Australasian Journal on Ageing instructions

Australasian Journal on Ageing instructions

INSTRUCTIONS FOR AUTHORS

1. SCOPE AND MISSION

The Australasian Journal on Ageing is a peer reviewed journal which publishes original work in any area of gerontology and geriatric medicine. It welcomes international submissions, particularly from authors in the Asia Pacific region. The journal publishes the following categories of articles (word limits include text and references, but not tables).

Research. These are reports of original research up to 4,000 words long. Priority will be given to brief research reports of up to 1,500 words, with no more than 1 table or figure, which can be printed in 2 journal pages.

Reviews. The journal publishes reviews of the literature of up to 4,000 words.

Opinion. Opinion pieces are invited contributions of up to 900 words designed to stimulate discussion and debate.

Professional Practice Updates. These are invited reviews of up to 4,000 words, by an expert in the field, which aim to update readers on some area of professional practice with the elderly.

Innovations in Aged Care. These are invited articles of up to 4,000 words which describe and evaluate an innovation. Innovations can include new treatments, community and residential care programs, professional training courses and social policies.

Case Reports. The journal accepts reports of up to 900 words.

Letters. Letters to the editor may be up to 400 words. They may be edited and are subject to reply.

Authors who wish to write an Opinion article or a Professional Practice Update, or describe an Innovation in Aged Care, should first write to the Editor-in-Chief with a proposal for the article. Invited articles, like other contributions to the journal, are subject to refereeing.

2. SUBMISSION

Send all papers to: Dr Diane Gibson, Editor-in-Chief, Australasian Journal on Ageing, c/o Council on the Ageing (Australia), Level 2, 3 Bowen Crescent, Melbourne, Vic. 3004. Telephone (03) 9820 2655, Fax (03) 98209886, E-mail cota@cota.org.au

Package submissions securely and include the following:

A covering letter signed by all the authors with the title of the manuscript and contact details for the corresponding author. The covering letter should state that: 1. The paper is not submitted for publication nor published elsewhere. 2. Any research involving humans or animals has been approved by an institutional ethics committee. 3. All authors have made a major contribution to the paper (for reports of original research, all authors should have made a major contribution to at least 2 of the following: planning the study, collecting the data, analysing the data, writing the paper). 4. Any potential conflicts of interest have been declared.

Four copies of the manuscript with all pages numbered, plus a disk copy (see below).

A title page with authors' names and affiliations and (to allow blind review) a second title page without author identification.

One return, regular size self-addressed envelope for acknowledgment.

Final Submission. In the final submission, afer ther review proces is completed, authors are asked to submit an electronic copy on a 3.5 inch formatted disk on Microsoft Word or some other common package that is clearly identified.

3. MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION

Word limits. In order to publish as many contributions as possible, word limits for articles have to be strictly enforced.

The title page should state the number of words in the article (including References but excluding Tables).

Research articles. Articles should have sections for Abstract, Introduction, Method, Results, Discussion, Acknowledgment (if applicable), Key Points and References. Abstracts should be structured into sections preferably under the headings: Objective(s), Method, Results, Conclusion(s). Key Points (which must be included) are 3-4 dot points which give the essential take-home messages of the paper.

Other articles. Reviews, Professional Practice Updates, Innovations in Aged Care and Case Reports should be preceded by a short Abstract. Opinion articles do not need an Abstract.

Manuscript presentation. Print the manuscript on A4 paper, double-spaced.

References. Personal communications and unpublished manuscripts are not acceptable. Use the Vancouver system of referencing. In the text, references should be identified by numbers in square brackets (not as superscripts). In the Reference list, number the references in the order in which they appear in the text. However, once a reference is cited, all subsequent citations should refer to the original number. All journal titles must be quoted in full (no abbreviations). List all authors when there are 6 or fewer; when there are more than 6, list only the first 3 and add 'et al'. Prepare references as follows:

Journals: 1. White AM, Groves MA. Interdependence and the aged stereotype. Australian Journal on Ageing 1997;16:83-89.

Books: 2. Sax S. Ageing and public policy in Australia. Sydney: Allen and Unwin, 1993.

Chapters: 3. Esterman A, Andrews GR. Southeast Asia and the Pacific: a comparison of older people in four countries. In: Kendig HL, Hashimoto A, Coppard LC, eds. Family support for the elderly: the international experience. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1992:245-266.

Tables. Type tables on separate sheets, double spaced, numbered separately with arabic numerals and given a brief title. Type table footnotes immediately below each table using superscript letters. Use asterisks exclusively for probability levels of tests of significance, eg. *P<0.05. Indicate in the text where tables should be placed.

Figures and illustrations. Photographs must be black and while. Figures must be professionally lettered in a sans-serif type like Helvetica or Univers or produced on a laser printer. Typewritten or dot matrix lettering is not acceptable. Original copies should not be sent until the final revisions are completed.

4. COPYRIGHT

It is a condition of publishing in the Australasian Journal on Ageing that authors grant and assign a non-inclusive, communication license to Council on the Ageing (Australia). Authors have unlimited rights to publish their own articles in volumes they write or edit and to duplicate material for educational use. When articles are republished, a citation to the previous publication of the Australasian Journal on Ageing and notice to Council on the Ageing (Australia) are required.

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Council on the Ageing (Australia)
Level 2, 3 Bowen Crescent, Melbourne Vic 3004
Tel (03) 9820 2655 Fax (03) 9820 9886
email cota@cota.org.au