CONTRIBUTE TO THE JOURNAL

The Virginia Dental Journal is published quarterly by the Virginia Dental Association. Over 4,300 copies are distributed to members and other subscribers electronically via email. In addition, the Journal is available to members online at www.vadental.org. The Virginia Dental Journal seeks to publish articles that improve the lives of its dental professional readers in the form of peer-reviewed scientific abstracts and articles that seek to inform and stimulate professional discussion. We offer guidelines to help authors create content that supports the mission of VDA publications. Authors are advised to consider these guidelines in manuscript preparation, with the knowledge that articles may be referenced in online databases.

Inclusive language acknowledges diversity, conveys respect to all people, is sensitive to differences, and promotes equal opportunities. Articles should make no assumptions about the beliefs or commitments of any reader, should contain nothing that might imply that a person is superior to another on the grounds of race, sex, culture, or any other characteristic, and should use inclusive language throughout. Authors should ensure that writing is free from bias, for instance, by using "he or she" or "his or her" instead of "he" or "his" and using job titles that are free of stereotyping ("chairperson" instead of "chairman").

Editor’s Policy

Previously published manuscripts and manuscripts under consideration at other journals will not be accepted except at the editor's discretion. Opinions and statements of fact are the sole responsibility of the author and not the editor or staff of the Journal. Manuscripts may be submitted to one or more editorial reviewers before publication. The identity of authors will be disclosed to reviewers when manuscripts are considered for publication. Reviewers will remain anonymous to authors, except upon written request of the reviewer. 

Manuscript Submission

Original manuscripts of 1000 to 2500 words, or no more than five pages, will be considered for publication. This does not include the space required for abstracts, illustrations, and references. An abstract of 75-100 words must be included. Text is subject to editing for grammar, spelling, style, and space limitations. The author’s name, title, degrees awarded, address, phone number, and e-mail address must be included. Authors are encouraged to consult references such as the fifteenth edition of The Chicago Manual of Style  (Chicago,  University of Chicago Press, 2003) to assist in the preparation of text and references. All manuscripts must be in Microsoft Word format and be submitted by e-mail to jacobs@vadental.org. Authors are strongly encouraged to include only illustrations in digital formats, such as JPEGs/PDFs. Prints and slides will be considered, but conversion to another format may preclude their use. The top of all illustrations must be clearly indicated, and each should be numbered and referenced in the text.  

References

All references must be numbered and keyed to the text. Authors must supply the following: name of author(s), title, name of periodical, volume, number, page numbers, and date. More than three authors should be followed by et al. Books referenced should include author, title, name of publisher, and location. Personal communications are acceptable only if a signed and dated copy is available to the Journal.   

Copyrights and Disclosures

The Virginia Dental Association will retain copyright ownership for all manuscripts accepted for publication. The author(s) agree to forgo copyrights and ownership of such manuscripts. The Journal reserves the right to edit both the title and the text of manuscripts accepted. Authors must disclose any financial considerations, professional interests, or organizational affiliations that may influence content of the manuscript or the opinion of the author. Every attempt will be made to notify authors of manuscript acceptance prior to publication. Illustrations and other documents submitted for consideration cannot be returned; it is the responsibility of the author to retain copies prior to submission. Please allow up to six to twelve months after receipt for editorial review. 

Authors should consider the length and word count of their proposed article. One printed page can accommodate approximately 500-700 words. Readers may fail to read beyond the first page of an article, and every effort should be made to condense the text to fit on one page.

To help readers more effectively scan and identify the most important messages, please consider the use of secondary headlines to help organize your article into distinct sections and emphasize important points. If possible, every article should have an opening and closing statement, with the final paragraph linked to the first.

Authors should carefully proofread for correct grammar and spelling and ensure the accuracy of references. They are also encouraged to have trusted advisers review documents for errors prior to submission.

The Journal may, at the discretion of the Editor, make changes in the following without the permission of the author:

• Length (word count)
• Style
• Grammar
• Spelling

Authors are encouraged to consult references on writing and composition such as The Elements of Style (William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White, 2005; Penguin Press, New York), The Associated Press Stylebook (AP Editors, 2015; Basic Books, New York) and On Writing Well (William K. Zinsser, 2006; Harper Collins, New York).

All manuscripts are to be submitted in Microsoft Word® format, and all photographs should arrive in JPEG format. Do not insert photographs into Word® documents. To stimulate reader interest, we encourage authors to include a photo with their submission. Please allow six to twelve months for publication in print format after submission.

Finally, authors should make every attempt to include information that will interest and benefit the readers of the Journal, most of whom are members of the Virginia Dental Association. The author should not only address and explain the article's topic but also state why it is important to dentists and, when possible, provide accompanying VDA or ADA resources to help combat this issue. Addressing topics from a problem-solution format may help authors relate to peers facing similar challenges. Failure to consider this important feature may result in the manuscript being declined for publication.

All documents are to be submitted via email to Jacobs@vadental.org.

 

Authors utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-assisted technologies in their writing process must adhere to the following guidelines:

1. Employ AI and AI-assisted technologies to improve readability and validate references, spelling, grammar, etc. However, it’s imperative that these tools are used solely to aid in revising the author’s original content and should not substitute critical research processes, such as data interpretation or drawing scientific conclusions.
   
2. Utilized AI technology only under human oversight and control, ensuring careful review and revision of the output. Authors bear full responsibility for the manuscript, images, and data analysis content generated by an AI tool.
   
3. Authors must not list AI as an author or co-author or cite AI as an author or contributor to content.
   
4. Authors must disclose the use of artificial intelligence, language models, machine learning, or similar technologies in creating content or aiding in the writing or editing of manuscripts. This disclosure should be included in the Acknowledgments or Methods section of the manuscript and address:

•  The nature of the tool, AI platform, or service employed.
• The methodology of AI application in generating the research and manuscript, including the prompts used to guide the AI tool and the fundamental grammatical support provided by AI writing tools.

 The undisclosed use of any artificial intelligence (AI-powered) programs constitutes a breach of professional integrity. If the employment of AI-powered technology outside of these established guidelines is detected, the matter will be referred to VDA leadership for appropriate remedial action. This may include reporting the violation to the author’s institution, publishing a notice or retraction in the Journal, and referral to the Council on Ethics for further action.