Author FAQs

This page contains answers to frequently asked questions about CES4Health.info. We've tried to anticipate all of your questions. If we've missed yours, please email your question to us at info@CES4Health.info.

Is there a way for me to revise or edit my submission? I realize I made an error in my application.

In the application there are questions about special ordering instructions (questions 1-4 of Part 1) that ask if the product is in a format that cannot be downloaded from the web or linked to via CES4Health. What if I can offer quality hard copies of my materials (like a booklet, brochure, etc.) in addition to the pdf or web version available through CES4Health.info?
Does CES4Health.info have an International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)?
Is technical assistance available to prepare a product submission?

1. How do I submit a product to CES4Health.info?

You can submit products to CES4Health.info by completing the product application. For more details and to access the online product application, please see Submit Products.

2. What types of products can I submit to CES4Health.info?

CES4Health.info publishes products of health-related community-engaged scholarship, such as documentaries, reports, websites, slide presentations, curricula, training manuals and videos that result from service-learning, community-based participatory research and community-academic partnerships. CES4Health.info does not review manuscripts about community-engaged scholarship or the development of the product. Please see Types of Products for more information.

3. What does "health-related" mean?

We define "health-related" broadly to include, for example, health care, health sciences, health professions, public health, health policy and the social determinants of health.

4. Is publishing in CES4Health.info like publishing in a journal?

A product peer-reviewed and published through CES4Health.info is considered a publication and is comparable to a paper published through a peer-reviewed print or online journal. The editorial and peer review processes used by CES4Health.info mirror those of most journals. CES4Health.info maintains an editorial staff and an editorial board and follows a rigorous peer review process based on accepted standards of scholarship. A distinctive feature of this process is that every product submitted to CES4Health.info is reviewed by both community and academic reviewers. Faculty members who author products that are published through CES4Health.info can note them in the peer-reviewed publications section of their curriculum vitae and describe them as peer-reviewed scholarly products.

5. Who will review my product and application and how does the review process work?

If your product is determined by the editorial team to be an appropriate submission for CES4Health.info, the product and accompanying application will be reviewed by at least one community-based reviewer and two academic reviewers. Reviewers may make suggestions for improvement to the application, and if appropriate, the product, and will make a recommendation to the Associate Editor for Acceptance, Acceptance with Revision, or Rejection of the product. The Associate Editor will then compile feedback for the author and make a final recommendation to the Editor. The Editor makes the final decision about the product and communicates the results to the author. See Peer Review Process for more information.

6. What parts of my submitted product and application will users be able to see?

While searching, users will be able to view the abstract you submit, and most sections of your full application (copyright attestations and contact information of co-authors will not be available to users). If users are interested in your product, based on the background information provided in the application, they must register with CES4Health.info before they can directly link to, download or obtain your product.

7. Does CES4Health.info accept product submissions in languages other than English?

No. At this time CES4Health.info has the capacity to review products in English only.

8. Can community-based authors (rather than those based at an academic institution) submit products to CES4Health.info?

Yes. CES4Health.info encourages community-based authors, academic authors, and community-academic collaborations to submit products. Products are reviewed by both community and academic peer reviewers to ensure a comprehensive assessment of all products.

9. Can students submit products to CES4Health.info?

Yes, students are encouraged to submit products.

10. How do I know if my product published on CES4Health.info is being used?

User statistics (number of "hits" to your product's abstract, number of downloads of your product) will be shared with authors on an annual basis. This information may be useful, for example, in documenting the impact of the product in academic authors' promotion and tenure materials. In addition, CES4Health.info will conduct annual surveys of users who download products to gather evaluation data about how they used the product and whether they felt it to be useful. A summary of this data will be shared with authors.

11. Who owns the intellectual property of products published on CES4Health.info?

Authors or the product copyright holder, as applicable, maintain the ownership of published products (see Policies)

12. May I submit a product for review if I am not sure that I own the copyright for it?

You must comply with the copyright policy of CES4Health.info. You do not have to have a written copyright, but you should only claim authorship of products that you created. If you collaborated with others in developing the product, you should get their permission to submit the product and include them as co-authors on the Application Form. If you included material in your product that you did not create (images, songs, graphics, etc.) you must make sure that you have permission from the creator to use this material in your product and to permanently publish the images, songs, graphics, etc. with your product on CES4Health.info. You will be asked to attest to having this documentation when you submit your application online.

13. Why do I need to complete an application along with submitting my product?

Questions in the application ask you to document your process in preparing your product and to describe work that forms the foundation for the development of your product. We ask questions about the work that resulted in the product because we aim to publish products of community-engaged scholarship. Sometimes the degree to which a product is scholarly is not evident unless it is placed in the context of the work that preceded it. Both your product and most parts of your application will be able to be viewed by CES4Health.info users. Therefore, you must prepare your application with the thoroughness and attention to detail you would any professional publication. Jargon and acronyms should be avoided to allow a diverse audience to understand your application and product. Please pay attention to formatting and presentation style of your application so that it is easy to follow for all CES4Health.info users.

14. My product has multiple components. Can I submit several files to CES4Health.info as part of one product application?

No. The CES4Health.info website is able to accept one file (5 MB or smaller) or one URL as the "product" submitted. If your product consists of several files, you may be able to submit them online by (a) converting each file to a pdf and then merging the pdf documents into one pdf (this file may need to be optimized so that it is 5MB or smaller) or by (b) compressing your files into one zip file that is 5MB or smaller. Alternatively, you could post the individual files that comprise your product on a website and then provide that website's URL. If none of these options are possible, you will be instructed to submit 6 hard copies of your product by postal service to the Editor.

15. How do I cite my product if it is published through CES4Health.info?

If your product has been previously published, use the original citation format. If your product has not been previously published, please cite your products using this format:

Authors. (Year product was completed). Title of product. CES4Health.info, publication year.

For example:

Massey R, Reynolds P and Connors J. (2008). A Training Manual for Community Health Workers in Rural Settings. CES4Health.info, 2009.

16. Is there a way for me to revise or edit my submission? I realize I made an error in my application.

No, not at this time. You should contact the editor at editor@ces4health.info and let her know the situation. She will remove your submission from the review queue and ask you to submit your application again (this is one reason why you should always complete your application in a WORD document and save it, then paste your responses into the online form).

17. In the application there are questions about special ordering instructions (questions 1-4 of Part 1) that ask if the product is in a format that cannot be downloaded from the web or linked to via CES4Health. What if I can offer quality hard copies of my materials (like a booklet, brochure, etc.) in addition to the pdf or web version available through CES4Health.info?

You should answer No to question 1 asking about whether the product is in a form that cannot be downloaded or linked to. Then in Part 2 (Narrative), question 4 concerning special instructions, you should provide information for how to order quality hard copies.

18. Does CES4Health.info have an International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)?

Yes, it's ISSN 2156-7425

19. Is technical assistance available to prepare a product submission?

Yes!

CES4Health Fellow Marlynn May provides technical assistance, mentoring and support to teams that have a potential CES4Health submission and would like some guidance in its development or in the submission process. Whether you have a product ready to submit, or are just in the early stages of thinking about a possible product, Marlynn is available to help! Email him with your request.