Guide for Authors

General Information
Duplicate/Prior/Overlapping Publication
Authorship Criteria
Addition, Deletion, or Rearrangement of Author
Ethical Approval of Studies
Clinical Trials Registration
Negative Studies
Conflict of Interest/Disclosure Policy
Online Resources for Authors
Preparation of Manuscripts
General Manuscript Information
Letter of Submission
Potential Reviewers
Title Page
Drug Nomenclature
Laboratory Values
References
Examples of references
EndNote
Tables
Figure Legends
Illustrations
Multi-Media Files
Permissions
Abbreviations
Article Types
Original Articles
Clinical and Laboratory Observations
Insights
Rediscovering the Physical Exam
Letters to the Editor
Medical Progress
Commentaries
Grand Rounds
Workshop/Symposium Summary
AMSPDC Section
Announcements and Upcoming Events
Supplements
Guidelines for Reviewers
Books for Review
Decisions
Inquiries Regarding Decisions
Release to Media/Embargo Policy
Sponsored Article Program
Public Access Policy Mandate
Retraction Guidelines from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)
Checklist for Manuscripts



EDITOR

William F. Balistreri, MD
The Journal of Pediatrics
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
3333 Burnet Ave, MLC 3021
Cincinnati, OH 45229-3039

EDITORIAL OFFICE

Monica L. Helton, Managing Editor
Becky W. Lindeman, Senior Editorial Assistant
Phone: 513-636-7140; Fax: 513-636-7141
journal.pediatrics@cchmc.org
External link http://ees.elsevier.com/jpeds/

PUBLISHER

Elsevier Inc.
1600 JFK Boulevard, Suite 1800
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Deborah Stone, Journal Manager
Phone: (215) 239 3406; Fax: (215) 239 3388
d.stone@elsevier.com

Editorial Policies

General Information
The Journal of Pediatrics publishes Original Research Articles, Clinical and Laboratory Observations (case reports), reviews of Medical Progress in pediatrics and related fields, Grand Rounds (clinicopathologic conferences [CPC] or didactic discussions), Invited Commentaries, Special Articles, Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs, Inc. (AMSPDC) commentaries, Insights, Letters to the Editor, and Supplements.

Duplicate/Prior/Overlapping Publication or Submission
Manuscripts are accepted for review with the stipulation that they are submitted solely to The Journal of Pediatrics. The Journal will not consider for review manuscripts that have been published elsewhere, even if in another language, manuscripts that are being considered by another publication, are in press, or will be published or submitted elsewhere. Although poster presentations and abstracts are not considered duplicate publication, they should be stated in the initial letter of submission.

If any part of a manuscript by the same author(s) contains any information that was previously published, is in press, or is under consideration by another publication, a reprint of the previous article or a copy of the other manuscript must be submitted to the Editor at the point of submission, with a justification or explanation by the authors of any potential overlap or duplication.

The Editors are disinclined to publish more than one paper arising from the study of the same patient population. Please combine papers from the same study whenever possible. If you are unable to combine the papers, a reprint of the other article(s) or a copy of the other manuscript(s) must be submitted to the Editor at the point of submission, with a justification or explanation by the authors as to why the papers could not be combined.

If the Editor is made aware of such overlapping or duplicate manuscripts that have not been disclosed by the authors, a written explanation will be requested. If, in the judgment of the Editor, the explanation is inadequate, the submission will be rejected. If there is no disclosure, an appropriate official of the primary author's academic institution will be notified.

Authorship Criteria
As a condition of authorship, all authors must have seen and approved the submission of the manuscript and be willing to take responsibility for the entire manuscript. Multi-authored manuscripts should have a declaration of each author's contributions in the letter of submission. If there are concerns about how all persons listed as authors meet the criteria for authorship according to the "Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals: Writing and Editing for Biomedical Publication" available at www.icmje.org, we will request further information from the corresponding author and, if necessary, request written documentation of each person's work on the report.

The names, along with any conflicts of interest, funding sources, and industry-relation, of persons who have contributed substantially to a study but who do not fulfill the criteria for authorship are to be listed in the Acknowledgment section, published in the print and/or online version of m. This section should include individuals who provided any writing, editorial, statistical assistance, etc.

If the byline includes the name of a study group, a list of all members of the study group must be provided and would be published in the online version of The Journal. All authors of a submitted manuscript must sign a form declaring that they meet the criteria for authorship according to www.icmje.org, approve the most recent submitted version of the manuscript, and take full responsibility for the manuscript. This form will be sent to the corresponding author when the Editors reach a decision that the manuscript may be potentially publishable. An explanation for adding, removing, or changing the order of an author(s) must be provided with direct verification from the added/removed author(s).

Addition, Deletion, or Rearrangement of Author Names
Before the accepted manuscript is published in an online issue: In accordance with the policies of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), requests to add, remove, or rearrange author names must be e-mailed to the Editorial Office (journal.pediatrics@cchmc.org) from the corresponding author of the accepted manuscript and must include the reason the name should be added or removed, or the author names rearranged. Confirmation e-mails from each author that they agree with the addition, removal, or rearrangement is also required; in the case of addition or removal of authors, this includes confirmation from the author being added or removed. Requests that are not sent by the corresponding author will be forwarded by the Editorial Office to the corresponding author, who must follow the procedure as described above. Note that the Journal Manager will inform the Editorial Office of any such requests, and online publication of the accepted manuscript will be suspended until authorship has been finalized.

After the accepted manuscript is published in an online issue: Any requests to add, delete, or rearrange author names in an article published in an online issue will follow the same policies as noted above and may result in an erratum.

Ethical Approval of Studies, Informed Consent, and Identifying Details
Studies on patients or volunteers require ethics committee and/or independent review board (IRB) approval, which should be documented in the Methods section of the paper. If this study was not approved by the appropriate ethics committee or IRB, include a statement as to why it was exempt.

Manuscripts describing research involving human subjects should indicate that written informed consent was obtained from the parents or guardians of the children who served as subjects of the investigation and, when appropriate, from the subjects themselves. In the event that either the Editors or the reviewers question the propriety of the human investigation with respect to the risk to the subjects or to the means by which informed consent was obtained, The Journal of Pediatrics may request more detailed information about the safeguards employed and the procedures used to obtain informed consent. Copies of the minutes of the committees that reviewed and approved the research also may be requested. Authors should verify compliance with the Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) prior to submission.

Patients have a right to privacy. Therefore identifying information, including patients' images, names, initials, or hospital numbers, should not be included in videos, recordings, written descriptions, photographs, and pedigrees unless the information is essential for scientific purposes and you have obtained written informed consent for publication in print and electronic form from the patient (or parent, guardian, or next of kin where applicable). If such consent is made subject to any conditions, Elsevier must be made aware of all such conditions. Written consents must be provided to Elsevier on request.

Even where consent has been given, identifying details should be omitted if they are not essential. If identifying characteristics are altered to protect anonymity, such as in genetic pedigrees, authors should provide assurance that alterations do not distort scientific meaning and editors should so note. If such consent has not been obtained, personal details of patients included in any part of the paper and in any supplementary materials (including all illustrations and videos) must be removed before submission.

Clinical Trials Registration
Although currently not required for submission or publication, the Editors encourage registration of clinical trials in an appropriate registry. Provide the site of the registry and the registration number in the letter of submission and on the title page; this information may be published. Please see the guidelines for registering clinical trials at External link http://www.icmje.org/#clin_trials"target="_blank

Negative Studies
The Journal of Pediatrics agrees with the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) statement regarding the obligation to publish negative studies: "Editors should consider seriously for publication any carefully done study of an important question, relevant to their readers, whether the results for the primary or any additional outcome are statistically significant. Failure to submit or publish findings because of lack of statistical significance is an important cause of publication bias" (External link http://www.icmje.org/ ). The Journal seeks original work which then undergoes peer-reviewed scrutiny with editorial oversight. Over the years The Journal has accepted articles that clearly documented a lack of efficacy of therapeutic agents or procedures. The Journal believes that evidence-based medicine must be based on the best evidence, which may include negative studies.

Conflict of Interest/Disclosure Policy
According to the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME):

"Conflict of interest (COI) exists when there is a divergence between an individual's private interests (competing interests) and his or her responsibilities to scientific and publishing activities such that a reasonable observer might wonder if the individual's behavior or judgment was motivated by considerations of his or her competing interests. COI in medical publishing affects everyone with a stake in research integrity including journals, research/academic institutions, funding agencies, the popular media, and the public. Journals are interested in COI as it relates to a specific manuscript.

"Everyone has COIs of some sort. Having a competing interest does not, in itself, imply wrongdoing. However, it constitutes a problem when competing interests could unduly influence (or be reasonably seen to do so) one's responsibilities in the publication process. If COI is not managed effectively, it can cause authors, reviewers, and editors to make decisions that, consciously or unconsciously, tend to serve their competing interests at the expense of their responsibilities in the publication process, thereby distorting the scientific enterprise. This consequence of COI is especially dangerous when it is not immediately apparent to others. In addition, the appearance of COI, even where none actually exists, can also erode trust in a journal by damaging its reputation and credibility."

Authors are required to disclose on the title page of the initial manuscript any potential, perceived, or real conflict of interest. Authors must describe the role of the study sponsor(s), if any, in 1) study design; 2) the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; 3) the writing of the report; and 4) the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. Authors should include statements even when the sponsor had no involvement in the above matters. Authors should also state who wrote the first draft of the manuscript and whether an honorarium, grant, or other form of payment was given to anyone to produce the manuscript. If the manuscript is accepted for publication, the disclosure statements will be published.

Additional information regarding conflicts of interest can be found at External link http://www.wame.org/conflict-of-interest-editorial#ref1, "Conflict of Interest in Peer-Reviewed Medical Journals: The World Association of Medical Editors (WAME) Position on a Challenging Problem." (This Editorial may appear in other medical and biomedical journals whose editors are members of WAME.)

Online Resources for Authors
A list of online resources that may be beneficial to English speaking and non-native English speaking authors is available by clicking here.

Preparation of Manuscripts

General Information
Manuscripts are to be submitted via the Elsevier Editorial System (EES), the electronic submission website at External link http://ees.elsevier.com/jpeds. Authors should review carefully the Authors' Tutorial for the system at External link http://ees.elsevier.com/eeshelp/EES_Author_Tutorial.html. Manuscripts must adhere to AMA style, as well as additional layout and length guidelines, outlined below. After submission, the corresponding author can log onto EES to view the status of the manuscript. All accepted manuscripts are subject to editorial revision and shortening. Authors should avoid redundancy between sections of text and between illustrations and text. Due to page limitations, the Editors may decide that figures, appendices, tables, acknowledgments, and other material be published in the online version of The Journal and referenced in the print edition.

Letter of Submission
A letter of submission must accompany all submissions and provide the following information in accordance with the "Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals: Writing and Editing for Biomedical Publication" available at External link http://www.icmje.org

  • Disclosure of any prior publications or submissions with any overlapping information, including studies and patients; a copy of the work(s) must be uploaded -OR- If there are no prior publications or submissions with any overlapping information, provide the following statement: "There are no prior publications or submissions with any overlapping information, including studies and patients." Additional information is available at External link http://jpeds.com/authorinfo#dup;
  • A statement that the manuscript has not been and will not be submitted to any other journal while it is under consideration by The Journal of Pediatrics;
  • A statement of any potential conflict of interest, real or perceived; this includes a description of the role of the study sponsor(s), if any, in: (1) study design; (2) the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; (3) the writing of the report; and (4) the decision to submit the paper for publication. Include statements even when the sponsor had no involvement in the above matters. This information must also appear on the title page of the manuscript. Additional information is available at External link http://jpeds.com/authorinfo#conf;
  • A statement of who wrote the first draft of the manuscript and whether an honorarium, grant, or other form of payment was given to anyone to produce the manuscript. This information must also appear on the title page of the manuscript;
  • A statement that each author listed on the manuscript has seen and approved the submission of this version of the manuscript and takes full responsibility for the manuscript; if more than 6 authors, an explanation of the contributions of each author must be provided. Additional information is available at External link http://jpeds.com/authorinfo#auth.

Potential Reviewers
To assist with a prompt, fair review process, authors should provide in the letter of submission the names, complete addresses, fax numbers, and e-mail addresses of 5 to 7 potential reviewers who have the appropriate expertise to evaluate the manuscript. Potential reviewers must be outside of the authors' institution(s), with no known potential conflicts of interest. Failure to provide 5 to 7 potential reviewers may result in delays in the processing of your manuscript. Authors may also provide the names of persons who should not be asked to review the manuscript. Ultimately, the Editors reserve the right to choose reviewers.

Title Page
The title page should include authors' full names and highest academic degrees; departmental and institutional affiliations of each author; and sources of financial assistance or potential conflicts of interest, if any (see Conflicts of Interest/Disclosure Policy). Listed authors should include only those individuals who have made a significant, creative contribution to the manuscript as defined by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (www.icmje.org); a list of more than 6 authors must be justified to the Editors in the letter of submission. One author must be designated as the correspondent, with complete address, business telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address. The corresponding author is responsible for communicating with the Editorial Office and all other co-authors. Proofs and order forms for reprints will be sent to the corresponding author if the manuscript is published. Include a list of key words not in the title, as well as a short title (8 word maximum). Trade names of drugs and other products must not appear in the article title.

Drug Nomenclature
Drugs should be described in both the United States Adopted Name (USAN) and International Nonproprietary Name (INN) nomenclature. At first usage (once in the Abstract and once in the Methods section), cite the USAN, with the INN and manufacturer name in parentheses; subsequent appearances should use the USAN only. Trade names of drugs and other products must not appear in the article title. The trade name may appear once in the abstract and once in the Introduction or Methods section; all other mention of the product must be in the form of the generic name.

Laboratory Values
Laboratory values should be described in metric mass units. The International System of Units (SI units) can be provided in parentheses immediately after metric units. Conversion tables are available (see JAMA 1986; 255:2329-39 or Ann Intern Med 1987; 106:114-29).

References
References must be numbered according to order of appearance in the text and use superscript or parenthesized numbers in the text. For reference style, follow the format set forth in "Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals" (External link http://www.icmje.org/), with journal abbreviations according to Cumulated Index Medicus. If the reference is to an abstract, letter, or editorial, place the appropriate term in brackets after the title. Citations should refer to primary analyses (ie, original content), instead of literature reviews and secondary analyses.

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

For journal articles Kramarz P, DeStefano F, Gargiullo PM, Chen RT, Lieu TA, Davis RL, et al. Does influenza vaccination prevent asthma exacerbations in children? J Pediatr 2001; 138:306-10.

Cozzi F, Morini F. Possible mechanisms of pacifier protection against SIDS [letter]. J Pediatr 2001;138:783.

For Articles in Press (online)
Hellems MA, Gurka KK, Hayden GF. A review of The Journal of Pediatrics: The first 75 years. J Pediatr (2008). doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2008.08.049.

For books
Rosenstein BJ, Fosarelli PD. Pediatric pearls: the handbook of practical pediatrics. 3rd ed. St Louis: Mosby; 1997.

Virginia Law Foundation. The medical and legal implications of AIDS. Charlottesville (VA): The Foundation; 1987.

For chapters in books
Neufeld EF, Muenzer J. The mucopolysaccharidoses. In: Scriver CR, Beaudet AL, Sly WS, et al, eds. The metabolic and molecular bases of inherited diseases. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2001. p. 3421-52.

For websites
American Medical Association [homepage on the Internet]. Chicago: The Association; c1995-2002 [updated 2001 Aug 23; cited 2002 Aug 12]. AMA Office of Group Practice Liaison; [about 2 screens]. Available from: External link http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/1736.html

EndNote
If using EndNote, The Journal of Pediatrics' output style can be found by typing "Journal of Pediatrics" into the Publication Name field. Please be sure to double-space the Reference section.

Tables
Tables are to be uploaded into EES as separate documents, formatted in .doc or .xls. A concise title should be supplied for each. Tables should be self-explanatory and should supplement, not duplicate the text. If a table or any data therein have been previously published, a footnote must give full credit to the original source. (See Permissions).

Figure Legends
Each illustration must be provided with a legend. Legends should be double-spaced on a separate page within the main document file following the references page. If an illustration has been previously published, the legend must give full credit to the original source. (See Permissions).

Illustrations
A reasonable number of black and white illustrations will be reproduced at no cost to the authors, but the Editors retain the right to edit or delete illustrations and tables for the sake of brevity (See Article Type). Figure legends must be separate from the figures. (See Figure Legends) Each figure must be uploaded into EES as a separate file.

All illustrations must be clear and legible. Patterns or shadings must be distinguishable from each other and dark enough for reproduction. Lines, symbols, and letters must be smooth and complete. Illustrations may be original drawings in black ink with typographic lettering; typewritten or freehand lettering is unacceptable. The integrity of scientific images (eg, gels, micrographs, etc.) must be maintained in figures submitted to The Journal (see JAMA's policy on Image Integrity: External link http://jama.ama-assn.org/misc/ifora.dtl#ImageIntegrity).

Color illustrations are acceptable. Note that the colors must be dark enough and of sufficient contrast for reproduction. Fluorescent colors do not reproduce well. Avoid using color descriptors in the figure legends. Authors are expected to pay the extra cost associated with reproduction of color illustrations in the print version of The Journal of Pediatrics. After final acceptance the publisher will contact authors with pricing and instructions for payment. If the Editors determine that color illustrations will be clear in black and white, the illustrations can be published in black and white in the print version and in color in the online version at no cost to the authors.

All images should be at least 5 inches wide. Images may be provided in a variety of formats: TIFF, BMP, JPEG, GIF, PNG, EPS, PPT, and DOC. The best formats are TIFF and JPEG. Line art (black lines on a white background) must be created at 1000 dpi. Combination line art (e.g. line art with gray fill patterns) must be created at 1200 dpi. Black and white or color photographs must be created at 300 dpi. For complete instructions, please go to External link http://ees.elsevier.com/jpeds/ and click on Artwork Guidelines If you are unable to upload illustrations into EES, please go to External link http://ees.elsevier.com/jpeds/ and click on Help to contact EES Technical Support.

Multi-Media Files
In addition, short movie, animation, or audio files can be published in the online version of The Journal; a reference to the electronic material would appear in the print version. Each file should be uploaded into EES as a "multi-media" file. For specifications for these types of files, please go to External link http://ees.elsevier.com/jpeds/ and click on Artwork Guidelines.

Permissions
Direct quotations, tables, or illustrations, even if modified, that have appeared in copyrighted material must be accompanied by written permission for their use from the copyright owner and original authors along with complete information as to source. For further information on how to obtain permission, please go to www.jpeds.com and click on Permission to Reuse .

Written permission from the patient, or parent or guardian of a minor child, is required for publication of photographs or other images that include the upper portion of the face; black bars over the eyes are not sufficient. Patient initials should not be used anywhere in the text, tables, or figures.

Articles appear in both the print and online versions of The Journal of Pediatrics, and wording of the letter must specify permission in all forms and media.

Abbreviations
Complex terms used frequently in the manuscript may be abbreviated. Abbreviations are placed in parentheses at first use in the abstract and again at first use in the text. The manuscript should include a list of all abbreviations used.

Article Types

Original Articles
Full-length manuscripts for the Original Articles section of The Journal of Pediatrics must include a structured abstract of less than 250 words, to appear after the title page, with the following headings: Objective(s), Study design, Results, and Conclusion(s). The Objective(s) should put the study in context with the current literature (i.e., what is new, not textbook background information) and reflect the purpose of the study, that is, the hypothesis that is being tested or the question being asked. The Study design should include the study methodology, the setting for the study, the subjects (number and type), the treatment or intervention, principal outcomes measured, and the type of statistical analysis. The Results section should include the outcome of the study and statistical significance, if appropriate. The Conclusion(s) states the significance of the results and limitations of the study.

Original research articles should not exceed 6 published pages (about 18 double-spaced manuscript pages, including the title page, references, figures, and tables). Failure to comply with length restrictions may result in a delay in the processing of your paper. The following length targets are recommended for Original Articles:

Structured Abstract: less than 250 words
Introduction: 1 page
Methods: 2-3 pages
Results: 2-3 pages
Discussion: 3-5 pages
Graphics: 4 Tables + Figures total for OA
References: 30

Clinical and Laboratory Observations
Clinical and Laboratory Observations (CLOs) are either: (1) "case reports" that provide novel insight into pathophysiology, diagnosis, or treatment of an entity that does not represent a coincidental association; (2) small series of diagnostic or therapeutic interventions; or (3) brief, focused studies related to a topic of interest to pediatricians. Please note that CLOs are not designed to present information that is generally available in textbooks, even if the reported entity is novel. CLOs are designed to provide readers with new information and stimulate new approaches to diagnosis, clinical management, or research. CLOs should not exceed 3 published pages (about 9 double-spaced manuscript pages, including the title page, references, figures, and tables); the text should be less than 1000 words with a brief, unstructured abstract of less than 50 words. A combined total of 2 illustrations and tables and approximately 10 references are recommended.

Insights
Submissions to the Insights section of The Journal of Pediatrics should succinctly illustrate clinical problems or solutions of interest to readers and must fit on one published page. At least one publishable figure is required; however, captioned photographs, brief anecdotes or analyses, cartoons, short movie, animation, audio files, and supplemental figures (see Illustrations) are welcome. All material must be original, and a fresh, useful insight must be offered. Text must be less than 300 words and is subject to shortening if the text and figure(s) do not fit on one published page. All references will be published in the online version of The Journal. Additional figure(s) may be placed in the online version of The Journal if the piece exceeds one published page. Original, signed, written permission from the patient, or parent or guardian of a minor child, is required for publication of recognizable images in all forms and media. (See Permissions) Authors will be required to sign a standard copyright transfer agreement; therefore, all submissions must have a title. Submissions will undergo review by the Editors, and their decision to accept or reject will be final.

Rediscovering the Physical Exam
Submissions to the Rediscovering the Physical Exam section of The Journal of Pediatrics should succinctly illustrate "typical" physical examinations features-both normal findings as well as classic features of disease. This section will utilize descriptive text and well-illustrated examples and must fit on 1-2 published pages. At least one publishable figure is required; however, captioned photographs, brief anecdotes or analyses, cartoons, short movie, animation, audio files, and supplemental figures (see Illustrations) are strongly encouraged. Text is subject to shortening if the text and figure(s) do not fit on 1-2 published pages. All references will be published in the online version of The Journal. Additional figure(s) may be placed in the online version of The Journal if the piece exceeds 1-2 published pages; a reference to the electronic material will appear in the print version. Original, signed, written permission from the patient, or parent or guardian of a minor child, is required for publication of recognizable images in all forms and media. (See Permissions) Authors will be required to sign a standard copyright transfer agreement; therefore, all submissions must have a title. Submissions will undergo review by the Editors, and their decision to accept or reject will be final.

Letters to the Editor
Letters to the Editor should pertain to papers published in The Journal of Pediatrics within the past year or to related topics and should not exceed 300 words. Provide a unique title for the Letter on the title page with complete contact information for the author(s). Double-space the text of the Letter. References, including reference to the pertinent article(s) in The Journal, should conform to style for manuscripts (see References).

Medical Progress
Authors who wish to propose a review article for the Medical Progress section should e-mail a proposal letter and outline to the Editors for approval before submitting the full manuscript. Medical Progress articles should focus on the latest advancements in rapidly changing fields. Practical guidelines, diagnostic algorithms, commentary of case management issues, and articles involving outcomes research may be appropriate for this section. Authors are encouraged to interpret cited works, which should lead to logical conclusions and recommendations. It is understood that some of these conclusions and recommendations will necessarily be tentative, but, if labeled clearly as such, are an essential part of the process. Medical Progress manuscripts should be less than 5 published pages (about 15 manuscript pages, including the title page, references, figures, and tables).

Commentaries
Authors who wish to propose a Commentary should e-mail a proposal letter and outline to the Editors for approval before submitting the full manuscript. Commentaries should serve as a forum for governmental health policies, economic issues, medical/scientific ethics, psychosocial issues, and international health, particularly in the developed world. Commentaries should be less than 6 published pages (about 18 manuscript pages, including the title page, references, figures, and tables).

Grand Rounds
Authors who wish to propose a manuscript for the Grand Rounds section should e-mail a proposal letter and outline to the Editors for approval before submitting the full manuscript. Grand Rounds manuscripts should be informative and timely for the physician, containing up-to-date, but not necessarily new, unpublished data. Often these manuscripts will be reviews of topics of current interest, similar to Grand Rounds at a major academic center. Aspects such as innovative clinical management, new diagnostic techniques, and pathologic mechanisms should be stressed. Manuscripts for the Grand Rounds section may be prepared in traditional clinicopathologic conference (CPC) style or as a didactic discussion. Grand Rounds manuscripts should be less than 5½ published pages (about 16 manuscript pages, including the title page, references, figures, and tables).

Workshop/Symposium Summary
Authors who wish to propose a manuscript for the Workshop/Symposium Summary section of The Journal of Pediatrics should e-mail a proposal letter and outline to the Editors for approval before submitting the full manuscript. Workshop/Symposium Summary manuscripts should succinctly summarize scientific, single topic, consensus workshops/symposia that took place less than one year prior to submission and would be of interest to the readership of The Journal. A summary submitted for this section must be the only publication for the workshop; The Journal will not consider summaries that have been or will be published in whole or in part, excluding the workshop/symposium description/abstract in the meeting program.

Workshop/Symposium Summary manuscripts should be about 18 double-spaced pages, including title page, references, tables, and figures. If the manuscript significantly exceeds the suggested length target, it should be proposed as a sponsored Supplement to The Journal (see Supplement). An abstract should not be provided, and online only appendices, tables, and figures are not encouraged. However, authors are welcome to include videos, cartoons, audio clips, etc. as multi-media files (see Multi-Media).

AMSPDC Section
Pages of The Journal of Pediatrics are reserved for the Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs, Inc. (AMSPDC), which is solely responsible for their content. Authors interested in submitting to this section should contact AMSPDC directly. All other manuscripts must be submitted as detailed above by each article type.

Paul H. Dworkin, M.D.
Administration
Connecticut Children's Medical Center
282 Washington St.
Hartford, CT 06106
Tel: (860)545 8566
E-mail: pdworkin@ccmckids.org


Announcements and Upcoming Events
Announcements of scheduled meetings, symposia, or postgraduate courses of interest to the pediatric readership may be sent to the Editorial Office via e-mail for consideration at least 2 months in advance of the meeting date or deadline. News items of general interest to pediatricians and related specialists will also be considered. Approved Announcements will be published in the online version of The Journal of Pediatrics. The Journal requests a reciprocal posting back to www.jpeds.com; however, the organization's decision to link to The Journal's website will not be a barrier to The Journal's willingness to post this Announcement or Event.

Submissions for the Announcements and Upcoming Events section must include the following information (* = required):

Event Title *
Dates *
Host/Organizer/Sponsor *
Location *
Webpage *

Supplements
The Journal of Pediatrics publishes funded supplements after approval and review by the Editorial Office. Initial inquiries and proposals for supplements should be directed to

Brian Jenkins, Senior Supplements Editor
Elsevier Supplements Department
360 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10010
Tel: (212)462 1924
Fax: (212)462 1935
E-mail: b.jenkins@elsevier.com


Guidelines for Reviewers
By becoming familiar with the Guidelines for Reviewers, authors can write their manuscripts based on the criteria by which the reports will be judged. In an effort to provide authors with detailed requirements and expectations that may increase the potential for acceptance, The Journal of Pediatrics' Guidelines for Reviewers can be accessed by clicking here.

Books for Review
The Journal of Pediatrics does not publish book reviews. Books sent to the Editor will not be returned.

Decisions
Authors will receive e-mail notification from the Editorial Office of The Journal of Pediatrics after a decision has been made. All accepted manuscripts are subject to editorial revision and shortening. Authors should avoid redundancy between sections of text and between illustrations and text. Due to page limitations, the Editors may decide that figures, appendices, tables, acknowledgments, and other material will be published in the online version of The Journal and referenced in the print edition.

Inquiries Regarding Decisions
All inquiries concerning manuscript decisions should be in writing from the designated corresponding author (journal.pediatrics@cchmc.org). The complete manuscript file will be forwarded to the appropriate Editor for response to the inquiry. The Editors are not available for telephone calls regarding decisions.

Release to Media/Embargo Policy
It is a violation of the copyright agreement to disclose the findings of an accepted manuscript to the media or the public before publication in The Journal of Pediatrics. Information in the manuscript may be announced when it is published on The Journal's website. Please notify the Editorial Office if your institution anticipates writing and distributing a press release regarding an accepted article.

Sponsored Article Program
The Journal of Pediatrics is pleased to offer authors the opportunity to sponsor the cost of access of their accepted article. Details about this program can be found at External link http://www.elsevier.com/locate/sponsoredarticles.

Public Access Policy Mandate
As of April 7, 2008, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced a revision to its Public Access Policy for accepted manuscripts receiving NIH funding. Please see Elsevier's NIH Policy Statement for details (External link http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/authors.authors/nihauthorrequest ). Additional funding body agreements and policies can be found at External link http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/authorsview.authors/fundingbodyagreements .

Retraction Guidelines from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)
The retraction guidelines published by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) can be found at External link http://publicationethics.org/files/u661/Retractions_COPE_gline_final_3_Sept_09__2_.pdf

Checklist for Manuscripts

Review Guide for Authors and instructions for submitting manuscripts through Elsevier Editorial System (EES), the electronic submission website at External link http://ees.elsevier.com/jpeds.

• Letter of submission
o Names and complete contact information for 5-7 suggested reviewers
o Disclosure of any prior publications or submissions with any overlapping information, including studies and patients; a copy of the work(s) must be uploaded -OR- If there are no prior publications or submissions with any overlapping information, provide the following statement: "There are no prior publications or submissions with any overlapping information, including studies and patients."
o A statement that the manuscript has not been and will not be submitted to any other journal while it is under consideration by The Journal of Pediatrics;
o A statement of any potential conflict of interest, real or perceived; this includes a description of the role of the study sponsor(s), if any, in: (1) study design; (2) the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; (3) the writing of the report; and (4) the decision to submit the paper for publication. Include statements even when the sponsor had no involvement in the above matters. This information must also appear on the title page of the manuscript.
o A statement of who wrote the first draft of the manuscript and whether an honorarium, grant, or other form of payment was given to anyone to produce the manuscript. This information must also appear on the title page of the manuscript;
o A statement that each author listed on the manuscript has seen and approved the submission of this version of the manuscript and takes full responsibility for the manuscript; if more than 6 authors, an explanation of the contributions of each author must be provided (See Authorship Criteria).


• Title page
o Title of article;
o Full name(s), academic degrees, and affiliations of authors;
o Name, address, e-mail address, telephone and fax numbers of corresponding author;
o Name of reprint request author or notation of no reprints;
o List of key words not in the title;
o Source of funding and conflict of interest statement, if applicable;

• Abstract (double-spaced), structured (less than 250 words) for Original Article or unstructured (50 words) for Clinical and Laboratory Observations
• Article proper (double-spaced), including
o List of abbreviations (double-spaced)
o References (double-spaced), on a separate page
o Figure legends (double-spaced), on a separate page
• Tables including title (double-spaced), each on a separate page, saved as a separate file
• IIllustrations, each saved as a separate file; saved and uploaded as a separate file
• Letter(s) of permission to reproduce previously published material in all forms and media-must be mailed or scanned and e-mailed
• Letters of permission to publish patient photographs in all forms and media-must be mailed or scanned and e-mailed
• Copies of prior and/or in press publications

Updated February 2012