Editor
Elaine L Larson, RN, PhD, FAAN, CIC
Columbia University School of Nursing
630 W 168th St
New York, NY 10032
Tel: 212-305-0723
Fax: 212-305-0722
E-mail: ajic@columbia.edu

Managing Editor
Christy Bunner
Tel: 212-305-0724
E-mail: ajic@columbia.edu

Editorial policies. American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC) is a professional, peer-reviewed journal and the official scientific publication of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. AJIC welcomes original articles in English pertaining to the prevention, surveillance, and control of infections and related complications in health care facilities and the community, and the application of epidemiologic principles to reduce risks among patients and health care professionals.

AJIC disapproves of duplicate publication. Authors should avoid reporting results of the same component of a study in separate manuscripts submitted to separate journals. For example, authors should refrain from submitting data from the same study that is analyzed in a similar fashion to construct two seemingly distinct papers. The Journal does not consider conference abstracts that report preliminary research findings as an instance of prior publication.

AJIC uses a Web-based online manuscript submission and review system-the Elsevier Editorial System (EES); use the following website to submit manuscripts electronically: http://ees.elsevier.com/ajic. The Web site guides authors stepwise through the creation and uploading of the various files. Note that original source files (not PDF files) are required. Authors may send queries concerning the submission process or journal procedures to the Editorial Office at ajic@columbia.edu. Once the submission files are uploaded, the EES automatically generates a PDF proof, which is then used for reviewing. All correspondence, including the Editor's decision and request for revisions, will be by e-mail via the EES.

The American Journal of Infection Control adheres to COPE international standards for editors and authors.

Article Types. Authors may submit any of the following types of articles.

Major Articles. Articles in this category usually present results of original research undertaken by the author. Typically these articles average 12 double-spaced typewritten pages with 4 illustrations, 3 tables, and 15 references. Authors must include a structured abstract of 150 to 200 words. Structured abstracts should include Background, Methods, Results (including some data), and Conclusions.

Brief reports. Articles in this category should be limited to 1000 words or less and may include two illustrations or tables and a maximum of 10 references. A summary (non-structured) abstract of 50 to 75 words should accompany Brief Reports.

Commentary. Opinions, philosophy, or comments related to infection control practice should be sent to the Editor for review. They should be brief and referenced whenever appropriate. Do not include an abstract.

Correspondence. Letters pertaining to articles published in the Journal or concerned with issues of current interest to readers should be sent directly to the Editor. They are subject to review and/or responses by authors of the pertinent papers.

Practice forum. Reports of infection prevention and control practices and related applications of epidemiology will be published. Items should be limited to two to five typed double-spaced pages, referenced whenever appropriate. A summary abstract of 50 to 75 (non-structured) words should accompany these submissions.

Preparation of manuscripts. The following guidelines for submission of manuscripts will expedite the review process and ensure that publication is not delayed.

Manuscripts must conform to acceptable English usage. For current usage consult the 9th edition of AMA's Manual of Style. Standard abbreviations should be used consistently throughout the article. Unusual or coined abbreviations should be spelled out the first time they appear in text, with abbreviation in parentheses. Generic drug names should be used; however, proprietary names may be inserted in parentheses after the generic name. If equipment must be identified by proprietary name, provide the manufacturer name and city/state. Weights and measures should be expressed in metric units. Temperatures should be expressed in degrees centigrade.

Title page. The title should be brief and not laden with too much detail. The first title page should include the title; name(s) and academic degree(s) of the author(s); name(s) of the department(s) and institution(s) in which the work was done; and name, address, business and home telephone numbers, and e-mail address of the author to whom correspondence and reprint requests should be addressed. Save this title page as a separate file for your submission via the EES. A second title page without any author information should begin the full manuscript file. This page will be used for double-blind peer review.

Manuscript pages. The first page of the manuscript must include a title page without any author identifiers. The abstract should follow the title page. Abstracts should not exceed the word limits described above. Authors should double-space all text, maintain one-inch page margins and use a basic font such as New Times Roman. The references should be included in the same file as the manuscript. (See the following section for more details.)

References. Place the reference list in the file after the main text. Number references consecutively in order of their mention in the text; all references must be cited in the text. Personal communications and unpublished data should be cited in the text in parentheses; they should not appear in the reference list. Follow the format of the "Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals" (Ann Intern Med 1997;126:36-47). Use journal abbreviations as listed in the Cumulated Index Medicus.

Examples of References (if 6 or fewer authors, list all; if 7 or more, list first 6 and et al):

Format for journal articles:
* You CH, Lee KY, Chey WY, Menguy R. Electrogastrographic study of patients with unexplained nausea, bloating and vomiting. Gastroenterology 1980;79:311-4.

Format for books:
You CH, Lee KY, Chey WY, Menguy R. Electrogastrographic study of patients with unexplained nausea, bloating and vomiting. Gastroenterology 1980;79:311-4.

Format for chapters:
Weinstein L, Swartz MN. Pathogenic properties of invading microorganisms. In: Sodeman WA Jr, Sodeman WA, editors. Pathologic physiology: mechanisms of disease. Philadelphia: WB Saunders; 1974. p. 457-72.

Tables and Figures. All tables should be included in a separate file and include appropriate legends. All illustrations and figures should be included in a separate files and include appropriate legends.

Additional Items Required During Submission. When preparing manuscripts for submission, authors should carefully adhere to the following requirements.

Institutional Review Board. When research involves human participants, authors should state in the "Methods" section the procedure used to ensure ethical conduct of research.

Copyrighted material and informed consent. Direct quotations, tables, or illustrations from copyrighted material must be accompanied by written permission for their use from the copyright owner and original author, along with complete information as to source. Photographs of identifiable persons must be accompanied by signed releases showing informed consent.

Conflicts of interests and financial disclosure. Authors are requested to disclose to the editors receipt of financial and/or material support from an organization that may either gain or lose financially from the results or conclusions of their study or commentary. Such disclosure(s) will not be released to peer reviewers. In addition, authors who have received financial support from a funding agency or manufacturer or been given a product free of charge to use in a study must acknowledge this support at the time of submission. At the time of submission, the EES will prompt the corresponding author to disclose this information. If a submission is accepted for publication, the editors will ask the authors to detail this information in their final manuscript for publication in the journal.

Prior Publication. At the time of submission, the EES will prompt the corresponding author to state whether any portion the data or results are under consideration by another journal or have been published elsewhere?

Updated May 2012