Quality of Life Research
Instructions for authors
Article types
Quality of Life Research welcomes scientific articles in the following categories:
• Original Articles
Original articles are a maximum of 4,000 words, exclusive of a 250-word structured abstract, figures, tables, and references. We encourage submissions of shorter length if the empirical study can be presented concisely. We also make authors aware of the option to publish additional detail as online appendices. We are particularly interested in studies that utilize patient-reported outcomes, focusing on clinical and policy applications of (health-related) quality-of-life research; showcasing quantitative and qualitative methodological advances; and/ or describing instrument development.
Original articles describe work that is not already published elsewhere or directly uses statements from previously published materials without appropriate acknowledgement or referencing. For example, if the submitted work forms part of a thesis dissertation or the abstract was published as part of conference proceedings, these should be acknowledged. If taking direct statements from published sources, these should be appropriately referenced.
• Registered Reports
The journal is pleased to offer Registered Reports for authors submitting to the journal. To learn more about this article type, please see the full instructions here.
• Letters to the editor
Quality of Life Research accepts on occasion letters to the editor. These letters are published at the Co-Editors in Chief's discretion. Letters would be expected to make a substantial informative point and usually cover material such as responses to published articles or viewpoints (usually of more than an individual, e.g. patient groups, scientific societies, stakeholder organizations, international research consortia). As with commentaries, letters can also be submitted on invitation of the editors. Letters are not for general news sharing or to summarize results of articles published elsewhere. Letters to the editor will be reviewed by the Co-Editors in Chief, and if necessary, by drawing on additional editorial board members. In the case of letters that are in direct response to work published in Quality of Life Research, the original handling Associate Editor will be invited to review.
The submission format for a letter is a maximum length of 1000 words; no abstract; no sections; no graphs/figures; and no tables are permitted. The manuscript should have at most 5 references. A maximum of three authors are permitted, and only first author's main affiliation should be included
• Other Types of Articles
The journal also publishes commentaries and editorials; reviews of the literature; reviews of recent books and software advances; and abstracts presented at the annual meeting of the International Society of Quality of Life Research conference. These articles should be as long as needed to convey the desired information, and no more than 4,000 words in length. To the extent that it is possible, a structured abstract is appreciated.
Language
We appreciate any efforts that you make to ensure that the language usage is corrected before submission using standard United States or United Kingdom English. This will greatly improve the legibility of your paper if English is not your first language.
Plain English summary
All submitting authors in Quality of Life Research have the opportunity to include a Plain English summary in addition to the Abstract. The plain English summary is a brief summary of the study written for the general public rather than for specialists. It is not a scientific abstract. Use clear and simple language, avoiding jargon, abbreviations, technical terms, uncommon words, and long sentences wherever possible.
Please address the following questions in your summary paragraph:
1. Why is this study needed?
2. What is the key problem/issue/question this manuscript addresses?
3. What is the main point of your study?
4. What are your main results and what do they mean?
The recommended length for the summary is 100-200 words and it should not exceed 250 words. Each question above should be addressed briefly (i.e., 1-2 sentences).
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更多详情：
https://www.springer.com/journal/11136/submission-guidelines
