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JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association)

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General Requirements

✓ Original Investigation Word Limit
Maximum 3000 words of text (not including abstract, tables, figures, acknowledgments, references, and online-only material)

Abstract Requirements

✓ No Abstract for Research Letters
Research Letters should not include an abstract or key points
— No Abbreviations in Abstract
Do not use abbreviations in the title or abstract

Key Points Requirements

— Key Points Required
A list of 3 Key Points is required for research and review manuscripts
— Key Points Word Limit
Key Points section limited to 75-100 words
— Key Points Structure
Must follow 3 key points: Question (1 sentence), Findings (1-2 sentences, include study design), Meaning (1 sentence)

Reference Requirements

✓ Reference Style
Follow AMA Manual of Style. Number references in order of appearance, use superscript arabic numerals. List up to 6 authors; if more than 6, list first 3 followed by 'et al.'
✓ Original Investigation Reference Limit
50-75 references for Original Investigations, Clinical Trials, and most study types
✓ Brief Report Reference Limit
Maximum 15 references for Brief Reports
✓ Research Letter Reference Limit
Maximum 6 references for Research Letters
✓ Viewpoint Reference Limit
Maximum 7 references for Viewpoints
✓ Perspective Reference Limit
10-25 references for Perspective articles
✓ Letter to Editor Reference Limit
Maximum 5 references for Letters to the Editor
✓ Letter in Reply Reference Limit
Maximum 6 references for Letters in Reply
✓ Clinical Challenge Reference Limit
Maximum 10 references
✓ Special Communication Reference Limit
Maximum 50 references
✓ Citation Order
Number references in order they appear in text, do not alphabetize
✓ Include Issue Number
Journal references should include the issue number in parentheses after the volume number
✓ All References Must Be Cited
Authors are responsible for accuracy and completeness of references and correct text citation

Figure Requirements

✓ Original Investigation Figure/Table Limit
Maximum 5 tables and/or figures combined for Original Investigations
✓ Brief Report Figure/Table Limit
Maximum 3 tables and/or figures for Brief Reports
✓ Research Letter Figure/Table Limit
Maximum 2 small tables or figures for Research Letters
✓ Special Communication Figure/Table Limit
Maximum 4 tables and/or figures
✓ Figure Resolution Requirements
Minimum 350 ppi for illustrations and photographs; 600 ppi for line drawings
✓ Figure Color Mode
Color photographs should be submitted in RGB mode using Adobe RGB or sRGB profiles
✓ No Pie Charts or 3D Graphs
Pie charts and 3-D graphs should not be used and should be revised to alternative graph types
✓ Avoid Stacked Bar Charts
Avoid stacked bar charts except for comparisons of distributions of ordinal data
— Bar Graph Usage
Bar graphs should be used to present frequency data only (numbers and rates)
✓ Labeled and Unlabeled Figure Versions
Figures with labels, arrows, or markers must be submitted in two versions: with and without markers
— Figure Title Length
Figure titles should be a brief descriptive phrase, preferably no longer than 10-15 words
— Survival Plot Number at Risk
For survival plots, include the number at risk for each group at intervals along the x-axis
— Preferred Figure Formats
For revision/publication, preferred formats: .ai, .emf, .eps, .pdf, .wmf, .xls for graphs; .eps, .jpg, .psd, .tif for photographs

Table Requirements

— Minimum Table Columns
Tables must have a minimum of 2 columns. Comparisons must read across the table columns
— Table Title Length
Table titles should be a descriptive phrase, preferably no longer than 10-15 words
— No Embedded Table Images
Do not embed tables as images in the manuscript file or upload tables in image formats
— Table Font Size
Tables should be single-spaced in 10- or 12-point font
— No Empty Table Cells
Missing data and blank cells should be avoided; use NA for not applicable or not available
— Table Footnote Format
Use superscript letters (a, b, c) to mark footnotes. Reference numbers come before footnote letters
— SI Conversion in Tables
Provide SI conversion factor as footnote in tables reporting laboratory values

Reporting Guidelines Requirements

— CONSORT Required for RCTs
Randomized clinical trials must include CONSORT flow diagram and completed checklist
— PRISMA Required for Meta-analyses
Authors of meta-analyses of clinical trials should submit PRISMA flow diagram and checklist
— MOOSE for Observational Meta-analyses
Authors of meta-analyses of observational studies should submit MOOSE checklist
— STROBE for Observational Studies
Follow STROBE Reporting Guidelines for cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies
— STARD for Diagnostic Studies
Follow STARD Reporting Guidelines for diagnostic/prognostic studies
— CHEERS for Economic Evaluations
Follow CHEERS Reporting Guidelines for economic evaluations and decision analytical models
— TREND for Nonrandomized Trials
Follow TREND checklist for nonrandomized clinical trials
— SQUIRE for QI Studies
Follow SQUIRE Reporting Guidelines for quality improvement studies
— SRQR/COREQ for Qualitative Studies
Follow SRQR or COREQ Reporting Guidelines for qualitative studies
— AAPOR for Survey Studies
Follow AAPOR Best Practices for Survey Research
— EQUATOR Reporting Guidelines
Authors of research articles should follow the EQUATOR Reporting Guidelines

Clinical Trial Requirements

— Trial Registration Required
All clinical trials must be registered in a public trials registry acceptable to ICMJE before manuscript submission
— Trial Registration in Abstract
Trial registry name, ID number, and URL must be included at end of abstract
— Trial Protocol Required
Authors must submit trial protocols including complete statistical analysis plan and any amendments
— Trial Subtitle Required
Subtitle should include 'A Randomized Clinical Trial' or 'A Nonrandomized Clinical Trial'
— Data Sharing Statement Required
All research reports require a Data Sharing Statement indicating if data will or will not be shared

Statistical Reporting Requirements

— Confidence Intervals Required
Present numerical results with appropriate indicators of uncertainty such as confidence intervals
— P Value Formatting
P<.001 for values less than .001; nearest thousandth for .001-.01; nearest hundredth for ≥.01; P>.99 for values greater than .99
— P Values Must Include Data
P values should never be presented alone without the data being compared
— Absolute Numbers Required
Include absolute numbers and/or rates with any ratio measures; avoid redundant reporting of relative data
— Central Tendency Reporting
Use means and SDs for normally distributed data; medians and ranges or IQRs for non-normal data
— Causal Language Only for RCTs
Causal language (effect, efficacy) should only be used for randomized clinical trials; use association/correlation for observational studies
— No Baseline P Values in RCTs
Tables of baseline characteristics in parallel-group RCTs should not include P values comparing groups
— Multivariable vs Multivariate
Identify models with >1 independent variable as multivariable; >1 dependent variable as multivariate
— Intention-to-Treat Analysis
Randomized clinical trials should be primarily analyzed according to intention-to-treat approach
— No Last Observation Carried Forward
Approaches based on 'last observation carried forward' should not be used
— Percentage Decimal Places
Do not use decimal places for percentages if sample size is less than 100
— Frequency Data Format
Frequency data should be reported as 'No. (%)' not as percentages alone

Author Requirements

— Viewpoint Author Limit
Viewpoints must have no more than 4 authors with no more than 2 affiliations per author
— Perspective Author Limit
Perspective manuscripts may have no more than 4 authors
— Letter Author Limit
Letters may have no more than 3 authors
— Clinical Challenge Author Limit
Clinical Challenge articles should have no more than 3 authors
— A Piece of My Mind Author Limit
A Piece of My Mind must have no more than 3 authors
— Poetry Author Limit
Poems must have only 1 author
— ICMJE Authorship Criteria
Authorship requires meeting all 4 ICMJE criteria: substantial contributions, drafting/revising, final approval, and accountability

Poetry Requirements

— Poetry Line Limit
Poems should be no longer than 44 lines including title and lines between stanzas
— Poetry Line Character Limit
Individual lines should be no longer than 55 characters including spaces

Units and Nomenclature

— Conventional Units Primary
Laboratory values expressed using conventional units with SI conversion factors in parentheses at first mention
— Use Nonproprietary Drug Names
Use nonproprietary (generic) names of drugs, devices, and products unless trade name is essential
— Expand Abbreviations at First Use
Expand all abbreviations at first mention in text; limit abbreviation use

Video and Audio Requirements

— Video File Requirements
Acceptable formats: .mov, .wmv, .mpg, .mpeg, .mp4, .avi; max 25 MB; preferred length ≤5 minutes; landscape orientation preferred
— Audio File Requirements
Acceptable formats: .mp3, .wav, .aiff; max 25 MB; max 5 minutes; 256 kbps stereo or 128 kbps mono

Timeliness Requirements

— Data Timeliness
Data should be collected no more than 5 years before submission for cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies
— RCT Reporting Timeliness
Clinical trial manuscripts should be reported ideally within 1 year after follow-up completed
— Letter Submission Window
Letters discussing a recent article should be submitted within 4 weeks of publication

Ethics and Consent Requirements

— IRB/Ethics Approval Required
Formal review and approval (or waiver) by IRB or ethics committee required for all human/animal studies
— Informed Consent Required
State manner of informed consent (oral or written) and whether participants received stipend
— Patient Permission Form Required
Signed patient permission form required for identifiable patient descriptions, photographs, videos, and pedigrees
— No Masking Patient Faces
Black bars across eyes or blurring/masking faces is not acceptable for deidentification

Survey Study Requirements

— Survey Response Rate
Survey studies should have sufficient response rates, generally ≥60%

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