Journal of School Health

Published on behalf of the American School Health Association

Edited by:
Kelli McCormack Brown

Print ISSN: 0022-4391
Online ISSN: 1746-1561
Frequency: Monthly
Current Volume: 80 / 2010
ISI Journal Citation Reports® Ranking: 2008: 7/23 Education, Scientific Disciplines; 39/62 Health Care Sciences & Services; 71/105 Public, Environmental & Occupational Health; 18/112 Education & Educational Research; 42/76 Public, Environmental & Occupational Health (Social Science)
Impact Factor: 1.273

TopAuthor Guidelines

Author Guidelines

A Note to Authors

These guidelines are provided to assist prospective authors in preparing manuscripts for the Journal of School Health. Failure to follow the guidelines completely may delay or prevent consideration of the manuscript. Contact the journal office for general inquiries: phone (352) 392-0578; fax (352) 392-3186; or email the Assistant to the Editor-In-Chief: AsstEditorSSneed@hhp.ufl.edu.

Purpose
The Journal of School Health is committed to communicating information regarding the role of schools and school personnel in facilitating the development and growth of healthy youths and healthy school environments. This focus on healthy youth pre-K to 12th grade and healthy school environments encompasses a wide variety of areas including health education; physical education; health services; nutrition services; counseling, psychological, and social services; healthy school environment; health promotion for staff; and family/community involvement. Journal readership includes administrators, educators, nurses, physicians, dentists, psychologists/counselors, social workers, nutritionists/dieticians, and other health professionals. These individuals work cooperatively with parents and the community to achieve the common goal of providing youths with the programs, services, and environment necessary to promote health and improve learning.

Manuscripts that focus on clinical health issues or on education issues in general without a school health focus are not appropriate for submission.

Features
Manuscripts may be submitted for possible publication in the following seven categories:

• General Articles
General articles would include review, theoretical, developmental, historical and philosophical manuscripts. Review articles address topics of broad interest and appeal to the readership. They should provide systematic, critical assessments of the literature and creative discussion of topics relevant to healthy youth pre-K to 12th grade or healthy school environments. The manuscript must contain the following sections, in this order: structured Abstract, Introduction, Literature Review - including [subsections appropriate to the theme of the manuscript], Discussion, References, and Figures and/or Tables where appropriate. General articles require a structured abstract (see more details below under Abstract).

• Research Articles
Research articles report the findings of original, data based research. The research should directly relate to healthy youth pre-K to 12th grade or healthy school environments. The manuscript must contain the following sections, in this order: structured Abstract; Introduction (includes literature review, research questions or hypotheses being tested, and purpose), Methods (includes the following subheadings: Subjects, Instruments, Procedure, and Data Analysis), Results; and Discussion (describes the importance of the findings and includes limitations and a conclusion); Implications for School Health (describes how the information and data presented will help inform school based health promotion practices - translates the data for the school health practitioner such as a school nurse, teacher, principal superintendent, researcher etc...); References, Human Subjects Approval Statement (a statement indicating approval of the appropriate institution review board or ethics committee for studies involving human participants); and Figures and/or Tables. Research articles should include the year and time frame in which the data were collected, as well as include information concerning the psychometric properties of instrumentation (validity, reliability, readability, etc.) where appropriate. Research articles require a structured abstract (see more details below under Abstract).

Below is an example of how a research article should be structured. Please use the following outline when structuring your research article:

Abstract

Background: (include purpose)

Methods:

Results:

Conclusion:

Keywords:

INTRODUCTION (no sub heading)

Literature review, research questions, purpose of study

METHODS

Subjects

Instruments

Procedure

Data Analysis

RESULTS

DISCUSSION

Limitations

Conclusion

IMPLICATIONS FOR SCHOOL HEALTH

Human Subjects Approval Statement

REFERENCES - maximum of 40

Visuals - maximum of 5

3500 word limit

• Commentaries
Commentaries include position papers, analyses of current or controversial issues, and creative, insightful, reflective treatments of topics related to healthy youth pre-K to 12th grade or healthy school environments. Occasionally, the Editor will invite commentaries of articles which will be simultaneously published with an article.

• Letters to the Editor
Letters are welcome regarding journal articles or important current issues related to school health. Letters should be limited to 500 words.
For further clarification regarding the four aforementioned categories, contact the Editor-in-Chief, Kelli McCormack Brown at:

Kelli McCormack Brown, Ph.D., CHES
University of Florida
College of Health & Human Performance
PO Box 118200
Gainesville, FL 32611-8200
Email: JournalEditorKBrown@hhp.ufl.edu

• School Health Policy
Health Policy articles present an interdisciplinary analysis of school health policies affecting healthy youth pre-K to 12th grade or healthy school environments. Manuscripts should focus on new scientific results and policy reviews that shed light on important debates and controversies. They should provide insightful, thought-provoking examinations of school policies and analyses of controversial policy issues that have the potential to affect the health or safety of students or school staff. The focus on policy may be from a policy making, policy-implementation, or policy-impact perspective. School Health Policy articles require a structured abstract (see more details below under Abstract). For further clarification/information regarding the Health Policy column, contact the Associate Editor, Sherry Everett Jones:

Sherry Everett Jones, PhD, MPH, JD, FASHA
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
4770 Buford Hwy, NE
MS K33
Atlanta, GA 30341
Email: sce2@cdc.gov

• Legal Issues in School Health
Legal Issues articles critically analyze legislation, regulations, or judicial rulings that have the potential to affect the health, mental health, or safety of pre-K to 12th grade students or school staff; provide creative discussion of current and emerging legal issues on school health-related topics, including legal issues related to the health of children and adolescents in schools; describe results of empirical research on legal issues; and /or offer critical dialogue on legal topics which impact coordinated school health programs. Legal Issues articles require a structured abstract (see more details below under Abstract). For further clarification/information regarding the Legal Issues column, contact the Associate Editor, Sherry Everett Jones:

Sherry Everett Jones, PhD, MPH, JD, FASHA
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
4770 Buford Hwy, NE
MS K33
Atlanta, GA 30341
Email: sce2@cdc.gov

• Teaching Techniques
Manuscripts for Teaching Techniques should be written for educators working with students pre-K to 12th grade. The manuscript must contain the following sections, in this order: Introduction, Grade Level, Objectives, NHES Performance Indicators, Materials and Resources, Activities and Strategies, and Assessment Technique. For further clarification/information regarding the Teaching Techniques column, contact the Associate Editor, Denise Seabert at:

Denise Seabert, PhD, CHES
Department of Physiology of Health Science
Ball State University
Muncie, IN 47306
Phone: (765) 285-8348
Fax: (765) 285-3210
Email: dseabert@bsu.edu

• Health Service Applications
Health Service Applications are practical papers of interest in school nursing, medicine, dentistry, counseling and social work aspects of coordinated school health programs. For further clarification regarding the Health Service Applications column, contact the Editor-in-Chief, James H. Price at:

Kelli McCormack Brown, Ph.D., CHES
University of Florida
College of Health & Human Performance
PO Box 118200
Gainesville, FL 32611-8200
Email: kbrown@ufl.edu

Submission of Manuscripts
All submissions are electronic. Authors should submit manuscripts to the Journal of School Health submissions website (http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/josh). By accessing this website you will be guided stepwise through the creation and uploading of files. The website provides a box into which you will be asked to cut and paste your abstract, but when submitting your manuscript, be sure that your blinded main document file also includes your abstract (if required). File designations are for labeling your files as: Main Document, Title Page, Table, Figure, and Supplemental File. The Save in folder has categories for Manuscript files for review (which is what your main document, tables, and figures will be) and Supplemental files not for review (which is what your title page and any additional documents should be submitted as). The title page requires the name, mailing address, email address, telephone number, and FAX number of all authors [including the corresponding author]. Please review the checklist for authors at the bottom and be sure that all steps have been completed. For assistance, contact Scholar One technical support at 434-817-2040 or email: support@scholarone.com.

Electronic manuscripts must be double spaced in 12 point font throughout, including the abstract and references. Number pages consecutively with the abstract page as page one, text, acknowledgements (where appropriate, see below), references, and visuals. The electronic submission form requires the name, mailing address, email address, telephone number, and FAX number of all authors [including the corresponding author].

All correspondence, including Editor's decision and request for revisions, will be by email. Any queries should be directed to the Assistant to the Editor-In-Chief, Suzanne Sneed, University of Florida, College of Health & Human Performance, PO Box 118200, Gainesville, FL 32611-8200 or AsstEditorSSneed@hhp.ufl.edu. Manuscripts must be in English and submitted exclusively to the Journal of School Health. If accepted, papers become copyright of the Journal and the American School Health Association. Authors must give signed consent for publication by submitting a Copyright Assignment Form, but permission to use material elsewhere (e.g., in review articles) will normally be granted on request.

Manuscript Length
Commentaries, Health Service Applications, and Teaching Techniques should not exceed 1,500 words not including a maximum of 10 references and two visuals. Review Articles, Research Articles, Health Policy Articles, and Legal Issues Articles should not exceed 3,500 words not including a maximum of 40 references and five visuals. Letters to the Editor should not exceed 500 words, with a maximum of 5 references and one visual. The editor may extend those limits in special circumstances, but only when the authors have received the Editor's consent in advance of submission.

Title Page
A title page must be submitted with full author contact information separate from your main document to blind it for review. Submit your title page as the title page for document type. Please make sure that each author is identified in order with their title, address, phone number and email address, using the format below.

(Corresponding Author) John L. Smothers, PhD
Assistant Professor
Northwest University
2801 W. Bancroft St.
Fargo, North Dakota 53615
Phone: 419-530-4180
Fax: 419-530-4759
Email: jlsmothers@nwu.edu

Abstract
A 250-word structured abstract must accompany each submission for General Articles, Research Articles, Health Policy, and Legal Issues. The structured abstract will consist of the following four categories: Background (includes purpose); Methods; Results; and Conclusions. These categories should be bolded and start a new paragraph for each section that is left justified. After the Abstract, your three or four keywords selected from our list of suggested keywords should follow. An abstract will be submitted in the main document before the Introduction as well as in the abstract box in the submission process. The abstract needs to grab the interest of the potential reader of the article. You should not include references or refer to tables or figures in your abstract.The manuscript title should appear at the top of the abstract page. The abstract should provide sufficient information for the reader to determine the purpose and relevance of the work. Abstracts are not required for Commentaries, Health Service Applications or Teaching Techniques. The electronic submission form requires authors to identify 3 or more key words for their manuscript.

Acknowledgements
Please keep all acknowledgements on your title page or create a separate document for them. Specific names may indicate who were authors of the manuscript. However, if approved for publication acknowledgements may be placed at the end of the article and before references. Authors may acknowledge individuals, institutions, or funding agencies. Acknowledge only persons who have contributed to the scientific content or provided technical or financial support, but who do not meet the criteria for authorship. Authors are responsible for obtaining permission from persons acknowledged by name because readers might infer their endorsement of information within the manuscript.

Authorship
The International Committee of Medical ,Journal Editors (ICMJE) has established uniform requirements for manuscripts submitted to biomedical journals, including that each author of a manuscript must have made a substantial contribution to the following 3 criteria to qualify for authorship: (1. conceiving and designing the work represented by the article or analyzing and interpreting the data, (2. drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content, and (3. giving final approval of the version to be published. The Journal prefers to limit the number of authors per article to six authors. In cases where more authors are listed, the Editor-In-Chief may request the delineation of each author's contribution, as it relates to the aforementioned criteria.

Style
Prepare manuscripts using the AMA stylebook, American Medical Association Manual of Style (2007). Manuscript titles should be brief and specific. Manuscripts normally should be written in the third person, avoiding sexist language. All acronyms should be preceded by their full title following first usage with the acronym or abbreviation in parentheses. Acronyms should be kept to a minimum. Footnotes should be eliminated or incorporated into the text where feasible. Outlines and multipart manuscripts normally are not considered.

Cite references in the text in numerically consecutive order with superscript numbering. List the references as they are cited; do not list references alphabetically. Abbreviate journal titles according to Index Medicus. Journal citations should include author, title, journal abbreviation, year, volume, issue, and pages. Book citations should include author, title, city, publisher, year, and pages. Legal citations (e.g., cases and statutes) should generally follow The Bluebook: a Uniform System of Citation. Authors are responsible for the accuracy of all references.

1. McClary DG, Bauer JH, Chang CL. Smoking cessation strategies in review. J Sch Health. 2001;71(3):102-110.

2. Wilson T, Steiner AR, Lopez JM. Health Promotion in Schools. Chicago, Ill: Professional Publications; 2001;120-126.

3. Rosenthal S, Chen R, Hadler S. The safety of acellular pertussis vaccine vs whole cell pertussis vaccine [abstract]. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med [serial online]. 1996; 150:457-460. Available at: http://www.ama-assn.org/sci-pubs/journals/archive/ajdc/vol_150/no_5/abstract/htm. Accessed November 10, 1996.

4. Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment, 20 U.S.C.S. §1232h (2006).

5. Fields v. Palmdale Sch Dist, 427 F.3d 1197 (9th Cir. 2005).

6. Goss v. Lopez, 419u.s. 565 (1975).

7. Utah Code Ann. §53A-13-302 (2005).

Editing
Manuscripts and Communications are edited for length and clarity. Corresponding authors are given the opportunity to review PDF page proofs before publication. Eproof notification is sent directly from the publisher to each corresponding author via email. If the corresponding author does not respond as requested, the article is printed as it appears on the proof. Costs for changes requested after the proofing period are billed to the author.

For non-native English speaking authors:
Authors who have English as their second language who have their manuscripts edited prior to their submission to the Journal of School Health will have a better chance of being positively reviewed by peer reviewers. Authors who are not native English speakers are strongly encouraged to have their manuscripts edited. Professional editing is available from Palladian Partners, Inc. For information or assistance, call (301) 650-8660 or email GetPublished@palladianpartners.com.

Visuals
Use visuals only when necessary. Incorporate basic information into the text in narrative form where feasible. Each chart, graph, diagram, table, and figure should have a brief, self-explanatory title. When visuals are used, they must be mentioned in the written text but submit each visual as a separately numbered page at the end of the manuscript.
Submit original line art, prepared in the required Journal format, using the Helios Condensed typeface or the equivalent. Center visual titles in 9 pt. Helios Bold Condensed. Depending on the size of the visual, use a width of 19 picas unless the visual contains six or more separate columns, in which case, use a width of 40 picas to accommodate the Journal column format. Further information on the submission of electronic artwork can be found at http://authorservices.wiley.com/bauthor/illustration.asp.

Peer Review
Contributed manuscripts normally receive a blind peer review from at least three reviewers. Major reasons for rejection include insufficient relevance to coordinated school health programs, lack of originality and uniqueness, improper format and style, faulty research design, poor writing, and space limitations. The journal Editor-In-Chief makes the final decision concerning acceptance of manuscripts.

Checklist for Authors
• The manuscript topic is appropriate for the journal.
• Names, academic degree, current positions, professional affiliations, mailing addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers and email addresses are provided for all authors. All coauthors should be listed with full contact information on the title page which is submitted as the Title page and saved in the Supplemental files not for review.
• A 250 word structured abstract is included (where appropriate).
• Abstract is uploaded into the appropriate Abstract box as well as in the main document when applicable.
• A copyright release statement signed by the corresponding author only. This is found on ScholarOne Manuscripts Main Log In page under Resources and the instructions and forms link.
• The AMA stylebook (1998) was followed for format, references, and documentation.
• The manuscript is written in the third person, avoiding sexist language.
• Personal acknowledgments are not included.
• Footnotes are not used.
• Manuscript length and number of references and visuals conform to requirements for the category.
• The manuscript title is brief and specific.
• All pages are numbered consecutively.
• Visuals are prepared on separately numbered pages and placed at the end of the manuscript.
• The manuscript has been checked thoroughly for style, readability, and quality of writing.

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