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GENERAL

Q. Are there guidelines for submitting manuscripts?

Yes. To receive a copy of our guidelines and …for more information.

Q: Is there a page limit.

No, however as a rule it should be no less than seven pages and no more than twenty-five.

Q: Do you charge a submission fee?

We do not charge any mandatory submission or publication fees.

Q: How likely is it that my article will be accepted?

Based solely on the quality of the article and the topic covered and importance to our audience.

Q: Can a manuscript be rejected without formal peer review?

Yes

Q: Does the Journal publish book reviews?

SOFAFEA does publish book reviews, but they are invitation only at this time.

Q: Can I submit a section from my dissertation or thesis?

Authors who wish to submit work that previously appeared in a dissertation or thesis should be sure to be make the submission distinct from the original material, in large part by making the new piece specifically relevant to the concerns of our Journal auidence. The author(s)  should also clearly state in the submission cover letter that this work has been adapted from the earlier project.

Q: Do you have examples of the different article types?

Please visit this page for links to published examples of previous Journal of the SOFAFEA publications.

SUBMISSION PROCESS

Q: How do I submit a manuscript?

(a) A Letter of Intent should be submitted first and sent to the following portal; (b) Upon invitation under separate cover instructions will be provided.

Q: My manuscript has more than six authors. What should I do?

SOFAFEA limits the number of authors to 6 in most cases. When requests for more than 6 authors are submitted, the editors will consider reasonable explanations for the legitimacy of the claim. 

Q: What reference style is acceptable?

We only accept AMA for most article types. We will accept Chicago–styled references.  

Q: My manuscript did not pass the technical check. What went wrong?

Upon request will provide you with the initial review checklist.

Q: I submitted my manuscript several months ago, and my submission currently says “With Editor.” What does this mean?

This designation indicates that your manuscript is assigned to an Editor for evaluation. If your manuscript has been “With Editor” for more than 30 days, please let us know by contacting the Journal Coordinator at: journal@sofafea.org. We appreciate your patience.

PEER REVIEW PROCESS

Q: How long does the peer review process take?

The peer review process can take anywhere from two to six months. A complex complicated manuscript can take longer, and the article may be forwarded to the next year’s journal 

Q: Can I recommend or suggest reviewers?

You are always welcome to suggest reviewers who are best equipped to review your manuscript. Our editors will take these names into account when selecting reviewers; however, this does not guarantee preferred selection. The best time to recommend reviewers is during submission, where there is a recommendation screen for entering reviewer names and emails. 

REVISIONS

Q: The editors have asked me to submit a revision of the manuscript. Are there any special instructions for the revision process?

Return you manuscript within the timeframe provided by the EB.

Return the manuscript with a thorough review of grammatical and technical review thereby eliminating any further revisions or requests from the EB.

COPYRIGHT FORMS

Q: Where are the copyright forms located?

The copyright forms are located on the AJPH website by clicking on the Authors tab. On the new web page, please scroll all the way down to the end to access the forms.

Q: Where should I submit the copyright form?

Once your manuscript is accepted for publication, please email your copyright forms to our staff at ajph.submissions@apha.org. If you prefer to mail your form, the contact information is listed on the form itself. Do not send us your forms earlier than that, as they may get lost.

Q: Are all authors required to sign the copyright form?

Yes, all authors must sign the copyright form. You may submit them as one form or separately.

Q: What happens if I do not submit my copyright forms?

If we do not have the copyright forms in time, we will put your manuscript on hold for a later issue until we have the forms on file.

Q: If I submit an image, do I need to complete a separate copyright form?

For any photograph images submitted, we ask that you fill out an image copyright form, which is also located on our website under the Authors tab. Please scroll all the way to the bottom to view the Image Agreement. Additionally, when submitting a photograph of individuals or groups of people, please ensure you have obtained a consent to publish from each person. The Journal cannot publish images of individuals who have not given consent.

PRODUCTION PROCESS

Q: My manuscript just got accepted. When will it be published?

Once manuscripts are accepted, it takes an average of six months for them to be published. Currently, manuscripts are assigned to an issue within two weeks of acceptance. However, please note that this assignment is tentative, and that issues are not finalized until approximately 1-2 months in advance of publication. For planning purposes, you may target the provided embargo date, but please note that your manuscript may be moved to a later issue.

Q: What are your requirements for publishing images, tables, or figures?

Once your manuscript is accepted, we ask that you upload the original file of the submitted image. Figure charts, graphs, and maps should not be copied and pasted into a different application (such as Word). Instead, please save these files in their native formats by the originating program and submit those files for production. Images that are copied and pasted into a second program cannot be edited by our editing software, and production will contact you for the original files. We require that photos be submitted in jpg or tif formats, saved at 300 dpi. Images at less than 300 dpi cannot be published. Original table files are also required for production and must be uploaded separately.

Q: What is the likelihood of my manuscript being moved to a later issue?

Our Journal is restricted to 192 print pages, and funded manuscripts and advertising may potentially reduce the total amount of space available in a given month. If you exceed that number we may move manuscripts to the next year (it should be noted while highly unlikley it is possible).