Journal Guide

Thomson Reuters is proud to sponsor Canadian golf champion Mike Weir, the Formula One TM (F1 TM ) team–AT&T Williams, and the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA). While these sponsorships span different sports genres and countries, they all embody Thomson Reuters core values: global business collaboration is key; people make the difference; and performance matters.

Focus and Scope

The Southern African Journal of Infectious Diseases (SAJID), formerly called the Southern African Journal of Epidemiology and Infection (SAJEI), first appeared in 1985 as a joint publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of Southern Africa (IDSSA), the Sexually Transmitted Diseases Society of Southern Africa (STDSSA) and the Epidemiology Society of Southern Africa, the latter having subsequently been succeeded by the Public Health Association of South Africa (PHASA). Presently SAJID is published under the auspices of the Federation of Infectious Diseases Societies of South Africa which is an umbrella organization incorporating IDSSA, STDSSA as well as the Infection Control Society of South Africa (ICASA), the National Antibiotic Study Forum (NASF) of South Africa, and the South African Society of Travel Medicine (SASTM).

Publications of SAJID centre round aspects of epidemiology and infection, particularly those of importance to the societies of FIDSSA. Topics around infection include clinical and epidemiological aspects of communicable diseases, laboratory diagnosis of infections, characterisation of infective agents by molecular techniques and the study of transmission patterns of pathogens in institutional and community settings. Other infection related studies cover surveillance of vaccine-controllable and other infectious diseases, drug susceptibility patterns of hospital-acquired and community-acquired pathogens and infection control strategies for the southern Africa region. SAJID also promotes greater collaboration between clinically oriented and laboratory-based divisions within the FIDSSA societies, and the establishment of quality assurance programmes and other measures to enhance and maintain standards of diagnostic and public health microbiology.

Scientific papers in the SAJID aim to advance the understanding of all aspects of epidemiology, public health, clinical microbiology and infection. The journal strives to promote research and exchange of information on specific areas of infectious diseases, medical microbiology and virology, covering fields of interest of the societies of FIDSSA and PHASA. Manuscripts describing research performed at southern African institutions and in southern African settings enjoy a high priority, as do health matters covering Africa and the developing world, as well as global issues such as malaria and other tropical diseases, tuberculosis, sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS. The scope of interest of SAJID is wide but the journal aims to maintain and improve the standard of its publications.

The SAJID’s subscribes to the Uniform Requirements of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) (www. icmje.org). which state the ethical principles in the conduct and reporting of research and provide recommendations relating to specific elements of editing and writing.

Ethics

The SAJID abides by the high ethical standards of the Commission on Public Ethics (COPE) (www.publicationethics.org) and ICMJE. Falsification or fabrication of data, plagiarism, including duplicate publication of the author’s own work without proper citation, and misappropriation of the work are unacceptable practices.

Originality

SAJID will not publish manuscripts that overlap substantially with articles already published or accepted for publication, whether in print or the electronic media, even if the new submission contains data not included in the published or accepted work. This policy does not preclude consideration of a report that follows a presentation at a meeting/conference or expands preliminary findings published or presented as an abstract. Submissions for republication of articles must be accompanied by a statement that the article is republished with the knowledge of the author and Editor and the permission of the original copyright holder.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism, including duplicate publication of the author’s own work, in whole or in part without proper citation, will not be tolerated by the SAJID. If an attempt at undisclosed duplicate publication is identified, the article will be rejected, the owners of the copyright notified and the violation may be reported to FIDSSA or PHASA.

The journal will also consider applications where health care provision is the focus. Coverage of veterinary topics will be included, and those with direct human health implications are especially welcome. The journal places special emphasis on spatio-temporal aspects of emerging diseases (e.g., avian flu, SARS), development of spatial statistical and computational methods, and novel applications of geospatial technology (e.g., GPS, GIS) for shedding insights on exposure and disease processes.

The journal accepts three different types of submissions:
1. Methods papers that outline new methodology in the areas of GIS, spatial statistics, exposure science, and/or epidemiology;
2. Case Study/Applications papers where recently developed methodology is applied to novel applications with a clear exposure/disease focus; and
3. Short reports where a) they are around 4-8 text pages in length b) they focus on an important novel development and c) the development should be capable of description within the page length. Case Studies progress reports in the form of 'what we have done so far' are not acceptable as Short Reports unless they comply with b) or c) above.

Surgical Infections provides practicing surgeons, infectious disease specialists, and investigators with comprehensive and authoritative information on the biology, prevention, and management of post-operative infections. Original articles cover the latest advancements, new therapeutic management strategies, and translational research that is being applied successfully to improve clinical outcomes. Surgical Infections also provides an understanding of immune and inflammatory responses, which is critical for surgeons to treat post-operative infections effectively.

The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene is a peer-reviewed journal published monthly by the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene and consists of two complete, sequentially numbered volumes each calendar year. The journal is made freely available to non-profit institutions in developing countries through our particpation in HINARI.

Published continuously since 1904, The Journal of Infectious Diseases (JID) is the premier global journal for original research on infectious diseases. The editors welcome Major Articles and Brief Reports describing research results on microbiology, immunology, epidemiology, and related disciplines, on the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of infectious diseases; on the microbes that cause them; and on disorders of host immune responses. JID is an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

The Lancet HIV launched in September 2014 as an exclusively online journal, publishing original research, expert commentary, informative editorials, and timely correspondence. The monthly journal provides readers with context and insight into the clinical advances and practice-changing research shaping the study of HIV/AIDS today.

Now is a critical moment in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Despite the world view that the end of AIDS may be within reach, the job of controlling this epidemic is certainly not done. As HIV disease evolves to become a chronic infection, the interaction of the virus with other chronic conditions will present a host of new challenges.The Lancet HIV is a journal for a new era in the history of HIV/AIDS.

The Lancet HIV builds onThe Lancet journals' reputation for publishing HIV/AIDS research to provide a reliable foundation for advocacy and for programmatic and political change. We will consider clinical, epidemiological, operational, and implementation research, unifying these disciplines across a single vision for the health of those living with HIV.

Following inThe Lancet tradition, the journal is stringently edited and peer-reviewed to ensure scientific merit and clinical relevance. All original research is Fast Track peer reviewed for online publication within 8 weeks of submission and receives global exposure to the medical HIV/AIDS community via our online platforms thelancet.com and ScienceDirect. For selected high-impact research, the journal has a dedicated press office to facilitate worldwide media coverage, ensuring extensive global exposure of your research.

Visit http://www.thelancet.com/hiv for more information.

The Lancet Infectious Diseases is recognized for providing a global, authoritative, and independent forum for the highest quality infectious diseases research and opinion, covering the research and treatment of diseases and conditions such as HIV/AIDS, healthcare association infections, antibiotic resistance, malaria, tuberculosis, emerging infections, and public health. The Lancet Infectious Diseases publishes original research, reviews, personal views, commentaries, and news across the global field of infectious diseases. The journal is stringently edited and peer-reviewed to ensure the scientific merit and clinical relevance of its diverse content. All original research is fast-tracked to publication within 8 weeks on average of submission and published first online on TheLancet.com before the print issue.

Practical in both style and content, The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal; delivers the latest insights on all aspects of infectious disease in children, from state-of-the-art diagnostic techniques to the most effective drug therapies and other essential treatment protocols. Website: www.pidj.com.

Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases is an international, peer-reviewed scientific journal. It publishes original research papers, short communications, state-of-the-art mini-reviews, letters to the editor, clinical-case studies, announcements of pertinent international meetings, and editorials.
The journal covers a broad spectrum and brings together various disciplines, for example, zoology, microbiology, molecular biology, genetics, mathematical modelling, veterinary and human medicine. Multidisciplinary approaches and the use of conventional and novel methods/methodologies (in the field and in the laboratory) are crucial for deeper understanding of the natural processes and human behaviour/activities that result in human or animal diseases and in economic effects of ticks and tick-borne pathogens. Such understanding is essential for management of tick populations and tick-borne diseases in an effective and environmentally acceptable manner. The journal covers the following topics:

Ticks: biosystematics/taxonomy, morphology, evolution, ecology, physiology/biochemistry, behaviour, molecular biology, genomics/proteomics, and control

Ecology/ecoepidemiology of tick-borne diseases: vector ticks and reservoir hosts, the mechanisms and processes determining their abundance and distribution, the occurrence and prevalence of pathogens in tick and tick-host populations, tick-host-pathogen interactions at the ecological level and their dependence upon environmental factors, natural focality, and risk assessments of exposure to ticks and the occurrence of tick-borne diseases

Tick-borne pathogens: viruses, bacteria, and parasites, their biology in ticks and vertebrates, pathogen-tick and pathogen-host interactions on the molecular and cellular levels, transmission, coinfection, genomics/proteomics, and biosystematics/taxonomy

Tick-borne diseases in domestic animals and wildlife: epidemiology, diagnosis, immunology, treatment, vaccination, control/management, and economics

Tick-borne human diseases: epidemiology, diagnosis, immunology, treatment, vaccination, socioeconomics, and public health

In addition, methodological papers on all these areas will be published as well as timely reviews on vectors and vector-borne diseases in which tick biology or tick-borne diseases are addressed.

Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene is an Official Journal of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene publishes original, peer-reviewed articles, and invited reviews across a broad range of topics relevant to the Society's goals, including: - clinical tropical medicine - infectious diseases - parasitology and entomology - microbiology and virology - epidemiology - chemotherapy - immunology - public health, including social science A key objective is to present the results of research that are broadly intelligible to workers from a range of disciplines. We welcome articles on translational research that may impact directly on clinical and public health practice in developing countries and those describing the application of new technologies in tropical medicine. Non-communicable diseases are of increasing importance in developing countries and we are keen to receive high quality papers in this field. We will invite regular reviews on important, topical or neglected topics and welcome updates on progress with major global partnership programmes. We will also publish peer-reviewed supplements from leading groups of experts. These supplements provide an opportunity for an in-depth review of available knowledge within a particular field and we are particulary suited to the detailed review of field trials of new vaccines and therapies or the progress of major disease control programmes. We publish articles from Fellows of the Society and non-Fellows alike and will continue to fulfil an important role as a vehicle for publication of original scientific papers presented at Society meetings. We also wish to encourage debate through letters to the Editor.

Transboundary and Emerging Diseases brings together in one place the latest research on infectious animal diseases considered to hold the greatest economic threat to animals worldwide. The journal provides a venue for global research on the sources favoring their diagnosis, prevention and management, and for papers on veterinary public health, pathogenesis, epidemiology, statistical modeling, diagnostics, biosecurity issues, genomics, vaccine development and rapid communication of new outbreaks. Papers should include timely research approaches using state-of-the-art technologies. The editors encourage papers on socio-economic and environmental factors influencing the management of the bio-security threat posed by these diseases, including risk analysis modeling, as long as a science-based approach is adopted. Precedence will be given to communications concentrating on novel science-based approaches to controlling transboundary and emerging diseases. This international journal provides rapid publication of original papers, short communications, reviews, selected abstracts and outbreak alerts.

Transplant Infectious Disease has been established as a forum for presenting the most current information on the prevention and treatment of infection complicating organ and bone marrow transplantation. The point of view of the journal is that infection and allograft rejection (or graft-versus-host disease) are closely intertwined, and that advances in one area will have immediate consequences on the other. The interaction of the transplant recipient with potential microbial invaders, the impact of immunosuppressive strategies on this interaction, and the effects of cytokines, growth factors, and chemokines liberated during the course of infections, rejection, or graft-versus-host disease are central to the interests and mission of this journal. Transplant Infectious Disease is aimed at disseminating the latest information relevant to the infectious disease complications of transplantation to clinicians and scientists involved in bone marrow, kidney, liver, heart, lung, intestinal, and pancreatic transplantation. The infectious disease consequences and concerns regarding innovative transplant strategies, from novel immunosuppressive agents to xenotransplantation, are very much a concern of this journal. In addition, this journal feels a particular responsibility to inform primary care practitioners in the community, who increasingly are sharing the responsibility for the care of these patients, of the special considerations regarding the prevention and treatment of infection in transplant recipients. As exemplified by the international editorial board, articles are sought throughout the world that address both general issues and those of a more restricted geographic import. Transplant Infectious Disease includes state-of-the-art review articles on important subjects, the results of clinical investigation, interesting case reports, and two recurring features: a clinical-pathologic conference and reviews of the basic science foundation of transplant infectious disease. Subjects covered include specific infections, the epidemiology of important infections, the interaction among immunosuppression and infection exposure, the diagnosis of specific infection, pathogenesis, and clinical management. Both basic science and clinical articles are featured. Where controversy exists, both sides of an issue are presented. This journal is meant to serve the needs of all clinicians and scientists involved in the study and care of organ and bone marrow transplant recipients.

Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease publishes original papers, reviews and consensus papers on all aspects of travel medicine and infectious disease.Focus areas include epidemiology and surveillance of travel-related illness, vaccine-preventable disease, malaria prevention and treatment, travellers' diarrhoea, migrant health, wilderness and expedition medicine, sports, aviation and maritime medicine, environmental and psychological hazards of travel, global policy/regulations for disease prevention and control, travel safety and security and practical clinical issues for travel and tropical medicine practitioners. The journal also covers areas of controversy and debate in travel medicine particularly where this may inform guidelines and policy pertinent to travel medicine and the prevention of infectious disease.Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease aims to publish cutting edge papers and offers a fast peer-review process with early on-line publication of accepted manuscripts.