Instructions to authors

Revista Colombiana de Cardiología (RCC) is the official scientific publication of the Sociedad Colombiana de Cardiología y Cirugía Cardiovascular.

It is a peer reviewed, bimonthly journal, that publishes online open access (free of charge for authors and readers) articles in Spanish or English about basic, epidemiological, surgical or clinical aspects in the field of Cardiology. It has an Editorial Committee composed of national and international experts.

The journal’s objective is to spread original articles, clinical and experimental, about cardiovascular diseases, reports about medical and surgery therapy, pediatric cardiology, cooperative studies, epidemiology, drug studies, diagnostic methods, case reports, letters to the editor and editorials, abstracts from original research presented at conferences organized by the Society and special issues dedicated to consensus or current issues of special interest to the scientific community.

RCC considers contributions in the following sections:

– Editorial
– Original article
– Review article
– Case reports
– Images in cardiology
– In memoriam
– Special article
– Letters to the editor

Manuscripts must be uploaded in electronic form through the editorial system at http://www.publisher.RCCAR.permanyer.com, where first, the corresponding author should register as an author in the platform. Once this author has obtained a username and password, the documents should be uploaded following the instructions.

**To avoid duplications in the system, please refrain from creating a new request when resubmitting your modified files. You should continue using the same reference until your manuscript completes the editorial process.

PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION OF MANUSCRIPTS

All articles must include, without exception, title, name, and surname(s) of each author (without titles or positions; we recommend to use only the first name and the initial of the second, and the first surname; in case of several surnames, they should be connected by a hyphen; names should be written exactly as they appear in ORCID; we encourage authors to follow the recommendations from ICMJE about authors' credences and resposabilities1), name and address of the corresponding author, the complete manuscript text, tables, and figures. Texts must be submitted in Microsoft Word format. Manuscripts must be correctly written in Spanish or English. The text must be typed double-spaced, in Times New Roman 12 font and with each section starting on a new page: front page, English and Spanish abstracts with their key words, main manuscript, references, tables and figures footnotes. The pages will be numbered consecutively, beginning with the front page, and the number will be placed on the top of every page.

Each submission must include:

- front page with all authorship data

- full-text manuscript (anonymous)

- declaration of conflicts of interest, funding, ethical disclosures, etc. (filled in during the submission in the online editorial system)

- document of copyright transfer

- document of conflicts of interest: https://www.icmje.org/disclosure-of-interest/

The front page must show the title of the article in Spanish and English (we recommend avoiding names of institutions, hospitals, centers, or cities in the title with the aim to hightlight the message and avoid commercial interests) and a short title with less than 40 characters (counting letters and spaces). The authors names (without job titles or academic degrees); institutional departments in which the work was carried out (affiliations); email address and full name of the corresponding author, acknowledgments, funding and conflicts of interest (if they exist).
The full-text manuscript must be completely anonymous and must contain the Spanish and English abstracts, the manuscript), references, tables, and figure footnotes.

For more information about manuscript preparation, we suggest consulting the website of Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals (www.icmje.org). For further details: International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (http://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/manuscript-preparation/preparing-for-submission.html).

Abstract in Spanish
This abstract will be presented in a maximum of 200 words, indicating the purpose of the research; basic procedures (sample selection, observational and analytical methods); main findings (specific data and, if possible, their statistical significance); as well as relevant conclusions and originality of the research. In the end, 3 to 6 key words will be written to facilitate inclusion in international indexes. We recommend using the terms from the Medical Subject Headings of the most recent Index Medicus.

Abstract in English
This abstract will be presented in a maximum of 200 words, using the same characteristics and content of the Spanish abstract. It will begin with an English language version of the title. It will also contain 3 to 6 key words. To ensure quality, we suggest having this paragraph reviewed by an experienced translator.

Introduction
It must include background information, approach to the problem and purpose of the study, all clearly worded and well supported by the bibliography reviewed.

Material and methods
The characteristics of the sample and the methods used, with relevant references, will be clearly marked so that reading of this chapter allows similar studies to be conducted by other researchers. The statistical methods used must be marked with their corresponding reference. The authors must detail in this section, the ethical procedures followed, necessary for experiments with animals, patients, confidential data management, informed consent, etc. Moreover, that they have obtained the corresponding authorization by the ethics committee of their institution.

Results
The main findings of the study must be included and may be compared only with figures or graphics which are strictly necessary and are intended to extend the information contained in the text. Do not repeat information in the body of the text and the tables and/or figures.

Discussion
The results must be contrasted with the information reported in the literature, and with the objectives and hypotheses expressed in the work.

Conclusions
In this section, authors must summarize the main conclusions of their study and the future recommended studies in case conclusions are preliminary. Conclusions should agree with the objectives of the study, and they should be directly originated from the reported results.

References
These will be presented in accordance with the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals (International Committee of Biomedical Journal Editors). References will be marked with consecutive Arabic numerals, sorted in the order in which they first appear in the text. They will be referred to in the text, tables, and figure footnotes with the corresponding numbers. In quotations with multiple authors (more than six authors), only the first 3 authors of the work must be included, followed by et al., after the abbreviation of the name/s of the 6th author. In case of 6 or fewer authors, all 6 must be included in the quotation (https://www.nlm.nih.gov/bsd/uniform_requirements.html).

•   Articles published in periodic journals must appear in the following format: Welt CK, Chan JL, Bullen J, Murphy R, Smith P, DePaoli AM, et al. Recombinant human leptin in hypothalamic Women with amenorrhea. N Engl J Med. 2004;351 (10):987-97.
•   References to books must include the name of the publisher, as well as the city and country of publication, and the year of publication, in accordance with the following model: Aréchiga H, Somolinos J. Contribuciones Mexicanas a la medicina moderna. México, D.F.: Fondo de Cultura Económica; 1994.
•   References to chapters in books must appear as follows: Pasternak RC, Braunwald E. Acute myocardial infarction; or: Isselbacher KJ, Braunwald E, Wilson JD, Martin JB, Fauci AS, Kasper DL, eds. Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine. 12.a ed. Nueva York: McGraw-Hill Inc.; 1994., pp. 1066-77.

Tables
They must be double-spaced and consecutively numbered in Arabic characters, in the order quoted in the text, with the titles at the top and the abbreviations meaning as well as explanatory comments in the table’s footnotes. They must be included at the end of the manuscript, after the references section.

Figures or graphs
Figure footnotes must be written double-spaced. The footer must contain the precise information to correctly interpret the figure without resorting to the text. The text must reference them in order. Qualities: The graphics, layouts and drawings must be generated in high-resolution graphics programs (JPG, TIFF, EPS, PowerPoint, and Illustrator). All iconography must be original. Where this is not the case, the source reference must be quoted, and the author must obtain prior permission of the relevant publisher. In the figures, data already written in the text will not be repeated. Photographs of objects must include a rule to calibrate the reference measurements. In microphotographs, the microscopic magnification or reference micron bar must appear. The patient’s name, face, data, or any other recognizable feature will not be shown in the figures. We suggest that authors use illustrations that complement the text.

Central figure:

- In Original Articles and Review Articles, it will be mandatory to send a Central Figure.
- This Figure is the graphic summary of the contents of the article that in an illustrated and concise way reflects the content and the main information to be transmitted to the reader. It should be cited in the text in correlative order with the rest of the figures in the manuscript. The corresponding figure caption should specify that it is the central figure and provide a brief description of it.
- The central figure should follow the same guidelines as the rest of the figures, indicated previously in these uniformity criteria.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Ethical disclosures
Regarding potential conflicts of interest, individual right to privacy and data confidentiality, as well as human and animal rights, the journal adheres to the latest version of the Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals (formerly the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts) published by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, found at http://www.icmje.org. Copies of the informed consent forms will be required in the case of studies in patients and clinical cases, and in case of clinical and experimental studies, the letter from the Independent Ethics Committee of the corresponding institution.

Human procedures must comply with the ethical standards of the Helsinki Declaration of 1975 (World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki) Ethical Principles for Medical Research involving human subjects. JAMA 2000, 284:3043-5. Also, with the agreements given by the Ministry of Health, published on January 26, 1982 and the Rules for Ethics and Research from the institution where the study originated. Animal studies should follow similar guidelines (Institute of Laboratory Animal Resources, National Research Council. Guide for the care and use of laboratory animals. Washington, DC. National Academy Press, 1996). Regarding the confidentiality of data, you should inform on how the anonymous status of the participants and the confidentiality of their information were protected.

You can download the format by accessing the following link: http://www.permanyer.com/formulario-responsabilidades/

Funding
The authors must mention all organizations that funded their research in the manuscript, including grant numbers where appropriate.

Conflicts of interest
Authors must describe any financial or personal relationship with any other person or organization, which can cause a conflicts of interest regarding this article. Please, read and employ all the referent to conflicts of interests embraced by the RCC².

To promote the transparency and quality of the research, the authors will be asked as an essential requirement to self-assess adherence to the relevant international guidelines according to the type of study:

– Clinical trials: CONSORT (http://www.consort-statement.org/). In addition, all trials must be registered in one of the international databases, and the corresponding registration number must always be indicated.

– Observational studies: STROBE (www.strobe-statement.org).

– Diagnostic tests: STARD (www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/stard/).

– For other types of studies, consult the guidelines on the EQUATOR initiative (http://www.equator-network.org/).

TYPES OF ARTICLES

Editorial
Editorial articles must contain title in Spanish and in English. They cannot include abstracts, key words, tables or figures. The maximum length for editorials will be 4 pages with a maximum of 20 references.

Original article
Original articles present results from clinical or basic original research. They must include title, abstract and key words, both in Spanish and English. Abstracts must be shorter than 250 words. The maximum length for original articles will be 20 pages with a maximum of 50 references.

Review article
Reviews will be on a relevant medical topic in Cardiology. They must include title, abstract and key words, both in Spanish and English. Abstracts must be shorter than 200 words. The maximum length for original articles will be 20 pages with a maximum of 50 references.

Case reports
RCC will not publish case report presentations. Only outstanding case reports will be accepted when they are of special interest and innovative. They should cover a recent and relevant medical experience. They must include title, abstract and key words, both in Spanish and English. Abstracts must be shorter than 200 words. The maximum length for original articles will be 10 pages with a maximum of 5 authors, 3 figures and tables and 15 references.

Images in cardiology
Cases for diagnosis should cover a recent and relevant medical experience based on images. They must include a short title (8 words maximum), both in Spanish and English. They should have 3 or less authors and include one or several images with an explanatory text of maximum one page.

Letter to the editor
Letters are an open forum to the expression of personal opinions regarding medical topics of diverse interests, as well as the content of the articles published in our journal. They must include titles both in Spanish and in English and they should have a maximum of 4 authors. Letters should be short commentaries of maximum 1-2 pages, 2 figures and no tables.

COPYRIGHT

All papers must be submitted together with a letter sign ed by every author stating that the manuscript have not been published previously nor have been sent simultaneously to another journal; that there is no conflicts of interest; and in case of acceptance, copyright will be transferred to the Sociedad Colombiana de Cardiología y Cirugía Cardiovascular who will publish them open access under the licence: CC BY-NC-ND (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

The views expressed in the article are those of the authors.

No articles will be accepted for review if they are not prepared in accordance with the instructions for authors.

REFERENCES

1. Alfonso F, Zelveian P, Monsuez J, Aschermann JJ, Boehm M, Buendia-Hernandez A, et al. Authorship: From Credit to Accountability. Reflections From the Editors Network. Rev Colomb Cardiol. 2019;26(3):117-24.

2. Alfonso F, Timmis A, Pinto FJ, Ambrosio G, Ector H, Kulakowski P, et al. on behalf of the Editors’ Network European Society of Cardiology Task Force Conflict of interest policies and disclosure requirements among European Society of Cardiology National Cardiovascular Journals. European Heart Journal. 2012; 33:587–94.

EDITORIAL PROCESS

The editorial process consists of 6 stages:

1. Reception of the manuscript (indeterminate, depending on whether the author meets the requirements): its objective is to verify that the manuscript complies with the specifications of these instructions for authors and that the submitted documentation is complete.

2. Initial editorial review (maximum 5 business days): its objective is to corroborate the relevance, timeliness, originality, and scientific contribution of the manuscript, as well as the methodological and statistical soundness of the study. At this time, it will be submitted to an electronic plagiarism detection system. Derived from this, a rejected opinion may be obtained, or it will be sent for review by peer researchers.

3. Review by peer researchers (maximum 30 business days): the opinion of at least two experts in the area in question will be obtained, who will evaluate the technical and methodological aspects of the investigation.

4. Editorial review (maximum 7 business days): its objective is to make a decision based on the opinion of peer reviewers. The opinion can be rejected, major changes, minor changes or accepted. In the case of major or minor changes, it will be submitted again for evaluation by the initial peer reviewers.

5. Final edition (6 weeks): its objective is the technical and linguistic edition (and translation), layout of galleys, DOI assignment, and correction by the author.

6. Advanced publication: All manuscripts will be published ahead of print on the journal's website as soon as they complete the editing process, until they are incorporated into a final issue of the journal.

PRINT PROOFS (PDF) OF ACCEPTED ARTICLES

The corresponding author will receive proofs of the article for revision and correction of terminology errors, or any other updates related to facts/figures. As the article will already have been edited according to the journal’s internal editorial guidelines, style corrections will not be accepted. The corresponding author will receive an email with the article in PDF format, on which they can leave their comments. Authors will need to have Adobe Reader (version 9, or a later version), downloadable for free). For other system requirements, please visit the Adobe website.

Alternatively, authors may list their corrections and submit them via email. Any major changes at this stage will be subject to the approval of the Editor. Authors should make sure to include all changes in a single email, as we cannot guarantee the inclusion of subsequent corrections.

The proof review is the responsibility of the author.

Relevant links

Committee on Publication Ethics. Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers

International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Responsibilities in the Submission and Peer-Review Process