Author Guidelines
The mission of the APJHM is to advance understanding of the management of health and aged care service organisations within the Asia Pacific region through the publication of empirical research, theoretical and conceptual developments and analysis and discussion of current management practices.
CRITERIA FOR ACCEPTANCE OF MANUSCRIPT
The APJHM invites the submission of research and conceptual manuscripts that are consistent with the mission of the APJHM and that facilitate communication and discussion of topical issues among practicing managers, academics and policy makers.
Of particular interest are research and review papers that are rigorous in design, and provide new data to contribute to the health manager’s understanding of an issue or management problem. Practice papers that aim to enhance the conceptual and/or coalface skills of managers will also be preferred.
Only original contributions are accepted (i.e. the manuscript has not have been simultaneously submitted or accepted for publication elsewhere).
Five types of submission are accepted for publication by the journal:
- Analysis of management practice (e.g. case study, interview, commentary)
- Research article (empirical –quantitative and qualitative- and/or theoretical)
- Research note
- Review article (e.g. policy review, trends, review or meta-analysis of research)
- Book review.
Decisions on publishing or otherwise rest with the Editor following the APJHM peer review process. The Editor is supported by an Editorial Advisory Board and an Editorial Committee.
PEER REVIEW POLICY
APJHM adheres to a double-blind reviewing policy in which the identity of both the reviewer and author are always concealed from both parties. All submitted research articles and notes, review articles and analysis of management practice articles go through the standard APJHM peer review process. Only original articles that have not been published or simultaneously submitted elsewhere are considered.
The process involves:
- Manuscript received and read by Editor APJHM;
- Editor with the assistance of the Editorial Committee assigns at least two reviewers. All submitted articles are blind reviewed (i.e. the review process is independent). Reviewers are requested by the Editor to provide quick, specific and constructive feedback that identifies strengths and weaknesses of the article;
- Upon receipt of reports from the Reviewers, the Editor provides feedback to the author(s) indicating the Reviewers’ recommendations as to whether it should be published in the journal and any suggested changes to improve its quality.
PRIOR PUBLICATION
We encourage authors to refer to the Committee on Publication Ethics’ International Standards for Authors and follow our guidelines and definitions.
Use the submission checklist and ensure:
- The submission has not been previously published, nor is it before another journal for consideration.
- That the article is an original contribution.
- For research articles adequate evidence of approval from a relevant ethics committee is provided.
- That relevant data is described and presented in the text to support the article, including source and authorship.
- That authorship of the article reflects the contribution of those listed as authors. You will be required to certify authorship responsibility prior to final acceptance for publication
- That support, advice and suggestions to authors prior to submission are acknowledged in the text or as footnote.
- Contributing authors to the APJHM (of all types of manuscripts) are responsible for disclosing any financial or personal relationships that might have biased their work. The corresponding author of an accepted manuscript is requested to sign a ‘Conflict of interest disclosure statement’.
- We expect authors to be aware of the potential of plagiarism and follow our author guidelines for citations and references and, adequately identify by quotation and page numbers where direct content is used and where permission to publish is sought for material owned by others.
MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION
1). Language and format
The text is single-spaced; uses a 12-point font; employs italics, rather than underlining (except with URL addresses); and all illustrations, figures, and tables are placed within the text at the appropriate points, rather than at the end.
All pages should be numbered consecutively at the centre bottom of the page starting with the Title Page, followed by the Abstract and Key Words Page, the body of the text, and the References Page(s).
2). Title Page and Word Count
The title page should contain:
- Title. This should be short (maximum of 15 words) but informative and include information that will facilitate electronic retrieval of the article.
- Word Counts. A word count of both the abstract and the body of the manuscript should be provided. The latter should include the text only (i.e. exclude title page, abstract, tables, figures and illustrations, and references). For information about word limits see ‘Types of Manuscript – some general guidelines’ below.
Information about authorship should not appear on the title page. It should appear in the covering letter.
3). Abstract and Key Words Page
The abstract may vary in length and format (i.e. structured or unstructured) according to the type of manuscript being submitted. For example, for a research or review article a structured abstract of not more than 300 words is requested, while for a management analysis a shorter (200 word) unstructured abstract is requested (For further details, see below - Types of Manuscript – some general guidelines).
Key words – three to seven key words should be provided that capture the main topics of the article.
4). Main Manuscript
The structure of the body of the manuscript will vary according to the type of manuscript (e.g. a research article or note would typically be expected to contain Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion –IMRAD, while a commentary on current management practice may use a less structured approach). In all instances consideration should be given to assisting the reader to quickly grasp the flow and content of the article.
For further details about the expected structure of the body of the manuscript, see below - Types of Manuscript – some general guidelines.
5). Major and secondary headings
Major and secondary headings should be left-justified in lower case and in bold.
6). Figures, Tables and Illustrations
Figures, Tables and Illustrations should be:
- of high quality;
- meet the ‘stand-alone’ test
- inserted in the preferred location;
- numbered consecutively; and
- appropriately titled.
Copyright
For any figures, tables, illustrations that are subject to copyright, a letter of permission from the copyright holder for use of the image needs to be supplied by the author when submitting the manuscript.
7). References Style
References should be typed on a separate page and be accurate and complete.
The Vancouver style of referencing is the style recommended for publication in the APJHM. References should be numbered within the text sequentially using Arabic numbers in square brackets. [1] These numbers should correspond with the number given to a respective reference in your list of references at the end of your article.
Journal titles should be abbreviated according to the abbreviations used by PubMed. These can be found at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nlmcatalog/journals/. Once you have accessed this site, click on ‘Journals database’ and then enter the full journal title to view its abbreviation (eg the abbreviation for the ‘Australian Health Review’ is ‘Aust Health Rev’). Examples of how to list your references are provided below:
Books and Monographs
- Australia Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). Australia’s health 2004. Canberra: AIHW; 2004.
- New B, Le Grand J. Rationing in the NHS. London: King's Fund; 1996.
Chapters published in books
- Mickan SM, Boyce RA. Organisational change and adaptation in health care. In: Harris MG and Associates. Managing health services: concepts and practice. Sydney: Elsevier; 2006.
Journal articles
- North N. Reforming New Zealand's health care system. Intl J Public Admin 1999; 22:525-558.
- Turrell G, Mathers C. Socioeconomic inequalities in all-cause and specific-cause mortality in Australia: 1985-1987 and 1995-1997. Int J Epidemiol 2001; 30(2): 231-239.
References from the World Wide Web
- Perneger TV, Hudelson PM. Writing a research article: advice to beginners. Int Journal for Quality in Health Care 2004; 191-192. Available: <http://intqhc.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/16/3/191> (Accessed 1/03/06)
TYPES OF MANUSCRIPT - SOME GENERAL GUIDELINES
1. Analysis of management practice (eg, case study)
Content:
Management practice papers are practitioner oriented with a view to reporting lessons from current management practice.
Abstract:
Structured appropriately and include aim, approach, context, main findings, conclusions. Word count: 200 words
Main text:
Structured appropriately. A suitable structure would include:
- Introduction (statement of problem/issue)
- Approach to analysing problem/issue
- Management interventions/approaches to address problem/issue
- Discussion of outcomes including implications for management practice and strengths and weaknesses of the findings
- Conclusions.
Word count: 1,500-2,000 words
References: Maximum 25
2. Research article (empirical and/or theoretical)
Content:
An article reporting original quantitative or qualitative research relevant to the advancement of the management of health and aged care services organisations.
Abstract:
Structured (Objective, Design, Setting, Main outcome measures, Results, Conclusions). Word count: Maximum of 300 words.
Main text:
Structured (Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion and Conclusions).
The discussion section should address the issues listed below:
- Statement of principal findings;
- Strengths and weaknesses of the study in relation to other studies, discussing particularly any differences in findings;
- Meaning of the study (e.g. implications for health and aged care services managers or policy makers);
- Unanswered questions and future research.
Two experienced reviewers of research papers (viz., Doherty and Smith 1999) proposed the above structure for the discussion section of research articles. [2]
Word count: Maximum of 3,000 words.
References: Maximum of 30
NB: Authors of research articles submitted to the APJHM are advised to consult ‘Writing a research article: advice to beginners’ by Perneger and Hudelson (2004) . This article contains two very useful tables: 1) ‘Typical structure of a research paper’ and 2) ‘Common mistakes seen in manuscripts submitted to this journal’. [3]
3. Research note
Content:
Shorter than a research article, a research note may report the outcomes of a pilot study or the first stages of a large complex study or address a theoretical or methodological issue etc. In all instances it is expected to make a substantive contribution to health management knowledge.
Abstract:
Structured (Objective, Design, Setting, Main outcome measures, Results, Conclusions). Word count: Maximum 200 words
Main text:
Structured (Introduction, Methods, Findings, Discussion and Conclusions) and Word count: Maximum of 2,000 words.
As with a longer research article the discussion section should address:
- A brief statement of principal findings;
- Strengths and weaknesses of the study in relation to other studies, discussing particularly any differences in findings;
- Meaning of the study (e.g. implications for health and aged care services managers or policy makers);
- Unanswered questions and future research.
References: Maximum of 25
NB: Authors of research notes submitted to the APJHM are advised to consult ‘Writing a research article: advice to beginners’ by Perneger and Hudelson (2004) . This article contains two very useful tables: 1) ‘Typical structure of a research paper’ and 2) ‘Common mistakes seen in manuscripts submitted to this journal’. [3]
4. Review article (eg, policy review, trends, meta-analysis of management research)
Content:
A careful analysis of a management or policy issue of current interest to managers of health and aged care service organisations.
Abstract:
Structured appropriately. Word count: Maximum of 300 words
Main text:
Structured appropriately and include information about data sources, inclusion criteria, and data synthesis.
Word count: Maximum of 3,000 words.
References: Maximum of 50
5. Viewpoints, interviews, commentaries
Content:
A practitioner oriented viewpoint/commentary about a topical and/or controversial health management issue with a view to encouraging discussion and debate among readers.
Abstract:
Structured appropriately. Word count: Maximum of 200 words.
Main text:
Structured appropriately. Word count: Maximum of 2,000 words.
References: Maximum of 20
6. Book review
Book reviews are organised by the Book Review editors. Please send books for review to: Book Review Editors, APJHM, ACHSE, PO Box 341, NORTH RYDE, NSW 1670. Australia.
COVERING LETTER AND DECLARATIONS
The following documents should be submitted separately from your main manuscript:
1. Covering letter
All submitted manuscripts should have a covering letter with the following information:
- Author/s information, Name(s), Title(s), full contact details and institutional affiliation(s) of each author;
- Reasons for choosing to publish your manuscript in the APJHM;
- Confirmation that the content of the manuscript is original. That is, it has not been published elsewhere or submitted concurrently to another/other journal(s).
2. Declarations
1) Authorship
Papers should only be submitted for consideration once all contributing authors give consent. Criteria for authorship include substantial participation in the conception, design and execution of the work, the contribution of methodological expertise and the analysis and interpretation of the data. All listed authors should approve the final version of the paper, including the order in which multiple authors’ names will appear.
Please refer to the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) authorship guidelines for more information on authorship.
2). Acknowledgements
Acknowledgements should be brief (i.e. not more than 70 words) and include funding sources and individuals who have made a valuable contribution to the project but who do not meet the criteria for authorship as outlined above. The principal author is responsible for obtaining permission to acknowledge individuals.
3). Conflicts of interest
Contributing authors to the APJHM (of all types of manuscripts) are responsible for disclosing any financial or personal relationships that might have biased their work. Please ensure that a ‘Declaration of Conflicting Interests’ statement is included at the end of your manuscript, after any acknowledgements and prior to the references. If no conflict exists, please state that: “The Author(s) declare(s) that there is no conflict of interest.” For guidance on conflict of interest statements, please see the ICMJE recommendations here.
ETHICAL APPROVAL
All submitted articles reporting studies involving human/or animal subjects should indicate in the text whether the procedures covered were in accordance with National Health and Medical Research Council ethical standards or other appropriate institutional or national ethics committee. Where approval has been obtained from a relevant research ethics committee the name of the ethics committee must be stated in the Methods section. Participant anonymity must be preserved and any identifying information should not be published. If, for example, an author wishes to publish a photograph, a signed statement from the participant(s) giving his/her/their approval for publication should be provided.
SUBMITTING YOUR MANUSCRIPT
APJHM is hosted on a web based online submission and peer review system powered by OJS/PKP Manuscripts. Visit https://journal.achsm.org.au/index.php/achsm/about/submissions to login and submit your article online.
IMPORTANT: Please check whether you already have an account in the system before trying to create a new one. If you have reviewed or authored for the journal in the past year it is likely that you will have had an account created. For further help on submitting your manuscript online please email: Journal@achsm.org.au