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Special Instructions for Authors
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Use of first person
We encourage authors to use the pronouns I and we as
well as the active voice.
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Verb tense
The past tense is typically used to narrate past events, such as the
procedures used to carry out a study. The present tense is used for
generally accepted facts, authors' conclusions, and the conclusions of
previous researchers. Generally, most of the abstract, methods, and results
are in past tense, and most of the introduction and some of the discussion
are in present tense. For a discussion of the proper use of verb tense in
scientific publications, please refer to the AMA style guide.
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Footnotes
Avoid footnotes except in tables and figures. Indicate footnotes in
tables and figures with superscripted lowercase letters (e.g., a,
b, c, d).
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Race, national origin, and ethnicity
Preventing Chronic Disease (PCD) follows the guidelines of the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB), which published standards (October 30, 1997)
for collecting data on race and ethnicity. Five races and two categories of
ethnicity are listed.
- Races:
- American Indian or Alaska Native
- Asian
- Black or African American
- Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
- White
- Ethnicities:
- Hispanic or Latino
- Not Hispanic or Latino
Alaska Native, Alaskan
Alaska Native is a person whose origins are in any
of the original peoples of Alaska and who maintains cultural identification
through tribal affiliation or community attachment. Alaskan is anyone who
was born in Alaska or who is a long-term resident of Alaska.
American Indian
A person whose origins are in any of the original people
of North, Central, or South America (except Alaska) and who maintains
cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community attachment.
Whenever possible, specify the nation or peoples (e.g., Navajo, Nez Perce,
Inuit) rather than use the more general term.
Asian
A person whose origins are in any of the original people of the Far
East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent including, for example,
Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, The Philippines,
Thailand, and Vietnam.
black, African American
A person whose origins are in any of the black
racial groups of Africa. If appropriate, specific terms such as Haitian or
Bahamian may also be used. When discussing scientific data, use the term
that was used when the research (the source of the data) was being
conducted. Note lower case black.
Hispanic, Latino
A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or
Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.
The term Spanish origin may also be used.
Pacific Islander
A person whose origins are in any of the original
peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific islands. Other terms such
as Native Hawaiian may also be used when appropriate.
white
A person whose origins are in any of the original peoples of
Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa. Note lower case white.
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