Instructions for Submitting a Request for a Collection

Individuals interested in publishing a special collection in Preventing Chronic Disease (PCD) must submit a proposal for review and approval by Editor-in-Chief Dr. Leonard Jack, Jr. Elements of the proposal and the collection process at PCD are described below.

NOTE: Acceptance of the proposal does not guarantee acceptance of any or all manuscripts submitted for the collection. All manuscripts will undergo the same rigorous peer review process as regularly submitted manuscripts.

Description and Background

Provide a concise description of the collection.

Provide proposed title of collection.

Provide background (complete with references) documenting the problem and why it should be addressed in the journal.

Mention if this issue has been addressed previously in PCD.

Describe timeliness of the publication.

Manuscript Information

Describe proposed call for papers (if being proposed).

If manuscripts are already identified, indicate titles, authors, and provide an abstract (250 words or less) for each.

Guest Editor(s)

Identify proposed guest editor(s) and attach CVs.

Provide title, affiliation, and contact information (mailing address, office number, fax number, cell number, and email address).

Describe why the guest editor(s) was/were chosen for this collection.

Timeline

Indicate proposed timeline for submission of articles.

Indicate desired time frame for publication in PCD.

Cover Letter

Submit a cover letter with signature(s) indicating guest editor(s) will comply with the policies listed below under PCD’s Proposal Review Process.

PCD’s Proposal Review Process
Once PCD has received the proposal it will undergo review by the Editor in Chief. Although discussion and consultation between the Editor in Chief and guest editors during this process is common, it should be noted that until the proposal is confirmed in writing by the Editor in Chief, no action should be taken by guest editors to move forward.

PCD’s Proposal Review Process (cont.)
Guest editors should keep these policies in mind during the review process:

A final decision on the proposal must be received in writing from the Editor in Chief before any work is done to advance the collection.
The proposal review process is confidential; guest editors should not disclose to potential authors any discussions with PCD during the review period.
Guest editors should avoid communicating with authors about the collection until a final decision on the proposal is sent in writing by the Editor in Chief.
If the Editor in Chief accepts the collection proposal, PCD will decide on the final publication and send it in writing to the guest editors.

If the Editor in Chief accepts the proposal, guest editors should ensure authors understand that acceptance of the proposal does not mean acceptance of their manuscript; all submissions will undergo independent peer review.

PCD’s Collections Process
PCD is a “continuous publication” journal, meaning that articles are uploaded every week as they complete production. The continuous publication model allows maximum flexibility in publishing collections, as outlined below:

Collection manuscripts may be submitted at any time and do not need to be submitted together.
In the cover letter, authors should indicate that the manuscript is part of a collection and include the collection title.
Accepted manuscripts will go through production independently.
Manuscripts are published in the order that they complete production.
Once the final paper in the collection is published, PCD will bundle the articles together in a single PDF and create a cover with the collection’s title.
PCD will notify the guest editor(s) when the collection is posted online and send a link.

The opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors’ affiliated institutions.