Manuscript Requirements

• Submit no more than 2 figures.
• Color as well as black-and-white images are accepted; colors may be changed during the editing process.
• Submit the file in the file format in which it was created. In other words, if you created a flow chart in Word, then submit the flow chart as a Word doc; if you created a graph in Excel, then submit the graph as an Excel file, and so on. Failing to submit a figure in the correct format will delay publication of your article.
• Upload the files as separate documents from the main text. Do not insert any figures (eg, graphs, charts) into the main (Microsoft Word) text document.
• Figures appear in the order that they are cited in the text.
• All figures will be edited according to the AMA Manual of Style.
• These are the file types PCD accepts for graphics:

• • Microsoft Word (flow charts, timelines, logic models, other simple visuals that consist primarily of text). These figures must be created in Word and submitted as a Word document; content for these figures cannot be pasted into Word from other sources.
  • Microsoft PowerPoint (flow charts, timelines, logic models, other simple visuals that consist primarily of text). These figures must be created in PowerPoint and submitted as a PowerPoint document; content for these figures cannot be pasted into PowerPoint from other sources.
  • Microsoft Excel (line graph, bar graph). Make sure that the graph is linked to the data used to create it. Do not insert Excel charts or graphs into any other kind of file (eg, PowerPoint, Word) or convert them into other types of files (JPG, PDF, TIF, etc).
  • Adobe Illustrator (.ai file extension) — for charts, graphs, maps, and other complicated visuals.
  • Adobe Encapsulated PostScript (.eps file extension) — for charts, graphs, maps, and other complicated visuals.
  • We also can use files with the file extension .svg or .drw for charts, graphs, maps, and other complicated visuals.
  • All maps should be submitted as vector-based files (extensions .ai, .eps, .svg, .drw) formatted to fit a standard 8.5 in x 11 in portrait layout.
  • High-resolution JPG and TIF files should be used for photographs only.
• Some Mac files may need to be converted into PC format, which is what we work in at PCD. To determine if you need to convert a file, first check the application used to make the figure. If the figure was created using Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Power Point), no conversion is needed. Similarly, no conversion is needed for files created in Adobe (Photoshop, Illustrator, PDF files), but be sure the Adobe file name includes the correct file extension (for example, .ai, .psd) so it will open on a PC.

Figure Type	File Type Accepted
Graph or chart created in Excel	Excel
Graph or chart not created in Excel	.ai .eps .svg
Simple flow chart timeline logic model figure consisting primarily of text and text boxes	Word PowerPoint
Complex flow chart timeline logic model figure consisting of text and images	.ai .eps .svg
Map or other complicated image	.ai .eps .svg
Photograph	High-resolution JPG High-resolution TIF

 

• Write a title and caption for each figure. A caption is the text that follows the figure title. A caption is not a key, so it should not be placed in the graphic itself. Captions describe and clarify the figure; they are written in sentence format and should provide sufficient detail to make the figure comprehensible without reference to the text. The maximum length is 40 words. Identify the source of the data in the caption. Place the title and caption as text in the manuscript text document after the paragraph in which the figure is first mentioned.
• Beneath each caption in the manuscript text document, place the alternative text for the visually impaired. This alternative text will appear on a separate web page from the main article. For bar charts and line graphs, provide the data in table format. For photographs or other similar illustrations, provide a short text description of the image. For flow charts, logic models, or similar diagrams, provide a text description. Maps can use either a text or tabular description. Please see figures in PCD articles for examples of alternative text.
• Identify all variables and units of measure.
• Symbols, letters, and numbers should be clear and legible.
• Place figure key in the figure.
• Label x-axis and y-axis clearly and consistently. For examples, see the AMA Manual of Style, pages 98–116.
• Publishers of figures included in the manuscript and previously published (or adapted from previously published figures) must provide signed consent to the authors to publish this information in PCD.  Authors are responsible for obtaining permission to reprint.
• Consult the AMA Manual of Style for further guidance on how to properly construct and present a figure.

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Appendices

• PCD discourages the use of appendices and other supplemental files.
• Appendices must be independent documents and should not be used to accommodate information that is essential to the text, additional references, or tables and figures in excess of the number allowed for the article type.
• For information that is already available online, provide a URL instead of an appendix.
• PCD technical editors will make the final decision on whether to include supplementary items at the time of publication. Final acceptance of a manuscript for publication does not guarantee publication of the accompanying appendices and other supplemental files.
• Appendices and supplemental files are subject to editing by PCD editors.

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P values

• Report exact numbers for P values (eg, P = .03); do not express P values as inequalities (eg, P < .05).
• Report P values ≥.01 to two digits past the decimal point, regardless of significance (eg, P = .31, P = .04, P = .01).
• If P < .01, express to three digits past the decimal point.
• If P < .001, express as P < .001.
• Do not express P values as numbers with more than three decimal places.
• P values cannot equal 0 or 1.
• Refer to the AMA Manual of Style for more detailed information on reporting P values correctly.

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Use of first person

We encourage authors to use the pronouns I and we as well as the active voice.

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Verb tense

The past tense is typically used to narrate past events, such as the procedures used to carry out a study. The present tense is used for generally accepted facts, authors’ conclusions, and the conclusions of previous researchers. Generally, most of the abstract, methods, and results are in past tense, and most of the introduction and some of the discussion are in present tense. For a discussion of the proper use of verb tense in scientific publications, please refer to the AMA Manual of Style.

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Footnotes

Do not use footnotes except in tables. Indicate footnotes in tables with superscripted lowercase letters (eg, ^a, ^b, ^c, ^d).

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Race, national origin, and ethnicity

PCD follows the guidelines of the Office of Management and Budget, which published standards (October 30, 1997) for collecting data on race and ethnicity. Five races and two categories of ethnicity are listed.

Races:

American Indian or Alaska Native

Asian

Black or African American

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

White

Ethnicities:

Hispanic or Latino

Not Hispanic or Latino

American Indian
An American Indian is one whose origins are in any of the original people of North, Central, or South America (except Alaska) and who maintains cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community attachment. Whenever possible, specify the nation or peoples (eg, Navajo, Nez Perce, Inuit) rather than use the more general term.

Alaska Native, Alaskan
An Alaska Native is one whose origins are in any of the original peoples of Alaska and who maintains cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community attachment. An Alaskan is anyone who was born in Alaska or who is a long-term resident of Alaska.

Asian
An Asian is one whose origins are in any of the original people of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, The Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.

black, African American
A black person or African American is one whose origins are in any of the black racial groups of Africa. If appropriate, specific terms such as Haitian or Bahamian may also be used. When discussing scientific data, use the term that was used when the research (the source of the data) was being conducted. Note that black is not capitalized (nor is white).

Pacific Islander
A Pacific Islander is one whose origins are in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific islands. Other terms such as Native Hawaiian may also be used.

white
A white person is one whose origins are in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa. Note that white is not capitalized (nor is black).

Hispanic, Latino
A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race, is Hispanic. The term Spanish origin may also be used.

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