Services for Authors

Learn more about our standard and optional services for authors here.  Authors should also refer to each journal’s homepage for further information on services provided.  More information about the publisher is available here.  We welcome your questions and we can be contacted here.

Standard Services for Authors

Simple author instructions and manuscript submission system

Manuscript preparation and submission is configured to be simple and efficient to help authors avoid unnecessary delays.  More information

Rigorous, expert peer review

An average of four peer reviewers is used per manuscript.  Reviewers are drawn from the applicable journal’s editorial board, volunteer peer reviewer pool, and where necessary from Pubmed, on the basis of their ability to provide timely, high-quality peer reviewer reports.  Peer reviewer guidelines are intended to create rigorous reports that aid authors in making constructive improvements to papers.

Submission to first editorial decision in four weeks average

The peer review process and first editorial decision by the journal’s editorial decision maker—the editor in chief, deputy editor in chief, or associate editor—takes place within an average of four weeks following the commencement of peer review.  Please note that this is an average and may vary owing to seasonal factors or difficulty in identifying suitable reviewers.  Where delays occur journal staff members will inform authors.

Professional journal staff

We receive consistently positive feedback from authors on their experiences working with journal staff.  We also work with some of the world’s leading international publishing contractors to enable us to provide leading levels of service to authors.  More information

Processing status notification

Obtain updates on the status of your submission through My LA at any time.  Authors are also notified by email of status changes.

Leading editorial decision-makers and editorial contributors

Editors in chief, deputy editors in chief, associate editors, and editorial board members are leading international scholars.

Rapid publication in three to six weeks after commencement of production

Following the commencement of production publication can take place within three to six weeks.  Production includes professional English proof reading and manuscript preparation, typesetting including proof correction, approval for publication by all authors, and quality control by the journal staff.  Please note that three to six weeks is an average and may vary owing to seasonal factors.  To avoid delays authors should respond promptly to requests by the journal staff.

No deadlines for corrections to typeset proofs

Authors may make corrections to their typeset proofs at their convenience without the tight deadlines imposed by some publishers.

Paper announcement through scholarly databases, social media and opted-in journal newsletters

All articles published are announced through the applicable journal’s opted-in email alerts newsletter and our weekly and monthly new articles newsletters.  Each list contains between 1000 to 3000 subscribers.  Papers are also announced through popular social media channels including Twitter, Facebook, and Google +.  Journals are included in a variety of scholarly databases and indexes including Pubmed, Scopus, and Web of Science.  Coverage varies and key databases are listed on each journal’s homepage.  Through our partnership with TrendMD all articles are promoted on the websites of leading international publishers to attract additional readers.  More information on TrendMD coverage

Article usage metrics

Usage metrics are provided for each article within 72 hours of publication and are updated monthly.  Metrics include downloads or views of the article through the journal’s website and—if applicable—Pubmed Central.  Data is displayed with an interactive monthly bar-graph.  Views by downloads by geographical location are shown in a world map.  Journal level analytics provided by SCImago are also available for selected journals.  These services are in beta and will be expanded in the future.

Open access flexibility

Open access removes traditional limitations around sharing and distribution of scholarly articles.  Authors retain copyright in their published article and may freely distribute it.  Our open access journals use the CC-BY-NC license to control unauthorized commercial re-use of authors’ articles (CC-BY available upon request.)  Please note that all journals published by us except the Clinical Medicine Reviews titles are open access.  More information

Permanent archiving

Contributing to multiple archiving consortia insures permanent article availability.  Published articles are archived by the CLOCKSS and LOCKSS consortia, and articles published in journals appearing in Pubmed are also archived by Pubmed Central.  More information

Optional Services for Authors

Optional services cater for authors who have specific needs beyond our standard services.  

Article reprints

We offer high quality professionally printed and bound black and white reprints at discounted prices for authors.  Authors will be notified of the discounted prices during the article production process.

English proof reading

Similar to our language polishing and paper formatting service, our proof reading service is available to authors where peer review reports have recommended English proof reading as a condition of acceptance for publication.  Please note that use of our proof reading service is optional and authors may use an alternative professional English proof reading service if they wish.  More information

Pre-submission paper-matching and editor in chief consultation

This free service provides assistance for authors who are uncertain whether their paper is suitable for submission to a journal or have other questions for the journal’s editor in chief.  Questions are directed to the applicable editor in chief and the response returned promptly.  More information

Pre-peer review language polishing and paper formatting service

This service is provided by professional English proof readers and helps authors to ensure papers are in optimal condition for peer review.  It is particularly recommended for authors whose first language is not English.  More information

Video abstracts

Video abstracts are a useful way to communicate the key points of a published paper outside of the formal restrictions imposed by conventional scholarly communication.  Video abstracts are subject to editorial review by the applicable journal’s editorial decision-maker.  More information

Guidance on enhancing article visibility

Written by Susan M. Gay, our new Amazon Kindle ebook, Getting Read and Cited More: Practical Steps to Maximize the Visibility of Your Scientific Paper, is available for download here.

Social media article promotion

This service is intended for authors who wish to make their article stand out from the estimated 5000 other scholarly articles published globally every day, and leverages targeted social media promotion services provided by TrendMD, Twitter and Facebook.  Three levels of promotion are available to allow authors to choose a package that best fits their needs.  More information