Advancing Symptom Research, Hospice and Palliative Care Official Journal of the U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
Guide for Authors
Note to NIH Grant Recipients: Elsevier will send to PubMed Central the author's manuscript on behalf of authors reporting
research supported by an NIH grant. The author manuscript reflects any author-agreed changes made in response to peer-review comments.
Elsevier will authorize its public access posting on PubMed Central 12 months after final publication. Authors will receive further correspondence
from PubMed Central after the manuscript is deposited.
Manuscript Submission
The JPSM uses a web-based online
manuscript submission and review system. Please go to http://ees.elsevier.com/jps to submit your manuscript electronically.
The website guides authors stepwise through the creation and uploading of the various files.
All correspondence, including the Editor's
decision and request for revisions, will be by e-mail. Authors may send queries concerning the submission process, manuscript status,
or journal procedures to the Editorial Office at mherleth@chpnet.org. Authors unable to submit an electronic version
should contact the Editorial Office to discuss alternatives.
Preparing Electronic Files. Text and graphics may be submitted
as separate files in the following
formats:
Text: Use Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, WordPro or Rich Text Format (.rtf). Check
the accuracy of all file conversions. Graphics: Create digital artwork after consulting the Elsevier Electronic Artwork
website; http://www.elsevier.com/locate/authorartwork , which contains appropriate instructions. Please note that Elsevier
allows the submission of MS Office files (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) provided that they meet certain criteria (see information given on
Electronic Artwork website). It is preferred to save files in JPEG or TIFF format. Label figures as referenced in text and include a
list of figure legends.
Note: Only for initial submission and review may a manuscript be submitted as a single PDF file. Figures
can be embedded at appropriate points within the body of the PDF file, or they can be included on separate pages at the end of the PDF
file. For final versions, the original source files are needed; otherwise, the manuscript cannot be processed at the typesetter.
Types of Articles
The Journal of Pain and Symptom Management publishes the following types of articles:
Original
Articles present new information that makes a substantial contribution to the body of knowledge on the subject. The text should
be divided into sections with the headings Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Acknowledgments, and References. Please
note that the Journal uses an unstructured abstract.
Review Articles describe and evaluate previously published material
in order to suggest new approaches or ideas, and should not be a simple repetition of readily available information. The Journal accepts
both systematic and narrative reviews of high quality.
Clinical Notes are usually case series describing new or interesting
clinical observations.
Palliative Care Rounds. This column usually highlights one or more cases that describe an unusual
clinical situation or complication, or a new treatment, encountered in a palliative care setting. The aim should be to briefly review
the topic and provide information relevant to clinical practice related to the observation.
Ethics Rounds. This column
addresses ethical dilemmas in palliative and end-of-life care. Submissions should be based on actual case histories, which have been
fictionalized to protect confidentiality. To this end, authors should follow these general rules: 1) use fictitious initials for patients
and families; 2) change gender, age, and other non-essential identifiers; and 3) avoid specific reference to the home institution. Case
histories may be submitted with a commentary by the author.
Letters. The JPSM welcomes correspondence pertaining to issues
of interest to readers. This format is subject to review and is preferred for single case reports describing interesting or unique clinical
observations. Letters concerning a previously published article usually are forwarded to the author for a letter of reply. After favourable
editorial review, both letters will be published. Letters are usually no more than five double spaced pages plus references and no more
than one table or figure. Note: Beginning with the July 2008 issue, Letters to the Editor will be published online only. The title
and a link to the journal website will appear in the print table of contents.
Special Articles. Those manuscripts
that do not fit into the above categories may be published if they present new or relevant information.
Media Reviews.
Books, monographs, films, and other materials submitted for review should be sent to the editorial office of the Journal, c/o Marilyn
Herleth, Department of Pain Medicine and Palliative Care, Beth Israel Medical Center, First Avenue at 16th. St., New York, NY 10003,
USA.
Peer Review
Manuscripts submitted to the JPSM are usually reviewed by two or more authorities for significance,
originality, and validity; note that reviewers are not blinded as to the author's identity.
Confidentiality and Informed Consent
It is the author's responsibility to ensure patient anonymity in case reports and elsewhere. Identifying information such as names, initials,
hospital numbers, and dates must be avoided. Reports of studies involving human subjects must include a statement verifying: 1) all
patients included in the study signed informed consent; and 2) the study was approved by the investigator's institutional review board.
Copyright
Manuscripts should be submitted exclusively to the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. Manuscripts
are reviewed and edited with the understanding that the authors are transferring all copyright ownership to the U.S. Cancer Pain Relief
Committee. Upon acceptance of the manuscript, the publisher will send a copyright transfer agreement form to the author.
Manuscript
Preparation
Submission items include a cover letter, the manuscript (including title page, abstract, key words, running title,
manuscript text, references, and table/figure legends), tables, and figures. Complete instructions for electronic artwork submission
can be found at www.elsevier.com/artwork, accessible through the
journal home page, http://ees.elsevier.com/jps .
Title Page. The title page must include all authors' first
and last names, degrees, addresses, and current institutional affiliations. Also include an acknowledgment of any grant or other financial
support, if appropriate. The name, address, phone and fax numbers, and e-mail address of the designated corresponding author must appear
at the bottom of the page.
Abstract, Key Words, and Running Title. Include a concise, unstructured, one-paragraph abstract
of not more than 250 words. Abstracts for original articles should briefly summarize the study aims, procedures used,
findings and their significance, and conclusion. For other article types, a summary of the paper will be sufficient. The abstract should
be on a separate page and follow the title page. Below the abstract, please provide 3-10 key words, and a running title of no more than
45 characters and spaces.
References. Number references in order of their use in the text; do not alphabetize. Identify
references in the text with Arabic numerals inside parentheses. When listing authors in the references: Five authors or less, list
all five authors; six authors or more, list the first three authors followed by et al. For abbreviations of journal names, refer to List of Journals Indexed in Index Medicus. Provide inclusive page numbers. Reference accuracy is the responsibility of the
author(s). Please do not use EndNote to compile your reference list.
Examples:
Journal Article
1. Davidson JR,
MacLean AW, Brundage MD, Schulze K. Sleep disturbance in cancer patients. Soc Sci Med 2002;54:1309-1321.
Book Chapter
2. Collins J. Symptom control in life-threatening illness. In: Doyle D, Hanks G, Cherny N, Calman K, eds. Oxford textbook of palliative
medicine, 3rd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004:789-798.
Book
3. Wall P, Melzack R. Textbook of pain, 4th
ed. Philadelphia, PA: Churchill Livingstone, 1999.
Tables. Type each table double-spaced on a separate page, number in order
of appearance, and give a brief descriptive title. Every table must be cited in the text. Explanatory information should be placed
in footnotes. If the data shown are from another source, acknowledgment must be given and permission obtained. Note: Lengthy tables may be published online only, with a link to the journal website indicated in the print article text. The determination regarding online
publication only will be made by the Editor-in-Chief.
Illustrations. Black-and-white photographs or line drawings are
preferred. Separate typed legends should accompany each figure. Every figure must be cited in the text. If original artwork/photos
are used, permission must be obtained from the artist or photographer and credit must be given. If subjects of photographs are persons
and they are identifiable, permission must be obtained.
