AJNR -- Information for Authors

Information for Authors

The American Journal of Neuroradiology (AJNR) publishes original articles pertaining to the clinical imaging, therapy, and basic science of the central and peripheral nervous system, including but not limited to the brain, spine, head and neck, interventional procedures, techniques in imaging and intervention, and related educational, socioeconomic, and medicolegal issues. The content of the AJNR is determined by the Editors.

Types of articles the AJNR will consider for publication include Original Research, Case Reports, Technical Notes, Letters to the Editor, and special papers including Review Articles and radiologic-pathologic correlations. Other items such as Book Reviews are solicited and approved by the Editors as well. Please note that Letters and Book Reviews will now be published online only. Please note that manuscripts presenting research supported by any government funding source from any nation will be published in an open access manner with no restriction of content from initial on-line posting.

Submitted manuscripts must not contain previously published material or material under consideration for publication elsewhere unless specific permission is obtained. Accepted manuscripts become the property of the AJNR and may not be republished without its consent.

Manuscripts will undergo peer review, and an AJNR Editor will then make a decision relative to publication.

The AJNR encourages and will give particular attention to investigations that are prospective in nature and in which specific hypotheses are proposed.

Author Responsibilities

By submitting a manuscript for publication, each author acknowledges having made a substantial contribution to the concept and design of the study, the analysis and interpretation of the results, and the writing of the paper in addition to having approved the final submitted version. Each author thus acknowledges responsibility for the integrity of the manuscript, assures the originality of the paper, and guarantees that duplicate or redundant publications/submissions have not occurred. If the submitted manuscript builds on previously published articles, authors are encouraged to enclose copies of those articles with the new submission. The Editors reserve the right to request the original data obtained in the investigation.

Conflicts of interest and/or disclosure statements, if applicable, must be included with all submissions using the appropriate form (click here to download). Disclosure is not intended to prevent authors with potential conflicts of interest from contributing to the AJNR; rather it places on record any relationship that may exist with mentioned or competing products or firms. Disclosed information will be held in confidence during the review process and the Editors will determine the nature of any printed disclosure accompanying a published article. Authors are responsible for notifying the Journal of financial arrangements including, but not limited to, agreements for research support (including provision of equipment or materials), speaker bureaus, consulting, or ownership interests. It is important that disclosure statements be updated promptly to reflect any new relationships that arise after the initial submission of the manuscript. Authors should upload PDF versions of the signed disclosure statements in Manuscript Central using the space designated for cover letters and use the following format for filenames: [Author Last Name] Disclosure [Last 4 Digits of Manuscript Number].

When a large, multi-center group has conducted a study, the group should identify the individuals who accept direct responsibility for the manuscript. At least one person’s name must accompany a group name (e.g., H.J. Cloft, for the HEAL Investigators). These individuals should fully meet the criteria for authorship defined above. When submitting a group author manuscript, the corresponding author should clearly indicate the preferred citation and identify all individual authors as well as the group name. The AJNR will generally list other members of the group in the acknowledgments. Groups of persons who have contributed materially to the paper but whose contributions do not justify authorship may be listed under a heading such as "Clinical Investigators" and their function or contribution should be described (e.g., "served as scientific advisors," "collected data," or "provided and cared for study patients"). The National Library of Medicine indexes the group name and the names of individuals the group has identified as being directly responsible for the manuscript.

All authors should read the following instructions before submitting a manuscript to assure timely handling and review of their material. Authors should strive to present their manuscripts in a clear and logical manner. Authors are responsible for all statements made in the text.

We strongly encourage authors for whom English is not their native language to seek assistance from a colleague experienced in medical terminology and translation to ensure that the words used both accurately and clearly convey the intended meaning. Failure to do so may compromise the review of your manuscript.

These instructions are based in part on recommendations as set forth in the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors' Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals and the AMA Manual of Style. Authors are encouraged to consult both of these publications, which contain helpful details on the construction and writing of scientific manuscripts. Variations from guidelines in those publications reflect the individual style of the AJNR.

Duplicate/Redundant Publication

The Council of Science Editors defines redundant publication as "reporting (publishing or attempting to publish) substantially the same work more than once, without attribution of the original source(s)" (CBE Views 1996;19 (4):76-77). Characteristics of reports that are substantially similar include (a) "at least one of the authors must be common to all reports; (b) "the subject or study populations are often the same or similar"; (c) "the methodology is typically identical or nearly so"; and (d) "the results and their interpretation generally vary little, if at all."

Should any member of the Editorial Board of AJNR become aware of the possibility of redundant/duplicate publication, the Editor-in-Chief will:

If the article is still in the process of peer review, suspend it until final determination is made. A determination of redundant/duplicate publication will result in immediate rejection of the article and notification of the Editor(s) of other journals involved.
If the article(s) in question has already been published by AJNR:

Compare and study both publications to determine their content.
Ask one or more Senior Editors and/or a member(s) of the Editorial Board to determine if the article in question falls into the category of redundant/duplicate publication.
If the article is considered as redundant/duplicate, retract it from publication in AJNR and PubMed and notify the author(s).
Publish a notification of the retraction in AJNR and give authors(s) involved the opportunity to respond.
Further sanctions to be considered by the Editor-in-Chief and Senior Editors on an individual basis include:
1. A flexible time ban for material by any of the authors.
2. Notification of the authors’ department chairs and other authorities of their respective universities.
If redundancy, duplication, or plagiarism occurs in an article(s) arising from research funded by a government means, the Office of Research Integrity from Department of Health and Human Services will be notified.

NIH-Funded Studies Accepted after April 7, 2008

AJNR does not deposit manuscripts in PubMed Central for authors at the current time. Our copyright agreement allows you to post the final peer-reviewed version of your manuscript in this repository upon acceptance for publication.

Case of the Week

Submissions for Case of the Week are limited to fellows in Neuroradiology. The cases do not need to be rare but need to be challenging. Please submit your case to the Editor-in-Chief (Castillo{at}med.unc.edu). Acceptance of any cases submitted is at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief. New cases are posted every Monday.

The Case of the Week consists of two PowerPoint slides:

SLIDE #1:

One to four high-quality illustrations; color is acceptable. Arrows may point at important findings.
One-line case history
Name of author (only one per case) and institution

SLIDE #2:

Title: Diagnosis
Four to six sentences containing information regarding the entity shown with no review of images. Information provided must be up to date.
One or two current references, preferably obtained from AJNR so they can be linked to the Journal

Manuscript Submission

The AJNR uses an electronic submission and review process to promote expeditious peer review. Manuscripts should be submitted electronically via the following Web site: Manuscript Central

Questions about manuscripts under consideration may be addressed to:

American Journal of Neuroradiology

ajnrinfo{at}asnr.org

All authors must sign a copyright release form.

NEW!! All manuscript submissions must now be accompanied by Author Disclosure Statements for all authors listed on the manuscript. Submissions not containing this form will be returned to the corresponding author. Filename format for disclosure statements: [Author Last Name] Disclosure [Last 4 digits of Manuscript Number]

Categories of Submission

ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Original Research Word Limits:

Abstract

Text, including references and tables

Figures

TITLE PAGE.—The following information should appear: title of article; first name, middle initial, and last name of author(s); affiliations, grant support, and presentation in part or whole at any meeting. Identify the corresponding author and provide full mailing address, phone and FAX numbers, and e-mail address. Authors may indicate level of contribution to the paper and this will be reflected in the final published article. The number of authors should be limited to 8 for Original Research and 4 for Technical Notes and Case Reports. Justification for the inclusion of additional authors may be proposed through a written explanation of the nature of the contribution of each author.

ABSTRACT.—The abstract is limited to 250 words and should describe the essential aspects of the investigation in four subheadings: Background and Purpose (in the first sentence, state the background information/rationale for the investigation; in the second sentence, state your specific purpose or hypothesis), Materials and Methods, Results (summarize actual data), and Conclusion (brief statement directed to the stated purpose or hypothesis). No references should be cited.

INTRODUCTION.—Please write a brief introduction to the paper that outlines the Background/Purpose in further detail.

METHODS.—This section may be divided into subsections if it facilitates reading the paper. The research design, patients/subjects, material used, means of confirming diagnoses, and statistical methods should be included. Papers with statistical analysis should be prepared in consultation or coauthorship with someone who has statistical expertise. Do not mix results and discussion into this section. Do not include manufacturer’s names unless the specific product is important to the procedures performed, in which case, the city and state or country of the manufacturer should also be given. Indicate that informed consent has been obtained from patients who participated in clinical investigations. In animal experimentation, acknowledge that National Institutes of Health or equivalent guidelines were followed. When appropriate, indicate that approval was obtained from the institution’s review board. If there is a sponsoring company, include at the end of this section what input that company had in the formulation of the paper.

RESULTS.—This section may be divided into subsections if it facilitates reading the paper. Present results in a clear, orderly fashion, and include statistical findings to substantiate the results. All results based on methods must be included. If tables and graphic material will ease the understanding of the results, include them. However, when the results can be summarized easily in a narrative form, do not use tables. Cite figures to illustrate findings.

DISCUSSION.—Start with limited, pertinent background information and then discuss the results of the investigation in light of what has been published in the past, the limitations of your study, the implications for patient care, and potential directions for future research. Where appropriate, cite figures and graphs.

CONCLUSION.—In a separate section, summarize the major findings of the study and their clinical usefulness (if applicable). This paragraph should address the hypothesis or purpose stated earlier in the paper.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.—Obtaining permission to include a name in this section from the acknowledged individual is advised.

REFERENCES.—Provide only the references that give essential background material. SEE ALSO: References section.

REVIEW ARTICLES

Authors are encouraged to contact the Editor-in-Chief (Castillo{at}med.unc.edu) before preparing an unsolicited Review Article to avoid duplication of other work already in progress.

Review Article Word Limits:

Abstract

Text, including references and tables

Figures

TITLE PAGE.—SEE: Original Research/Title Page.

ABSTRACT.—The abstract should be a one paragraph summary of the article.

TEXT.—After a brief introduction, this section may be divided into subsections to facilitate reading the paper. Discuss pertinent background information, review the major findings of articles published in the past and the limitations of these studies, the implications for patient care, and potential directions for future research.

TABLES AND FIGURES.—If tables and graphic material will ease the understanding of the results, include them. However, when the results can be summarized easily in a narrative form, do not use tables. Cite figures to illustrate findings. Five illustrations and one table are generally sufficient to supplement the text of a Review Article.

REFERENCES.—Provide only the references that give essential background material. Review Articles generally contain an average of 65 references. SEE ALSO: References section.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.—Obtaining permission to include a name in this section from the acknowledged individual is advised.

CASE REPORTS/TECHNICAL NOTES

AJNR

Abstract

Text, including references and tables

Figures

TITLE PAGE.—SEE: Original Research/Title Page

ABSTRACT.—The abstract should be a one paragraph summary of the article.

INTRODUCTION.—Describe the essence of the report.

CASE REPORT/TECHNIQUE.—Describe the case or technique. Write in the past tense.

DISCUSSION.—Highlight the educational value of the case or technique.

REFERENCES.—Provide only the references that give essential background materials. SEE ALSO: References Section.

CLICK HERE FOR A BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE IMAGE WORD COUNT (PDF)

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Letters to the Editor may be used to describe (in an extremely brief manner) either an observation of interest to our readers, an opinion relative to the practice of neuroradiology, or constructive observations or criticisms of published material. Letters should be no more than two pages (double-spaced) and should be submitted with a brief title (and a title page containing author contact information) but no salutation. A maximum of four references may be included. Letters are published at the discretion of the AJNR and are subject to editing.

As of March 2008, Letters to the Editor will appear online only.

Electronic Format Requirements

IMPORTANT: If possible, please submit all files in production-ready formats. We cannot publish your manuscript without receiving correctly formatted files.

DOCUMENT FILES

Submit an electronic version of the manuscript as a Microsoft Word (DOC) or RTF file. Please note that abstracts should be included in your main document in addition to being posted in the space provided in your Corresponding Author Center.
All text is to be double-spaced with sufficient margins, and all pages are to be numbered.
Type size should be at least 12 points.
Do not justify the margins.
Preserve anonymity by ensuring that the authors’ names appear only on the title page (which should be a separate electronic file) and by eliminating references to institutions, affiliations, and previous work by the authors (stated as such in the manuscript).
Organize the manuscript as follows: title page (separate file), blind title page (title only), abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion, conclusion, acknowledgments, references, tables, and figure legends.
Keep acronyms to a minimum. When an abbreviation is used, define it at first mention and follow with the abbreviation in parantheses.
For revisions, please include a cover letter detailing all changes that were made to the manuscript. You will be prompted for this letter by Manuscript Central upon submitting your revision.

FIGURES AND LEGENDS

The AJNR uses electronic images for reproduction. Submit all figures in JPG, TIF, or EPS format. Glossy prints are no longer required.
Do not include authors’ names in the filename or in the image file itself.
Each image should be a separate file with the figure number indicated in the filename.
To ensure the best possible reproduction quality of electronic images, please follow the guidelines at http://cjs.cadmus.com/da/ when creating images.
Legends should be in present tense (eg, ‘T1-weighted MR image shows…’).
Images should not be redundant. Excessive illustrative material is to be avoided.
Images should be uniform in size and magnification.
Sagittal projections or lateral images are to be submitted with the patient facing the reader’s left.
Illustrations should not have marks, circles, or numbers in the area around the image and should be free of all identifying information relative to the patient and institution.
Line drawings should be professional in quality, done in black on a white background.
Written permission for use of all previously published illustrations must be included with submission, and the source should be referenced in the legends.
Written permission from any person recognizable in a photo is required.
Legends must be double-spaced, and figures are numbered in the order cited in the text.
Label all pertinent findings.

RESOLUTION REQUIREMENTS FOR JPG/TIF/EPS FILES:

Line Art (black and white).

Halftones.

Combination Halftones.

Images should be a minimum size of 4 inches wide at the stated resolution.

PLEASE VIEW OUR IMAGE CROPPING GUIDE FOR REQUIREMENTS AND EXAMPLES (PDF)

COLOR CHARGES:

AJNR

ELECTRONIC MODIFICATION/MANIPULATION OF IMAGE FILES:

changing image size and resolution as detailed above
globally adjusting contrast and brightness (as long as no parts of an image are completely masked by them)
blocking or erasing patient/institutional/manufacturer identifiers
minimally "cleaning" unwanted noise in the background
aligning an image that is tilted
cropping unnecessary surrounding black space

TABLES

Each table is double-spaced and begins on a separate page without vertical or horizontal rules.
Type size is not reduced (tables may span more than one page).
Each table has a short, descriptive title.
Tables are numbered in the order cited in the text.
Abbreviations are defined as footnotes at the bottom of each table.
Tables should not duplicate data given in the text or figures.
The ‘Results’ section should refer the reader to the appropriate table.

REFERENCES
The guidelines provided in this section are applicable to Original Research, Case Reports, Review Articles, and Technical Notes. However, the AMA style of referencing should be used for any type of manuscript submission.

Section must be double-spaced.
References are numbered consecutively in the order in which they appear in the text. All references must be cited in the text in superscript.
Data such as abstracts from meetings should be cited in the reference list. For meeting abstracts, cite the authors, title, society meeting, date, and location.
Citations of personal communications should appear in the ‘Discussion’ section only and should not be used to support the authors’ conclusions.
Papers submitted but not yet accepted for publication should also be cited in the text (D.J. Smith, unpublished data, 1988).
Inclusive page numbers (eg, 333-37) must be provided for all references.
Journal names are abbreviated per Index Medicus.
All authors are listed when there are three or fewer; when four or more, the first three are listed with ‘et al.’

Style and punctuation of references follow the format illustrated in the following examples:

JOURNAL ARTICLE:

AJNR Am J Neuroradiol

BOOK:

Neuroradiology: The Requisites.

CHAPTER IN AN EDITED BOOK:

Head and Neck Imaging

MULTIMEDIA FILES
Any multimedia files to be published in the online journal should be uploaded to Manuscript Central in QuickTime (MOV) format. Please do not send DivX Video (AVI) or Windows Media Clip (MPG) files.

Expedited Publication

AJNR encourages and recognizes exceptional science and will schedule manuscripts of special merit accordingly. Select articles will awarded an expedited publication date with this fast-track distinction noted in the table of contents. This refers to submitted articles that the Editors and/or reviewers feel will significantly impact the way we practice clinical neuroradiology or change the way we approach research activities related to neuroimaging. The Editors are committed to expediting the review process, and articles considered for expedited publication will be processed as fast as our system allows. Please note that all accepted articles are currently being posted in our Publication Preview section three to four months in advance of their appearance in print.

CLICK HERE FOR A COMPLETE MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION CHECKLIST (PDF)

Advanced AJNR - American Journal of Neuroradiology

Information for Authors

Author Responsibilities

Duplicate/Redundant Publication

NIH-Funded Studies Accepted after April 7, 2008

Case of the Week

Manuscript Submission

Categories of Submission

Electronic Format Requirements

Expedited Publication

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AJNR - American Journal of Neuroradiology