Journal of Public Health in the Deep South: Final Manuscript Preparation Guidelines

Author Guidelines

In submitting to the Journal of Public Health in the Deep South, all authors guarantee that the research has met ethical requirements of originality and of protection of human subjects. As such, manuscripts including human subjects must include Institutional Review Board (IRB) protocol information.

All submissions must be aligned with the author guidelines presented herein or will be returned before review for reformatting. All submissions require a cover letter that includes 1) how the paper is innovative and addresses public health in the region, 2) a statement that the submission has been formatted according to the guidelines and does not appear elsewhere, 3) a statement that all authors have made substantial contributions, 4) the type of submission, 5) the word count of the submission, and 6) contact information for the corresponding author.

Manuscripts are to be submitted in 12-point Times New Roman font, double-spaced, 1-inch margins on all sides, right-hand margin unjustified, paginated beginning with the title page, formatted in APA Style, in a .doc file created in Microsoft Word. Manuscripts should include a title page consisting of: the title; authors’ names, degrees, and affiliations; contact information for the corresponding author; abstract; and keywords. Author information should not appear anywhere in the manuscript beyond the title page.

Research Studies

Abstracts should be 200 words or less, single-spaced, and include Background, Purpose, Methods, Results, and Conclusions. Abstract should not include references or acronyms. Section headings should be bold. Five keywords should follow the abstract and will be used for indexing purposes.

The manuscript should include the following sections: 1) Introduction, 2) Methods, 3) Results, and 4) Discussion. Any Acknowledgements (optional) should be placed between the text and the references. References should be listed alphabetically in APA Style and correspond to name/date parenthetical citations within the paper. Exclusive of title page and references, the word limit for research studies is 5,000 words.

Each manuscript can include up to five tables, figures, graphs, or illustrations. Submit the manuscript with these items included in the text (as opposed to at the end of the manuscript).

Research Briefs

Research briefs provide an overview or ongoing or preliminary research. They are original studies and have clear implications for other research being conducted in the region. Briefs are limited to 2,000 words, two figures or tables, and 15 references. The outline should include 1) Introduction, 2) Purpose, 3) Methods, 4) Results, 5) Discussion, and 6) Limitations and Recommendations.

Commentaries

Commentaries provide remarks on recent public health issues in the region, including legislative action, program initiation, programmatic change, research projects, etc. Commentaries should be under 1,000 words. There is not set guideline for sections of commentaries.

Case Reports

A case study/case report is a story about a specific initiative, activity, or event that is described in less than 3,500 words (not including abstract, tables, figures, or references). Case studies should include the following:

• A short abstract introducing the case

• A brief background to provide context (what is the issue, where did it occur, who did it involve, etc.)

• The body of the case (what happened and why)

• Conclusions (what conclusions were drawn from the case)

• References (usually 6 or fewer)

Multimedia Content

Multimedia content allows for the submission of non-traditional research formats, including lectures, PowerPoints, interviews, and research posters. Some submissions will require a signed release form from all individuals included in video and/or audio. Quality of submissions must present of academic rigor and presentable as research on public health in the region. Submitting authors are responsible for formatting and finalizing the final version before submitting to the journal. Please consult with the editor before submitting large files in order to determine the best method of submission. Multimedia submissions should include a two-page single spaced paper that indicates 1) the title, 2) abstract, 3) keywords, 4) target populations, 5) learning objectives, 6) citations, and 7) implications for public health.

Practice and Pedagogy

Practice and pedagogy articles feature strategies, methods, or case examples of public health interventions or teaching tools used to improve the health of a community or to aid in teaching public health concepts to students in undergraduate or graduate courses. Submissions should be no longer than 1,000 words (not including references) and must be organized as follows:

1. Clearly and concisely identify the practices or pedagogical strategy and connect it to the “bigger picture” (e.g., public health problem or gap in education), and state the goals and objectives of the practice or pedagogical strategy;

2. Describe the practice or pedagogical strategy; and

3. Explain how it was implemented, in what setting, and how the audience served was impacted or what students results and reactions were.

No abstract is required; limit to 10 references.