary data requirements, along with some AJE style points. These do not have to be implemented in the original submission but may be required in revisions or at conditional acceptance. Our dedicated copy editors will implement our style when editing your article; the information below is only intended to provide guidance on a few specific points. If you have questions about Journal style after reading the following instructions, please contact the Journal office at [email protected].
Text Format and Style
Refer to a current issue of the Journal if you have concerns about the correct format and style. It should be used in conjunction with the AMA Manual of Style, 10th Edition, published by Oxford University Press. Use American English spelling. Follow Webster's Third New International Dictionary or Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition, for spelling and word division. Follow the Merck Index and Stedman's Medical Dictionary, 26th Edition, for spelling of chemical names and medical terms.
Usage
The Journal discourages the use of the word “effect(s)” as a proxy for “association(s)” in reports of single observational studies. There are many exceptions to this guideline, such as use of the expression “effect modification” as a proxy for “heterogeneity” and in papers focused on methods. The use of the word “effect” is also warranted when discussing the parameters the authors are trying to estimate. (For example: “The effect we are trying to estimate is the difference in 5-year risk/incidence curves.”) In general, authors should make a good case for why they believe that the use of the word “effect” is justified. Please refer to the editorial “Associations Are Not Effects” (Am J Epidemiol. 1991;133(2):101–102).
Text headings: The main headings used in Original Contributions are METHODS, RESULTS, and DISCUSSION. (These headings may not apply to statistical papers.) Do not use "Introduction" as a heading. Do not number the sections of the paper.
Trade names: For products used in experiments or methods (particularly those referred to by a trade name), give the manufacturer's full name and location (in parentheses). When possible, use generic names of drugs.
Footnotes to text: Do not use footnotes to the text. Instead, incorporate such material into the text (e.g., in parentheses).
Metric system: The Journal strongly encourages authors to use the metric system for all measurements. Where US measurements must be used (e.g., when reporting original measurements used in the study), metric equivalents must be given in parentheses.
P values: In cases in which P values should be reported, please note style for probability: P < 0.01, with an uppercase italic letter P. P values should not be bolded. Avoid reporting an excessive number of digits beyond the decimal for estimates, especially when the estimate has a wide confidence interval. If P values are given, they should be reported to, at most, 2 digits beyond any leading zeros. They may alternatively be reported as less than some specified value (e.g., P < 0.05 or P < 0.001). Indicate whether P values are 1 sided or 2 sided.
Statistical notation: Equations can appear within the text or displayed. Whenever possible, mathematical equations should be written on a single line, as a/ (a + b) and exp(x). With proper use of braces, brackets, parentheses, and exponents, even complicated expressions can be put into this form. However, any mathematical expression that contains a character taller than a line of type should be displayed and numbered as an equation. If your manuscript is submitted in Microsoft Word, please ensure that all math is editable with either the Word Math Editor or MathType. If your manuscript is submitted in LaTex, please be sure to include the .tex file.
When referring to an equation in the text, use, for example, "equation 6."
For multiplication, use a times sign (×) rather than an asterisk or centered dot. For ±, ≤, and ≥, do not use an underline. The underline may be lost during software conversion, changing the meaning of the data from what the authors intended and leading to inaccurate representation.
Regression analyses: When presenting results of regression analyses, regression coefficients should usually be converted into more generally meaningful terms (e.g., relative odds instead of ꞵ coefficients). Note that because regression coefficients are unit dependent for continuous variables and category dependent for discrete or ordinal variables, the Journal strongly encourages statements specifying the units or categories, that is, as parenthetical statements in the text or in table footnotes or figure legends.
Table Format and Style
Tables should be submitted in the main manuscript file at the end of the document, after the references. Each table must be formatted by using the table feature in Word, and each entry must be in a separate cell. Tables should be numbered (Arabic numerals) in the same consecutive sequence in which they are mentioned in the text. They should be concise and self-explanatory. Avoid internal headings whenever possible. Column headings should be clearly delineated, with straddle rules over pertinent columns to indicate subcategories. Data in vertical columns should have the same unit of measurement. Divide overly long tables into 2 or more tables. Multipart tables (e.g., Table 2A and 2B) are not acceptable. For files submitted in LaTex, tables should be included in the PDF and follow the guidelines listed above.
Table titles should give details on the place of the study, the time of the study, and the study population (if applicable). Example, “Baseline Characteristics of Infants With Initial and Follow-up Screening, London, United Kingdom, 2001–2003.” In the table body, leave blank spaces for no entry; avoid using dashes. Order of footnotes: 1) Abbreviations: (no footnote symbol, listed alphabetically, separated by semicolons); 2) other footnotes as necessary, each preceded by a superscript lowercase letter. Footnotes must be cited in order when reading from left to right and top to bottom.
Requirements for Figures
General figure requirements are provided below. These guidelines have been compiled to ensure maximum clarity and readability in both the full-text XML and PDF versions of the article. However, we are happy to work with authors to determine the format that makes the most sense for each specific figure.
Please format figures so that when they are reduced for print publication, the smallest type size is 8 pt. Note that figures set in portrait mode cannot be wider than 7 inches; those set in landscape mode cannot be wider than 9 inches. The maximum height depends on the length of the legend. We discourage the publication of figures set in landscape mode unless absolutely necessary. Figures should be scaled appropriately for the content.
There are no color figure charges. The Journal encourages the submission of color figures. Authors should submit their figures with the manuscript.
If your figures were created in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, please submit in that format. For all other programs, please save these figures directly to EPS, PDF, or TIFF files and submit in that format with accompanying PDFs. Vector files are preferred.
On maps, add a scale bar (in kilometers or meters) and an arrow indicating which direction is north.
All multipanel figures should have locants to identify each panel. Locants should be capital letters followed by a closing parenthesis, such as A), B), and C). Locants should be approximately the same size as the rest of the text in the figure and should appear completely above and to the left of the figure panel.
When plotting relative measures of effect (e.g., relative risks, relative odds), a logarithmic scale must be used unless there is a compelling reason to use an arithmetic scale. If bars are used to plot the relative measures, they should start at the baseline level of 1.0 rather than at zero.
The figure titles and legends should be submitted as a single paragraph. The text of figure legends beyond the scale, arrow, panel locant, and axis information should not be included on the figures themselves but should be typed after the reference list. Each legend should be formatted as a separate paragraph and should include details on the place of the study, the time of the study, and the study population (if applicable). Define all figure abbreviations in the legend.
If causal diagrams (e.g., causal directed acyclic graphs, single-world intervention graphs) were used to assist in developing the analytic plan, we encourage the authors to state this in the Methods section and to append a copy of the diagram as a (supplemental) figure.
Figure accessibility and alt text
Incorporating alt text (alternative text) when submitting your paper helps to foster inclusivity and accessibility. Good alt text ensures that individuals with visual impairments or those using screen readers can comprehend the content and context of your figures. The aim of alt text is to provide concise and informative descriptions of your figure so that all readers have access to the same level of information and understanding, and that all can engage with and benefit from the visual elements integral to scholarly content. Including alt text demonstrates a commitment to accessibility and enhances the overall impact and reach of your work.
Alt text is applicable to all images, figures, illustrations, and photographs.
Alt text is only accessible via e-reader and so it won’t appear as part of the typeset article.
Detailed guidance on how to draft and submit alt text.
Supplementary Data
Supplementary data can be made available by the publisher as online-only content linked to the online manuscript.
Definition
Supplementary materials comprise supporting materials that cannot be included in the printed version of the article because of space constraints and that are not necessary in the full text of the manuscript but would nevertheless benefit the reader. They should not be essential to understanding the conclusions of the paper but should contain data that are directly relevant to the article content. Excessively long supplementary data (>50 pages) or those that contain information not directly relevant to the paper will not be accepted. Examples of permissible supplementary materials include more detailed methods, extended data sets/data analysis, tables, questionnaires, or additional figures. These should be named, for example, Appendix S1, Table S1, or Figure S1. Supplementary data should appear in the order cited or by like type content group.
Process
All material to be considered as supplementary data must be submitted at the same time as the main manuscript for peer review. Note: We cannot guarantee that supplementary material will be peer reviewed. Please indicate clearly the material intended as supplementary data upon submission. Also ensure that the supplementary data are referred to in the main manuscript at an appropriate point in the text. This material must be supplied to the production department with the article for publication, not at a later date. It cannot be altered or replaced after the paper has been accepted for publication.
Files for supplementary data should be clearly marked as such and be accompanied by a summary of the file names and types.
Please note that supplementary data will not be copyedited, so ensure that the material is clearly and succinctly presented and that the style of terms conforms with the rest of the paper. Also ensure that the presentation will be compatible with any Internet browser.
Acceptable Formats
A maximum of 5 files is acceptable to make up the supplementary data unit for an article. The maximum size per file should not exceed 2 MB (although text files should be a great deal smaller), and files must be as small as possible so they can be downloaded quickly. Supplementary material should include a title page with the article title, the byline, and a list of included materials, but excluding author details.
If you require further help or information regarding submission or preparation of supplementary data, please contact the editorial office at [email protected].
Data Collection and Codes
As recommended by the ICMJE, the AJE encourages authors to make their data collection instruments, as well as their data and corresponding codes, available to others as a supplementary appendix.
References
If you are using a reference management system, please use the American Medical Association (AMA) Manual of Style format.
Number references consecutively in the order in which they are mentioned in the text. Reference numbers in the text are superscript Arabic numerals. For 3 or more consecutive references cited all at once, use, for example, 1–4.
When directly quoting material in the text, give the reference number followed by the page number(s) of the quotation, for example, 24, p. 65.
Important: All statements of scientific fact should be referenced. Failure to do so may cause considerable delay in processing the manuscript and may necessitate renumbering of the references.
The reference list should be limited to published or "in press" references. References to personal written communications or unpublished data (including manuscripts submitted for publication but not yet accepted) should be inserted in parentheses in the text rather than in the reference list. Give the person's name, institutional affiliation, "personal communication" or “unpublished data,” and the year. Verbal communications are not acceptable as supporting documentation.
References must be verified by the author(s) against the original documents and must give the exact authors' last names, initials, and article title. Please supply the entire page range and issue number (in parentheses); see examples below. If only 1 page number is given, indicate in parentheses after the title whether the reference is a letter, an editorial, or an abstract. For manuscripts accepted (not submitted) but not yet published, designate the journal followed by a period and then “In press.” For references to papers presented at conferences, give the location (city and state or country), month and days, and year of the conference. For references published online in advance of print publication, provide the journal abbreviation followed by the digital object identifier (DOI) number in parentheses. Web pages must not be cited in the reference list.
For articles originally published in a language other than English, indicate the language in parentheses after the article title provided in English.
References to holy books (e.g., the Bible, the Quran) should be cited parenthetically in running text. Include the chapter and verse(s).
Examples of correct forms of references follow. Type references double-spaced. The titles of journals should be abbreviated according to the List of Journals Indexed in Index Medicus(published by the National Library of Medicine). For more than 3 authors, list the first 3 and add "et al."
Examples of Reference Style
Standard journal article
Nakajima S, Saijo Y, Kato S, et al. Effects of prenatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls and dioxins on mental and motor development in Japanese children at 6 months of age. Environ Health Perspect. 2006;114(5):773–778.
Standard journal article with a published correction/erratum
Korpi A, Mantyjarvi R, Rautiainen J, et al. Detection of mouse and rat urinary aeroallergens with an improved ELISA [published correction appears in J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2004;113(6):1226]. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2004;113(4):677–682.
Journal article with digital object identifier (article not yet in print)
Sturmer T, Gefeller O, Brenner H. A computer program to estimate power and relative efficiency to assess gene-environment interactions in flexibly matched case-control studies [published online ahead of print August 10, 2005]. Comput Methods Programs Biomed. (doi:10.1016/j.cmpb.2003.08.003).
Article in an online-only journal that accounts for the lack of a page range
Laupland KB, Davies HD, Low DE, et al. Invasive group A streptococcal disease in children and association with varicella-roster virus infection. Ontario Group A Streptococcal Study Group. Pediatrics. 2000;105(5):E60.
Article in a supplemental issue
Giovannucci E. Alcohol, one-carbon metabolism, and colorectal cancer: recent insights from molecular studies. J Nutr. 2004;134(suppl):2475S–2481S.
Preprints
Pothin E, Segura L, Galactionova K, et al. A methodology for malaria programme impact evaluation [preprint]. PeerJ Preprints. 2017. (doi:10.7287/peerj.preprints.3263v1). Accessed September 21, 2017.
Committee or corporate author
Self-reported illness and health status among Gulf War veterans. A population-based study. The Iowa Persian Gulf Study Group. JAMA. 1997;277(3):238–245.
Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Tuberculosis–United States, 1980. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep . 1981;30(5):55–56.
Article with a non–English-language title
Richartz E, Schott KJ, Wormstall H. Psychopharmakotherapie bei Demenzerkrankungen. Dtsch Med Wochenschr. 2004;129(25):1434–1440.
Miyazaki K, Murakami A, Imamura S, et al. A case of fundus albipunctatus with a retinol dehydrogenase 5 gene mutation in a child [in Japanese]. Nippon Ganka Gakkai Zasshi. 2001;105(8):530–534.
Abstract
Joffe M, Santanna J, Feldman H. Partially marginal structural models for causal inference [abstract]. Am J Epidemiol. 2001;153(suppl):S261.
Letter
Deddens JA, Petersen MR. Re: “Estimating the relative risk in cohort studies and clinical trials of common outcomes” [letter]. Am J Epidemiol. 2004;159(2):213–214.
Secondary Citation
Richardson HJ. Disabilities and Problems of Hong Kong Veterans, 1664–1965. (Report to Canadian Pensions Commission). Ottawa, Canada: Canadian Pensions Commission; 1965. Cited by: Tennant CC, Goulston KJ, Dent OF. The psychological effects of being a prisoner of war—40 years after release. Am J Psychiatry. 1986;143(5):618–621.
Secondary Quotation
Kato S, Sherman PM. What is new related to Helicobacter pylori infection in children and teenagers? Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2005;159(5):415-421. Quoted by: Prazar G. How many pediatricians does it take to change a practice? or how to incorporate change into practice [editorial]. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2005;159(5):500-502.
Book
Rothman KJ, Greenland S, eds. Modern Epidemiology. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott-Raven Publishers; 1998.
Chapter in a Book
Robins JM. Marginal structural models versus structural nested models as tools for causal inference. In: Halloran ME, Berry D, eds. Statistical Models in Epidemiology, the Environment, and Clinical Trials. New York, NY: Springer-Verlag; 1999:95–134.
Chapter in a book (no chapter titles)
Robins JM. Chapter 3. In: Halloran ME, Berry D, eds. Statistical Models in Epidemiology, the Environment, and Clinical Trials. New York, NY: Springer-Verlag; 1999:95–134.
Thesis
Knoll EG. Mental Evolution and the Science of Language: Darwin, Muller, and Romanes on the Development of the Human Mind [dissertation]. Birmingham, AL: University of Alabama; 1987.
Agency publication
National Center for Health Statistics. Plan and Operation of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988–94. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics; 1994. (Vital and health statistics, series 1: programs and collection procedures, no. 32) (DHHS publication no. (PHS) 94-1308) (GPO no. 017-022-01260-0).
Conference Presentation
Linna SL, Taanila A, Heikura U, et al. Shift of etiological pattern of intellectual disability in the two northern Finland birth cohorts 1966 and 1986 [abstract]. Presented at the Fourth Congress of the European Association of Intellectual Disability Medicine, Lahti, Finland, August 25–27, 2005.
Database or Database Entry
Bureau of the Census, US Department of Commerce. Census 2000 summary file 3. Washington, DC: Bureau of the Census; 2007. http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/. Accessed January 8, 2007.
National Center for Biotechnology Information, US National Library of Medicine. Reference SNP cluster report: rs2077647. (NCBI Single Nucleotide Polymorphism database). Washington, DC: National Library of Medicine; 2007. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/SNP/snp_ref.cgi?rs=2077647. Accessed May 12, 2009.
Software Manual
Stata Corporation. Stata statistical software, release 9. College Station, TX: Stata Corporation; 2005.
Media Reference
The man who helped indict smoking [editorial]. New York Times. January 18, 1997:A22.
ABC News. What happened over there? 20/20, August 14, 1992. Denver, CO: Journal Graphics, Inc; 1992. (Transcript 1235).
Goode E. Study finds jump in children taking psychiatric drugs. New York Times. January 14, 2003:A21, A25.
Additional Information
Copyright
It is a condition of publication in the AJE that authors grant an exclusive license to Oxford University Press. This ensures that requests from third parties to reproduce articles are handled efficiently and consistently and will also allow the article to be as widely disseminated as possible. In granting an exclusive license, authors may use their own material in other publications provided that the AJE is acknowledged as the original place of publication and Oxford University Press is notified in writing and in advance.
Upon receipt of accepted manuscripts at Oxford Journals authors will be invited to complete an online copyright license to publish form. Please note that if any author is an employee of the US government, you must select the US government agreement.
Please note that by submitting an article for publication you confirm that you are the corresponding/submitting author and that Oxford University Press ("OUP") may retain your email address for the purpose of communicating with you about the article. You agree to notify OUP immediately if your details change. If your article is accepted for publication OUP will contact you using the email address you have used in the registration process. Please note that OUP does not retain copies of rejected articles.
Because copyright laws and policies are constantly being updated, please refer to a recent issue of the Journal for copyright procedures. In addition, questions regarding copyright and requests to reproduce published data should be directed to Oxford University Press at Journals Permissions ([email protected]) or can be answered online on our Access and purchase resource centre page.
Proofs
Authors will be e-mailed a link via which they can download their proofs. Proofs should be read carefully, corrected if necessary, and uploaded to the website within 2 working days of receipt.
Charges
The page charge is $95 per page. Society for Epidemiologic Research members receive a 10% discount. Authors who wish to receive a waiver of page charges must make the request in their cover letter. These requests will only be considered at initial submission; however, they will have no effect on whether a paper is accepted.
There are no color figure charges. The Journal encourages the submission of color figures.
Open Access Option for Authors
AJE authors have the option to publish their paper under the Oxford Open initiative; whereby, for a charge, their paper will be made freely available online immediately upon publication. After your manuscript is accepted the corresponding author will be required to accept a mandatory license to publish agreement. As part of the licensing process you will be asked to indicate whether or not you wish to pay for open access. If you do not select the open access option, your paper will be published with standard subscription-based access and you will not be charged.
Oxford Open articles are published under Creative Commons licences. Authors publishing in AJE can use the following Creative Commons licences for their articles:
Creative Commons Attribution licence (CC BY)
Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial licence (CC BY-NC)
Visit the OUP licensing website to find out more about Creative Commons licences.
You can pay Open Access charges using our Author Portal. Details of the open access licenses and open access charges. Society for Epidemiologic Research members receive a 20% discount.
OUP has a growing number of Read and Publish agreements with institutions and consortia that provide funding for open-access publishing. This means authors from participating institutions can publish their articles as open access, and the institution may pay the charge. Find out if your institution is participating.
Preprints
Before acceptance for publication in the Journal, authors retain the right to make their original version of the article available on their own personal website, the website of their employer, and/or in free public servers of original version articles in their subject area provided that, upon acceptance, they acknowledge that the article has been accepted for publication as follows: This article has been accepted for publication in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
Once an article is accepted for publication, an author may not make the version of record available in this way or replace their original version with the accepted manuscript or version of record.
Publish Ahead of Print Policy
Articles will first be published online as PDFs of the original peer-reviewed author files in order to facilitate rapid access to new content. (Note that this does not apply to editorials or errata.) These files will not be copyedited or typeset. They will be flagged with the “Accepted Manuscript” tag and will contain the watermark “Original Unedited Manuscript.” Accepted manuscripts will be posted online only after the license to publish has been signed; failure to sign the license will result in a delay in online publication.
We recommend the following citation format for Advance Articles:
Todd JV, Cole SR, Pence BW, et al. Effects of antiretroviral therapy and depressive symptoms on all-cause mortality among HIV-infected women [published online ahead of print April 18, 2017]. Am J Epidemiol. (doi:10.1093/aje/kww192).
Once an article has been edited, typeset, and finalized, the new version will replace the previous version on the Advance Access page. Articles will be removed from the Advance Access page once the issue in which they are published has been posted online.
Code of Ethics
If a study has involved any contact with human subjects or if it is otherwise appropriate, authors should state in their Methods section that their institution's review board has approved the study proposal, as well as the manner in which informed consent was obtained from subjects (if applicable). Authors should follow the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki (41st World Medical Assembly. Declaration of Helsinki: recommendations guiding physicians in biomedical research involving human subjects. Bull Pan Am Health Organ. 1990;24:606-609).
The Journal subscribes to the criteria for authorship detailed in Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals (Vancouver Guidelines) by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors.
Author Self-Archiving/Public Access Policy
For information about this journal's policy, please visit our Author Self-Archiving policy page.
Open Access Option for Authors
Manuscript Transfer
The AJE sends and receives transfers from other journals on related topics published by Oxford University Press. All transfers are sent according to the choice of the authors. Reviewer reports and the original decision letter are included in the transfer, but the reviewer identities are not shared.
Transferred manuscripts may be sent out for additional peer review, and a decision will be made on the manuscript based on the feedback from all reviewers and the judgment of the editorial team.
