JALA Information

About JALA

JALA is a multi-disciplinary international forum devoted to the advancement of technology in the laboratory. It is the official, peer-reviewed journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation (ALA). Six issues are published each year, providing a unique forum for the presentation of method-focused scientific papers, and related news, events, and product announcements.

JALA readers, reviewers, and authors are academic, commercial, and government researchers, scientists, and engineers who conduct research and develop new technologies to increase productivity, elevate data quality, reduce lab process cycle times, or enable experimentation that otherwise would be impossible.

Manuscripts

JALA publishes manuscripts in four main categories: Original Reports, Innovation Briefs, JALA Tutorials, and Technology Reviews. JALA also publishes Letters to the Editor, and product and company news announcements.

Original Reports

Original Reports contribute new, original, significant information and applications. Original 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. Original Reports are peer-reviewed by at least two experts in the field.

Innovation Briefs

Innovation 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 do not necessarily represent original or novel work. Innovation Briefs are typically shorter than Original Reports (approximately 2,000 words). Innovation Briefs should be of sufficiently non-commercial nature, so as not to be categorized as a Technology Review. This does not preclude Innovation Briefs being written by product-providing companies. Innovation Briefs are also peer-reviewed by at least two experts in the field.

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. Long 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 1,000 words. All Technology Reviews are edited for commercial content. Technology Reviews are reviewed by at least one expert in the field.

Manuscript Guidelines

JALA accepts manuscript submissions via the Elsevier Author Gateway at http://ees.elsevier.com/jala.

All manuscripts and news releases submitted to JALA must be written in the English language. Microsoft Word is preferred. Manuscripts must be prepared double-spaced, with wide margins (25 mm or 1 inch), and pages should be consecutively numbered. Tables may be embedded in the Word file. Figures must be provided as separate, original files (for more information, see Figure Guidelines).

Manuscripts should include an introductory abstract of approximately 200 words or less that states the purposes of study or investigation, main findings, and the principal conclusions. In addition, three to five keywords should be provided for indexing purposes.

Manuscripts are expected to be concise, well organized, and clearly written. The format of the paper should follow that found in Chapter One of The ACS Style Guide (Janet Dodd, Editor: American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C., 1997). The author is responsible for the accuracy and completeness of all references. 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-U.S.). All abbreviations, acronyms, and symbols must be defined upon their initial use in the text.

Figure Guidelines

It is the author's responsibility to provide original, high-resolution images for all figures, photos, and illustrations. Images should be at least five inches wide and saved as TIF files at 600 dpi for line-drawn images or at least 300 dpi for color or black/white photography. Color images should be saved as CMYK. Each image submitted should be saved as a separate file, and the file name should include the lead author's last name and identified as Figures 1, Figures 2, etc.

Copyright and Simultaneous Submissions

Manuscripts are considered for publication with the understanding that if the paper is accepted, copyright is transferred to the Association for Laboratory Automation, and that no paper presenting the same information has been or will be published elsewhere. If part of a contribution has appeared or will appear elsewhere, the author must specify the details in the comments portion of his or her submission. Simultaneous submissions of manuscripts to multiple journals at the same time are not acceptable - please do not submit manuscripts that may be under consideration by another publication or electronic medium.

The Peer-Review Process

The review process is confidential, and reviewers are obliged not to discuss papers or authors with anyone outside of the JALA editorial staff. Manuscripts are typically evaluated in response to the peer-review guidelines at http://labautomation.org/jalaprguidelines.php, and initial feedback is usually provided to authors within four weeks after submission. Manuscripts can be accepted as written by reviewers, declined as inappropriate, or as is often the case, reviewers will suggest revisions. Authors are then offered the opportunity to revise and resubmit their manuscripts, or provide explanations in response to reviewer questions or suggestions. Revisions and responses are re-reviewed by the peer reviewers before final publishing decisions are made.

Author Conflict of Interest Policy

All authors will be asked to disclose to JALA in writing all relationships that could be viewed as presenting a potential conflict of interest regarding the subject matter of their manuscripts. On behalf of all authors, each manuscript's lead/corresponding author will be asked to complete the Author Conflict Disclosure Statement when submitting a manuscript for consideration. All declared competing interests will be listed at the end of published articles for transparency for our readers. Funding sources should be clearly identified in the Acknowledgements section, prior to references.

Scientific Misconduct

In accordance with the Council of Science Editors, JALA recognizes that as a general guide, the term “research misconduct” applies to any action that involves purposeful manipulation of the scientific record such that it no longer reflects observed truth. Research misconduct generally falls into one of four areas: fabrication of data, falsification of data, plagiarism, and unethical treatment of research subjects. If JALA suspects misconduct by authors, reviewers, editorial staff, or other editors, it will take action. This duty extends to both published and unpublished papers. For definitions and details, please visit http://labautomation.org/jalainstructions.php.

Other Submissions

Letters to the Editor

Comments on published articles are welcome and will be published if deemed 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. Send Letters to the Editor to [e-mail].

Product and Company News Announcements

Announcements for World News and the Meetings and Events Calendar that may be of interest to JALA readers should be sent to [e-mail] for consideration at least three months before the first day of the month of issue.

Editorial Correspondence

Send questions, suggestions, ideas, or concerns regarding JALA to:

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]

CUSTOMER SERVICE (orders, claims, online, change of address):

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Address changes must be submitted four weeks in advance.

ALA Members: Please record change of address information at http://labautomation.org/login/ or e-mail [e-mail].

Yearly Subscription Rates

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 e-mail [e-mail].

2010 nonmember subscription rates for U.S. addresses: individual, $231; institution, $365. Outside of the U.S. and possessions: individual, $278; institution, $422. Canadian customers, please add 7% GST to international prices. Single issues $71. Current prices are in effect for back volumes and back issues. Prices subject to change without notice. Subscription rates include supplements and full-text online access.

JALA Online

Members of the Association for Laboratory Automation may access full text articles from past and present issues of JALA at http://www.journals.elsevierhealth.com/periodicals/xyjala. To activate an online subscription, ALA members must register or log-in at this Web site (registration is brief and free). When registering, members will be prompted to provide an ALA membership number in the “My society membership includes this journal” box. ALA membership numbers can be found on individual JALA mailing labels, or members may contact JALA Managing Editor Nan Hallock at [e-mail]. Last names must be entered exactly as they appear on JALA mailing labels.

When searching for JALA in the Elsevier system, enter the full name of the journal: Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation.

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Author inquiries

For inquiries relating to the submission of articles (including electronic submission where available), please visit www.elsevier.com/authors. This site also provides the facility to track accepted articles and set up e-mail alerts to inform you of when an article's status has changed, as well as detailed artwork guidelines, copyright information, frequently asked questions, and more. Please see Information for Authors for individual journal requirements. Contact details for questions arising after acceptance of an article, especially those relating to proofs, are provided after registration of an article for publication.

The paper used in this publication meets the requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48–1992 (Permanence of Paper).

Reprints

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© 2010 Association for Laboratory Automation. All rights reserved. This journal and the individual contributions contained in it are protected under copyright by the Association for Laboratory Automation, and the following terms and conditions apply to their use:

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.

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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.

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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.

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Notice

No responsibility is assumed by the Publisher or the Association for Laboratory Automation 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.

Indexing and Abstracting

JALA manuscript abstracts are indexed by Analytical Abstracts, Chemical Abstracts (CAS+), CINAHL, Compendex, EMBASE/ Excerpta Medica, Google Scholar, Inspec, Proquest CSA Technology Research Database, Scifinder, Scirus, and Scopus. JALA Online and Elsevier ScienceDirect publish abstracts and full text articles.