Quality of Life Research is receiving an increasing number of manuscripts that report cross-cultural adaptations of HRQOL measures. Many of these papers are primarily of national ("local") rather than international interest. Therefore, the Editorial Board is instructing authors of such manuscripts to submit them as brief communications (maximum of 1,500 words exclusive of abstract, figures, tables and references). Upon publication of the brief communication, a note will be appended indicating that interested readers should contact the corresponding author for additional information.

A full-length manuscript reporting cross-cultural adaptations of HRQL measures will only be considered for publication in Quality of Life Research if it provides substantially new methodological and/or substantive knowledge to the field (e.g., a superior method of cross-cultural adaptation, more thorough evaluation of the original instrument being adapted, multi-language or multi-country comparisons, etc.). Authors submitting full-length manuscripts must provide an accompanying letter justifying the need for a full-length report of their work.

Submission of full-length manuscripts to a national journal will not preclude publication of a brief communication in Quality of Life Research. Such brief communications should, however, explicitly acknowledge any other manuscripts reporting on the same material.

We hope that this policy will stimulate the submission of high-quality papers dealing with cross-cultural issues that will be of interest to a broad, international audience.

Neil Aaronson, Ph.D.

Editor-in-Chief

April, 2001