Pediatrics In Review Author Instructions 

Pediatrics in Review (PIR) is the American Academy of Pediatrics’ monthly peer-reviewed continuing medical education journal, designed to keep the general pediatric clinician current in all areas of pediatric medicine and to assist those participating in the Maintenance of Certification program of the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP).

The journal is one of the key components of the Academy’s continuing medical education program: PREP^® (the Pediatrics Review and Education Program). Together, PIR and the PREP Self-Assessment comprise PREP The Curriculum^®.

Each PIR review article includes quiz questions formulated by topic experts. Subscribers must attain a minimum passing score on each review article’s quiz to qualify for Maintenance of Certification Part 2 (Lifelong Learning and Self-Assessment) points and continuing medical education credits.

Pediatrics in Review is most grateful for all authors’ contributions to pediatric education and to the health of children everywhere.

Acceptance Criteria

PIR articles are intended to be state-of-the-art contributions that add significantly and relevantly to the knowledge and ability of the pediatric clinician to deal with his or her patients and their problems. Because articles are mapped to the ABP general Pediatrics in Review content outline, most PIR articles are solicited at the invitation of the editor-in-chief. Some PIR articles are spontaneously submitted or are solicited at the invitation of the editor-in-chief based on knowledge gaps determined by the PIR editorial board that are not mapped to the ABP general Pediatrics in Review content outline.

Authors should carefully follow instructions for manuscript preparation, and ensure that the manuscript is proofread before submission. Manuscripts that do not adhere to the author instructions will not be considered. Careless preparation of a manuscript suggests careless execution of the research and therefore makes acceptance unlikely.

Manuscripts are scanned for plagiarism using the latest software; if potential plagiarism is detected, the editors will contact the authors for clarification, and may also contact the authors’ institution. To avoid this, before submitting a manuscript, consider running it through CrossRef or other plagiarism detection software to remedy any similarity that is detected.

Publication Ethics

Authorship. An “author” is someone who has made substantive intellectual contributions to a published study. Each author should meet all four of the following criteria:

1. Substantial contribution(s) to conception and design, acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data; and
2. Drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content; and
3. Final approval of the version to be published, and
4. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

NOTE: Acquisition of funding, collection of data, or general supervision of the research group alone does not constitute a sufficient basis for authorship.

All persons listed as authors must meet these criteria, and all persons who meet these criteria must be listed as authors. Pediatrics in Review does not permit a statement of equal contribution or joint authorship (eg, two first authors, or two senior authors).

Decide authorship issues, including the order, before submission. Except in instances where the editorial office has determined that a person does not qualify for authorship, Pediatrics in Review does not allow changes to the author order, including adding or removing authors from a paper or any subsequent revisions.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools do not qualify for authorship. To qualify, authors must meet all four of the following criteria¹:

1. Substantial contribution(s) to conception and design, acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data; and
2. Drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content; and
3. Final approval of the version to be published, and
4. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

AI tools cannot take responsibility for the accuracy or integrity of a manuscript and, therefore, do not qualify for authorship.² 

While the use of AI tools is discouraged, if generative AI tools are used in any part of manuscript preparation, from writing to data analysis to image creation, the authors must report it in the Methods and Acknowledgments sections3 and note use of an AI tool in the cover letter. Identification of AI must include the name and manufacturer of the AI tool and how it was used in relation to the work being submitted.2 Authors are accountable for the integrity and accuracy of all material in their manuscript, including any content generated by AI.³

References

1. International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Defining the Role of Authors and Contributors. Available at: https://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/roles-and-responsibilities/defining-the-role-of-authors-and-contributors.html. Accessed April 7, 2023
2. World Association of Medical Editors. Chatbots, ChatGPT, and Scholarly Manuscripts. Available at: https://wame.org/page3.php?id=106. Accessed April 7, 2023
3. Council on Publication Ethics. Authorship and AI Tools. Available at: https://publicationethics.org/cope-position-statements/ai-author. Accessed April 7, 2023 

Use of Inclusive Language

Articles published in Pediatrics in Review should use the most inclusive language possible. These recommendations are intended to guide authors but are not comprehensive. As the preferred terminology related to inclusive language evolves over time, these recommendations will be updated continuously. Please reach out to the editorial office for clarifications or suggestions.   

Appropriate Use of Race and/or Ethnicity

The rationale for including race and/or ethnicity in a manuscript should always be provided. Race and ethnicity should be acknowledged as social constructs rather than as genetic or biological categories. Use of “other” as a category for race and/or ethnicity should be clearly defined. It is inappropriate to assign missing race and/or ethnicity to an “other” category. Susceptibility related to race and/or ethnicity should be interpreted in the context of racism (eg, interpersonal, institutional, or internalized) and histories of exclusion, mistreatment, and exploitation, rather than as behaviors or presumed deficits. Please see the AMA Manual of Style Section 11.12.3: Race and Ethnicity for additional considerations. 

Inclusive Language

• Person-first language, which emphasizes the individual or group rather than the condition, disease, or situation, should generally be used, eg, “child(ren) with diabetes” and “child(ren) with obesity” rather than “diabetic child(ren)” and “obese child(ren).” Exceptions to first-person language include certain identity-first language for individuals and groups who prefer it, eg, “Deaf child(ren)” or “autistic child(ren).”
• Race and ethnicity categories should be capitalized, including the White race. Race and ethnicity should be used as adjectives rather than nouns, eg, “Hispanic individuals” rather than “Hispanics.”  Race and ethnicity should be treated as separate categories rather than merging them, eg, “race and ethnicity” rather than “race/ethnicity.” 
• Articles that report race and/or ethnicity should use the specific terms used in data collection or in the original study referenced. The terms should be accurate, understandable to study participants, and consistent with participants’ self-understanding. 
• Refer to gender identity using terms such as “cisgender or transgender,” “man or woman,” “gender-nonbinary,” “genderqueer,” or “agender person,” etc., rather than “transgendered,” “transsexual,” or “transvestite.” Refer to the community as “transgender and non-binary” or “gender diverse,” rather than “gender non-conforming.”
• Refer to sexual orientation using specific terms such as “heterosexual,” “lesbian,” “gay,” “bisexual,” “queer,” rather than terms such as “homosexual” or “non-heterosexual.” Refer to the “LGBTQ+ community” rather than the “gay community” unless referencing specific subgroups.  Restrict the use of “men who have sex with men” to refer to behaviors rather than to sexual orientation. 
• Both "pregnant women” and “pregnant people” are acceptable terms. Avoid substituting “pregnant women” with phrases such as “birthing people” or “people with uteruses.” Neutral terms, such as “pregnant patients” and “pregnant people” are inclusive alternatives. Authors of research studies should use the specific terms used in data collection or in the original study referenced. 
  
  

The following table provides suggestions for preferred terms, those to avoid, and rationale for why some terms should be avoided.

Images published in Pediatrics in Review should be as inclusive as possible. Authors should strive to include images that reflect all children, including the full spectrum of skin color.  Historically, the lack of variation in images has contributed to limited understanding of how disease can manifest.

Poster or Conference Presentations

If any elements of your case are or were published as part of a poster or conference presentation, the organization sponsoring the conference may have assumed copyright for your content.

• Before submitting your case, verify whether copyright ownership is held by the conference's sponsoring organization.
  • If the sponsoring organization DOES assume copyright, obtain permission from the organization to submit your content to PIR.
  • If the organization DOES NOT assume copyright, obtain documentation to that effect from the organization and submit the note with your manuscript.
• In either case, add a note to this effect to the end of your manuscript using the following language as a template:
  • "Note: This case is based on a presentation by Drs [Presentation Author Team names] at the [Full conference name, full contest name, conference city and state], Poster Session: ____, Presentation Date: _____, Poster Number: _____."
• Upload your correspondence with the organization as a "Supplemental File NOT for Review" as part of your manuscript submission.

Suspected Errors and Allegations of Misconduct. Pediatrics in Review follows the processes outlined in the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) flowcharts when investigating suspected errors and allegations of misconduct. Please be aware that all investigations are confidential. If an error has been found or misconduct has been identified, the journal will publicly acknowledge the outcome through an erratum or retraction, depending on the severity of the issue. Investigations that result in no error or misconduct being found will not be publicized.

Journal Style

All aspects of the manuscript, including the formatting of tables, illustrations, and references and grammar, punctuation, usage, and scientific writing style, should be prepared according to the most current AMA Manual of Style (http://www.amamanualofstyle.com).

Please note that Pediatrics In Review authors are responsible for maintaining a high standard of grammar.  That includes correct spelling, punctuation, and formatting.  Articles that are not up to professional standards in these areas will be returned to the authors for correction or rejected outright.

Author Listing: All authors’ names should be listed in their entirety and should include institutional and/or professional affiliations and degrees held.

Titles: Titles are limited to a count of 90 characters or fewer; avoid abbreviations and acronyms. The title entered by authors in BenchPress must match the title in the authors’ manuscript Word document.

Units of Measure: Conventional measurement units should be used, followed by Système International (SI) units in parentheses, for example: white blood cell count of 3,100/μL ([3.1 × 109/L] × 10⁹/L). If authors fail to provide SI units, the manuscript will be unsubmitted. For SI conversion tables, see AMA Manual of Style, 10^th edition, 2007.

Permissions: For permission to use previously published material, authors should contact the copyright owner (usually the publisher). Authors essentially should ask for all rights into perpetuity for print and electronic formats and all formats to be developed.

Authors are responsible for: obtaining permissions for any tables, images, figures, or video reproduced or adapted from another publication; paying for any related permission costs; and providing the permission-granting forms and materials to the PIR staff.

References: Reference all content appropriately. Direct quotes should be enclosed in quotations marks. See Plagiarism. For additional guidance, especially on reference format, see the most current AMA Manual of Style. References should be numbered sequentially as they are cited within the article, and then listed in that same order at the end of the article.

Sample References

1. Iverson C, Christiansen S, Flanagin A, et al. AMA Manual of Style. 10th ed. New York, NY: Oxford University Press; 2007.
2. Lundberg GD. SI unit implementation: the next step. JAMA. 1988;260:73-76.
3. Système International conversion factors for frequently used laboratory components. JAMA. 1991;266:45-47.

Suggested Readings: Authors may add a section entitled “Suggested Readings,” containing more resources that, while not referenced in the article, may be valuable to the reader. Suggested Readings should be listed alphabetically. For additional guidance, especially on format, see the most current AMA Manual of Style.

Formatting Requirements

All submissions should adhere to the following format:

• Main manuscript should be submitted to BenchPress as a Microsoft Word document. The journal cannot accept PDF files of manuscripts.
• Include page numbers and line numbers in new submissions.
• Do not include footnotes within the manuscript body. Footnotes are allowed only in tables/figures.
• Figures must be uploaded individually and follow the technical requirements; the journal cannot accept figures embedded in Word documents.
• Tables must be embedded at the end of the manuscript file document, following the References. Tables must follow the technical requirements.
• Videos must be submitted as supplementary materials.

Refer to the “Article Types” section for specific guidelines on preparing a manuscript in each category. Note in particular the requirements regarding abstracts for different categories of article.

Title Page

The “title page” should appear first in your manuscript document, and depending on the individual needs of a paper may encompass more than one page.

Title pages for all submissions must include the following items (formatted as shown in the templates for Review articles,Index of Suspicion cases, Visual Diagnosis cases, and In Brief papers). Review articles require additional items as listed below and as seen in the template.

1. Title. Limit titles to 90 characters [including spaces] or fewer.
2. Author listing. Full names for all authors, including degrees, and institutional/professional affiliations. These affiliations should list the institution where the research presented in the article took place; if the affiliation has changed, add a note indicating the additional affiliation.
3. Corresponding Author. Contact information for the Corresponding Author (including: name, address, telephone, and e-mail). Again, note that the affiliation should list the institution where the research presented in the article took place; if the affiliation has changed, add a note indicating the additional affiliation.
4. Author Disclosure statement for all authors. Disclose any financial relationships that could be broadly relevant to the work, and whether this commentary does (or does not) contain a discussion of an unapproved/investigative use of a commercial product/device.
5. For Review article submissions only: also include these four items: Content Specifications, Practice Gaps or Education Gaps, Learning Objectives, and Abbreviations (if any). These are not needed for any other manuscript type.

If a title page does not include all of the required items, following the format shown in the templates, the submission will be returned to the authors for completion.

• Download and view a sample Title Page (PDF)here.

Figures, Tables, and Audio/Video

Figures

Number figures in the order in which they appear in the text. Figures include graphs, charts, photographs, and illustrations. Each figure must include a legend, listed in numerical order at the end of the manuscript, but not in the figure itself. Abbreviations previously expanded in the text are acceptable.

If a figure is reproduced from another source, authors are required to obtain permission from the copyright holder, and proof of permission must be uploaded at the time of submission. However, PIR will not accept images from Wikipedia, the Wikiversity Journal of Medicine, Wikimedia Commons, or any other affiliate of The Wikimedia Foundation, due to the open community contribution and open community editing practices of these entities.

Note: Authors should include copyright permission as part of the supplementary files when they submit and mark them as for “internal use only.”

Technical Requirements for Figures

Figures must be uploaded separately (not embedded in Word files) with a file resolution of at least 300 DPI, and with a minimum of 600 pixels or 2 inches on the shortest side.

• Photographs submitted as TIFF are best. JPG or PNG are acceptable for original photographs, but edited photographs should be saved as TIFF.
• Charts and illustrations work best as EPS, AI, or PDF; charts and line drawings should never be submitted in JPG format.
• Do not embed images or illustrations in MS Word files.

Failure to follow technical requirements will result in the manuscript being unsubmitted and returned to the author for correction. No editing will be done by the editorial office; all changes are the responsibility of the authors.

Style for Figures

Readers should be able to understand figures without referring to the text. Avoid pie charts, 3-dimensional graphs, and excess ink in general. Make sure that the axes on graphs are labeled, including units of measurement, and that the font is large enough to read. Generally delete legends or other material from the graph if it makes the picture smaller. Color graphs should be interpretable if photocopied in black and white.

Figure arrays should be clearly labeled, preassembled, and submitted to scale. Figure parts of an array (A, B, C, etc.) should be clearly marked in capital letters in the upper left-hand corner of each figure part. Strip radiographs or other patient images of all identifying information before upload.

There is no maximum number for figures.

Tables

Tables should be numbered in the order in which they are cited in the text and include appropriate headers. Each table must include a title and a legend.

Tables should not reiterate information presented in the manuscript, but rather should provide clear and concise data that further illustrate the main point. Tabular data should directly relate to the hypothesis. Table formatting should follow the current edition of the AMA Manual of Style.

If material can be summarized in 100 words or less, tables are not necessary; the material should instead be incorporated into the text. Lists should be embedded in the manuscript. If a list consists of more than 3 items, it should be a bulleted list.

Technical Requirements for Tables

Tables should be constructed using a Microsoft Word program and inserted in numerical order at the end of the manuscript, within the main Word document (not in separate files). Tables and figures from a 3rd party need to be clearly identified as such, and permissions must be supplied if needed. Do not provide tables in scan/image format.

Failure to follow technical requirements will result in the manuscript being unsubmitted and returned to the author for correction. No editing will be done by the editorial office; all changes are the responsibility of the authors.

Style for Tables

Tables should be self-explanatory. Avoid abbreviations; define any abbreviations in footnotes to the table. Avoid excess digits and excess ink in general. Where possible, rows should be in a meaningful order (e.g., descending order of frequency). Provide units of measurement for all numbers. In general, only one type of data should be in each column of the table.

Table placement should be noted in the manuscript; the tables themselves should be inserted in numerical order at the end of the manuscript.

Avoid abbreviations in tables; define any abbreviations that must be used in footnotes at the end of the table. Where possible, rows should be in a meaningful order (e.g., descending order of frequency).

There is no maximum number for tables.

Audio Files

When appropriate, authors may include audio files to add educational value to their reviews (for example: heart murmurs, distinctive infant cries, etc.). Indicate in the manuscript where the audio file should be inserted (Audio 1, Audio 2, etc.).

Video Files

Pediatrics in Review encourages the submission of videos to accompany articles where relevant. As with figures and tables, authors should indicate where the video should appear in the manuscript text (Video 1, Video 2, etc.), so that links can be placed into the article for use when it is accessed electronically. All videos must adhere to the same permission rules that apply to figures (ie, parental consent has been obtained to use the patient’s image for educational purposes in print and online and in any and all formats to be developed into perpetuity).

Video files should be named clearly to correspond with the figure they represent (ie, figure1.mov, figure2.mp4, etc.). Be sure all video files have filenames that are no more than 8 characters long and include the suffix “.mov” or ".mp4."

Authors will be notified if problems exist with videos as submitted, and will be asked to modify them if needed. No editing will be done to the videos at the editorial office—all changes are the responsibility of the author.

Note: Videos may only be submitted as supplementary materials and not figures.

Plagiarism

Quoting Other Work: Authors are required to rephrase substantially any facts or language taken from other sources. This includes rephrasing self-quotation, from sources the author already has published.

If it is important to quote another source verbatim, the material MUST be in quotation marks and the source acknowledged, including any publications owned by the AAP (e.g., The Red Book). Even one sentence must be in quotation marks and acknowledged, or it should be rewritten. See “Should I Cite?” flowchart above.

Self-plagiarism: Articles recruited or accepted for publication by PIR should not be submitted to another journal, either simultaneously or in the future. If the author has published elsewhere on the same subject, the author must rewrite or acknowledge the original source, using quotations marks, any material from sources in which the previously published work has appeared.

Manuscript Screening: Authors should be aware that all manuscripts automatically are screened for potential plagiarism using CrossRef, powered by iThenticate. If potential plagiarism is detected, editors will contact the authors for clarification and may also contact the authors’ institution. To avoid this, before submitting a manuscript, consider running it through CrossRef to identify, then remedy, any similarity uncovered.

AAP Plagiarism Prevention Policy: The American Academy of Pediatrics and the editors and staff of PIR believe that plagiarism undermines the journal’s credibility and diminishes the journal’s reputation for integrity.

Plagiarism allegations or suspected plagiarism will be investigated thoroughly. AAP follows guidelines set forth by the international Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Plagiarized material found in submitted manuscripts prior to acceptance for publication will result in immediate rejection. Any author found to have plagiarized material for a published article – and this includes self-plagiarizing from sources that the author already has published – will be exposed, via editorial apology, in print and online and will be banned from future involvement in the journal, whether as an author, reviewer, or question writer.

Suggested Readings on Plagiarism: Committee on Publication Ethics, http://publicationethics.org/; University of Notre Dame Hesburgh Libraries, Scholarly Publishing: Plagiarism, http://libguides.library.nd.edu/scholarly-publishing/plagiarism.

Getting Started

1. Go to our online content management system (submit-pedsinreview.aappublications.org/) and sign in, or click the “create a new account” option if you are a first-time user.
2. Sign in and select “Author Area.”
3. At the top of the page click “Submit a new manuscript.”
4. After reading through the manuscript basics click “Begin Submission” at the bottom of the page.
5. Then follow the system’s prompts.

Submitting Your Manuscript

You must complete each step to submit a new manuscript into The BenchPress Submission System. Use proper capitalization - Do not use all CAPS, or all lowercase, or HTML. Click on the “Save and Continue” button on each screen to save your work and advance to the screen.

Step One: Type, Title, and Abstract. Select your article type and enter the title and abstract. Review your article type earlier in these guidelines for further details on abstracts (if this does not apply, input “n/a” to skip).

Step Two: File Upload. In this step, you will be prompted to upload your files.

To designate the order in which your files appear, use the drop-downs in the "order" column. The first file should be your manuscript in .RTF or .DOC format (this includes the Title Page(s), followed by the body of the article, any Acknowledgments, References, and any legends for tables/figures/etc. Do not split your manuscript into multiple files.) Tables must be included as the last pages of your manuscript file, in Word table format. Upload figures or other files separately, collated to appear sequentially after your manuscript file.

Step Three: Attributes. Enter the appropriate keywords/categories for your submission.

Step Four: Authors & Institutions. All authors must be listed here. Before adding a new author, check to see if the author is already in the database (enter the author's e-mail address and click "Find"). It is important that these e-mails be up-to-date, since form(s) instructions and other important correspondence will sent to them via email. If the author is found, their information will be automatically filled out for you. For an author that is not found, enter the information, then click "Add to My Authors."

Be sure your author listing is correct. Except in instances where the editorial office has determined that a person does not qualify for authorship, Pediatrics in Review does not allow changes to the author order, including adding or removing authors from a paper or any subsequent revisions.

Step Five: Details & Comments. Input or attach your cover letter here, provide manuscript information (number of figures, tables, words, videos), and confirm all required affirmations.

Step Six: Review & Submit. Review your submission (in PDF and HTML formats) before sending it to the editors. Click the “Submit” button when you are done reviewing.

You may halt a submission at any step and save it to submit later. After submission, you will receive an email confirmation. You can log-on to the BenchPress submission system any time to check the status of your manuscript. The editors will inform you via email once a decision has been made.

Copyright Form

After your manuscript passes the initial check-in stage, all authors will receive instructions for submitting their online copyright form. No paper will be considered for review until all authors have completed their copyright forms.

We do not accept copyright forms via fax, e-mail, or regular mail unless a technical problem with the online author account cannot be resolved. Every effort should be made for authors to use the online copyright system.

All accepted manuscripts become the permanent property of the American Academy of Pediatrics in Review and may not be published elsewhere, in whole or in part, without written permission from the Academy (with certain exceptions: authors retain certain rights including the right to republish their work in books and other scholarly collections). Authors who were employees of the United States Government at the time the work was done should so state on the copyright form. Articles authored by federal employees remain in the public domain.

Any potential conflicts of interest affirmed on this form must also appear in the Author Disclosure statement on your title page.

Note: Pediatrics in Review cannot accept any copyright that has been altered, revised, amended, or otherwise changed. Our original electronic copyright form must be used as is.

Disclosure Form

After your manuscript passes the initial check-in stage, all authors will receive instructions for submitting their online disclosure form. Pediatrics in Review adheres to ICMJE policy and uses an online disclosure e-form in order for authors to do so. The collection of forms is automated within the online submission system.

Any financial relationships disclosed on this form must also appear in the Author Disclosure statement on your title page.

Note: Pediatrics in Review cannot accept any disclosure that has been altered, revised, amended, or otherwise changed. Our original electronic disclosure form must be used as is.

Model Release Form

Photographs in which any patients are identifiable should be submitted only when written parental permission has been obtained. It is the responsibility of the author to obtain this permission, preferably with the AAP Model Release Form, and to provide the model release form to the editorial staff of Pediatrics in Review. After a paper passes its initial check-in stage, the collection of the Model Release form is automated within the online system.

Every effort should be made to maintain the patient’s privacy by obscuring his or her identity, including blacking out the eyes as needed, deleting identifying information on radiographs, and avoiding references to specific subjects in the text of the article, legend or caption, and headline. If the child’s identity cannot be obscured, the author should avoid using the child’s surname in any voice-over.

For audio and video files, first and foremost, the author should make certain that parental consent has been obtained to use the child’s image for educational purposes in print and online and in any and all formats to be developed into perpetuity. Note the difference between educational purposes (subscriber access only) and promotional purposes (open access, reprint covers, homepages, or other online promotional sites).

Review Article

Author limit: Four (4) authors or fewer
Article length: 4,000 words or fewer

Abstract/Introduction length: 250 words or fewer

Note on systematic reviews:  Pediatrics in Review is not currently accepting systematic review or meta-analysis articles.  While there are many systematic review submissions that have merit, Pediatrics in Review focuses on select topics in accordance with the American Board of Pediatrics expectations for maintenance of certification or on topics that the editorial board considers to be gaps in knowledge by practicing clinicians.  If you feel your material may fit into those categories, please reformat based on the review guidelines and submit.  Articles not in the appropriate format will be returned to the author for correction.

Review articles should foster the latest and best practices, as driven by medical evidence, clinical guidelines, and the current recommendations of government and professional organizations.

Review articles on assigned topics are written at the invitation of the editor-in-chief. These topics are mapped to the ABP content specifications for general pediatrics. The journal strives to address all of the ABP content specs on a rolling basis over the course of any 5-year period as part of its mission to help prepare readers for certification exams and to maintain lifelong learning goals.

However, spontaneous submissions based on documentable needs will be considered. To suggest a review on a timely, trending medical topic outside the scope of the ABP content specifications, email the editor-in-chief.

Components of a Review Article include:

Title Page: The title page should be the first page(s) of the manuscript. Click here to see an example of a Review Article title page.

• List of Abbreviations: Because clarity is vital, abbreviations should be kept to a minimum. If more than three abbreviations are used in an article, they should be listed alphabetically, with their definitions, on the title page.
  Words to be abbreviated should be spelled out at first mention, then followed by the abbreviation in parentheses, for example: “American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).” Once an abbreviation is identified, that abbreviation should be used instead of the full term/name. Avoid abbreviations in tables and figures; if used, they should be redefined in footnotes.
• ABP Content Specifications: Please provide ABP content specifications that are appropriate for your manuscript. Click here to go to the ABP Content Specifications Map tool.
• Education Gap (or Practice Gap) (100-150 words): Describe what providers should (but may not) know to improve their delivery of health care, or explain what's new ─ and probably not known to most clinicians ─ about the topic. Include epidemiological data when relevant.
• Objectives (variable word count): Objectives should address the following statement: “After completing this article, readers should be able to ..."

Abstract/Introduction (250 words or fewer): Highlight any discrepancy between the current health situation / condition versus the optimal health situation / condition. Use epidemiological information to reiterate gaps in education or practice.

Body of Article (4,000 words or fewer)

Additional components to consider for inclusion:

• Epidemiology (including prevalence and etiology).
• Pathogenesis (including, when appropriate, pathophysiology).
• Clinical Aspects (symptoms, signs, laboratory tests, and diagnosis).
• Management (including therapy).
• Prognosis (including follow-up).

Summary (200-400 words):

• Format: Bulleted list.
• Summarize major points, supporting each with a statement of evidence, to remind readers of the importance of basing their practices on evidence.
  • Base statements on such evidence as meta-analyses, practice guidelines, or Cochrane collaborative analyses.
  • To determine Level of Evidence, see Evidence Quality diagram below.
    
    
  • If information in the manuscript is repeated in the Evidence Summary, please use the same reference number used in the body of the manuscript
  • For example: “Based on strong research evidence (1) (2)" . . . “Based on some research evidence as well as consensus (3) . . . “Based primarily on consensus due to lack of relevant clinical studies.”
  • Consider casting the summary in terms of practice change recommendations.

• Download and view a Review Article template (PDF) here.
• See previously published Review articles here.

After reviewing the guidelines and attached template, please e-mail the editorial staff with any questions.  If applicable on review articles invited by specific editors, a list of content specifications to be covered in your article and relevant knowledge gap suggestions from the journal’s Editorial Board will be sent to you to guide your writing.

Index of Suspicion

Article length: 1,600 words or fewer
Author limit: Four (4) authors or fewer

Index of Suspicion cases should start with a short Presentation section that describes the facts of the case from initial presentation through diagnostic testing, but does not reveal the actual diagnosis. The case should then continue with a Discussion section that reveals the diagnosis, and includes such topics as Differential Diagnosis, Actual Diagnosis, The Condition, Treatment/Management, and Patient Course.

• DO NOT use names, initials, birth dates or unit numbers to identify the patient.
• Written consent must be obtained from the parent or guardian. You do not need to include a copy with your submission unless the patient may be identifiable; however, a copy must be provided to Pediatrics in Review upon request. Pediatrics in Review does not supply a consent form.
• DO NOT omit, change, or re-sequence any of the details of the actual presentation of the case in order to make the final diagnosis more challenging; for educational value, the diagnostic experience must be preserved.

Components of an Index of Suspicion case include:

• Title Page
  • Do not reveal the actual diagnosis in the title.
• Presentation (typically 250 words)
  • Do not reveal the actual diagnosis in this section.
  • Use the present tense (eg, "patient presents" NOT "patient presented") except when you are describing events that occurred prior to presentation.
• Discussion (typically 500-1,000 words)
  • Differential Diagnosis
  • Actual Diagnosis
  • The Condition
  • Treatment/Management
  • Patient Course
• Lessons for the Clinician
  • Create a bullet-point list of 2 to 6 major take-home lessons that readers should remember from the case. If appropriate, support these with references.
• References and/or Suggested Readings

The general submission instructions (including cover letter, title page, poster presentations, etc.) also apply to Index of Suspicion cases.

• Download the Index of Suspicion template (PDF) to create your manuscript for submission here.
• See previously published Index of Suspicion cases here.

For questions about the Index of Suspicion column, contact Peter Belamarich, MD, FAAP, Associate Editor, Index of Suspicion, here . Be sure to include the words "PIR_IOS” in the subject line.

Visual Diagnosis

Article length: 1,600 words or fewer
Author limit: Four (4) authors or fewer

Visual Diagnosis cases should start with a short Presentation section that describes the facts of the case from initial presentation through diagnostic testing, but does not reveal the actual diagnosis. Next should appear a Diagnosis section including Differential Diagnosis, and Actual Diagnosis (the first point in which it is acceptable to reveal the diagnosis). Following should be Discussion, Patient Course, Summary, and References and/or Suggested Readings.

• MUST include images and/or videos.
• DO NOT use names, initials, birth dates or unit numbers to identify the patient.
• Written consent must be obtained from the parent or guardian. You do not need to include a copy with your submission unless the patient may be identifiable; however, a copy must be provided to Pediatrics in Review upon request. Pediatrics in Review does not supply a consent form.

Components of a Visual Diagnosis case include:

• Title Page
  • Do not reveal the actual diagnosis in the title.
• Presentation (typically 250-500 words)
  • Do not reveal the actual diagnosis in this section.
  • Use the present tense (eg, "patient presents" NOT "patient presented") except when you are describing events that occurred prior to presentation.
• Diagnosis (typically 25-50 words)
  • Differential Diagnosis
  • Actual Diagnosis. In general, this is the first point at which it is acceptable to reveal the diagnosis.
• Discussion (typically 750-1,000 words)
• Patient Course (typically 50-100 words)
  • A brief description of the patient’s course and current condition.
• Summary (100-150 words)
  • Create a short paragraph of major take-home lessons that readers should remember from the case; for numerous lessons, a bulleted list is acceptable. If appropriate, support these lessons with references.
• References and/or Suggested Readings

The general submission instructions (including cover letter, title page, poster presentations, etc.) also apply to Visual Diagnosis cases.

• Download and view a Visual Diagnosis template (PDF) here.
• See previously published Visual Diagnosis cases here.

For questions about the Visual Diagnosis column, email Mark F. Weems, MD, Associate Editor, Visual Diagnosis, here . Be sure to include the words "PIR_VixDx” in the subject line.

In Brief

Article length: 1,200 words or fewer
Author limit: Four (4) authors or fewer

Components of an In Brief article include:

• Title Page
• Suggested Readings
• Topic Summary
• Comments (added by the section editor)

The general submission instructions (including cover letter, title page, and poster presentations, etc.) also apply to In Brief articles).

• Download and view an In Brief template (PDF) here.
• See previously published In Brief articles here.

Reviews and Revision

Initial Review: Each article proceeds through initial editorial checks before being cleared for review. Articles may be returned to the author if they do not meet the specifications listed above.

Editors’ Review Considerations: Once submission proceeds through the initial review noted above, each article is sent out for peer review. The great majority of articles require some revision. All articles are subject to this standard review process, and there is no guarantee of future publication.

Deadlines: Authors receive several weeks to revise their manuscripts as recommended and are required to adhere to the stated deadline. If there will be an egregious reason for missing the deadline, contact the editorial staff as soon as possible to negotiate an alternate deadline.

Submitting Revised Manuscripts: To make changes to a manuscript, please take the following steps:

• Revise your original files as requested.
• Go to the BenchPress submission system.
• Sign in and select “Author.”
• Click “Continue Submission” and follow the system’s prompts.
• IMPORTANT: DO NOT start a new submission with a new manuscript number.

Author Proofs

After acceptance, articles are scheduled for publication based on current journal content needs. Approximately 60 days before publication, authors receive a link to view an Author Proof, showing the article as it will appear when published. It is extremely important for authors to go over the entire manuscript line by line, including tables and figures, to make sure the article is accurate.

Pediatrics in Review Editorial Office

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American Academy of Pediatrics
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