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Authorship Responsibility and Copyright Transfer Agreement Form

Instructions to Authors

(revised November 2009)

RECENT SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE GUIDELINES ARE HIGHLIGHTED THROUGHOUT

HOW TO CONTACT THE JOURNAL

Address all correspondence to the Circulation Research Editorial Office:
Roberto Bolli, M.D.
Editor-in-Chief, Circulation Research
3355 Keswick Rd, Main Bldg 103
Baltimore, MD 21211
Phone: 410-327-5005
Fax: 410-327-9322
E-mail: circulation.research{at}circresearch.com
Online submission: http://submit-circres.ahajournals.org

Editorial Scope. Circulation Research is a forum for fundamental, mechanistic research of relevance to the cardiovascular system from various disciplines including biochemistry, biophysics, cellular biology, molecular biology, genetics, pathology, physiology, and pharmacology. The journal publishes manuscripts of the highest quality pertaining to basic cardiac and vascular biology and encourages the submission of work that uses state-of-the-art approaches to illuminate mechanisms of human disease. A special welcome is extended to translational research and to clinical research that yields fundamental insights; studies in humans or human tissues that advance our understanding of the basis of disease and the mechanism of therapies are an area of particular emphasis.

Circulation Research is an official journal of the American Heart Association and is the official journal of the Council on Basic Cardiovascular Sciences of the American Heart Association. Circulation Research is published as a print journal with 24 issues per year.

Review Process.  The review process at Circulation Research is rapid. An editorial decision is usually made in <20 days for Regular Articles and in 7 days for Brief Ultrarapid Communications (vide infra).

For the month of October 2009, the average time from submission to first decision for all original research papers submitted to Circulation Research was 11.9 days.

Manuscripts submitted to Circulation Research are examined by the editors, who usually recruit three expert reviewers. Papers are carefully evaluated in terms of novelty, importance, methodology, and broad interest to the readership (vide infra). When appropriate, articles are also subjected to statistical review. Decisions are communicated by email. The editors will not discuss a decision regarding a manuscript over the phone. All rebuttals must be submitted in writing to the editorial office. The editorial policy of Circulation Research is not to respond to pre-submission inquiries. The Editors of Circulation Research will not reply to emails from potential authors inquiring if their manuscript or proposed manuscript topic is suitable for the journal. Authors should submit their manuscripts for formal peer review after following all of the guidelines listed in these Instructions to Authors.

Criteria for Publication in Circulation Research. The mission of Circulation Research is to publish new information that constitutes an important conceptual advance vis-à-vis existing knowledge. Accordingly, the main criteria for acceptance are conceptual novelty, importance, and soundness of methodology. Priority is given to work that provides substantial new mechanistic insights into cardiovascular biology and disease. The editors also take into account whether a manuscript is of interest to the broad readership of Circulation Research. Even when the methodology is valid, significant novelty and impact are a sine qua non for acceptance. Thus, studies that are well designed, well presented, methodologically sound, flawlessly executed, even mechanistically focused, but have low potential impact (e.g., they address a narrow field or have limited implications) and/or little conceptual novelty (e.g., they are variations or extensions of previous ideas, or merely incremental advances vs. previous work) are generally not published. Similarly, manuscripts that are otherwise outstanding but lack breadth of appeal (i.e., they are of interest to a very narrow segment of the readership) are usually not published.

ARTICLE TYPES     ONLINE SUBMISSION GUIDELINES     MANUSCRIPT REVISIONS     JOURNAL POLICIES

ARTICLE TYPES

Note the length restrictions and other eligibility criteria listed below. Word limits include all sections of the manuscript: text, figure legend(s), table(s), and references.

ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLES

Except for New Methods (vide infra), Original Research Articles should provide substantial new mechanistic insights into cardiovascular biology in health and disease. Circulation Research publishes several types of manuscripts under the rubric of Original Research Articles - a diverse portfolio that is intended to meet the various needs of authors. A brief description of each manuscript type and its length limits follows:

Regular Articles:  Text limit: 6,000 words; Display Item limit: 8 Figures and/or Tables. Published in print and online. An editorial decision is usually rendered in <20 days; in 2008, the average time from submission to first decision for Regular Articles was 18.9 days.

NEW: Policy on Length of Regular Articles.  The editors recognize that flexibility in article length is necessary because some papers of great impact are unavoidably comprehensive and cannot be compressed into the standard 6,000-word/eight-display items limit without a significant loss of quality. Authors of such articles have two options: i) publishing part of their manuscript online (as an Online Supplement), so as to keep the print version within the standard limit of 6,000 words and eight display items, or ii) publishing the entire paper in the print version (except for the detailed Methods section, which is published online) and paying for the extra pages. The latter option is offered for those authors who do not wish to divide their papers between print and online version.

If the length of the manuscripts exceeds 6,000 words and eight display items, and if in the editors’ judgment the paper cannot be compressed into the standard space limits without loss of quality, the authors will be asked to choose between these two options. If the authors choose the extended print version option, they must provide written assurance that they will cover the costs of the pages and/or display items that are in excess of the standard limits. Page charges for publication in Circulation Research are $70 per printed page for the pages included in the standard 6,000-word and eight-display items limit. When a manuscript exceeds these limits, a charge of $425 for every 1,000 words over the 6,000 word limit will be assessed. The regular charge of $70 per page applies as well. No word or display item limits apply to the Online Supplement, which can include supporting data and/or expanded text to offset the limits on the print version. Such online supplementary information can be cited in the print version as appropriate.  Note that the option of an extended print version applies only to Regular Articles; Short Communications and BURCs are excluded.

NEW: Short Communications: Text limit: 2,500 words.  Display Item limit: 4 figures and/or tables. Published in print and online.

The purpose of this new category is to provide an avenue for publishing papers that are more narrowly focused than Regular Articles but are still definitive and scientifically rigorous. The review time for these papers will be similar to that for Regular Articles; the only difference between Regular Articles and Short Communications is the length of the manuscript.

NEW: Brief Ultrarapid Communications (BURCs): Text limit: 2,500 words. Display Item limit: 4 figures and/or tables. Published in print and online.

The purpose of this new category is to provide an extremely rapid decision (within 7 days) on papers of unusual impact. BURCs are an appropriate format for manuscripts that are of outstanding interest to the readership, report definitive observations, but have a relatively narrow scope. Less comprehensive than Regular Articles but still scientifically rigorous, BURCs present seminal findings that have the potential to open up new avenues of research.

These manuscripts will be handled in an accelerated fashion. Within seven days of submission, authors will receive a “yes/no” decision; detailed comments by the referees will not be available. If the editors and reviewers deem a revision to be necessary, this will consist only of minor edits (changes in the text and/or minor changes in the figures), and authors will have only five days to revise and resubmit. Like other Original Contribution Articles, BURCs will be published online ahead of print 7-14 days after acceptance; thus, the total time from submission to publication of BURCs will be 14-21 days if no revision is needed and 19-26 days if a revision is needed.

BURCs have the same length restrictions as Short Communications, but their review is faster. A brief letter to the editor explaining the importance of the findings and the reason for requesting accelerated publication should accompany the manuscript.

NEW: New Methods in Cardiovascular Biology:  Text limit: 6,000 words; Display Item limit: 8 figures and/or tables. Published in print and online.

This new category consists of papers that describe enabling technologies that may have a broad impact - new and important research tools and techniques with the potential to transform research practice and to be useful to a broad spectrum of investigators. Authors should provide a detailed description of the technology and discuss its conceptual underpinning, strengths and limitations, and potential applications in cardiovascular biology. At least one example of application of the new methodology to a specific question relevant to the cardiovascular system should be provided.

INVITED ARTICLES

Circulation Research publishes several types of manuscripts under the rubric of Invited Articles. In general, these articles are commissioned by the editors, but unsolicited submissions will also be considered for publication. A brief description of each manuscript type and its length limits follows:

Editorials: Text limit: 2,000 words. Display Item limit: 2  figures and/or tables.  Featured in print and online. All editorials are commissioned by the editors.

Reviews:  Text limit: 12,000 words. Display Item limit: 8 figures and/or tables. Featured in print and online. Most Reviews are commissioned by the editors; however, unsolicited Reviews will be considered.

NEW: News & Views:  The purpose of this new category is to appraise the readership of important new developments in cardiovascular research. Generally 1-2 pages in length and published either monthly or bi-weekly, News & Views features short reports of up-to-date science news of broad general interest authored by a science writer (including summaries of important new discoveries and international news), columns prepared by scientific thought leaders, highlights of basic and translational science presented at AHA meetings (e.g., Annual Sessions, BCVS Council meeting), commentaries and historical perspectives by leading cardiovascular scientists, discussion of issues relevant to early career investigators, and columns prepared by the editors.

NEW: Personal Reflections on Discoveries in Cardiovascular Biology: Length limit: 4,000 words;  Display Item limit: 4  figures and/or tables. Featured in print and online.

This new category consists of autobiographic essays written by leading scientists who narrate the circumstances, insights, and emotions surrounding seminal discoveries that they have made. Unlike typical reviews, these articles are personal and reflective, featuring a blend of scientific, autobiographic, and emotional content. It is hoped that through these articles, the readers can learn how scientific breakthroughs actually happen.
 
NEW: Controversies in Cardiovascular Research.  Featured in print and online.

This new category consists of back-to-back articles arguing opposing points of view on a topic of broad current interest.  Each discussant writes a brief Position Paper arguing a point of view (word limit, 2,000; Display Item limit, 2 figures and/or table), and a brief response to the opposing Position Paper (word limit: 1,000). The two Position Papers and the two responses are published together in the same issue. In selected cases where multiple points of view exist, more than two discussants may participate in the Controversy. All Controversies are commissioned by the editors.

NEW: Basic Implications of Clinical Observations:  Length limit: 6,000 words. Display Item limit: 8 figures and/or tables.  Featured in print and online.

The purpose of this new category is to discuss the mechanistic and pathophysiological questions that are raised by clinical/epidemiological observations. These articles address clinical studies or clinical topics that are clearly important for patients but where the basic biological mechanism remains elusive. The central question is, “What is the basic mechanism behind this clinical observation?” Usually coauthored by a clinician and a basic scientist, these articles highlight the importance of clinical studies and observations and then point out potential avenues for exploration at the basic level that could illuminate the mechanism of the clinical data. Basic Implications discuss both specific clinical studies and general clinical topics. It is hoped that these articles will stimulate new ideas for basic research projects. All papers in this category are commissioned by the editors.

NEW: Emerging Science: Text limit: 4,000 words. Display Item limit: 4 figures and/or tables.  Featured in print and online.

This new category consists of brief commentaries, published on an occasional basis, that highlight areas of research that are still too preliminary for a full review but are at the cutting edge of cardiovascular research. Emerging Science articles are commissioned by the editors; however, unsolicited articles will be considered.

NEW: Special Articles and Perspectives: Text limit: 6,000 words. Display Item limit: 6 figures and/or tables.  Featured in print and online.

This new category consists of articles that highlight and discuss issues of special interest to the readership. Special Articles and Perspectives will be written by leaders in the cardiovascular research community and will be published occasionally on an ad hoc basis. All articles are commissioned by the Editors.

OTHER FEATURES

Letters to the Editor: Text limit:  1,000 words; No display items allowed. Published online only.

Letters are opinion pieces on work published in Circulation Research and are reviewed by the editors to establish scientific decorum, overall level of interest to the readership, clarity, and appropriateness as contributions to the scientific literature. The authors should state clearly and succinctly their opinions, citing appropriate evidence to support them. Criticisms and disagreements must be articulated with respectful and professional language. Personal feelings, personal reactions, or personal issues are not appropriate content for Letters and will not be published. Replies are routinely solicited in advance from the authors of articles addressed. Letters to the Editor (and replies, which are also published as Letters) will appear online only. Letters to the Editor may not exceed 1,000 words in length. Figures and tables are not permitted. Citations should follow journal style

ONLINE SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

PLEASE NOTE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE GUIDELINES, HIGHLIGHTED BELOW.

•  Submitted manuscripts must not contain previously published material and must not be under consideration for publication elsewhere in whole or in part in any language (except as an abstract; see "Prior Publication" for the definition of an abstract). Manuscripts must conform to "Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals" (http://www.icmje.org).
• Online submission is required for Circulation Research. Please go to http://submit-circres.ahajournals.org and follow the detailed instructions located on our online submission Web site.
• Please read the instructions below carefully. Manuscripts that do not adhere to the submission guidelines will be returned to the authors.
• MACINTOSH USERS: It is recommended that Macintosh users utilize either Safari or Firefox as an Internet browser. To submit online to Circulation Research, all Macintosh and PC users MUST set their internet browsers to accept “All Cookies.”
• NEW REQUIREMENT: The cover letter field is now a required field in the online submission form. In the cover letter, please state succinctly i) what is new or novel about the paper, and ii) why you believe the manuscript will be of interest to the readers of Circulation Research.
•  Email the Authorship Responsibility and Copyright Transfer Agreement Form to the editorial office. Each author must complete a separate form. Forms may be faxed.
• Email completed Acknowledgment Permission Form, if applicable. Forms may be faxed.
• Upload online any potentially overlapping work that is in preparation, has been previously submitted or published, or is in-press.
• Upload online any article currently in-press, which is cited in the References
• Upload online any abstracts related to the submitted work that are published or submitted for publication.
• E-MAIL: circulation.research@circresearch.com, FAX: 410-327-9322
• Manuscripts must be organized in this order: Title Page, Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Acknowledgments, Sources of funding, Disclosures, References, Tables, and Figures with Figure Legends.
• The word limits noted for each manuscript category include all sections of the manuscript: Title Page, Abstract, Text, Acknowledgment and COI Sections, References, Figure Legends, and Tables. Online Supplements and the list of non-standard abbreviations and non-standard acronyms are excluded from the word limit.
• Materials submitted, including figures, cannot be returned to authors regardless of the disposition of the article.
• NEW: The editors encourage authors to provide the names of at least five potential reviewers who have not been collaborators or coauthors within the last three years and have not provided advice or critique of the submitted manuscript.
• Authors may list up to a maximum of three reviewers they wish to exclude.

Title Page

The title page (page 1) should contain these elements:

• Full title
• First author’s surname and short title (not to exceed 50 characters, including spaces)
• Authors’ names, academic degrees, and affiliations
• Name and complete address of corresponding author (include street name and address as well as post office box, and address for reprints if different from correspondence)
• Fax number, telephone number, and email address of corresponding author
• The total word count of the manuscript (including Title Page, Abstract, Text, References, Tables and Figures Legends)
• Two to five subject codes that best classify your manuscript, using the Subject Code List for Authors.

Abstract and Key Words

• NEW REQUIREMENT: The Abstract must be organized in four sections:
• Rationale – the reason for doing the study
• Objective – the purpose of the study
• Methods and Results – brief description of methods and presentation of results
• Conclusions – interpretation and significance of the observations, emphasizing new information
• Abstract length is limited to 250 words.
• Abbreviations must be defined at first mention in the abstract, and again at first mention in the main manuscript text.
• Do not cite references in abstract, and limit use of acronyms and abbreviations.
• After the Abstract, insert three to five keywords for use as indexing terms. These words may later be copyedited to conform to journal style.

Abbreviations

• NEW REQUIREMENT: Create a list of non-standard abbreviations and non-standard acronyms used in the manuscript text.
• The list should be included in the manuscript and placed after the abstract, before the Introduction. The list should be entitled “Non-standard Abbreviations and Acronyms.” Its content will not count toward the word limit.
• Circulation Research follows AMA style for standard and non-standard abbreviations and acronyms (http://www.amamanualofstyle.com).
• All abbreviations and acronyms should be expanded upon first usage in the text, and thereafter the abbreviation/acronym should be used.

Text

• Main headings include Methods, Results, and Discussion
• NEW REQUIREMENT: Manuscripts must be single-spaced, including references and figure legends, using Times New Roman or Arial, font size 11.
• Leave 1-inch margins on all sides.
• Number all pages--including Figures with legends and Tables.
• Abbreviations must be defined at first mention.

Use SI units of measure in all manuscripts. For example, molar (M) should be changed to mol/L; mg/dL to mmol/L; and cm to mm. Units of measure previously reported as percentages (ie, hematocrit) are expressed as a decimal fraction. Measurements currently not converted to SI units in biomedical applications are blood and oxygen pressures, enzyme activity, H+ concentration, temperature, and volume. The SI unit should be used in text, followed by the conventionally used measurement in parentheses.

Methods

• The print version of the Methods should provide sufficient information for the reader to understand the basic methodology of the study without having to refer to the Online Supplement. There is no preset space allocation for the description of methods. Because of space restrictions, it is recommended that in the print version the Methods section be limited to essential new information. Methods that are essentially the same as those presented in previous publications should be cited or succinctly summarized rather than detailed in the print version.
• NEW REQUIREMENT: A detailed, expanded Methods section must be included in the Online Supplement (see below). This online section should be detailed enough to enable readers to replicate the experiments without consulting previous articles..
• The following information should be included either in the print version of the Methods section or in the Online Supplement: For animals used in experiments, state the species, strain, number used, and other pertinent descriptive characteristics. When describing surgical procedures on animals, identify the preanesthetic and anesthetic agents used and state the amount or concentration and the route and frequency of administration for each. The use of paralytic agents, such as curare or succinylcholine, is not an acceptable substitute for anesthetics. For other invasive procedures on animals, report the analgesic or tranquilizing drugs used. If none were used, provide justification for such exclusion. Generic names of drugs must be given. Manuscripts that describe studies on humans must indicate that the study was approved by an institutional review committee and that the subjects gave informed consent. Please provide sex-specific and/or racial/ethnic-specific data, when appropriate, in describing outcomes of epidemiologic analyses or clinical trials; or specifically state that no sex-based or racial/ethnic-based differences were present. Reports of studies on both animals and humans must indicate that the procedures followed were in accordance with institutional guidelines.
• In experiments involving genetically engineered mice, inbred strain background effects have become an important concern.  Detailed descriptions of the source and strain background are critical to the interpretation of data from genetically manipulated mice. The description of the mice must include the number of backcrosses and the source of the mice.  Stock numbers should be supplied for commercial suppliers.  Imprecise descriptions such as "mice are on a C57BL/6 background" are not acceptable.  In general, it is preferable for genetically manipulated mice to be compared to wild-type littermates.

Acknowledgments

• The Acknowledgments section should include any personal thanks to individuals who assisted in the performance of the studies and/or in the preparation of the manuscript.
• Authors must provide written permission from all individuals who are listed in the Acknowledgments section of the manuscript, because readers may infer their endorsement of data and conclusions.
• The corresponding author must sign the Acknowledgment Section of the Copyright Transfer Agreement, certifying that (1) all persons who have made substantial contributions to the manuscript (eg, data collection, analysis, or writing or editing assistance), but who do not fulfill authorship criteria, are named with their specific contributions in the Acknowledgments section of the manuscript; (2) all persons named in the Acknowledgments section have provided the corresponding author with written permission to be named in the manuscript; and (3) if an Acknowledgments section is not included, no other persons besides the authors have made substantial contributions to this manuscript.

Sources of Funding

• The Sources of Funding section should include all sources of research support, including public and private entities, commercial or institutional support, and any substantial contributions by individuals.
• All grant funding agency abbreviations should be completely spelled out, with the exception of NIH.

Disclosures

• In the Disclosures section, authors must disclose any and all relationships that could be perceived as real or apparent conflict(s) of interest. If authors have nothing to disclose, they must state "None." Conflicts of interest pertain to relationships with and/or ownership interests in pharmaceutical companies, biomedical device manufacturers, or other corporations whose products or services are related to the subject matter of the article. Relationships include, but are not limited to, employment by an industrial concern, ownership of stock, membership on a standing advisory council or committee, being on the board of directors, or being publicly associated with the company or its products. Ownership interest includes any stock, stock option, partnership, membership or other equity position in an entity regardless of the form of the entity, or any option or right to acquire such position, and any rights in any patent or other intellectual property. Other areas of real or perceived conflict of interest could include receiving honoraria or consulting fees or receiving grants or funds from such corporations or individuals representing such corporations.

References

• References are included in the word limit.
• References must conform to AMA style.
• Example of journal reference style:

Patel VA, Zhang Q-J, Siddle K, Soos MA, Goddard M, Weissberg PL, Bennett MR. Defect in insulin-like growth factor-1 survival mechanism in atherosclerotic plaque-derived vascular  smooth muscle cells is mediated by reduced surface binding and signaling. Circ Res. 2001;88:895-902.

• Example of book reference style:

• Authors must ensure accuracy of reference data. Verify all entries against original sources.
• All authors must be listed in each reference. Do not use "et al".
• Cite references in numerical order according to first mention in the text.
• Personal communications, unpublished observations, and submitted manuscripts are not legitimate references and must be cited in the text only (not in the reference list) as "(author name, unpublished data, [year])." All submitted manuscripts that are pertinent to the manuscript under consideration must accompany the submission.
• NEW REQUIREMENT: Personal communications and unpublished observations must be accompanied by a letter from the source approving use of the information.
• Abstracts may be cited only if they are the sole source and must be identified in the reference as "Abstract."
• References must be from a full length publication in a peer reviewed journal.
• "In-press" citations must be accepted for publication and must include the name of the journal or book publisher. Note that all such articles must be uploaded online with the manuscript submission.

Figures

• NEW REQUIREMENT: Each figure for review and its corresponding legend must be presented together on its own page within the manuscript PDF.
• Acceptable electronic figure file formats for publication: TIFF, EPS, Photoshop, PDF, PowerPoint.
• Color figures must be in CMYK mode, not RGB mode.
• Color figures and line drawings must be at least 600 dpi resolution. Grayscale and black/white figures must be at least 300 dpi resolution.
• Combination color, grayscale and line art must be 600 dpi or higher.
• For graphic material, we have adopted a policy taken from The Journal of Cell Biology: No specific feature within an image may be enhanced, obscured, moved, removed, or introduced. The groupings of images from different parts of the same gel, or from different gels, fields or exposures must be made explicit by the arrangement of the figure (e.g. using dividing lines) and in the text of the figure legend. Adjustments of brightness, contrast, or color balance are acceptable if and as long as they do not obscure or eliminate any information present in the original. Nonlinear adjustments (e.g. changes to gamma settings) must be disclosed in the figure legend.
• The use of digital media for image acquisition and processing introduces the potential for inadvertent distortion of data. To prevent such distortion, data should neither be added to, nor removed from, an image by digital manipulation. Figures assembled from multiple images must indicate the separation of the parts by lines.
• Linear adjustment of contrast, brightness or color must be applied equally to all parts of an  image.
• Authors must be prepared to submit the original, unaltered files from which the submitted figures were derived, if requested by the editorial office.
• Graphics downloaded from the Web are not acceptable for print. Web graphics, usually in GIF or JPEG format, have a resolution of only 72 dpi, which does not meet the standard for peer review nor publication.
• Additional figures may be submitted for online-only publication as an Online Supplement, subject to peer review (see "Online Supplements").
• Authors are responsible for the cost of printing color figures (see “Costs to Authors”).
• Figure parts should be clearly labeled. Letters and labels must be uniform in size and style within each figure and, when possible, between figures. The font size must be 10 point or higher.
• Authors are strongly encouraged to limit the number of panels per figure to 4. Excessive panels per figure are strongly discouraged and may result in returning the paper to the authors for revision before submission is allowed.
• Limit white space between figure panels and within each panel.
• Supply a scale bar with photomicrographs.
• Symbols and abbreviations must be defined in the figure or its legend.
• Avoid headings on the figure. Heading information should appear in the figure legend.
• Provide a short title (in the legend, not on the figure itself) and an explanation in brief but sufficient detail to make the figure intelligible without reference to the text (unless a similar explanation has been given in another figure).
• Figure legends are included in the word limit.
• Click here [PDF] to download additional image preparation guidelines.

Tables

• Include table(s) in the main manuscript document as text, not as an image. Table(s) are included in the word limit.
• Number tables using Arabic numerals, and supply a brief, informative title for each table.
• Table text must be consistent in size and style with main manuscript text.
• Supply brief column headings.
• Indicate footnotes in this order: *, †, ‡, §, ||, #, **
• Use only horizontal borders above and below the column headings and at the bottom of the table. Use extra space to delineate rows and columns.
• Abbreviations/symbols used in a table but not already defined in the main text must be defined in the table or table legend.

Cover Figures 

• NEW REQUIREMENT: When a manuscript is accepted, the Editors encourage authors to submit potential figures for the cover of the journal.
• The figure file should be supplied at the exact size and proportions desired for the cover. The trim size for Circulation Research is 8 1/8” by 10 7/8”.
• The figure file must be of high resolution (minimum 600 DPI).
• Color figures must be supplied in CMYK.
• Acceptable formats are TIF and EPS.
• Cover figures may not be taken directly from the paper.
• Appropriate figures should be both aesthetically beautiful and scientifically exciting; they should be associated with the general topic of the paper, or they may be altered/enhanced versions of an original figure within the manuscript.
• Potential cover figures should have a single panel, with no labels or text of any kind.

Significance and Novelty

• NEW REQUIREMENT: In the event that a manuscript is provisionally accepted for publication, authors will be asked to provide a summary of the novelty and significance of the work written in terms that can be easily understood by scientists who do not work in your field. The rationale for this is the recognition that as basic cardiovascular research becomes ever more specialized and narrow, a growing number of scientists (including translational and clinical scientists) struggle with understanding important papers published in fields that are remote from their specific areas of expertise.
• This is new section for each original research article is entitled “Significance and Novelty.” The Editors envision the Significance and Novelty section of the manuscript to be a translation of the work for a general audience, designed to facilitate the dissemination of new concepts to the broad cardiovascular scientific community and to foster interdisciplinary communication.
• This section should not copy or repeat verbatim what is written in the abstract. Unlike the abstract, it should be written in a general language that can be easily understood by scientists who do not work in the specific field related to the article. It should not focus on methods or detailed results but rather on two key questions: 1) what is new or novel in this article? and 2) what does it mean?
• The Editors suggest the following format: 1) state briefly why it was important to do this study (i.e., its rationale), 2) summarize the salient findings, 3) highlight the new knowledge and/or novel ideas that the study contributes vis-à-vis the existing literature (i.e., what is shown here for the first time? what does this paper add to current knowledge? what distinguishes it from other studies in the field? how does this work advance our understanding of the issue at hand?), and 4) state the significance of this new knowledge, i.e., its broad implications for future basic research and also, if applicable, for translational science and clinical medicine.
• The Significance and Novelty section includes two parts. The top part will be a one-paragraph summary of Significance and Novelty, as described above; this should have a maximum of 200 words. The bottom part consists of two sets of 2-3 bullet points each; the first set (titled “What is known”) summarizes what was known regarding the issue at hand before the study was performed, whereas the second set (titled “What this articles contributes”) summarizes the key new information that the work provides. These points should be written in a clear, telegraphic style.

Online Supplement

• The Online Supplement undergoes peer review and must be submitted simultaneously with the original manuscript submission.
• NEW REQUIREMENT: The Online Supplement must contain a detailed Methods section (vide supra). In addition, this supplement can be used to present supporting materials to the manuscript.
• The Online Supplement must contain its own independent reference section with references numbered sequentially, beginning with reference 1, even if some of these references duplicate those in the print version.
• With the exception of video files and large datasets in Excel file format, authors must compile all Online Supplement materials into one (1) PDF file. The first page of this PDF should include the heading, "SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL." This PDF should include the following supplemental material: Detailed Methods, Supplemental Figures and Figure Legends, Supplemental Tables, Supplemental References, and Legends for the Video files. Please upload this PDF to your author area.
• The entire Online Supplement consists of the following:

• Please try to keep the individual file size to 10 MB or less to facilitate easier downloading for readers.
• The Editorial Office is not responsible for extracting Online Supplement material from print manuscript material.
• The Table of Contents lists the URL where Online Supplements can be accessed.

Supplemental Materials Required for Review

• A copy of all submitted manuscripts mentioned in the article must be submitted as part of the review process.
• A copy of all manuscripts, either in preparation or submitted, that potentially overlap with your Circulation Research submission. Please note that failure to include such material is a violation of the journal's Ethical Policy (vide infra).
• A copy of all in press articles cited in the Reference section must be supplied for review by the editors and the reviewers.

MANUSCRIPT REVISIONS  

• Extensions over the revision time limit cannot be granted.
• Only ONE revision is allowed.
• The time limit for receipt of revisions is dated from last decision letter:

• Regular Articles, Short Communications, and New Methods in Cardiovascular Biology – 90-day revision time.
• Brief UltraRapid Communications – 5-day revision time (limited to minor changes, clarifications, and additions)
• Reviews and all other invited articles – 30-day revision time. 

• If the manuscript is received within the specified time-frame, an effort will be made to re-consult the original reviewers; the editors, however, may also choose to obtain additional opinions from new reviewers.  
• If a revision is not received within the specified time limit, the manuscript will be considered withdrawn and a resubmission after that time will be handled as a new submission and assigned a new manuscript number.
• Number each page in the top right corner, using your manuscript number followed by /R1 to denote a first revision.
• With your revision, include a detailed response to each of the referees' and editors' comments, providing each comment verbatim in bold followed by your response and giving the exact page number(s), paragraph(s), and line number(s) where each revision was made. If you make substantive changes to the manuscript, provide a clear description of what you did and where. If you insert important sentences, paragraphs, or sections in response to the comments, also include them in your response. Indicate clearly any deletions. Additionally, a marked up version of the revision with the changes highlighted or tracked should be uploaded as a supplemental file.
• Authors may upload their response to reviewers as a supplemental file.

 

JOURNAL POLICIES

Editorial Conflict-of-Interest Policy.

• Original manuscripts authored or coauthored by the Editor-in-Chief and/or any of the Associate Editors are handled by a Guest Editor, who makes all decisions about the manuscript (including choice of referees and ultimate acceptance or rejection). The entire process is handled confidentially. All manuscripts submitted from the Editor-in-Chief's home institution are also handled entirely by a Guest Editor. Additionally, the Editor-in-Chief and/or Associate Editors may, from time to time, refer a manuscript to a Guest Editor to avoid a real or reasonably perceived conflict of interest. Ethical Conduct Policy

Prior Publication and Overlapping Work

• By submitting an article for consideration by Circulation Research, the authors certify that the manuscript and the material in the manuscript have not been published and are not being considered for publication elsewhere in whole or in part in any language, including publicly accessible Web sites or e-print servers, except as an abstract.
• The authors also certify that any and all other work in preparation, submitted, in press, or published that is potentially overlapping either in the actual data presented or in the conceptual approach is enclosed along with the original submission. Any material within the manuscript that has appeared elsewhere must be cross-referenced and permission to use or adapt the material must be received in the editorial office in writing from the copyright holder. 
• If some or all of the work in the manuscript has been published or submitted in abstract form, and/or overlapping data exists, the following rules apply: 

 

a. The published or submitted abstract must accompany the submitted manuscript.

b. The abstract in question cannot be longer than 400 words.

c. The abstract cannot itself have been referenced in MEDLINE or PubMed.

d. The potentially overlapping work and a separate explanation of the nature of any possible overlap with the submitted manuscript must accompany the submitted manuscript.

These restrictions generally do not apply to presentations or press reports published in connection with scientific meetings, or to poster presentations at scientific meetings that are videotaped, provided that the material has not been widely circulated, copyrighted, or sold. Posting an audio recording, video recording, or short summary of a presentation made at a professional meeting on the Internet would be considered as a meeting presentation by the American Heart Association and would not compromise consideration of a submission. Direct release of information through press releases or media briefings may preclude publication.

Data Deposition and Data Availability

• Guidelines for Deposition of Protein and Nucleic Acid Data

a. Preparation of Data: Submitted data should follow the MIAME checklist (for more information see http://www.mged.org/Workgroups/MIAME/miame_checklist.html). 

b. Accessibility of Data: Authors of papers that include genomic, proteomic, or other high-throughput data are required to make their data easily accessible to the reviewers and the editors during the review process. You may submit your data to the NCBI gene expression and hybridization array data repository (GEO, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/) and provide the GEO accession number; or, you may provide a link to a secure or publicly accessible website that hosts the data. Prior to publication, the data must be submitted and an accession number obtained. Access to the information in the database must be available at the time of publication. GEO has a web-based submission route, suitable for a small number of samples, or a batch submission tool (called SOFT). GEO is accessible from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/. Submission FAQ is at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/projects/geo/info/faq.html. 

c.  Newly reported nucleotide or protein sequences must be deposited in GenBank (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Genbank/index.html), EMBL (http://www.ebi.ac.uk), or DNA Data Bank of Japan (http://www.ddbj.nig.ac.jp) databases, and an accession number must be obtained. Access to the information in the database must be available at the time of publication. Authors are responsible for arranging release of data at the time of publication. The authors must also provide a statement in the manuscript that this sequence has been scanned against the database and all sequences with significant relatedness to the new sequence identified (and their accession numbers included in the text of the manuscript).

GenBank

GenBank Submissions
National Center for Biotechnology Information
8600 Rockville Pike, Building 38A
Room 8N-805
Bethesda, MD 20894
Tel: (301) 496-2475
On the web at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Genbank/index.html

EMBL Nucleotide Sequence Submissions

European Bioinformatics Institute
Hinxton Hall
Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SD, UK
Tel.: 44-1223-494401; Fax: 44-1223-494472
e-mail: support{at}ebi.ac.uk
On the web at: http://www.ebi.ac.uk

DNA Data Bank of Japan

Center for Information Biology
National Institute of Genetics
Mishima, Shizuoka, 411, Japan
Tel.: 81-559-81-6853; Fax: 81-559-81-6849
On the web at: http://www.ddbj.nig.ac.jp

Submission to any data bank is sufficient to ensure entry in all.

• Guidelines for Clinical Trials 

a.   In accordance with the Clinical Trial Registration Statement from the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (Circulation. 2005;111:1337) and (http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/NEJMe078110), all clinical trials must be registered in a public trials registry at or before the onset of participant enrollment. This requirement applies to all clinical trials that begin enrollment after July 1, 2005.

b.  Research is considered to be a clinical trial if it involves prospective assignment of human subjects to an intervention or comparison group to study the relation between a health-related intervention and a health outcome. Studies that are designed for other purposes, such as to study pharmacokinetics or major toxicity (e.g., phase 1 trials), are exempt.

c.     The registry must be accessible to the public at no charge, searchable, open to all prospective registrants, and managed by a not-for-profit organization. The registry must include the following information: a unique identifying number, a statement of the intervention(s), study hypothesis, definition of primary and secondary outcome measurements, eligibility criteria, target number of subjects, funding source, contact information for the principal investigator, and key dates (registration date, start date, and completion date). The registry sponsored by the United States National Library of Medicine (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov) meets these requirements and is recommended by the editors.

Other registries are acceptable if they meet these requirements. In addition to www.clinicaltrials.gov, the following registries are recommended by the ICMJE:
1)  http://isrctn.org
2) http://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/index/htm
3) http://www.actr.org.au
4) http://www.trialregister.nl

In accordance with the ICMJE’s recommendation, we will also accept registration of clinical trials in any of the primary registers that participate in the World Health Organization’s International Clinical Trial Registry Platform. Primary registers are WHO selected registers managed by not-for-profit entities that will accept registrations for any interventional trials, delete duplicate entries from their own register, and provide data directly to the WHO. Please note that registration in any WHO partner registers is insufficient.

d.         The authors will be requested to provide the exact URL and unique identification number for the trial registration at the time of submission. Since this information will be published in a footnote on the first page of the article, we ask that you include the URL and identification number on the title page of your manuscript.

e.         Clinical trial reports should also comply with the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) and include a flow diagram presenting the enrollment, intervention allocation, follow-up, and data analysis with number of subjects for each (http://www.consort-statement.org/?o=1011). Please also refer specifically to the CONSORT Checklist of items to include when reporting a randomized clinical trial.

f.           Results posted in the same clinical trials registry in which the primary registration resides will not be considered prior publication if they are presented in the form of a brief abstract (<500 words or less) or a table.

• Materials and Data Availability 

To allow others to replicate and build on work published in Circulation Research, we recommend that authors make materials, data, and associated protocols available to readers. Authors must disclose upon submission of the manuscript any restrictions on the availability of materials or information. We recommend that authors make unique materials (e.g. cloned DNAs; antibodies; bacterial, animal or plant cells; viruses; computer programs) promptly available on request by qualified researchers for their own use. It is reasonable for authors to charge a modest amount to cover the cost of preparing and shipping the requested materials.

 Compliance With NIH and Other Research Funding Agency Accessibility Requirement

• Several research funding agencies now require or request authors to submit the post-print (the article after peer review and acceptance but not the final published article) to a repository that is accessible online by all without charge. Within the field of medical research, 3 funding agencies in particular have announced such policies:

a.   The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) requires authors to deposit post-prints of articles, which have received NIH funding, in its repository PubMed Central (PMC). This deposit should be done within the 12 months after publication of the final article in the journal.

b.   The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) requires, as a condition of research grants, deposit in PMC, but within 6 months after publication of the final article.

c.   The Wellcome Trust requires, as a condition of research grants, deposit in UK PMC within 6 months after publication of the final article.

• As a service to authors, the Publisher (Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins) of the AHA journals will identify the PMC articles that require depositing. The Copyright Transfer Agreement provides the primary mechanism for identifying such articles. The AHA also requests that authors fully complete the “Public Access Policy Funding Disclosure” section of the Manuscript Metadata in the online submission process for Circulation Research.
• WKH/LWW will transmit the post-print of an article, which is based on research funded in whole or in part by 1 or more of these 3 agencies, to PMC.
• On NIH request, it remains the legal responsibility of the author(s) to confirm with the NIH the provenance of their manuscript for purposes of deposit.

a.     Author(s) will not deposit their articles themselves.

b.     Author(s) will not alter the post-print already transmitted to NIH.

c.     Author(s) will not authorize the display of the post-print prior to: (1) 12 months after publication of the final article, in the case of NIH, (2) 6 months after publication of the final article, in the case of HHMI and the Wellcome Trust.

• For more information about authors’ rights and responsibilities, please visit the AHA Authorship Responsibility and Copyright Transfer Agreement http://circres.ahajournals.org/misc/AHA-CTA08-2008.pdf  
• For more information on PMC, please visit http://nihms.nih.gov
• A Permissions and Rights Question and Answer is also available http://www.ahajournals.org/rights/

Embargo Policy

• Articles published in Circulation Research cannot be discussed with journalists or presented in other public media before 4:00 PM EST on the day before the cover date of the issue, except when articles are published online ahead of print (Online First). In such cases, the embargo date will be 4:00 PM EST on the day of online posting. Although the editorial office will endeavor to notify authors of the anticipated online publication date, neither the editorial office nor the AHA will be responsible for any consequences of early online posting with regard to intellectual property rights. To safeguard their intellectual property, authors should ensure that appropriate reports of invention and patent applications have been filed before the manuscript is accepted.
• Prior presentations at scientific meetings are allowed, but the authors should be aware that such presentations may undermine their intellectual property rights. Questions regarding the embargo policy should be directed to Cathy Lewis, Senior Manager, Consumer Health News, Corporate & Media Communications, AHA National Center, 7272 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, TX 75231-4596. Tel: 214-706-1324; fax: 214-369-3685; e-mail: cathy.lewis@heart.org

Permission to Reproduce Published Materials

• If any figures, tables, or portions of the manuscript have been previously published in any form, include written permission from the copyright holder to use such material. This written permission must include permission to use the material in print and electronic formats and in all languages.
• Permission to reproduce figures, tables, or portions of articles originally published in Circulation Research should be sought directly from the Publisher, not from the Editorial Office. Follow these 3 steps:

Costs to Authors

• Authors will be charged $70 per printed page of an article to defray costs of publication (information is sent with author proof) or $35 per page for online-only articles (including Letters to the Editor).
• As indicated above, some Regular Articles cannot be compressed into the standard 6,000-word/eight-display items limit without a significant loss of quality. Authors of such articles have two options: i) publishing part of their manuscript online (as an Online Supplement), so as to keep the print version within the standard limit of 6,000 words and eight display items, or ii) publishing the entire paper in an extended print version (except for the detailed Methods section, which is published online) and paying for the extra pages. Authors of papers exceeding the 6,000-word and eight-display item limit will be charged $425 for each additional 1,000 words over the 6,000-word maximum. The regular $70 per page charge will also apply. Word count will be calculated by the editorial office using the Microsoft Word tool. Title page, abstract, references, tables and figures legends are included in the total word count.
• Authors will be charged color figure reproduction fees (estimate of cost will be provided by the publisher for authors' approval).
• Authors will be charged for the expense of replacing poor-quality art in the production stage of publication. 
• Authors may opt to purchase reprints. The price list will be provided with the author proof. No color reprints are available for online-only articles.  
• Authors will be charged $50 per printed page for excessive author alterations.
• Authors will be charged $100 per page for printing a correction (erratum) after publication of the article that results from an author's error. Errata will be published online.

Other Useful Links

Authorship Responsibility and Copyright Transfer Agreement Form

Acknowledgment Permission Form

Disclosures Questionnaire

Subject Code List for Classification in Circulation Research Online Article Collections

AHA Scientific Publishing Disclosures Policy

AHA Scientific Publishing Ethical Conduct Policy