Guide for Authors

Article Outline

• Publication
• Submission
• Editorial policies
  • Expedited Review
  • Experimentation subjects
  • Article types
• Article types
  • For all manuscript types, see examples in any recent issue of the Journal
    • Original Research Articles
    • Case Reports
    • Case Conferences
    • Letters to the Editor
• Manuscript details
  • Offline submission
  • Cover letter
• References
• Sample references
• Preparing figures
• Proofreading
• Reprints
• Announcements

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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 of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia 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.

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Submission 

All submissions must be directed to our web site: 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 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 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: E-mail: dwalk@louisville.edu; Phone: (502) 852-0141; Fax: (502) 852-0290.

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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 independent referees. Acceptance of a paper for publication is based on the originality of the observation or investigation, the quality of the work described, 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. Manuscripts 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.

Expedited Review 

Our online submission and review process commonly results in editorial decisions within 1 month. The Journal will nevertheless consider reports of original investigations of uncommon scientific importance in the field of cardiothoracic and vascular anesthesia for expedited review, decision, and publication. The value to the readership of accelerated publication is a major criterion for accepting a manuscript for expedited review. The corresponding author of the manuscript may request an expedited review in his/her cover letter; the Editor in Chief may also initiate a rapid review process for any submission. The Editor in Chief will normally provide decisions on such manuscripts within 2 weeks of receipt at the Editorial Office. Authors of accepted expedited manuscripts may expect publication within 6 months.

Experimentation subjects 

Papers reporting human experimentation will be reviewed in accordance with the precepts established by the Helsinki Declaration (available at http://www.wma.net/e/policy/b3.htm). Copies of this declaration may also be obtained by writing to the American Medical Association, 515 N State St, Chicago, IL 60610. 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 standards for animal care.

Article types 

The following may be submitted: original research articles, case reports, review articles, articles on emerging technology, case conferences, pro and con articles, diagnostic dilemmas, special articles (those not easily suited to another type), and letters to the Editor. Potential authors are invited to e-mail the Editorial Office to establish a consultation with our Editor in Chief, Associate Editors, or a Section Editor in regard to interest in a proposed submission.

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Article types 

For all manuscript types, see examples in any recent issue of the Journal 

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.

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 and follow with 2 identified sections: Case Report and Discussion. A 1-paragraph summary should complete the article. In most situations the introduction and summary can be combined to form the Summary item.

These articles are handled by a Section Editor for Case Conferences. Some offline communication between authors and editors is expected.

These should be double-spaced, brief, and concisely focused. They should have a title. Cited works must have full, accurate references. A cover letter should be provided with full information on the author(s), as in the cover page described above. Figures and tables may be included.

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Manuscript details 

Online submission requires that the submitted material be uploaded in several separate files. For examples, an original science article or case report requires:

Offline submission 

Submissions may include “offline” materials in the rare event that electronic transmission of an item is impossible. Such items must be identified in the electronic submission as “offline” and mailed promptly to the Editorial Office with an appropriate cover letter. Offline items are not returnable.

Cover letter 

All manuscripts submitted must be accompanied by a cover letter signed by all authors; it must state that they agree with and are responsible for the data presented. This letter should also acknowledge any potential conflicts of interest including commercial relationships such as consultation arrangements and equity interests. Authors in doubt about what may constitute a conflict of interest should consult the Editor in Chief via the Editorial Office. The cover letter may be scanned into your electronic submission or mailed to the Editorial Office as an “offline” item.

The structured abstract for an original research article is limited to 250 words (including section headings) in order to avoid truncation in Index Medicus computer searches. The abstract should consist of 7 paragraphs:

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.

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References 

Please refrain from using automatic reference list software because its features are often lost during the publication process. Simply insert the reference number in parentheses in the text and type the reference list. Formatting, such as Greek letters, italics, super- and subscripts, may be used, but the coding scheme for such elements must be consistent throughout.

References must be numbered with Arabic numerals, and cited in the text in 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 main text document and be double-spaced. Abbreviations for titles of medical periodicals must conform to those used in Index Medicus (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/tsd/serials/lji.html). References to abstracts, supplements, and letters to editors must be identified as such. Inclusive page numbers of references are required.

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Sample references 

Journal article, one to three authors

Journal article, four or more authors

Journal article 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

Chapter of book

Chapter of book that is part of published meeting

Chapter of book that is part of unpublished meeting

Abstract

Letter to Editor

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Preparing figures 

Authors are responsible to meet the graphic standards in the Author Artwork Guidelines (http://authors.elsevier.com/ArtworkInstructions.html?dc=AI1). A link to these Guidelines is also provided on the Journal’s home page. Authors are strongly advised to consult these Guidelines 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.

Figures must be cited in order in the text using Arabic numerals, eg, Figure 1. Legends to figures should be double-spaced in a list at the end of the manuscript document. A legend must be provided for each illustration. Legends should not appear on the associated Figure document.

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. 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 the publisher. The author will be expected to furnish the letter to the publisher shortly after the paper has been accepted for publication.

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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.

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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 of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia can do so by contacting the author at the address given in the Journal.

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Announcements 

Announcements of meetings, conferences, and the like that are of interest to the readership of the Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia should be sent to Section Editor for Cardiac Calendar, Dr. George Silvay (george.silvay@msnyuhealth.org), at least 3 months before the first day of the month of the issue in which the announcement should first appear.