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MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION GUIDELINES
At the 2008 ASCO Annual Meeting, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Daniel Haller spoke on “How to Write an Outstanding Manuscript.” Dr. Haller's lecture includes advise on how to write and submit a manuscript, an overview of the publication and review process, and considerations for journal editors and contributors. Using ASCO's Virtual Meeting, you can view the presentation here.
In addition, authors may refer to the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE)’s "Preparing a Manuscript for Submission to a Biomedical Journal" for additional advice on appropriate manuscript preparation.
Cover Letter
With each new manuscript submission, authors must include a cover letter describing the significance of the work, its uniqueness, and any similar work the authors reported previously.
Title Page
The first page of all manuscripts must contain the following information:
- Succinct title.
- Author list of 20 names or fewer (first name, middle initial, and last name).
- Names of each author’s institution and an indication of each author's affiliation.
- Acknowledgments of research support for the study.
- Name, address, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail address of the corresponding author.
- Running head of 65 characters or fewer (including spaces).
- List of where and when the study has been presented in part elsewhere, if applicable.
- Disclaimers.
Abstract Instructions
- Limit the abstract to 250 words and place it after the title page.
- Format the abstract according to the following headings:
(1) PURPOSE
(2) PATIENTS AND METHODS (or MATERIALS AND METHODS, METHODS, or similar heading).
In abstracts of Review Articles, authors may use DESIGN instead of PATIENTS AND METHODS.
(3) RESULTS
(4) CONCLUSION
- Do not use proprietary or trade names in the title or abstract.
- Comments and Controversies, Editorials, Correspondence, Art of Oncology, and Diagnosis in Oncology articles do not require abstracts.
Text Instructions
- Write the body of the manuscript as concisely as possible.
- Adhere to the manuscript category word limits described herein.
- Number and double space all pages.
- Use Helvetica or Arial fonts at 12-point size.
- Adhere to the style guidelines set forth by the ICMJE.
Reference Instructions
- Double space and list references after the body text under the heading: REFERENCES.
- Number references in the order in which they are cited in the text.
- Conform abbreviations of medical periodicals to those in the "List of Journals Indexed in Index Medicus" in the latest edition of Index Medicus and on MEDLINE.
When a reference is an abstract or supplement, it must be identified as such in parentheses at the end of the reference. Abstract and supplement numbers should be provided, if applicable. When a reference is unpublished data, a manuscript in preparation, or a manuscript submitted but not in press, it should be included in parentheses in the body of the text, and not cited in the reference list. Personal communications should also be listed parenthetically, and should contain the first initial and last name of the contact, as well as the month and year of the communication. Published manuscripts, and those that have been accepted and are pending publication, should be cited in the reference list.
Reference Style
A journal article with one, two, or three authors:
1. Dolan ME, Pegg AE: O6-Benzylguanine and its role in chemotherapy. Clin Cancer Res 8:837-847, 1997
Journal article with more than three authors:
2. Knox S, Hoppe RT, Maloney D, et al: Treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma with chimeric anti-CD4 monoclonal antibody. Blood 87:893-899, 1996
Journal article in press (manuscript has been accepted for publication):
3. Scadden DT, Schenkein DP, Bernstein Z, et al: Combined immunotoxin and chemotherapy for AIDS-related non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Cancer (in press)
Supplement:
4. Brusamolino E, Orlandi E, Morra E, et al: Analysis of long-term results and prognostic factors among 138 patients with advanced Hodgkin's disease treated with the alternating MOPP/ABVD chemotherapy. Ann Oncol 5:S53-S57, 1994 (suppl 2)
Book with a single author:
5. Woodruff R: Symptom Control in Advanced Cancer. Victoria, Australia, Asperula Pty Ltd, 1997, pp 65-69
Book with multiple authors:
6. Iverson C, Flanagin A, Fontanarosa PB, et al: American Medical Association Manual of Style (ed 9). Baltimore, MD, Williams & Wilkins, 1998
Chapter in a multiauthored book with editors:
7. Seykora JT, Elder DE: Common acquired nevi and dysplastic nevi as precursor lesions and risk markers of melanoma, in Kirkwood JM (ed): Molecular Diagnosis and Treatment of Melanoma. New York, NY, Marcel Dekker, 1998, pp 55-86
Abstract:
8. Bardia A, Wang AH, Hartmann LC, et al: Physical activity and risk of postmenopausal breast cancer defined by hormone receptor status and histology: A large prospective cohort study with 18 years of follow up. J Clin Oncol 24:49s, 2006 (suppl; abstr 1002)
9. Kaplan EH, Jones CM, Berger MS: A phase II, open-label, multicenter study of GW572016 in patients with trastuzumab refractory metastatic breast cancer. Proc Am Soc Clin Oncol 22:245, 2003 (abstr 981)
Conference/meeting presentation:
10. Dupont E, Riviere M, Latreille J, et al: Neovastat: An inhibitor of angiogenesis with anti-cancer activity. Presented at the American Association of Cancer Research Special Conference on Angiogenesis and Cancer, Orlando, FL, January 24-28, 1998
Internet resource:
11. Health Care Financing Administration: Bureau of data management and strategy from the 100% MEDPAR inpatient hospital fiscal year 1994: All inpatients by diagnosis related groups, 6/95 update. http://www.hcfa.gov/a1194drg.txt
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):
12. Small EJ, Smith MR, Seaman JJ, et al: Combined analysis of two multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled studies of pamidronate disodium for the palliation of bone pain in men with metastatic prostate cancer. J Clin Oncol 10.1200/JCO.2003.05.147
Government Announcement/Publication:
13. Miller BA, Ries CAG, Hankey BF, et al (eds): Cancer Statistics Review: 1973-1989. Bethesda, MD, National Cancer Institute, NIH publication No. 92-2789, 1992
ASCO Educational Book:
14. Benson AB III: Present and future role of prognostic and predictive markers for patients with colorectal cancer. Am Soc Clin Oncol Ed Book 187-190, 2006
Figure Legend Instructions
- Create a separate section in the manuscript for the legends of all article types with the exception of Diagnosis in Oncology articles.
- Define all relevant and explanatory information extraneous to the actual figure, including figure part labels, footnotes, abbreviations, acronyms, arrows, and levels of magnification in insets.
- Double space legend.
- Concise as possible.
Figure Submission
Place images at the end of the manuscript and cite figures in the order they appear in the text using Arabic numerals.
JCO prints figures at 1-column, 1.5-column, and 2-column width. One-column figures measure 3.5 inches (8.5 cm), 1.5-column figures measure 5 inches (12.5 cm), and 2-column figures measure 6.75 inches in width (17 cm). Authors should submit figures at 100% size whenever possible.
Images are converted to PDFs and appended to the end of the manuscript file. If images are included within the manuscript, they do not need to be uploaded separately.
If an image is embedded in a document and is not converting correctly, create and submit a PDF instead of the original source file.
Images may be embedded in PowerPoint files, and PowerPoint files may be submitted for conversion, only if each file contains a single slide. Multislide files cannot be converted to a PDF.
Formats accepted at first submission are as follows:
- .eps
- .gif
- .tiff
- .jpeg
- PowerPoint
Formats not accepted are as follows:
- Any file using OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) technology to display information or embed files
- Bitmap (.bmp)
- PICT (.pict)
- Excel (.xls)
- Photoshop (.psd)
- Canvas (.cnv)
- CorelDRAW (.cdr)
- Illustrator (.ai)
- Locked or encrypted PDFs
Figure Submission After Acceptance
- Submit all line graphs, bar graphs, flow charts, scatter plots, forest plots, diagrams, and gene expressions as vector-based artwork, not bitmapped art (ie, no .bmp, .tiff, .gif, or .jpeg files).
- Submit vector artwork as .eps or PDF files whenever possible. Original documents from common applications (Adobe Illustrator, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, or Excel) are also usable.
- For typeface within figures, use 6 pt to 12 pt Universe (Arial or Helvetica are also acceptable). Eps files with fonts embedded (not converted to paths) are preferred.
- Submit photographs (halftones) with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi at final size (100% scale).
- Do not embed figure numbers or letters in figure parts of photographs.
- Place labels on top of the image or set outside of each part. Labels may also be listed in figure legends.
Upon acceptance, a graphic artist will format all figures to JCO style.
Table Instructions
Cite tables in the order in which they appear in the text using Arabic numerals. The legend should include any pertinent notes and must include definitions of all abbreviations and acronyms used in the table.
Please note that JCO does not allow table pieces, such as Table 1a and 1b. Manuscripts will be returned for correction if they include table pieces.
Video Submission
Where appropriate, video sequences may be submitted using standard digital video formats that would be used by most readers. Videos should be short (less than 30 seconds) and only contain relevant information. A description of each video should be provided in the article text. Acceptable file formats include QuickTime non-streaming video (.qt or .mov), MPEG (.mpg), and DV (.dv). The preferred formats are .mov, and .mpg. All videos should be uploaded during the submission process as supplemental files. If accepted, the videos will be published as data supplements available online.
Acknowledgments
Acknowledgments should be no longer than 45 words, and include any contributors who did not meet the requirements for authorship and any science writers or corporate employees who participated in the development of the manuscript. Acknowledgments will be published in the online version only at JCO. A reference to the availability of the online-only material will appear in the print version of the article.
Appendices/Supplemental Material
Appendices and other supplemental material will be published in the online version only of JCO. A reference to the availability of the online only material will appear in the print version of the article.
Use of English Language
Appropriate use of the English language is a requirement for review and publication in JCO. Authors who have difficulty writing in English should seek assistance with grammar and style to improve the clarity of their original manuscript. Many companies provide substantive editing after the authors produce an initial version, including the following:
www.biosciencewriters.com
www.bostonbioedit.com
www.sciencedocs.com
www.prof-editing.com
www.journalexperts.com
www.bluepencilscience.com
www.stallardediting.com
www.bioedit.co.uk
Neither ASCO nor JCO takes responsibility for, or endorses, these services. Their use does not guarantee acceptance of a manuscript for publication. Use of any editorial service must be noted in the Acknowledgment section, as well as any support provided for these services.
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