Top 20 Manuscript Problems To Avoid
Top 5 Reasons Manuscripts Are Rejected
- Topic not a good match with the journal’s scope. Authors must ensure topic aligns within one of the following areas of scope:
- Development, implementation, and evaluation of population-based interventions to prevent chronic diseases and control their effects on quality of life, morbidity, and mortality.
- Behavioral, psychological, genetic, environmental, biological, and social factors that influence health.
- Interventions that reduce the disproportionate incidence of chronic diseases among at-risk populations.
- Development, implementation, and evaluation of public health law and health-policy–driven interventions.
- Nothing new to say – does not answer “so what” question:
- Address a novel question – not just confirmatory
- What is already known about this topic
- What is added by this study
- How can this study be applied to public health practice
- What are the “next steps”
- Old data (or not most current available)
- Over-reliance on old references
- Study design problems
- Underpowered study
- Survey with differential non-response
- Predictive model that isn’t validated
- Lack of specificity
- Results/Discussion section problems
- Over-speculation/over-interpretation of results
- New analysis in the discussion
- Discussion of topics not related to analysis or data
Top 5 Mistakes in Figures
- Submitting a graphic using a different file format than the one used to create it
- Do not paste graphics created in Excel into Word or PPT
- Do not convert Excel graphics into JPEG, GIF, or other graphics files
| Figure Type | File Type Accepted |
| Graph or chart created in Excel | Excel |
| Graph or chart not created in Excel | · .ai
· .eps · .svg |
| Simple
· flow chart · timeline · logic model · figure consisting primarily of text and text boxes |
· Word
· PowerPoint |
| Complex
· flow chart · timeline · logic model · figure consisting of text and images |
· .ai
· .eps · .svg |
| Map or other complicated image | · .ai
· .eps · .svg |
| Photograph | · High-resolution JPG
· High-resolution TIF |
- Figure duplicates information in text or table
- x-axis and y-axis not labeled; units of measurement not provided
- Figure legend not included (just as a table should be understandable without having to read the text, so should the figure):
- Abbreviations explained
- Independent and dependent variables
- Population of interest
- Sample size
- Location and time of study
- Including a figure when a table would be more appropriate (figures are better for highlighting patterns or trends, whereas tables are better when exact values are more important) or including a figure simply to break up text or add visual interest
Top 5 Mistakes in Tables
- Exceeding table limit (nesting tables within tables)
- Tables duplicate information in text
- Tables are not understandable unless reader consults the text – titles should be descriptive, including the who, what, where, and when; all special terms should be footnoted; and references should be provided per usual citation rules.
- No footnote explaining why numbers may not sum to group totals or why percentages do not total the expected value
- Incorrect arrangement of content within cells
- NO soft or hard paragraph returns (new cell needed)
- NO tabs
- NO indents
- NO extra spaces
- No extra cells
Correct arrangement:
| Category | Column Heading | Column Heading |
|---|---|---|
| Row stub | ||
| Row stub | Data | Data |
| Row stub | Data | Data |
| Row stub | Data | Data |
Incorrect arrangements:
| Row stub | |
|---|---|
| Do not use spaces to create alignment | Data |
| Data Data Data | |
| Data Data Data | |
| Row stub | ||
|---|---|---|
| Do not use extra cells to create alignment | Data | |
| Do not use extra cells to create alignment | Data | |
| Do not use extra cells to create alignment | Data | |
| Row stub | |
|---|---|
| Do not use hard returns to create alignment | Data
Data Data |
| Do not use soft returns to create alignment | Data Data Data Data |
| Do not use tabs to create alignment | Data Data Data Data
Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data |
Top 5 Mistakes in Reporting Statistics
- Incorrect reporting of P values
- Do not report P values alone in text; indicate95% confidence intervals instead or in addition to P
- Report exact numbers for P values (eg, P = .03); do not express P values as inequalities (eg, P < .05).
- Report P values ≥.01 to 2 digits past the decimal point, regardless of significance (eg, P = .31, P = .04, P = .01).
- If P < .01, express to 3 digits past the decimal point.
- If P < .001, express as P < .001; do not express P values as numbers with more than 3 decimal places.
- P values cannot equal 0 or 1; largest value is >.99 and smallest value is <.001.
- Incorrect reporting of numbers and descriptive statistics
- Use the correct degree of precision for numbers. For example, because age is measured in whole numbers, any calculations (such as mean and standard deviation [SD]) should not be reported past the tenths place.
- Report numerators and denominators parenthetically when percentages are reported.
- Use SD, interquartile range (IQR), or range to indicate the variability of a data set. Do NOT use standard error (SE).
- Summarize data that are not normally distributed with median and IQR, range, or both. (If the standard deviation is more than half the point estimate, report the median and IQR.)
- Not reporting the α level that defines statistical significance.
- Not explaining outlying data or how missing data were handled.
- Not specifying in the tables or figures the statistical test used to generate P.
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.
