In addition to the required elements above, you may also submit (or be required to submit):
Authors must also obtain written permission from patients to use their photographic images if those patients are identifiable in the images. If a patient is younger than 18 years, authors must obtain permission from one of the patient's parents or guardians. Authors are encouraged to use the JAOA's patient-model release form for this purpose.
Authors serving in the US military must obtain armed forces' approval for their manuscripts and provide military or institutional disclaimers when submitting manuscripts.
Article Categories
Manuscripts must be submitted in 1 of the following formats, regardless of domain/topic area. Submissions from students, residents, or fellows should also have a faculty mentor (senior) trainer as an author.
A few notes about each manuscript section (Methods, Results, etc) appear in the Manuscript Components section below.
Original Article
Elements:
- Abstract: structured, 500 words or fewer
- Sections: Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusions
- Word count: 3000 or fewer
- References: 50 or fewer
- Figures and Tables: 5 or fewer, with flow diagrams encouraged (required for Randomized Controlled Trials)
Manuscripts in this category document original clinical or applied research. Original contributions include controlled trials, observational studies, diagnostic test studies, cost-effectiveness studies, and survey-based studies. The JAOA will accept basic scientific research only if the work has clear clinical applications.
The JAOA will consider quality improvement studies that may be valuable to its readership; however, the authors of such studies must obtain a statement of exemption from the institutional review board at the author’s institution. Quality improvement studies without exemption status will not be considered.
If the manuscript includes OMT protocols, the JAOA encourages the inclusion of an accompanying video that demonstrates the OMT protocols. The JAOA will give priority to submissions with video accompaniment.
Review Article
Elements:
- Abstract: structured, 500 words or fewer
- Sections: Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusions
- Word count: 3500 or fewer
- References: 75 or fewer
- Figures and Tables: 4 or fewer, with flow diagrams encouraged
Manuscripts of this type are detailed, critical surveys of published research relevant to clinical problems. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are preferred and will receive a higher publication priority than other reviews. Systematic reviews should have a clear objective, a description of the data-selection and exclusion process, and a discussion of the research implications.
Narrative reviews should include a clear objective, a description of the condition being reviewed, a summary of common problems in diagnosis and treatment, and a discussion of new theories in the medical literature for improving patient care.
All submissions in this category should introduce the problem or clinical question, discussing what is already known and the state of the current research on the question; assess the recent literature, pointing out limitations and highlighting areas that could benefit from further research in the field; and provide a definitive conclusion as to the meaning of the articles reviewed. See our instructional webinar on Designing a High-Quality Systematic Review and the accompanying handout for additional support.
Brief Report
Elements:
- Abstract: Structured, 500 words or fewer
- Sections: Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusions
- Word count: 2500 or fewer
- References: 35 or fewer
- Figures and Tables: 4 or fewer
Submissions in this category substantively but briefly document clinical information, early-phase investigations and small pilot studies, clinical "pearls," and similar scholarly insights.
Case Report
Elements:
- Abstract: Unstructured
- Sections: Introduction, Case Description, Discussion, Conclusions
- Word count: 1500 or fewer
- References: 20 or fewer
- Figures and Tables: 2 or fewer
The JAOA now accepts a very limited number of Case Reports, focusing only on those that represent truly novel or unusual contributions to the literature. All Case Reports are evaluated first by our Editors based on uniqueness of subject matter, relevance to our readership, and previous publication of similar studies. Case reports must describe clinical presentations that have strong relevance to osteopathic medicine. These manuscripts must also include results of osteopathic structural examinations and a relevant literature review. Authors should follow the CARE guidelines.
Clinical Practice
Elements:
- Abstract: Unstructured
- Sections: Introduction, Clinical Summary, Discussion, Conclusions
- Word count: 3000 or fewer
- References: 50 or fewer
- Figures and Tables: 4 or fewer
Manuscripts in this category consist of expert critical viewpoints with practical applications for osteopathic physicians, emphasizing findings and recommendations based on the authors' clinical experience.
Clinical Images
Elements:
- Abstract: None
- Sections: None (brief narrative case description)
- Word count: 250 words or fewer
- References: 10 or fewer
- Figures and Tables: 2 or fewer
The JAOA selects a limited number of Clinical Images for publication each year. This section highlights new, important, or unique medical conditions encountered by osteopathic physicians. Authors should briefly describe the case presentation of the patient. The report should also include, either at the beginning or end, enough context that osteopathic medical colleagues who do not specialize in the particular field being discussed could understand the importance of the image and patient presentation. Relevant references are required to place the image in the context of previous publications or findings. While Clinical Images are not intended to be full Case Reports, they should offer a sufficient amount of information to make the image relevant and useful to readers.
Commentary
Commentary is typically solicited by JAOA Editors, although unsolicited editorials and commentaries may be considered. Please email editorial@osteopathic.org if you would like to inquire about submitting a Commentary. These manuscripts are typically 1000 words or fewer (in addition to an unstructured abstract containing 250 words or fewer) with no more than 10 references and 1 table or figure, if appropriate.
Letters to the Editor
Elements:
- Abstract: None
- Sections: None (narrative)
- Word count: 400 or fewer
- References: 15 or fewer
- Figures and Tables: 2 or fewer
Osteopathic physicians, faculty members at osteopathic medical schools, osteopathic medical students, and others in the health care professions are encouraged to submit comments related either to articles published in the JAOA or to the mission of the osteopathic medical profession. The JAOA's Editors are particularly interested in letters that discuss recently published original research. Unsigned letters will not be considered for publication in the JAOA.
Manuscript Components
Abstract
Both structured and unstructured abstracts should accurately but succinctly summarize the entirety of your study, with no major elements missing. For manuscripts where a structured abstract is required, authors should include the following 5 sections: Context, Objective, Methods, Results, and Conclusion. Further, the abstract must include a full but brief information about all methodology including study design, data sources, sampling method including inclusion/exclusion criteria, outcomes and key measures, final sample size, and statistical analyses performed in the study.
Introduction
Authors should briefly introduce the topic of their manuscript, including: (1) background describing the previous work that led to the research, (2) a description of the research question and domain of the inquiry (eg, therapy, diagnosis, quality), and (3) an outline for the goals of the study.
Methods
For prospective clinical trials, including pilot studies, the Methods section must state the name of the public registry in which the trial was listed before participant recruitment began (see "Public Registration").
For a human or experimental animal investigation, the Methods section must identify the institutional review board that approved the project. It must also state the manner in which informed consent was obtained from human subjects.
Authors must also clearly describe the basic study design, list measurement instruments and other tools used for independent and dependent variables, and clearly identify any modified or novel interventions that did not comply with approved or standard use.
In addition, authors must define the masking or blinding protocol and any statistical methods used, providing the full name of each method at first mention (eg, "Pearson product moment correlation coefficient" rather than "Pearson correlation coefficient").
As a general guideline, the methods should be written with enough detail that another researcher could replicate the study.
If your manuscript reports partial data from a single phase of a larger trial, you must state that in your Methods.
Results
Authors must report all outcome data and other results as they relate to the study's objectives and to the manuscript's Methods section. No data should be reported in the Results that wasn’t introduced in the Methods; likewise, no new data should be presented later in the Discussion that wasn’t outlined in the Methods and Results. The statistical methods used to analyze data should be accurate and appropriate for the research question.
Discussion
Authors should place their findings in the context of relevant literature, describe any limitations of the study, and make recommendations for future research. The discussion should also comment on the study's importance in relation to the tenets of osteopathic medicine.
Conclusion
Authors should succinctly summarize the study's major findings as they relate to the study's purpose and the clinical applications of those findings, if appropriate. Conclusions should be limited to 1 paragraph.
Acknowledgments
Authors should limit acknowledgments to people who substantially contributed to either the study or the preparation of the manuscript. Acknowledgments should list contributors' full names; highest earned academic degrees, including all doctoral and master degrees; and professional titles at academic and other institutions. Acknowledgments of osteopathic medical students should include their OMS designation.
Figures and Tables
Tables should consist of 3 or more interrelated columns and rows and should present only information that is relevant and of interest. Primary comparisons should be presented horizontally, left to right. Tables should be able to stand on their own, without reference to the text; thus, table titles must provide the context to help readers interpret the data presented. Read the JAOA's tips for preparing tables for additional guidance. Tables should be submitted as Word files.
Statistical figures are best used for communicating trends or relationships in a study's findings. Bar graphs are best for showing magnitude, line graphs for trends over time, or dot plots for quantitative data on a single axis (eg, time series, ranking, and nominal-comparison relationships), and scatterplots for correlations. Graphs must depict findings fairly and accurately. For instance, authors should not alter the scales used to make findings appear more meaningful. Once manuscripts are accepted for publication, JAOA staff must recreate charts before publication to ensure that the images are of reproduction quality. Authors, therefore, must provide data points for each graph. Failure to provide data points on request may result in unsubmission. Read the JAOA's tips for preparing figures for additional guidance.
Nonstatistical figures are visual representations of information that do not included data, such as clinical images, illustrations, and diagrams. All images must be submitted as separate high-resolution JPEG or TIF files. The minimum resolution that the JAOA can accept is 8 inches width at 72 dpi. All patient information must be removed from or blocked out of graphic elements. Radiologic images in particular should be checked for patient information before being submitted to the JAOA.
Publication Process
Copyediting
As a means of maintaining editorial and other quality standards, all accepted manuscripts are subject to editing and abridgment. Such editing takes place after manuscripts undergo peer review and author revision. During this editing process, the JAOA's staff editors revise all accepted manuscripts for clarity, organization, grammar, conformity to house style and format, and adherence to AOA-preferred terminology, nomenclature, and spelling. Staff editors also conduct basic fact checking, including verifying referenced statements. As a consequence, they may request copies of referenced materials that were not provided on submission. Failure to respond during this process may result in delayed publication.
Corresponding authors will receive edited manuscripts for review and comment before publication. Corresponding authors are responsible for verifying all statements in their articles, including confirming the accuracy of changes made by the JAOA's staff editors.
Promoting Your Work
No material published in the JAOA may be reprinted without the written permission of the AOA. Visit the reprints page for more information.
However, the JAOA encourages authors to actively promote their articles, whether through press releases, social media, or other outlets. The following are some tips to get your research recognized:
- Reach out to the media relations team at your institution. They may be able to help craft a press release about your article and promote your research via social media.
- Consider creating an account on Kudos, a free service for authors to promote their studies.
- If your study does not draw a clear conclusion, offer key takeaways that put the research into context. Reporters and readers need to understand what findings might imply—but they don’t respond well to “more research is needed.”
- Understand that a press release isn’t an abstract. It’s more of a high-level overview that focuses on what a study found, why it matters to a broad consumer audience, and how that finding may be used.
- Consider sharing your research via LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.
- For those authors who choose to promote their studies, reference that the article was published in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association. Sometimes, promotional efforts will result in requests for interviews. Please e-mail jaoa@osteopathic.org if you are contacted by media so the AOA's media relations team can help you manage the interview and story.
- In all cases, begin every media interaction by telling the reporter that you are a DO, if applicable, and explaining what that means.
- Direct quotes are likely to be picked up, so ensure that osteopathic messaging is incorporated into any quotes provided.
Author CME Credit
All DO authors of articles published in the JAOA earn AOA Category 1-B continuing medical education credit for their contributions. The amount of credit varies based on the article type, ranging from 15 credit hours for writing original contributions and medical education articles to 3 credit hours for original authors responding to letters to the editor.