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American Journal of Health Education Author Guidelines

Aims and Scope

The mission of the American Journal of Health Education (AJHE) is to advance the profession by serving health educators and others who strive to promote the health of all people through education and other systematic strategies. AJHE addresses the following priorities: (1) Develop and promulgate standards, resources and services regarding health education to professionals and non professionals; (2) Foster the development of national research priorities in health education and promotion, and provide mechanisms for the translation and interaction between theory, research and practice; (3) Facilitate communication among members of the profession, the lay public and other national and international organizations with respect to the philosophic basis and current application of health education principles and practices; (4) Provide technical assistance to legislative and professional bodies engaged in drafting pertinent legislation and related guidelines; (5) Provide leadership in promoting policies and evaluate procedures that will result in effective health education programs; and (6) Assist in the development and mobilization of resources for effective health education and promotion.

Research and Feature Articles

American Journal of Health Education invites manuscripts reporting original research, applications of theory, experiences in practice, historical analyses, and other topics of interest to health educators in universities and other research settings, health departments and community agencies, federal and state agencies, health care settings, worksites, schools, and other venues. Whereas the Journal considers all manuscripts with implications for health education, data-based research reports are preferred. Data-based research manuscripts must include the following headings: Background, Purpose, Methods, Results, Discussion, and Translation to Health Education Practice. As a general rule, AJHE does not publish pilot studies.

Commentaries

Commentaries are learned opinions that address contemporary issues in health education research, theory, philosophy, pedagogy, or practice. They are < 1,500 words in length, not including references.

Letters to the Editor

Letters are a maximum of 500 words, not including references. Letters referring to a recent Journal article must be received within four weeks of publication. Send the letter electronically directly to the Editor (jmeddy@uncg.edu). Letters are reviewed by members of the Board of Associate Editors. Receipt of letters and publication decisions will be acknowledged electronically.

Manuscript Submissions

American Journal of Health Education receives all manuscript submissions electronically via its ScholarOne Manuscripts site located here. ScholarOne Manuscripts allows for rapid submission of original and revised manuscripts, and facilitates the review process and internal communication between authors, editors, and reviewers via a web-based platform. ScholarOne technical support can be accessed here. If you have any other requests, please contact James M. Eddy, Editor, at jmeddy@uncg.edu.

Each manuscript must be accompanied by a statement that it has not been published elsewhere and that it has not been submitted simultaneously for publication elsewhere. Authors are responsible for obtaining permission to reproduce copyrighted material from other sources and are required to sign an agreement for the transfer of copyright to the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD). As an author, you are required to secure permission if you want to reproduce any figure, table, or extract from the text of another source. This applies to direct reproduction as well as "derivative reproduction" (where you have created a new figure or table which derives substantially from a copyrighted source). All accepted manuscripts become property of AAHPERD.

All parts of the manuscript should be typewritten in Times New Roman font, size 12, double spaced. Number manuscript pages consecutively throughout the paper. Authors should also supply a shortened version of the title suitable for the running head, not exceeding 50 character spaces. Research Articles require structured abstracts up to 200 words in length using the following headings: Background, Purpose, Methods, Results, Discussion, and Translation to Health Education Practice. Feature Articles require descriptive abstracts up to 200 words in length without headings.

References

References, citations, and general style of manuscripts should be prepared in accordance with the most recent edition of the AMA Publication Manual. Manuscripts that do not adhere to AMA style will be returned to the author.

  • Journal reference with three or fewer authors: Vitale S, Cotch MF, Sperduto RD. Prevalence of visual impairment in the United States. JAMA. 2006;295:2158-2163.
  • Journal reference with four or more authors: Bonilla M-F, Kaul DR, Saint S, et al. Ring around the diagnosis. N Engl J Med . 2006;354:1937-1942.
  • Book: Green LW, Kreuter MW. Health Promotion Planning: An Educational and Ecological Approach, 3rd ed. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publications; 1999.
  • Quoted chapter from a book: Baranowski T, Perry CL, Parcel GS. How individuals, environments, and health behavior interact: social cognitive theory. In Glanz K, Lewis FM, Rimer BK, eds. Health Behavior and Health Education: Theory, Research, and Practice, 3rd ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass; 2002:153–178.
  • Web site: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity among Adults: United States, 1999. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs. Accessed July 1, 2006.
Illustrations

Illustrations submitted (line drawings, halftones, photos, etc.) should be clean originals or digital files. Digital files are recommended for highest quality production and should follow these guidelines: 300 dpi or higher; sized to fit on journal page; EPS, TIFF, or PSD format; and submitted as separate files, not embedded in text files.

Tables and Figures

Tables and figures should not be embedded in the text, but should be included as separate files. A short descriptive title should appear above each table with a clear legend and any footnotes suitably defined below. Figures should be clearly labeled with a clear legend, taking into account necessary size reduction. Reference all tables and figures in text to indicate placement.

Proofs

Page proofs are sent to the corresponding author using Taylor & Francis' Central Article Tracking System (CATS). They must be carefully checked and returned within 48 hours of receipt.

Reprints and Issues

The corresponding author of each article will receive one complimentary copy in with the article appears. Authors for whom we receive a valid email address will be provided an opportunity to purchase reprints of individual articles, or copies of the complete print issue. These authors will also be given complimentary access to their final article on Taylor & Francis Online.