LGBT Health

Manuscript Submission

Manuscripts must be submitted using the following URL:
http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/lgbt

Please read all the instructions to authors before submitting.

LGBT Health is the quarterly peer-reviewed journal dedicated to promoting optimal healthcare for sexual and gender minority persons worldwide by identifying best practices and  removing barriers to care.   While focusing narrowly on LGBT health, the Journal  maintains sufficient breadth to encompass the full range of biopsychosocial and health policy matters relevant to each sexual and gender minority population under the LGBT umbrella.  The Journal provides a much-needed authoritative source and international forum in all areas pertinent to LGBT health and healthcare services. Contributions from all continents are solicited including regions which are currently underrepresented in sexual and gender minority research.

LGBT Health publishes original research, reviews, clinical reports, and legal and policy perspectives in all of the areas identified above, as well select book reviews and letters to the editor.

Article Types

All articles are peer-reviewed unless otherwise noted.   Submissions should not exceed the  limits for text, figures/tables, and references  listed below. Original Articles present original quantitative or qualitative basic science, clinical, or psychosocial research.

Original Articles

• Abstract: Standard abstract 350 word limit. See standard abstract guidelines under Manuscript Components.
  
  
• Text: 3,000 word limit.
  
  
• Figures and Tables: Maximum of 8 total figures and/or tables.
  
  
• References: Maximum of 100 references.

Review Articles

• Abstract: Standard abstract 250 word limit, but structured headings not required.
  
  
• Text: 4,500 word limit. Details on the study selection and inclusion process and on the participants in each selected study should be included.
  
  
• Figures and Tables: Maximum of 10 total figures and/or tables.
  
  
• References: Maximum of 250 references.

Short Reports

(Clinical reports, case series, particularly promising  preliminary findings,  or other research findings or commentaries that are not suitable for a full Original Article)

• Abstract: Include a brief abstract of 100 words or less; structured headings are not required.
  
  
• Text: 2,000 word limit. Include a concise literature review and a brief overview of the study, sufficient details on the study's methods and analysis, and a brief summarizing conclusion.
  
  
• Figures and Tables: Maximum of 3 total figures and/or tables.
  
  
• References: Maximum of 25 references.

Legal and Policy Perspectives 

(e.g., short pieces in which authors share or argue a viewpoint grounded in the literature but not linked to a particular recent article in LGBT Health)

• Abstract: The final print version of accepted Perspective articles will not have an abstract. However, please include a maximum 100 word abstract with the submission to facilitate the review process.
  
  
• Text: 1,500 word limit. The first paragraph should be a brief overview as there is no abstract. The perspective and points should be grounded in the literature. Include a brief summarizing conclusion.
  
  
• Figures and Tables: Maximum of 3 total figures and/or tables.
  
  
• References: Maximum of 25 references.
  
  

Book Reviews:   Short reviews of particularly salient books in the field with direct bearing on LGBT health.  Limit 1,000 words.  No abstract, figures, tables, or references. Include book title being reviewed, author and/or editors, publisher information, ISBN number, and number of pages.

Letters to the Editor:  Comments on recently published LGBT Health articles.

• Special Notes: Include a short title related to but distinct from the published article being addressed. Provide the standard title page, but no running head or Keywords. The Editors may choose to invite the authors to submit a response to the Letter. Not peer reviewed.
  
  
• Text: 500 word limit.
  
  
• Figures and Tables: Maximum of 1 total figure and/or table.
  
  
• References: No more than 5 references, one of which must be the LGBT Health article being discussed.

Online Manuscript Submission

Manuscripts must be uploaded to http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/lgbt in a word processing format, preferably in Microsoft Word. Do not submit the manuscript or any of its components in PDF format. All authors on a submitted manuscript must have a Manuscript Central account.

Keywords and Abstract

Provide a minimum of four keywords when uploading your manuscript.  These keywords will facilitate the review process and will be published as part of the paper.

 
Suggested Reviewers

Authors are encouraged to suggest the names and emails of appropriate reviewers during Manuscript Central submission, though final selection of reviewers is at the discretion of the Editors.

Cover Letter

Please include a cover letter from the corresponding author. The cover letter should include the following:

• A statement indicating that the paper has not been previously published in any form
  
  
• Abstract word count
  
  
• Main text word count
  
  
• Number of tables
  
  
• Number of figures
  
  
• Number of appendices (if applicable)
  
  
• Authors are encouraged to detail the significance and uniqueness of the work in a single paragraph

Manuscript Components

General Formatting and Style

• Use of English Language: All submissions must be in English. LGBT Health uses American-style English
  
  
• Plagiarism: All submitted manuscripts will be processed through plagiarism detection software. Plagiarized manuscripts will be rejected immediately.
  
  
• Word limits: See word limits under Article Types. Word limits do not include the title page, headings, abstract, acknowledgments, disclaimer, author disclosure statement, references, figures, tables, or legends.
  
  
• Font: Times New Roman or Arial in 12-point type
  
  
• Abbreviations: Expand all abbreviations at first mention in the text
  
  
• Page size: Letter size (8.5 x 11 inches)
  
  
• Margins: 1 inch
  
  
• Line and word spacing: Double-space all manuscript pages, including figure legends.

Title Page

The title (first) page of all manuscripts must contain the following information:

1.   Exact title (No proprietary names, trade names, or abbreviations should be within the article title)

2.   All participating authors should be listed on the manuscript at the time of submission.  Changes in authorship will not be permitted after acceptance of a paper.

3.   For each author:

•   Full name, including middle initial if applicable

• Primary academic degrees (such as MD, DO, PhD, MPH, etc. No undergraduate or honorary degrees, fellowship or society memberships, etc.)
  
  
•  Institutional affiliation(s)
  
  
• City, state, and country for each affiliation
  
  
• Email address
  
  
• Note: 

                    O  - Group authors (i.e., “…on behalf of the XYZ Study”) are permissible
                    O  - Co-first authors are also permitted. On the title page, please put an asterisk after each co-first author and note them as such

 4.  Corresponding author:

•  Full name, including middle initial if applicable
• Primary academic degrees (such as MD, DO, PhD, MPH, etc. No undergraduate or honorary degrees, fellowship or society memberships, etc.)
• Institutional affiliation(s)
• City, state, and country for each affiliation
• Full mailing address
• Phone number
• Fax number
• Email address

5.    Running head:

• 50 characters or fewer (including spaces; abbreviations acceptable)

6.    Keywords:

•     Provide 4-6 keywords to be included in the article

Abstract (must be included within the text of the manuscript)

A structured abstract using the following guidelines should accompany every manuscript unless otherwise noted above under Article Types. The abstract should appear on a separate page after the title page. The abstract should be no more than 250 words, formatted with the following headings:

              - Purpose
              - Methods
              - Results
              - Conclusion

•  Do not use proprietary or trade names
•   References are not permitted in the abstract
•  Headings do not contribute toward abstract word count

Acknowledgments

After the Conclusion of the main body of the manuscript, include a separate section acknowledging any contributors who did not meet the requirements for authorship and any science writers or corporate employees who participated in the development of the manuscript. Also include acknowledgments of research support for the study.

Disclaimer

After the Acknowledgments section, include a “Disclaimer” section, if needed, for the following:

• Detail any important disclaimers (for example, the primary data collection organization for a secondary-analysis article)
•   Provide all appropriate details if any part of the manuscript was previously presented

Author Disclosure Statement

Following the Acknowledgments section (or Disclaimer if one was included), include a section entitled ‘‘Author Disclosure Statement.’’ Here authors must disclose any commercial associations that might create a conflict of interest in connection with submitted manuscripts. This statement should include appropriate information for EACH author, thereby representing that competing financial interests of all authors have been appropriately disclosed according to the policy of the journal. It is important that all conflicts of interest, whether they are actual or potential, be disclosed. This information will not influence the editorial decision. Please see the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals for further guidance. If no conflicts exist, the authors must state ‘‘No competing financial interests exist.’’

References

Authors are responsible for the accuracy and completeness of their references. Number references in the order they are cited in the text; do not alphabetize. In-text citations should be in numerical order, superscripted, not contained within parentheses or brackets, and placed after punctuation.

• Check the Article Types section for reference number limits for some article types
• Begin the Reference section on a separate page after the Author Disclosure Statement section
• Double-space all lines and single-space between words
• Articles accepted and in press are included in the Reference section
• Personal communications, unpublished data, or manuscripts “in preparation” or “submitted for publication” should not be included in the Reference section. If necessary, these should be included at the appropriate place in the body of the text. Personal communications should include the contact’s first initial and last name, and the month and year of the communication
• List all authors and/or editors up to 4; for 5 or more, list the first 3 followed by “et al.”
• For books, volume and edition numbers should be included when appropriate
• Abbreviate journal names in accordance with PubMed / MEDLINE
• No PMIDs or PCMIDs
• References that are abstracts should be indicated as such, with the abstract number included, if applicable
• Citation formats are based on NLM style, please see below for specific LGBT Health format examples 

Reference Samples

Journal Article
Ramirez MH, Rogers SJ, Johnson HL, Banks J, Seay WP, Tinsley BL, Grant AW: If we ask, what they might tell: Clinical assessment lessons from LGBT military personnel post-DADT. J Homosex. 2013;60:401-418.

Hembree WC, Cohen-Kettenis P, Delemarre-van de Waal HA, Gooren LJ, Meyer WJ, III, Spack NP, Tangpricha V, Montori VM: Endocrine treatment of transsexual persons: An Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2009;94:3132-3154.

Chapter in edited volume
Pleak RR: Ethical issues in diagnosing and treating of gender-dysphoric children and adolescents. In: Sissies and Tomboys: Gender Nonconformity and Homosexual Childhood. Edited by Rottnek M. New York: New York University Press, 1999, pp 34-51.

Book
Bagemihl B: Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity, 1st  ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1999.

Chapter in single authored book
Bagemihl B: The birds and the bees.  In:  Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity, 1st  ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1999, pp 9-42.

Resolution by professional association
American Medical Association House of Delegates. Resolution 122 (A-08). 122. 2008.

Task Force Report    
American Psychological Association Task Force on Gender Identity and Gender Variance. Report of the Task Force on Gender Identity and Gender Variance.  2008. Washington, DC, American Psychological Association.

Independent publisher
Consortium on the management of disorders of sex development: Handbook for Parents Rohnert Park, CA., Intersex Society of North America, 2006.

Publication by an association
American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed., text revision. DSM-IV-TR ed. Washington, DC, 2000.

Tables
Within the text, cite tables in the order in which they appear using Arabic numerals. Tables in accepted articles will be typeset and placed near the first mention of the table in the text; do not include separate lines indicating table placement.

Table guidelines:

•  Check the Article Types section for limits on the number of tables and/or figures for some article types
  
  
•  Either prepare all tables on separate pages in the main document following the References section OR submit each table as a separate word processing document. Do not embed tables within the main body text
  
  
•  Provide a brief but descriptive title for each table. Avoid abbreviations in the table title when possible
  
  
• Table footnote(s) should include any essential notes and must include definitions of all abbreviations and acronyms used in the table

Figures

Within the text, cite figures in the order in which they appear using Arabic numerals. Figures in accepted articles will be typeset and placed near the first mention of the figure in the text; do not include separate lines indicating figure placement.

Figure guidelines: 

•  Check the Article Types section for limits on the number of tables and/or figures for some article types
  
  
• Figures include graphs, charts, diagrams, illustrations, and photographic images
  
  
• File types and guidelines:

             - All figures must be submitted as separate picture files.  Do not embed figures in the main word processing document.

   
             - Do not submit figures as PDFs, PowerPoint, or Excel files

             - To ensure proper print quality, please submit only TIFF or EPS files. JPEG files are for screen representation-quality only and will
                print very poorly during the printing process

              - Line illustrations should be submitted at 900 DPI.  Halftones and color should be submitted at a minimum of 300 DPI

• Color figures:

             - Color art must be saved as CYMK, not RGB. (Note: If RGB files are submitted, the files will be converted to CYMK and some color
              variation will occur)

• Figure legends:

             - After the Reference section of the main word processing document (or any Tables included in the word processing document), include
                a separate page with the following information for each figure:
  
             - Provide a brief but descriptive title for each figure. Avoid abbreviations in the figure title when possible

             - Define all relevant information in figures, including figure part labels, footnotes, abbreviations, acronyms, arrows, and levels of
                magnification in insets

Online-Only Materials

Appendices and other supplementary materials should be included only when they are pertinent to the submitted manuscript but beyond the word or table/figure limits.

Appendix and supplementary material guidelines:

• Published only with the online version of an accepted article
• The print version of the article will include a URL directing readers to the online-only materials
•  Should be important to understanding or interpretation of the manuscript and limited in length
• Should be original and not previously published
•  Acceptance of online-only materials is separate from acceptance of the manuscript and at the Editors’ discretion
• Authors are encouraged to contact the Editor prior to submission of online-only materials

Post-Submission Information

Submission-Related Emails and Online Status

The Manuscript Central system sends emails only to the corresponding author (except for copyright release emails for accepted articles). Submitted manuscripts will show in the Manuscript Central Author Center of only the corresponding author.

Manuscript Decisions

Manuscripts may receive decisions of Reject, Major Revision, Minor Revision, Accept with Edits, or Accept. A manuscript decision of Major Revision or Minor Revision does not guarantee the manuscript will ultimately be accepted. Article type word limits apply to revisions as well as initial submissions. A manuscript with a decision of Accept with Edits will not receive a formal Accept decision until all requested edits are satisfactorily completed.

Authorship

It is the submitting author’s  responsibility to ensure the accuracy and inclusion of all contributing authors’ names and affiliations upon submission. Once a paper is accepted for publication, changes in authorship while the paper is in production – including page proofs – are NOT permitted. Changes in authorship after publication are strictly prohibited.

Permissions

Authors are responsible for procuring permissions to reproduce illustrations or tables taken from other publications and must be acknowledged by a complete credit line in the figure legend. The original publisher’s letter of permission should be available for submission to LGBT Health if requested by the Editors or the Publisher. A full citation should also be included in the Reference section.

Page Proofs

An email containing a link to the PDF file of the page proof is sent to the corresponding author. The proof should be read carefully and returned within 3 business days to the Publisher with the author’s/authors’ approval or corrections.

Reprints

Reprints may be ordered by following the special instructions that accompany page proofs and should be ordered at the time the corresponding author returns the corrected page proofs. Reprints ordered after an issue is printed will be charged at a substantially higher rate.

Publisher

LGBT Health is published quarterly by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., 140 Huguenot Street, New Rochelle, NY 10801-5215, Tel: (914) 740-2100; Fax: (914) 740-2101; Email: info@liebertpub.com;  Website: www.liebertpub.com/LGBT