Print ISSN 1020-4989
INSTRUCTIONS TO AUTHORS
Print ISSN 1020-4989 |
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Scope and editorial policy
The Pan American Journal of Public Health / Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública is the main scientific and technical journal published by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and continues the Boletín de la Oficina Sanitaria Panamericana and the Bulletin of the Pan American Health Organization. As did its predecessors, the journal serves as an important vehicle for disseminating research findings from the countries of the Region in areas that relate to the Organization's purposes: to promote action and coordinate efforts directed toward health promotion in the countries of the Americas; to combat disease; to prolong life; and to stimulate people's physical, mental, and social development. The journal publishes information of interest in the field of public health,especially as it relates to PAHO's technical cooperation programs, as well as news about the principles, actions, and achievements of the Organization and its Member Governments in improving health conditions and strengthening the health sector throughout the hemisphere. |
Criteria for manuscript acceptance
| The Pan American Health Organization holds the copyright to material
published in the journal. Manuscripts are accepted with the understanding that they have
not been published elsewhere, in part or in whole, and that they will not be published in
the future without the express authorization of PAHO. Articles are considered
simultaneously for publication in English and Spanish or Portuguese (see also Section II.C
- Language). The selection of material for publication is
based on the following criteria: importance of the subject matter for the Organization and
the Member Governments; scientific soundness, originality, currency, and timeliness of the
information; significance at the regional level of the experience described; compliance
with the standards of medical ethics governing experimentation with human and animal
subjects; respect for the Member Governments and the people they represent; and
achievement of a balanced mix in terms of both topics and geographic origin of the
information. Acceptance or rejection of a manuscript is based on an objective selection
process (described in It is especially important that the objective of the study be accurately described, that the study itself be well-designed, that the results be clearly stated, and that the significance of the study be thoroughly discussed. Shortcomings in these areas are frequently the cause for rejection of a manuscript. Papers presented at meetings or conferences rarely qualify as scientific articles because they usually do not meet the criteria required of a scientific paper in terms of objectives and structure. Articles that report preliminary, as opposed to definitive, results are usually not accepted. Also, as a rule, articles that form part of a series dealing with different aspects of a single research project are not accepted. The authors alone are responsible for the views expressed, which may not necessarily reflect the opinion or policy of PAHO or its Member Governments. The mention of specific companies or of certain manufacturers' products does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by PAHO in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. |
| The major part of the journal is devoted to original articles on public
health and related disciplines, in particular those involved with meeting the goal of
"Health for All by the Year 2000." Information is also published on the
principles, decisions, and achievements of the Organization. Among the specific subject areas addressed are maternal and child health, communicable diseases, chronic diseases, health promotion and protection, food and nutrition, accident prevention, mental health, workers' health, health of the elderly, health of the disabled, dental health, environmental health, disaster preparedness, veterinary public health, epidemiology, health statistics, information sciences, research and technology, scientific and technical information, health sector administration, legislation, policy, strategic planning, health services and systems, human resources, financing and costs, community participation, health education, and intersectoral coordination. The journal contents is organized as follows: 1. From the Director. This editorial presents information on the political principles that guide the Organization and the current public health trends and priorities in the Region of the Americas. 2. Articles. These may be reports of original research, critical reviews, reviews of the literature, or reports of experiences applicable throughout the Region. 3. Current Topics. This section includes technical reports of less than full-article length; updates on projects and programs; reports of meetings, symposia, and conferences in which the Organization and the Member Governments have participated; and other appropriate communications about ongoing work in the area of health. 4. Instantáneas (in Spanish only). Summaries of articles recently published in other major journals, or of newspaper articles and press releases, are provided in this section. The materials are selected on the basis of their relevance within the context of public health in the Region. 5. Publications. This section offers brief summaries of current publications and occasional reviews of recent books dealing with various aspects of public health and related disciplines. Readers are invited to submit reviews of books on subjects within their area of expertise, with the understanding that the publication of such reviews will be at the discretion of the editorial staff and will depend on compliance with book review guidelines. These will be mailed to anyone who requests them. 6. Letters. Letters to the editor which clarify, discuss, or comment in a constructive manner on ideas expressed in the journal are welcomed. Letters should be signed by the author and specify his or her professional affiliation and address. |
Guidelines for manuscript submission
| A. Specifications In general, the journal follows the "Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals," (5th ed., 1993) developed by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (see Bibliography). These guidelines are also known as the "Vancouver style" and are described in detail under Section II.J - Bibliographic References. The following paragraphs give practical instructions and illustrative examples for the preparation of a manuscript. Authors who do not follow this format in the presentation of their papers run the risk of having their articles rejected without further review. B. Submitting the Manuscript The original manuscript, three photocopies, and a computer diskette containing the text (see Section II.E - Typographic Specifications) should be sent to: Chief, Publications Program (DBI). Receipt of the manuscript will be acknowledged in writing. The journal publishes articles in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, but manuscripts are accepted in any of the official languages of PAHO (English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish). Authors are strongly urged to write in their native language, since insufficient command of a foreign language may obscure the meaning of the text, especially when dealing with highly technical subject matter. Articles selected for the journal will not necessarily appear in the language of the original manuscript; instead, the decision on the language in which to publish will be based on the segment of readers for which it holds greatest scientific interest and practical application. D. Copyright Every article must be accompanied by a statement to the effect that the article has not been published before and that it will not be submitted to any other journal before a decision has been reached by PAHO. Authors must attach a signed statement indicating that if the manuscript is accepted for publication in the journal, the copyright will be held by PAHO. Authors are requested to give full information about any fellowship or grant accepted from WHO, PAHO, or any other organization that was used to defray the cost of research on which the article was based. Authors are responsible for obtaining permission to reproduce any copyrighted material.
The manuscript must be accompanied by the original letter granting such permission. This
letter should specify the exact table, figure, or text being cited and how it is being
used, together with a complete bibliographic reference to the original source (see Only those who participated directly in the research or the drafting of the article, and are therefore in a position to assume responsibility for its content, may be listed as authors. Inclusion of other persons as authors, out of friendship or other nonscientific motivation, is a breach of ethics. The entire manuscript must not exceed 15 letter-size (8.5 3 11") or ISO A4 (212 mm 3 297 mm) pages. It should be typed or printed in black, on only one side of each page, with double or triple spacing and with top and bottom margins of about 4 cm. The left and right margins should be at least 3 cm wide. Words should not be broken at the end of a line with a facultative hyphen. The pages should be numbered consecutively, and three clear photocopies of the original should be included. Carbon copies are not acceptable. It is preferred that manuscripts be prepared on computer or word-processing equipment and that a version on computer diskette (3.5 or 5.25 inch) be supplied along with the printout. Any IBM-compatible or Macintosh word-processing software is acceptable, but Microsoft Word is preferred. Manuscripts not complying with the specifications outlined above will not be accepted. In the case of papers translated in their entirety or containing translations of quoted material, a copy of the original text must be attached. Articles which are accepted will undergo an editorial process that may involve condensation of the text and deletion or addition of tables, figures, or annexes. The edited version will be sent to the corresponding author for clearance. F. Title and Authors The title should be limited to 10 words, if possible, and should not exceed 15. It should describe the article's content specifically, clearly, and concisely. Ambiguous words, jargon, and abbreviations should be avoided. A good title makes it easy to grasp what the article is about and should help documentation centers accurately catalogue and classify the material. The full names of all authors, the names of their institutions, and their mailing addresses should be given immediately under the title. The RPSP/PAJPH does not list authors' academic degrees or honorary titles. The mailing address of the principal author or the person who will be responsible for answering correspondence concerning the article must be included. If a post office box is given, an additional street address must be provided to which material may be delivered by commercial courier. G. Abstract Every submission must include an abstract. This should be about 150 words long if it is descriptive or 250 words if it is structured, and should clearly indicate (a) the objectives of the study; (b) the date and place where it was carried out; (c) the basic procedures—methods of sampling, observation, and analysis; (d) the principal results-specific data and, if appropriate, their statistical significance; and (e) the main conclusions. Emphasis should be on the article's new and scientifically relevant aspects. The abstract should not include any information or conclusions that do not appear in the text. It should be written in the third person and should not contain abbreviations, references to the main text, or bibliographic citations. The abstract must enable readers to determine the relevance of the content and decide whether or not they are interested in reading the entire text. In fact, the abstract is the part of the article which will be most widely read. The abstract along with the title will appear in bibliographic information systems such as Index Medicus. H. Body of the Article Articles that report on research or studies are usually organized according to the "IMRAD" format: Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, and Discussion. Reviews of the literature or updates may require other types of headings depending on their content. I. Footnotes These clarifications (e.g., definitions, supplementary but nonessential information) appear at the bottom of the page on which they are cited. A footnote should be separated from the text by a horizontal rule and identified by a superscript numeral. The numbering of footnotes should be consecutive throughout the paper. Citations must be used to identify the original sources of concepts, methods, and techniques derived from previous research, studies, and experiences; to support facts and opinions expressed by the author; and to provide guidance for the reader interested in knowing more about particular points mentioned in the paper. Except in the case of a review of the literature, manuscripts to be considered for the journal should include 10 to 20 bibliographic references that are both relevant and current. Review articles will generally cite more sources. Citations should be indicated in the text by consecutive, italicized or underlined numbers in parentheses. For example:
The list of references must be numbered consecutively in the order in which the citations appear in the text. Only cited works are to be included in that list. Works that were consulted but not cited in the text should be listed separately under the heading "Bibliography" and arranged alphabetically by author. The list of references or bibliography should begin on a separate sheet at the end of the article, and the format must follow the instructions given below. 1. Journal Articles. The following information must be provided: author(s), article title, journal title (underlined or in italics), year of publication, volume number (in Arabic numerals), and inclusive page numbers. All this information should be given in the original language of the work cited. The examples below illustrate the "Vancouver style" of reference construction and punctuation, which should be followed. a. Individual authors. When there are six or fewer authors, the surnames and initials of all the authors should be included; when there are more than six authors, only the first six should be listed, followed by "et al." For example:
b. Article published in several parts.
c. Corporate author. In the case of unsigned articles in journals published by governmental or international organizations, the organization is regarded as the author. If several elements compose the corporate author, they should be given in descending order, from largest to smallest. For example:
d. Unsigned article in regular section of a journal:
e. Special types of articles. Indicate type or format of the work in square brackets. For example:
f. Article in a supplement:
2. Papers Presented at Conferences. Only those conference papers that have been published in official proceedings or other formal publications should be included in the list of references
3. Books and Other Monographs. The entry should include the surnames and initials of all the authors (or editors, compilers, etc.), or the full name of a collective entity, followed by: the title (underlined or in italics), the edition number, the publisher, and the year and place of publication. When appropriate, notations may be included indicating the volume and pages consulted and the series and publication number. a. Individual author:
b. Corporate author that is also the publisher:
c. Chapter in a book:
d. Specific volume or a number of volumes:
e. Volume with a title:
f. Proceedings of meetings, conferences, etc:
g. Unsigned reports and documents. Information should be given only on written reports that readers can obtain. It is important to indicate the exact name of the collective entity responsible for the document, the full title, place and year of publication, and document number. If possible, the source of the document should be provided. For example:
4. Unpublished Materials. The following should not be included as references: unpublished papers (even if presented at conferences), unpublished theses, articles submitted for publication but not yet accepted, and abstracts. If it is absolutely necessary to cite them, they may be mentioned in the text inside parentheses or in a footnote. The citation in the text is treated in the following manner:
with the corresponding footnote at the bottom of the page:
If it is not possible to obtain copies of the source in question, the source should not be cited as a footnote; instead, a brief reference to it should be made in the body of the text:
5. Personal Communications. Reference to a personal communication should be given inside parentheses in the body of the text, not in a footnote:
6. Other Materials. Generally speaking, the standards for citing a book should be followed when citing other materials: author or responsible entity, title, generic name for the type of material, the place of publication or issue, and the date should be included. a. Videocassettes:
b. Slides:
c. Computer programs:
d. Audiocassettes:
e. Databases / CD-ROMs:
f. Internet sites:
g. Educational packages:
K. Tables Tables are the ordered presentation of information (usually numeric) by the systematic arrangement of values in rows and columns. Tables should be used to present essential information involving repetitive variables, characteristics, or attributes so that frequency, relationships, contrasts, variations, or trends may be easily understood by the reader. They should be self-explanatory and supplement, not duplicate, the information in the text. Tables should not contain so much statistical information that they confuse the readers or cause them to lose interest. Each table should be presented on a separate sheet of paper and be identified by a number. Each should have a clear, brief title. The place, date, and source of the information should be clearly indicated. The column heads should be as brief as possible and indicate the unit of measure or the relative base (percentage, rate, index), if any. Cells should only be left blank if the data do not apply. If information is missing because no observations were made, this should be indicated by ellipses points (. . .). Vertical rules (lines) should not be used in tables, but three horizontal rules should be used: one under the title line, a second under the column heads, and a third at the end of the table, above the footnotes. Footnotes to a table should be called using superscripted lowercase letters in alphabetical order. L. Figures Graphs, diagrams, line drawings, maps, and photographs should be used to call attention to trends and illustrate comparisons clearly and exactly. Figures should be easy to understand and should add information, not duplicate it. Drawings should be done in India ink or generated in black and white from a high-quality computer printer. Drawings and legends should be camera-ready and placed between sheets of cardboard to protect them in transit. All figures should be fully identified on their reverse sides. The captions should be as brief as possible but at the same time explicit. Figures should not have footnotes, but if taken from other publications their sources must be identified. The captions of the figures should be typed or printed on a separate sheet of paper in numerical order. The legend of a graph or map should be included as part of the figure itself. Maps and diagrams must be drawn to scale and must indicate what scale has been used. Photographs should be black and white on glossy paper with high resolution and contrast. The captions should include background information, scale, source, and date. All photographs should be numbered on the back and given a clear, brief title. This information should be written on a label and stuck to the back of the photo. (Care must be taken not to create an imprint on the photo with a ball-point pen.) An excess of graphic materials diminishes the desired effect; therefore, it is important that photos be carefully selected with the objective of complementing the text. M. Abbreviations Insofar as possible, abbreviations should be avoided. They should be given in parentheses preceded by their expanded form the first time the concept is mentioned in the text. For example:
Abbreviations should reflect the expanded form in the language in which the manuscript
is written. However, this rule does not apply to abbreviations of national agencies, those
that are internationally known in another language (CELADE, ILPES, ISO), or
internationally recognized abbreviations (SI for Système international). (See also Authors must use the International System of Units (SI) and the metric units approved for use in conjunction with the SI (see Bibliography). British units of measure are not acceptable. It should be noted that in this system the abbreviations of units are not pluralized (for example, 5 km, not 5 kms), and they are not followed by a period (10 mL, not 10 mL.) unless they are at the end of a sentence. Numbers should be grouped in sets of three to the left and to the right of the decimal point, with each set separated by a blank space. They should not be separated by any form of punctuation. Correct style:
Incorrect styles:
The manuscripts received are peer reviewed by experts on the subject in question. The first review is done by the Chief Editor and determines whether or not the manuscript meets the general criteria outlined. The second review considers the scientific merit of the document and the usefulness of its publication; it is performed by a panel of subject experts who review the manuscript independently. In the third review, based on the results of the evaluation of general criteria, scientific merit, and usefulness of its publication, a decision is made to either: (a) reject the manuscript and return it to the author; (b) accept it with the condition that revisions be made according to the comments and recommendations of the reviewers; or (c) accept it without requiring that the author(s) make major changes. In the case of a conditional acceptance, the revised text undergoes a fourth review to make certain that the author has responded to the reviewers' concerns. If the problems have been dealt with and resolved, the article is then accepted; if not, it is rejected. All decisions are communicated in writing to the principal author as promptly as possible. The time required to process a manuscript varies depending on the complexity of the subject and the availability of expert reviewers. P. Publication of the Accepted Article Manuscripts are accepted with the understanding that the publisher reserves the right to make revisions necessary for consistency, clarity, and conformity with the style of the journal. Manuscripts accepted for publication will be edited and then sent to the principal author for responses to queries and approval of any changes made. Authors will not receive galleys; therefore they should read the edited manuscript carefully. To avoid delay, authors are urged to return the edited manuscript, with their approval, by the date indicated in the accompanying letter. Normally, there is a period of three months between the time that the cleared article is returned to PAHO and the time of publication. Q. Author's Copies As soon as the article is published, 10 copies of the issue in which it appears will be sent to the principal author. |
| American Medical Association. Manual for authors and editors:
editorial style and manuscript preparation. 7th ed. Los Altos, California: Lange
Medical Publications; 1981. Day RA. How to write and publish a scientific paper. 3rd ed. Phoenix, Arizona: Oryx Press; 1988. Fishbein M. Medical writing: the technique and the art. 4th ed. Springfield, Illinois: Charles C. Thomas, Publisher; 1972. Huth EJ. How to write and publish papers in the medical sciences. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: ISI Press; 1986. Huth EJ. Medical style and format: an international manual for authors, editors and publishers. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: ISI Press; 1986. International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Uniform requirements for manuscripts submitted to biomedical journals. J Am Med Assoc 1993; 269: 2282-2286. Riegelman RK, Hirsch RP. Studying a study and testing a test: how to read the medical literature. 2nd ed. Boston: Little, Brown; 1989. Style Manual Committee, Council of Biology Editors. Scientific style and format: the CBE manual for authors, editors, and publishers. 6th ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 1994. World Health Organization. The SI for the health professions: prepared at the request of the thirtieth World Health Assembly. Geneva: WHO; 1977. |
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