JPAH Submission Guidelines

Submission Guidelines

JPAH is a peer-reviewed journal. Manuscripts will be reviewed by at least two reviewers with expertise in the topical field, and the review process usually takes from 4 to 6 weeks. A double-blind method is used for the review process, meaning authors and reviewers remain unknown to each other. The primary criteria on which manuscripts submitted to JPAH are judged include adherence to accepted scientific principles and methods, the significant or novel contribution to research in the field of physical activity, clarity and conciseness of the writing, and interest to the readership. There are no page charges to contributors.

Manuscripts generally should not exceed a total of 25 pages or about 5,000 words (excluding only title page and abstract). Submissions should not include more than 10 tables/graphics, and, with the exceptions contained within these guidelines, should follow the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals (visit http://www.icmje.org/index.html for more detail).

Manuscripts must be electronically submitted to: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/hk_jpah in Microsoft Word® or rich text (*.rtf) format. Graphics should be submitted in .tif or .jpg formats. Authors may be asked to provide Human Kinetics with photo-ready graphics and/or hard copy of the text. Authors are advised to confirm the accuracy and typing of the final copy, particularly the accuracy of references, and to retain a duplicate copy to guard against loss. Final review of the pre-published text is the responsibility of the authors. Authors of manuscripts accepted for publication must transfer copyright to Human Kinetics as applicable.

Cover letter: Submissions must include a cover letter stating that the manuscript has not been previously published (except in abstract form), is not presently under consideration by another journal, and will not be submitted to another journal before a final editorial decision from JPAH is rendered. Full names and institutional affiliations of all authors as well as the full mailing address, telephone and fax numbers, and email address of the corresponding author must be provided. Authors must also provide a statement disclosing any financial interest in the research.

Title page: The manuscript must include a title page that provides the full title, a brief running head, three to five key words not used in the title of the manuscript, abstract word count, manuscript word count (inclusive of all pages except the abstract and title page), and date of manuscript submission. The order of submission must be 1) Title page, 2) Abstract, 3) Text, 4) Acknowledgments, 5) References, 6) Tables, 7) Figures/Graphics.

Abstract: All manuscripts must have a structured abstract of no more than 200 words that includes 1) Background, 2) Methods, 3) Results, and 4) Conclusions.

Text: The entire manuscript must be double-spaced, including the abstract, references, and tables. Line numbers must appear on each page in the left margin. A brief running head is to be included on the upper right corner of each page; page numbers must appear on the bottom right corner of each page.

For studies involving human subjects, the Methods section must include a statement regarding institutional approval of the protocol and obtaining informed consent. For studies using animals, the Methods section must include a statement regarding institutional approval and compliance with governmental policies and regulations regarding animal welfare.

References: For reference lists, authors must follow the guidelines found in the American Medical Association Manual of Style: A Guide for Authors and Editors (10th ed.). Examples of reference style:

Journal Articles: Surname of first author, initials, then surname and initials of each coauthor; title of article (capitalize only the first word and proper nouns), name of the journal (italicized and abbreviated according to style of Index Medicus), year, volume, and inclusive page numbers.

Melby CL, Osterberg K, Resch A, Davy B, Johnson S, Davy K. Effect of carbohydrate ingestion during exercise on post-exercise substrate oxidation and energy intake. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2002;12:294-309.

Book References: Author(s) as above, title of book (italicized and all major words capitalized), city and state/province of publication, publisher, and year.

Pearl AJ. The Female Athlete. Champaign, Ill: Human Kinetics; 1993.

Chapter in an Edited Book. Same as book references, but add the name of the chapter author(s) and title of chapter (capitalize first word and proper nouns) before the book information and inclusive page numbers.

Perrin DH. The evaluation process in rehabilitation. In: Prentice WE, ed. Rehabilitation Techniques in Sports Medicine. 2nd ed. St Louis, Mo: Mosby Year Book Inc; 1994:253-276.

Tables: Each table must be accompanied by an explanatory title so that it is intelligible without specific reference to the text. Column headings and all units of measure must be labeled clearly within each table; abbreviations and acronyms must be fully explained in the table or footnotes without reference to the text.

Figures/Graphics: Graphics should be prepared with clean, crisp lines, and be camera-ready. Stripe patterns or solids (black and white) are better choices than colors for shading. Graphics created on standard computer programs will be accepted. Each figure and photo must be properly identified. A hard copy may be requested. If photos are used, they should be black and white, clear, and show good contrast.

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