Thank you for your interest in submitting a manuscript to the Health Environments Research & Design Journal (HERD). Please take a moment to review the attached information and guidelines for researching, writing, and formatting your paper.
HERD features evidence-based articles and research papers on the relationships among health and environmental design and organizational, provider, and patient outcomes. As a translational journal linking research to practice, HERD features both rigorous research from academic sources and applied research from practice. Papers on research methods and techniques, theory papers, integrative and synthesized reviews of literature, case studies, and critical reviews of new books are accepted. Letters to the editor commenting on published articles or research and theory issues are welcome.
HERD accepts a range of manuscripts including research papers, opinion papers, theory papers, meta-analysis/metasynthesis, book reviews, case studies, independent post-occupancy evaluations, letters to the editors, and responses to letters/papers.
HERD publishes only original works. Manuscripts must not have been previously published and must not be under consideration by another publication. We also retain all rights to works published in print and online. All authors listed on a submitted manuscript must sign and return a Copyright Transfer Form when the manuscript is submitted.
HERD is a refereed journal. Authors are urged to seek colleague peer review before submitting their manuscripts. Poorly written or formatted manuscripts will not be sent for peer review.
Manuscript content is assessed for relevance, accuracy, and usefulness to those in healthcare and design settings. Manuscripts will be blind reviewed by two or three peer reviewers, depending on the type of paper. Authors will receive a summary of reviewer comments and recommendations for revision, and the editors' final recommendation.
Authors are also responsible for obtaining written permission to adapt or reprint all material to which they do not hold the copyright (i.e., which they did not create themselves or which has been previously published), including art (figures and tables) and significant textual quotations (exceeding 100 words). Please note that this permission covers reproduction in print and for the online issues of HERD. A form for this purpose can be obtained here.
Papers must adhere to the style and format described in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA), Sixth Edition (2010) in all respects, except the title page. The title page should contain the following information: title of article; name, degrees, title, and affiliation of each author in the order of authorship; telephone and e-mail for corresponding author; acknowledgment of funding or other support (financial and otherwise); key words; and running head. Authors are also strongly encouraged to review back issues of the journal for examples of the various styles they may use to present their research.
GENERAL STYLE AND FORMAT
Manuscript length depends on the type of article, but in general, the text should be no more than 18-20 pages exclusive of the title page, abstract, references, tables, and figures. Manuscripts must be double-spaced in 8-½ x 11-inch format in 12-point Times New Roman font with 1-inch margins.
All pages should be numbered consecutively and include continuous line numbering. (To insert continuous line numbering into a Word document, first click on the “Page Layout” tab at the top, next click on “Line Numbers,” then select and click on “Continuous” on the menu.)
The title page, abstract, manuscript (with CAPITALIZED pull-out quotes), and references are each submitted as separate files. Each figure and each table must be submitted in a separate, individual file. The author(s) name(s) must not appear anywhere in the abstract or manuscript. In addition, for all article types, please identify key words that describe the primary content areas of the paper.
Article Types, Abstracts, and Recommended Lengths
(Note: Key words for indexing are required for all manuscripts.)
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Research paper-4,500 to 7,000 words:
The abstract should not exceed 250 words, with five headings: (1) Objective, (2) Background, (3) Methods, (4) Results, and (5) Conclusions. Research studies can be qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methodology and must include in the text statements of approval from institutional review boards (IRBs) and discuss methods for protecting human subjects' rights or methods of protecting animals (see below). A copy or pdf of the IRB approval should be submitted as a separate file when submitting your manuscript.
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Theory paper-4,500 to 7,000 words:
The abstract should not exceed 250 words, with four headings: (1) aim or purpose of the paper, (2) background, (3) topical headings, and (4) conclusions/recommendations. This type of paper presents a review of theoretical or conceptual models that explain variables of interest, scholarly white papers or manuscripts about healthcare or design innovations, or specific challenges to improve outcomes.
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Meta-analysis/metasynthesis-4,500 to 7,000 words:
The abstract should not exceed 250 words, and the manuscript should synthesize all studies pertinent to the topic and have a summarizing conclusion.
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Book review-600 to 1,200 words:
Book reviews present a scholarly review of a book and your impression of its value to practitioners.
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Case study-1,500 to 3,000 words:
The abstract should not exceed 200 words. Case studies should evaluate a particular methodology in healthcare or healthcare settings.
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Methodology paper-1,900 to 3,000 words:
Manuscripts should focus on qualitative or quantitative research methods for knowledge development or methods for translating existing research into practice for evidence-based design. Please submit your topic of interest in a query letter to either co-editor. (Contact information is found at the end of these guidelines.)
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Independent post-occupancy evaluation-1,500 to 3,000 words:
The abstract should not exceed 200 words. Independent post-occupancy evaluations should be third-party evaluations of the strengths or weaknesses of built facilities intended to improve the design of future facilities.
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Letters to the Editors:
Please send all letters to the editors to editors@herdjournal.com. These submissions are not handled through the Editorial Manager system.
Author Agreements: Copyright Transfer, Disclosures of Conflicts of Interest, Photo License Agreements and Permission to Reproduce Photos/Illustrations
Authors will be asked to sign an agreement transferring copyright to the Vendome Group, LLC (publisher). No article can be published unless accompanied by a signed Copyright Transfer Form. Only original papers will be accepted and copyright in published papers will be vested in the publisher.
In addition to signing an agreement transferring copyright to the Vendome Group, LLC (publisher) and a disclosure form for any potential conflicts of interest, it is also the author's responsibility to secure permission for the use of photos or illustrations that come from another source through the Photo License Agreement Form.
It is also the author's responsibility to obtain written permission to reproduce material that has appeared in another publication, including the author's own writings that may have been previously published. Please note: If portions of your paper or article have been published elsewhere, the copyright belongs to that publisher or organization, even though you are the author. If you wish to use any or all of that content in your HERD submission, you must obtain written permission to reproduce those excerpts. The relevant permission forms may be obtained here or at www.editorialmanager.com/herd under Copyright Release.
It is also the author's responsibility to secure permission for the use of photos or illustrations that come from another source. The relevant permission form may be obtained here or www.editorialmanager.com/herd.
All relevant forms should be submitted concurrent with initial manuscript submission.
Notice of Vendome's Compliance with NIH Grants and Contracts Policy
In April 2008, a federal law was passed mandating that all articles funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) be submitted to PubMed Central within 12 months of publication. While Vendome permits such use and allows for it in its Copyright Transfer Form, it remains the responsibility of the author(s) to fulfill this legal obligation. For information on how to do this, please see the NIH Policy on Public Access at http://publicaccess.nih.gov/. If your study or manuscript was funded by NIH, please mention the NIH award and grant number in an acknowledgment.
Disclosures of Conflicts of Interest
Authors must disclose all relationships that can be viewed as potential conflicts of interest. Potential conflicts of interest include a financial or personal relationship that influences a study's outcome or leads to bias. Authors should identify individuals who provide writing assistance and disclose the funding source for this assistance. All contributing authors to HERD must complete the disclosure of conflicts of interest form issued by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors and submit it with their copyright transfer form. Both forms should be completed, signed, scanned, and sent as e-mail attachments or mailed in hard copy to the following address:
Jennifer Crane, Managing Editor, HERD jcrane@vendomegrp.com Vendome Group, LLC 6 East 32nd Street, 8th Floor New York, NY 10016
Protecting Human Subjects*
Patients, hospital employees, and all individuals who could be identified in an article have a right to privacy that should not be infringed without informed consent. Identifying information, including names, initials, or hospital identification numbers, should not be published in written descriptions, photographs, and pedigrees unless the information is essential for scientific purposes and the patient (or parent or guardian), employee, or individual gives written informed consent for publication. Informed consent for this purpose requires that the individual who is identifiable be shown the manuscript to be published.
Identifying details should be omitted if they are not essential. Complete anonymity is difficult to achieve; however, informed consent should be obtained if there is any doubt. For example, masking the eye region in photographs of patients is inadequate protection of anonymity. If identifying characteristics are altered to protect anonymity, such as in genetic pedigrees, authors should provide assurance that alterations do not distort scientific meaning and editors should so note. The informed consent should be indicated in the published article.
*International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (“Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals”)-February 2006
SUBMISSION CHECKLIST
Before electronically submitting your manuscript to HERD Editorial Manager, please check the following:
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Is the manuscript in MS Word with a DOC file extension or in RTF format?
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Are the manuscript pages numbered consecutively?
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Are all manuscript lines continuously numbered?
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Is the manuscript text double-spaced in 12-point Times New Roman?
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Is there a 1-inch margin all around?
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Have you eliminated all information that identifies the author(s) and/or study (e.g., facility name and location) from the manuscript? (This is to facilitate the blind review process; such information may be added after peer review.)
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Have you supplied the following as separate Word files: title page, abstract, manuscript, references?
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Does your title page include: title of article; each author's name, degrees, title, and affiliation in order of authorship; telephone and e-mail for corresponding author; acknowledgment of funding or other support; key words; and running head?
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For research papers, abstract is no more than 250 words and includes: Objective, Background, Methods, Results, and Conclusions?
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For theory papers, abstract is no more than 250 words and includes: Aim or Purpose; Background; topical headings; and Conclusions/Recommendations?
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Does your manuscript contain CAPITALIZED PULL-OUT QUOTES before the actual sentences where they appear?
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Have you identified key words that describe the primary content areas of the manuscript?
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Does your manuscript contain Implications for Practice?
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Does your manuscript conform to APA style (6th Edition)?
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Are references in APA style, single-spaced, and in alphabetical order according to the first author's last name, and double-spaced between references?
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Are tables, figures, and other illustrative materials in a 10-point sans serif font (Calibri or Arial), and ready to be submitted as separate files in their original format (Word or Excel) and as PDFs?
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Are you supplying artwork, photographs, or other images as separate, high-resolution files in .TIF, .JPEG, or .EPS format?
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Does your manuscript length conform to the recommended word count for the type of article you are submitting?
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Have you supplied all written permissions to reprint copyrighted material (i.e., more than 100 words) that you refer to in the text?
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Have you supplied written permission to reproduce or adapt any illustrations or photos that come from another source? Have you identified photographers and supplied model releases from identifiable people in photos?
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Have you supplied the Copyright Transfer Form, signed by all the coauthors of the article?
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Have you disclosed potential conflicts of interest by submitting the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors' disclosure form?
ELECTRONIC MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION
Submit manuscripts electronically to http://herd.edmgr.com. Please create an account for yourself as instructed by Editorial Manager, and the system will guide you through the article submission process. You should have the following electronic files ready to copy and paste into the appropriate boxes or to upload into the Editorial Manager system: (1) title page; (2) abstract; (3) key words; (4) author(s) information; (5) comments you would like to make, including acknowledgments; (6) manuscript (with CAPITALIZED pull-out quotes and with no author names mentioned), references, and implications for practice; (7) figures in individual files; and (8) tables in individual files.
Please note that your manuscript will not be considered acceptable for review or edit unless and until all relevant copyright, conflict of interest, and permissions forms have been received.
Contact Information
Correspondence or questions concerning HERD submissions may be directed to either of the co-editors, listed below:
D. Kirk Hamilton, FAIA, FACHA, EDAC HERD Co-editor Associate Professor of Architecture Center for Health Systems and Design Texas A&M University TAMU 3137 College Station, TX 77843-3137 Phone: 979-862-6606 khamilton@herdjournal.comJaynelle F. Stichler, DNS, RN, EDAC, FACHE, FAAN HERD Co-editor Professor of Nursing Chair, Nursing Leadership in Health Systems School of Nursing San Diego State University 5500 Campanile Drive San Diego, CA 92182-4158 Phone: 858-451-8557 jstichler@herdjournal.com
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