For Authors

All manuscripts should be original works, not previously published nor simultaneously submitted to another journal. Content should align to one or more domains of the Chain of Survival Behaviors. Each author has the obligation to reveal any personal interest or relationship that has the potential to be affected by publication of the submitted manuscript. Sources of funding must be acknowledged in the manuscript. All authors must report any financial interest in corporate or commercial entities dealing with the subject matter of the manuscript. On behalf of all the authors, the corresponding author has the responsibility to advise the Editor of an actual or apparent conflict of interest at the time of submission of the manuscript. Such conflicts will be acknowledged in the Acknowledgement section of the published article. Authors must also submit corrections if conflicts of interests are revealed after publication.

Authors submit their manuscripts in English and electronically via the 'Submit article' tab on the homepage. First-time authors should create an account by following the directions given. No print manuscripts or e-mail attachments can be accepted. Questions about appropriate topics, technical concerns, or other issues can be addressed via email directly to the editor (editor@firstaid-revolution.org). Final abstracts may be published in different languages.

The publication management system from the Open Journal System (OJS) is maintained by the Kent State University Libraries, through Islandora. Authors may retain their own copyright. Papers are published on acceptance. The IJFAE is an open access journal and there are no publishing fees for authors and authors may deposit versions of their work in institutional or other repository of their choice.

Authors who wish to deposit a copy of their paper in an institutional or other repository of their choice may do so.  They are requested to specify whether the version they deposit has been published or not. Please also note that articles published in the IJFAE will be found in the following Directories:

  • EBSCO Discovery Service
  • CINHAL: Complete
  • CINHAL: Ultimate
  • ResearchGate
  • Google Scholar
  • ROAD: Directory of Open Access Scholarly Journals (ISSN)

Pre-submission preparation

  • Identify which type of paper you plan to submit (see below).
  • Format your paper according to the specifications given for your paper type. All papers should be submitted in MS Word, in American Psychological Association (APA) 7th edition style; with line numbers continuous through the document, to help reviewers and editors' direct comments.
  • Download the corresponding rubric for your paper type and check it against your manuscript. This will be used by peer reviewers and editors to decide if your paper can be published so we strongly recommend that you align your paper to the themes in the rubric.
  • Identify and complete an appropriate checklist /reporting guideline for your study (except Short Communications). The checklist chosen should be acknowledged in the cover letter to the Editor and attached as a supplemental file to your submission. The EQUATOR Network provides access and methods to identify appropriate checklist/ reporting guideline
  • For all submissions:
    • Ensure all authors meet the ICMJE criteria for authorship and agree to the submission and agree that the corresponding author may act on their behalf throughout the review and publication process
    • Obtain permission for any citations of personal communications or unpublished results
    • Ensure that writing style and citations of references in the text and references list conform to journal style (American Psychological Association-APA 7th edition). See https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/apa_changes_7th_edition.html for help.
    • Acknowledge funding and potential conflicts of interest
    • Explicitly reference the domain or domains of the Chain of Survival Behaviors that your manuscript is relevant to
    • Provide access to any supplementary data associated with the paper hosted in external depositories and/or upload as a supplementary file(s) with the paper.
    • Identify Creative Commons License you want applied to any published materials, those authors who do not choose a specific license will have a CC BY license applied. Authors retain the copyright and full publishing rights without restrictions.
    • Write a cover letter to the Editor to clearly state the purpose of your paper and its relevance to the IJFAE and its readers.
      • Information on financial support should be provided in the cover letter and in the manuscript
      • Acknowledge that this new and original work and not published in other journals
      • Accept responsibility to provide retraction or correction of mistakes, in case of detection, immediately to Editor-in-chief

Submission Types

Article types we accept are:

  • Empirical Research Papers (including qualitative and quantitative);
  • Descriptive manuscripts (including protocols; clinical/field reviews; methods papers; pilot studies, Innovation and insight manuscripts and project reports);
  • Theory/Model generating manuscripts (inductive or deductive rationale for the organization of knowledge and measurement of first aid education).
  • Short Communication (i.e., letters to the Editor, editorials, commentaries and organizational position statements; Conference Abstracts; View from the Field-Narrative papers describing first aid education activities - not peer reviewed)

Empirical Research Papers

Qualitative and/or quantitative methodologies that systematically answer a research question. Manuscripts report on the background, method, population, results, and discuss implications to the field. These are accepted or rejected based on their appropriateness to IJFAE's editorial mission and their adherence to appropriate scientific methods and scholarly criteria. Research may be in areas of outcomes of the ill/injured or populations, program evaluation, or emerging/ innovative practices.

  • Novel research with validated tools or protocol and completed with disciplinary rigor
  • Blind Peer Review-please follow these guides to remove any personal information
  • Authors must provide a reporting guideline. EQUATOR Network provides access and methods to identify appropriate reporting guideline
    • Ex. Guideline for Reporting Evidence-based practice Educational interventions and Teaching (GREET)
    • Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR)
  • Link to empirical research rubric

Structure:

Structured Abstract (300 word max)

4,000 words max.
8 figures and tables max.
35 source limit on references

supplementary files encouraged: data, forms, instruments.

Descriptive manuscripts

Manuscripts, including protocols; literature/clinical/field reviews; methods papers; pilot studies, Innovation and insight manuscripts and project reports are insights into the application of research that has seen significant development or progress. These manuscripts should include evaluation, critical assessment, and perspectives on current behavior topics and issues related to learning those competencies (knowledge, skills, & behaviors). These articles may take the form of experiential reports, clinical and observational studies, curriculum reviews of literature, and longer editorial statements of opinion. These professional articles are reviewed for their potential contributions to a broader discussion and understanding of applied and practical knowledge and skills.

  • Editors seek innovative ideas/approaches to first aid education, along with robust description, outcomes.
  • Systematic description with plausible explanation, based on disciplinary rigor but not original empirical research held to disciplinary rigor
  • May include measurement Design & Validation studies
  • Open Review- your manuscript will be communicated to reviewers with your name to promote dialogue
  • Authors should provide a reporting guideline, and this should be verified from submission text. EQUATOR Network provides access and methods to identify appropriate reporting guideline
    • Ex. Single-Case Reporting Guideline In Behavioural Interventions (SCRIBE) 2016 Statement
    • Standards for QUality Improvement Reporting Excellence (SQUIRE)
    • Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses(PRISMA)
    • Link to descriptive rubric

Structure:

Descriptive abstract (300 word max)

4,000 words max.
8 figures and tables max.
35 source limit on references or supplementary data.

Theory-Model Generation Manuscripts

These submissions advance theory or application of theories through practice models. May use inductive or deductive rationale for the organization of knowledge and measurement of first aid education.

  • 4,000 words max.
  • 8 figures and tables max.
  • No limit on references or supplementary data.
  • Open Review- your submission will be communicated to reviewers with your name to promote dialogue
  • link to Theory/Model generating rubric

Short Communication

These communications include letters to the Editor, editorials, commentaries and organizational position statements; Conference Abstracts; View from the Field - Narrative papers describing first aid education activities - and not peer reviewed

These encourage timely communications of topical subjects such as integrating new first aid science, special populations, or curriculum development.

Letters to the editor and editorials: up to 1000 words;

Commentary papers and position statements up to 3000 words

    • Title should read 'Response to: ...' or 'Commentary: Title of Original Article'
    • There should be no abstract
    • 8 figures and tables max
    • No limit on references or supplementary data for commentary papers
    • 10 references max for letters and editorials
    • Commentaries should cite the article on which it comments.
    • Meets the aims of the journal.

Conference Abstracts: For those invited to submit an abstract from a conference sponsored by the IJFAE, this opportunity is to capture the session and extend its reach to an international audience.

  • Link to Conference Abstract rubric
    • If the Conference Abstract is not enough space to convey ideas please consider another category for publication in the IJFAE
    • Structure:
    • 250-300 words (100 extra words to describe conference engagement)
    • Maximum 5 references
    • Supplementary files encouraged (.ppt, data, instruments, video, etc.)
    • a short amount of background information - where you are, who your learners are, what is the context
    • a short description of what you are doing
    • some information about what you found or hoped to find with this approach

  • View from the Field

    This article type is designed for first aid educators to tell readers what they are up to in their area to make things better for their learners. We would like to hear everything from innovative ideas, to little things that you have just tweaked to make a difference. Using this form please provide a short background, a description of what you're doing and why.

    We then ask you to provide some questions for readers which might stimulate discussion about taking your project forward. These papers are not peer reviewed, although the Editorial Board will oversee submissions for relevance before publication.

    We encourage you to submit photos, videos and other supplemental information about your project with your manuscript. Please do this using the electronic submission process. 

https://oaks.kent.edu/ijfae/for_authors.html