Authors should submit manuscripts electronically throughManuscript Central: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ama_jppm. (You must first register as a Manuscript Central user to submit manuscripts.)
Your manuscript must be:
double spaced,
left justified,
in Times 12-point font,
in 8.5 × 11 letter format (not A4 or international), and
have a one-inch margin on all sides.
Pages must be numbered. Numbering begins on the title page (page 1) and appears in the upper-right-hand corner.
Remove all electronic comments and corrections between authors (be sure these are removed and not just turned off).
All author identification information (name, affiliation, address, phone, fax, and e-mail address) must be entered into Manuscript Central and, optionally, attached as a separate page.
The uploaded manuscript must contain no author identification, to preserve the blind-review process.
Manuscripts may be uploaded as one complete file (including title page, abstract, text, references, tables, figures, and appendixes), or tables, figures, and appendixes may be uploaded as separate files depending on author preference. The title page should contain only the manuscript title. Please follow the instructions on Manuscript Central for uploading files. JPP&M cannot accept anything with incomplete information or with author data in the main document.
Please do not mail hard copies of the manuscript.
For ease of reviewing, tables and figures may be embedded in the text, placed at the end of the manuscript, or uploaded separately.
Footnotes are discouraged, However, if minimal, they 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 initial submissions (including references and footnotes) is between 30 and 40 pages (maximum 50 pages).
The final manuscript should be saved as a Word file and submitted to http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ama_jppm. 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.
If you have any difficulty, please contact us at jppm@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 be between 30 and 40 pages, inclusive of all text, references, and footnotes. Authors should keep an exact copy of the manuscript for future reference.
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/.)
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.
All manuscripts must be written in 12-point font, with pages numbered consecutively throughout the entire paper. (The title page is page 1.)
Allow margins of at least one inch on all four sides. Papers should be left-justified.
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.
Page 1: Title page: Manuscript title. The maximum length of the title is 25 words. If your title is longer than the limit, please edit it. The title of the manuscript should be centered and appear in upper and lower case.
Page 2: Author note. Including acknowledgment of any financial or technical assistance. All funding sources for authors’ research, including, but not limited to, governmental agencies; professional associations; advocacy groups; private, public, and nonprofit organizations; and individuals, should be acknowledged.
Page 3: Abstract. An abstract of no more than 150 words substantively summarizing the key contributions of the paper should appear. It should be informative, giving the reader a "taste" of the paper. In addition, 4 to 5 keywords should be added underneath the abstract. 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, upper- and lowercase, and in boldface. Add an extra carriage return before and after major headings.
Secondary Headings are in upper- and lowercase, bold face, 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 Heads are also in upper- and lowercase, italicized, and flush left.
Fourth-level 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.
After the body of the manuscript: 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,
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.
Write out variables: Do not use abbreviations for variables, unless they have been defined in the text.
Be complete. Include descriptive captions or footnotes.
Graphs. Label lines in graphs rather than using captions.
Unambiguous in black and white. Make exhibits understandable in both color and black and white. Any 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). For further information on appendixes, see the “Technical Appendix” sections below.
All technical and quantitative features must be carefully checked for precision.
Equations should be centered on the page. If equations are numbered, type the number in parentheses flush with the left margin.
If equations are too wide to fit in a single column (please consult a printed issue of the journal), indicate appropriate breaks.
Standard deviation is abbreviated as SD, standard error as SE, and Mean as M.
Do not italicize equations, Greek characters, R-square, and so forth. Italics are only used on p values.
Do not place a zero before any decimal points (.97).
Leave one space on either side of operational signs and signs of relation (M = 4.32, F(1, 139) = 34.65, p < .01).
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 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 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”).
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.
All tables must be numbered, and their titles should be centered and typed in all caps.
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.
Use only horizontal rules.
Designate units (e.g., %, $, n) in column headings.
Align all decimals; there is no zero before the decimal point in any number (.97).
Primary headings: All first letters are capitalized. Secondary headings: Only first letter of first word is capitalized.
Refer to tables in text by number (see Table 1). Avoid using "above" or "below."
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.
Tables with text only should be treated in the same manner as tables with numbers (formatted as tables with rows, columns, and individual cells).
Make sure the necessary measures of statistical significance are reported with the table.
Do not insert tables in the Word file as pictures. All tables should be editable in Word.
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”).
The term “figure” refers to a variety of material, including line drawings, maps, charts, graphs, diagrams, photos, and Web shots, among others.
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.
Place all calibration tics as well as the values outside of the axis lines.
The figure number and title should be typed on separate lines, centered, and capitalized.
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.
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)."
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].
Authors familiar with legal citation style should be aware that marketing reference format requires that journal article citations include the issue number or monthly date and the last page of the article as well as the first. For example:
Preston, Ivan L. (1987), "Extrinsic Evidence in Federal Trade Commission Deceptiveness Cases," Columbia Business Law Review, 1987 (3), 633-94.
Please note that because legal journals do not require citation to the issue, number, or the last page of the article, this information must be obtained before adapting legal periodical references to JPP&M reference list style.
Statutory references in which the date of enactment is important must be included in the reference list and provide name of the statute, year in parentheses, and citation to the public law or chapter number, followed by the session law citation:
Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (1990), Public Law No. 101¬535, 104 Stat. 2353.
Legislative reports should be treated as books:
U.S. Senate, Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (1980), Unfairness: Views on Unfair Acts and Practices in Violation of the Federal Trade Commission Act, Committee Print, 96th Cong., 2d sess., (April).
Newly proposed or enacted regulations may be referenced to citation to the Federal Register. Similarly, reference to material not appearing in the Code of Federal Regulation may be made to the Federal Register:
Unfair or Deceptive Advertising and Labeling of Cigarettes in Relation the Health Hazards of Smoking, Statement of Basis and Purpose (1964), 29 Fed. Reg. 8324.
Policy statements, guidelines, reports, and opinion letters should be cited to topical loose-leaf services if available:
Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission (1994), Statement of Enforcement Policy and Analytical Principles Relating to Health Care Antitrust, 4 Trade Reg. Rep. (CCH) Paragraph 13,152 at 20,769.
Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission (1994), Horizontal Merger Guidelines, 62 Antitrust & Trade Reg. Rep. (BNA) No. 1559 (Special Supp.).
Federal Trade Commission, Bureau of Consumer Protection (1986), Ophthalmic Practice Rules. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
Judicial and Administrative Decisions and Settlements
Judicial and administrative decisions should be cited in the text by case name and year, followed by specific page number, if desired, within parentheses. Reference list citations should be made to the best source available for the decision being used as a reference. Subsequent resolutions of the same case on appeal also should be indicated, but lower¬-level decisions need not be cited unless relevant. For decisions by tribunals in which the reported citation does not indicate the identity of the tribunal, the identity should be given in parentheses with a specific date if needed to locate the decision. File numbers and parenthetical explanations also may be given:
FTC v. Sperry and Hutchinson Co. (1972), 405 U.S. 233.
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (15th ed.) may be consulted regarding legal references for technical advice on form, abbreviations, and so on. Authors are advised that abbreviations should be used only when they are likely to be familiar to JPP&M readers with a non¬legal background.
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.
JPP&M 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.
The editor, an associate editor, and at least one reviewer have reviewed articles selected for publication in JPP&M. The decision of the editor to publish the manuscript is influenced considerably by the judgments of these advisors, who are experts in their respective fields. The author's name and credentials are removed before a manuscript is forwarded to reviewers to maximize objectivity and to ensure that a manuscript is judged solely on the basis of its content and contribution to the field.
The following people are responsible for selection and reviewing:
Editor: The editor is responsible for the content in JPP&M and has final authority over the acceptance of all manuscripts. However, the editor must follow the guidelines for appropriateness and be responsive to the recommendations of the associate editors and reviewers.
Associate editor: The associate editors (AEs) are appointed by the editor. One associate editor is assigned to a paper. He or she will assist the editor in selecting reviewers and summarizing reviewer comments to provide guidance to the authors with respect to revisions. Occasionally, a guest AE will be appointed to provide particular expertise for a paper or to avoid a conflict of interest.
Reviewers: Reviewers come from the editorial review board, which is determined by the editor. In addition, ad hoc reviewers who are not members of the editorial review board may be asked to review articles.
The Manuscript Review Process:
The assistant to the editor checks the paper for formatting and sends it to the editor.
The editor reads the manuscript to ensure appropriateness for JPP&M. In the event of a desk reject, a letter is sent promptly to the author. Manuscripts meeting the initial criteria for review are assigned to an AE and the AE, in conjunction with the editor, selects 2–3 reviewers.
The reviewers are asked to conduct the review within 30 days.
The AE summarizes the reviews, provides additional guidance to the author, and then provides feedback to the editor.
The editor writes a disposition letter based on the feedback of the review team.
Standard Responses to Manuscripts:
Desk reject: The paper’s content is not appropriate for JPP&M. The editor makes this decision with feedback from an AE.
Reject: The paper does not meet the standards required to continue through the publication process.
Risky Revision: Although the paper has potential, there are substantial changes required before publication. The changes may involve new data, analysis, or theorizing. Because of the significant changes involved, the outcome of the revision is uncertain, and there is risk that the revision may not continue through the publication process.
Revision: This paper is moving toward publication and has a good chance of being eventually published after appropriate changes are made.
Conditional accept: This paper is ready to be published with only minor changes. Typically, the editor or the AE reviews these changes, and the paper is not sent back to the reviewers.
Unconditional/final accept: The paper is considered accepted, and the production process may begin.
All manuscripts are judged on their contributions to the advancement of the science and/or practice of marketing. All articles are expected to follow the rules for scholarly work, namely:
Use references to previous work when developing your model or theory. Do not assume other work on the subject does not exist, giving yourself credit for all the ideas in your manuscript.
When data collection is discussed, consider the relevance of the sample to the subject matter. Carefully chosen sample groups are preferable to haphazardly chosen participants who have little knowledge of or relevance to the subject being studied.
Give as much information as possible about the characteristics of the sample and its representativeness of the population being studied.
Do not ignore the nonrespondents. They might have different characteristics than the respondents.
Give consideration to the limitations of your study, model, and/or concepts and discuss these in your manuscript. Be objective.
Use appropriate statistical procedures.
Address the reliability and validity of any empirical findings.
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 author(s) …”).
Provide 4 or 5 keywords.
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 for single-author papers.
Do not number sections or refer to them as “Section No.” in the text.
Refer to equations as “Equation 1, 2, 3, and so forth.
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.
Do not use equation editor for simple math functions, Greek characters, and so on. Use the “symbol” section in Word.
Limit use of novel acronyms, unless universally known (e.g., IBM, AIDS, AT&T). Acronyms limit the understandability of the paper.
Do not include a zero before any decimal points (e.g., 0.97 should be simply .97).
For references with three authors or fewer, always write out all author names for in-text citations (Smith, Green, and Jones 2006). For four or more authors, always use first the author’s last name and et al. (Spell out all first names in the full reference list.)
Include volume, issue (season, month, or date), and full page range for all journal/periodical references. This will reduce query time considerably.
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.
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.
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