The Archives of General Psychiatry strives to publish original, state-of-the-art studies and commentaries of general interest to clinicians, scholars, and research scientists in psychiatry, mental health, behavioral science, and allied fields. Archives seeks to inform and to educate its readers as well as to stimulate debate and further exploration into the nature, causes, treatment, and public health importance of mental illness.
Joseph T. Coyle, MD, Chief Editor, Archives of General Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill St, Belmont, MA 02478; (617) 855-2170; fax (866) 541-3856; archgenpsychiatry@jamanetwork.org.
Editorial Policies for Authors
Authorship Requirements
Before publication, each author must complete: the statement on and checklist for authorship responsibility, criteria, and contributions; the statement on financial disclosure; and either the statement on copyright or the statement on federal employment. Each of these 3 statements must be read and signed by all authors.1(pp127-132) The corresponding author must sign the acknowledgment statement. These statements will be sent to each author during the review process.
Designate a corresponding author and provide a complete address, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail address. The corresponding author will be identified as such in the published article. Authors are required to identify each author's contributions to the work described in the manuscript.
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. Each member of the group must be entered as a contributing author in the web submission. If that is not the case, a group must designate 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.1(p135-138),2
Conflict of Interest and Financial Disclosure
A conflict of interest may exist when an author (or the author's institution or employer) has financial or personal relationships or affiliations that could inappropriately influence (or bias) the author's decisions, work, or manuscript. All authors are required to report all potential conflicts of interest, including specific financial interests relevant to the subject of their manuscript. Authors should err on the side of full disclosure and should contact the editorial office if they have questions or concerns. All such disclosures should be listed in the Acknowledgment section at the end of the manuscript. Authors without conflicts of interest, including specific financial interests and relationships and affiliations relevant to the subject of their manuscript, should include a statement of no such interest in the Acknowledgment section of the manuscript. Failure to include this information in the manuscript may delay evaluation and review of the manuscript. All authors must also complete and sign the statement on financial disclosures, funding, and support that is a part of the Authorship Form.
Authors are required to report detailed information about all relevant financial interests and relationships or financial conflicts within the past 3 years and for the foreseeable future (eg, employment/affiliation; grants or funding; consultancies; honoraria; speakers bureau; stock ownership or options; expert testimony; royalties; patents filed, received, pending, or in preparation; or donation of medical equipment), particularly those present at the time the research was conducted and through publication, as well as other financial interests (such as patent applications in preparation) that represent potential future financial gain. Although many universities or other institutions have established policies and thresholds for reporting financial interests and other conflicts of interest, the Archives of General Psychiatry requires complete disclosure of all relevant financial relationships and potential financial conflicts of interest, regardless of amount or value. For example, authors of a manuscript about depression should report all financial relationships they have with all manufacturers of products used in the management of depression, not only those relationships with companies whose specific products are mentioned in the manuscript. If authors are uncertain about what constitutes a relevant financial interest or relationship, they should contact the editorial office.
For all accepted manuscripts, each author's disclosures of conflicts of interest and relevant financial interests and affiliations and declarations of no such interests will be published. The policy of the Archives of General Psychiatry is one of complete disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest, including specific financial interests and relationships and affiliations relevant to the subject of their manuscript.3 This policy applies for all manuscript submissions, including letters to the editor and book reviews. If an author's disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is determined to be inaccurate or incomplete after publication, a correction will be published to rectify the original published disclosure statement.
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.
Data Access and Responsiblity
For reports containing original data, at least 1 author (eg, the principal investigator) should indicate that she or he takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis, and that all authors had full access to all the data in the study.4,5 For industry-sponsored studies, this statement must be provided by an investigator who is not employed by any commercial funder, and an independent data analysis must be conducted by statisticians at an academic institution with access to the raw data set, rather than only by statisticians employed by the company sponsoring the research. Details of the independent statistical analysis, the name and institutional affiliation of the independent statistician, and whether compensation or funding was received for conducting the analysis should be reported in the Acknowledgment.
Statistical Analysis
Include a statistical analysis section under Methods that fully describes the application of each statistical procedure used. If a test is used that is not commonly presented in the Archives, briefly describe its purpose and how it is to be interpreted. Results should report the test statistic (eg, χ2, F, or t value), degrees of freedom, and P value or confidence limits. Measures of central tendency (eg, means) should be accompanied by measures of variability (eg, SDs).
Duplicate/Previous Publication or Submission
Manuscripts are considered with the understanding that they have the approval of each author, are not under simultaneous consideration by another publication, and have not been published previously in whole or substantial part. This policy applies to the essential contents, tables, or figures, but does not apply to abstracts. Authors must disclose in their cover letters if the submitted manuscript contains any data, patient information, or other material or results that have already been published or are in press, submitted, or nearly submitted. Copies of closely related manuscripts should be submitted to the Editor for examination. Accepted manuscripts become the permanent property of the Archives. They may not be republished without permission from the publisher (AMA).
Reporting Race/Ethnicity
If race or ethnicity is reported, indicate who classified the individuals as to race/ethnicity and whether the options were defined by the investigator or by the participant. Explain why race or ethnicity was assessed in the study.6
A statement of informed consent for human investigation should be made in the text, along with the name of the institutional review board that approved the study protocol. Authors must ensure that patient confidentiality is in no way breached. Do not use real names, initials, or disclose information that might identify a particular person without informed consent for publication.
Patient Descriptions, Photographs, Video, and Pedigrees
Include a signed statement of informed consent to publish (in print and online) patient descriptions, photographs, and pedigrees from all persons (parents or legal guardians for minors) who can be identified in such written descriptions, photographs, or pedigrees. (See Patient Consent Form.)
Personal Communications and Unpublished Data
Include a signed statement of permission from each individual identified as a source of information in a personal communication or as a source for unpublished data, and specify the date of communication and whether the communication was written or oral.1(p19)
Embargo Policy
All information regarding the content and publication date of accepted manuscripts is strictly confidential. Information contained in or about accepted articles cannot appear in print, on radio or television, or in electronic form or be released in the media until 3 pm CST on the first Monday of the month.
Depositing Research Manuscripts With an Approved Public Repository
All Archives Journal articles reporting original research are made freely available 12 months after publication, from 1998 forward, subject to certain conditions. The Archives Journals' Editors and Publishers believe that the public is best served by accessing the freely available research articles on the journal site, to ensure access to the final published version, any corrections, and related web features. However, some funding organizations require that authors of manuscripts reporting research deposit those manuscripts with an approved public repository, such as PubMed Central. Authors have the Archives Journals' permission on the following conditions:
1. Permission is granted only for manuscripts reporting research funded by not-for-profit organizations to be deposited in not-for-profit, publicly available repositories.
2. Permission is granted to post only the manuscript reporting research that was submitted and accepted for publication but not the final, edited, formatted, and published article.
3. Authors must ensure that the posted manuscript links back to the published article on the Archives Journals website to provide readers with access to the final reviewed and edited version plus any corrections and letters, as well as the article-related features only available on the Archives Journals website.
4. Authors who submit their manuscripts to an approved public repository, such as PubMed Central, must indicate that the manuscript may not be made available to the public sooner than 12 months after publication in the Archives Journals.
If authors adhere to these requirements, they may submit the final accepted version of the manuscript to the repository, if and only if the repository ensures that the deposited manuscript will not be made available to the public during the 12-month embargo following publication in the Archives Journals.
The published article is protected by copyright at the time of publication and thereafter.† This research access policy does not include permission to use the Archives Journal logo and trademarks. The Archives Journal article of record is the final published version; the Archives Journals assume no responsibility for earlier versions because substantive changes and corrections may occur during the post acceptance editing process. Authors may contact the Archives Journals with any questions at jama-comments@jamanetwork.org.
Editorial Review and Publication
Peer Review
A submitted manuscript will be acknowledged and assigned a manuscript number, which is to be used in all further correspondence. Manuscripts are reviewed and given a priority based on their originality, importance of the findings, scientific merit and significance for the field, interest to readers, lucidity, and suitability for publication. Manuscripts with insufficient priority for publication are rejected promptly. Other manuscripts are sent to expert consultants for peer review. Author identities are not kept confidential. The existence of a manuscript under review is not revealed to anyone other than peer reviewers and editorial staff. Peer reviewers remain anonymous and are expected to maintain strict confidentiality. Reviewers are also expected to inform the editor of any conflicts of interest, including any financial arrangements involving companies whose products (or competing products) are featured in the manuscripts they agree to review. After the review process has been completed, authors will be informed of the editor's decision.
When a potential conflict of interest (eg, same institution, collaborator) occurs for the editor or the associate editor in the review and potential acceptance of a manuscript, the final editorial decision will be made by a member of the editorial board who does not have such a potential conflict.
Revised Manuscripts
Revised manuscripts must be submitted to the editorial office within 90 days of the receipt of the reviews unless a waiver is granted by the editor. Manuscripts that exceed this time limit will be handled as new submissions.
Editing
Copyediting follows AMA style and requires corresponding author approval. The authors are responsible for all statements made in their work, including changes made by the copy editor and authorized by the corresponding author.
Reprints
Reprints and e-prints may be ordered from Reprints Desk when the edited manuscript is sent for approval to the corresponding author.
Categories of Articles
Original Articles
The vast majority of articles published in the Archives describe the results of original research relevant to the nature, causes, treatment, and the public health impact of mental illness. Word limit = 4500 (including the structured abstract). This does NOT include references, tables or figures. There is no limit to the number of references, but authors are encouraged to be conservative. Manuscripts reporting the results of randomized controlled trials should include the CONSORT flow diagram as a figure in the manuscript to illustrate the progress of all patients in the study (see Figure for example). In addition, the CONSORT checklist should be completed and submitted with the manuscript.
Figure. Flow diagram of subject progress through the phases of a randomized trial. Adapted from Moher D, Schulz KF, Altman D; for the CONSORT Group. The CONSORT statement: revised recommendations for improving the quality of reports of parallel-group randomized trials. JAMA. 2001;285(15):1987-1991.
Reviews
The Archives publishes a small number of unsolicited review articles. Potentially acceptable articles should have field-altering impact, reframing current hypotheses or identifying underappreciated avenues of investigation. Word limit = 4500 (including the unstructured abstract). This does NOT include references, tables or figures. There is no limit to the number of references, but authors are encouraged to be conservative.
The Archives will consider a meta-analysis when there are sufficient data and when the meta-analysis provides compelling findings that affect the understanding of the causes and treatment of mental illness. Word limit = 4500 (including the structured abstract). This does NOT include references, tables or figures. There is no limit to the number of references, but authors are encouraged to be conservative.
Letters to the Editor
Letters to the Editor will be considered for publication if they are accompanied by a cover letter stating that they are "for publication." Their purpose should be to comment on articles published in the Archives. Word limit = 500. Reference limit = 10. Alternatively, comments on papers published in the Archives can be sumbitted using the Comments tab. Comments promote discussion among readers and authors but are not indexed in PubMed.
Manuscript Preparation and Submission Requirements
Manuscripts should be prepared in accordance with the AMA Manual of Style1 and/or the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals.7 The mail and e-mail addresses and telephone and fax numbers of the corresponding author also should be included on the title page of the manuscript. See details in these instructions for additional requirements. Manuscripts should be prepared in accordance with the AMA Manual of Style1 and/or the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals.7 Double-space the manuscript and leave right margins unjustified (ragged). Each manuscript component should begin on a new page, in the following sequence: title page, abstract, text, acknowledgments, references, figure legends, tables, and figures. Pages should be sequentially numbered in the upper right-hand corner, beginning with the title page. Do not use line numbering. The text of the manuscript must not exceed 4500 words, exclusive of references, tables, and figure legends. The total number of text words should be displayed on the title page of the manuscript.
Cover Letter
Include a cover letter and complete contact information for the corresponding author (mail address, e-mail address, and telephone and fax numbers) and whether the authors have published or submitted any related papers from the same study. (See Duplicate/Previous Publication or Submission.)
Title Page
The title page should list full names, degrees, academic affiliations and locations of each author, and the name and address to whom reprint requests should be sent. If the paper was presented at a meeting, include the organization, place, and date of presentation. Acknowledgment of all funding support for the work should also be made on this page. Titles should be short, specific, and descriptive, emphasizing the main point of the article. Avoid a 2-part title, if at all possible. Do not number the title, eg, I or Part I. Do not make a declarative statement in the title. Title length, including punctuation and spaces, ideally should be under 100 characters and must not exceed 150 characters.
Abstract
Include a structured abstract of no more than 300 words for reports of original data, reviews, and meta-analyses. (See Instructions for Preparing Structured Abstracts.) For other major manuscripts, include an unstructured abstract of no more than 200 words that summarizes the objective, main points, and conclusions of the article. Abstracts are not required for editorials, commentaries, and special features.
Abbreviations
Do not use abbreviations in the title or abstract. Limit their use in the text.
Units of Measure
Laboratory values are expressed using conventional units of measure, with relevant Système International (SI) conversion factors expressed secondarily (in parentheses) only at first mention. Articles that contain numerous conversion factors may list them together in a paragraph at the end of the Methods section. In tables and figures, a conversion factor to SI units should be provided in a footnote or legend. The metric system is preferred for the expression of length, area, mass, and volume. A Conversion Table is available on the website for the AMA Manual of Style.
Gene Names, Symbols, and Accession Numbers
Authors describing genes or related structures in a manuscript should include the names and official symbols provided by the US National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) or the HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee. Before submission of a research manuscript reporting on large genomic data sets (eg, protein or DNA sequences), the data sets should be deposited in a publicly available database, such as NCBI's GenBank, and a complete accession number (and version number, if appropriate) must be provided in the Methods section of the manuscript.
Names of Drugs
Use generic names of drugs, unless the specific trade name is directly relevant to the study design or discussion.
Reproduced Material
Acknowledge all illustrations or tables adapted or reproduced from other publications and submit written permission to reproduce (in print and online and in licensed versions) from the original publishers. (See Permission to Reproduce Copyright-Protected Material Form.)
References
These should be carefully selected to acknowledge previous work or to document a specific point. They should not be exhaustive. Number references in the order they are mentioned in the text; do not alphabetize. In text, tables, and legends, identify references with superscript arabic numbers. Double-space, follow AMA style and abbreviate names of journals according to Index Medicus style. List all authors and/or editors. Citation accuracy is the responsibility of the author.
Examples:
- Lucht M, Samochowiec A, Samochowiec J, Jasiewicz A, Grabe HJ, Geissler I, Rimmbach C, Rosskopf D, Grzywacz A, Wysiecka JP, Tybura P, Brzuchalski B, Bienkowski P. Influence of DRD2 and ANKK1 genotypes on apomorphine-induced growth hormone (GH) response in alcohol-dependent patients. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2010;34(1):45-49.
- Raudenbush SW. Analysing effect sizes: random effects models. In: Cooper H, Hedges LV, Valentine JC, eds. The Handbook of Research Synthesis and Meta-analysis. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Russell Sage Foundation; 2009:295-315.
- European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA). Annual report 2010: the state of the drugs problem in Europe: amphetamines, ecstasy and hallucinogenic substances. http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/online/annual-report/2010/amphetamines/2. Published November 10, 2010. Accessed April 30, 2012.
Web References
Please keep a print copy of any reference to web-only information. If the URL changes or disappears, interested readers may contact the corresponding author for a copy of the information.
Instructions for Preparing Structured Abstracts
All reports of original data, reviews, and meta-analyses should be submitted with structured abstracts as described below. No information should be reported in the abstract that does not appear in the text of the manuscript. The following is adapted from Haynes et al.8
Reports of Clinical Data
Reports of clinical data should include an abstract of no more than 300 words using the following headings: Context, Objective, Design, Setting, Patients (or Participants), Interventions (if any), Main Outcome Measure(s), Results, and Conclusions. For brevity, parts of the abstract should be written as phrases rather than complete sentences. The content following each heading should be as follows:
- Context. The abstract should begin with a sentence or 2 explaining the clinical (or other) importance of the study question.
- Objective. A precise objective or study question addressed in the report should be stated (eg, "To determine whether . . ."). If more than 1 objective is addressed, the main objective should be indicated and only key secondary objectives stated. If an a priori hypothesis was tested, it should be stated.
- Design. The basic design of the study should be described. The years of the study and the duration of follow-up, if any, should be stated. As many of the following terms as apply should be used.
- Intervention studies: randomized controlled trial; nonrandomized controlled trial; double-blind; placebo-controlled; crossover trial; before-after trial.
- Studies of screening and diagnostic tests: criterion standard (that is, a widely accepted standard with which a new or alternative test is being compared; this term is preferred to gold standard); blinded or masked comparison.
- Studies of prognosis: inception cohort (subjects assembled at a similar and early time in the course of the disorder and followed thereafter); cohort (subjects followed forward in time, but not necessarily from a common starting point); validation cohort or validation sample if the study involves modeling of clinical predictions.
- Studies of causation or association: randomized controlled trial; cohort; survey; case-control.
- Descriptions of the clinical features of medical disorders: survey; case series.
- Studies that include a formal economic evaluation: cost-effectiveness analysis; cost-utility analysis; cost-benefit analysis. For new analyses of existing data sets, the data set should be identified and the basic study design disclosed.
- Setting. To assist readers to determine the applicability of the report to their own clinical circumstances, the study setting(s) should be described. Of particular importance is whether the setting is the general community, a primary care or referral center, private or institutional practice, or ambulatory or hospitalized care.
- Patients or Other Participants. The clinical disorders, important eligibility criteria, and key sociodemographic features of patients should be stated. The numbers of participants and how they were selected should be provided (see below), including the number of otherwise eligible subjects who were approached but refused. If matching is used for comparison groups, characteristics that are matched should be specified. In follow-up studies, the proportion of participants who completed the study must be indicated. In intervention studies, the number of patients withdrawn because of adverse effects should be given. For selection procedures, these terms should be used, if appropriate: random sample (where random refers to a formal, randomized selection in which all eligible subjects have a fixed and usually equal chance of selection); population-based sample; referred sample; consecutive sample; volunteer sample; convenience sample.
- Intervention(s). The essential features of any interventions should be described, including their method and duration of administration. The intervention should be named by its most common clinical name, and nonproprietary drug names should be used.
- Main Outcome Measure(s). The primary study outcome measurement(s) should be indicated as planned before data collection began. If the manuscript does not report the main planned outcomes of a study, this fact should be stated and the reason indicated. If the hypothesis being tested was formulated during or after data collection, this information should be clearly stated.
- Results. The main outcomes of the study should be provided and quantified, including confidence intervals (for example, 95%) or P values. For comparative studies, confidence intervals should relate to the differences between groups. Measurements that require explanation for a general medical readership should be defined. Important measurements not included in the presentation of results should be declared. As relevant, it should be indicated whether observers were blinded to patient groupings, particularly for subjective measurements. If differences for the major study outcome measure(s) are not significant, the clinically important difference sought should be stated and the confidence interval for the difference between the groups should be given. When risk changes or effect sizes are given, absolute values should be indicated. Approaches such as number needed to treat to achieve a unit of benefit are encouraged when appropriate; reporting of relative differences alone is insufficient. Studies of screening and diagnostic tests should report sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratio. If predictive value or accuracy is given, prevalence or pretest likelihood should be given as well. All randomized controlled trials should include the results of intention-to-treat analysis, and all surveys should include response rates.
- Conclusions. Only those conclusions of the study that are directly supported by the evidence reported should be given, along with implications for clinical practice (avoiding speculation and overgeneralization). The conclusion should indicate whether additional study is required before the information should be used in usual clinical settings. Equal emphasis must be given to positive and negative findings of equal scientific merit.
Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses
Manuscripts reporting the results of reviews or meta-analyses should include an abstract of no more than 300 words using the following headings: Context, Objective, Data Sources, Study Selection, Data Extraction, Data Synthesis, and Conclusions. The text of the manuscript should also include a section describing the methods used for data sources, study selection, data extraction, and data synthesis. Each heading should be followed by a brief description:
- Context. The abstract should begin with a sentence or 2 explaining the clinical (or other) importance of the review question.
- Objective. The precise primary objective of the review should be stated. The focus of this statement should be guided by whether the review emphasizes factors such as cause, diagnosis, prognosis, therapy, or prevention. It should include information about the specific population, intervention, exposure, and tests or outcomes that are being reviewed.
- Data Sources. A succinct summary of data sources should be given, including years searched. Potential sources include computerized databases and published indexes, registries, abstract booklets, conference proceedings, references identified from bibliographies of pertinent articles and books, experts or research institutions active in the field, and companies or manufacturers of tests or agents being reviewed. If a bibliographic database is used, the exact indexing terms used for article retrieval should be stated, including any constraints (for example, English language or human subjects) and the dates of the search. If abstract space does not permit this level of detail, sources should be summarized in the abstract including databases and years searched, and the remainder of the information should be placed in the "Methods" section.
- Study Selection. Inclusion and exclusion criteria used to select studies for detailed review from among studies identified as relevant to the topic should be described. Details of selection should include particular populations, interventions, outcomes, or methodologic designs. The method used to apply these criteria should be specified (for example, blinded review, consensus, multiple reviewers). The proportion of initially identified studies that met selection criteria should be stated.
- Data Extraction. Guidelines used for abstracting data and assessing data quality and validity (such as criteria for causal inference) should be described. The method by which the guidelines were applied should be stated (for example, independent extraction by multiple observers).
- Data Synthesis. The main results of the review, whether qualitative or quantitative, should be stated. Methods used to obtain these results should be outlined. Meta-analyses should state the major outcomes that were pooled and include odds ratios or effect sizes and, if possible, sensitivity analyses. Numerical results should be accompanied by confidence intervals, if applicable, and exact levels of statistical significance. Evaluations of screening and diagnostic tests should address issues of sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratios, receiver operating characteristic curves, and predictive values. Assessments of prognosis should summarize survival characteristics and related variables. Major identified sources of variation between studies should be stated, including differences in treatment protocols, co-interventions, confounders, outcome measures, length of follow-up, and dropout rates.
- Conclusions. The conclusions and their applications (clinical or otherwise) should be clearly stated, limiting interpretation to the domain of the review. The need for additional studies may be suggested.
Trial Registration
In concert with the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE),7 Archives of General Psychiatry will require, as a condition of consideration for publication, registration of all trials in a public trials registry that is acceptable to the ICMJE (ie, the registry must be owned by a not-for-profit entity, be publicly accessible, and require the minimum registration data set as described by the ICMJE). Acceptable trial registries include http://www.clinicaltrials.gov, http://isrctn.org, http://actr.org.au, http://www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/index.asp, and http://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr. Trials must be registered at or before the onset of patient enrollment. This policy applies to any clinical trial starting enrollment after July 2005. For trials that began before July 2005 but that were not registered before September 13, 2005, trials must have been registered before journal submission. For this purpose, the ICMJE defines a clinical trial as any study that prospectively assigns human subjects to intervention or comparison groups to evaluate the cause-and-effect relationship between a medical intervention and a health outcome. Studies designed for other purposes, such as to study pharmacokinetics or major toxicity (eg, phase 1 trials), are exempt. The trial registry name, registration number, and the URL for the registry should be included at the end of the abstract and also in the space provided on the online manuscript submission form.
Tables and figures should provide substantive data and not merely illustrate the text. While the main finding of a table or figure may be discussed in the narrative, the table or figure should not duplicate the text. Although no specific guideline can be applied to all articles, the number and length of tables and figures should be kept to a minimum.
Tables
Number all tables in the order of their citation in the text. Include a title for each table (a brief phrase, preferably no longer than 10 to 15 words). If a table must be continued, repeat the title on a second sheet, followed by "(cont)." Tables should contain sample sizes and units of measurement, when appropriate. Any explanatory notes to be printed with the table must be typed single-spaced beneath the table. Make certain each item in the table is in its own table cell. Do not use paragraph returns (to start new rows) or tabs (to start new columns) to format the table. See Instructions for Table Creation for more specific guidelines.
Figures at submission must be of sufficient quality for peer review. If your manuscript is accepted, you will be asked to submit a high-quality original of each figure. Illustrations in full color are accepted for publication at no charge to the author if the editor believes that color will add significantly to the published manuscript. Number figures according to their order in the text. Include sample size. See Technical Requirements for Figures for specific guidelines at submission and acceptance.
Image Integrity
Preparation of scientific images (clinical images, radiographic images, micrographs, gels, etc) for publication must preserve the integrity of the image data. Digital adjustments of brightness, contrast, or color applied uniformly to an entire image are permissible as long as these adjustments do not selectively highlight, misrepresent, obscure, or eliminate specific elements in the original figure, including the background. Selective adjustments applied to individual elements in an image are not permissible. Individual elements may not be moved within an image field, deleted, or inserted from another image. Cropping may be used for efficient image display but must not misrepresent or alter interpretation of the image by selectively eliminating relevant visual information. Juxtaposition of elements from different parts of a single image or from different images, as in a composite, must be clearly indicated by the addition of dividing lines, borders, and/or panel labels.
When inappropriate image adjustments are detected by the JAMA and Archives Journals staff, authors will be asked for an explanation and will be requested to submit the image as originally captured prior to any adjustment, cropping, or labeling. Authors may be asked to resubmit the image prepared in accordance with the above standards. Deliberate alteration of images that results in misrepresentation of data may be reported to the author's institution or funding agency.
Authors may submit supporting material to accompany their article for online-only publication when there is insufficient space to include the material in the print article. This material should be important to the understanding and interpretation of the report and should not repeat material in the print article. The amount of online-only material should be limited and justified. Online-only material should be original and not previously published.
Online-only material will undergo editorial and peer review with the main manuscript. If the manuscript is accepted for publication and if the online-only material is deemed appropriate for publication by the editors, it will be posted online at the time of publication of the article as additional material provided by the authors. This material will not be edited or formatted; thus, the authors are responsible for the accuracy and presentation of all such material.
Online-only material should be submitted in a single Word document with pages numbered consecutively. Each element included in the online-only material should be cited in the text of the main manuscript (eg, "see eTable") and numbered in order of citation in the text (eg, eTable 1, eTable 2, eFigure 1, eFigure 2, eMethods). The first page of the online-only document should list the number and title of each element included in the document.
Online-Only Text
Online-only text should be set in Times New Roman font, 10 point, and single-spaced. The main heading of the online-only text should be in 12 point and boldface; subheadings should be in 10 point and boldface.
Online-Only References
All references cited within the online-only document must be included in a separate reference section, including those that also were cited in the main manuscript. They should be formatted just as in the main manuscript and numbered and cited consecutively in the online-only material.
Online-Only Tables
Online-only tables should be inserted in the document and numbered consecutively according to the order of citation as eTable 1, eTable 2, etc. The text and data in online tables should be Arial font, 10 point in size, and single-spaced. The table title should be set in Arial font, 12 point, and bold. Headings within tables should be set in 10 point and bold. Table footnotes should be set in 8 point and single-spaced. See also instructions for Tables above. If a table runs on to subsequent pages, repeat the column headers at the top of each page. Wide tables may be presented using a landscape orientation.
Online-only figures should be inserted in the document and numbered consecutively according to the order of citation as eFigure 1, eFigure 2, etc. Figure titles should be set in Arial font, 12 point, bold, and single-spaced. Text within figures should be set as Arial font, 10 point. Figure legends should be set in 8 point and single-spaced. Graphs and diagrams should be exported directly out of the software application used to create them in a vector file format, such as WMF, and then inserted into the Word document. Image file formats such as JPG, TIF, and GIF are generally not suitable for graphs. Photographs, including all radiological images, should be prepared as JPG (highest option) or TIF (uncompressed) files at a resolution of 300 dpi and width of 3-5 inches, but the resolution of photographic files with an original resolution <300 dpi should not be increased digitally to achieve a 300-dpi resolution. Photographs should be inserted in the document with the "Link to File" button turned off. Wide figures may be presented using a landscape orientation.
Videos
For editorial and peer review of an initial submission, submit videos in .mov, .wmv, .mpg, .mpeg, .mp4, or .avi file format. To facilitate uploading and reviewing, the initial video submitted should not exceed 10 MB. Verify that all videos are viewable in QuickTime or Windows Media Player before submission. Once the video has been approved for submission, you will be asked to upload an uncompressed version of the file in .dv or similar format (no size limit), with minimum physical dimensions of 480 pixels wide by 360 pixels high, to a secure FTP server. Please be prepared to provide this larger version promptly on request.
If the author does not hold copyright to the video, the author must obtain permission for the video to be published in Archives of General Psychiatry. This permission must be for unrestricted use in all print, online, and licensed versions of Archives of General Psychiatry. (See Permission to Reproduce Copyright-Protected Material Form.) Submit the completed form to the editorial office.
For each video, provide a citation in the appropriate place in the manuscript text and include a title (a brief phrase, preferably no longer than 10-15 words) and a caption/legend (a brief description or summary of the content) at the end of the manuscript. In the video caption/legend, specify the video file format and briefly describe the content of the video. Also, enter the same title and caption/legend in the designated fields on the Web-based manuscript submission system when uploading each video. If multiple video files are submitted, number them in the order in which they should be viewed.
Note: If the manuscript and accompanying video(s) are accepted for publication, all video files will be placed into a journal video frame and may be edited by the journal staff according to journal style.
REFERENCES
1. Iverson C, Christiansen S, Flanagin A, et al. AMA Manual of Style: A Guide for Authors and Editors. 10th ed. New York, NY: Oxford University Press; 2007.
2. Flanagin A, Fontanarosa PB, DeAngelis CD. Authorship for research groups. JAMA. 2002;288(24):3166-3168. FULL TEXT Medline:12495400
3. Coyle JT, Heckers S. Update on the conflict of interest policy for the ARCHIVES. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2006;63(11):1178. FULL TEXT
4. Davidoff F, DeAngelis CD, Drazen JM, Hoey J, Højgaard L, Horton R, Kotzin S, Nicholls MG, Nylenna M, Overbeke AJPM, Sox HC, Van Der Weyden MB, Wilkes MS. Sponsorship, authorship, and accountability. JAMA. 2006;63(11):1178. FULL TEXT Medline:11559271
5. DeAngelis CD, Fontanarosa PB, Flanagin A. Reporting financial conflicts of interest and relationships between investigators and research sponsors. JAMA. 2001;286(1):89-91 FULL TEXT Medline:11434832
6. Winker M. Measuring race and ethnicity: why and how? JAMA. 2004;292(13):1612-1614. FULL TEXT Medline:15467065
7. International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals. http://www.icmje.org. Updated February 2006.
8. Haynes RB, Mulrow CD, Huth EJ, Altman DG, Gardner MJ. More informative abstracts revisited. Ann Intern Med. 1990;113(1):69-75. FULL TEXT Medline:15355936
9. DeAngelis CD, Drazen JM, Frizelle FA, Haug C, Hoey J, Horton R, Kotzin S, Laine C, Marusic A, Overbeke AJ, Schroeder TV, Sox HC, Van Der Weyden MG; International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Clinical trial registration: a statement from the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. JAMA. 2004;292(11):1363-1364. FULL TEXT Medline:15355936
10. DeAngelis CD, Drazen JM, Frizelle FA, Haug C, Hoey J, Horton R, Kotzin S, Laine C, Marusic A, Overbeke AJ, Schroeder TV, Soc HC, Van Der Weyden MG; Is this clinical trial fully registered? a statement from the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. JAMA. 2005;293(23):2927-2929. FULL TEXT Medline:15911838
Last updated: May 2012.