JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging publishes research articles oncurrent and future clinical applications of noninvasive and invasiveimaging techniques including echocardiography, CT, CMR,nuclear, angiography, and other novel techniques. JACC: CardiovascularImaging also publishes manuscripts related to basicscience and molecular imaging with potential clinical applicability.It provides a forum for encouraging a lively and vigorousdebate on all aspects of imaging, including imaging algorithmsand the hierarchy of various imaging modalities.

All manuscripts should be submitted online at http://www.jaccsubmit-imaging.org . Manuscript submissions should conform to theguidelines set forth in the "Uniform Requirements for ManuscriptsSubmitted to Biomedical Journals: Writing and Editingfor Biomedical Publication" available from http://www.ICMJE.org and most recently updated in April 2010.

English language help service: Upon request, Elsevier will directauthors to an agent who can check and improve the Englishlanguage of their paper before submission. Please contactauthorsupport@elsevier.com for further information.

AUTHOR ENQUIRIES

For pre-submission queries and enquiries relating to articlescurrently being reviewed, please contact the JACC: CardiovascularImaging editorial office at jaccimg@acc.org. For information onarticles that have been accepted for publication, please visitElsevier's Authors Home at www.elsevier.com/authors. Elsevier'sAuthors Home also provides the facility to track accepted articlesand set up e-mail alerts to inform you of when an article's statushas changed, as well as detailed artwork guidelines, copyrightinformation, frequently asked questions, and more. Authors can order copies of the issue in which their article appears at a discounted rate; please contact Elsevier Health Sciences Division, Subscription Customer Service, 3251 Riverport Lane, Maryland Heights, MO 63043, Tel: 1-800-654-2452; E-mail: journalscustomerservice-usa@elsevier.com.

EXCLUSIVE SUBMISSION/PUBLICATION POLICY

The manuscripts are accepted for review only with clear understandingthat they are not under consideration elsewhere and thatthe data presented have not appeared on the Internet or have notbeen previously published (including symposia, proceedings,transactions, books, articles published by invitation, and preliminarypublications of any kind except abstracts not exceeding 400words). Upon acceptance, written transfer of copyright to theAmerican College of Cardiology Foundation, signed by allauthors, is required. Elsevier Inc. maintains copyright records forthe College.

PERMISSIONS

No part of materials published in JACC: Cardiovascular Imagingmay be reproduced without written permission of the publisher.Some materials qualify for gratis usage. See STM Guidelines for details: http://www.stm-assoc.org/permissions-guidelines. Permission may be sought directly from Elsevier's Global RightsDepartment. Phone: 215-239-3804 or 44-1865-843-830. Fax:44-1865-853-333. E-mail: healthpermissions@elsevier.com. Requestsmay also be completed online via the Elsevier home page(http://www.elsevier.com/permissions).

RELATIONSHIP WITH INDUSTRY POLICY

The Editors require authors to disclose any relationship withindustry and financial associations from within the past 2 yearsthat might pose a conflict of interest in connection with thesubmitted article in both the cover letter and on the title page. Allsources of funding for the work should be acknowledged in afootnote on the title page, as should all institutional affiliations ofthe authors (including corporate appointments). Other kinds ofassociations, such as consultancies, stock ownership, or otherequity interests or patent-licensing arrangements, should bedisclosed to the Editors in the cover letter at the time ofsubmission. If no relationship with industry exists, please state this in thecover letter and on the title page. Relationship with industry guidelinesapply to authors of all submissions, including: Original ResearchPapers, Reviews, Images, Editorial Comments, News and Views,etc.

ALL FORMS ARE NOW SIGNED AND SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY. Once a manuscript is accepted, the authors willbe sent links to complete electronic Copyright Transfer and Relationshipwith Industry forms. Only the corresponding author may electronicallysign the copyright form; however, ALL AUTHORS ARE REQUIRED TO ELECTRONICALLY SIGN A RELATIONSHIPWITH INDUSTRY FORM. Once completed, a PDF version of the form is e-mailed to the author. Authors can access and confirm receipt of forms by logging into their account online. Each author will be alerted if his form has not been completed by the deadline.Only authors appearing on the final title page will be sent a form. YOUCANNOT ADD AUTHORS AFTER ACCEPTANCE OR ON PROOFS. After a paper is sent to the publisher, the links to the electronic forms will no longer be active. In this case, authors will be sent links to download hard copy forms that they may mail or fax to the JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging office.

ETHICS

Studies should be in compliance with human studies committeesand animal welfare regulations of the authors' institutions andFood and Drug Administration guidelines.

Human studies must be performed with the subjects' writteninformed consent. Authors must provide the details of thisprocedure and indicate that the institutional committee onhuman research has approved the study protocol. If radiation isused in a research procedure, the radiation exposure must bespecified in the Methods.

Studies on patients or volunteers require ethics committee approval and informed consent which should be documented in your paper. Patients have a right to privacy. Therefore identifying information, including patients' images, names, initials, or hospital numbers, should not be included in videos, recordings, written descriptions, photographs, and pedigrees unless the information is essential for scientific purposes and you have obtained written informed consent for publication in print and electronic form from the patient (or parent, guardian or next of kin where applicable). If such consent is made subject to any conditions, the editorial office must be made aware of all such conditions.

Written consents must be provided to the editorial office on request. Even where consent has been given, identifying details should be omitted if they are not essential. If identifying characteristics are alteredto protect anonymity, such as in genetic pedigrees, authors should provide assurance that alterations do not distort scientific meaning and editors should so note. If such consent has not been obtained, personal details of patients included in any part of the paper and in any supplementary materials (including all illustrations and videos) must be removed before submission.

Animal investigation must conform to the "Position of theAmerican Heart Association on Research Animal Use," adoptedby the AHA on November 11, 1984. If equivalent guidelines areused, they should be indicated. The AHA position includes: 1)animal care and use by qualified individuals, supervised byveterinarians, and all facilities and transportation must complywith current legal requirements and guidelines; 2) research involvinganimals should be done only when alternative methods toyield needed information are not possible; 3) anesthesia must beused in all surgical interventions, all unnecessary suffering shouldbe avoided and research must be terminated if unnecessary pain orfear results; and 4) animal facilities must meet the standards of theAmerican Association for Accreditation of Laboratory AnimalCare (AAALAC).

AUTHORSHIP/COVER LETTER

Each author should have contributed significantly to the submittedwork. If there are more than 4 authors, the contribution ofeach should be substantiated in the cover letter. If authorship isattributed to a group (either solely or in addition to 1 or moreindividual authors), all members of the group should meet the fullcriteria and requirements for authorship. To save space, if groupmembers have been listed in JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging, thearticle should be referenced rather than reprinting the list. TheEditors consider authorship to include all of the following: 1)conception and design or analysis and interpretation of data, orboth; 2) drafting of the manuscript or revising it critically forimportant intellectual content; and 3) final approval of themanuscript submitted. Participation solely in the collection ofdata does not justify authorship but may be appropriately acknowledgedin the Acknowledgment section.

Manuscripts should be submitted with a cover letter stating: 1)the paper is not under consideration elsewhere; 2) none of thepaper's contents have been previously published; 3) all authorshave read and approved the manuscript; and 4) the full disclosureof any relationship with industry (see "Relationship with Industry Policy"). Exceptions must be explained. If there is no relationship with industry, this should also be stated in the cover letter.

The corresponding author should be specified in the cover letter,who will receive all editorial communications. The EditorialOffice will contact the corresponding author for submissionqueries.

A short paragraph telling the editors why the authors think theirpaper merits publication priority may be included in the coverletter. Potential reviewers may be suggested in the cover letter, aswell as reviewers to avoid.

GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSION OF ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPERS

Because of the printed page limitations, the Editors require thatmanuscripts not exceed 4,500 words (including references andfigure legends). Note that if you are asked to revise your paper analternate word limit may be specified by the Editors. An outcomesexpert/associate editor will review such manuscripts afterprovisional acceptance. If needed, the Editors will work with theauthors in revising the manuscript to highlight the importantfeatures of the manuscript. Illustrations and tables should belimited to those necessary to highlight key data. Please providegender-specific data, when appropriate, in describing outcomes ofepidemiologic analyses or clinical trials; or specifically state thatno gender-based differences were present. Basic science or experimentalstudies should have potential clinical applicability. Wewould prefer manuscripts that offer an algorithmic approach tothe use of diagnostic modalities for the best cost-effective use inclinical medicine.

The manuscript should be arranged as follows: 1) title page;2) structured abstract and key words; 3) condensed abstract;4) abbreviations list; 5) text; 6) acknowledgments (if applicable);7) references; 8) figure titles and legends; and 9) tables. Pagenumbering should begin with the title page.

iReviews (From Pictures to Practice Paradigms). Editors will invitereviews on integrated cardiovascular imaging and multi-modalityimaging in an attempt to provide the best practice guidelines forgeneral cardiologists. The Editors welcome your suggestions forsuch reviews and the role that you may like to play. Imagingreviews must adhere to preferred length guidelines and would beaccompanied by an unstructured abstract.

iPix (Imaging Vignette). Clinical or basic science images includingstudies in motion that illustrate important classic or novel findings,provide insight into basic mechanisms responsible forcardiovascular disease, emphasize various facets of an abnormality,or clarify a new therapy, will be considered for this section. Acollage of 10 to 20 images should be provided. Text shouldconsist of a title page, an introduction of 150 words, a long figurelegend of approximately 300 words, and—only if absolutelynecessary—up to 3 references. Movie clips should be submittedin any of the standard formats (see "Video Requirements").Though often presented within the context of a case, the imagesin this section are not intended as a vehicle for case reports.

Editorial Comments and Editorial Viewpoints. Up to 5 manuscripts inevery issue will be accompanied by editorial comments. Of these,2–3 manuscripts may carry a dynamic editorial, comprised of anonline 5-min discussion between the authors, editorialist, and theEditor, recorded through Cardiosource Video Network (CVN).

Although usually invited, succinct opinion pieces will also beconsidered for JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging.

iStory (Historical Perspective). Manuscripts forthis category are invited by the Editors. These manuscriptsinclude brief contributions of the historical innovations that havemade a landmark impact on the field of cardiovascular imaging.This feature may also offer insights into where the field is going.

iBiz (Business and Advocacy). Manuscripts for this category areinvited by the Editors. They are brief write-ups on the business ofimaging, advocacy, reimbursement, legislation, and policy mattersrelated to cardiovascular imaging.

iMnemonics (Imaging for Fellows). The mnemonics will provideimportant imaging parameters that cardiology fellows need toremember. These manuscripts will carry actual diagrams andschematic figures with approximately 800 words of text, andmaximum 5 references. Although the Editors will invite thesemanuscripts, suggestions are welcome from readers.

iForum (News and Views). Important news features, which may havesignificant bearing on cardiovascular imaging, will be published.Since papers go to press almost 3 months before the Journal ispublished, a conventional news column (as is often published inweekly journals) is not likely to work. Therefore, the Editors willidentify a topical subject and bring it to readers in concert withCardiosource. The Journal will then carry expert opinions from 2luminaries on the impact of the news from 2 different vantagepoints on the issue. The news piece will be provided by theEditors and expert opinions will be invited.

Letters to the Editor. A limited number of letters will bepublished online. They should not exceed 500 words andshould focus on a specific article that has appeared in JACC:Cardiovascular Imaging. Please include the cited article as areference. If needed, replies to the letter will be solicited bythe Editors from the authors. These letters may be posted inan online forum. After a certain amount of time has passed,the Editors may no longer accept letters for a particulararticle.

MANUSCRIPT CONTENT

Title Page
Include the title, authors' names (including full first name and middle initial and degrees), total word count, and a brief title of no more than 45 characters.List the departments and institutions with which the authors areaffiliated, and indicate the specific affiliations if the work isgenerated from more than one institution (use the footnotesymbols given under "Tables"). Also provide information ongrants, contracts, and other forms of financial support, and list thecities and states of all foundations, funds, and institutions involvedin the work. Include any relationship with industry (see"Relationship with Industry Policy"). If there are no conflicts of interest,this should be stated. Under the heading "Address for correspondence,"give the full name and complete postal address of theauthor to whom communications, printer's proofs, and reprintrequests should be sent. Also provide telephone and fax numbersand an email address.

Structured Abstract
Provide a structured abstract of 300 words, presenting essentialdata in 5 paragraphs introduced by separate headings in thefollowing order: Objectives, Background, Methods, Results, andConclusions. Use complete sentences. All data in the abstractshould also appear in the manuscript text or tables. For generalinformation on preparing structured abstracts, please refer toHaynes RB, et al. More informative abstracts revisited. AnnIntern Med 1990;113:69-76. A 200-word unstructured abstractis appropriate for review articles.

Condensed Abstract
Provide a condensed abstract of 100 words, stressing clinicalimplications, for the expanded table of contents.

Text
The text should be structured as Introduction, Methods, Results,and Discussion. Use headings and subheadings in the Methods,Results, and Discussion sections. Every reference, figure, andtable should be cited in the text according to order of mention.

The abbreviations of common terms (e.g., ECG, PTCA,CABG) or acronyms (GUSTO, SOLVD, TIMI) may be used inthe manuscript. On a separate page following the condensedabstract, list the selected abbreviations and their definitions (e.g.,TEE = transesophageal echocardiography). The Editors maydetermine which lesser known terms should not be abbreviated.Please consult "Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submittedto Biomedical Journals: Writing and Editing for BiomedicalPublication," available from http://www.ICMJE.org and mostrecently updated in April 2010, for appropriate use of units ofmeasure.

Statistics
All publishable manuscripts will be reviewed for appropriatenessand accuracy of statistical methods and statistical interpretation ofresults. We subscribe to the statistics section of the "UniformRequirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals:Writing and Editing for Biomedical Publication," available from http://www.ICMJE.org and most recently updated in April 2010. In the Methods sections, provide a subsection detailing thestatistical methods, including specific methods used to summarizethe data, methods used for hypothesis testing (if any) and the levelof significance used for hypothesis testing. When using statisticalmethods beyond t tests, chi-square, and simple linear regression,specify the statistical package, version number, and non-defaultoptions used. For more information on statistical review, see"Glantz SA. It is all in the numbers. J Am Coll Cardiol1993;21:835-7." All manuscripts are reviewed by the outcomeseditor as well.

Acknowledgments
Acknowledgments or appendices must contain 100 words or less. Anything exceeding this limit will appear in the online version only. Signed letters of permission from all individuals listed in the acknowledgments must be submitted to JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging.

References

Identify references in the text by Arabic numerals in parentheseson the line. The reference list should be typed double-spaced onpages separate from the text. The references should be numberedconsecutively in the order in which they are mentioned in the text.

Do not cite personal communications, manuscripts in preparation,or other unpublished data in the references; however, these maybe included in the text in parentheses. Do not cite abstracts that areolder than 2 years. Identify abstracts by the abbreviation "abstr" inparentheses. If letters to the editor are cited, identify them withthe word "letter" in parentheses.

Use Index Medicus (National Library of Medicine) abbreviationsfor journal titles. It is important to note that when citing an articlefrom the Journal of the American College of Cardiology: CardiovascularImaging, the correct citation format is J Am Coll CardiolImg.

Use the following style and punctuation for references:

Periodical
List all authors if 6 or fewer, otherwise list the first 3 and add etal.; do not use periods after the authors' initials. Please do provideinclusive page numbers as in example below.

5. Glantz SA. It is all in the numbers. J Am Coll Cardiol 1993;21:835-7.

Doi-based citation for an article in press
If the ahead-of-print date is known, provide as in example below.

16. Winchester D, Wen X, Xie L, et al. Evidence for pre-procedural statintherapy: meta-analysis of randomized trials. J Am Coll Cardiol 2010Sept 28 [E-pub ahead of print], doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2010.09.028.

If the ahead-of-print date is unknown, omit as in example below.

16. Winchester D, Wen X, Xie L, et al. Evidence for pre-procedural statintherapy: meta-analysis of randomized trials. J Am Coll Cardiol 2010[E-pub ahead of print], doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2010.09.028.

Chapter in book
Provide authors, chapter title, editor(s), book title, publisherlocation, publisher name, year, and inclusive page numbers.

27. Meidell RS, Gerard RD, Sambrook JF. Molecular biology ofthrombolytic agents. In: Roberts R, editor. Molecular Basis ofCardiology. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell Scientific Publications,1993:295-324.

Book (personal author or authors)
Provide a specific (not inclusive) page number.

23. Cohn PF. Silent Myocardial Ischemia and Infarction. 3rdedition. New York, NY: Marcel Dekker, 1993:33.

Online media
Provide specific URL address and date information was accessed.

10. Henkel J. Testicular Cancer: Survival High With EarlyTreatment. FDA Consumer magazine [serial online]. January-February 1996. Available at: http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/196_test.html. Accessed August 31, 1998.

Material presented at a meeting but not published
Provide authors, presentation title, full meeting title, meetingdates, and meeting location.

20. Eisenberg J. Market forces and physician workforce reform:why they may not work. Paper presented at: Annual Meeting ofthe Association of Medical Colleges; October 28, 1995; Washington,DC.

Figure Legends

Figure legends should be typed double-spaced on pages separatefrom the text; figure numbers should correspond with the order inwhich they are mentioned in the text. The figure legends shouldprovide an in-depth explanation of each figure, including a figurecaption, the purpose of the figure, and brief method, results, anddiscussion statements pertaining to the figure. All abbreviationsused in the figure should be identified either after their firstmention in the legend or in alphabetical order at the end of eachlegend. All symbols used (arrows, circles, etc.) should be explained.If previously published figures are used, written permissionfrom the original publisher isrequired. See STM Guidelines for details: http://www.stm-assoc.org/permissions-guidelines. Cite the source of the figure in the legend.

Figures

Figures and graphs submitted in electronic format should beprovided in EPS or TIF format. Graphics software such asPhotoshop and Illustrator, NOT presentation software such asPowerpoint, CorelDraw, or Harvard Graphics, should be used tocreate the art. Color images must be at least 300 DPI. Gray scaleimages should be at least 300 DPI. Line art (black and white orcolor) should be at least 1200 DPI and combinations of gray scaleimages and line art should be at least 600 DPI. Lettering shouldbe of sufficient size to be legible after reduction for publication.The optimal size is 12 points. Symbols should be of a similar size.Figures should be no smaller than 13 cm x 18 cm (5" x 7").Please do not reduce figures to fit publication layout. If themanuscript is accepted for publication, the publisher will re-sizethe figures accordingly.

ALL FIGURES SHOULD HAVE A TITLE AND A LEGEND. There is no fee forthe publication of color figures. Our editors encourage authors tosubmit figures in color, as we feel it improves the clarity and visualimpact of the images. Decimals, lines, and other details should bestrong enough for reproduction. Use only black and white, not gray,in charts and graphs. Place crop marks on photomicrographs toshow only the essential field. Designate special features witharrows. All symbols, arrows, and lettering on half-tone illustrationsshould contrast with the background.

Upon provisional acceptance, we may request 2 sets of glossyor laser print (clean copies will suffice) hard copies of thefigures. Glossy prints should be provided for all half-tone orcolor illustrations. All graphs and line drawings must beprofessionally prepared on a computer and reproduced ashigh quality laser prints. Indicate the first author's last name(and the corresponding author's last name within parentheses,if different) and the figure number on the back of eachfigure, preferably on an adhesive label. Figure title andcaption material should appear on the legends page in themanuscript, not on the figure. If we request hard copies offigures, they will not be returned to authors. After acceptance ofthe manuscript, the graphs and schematic figures of themanuscripts may be redrawn by the art department tomaintain consistency in JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging.

Tables

Tables should be typed double-spaced on separate pages, with thetable number and title centered above the table and explanatorynotes below the table. Use Arabic numbers. Table numbersshould correspond with the order cited in the text.

ALL TABLES SHOULD HAVE A TITLE. Abbreviations should be listedin a footnote under the table in alphabetical order. Footnotesymbols should appear in the following order: *,†, ‡, §, ∥, ¶, #, **, ††, etc.

Tables should be self-explanatory, and the data presented in them should not be duplicated in the text or figures. If previously published tables are used, written permission from the copyright holder (typically the original publisher) is required. Cite the source of the table in the footnote.

Video Requirements

JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging encourages authors to submit videofiles of their studies in motion as seen in the imaging laboratory.These videos will be available online with the PDFs of thepublished articles. Inclusion of videos in the published article is atthe discretion of the Editors.

Video submissions for viewing online should be one of thefollowing formats: Audio Video Interleave (.avi), MPEG (.mpg),or Quick Time (.qt, .mov).
AVI files can be displayed via Windows Media Player
MPEG files can be displayed via Windows Media Player
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/players.aspx
Quick Time files require Quick Time software (free) from Apple http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/index.html

Videos should be brief (<2-5 min). Longer videos will requirelonger download times and may have difficulty playing online.Videos should be restricted to the most critical aspects of yourresearch. A longer procedure can be restructured as several shortervideos.

It is advisable to compress files to use as little bandwidth aspossible and to avoid overly long download times. Video filesshould be no larger than 5 megabytes. This is a suggestedmaximum. If files are larger please contact the JACC: CardiovascularImaging office.

A video legends page giving a brief description of the content ofeach video should be included in the manuscript. Please note that ALL videos must be linked to figures or panels of a figure(s).

If your paper is accepted for publication you may wish to supplythe editorial office with several different resolutions of your videofiles. This will allow viewers with slower connections to downloada lower resolution version of your video.

Please do not send hard copy manuscript submissions.
If the manuscript absolutely cannot be submitted online,mail a CD containing all files to: Jagat Narula, MD, PhD,FACC, Editor-in-Chief, JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging,3655 Nobel Drive, Suite 630, San Diego, CA 92122. Tel:[+1] [858] 558-3411; Fax: [+1] [858] 558-3148. This diskshould include files for the cover letter, manuscript, tables,and figures. If supplementary materials such as "in press"references are included, these files should also be stored onthe disk.

It is important to note that when citing an article from JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging, the correct citation format isJ Am Coll Cardiol Img

Updated August 2011