The Journal of the Association for Vascular Access (JAVA) welcomes scholarly original articles on clinical practice, education, and research related to vascular access including articles on vascular access manufacturing and technology, and vascular access insertion, care, and maintenance issues in hospitals, ambulatory, home, hospice, and other alternative care settings. Articles must not be previously published or under consideration by another journal at the time of submission. JAVA is a multidisciplinary, international journal and invites submissions from authors in all relevant disciplines and settings. Current topics of interest to the journal include: evidence-based practice, new initiatives, outcomes research, patient/family satisfaction, patient and family instruction, international and multidisciplinary issues, use of devices, implementation of new technologies, financial implications of devices, and issues confronted in clinical practice.

Manuscripts published in JAVA become the sole property of the Association for Vascular Access (AVA).

JAVA is a peer-reviewed journal. Editorial revisions may be made to improve presentation without altering meaning. Written permission from the original author and publisher is required when employing material previously published in any submitted manuscript. Written permission is required for use of photographs of identifiable individuals.

Letters to the Editor: Letters to the Editor are welcomed and encouraged as a form of collegial exchange. Letters must be sent to the journal and written in response to content published in JAVA within six months of the original appearance of the material.

For acceptance, letters must be signed. Authors must include their city and state of residence or work. No other affiliations will be included unless the authors are writing on behalf of an organization. In such cases, the authors should include a statement that the letter has been approved by the organization they are representing. A letter can appear anonymously if requested by the author. Such requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Letters should not exceed 400 words of text and include no more than three references. A letter that questions, criticizes, or responds to a previously published article will automatically be sent to the author of that article for a reply.

Authors must provide contact information to allow editors to follow up with any questions about a letter. Include city and state of residence, or work and contact information -- either e-mail address or phone number.

Submissions should be sent to Ldavis@avainfo.org as an attachment.

Submission Format

All Papers and Manuscripts

All manuscripts should be in MS Word format and conform to word length specifications. All content, including tables, should have one inch margins on all four sides, be double-spaced, in Times New Roman 12 pt font. All legends for Tables and Figures are to be included with the manuscript; include legends of Tables and Figures at the end of the manuscript after the list of references. Tables and Figures are attached as separate files when you reach "attach files" in the submission process.

Cover Letter: A cover letter introduces your manuscript to the editor and should include any specific information you would like the editor to know. Authors should state that any manuscript, or parts of it, have not been and will not be submitted elsewhere for publication.

Title page: Includes the manuscript title, names of all authors with credentials, professional positions, affiliation, city and state, and specific contact information for the corresponding author, including preferred mailing address, daytime phone number, fax number, e-mail address, and funding sources and acknowledgments as applicable. The word count for the Abstract and the paper, excluding the Title page, should appear on the Title page. Submit the title page separately as instructed. Do not include any author identifying material in the body of the manuscript.

Abstract and Key words: An informative abstract follows the manuscript’s outline and summarizes the research results (if applicable). The abstract should also be included in the main manuscript. Identify three (3) to five (5) key words related to your article. These key words help categorize your article in search engines after it is published.

Content: The use of jargon and unfamiliar abbreviations is discouraged. The use of headings and subheadings to organize the text is encouraged. The use of generic drug names and product descriptions should be used whenever possible. If the brand name is required to aid the readers' understanding, the manufacturer's name and city and state location are to be provided in parentheses within the text.

References: Numerical citations will appear in superscript after the end punctuation mark following the paraphrased or summarized reference. (Please do not use any linking programs to set up references.) The references will be listed numerically at the end of the article in order of citation in the text. Authors are responsible for validating the accuracy of references and for making sure that all websites used are current and working in original and revised manuscripts. (Consult the AMA Manual of Style, 10th ed.) In the case of multiple authors, include the first six authors followed by et al. The reference list should be limited to published materials; citations of personal communications should be inserted in the body of the text.

Examples of journal article references:

Smith J, Canton EM. Weight-based administration of dalteparin in obese patients. Am J Health-Syst Pharm. 2003;60(7):683-687.Note: If the journal does not have a volume or issue number, use the issue date.

For journal with more than 6 authors (If more than 6 authors, list first 3, then et al)

Hunter DJ, Hankinson SE Jr, Laden F, et al. Plasma organochlorine levels and the risk of breast cancer. N Engl J Med. 1997;337(18):1253-1258.

Examples of book and book chapter references:

Davis NM. Medical Abbreviations: 26,000 Conveniences at the Expense of Communications and Safety. 12th ed. Huntingdon Valley, PA: Neil M.Davis Associates; 2005:173.

Johannsen EC, Madoff LC. Infections of the liver and biliary system. In: Mandell GL, Bennett JC, Dolin R, eds. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's: Principles and Practice of Infectious Disease. Vol 1. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2005:951-952.

Online Scholarly Journal:

Seal A, Kerac M. Operational implications of using 2006 World Health Organization growth standards in nutrition programmes: secondary data analysis. BMJ. 2007; 334:733. http://www.bmj.com /cgi/content/full/334/7596/733. Accessed April 12, 2007.

Figures/Tables: Figures and/or tables should be labeled appropriately and each submitted on a separate page in a separate file. All figures, including diagrams, flow charts, line drawings, and photographs, must be cited within the text. Tables should be self-explanatory, include a brief title, and not duplicate information in the text. Tables and figures should be numbered consecutively according to the order of text citation.

Photographs, illustrations, and images: should be provided as digital high-resolution (300 dpi) JPEG or TIFF files. Do not place them in other files, such as Microsoft Word. Slides and poor resolution photographs, illustrations, or images will not be accepted. Note that permission has been granted for use, noting by whom and where for each photograph, illustration, and image. Use of photographs, illustrations, or images that are not accompanied by full permission and/or include identifiers (examples: name badges, patient name on x-ray) will not be used.

Permission and Consents: Written permission of the copyright holder and author of figures, tables, or quotation (200 words or more) taken from copyrighted material must accompany the submitted manuscript. The credit line should appear in the figure legend, as a footnote to the table, or as a footnote to the text, and should be worded according to the copyright holder’s specifications.

Subject or guardian consent must accompany any photograph that shows a recognizable likeness of a subject.

AudioSlides

The journal encourages authors to create an AudioSlides presentation with their published article. AudioSlides are brief, webinar-style presentations that are shown next to the online article on ScienceDirect. This gives authors the opportunity to summarize their research in their own words and to help readers understand what the paper is about. More information and examples are available at http://www.elsevier.com/audioslides. Authors of this journal will automatically receive an invitation e-mail to create an AudioSlides presentation after acceptance of their paper.

CHECKLIST FOR AUTHORS:

1. Cover letter of submission

2. One double-spaced original manuscript consisting of:
• Title Page (including all identifying information and word counts)• Abstract (250 word limit)• Key words (three to five)• Article text/content (note word limits)• List of references• Figure(s), photograph(s), and image legend(s)• Table(s)• Copies of written permission to reproduce previously published materials and photographs, illustrations, and images of identifiable individuals or copyrights including trade names

3. Figure files: each figure should constitute a separate file (not embedded within the manuscript text file), in .tif, .eps, or .jpeg format; high resolution (minimum resolution of 300 dpi)

Submission Process

The Journal of the Association for Vascular Access uses a web-based, online submission and review system. Submit original manuscripts at http://www.ees.elsevier.com/JAVA. The Web site will guide you step by step through the electronic submission process. Note that original source files, not PDF files, are required. Correspondence and editorial inquiries should be addressed to LDAVIS@avainfo.org. Once the submission files are uploaded the system automatically generates an electronic (PDF) proof, which is used for reviewing. All correspondence, including the Editor’s decision and request for revisions, will be by e-mail.

Manuscripts are reviewed by the Editorial Board for accuracy, clarity, and significance to the practice of vascular access. The review process takes approximately 2-3 months. Accepted manuscripts are subject to copyediting to conform to the Journal’s standards. Editing changes and recommendations are subject to author approval before publication.

Proofs of the final manuscript will be sent to the principal author for approval. No significant changes will be accepted at that time. A signed contract with transfer copyright of the published article to the Association of Vascular Access is required prior to final publication. Publication dates depend on numerous factors, including the timeliness of the article and space availability in the journal. It is the responsibility of the principal author to maintain current contact information with the editorial staff. Manuscripts can be withdrawn any time prior to publication, provided that the manuscript is not in press, by notifying the editorial staff.