Journal of Dermatology for Physician Assistants
The official journal of the Society of Dermatology Physician Assistants
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The official journal of the Society of Dermatology Physician Assistants
JOURNAL OVERVIEW
The Journal of Dermatology for Physician Assistants (JDPA) is a peer-reviewed publication that delivers innovative clinical, surgical, cosmetic, and professional content exclusively for dermatology PAs. Submissions to the JDPA are peer-reviewed by a panel of experienced dermatology PAs, educational PAs, and dermatologists before being accepted for publication. Manuscripts submitted for publication are reviewed with the understanding that they are original and have neither been submitted elsewhere nor are being considered by other journals. Electronic submissions are accepted and should be sent to jdpa@dermpa.org.
JDPA follows the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) for guidance on policies and procedures related to publication ethics. The policies submission requirements listed in JDPA’s Author Guidelines have been adopted from those three advisory bodies and, where necessary, modified and tailored to meet the specific content, audiences, and aims of JDPA.
EDITORIAL MISSION
The Journal of Dermatology for Physician Assistants (JDPA) is the official clinical journal of the Society of Dermatology Physician Assistants. The mission of the JDPA is to improve dermatological patient care by publishing the most innovative, timely, practice-proven educational information available for the physician assistant profession.
Manuscripts that meet our editorial purpose include, but are not limited to, original research pertaining to the field of dermatology and/or physician assistant education and practice, review articles on dermatological conditions and their treatments, case reports and studies, clinical pearls related to surgical and/or cosmetic procedures, commentaries on published literature, opinion essays on current issues, and letters to the editor.
CONTENT FOCUS
JDPA includes articles on the following topics to reflect the breadth of dermatology:
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 American Medical Association (AMA) Manual of Style (http://www.amamanualofstyle.com)
Author Listing. All authors’ names should be listed in their entirety and should include institutional/professional affiliations and degrees held.
Authoring Groups. If you choose to include an organization, committee, team, or any other group as part of your author list, you must include the names of the individuals as part of the Acknowledgements section of your manuscript. This section should appear after the main text prior to your References section. (If your Acknowledgments includes both group members and other persons/organizations who are not in that group, you should instead list the group members in a separate appendix to avoid confusion.) The terms “for” or “on behalf of” must also be used when referencing the authoring group in the by-line.
Proprietary Products. Authors should use nonproprietary names of drugs or devices unless mention of a trade name is pertinent to the discussion. If a proprietary product is cited, the name and location of the manufacturer must also be included.
References. Authors are responsible for the accuracy of references. Citations should be numbered in the order in which they appear in the text. Reference style should follow that of the AMA Manual of Style, current edition. Abbreviated journal names should reflect the style of Index Medicus. Visit: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/tsd/serials/lji.html
Journal article with 1 author
Zweibel K. Engineering. The impact of tellurium supply on cadmium telluride photovoltaics. Science. 2010;328(5979):699-701.
Journal article with more than 5 authors
Lim HW, Collins SAB, Resneck JS Jr, et al. The burden of skin disease in the United States. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2017 May;76(5):958-972.e2. Epub 2017 Mar 1.
Authored book
Griskey RG. Transport Phenomena and Unit Operations. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.; 2005.
Edited book
Cleophas TJ. SPSS for Starters and 2nd Levelers. 2nd ed. 2016. (Zwinderman AH, ed.). Cham: Springer International Publishing; 2016.
Book chapter
Worbs T, Förster R. T Cell Migration Dynamics Within Lymph Nodes During Steady State: An Overview of Extracellular and Intracellular Factors Influencing the Basal Intranodal T Cell Motility. In: Dustin M, McGavern D, eds. Visualizing Immunity. Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer; 2009:71-105.
Website
Davis J. Soccer Players May Be At Risk Of Dementia From Repeatedly Heading The Ball. IFLScience. https://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/soccer-players-may-be-at-risk-of-dementia-from-repeatedly-heading-the-ball/. Published February 15, 2017. Accessed October 30, 2018.
MANUSCRIPT CATEGORIES
CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION (CME)
Contribute a comprehensive, critical assessment of the current state of knowledge about a disease encountered by PAs or a how-to approach to diagnosing and/or managing a specific problem. Content should be specific to the field of dermatology: pediatric, cosmetic, medical, or surgical.
Length: 2,000 to 5,000 words
Requirements: Must include abstract, keywords, at least four (4) Learning Objectives, a brief statement explaining how the article addresses practice gaps among the PA community, and four (4) Self-assessment post-test questions with answer key.
CASE REPORT OR SERIES
Present and discuss a case(s) that illustrates an important, novel, or interesting observation. Cases should have a unique diagnosis, clinical presentation, or clinical course. Clinical photographs or other illustrative material is preferred.
Length: 1,000 to 3,000 words
Requirements: Must include abstract and keywords
DERMATOLOGY GRAND ROUNDS
Describe management approaches relevant to a representative patient case that is derived from the author’s own experience.
Length: 1,000 to 3,000 words
Requirements: Abstract, keywords, and three (3) quiz questions with answer key
REVIEW
LITERATURE REVIEW. Summarize the current understanding of a dermatologic topic. This literature review should educate and/or aid the practicing dermatology PA by presenting what is currently published on a specific dermatologic topic or condition.
Length: 500 to 1,800 words
Requirements: Abstract and keywords
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OR META-ANALYSIS. A thorough and detailed review of existing literature on a particular topic, designed to address a specific question. The review systematically searches, identifies, selects, appraises, and synthesizes research evidence relevant to the question using methodology that is explicit, reproducible, and leads to minimum bias. In the case of a meta-analysis, statistical analysis should be employed to summarize results of the studies.
Length: 500 to 2,000 words
Requirements: Abstract and keywords; Note: Systematic reviews and meta-analyses must adhere to the guidelines provided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses report (PRISMA Statement).
ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Present original research conducted by the author(s). Content should be specific to the field of dermatology or topics pertaining to the physician assistant including but not limited to workforce economics, salary studies, PA demographics, mental health and burn out, healthcare delivery by PAs.
Length: 2,000 to 3,500 words
Requirements: Abstract and keywords
FEATURE
These articles have a broad range to include special topics of interest to the Dermatology PA. These can explore commentaries on published literature, clinical pearls related to surgical and/or cosmetic procedures, a specific dermatologic topic, a topic relating to Dermatology PAs. These can be clinical or narrative in nature but should be grounded in evidence or logical analysis of original source material.
Length: 500 to 1,000 words
Requirements: Abstract and keywords
COMMENTARY
Present a point of view of general interest in professional practice, society, culture, healthcare, or any other topic regarding the field of dermatology or physician assistant community. Unlike Editorials, Commentaries are not related to an article in the same issue of JDPA and are published as they are accepted.
Length: 500 to 1,000 words
Requirements: Keywords. Abstract not required.
EDITORIAL
Share your insight about a current issue in professional practice, society, culture, healthcare, or any other topic regarding the field of dermatology or physician assistant community. Editorials are generally solicited by the Editor-in-Chief and are related to a manuscript in the same issue.
Length: 500 to 1,000 words
Requirements: Keywords. Abstract not required.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Write a response to articles published in JDPA. Letters should be timely and, ideally, should be received within three (3) months of the article’s publication. Letters will be edited for clarity, style, and length as appropriate.
Length: 400 words
Requirements: Title, author, and publication date of subject article.
Note: Commentaries, Editorials, and Letters to the Editor do not undergo peer review, however, they are desk reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief for appropriateness/fit within scope of journal content.
All submissions must adhere to the following format:
Main Submission Document prepared in Microsoft Word (no PDFs) or similar word processing program
Font: Times New Roman font, size 12, black
Formatting: Use double spacing throughout
Do not include footnotes within the manuscript body
All abbreviations and acronyms should be spelled out at first mention.
E-mail Your Manuscript to: jdpa@dermpa.org
Note: Hard copies are not accepted
TITLE PAGE
Author listing. Full names for all authors, including degrees, and institutional/professional affiliations.
Corresponding author. The name and contact information of the corresponding author should also be included. This is the individual designated to communicate with the editorial staff regarding the manuscript.
Word Count. List main body word count (Do not include references and supplementary material).
Abstract. Include a structured abstract with all articles, except letters to the editors. Abstracts should be limited to 250 words and summarize the manuscript’s main points (e.g., a research article might contain the following abstract categories: objective, design, setting, participants, measurements, results, conclusion.
Keywords. Include any search terms relevant to the manuscript content.
Disclosures. Include a any relevant disclosures, such as financial support, industry relationships, or other conflicts of interest.
FIGURES, TABLES, & SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL
Journal Policy. For any figure, table, or supplemental material reproduced or adapted 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. The legend must include a statement that the material was used or adapted with permission.
Figures. Authors should 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.
Tables. Tables should be numbered in the order in which they are cited in the text and include appropriate headers. Table formatting should follow the current edition of the AMA Manual of Style. Tables should be constructed using a Microsoft Word program and inserted in numerical order at the end of the manuscript, either within the main Word document (following the references) or as separate files. Do not provide tables in scan/image format.
Supplemental Material. References to any online supplemental information must appear in the main article. Such supplemental information can include but are not limited to additional tables, figures, videos, audio files, slide shows, data sets (including qualitative data), and online appendices. If your study is based on a survey, consider submitting your survey instrument or the key questions as a data supplement. Authors are responsible for clearly labeling supplemental information and are accountable for its accuracy. Supplemental information will be peer reviewed, but not professionally copyedited.