SLEEP - Author Information
MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
SLEEP is a publication of the Associated Professional Sleep
Societies, LLC (APSS), a joint venture of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine
and the Sleep Research Society. It is distributed to more than 6,500 readers.
SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
All manuscripts must be submitted electronically. To submit an original manuscript,
short note, editorial, rapid publication, review, book review, report, or letter
to the editor, please go to https://www.rapidreview.com/AASM/CALogon.jsp. Complete
instructions for the electronic submission process can be found on this site.
CATEGORIES
OF MANUSCRIPTS/SCOPE
Original manuscripts, those that have not been published elsewhere except in abstract
form, on any aspect of sleep will be considered. Manuscripts must not be concurrently
submitted to any other publication, print or electronic.
The APSS is not responsible in the event that any manuscript or any part thereof
is lost. Published manuscripts become the permanent property of the APSS and may
not be published elsewhere without written permission from the APSS.
All accepted manuscripts are subject to manuscript editing for conciseness, clarity,
grammar, spelling, and SLEEP style.
ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS
Each submitted manuscript must address the following elements:
1. Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form
Each author MUST disclose all potential conflicts of interest
by submitting the Conflict of Interest Disclosure and Attestation of Authorship
form for every submitted editorial, review, and manuscript. Substantive changes
to the disclosure must be reported as they occur. Conflicts of interest will be
reviewed by the Editor-In-Chief and the SLEEP staff. This information will
be listed within the article, but dollar amounts will not be included. No submission
will be considered for review without complete disclosure. When completed and signed
by all contributing authors, this form may be scanned and then uploaded as part
of your manuscript submission, faxed to (708) 492-0943, or sent to APSS, One Westbrook
Corporate Center, Suite 920, Westchester, IL 60154.
2. Authorship responsibility
Each author should have participated sufficiently in the
work and analysis of data, as well as the writing of the manuscript, for his or
her name to be listed as a co-author and should attest to this responsibility. Authors
should be limited to not more than ten.
3. Ethics of investigation
Authors should specify within the manuscript whether ethical
standards were used in their research. If results of an experimental investigation
in human or animal subjects are reported, the manuscript should include the notation
that the institutional review board on human or animal research approved the study
and that appropriate informed consent was obtained from human subjects. If approval
by an institutional review board is not possible, then information must be included
indicating that clinical experiments conform to the principals outline by the Declaration
of Helsinki.
4. Copyright Assignment and CME Educational Objective Form (Transfer
of author copyright)
A signed copy of the Copyright Assignment and CME Educational
Objective form MUST be submitted with your manuscript. Include the title of the
article being submitted, as well as the date. When completed and signed by all contributing
authors, this form may be scanned and then uploaded as part of your manuscript submission,
faxed to (708) 492-0943, or sent to APSS, One Westbrook Corporate Center, Suite
920, Westchester, IL 60154.
5. Learning objectives
Authors should keep in mind the overall learning objectives
of the journal SLEEP. After reading each issue, readers should be able
to: 1) appraise sleep research in basic science and clinical investigation; 2) interpret
new information and updates on clinical diagnosis/treatment and apply those strategies
to their practice; 3) analyze articles for the use of sound scientific and medical
procedures; and 4) recognize the inter-relatedness/dependence of sleep medicine
with primary disciplines.
The text of the manuscript should be in the following form:
a. Title page:
This page should include the title and subtitle; full first and last names, highest
academic degrees, and institutional affiliations for all authors; the institution
at which the work was performed; disclosure of the presence OR absence of financial
support and off-label or investigational use; corresponding author's full address,
phone and fax numbers and e-mail address.
b. Abstract:
Each article must be preceded by a structured abstract. For clinical or original
investigations, the abstract is limited to 250 words. The components of this format
are (start each on a new line): Study Objectives; Design; Setting; Patients or Participants;
Interventions; Measurements and Results; Conclusions. (For any of the previously
mentioned components of the abstract not supplied, whether the information is unavailable
or not supplied, it will be published as N/A (Not Available) for continuity purposes.)
For smaller departmental articles, abstracts should not exceed 100 words. Please
provide no fewer than three but no more than ten key words that reflect the content
of your manuscript. For guidance consult the Medical Subject Headings - Annotated
Alphabetic List, published each year by the National Library of Medicine and available
in most hospital or institution libraries.
c. Introduction:
State the object of research with reference to previous work.
d. Methods:
Describe methods in sufficient detail so that the work can be duplicated, or cite
previous descriptions if they are readily available.
e. Results:
Describe results clearly, concisely, and in logical order. When possible give the
range, standard deviation, or mean error, and significance of differences between
numerical values.
f. Discussion:
Interpret the results and relate them to previous work in the field.
g. Acknowledgments:
The minimum compatible with the requirements of courtesy should be provided.
h. Legends:
Figure legends, numbered sequentially. Give the meaning of all symbols and abbreviations
used in the figure.
i. Tables:
ALL tables must be created using the table function in a word processor program
and also must conform to a one- (3.25”) or two-column (6.5”) format. Prepare each
table with a title above and any description below the table. Tables should be self-explanatory
and should not duplicate textual material. They must be numbered and cited in consecutive
order in the text, and must have a short title. Tables consisting of more than 10
columns are NOT acceptable. Previously published tables must have a signed permission
from the publisher and complete reference data so that appropriate credit can be
given.
j. References:
References should be limited to no more than 60 citations for original articles.
SLEEP complies with the reference style given in "Uniform Requirements
for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals" (see Ann Intern Med 1997;126:36-47
or online at http://www.acponline.org). Each reference should be cited in the text,
tables, or figures in consecutive numerical order by means of Arabic numerals outside
periods and commas and inside colons and semicolons. When 3 or more references
are cited at one place in the manuscript, a hyphen should be used to join the first
and last numbers of a series; commas should be used without spaces to separate other
parts of a multiple-reference citation. The reference section should be included
at the end of the text, following the sample formats given below. For abbreviations
of journal names, refer to “List of Journals Indexed in Index Medicus” (available
from the Superintendent of Documents, US Government Printing Office, Washington,
DC 20402, USA, DHEW Publication No. (NIH) 80-267; ISSN 0093-3821). Provide all authors'
names when fewer than seven; when seven or more, list the first three and add et
al. Provide article titles and inclusive pages. Accuracy of reference data is the
responsibility of the author.
Sample citations
According to our previous
work,1,3-8,19
The patients were studied as follows3,4:
Sample references
Article:
1. Meier-Ewert K, Matsubayashi K, Benter L. Propranolol:
long-term treatment in narcolepsy-cataplexy. Sleep 1985;8:95-104.
2. Carskadon MA, Dement WC. Sleep loss in elderly volunteers. Sleep 1985;8:207-21.
Book:
3. Guilleminault C, Lugaresi E, eds. Sleep/wake disorders:
natural history, epidemiology, and long-term evolution. New York: Raven Press, 1983.
Chapter of a book:
4. Coleman RM, Bliwise DL, Sajben N, et al. Epidemiology
of periodic movements during sleep. In: Guilleminault C, Lugaresi E, eds. Sleep/wake
disorders: natural history, epidemiology, and long-term evolution. New York: Raven
Press, 1983:217-30.
DETAILS OF STYLE
Drug names: Use generic names in referring to drugs; trade
names may be given in parentheses after the first mention, but the generic name
should be used thereafter.
Abbreviations: Follow the list of abbreviations given in "Uniform Requirements for
Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals" (see section on References). For additional
abbreviations, consult the Council of Biology Editors Style Manual (available from
the Council of Biology Editors, Inc., 9650 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20814) or
other standard sources.
Please provide on a separate sheet all abbreviations used with their full definition.
Each should be expanded at first mention in the text and listed parenthetically
after expansion.
FIGURES AND ILLUSTRATIONS
1. Figures should be black-and-white line drawings, professionally drawn and lettered.
Avoid the use of screens and grayscale elements within a figure.
2. Figures and illustrations should be submitted in their final size, either 3.25
inches wide or 6.5 inches wide (see #4 below), and must be clear and easily readable.
3. Photographs, either black-and-white or color, are permitted, provided they fit
the size requirements and are of high quality.
4. Most figures and illustrations should have a maximum width of 3.25 inches so
they can fit into the confines of a single column. Only illustrations of particular
importance and relevance, or figures that incorporate several smaller elements,
should appear in two-column size, which is 6.5 inches wide.
5. Figures should be of a uniform style within the manuscript; the same typeface
should be used for each figure (the font and size is Times New Roman 9 point) you
submit, and figures of the same type-such as bar graphs-should appear similar and
be proportioned to the same scale.
6. Figures will be evaluated both for scientific relevance and for design integrity,
and authors may be asked to modify figures based on either of these concerns.
7. All figures and illustrations will be reproduced in "portrait" format; SLEEP
cannot accommodate "landscape" presentation (i.e., no table or figure will be included
that requires the reader to turn the journal sideways).
8. Each figure and illustration should be numbered and cited in consecutive numerical
order within the text of the manuscript. A legend should be provided for each figure
and illustration.
9. Reproduction in color must be approved by the Editor. Authors are required to
pay a color fee for each color reproduction. The cost to the author will be $100.00
per figure/photo/illustration, and payment will be required before publication.
IDENTIFICATION OF PATIENTS
Signed statements of consent by the individual,
(parents or legal guardians for minors) the physician, and institution must accompany
a photograph if there is a possibility the subject could be identified.
REVIEW PROCESS
Editors first determine if a submitted manuscript is suitable for review and publication.
Manuscripts selected are then sent for peer-review to reviewers who are selected
based on their expertise related to the particular manuscript. After reviews are
in, a recommendation of accept, reject or revise (for further consideration) is
made by the Associate Editor to the Editor in Chief, who makes the final decision.
Manuscripts are reviewed with due respect for the author's confidentiality. At the
same time, reviewers also have rights to confidentiality, which are respected by
the editors. The editors ensure both the authors and the reviewers that the manuscripts
sent for review are privileged communications and are the private property of the
author.
When submitting a manuscript for consideration for publication, authors may suggest
the names of potential reviewers to invite and/or exclude.
EXPEDITED REVIEW PROCESS
At the option of the authors, manuscripts previously peer-reviewed by SLEEP, but
not accepted for publication may be considered for expedited review. An expedited
review will consist of an analysis by the Editor of the previous critiques returned
by SLEEP as well as an examination of the submitted manuscript. Using these documents,
an initial decision of accept, reject or revision will be made without additional
outside reviews. To obtain an expedited review, the corresponding author MUST request
this in their cover letter to the Journal and upload the critiques returned from
SLEEP with their manuscript submission. The Editor will decide whether to conduct
an expedited review or to proceed with the standard review process. If a decision
is made to conduct a standard review, the author will be so informed and given the
option to withdraw the manuscript without prejudice.
PROOFING
Once a manuscript is accepted, it will be chosen for publication in an upcoming
issue of SLEEP. Author(s) will be notified as to the assignment of their
manuscript to an issue. Prior to issue assignment however, galley proofs will be
sent to the corresponding author. These proofs will be emailed as a PDF file and
the author will be expected to return their corrections or approval of these proofs
within one week. It is the author’s responsibility to keep their account in Rapid
Review current and to notify the journal’s administrative office of any changes
in contact information after a paper has been accepted.
RESUBMSSIONS
If a manuscript is returned to the author(s) for revisions, all resubmissions must
follow the Instructions for Submitting a Manuscript and include the following:
- Both a clean copy and a redline copy of the revised submission. NOTE: If the redline
copy was created using “track changes” mode in Word, please create a PDF file of
the redline version and upload the PDF file in Rapid Review. If you are not able
to create a PDF file of your redline version, please use alternative font colors
or highlighting tools in Word to show the redlined changes – not “track changes”
mode.
- You must also upload a letter (Corresponding Author’s Rebuttal) responding to each
of the points made by the reviewers.
The deadline for submission of a revised manuscript is four months from the date
of the notice. There is no guarantee that a revised manuscript will be accepted
for publication.
REPRINTS
Upon request, ten complimentary glossy copies of the manuscript can be sent to the
corresponding author; requests must be received within 30 days of publication. To
order additional reprints, contact the editorial office for an order form. For non-author
reprints contact the editorial office or download the order form from the journal
web site.
OTHER TYPES OF SUBMISSIONS
Rapid Publication
Papers of sufficient scientific importance and interest
to the clinical and research community that warrant a rapid publication process
may be submitted under this category. The standard review and processing procedures
used by the Journal SLEEP are substantially accelerated such that a paper
will move from original submission to final acceptance in about 3 weeks and to print
publication in about 8 weeks. This process is now available to any study of major
scientific importance. Our plan is to publish such studies in 8-12 weeks from the
time of original submission with on-line availability being 3-4 weeks earlier. However,
many papers that ultimately meet the standard for publication in SLEEP
are not appropriate for rapid publication. Papers that, in the judgment of the Editor-in-Chief
or in the judgment of the appropriate Deputy Editor, do not meet this criteria will
be returned to the author without review (and may be re-submitted using the standard
publication guidelines). Rapid publication is not a mechanism to have all papers
reviewed more quickly, rather it is reserved for scientifically, highly meritorious
work and this should be respected.
Short Notes or Letters
Short notes may be a maximum of 6 double-spaced, typewritten
pages. One figure or one table may be added, and the bibliography may have a maximum
of 10 references. Letters should be 1-2 double-spaced pages at most. A maximum of
five bibliographical references is allowed.
Reviews
The Editorial Board invites reviews. The Review section
may also include summaries of symposia presentations at national or international
meetings. Editorial Board members review these invited submissions. Additions and
changes may be requested of the author to better communicate the state of the art
presented in the review. Books to be considered for review should be submitted to
the Editor-in-Chief.
CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION CREDIT
All peer-reviewed scientific papers accepted for publication in SLEEP may
be designated for Category 1 continuing medical education credit. On the Copyright
Assignment and CME Educational Objective Form, authors are asked to write a broad,
one sentence learning objective to accompany their manuscript.