Quick start: what to do before you submit
Most delays happen because core items are missing: incomplete author details, unclear study ethics, references not formatted consistently, or figures without captions. Use this quick checklist before uploading your files:
- Confirm article type (Research/Original Article, Review, Short Communication, Clinical Image, Case-related formats, etc.).
- Prepare a structured manuscript with: Title, Authors/affiliations, Corresponding author, Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion/Conclusion, Acknowledgements, References, Tables/Figures and captions.
- Check ethics and consent for human/clinical content; remove identifiers; confirm approvals where required.
- Run a final language and formatting pass to ensure your paper is readable and reviewer-friendly.
- Collect required statements: authorship contributions, conflicts of interest, funding, data availability, and permissions for reused material.
Plain language summary
If you submit a complete, ethically documented manuscript with clear figures/tables and accurate references, peer review moves faster and your paper is easier to publish.
Article types and typical content expectations
AAAI publishes work across asthma, allergy, clinical immunology, translational immunology, and related respiratory and immune health domains. Select the article type that best matches your study design and contribution. If you are unsure, choose the closest match and explain in your cover letter.
| Research / Original Article | Full study reports with a clear question, methods, results, and discussion. Provide enough detail for reproducibility and clinical interpretation. |
|---|---|
| Review Article | Critical synthesis of evidence. Explain search strategy (especially for systematic reviews), inclusion criteria, and how conclusions were formed. |
| Short Communication | Concise findings of high interest. Focus on a single message with minimal redundancy; methods must still be sufficient to judge validity. |
| Clinical Image / Clinical Note | A visually anchored clinical observation. Include patient consent, de-identification, and a short evidence-based explanation of relevance. |
| Case-related formats (where applicable) | Present a novel case, diagnostic challenge, adverse event, or management approach. Include consent, timeline, and learning points. |
Choosing the right format helps reviewers
Reviewers evaluate different article types differently. If the structure doesn’t match the type (e.g., a case report written like a clinical trial), the review process slows down and requests for re-formatting become more likely.
Manuscript structure and required sections
AAAI’s legacy instructions specify the core components expected in a research/review format: Title; author names (and degrees) and affiliations; corresponding author; and the main scientific sections including Abstract, Keywords, list of abbreviations, Introduction/Background, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion/Conclusion, Acknowledgements, References, plus figures/tables and captions.
Title page requirements
- Title: clear and specific (avoid unnecessary abbreviations).
- Authors: full names, degrees (if used on your institution’s publications), and affiliations.
- Corresponding author: full postal address, email, phone (optional), and ORCID where available.
- Running title: optional but helpful for production and PDF headers.
Abstract and keywords
Keep the abstract concise and informative. The legacy contributor guide indicates a brief summary not exceeding 250 words and no references in the abstract. Keywords should help discovery (include clinical and immunology terms that readers actually search).
Main text (typical research article)
- Introduction/Background: state the problem, what is known, and what your study adds (avoid overlong literature reviews).
- Materials and Methods: study design, setting, participants, interventions/exposures, outcomes, statistical methods, and ethics approvals.
- Results: present findings logically; use tables/figures to reduce text repetition.
- Discussion/Conclusion: interpret findings, limitations, clinical implications, and future research directions.
- Acknowledgements: contributions not meeting authorship; disclose writing assistance if used.
Methods should allow judgment and replication
For clinical or observational work, define inclusion/exclusion criteria and outcomes clearly. For immunology laboratory work, include assay details, controls, and enough information for another lab to understand what was done.
Reporting quality and checklists
AAAI encourages authors to follow widely used reporting guidelines where applicable. Doing so improves reviewer confidence and reduces revision cycles. If your study fits a standard design, mention the relevant checklist in your cover letter and submit the completed checklist as a supplementary file.
| Clinical trials | Use CONSORT-style reporting: randomization, allocation concealment, blinding, outcomes, and harms reporting. |
|---|---|
| Observational studies | Use STROBE-style reporting: cohort/case-control/cross-sectional clarity, confounders, and missing data handling. |
| Systematic reviews/meta-analyses | Use PRISMA-style reporting: search strategy, screening, bias assessment, and transparent synthesis. |
| Diagnostic accuracy | Use STARD-style reporting: index test, reference standard, and flow of participants. |
Why checklists matter (especially in clinical fields)
In asthma and allergy research, small reporting gaps can change interpretation (e.g., phenotype definitions, spirometry standards, medication exposure). Checklists reduce ambiguity and help readers evaluate real-world applicability.
Ethics, consent, and patient privacy
Ethical reporting is mandatory for clinical and human research. If your manuscript includes human participants, identifiable images, case details, or sensitive data, you must confirm appropriate ethical approval and/or informed consent and remove identifying details unless you have explicit permission to publish them.
Human subjects and clinical content
- State the approving ethics committee/institutional review board and approval number (if applicable).
- Describe consent procedures; for minors, include guardian consent as required.
- For case reports and clinical images, confirm written consent for publication and de-identification steps.
- Remove names, initials, full dates (where not required), and other identifiers from text and image metadata.
Animal research
If your study involves animals, state ethical approvals, housing and welfare standards, and steps to minimize discomfort.
Clinical responsibility
AAAI prioritizes reader safety. Submissions with privacy risks or unclear consent may be returned for correction before peer review.
Research integrity: originality, plagiarism checks, and duplicate submission
AAAI evaluates originality and publication ethics as part of quality control. The legacy plagiarism policy notes the use of iThenticate software to screen submissions. Authors should ensure that text, figures, and ideas are properly cited and that reused material is permitted.
Author declarations commonly required
- Originality: confirm the work is not under consideration elsewhere and is not published previously in the same form.
- Authorship criteria: confirm all authors contributed meaningfully and approved the final manuscript.
- Conflict of interest: disclose financial and non-financial conflicts.
- Funding: list grant numbers and funders, or state “no external funding.”
Prevent avoidable delays
The fastest path to acceptance is transparency: cite reused methods text properly, avoid “patchwork” paraphrasing, and disclose prior dissemination (e.g., preprints).
Figures, tables, and supplementary files
Figures and tables should be understandable without reading the full text. Provide clear captions, define abbreviations, and ensure that images are high quality. If you reuse a figure, obtain permission unless it is under a compatible license, and cite the source in the caption.
Figure/table best practices
- Number figures and tables in the order they appear in the text.
- Use descriptive captions (not just “Results”).
- Ensure axis labels, units, and legends are readable.
- For clinical images, remove identifiers and confirm consent.
- For supplementary files, use stable formats (PDF, CSV, common image formats) and include a short readme.
Common error
Submitting tables as images slows peer review and can create accessibility problems. Whenever possible, submit tables as editable text.
References and citations
Use a consistent citation style throughout the manuscript and ensure that every statement of fact that depends on prior work is cited. Avoid citing predatory or unreliable sources. Where possible, cite primary evidence (clinical trials, cohort studies, systematic reviews).
Before submission, verify that:
- All references are complete (authors, title, journal, year, volume/issue, pages/article ID).
- In-text citations match the reference list.
- DOIs are included when available.
Copyright, licenses, and permissions
AAAI publishes open access content typically under a Creative Commons license (commonly CC BY 4.0 unless otherwise stated). Authors must ensure they have the right to publish all included content (figures, questionnaires, images, or large text excerpts). The legacy copyright page emphasizes that copyright-related issues should be clarified before final publication.
Permissions you may need
- Reused figures/tables from copyrighted works
- Patient images where consent and institutional policies require explicit permission
- Third-party questionnaires or scales with restricted reuse
- Large adapted excerpts of text beyond fair use
License clarity helps reuse
Clearly licensing your work helps clinicians, educators, and researchers reuse the evidence responsibly with proper attribution.
How to submit and what happens next
Use the journal submission route indicated on the AAAI site. During submission, you may be asked for manuscript details, author information, and supporting statements. Provide accurate information because these details become part of the article metadata if accepted.
Recommended submission package
- Manuscript file (main text with references, tables, and figure captions)
- Figures (as separate files if requested by the submission system)
- Cover letter (article type, novelty statement, ethics confirmations, suggested reviewers if appropriate)
- Reporting checklist (if applicable)
- Conflict of interest and funding statements
1) Initial checks: scope, completeness, ethics disclosures, and technical quality.
2) Peer review: reviewers evaluate validity, originality, clarity, and clinical/scientific contribution.
3) Revision: authors respond to reviewer comments with a point-by-point rebuttal.
4) Decision: accept, revise again, or reject based on merit and integrity.
5) Production: proofs and final checks; publication with metadata and licensing.
How to respond to reviewers (best practice)
Create a point-by-point response letter. Quote each reviewer comment and follow with your response and manuscript change location (page/line or section). Even if you disagree, respond respectfully and with evidence.
Frequently asked questions
Do you charge a submission fee?
No. APCs (if applicable) are generally assessed after acceptance. Always confirm current fee information on the APC/Charges pages.
What is the most common reason a submission is returned before review?
Missing ethics/consent statements, incomplete author details, unclear figures/captions, and inconsistent references are common preventable issues.
Do you screen for plagiarism?
Yes. AAAI’s plagiarism policy indicates plagiarism screening using iThenticate as part of quality control.
Can I submit if my work was posted as a preprint?
In many cases, yes—provided you disclose the preprint at submission and ensure the manuscript meets ethics and originality requirements.
What should I do if I need to correct authorship details after submission?
Contact the editorial office immediately with the manuscript ID and a clear explanation. Authorship changes often require written confirmation from all authors.
