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PAIN® is the official publication of the International Association for the Study of Pain® (IASP®). PAIN® publishes original research on the nature and mechanisms and treatment of pain and provides a multidisciplinary forum for the dissemination of research in the basic and clinical sciences.

Editor-in-Chief: Prof. Allan I. Basbaum, Editor-in-Chief, PAIN®, Department of Anatomy and W.M. Keck Foundation Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Editorial Office: PAIN Editors, 111 Queen Anne Ave N., Suite 501, Seattle, WA 98109-4955, USA.

Types of Papers:
  • Clinical/Basic Science Research Reports (for word limitations, see below).
  • Clinical Notes (brief reports on clinical cases).
  • e-Pain (clinical topics with photos, video, or audio content).
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Topical Reviews (invited articles that summarize recent findings and highlight issues in clinical and basic research related to pain).


The reviewing process for all articles will be handled by the Editor-in-Chief, Allan I. Basbaum and the Section Editors:
  • Clinical Notes: J. Edmond Charlton, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
  • Clinical Psychology: Francis J. Keefe, Durham, NC, USA
  • Clinical Science: Eija Kalso, Helsinki, Finland
  • Reviews and e-PAIN: Michael C. Rowbotham, San Francisco, CA, USA
  • Pain Measurement and Imaging: Karen Davis, Toronto, Canada
  • Neurobiology: Jeffrey S. Mogil, Canada; Rolf-Detlef Treede, Germany
  • Pharmacology: Frank Porreca, Tucson, AZ, USA
  • Articles that are chosen for Pain Clinical Updates, which is edited by Jane Ballantyne, Boston, MA, USA will be published by title in PAIN® and linked to the entire article from the PAIN® website at www.elsevier.com/locate/pain


Announcements will not be published in the journal. (See below for advertising information.) For possible inclusion of announcements in the IASP Newsletter, please contact Ms. K. Kreiter, Executive Officer IASP, 111 Queen Anne Ave N., Suite 501, Seattle, WA 98109-4955, USA. (fax: +1 206 283 9403; e-mail: kreiter@iasp-pain.org; www.iasp-pain.org.

Cover Material. Suggestions for cover photographs or diagrams of clinical or basic research data are invited. The illustration may be from a manuscript submitted for publication, a previous paper published in PAIN®, or material not published previously. Photographs of historical interest are also welcome.

INSTRUCTIONS TO AUTHORS

1. General

Cover letter: A letter accompanying the manuscript should include a statement of any financial or other relationships that might lead to a conflict of interest and the names of four potential reviewers with complete contact details. PAIN® does not publish open label trials, with the possible exception of the Clinical Notes section.

Submission of a paper to PAIN® is understood to imply that it has not previously been published (except in abstract form) and that it is not being considered for publication elsewhere.

Manuscripts submitted under multiple authorship are reviewed on the assumption that (1) all authors listed concur with the submitted version of the manuscript and with the listing of the authors; (2) authorship credit is based on important contributions in one or more of the following areas: conception and design, analysis and interpretation of data, drafting of the manuscript or making intellectual contributions to its content; (3) the final manuscript has been tacitly or explicitly approved by the responsible authorities in the laboratory or institution where the work was carried out.

If illustrations or other small parts of articles or books already published elsewhere are used in papers submitted to PAIN®, the written permission of author and publisher concerned must be included with the manuscript. The original source(s) must be indicated in the legend of the illustration in these cases, or as appropriate as a footnote to the text.

Articles should be written in English and should be complete in all respects. As only limited editing is provided by the Publisher, prior to submission we ask that your article be edited by a person experienced writing manuscripts in English. The layout, style and length of article should adhere strictly to the instructions given under "Organization of the Article" and, in particular, to the reference style of PAIN®.

Manuscripts that evaluate clinical interventions must be randomized. Results that are derived from studies that are not randomized may be appropriate for the Clinical Notes section. In addition, studies should have high methodological quality and as large a representative sample as possible. If the paper is an epidemiological study it should address a new population that will help the reader to understand the impact of cultural and socio-economic factors on chronic pain.

The Editors of PAIN® endorse and strongly encourage authors of reports of clinical trials to use the CONSORT checklist, as well as the QUORUM statement used for systematic reviews found at www.thelancet.com under Vol. 354, November 1999, D.Moher et al., "Improving the quality of reports of meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials: the QUORUM statement (both used with permission)".

The Consort E-Flowchart and a checklist of items to be included when reporting a randomized trial can both be found on www.consort-statement.org. If you are submitting a manuscript of a clinical trial to Pain®, you are required to submit a flowchart of your research showing the steps found in the Consort E-Flowchart. This should be submitted as a figure. As the flowchart will only be published in the online version of PAIN® please supply a couple of summary sentences in your text referring to the flowchart. These sentences will appear in the paper issue of the journal.

No revisions or updates will be incorporated after the article has been accepted and sent to the Publisher (unless approved by the Editors).

For all types of papers submission to PAIN® proceeds totally online, via the WWW using EES, the Elsevier Editorial System, at website: http://ees.elsevier.com/pain.

For assistance with on-line submission, please contact PAIN® at: painjournal@iasp-pain.org.

2. Preparing electronic manuscripts

Keep text and graphics (and any other items) as separate files - do not import the figures into the text file. Name your files using the correct extension, e.g. text.doc, fig1a.eps, fig1.tif, tbl1-6.xls, etc. Please provide a summary of one or two sentences (25 words max.) stating the conclusions of your study. This summary will be used in the Table of Contents.

Text files should be supplied in one of the following formats: Microsoft Word or WordPerfect, Windows or Macintosh formatted. The native format is preferred over ASCII text or Rich Text Format (RTF). Please do not import a file already in a .pdf form from your files - use source files such as Word, LaTeX etc.

Ensure that the letter "l" and the digit "1" (also letter "O" and digit "0") are used properly, and format your article (tabs, indents, etc.) consistently. Characters not available on your word processor (Greek letters, mathematical symbols, etc.) should not be left open, but indicated by a unique code (e.g. gralpha, @, #, etc. for the Greek letter alpha). Such codes should be used consistently throughout the entire text. Please make a list of such codes and provide a key.

As most formatting codes will be removed or replaced during the publication process, do not use excessive layout styling. Also, do not use automatic word breaking, justified layout, double columns or automatic paragraph numbering (especially for numbered references). However, do use bold face, italics, subscripts, superscripts etc. for scientific nomenclature.

Figures and Tables are to be submitted as separate files and on separate pages.

When preparing tables, if you are using a table grid, please use only one grid for each separate table and not a grid for each row. If no grid is being used, use tabs to align columns, not spaces.

Graphic files: See Elsevier's website for guidelines for preparing electronic artwork www.elsevier.com/artworkinstructions.

The following are preferred formats: TIFF and EPS. All type fonts used in studio-created artwork must be either "embedded" in the file or supplied separately.

All graphic files supplied as bitmap format (not vector format) in TIFF, JPEG, GIF or PPT must be submitted in sufficiently high resolution (240-300 dpi for gray-scale or colour images and 600-1000 dpi for line art) to allow for printing.

3. Submission of manuscripts

Full instructions for uploading data and files etc. are given on EES at the website: External link http://ees.elsevier.com/pain

Do not type directly into EES; copy and paste previously typed material.

Please be sure to include the version and computer platform (e.g. WORD 98) when uploading files. Electronic submission via EES requires at least one original word processing file; if there are any associated data files (figures, etc.), these should be included separately. It is the responsibility of the authors to create the proper files. The editorial office cannot make conversions beyond the supported file types. Do not send hardcopy manuscripts or illustrations to the Editors unless specifically requested.

Revisions: Only three versions of the paper may be permitted (i.e. the first submission and two revisions). If the concerns of the reviewers are not satisfactorily met by the second revision, it is at the discretion of PAIN whether or not to continue with the review process. If not, the paper will be rejected. In some cases in response to the original critique, the revision may include new information that reveals significant new concerns. This may generate new requirements for revision and indeed may also be grounds for rejection.

Please note that whenever the authors are given the opportunity to revise a submitted manuscript, there is no assurance that the manuscript will be accepted.

Only after "notification of acceptance" or "acceptance with minor revision" will authors be requested perhaps to send two sets of hardcopy illustrations to the Elsevier Editorial Office, for the purpose of checking the quality of the processed electronic files.

4. Organization of manuscripts

EES will guide authors through the submission steps, including: Abstract, up to 6 Keywords, and the Manuscript. The manuscript must contain an Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Acknowledgements and Reference List.

Length of manuscript: If the manuscript exceeds this word count, authors will be required to revise the paper. Abstract: 250 words; Introduction: 500 words, Discussion: 1500; Methods and Results: no limit. Permission to exceed these guidelines must be obtained from the Editor-in-Chief. e-PAIN submissions have different word limits, see e-PAIN section below.

Title page. The title page should include the following: (i) complete title (preferably no chemical formulas or arbitrary abbreviations); (ii) full names of all authors; (iii) complete affiliations of all authors; (iv) the number of text pages of the entire manuscript (including figures and tables) and the number of figures and tables; (v) the author to whom correspondence should be sent and this author's complete address, telephone number, facsimile number and E-mail address, and, if available, URL address.

Reference list:
- Citation of literature references in the text should be cited using bracketed numbers that correspond to the alphabetized and numbered reference list as follows: "Pain is made worse if you hit the already injured site [15]". For multiple references in the text, please use the format [number,number] (with a comma and no spaces). For example [2,4,28,33].
- All references cited in the text must be listed at the end of the paper. They should be numbered, typed double-spaced, and arranged by the author alphabetically. This will result in the numbers within the text not being sequential.
- All authors must be listed in the references; the use of et al. is not acceptable.
- References must be complete, including initial(s) of author(s) cited, title of paper, Journal, year of publication, volume and page numbers.
- For citations of books, the following uniform sequence should be maintained: author(s), title of article, editor(s), complete title of book, place of publication, publisher, year and page numbers.
- Journal titles should be abbreviated according to Index Medicus, National Library of Medicine, List of Journals Indexed, latest edition.
- Unpublished data, personal communications, and abstracts that cannot be retrieved by readers (e.g., some meeting abstracts), and other inaccessible materials should not be listed as references. Unpublished materials may be cited in parentheses within the text.
- For manuscripts containing citations that are in press, authors must have electronic copies immediately available in case reviewers/editors request these materials.
- URLs should be included for all references that are publicly accessible via the Internet.
Examples:
[1] Adams CWM. Neurohistochemistry. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1965.
[2] Goldenberg DL. Psychiatric and psychological aspects of fibromyalgia syndrome. Rheum Dis Clin N Am 1989;15:105-115.
[3] Goldenberg DL. Fibromyalgia and its relation to chronic fatigue syndrome, viral illness and immune abnormalities. J Rheumatol 1989;16:91-93.
[4] Turner JA. Coping and chronic pain. In: Bond MR, Charlton JE, Woolf CJ, editors. Pain research and clinical management. Proc. VIth World Congress on Pain, Vol. 4. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1991. pp. 219-227.

Illustrations: Authors should consult Elsevier's website for guidelines for preparing (electronic) artwork www.elsevier.com/artworkinstructions.

Journal illustrations will appear either across a single column (=8.4 cm) or a whole page (=17.6 cm). The illustrations should be numbered in Arabic numerals according to the sequence of appearance in the text, where they are referred to as Fig. 1, Fig. 2, etc. Please do not submit illustrations as .pdf files
After acceptance of an article the publisher may request that electronic files of the illustrations be accompanied by a hardcopy set of the final illustrations. Any hardcopy illustrations should bear the author's name, the orientation (top, bottom, etc.) and be numbered. Hardcopy colour figures should be submitted as separate prints and not be mounted on cardboard. Slides taken from labeled prints are also acceptable.

Colour reproduction. There are no colour charges. However, if the Editor-in-Chief concludes that the colour images were not necessary, colour charges will be imposed. In that case the charges will be EURO 300.00 for the first page involving colour, and EURO 200.00 per page for all subsequent pages involving colour in a given article (all prices include sales tax).

Figure legends. Provide each illustration with a title and an explanatory legend. The title should be part of the legend and not be reproduced on the figure itself. Legends should be numbered consecutively in Arabic numerals and should be placed on a separate page at the end of the manuscript and begin with the number of the illustration to which they refer. All symbols and abbreviations used in the figure must be explained.

Tables. Tables, with their captions and legends, should be intelligible with minimal reference to the text. Tables of numerical data should each be typed (with double-spacing) on a separate page, numbered in sequence in Arabic numerals (Table 1, 2, etc.), provided with a heading, and referred to in the text as Table 1, Table 2, etc. A detailed description of its contents and footnotes should be given below the body of the table.

Acknowledgments. Acknowledgments should be placed at the end of the text before the Reference List and should specify: (1) contributions that need acknowledging but do not justify authorship; (2) acknowledgments of technical help; (3) acknowledgments of financial and material support, specifying the nature of the support; (4) financial arrangements that may represent a possible conflict of interest. This would also include any of the following arrangements, if any of the authors:
  • have a financial relationship to the work;
  • have received any government or company grants or research support;
  • are employees of a company;
  • are consultants for a company;
  • are stock holders of the company;
  • are members of a speakers bureau;
  • have received any other form of financial support.
A Conflict of Interest statement must be included for all manuscripts within the Acknowledgements section. If there are no conflicts of interest, please explicitly state this.

Ethics of Animal Experiments. Authors must acknowledge that their experiments adhered to the guidelines of the Committee for Research and Ethical Issues of IASP published in PAIN®, 16 (1983) 109-110. Authors should indicate if the experimental work was reviewed by an institutional animal care and use committee or its equivalent.

Ethics of Human Experiments. Authors reporting on experimental work on humans should, where relevant, submit evidence that the work has been approved by an institutional clinical research panel or its equivalent.

Proofs. Authors should keep a copy of their manuscripts, as page proofs will be sent by e-mail (.pdf) without the manuscript. To avoid a delay in publication, authors are asked to return proofs within 48 hours by fax or express mail.

Page Charges. There will be no page charges for PAIN®.

Reprints. A total of 50 reprints of each paper will be provided free of charge to the corresponding author. Additional copies can be ordered at prices shown on the offprint order form, which will be sent to the author upon receipt of the accepted article at the Publisher.

Author inquiries: For inquiries relating to the submission of articles (including electronic submission), the status of accepted articles through our "Online Article Status Information System" (Author Gateway), author Frequently Asked Questions and any other inquiries relating to Elsevier, please consult External link www.elsevier.com/authors

For specific inquiries on the preparation of electronic artwork, consult External link www.elsevier.com/artworkinstructions

Contact details for questions arising after acceptance of an article, especially those relating to proofs, are provided by Elsevier when an article is accepted for publication.

e-PAIN Submissions. Authors submitting manuscripts for e-PAIN should follow all the above instructions for their submission, except for the word counts and illustration files (see below). The e-PAIN manuscript must be designated in EES as an e-PAIN type of submission (in the pull down menu on the submission page). Authors are advised to please contact the Editorial Office before attempting to submit any e-PAIN articles.


Printed summary: Each e-PAIN manuscript will have a summary that appears in the print version of PAIN®. The summary is limited to 1000 words, 1 figure or table, and 6 references. The electronic version of the manuscript has the same limits as other manuscripts: Abstract: 250 words; Introduction: 500 words, Discussion: 1500; Methods and Results: no limit.


Multimedia files: Please contact the Editorial Office at painjournal@iasp-pain.org before attempting to submit these files. The additional e-files that are submitted may include a variety of multimedia options, such as large figures, photographs, brief video clips, with or without audio content. Material submitted for publication on-line via e-PAIN must be of a high enough resolution to be viewable in a web page type format. These additional files should be uploaded only on the special page to which they will be directed during submission by EES. A maximum of 10 digital images, 2 video clips, and 2 audio files can be submitted for an e-PAIN manuscript. File limits for each figure or photograph is 1.5 mb, each video clip is limited to 3.0 mb, and separate audio content is limited to 1.0 mb.


Costs: There are no charges for material presented on-line including colour figures. If together with your accepted article, you submit usable colour figures then Elsevier will ensure, at no additional charge, that these figures will appear in colour on the web (e.g. ScienceDirect), regardless of whether or not these illustrations are reproduced in colour in the printed version. Each author will be provided with a .pdf version of the text and photographs contained in the full material (print and online material), and 50 copies of the summary of the article that appears in the print version of PAIN®. Authors will not receive a reprint that includes video and audio content.
This content will be archived for PAIN® at the Dutch Royal Library, The Netherlands.

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