Professionals providing quality information for improved health. spacer

Journal of the Medical Library Association (JMLA)

Notice: The JMLA moved to an online submission system in 2010. See online guidelines below.

JMLA logo

Information for Authors

Revised January 2013

Download 101 KB (PDF)

The following editorial guidelines for the Journal of the Medical Library Association (JMLA) are in accordance with the “Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals” [1].

To top of page Scope of Articles

The JMLA is an international, peer-reviewed specialty journal that aims to advance the practice and research knowledgebase of health sciences librarianship and information provision. The JMLA welcomes the submission of any original manuscript that seeks to improve the practice of health sciences librarianship or information provision in health or biological sciences or articulates developments and history of the profession and related fields. The JMLA also welcomes manuscripts that extend the knowledgebase through research in the organization, delivery, use, and impact of information on health care, biomedical research, and health professionals’ education.

Manuscripts are reviewed for possible publication with the understanding that they have not been published, submitted, or accepted for publication elsewhere. General availability or mass distribution in an online format is considered publication. Presentation of a paper at a conference or inclusion of a preliminary report in a published proceedings is not considered to be prior publication, provided that the submitted manuscript is substantially more complete than an initial report and any duplicative material is kept to a minimum. Specific cases should be referred to the editor.

Material published in the quarterly print journal also appears online on the Medical Library Association website and through the National Library of Medicine’s (NLM’s) PubMed Central digital archive. Preprints of articles published in the JMLA are available, to MLA members only, on the JMLA website two months prior to the print publication.

To top of page Categories of Articles

The JMLA publishes manuscripts in a variety of categories. The most frequent categories are described below.

To top of page Full-length papers

Manuscripts that present original findings based on standard research methodologies or provide a comprehensive review of literature, opinions, or progress on a topic are published as full-length papers. Full-length papers reporting research findings will typically follow a standard research paper format: “Introduction,” “Methods,” “Results,” “Discussion,” “Conclusion.” The “Introduction” should provide a review of relevant literature and a clear statement of the purpose of the study. “Methods” should be described in sufficient detail to allow readers to evaluate the study’s validity and reproducibility. All data should be in a “Results” section; data should be interpreted in the “Discussion” and followed by “Conclusions” that proceed logically from the study. Papers should also address the limitations of study findings. The JMLA subscribes to the Department of Health and Human Services definition of research, “a systematic investigation … designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge” [2]. Quantitative research studies, including surveys, submitted as full-length papers should be designed to answer a general research question and use a sampling methodology that permits extrapolation to the larger population.

All full-length papers must have a structured abstract of not more than 250 words.

Full-length paper submissions should be double-spaced, use Times New Roman 11-point font, and not exceed 5,000 words, excluding references, abstract, illustrations, and highlights and implications. Manuscript pages should be numbered. Up to 6 illustrations can be included with full-length papers in the print version of the JMLA.

To top of page Brief communications

Manuscripts that report interesting and important developments related to the practice of health sciences librarianship but do not aim to be comprehensive or research oriented in nature may be published as brief communications. Surveys designed to benchmark current practices of health sciences libraries or library users, rather than answer a more general research question, are generally published in this category.

While brief communications might not present a complete study or comprehensive review of a topic, they should nonetheless adhere to a high standard of quality and rigor of thought. Typically, brief communications should follow a format similar to that of a research paper: an “Introduction” with a clear statement of the purpose of the project or study reported along with a few references to relevant literature, a “Methods” section that describes the study or project undertaken in sufficient detail to allow readers to judge validity and reproducibility, a “Results” or “Outcomes” section presenting major findings or achievements, and then a “Discussion” of the implication of the results or outcomes. Brief communications reporting on projects or initiatives must include data or other evaluative information that allows the reader to judge the success or failure of the project; manuscripts including only the author’s opinion as evidence of success will be returned to the author.

Brief communications submissions should be double-spaced, use Times New Roman 11-point font, and generally not exceed 1,800 words, excluding references and illustrations. Manuscript pages should be numbered. Only 1 illustration can be included with a brief communication in the print version of the JMLA. An abstract is not necessary for a brief communication.

To top of page Case studies

Manuscripts reporting the resolution of a problem or issue important to health sciences librarianship in an in-depth manner may be published as case studies. Unlike research papers, which use standard methodologies to extend our knowledge of theory and practice, or brief communications, which serve to alert us to new projects or initiatives, case studies report the manner in which a particular organization attempted to solve a particularly challenging and interesting problem. A case study provides information on the way in which the problem was approached, the various options considered and discarded, and the outcome, including evidence of the project’s success or failure. A discussion of the sustainability of the solution and its extensibility to other institutions should also be included. Citations to literature addressing this or a similar problem should be included, and enough information on the institutional setting provided to allow readers to judge whether the solution adopted would translate to their own environments. For more information, see Kanter [3], Gottschlich [4], and Starr [5]. Case studies must include data or other evaluative information that allows the reader to judge the success or failure of the project; manuscripts including only the author’s opinion as evidence of success will be returned to the author.

Case study submissions should be double spaced, in Times New Roman 11-point font, and generally not exceed 3,500 words excluding references, illustrations, and abstract. Manuscript pages should be numbered. A 150-word structured abstract summarizing the study should accompany the article.

To top of page Comment and opinion

Manuscripts that are primarily editorial in nature, meet the quality standards of the JMLA, and cover important and timely topics are published in the comment and opinion section of the journal. Submissions should be double spaced and no longer than 2,500 words. An abstract is not necessary for comment and opinion pieces.

To top of page Letters to the editor

Letters commenting on, questioning, or criticizing a recent JMLA publication, including responses from original authors, are welcomed. All letters are limited to 300 words.

Though letters may take issue with an author’s work, all letters must be respectful in tone, avoid confrontational or inflammatory language, and limit criticism to the scholarly methods or import of a paper. Letters may include no more than five references. All letters are sent to the lead author of a paper to invite commentary if the author desires; an author’s response (if provided) is generally not sent back to individuals submitting a letter to the editor. Letters and associated commentary (if provided) are typically published in the same issue of the journal.

To top of page Publication Format

To complement the print work, some of the paper’s supplementary material may be published in electronic format only (e.g., extensive data tables, survey instruments). In some cases, at the editor’s discretion, articles are published in their entirety online. In this case, the abstract (for full papers) or first 200 words (for brief communications) will appear in the print version of the JMLA to direct readers to the online content. Appropriate pointers will also appear in the issue table of contents and annual index. Online content is indexed in PubMed, paginated, and referenced or cited in the same manner as content appearing in the print journal.

To top of page Writing Guidelines and Editorial Style

Writing guidelines

Many published guidelines can be of assistance in organizing the content and preparing a manuscript for submission to the JMLA. Because the peer-review evaluation examines the writing style in addition to the content, authors should take great care to submit a manuscript that is well written and adheres to applicable style guidelines. The JMLA follows the style and format guidelines for scientific and medical publications, and authors are encouraged to consult a guide with this emphasis. Examples of such guides include works by Day [6], Hall [7], Huth [8], and Matthews [9]. General writing guides such as Fowler [10] and Strunk [11] can also be of assistance in the preparation of a well-written manuscript.

To top of page Editorial style

The style conventions used by the JMLA conform to the “Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals” (also known as “Vancouver Style”), prepared by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors [1]. Other authoritative sources that guide the editorial process include the Medical Library Association Style Manual [12], Citing Medicine: The NLM Style Guide for Authors, Editors, and Publishers, 2nd edition [13], the latest edition of The Chicago Manual of Style [14] for punctuation and form and other areas in which “Uniform Requirements” is silent, and the latest edition of Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary [15] for spelling.

To top of page Editorial Review and Processing

Peer-review evaluation

Members of the JMLA Editorial Board evaluate all contributed manuscripts with certain exceptions. Exceptions include the invited Janet Doe Lecture on the history and philosophy of medical librarianship, editorials, proceedings of the annual meetings of the Medical Library Association, invited columns, comment and opinion pieces, letters to the editor, obituaries, and reviews of books and electronic resources.

The JMLA uses a double-blind peer-review process, in which reviewers do not know the identity of the author and the identity of manuscript reviewers is not revealed to the author. Manuscripts in scope for the JMLA and meeting minimum requirements for submission are reviewed by three members of the editorial board or by subject experts chosen by the editor. The JMLA aims to complete the review process and provide feedback to authors within eight weeks of submission. All submitted manuscripts are treated as confidential communication.

Prior to sending material for peer-review, the editor reviews the paper to determine if it is in scope for the JMLA and, if so, if all material needed for reviewers is included. Authors are encouraged to consult the Key Information Checklist prior to submission to be sure that all required information has been included in their submission.

The editor notifies the corresponding author of acceptance, provisional acceptance requiring revision of the manuscript before publication (revision may include significantly shortening full papers), or rejection.

The formal notification will include feedback from the review panel and suggestions for revising the manuscript if it has been accepted for publication. Reviewers are asked to examine carefully the content and style of the manuscript for relevance, originality, contribution to the knowledgebase of the field, and importance to the aims of the JMLA. Reviewers evaluate the methodology used, validity of data, presence of supportable conclusions, clarity of writing style, and appropriateness of the literature review.

To top of page Proofs

Manuscripts are considered final at proof stage. Page proofs are provided to authors for correction of serious errors; minor alterations cannot be made at this stage. Prompt return of proofs to the copy editor at MLA headquarters is essential. Use email, fax, or overnight express services. Reprint instructions are provided to authors by email via the JMLA’s production firm during the proof stage.

To top of page Errata

Errata are only issued for an important error that affects the publication record, the scientific integrity of the paper, or the reputation of the authors or of the JMLA. Errata are not published for typographical errors, except in cases where the editor determines that the error is particularly significant. Errors in figures are not corrected unless the error significantly changes the interpretation of the data.

To top of page Manuscript Elements

Title page

The first page of the manuscript should be a separate title page—giving the title, author information, and title page footnotes described below. For full-length papers, brief communications, and case studies, the title page must be in a separate file from the text of the paper. The title should be specific, descriptive, and concise. It should be followed by a line that gives the authors’ first and middle names or initials and highest degrees earned. Full author affiliation information (email address, authors’ professional titles, institutional affiliation, addresses, and zip codes) at the time of the study should follow in a paragraph under the heading “Authors’ Affiliations.” Present addresses of authors, if different than at the time of the study, can be indicated in a footnote following the author’s name in the “Authors’ Affiliation” section.

Additional title page footnotes, if needed, should indicate acknowledgment of grant support, including grant numbers. Manuscripts based on papers presented at a meeting should include a footnote giving the date, name, and place of the meeting. Use the following symbols in the order noted for explanatory footnotes on the title page or within the text: *, †, ‡, §, **, ††, etc. Additional footnotes should be included in a single list at the end of the manuscript.

Example:

* This program was supported by National Institutes of Health grant no. 5-GO4-LM-01609-03 from the National Library of Medicine.
† Based on a presentation at MLA ’05, the 105th Annual Meeting of the Medical Library Association; San Antonio, TX; May 16, 2005.

For papers undergoing peer review, the title page must be submitted in a separate file so that the manuscript can be adequately blinded for review. Submissions emailed directly to the editor (Doe lecture, commentary, etc.) may include the title page in the same file as the manuscript itself.

To top of page Abstract

Full-length articles must have a structured abstract of not more than 250 words, on a separate page which includes the following categories:

  • Objective: The purpose or hypotheses of the study.
  • Methods: A description of the population studied (size, important eligibility criteria, selection process) and the methods used to conduct the research (including study design and measures employed).
  • Results: A statement of the primary results of the study; the types of analyses used should be indicated, as should levels of statistical significance and confidence intervals where appropriate.
  • Conclusions : A statement of the conclusions (the answers to the hypotheses or research question posed at the beginning of the study). Only the conclusions that are directly supported by the evidence provided by the study should be included. Any need for further study should be indicated.
  • Implications: An indication of what the conclusions imply for the practice of health sciences librarianship and/or the provision of health information.

All acronyms must be defined. Consult the MLA Research Section’s structured abstract guidelines for more information on abstract requirements.

Case studies must have a structured abstract of not more than 150 words, on a separate page. The abstract for case studies must be structured to include the question, the setting, the method, the main results, and the conclusion. It should state the question, problem, or case covered by the study, the setting in which the study took place, the method(s) adopted to resolve the issue, the main results obtained, and the conclusion, including lessons learned.

To top of page Organization of manuscripts

Manuscript pages on which the text appears should be numbered consecutively. Divide papers into sections, each with an appropriate, brief heading. Footnotes in the text and personal acknowledgments should be kept to a minimum. Text footnotes if needed should appear on a separate page, not at the bottom of the page on which they occur. Relate them to the text by means of the symbols noted above in the instructions for title page footnotes (e.g., *, †, etc.).

To top of page Supplemental material

Extensive data tables, survey instruments, and appendixes should be submitted as supplemental material. These items are normally not included in the print version of the JMLA but will be available to readers online. Note that papers reporting the results of a survey must include a copy of the survey instrument, unless it has been published elsewhere.

To top of page Data retention

Data analyzed for material accepted for publication in the JMLA, along with any instructions or coding systems required to interpret them, should be retained for at least five years by the first author or his/her designee, so that they may be provided, whenever possible, in response to inquiries from interested readers. Authors who have data with longitudinal interest, for example a survey that someone might wish to repeat at a future date to track changes in user behavior, are encouraged to retain their raw data for at least ten years. Authors should make provisions for adequate backup of their data, in print or digital form, as well as for retaining access to the data should they move to another institution. All material published in the JMLA is archived and publicly available on PubMed Central. To facilitate long-term data retention, JMLA authors have the option to have data files and accompanying materials stored on PMC as well and linked from their articles. Authors are responsible for ensuring that submitted data sets comply with any local rules regarding data distribution, such as those imposed by local IRBs.

To top of page Statistical results

The latest edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association should be used for guidance on the presentation of statistical results in the text.

To top of page Acknowledgments

Personal acknowledgments may be placed at the end of the text, ahead of the references. People named in the acknowledgments must be notified by the author that they will be included and must agree to be so named.

To top of page Reference style
  • Follow the reference style guidelines of Citing Medicine: The NLM Style Guide for Authors, Editors, and Publishers, 2nd edition,and the Medical Library Association Style Manual. Number references in the order they are mentioned in the text using Arabic numerals enclosed in brackets (e.g., … as reported in JAMA [11].) in the same font and size as the rest of the text. Reference numbers at the end of a sentence should come before the period (e.g., … [3].)
  • When using word processing software, do not use the autoinsert feature for reference numbers.
  • If a particular citation is referred to again, the same number should be used again.
  • References should be listed on a separate page and double spaced.
  • Bibliographies unrelated to the text are generally not acceptable.
  • Abbreviations of journal titles should conform to the style of PubMed. For titles not appearing there, abbreviate words as indicated in the appendix to Citing Medicine: The NLM Style Guide for Authors, Editors, and Publishers, 2nd edition.
  • List all authors or editors.
  • Italics should not be used in references.
  • Capitalize only the first word and proper names.
  • Words following punctuation in the title of a work are not capitalized, unless they are a proper name.
  • The full date—including month, day, or season, and volume and issue number—must be included.
  • Citations to Internet documents must include the date cited.
  • If papers not yet published but accepted are included in the list of references, authors must verify acceptance when a manuscript is submitted to the JMLA. Such papers should be listed as “forthcoming.”
  • Authors are responsible for bibliographic accuracy and must compare bibliographic citations carefully with the original publications.
  • Papers cannot be accepted for publication unless all references conform to JMLA format.
  • Provide the digital object identifier (DOI) of citations where possible. DOIs should be provided in the following format and should follow the citation as shown in this example:

Schwartz DG, Blobaum PM, Shipman JP, Markwell LG, Marshall JG. The health sciences librarian in medical education: a vital pathways project task force. J Med Lib Assoc. 2009 Oct;97(4):280–4. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3163/1536-5050.97.4.012.

To top of page Reference style examples

Use the reference style of the examples below. These are based on the formats used in Citing Medicine: The NLM Style Guide for Authors, Editors, and Publishers, 2nd edition.

  1. Weller AC. Editorial policy and the assessment of quality among medical journals. Bull Med Lib Assoc. 1987 Oct;75(4):310–6.
  2. Frisse ME, Braude RM, Florance V, Fuller S. Informatics and medical libraries: changing needs and changing roles. Acad Med. 1995 Jan;70(1):30–5.
  3. Day RA, Gastel B. How to write and publish a scientific paper. 6th ed. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press; 2006.
  4. Lessick SR. Administration and organization of services. In: Lipscomb CE, ed. Information access and delivery in health sciences libraries. Lanham, MD: Medical Library Association and Scarecrow Press; 1996; p. 1–57. (Current practice in health sciences librarianship, v.3.)
  5. National Library of Medicine. Medical informatics. Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health; 1986 Dec; p. 16–25. (National Library of Medicine Long Range Plan, Report of Panel 4.)
  6. Medical Library Association. MLANET [Internet]. Chicago, IL: The Association; 1996 [rev. 1 Jan 2008; cited 24 Jan 2008]. <http://www.mlanet.org>. [NOTE: The JMLA does not use “available from” when citing URLs in references.]
  7. Joint Commission. “What did the doctor say?”: improving health literacy to protect patient safety [Internet]. The Commission; 7 Feb 2007 [cited 8 Feb 2007]. <http://www.jointcommission.org/NR/rdonlyres/D5248B2E-E7E6-4121-8874-99C7B4888301/0/improving_health_literacy.pdf>.
  8. Virginia Commonwealth University Health System. About us [Internet]. The System [cited 11 Apr 2007]. <http://www.vcuhealth.org/?id=5&sid=1>.
  9. Dickerson S, Reinhart AM, Feeley TH, Bidani R, Rich E, Garg VK, Hershey CO. Patient Internet use for health information at three urban primary care clinics. J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2004 Nov–Dec;11(6):499–504. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1197/jamia.M1460.
  10. University of Alberta Libraries. Health sciences resources for mobile devices [Internet]. The Libraries; 7 Oct 2009 [cited 13 Oct 2009]. <http://guides.library.ualberta.ca/health_sciences_resources_for_mobile_devices/>.
  11. Smith ST. Personal communication. 15 Jan 2009.

Consult Citing Medicine: The NLM Style Guide for Authors, Editors, and Publishers, 2nd edition and the Medical Library Association Style Manual for further information and examples.

To top of page Tables, graphs, charts, and other illustrations

Illustrations often help to present complex information directly pertinent to the study in a way more easily conveyed than by text alone; however, they should not be included for purely illustrative or decorative purposes. Findings presented in tables, figures, and other illustrations should not be extensively restated in the text of the work and must not be embedded in the manuscript (see instructions below).

Authors may include a total of six illustrations (photographs, tables, figures) for a full-length manuscript and one for a brief communication. Additional illustrations may be submitted for online publication only; these should be referred to in the text as “online” (e.g., Figure 4, online only). All illustrations submitted for publication in the print journal must be in black and white. If an illustration has been previously published, acknowledge the original source and submit written permission from the copyright holder to reproduce the material. Permission is required irrespective of authorship or publisher, except for documents in the public domain.

Print illustrations:

If photographs or printed figures are used, the JMLA requires one original copy of the material, ready to be photographed. Submit black-and-white, high-quality glossies or camera-ready figures from a high-quality laser printer. Materials should be prepared using black ink on white paper. Do not combine line drawings and typewritten material in one figure; lettering must be professionally or computer produced, must be very clear, and must be large enough to permit considerable reduction in size by the printer. Care must be taken to use the same scale on all graphs and charts. Photographs should have a glossy finish, with sharp contrast between black and white areas. Each figure should be marked on its back indicating the figure number, author’s name, and the top of the figure. Captions for illustrations should be typewritten and double-spaced on a separate page at the end of the manuscript, with numbers corresponding to those on the illustrations.

Digital illustrations:

Images for the print issue should be submitted in black and white. Images should be scanned at a minimum of 300 dots per inch (dpi). Line art should be scanned at 1200 dpi. Please note that the JMLA does not accept screenshots for the print version, as nearly all images that are downloaded from the Internet will not have sufficient resolution for the printing process. Halftones should have end dot settings of 2% in the lightest area of the image and 98% in the darkest area of the image. More details about requirements for illustrations can be found at www.allenpress.com/resources/education/.

Tables:

Tables should appear on separate numbered sheets at the end of the manuscript. Each table must be numbered consecutively and headed by a brief, descriptive title that includes the number of the table (e.g., “Table 1. Number of study participants”). Use your word processor’s table commands or use a single tab between columns and a hard return between rows.

Charts and graphs may be produced with Excel, PowerPoint, or other standard software and will be labeled as figures. To allow adjustments in spacing and layout in the print JMLA, submit these materials in native file format, in a file or files separate from that containing the manuscript. Provide the data on which the chart was based; for Excel, this may be either on the same worksheet or another sheet in the workbook. Each chart or graph should print on a separate page, numbered consecutively, and headed by a brief descriptive title that includes the number of the figure (e.g., “Figure 1. Distribution of test scores”).

Indicate the placement of all illustrations and tables by referencing them in the text. For example, “Table 1 shows the relationship of authors to their citations” or “Students preferred electronic reserves to print reserves (Table 1).” For material (extensive data tables, survey instruments, color illustrations) to be published online only, use “Table 1 (online only) shows the relationship …” or “Students preferred electronic reserves (Table 1 online only).”

To top of page Copyright and Disclosure Agreement

If a manuscript is accepted for publication, the JMLA will require the author and all coauthors to submit a signed copy (or individual copies) of the JMLA copyright license agreement and disclosure forms. It is the responsibility of the first author to ensure that all coauthors sign copyright and disclosure forms.

All persons designated as authors should have participated sufficiently in the work to take public responsibility for the content. The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors provides guidelines for determining authorship.

Download the JMLA copyright license agreement and disclosure form. [PDF]

To top of page Manuscript Submission

Manuscripts of all types should be submitted at www.editorialmanager.com/JMLA/. Authors will receive email confirmation of their submissions.

Please note that papers not adhering to JMLA guidelines—including scope, article category, word count, or reference style—will not be sent for review but will be returned to the submitting authors.

Authors will be notified of acceptance, rejection, or need for revision of their manuscripts via email.

The JMLA reserves the right to make minor editorial changes in manuscripts, if these changes will not affect the meaning.

To top of page Online manuscript submission guidelines

All manuscripts intended must be submitted through the JMLA electronic submission system at www.editorialmanager.com/JMLA/. Authors are encouraged to consult the Key Information Checklist prior to submission to be sure that all information required for peer review has been included in their submission. Papers missing key information will be returned to the authors for revision.

The online submission system will prompt you for:

  1. Article type. You may select from:
    1. Full-length paper
    2. Case study
    3. Brief communication
    4. Editorial
    5. Obituary
    6. Comment and opinion
    7. Invited papers
    8. Column
  2. Full title and subtitle (if any) of the article
  3. Coauthors names, addresses, and email addresses
  4. Abstract (full-length papers, invited papers, and case studies only)
  5. Information on any conflict of interest, prior publication, and institutional review board approval
  6. Files to upload
    1. Title page, including full author information and title page footnotes
    2. Manuscript including text, references, acknowledgements, and tables
    3. Figures, charts, graphs, and other illustrations, if any
    4. Supplemental material (appendixes, survey instruments, etc.) if any; studies reporting the results of a survey must provide the survey instrument unless it has been published elsewhere
    5. Cover letter (optional)
To top of page Format considerations
  • Title page: Title, author names, author affiliations.
  • Abstract: 200 words for a full-length or invited paper; 150 words for a case study.
  • Manuscript: Word or Word Perfect, double-spaced, 11-point Times Roman, numbered pages, left justified. No author information included.
  • Tables: Included in manuscript, on separate pages at the end of the file. Do not embed tables in the text.
  • Supplemental material: Same format as text; however, survey questions may be submitted as a PDF of the actual survey instrument.
  • References: Included in manuscript after the end of the text, in JMLA format.
  • Figures, charts, graphs, and other illustrations: One or more files. Figures and illustrations should be numbered sequentially, and each should print on a separate sheet. Before uploading, check page setup (landscape vs. portrait) and figure/illustration size to be sure that, when printed, the width will not extend beyond a single page. Illustrations must be at least 300 dpi to appear in the print JMLA. Do not embed figures in the manuscript.

Note that if you exit the system before completing the submission, your submission will be saved automatically. You may return to finish the submission (or remove it should you wish) at a future time. Once you have completed the submission process, you will be asked to review a PDF of your submission and will have the opportunity to revise it if needed before submitting it to the editor.

To top of page Focus Issue (Symposium) Guidelines

Proposals for potential focus issues for publication in the JMLA should include the following details.

To top of page Focus issue organizer

The individual or individuals proposing the focus issue typically are responsible for developing content ideas and proposed authors as well as securing author participation. The focus issue organizer is also responsible for coordinating the submission of manuscripts and may elect to complete an initial review of manuscripts to ensure that they fit the theme of the focus issue.

The organizers do not make editorial decisions once papers are submitted for review. Articles submitted as part of a focus issue must also go through the regular JMLA peer-review process and are subject to the word limitations and organizational parameters of all JMLA papers.

Focus issue organizers should serve as the first author on no more than one paper included in the focus issue. Focus issue proposals should include a brief statement of the organizer’s knowledge of the proposed topic and qualifications to serve as organizer.

To top of page Rationale

The proposal should include a description of the proposed focus issue topic, including:

  • pressures, challenges, changes, trends prompting the proposal
  • relevance to health sciences librarians, including discussion of practical and theoretical import
  • brief characterization of the current status of related literature and ways the proposed work would complement or add to the state of knowledge on the topic
  • overview of the scope and objectives of the proposed focus issue
To top of page List of proposed articles and authors

For each paper, the proposal should include:

  • a statement describing how the article relates to the overall theme
  • the specific objectives of the article
  • an outline of the main sections of the proposed article, with brief notes regarding section content
  • listing of the proposed authors’ names and titles

This article-level detail should provide enough information and description to allow the editorial team to understand the relationship between the article and the overall theme, as well as judge significance and potential overlap of the proposed content.

No focus issue proposal or included articles should be considered accepted until formal notification in writing by the JMLA editor. The editor may suggest additional articles to round out the coverage or perspectives on a theme or reject individual articles proposed as part of the focus issue. The editor may also determine that focus issues, in whole or in part, be published online only.

When a focus issue proposal is accepted by the JMLA editor, the editorial team will develop a production timeline with specific deadlines for initial drafts that accommodate the time required for editorial review and manuscript revision.

Additionally, as noted, focus issue papers are subject to the JMLA review process. As such, individual articles submitted as part of a focus issue may be rejected or the editors may propose a reduction in content or shift in emphasis. The editorial team is not obligated to accept focus issue submissions in their entirety.

To top of page References

  1. International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Uniform requirements for manuscripts submitted to biomedical journals: writing and editing for biomedical publication [Internet]. The Committee; 2009 [cited 5 Jan 2011]. <http://www.icmje.org>.
  2. US Department of Health and Human Services. Protection of human subjects. 45 CFR 46.102(d) 2005.
  3. Kanter SL. Toward better descriptions of innovations. Acad Med. 2008 Aug;83(8):703–4.
  4. Gottschlich M. Writing basics: elements of the case study. J Am Diet Assoc. 2000 Nov;100(11):1293–5.
  5. Starr S. Making the case: solutions for tough times [editorial]. J Med Lib Assoc. 2009 Apr;97(2):73–4. DOI: http://dx.doi.org /10.3163/1536-5050.97.2.001.
  6. Day RA, Gastel B. How to write and publish a scientific paper. 6th ed. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press; 2006.
  7. Hall GM. How to write a paper. 4th ed. Malden, MA: BMJ Books; 2008.
  8. Zeiger M. Essentials of writing biomedical research papers. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, Health Professions Division; 2000.
  9. Matthews JR, Matthews RW. Successful scientific writing: a step-by-step guide for the biological and medical sciences. 3rd ed. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press; 2008.
  10. Fowler HW. The new Fowler’s modern English usage. Rev. 3rd ed. New York, NY: Oxford University Press; 2004.
  11. Strunk W. The elements of style. 4th ed. New York, NY: Longman; 2004.
  12. Medical Library Association. MLA style manual [Internet]. Chicago, IL: The Association [cited 1 Sep 2011]. <http://www.mlanet.org/publications/style/>.
  13. Patrias K. Citing medicine: the NLM style guide for authors, editors, and publishers [Internet]. 2nd ed. Wendling DL, technical ed. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US); 2007 [cited 22 Nov 2010]. <http://www.nlm.nih.gov/citingmedicine/>.
  14. The Chicago manual of style. 16th ed. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press; 2010.
  15. Merriam Webster’s collegiate dictionary. 11th ed. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster; 2003.
To top of page

                 Thanks to our MLANET sponsors!

Thanks to Rittenhouse for their sponsorship of MLANET.

Your donations help sponsor MLA's grants, scholarships, and awards. Give today!

Order your Medspeak in Plain Language brochures today

                 Thanks to our MLANET sponsors!