About AMA

Initial Submission Guidelines

• Authors should submit their manuscripts electronically to http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ama_jm. Authors may prepare the electronic copy using almost any word processing software that is Macintosh or IBM compatible; however, the final submission of the material should be in Word (any version except Word 2007). The system will convert the file automatically to a PDF file. You will need to register first at the site to be able to upload your manuscript.
•  Everything must be double spaced. Times 12-point font must be used, and pages must be numbered. Numbering begins on the title page (page 1) and appears in the upper-right-hand corner. The paper must be left justified, and there must be one-inch margins on all sides. Please use letter format (not A4 or international). Also ensure that all electronic comments and corrections between authors have been removed (not just turned off). 
• All identification information (name, affiliation, address, phone, fax, and e-mail address) must be included for each author. 
• Manuscripts may be uploaded as one complete file (including title page, author note, abstract, text, references, tables, figures, and appendixes), or tables, figures, and appendixes may be uploaded as separate files. Depending on author preference, please follow the guidelines on Manuscript Central. We cannot accept anything with incomplete information. 
• Please do not mail hard copies of the manuscript. If you need further assistance, please contact jom@ama.org. 
• For ease of reviewing, tables and figures may be embedded in the text, placed at the end of the manuscript, or uploaded separately. Footnotes, if minimal, may be placed on the page where they will appear. However, for the final submission guidelines for tables, figures, and footnotes, please see below. 
• The maximum length allowed for submissions is 50 pages, including references, tables, figures, and appendixes. No more than 10 footnotes should be included. If certain materials (i.e., appendix) are not intended for publication, but rather for review purposes only, they should be designated as such and will not count toward total pages. 

Final Submission Guidelines

1. The final manuscript should be saved as a Word file and submitted to Manuscript Central. If you have any difficulty, please contact us at jom@ama.org. Send files that contain the title page, author note, abstract, text, references, footnotes, tables, figures, and appendix––in this order and in one file. Manuscripts should not exceed 50 pages, inclusive of all text, references, footnotes, tables, figures, and appendixes. Submissions which exceed 50 pages in length will be returned to the authors. Authors should keep an exact copy of the manuscript for future reference.
2. Please note: The journal does not accept Microsoft Word 2007 documents at this time. Please use Word's "Save As" option to save your document as an older (.doc) file type. Do not submit your manuscript as a PDF. 
3. LaTeX, PCTeX, OzTeX, Scientific Word, or any other form of TeX is incompatible with AMA's publishing software and therefore is not acceptable. (Conversion software is available online; see, e.g., http://www.latex2word.com/.) 
4. Do not submit a final version of the manuscript until directed to do so by the editor. Please refer to the appropriate sections below for guidelines on individual elements of the manuscript. 
5. All manuscripts must be written in 12-point font, with pages numbered consecutively throughout the entire paper. (The title page is page one.) 
6. Allow margins of at least one inch on all four sides. Papers should be left-justified. 
7. If we receive a file that does not conform to the manuscript requirements, we will inform the author(s) and will not begin the production process until the corrected file is received.

Manuscript Formatting and Organization

Page 1: Title page. Manuscript title and name of author(s). The maximum length of the title is 25 words. If your title is longer than the limit, please edit it. Include present position, complete address, telephone and fax number, and e-mail address of all authors. The title of the manuscript should be centered and appear in upper and lower case. Author names appear underneath the title, and there is an asterisk at the end of the last author’s name.

Page 2: Author note. Including acknowledgment of any financial or technical assistance. An asterisk should appear at the beginning of the author note.

Page 3: Abstract. An abstract of no more than 200 words substantively summarizing the key contributions of the paper should appear. It should be informative, giving the reader a "taste" of the paper. Nothing else appears on this page.

Page 4: The text only (no title). Please omit headers and footers (e.g., author names and titles) from all pages. MAJOR HEADINGS are centered, capitalized, and in italics. Add an extra carriage return before and after major headings. Secondary Headings are in caps and lowercase, italicized, and flush left. Also add an extra return before and after secondary headings. Ensure that there is more than one secondary heading per section. You may have a primary heading and two secondary headings, but never a single secondary heading in a section. Tertiary headings are in sentence style (only the first word capitalized), paragraph indented, italicized, and punctuated with a period. The text should follow on the same line. NOTE: There are no fourth-level headings.

Then: References, in alphabetical order by author's last name and double spaced. Each reference should be cited in the text at an appropriate place; do not include uncited works in the reference list. For reference style, see the “Reference List Style” section.

Next: Footnotes, if necessary, should be numbered consecutively and placed after the references.

Next: Tables, numbered consecutively, each on a separate page. If tables appear in an appendix, they should be numbered separately and consecutively, as Table A1, A2, and so on. If the tables were inserted in the text in the initial submission, please now place them after the list of references.

Next: Figures, numbered consecutively, each placed on a separate page. If figures appear in an appendix, they should be numbered separately, as Figure A1, A2, and so on.

If the figures were inserted in the text in the initial submission, please now place them after the tables.

Note: Tables and figures should be built so that they can be understood without reading the text. The purpose of this is to encourage casual browsers to become readers and casual readers to better understand the paper. That is,

1. Tables and figures should have titles that reflect the take-away. For example, “Factors That Impact Ad Recall” or “Inattention Can Increase Brand Switching” are far more effective than “Study 1: Results
   
2. Write out variables: Do not use abbreviations for variables, unless they have been defined in the text.
   
3. Be complete. Include descriptive captions or footnotes.
   
4. Graphs. Label lines in graphs rather than using captions.
   
5. Unambiguous in black and white. Make exhibits understandable in both color and black and white. The color version can be used in the electronic journal.

Next: Appendixes: If Appendixes are provided, they appear on a new page after the figures. Multiple appendixes are labeled with letters (Appendix A, Appendix B). A single appendix is labeled without letters (Appendix). 

Mathematical Notation

1. All technical and quantitative features must be carefully checked for precision.
   
2. Equations should be centered on the page. If equations are numbered, type the number in parentheses flush with the left margin.
   
3. If equations are too wide to fit in a single column (please consult a printed issue of the journal), indicate appropriate breaks.
   
4. Standard deviation is abbreviated as SD, standard error as SE, and Mean as M.
   
5. Do not italicize equations, Greek characters, R-square, and so forth. Italics are only used on p-values.
   
6. Do not place a zero before any decimal points (.97).
   
7. Leave one space on either side of operational signs and signs of relation (M = 4.32, F(1, 139) = 34.65, p < .01).
   
8. Please avoid using Equation Editor for simple in-line mathematical copy, symbols, and equations. Type these in Word instead, using the “Symbol” function when necessary. For example, all Greek characters; simple superscripted or subscripted characters; plus, minus, greater than (or equal to)/less than (or equal to), and so forth, can all be inserted by simply typing the characters in Word. For display equations or in-line characters that use multiple levels, stacked super- and subscripts, or any character not available in Word’s “Symbol” menu, use of Equation Editor is appropriate. In addition, please avoid stacking in-line equations. If the equation is difficult, place it as a display rather than in line and number it accordingly.

Tables
Tables follow the reference list. Each table should be numbered consecutively and submitted on a separate page. Please indicate appropriate table placement in the text (“Insert Table 1 about here”).

1. Tables should consist of at least four columns and four rows; otherwise, they should be left as in-text tabulations (do not include headings), or their results should be integrated into the text.
   
2. All tables must be numbered, and their titles should be centered and typed in all caps.
   
3. A table should be understandable on its own. The text may highlight the main points in a table and summarize its message but should not duplicate the details.
   
4. Use only horizontal rules.
   
5. Designate units (e.g., %, $, n) in column headings.
   
6. Align all decimals; there is no zero before the decimal point in any number (.97).
   
7. Primary headings: All first letters are capitalized. Secondary headings: Only first letter of first word is capitalized.
   
8. Refer to tables in text by number (see Table 1). Avoid using "above" or "below."
   
9. Asterisks or notes cued by lowercase superscript letters appear at the bottom of the table below the rule. Asterisks are used for p values, and letters are used for data-specific information. Other descriptive information should be labeled as “Notes:” and placed after the letters.
   
10. Tables with text only should be treated in the same manner as tables with numbers (formatted as tables with rows, columns, and individual cells). 
    
11. Make sure the necessary measures of statistical significance are reported with the table. 
    
12. Do not insert tables in the Word file as pictures. All tables should be editable in Word.  

Figures
Figures follow any tables. Each figure should be numbered consecutively and submitted on a separate page. Please indicate appropriate figure placement in the text (“Insert Figure 1 about here”).

1. The term “figure” refers to a variety of material, including line drawings, maps, charts, graphs, diagrams, photos, and Web shots, among others.
   
2. For graphs, label both vertical and horizontal axes. The ordinate label should be centered above the ordinate axis; the abscissa label should be placed beneath the abscissa.
   
3. Place all calibration tics as well as the values outside of the axis lines.
   
4. The figure number and title should be typed on separate lines, centered, and capitalized.
   
5. Refer to figures in text by number (see Figure 1). Avoid using "above" or "below."

Gray Scale: When preparing gray scale figures, use gray levels between 20% and 80%, with at least 20% difference between the levels of gray. Whenever possible, avoid using patterns of hatching instead of grays to differentiate between areas of a figure. Gray scale files should not contain any color objects.

If submitting artwork in color, please make sure that the colors you use will work well when converted to gray scale. Use contrasting colors with different tones (i.e., dark blue and dark red will convert into almost identical shades of gray). Don't use light shades or colors such as yellow against a light background.

General Reference Guidelines
References are to be listed alphabetically, last name first, followed by publication date in parentheses. Use full first name, not just initials. The reference list should be typed double spaced on a separate page. Do not use indents, tabs, or symbols to delineate your paragraphs. Instead, use two hard returns between each reference. The reference list is not intended to serve as a bibliography; all unnecessary, redundant, or tangential references should be eliminated. Each reference should be cited in text at the appropriate place. Do not include uncited works in the reference list.

For citations of up to three authors, list all author names; for four or more authors, use the first author's name followed by "et al." (no italics). A series of citations should be listed in alphabetical order and separated by semicolons: (Donnelly 1961; Kinsey 1960; Wensley 1981).

Citation in the text should be by the author's last name and year of publication, enclosed in parentheses without punctuation: "(Kinsey 1960)." If you use the author's name within the sentence, there is no need to repeat the name in the citation; just use the year of publication in parentheses, as in "The Howard Harris Program (1966)...." If a particular page, section, or equation is cited, it should be placed within the parentheses: "(Kinsey 1960, p. 112)."

Reference List Style

Single- and multiple-author references for books: List author names, including first names, publication date, book title in italics, place of publication, and publisher name:

• Donnelly, James H. and William R. George (1981), Marketing of Services. Chicago: American Marketing Association.

Single- and multiple-author reference for periodicals: List author's full name, publication date, article title in quotes, unabbreviated name of periodical in italics, volume number, issue designation (month, season, or number), and page numbers:

• Wensley, Robin (1981), "Strategic Marketing: Betas, Boxes, or Basics," Journal of Marketing, 45 (Summer), 173–82.

Single- and multiple-author reference for an excerpt in a book edited by another author(s) or a proceedings: List author names, including first names, publication date, article/chapter title in quotes, book title in italics, volume number, editors, place of publication, publisher name, and excerpt page numbers:

• Bettman, James R. and Mita Sujan (1987), "Research in Consumer Information Processing," in Review of Marketing, Michael J. Houston, ed. Chicago: American Marketing Association, 197–235.
• McFarland, Richard G., Janice M. Payan, and James M. Bloodgood (2003), “Chain Reaction Behaviors in Channels of Distribution,” in Enhancing Knowledge Development in Marketing, Vol. 14, R. Bruce Money and Randall L. Rose, eds. Chicago, American Marketing Association, 221–22.

If an author appears more than once, substitute three em dashes (this will appear as a one-inch line when typeset) for each author's name (do not use underlines):

• Simonson, Itamar (1989), “Choice Based on Reasons: The Case of Attraction and Compromise Effects,” Journal of Consumer Research, 16 (September), 158–74.
• ———, Allen M. Weiss, and Shantanu Dutta (1999), “Marketing in Technology-Intensive Markets: Toward a Conceptual Framework,” Journal of Marketing, 63 (Special Issue), 78–91.

If two or more works by the same author have the same publication date, they should be differentiated by letters after the date and alphabetized according to the first word in the article title. The letter also should appear with the citation in the text:

• Day, George (1981a), "Analytical Approaches to Strategic Market Planning," in Review of Marketing, Ben Enis and Kenneth J. Roering, eds. Chicago: American Marketing Association, 89–105.
• ——— (1981b), "The Product Life Cycle: Analysis and Applications Issues," Journal of Marketing, 45 (Fall), 60–67.

References to unpublished works, such as doctoral dissertations, presented papers, research reports, and working papers, should be included in the references list. The words “report,” “working paper,” and so on, are not capitalized unless the work is part of a numbered section. Include information about the sponsoring university or organization, such as name of department, college, university, and city/state.

• Coughlin, Maureen (1980), "Fear of Success: Reaction to Advertising Stimuli and Intention to Purchase," doctoral dissertation, Department of Marketing, City University of New York.
• Ellison, Glenn (2005), “Bounded Rationality in Industrial Organization,” paper presented at the 2005 Econometric Society World Congress, University College London (August 19–24).
• Friedman, Jamie, Thomas P. Berquist, Chris Debiase, Steven Kahl, and Cheng Lim (2001), “Technology: B2B Software,” research report, Goldman Sachs (February 23).
• Kwerel, Evan and John Williams (2002), “A Proposal for a Rapid Transition to Market Allocation of Spectrum,” Working Paper No. 38, Office of Plans and Policy, Federal Communications Commission.

Web sites and URLs: List author names, including first names, publication date, title of page on Web cite in quotes, date material was accessed in parentheses, and the full URL of the actual Web page.

• Smith, Julie (2004), “I Am a Marketer,” (accessed June 26, 2004), [available at http://www.marketingscool.com].

Technical Appendix
To improve the readability of the manuscript, any mathematical proof or development that is not critical to the exposition of the main part of the text may be placed in a technical appendix.

Readability
JM manuscripts are judged not only on the depth and scope of the ideas presented and their contributions to the field, but also on their clarity and whether they can be read and understood. Readers have varied backgrounds. Thus, the following guidelines should be followed:

• Write in an interesting, readable manner with varied sentence structure. Use as little passive voice as possible.
• Avoid using technical terms that few readers are likely to understand. If you use these terms, include definitions. Remember: The journal is designed to be read, not deciphered.
• Keep sentences short so the reader does not get lost before the end of a sentence.

Editing Style Rules & Checklist

1. The abstract should summarize the key contributions of the paper while encouraging the reader to read the rest of it. It should be written in third person (“the authors …”).
   
2. Provide 4 or 5 keywords.
   
3. Whenever possible, authors should use active voice, as passive voice is wordier and often comparatively clumsy. When passive voice is used excessively, it can make expression seem vague and evasive. In addition, the royal "we" and “our” is not appropriate.
   
4. Do not number sections or refer to them as “Section No.” in the text.
   
5. Refer to equations as “Equation 1, 2, 3, and so forth.
   
6. Italics should only be used for emphasis or for certain statistical abbreviations (p). Do not italicize equations, Greek characters, and so on. Foreign words that are familiar and/or can be found in the main part of Webster's, such as a priori, are not italicized.
   
7. Do not use equation editor for simple math functions, Greek characters, and so on. Use the “symbol” section in Word.
   
8. Limit use of novel acronyms, unless universally known (e.g., IBM, AIDS, AT&T). Acronyms limit the understandability of the paper.
   
9. Do not include a zero before any decimal points (e.g., 0.97 should be simply .97).
   
10. For references with three authors or less, always write out all author names for in-text citations (Smith, Green, and Jones 2006). For four or more authors, always use first author’s last name and et al. (Spell out all first names in the full reference list.)
    
11. Include volume, issue (season, month, or date), and full page range for all journal/periodical references. This will reduce query time considerably.
    
12. Use of footnotes is discouraged. Include all information in the body of the text. If footnotes must be used, make them short. In addition, do not place bibliographic information in a footnote; create a full reference instead.

Other Information

All published material is copyrighted by the American Marketing Association with future-use rights reserved. This does not limit the author's right to use his or her own material or place it in future works, provided full credit is given to the American Marketing Association.

For details on manuscript preparation not covered here, see Chicago Manual of Style: The Essential Guide for Writers, Editors, and Publishers, 15th edition (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003), or Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th edition.