PUBLICATION

The Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia will consider for publication suitable articles on all topics related to anesthesia for cardiac, vascular, and thoracic surgery. The scope of this Journal is broad and seeks to consolidate all material pertinent to cardiothoracic anesthesiology, including topics from critical care medicine, pharmacology, monitoring, perfusion technology, internal medicine, surgery, and transplantation.

Articles, editorials, letters to the Editor, and other text material in the Journal represent the opinion of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Editor, Editorial Board, or Publisher. The Editors and Publisher deny any responsibility or liability for statements and opinions expressed by the authors. Neither the Editor nor the Publisher guarantees, warrants, or endorses any product or service advertised in this publication, nor do they guarantee any claim made by the manufacturer of such product or service.

Authors submitting a manuscript do so with the understanding that if it is accepted for publication, copyright of the article, including the right to reproduce the article in all forms and media, shall be assigned exclusively to the Publisher. Following acceptance for publication, in order to comply with United States copyright law and the requirements of the insurance carrier, the Publisher will require authors of accepted manuscripts and letters to sign a copyright release form.

SUBMISSION

All submissions must be directed to our web site: External link http://ees.elsevier.com/jcva. On the home page you will find links not only to this Guide, but also to a Tutorial for Authors, Artwork Guidelines, and general information on the Journal.

First-time Corresponding Authors can register from the home page by clicking on the register link. You will receive e-mails guiding you on the basic information for submitting a manuscript. Each page of the web site during the review process contains important information for that step. The Editorial Office will send by e-mail only to the Corresponding Author all communications related to the status of a submission, including the final decision and the scheduled date of publication.

Detailed information on submissions is provided below. Further inquiries and information may be directed to the Editorial Office at: dwalk@louisville.edu.

EDITORIAL POLICIES

Manuscripts are accepted for consideration on the condition that they are contributed solely to the Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia. No substantial part of a paper may have been published elsewhere, except for a scientific abstract.

Manuscripts will be reviewed by the Editor in Chief, Associate Editors, members of the Editorial Board, and appropriate guest reviewers. Acceptance of a paper for publication is based on the originality and quality of the observation or investigation and the clarity of the presentation. Clinically relevant material is especially desirable. Good English usage is an essential prerequisite for consideration of the paper.

In all cases the authors must accept the responsibility of conforming to the instructions in the sections below. Submissions must conform fully before reviewers will be assigned. Substantial non-conformity may result in outright rejection.

If a submitted article is accepted for publication, editorial revisions may be made to aid clarity and understanding without altering the meaning.

Electronic-only Publication. Beginning with the February, 2011, issue of the Journal, Letters to the Editor, the Cardiac Calendar, and selected articles from other sections (e.g., Case Reports, Diagnostic Dilemmas, and E-Challenges) will be published E-ONLY. Like print articles, E-only articles will be indexed in Medline and elsewhere and will be included on the print issue's Table of Contents.

Online articles have certain advantages over print:

  • They are accessible whenever and wherever the reader has Internet access.
  • They integrate fully with associated video clips and figures with optimum quality.
  • They are available 1-2 weeks prior to the print version.
  • They allow more rapid publication of time-sensitive material such as correspondence referring to recent articles.
  • They allow for more total articles to be published.


Experimentation subjects. Papers reporting human experimentation will be reviewed in accordance with the precepts established by the Helsinki Declaration (available at External link http://www.wma.net/en/30publications/10policies/b3/). Such papers must include a statement that human investigations were performed after approval by a local Human Investigations Committee and after obtaining informed consent from a patient or other responsible individuals. All experimental work with animals must conform to American Physiological Society Guiding Principles for the Care and Use of Vertebrate Animals in Research and Training (External link http://www.the-aps.org/pa/resources/policyStmnts/paPolicyStmnts_Guide.htm).

Article types. The following may be submitted: Original Research Articles, Case Reports, Review Articles, Emerging Technology Reviews, Expert Reviews, E-Challenges and Clinical Decisions, Case Conferences, Pro and Con Articles, Diagnostic Dilemmas, Special Articles (those not easily suited to another type), and Correspondence (letters to the Editor). Potential authors are invited to e-mail the Editorial Office to establish a consultation with an Editor in regard to interest in a proposed submission.

DETAILS ON ARTICLE TYPES

For examples of all article types, see any recent issue of the Journal.

Original Research Articles. This article type requires 4 items: Cover Letter, Title Page, Structured Abstract, and Manuscript (which includes only the references to tables or figures). The Manuscript document must have 4 identified sections: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion.

Case Reports. This article type requires 4 items: Cover Letter, Title Page, Summary, and Manuscript (which includes only the references to tables or figures). The Manuscript document should begin with a short introduction to the clinical context of the case and follow with 2 identified sections: Case Report and Discussion. A 1-paragraph summary should complete the article. In most situations the introduction and final summary can be combined for the Summary item.

Case Conferences. These articles are handled by a Section Editor for Case Conferences. Some offline communication between authors and editors may be required.
  • There are 3 parts to each Case Conference: (1) case presentation, (2) case discussion, and (3) commentary(ies). The case presentation and discussion will originate from 1 institution. Their authors are invited to solicit expert commentators.
  • The case presentation and case discussion should be set up as a case report. The discussion should focus on the perioperative management of the patient.
  • The commentaries provide input from related specialties and/or other viewpoint(s) on anesthetic or intensive care management of the case. A commentary should be submitted with its author's full name, degrees, affiliation, and e-mail address on its first page. The commentators may be from any appropriate medical or medically-related discipline within the same or another institution. The Journal reserves the right to solicit commentary(ies) appropriate to a submitted Case Conference and to make final determination of commentators.
  • Each author of a commentary shall receive a galley proof of the case conference to provide copyediting of his or her contribution only; this responsibility is not to be delegated to another author.
  • Figures, tables, and references from all contributors are desirable to expand the teaching value of the case. Follow the guidelines below for preparing figures, video clips, tables, and references.
  • The final version of the Case Conference will have its references compiled into a single consecutively-numbered list.

Diagnostic Dilemma. This cogent article type is in two parts. First, it presents a case with difficult diagnosis, usually resulting from preliminary graphic evidence. The reader is then invited to project a tentative diagnosis. In the second part, the results of further investigation are provided to resolve the dilemma. High quality figures and/or video clips are vital for these submissions.

Letters to the Editor. These should be double-spaced, brief, and concisely focused. They should have a title. Cited works must have full, accurate references. A Cover Letter and a Title Page are needed separate from the letter. Figures, video clips, and tables may be included. Letters to the Editor will be published only online.

MANUSCRIPT DETAILS

• All documents (except figures) should be prepared in Microsoft Word for Windows or a fully compatible program, not in .pdf or any graphic format.
• Manuscripts must be double-spaced throughout the document on page sizes 8½ x 11 inches or A4. A margin of at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) should be provided on all sides. All type should be 11-13 points in size, except as appropriate in tables and figures. Page numbers are required on Manuscript (main text) documents. Landscape format is acceptable as needed to display tables or figures to advantage.
• Word limits are not imposed on any manuscript types, but all papers should be concise, yet complete.
• All items required for a submission are identified on the Attach Files page on the online submission form. Items required vary among article types. Almost all article types include as optional items tables, figures, and video/audio clips. A separate electronic file of the appropriate type (e.g., 'Figure') is required for each table, figure, or video clip; the "Description" column on the Attach Files page should provide the textual reference (e.g., 'Table 3'); this column is fully editable.
• In all artwork submissions, the highest possible quality is expected. The Publisher automatically provides for every submission or revision an Artwork Quality Assessment to inform authors of any likely problems with their figures.
• No document can be submitted "offline."
• Use generic drug names throughout. Brand names may be inserted in parentheses following the generic names.
• The name and city/state/country of a drug or technology manufacturer must be included after the name of the product.
• The author(s) or the name or geographical location of an author's institution(s) should not be identified in the text, header, or footer in the submission except on the Title Page and the Cover Letter.
• Acknowledgments should be placed at the end of the Title Page, not in the Manuscript document.

ONLINE DOCUMENTATION

Online submission requires that the submitted material be uploaded in several separate files. Online instructions will clarify what files are required. Details on preparation of file types follow.

1. A cover letter addressed to the Editor in Chief. The letter must include at the end a list of all authors as if for signature. Cover letters scanned from official letterhead with all signatures are strongly encouraged. The cover letter must state that the authors agree with and are responsible for the data presented. The letter should also describe or deny any potential conflicts of interest including commercial relationships such as consultation and equity interests.
2. Title page with (a) title of paper; (b) authors' full names with advanced degrees; (c) name(s) and geographical location of institution(s) in which work was done; (d) description of research support, if any; (e) information on the corresponding author: full name and advanced degrees, a reliable e-mail address, complete street address (not only P.O. box), telephone and fax numbers, and (f) any personal acknowledgements.
3. For an Original Research article, a Structured Abstract (see section below); but for a Case Report, a Summary (max. 200 words to recapitulate the essential features of the case, its resolution, and likely consequences for further study or clinical practice). A Structured Abstract will be published; a Summary is not published but is circulated to invited reviewers.
4. Manuscript/main text including reference list and figure legends, the pages numbered consecutively beginning with page 1; only references to tables and figures are to be included in this file. The figure legend list should be provided after the list of references and double-spaced. A legend must be provided for each figure and should include a title and any essential notes and permission statements; the full textual argument should not be repeated in the notes.
5. Tables. A separate file is required for each table, including its number and title at the top and any notes at the end. The notes should provide definition of abbreviations used in the table and any permission statement for use of any copyrighted materials. Tables should be formatted as Microsoft Word tables or Excel spreadsheets, not in any graphic format. A table may be continued on multiple pages if necessary; do not repeat column headers on the additional pages.
6. Figures. A separate file is required for each figure. It is strongly preferred that figures be submitted in either .tif (300 dpi), .eps, or .pdf format. See additional details in the "Preparing Figures" section. The highest possible quality is expected.
7. Video/audio clips. The preferred movie/video format is .mpg, and the preferred audio format is .mp3. For additional information, follow the link to Author Artwork Guidelines on the home page of this web site.

Offline submission. Offline submission is not permitted, unless requested by the Editorial Office.

The Structured Abstract for an Original Research Article is limited to 250 words (including section headings). The abstract should consist of 7 paragraphs:

1. Objective(s): What scientific question was the study designed to answer?
2. Design: A phrase describing whether a study is prospective, randomized, blinded, etc.
3. Setting: Type of hospital or laboratory; university or community setting; single or multi-institutional.
4. Participants: Patients, volunteers, animals.
5. Interventions: What interventions were done to the participants?
6. Measurements and Main Results: How was the outcome of the intervention(s) assessed? What were the major finding(s) of interest?
7. Conclusions: What conclusion(s) may be reasonably drawn from the results of the study?

Following these 7 paragraphs, repeat the list of key words that are uploaded into the key word file. No references or abbreviations should be used in the abstract. Do not include a summary at the end of an original research paper.

REFERENCES

Automatic reference systems may be used but are not required. Formatting, such as Greek letters, italics, super- and subscripts, may be used, but the coding scheme for such elements must be consistent throughout.

The first reference to each source must be in Arabic numerical order. The reference list at the end of the article must also be in numerical order. The list headed "REFERENCES" should begin on a new page of the Manuscript document and be double-spaced. Use recognized title abbreviations for periodicals throughout as listed online at External link http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/journals (based on those previously published by Index Medicus). References to abstracts, supplements, and letters to editors must be identified as such. Inclusive page numbers of references are required.

SAMPLE REFERENCES

Journal article, one to three authors
1. Beutler E: The effect of methemoglobin formation on sickle cell disease. J Clin Invest 40:1856-1858, 1961
2. Karpatkin S, Smith K, Charmatz A: Heterogeneity of human platelets. III. Glycogen metabolism in platelets of different sizes. Br J Haematol 19:135-137, 1970

Journal article, four or more authors
3. Golomb HM, Vardiman J, Sweet DL, et al: Hairy cell leukemia: Evidence for the existence of a spectrum of functional capabilities. Br J Haematol 38:161-162, 1968

Journal article in press
4. O'Malley JE, Eisenberg L: The hyperkinetic syndrome. Semin Psychiatry (in press)
(Note: A copy of the in-press article must be included as a separate Manuscript file, described as "In-press, Reference [#].")

Complete book
5. Lillie RD: Histopathologic Technic and Practical Histochemistry (ed 4). New York, NY, Blakiston, 1965, pp 39-41

Chapter of book
6. Moore G, Minowada J: Human hemopoietic cell lines: A progress report, in Farnes P (ed): Hemic Cells in Vitro, vol 4. Baltimore, MD, Williams & Wilkins, 1969, pp 100-105

Chapter of book that is part of published meeting
7. Hatvg JB, Kunkel HG, Gedde-Dahl T Jr: Genetic studies of the heavy chain sub-groups of gamma globulin, in Killander J (ed): Gamma Globulins, Proceedings of the Third Nobel Symposium. New York, NY, Wiley, 1967, pp 19-26

Chapter of book that is part of unpublished meeting
8. Polliak A: A morphologic study of the lymphoproliferative lesions induced by excess vitamin A. First Meeting, European Division, International Society of Hematology, Milan, Italy, 1971, p 181

Abstract
9. Curnutte JT, Karnovsky ML, Babior BM: Manganese-dependent NADPH oxidation by a particulate preparation from guinea pig granulocytes: An alternative interpretation. Clin Res 23:371A, 1975

Letter to Editor
10. Seeler RA: Sickle cell anemia monthly variations. Blood 47: 879, 1976

PREPARING FIGURES

Authors are responsible to meet the graphic standards in the Publisher's Author Artwork Instructions

(External link http://www.elsevier.com/artworkinstructions). A link to these Instructions is also provided on the Journal's home page. Authors are strongly advised to consult these Instructions for detailed information before preparing any graphics for submission. Figures not properly prepared will be returned to the contributor for revision or will be reworked with the cost charged to the contributor.

Color figures are acceptable for papers dealing with color imaging; however, as color printing is costly, it will be used at the discretion of the Editor. Color used in bar, line, and pie graphs is discouraged; please substitute distinct shades of gray and/or patterned lines and shapes. If color images are to be reproduced in black and white, the contributor should submit the prints in black and white for best results.

The use of any figure or table that has been previously published must be supported by a letter of permission to reprint, signed by its Publisher. The author will be expected to furnish the letter to Journal's Publisher shortly after the paper has been accepted for publication.

PROOFREADING

Contributors are provided with electronic galley proofs and are asked to proofread them for typesetting errors. Important changes in data are allowed, but authors will be charged for excessive alterations in proof. Galley proofs should be returned to the Issue Manager within 48 hours.

REPRINTS

Reprints of articles can be furnished to contributors when ordered in advance of publication. An order form is sent in advance of proofs. Individuals wishing to obtain reprints of an article that appears in the Journal can do so by contacting the author at the address given in the Journal. Electronic copies may be purchased from the Publisher.

CARDIAC CALENDAR

Announcements of meetings, conferences, and the like that are of interest to the readership of the Journal should be sent to the Section Editor for Cardiac Calendar, Dr. George Silvay (george.silvay@mountsinai.org), at least 3 months before the intended appearance of the notice. These announcements will be published only online.



Updated November 2010