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What do I need to do to use the new online peer review manuscript tracking system, Editorial Manager™?
If you have not registered with Editorial Manager for The AAPS Journal or AAPS PharmSciTech, you will need to do so before submitting a manuscript. Simply go to www.editorialmanager.com/aapsj (for The AAPS Journal), or www.editorialmanager.com/aapspt (for AAPS PharmSciTech) and click on “Register” under the journal title. The database will share author registration information for The AAPS Journal and AAPS PharmSciTech, so you are not required to register for both journals.
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How do I update my contact information in Editorial Manager?
Changes for your profile must be made to your existing information by clicking the “Update My Information” link on the menu bar after logging into Editorial Manager. You may login at either www.editorialmanager.com/aapsj or www.editorialmanager.com/aapspt.
If you were an author or reviewer for either The AAPS Journal or AAPS PharmSciTech between February 1, 2004 to February 1, 2006, the AAPS Editorial Office has attempted to migrate your information to the registration database. If your material was successfully migrated, you would have received a notification from our office regarding your Username and Password. You can use this Username and Password to login, and update your information by clicking the “Update My Information” link on the menu bar. Be sure to click on “Submit,” at the bottom of the form, after entering any updated information.
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How do I change my Password?
Although Editorial Manager automatically assigns a Password to your account, you may change yours at any time using the following instructions.
Login to Editorial Manager using your assigned Username and Password. Select “Update My Information” on the main navigation menu. This will bring you to the user registration form you filled out earlier.
In the field next to “Password:” is your current Password. You can overwrite this with a new Password. Click the “Submit” button at the bottom of the form. The next time you login to Editorial Manager, you will need to enter your new Password. Should you forget your Password, you can have it sent to you via email by clicking the “Login” button on the main navigation menu, and then clicking “Forget Your Password?” You will be asked to fill in your name and email address. Once you submit your information, an email containing your Password will be sent to you shortly.
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What if I forget my Password?
Editorial Manager can send you a reminder email if you forget your Password. Please follow the instructions below.
Click “Login” on the main navigation menu in Editorial Manager. Select “Forget Your Password?” Enter your Username and email address. Click “Send Password.” An email containing your Password will be sent to you shortly.
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What kind of user should I login as: Author, Reviewer, Editor, or Publisher?
You may begin logging into Editorial Manager as soon as you are successfully registered. Authors must choose “Author Login,” Reviewers must choose “Reviewer Login,” and so forth.
Select “Login” on the main navigation menu. Enter your Username and Password. Now you must click the button that corresponds to your role within Editorial Manager. If a user hits the “Enter” or “Return” key on their keyboard, that user will automatically be logged in as an Author. Once you are logged in properly, a menu of actions specific to your role within the system will be presented.
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How can I submit a paper to the e-journals of the AAPS?
Once you have completed your manuscript and ensured it adheres to our Author Instructions, you may submit to the e-journals of AAPS at
www.editorialmanager.com/aapsj (The AAPS Journal) or
www.editorialmanager.com/aapspt (AAPS PharmSciTech).
Author Instructions can be found on the homepage for each journal. If you have not registered with Editorial Manager for The AAPS Journal or AAPS PharmSciTech, you will need to register before submitting a manuscript.
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What happens if my manuscript is not accepted for review?
If your manuscript is rejected, you will be given access to the Editor’s and Reviewers’ comments. The Editor will then give you options for a further course of action.
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What happens to my manuscript after I submit it?
After submission, your manuscript is assigned to an Editor. The Editor will evaluate your manuscript on its scientific originality and support of the content. The Editor will then make a decision as to whether a paper is accepted for review.
If your manuscript is accepted for review, the Editor will assign Reviewers for your manuscript. Once all Reviewers have completed their reviews, you will receive their comments and those of the Editor, and you will be requested to revise your manuscript according to their queries. You will be notified whether your manuscript requires minor or major revisions.
When you have revised your manuscript by addressing the concerns of the Reviewers and Editor, you can submit your revision. The editor will then review the revised submission and notify you that your manuscript has been accepted for publication, or that it requires additional revision.
Once your manuscript is accepted for publication, it will enter the production process. During this process, copyeditors may request further information from you.
Once the copyeditors and the Editorial Office have received all answers to their questions regarding your manuscript, a proof of the manuscript will be produced. You will be asked to review and provide corrections to the proof of your manuscript. This will be the only time that you will view the proof prior to publication. The Corresponding Author is responsible for answering copyediting and proofing queries, and he or she is also responsible for relaying details about this process to the other authors of the manuscript.
When your corrections to the proof are incorporated, you article will be published online.
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Once I submit a manuscript, how can I check on the status of my submission?
A Corresponding Author may view the status of any manuscript that he or she has submitted to a particular journal. The Corresponding Author can simply login to Editorial Manager using his or her Username and Password to see the status of the manuscript. The Corresponding Author will also be notified by email any time the status of a manuscript changes.
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Can I suggest reviewers for my manuscript?
At the time of submission, a Corresponding Author may request up to four reviewers who are qualified in the subject of the submitted manuscript. Authors may also request the exclusion of up to four reviewers. These requests should be included in the Cover Letter submitted with the manuscript. Please include the suggested reviewer’s Title, Full Name, and Affiliations as well as their email address and telephone number.
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Can Editorial Manager contact me at multiple email addresses?
Yes, Editorial Manager can contact you at multiple email addresses, if you enter them in your profile. When initially registering online with Editorial Manager, enter the multiple email addresses in the Personal Information Section using a semi-colon between each address (eg, joe@thejournal.com; joe@yahoo.com). If you have already registered, you can add email addresses by selecting “Update My Information” on the main navigation bar.
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How can I let Editorial Manager know if I’m not available for a prolonged period of time?
Select “Update My Information” on the main navigation bar, then click on the “Alternate Contact Information” button in the Personal Information Section. Not only can you enter information for an alternate contact, you can also specify the time period for the alternate contact.
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Who and what is the “Corresponding Author”?
The Corresponding Author is the person who is responsible for the manuscript as it moves through the journal’s submission process. This person must be registered with Editorial Manager, as all correspondence pertaining to the manuscript will be sent to him or her via the system. The Corresponding Author is, by default, the author who initially uploads the manuscript into Editorial Manager. If anyone else uploads the manuscript on behalf of the Corresponding Author, he or she must login with the Corresponding Author’s Username and Password.
The Corresponding Author is also the person responsible for making edits and submitting revisions to the manuscript. The Corresponding Author is the only author connected to the manuscript who may view its progress through Editorial Manager, and he or she is responsible for relaying details about this process to the other authors of the manuscript. The Corresponding Author is, therefore, responsible for incorporating and representing all authors’ changes.
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Is the order that the authors are listed of any significance?
The AMA Manual of Style, 9th ed., makes the following assertions: Only those individuals who meet the criteria for authorship may be listed as authors. The first Author has contributed the most to the manuscript, and the last Author has contributed the least.
Decisions about the order of Authors must be made before a manuscript is submitted, and must be resolved by the Authors (not the Editor).
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Is it necessary to select Classifications for my manuscript?
You are not required to select a Classification for your manuscript, but by choosing Classifications you enable the system to better match Reviewers (who have identical or similar Classifications) to your submission.
You are required to select Classifications for yourself upon registering with Editorial Manager, or when you Update Your Account Information. Entering this information allows our Editors to search for appropriately qualified reviewers, and it allows you to utilize Editorial Manager fully.
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Are certain fonts better than others?
Although it is not required, Arial font (10 point) is preferred. It is essential, however, that you use symbol fonts for special characters, including mathematical signs and symbols, as well as Greek letters.
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Some components of my manuscript are not in electronic format - what should I do with these?
Since The AAPS Journal and AAPS PharmSciTech use Editorial Manager, all manuscript components must be in electronic format. For hard copy images, the editorial office recommends scanning the document and outputting the file as an .eps, .tiff, .bmp, .jpg, or .png. Please see the table below for quality and color specifications.
Authors are requested to submit images of the same file type and quality to provide the best reproduction online.
| Type of Figure |
Preferred Quality |
Acceptable Quality |
Color Mode |
File Formats |
| Graph or diagram with text |
1200 dpi or higher |
300 dpi |
CMYK (color); Grayscale (halftones, black and white) |
.eps*, .tiff, .bmp, or .jpg |
| Photograph |
1200 dpi or higher |
300 dpi |
CMYK (color); Grayscale (halftones, black and white) |
.eps*, .tiff, .bmp, .jpg or .png |
| Webpage (screen capture) |
300 dpi or higher |
72 dpi |
RGB |
.bmp, .gif or .jpg |
| *If using .eps file format, save with “fonts included” and use .tiff preview. |
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How do I submit the legends for my figures?
All legends must begin with a short descriptive sentence that sums up the intent and content of the data contained in the figure. The caption should be concise, and should consist of approximately 30 words. All captions for Figures/Artwork should be separated from the text of the manuscript and collated in a separate section called “Figure Legends”; this legend should be on a separate page at the end of the manuscript following the References List.
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If my Internet connection goes down while I’m inputting or updating a record, is the information saved?
Yes. Data is saved in Editorial Manager instantaneously. You do not, therefore, have to “save” your work as you go along. If you are completing a form, Editorial Manager will save the data in that form as soon as the form is submitted. You also do not have to save changes to records, because each change is saved the moment you make the change and click “done,” or a similar button.
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If I need to leave Editorial Manager to search something else on the Web, do I need to log back in?
If you leave Editorial Manager without clicking “Log out” on the top of the page, you remain logged in as a user. You are able access other websites and then go back to Editorial Manager. We do suggest that you open another browser window (File menu, New, Window) if you are frequently going to be going back and forth between Editorial Manager and other websites, because clicking the back and forward buttons may confuse the system.
Editorial Manager will “time-out” after an extended period of non-use and you will be prompted to log back in. Since Editorial Manager is accessible from any computer with Web access, the “timing-out” of your session is a security measure.
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What does it mean when a submission is incomplete?
If the Corresponding Author neglects to click the “Send” button after attaching his or her manuscript submission files, the submission will be classified as “Incomplete.” Incomplete submissions DO NOT go to the Editorial Office and, instead, will be moved to your “Incomplete Submissions” folder under the Author Main Menu.
Your submission may also be deemed “Incomplete” by the Editorial Office once it is received. There are a number of reasons why the Editorial Office may consider your submission incomplete; please refer to the table below for more details.
| Manuscript Submission Error |
Relevant Section/Subsection in “Instructions for Authors” |
| Manuscript not submitted in Microsoft® Word |
Manuscript Submission |
| Copyright Transfer Form not submitted |
Terms of Manuscript Consideration/Copyright Transfer |
| Cover Letter incomplete |
Manuscript Organization/Cover Letter |
| Title Page incomplete |
Manuscript Organization/Title Page |
| Abstract (or Abstract Title) omitted; abstract longer than 250 words |
Manuscript Organization/Abstract |
| Keywords omitted; too many or too few keywords provided |
Manuscript Organization/Keywords |
| Introduction (or Introduction Title) omitted |
Manuscript Organization/Introduction |
| Body exceeds limitations for word count |
Manuscript Style and Format |
| Conclusion (or Conclusion Title) omitted |
Manuscript Organization/Conclusion |
| Grant number and Grantor omitted from Acknowledgements (if applicable) |
Manuscript Organization/Acknowledgements |
| Equations not formatted using Microsoft® Word equation builder; equations not numbered |
Manuscript Organization |
| Appendices and/or supplementary lists must not be included with manuscripts |
Manuscript Organization |
| In-text callouts to References not numeric; callouts not in sequential order |
Manuscript Organization/References |
| References not formatted correctly; References list not numbered |
Manuscript Organization/References |
| In-text Table callouts not numbered sequentially |
Manuscript Organization/Tables |
| Tables not formatted using Microsoft® Word Table function |
Manuscript Organization/Tables |
| Formatting of Table footnotes incorrect |
Manuscript Organization/Tables |
| Problems with Figure clarity, size, or file type must be corrected |
Manuscript Organization/Figures |
| In-text Figure callouts not numbered sequentially |
Manuscript Organization/Figures |
| Borders around Figure must be removed |
Manuscript Organization/Figures |
| Figure legends and labels not inserted within the Figure |
Manuscript Organization/Figures |
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If an author is asked to revise a manuscript, how does he/she submit the revisions?
Select “Main Menu.” You will see a collection of links that are broken down into categories - those found under “Revisions” allow you to perform actions on your revised submission. Editorial Manager will guide you through the steps required to revise your manuscript.
“Submissions Needing Revision” is where you will find your manuscript if the editorial decision calls for you to make changes to your submission.
“Incomplete Revisions” contains all revisions that are essentially works-in-progress. Any revised manuscripts that you have not completed and built the PDF for are kept here.
“Revisions Waiting for Author’s Approval” brings you to a table containing all revised manuscripts you’ve submitted to Editorial Manager that you have not approved. This table contains information such as the Title, Date Submitted, Status Date and Current Status of your manuscript.
“Revisions Being Processed” is the place where all of your revised manuscripts that are in process of being reviewed and/or edited are kept. You can check on the status of your manuscript here, as well as view the PDF of it by clicking “View Revision” in the “Actions” column.
“Declined Revisions” is the place where any manuscripts that you declined to revise are stored. If you declined in error, you are able to reinstate your revision here.
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I’m trying to submit one of the files as part of my manuscript but it isn’t attaching. What can I do to make it work?
It is possible that your computer is running low on memory due to multiple applications being open. Close all applications and reboot your computer. Try submitting the file again running only the necessary browser application (Netscape or Internet Explorer).
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Why is Track Changes mark-up still displaying, even though the Author has turned off the “Track Changes” feature in Microsoft® Word?
This is because the “Track Changes” feature was updated for Word 2003, most notably with regard to printing Tracked Changes (ie, the special markup codes). In Word 2003, the option to view or hide Tracked Changes in a printed document is not saved with the document itself; instead it is a global setting that must be manually changed by an interactive Word user. Editorial Manager PDF Builder machines are set to always print or display Tracked Changes because of this new feature. Otherwise, no Tracked Changes would print or display in any Editorial Manager-created PDF.
Some users may, therefore, receive a document from the journal office that must be revised and contains a number of comments and notes entered with Track Changes. The author should then “Hide” the Tracked Changes on his or her local copy of Word, edit the paper, and rebuild. Because the Tracked Changes were only hidden on the user’s PC and not reconciled using Word, they show up in the PDF built by Editorial Manager. Hidden or not, the Tracked Changes remain inside the Word document until they are reconciled (ie, accepted or rejected).
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What file formats does Editorial Manager accept?
The manuscript text must be in Microsoft Word. Editorial Manager accepts files in the following formats: .eps, .tiff, .bmp, .jpg, or .png. If you are using the .eps file format, you must save with “fonts included” and use the .tiff preview.
Please refer to the Figures section under Manuscript Organization for more details regarding file formatting and submitting.
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Can I do a partial submission and come back later to finish it?
Yes - once you have provided a title for your submission, you can exit the system and continue submitting it at another time, without needing to “save” it. You would find an unfinished submission in your “Incomplete Submissions” folder on your Main Menu. If you decide to “Submit” an unfinished manuscript, it would reside in your “Submissions Needing Approval” folder, where you would click “Edit Submission” to add any of the missing information. The Editorial Office will not see your manuscript until you officially “Approve” your submission.
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If I make a mistake while submitting my manuscript, should I abandon it and start it over as a new submission?
No. You will always be able to delete any part of your submission that may have been entered incorrectly (eg, a file that may have been uploaded by mistake). You must click “Remove” to delete files you do not want attached to your manuscript.
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How can I contact the Editorial Office?
You may contact the journal’s Editorial Office by clicking “Contact Us” at the top of your screen, and composing an email.
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Will I receive proofs of my final article?
Yes. You will be notified by email when your proof is available online, and you will be supplied a link to your online proof. Once there, you may read the proof online or you may print a copy to read. You will be instructed how to approve the proof or submit corrections.
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How is my article cited once it is published online?
The citation style for AAPS journal articles closely follows the conventional print format, but with a few minor differences. For both journals, include “[serial online]” after the journal title. For The AAPS Journal articles, include the page ranges from the PDF version. For AAPS PharmSciTech articles, include the article number in the page range slot. Finally, include the DOI for the article as the last element in the citation. Examples are found below:
The AAPS Journal
Ayers JT, Clauset A, Schmitt JD, Dwoskin LP, Crooks PA. Molecular modeling of mono- and bis-quaternary ammonium salts as ligands at the alpha4beta2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtype using nonlinear techniques. AAPS Journal [serial online]. 2005;7:E678-E685. DOI: 10.1208/aapsj070368
AAPS PharmSciTech
Lai F, Wissing SA, Müller RH, Fadda AM. Artemisia arborescens L essential oil-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles for potential agricultural application: preparation and characterization. AAPS PharmSciTech [serial online]. 2006;7:E2. DOI: 10.1208/pt070102
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Do the AAPS journals use DOI designation for citations?
Yes. Assigning a DOI to each cited reference ensures that a persistent link to the work is included for readers. A DOI, as stated on the CrossRef Website (www.crossref.org) is, “A unique alphanumeric string assigned to a digital object — in this case, an electronic journal article or a book chapter. In the CrossRef system, each DOI is associated with a set of basic metadata and a URL pointer to the full text, so that it uniquely identifies the content item and provides a persistent link to its location on the internet.”
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Do the AAPS journal support publishing in PubMed Central for NIH Grantees?
The Publisher grants the Author permission to provide a copy of the accepted manuscript to The National Institutes of Health (NIH) upon acceptance for publication with the public release in PubMed Central (PMC) twelve months after final online publication in The AAPS Journal or AAPS PharmSciTech. An NIH Manuscript Submission System (NIHMS) is available for submission at www.nihms.nih.gov/. Figures, tables, or supplementary information should also be included with the manuscript.
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How can I get permission to use copyrighted material from the journal?
You can download the copyright permission PDF at www.aapspharmscitech.org/copyright/copyright.pdf, fill out the form, and then either email or fax to the AAPS Editorial Office. All permission responses will be made in writing, either via email or by conventional mail.
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How can I order reprints?
Contact the AAPS Editorial Office with the article information (journal title, author name, title, and article number) and quantity of reprints needed. Please note that the minimum quantity for any order is 100. AAPS will provide you with a price quote based on the number of copies ordered, artwork in the article, and where the reprints are to be shipped. Additional fees may be charged if the reprints are to be used for commercial endeavors.
