STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

The Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (JCCT) is an established, Medline-indexed peer-reviewed journal that integrates the entire international cardiovascular CT community including cardiologists and radiologists, from basic to clinical academic researchers, to private practitioners, engineers, allied professionals, industry and trainees--all of whom are vital and interdependent members of the global cardiovascular imaging community. Publishing timely information rapidly both online and in print, the Journal addresses a broad range of topics that affect cardiovascular CT imaging. It focuses primarily on original research and the clinical and technical aspects of cardiovascular CT but also publishes reviews, unique images with a focus on multi-modality validation, editorial viewpoints, practical diagnostic and management tips, clinical trial designs, and multimedia elements, with videos and images viewable on the journal's full-text website. The Journal publishes official SCCT guidelines and communications of interest for the SCCT membership. Particular attention is placed on the inclusion of high quality medical graphics. Supplement issues include the abstracts from the Society's Annual Scientific Sessions and occasional peer-reviewed sponsored symposia and topical monograph proceedings of relevance to members.

Manuscripts must be submitted through it Internet-based Manuscript Submission System, EES, at https://ees.elsevier.com/JCCT or through the Submit Manuscript button at its full-text site at www.CardiacCTJournal.com:

Anna Leong
Managing Editor
Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography
415 Church Street, NE, Suite 204
Vienna, VA 22180
USA

c/o Allen J. Taylor MD, FACC, FAHA
Editor-in-Chief

Email: aleong@scct.org
Phone: 800-997-1261
Fax: 888-849-1542

Manuscript Categories:

• Original Research
• Reviews
• Practical Tips and Tricks
• Questions in Cardiovascular CT
• Images in Cardiovascular CT
• Book Reviews
• Review of Recent Papers in CVCT
• State of the Art Review
• Point-Counterpoint
• Letter to the Editor
• Editorial
• Clinical Trial Design
• Guidelines
• Pictorial Essay
• Technical Notes
• Future Directions in Cardiovascular CT Technology

Note: Case Reports are no longer being accepted by the Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography at this time, due to space constraints. Submissions focusing on unique or high quality cardiovascular CT images should be submitted through the Images in Cardiovascular CT category.

Unsolicited Contributions

Original Research: The Journal encourages the submission of manuscripts of original data from animal, pre-clinical, clinical and technical investigations. Such publications require detailed description of the background, research methodology, results and discussion as outlined in the Instructions for Authors. Clinical trials should be properly registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov and the NCT registration number should be provided in the manuscript. Although length is not specified for original articles, in general the manuscript should not exceed 4000 words (all inclusive) and 20 double-spaced typed pages in total, including 8 figures, 3 tables, and 30 references.

Review articles: Comprehensive, clinically-oriented review papers on topics within cardiovascular CT. Review manuscripts are encouraged to incorporate systematic review methodology, and undergo critical peer review to ensure accuracy and balance. Review articles should contain a brief abstract and should be approximately 4000 words (all inclusive), including references (limited to 30), tables, and figures.

Pictorial Essay: Educational review focused on CTA image appearance of a selected entity, illustrating the entire spectrum of the entity and demonstrating some of the most important imaging variants or differential diagnostic entities. The teaching points are addressed in the figure legends. The body of the text is limited to a short review of imaging appearance less than 1500 words and no more than 20 references should be cited. Cine image files (accompanying the figures) are an essential part and will be available in the online version of the manuscript. No more than 1 table and 15 figures (max. 35 individual images) should be submitted.

Technical Notes: Brief reports of technical innovations in cardiovascular CT that represent information of interest to the general field of CT users and developers. Manuscripts should be concise and organized (abstract and manuscript) in the following sections: introduction, technical methods, technical results, discussion. Word limit 1500 words (all inclusive)

Images in Cardiovascular CT: Focus of the manuscript should be the high quality cardiovascular CT image, accompanied by two paragraphs. The first paragraph should contain the case information, focusing on the CT and its findings. The second paragraph should discuss the case, focusing on the utility of the CT in this particular situation. Word limit is strictly set at 250 words. No abstract is required. No more than 4 authors are permitted except under exceptional circumstances as approved by the Editor in Chief. No more than 4 references may be cited.

Letters to the Editor. Letters should be double-spaced, not exceeding 450 words. Letters will be reviewed and are subject to editing. They should not contain original data or figures. If accepted for publication, a copy of the letter will be sent to the author(s) of the original article, if applicable. The author(s) will have an opportunity to respond with new material that will be considered for publication with the letter.

Editorial Commentary. The Journal publishes both solicited and unsolicited editorial commentary. Commentaries should be confined to articles in the current issue or a very specific topic that is current and high interest to the readership. Figures and tables are encouraged for illustrative purposes. Word limit 1500 words (all inclusive).

Invited Articles

All invited manuscripts will undergo the regular peer review process and are not to be considered guaranteed publications until the author is notified as such. For a listing of topics being solicited, consult the Journal website under "Call for Papers". Potential authors are encouraged to contact the editorial office if they are interested in contributing a work.

New Developments in Cardiovascular CT: Focused reviews on technical developments within the field.

Point-Counterpoint: Commentary providing points and counterpoint discussions within controversial areas of cardiovascular CT.

Book Review: Newly published books may be sent to the Editor in Chief for consideration of review.

Practical Tips/Tricks: Brief, focused discussions on a practical aspect for improving performance and interpretation of cardiovascular CT. Word limit 1500 words (all inclusive)

Questions in CVCT: Brief, focused, practical discussions of an important clinical question on the performance or interpretation of cardiovascular CT (something of daily importance to the clinician performing cardiovascular CT). Word limit 1500 words (all inclusive)

Future Directions in Cardiovascular CT Technology: Futuristic, qualitative reviews providing cutting edge descriptions of emerging cardiovascular CT technology and methods. Word limit 2000 words (all inclusive).

MANUSCRIPT and FIGURE PREPARATION - General instructions

Manuscripts should be typed, double spaced with 1 inch margins using Arial font (12 point).

Manuscripts must be submitted via the Elsevier Editorial System (EES) website for this journal; go to http://ees.elsevier.com/JCCT and select "Submit Manuscript". You will be guided through the process of providing necessary information and uploading your submission files. Once the uploading is done, the system automatically generates an electronic (PDF) proof, which you will be asked to review and approve. This PDF will be used for reviewing. All correspondence regarding submitted manuscripts will be handled via e-mail through the system. For text files, Microsoft Word is preferred.

Do not embed artwork with text; separate files for each figure are required. Please do not paste artwork into .doc files; simply upload artwork in separate figures and provide a figure legend with the main manuscript. TIF or EPS figure files are strongly preferred, at the standard resolutions (i.e. 300 dpi for photos) and scaled to size. Other figure formats may be supported provided artwork guidelines on http://ees.elsevier.com/JCCT are strictly followed.

Black and white illustrations accompanying editorial text shall be reproduced without charge to authors. All color art submitted to the Journal will appear in color in the full-text online version of the Journal at no charge to the authors. The Editor-in-Chief will choose ten 4-color illustrations per issue, and these will be published as color illustrations in the print Journal without cost to the authors. Priority of these free color images will be given to solicited manuscripts. Authors will be notified if the Editor-in-Chief designates any of their illustrations as free.

The cost of color illustrations will be charged to the authors at the rate of $650 per color illustration for the first color figure in each article and $100 for each additional 4-color figure in that article. Authors may also choose to convert color illustrations to black and white.

HIGHLIGHTS
Highlights are a short collection of bullet points that convey the core findings of the article. Highlights are optional and should be submitted in a separate file in the online submission system. Please use 'Highlights' in the file name and include 3 to 5 bullet points (maximum 85 characters, including spaces, per bullet point). See http://www.elsevier.com/highlights for examples.

MANUSCRIPT FORMAT

Manuscripts must be properly formatted in order to enter the peer review process. Proper formatting includes meeting exact specifications for length, sections (including the abstract), and references.

Authors whose native language is not English are STRONGLY advised to seek appropriate grammatical assistance. Poorly written manuscripts are at a disadvantage. International Science Editing and Asia Science Editing can provide English language and copyediting services to authors who want to publish in scientific, technical and medical journals and need assistance before they submit their article or, before it is accepted for publication. Authors can contact these services directly: International Science Editing ( http://www.internationalscienceediting.com) and Asia Science Editing ( http://www.asiascienceediting.com) or, for more information about language editing services, please contact authorsupport@elsevier.com who will be happy to deal with any questions.

Arrange the contents in the following order:

• Cover letter (save as a separate file for upload)
• Title page (Include degrees for all authors and corresponding author contact information, and all conflicts of interest; save as a separate file for upload)
• Abstract (Required for original and review articles)
• Key words (5-10)
• List of abbreviations used in the manuscript (Limit use to ONLY those that are commonly accepted.)
• Text (Double-spaced, single columned with a minimum of 1-inch margins on all four edges.)
• References (Cite all authors)
• Figure legends
• Tables (save as separate files for upload)
• Figures (save each as a separate file for upload, or compress all into one ZIP file for upload; the system will "unpack" a .zip file automatically and allow you to properly identify each figure file. Go to www.winzip.com for a free trial of this compression software.)

Cover letter: A cover letter should be submitted under the signature of the corresponding authors detailing the following characteristics: Manuscripts submitted must be original, with no portion under simultaneous consideration for publication elsewhere or previously published, except for abstracts published as part of a scientific meeting. Include only authors who have made an important contribution to the study and are thoroughly familiar and can warrant their contribution to the Editor. All authors are responsible for the contents and must have read and approved the manuscript and conform to the "Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals" published in Annals of Internal Medicine (1997;126:36-47). Studies involving experimental animals and humans must conform to the guiding principles of the Declaration of Helsinki, and human subjects must have given informed consent of a study that has been approved by the Institutional Committee on Human Research at the authors' institution. Any financial or other relations must be disclosed in accordance with the IMJE standards (http://www.icmje.org/). Clinical trials will only be published that have been properly registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov. Cover letters must include affirmation of the above.

Title Page: Include a brief and descriptive title of the article, a short title of fewer than 50 characters, the authors' full names, academic degrees, hospital and academic affiliations, acknowledgment of ALL sources of financial support, potential conflicts of interests for all authors, and the name, address, phone and fax numbers, and e-mail of the individual responsible for editorial correspondence and/or reprint requests.

Changes to Authorship

This policy concerns the addition, deletion, or rearrangement of author names in the authorship of accepted manuscripts:

Before the accepted manuscript is published in an online issue:
Requests to add or remove an author, or to rearrange the author names, must be sent to the Journal Manager from the corresponding author of the accepted manuscript and must include: (a) the reason the name should be added or removed, or the author names rearranged and (b) written confirmation (e-mail, fax, letter) from all authors that they agree with the addition, removal or rearrangement. In the case of addition or removal of authors, this includes confirmation from the author being added or removed. Requests that are not sent by the corresponding author will be forwarded by the Journal Manager to the corresponding author, who must follow the procedure as described above. Note that: (1) Journal Managers will inform the Journal Editors of any such requests and (2) publication of the accepted manuscript in an online issue is suspended until authorship has been agreed.

After the accepted manuscript is published in an online issue:
Any requests to add, delete, or rearrange author names in an article published in an online issue will follow the same policies as noted above and result in a corrigendum.

Abstract: Editorial comments, letters to the editor, and Images in Cardiovascular CT do not require an abstract. All others should contain an abstract as outlined below:

Original research: Please include a brief abstract (without references) of fewer than 250 words for Original Articles. Divide the abstract into sections headed Background, Objective, Methods, Results, and Conclusion, the latter stating the importance and potential implications of the observations. Following the abstract, list 5 to 10 key words suitable for indexing.

All other submissions: (Abstract no longer than 250 words) Background (justify relevance to readership), and include an informative, content-based summary of the findings of the review including conclusions. AVOID a non-informative listing of the "topics covered" in the review article.

Glossary of abbreviations used in the manuscript: Use of excessive abbreviations diminishes the readability of manuscripts and should there be strongly avoided. Abbreviations should be used only for common terms that appear at a high frequency in the manuscript. For more information on appropriate abbreviations, see the SCCT Guideline on Cardiovascular CT Nomenclature.

Text: Organize into sections (for original research): Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion, with appropriate subheadings to make the sections easily understood. Explain abbreviations at first mention, followed by the abbreviation in parentheses, and limit the number of abbreviations to a few commonly accepted terms. Excessive abbreviations degrade readability of the manuscript. References, tables, and figures should be cited in numerical order. Avoid jargon, clichés, and laboratory slang. References to medical devices, equipment and drugs must adhere to code structures and usage conventions set forth by NLA code. Avoid trade names and commercial nomenclature except where necessary at first mention. Place acknowledgments at the end of the text, before references.

References: Authors are responsible for the accuracy and completeness of their references and for correct text citation. Number references in the order in which they are first cited in the text. Include references to unpublished material or personal communications in the text in parentheses. Abbreviate titles of periodicals according to the style of Index Medicus, National Library of Medicine. List the complete list of authors in each reference following exactly the format and punctuation shown below. Submissions with improperly formatted references will be returned to the authors prior to entering peer review.

In-text citations:

Reference citations within the body of the manuscript should appear as superscripts as in the following example:
Here is an example of a proper in-text reference.1

Reference list: All authors must be cited (no "et al" citations). No special formatting such as italics or bold text.

Journal Article--ExampleHuikuri HV, Tapanainen JM, Lindgren K, Raatikainen P, Makikallio TH, Juhani Airaksinen KE, Myerburg RJ: Prediction of sudden cardiac death after myocardial infarction in the beta-blocking era. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2003;42:652-8.

Chapter in Book with Different Author and Editor--ExampleLa Rovere MT, Schwartz PJ: Baroreflex sensitivity. In Opie, L.: Drugs for the Heart, Sixth Edition. Philadelphia: WB Saunders, 2006, pp. 67-93.

Tables: Tables must be self-explanatory and supplement, not duplicate, the text. Number brief titles in Arabic numerals according to the order of mention in the text. Each table should be typed on a separate page and designed for economy of space and readability. Do not imbed tables within the text. Notes designated in the tables and all abbreviations should be defined in a footnote. Abbreviations should be identified in alphabetical order. Footnotes should be used in the following order: *, , , §, , , #

Figure Legends/Figures: (See detailed figure requirements under manuscript and figure preparation.) Please upload figures separately. Do not embed artwork with text; separate files for each figure are required. Please do not paste artwork into .doc files; simply upload artwork in separate figures and provide a figure legend with the main manuscript. TIF or EPS figure files are strongly preferred, at the standard resolutions (i.e. 300 dpi for photos) and scaled to size.

Nomenclature: Until recently, physicians have not had the benefit of unified terminology for cardiac computed tomography (CT) commonly used in clinical and investigative cardiac CT. However, the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) has now published the Standardized Medical Terminology for Cardiac Computed Tomography document.

The document provides a listing of 75 common terms, along with their definitions and abbreviations recommended for use. The document spans all aspects of cardiac CT from equipment to exams, contrast and acquisition, imaging processing and interpretation. The document also provides prior terms not recommended for continued use. The Journal of Cardiovascular CT has adopted these terms for use in works published within the journal and requests all submissions also incorporate them. For easy referral, the document in its entirety can be located in the Publications section of the SCCT website, here: http://www.scct.org/dgs/index.cfm

Patient Identifiers: All patient identifiers must be removed from figures/images prior to submission. Failure to comply will result in the manuscript being returned to the author prior to peer review.

MULTIMEDIA COMPONENTS

Images
Submissions to "Multimedia Library: Images and Videos" are limited to 1, double-spaced narrative (495 words for a 1-column figure; 425 words for a 1½-column figure), and no more than 2 illustration panels and 4 authors. Figure legends should not be used, but up to 5 reference citations are permitted. Images are judged according to their aesthetic quality, the importance and effectiveness of their scientific or clinical message, or their utility as a teaching tool. Unlike case reports, the focus should be on the image, not the narrative.

Authors can also include a single electronic movie (e.g. QuickTime or MPEG1 formats) file or computer animation (e.g. as Power Point file) that expands or enhances the message of the printed images. Submissions need not necessarily convey entirely novel findings so long as the animations or movies are judged to provide novel or especially useful means of conveying known principles (e.g. Animations or movies that effectively teach/portray an electrophysiological mechanism or process). If an electronic movie or animation is submitted, the authors must also provide 1 or 2 frames of images (which will appear in print) that convey the essence of the movie's content. Published images, movies, and animations will be made available in high-resolution format via the journal's website to subscribers to the Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography

COPYRIGHT and Author responsibilities

Copyright assignment is a condition of publication and authors are required to assign the copyright to the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography through publisher's copyright transfer form prior to publication.

Permissions: Authors must submit written permission upon manuscript submission from both the author and publisher of the original source when material is reproduced from other sources. This permission must include reproduction in both print and electronic formats for worldwide distribution.

Acknowledgements: Acknowledgement(s) require written permission of the person being acknowledged.

Proofs: To avoid publication delay, authors must return proofs in 48 hours.

Responsibility: Manuscripts are subject to editorial modification to bring them into conformity with the style of the journal. Statements in articles or opinions expressed by any contributor in any article, including changes made by the copy editor and approved by the corresponding author, are not the responsibility of the editors or the publishers.

Updated June 2011