The editors of EXPLORE: The Journal of Science & Healing invite authors to submit original papers for consideration. Papers most likely to be published are those that present important new ideas and information on the healing arts, consciousness, spirituality, eco-environmental issues, and basic science as all these fields relate to health. We also particularly encourage new perspectives on the integration of complementary and alternative therapies with conventional medical and health practices in preventing and treating disease, healing illness, and promoting health. We do not use material that has been published elsewhere, either in print or electronically, except as noted in Permissions, later in this document.

Submission of Manuscripts

As of June 2005, all new manuscripts must be submitted through the EXPLORE online submission and review Web site External link http://ees.elsevier.com/explore . Authors are requested to submit the text, tables, and artwork in electronic form to this address.

Submission items include a cover letter, suggested reviewers, the manuscript (including title page, abstract, manuscript text, references, and table/figure legends), tables, and figures. Revised manuscripts should also be accompanied by a unique file (separate from the covering letter) with responses to reviewers' comments. The preferred order of files is as follows: cover letter, suggested reviewers, response to reviews (revised manuscripts only), manuscript file(s), table(s), figure(s). Upload text, tables and graphics as separate files. Do not import figures or tables into the text document. Complete instructions for electronic artwork submission can be found on the Author Gateway, accessible through the journal home page. (See: External link http://authors.elsevier.com/journal/explore .)

Authors who are unable to provide an electronic version or have other circumstances that prevent online submission must contact ExploreJournal@cox.net prior to submission to discuss alternate options.

Our readers are physicians, nurses, scientists, and other healthcare providers as well as the interested general public. In submitting a manuscript to EXPLORE, please consider this audience.

Subject Matter
EXPLORE is an interdisciplinary scientific journal and will consider the following topics as well as others that would fulfill the editorial mission:

  • Acupuncture/Acupressure
  • Anthroposophy
  • Aromatherapy
  • Ayurveda
  • Basic Science
  • Bioelectromagnetic therapy
  • Biofeedback
  • Botanical or herbal medicine
  • Chiropractic
  • Consciousness
  • Craniosacral therapies
  • Creative therapies (including art, dance, drama, and music)
  • Diet/Nutrition/Nutritional supplements
  • Eco-environmental issues
  • Environmental medicine
  • Five Element Chinese Medicine
  • Qigong
  • Healing Environments
  • Health promotion
  • Holistic Medicine
  • Holistic Nursing
  • Homeopathy
  • Hypnotherapy
  • Imagery
  • Indigenous medical practices
  • Integrative Medicine
  • Massage
  • Meditation
  • Medical Acupuncture
  • Mind-body therapies (including behavioral and educational aspects)
  • Naturopathy
  • Nonlocal therapies
  • Osteopathic medicine
  • Qigong
  • Psychoneuroimmunology
  • Psychotherapy
  • Reflexology
  • Reiki
  • Relaxation/stress reduction
  • Spiritual/transpersonal healing/prayer
  • Tai Chi
  • Therapeutic Touch and Healing Touch
  • Tibetan medicine
  • Traditional Chinese Medicine
  • Yoga

EXPLORE publishes 7 primary types of articles:

Original Research - Manuscripts usually contain between 2500 and 5000 words and are accepted for consideration with the understanding that they have not been published or submitted elsewhere. They are subject to blinded peer review; that is, authors and reviewers are not identified by name during the review process. Original research includes randomized, controlled trials; outcome studies; intervention studies; cost-effectiveness analyses; case-control series; qualitative studies; and surveys with high response rates. Each manuscript should begin with an abstract that includes a hypothesis or objective, study methods, the interventions being evaluated, the main outcome measures, and the main results. The body of the manuscript should cover this material in greater detail and include a discussion section as well as references. The CONSORT author guidelines (www.consort-statement.org/) checklist must be submitted with each manuscript that is a randomized controlled trial. For qualitative studies, the abstract should include research question, theoretical framework, methods, context, sample, data collection, analysis and interpretation, and main results.

Brief Reports - These articles-usually pilot studies, brief evaluations, and reviews-must be unique, first-time reports with a typical length of 750 to 1600 words (approximately 9 typed, double-spaced pages) with no more than 3 tables and/or figures and 15 references. Brief Reports are subject to blinded peer-review in the same manner as original research manuscripts. Authors should follow all requirements for longer manuscripts when submitting Brief Reports, including the understanding that they have not been published or submitted elsewhere.

Review articles/Systematic reviews/Meta-analyses - Systematic assessments of medical and health care literature and data sources (including meta-analyses) pertaining to clinical topics as well as overviews of complementary and alternative therapeutic systems will be considered. All articles and data sources reviewed should include information about the specific type of intervention or study. Articles used in a review should be selected systematically and evaluated by a process discussed in the manuscript. Manuscripts usually contain between 3000 and 7000 words and are accepted for consideration with the understanding that they have not been published or submitted elsewhere. Review articles undergo the peer review process.

Hypotheses - Critical assessments of alternative therapies discussing potential mechanisms of action and implications for the practice of medicine and the integration of complementary and alternative therapies into the healthcare delivery system are encouraged. New perspectives on the relevance of eco-environmental and spiritual issues to health are also appropriate for this format. Manuscripts usually contain between 3000 and 5000 words and are accepted for consideration with the understanding that they have not been published or submitted elsewhere. Hypotheses papers are reviewed by the editorial team and are not necessarily subject to peer review.

Case Reports - This is a regularly featured column meant to highlight the clinical applications of alternative or integrative therapies as they are implemented in patient care. Preference will be given to cases in which diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes are clearly defined. Length of Case Reports vary; you may discuss this with one of our editors. Case reports are reviewed by the editorial team and are not necessarily subject to peer review.

Research Letters - Letters discussing small pilot studies, anecdotal clinical outcomes or informal case series, most commonly practice based, are welcome. Research letters may be, but are not required to be, related to articles published in EXPLORE. They should not exceed 750 words of text and 10 references. (I know we have accepted some small pilot studies for research letters because the sample size was so small.)

Letters to the Editor - Letters discussing a recent article are welcome. Letters should be received within 6 weeks of the article's publication. They should not exceed 750 words of text and 10 references.

Submitting Manuscripts

All manuscripts must be submitted electronically. Include your mailing address, telephone, and fax numbers in your e-mail message as well as an electronic version (Microsoft Word preferred) of each item listed in the checklist. Tables and figures should be included as attachments.

Duration - Time from receipt of initial submission to final editorial decision takes an average of three to six months.

Acknowledgement - Unsolicited submissions are usually acknowledged, along with a reference number, within 1 week of receipt in our office. The reference number should be used in all future communications with EXPLORE. Letters to the Editor and general correspondence are not acknowledged.

Peer Review - All submissions designated as Original Research, Brief Reports, or Review articles are subject to blinded peer review. Your paper will first be read for validity, originality, and significance of the work presented by one of the journal's editors. Manuscripts may be rejected on the basis of this evaluation alone. That decision will be communicated quickly. Positive reviews by the editors are followed by peer review. If the manuscript is sent out for peer review, you will be informed by the editor managing your manuscript. Reviews are blinded; that is, authors and reviewers are not identified by name during the review process. Occasionally we will ask authors to recommend one or more potential reviewers when a paper covers cutting edge topics for which we might not have established reviewers. After the manuscript has been reviewed, you will be informed whether it has been accepted for publication, rejected, or requires revision.

Decision - Revisions may be requested for submissions as a result of the previous review stages. The request for revisions does not constitute acceptance for publication, but is an invitation to strengthen your paper for further scrutiny. In your resubmission, the reviewers' comments must be answered or rebutted, both in the text of the manuscript and in a separate accompanying letter to facilitate the review of your revised manuscript. Some of the comments will be technical and some, substantive; all should be addressed. After revision, your paper may again be subjected to a full peer review, usually by the same referees.

Final Decision - You will be notified via electronic mail regarding the final decision about your submission. No publication date will be set at this time; galley proofs will be sent to you for approval and you will be notified when a publication date has been established.

Manuscript Content -Your manuscript should be formatted according to the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals (http://www.icmje.org). The Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement is required for describing a randomized, controlled trial (http://www.consort-statement.org).

Ethics - When human experimentation is being reported, include a statement to confirm that the work was done in accordance with the appropriate institutional review body and carried out with the ethical standards set forth in the Helsinki Declaration of 1975. When laboratory animals are used, there should be a statement that the work was carried out according to the National Research Council's protocol for, or any national law on, the care and use of laboratory animals.

Abstracts - Abstracts should be written in the third person. Structured abstracts should contain no more than 250 words; unstructured abstracts should contain no more than 150 words. Abstracts are not required for case reports. In manuscripts reporting original data, use the following abstract subheadings: Context, Objective, Design, Setting, Patients or Other Participants, Intervention(s), Main Outcome Measure(s), and Results. For review manuscripts or meta-analyses, use the following: Objective, Data Sources, Study Selection, Data Extraction, Data Synthesis, and Conclusions. For qualitative manuscripts, use the following: Research Question, Theoretical Framework, Methodology, Context, Sample Selection, Data Collection, Analysis and Interpretation, and Main Results.

References - Start references on a separate page following the text. Number consecutively in the text by order of appearance. In the text, designate reference numbers either as superscript or on the line in parentheses. (Do not use the footnote function in WordPerfect.) Abbreviate journal titles according to Index Medicus. If in doubt, cite complete journal name. Follow the format and punctuation shown in the following examples. Do not use periods in abbreviations of journal titles. List all authors, but if the number exceeds 6, give the first 3 names followed by "et al."

Journal Article
McFarlane AC, Hone MD, Yelunda R et al. Biologic models of traumatic memories and post-traumatic stress disorder. The role of neural networks. Psychiatric Clin N Am 2002;25:253-270.

Book Chapter
Schiffman JD. Immunology of influenza. In: Cane MB, ed. Viruses and Influenza. Orlando, Fla: Academic Press; 1990:191-196.

Book
Avery GB. Neonatology: Pathophysiology and Management of the Neonate. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: JB Lippincott; 1987:77-80.

Tables - Number and title each table consecutively in the order mentioned in the text. Each column within a table should have a heading. Explain abbreviations in the legend.

Figures - Include the figure number, last name of the primary author, and orientation (top/left/right). Include the name of the photographer or illustrator, if applicable. In clinical photographs in which the patient can be recognized, include a release signed by the patient or guardian granting permission to publish the photograph. If permission is not obtained, the photograph will be cropped to ensure anonymity. All figures must be submitted electronically.

Permissions - If any material in the manuscript is from a prior copyrighted publication, a letter of permission from the copyright holder to reproduce the material should be included. If a photo or illustration does not belong to the author, it must be accompanied by a permission letter to reproduce it from the copyright holder. Those cited in personal communications (verbal or written) or acknowledgments also must grant the author written permission for the use of their names and/or material.

Proprietary Interest - Authors with financial or proprietary interest in the subject matter or materials discussed (eg, employment, stock ownership, honoraria, etc) will be asked to submit a statement for publication on the first page of the article.

Drug Names - Use full generic names only, including inactive moiety. The trade name of a drug may be cited in parentheses the first time the generic name appears.

Units of Measurement - Measurements of length, height, weight, and volume should be reported in metric units or their decimal multiples. Temperatures should be given in degrees Celsius. Blood pressure should be given in millimeters of mercury. All physiologic measurements should be reported in SI (Système International) units. Abbreviations and Symbols - With the exception of standard units of measurements, avoid abbreviations. Do not use abbreviations in the title or abstract. When a large number of abbreviations are being used, list them in a table.

Reprints - Upon publication, authors will receive 2 complimentary copies of the issue in which their article appears. Order forms for reprints will accompany galleys. For permission to reprint an article, please contact: HealthPermissions@Elsevier.com.

Thank you for your interest in EXPLORE: The Journal of Science & Healing.