Official Journal of the International Society for Computerized Electrocardiology and the International Society of Electrocardiology


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The Journal of Electrocardiology is devoted exclusively to clinical and experimental studies of the electrical activity of the heart. It seeks to contribute significantly to the accuracy of diagnosis and prognosis and the effective treatment and prevention of heart disease. Contents include articles on electrocardiography, vectorcardiography, arrhythmias, pacing, basic and clinical electrophysiology, monitoring, defibrillation, instrumentation, drug effects, and computer applications.

Submission of a manuscript to the Journal implies that it reports unpublished work and is not being submitted to another journal. Accepted manuscripts become the sole property of the Journal and may not be published elsewhere without the consent of the publisher. Upon acceptance of an article, all authors will be asked to sign a form that transfers copyright ownership to the publisher, and the paper will not be processed for publication until the signed form has been returned.

Electronic Manuscript Submission All new manuscripts should be submitted through the Journal of Electrocardiology online submission and review website ( http://ees.elsevier.com/jecg ). Authors should submit the text, tables, and artwork in electronic format to this address. The website guides authors step by step through the creation and uploading of the various files. Note that original source files, not PDF files, are required. Authors may send queries concerning the submission process, manuscript status, or journal procedures to the editorial office. Once the submission files are uploaded, the system automatically generates an electronic (PDF) proof, which is then used for reviewing. All correspondence, including the Editor's decision and request for revisions, will be by email.

Original submission items should include a cover letter, the manuscript (including title page, abstract, text, references, table/figure legends, and suggested reviewers), tables, and figures. Revised manuscripts should also be accompanied by a unique file (separate from the cover letter) with responses to reviewers' comments. The preferred order of files is as follows: cover letter, response to reviewers' comments (revised manuscripts only), manuscript file(s), table(s), figure(s). Files should be labeled with appropriate and descriptive file names (e.g., SmithText.doc, Fig1.eps, Table3.doc). The text, tables, and graphics should be uploaded as separate files. Figures and tables should not be uploaded into the text document.

Original Research articles should be limited to 5,000 words and 25 references. When necessary, authors may submit an additional "Suggested Reading" list to be published online only.

Case Reports and Other Short Communication should be limited to three to five pages (including text, references, figure legends, tables, figures, etc.) and eight references. The abstract should not exceed 100 words.

Letters to the Editor regarding articles published in the Journal or current topics of interest are welcome. A letter should not exceed 1,000 words in length and must be limited to three authors and five references. Authors of the original article cited in the letter will be invited to reply. Letters to the editor should be submitted via the online manuscript submission process.

Manuscripts Microsoft Word is the preferred format for manuscripts. Formatting, such as Greek letters, italics, and super- and subscripts, may be used, but the coding scheme for such elements must be consistent throughout. Pagination: Pages should be numbered beginning with the title page as page 1, the abstract as page 2, and should include the text, references, figures legends, and tables. Page numbers should be placed in the lower right corner of each page.

The title page should list the title; authors' names, degrees, and institutional affiliations; a short title of 40 characters or less (to be used as a running head); and the name, address, telephone and fax numbers, and email address of the author who will be responsible for reviewing page proof and for reprint requests. Abbreviations should not be used in the title. Acknowledgments of financial support also should be listed on the title page.

The manuscript should begin with a structured abstract, no more than 150 words long, that summarizes the problem presented, studies undertaken, results, and conclusions. The text should follow standard scientific format: introduction/background, materials and methods, results, and discussion. The text should be double-spaced. Manuscripts submitted the do not meet these criteria will be returned to the author for correction as a prerequisite for initiation of the review process.

References should be cited in numerical order in the text, with the reference number in parentheses. Microsoft Word end notes feature should not be used for references or automatic list numbering because these features are lost in conversion. The reference number should be typed in parentheses in the text and the complete reference provided in a list at the end of the article. (Please note that the use of the citation manager End Note is acceptable.) In-text reference numbers should appear before any punctuation (example: This was shown by Miller (3), and later confirmed by Jones (4)). Authors are responsible for verifying the accuracy and completeness of references. Journal titles should be abbreviated as in Index Medicus. The examples below show the proper style and information required.

Journal article
Shah RR. Drug-induced QT dispersion: does it predict the risk of torsade de pointes? J Electrocardiol 2005;38:10.

Book
Wagner GW. Marriott's Practical Electrocardiology. 10th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins; 2001.

Chapter in a book
Feigenbaum H. Left atrial dimension. In: Feigenbaum H, editor. Echocardiography. 4th ed. Philadelphia: Lea & Febiger; 1986. p. 269.

Website
US Food and Drug Administration/Health Canada. The clinical evaluation of QT/QTc interval prolongation and proarrythmic potential for non-antiarrythmic drugs. Preliminary Concept Paper (15 November 2002). http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/03/briefing/pubs%5Cprelim.pdf [Accessed on 10 February 2004].

Illustrations. Whenever possible, figures should be sized to fit in one column (3¼ inches wide). Color illustrations will be published in color online at no charge to the author. They will be published in black and white in print unless the author agrees to pay the cost of color printing ($650 for the first figure, $100 for each additional figure). Illustrations should be cited in numerical order in the text. Legends, to be included in the manuscript file, should be as brief as possible and should explain any abbreviations used in the illustration. Guidelines on submitting electronic art are available at http://www.elsevier.com/jecg , "Artwork Guidelines," or from the editorial office.

Electrocardiograms. Images should be scanned at a minimum resolution of 600 dpi (1200 dpi if the image contains very fine line weights) in black and white. Images should be saved in TIFF format, not as a compressed BMP or JPG file. ECG waveforms should be shown on a cleanly reproduced background grid. Reproduction of faxed or photocopied ECGs should be avoided, and authors should ensure that scanning does not introduce waveform artifact or jagged background grids. All submissions will be reviewed in the editorial office; if the quality is not sufficient the manuscript will be returned to the authors before the review process is initiated.

Video Clips. Illustrations that are inherently moving images may be submitted as repetitive clips for publication online. Video clips should be submitted as MPG, MOV, AVI, or GIF files. To limit the loading time, clips should contain only one cycle and should be less than 1.5 megabytes. All illustrations should take less than a minute to load. Larger clips are permissible with 3-D images. For the print publication, authors should submit a still picture that is representative of the moving image and should include in the legend a reference to the video clip.

Tables, to be submitted in a separate file, should be intelligible without reference to the text. Footnotes may be used to explain abbreviations. Tables should be cited in numerical order in the text.

Permissions. Authors are responsible for obtaining permission from the copyright holder (usually the publisher or author) for the use of any nonoriginal material. A copy of the written permission must be submitted with the manuscript. Authors are responsible for any permissions fees. Permission request forms are available from the editorial office.

Online-Only Articles. When a manuscript is accepted for publication, the editor will provide the author with the option of publishing either rapidly online only, or later when print space is available. Online-only articles are published as soon as proof corrections are completed and their abstracts are rapidly published in print.

Online-Only Material. Authors may submit materials to be published online only when not appropriate or reasonable to include in the print journal. Examples include video clips, supplemental figures, data sets, or suggested reading lists.

Articles in Press. After proof corrections are incorporated, articles are published online as Articles in Press. The official publication date is the date the article is published online. When an articles is published in print, it is be removed from the Articles in Press page on the journal website.

PDF Proofing. The corresponding author will receive proofs via e-mail in PDF format, which should be corrected and returned within 48 hours of receipt. Proofs must be carefully checked by the authors, as it is their responsibility to see that all errors are corrected and queries from editors answered. Any color art will be included in the PDF proof.

Checklist for the author

__ Title page

__ Title of article and short title (40 characters or fewer)
__ Authors' names, academic degrees, and affiliations
__ Author to whom correspondence and reprint requests are to be sent, including address, business phone and fax numbers, and email address

__ Abstract, no more than 150 words long

__ Text (including Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, and Discussion)
__ References
__ Figure legends
__ Figures and illustrations
__ Tables (provide a brief title for each)

__ Permission to reproduce previously published material in all forms of media

Offline Submission Authors who are unable to submit manuscripts electronically may submit their work via mail or email. The editorial office will make proxy submissions of all manuscripts accompanied by a diskette containing the electronic files of the text, tables, and figures. A double-spaced hard copy version of the final manuscript, free of handwritten alterations, must accompany the disk.

Offline manuscripts and editorial communications should be sent to:

Journal of Electrocardiology
Beverly Perkins, Managing Editor
Duke University Medical Center
2400 Pratt Street, Room 0306
Durham, NC 27705
Tel: 919-668-8826
Fax: 919-668-7079
Email: Perki014@mc.duke.edu



Updated October 2009