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Instructions for Authors
MANUSCRIPT CRITERIA AND INFORMATION
These instructions apply to all categories of manuscripts, including letters to the editor. Additional information and guidelines are located under Categories of Manuscripts and Manuscript Preparation.
Editorial Office Contact Information
Michael M. E. Johns, MD, Archives of Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery, Emory University, Woodruff Health Sciences Center Administration Building, Suite 400, 1440 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30322; telephone (404) 778-2322; fax (404) 778-3100; e-mail: archoto{at}jama-archives.org.
Electronic Submission
Manuscripts should be submitted via our online submission and review system (http://manuscripts.archoto.com). Print mail address and telephone and fax numbers of the corresponding author also should be included on the title page of the manuscript. Manuscripts submitted through our online system should not also be submitted by mail or e-mail. Signed authorship forms should be sent by regular mail or fax. See Manuscript Checklist and details in these Instructions for additional requirements.
Prior Publication or Duplicate Submission
Manuscripts are considered with the understanding that they have not been published previously in print or electronic format and are not under consideration by another publication or electronic medium.
Peer Review
Reviews and decisions on manuscripts in which the editor or one of the associate editors is a coauthor are managed independently by an associate editor from another institution, in conjunction with a member of the editorial board.
Accepted Manuscripts
Accepted manuscripts become the permanent property of the AMA and may not be published elsewhere without written permission from the AMA.
Authorship
Designate a corresponding author and provide a complete address, telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address. Authors are required to identify their contributions to the work described in the manuscript. Please mail or fax the authorship form with statements on (1) authorship responsibility, criteria, and contributions, (2) data access and responsibility (if the manuscript contains original data, this statement must be signed by at least 1 author who is independent of any commercial funder, eg, the principal investigator; for industry-sponsored studies, the data analysis should be conducted by statisticians in an academic center, rather than only by statisticians employed by the company sponsoring the research), (3) financial disclosure, and (4) either copyright transfer or federal employment. (5) The corresponding author must sign the acknowledgment statement.1 See the form at the end of these instructions.
Funding/Support and Role of Sponsor. All financial and material support for the research and the work should be clearly and completely identified in an acknowledgment. The role of the funding organization or sponsor in each of the following should be specified: design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; and preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript.
Conflict of Interest. A conflict of interest may exist when an author (or the author’s institution or employer) has financial or personal relationships that could inappropriately influence (or bias) the author’s decisions, work, or manuscript. All authors are required to report potential conflicts of interest, including specific financial interests relevant to the subject of their manuscript, in their cover letter and on the financial disclosure form or in an attachment to the form. Authors without relevant financial interests in the manuscript should indicate no such interest.
Authors are required to report detailed information regarding all financial and material support for the research and work, including but not limited to grant support, funding sources, and provision of equipment and supplies. Each author is also required to sign and submit the following financial disclosure statement: "I certify that all my affiliations with or financial involvement within the past 5 years and foreseeable future (eg, employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, royalties) with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript are completely disclosed."
Authors are expected to provide detailed information about any relevant financial interests or financial conflicts within the past 5 years and for the foreseeable future, particularly those present at the time the research was conducted and up to the time of publication, as well as other financial interests, such as relevant filed or pending patents or patent applications in preparation, that represent potential future financial gain. Although many universities and other institutions and organizations have established policies and thresholds for reporting financial interests and other conflicts of interest, Archives of Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery requires complete disclosure of all relevant financial relationships and potential financial conflicts of interest, regardless of amount or value. If authors are uncertain about what might constitute a potential financial conflict of interest, they should err on the side of full disclosure and should contact the editorial office if they have questions or concerns. In addition, authors who have no relevant financial interests are now asked to provide a statement indicating that they have no financial interests related to the material in the manuscript.
This information is for the editorial office and is not shared with peer reviewers. However, for all accepted manuscripts, authors’ disclosure of relevant financial interests and declarations of no relevant financial interests will be published. Decisions about whether financial information provided by authors should be published, and thereby disclosed to readers, are usually straightforward. Although editors are willing to discuss disclosure of specific financial information with authors, the Archives of Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery’s policy is one of complete disclosure of all relevant financial interests.
This policy applies to all manuscript submissions, including letters to the editor.
Group Authorship. If authorship is attributed to a group (either solely or in addition to 1 or more individual authors), all members of the group must meet the full criteria and requirements for authorship described in these instructions. A group must designate at least 1 or more individuals as authors or members of a writing group who meet full authorship criteria and requirements and who will take responsibility for the group, in which case the other group members are not authors, but may be listed in an acknowledgment.2
Acknowledgments. Authors are responsible for obtaining written permission from all persons named in an acknowledgment, if applicable.3 The corresponding author must sign the acknowledgment statement of the required form.
Editing
Accepted manuscripts are copyedited according to AMA style and returned to the author for approval. Authors are responsible for all statements made in their work, including changes made by the manuscript editor and authorized by the corresponding author.
Reprints
Reprint order forms are included with the edited typescript sent for approval to authors. Reprints are shipped 3 weeks after publication.
Embargo Policy
Information regarding the content and publication date of accepted manuscripts is confidential. Information contained in or about accepted manuscripts cannot appear in print, radio, television, or in electronic form or be released to the media until 3 PM CST on the third Monday of the month.
Categories of Manuscripts
Original Articles. Original articles are concise (1) reports of clinical data, (2) reports of basic science data, or (3) reviews, including meta-analyses, that represent advanced information and a new contribution to biomedical literature as determined by the Archives editorial staff. Original Articles require structured abstracts as detailed under "Abstract." For manuscripts reporting the results of randomized controlled trials, the CONSORT checklist (Table) should be completed and submitted with the manuscript. Text should not exceed 12 double-spaced pages, 25 references, and a maximum of 6 to 8 figures/tables.
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Checklist of Items to Include When Submitting Reports of Randomized Controlled Trials to the Archives of Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery *
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Clinical Notes/Case Reports.4 A case report should be concise and focused on one topic that results in final publication of not more than 2 journal pages, including references. As best as possible, the title should state the compelling point that draws the reader’s attention. In lieu of a structured abstract, the first 150 words will explicitly identify the compelling point of the report. These reports will describe a new disease state (with diagnostic documentation including pathologic findings), identification of a new complication from a treatment or procedure, a new diagnostic technique, or a new technology transferred from one field to another. The case report should not be simply the report of an old disease in a new site solely because it has not been reported in the medical literature, unless there is a diagnostic point to distinguish it from other diseases. If the report provides a new treatment option, the disease should be of such rarity that it is unlikely that a series could be developed that would be amenable to standard investigational analysis. Case reports may also be based on seminal observations that provide an understanding of the mechanism of disease, particularly when the pathophysiology involves a rare and not easily retested event. Text should not exceed 6 double-spaced pages, 15 references, and a maximum of 4 figures/tables.
Clinical Problem Solving: Radiology and Pathology. Residents and fellows in otolaryngology and radiology are invited to submit quiz cases for this section and to write letters to the Archives commenting on cases presented. Quiz cases should be set up in the established format. It is suggested that authors consult previously published quiz cases for examples when preparing a submission. Text should not exceed 5 double-spaced pages and 10 references. No more than 4 figures are allowed and there can be no multiple parts to the figure. There are no figure legends in this section.
Clinical Challenges in Otolaryngology. This series is for invited manuscripts only; however, the Editor does welcome suggestions of topics for the monthly series. The author’s charge is to present a fair and balanced reflection of the good-quality information in the recent medical literature. The format is (1) Hypothesis: the controversial or puzzling statement; (2) Pro: a summary of current knowledge supporting this statement; (3) Con: a summary of current knowledge refuting this statement; (4) Bottom Line: your opinion of the truth or fallacy (or partial truth/fallacy) of the original hypothetical statement; and (5) References: the most relevant only, 10 or fewer. Also, list the key words used in your search so others can duplicate it if they wish. This review should be concise. Text should not exceed 8 to 10 double-spaced pages. The author should enclose a self-photograph to be published along with the article. When this review is published, it will appear along with a short clinical commentary by 1 or 2 other otolaryngologists generally regarded as experts in this area. While the review is intended as straightforward information, these commentaries will reflect the personal experience of the clinicians.
Reflections. This section features an essay of 1 journal page designed to relate those personal experiences in medicine that have no scientific or statistical basis. All submissions to Reflections must be previously unpublished. Any references to individuals mentioned by name must be accompanied by a signed release from the individual or from the individual’s family, if the person is deceased. Text should not exceed 3 double-spaced pages.
Letters to the Editor. Letters discussing a recent Archives article should not exceed 400 words of text and 5 references. Research letters reporting original research, including case series or case reports, also are welcome and should not exceed 600 words of text and 6 references.
Cover Photographs. Submissions must be formatted horizontally. They can be black and white or color and at least 3.5 x 5 inches but no larger than 8 x 10 inches. If you wish to submit a digital photo, please see our Digital Art Submission guidelines. Due to legal concerns, no recognizable people should appear in the picture. Please include details about where the picture was taken, how you happened to be there, and anything else you think is interesting about the image. We need the photographer’s complete name, highest academic degree, city and state of residence, and a statement explaining how the photographer is affiliated with the journal. If you would like your photo returned, please enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Cover photos will be chosen at the discretion of the Archives editorial staff.
Manuscript Checklist
- Include electronic file of manuscript.
- On the title page, designate a corresponding author and provide a complete address, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail address.
- On the title page, include a word count for text only, exclusive of title, abstract, references, tables, and figure legends.
- Provide an abstract that conforms with the required abstract format, if applicable.
- Double-space manuscript using 1-inch margins and leaving right margins unjustified.
- Use the line-numbering feature of your word-processing program.
- Check all references for accuracy and completeness. Put references in proper format in numerical order, making sure each is cited in sequence in text.
- Include statements signed by each author on authorship responsibility, criteria and contributions; data access and responsibility (if applicable); financial disclosure; and copyright or federal employment.
- Indicate specific contributions from each author (see authorship checklist).
- Include acknowledgment statement signed by the corresponding author.
- Include research or project support/funding in an acknowledgment.
- Include written permission from each individual identified as a source for personal communication or unpublished data.
- Include written permission from publishers (or other copyright owner) to reproduce or adapt previously published text, figures, and tables in print and online, and licensed versions of the Archives of Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery. See online form.
- Include informed consent forms for identifiable patient descriptions, photographs, and pedigrees. See online form.
Manuscript Preparation
Manuscripts should be prepared in accordance with the American Medical Association Manual of Style5 and/or the "Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals." 6
- Manuscripts submitted via the online system should not also be submitted by mail.
- If a submission is accepted for publication, we will require slides or high-quality glossies of all figures (computer-generated<
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