AUTHOR INSTRUCTIONS

The Texas Heart Institute Journal publishes articles on all aspects of preventing, diagnosing, and treating cardiovascular disease from a clinical perspective. The editors welcome original research and educational articles, as well as opinion pieces and essays related to medical discipline.

Contact Us

Zvonimir Krajcer, MD
Editor-in-Chief, The Texas Heart Institute Journal
THIJEditor@texasheart.org

Submit Your Manuscript

Go to Editorial Manager

Review Process

Submissions are examined by the editors, who decide whether to refer the manuscript for external peer review. After initial screening, manuscripts that do not receive a priority sufficient for publication will be returned to the author.

Manuscripts are generally reviewed by two or more expert consultants through a single-anonymous peer review process. When appropriate, manuscripts that receive an initial favorable response will undergo independent statistical review.
We strive to reach a decision within 6 weeks of submission. However, many factors impact this timeline, including the number of submissions undergoing review and reviewer availability.

Decision letters will include review comments, when available. Authors may be asked to revise their manuscripts to be considered for publication (see Revised and Accepted Submissions). All appeals must be submitted in writing to the editorial office. Note that most rejection decisions are final.

Presubmission Inquiries

The editors will not respond to presubmission inquiries on Original Research articles. Authors should submit these through Editorial Manager for formal peer review.

Preparing Your Submission

Manuscripts must comply with the appropriate Article Type, and other submission files (diagnostic images, motion images, and graphs) must meet quality standards (see Technical Requirements).
In rare cases, submissions that are not organized according to these instructions may be considered for publication. If the editors favor the submission, authors will be required to revise it to meet the requirements of the article type.

Submission Files

Submissions must include all the files relevant to the article. If the submission does not pass the technical check, it will be returned to the author. This delays the review process.

Detailed instructions for preparing all submission files are in the Technical Requirements.

1. Cover letter
• Address the letter to Zvonimir Krajcer, MD.
• State the title of the manuscript and provide reasons why it is suitable for The Journal.
• State whether the manuscript has been submitted elsewhere for publication. Likewise, disclose whether the manuscript has been uploaded to a preprint server or presented at a meeting.
• The corresponding author should sign the letter and provide complete contact information.
• Add the name and e-mail address of one author, in addition to the corresponding author, who would have the authority to handle correspondence and approval in an emergency.
• Do not submit the title page as a cover letter.


2. Manuscript document

Use the appropriate preformatted template for your article type. Each includes tips for content and organization.


• General Template
• Original Research Template
• Case Report Template

The manuscript document must be organized as follows:


• Title page
• Abstract, keywords, key points, and abbreviations/acronyms list (as indicated by article type)
• Text
• Article notes (as applicable):
• Preprint citation (when applicable)
• Author contributions
• Conflict of interest disclosure(s)
• Funding/support
• Group information—for large studies (as needed)
• Disclaimer (The views expressed here are those of the authors…)
• Acknowledgments
• Meeting presentation
• References
• Tables (start each table at the top of a new page)
• Figure legends


3. Figure files, submitted individually in the proper format


4. Motion images, when applicable


5. Other supplemental materials, when applicable


6. Conditions for Publication Form. All authors must sign a copy of the Conditions for Publication Form to


• Certify that they meet the criteria for authorship defined by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). See Authorship.
• Certify that the paper has not been published previously
• Disclose any potential conflicts of interest


7. E-mail(s) from other contributors, agreeing to be acknowledged, when applicable

Ethics Policies

The Texas Heart Institute Journal follows the guidelines for best practices in scientific publication.

Authorship

The list of authors and their order should be determined before submission. Any changes will be carefully examined.

Authors should be determined based on these 4 criteria from the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).

• Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND
• Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; AND
• Final approval of the version to be published; AND
• Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Note: Contributors who do not meet the criteria for authorship should be acknowledged.

Protection of Human and Animal Subjects

Manuscripts should state that studies were performed in compliance with human-studies guidelines or animal-welfare regulations of the authors’ institutions and in compliance with FDA guidelines, and that informed, written consent was obtained from human subjects after the nature of the procedure was explained.

Patients’ Privacy and Confidentiality

Identifying information should be eliminated if not essential. When any such information is included, the patient must give informed, written consent for publication.

Avoid photographs of patients; if such photographs are used, the subjects must not be identifiable (masking their eyes is not adequate). Figures and motion images should not include any written patient identification, including names, initials, and hospital numbers. Photos or illustrations that might in any way reveal the identity of a patient must be accompanied by written permission to use the photograph; moreover, the patient should be shown the manuscript and should be told that the manuscript will be available on the Internet.