Instructions to Authors
(Revised - July 2007)
Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) is a monthly journal of peer-reviewed research and news dedicated to the discussion of the impact of the environment on human health. We also publish a quarterly Chinese-language edition and occasional special issues. All scientific articles are subject to rigorous peer review. The primary criteria for publication are environmental significance and scientific quality.
Breadth of Coverage
Environmental health science and environmental medicine comprise many fields of study; therefore, EHP will consider scientific progress in all fields. Cross-fertilization and serendipity have proven to be extremely important in the advancement of science in general, and this must hold true for the environmental health sciences. EHP will consider articles from a wide range of scientific disciplines encompassing the most basic research to the most innovative technologies. Researchers concerned with mechanisms of toxicity, new approaches for detecting or remedying environmental damage, and the identification and characterization of genes involved in the manifestation of environmentally related disease are particularly encouraged to submit. EHP recognizes the vital interconnection between the environment and human health. Physicians and others working in environmental medicine are encouraged to submit reports for publication in the Environmental Medicine Section. EHP also addresses ethical, legal, social, and policy issues.
Scientific debate can lead to new research and discoveries. Opinions and ideas based on scientific observations are welcome for publication in all EHP editions. The formats available for publication include editorials and commentaries. In either format, EHP strives for objectivity and balance.
Publication Sequence
Realizing the importance of rapid publication of new findings, EHP has adopted a two-step process to expedite publication:
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EHP-in-Press: EHP publishes author-supplied unedited PDF versions of articles online generally within 24 hours of acceptance as EHP-in-Press (http://www.ehponline.org). These articles have undergone peer review and author revisions but have not been copyedited. The EHP-in-Press articles are completely citable using the assigned DOI (Digital Object Identifier) code for the article. The DOI code enables the article to be immediately referenced and establishes publication priority. The PDF version of EHP-in-Press articles will be replaced with the copyedited, formatted version as soon as possible, but importantly, the DOI code will remain with the copyedited article. In addition to the DOI code, the copyedited article will include assigned volume and page numbers that will allow full conventional citation. The final version may be slightly different as a result of the editing process, but no substantive changes will be allowed. Any substantive changes at this stage will require an erratum to be published.
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Print publication: As print journal space permits, articles will be published in order of acceptance in EHP's print edition.
Competing Financial Interests
EHP has a long-standing requirement for authors to disclose competing financial interests. Corresponding authors are required to submit with the manuscript a declaration of competing financial interests on behalf of all authors. When in doubt about the need to report, authors should always err on the side of caution and report all interests that might in any way be perceived as representing a competing financial interest. The form is available online and can be downloaded (http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/cfi.pdf). If the article is accepted for publication, the statements are published with the article disclosing either a competing financial interest, along with a brief description, or a declaration of no competing interests.
Competing financial interests may include, but are not limited to, grant support, employment (recent, present, or anticipated), patents (including pending or applied for), payment for expert testimony, and personal financial interests by the authors, immediate family members, or institutional affiliations that may gain or lose financially through publication. Increasingly, researchers are compensated through a host of financial arrangements such as travel funding, consultancies, advisory board positions, patent and royalty arrangements, stock shares, bonds, and the like. Diversified mutual funds or investment trusts do not constitute a competing financial interest. Further, authors are required to certify that their freedom to design, conduct, interpret, and publish research is not compromised by any controlling sponsor as a condition of review and publication.
In order to provide full disclosure, please include a sentence in the "Acknowledgments" of your manuscript identifying any competing financial interests, remembering that employment can be a competing financial interest. For authors employed by a for-profit organization or an advocacy group, a simple statement of employment is adequate.
Scientists are aware of the absolute necessity to maintain the personal integrity upon which science depends. It is this integrity that full disclosure of competing financial interests hopes to preserve. Therefore, it is imperative that authors and readers understand that a disclosure of a competing financial interest does not imply that the information in the article is questionable or that the conclusions are biased. Authors must also understand that the omission of a pertinent financial interest could, if later revealed, deal a severe blow to the authors' integrity and the credibility of their research.
Our full disclosure policy was established because we are mindful of our obligation to provide responsible and effective oversight to manuscripts published in the journal. We believe it is vital for EHP to ensure that information published in the journal is presented in an objective and balanced manner, and that readers have the opportunity to judge for themselves whether bias has been introduced because of any competing financial interests of the authors. EHP's policy of disclosure applies to research articles, commentaries, reviews, and correspondence. Although full disclosure is important, we believe that the decision to publish an article should not be based on a declaration of a competing financial interest.
Our requirements for full disclosure also extend to reviewers and editors, who must disclose to the editor-in-chief any competing financial interests that could be construed as affecting their evaluation of a manuscript. Reviewers and editors are not automatically disqualified because of a competing financial interest. However, reviewers or editors might be asked to recuse themselves when appropriate.
As is the case for most journals, EHP is not in the position to confirm the accuracy of disclosure statements made by our authors. We rely on the veracity of the authors, but EHP authors can expect scrutiny of their statements by EHP readers and the authors' own employers. EHP welcomes this assistance. Alleged inaccuracies of competing financial interest declarations should be addressed to the editor-in-chief.
For authors who willfully fail to disclose a competing financial interest, a 3-year ban on publication will be imposed. Implementation of the ban will be made in consultation with our editorial board. If complete disclosure of possible conflicts would have caused the journal to reject the manuscript, the article will be retracted. If the article is not retracted but an ethical omission has occurred, an Expression of Concern will be written, published in the journal, and added to the online version of the article.
Originality of Submission
Contributions submitted to any edition of EHP must be original works of the author(s) that have not been previously published (print or online) or simultaneously submitted to another publication. Submitted manuscripts are acknowledged upon receipt.
Peer Review
Three reviewers submit comments on each manuscript. Authors are strongly encouraged to submit the names and contact information (including e-mail addresses) of experts in their field of study for addition to EHP's scientific reviewer database. Each reviewer is asked to complete the review within three weeks. If a revision of the manuscript is required, the revised manuscript must be received within six weeks of the request; the submission will be cancelled at that time unless prior permission is obtained. Authors must submit the revised manuscript and a letter responding to reviewers' comments.
Publication Date of Record
Research articles accepted for publication in EHP will be appear initially as author-supplied PDF files in the EHP-in-Press section on our website (http://www.ehponline.org) within 24 hours of acceptance. The PDFs will not be corrected or copyedited. The articles will be citable using the DOI (Digital Object Identifier) code. The date the article is included on the website will be considered the publication date of record. This process substantially reduces time to publication after acceptance, thus enabling the establishment of priority. Publication in the printed journal will occur as space permits.
Page Charges
Authors will be required to pay page charges at the current rate, which is now $85.00/page. The corresponding author will receive one copy of the issue free of charge. Reprints may be ordered at the time page proofs are reviewed. Late reprint orders will incur an administrative fee. Invited articles and correspondence are not subject to page charges.
Page Proofs
Extensive changes in the manuscript cannot be made at the proof stage. Only minor changes such as spelling, grammar, and referencing are to be requested. If new information has become available after acceptance of the manuscript, an addendum in proof can be included with the permission of the editor-in-chief.
Copyrights, Reproduction, and Citations
EHP is a publication of the United States government. Publication of EHP lies in the public domain and is therefore without copyright. Research articles from EHP may be used freely; however, articles from the Environews Section of EHP may contain photographs or figures copyrighted by other commercial organizations and individuals that may not be used without obtaining prior approval from both the EHP editors and the holder of the copyright. Use of materials published in EHP should be acknowledged (for example, "Reproduced with permission from Environmental Health Perspectives"); pertinent reference information should be provided for the article from which the material was reproduced. For further information, contact EHP Permissions (ehponline@niehs.nih.gov).
Press Releases
A press release or press conference should not publicize articles submitted to EHP until the article has been published. To determine the date and coordinate press activities, contact the EHP editors (EHPEditor@niehs.nih.gov). If EHP plans a press release on an article, a copy of the text will be supplied to the authors as a courtesy.
EHP Content
Perspectives Section
The journal is a forum for the expression of carefully considered ideas and opinions based on scientific principles. Three formats are offered:
Book Reviews are short critical evaluations of recently published books. The editors select the books and the reviewers.
Correspondence is encouraged. Opinions, perspectives, and insight, commenting on articles published in EHP, are welcome. Cited EHP authors will be given the opportunity for defense and clarification in response to critical comments.
To be considered for publication, correspondence must address articles published in EHP (print version) in the previous 6 months, be brief and to the point, and may include a brief table or small figure prepared from previously published material; new data must not be included. All correspondence must be appropriately referenced. Letters should not exceed 1,000 words, including references, table, and figure (tables and figures count as 250 words each). Editing for length, clarity, and accuracy should be expected.
Because the Correspondence section is a public forum for the expression of personal opinion, the articles are not peer reviewed. Conclusions and opinions expressed do not reflect the policies or views of EHP. Correspondence is published at the discretion of the EHP editors.
Editorials offer opinions and ideas to focus attention on important areas of environmental health and to stimulate discussion of such topics. Our editors, editorial board members, and guest editors contribute these statements.
Environews Section
The Environews Section provides up-to-date information on important issues in environmental health, covering a variety of areas including but not limited to policy, legislative, and regulatory actions; innovative technologic and conceptual research advances; conference and meeting summaries; and emerging environmental problems. The Environews Section disseminates scientific and related information in a manner that is comprehensible and usable by an informed lay, medical, or scientific audience. The Environews Section comprises a variety of formats:
Forum articles are brief reports on topics such as recent research advances, scientific meetings, policy and legislative updates, and academic, industry, government, and nongovernmental organization activities in environmental health.
Focus articles are major investigative articles on a wide range of national and international environmental health topics.
Spheres of Influence articles present balanced analyses of legal, regulatory, public policy, and social aspects of environmental health.
Innovations articles describe new discoveries or approaches in environmental health research, remediation, monitoring, and public health policy.
Science Selections are brief summaries of selected research articles published in the concurrent Research Section of EHP.
Submission of News Information
EHP welcomes ideas for coverage in the Environews Section of the journal. All news items are published subject to the approval of the editor-in-chief. All suggestions for this section should be sent to ehpnews@niehs.nih.gov
Research Section
The Research Section of the journal offers five formats:
Research Articles are original manuscripts reporting scientific research and discovery in the broad field of environmental health. Original manuscripts on ethical, legal, social, and policy issues are also accepted for this section. Research articles may come from any field of scientific research, from the most basic molecular biology and biochemistry to atmospheric physics, ecology, and engineering, as well as related fields of social science and ethics.
The criteria for publication are weighted toward quality and environmental significance. Manuscripts are assessed according to their originality, scientific merit, and experimental design, and evaluated for conciseness, clarity, and presentation. Papers that do not conform to word limits will be returned to the author(s) for shortening before the review process can begin; please see "Article Length."
We consider scientific integrity as part of the review process. EHP attempts to address certain ethical problems and requires assurances that animals used in a study are treated humanely and with regard for the alleviation of suffering.
EHP will also consider manuscripts presenting data obtained from research involving human subjects. The study must have been conducted according to the Common Rule (http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/guidance/45cfr46.htm). Research on human subjects must be approved by an appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB) and comply with all relevant national, state and local regulations.
For research conducted outside the United States, and thus exempt from U.S. federal regulations, authors must perform the research according to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki (http://www.wma.net/e/policy/b3.htm).
Manuscripts submitted the fields of toxicogenomics, pharmacogenomics, proteomics, metabolomics, metabonomics, molecular epidemiology, translational aspects of genomic research, and molecular medicine must follow the guidelines based on "Minimum Information About a Microarray Experiment – MIAME," developed by the Microarray Gene Expression Data Society (http://www.mged.org/miame). On acceptance, all integral data supporting the paper's conclusions should be submitted to the ArrayExpress(http://www.ebi.ac.uk/arrayexpress) or GEO (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/) databases.
Authors must certify that they have complied with all applicable requirements mentioned above, and they must include a statement at the beginning of the "Materials and Methods" describing IRB approval, consent procedures, and that all human participants gave informed consent prior to any study.
Commentaries present information and insight on a particular topic. Commentaries should not be extended critiques of single articles appearing in EHP or elsewhere. Factual data should be included to substantiate arguments. Abstracts are required, and articles must be appropriately referenced. Commentaries are peer-reviewed to the same extent as regular research articles.
Reviews are narrowly focused articles that emphasize recent developments in a particular field of research. Lengthy historical perspectives are not appropriate.
Meeting Reports are short synopses of conferences, symposia, or workshops in which the scientific objectives and achievements of a meeting are described. Meeting Reports should not be constructed as narratives of the meeting/workshop. The report should focus on clearly presenting background information, objectives, issues, conclusions, and recommendations.
Workgroup Reports are presentations by expert scientific committees that include reviews of existing information and that summarize research findings on specific topics, present new information, and recommend methods, courses of action, or further research needs for the scientific community. Workgroup Reports should not be constructed as narratives of the meeting/workshop. The report should focus on clearly presenting background information, objectives, issues, conclusions, and recommendations.
Environmental Medicine Section
This section comprises articles on environmental causes of disease relevant to clinical practice (focused on individual health) and public health practice (focused on population and community health issues). The articles may report on the clinical manifestations, causes, and medical and nonmedical management, as well as the public health, legal, regulatory, and ethical issues surrounding environmentally related disease. Four formats exist: Reviews, Research Articles, Grand Rounds, and Case Reports. Articles that demonstrate the application of research advances to a clinical or community practice setting (translational research) are particularly encouraged.
Authors are encouraged to include public health, legal, and ethical issues.
Reviews in environmental medicine are focused articles that emphasize recent developments in a specific area of environmental medicine. Of particular interest are reviews that provide guidance on clinical approaches, community health approaches, causes and risk factors for environmental disease, and/or in-depth discussions of areas of uncertainty that could benefit from well-designed research.
Research Articles must be of original research involving human subjects. Observational epidemiologic studies and randomized clinical trials that are relevant to the clinical or public health practice of environmental medicine are particularly encouraged, as are studies from developing countries.
Grand Rounds in environmental medicine articles present discussions of case presentations of patients or community health issues of relevance to environmental exposures and environmental health. The format requires that a case scenario be presented to illustrate the environmental issues under consideration, followed by a discussion of the clinical and public health implications of these issues. Observations from developing countries are especially encouraged. Articles should be divided into an Abstract, Case Presentation, Discussion, and Conclusion.
Case Reports differ from Grand Rounds articles in that the diagnosis pertaining to the clinical presentation is not necessarily conclusive. Instead, evidence for an environmental etiology may be indirect: for example, a case report of hepatitis that is suspected to be related to a chemical that had not been previously linked with hepatitis. Similar to Grand Rounds, Case Reports should include an Abstract, Case Presentation, Discussion, and Conclusion.
Children’s Health Section
Children have unique vulnerability to environmental factors, and EHP is a pioneer in the dissemination of information on children's environmental health issues. This section contains contributions covering environmental science, toxicology, risk assessment and management, pediatric environmental medicine, social sciences, and legal and regulatory issues. Basic and applied research is reported in this section in the form of Commentaries, Reviews, Research Articles, Meeting Reports, and Workgroup Reports.
Announcements Section
Announcements include a calendar of upcoming events such as conferences, workshops, and public hearings. Appropriate listings are made for industrial, academic, regulatory, and legal activities. This section also includes fellowship announcements, grant announcements, positions available, and a book review.
EHP Chinese-Language Edition
EHP has expanded its international presence by establishing a quarterly Chinese-language edition. This edition includes original and previously published Environews articles translated into Chinese. It also includes Editorials written by scientists directly involved in research in the Chinese-speaking areas of the world.
Manuscript Preparation and Submission
EHP covers all disciplines engaged in the broad field of environmental health sciences. Authors should therefore write in a clear and simple manner, avoiding unnecessary jargon, so that the article is understandable to readers in other disciplines.
Conformance to EHP Style Requirements
Manuscripts submitted to EHP must conform to all EHP style requirements. Authors should take special note of requirements for citations/references, figures, and tables. Manuscripts that do not conform will be returned to the authors for modification before the initiation of the peer review process. This step will cause a significant delay in the publication of the manuscript.
The authors must ensure that the final PDF supplied to EHP is accurate. Once the manuscript is accepted, the PDF will be published online generally within 24 hours after acceptance. Any substantive changes after this stage will require an erratum to be published.
Manuscript Preparation
Manuscripts must be written in the active voice and be typed double-spaced in English. Number pages consecutively, beginning with the title page. Numbering of lines is preferred but not required. The reference list, tables, and figure legends should begin on separate pages and should also be double-spaced.
Page one: The first page should list title, authors (first or second names spelled out in full), full address of the institution where the work was performed, and affiliation of each author. Titles should not exceed 20 words and should generally not contain abbreviations or numerical values. Indicate the author to whom page proofs should be sent, and include complete address for express mail service, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail address.
Page two: 1) Place a running title, not to exceed 50 characters and spaces, on this page. 2) List on this page 5–10 key words for indexing purposes. 3) Include acknowledgments and grant information, not to exceed 50 words. 4) Include a list of all abbreviations with definitions used in the manuscript. Nomenclature and symbols should conform to the recommendations of the American Chemical Society or the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry.
Page three: Provide an outline of section headers (i.e., abstract, introduction, methods, etc.) on this page. This outline will facilitate copyediting and manuscript layout.
Page four: All articles must include a structured abstract, which is not to exceed 250 words and should not include references. No information should be reported in the abstract that does not appear in the text of the manuscript. Recommended headings used in the structured abstracts vary by article type.
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For Commentaries: Background, Objectives, Discussions, and Conclusions
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For Reviews: For Reviews: Objective, Data Sources, Data Extraction, Data Synthesis, and Conclusions
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For Research Articles: Background, Objectives, Methods, Results, and Conclusions (with an exception for Environmental Medicine articles: Objective, Design, Participants, Evaluations/Measurements, Results, Conclusions, and Relevance to Clinical or Professional Practice)
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For Grand Rounds Articles or Case Reports: Context (the relevance to environmental exposures and environmental health), Case Presentation, Discussion, and Relevance to Clinical or Professional Practice.
Page five and subsequent pages: Text should begin on the fifth page. Concise headings (not to exceed eight words) may be used to designate major sections. Recommended headings, where appropriate, are "Materials and Methods," "Results," "Discussion" or "Conclusion," and "References." Do not include tables and figures in the text. Place them after the References section.
Article Length
Submissions should not exceed the following limits: Editorials, 1,000 words; Correspondence, 1,000 words; Commentaries, 5,000 words; Reviews, 10,000 words; Research Articles, 7,000 words; Meeting Reports, 5,000 words; Workgroup Reports, 8,000 words. All limits include references, tables, and figures. The "Case Presentation" in Grand Rounds and Case Report articles should be less than 1,000 words, and the remainder of the paper should not exceed 5,000 words, including tables, figures, and references. Visual images (e.g., X rays, microscopic pathology) or other graphics are encouraged. In determining the word count for all submissions, assume that each figure and table accounts for 250 words of the total word count.
References/Citations/Footnotes
References and citations should be formatted according to EHP style (examples provided below). This will reduce copyediting time and the number of author queries included in page proofs. Authors should double-check all references for accuracy and completeness of information, spelling, accents, symbols, subscripts and superscripts, and italics. Authors are fully responsible for the accuracy of their references. Check the final draft to make sure citations and references match. Any manuscript that is not properly formatted will be returned to the author for correction before review.
Footnotes
Do not use footnotes; instead, place all textual information within the manuscript and all citations/references in the proper form.
Citations
All citations must be placed in name/date form. Place the citation immediately after the textual information cited, placing name and date within parentheses without a comma.
Single author: (Burkholder 1998)
Two authors: (Burkholder and Glasgow 1997)
Three or more authors: Use first author's name plus "et al." (Burkholder et al. 2001).
Different first authors but same last name and date: Use first author's last name plus initial(s) (Smith A 2000; Smith J 2000)
Several sources cited at one time: List publications alphabetically by author in the citation. Separate publications by the same author(s) with commas and those by different authors with semicolons: (Burkholder and Glasgow 1997a, 1997b; Peal 1975; Wee 1997).
Quotations: Provide references for any quotations used in the text. For example:
According to Rubin et al. (2001), "it is only with a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach that the environmental and public health significance of Pfiesteria will be fully understood."
All manuscripts submitted but not yet accepted, unpublished data, and personal communications—any items that must be cited but are not accessible to the public—must appear in the text in parentheses but should not be listed in the references: (Ramsdell JS, Moeller PDR, personal communication); (Glasgow HB, unpublished data).
References
Authors are fully responsible for the accuracy of their references. The list of references should begin on a separate page. All references must include
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Author/editor last name plus initials (for six or fewer authors; if there are more than six authors, use "et al." after the sixth) or authoring agency
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Year of publication
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Full title of article or chapter (lower case)
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Title of journal (abbreviated according to Biosis or Index Medicus) or book/proceedings in title case
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City/state/country of publication and name of publisher
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Volume and inclusive page numbers
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DOI number, if available.
If you are uncertain what to include, please include all information.
List references alphabetically by the last name of the first author. If the first author has more than one publication, list references in alphabetical order (letter by letter) of subsequent authors. If the first author shares the last name with another first author (Smith JM vs. Smith RB), alphabetize by initials. If you list more than one publication by the same author/group of authors, arrange publications by date, early to late. If you list more than one publication published in the same year by the same author/group of authors, use a, b, c, d, and so on to distinguish the publications.
Sample alphabetical list:
Burkholder JM. 1998. Implications of harmful marine microalgae and heterotrophic dinoflagellates in management of sustainable marine fisheries. Ecol Appl 8(suppl): S37–S62.
Burkholder JM, Glasgow HB. 1997a. Pfiesteria piscicida and other Pfiesteria-like dinoflagellates: behavior, impacts, and environmental controls. Limnol Oceanogr 42:1052–1075.
Burkholder JM, Glasgow HB. 1997b. Trophic controls on stage transformations of a toxic ambush-predator dinoflagellate. J Eukaryot Microbiol 44:200–205.
Burkholder JM, Glasgow HB. In press. Toxic Pfiesteria in North Carolina estuaries from 1991 to the present. BioScience.
Burkholder JM, Glasgow HB, Lewitus AJ. 1998. Physiological ecology of Pfiesteria piscicida with general comments of "ambush-predator" dinoflagellates. In: Physiological Ecology of Harmful Algae (Anderson DM, Cembella A, Hallegraeff GM, eds). NATO ASI Series G: Ecological Sciences, Vol 41. Berlin:Springer-Verlag, 175–191.
Burkholder JM, Mallin MA, Glasgow HB, Larsen LM, McIver MR, Shank GC, et al. 1997. Impacts to a coastal river an estuary from rupture of a large swine waste holding lagoon. J Environ Qual 26:1451–1466.
Types of references:
Journal article—conventional reference only
Burkholder JM, Glasgow HB. 1997. Pfiesteria piscicida and other Pfiesteria-like dinoflagellates: behavior, impacts, and environmental controls. Limnol Oceanogr 42:1052–1075.
Journal article—DOI reference only
Hightower JM. Mercury levels in high-end consumers of fish. Environ Health Perspect doi:10.1289/EHP.5901 [Online 1 November 2002].
Journal article—conventional reference and DOI reference
Hu Y, Ippolito JE, Garabedian EM, Humphrey PA, Gordon JI. 2002. Molecular characterization of a metastatic neuroendocrine cell cancer rising in the prostates of transgenic mice. J Biol Chem 277:44462–44474; doi: 10.1074/jbc.M205784200 [Online 11 September 2002].
Journal article, "in press"
Turusov V, Rakitsky V, Tomatis L. In press. Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT); ubiquity, persistence, and risks. Environ Health Perspect.
Journal article, anonymous author
[Anonymous.] 1998. New source of fish fears. Environ Health Perspect 106:A425–A426.
Journal article in non-English language
Rateau JG, Broillard M, Morgant G, Aymard P. 1986. Etude experimental chez le lapin de l'effet de la cholestyramine dans le traitement des diarrhees infectieuses d'orgine cholerique [in French]. Actualite Therapeut 22: 289–296.
Magazine article
Grant M. 1997. The cell from hell. People, 19 May: 101–103.
Newspaper article
Clabby C. 2001. Study details how centuries of fishing depleted sea life. News and Observer (Raleigh, NC) 27 July: B1.
Chapter in edited book
Wen L-S, Shiller A, Santschi PH, Gill G. 1999. Trace element behavior in Gulf of Mexico estuaries. In: Biogeochemistry of Gulf of Mexico Estuaries (Bianchi TS, Pennock JR, Twilley RR, eds). New York:John Wiley and Sons, 303–346.
Chapter in edited series
Burkholder JM, Glasgow HB, Lewitus AJ. 1998. Physiological ecology of Pfiesteria piscicida with general comments of "ambush-predator" dinoflagellates. In: Physiological Ecology of Harmful Algae (Anderson DM, Cembella A, Hallegraeff GM, eds). NATO ASI Series G: Ecological Sciences, Vol 41. Berlin:Springer-Verlag, 175–191.
Agency monograph
IARC. 1982. Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate. IARC Monogr Eval Carcinog Risks Hum 29:269–294.
Book
Luna LG. 1968. Manual of Histopathologic Staining Methods of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology. 3rd ed. New York:McGraw-Hill.
Book, edited
Gross TL, Ihrke PJ, Walder EJ, eds. 1992. Veterinary Dermatopathology. St. Louis, MO:Mosby Year Book.
Agency as author
NCDENR. 1999. Annual Report of Fish Kill Events. Raleigh, NC:North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Proceedings
Tiran B, Rossipal E, Tiran A, Lorenz O. 1993. Selenium and iodine concentration in human milk and milk formulas in Styria, Austria. In: Proceedings of the Conference on Trace Elements in Man and Animals: TEMA 8, 16–21 May 1993, Dresden, Germany. Gersdorf, Germany:Verlag Media Touristik, 1058–1061.
Technical paper
NTP. 1998. Toxicology and Carcinogenesis Studies of Diethanolamine (CAS No. 111-42-2) in F344/N Rats and B6C3F1 Mice (Dermal Studies). Technical Report 478. Research Triangle Park, NC:National Toxicology Program.
Dissertation/thesis
Xi D. 1996. Mechanisms of Maitotoxin and Domoic Acid Action to Elevate Cytosolic Free Calcium [PhD Thesis]. Charleston, SC:Medical University of South Carolina.
Software manual
SAS Institute, Inc. 2001. SAS/STAT Guide for Personal Computers, Version 8. Cary, NC:SAS Institute, Inc.
Website
U.S. EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). 2004. Integrated Risk Information System. Available: http://www.epa.gov/iriswebp/iris/ [accessed 1 October 2004].
Abstract
Levin E, Simon B, Schmechel D, Glasgow HB Jr, Deamer-Melia N, Burkholder J, et al. 1998. Learning deficits in rats after Pfiesteria exposure [Abstract]. Toxicol Sci 42:37.
Federal regulation
U.S. EPA. 1998. National Primary Drinking Water Regulations: Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment; Final Rule. Fed Reg 63:69477–69521.
Emission Guidelines and Compliance Times for Hospital/Medical/Infectious Waste Incinerators. 2001. Waste Management Guidelines. 40CFR60.35e.
Executive order; federal regulation
Clinton WJ. 2000. Executive Order 13148. Greening of the Government Through Leadership in Environmental Management. Fed Reg 65:24595–24606.
U.S. government document
U.S. EPA. 1999. What You Should Know about Fish Lesions. CBP/TRS229/99. Washington, DC:U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
State document
State of Maryland. 1998. Water Quality Improvement Act of 1998. Annapolis, MD:General Assembly.
Law
Food Quality Protection Act of 1996. 1996. Public Law 104-170.
Court case
Les v. Reilly. 1992. Case No. 91–70234, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, San Francisco, CA.
Tables
Each table must begin on a separate page. Tables should be numbered with Arabic numerals, followed by a brief title (not to exceed 25 words). When setting up tables, do not use table layouts; type tables as text and use tabs to align the columns. Tables should contain no more than three layers of column headings, and the entire table should fit on one journal page or less. List abbreviations and definitions under each table. General footnotes to tables should be indicated by lowercase superscript letters beginning with "a" for each table. Footnotes indicating statistical significance should be identified by asterisks (*, **) and number signs (#, ##). Type footnotes directly after the abbreviations.
Figures
Figure legends should be typed on one page using Microsoft Word; this page should precede the figures and be submitted electronically in a single file at the end of the text. If you have questions or problems complying with these instructions, contact EHP (EHPmanuscripts@niehs.nih.gov).
All letters, numbers, symbols, and lines should be clearly legible and differentiable. Provide a key defining all representational elements (dotted/dashed lines, symbols, asterisks, error bars, etc.) for each figure. All axes should be clearly labeled, giving both the measure and the unit of measurement where applicable. No lines of demarcation or measurement should appear inside the graph itself, only on the axes. Consistency among terms and styles used in figures is desirable. Photomicrographs should include a scale bar in each image, and the length (e.g., 10 µm) should be specified in the typed figure legend.
Format Checklist
Manuscripts should include these sections in this order:
Title
Authors
Authors' affiliations
Name and address of corresponding author
Acknowledgments/disclaimers
Short running head
Key words
Abbreviations
Outline of manuscript section headers
Abstract
Introduction
Materials and Methods
Results
Discussion
Conclusions
References
Tables
Figure legends
Figures
Supplemental Material
Material suitable for inclusion as online documentation, such as kinetic studies, is welcome. Contact
EHP for instructions regarding submission (
EHPmanuscripts@niehs.nih.gov).
Submission of Manuscripts
Initial Submission
A single PDF should be sent including text, tables, and figures, with particular attention paid to minimizing and optimizing graphics (i.e., image size includes file dimensions and resolution). File size should not exceed 5 MB, preferably less than 1 MB. Graphics must fit standard letter size paper (8.5 
11 inches) or smaller. Line graphs generally provide acceptable images at 72–100 dpi. Photographs seldom require greater than 300 dpi; if optimized generally 100 dpi is acceptable. (Higher resolution images of photographs will be required if the manuscript is accepted for publication.) Figures must be identifiable in the PDF file. If there are questions about preparing PDF files, please contact the journal.
Manuscripts may be submitted in one of four ways:
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Online submission is strongly encouraged (https://www-apps.niehs.nih.gov/ehpsubmit/home.cfm).
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E-mail the manuscript file, the competing financial interest form, and a separate cover letter to: EHPSubmit@niehs.nih.gov.
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Mail one hard copy of the cover letter, the competing financial interest form, the manuscript, and a CD with the electronic version
Editor-in-Chief
Environmental Health Perspectives
National Institute of Environmental
Health Sciences
Mail Drop EC-15
PO Box 12233
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 USA
If you do not have access to Acrobat software, you may submit your manuscript as a Word file; we will convert the file to PDF. However, because of potential conversion problems, we cannot guarantee complete accuracy in the electronic copy that is sent for review.
Online submission of papers will expedite the entire review process between authors, expert reviewers, and EHP editors. Authors may continue to submit papers to EHP by one of the other three methods, but processing will necessarily be slower.
Submission of Revised Manuscript
After the review process is completed, EHP will e-mail the corresponding author the reviewer's comments. If EHP requests revisions or accepts the manuscript at this point, please submit all of the following:
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All text, tables, and figure legends in one electronic file (Microsoft Word). Make sure that any symbols and/or equations correctly appear on printed copies and that that all figures and tables are called out in the body text in numerical order
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Each figure as a separate file at 300 dpi, TIFF, JPEG, or EPS format. Do not embed figures in word processing file (see below for specific figure formats)
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A PDF file that includes the entire manuscript with all tables and figures (see the EHP-in-Press distiller preferences below). Each figure must be labeled on the front with the figure number. This is the file that will be published online if the manuscript is accepted. It will be published exactly as you submit it. No copyediting or manipulating of the file will be done at EHP
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A cover letter with responses to the reviewers' comments
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Three hard copies of the manuscript and figures.
Online submission of revised manuscripts is strongly encouraged. You will also need to mail three hard copies of the manuscript and figures to EHP.
OR
Mail three hard copies of the cover letter, manuscript and figures with a CD containing all of the electronic files. Please label the CD with your last name, the title of the manuscript, the EHP manuscript number and the operating system and word processing software versions used.
Figure Format Requirements (for Revised Manuscripts)
Format all figures in Macintosh format (if possible) and indicate the type of software used to create the figures.
Electronic images should be in TIFF or JPEG format at a resolution of 300 dpi or higher for color and grayscale images, and 600 dpi or higher for line art (black-and-white art). JPEG files should be saved on the "highest quality" setting. Color images should be RGB and saved at 8 bits per channel, minimum. Figures may be reduced or enlarged to fit our layouts, so sufficient resolution is essential.
Vector images should be saved as editable EPSs. Any images embedded in the EPS should also be included on the disk in a separate file. Do not convert text to path outlines before submission.
Required Cover Letter
In your cover letter, identify the EHP edition (monthly or Chinese-language) or EHP section (Environmental Medicine or Children's Health) for which the manuscript should be considered. Also please provide:
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Assurances that the manuscript is a) an original work, b) has not been previously published, and c) is not under consideration for publication elsewhere
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A statement that all animals used in the research have been treated humanely according to institutional guidelines, with due consideration to the alleviation of distress and discomfort; the identity of the source of those guidelines must be provided
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A statement that participation of human subjects did not occur until after informed consent was obtained
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Confirmation that all authors have disclosed any potential competing financial interests regarding the submitted article and what they are (required Competing Financial Interest Declaration form: http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/cfi.pdf)
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Written permission from copyright holder (usually the publisher) to reproduce figures, tables, questionnaires, or a substantial block of text in both print and electronic form
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A statement indicating that a) all authors have read the manuscript, b) agree that the work is ready for submission to a journal, and c) they accept responsibility for the manuscript's contents
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The names of possible reviewers for the manuscript, including e-mail addresses of the potential reviewers
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Information on the software programs used, the file names, and the number of tables and figures for each submission (see "Files and Formats" for electronic file requirements). Inquiries may be made by calling 919-541-3406 or by sending a fax to 919-541-0273.
Manuscript Processing
All manuscripts will be sent to three expert reviewers and returned to EHP by electronic transmission to accelerate the peer review process. After editorial consideration, a decision letter and reviewers' comments will be e-mailed to authors.
Be aware that, if the revised article is accepted, the PDF version will be published online within 24 hours of acceptance (http://www.ehponline.org). After acceptance, the PDF version will be assigned a completely citable DOI (Digital Object Identifier) code. The PDF file of the article will be included in the EHP-in-Press section of our website.
Electronic material will be converted at EHP to a desktop publishing format and copyedited. The copyedited version, with embedded author queries, will be converted to a PDF version for electronic transmission of page proofs to authors. The authors can use free Acrobat Reader software (http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/alternate.html), available over the Internet, to proof the material.
Authors should return corrected page proofs by fax or overnight mail. A list of itemized changes and their locations must accompany the page proofs or be sent by e-mail.
The PDF version of EHP-in-Press articles will be replaced with the copyedited and stylized version as soon as possible but, importantly, the DOI code will remain with the copyedited article. In addition to the DOI code, the copyedited article will have assigned volume and page numbers that will allow full conventional citation. The final versions may be slightly different as a result of the editing process but there will be no substantive changes allowed. Any substantive changes at this stage will require an erratum to be published.
Articles will be published in the print version in order of acceptance as journal space permits.
Acrobat Distiller Preferences for Preparing PDFs for EHP-in-Press
Software Required: Adobe Acrobat Distiller 5.0 or later
Security Settings: Passwords should not be set in the document.
Permissions (the following should be checked):
Enable Content Access for the Visually Impaired
Allow Content Copying and Extraction
Changes Allowed: General Editing, Command and Form Field Authoring
Printing: Fully Allowed
Job Options:
General:
File Options:
Compatibility: Acrobat 5.0 (PDF 1.4)
Optimized For Fast Web View
Distill Pages: All
Binding: Left
Resolution: 300 dpi
Default Page Size:
Units: Inches
Width: 8.5
Height: 11
Compression:
Color Images:
Bicubic Downsampling to 300 dpi for images above 450 dpi
Compression: Automatic
Quality: Medium
Grayscale Images:
Bicubic Downsampling to 300 dpi for images above 450 dpi
Compression: Automatic
Quality: Medium
Monochrome Images:
Bicubic Downsampling to 300 dpi for images above 450 dpi
Compression: CCITT Group 4
Compress Text and Line Art (checked)
Fonts:
Embed All Fonts
Subset Embedded Fonts When Percent of Characters Used is Less Than 100%
Color:
Settings File: U.S. Prepress Defaults
Device-Dependent Data:
Preserve Overprint Settings
Preserve Under Color Removal and Black Generation
Preserve Transfer Functions
Advanced (only check the following options):
Options:
Allow PostScript File to Override Job Options
Preserve Level 2 copypage Semantics
Illustrator Overprint Mode
Convert Gradients to Smooth Shades
Document Structuring Conventions (DSC):
Process DSC Comments
Resize Page and Center Artwork for EPS Files
Preserve Document Information from DSC
