Guide for Authors

The Official Journal of the European Society of Veterinary Cardiology (ESVC)



Mission


The Journal of Veterinary Cardiology publishes peer-reviewed articles of the highest quality involving research and clinical practice that promote greater understanding of cardiovascular disease, and enhance the health and well being of animals and humans. The Journal presents original contributions that cover the spectrum of cardiology including prospective and retrospective studies, clinical trials, epidemiology, observational studies, interventional imaging, cardiovascular techniques, and advances in applied and basic research in companion animals, non-companion species, and laboratory animals.

The Journal invites submission of original manuscript from clinicians and scientists. Specific content areas of interest include clinical cardiac disease, heart failure, arrhythmias, acquired and congenital heart disease, cardiovascular medicine and surgery, hypertension, health outcomes research, diagnostic imaging, interventional and cardiovascular techniques, genetics, molecular cardiology, translational research, pharmacology, therapeutics, toxicology, and cardiovascular pathology.

A unique aspect of the Journal of Veterinary Cardiology is the integration of multimedia and graphic files that add considerable value to printed manuscripts. The Journal accepts electronic video and sound files which permits the detailing of clinical procedures, diagnostics, and techniques. (See details under Videos).

Ethical Policy
Submission of a manuscript implies that the work described has not been published previously (except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture or academic thesis), that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere, that its publication is approved by all Authors and by the responsible authorities where the work was carried out, and that, if accepted, it will not be published elsewhere in the same form, in English or in any other language, without the written consent of the Publisher.

Ethical Use of Animals
All studies involving use of animals must contain a statement that animals received humane care - in accordance for example, with humane care guidelines specified by the author's institution. Where appropriate, authors must attest that animal studies were approved by the Institutional Review Board, Institutional Animal Use and Care Committee, or similar body.

Prospective clinical studies involving client-owned animals must be designed to assure written client informed consent.

Conflict of interest
Authors must acknowledge funding sources that supported submitted research. The authors must also inform the Editor of any associations that could be considered as conflict of interest.

Authorship
Guidelines of the World Association of Medical Editors regarding authorship ( http://www.icmje.org) are followed. For an individual to be included as an author of a paper, the individual should have made substantial contributions to the ideas, conception and design of the study and acquisition of data, and analysis and interpretation of data. In addition, the individual must have been involved in drafting and revising the manuscript and must have approved the final version. Authorship is NOT justified for editorial assistance or writing suggestions of the manuscript, acquisition of funding or collection of data only, routine patient care or enrollment of cases, or general supervision of the research group or clinic. The order of authorship and corresponding author will not be suggested or implemented by the editors but is solely decided by the authors.

Submissions
Manuscripts submitted to the Journal of Veterinary Cardiology must conform to the style and format of the Journal as provided below (How to Prepare a Manuscript). Manuscripts will be judged on the basis of scientific content, originality, and suitability for the Journal and are peer reviewed. The Journal does not perform extensive editing and authors must obtain assistance if necessary to assure professional manuscript composition and English syntax before submission. Authors who submit manuscripts that include numerical data are responsible to assure that statistical analyses conform to current accepted statistical practices. Prior review of statistical methods and results is strongly suggested before submission. Manuscripts which contain faulty English composition will not be accepted. The Journal of Veterinary Cardiology will not accept manuscripts that contain poor quality images or illustrations.

Peer Review
All manuscripts are examined by the editorial staff and evaluated by expert reviewers selected by the editors or review board. Where appropriate, manuscripts will also be subject to statistical review. All comments provided by reviewers must be satisfactorily addressed by the authors in order for the manuscript to be accepted for publication.

How to Prepare a Manuscript
The Journal of Veterinary Cardiology publishes several types of manuscripts under the following sections (a brief description follows). It is suggested that before submitting a paper to a specialty section that authors contact a Section Editor for further guidance when needed.

Original Research and Clinical Studies
Original research and clinical studies involving cardiovascular disease including: congenital and acquired heart disease, heart failure, arrhythmias, physiology, genetics, molecular cardiology, diagnostic imaging, epidemiology, clinical trials and outcomes research, hypertension, and cardiovascular surgery. Reports of case series with 6 or more animals may be formatted as described for this section. If 5 or fewer animals are in the case series, papers should be submitted as case reports. Final decisions regarding placement of a paper are made by the editors. The following describes the sections for these papers and include: Abstract; Introduction; Animals, materials and methods; Results; Discussion; and Conclusions.

Abstract. Each paper should have a structured abstract that includes the headings: Objectives, Animals, Methods, Results, and Conclusions. The abstract should be limited to 200 words.

Introduction. The introduction should provide a brief and relevant literature overview, and a clear statement of study objectives and rationale.

Animals, materials and methods. This section provides a concise description of the experimental and statistical methods and of the procedures in sufficient detail to allow other investigators to reproduce the study and results. In studies involving use of animals, authors must attest that the animals were treated humanely and specify approval for the study by their Institutional Review Board, or similar body (see Ethical Policy, above).

Results. State concisely, in logical sequence, the results of the study. Do not reproduce the same data in the text as is presented in the graphs, tables, and figures.

Discussion. Provide a concise discussion of the investigation or study. Emphasize new and important implications of the findings, how these observations relate to other relevant studies, and relevance to the literature. Limitations of the study must be mentioned.

Conclusions. List and briefly summarize the major conclusions of the investigation.

Cardiovascular Methods and Analysis
The purpose of this section is to provide an avenue for those with extensive experience in performing and analyzing cardiovascular diagnostics to share the knowledge of the methods for a singular procedure or the analysis of a particular component. Articles submitted for publication in the Cardiovascular Methods and Analysis section should use images and videos of the procedures and/or the generated data. (An example of a methodology paper would be one that details the description for the implantation of a VDD pacemaker, and an example of an analysis paper is one that details interpretation of sensing problems with pacemakers.) Manuscripts involving invasive procedures are particularly encouraged. Such papers should be the constellation of experience and not single case reports or reviews. Authors of potential manuscripts are strongly advised to consult with the Section Editors concerning topics. An unstructured abstract comprising 100 words or less should be included.

Cardiovascular Images
The goal of this section is to provide readers with clinically relevant information relating to the practice of veterinary cardiology through excellent cardiovascular images. Images will be considered for publication from research studies that give insight into clinical medicine. Manuscripts should be concise and focused. Only high quality still and video images will be considered. Images may be of electrocardiograms (ECG), echocardiograms (including Doppler, tissue Doppler), electrophysiologic studies, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computerized tomography (CT), radiographs, pathology or others. It is not the purpose of this section to present case reports; but rather, it is to present the image and the diagnostic process of its interpretation.

The text (excluding figure legends and references) should be limited to 1500 words. Submissions to this section should begin with a very brief description of the case when appropriate, followed by the headings "Image Interpretation" and "Discussion". The discussion should focus on the assessment of the image and its meaning. Inclusion of videos is encouraged. Authors must read thoroughly the requirements for still images and the videos as addressed in the on-line Instructions to Authors. An unstructured abstract comprising 100 words or less should be included.

Pharmacology and Therapeutic
Manuscripts report experimental studies or clinical trials that focus on pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, efficacy, and safety aspects of drugs. Follow the instructions as described under Original Research and Clinical Studies.

Cardiovascular Pathology
Manuscripts emphasize gross, histopathologic, ultrastructural, or immunohistochemical features of cardovascular disease. Also included are studies that emphasize basic and clinical morphology, disease pathogenesis, or molecular aspects. Papers should provide insights to basic mechanisms of disease, or highlight clinical structural and functional correlates of cardiovascular pathology. An unstructured abstract comprising 100 words or less should be included.

Translational Science
Manuscripts should relate (i.e., translate) the application of basic science to the etiopathogenesis, diagnosis, or treatment of cardiovascular disease in clinical medicine. Manuscripts should ideally be co-written by a research scientist and a clinician. Papers should be clearly understandable by clinical as well as basic scientists. Supporting graphics and videos are encouraged. An unstructured abstract comprising 100 words or less should be included.

Case Reports
Case reports will be considered for publication if they contain information not previously reported, if they have sufficient merit to spark future studies or expand the understanding of disease, or provide insights to more effective therapies. Alternatively, case reports will be considered that contain supporting graphic or video images that are exceptionally insightful, cutting-edge, or offer a new perspective regarding disease pathophysiology or management. Case series comprising 5 animals or fewer can be considered as case reports. An unstructured abstract comprising 100 words or less should be included. The entire report must not exceed 2500 words (excluding references, which should be limited to 25 or less). All graphics must be of excellent quality and clarity.

Review Articles
Review articles may be solicited by the editorial board or submitted without invitation. Their purpose is to provide an overview of a specialized area of cardiology. Such manuscripts will only be considered for publication if submitted by author(s) who have an established record of publication related to the review article. An outline should be submitted to the Editors-in-Chief for pre-approval before writing and submitting the review article. Both solicited and unsolicited review articles will undergo the same rigorous peer review as all manuscripts.

Submission of Manuscripts
Submissions to the Journal of Veterinary Cardiology are processed via the Elsevier Editorial System: http://ees.elsevier.com/jvc which will guide the authors on the process for uploading the manuscript and illustration files. Authors must select a classification that most closely fits their submission, from a given list that is made available during this process, and the related category designation (e.g. Cardiovascular Images, Original Research and Clinical Studies). Electronic PDF proofs will be automatically generated from uploaded files, and used for subsequent reviewing.

Authors may send queries concerning the submission process or procedures to: AuthorSupport@elsevier.com. Authors can check the status of their manuscript within the review procedure using Elsevier Editorial System.

Submission of an article is understood to imply that the article is original and is not being considered for publication elsewhere. Submission also implies that all authors have approved the paper for release and are in agreement with its content. Upon acceptance of the article by the journal, the author(s) will be asked to transfer the copyright of the article to the Publisher. This transfer will ensure the widest possible dissemination of information. Special arrangements can be made with the publisher on a case by case basis concerning original artwork.

General Manuscript Preparation
Manuscripts must be double-spaced with margins of 2.5 cm (1 in.) and numbered lines. The text should be in single-column format. Keep the layout of the text as simple as possible. Most formatting codes will be removed and replaced when processing the article. In particular, do not use the word processor's options to justify text or to hyphenate words. However, do use bold face, italics, subscripts, and superscripts. Do not embed "graphically designed" equations or tables, but prepare these using the word processor's facility. Pages are to be numbered consecutively, beginning with the title page.

Format manuscripts and tables in Microsoft Word (use Office 2003 for Windows, Mac, or more current versions). Always keep a backup copy of the electronic file for reference and safety. Save your files using the default extension of the program used.

Present Tables and Figure Captions on separate pages at the end of the manuscript.

All figures must be submitted as separate files (do not imbed any figures into the manuscript). Information concerning the preparation of figures can be found at two sites. The general site for the publisher ( http://www.elsevier.com/artworkinstructions) and the specific Journal of Veterinary Cardiology site ( http://ees.elsevier.com/jvc) and click on Guide to Authors. You are urged to visit these sites (note: some excerpts from the detailed information are given below under the heading Figures and Videos).

Title Page
The first page should include the title of the manuscript, the first and last names of the authors, their highest degrees, institutions or affiliations, and a short title for use as running head. Diplomat status should not be included. Following the list of authors, present the addresses of the authors' affiliations (i.e., where the actual work was done). Indicate all affiliations with a lower-case superscript letter immediately after the author's name and in front of the appropriate address. Provide the full postal address of each affiliation, including the country name.
Corresponding author: Clearly specify the name of the author who will handle correspondence at all stages of peer review, publication, and post-publication. Include e-mail address.

Abstract and Keywords
For the abstract see specific instructions under the appropriate manuscript category.

Keywords: provide 3 to 5 keywords that will assist indexers in cross-indexing your article.

Special Sections
Guidelines for the special section headings will vary and prospective authors are asked to read the specific guidelines on the website for this information.

Footnotes
Footnotes should be used sparingly. Cite footnotes by superscript, lowercase letters in the order in which they appear in the text. Indicate the position of footnotes in the text and present the footnotes themselves on a separate sheet at the end of the article, listing footnotes alphabetically. Do not include footnotes in the Reference list. For products and equipment, provide complete information in the footnote, including manufacturer's name and location (i.e., city, state, and country). Abstracts and personal communications should also be cited as footnotes.

References
Text: Indicate references by superscript numbers in the text. The actual Authors can be referred to, but the reference number(s) must always be given.

List: Number the references in the list in the order in which they appear in the text. References must be verified by the author(s) against the original documents. Please ensure that every reference that is cited in the text is also present in the reference list (and vice versa). Unpublished observations, personal communications, and submitted papers not yet accepted may not appear in the reference section. All authors must be listed for each reference.

Journal article - example
Santilli RA, Spadacini G, Moretti P, Perego M, Perini A, Tarducci A, Crosara S, Salerno-Uriarte JA. Radiofrequency catheter ablation of concealed accessory pathways in two dogs with symptomatic atrioventricular reciprocating tachycardia. J Vet Cardiol 2006;8:157-165.

Chapter in a book - example
Sisson D. Medical management of refractory congestive heart failure in dogs. In: Bonagura JD, editor. Kirk's Current Veterinary Therapy XIII. Philadelphia, WB Saunders; 2000. p. 752-756.

Abstracts may be cited only if they are the sole source of information.

"In press" citations must have been accepted for publication and must include the name of the journal.

Tables
Tables prepared with Excel are not accepted.
Use the same style font (at least 10 point) that is used in the text.
All abbreviations used in a table must be defined by footnote.
When preparing tables, if you are using a table grid, use only one grid for each individual table and not a grid for each row. If no grid is used, use tabs, not spaces, to align columns.

Number tables consecutively in accordance with their appearance in the text. Place footnotes to tables below the table body. Indicate table footnotes with lower case letters: a, b, c, etc. Avoid vertical rules. Be sparing in the use of tables and ensure that the data presented in tables do not duplicate results described elsewhere in the article.

Figure Captions
Ensure that each illustration has a caption. Supply captions on a separate page, not attached to the figure. A caption should comprise a brief title (not on the figure itself) followed by a description of the illustration. Keep text in the illustrations themselves to a minimum but explain all symbols and abbreviations used.

Acknowledgements
Specify all sources of research support and list all individuals who made meaningful contributions to the manuscript.

Figures
Authors should visit the Elsevier website:
( http://www.elsevier.com/artworkinstructions) and the specific Journal of Veterinary Cardiology site:
( http://ees.elsevier.com/jvc) and click on Guide for Authors for up to date information concerning figure submission. Figures must be of high quality in order to meet publication standards. It is emphasized that figures of inadequate resolution will not be published. Each figure should be provided as a separate file. Number the figures according to their sequence in the text. Regardless of the application used, when your electronic artwork is finalized, please "save as" or convert the images to one of the following formats. (Note the resolution requirements for line drawings, halftones, and line/halftone combinations given below):
EPS: Vector drawings. Embed the font or save the text as "graphics".
TIFF: Colour or greyscale photographs (halftones): always use a minimum of 300 dpi.
TIFF: Bitmapped line drawings: use a minimum of 1000 dpi.
TIFF: Combinations bitmapped line/half-tone (colour or greyscale): use a minimum of 500 dpi.
•Do not supply files that are optimized for screen use (like GIF, BMP, PICT, WPG, PPT); the resolution of these files are too low.
•Heading information should appear only in the figure legend.
•Save text in illustrations as "graphics" or enclose the font. Font size must be 10 point or greater. Be sure that text on the illustrations is of adequate size and quality to be seen. Make sure you use uniform lettering and sizing of your original artwork.
•Only use the following fonts in your illustrations: Arial, Courier, Helvetica, Times, Symbol. Do not include hair lines in line art.
•All symbols and abbreviations must be defined in the figure or its legend.

Videos
Authors should visit the Elsevier website http://www.elsevier.com/artworkinstructions) and the specific Journal of Veterinary Cardiology site ( http://ees.elsevier.com/jvc) and click on Guide for Authors to obtain up to date information concerning video submission.

The following are the guidelines for the inclusion of videos in manuscripts.

1. If the manuscript contains 1 or 2 videos please additionally submit an individual still image and legend that will serve as a figure within the manuscript that cites the video.
2. If the manuscript contains 3 or more videos please additionally submit a brief table that identifies the video number with a brief title or legend for each video included.
3. All videos must include a frame that lasts long enough for identification of the author, title of the manuscript, and affiliation where the work was done. Also, the name Journal of Veterinary Cardiology must appear on this frame.
4. Videos will become part of a Video Library of the Journal of Veterinary Cardiology. They will be available online and searchable by topic and author. Authors need to provide a means by which the subject of the video is understood. The latter objective may be accomplished by (1) the still image with legend, (2) the table, (3) word frames within the video, and/or (4) voice over during video play (English language).

The submitted videos can be viewed (by those readers with subscription access) by going to: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/17602734. The issue to be viewed is clicked and then the (blue) article title. Any supplementary material (including videos) is indicated in the article outline. A click on this heading leads to the video which can then be downloaded. Downloading the videos may take several minutes. It is anticipated that most users will have the relevant software or plug-ins to view videos online. In cases where videos do not play, readers are advised to download one of the many freeware video player programmes available such as VLC media centre ( http://www.videolan.org/vlc). Next to each multimedia (video) file there is a little 'Help' feature that explains how to "play" that particular file. Another means to view the material is to go to http://www.doi.org and enter the below doi number unique to the paper.

Offprints
1. The corresponding author will, at no cost, be provided with a PDF file of the article via e-mail or, alternatively, 25 free paper offprints. The PDF file is a watermarked version of the published article and includes a cover sheet with the journal cover image and a disclaimer outlining the terms and conditions of use.

2. Additional paper offprints can be ordered on an offprint order form, which is included with the proofs.

3. UNESCO coupons are acceptable in payment of extra paper offprints. A total of 25 free offprints of each paper will be made available to its author(s). Additional copies can be ordered at proof stage when a scale of costs will be supplied.

Copyright statement
Upon acceptance of an article, Authors will be asked to transfer copyright (for more information on copyright, see http://authors.elsevier.com). This transfer will ensure the widest possible dissemination of information. A letter will be sent to the corresponding Author confirming receipt of the manuscript. A form facilitating transfer of copyright will be provided. If excerpts from other copyrighted works are included, the Author(s) must obtain written permission from the copyright owners and credit the source(s) in the article. Elsevier has preprinted forms for use by Authors in these cases: contact Elsevier's Rights Department, Philadelphia, PA, USA:
Tel: (+1) 215 239 3804; Fax: (+1) 215 239 3805;
E-mail: healthpermissions@elsevier.com.
Requests may also be completed on-line via the Elsevier homepage:
( http://www.elsevier.com/locate/permissions).
Special arrangements can be made regarding original artwork.