Stroke: A Journal of Cerebral Circulation publishes reports of clinical and basic investigation of any aspect of the cerebral circulation and its diseases from many disciplines, including neurology, internal medicine, radiology, nuclear medicine, neuropathology, neurosurgery, epidemiology, vascular surgery, rehabilitation, anesthesiology, critical care medicine, vascular physiology, neuropsychology, speech pathology, and neuro-ophthalmology.
Instructions to Authors
ONLINE MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSIONTo submit your manuscript online, please go to http://submit-stroke.ahajournals.org/ and follow the instructions for creating an author account and submitting a manuscript. Access can also be gained by visiting Stroke online at http://stroke.ahajournals.org and selecting the Online Submissions button. If you have any questions about the online submission process, please feel free to contact the Editorial Office at stroke{at}lhsc.on.ca; Telephone:1-519-858-5171
The following items should be faxed to the Editorial office at 1-519-858-5174 at the manuscript revision stage:
- Authorship Responsibility and Copyright Transfer Agreement
- Acknowledgement release signatures, if applicable
- Conflict of Interest Disclosure Questionnaire
Submitted manuscripts should not contain previously published material or be under consideration for publication elsewhere.
Prior presentations at scientific meetings are allowed, but the authors should be aware that such presentations may undermine their intellectual property rights. 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 compromise consideration of a submission. Direct release of information through press releases or media briefings may preclude publication.
Manuscripts should conform to "Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals" (JAMA. 1997;277:927-934 or on the worldwide web at several addresses, including http://www.acponline.org/journals/resource/resortoc.htm) except as indicated otherwise in the instructions below.
Redundant Publication
The editors of Stroke agree with the principles of the HEART Group regarding redundant publication (Circulation. 1997;96:1. Cardiovascular News: "HEART Group Notification Regarding Redundant Publication"). Redundant publication is publication of a paper that overlaps substantially with one already published. When submitting a paper, authors should make a full statement to the editor about all submissions and previous reports that might be regarded as redundant publication of the same or similar work. The authors should alert the editor if the work includes subjects about whom a previous report has been published. Copies of such material should be included with the submitted paper to help the editor decide how to handle the matter. If redundant publication is attempted without such notification, authors should expect editorial action to be taken; at the least, rejection of the manuscript.
Commercial Sponsors
If the study is supported by or any income is received from a commercial sponsor, the authors must document the input of the sponsoring company in study design, collection, analysis, and interpretation of data and writing the reports. It is important to specifically address whether the sponsors could have suppressed publication if the results were negative or detrimental to the product they produce. Specifically, authors should state if the company was involved in original concepts and systematic review of existing trial evidence, the design, the choice of investigators, the control of allocation schedule, the conduct of the trial, the collection and monitoring of data, the analysis and interpretation, and the writing and approval of the report.
Journal Categories
Original Contributions. For preparation, see "General Instructions." Maximum length for manuscripts is 4000 words. Please note, that the 4000-word limit includes title page, abstract, main body of text, references, and figure legends. Authors should eliminate redundancy, emphasize the central message, and provide only the data necessary to convey that message. Please note, that accepted manuscripts received after December 1, 2008 exceeding the 4000 word count limit, will incur excessive word count penalty charges, and be published ONLINE ONLY. The total number of figures and/or tables is limited to 6. A maximum of an additional 2 figures or 2 tables or 1 of each may be submitted for publication online only, at the discretion of the editor. They must be clearly labeled as "online only" on the title page and in references throughout the paper and should be placed at the very end of the manuscript. No other text will be considered for "online-only" publication. There should be no more than 1 figure or 1 table for every 750 words.
Case Reports. The editors will consider case reports for publication only if they present important and unique clinical experience. Authors should limit descriptions of negative and normal findings. Maximum length, 1500 words, with only the most relevant references. Authors should limit figures to those that enhance the study.
Progress Reviews (Online-Only feature). This category presents an objective review of research and clinical treatment of some aspect of cerebrovascular disease. Manuscripts should not exceed 4000 words and 6 figures/tables.
Comments, Opinions, and Reviews (Online-Only feature) In this category, authors summarize the present state of knowledge in some aspect of cerebrovascular disease without the objectivity required in a Progress Review. Maximum length, 4000 words and 6 figures/tables.
Special Reports. These articles may summarize an event or a topic of interest to the readers of Stroke. Authors may query the editors before writing Special Reports to determine possible interest in such articles.
Research Letters. These articles highlight important research in stroke. Maximum length, 1500 words. The 1500-word limit includes title page, abstract, main body of text, references, figure legends. The total number of references is limited to 15. The total number of figures and/or tables is limited to 3.
Letters to the Editor (Online-Only Publication). This forum expresses views about articles published in Stroke or presents ideas or findings of scientific interest that do not constitute original research. Maximum length, 750 words including references. The editor invites responses to letters as appropriate. Authors must double-space text and references, provide a brief title, and obtain signatures from all authors on a copyright transfer agreement. Letters may be shortened or edited. The American Heart Association will send edited letters to authors before publication.
Criteria for Authorship
The editors consider authorship to refer to those persons who accept intellectual and public responsibility for the statements made and results reported. Authorship should not be attributed to department chairmen not directly involved in the study, to physicians or technicians who provided routine services, or to technical advisors. Manuscripts with more than 5 authors should be accompanied by a letter stating the contribution of each author to the study. A group study should carry the group name and reference the contributing authors in an appendix.
Authorship Responsibility and Copyright Transfer Agreement Form
Expedited Publication
The editors invite submission of manuscripts that have major importance to the scientific community. To be considered for expedited publication, an article must be unique and contain information that could make a significant difference in medical practice or constitute an important advance in basic knowledge. The authors must clearly state reasons for the request in the cover letter. If the editors agree that an article should be an expedited publication, they will arrange an accelerated review and, if the reviewers agree, accelerated publication.
Preliminary Reports
The editors discourage submission of preliminary reports that describe a standardized design and progress to date. The editors will not consider publication of such studies unless the article describes new and innovative methodology and/or reports data that might be used independently by other groups in planning similar studies. If a preliminary report is submitted, authors should specify inclusion of material that meets the guidelines of this policy.
General Instructions
- Type manuscripts double-spaced, including references, figure legends, and tables, on one side of the page only.
- Leave 1-inch margins on all sides. Number every page, beginning with the abstract page, including tables, figure legends, and figures.
- Cite each figure and table in text in numerical order.
- Cite each reference in text in numerical order and list in the References section. In text, reference numbers may be repeated but not omitted.
- 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 (eg, 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. Conversions should be made by the author before the manuscript is submitted for peer review.
- Consult the American Medical Association Manual of Style, 9th ed, Baltimore, Md, Williams & Wilkins, 1997, for style.
- When reporting randomized controlled trials, please adhere to the CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials) statement (http://www.consort-statement.org)
- 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. See the Uniform Requirements for more details.
- Assemble manuscript in this order: (1) author information page, (2) acknowledgments and funding page, (3) title page, (4) abstract page, (5) text, (6) references, (7) tables, (8) figure legends, (9) figures.
- Specify the number of words on your title page. Word count should include all parts of the manuscript (abstract, manuscript text, references, figure legends, etc). Over-length manuscripts will NOT be accepted for publication.
- Consult current issues for additional guidance on format.
1. Author Information Page (First page)
Author page must include:
- Full title of the article.
- Authors' names, highest academic degree earned by each, authors' affiliations, name and complete address for correspondence, and address for reprints if different from address for correspondence.
- Fax number, telephone number, and E-mail address.
2. Acknowledgments and Funding Page (Second page)
- The acknowledgments section lists all sources of funding for the research discussed in the study, plus substantive contributions of individuals. Authors should obtain 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 following statement on the Copyright Transfer Agreement form, certifying that (1) all persons who have made substantial contributions in 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 have made substantial contributions to this manuscript. (Note: If the article is published, this section will be printed at the end of the text.)
- Authors should reveal all possible Conflicts of Interest/Disclosures on this page and complete the Conflict of Interest/Disclosure Questionnaire
Conflicts of Interest/Disclosures
- All potential Conflicts of Interest/Disclosures must be included in the manuscript, under this heading. This pertains to relationships with pharmaceutical companies, biomedical device manufacturers, or other corporations whose products or services are related to the subject matter of the article. Such 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. 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.
Please note Stroke collects this information electronically during the online submission process for review purposes only. Authors should collect Conflict of Interest information from all co-authors before submitting a manuscript online.
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3. Title Page (Third page)
Title page must include:
- Full title.
- Cover title (total characters must not exceed 50, including spaces) to be typeset on the cover of the journal.
- Itemized list of the number of tables and number and types of figures included in the manuscript.
- Three to five key words for use as indexing terms. These words should be selected from the "Subject Index" of the most recent December issue of Stroke or from the National Library of Medicine Permuted Medical Subject Headings.
4. Abstract
- Do not cite references in the abstract.
- Limit use of acronyms and abbreviations.
- Be concise (250 words, maximum). The abstract should have the following headings: Background and Purpose (description of rationale for study), Methods (brief description of methods), Results (presentation of significant results), and Conclusions (succinct statement of data interpretation).
5. Text
- Follow the instructions in "General Instructions."
- The following are typical main headings: Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, and Summary.
- Abbreviations must be defined at first mention in the text, tables, and figures.
- Methods section. For any apparatuses used in Methods, the complete names of manufacturers must be supplied. For animals used in experiments, state the species, strain, number used, and other pertinent descriptive characteristics. For human subjects or patients, describe their 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. Reports of studies on both animals and humans must indicate that the procedures followed were in accordance with institutional guidelines.
6. References Section
- Accuracy of reference data is the author's responsibility. Verify all entries against original sources, especially journal titles, inclusive page numbers, publication dates, accents, diacritical marks, and spelling in languages other than English.
- Do not list the month in the reference.
- Example of reference: STROKE. 2008;39:2407-2408.
- All authors must be listed. DO NOT USE ET AL.
- Cite references in numerical order according to first mention in text.
- Personal communications, unpublished observations, and submitted manuscripts must be cited in the text as "([name(s)], unpublished data, 19XX)."
- Abstracts may be cited only if they are the sole source and must be identified in the references as "Abstract."
- "In press" citations must have been accepted for publication and the name of the journal or book publisher included.
7. Tables
- Each table must be typed on a separate sheet and double-spaced, if possible. The table number should be Arabic, followed by a period and a brief informative title.
- Use the same size type as in text.
- Indicate footnotes in the table in this order: *, †, ‡, §, ║, , #, **, ††...
- Do not use vertical lines in tables. Use horizontal lines above and below the column headings and at the bottom of the table only. Use extra space to delineate sections within the table.
8. Figure Legends
- Provide figure legends on a separate sheet.
9. Figures
- Figures are either black and white drawings, halftones (photographs), or computer (laser) graphs or prints. Authors are responsible for the cost of printing color illustrations. Authors are also responsible for obtaining from the copyright holder permission to reproduce previously published artwork.
- Digital art files should be in tiff, ppt or eps format only.
- Artwork must be prepared using professional camera-ready standards.
- Ideally, artwork should be approximately the size authors could expect it to be reproduced if printed in Stroke. This will allow authors to evaluate it for size of text on figures and final appearance.
- Line drawings, photomicrographs, color prints, and halftones should be camera-ready, unmounted, glossy prints.
- Computer graphs and prints should be good quality laser prints. Glossy computer paper reproduces best. Submit only originals of laser prints, not photocopies.
- Make letters and locants uniform in size and style. Flaws will not be corrected.
- Supply a scale bar with photomicrographs.
- Any abbreviations or symbols used in the figures must be defined in the figure or figure legend.
- Keep an extra set of original figures for your records.
- Authors can check guidelines online at http://submit-stroke.ahajournals.org/ under Tools for Authors-Digital Art Information
Deposits of Manuscripts to Repositories such as PubMed Central
- All rights, title, interest and copyright ownership in a manuscript submitted to the American Heart Association is conveyed by the author(s) to the American Heart Association. If a manuscript is supported in whole or part by a funding body, such as the NIH, then authors are authorized to deposit the manuscript in the funding body’s designated repository but must specify that it be made public no later than 6 months after publication in Stroke.
- As of May 2, 2005, the NIH has requested that manuscripts funded in whole or part by NIH funds be deposited in PubMedCentral (PMC). The manuscript to be deposited is the “preprint” form of the manuscript.
When authors deposit their manuscript on the PMC site, authors must designate when the manuscript will be available in the PMC repository. The American Heart Association permits, and requires, that when submitting the manuscript to PMC that authors designate a 6-month delay from the date of final publication by The American Heart Association. - All potential Conflicts of Interest/Disclosures must be included in the manuscript, under this heading. This pertains to relationships with pharmaceutical companies, biomedical device manufacturers, or other corporations whose products or services are related to the subject matter of the article. Such 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. 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.
- Additionally, the AHA requests that in your final submission to a repository the following disclaimer be added to your manuscript:
- This is an un-copyedited author manuscript that was accepted for publication in Stroke, copyright The American Heart Association. This may not be duplicated or reproduced, other than for personal use or within the “Fair Use of Copyrighted Materials” (section 107, title 17, U.S. Code) without prior permission of the copyright owner, The American Heart Association. The final copyedited article, which is the version of record, can be found at Stroke. The American Heart Association disclaims any responsibility or liability for errors or omissions in this version of the manuscript or in any version derived from it by the National Institutes of Health or other parties.
- For more information about author’s rights and responsibilities, please see the AHA Authorship Responsibility and Copyright Transfer Agreement.
- For more information on PubMedCentral please visit http://nihms.nih.gov.
- A Permissions and Rights Question and Answer is also available (http://www.ahajournals.org/rights/).
Clinical Trials
Embargo Policy
Permissions
Costs to Authors
No page charges to authors from the following countries: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kosovo (Serbia and Montenegro), Kyrgyzstan, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Lithuania, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa (Western), Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, Tokelau, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Republic of Tanzania, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Wallis and Fortuna, West Bank and Gaza, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Authorship Responsibility and Copyright Transfer Agreement Form
Conflict of Interest Disclosure Questionnaire
Acknowledgment Permission Form
Journal Subject Heads for Article Collections Feature on Journals Web Site
Clinical trials should be registered with a publicly accessible clinical trial registry, such as http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Registration number and registry URL should be supplied when submitting the manuscript online. A clinical trial is defined as any research study that prospectively assigns human participants or groups of humans to one or more health-related interventions to evaluate the effects on health outcomes. Studies that are designed for other purposes, such as to study pharmacokinetics or major toxicity (e.g. phase 1 trials), are exempt.
Articles published in Stroke cannot be discussed by 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 posted online ahead of the print version (Stroke ASAP). 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.
Authors are charged: