_FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS BY AUTHORS OF MANUSCRIPTS

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS BY AUTHORS OF MANUSCRIPTS SUBMITTED TO INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

"How long will it take to receive an editorial decision on my manuscript?"
The review process on manuscripts submitted to IDD is usually completed approximately three months after it has been received via the AllenTrack web site (http://IDD.allentrack.net); this is an average. IDD compares favorably with other professional, research, and scholarly journals in the length of time it takes to provide authors with an editorial decision.

"Should I be concerned if I do not receive an editorial decision within three months?"
No. Although the average length of time to complete the review process is three months, the range is from under one month to six months (although six months is very rare).

The review process contains many steps. As soon as a manuscript is received via the AllenTrack web site, the Editor either assigns it to an Associate Editor or coordinates the review process himself. The manuscript is then assigned to at least two and almost always three reviewers for their evaluations. Reviewers are asked to reply to an email indicating whether they can complete the review within one to four weeks; an alternate is selected when, as often occurs, a reviewer is unable to review a manuscript. After 30 days, reviewers are sent a reminder if they have not submitted a review. If, after two months, one or more reviewers have not completed their reviews, the manuscript may need to be sent to additional reviewers. Once at least two reviews have been received, the Editor makes a decision on the manuscript or forwards the reviews to the Associate Editor in charge of the review process.

Both the Editor and the Associate Editors make a conscientious effort to provide editorial decisions in a timely fashion. The editorial office of IDD now uses AllenTrack, a new Internet/web-based manuscript submission and peer-review system that enables the Editor to monitor the review process. The Editor is aware of those manuscripts on which an editorial decision is overdue.

"When should I contact the editorial office to ask about my manuscript?"
If you have not received a decision letter after four months (from receipt of your manuscript), feel free to contact the editorial office to inquire about the status of your manuscript. Please write, fax (315-443-4338), or e-mail (iddaaidd@syr.edu or staylo01@syr.edu). The Editor will be able to inform you of the status of your manuscript (e.g., reviews have been completed; reviews have been forwarded to an Associate Editor for a decision; a decision letter has been sent). Since every effort is already being made to insure a timely editorial decision, communications with the editorial office will neither hasten nor delay the process. You can also log on to the AllenTrack web site (http://IDD.allentrack.net) at any time for information on manuscript status.

"Can I expect that the review process will be confidential?"
Yes. Although the Editor/Associate Editor is aware of your name (and can be expected to respect your confidentiality), reviewers are not provided with the names or other identifying information on authors. Your name will be removed from the manuscript prior to being sent to reviewers. In addition, reviewers are asked to maintain the confidentiality of manuscripts and to discard any paper copies after completing their reviews. It is the responsibility of the authors not to include their names or identifying information on their manuscripts.

Reviewers sometimes guess the identities of well-known authors or researchers. In such cases, they are asked not to allow this information to influence their reviews.

"How are editorial decisions made on manuscripts submitted to IDD?"
The editorial decision is based on the recommendations of reviewers, who submit a confidential review in addition to comments for the author, and the judgment of the Editor or Associate Editor. In addition, IDD's Statistical Consultant may be asked to evaluate a manuscript containing complex statistical procedures.

The reviewers' recommendations are not binding on the Editor/Associate Editor. However, the Editor/Associate Editor has never made an editorial decision that runs counter to the recommendations of all of the reviewers. Since reviewers sometimes disagree on their publication recommendations, the Editor/Associate Editor often must decide on which reviews should be given the most weight. The Editor/Associate Editor takes into account such factors as each reviewer's knowledge and expertise in the area addressed in a manuscript as well as the persuasiveness of each reviewer's comments. Some reviewers are more positive about manuscripts in their comments to the author than in their recommendations to the Editor/Associate Editor, and, for this reason, reviewers' comments may be misleading about their recommendations.

Decision letters are completed by the Editor/Associate Editor who coordinated the review process. The decisions of Associate Editors are viewed as final.

"What are the possible editorial decisions on my manuscript?"
There are four possible decisions: (1) accept (very rare); (2) accept with revisions (conditional on revisions specified by the Editor/Associate Editor); (3) not accepted, but a revision and resubmission invited; and (4) not accepted. IDD periodically publishes statistics on the acceptance rate of submitted manuscripts. The vast majority of manuscripts submitted to IDD are not accepted for publication.

"What is the difference between ‘accept with revisions’ and ‘not accepted, but a revision and resubmission invited'?"
The "accept with revision" decision means that your manuscript will be accepted for publication in IDD if you make the revisions recommended by the Editor/Associate Editor. The Editor/Associate Editor will usually make the final decision on the revised manuscript based on his or her judgment, without further evaluation by reviewers. Authors who make the recommended revisions can expect to have their final manuscripts accepted for publication. The "not accepted, but a revision and resubmission invited" decision means that the revised manuscript will be sent to reviewers for their final evaluations. For this editorial decision, the Editor/Associate Editor will usually summarize areas for revision or concerns to be addressed by the author. Revised and resubmitted manuscripts are usually sent to the original reviewers, with the possibility that new reviewers may be asked to evaluate the manuscript. Approximately 50% of revised and resubmitted manuscripts are eventually accepted for publication in IDD.

"Do I have to make all of the revisions recommended on an accepted with revision or revised and resubmitted manuscript?"
No. If you disagree with any of the recommended revisions, provide your rationale for not following them in a cover letter accompanying your manuscript. Your manuscript will be accepted without the revisions if the Editor/Associate Editor finds your rationale compelling.

"If a revision and resubmission is not invited by the Editor/Associate Editor, can I submit a revised version anyway?"
When a manuscript is not accepted for publication in IDD, this means that the Editor/Associate Editor does not believe that revisions could overcome the issues or concerns raised during the review process; hence, it would not be fair to the author or a worthwhile use of editorial resources and reviewers' time to undertake another review. Both the Editor/Associate Editor and reviewers usually make constructive comments and recommendations to authors of manuscripts not accepted for publication. However, unless a revision and resubmission is explicitly invited, revised versions of manuscripts not accepted will not be considered for review. Editors and reviewers are not infallible; if you have confidence in a manuscript not submitted for publication in IDD, you should submit it to another journal. Of course, authors of manuscripts not accepted for publication in IDD are welcome to submit new manuscripts for review.

"Where should I submit a revised version of a manuscript?"
Revised manuscripts and related correspondence should always be submitted to the Editor either via the AllenTrack web site. The review process will then be coordinated with the respective Associate Editor.

"If my manuscript is not accepted as a journal article, can I submit it to the Perspectives section of IDD?"
Yes. The Perspectives section publishes brief commentaries and opinion pieces. Manuscripts not suitable for publication as peer-reviewed journal articles may be appropriate for Perspectives. Decisions on Perspectives submissions are made by the Editor and two Perspectives Editors. IDD receives many more submissions for Perspectives than it is possible to accept for publication.

“Can I post a manuscript submitted for publication in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities on the Internet?”
No. AAIDD has developed a policy regarding the posting of manuscripts in submission, in press, or published in AAIDD’s publications on publicly accessible forums on the Internet (for example, on a home page). Manuscripts publicly posted on the Internet are in the public domain and will be considered as “published.” As in the case of other journals, IDD does not accept for review manuscripts that are under submission to other public forums or have been previously published.

Authors should also be advised that they can lose their copyright of materials posted on the Internet and their own right to print these materials.

After acceptance of a manuscript for publication in IDD, authors are required to assign the copyright to AAIDD. AAIDD does not permit authors to publish the full text of AAIDD published papers on the Internet. AAIDD journals are now available on-line and can be access through AAIDD’s web site (http://www.aaidd.org).

“If my manuscript is accepted for publication, can I submit the final version electronically?”
Yes. The AllenTrack system allows you to submit your final version via the web site (http://IDD.allentrack.net) which creates a seamless process from submission to copyediting and subsequently publication. You can also submit it as an e-mail attachment (iddaaidd@syr.edu or staylo01@syr.edu). Of course, if necessary you can also submit it via regular mail on a disk.

“What happens with my manuscript after I submit the final accepted version to the Editor?”
The editorial office will process your manuscript via the AllenTrack web site in consultation with Yvette Taylor, Senior Editor, who will copy-edit your manuscript and send you the copy-edited version for your approval. Please review the copy-edited version carefully and answer all inquiries as soon as possible. You will not receive proofs of your article prior to publication.

Once a manuscript has been accepted for publication and forwarded to the Senior Editor, the Editor is not involved in the publication process and cannot answer questions about this. Please contact the Senior Editor (ytaaidd@aol.com) if you have questions about the publication of your manuscript.

“Can I submit manuscripts to the journal through regular mail?”
Yes, but be sure to include an electronic copy on a disk and send to Steven J. Taylor, Ph.D., Center on Human Policy, Syracuse University, 805 S. Crouse Ave., Syracuse, NY 13244-2280. Include a cover letter indicating that the manuscript has not been published elsewhere and is not currently under review by another journal. AllenTrack is able to convert most word processing files (e.g., Word, Word Perfect, text, PostScript, and Rich Text Format).