JALA

About JALA

JALA is the official publication of the Association for Laboratory Automation. JALA provides a unique forum for the presentation of scientific papers, news, events, and products related to laboratory automation. Manuscripts on new developments and current findings, as well as tutorials on the foundations of laboratory automation and reviews of products and procedures, will be considered for publication. The journal contains timely reviews of up-to-date developments across the field of laboratory automation.

Indexing and Abstracting

Volume indexes appear in the December issue. JALA is abstracted and/or indexed in Chemical Abstracts, Analytical Abstracts, CINAHL, and EMBASE/Excerpta Medica.

Copyright

Copyright © 2003, Association for Laboratory Automation. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means without the express written permission of JALA.

Manuscripts

JALA publishes manuscripts in four categories: Technical Reports, Scientific Briefs, Tutorials, and Technology Reviews. JALA also publishes Letters to the Editor and Announcements. All manuscripts submitted to JALA must be written in the English language.

Technical Reports

Technical Reports contribute new, original, significant information and applications. Technical Reports are a minimum of 2,000 words, with no maximum word limit. The editorial staff and reviewers will evaluate a manuscript's content against its length and may suggest shortening the manuscript as appropriate. Technical Reports are peer reviewed by at least two experts in the field.

Scientific Briefs

Scientific Briefs are practical descriptions of a process, technique, instrumentation, device, or software containing technical content that would be of interest and use to readers of JALA but which does not necessarily represent original or novel work. Scientific Briefs are typically shorter than technical reports (approximately 2,000 words). Scientific Briefs should be of sufficiently non-commercial nature so as not to be categorized as a Technology Review. This caveat does not preclude Scientific Briefs from being written by staff of product-providing companies. Scientific Briefs are also peer reviewed.

JALA Tutorials

Tutorials provide an introductory overview of a core topic in the field of laboratory automation or related areas. The content of a Tutorial must be presented in an instructional manner. Tutorials are a minimum of 2,000 words, with no maximum word limit. Lengthy Tutorials may be published in multiple parts. Tutorials are peer reviewed by at least two experts in the field.

Technology Reviews

Technology Reviews describe new and innovative products of interest to JALA readers. They may focus on instruments, devices, or software. Technology Reviews are a minimum of 1000 words. All Technology Reviews are edited for commercial content. Technology Reviews are reviewed by at least one expert in the field.

Letters to the Editor

Comments on published articles are welcome and will be published if considered appropriate by the editor. Letters should not exceed three double-spaced manuscript pages. Please include a brief title succinctly stating the topic of your letter. Letters to the Editor are screened, but also may be peer-reviewed or subjected to rebuttal by the authors of the initial article.

Announcements

Announcements appropriate for World News or the meetings and events calendar that may be of interest to the readers of JALA should be sent to the managing editor for consideration at least three months before the first day of the month of issue.

All submissions should clearly identify the category that the author believes is most appropriate for his or her proposed manuscript (i.e., Technical Report, Scientific Brief, JALA Tutorial, Technology Review, Letter to the Editor, or Announcement).

Manuscript Guidelines

These guidelines cover all categories of articles submitted to JALA.

E-mail Submission

Manuscripts can be submitted by e-mail to NanHallock®sbcglobal. net. Authors are, however, legally obliged to sign and return a physical transfer of copyright form by conventional mail. In their electronic version, authors are requested to follow the guidelines for submitting disks. The submission site and full instructions can be found at http://labautomation.org or http://authors.elsevier.com. The paper should be submitted as a single file, prepared with a standard word processor such as Microsoft Word. Tables should be included as part of the word file, not as TIF or EPS. Please note that any embedded graphics must also be submitted as separate, original files. The preferred formats for graphics files are TIF or EPS (see Figure Guidelines for more information).

Mail Submission

If manuscript cannot be submitted by e-mail, send the manuscript on disk with two paper copies. Submissions on floppy disk or CD-ROM will be accepted. Submission media must be labeled with the author's name, title of the article, and the file format (Microsoft Word preferred). The printed copies must be double-spaced, black ink on white paper, with wide margins (25 mm or 1 inch). All pages must be consecutively numbered. The printed copy must match the electronic copy exactly. See address at the end of these instructions.

Author Inquiries

Authors can keep a track on the progress of their accepted articles and set up e-mail alerts informing them of changes to their manuscript's status, by using the “Track a paper” feature of Elsevier's Author Gateway (http://authors.elsevier.com). Additional information on the journal, including the Guide for Authors may be found at http://labautomation.org or http://authors.elsevier.com.

Manuscript Preparation

Each manuscript should be preceded by a title page. This page should include the title of the article, names and affiliations of each author, the contact information for the corresponding author (mailing address, phone, fax, and e-mail), and any source(s) of support in the form of grants and/or equipment. Titles should be reasonably descriptive.

The second page of the manuscript should have an introductory abstract of approximately 200 words or less. The abstract should state the purposes of the study or investigation, main findings, and the principal conclusions. Below the abstract the author must provide five to ten key words or short phrases for indexing purposes. If key words are not submitted with the manuscript, they may be assigned by the editorial staff.

The format of the paper should follow that found in Chapter 1 of The ACS Style Guide (Janet Dodd, Editor; American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, 1997).

Use the SI system of units and Celsius degrees; use L for liter. Where a company is mentioned, indicate location (city, state, country if non-US). All abbreviations, acronyms, and symbols must be defined upon their initial use in the text.

The format for references should follow that found in Chapter 6 of The ACS Style Guide (Janet Dodd, Editor: American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, 1997). The author is responsible for the accuracy and completeness of all references.

Figure Guidelines

It is the author's responsibility to provide original, camera-ready artwork for all figures and illustrations. For line art, submit original drawings or glossy black and white prints. All labels should be professionally lettered in Helvetica or a comparable typeface. Typewritten labels will not be accepted. Figure legends should be typed, double-spaced, and should appear at the end of the manuscript. For figures submitted in electronic format, all images should be at least 5 inches wide. Images should be provided in EPS or TIF format. Graphics software such as Photoshop and Illustrator, not presentation software such as PowerPoint, CorelDraw, or Harvard Graphics, should be used to create art. Color images need to be CMYK, at least 300 DPI, with a digital color proof, not a color laser print or color photocopy. Note: This proof will be used at press for color reproduction. Grayscale images should be at least 300 DPI accompanied by a proof. Line art (black and white or color) and combinations of grayscale and line art should be at least 1,200 DPI and accompanied by a proof.

Author Agreements

Manuscripts are considered for publication with the understanding that (1) if the paper is accepted, copyright is transferred to the Association for Laboratory Automation, and (2) no paper presenting the same information has been or will be published elsewhere. Submitted manuscripts are expected to be concise, well organized, and clearly written.

Review Guidelines

All manuscripts will be reviewed by experts in the field. The number of reviews will depend on the type of manuscript. The review process is conducted on the basis of strict confidentiality, and reviewers are obliged to not discuss the paper beyond the editorial staff of JALA (executive editor, managing editor, associate editor, and assistant editors). Authors will receive a copy of the reviewers' comments, and in cases where reviewers conditionally accept the paper, the authors will have a chance to respond to recommended corrections. If the manuscript is rejected or accepted unconditionally, the author(s) will be made aware of this.

Authors are requested to supply name and contact information for three potential reviewers. The final reviewers shall be chosen by the executive editor, but this information is helpful in reaching such a decision.

Failure to comply with the above requirements may result in the manuscript being returned to the author(s), thus potentially delaying publication.

Editorial Correspondence

Address communications regarding manuscripts and editorial management to JALA at the address below. Instructions for Authors appears in every issue and at http://labautomation.org. Authors should consult these instructions before submitting manuscripts to JALA.

Nan Hallock

Managing Editor

Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation

819 Shorewood Blvd.

Manitowoc, WI 54220 USA

Tel: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

E-mail: [e-mail]

Subscription Information

Change of Address

ALA Members: Please send change of address information to the Association for Laboratory Automation, 2019 Galisteo St., Bldg. 1, Santa Fe, NM 87505, USA. E-mail: [e-mail]. Tel: [phone].

Nonmembers: Please send change of address information to Elsevier, Subscription Customer Service, 6277 Sea Harbor Dr., Orlando, FL 32887, USA.

Subscriptions

The annual subscription rate for U.S. and overseas members of the Association for Laboratory Automation is $90 and is included in annual association membership dues of $120. For membership information, visit http://labautomation.org or call +1.505.988.5326.

Nonmember subscriptions may begin at any time. To enter a subscription to JALA, call 800.654.2452 or +1.407.345.4000; fax [phone]; or e-mail [e-mail]. Remittances made by check, draft, post office, or express money order should be in US funds, drawn through a U.S. bank, made payable to JALA, and sent to Elsevier, Subscription Customer Service, 6277 Sea Harbor Dr., Orlando, FL 32887, USA.

2004 nonmember subscription rates for U.S. addresses: individual, $180; institution, $240. Outside of the U.S. and possessions: individual, $203; institution, $263. Canadian customers, please add 7% GST to international prices. Subscription rates are effective through December 31, 2004. Prices subject to change without notice. Subscription rates include supplements and full-text online access.

Reprints

To order author reprints, contact Periodical Reprints at 800.325. 4177, ext 4350, or +1.314.453.4350; fax [phone]; e-mail [e-mail] . To order 100 or more reprints for educational, commercial, or promotional use, contact the Commercial Reprints Department, Elsevier Inc., 360 Park Ave. South, New York, NY 10010–1710. Fax [phone], e-mail [e-mail] .

Photocopying

Single photocopies of single articles may be made for personal use as allowed by national copyright laws. Permission of the Publisher and payment of a fee is required for all other photocopying, including multiple or systematic copying, copying for advertising or promotional purposes, resale, and all forms of document delivery. Special rates are available for educational institutions that wish to make photocopies for non-profit educational classroom use.

Permissions may be sought directly from Elsevier's Rights Department in Philadelphia, PA, USA: phone [phone], fax [phone], e-mail [e-mail]. Requests may also be completed on-line via the Elsevier homepage (http://www.elsevier.com/locate/permissions).

In the USA, users may clear permissions and make payments through the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, USA; phone: [phone], fax: [phone], and in the UK through the Copyright Licensing Agency Rapid Clearance Service (CLARCS), 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1P 0LP, UK; phone: [phone]; fax: [phone]. Other countries may have a local reprographic rights agency for payments.

Derivative Works

Subscribers may reproduce tables of contents or prepare lists of articles including abstracts for internal circulation within their institutions. Permission of the Publisher is required for resale or distribution outside the institution.

Permission of the Publisher is required for all other derivative works, including compilations and translations.

Electronic Storage or Usage

Permission of the Publisher is required to store or use electronically any material contained in this journal, including any article or part of an article.

Except as outlined above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the Publisher.

Address permissions requests to: Elsevier Rights Department, at the fax and e-mail addresses noted above.

Notice

No responsibility is assumed by the Publisher for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a matter of products liability, negligence or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions or ideas contained in the material herein. Because of rapid advances in the medical sciences, in particular, independent verification of diagnoses and drug dosages should be made.

Although all advertising material is expected to conform to ethical (medical) standards, inclusion in this publication does not constitute a guarantee or endorsement of the quality or value of such product or of the claims made of it by its manufacturer.

Advertising Information

Address all advertising communications to:

Ariel Medina

Advertising Sales Representative

Elsevier, Inc.

360 Park Ave. South, 9th Floor

New York, NY 10010–1710 USA

Tel: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

E-mail: [e-mail]