Instructions for Authors
--Notice!--
The
Journal of Rural Health is now being published using AMA Style.
All submissions for publication in the Journal should be
submitted using AMA style and should include numbered references
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The mission of The Journal of Rural Health is to serve as a medium for communication among health scientists and professionals in practice, educational, research and policy settings. The principal goal of the journal is to advance professional practice, research, theory development, and public policy related to rural health. The journal will encourage the examination of relevant issues regarding rural health in all parts of the world, but will focus especially on the United States. The journal will only publish manuscripts that reflect the highest standards of practice and scientific inquiry and that report results in a style and format relevant to rural health scientists and professionals. Responsibility for the content of articles belongs to the authors. Following are instructions for authors wishing to submit a manuscript for consideration of being published in The Journal of Rural Health.
1.The submission of a manuscript for review represents a certification on the part of the author(s) that it is an original work and that neither this manuscript--or a version of it--has been published elsewhere nor is being considered for publication elsewhere. If study findings have been previously disseminated in a Working Paper, Findings Brief or other non-journal article written format, the manuscript submitted to the Journal should meaningfully differ by providing, for example, additional statistical or subgroup analyses or a more complete literature review and discussion of policy implications. The Working Paper or Brief should be submitted to the editor, who will decide whether the manuscript provides adequate new information, with reviewers input if needed.
In accordance with the Copyright Act of 1976, all manuscripts must be accompanied by the following, signed by one author: "The undersigned author transfers all copyright ownership of the manuscript, (title of article), to the National Rural Health Association in the event the work is published. The undersigned author also warrants that the article is original, is not under consideration by another journal, and has not been previously published. I sign for and accept responsibility for releasing this material on behalf of any and all co-authors."
2. The body of a manuscript (Introduction through Conclusion) should be no more than 4,500 words (approximately 18 double-spaced pages). Manuscripts of more than 4,500 words should not be submitted without first consulting the Editors. The Abstract, References, and any tables, figures, notes and acknowledgments are not counted toward the word limit, but the Abstract should be no more than 250 words. Shorter manuscripts, in the range of 1,000 to 2,000 words, will be considered for the journal's Rural Crossroads section.
3. The journal will use the publication style of the American Medical Association (AMA), including AMA reference and citation style, as outlined in the latest edition of the publication manual of that organization.
4. Submissions should be mailed to the Editor and should include an electronic copy of the manuscript via email, along with four paper copies. The electronic copy should include all manuscript components, including tables and figures, in a single word-processing file (Microsoft Word preferred). Manuscripts (both paper and electronic copies) should be formatted as follows:
Title Page:
- On the main title page, below the title and author names, please provide a capsule description (one or two sentences) of each author (e.g., "Smith is a professor of sociology at Jones College, where she directs the Rural Studies Program. Her research interests include geriatrics and rural health networks.")
- Acknowledgments should be included on the main title page. If there is insufficient room, they may be continued on a second page immediately following.
-
Below the acknowledgment,
please include the name, address and e-mail of an author whom readers
may contact for more information (Note: this is suggested but not required).
- Note: Author names and other identifying information should appear only on the title page, which will be removed when the manuscript is sent to reviewers.
Abstract:
Abstracts should be in a structured format (suggested subheadings are Context, Purpose, Methods, Findings, and Conclusions) and include no more than 250 words. Abstracts should be content-oriented, summarizing the key specifics of the manuscript. The manuscript title should be at the top of the Abstract page. At the bottom of the Abstract page, please list four to six keywords for the manuscript.
Manuscript text should be double-spaced. Pages should be numbered, starting with the first page of the introduction (i.e., title page and abstract are not numbered).
If explanatory notes are necessary, please use endnotes (at the end of the manuscript) rather than footnotes (at the bottom of pages).
Tables and figures should include titles, and readers should be able to understand them without referring to the manuscript text. All figures and illustrations must be prepared so that they can be used either exactly as they are or after a photographic reduction in size. Authors of manuscripts accepted for publication will be asked to supply camera-ready copies of figures and illustrations, either as high-quality laser prints or electronic files in a graphics format (e.g., EPS or TIF).
5. A "blind review" process will be used to evaluate all submitted manuscripts. A minimum of three reviewers will read each manuscript. The final decision regarding the publication of the manuscript will be made by the editor.
Manuscripts to be considered for the Journal should be sent to the editor:
Thomas C. Rosenthal, M.D.,Editor
The Journal of Rural Health
Department of Family Medicine
U. B. Clinical Center
462 Grider Street
Buffalo, NY 14215
ruralhealth@buffalo.edu
For other questions or subscription information, contact:
National Rural Health Association
The Journal of Rural Health
1108 K St. NW, 2nd Floor
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: (202) 639-0550
Fax: (202) 639-0559
McCamman@NRHArural.org
