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Frequently Asked Questions

Available online: 17/04/2019

Submitting an article

How should I prepare my manuscript for double-blind peer review?

REC: Interventional Cardiology implements a double-blind peer review process, which means both authors and reviewers remain anonymous throughout the process. For this reason, in manuscripts, figures, tables, supplementary data and responses to reviewers, please make sure you omit any reference to names of studies, research groups, cities, hospitals, registry locators, etc that could disclose the origin or authorship of the manuscript during the review process. If this is impossible, please follow these blinding guidelines:

  • Replace the name in question with a code (we recommend using XXXX1, XXXX2, etc.) and explain the code in the Title Page file as follows: XXXX1 = (information omitted). Please also blind this information in the manuscript submission system (check the title and abstract). By doing this, only the editorial office will have access to this information.
  • If you cite a previous publication by the authors themselves, please write the text in the third person, thus maintaining the authors’ anonymity.
  • Sections on acknowledgements, funding, contributions and conflicts of interest should be omitted from the manuscript. This type of information should be included only on the title page, which is not sent to reviewers.
  • Avoid naming files (manuscript, figures, supplementary data and response to reviewers) with authors’ personally identifiable information (names and titles). For example: Manuscript_Dr_Smith.docx

How should I name and order the files for my article?

It is recommended to give the attached files the same name as the item: Cover letter, First page, Manuscript, Figure 1, Figure 2, etc. It is important not to include the name of any author in the file name, for example: Manuscript_Dr García.

To ensure the Editor and reviewers view the PDF of the article in the most logical order, the files should be ordered as follows:

  1. Cover letter and forms (if applicable)
  2. Authors’ response (if applicable)
  3. First page
  4. Manuscript
  5. Tables (optional)
  6. Figures (optional)
  7. Supplementary data (optional)
  8. Videos
  9. Conflicts of interest

Submitting revised versions

Can I submit my revised article with track changes to make the changes easily identifiable?

No. After the first review of an article, if it is not rejected, the reviewers will address their suggestions to the authors. The changes should simply be highlighted in yellow using the “text highlight color” tool in Word. If the editorial office requires the changes to an article to be made using the “Track changes” tool, they will ask you to do so.

If the reviewers or the Editor ask me to include additional information in my article, does this mean that I can exceed the maximum word count for that type of article?

No. When the Editors or reviewers request changes or additional information, they expect the authors to reword the article to include these requests without exceeding the maximum word count for each article type.

When I submit the new version of my article, what should I do with the old files?

The system will save a PDF of each version of the article. Therefore, when you submit a new version of the article, the files with no changes in the new version should be left, and only the files requiring changes should be deleted. This is to avoid the files being duplicated in the PDF (the old version and the new version), which would complicate the Editor’s and reviewers’ job.

Can the authors of an article be changed after the first review?

No. Changes to article authorship are not permitted. If warranted, a change can be requested from the editorial office (), who will send you a form that must be completed by all the authors. These changes must be approved by the Editor for the process to continue.

In what format should I submit my text files?

DOCX format is preferred, as it is easiest for the editorial office to work with.

Forms

Which item should I select when submitting the forms via the manuscript management system?

In general, the forms contain the names and details of the authors of the article. Therefore, the file should be submitted using the Carta de presentación/Cover Letter item so that only the Editor has access to this information.

What is an Authors’ Contribution Form?

If an article uses an authors’ contribution formula or paragraph, it must be approved by all authors. Therefore, the editorial office will send you a form that must be signed by all authors.

Where should I include the equal contribution from two authors form?

The form should be as visible as possible. It should always be included in the First Page file, below the list of authors. It is important that the authors mentioned in the form are identified with asterisks.

What is the Acknowledgments form?

If the authors wish to separately acknowledge one or more collaborators, in line with the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors recommendations, to be able to publish their names, the persons acknowledged must provide their express permission. To do so, the editorial office will send the authors a form, requesting the full name, and the signature of each person who will appear in the “Acknowledgments” section.

When I create the PDF of my article, the conflicts of interest forms are not displayed correctly: what should I do?

If, when you create the PDF, the forms are not displayed correctly, you should make sure that all the files are saved using the same version of Adobe. To do this, you need to open the form, go to “File”, select “Print” and, in the print window, select “Adobe PDF” as the printer. Repeat this process for each form before uploading it to the system.

If after following these instructions the forms still do not display correctly, the editorial office will download each file to check they are correct.

Rules and format

Can I sign my article with my initials, a short name, or a pseudonym?

No. REC:Interventional Cardiology publishes the full names of all authors.

How should I cite bibliographic references in the text?

All bibliographic references must be cited in the text sequentially and with a superscript number. Do not use reference management systems. Manuscripts should be submitted in a clean format to facilitate the editing process.

In my article, I need to include one or more links to web pages. Can I put them in parentheses in the text?

No. Any reference to a web link must be included in the references section with its corresponding citation in the text. Authors should keep in mind that the sections on “Funding”, “Conflicts of interest” and “Acknowledgments” must not contain web pages or citations to bibliographic references.

What is supplementary data and how should it be cited?

Supplementary data is any additional material that the authors wish to provide with their article (eg, images, videos, tables, documents). This material should enhance the article, but it should never be essential for an understanding or evaluation of the article. The reviewers have access to this information and, therefore, as with the Manuscript file, it should not include any information on the authors or their affiliations.

This material should be sent via the manuscript management system, selecting the corresponding item (“Material adicional/Supplementary data”) and it should be referenced in the text specifying it as such. For example, Figure 1 of the supplementary data, Table 2 of the supplementary data, Document 1 of the supplementary data, etc.

If accepted, the supplementary data will not be edited or typeset. It will be published only in the electronic version of REC: Interventional Cardiology and only in the language in which it is submitted by the authors.

What are the “Key points” in original articles?

As the name implies, “Key points” is a section of no more than 200 words concisely describing the most important aspects of the article, with a two-part structure: “What is known about the topic?” and “What does this study add?”. Under our editorial policy, this section is compulsory and counts toward the article’s total word count.

What is the structure of a scientific letter?

Scientific letters should not contain a summary or abstract. They should include only the title, explanatory text (with no structural headings), references, and figure and table legends (if applicable).

When I submit a Letter to the Editor related to an article previously published in REC: Interventional Cardiology, what steps are involved in the editorial process?

When we receive a Letter to the Editor related to an article previously published in REC: Interventional Cardiology, the first step carried out by the editorial office is to check that the Letter really does contain relevant information related to the article in question. Only Letters received within 12 weeks following publication of the article in question in an issue of REC: Interventional Cardiology will be admitted for review. Once this has been checked, the editorial process can begin.

If the Letter to the Editor is accepted for publication, the authors of the article prompting the Letter will be asked for their response. If those authors agree to respond and the response is accepted, both Letters will be published in the same print issue.

Tables and figures

How should I submit the figures for my article?

To ensure they are reproduced correctly, figures must be uploaded in TIFF or JPEG format with a resolution no lower than 300 dpi. For graphics and diagrams, please send editable formats (Word, Excel, etc.). The figures do not need to be included in the Manuscript file and should never be placed within the text.

Where should I include the figure legends for an article?

The figure legends should be included at the end of the Manuscript file to facilitate the word count of the article. They are not considered supplementary material, and they should not be included in the file containing the figure.

Do the table headings and legends count toward the word count?

Yes. The maximum length of the article encompasses the manuscript word count, including the references, abstract, key points, figure legends, and tables.

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