Submissions

Author Guidelines

The International Journal of Alcohol and Drug Research is an online journal that is free to access. The journal welcomes manuscripts reporting findings of original research, reviews and other scholarly reports that contribute to knowledge and practice relating to substance use and problems from an international perspective.

Online Submissions

Please prepare your manuscript using the guidelines below, and then submit here. 

Peer Review Process

The Editorial Team manages submissions by assessing first whether the manuscript addresses the aims of the journal and is of sufficient scientific quality to be considered for publication. That is, the study must meet an acceptable level of scientific rigor and make a significant contribution to knowledge. The anonymized manuscript is then sent to two or more experts in the area for peer review.

Decision Categories

Once the initial review is completed, the Editorial Team responds to the author(s) with one of the following outcomes:

1. Accept
2. Minor revisions
3. Major revisions
4. Reject

Mentoring

The editor may recommend that the author consult or collaborate with a mentor. Additionally, authors who are asked to make major revisions may request assistance from a mentor if the necessary revisions are deemed by the authors to be beyond their capabilities, experience or resources.

Mentoring may be sought through the ISAJE mentoring program or internally through the IJADR’s Editorial Team. If the assistance of a mentor is requested, the Editorial Team will attempt to facilitate a match between the authors and a mentor who has suitable expertise and who has not been involved in the review process of the manuscript.

The mentor may provide limited assistance (advice or mentoring) for which an acknowledgement of the mentor's assistance in the final publication is appropriate. In some circumstances, the authors and the mentor may agree in advance that extensive assistance is needed warranting the involvement of the mentor as a co-author (see authorship criteria below).

Regardless of whether a mentor is involved in the revisions, the resubmitted paper must address all concerns raised in the peer review process in order to be accepted for publication.

Authorship Criteria

Authorship of the paper should include those who made substantial contributions to: the development and design of the research; data collection, analysis and interpretation of the data; or drafting the manuscript or making critical revisions.

Research Ethics Board Approval and Statement of Ethics

The submitting authors are required as part of the online submission process to include a cover letter stating the research contained in the report has been reviewed by a Research Ethics Board, or review from a comparable institution depending on the governance of research within that particular country. It is the responsibility of the author(s) to ensure that respondent/subject anonymity is carefully protected and to verify that any experimental investigation with human subjects reported in the manuscript was performed with informed consent and following all the guidelines for experimental investigation with human subjects required by the institution(s) with which all the authors are affiliated. Plagiarism is defined as the use of any portion of the work of another without permission or without comprehensive and appropriate notations of use. IJADR will reject manuscripts where plagiarism is detected and may also reject any subsequent manuscripts submitted by the same authors.

Once a manuscript has been accepted for publication, the submitting author will be sent a copy of the Author Ethical Statement relating to all authors, including: a statement that the manuscript is an original work and, has not been submitted for publication or published either in part or in full elsewhere; a declaration of interests relating to direct or indirect sources of funding; and any publishing constraints imposed by funders. A signature from each author is required (electronic or faxed signature is acceptable). This must be signed and returned to the journal before the paper will be published.

Copyright

Authors must agree that the International Journal of Alcohol and Drug Research has sole copyright to publish the article, including the abstract. Once a manuscript has been accepted for publication, the submitting author will be sent the copyright transfer form for completion. Manuscripts will not be published online until this completed and signed form is received by the journal.

Publication Fees

Research Papers: The International Journal of Drug and Alcohol Research charges $750 US for manuscripts using empirical data up to a recommended 3,000 words (excluding references, tables, and figures), while those based on qualitative data may be longer, up to a recommended 4,500 words (excluding references, tables, and figures). There will be an additional cost of $150 per 500 words over the word limit. These fees are necessary in order to keep the journal operational for the long-term and to provide open access. Fees waivers will be made for authors from low- and middle- income countries and considered for early career researchers and authors with documented needs.  To request a publication fee waiver, please contact the editor in advance of submission providing justification. Research papers should include a structured abstract up to 250 words. 

Brief Reports: Shorter research manuscripts should follow instructions for research papers but are limited to a recommended length of 1,500 words. They should also include a structured abstract up to 250 words.  

Review Article: These articles include quantitative or qualitative reviews and use a systematic or explicit method to identify, select, and critically evaluate relevant research. It is recommended that these manuscripts can be up to 4500 words and a structured abstract up to 250 words to include the following headings: background, objective, search methods, selection criteria, results, conclusions.  

Notes from the Field: These articles may include reflections or summaries of implementation and evaluation strategies, capacity building, policy development or adoption and other topics with implications for research, practice and prevention.  These notes have a recommended word limit of 3,000 words and should include a brief, unstructured abstract up to 100 words.  

Commentary: These articles include reflections, critiques or context for previously published articles. It is recommended that length is limited to 1,000 words and up to 10 references.  

Letter to the Editor:  Can include opinion pieces, commentaries on current events, policies, or other related topics. Length is limited to a recommended 1,000 words and up to 10 references.  

Preparation of Manuscript

Authors are encouraged to review the checklist for writing research reports (West, R. (2000). A check list for writing up research reports. Addiction 95(12), 1759-1761) located at the following websites.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1360-0443.2000.951217594.x/pdf or: http://www.rjwest.co.uk/resources.php

Authors are also encouraged to consult the comprehensive guidelines in Publishing Addiction Science (from ISAJE).

Manuscripts that do not adhere to the following instructions will be returned to the submitting author for technical revision before undergoing peer review.

Format

Manuscripts must be submitted in a Word format document. Manuscripts should include the following components: title page, abstract, main text, references, tables, figures, appendices (if appropriate).

Length

Manuscripts must not exceed the recommended 3,000 words exclusive of references, tables and figures. Qualitative papers are recommended to not exceed 4,500 words. Manuscripts exceeding this word limit will be returned to authors without peer review unless a convincing case is made for an article to be longer and is approved by the Editorial Team.

Title Page

Include on the title page:

• Complete manuscript title,
• Authors' full names and affiliations,
• Sources of financial support,
• Word count exclusive of abstract, references, tables and figures,
• Running head title
• 3–5 informative keywords, and
• Name and address of author to whom correspondence will be sent, including telephone number and e-mail address.

Abstract

Limit the abstract to 250 words. For research reports, a structured abstract should be used including: Aims, Design, Setting, Participants, Measures, Findings, and Conclusions.

Text

Reports of original research should be organized into four main headings: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. Remaining material (when applicable) should be included after the conclusions in the following order: Funding Sources, Declaration of Interests, Acknowledgments, References, Tables, and Figures. Avoid abbreviations or acronyms to the extent possible. When used, they should be defined at first mention in the text and in each table and figure. Indicate in the text the approximate location for tables and figures.

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments should include all forms of support, including pharmaceutical and industry support.

References

References and citations in the text should follow the APA Version 7 referencing style. Refer to the following website for more details: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/general_format.html  

Tables

The journal uses APA Version 7 table formatting. Each table should be typed on a separate page following the references. If the table exceeds one typewritten page, duplicate all headings on the second page. Very wide tables should be avoided by dividing the data into smaller tables. Tables should be numbered using Arabic numerals (i.e., 1, 2, 3…) in the order in which they are cited in the text. Each table should have a title that clearly explains the content of the table. All abbreviations should be defined, even if they have been defined previously in the text. Use horizontal rules only (no vertical rules) and these should be used only to separate sections (e.g., table title from column headings). Footnotes to the table should be designated with superscript letters (a, b, c, etc.) cited in alphabetical order as the table is read horizontally and asterisks (*p < 05, **p <.01, ***p <.001) to indicate statistical significance. If data obtained from any other source, published or unpublished, are used, permission for their use must be obtained (and submitted to the editorial office). In addition, appropriate credit must be provided as a footnote to the table.

Figures

The journal uses APA Version 7 figure formatting. Figures should be submitted in black and white. Each figure should be presented on a separate page following the tables and be clear and easy to read. Figures should be numbered using Arabic numerals (i.e., 1, 2, 3…) in the order in which they are cited in the text. Each figure should have a title that clearly explains the content of the figure. Letters, numbers, and symbols should be clear and large enough to be read easily. If symbols, arrows, numbers, or letters are used to identify parts of a graph or other part of the figure, these should be explained clearly in the legend. Legends should permit figures to be understood without reference to the text. Define all abbreviated terms the first time used, even if the term has been defined in text. Unless otherwise arranged, figures should be submitted in a Power Point file that can be modified for journal formatting.

Appendices

Supplementary material that provides additional material about the research may be included in an appendix or appendices. Material contained in the appendices should not be necessary for understanding, evaluation or interpretation of the research report itself.

Online Publication

Articles will be published online as PDF and html documents after receipt of corrected proofs and completion of the copyright transfer and author ethical statement, and payment of the publication fees (if applicable).

Form Used by Manuscript Reviewers

• Does the manuscript contain new and significant information to justify publication?
• Does the Abstract (Summary) clearly and accurately describe the content of the article?
• Is the problem significant and concisely stated?
• Are the methods described comprehensively?
• Do the findings clearly address the study objectives and research questions?
• Are the interpretations and conclusions justified by the results?
• Is adequate reference made to other work in the field?
• Is the manuscript well-written with few spelling, grammar or other problems?
• Is the manuscript appropriate in length?
• Are references appropriate, relevant and up to date? Do the references follow the APA 7 style of referencing?
• Length of article: too short, adequate, too long
• Number of tables: too few, adequate, too many
• Number of figures: too few, adequate, too many
• Importance of research question: poor, fair, good, excellent
• Clarity of presentation: poor, fair, good. excellent
• Sampling and sample size: poor, fair, good, excellent
• Analyses: poor, fair, good, excellent
• Interpretation and discussion of findings: poor, fair, good, excellent
• Extent to which the research finding increases international knowledge and understanding about substance use and problems: poor, fair, good, excellent
• Overall quality: Excellent, poor, fair, good, excellent
• Rating of the manuscript overall: poor, fair, good, excellent
• Reviewer recommendation: accept, minor revision, major revision, reject