|
INSTRUCTIONS TO AUTHORS HAVE BEEN UPDATED ON FEBRUARY 20TH!
PLEASE REVISE THEM CAREFULLY PRIOR TO MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION.
|
__________________________________
General Information
Full name: Journal of Vascular Access
Journal name abbreviation: J Vasc Access
ISSN 1129-7298
eISSN 1724-6032
Indexed in
INDEX MEDICUS / MEDLINE
Science Citation Index Expanded (SciSearch)
CURRENT CONTENTS/Science Edition
EMBASE / Excerpta Medica
IndexCopernicus
Impact Factor 2011: 1.091
Editorial Office
Maurizio Gallieni, MD - Coordinating Editor
Nephrology and Dialysis Unit
Ospedale San Carlo Borromeo
Via Pio II, 3
20153 Milano - Italy
Fax: +39 02 4022 2222
The Journal of Vascular Access publishes only peer-reviewed original manuscripts dealing with clinical and laboratory investigations in the fast growing field of vascular access.
The Journal will consider for publication original articles, reviews, case reports and clinical trial protocols, as well as papers dedicated to more practical aspects covering new devices and techniques.
Reviews
Critical presentations of broad topics of potential interest to those active in the areas of use and development of vascular access. Their length must not exceed eight (8) printed pages, corresponding to about 24 double spaced typewritten pages.
Editorials
The purpose of the editorials is to provide the reader with a balanced overview of relevant and up to date subjects concerning vascular access. Their length must not exceed six (6) printed pages, corresponding to about 18 double spaced typewritten pages
Original manuscripts
The majority of submissions falls into this category. Their length must not exceed six (6) printed pages, corresponding to about 18 double spaced typewritten pages, including Figures and Tables.
Begin each of the following sections on separate pages: Title page, Abstract (structured abstract) and Keywords, Text, Acknowledgements, References, Tables, Figures, Legends.
Techniques in vascular access
This section hosts a series of articles on technical aspects in the creation and management of vascular access patients. The aim of this series is educational, that is information which can be applied in the daily clinical practice. Voluntary contributions are welcome: please address proposals of titles to the Coordinating Editor: . The format might be a step by step description of a technique or it can include a case report, which highlights real problems and stimulates the interest of the reader. In the latter case, Authors can follow this outline:
1) Present pertinent medical history of the problem(s) in the specific patient;
2) Outline the treatment options;
3) Describe what was done and why;
4) Report the outcomes, and
5) Comment summarizing all issues related to the technique described in the case report.
Their length must not exceed eight (8) printed pages, including figures, corresponding to about 24 double spaced typewritten pages.
Case Reports
Clinical case descriptions are accepted in a limited number and should follow the indications for original manuscripts below. Their length is limited to about 2-4 typewritten pages, including references and figures.
Letters to the Editor
Letters are welcome and will be considered for publication. The text should be limited to 500 words, 5 references and 2 figures.
To protect its integrity and to ensure the most reliable information to its readers, the Journal of Vascular Access will not consider manuscripts that have appeared, in part or in total, in other publications. Manuscripts submitted to the Journal of Vascular Access must be an original contribution not previously published in any language or country (except as an abstract or preliminary report) and must not be under consideration for publication elsewhere.
The Coordinating Editor and the Editorial Board are primarily responsible for ensuring a fair review process. However, the final responsibility rests with the authors, not with the Journal, its Editors, or the Publisher and the statements and opinions contained in the articles published in the Journal of Vascular Access are solely those of the individual Authors and contributors.
If accepted, manuscripts must not be published elsewhere in similar form, in any language or country. Publication of the material elsewhere (duplicate publication) without permission of the Journal is a copyright infringement. Authors who violate ethical considerations such as duplication and plagiarism, will face disciplinary actions.
Manuscripts must be submitted online at www.editorialmanager.com/jva. Refer to the Author Tutorial supplied online which offers detailed instruction or initial and revised submission.
First-time users: Please click the Register button from the menu and enter the requested information. On successful registration, you will be sent an e-mail indicating your username and password. Print a copy of this information for future reference. If you wish to change any of the data in your profile, log in with your current username and password and update your profile. You only need to register once and should always use the same e-mail address.
Authors: Please click the log-in button from the menu at the top of the page and log into the system as an Author. Submit your manuscript according to the author instructions. Once you have initiated a submission you can leave it and continue later, as the system will save your information. The Corresponding Author will be able to track the progress of the submission through the system. Should you have any difficulties, please contact the Editorial Office ().
Upon submission you will be required to submit separate files for:
· Manuscript file (consisting of title page, manuscript text, acknowledgements, references, figure legends, tables)
· Figures
· Written authorization (if applicable) to use copyrighted material
We strongly recommend that each time authors log in to the system they check the email address registered for correspondence.
Corresponding Author
The Corresponding Author is the person responsible for a submission and all communication with the Journal regarding that submission.It is the Corresponding Author's responsibility to be sure that all Authors meet the required authorship criteria below. The Corresponding author is expected to update regularly his/her personal information (email, telephone numbers, address) during the entire evaluation and publication process, as any enquiry on a manuscript is answered only to the Corresponding author.
Each author should have participated sufficiently in the work to take public responsibility for the content. This participation must include:
1. Conception or design, or analysis and interpretation of data, or both.
2. Drafting the article or revising it for critically important intellectual content.
3. Final approval of the version to be published. (See Br Med J 1985; 291: 722-723.)
Once a manuscript has been submitted, the order of Authorship (including adding or removing Authors) CAN NOT be changed without a written request to the Editorial Office () from the Corresponding Author. This request must include a statement that all authors are in agreement with the change along with a new copyright form, both signed by all authors. If an author is removed, a letter from that author agreeing to his/her removal is required. The new copyright form must show the manuscript title and authors' names in the order they should appear in print on the top of the form and include original signatures from each. If the authors are not able to agree among themselves on authorship changes, please withdraw the paper. The Editor and Editorial Office do not choose to arbitrate such debates. AUTHORSHIP CHANGES CAN NOT BE SUBMITTED WITH PROOF CHANGES. The publisher is not authorized to make such changes and it will delay the publication of your manuscript.
All manuscripts submitted must be accompanied by the “Copyright Transfer and Authorship responsibility form”. This form states that each author owns the copyright or has written permission to use all the material in the article. It is the Corresponding Author's responsibility to complete and sign on behalf of all Authors the Copyright Transfer Form which will be sent together with the galley proofs and which must be returned to the Publisher.
If the manuscript submitted includes parts to which the authors do not own copyright, then the Authors must provide written authorization from the copyright owner (usually the publisher) to use direct quotations, tables, or illustrations that have appeared in copyrighted form elsewhere, along with complete details about the original source. Give yourself ample time to request and receive permission. Any permissions fees that might be required by the copyright owner are the responsibility of the authors requesting use of the borrowed material not of Wichtig Editore or of the Journal of Vascular Access.
It is the Authors' responsibility:
- to protect patients' anonymity. When a patient is identifiable in a photograph, the Author(s) must supply the Journal with evidence of the patient's permission to publish the photograph. If necessary, Author(s) should mask the figure accordingly and remove names.
- if manuscripts report the results of experimental investigation on human subjects, human derived materials, or human medical records, include a statement that the study was performed with informed consent and following all the guidelines for experimental investigation in human subjects required by the Institutional Review Board (IRB)/Ethics Committee of which all authors are affiliated.
Authors are required to disclose any sponsorship or funding received for their research and any possible conflicts of interest. Conflict of interest is defined as any financial gain brought to the Author or to his/her family, business partners, or employer by direct or indirect commission; stock ownership or options in manufacturing company; involvement in any for-profit or not-for-profit corporation where the Author or his/her family is a director or recipient of a grant, including consultant and travel costs reimbursement. Conflict of interest statements will be published in the article.
Manuscripts that do not adhere to the following guidelines will be returned to the Corresponding Author for technical revision before undergoing the peer review process.
Upon submission you will be required to submit separate files for:
· Manuscript file, consisting of title page, manuscript text, acknowledgements, references, figure legends, tables;
· Figures and illustrations
· Written authorization (if applicable) to use copyrighted material
a) The full title of the article, no longer than 135 characters (count letters and spaces); avoid abbreviations.
b) The short title, no longer than 75 characters (count letters and spaces); avoid abbreviations
c) All authors, listed as first name, middle initial, and last name;
d) Institutional affiliation for each Author, using superscripts and not symbols (e.g. Paul Smith1).
e) State if any of the Authors are members of the Vascular Access Society or of the affiliated societies (VASA, GAVECELT, GSAVAN, VASBI).
f) Corresponding author’s information, Include full name, complete mailing address, telephone number, fax number and e-mail address;
g) Disclosures
Financial support. Identify all sources, public and private of grants and funds in support of the study. Supply the agency name and city, company name and city, fellowship name and grant number.
Conflict of interest. All manuscripts must state, in a footnote, whether any Authors have proprietary interest or not.
Meeting presentation. If the data have been presented at a scientific meeting, state the place, exact date of presentation, and auspices of the meeting.
Informed Consent. Manuscripts reporting the results of experimental investigation on human subjects must include a statement that informed consent was obtained. If the study being reported involved human subjects, human derived materials, or human medical records, please include one of the following statements in the Materials/ Patients and Methods section:
* Institutional Review Board (IRB)/Ethics Committee approval was obtained.
* IRB/Ethics Committee decided approval was not required for this study.
Animal studies. In case of studies carried out on animals, please add a statement that all animals which have been used have been treated according to institutional guidelines and studies using animals comply with the laws of the country where the research was performed.
h) Abstract, which must not exceed 250 words, structured in Purpose, Methods, Results and Conclusions.
i) Keywords: below the abstract, identify 3 to 6 keywords in alphabetical order under which you believe the article should be indexed. .Use terms from the Medical Subject Headings list from lndex Medicus whenever possible.
Starting on a new page, type manuscript using Arial font size 12, as this creates less problems when building your PDF, and save it as Word document (.doc). Use double spacing and do not justify the right margin.
In order to avoid extra page charges, the length of manuscripts must follow the indications supplied in the "Content type" paragraph above. Authors will be charged Euro 130,00 for each additional page directly by the Publisher. Extra page charges do not apply to invited articles. Members of the Vascular Access Society and of the affiliated societies will be charged the reduced fee of Euro 100,00.
Type your manuscript as a single Word file, divided in the following sections:
Introduction: should be pertinent to the study but not an in-depth review of the literature.
Materials and methods: should be clearly defined so that the study may be duplicated by other investigators.
Results: should be as concise as possible.
Discussion: offers an explanation of the results of the study and should limit itself to the subject matter of the paper.
Use only standard abbreviations. The full term for which an abbreviation stands for, should precede its first use in the text.
Cite figures consecutively in the text and number them in the order in which they are presented. Figures must be submitted as separate files and not embedded in the word document.
Acknowledgements
Acknowledge statistical consultation and assistance (when provided by a person different from the Author) in an acknowledgement at the end of the article before the references. Indicate the name, degree and affiliation of the individual. Authors are responsible for obtaining written permission from everyone acknowledged by name.
1. If you use automated reference numbering software or bibliography software, turn it off before submitting the manuscript.
2. References should follow the text and begin on a separate page.
3. They must be double-spaced and numbered consecutively in order of appearance in the text, using the automated numbering tool of Word.
4. Identify references in text, tables, and legends in Arabic numerals in parentheses, i.e. (7).
5. If there are 6 or fewer authors, all authors should be listed. If there are more than 6 authors, list the first three and then "et al"
6. References used within tables should appear as footnotes in the table legend. These references should not be repeated in the main reference list unless they are also cited within the text.
7. List only references pertinent to the manuscript, which you have read and that the reader can retrieve in a literature research.
8. Journals’ names should be abbreviated according to Index Medicus/Medline (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/tsd/serials/lji.html). If there is any doubt about abbreviation of a journal name, it should be spelled out completely.
9. All references must be verified by the Author(s) against the original documents.
10. Personal communications, unpublished data, abstracts, oral or poster presentations should be limited and incorporated in parentheses within the text without a reference number.
11. Any references to studies (including books or articles) that have been accepted for publication, but not yet published, should indicate where they will be published and have the term "in press" in the reference in place of volume and page numbers. These must be updated prior to publication, if possible.
Examples of correct forms of references are given below:
Journal Article
Standard journal article - (List all Authors when six or less: when seven or more list only first three and add et al):
Gundersen K, Bradley RF, Marble A. Serum phosphorus and potassium levels after intravenous administration of glucose. N Engl J Med 1954; 250: 547-54.
Book
Wilmore DW, Carpentier YA eds. Metabolic support of the critically ill patient. Berlin Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag 1993; 157-71.
Chapter in a Book
Knochel JP, Jacobson HR. Renal handling of phosphorus clinical hypophosphatemia and phosphorus deficiency. In: Brenner BM, Rector FC, eds. The Kidney. Philadelphia: WB Saunders, 1985; 619-62.
Url (electronic citation)
References to web resources must always include the full link and the date the information was accessed and the link was live. (E.g. US Renal Data System, USRDS 2010 Annual Data Report: Atlas of Chronic Kidney Disease and End-Stage Renal Disease in the United States, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD, 2010. Chronic kidney disease in the general population. http://www.usrds.org/2010/pdf/v1_01.pdf. Accessed on Feb 20, 2011 )
Figure Legends
Type legends for illustrations double spaced, starting on a separate page with Arabic numerals corresponding to the illustrations. When symbols, arrows, numbers, or letters are used to identify parts of the illustrations, identify and explain each one clearly in the legend.
Tables
As a general rule, tables should not unnecessarily offer duplicate information given in the text. Each table should have a brief title that is fully understandable without reference to the text and should not offer duplicate information offered in the text. Type each table on a separate sheet; using double spacing. Tables should be created in a Word document using the table tools. Do not format tables as columns or tabs and do not submit tables as figures. Tables should be numbered consecutively in Roman numerals by order of citation in the text. Each table must include title, appropriate column heads and explanatory legends, including definitions of any abbreviation used. References used within tables should appear as footnotes in the table legend.
Cite figures consecutively in the text, and number them in the order in which they are discussed. Figures must be submitted as individual files, choosing "figure" in the pull down menu in the “Attach file” step during the submission. Below it there is the "Description" box; where you should enter the figure number. Do not enter legends here, just the figure number. Please name figure files as fig. 1, fig. 2 etc.Always ensure that the file extension is present to ensure quick and easy format identification.
Clinical photographs must be masked to prevent identification of the patient. Clinical photographs that permit identification of an individual must be accompanied by a signed statement by the patient or guardian granting permission for publication of the pictures for educational purposes.
Do not embed figures in the Word document. If figures are not submitted in a high enough resolution for publishing, they will be returned to the author.
Digital art should be created/scanned, saved and submitted as either a TIFF (tagged image file format) or an EPS (encapsulated postscript) file. Do not submit figures as PPT files (Powerpoint files). Electronic photographs and scanned images must have a resolution of at least 300 dpi . Line art must have a resolution of at least 1200 dpi. Any figure containing text should be saved only as TIFF file. Color images must be created/scanned and saved and submitted as CMYK files. The physical dimensions of any artwork must fit within the dimensions of the pages within the Journal. (i.e., width no more than 10 cm)
No text should appear on the face of a figure. Lettering, arrows, and other symbols should be large enough to remain legible after reduction to a figure with a base of 10 cm. All symbols or letters that appear on the figures should be defined in the legend. Composites are recommended for figures in more parts (e.g., Fig 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E), labelled using typed text in a corner of each image. Composite are encouraged for multipanel figures. Arial font should be used for any lettering or text on a figure. If possible use the same font type and size in all artworks (we recommend Arial 12).
The Author should use colour figures only when necessary. If a manuscript has been submitted, reviewed and accepted with colour figures, then it MUST be published with colour figures. The Publisher charges Authors directly for colour figures included in the manuscript. Colour figure charge is Euro 600,00 for the first page plus Euro 80,00 for each additional figure. Authors will receive a Colour Charge Form from the publisher together with the Galley proofs, to be returned prior to publication.
Letters to Editor can refer to articles previously published in the Journal of Vascular Access as well as offer independent opinions. They should be typed double-spaced and be no more than 500 words in length including no more than 5 references and no more than 2 figures. All letters must contain a Title Page as indicated for Original Manuscripts.
The letters should start with "Dear Editor" and the article eventually being commented on should be referenced in the first paragraph of the letter and be ref. n. 1. It should end with the name, degree and location for each author. (for example: Maurizio Gallieni, MD, Milan - Italy).
Process: a Letter to the Editor is reviewed by the Coordinating Editor, and, in some instances, by outside reviewers. If the letter is to be accepted for publication and it refers to a published article, the Corresponding Author of the article being commented on will be invited to respond to it. If the invitation is accepted both letter and reply will be edited, reference checked and published together. If the invitation to comment is declined, the letter will be processed and published by itself.
If you are the Corresponding Author of the article cited in a Letter to Editor and receive an email invitation to comment on it, you must log in to the system, accept the invitation immediately and then upload and submit your reply within 20 days to the Editorial Office. The response must cite the title of the letter, e.g. “Response to (Title of Letter)
Each manuscript submission will be acknowledged in the order received in the Journal office. The acknowledgment letter will note the number assigned to the manuscript. All subsequent inquiries about the manuscript must indicate the manuscript number.
Usually two and sometimes several reviewers will participate in the review of a manuscript. The Journal does not reveal the identity of its reviewers but does send pertinent comments back to the corresponding author. It is the corresponding author's responsibility to check periodically on the status of their manuscript.
A decision letter will be sent by email to the Corresponding author with detailed revision instructions. Re-review may be required after revision if, in the judgment of the Editor-in-Chief, sufficient modification of the manuscript or data justifies another review cycle or if one (or both) of the reviewers requested to see the revision. Point by point response is required to the reviewers' comments (full instructions will be provided in the decision letter).
If it is determined through the review process that your manuscript requires revision, you will receive an email containing all comments from the reviewers and instructions to submit your revision. The revised version must be submitted within the time indicated in the instruction letter. If for any reason you decide not to revise your manuscript please make sure you log in as Author and click on the “Decline to revise” link, to notify the Editorial Office, Editor and Reviewers.
Log in as An Author with your username and password. The manuscript will be in the folder "Submissions needing revision".
1) Download all files which need revision by clicking on the "Download files" button. Do not work on the files stored in your own computer, but on the version available in the system, as sometimes minor stylistic changes are made
2) Make changes to the text (remember to mark them in colour), figures, etc. according to the reviewers’ comments.
3) Using the Reference Checking tool supplied online correct all references which are not validated;
4) Prepare and save on your computer a point-by-point Response to Reviewers that clearly states how each issue raised by the reviewers has been covered and where it can be found (each reviewer's comment followed by the relative author reply, the page and line numbers where the changes have been made, using as a guide the pdf created by the system). All changes must be marked in colour in the manuscript file. You will not need to upload this file, but to copy and paste it in the space provided during the revision submission process
When all files are revised as needed, log in again as an Author go to the folder "Submissions needing revision" and click on "Submit revision":
1) Submit the manuscript file and figure files revised according to the Reviewers’ comments,
2) Submit a point-by-point Response to Reviewers
Refer to the Author Tutorial supplied online which offers detailed instruction for revised submissions.
PUBLICATION PROCESS
The coordinating Editor accepts the manuscript with the understanding that the Authors cooperate in a timely manner with the production process, including any response to future correspondence from the Journal or its readers.
If the submission is accepted, it will be edited to conform with Editorial Board policy in accordance with the "Uniform requirements for manuscripts submitted to biomedical journals ". The corresponding author will receive typeset page proofs. Each corresponding author is expected to proofread all pages carefully and answer all queries posed by the copy editor. The Journal reserves final editorial approval for style, format, and grammar.
The Coordinating Editor accepts the manuscript with the understanding that the authors cooperate in a timely manner with the production process, including any response to future correspondence from the Journal of Vascular Access or its readers. If accepted, your article will be copyedited, then processed into page proofs, with all figures and tables in place. The Production Editor will then send the Corresponding Author proofs by e-mail, together with a notification for manuscript colour charges if applicable, and an Offprint order form. Page proofs should be reviewed and returned within 48 hours otherwise the article will be printed with staff corrections only. The publisher does not send reminders and responding to publisher's queries is the corresponding author's responsibility. The Journal reserves final editorial approval for style, format, and grammar. AUTHORSHIP CHANGES including adding or removing Authors CAN NOT BE SUBMITTED WITH PROOF CHANGES. The publisher is not authorized to make such changes and it will delay the publication of your manuscript.
Authors will receive a reprint order form and a price list with the page proofs. Reprint requests should be faxed with the corrected proofs. Reprints ordered post publication are subject to a surcharge of 40% to cover for additional production costs. Reprints are normally shipped 6 to 8 weeks after publication of the issue in which the item appears. For enquiries contact the Production Editor of the Journal ().
From September 2010, manuscripts have been available online in the section "Article In Press" of the Journal after the proofs have been approved by the Author. The only difference with the final published version is that the page numbers have not yet been assigned and when an article is assigned to an issue it will be removed from the section. The early online release is not a final draft of the article as it is released after all editorial and author corrections have been included. No further amendments will be made to the article and it should not be intended as an additional opportunity to make corrections. If a major, critical error is reported to the journal before going to print, the Publisher will, if possible, correct it or an erratum will be published in a subsequent issue. It is the corresponding author's responsibility to make sure all corrections and editing is done when returning the corrected proofs.
last updated: 17/2/2011