INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE CARDIOLOGY

Instructions for Authors

Only manuscripts of sufficient quality that meet the aims and scope of the International Journal of Integrative Cardiology will be reviewed.

As part of the submission process, you will be required to warrant that you are submitting your original work, that you have the rights in the work, that you are submitting the work for first publication in the journal, and that it is not being considered for publication elsewhere and has not already been published elsewhere, and that you have obtained and can supply all necessary permissions for the reproduction of any copyright works not owned by you.

Aims & Scope

Before submitting your manuscript to the International Journal of Integrative Cardiology, please ensure you have read the Aims & Scope.

Article Types

Manuscripts are considered for publication with the understanding that they have not been published previously and are not under consideration by another publication. International Journal of Integrative Cardiology accepts the following article types for publication:

  • Original Article

Reports of established current research.

Structure: Title page, Structured abstract (including Background, Aim, Methods, Results, Conclusion), Introduction (including a statement of aims and hypotheses), Methods (usually including participants, experimental design, experimental protocol, statistical methods), Results, Discussion (including conclusion), Ethical statements (see below for details) and References.

Statements to be included: Acknowledgements, Funding, Availability of data and materials, Authors’ contributions, Conflict of interest, Consent for publication, Ethical approval Word limit: Abstract: 250 words maximum. Article (not including abstract, references and tables/figures/diagrams): 6,000 words maximum. Tables/Figures/Diagrams: Up to 6 in total.

  • Short-Communication

Reports of novel preliminary or exploratory current research.

Structure: Usually containing a Title page, Structured abstract (including Background, Aim, Methods, Results, Conclusion), Introduction (including a statement of aims and hypothesis), Methods (usually including participants, experimental design, experimental protocol, statistical methods), Results, Discussion (including conclusion), Ethical statements (see below for details) and References (20 maximum).

Statements to be included: Acknowledgements, Funding, Availability of data and materials, Authors’ contributions, Conflict of interest, Consent for publication, Ethical approval

Word limit: Abstract: 150 words maximum. Article (not including abstract, references and tables/figures/diagrams): 2,000 words maximum.

Tables/Figures/Diagrams: Up to 3 in total.

  • Review Article

These will typically be invited, but non-commissioned reviews will be considered. Please contact a member of the Editorial Board to discuss the title and purpose of the review ahead of submission. A comprehensive summary of the current knowledge base in the given area.

Structure: Usually containing a Title page, Structured Abstract, Introduction (including a statement of the research question), sub-sectioned Main Body of the article (including a summary and directions for future research), Ethical statements (see below for details) and References.

Statements to be included: Acknowledgements, Funding, Availability of data and materials, Authors’ contributions, Conflict of interest, Consent for publication, Ethical approval

Word limit: Abstract: 250 words maximum. Article (not including abstract, references and tables/figures/diagrams): 5,000 words maximum.

Tables/Figures/Diagrams: Up to 8 in total.

  • Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

A comprehensive summary of the current knowledge base in a given area.

Structure: Usually containing a Title page, Structured abstract (including Background, Aim, Methods, Results, Conclusion), Introduction, Method (usually outlining the scope, search criteria and inclusion/exclusion criteria), Results (including statement of the research question), Discussion (including a summary and directions for future research), Ethical statements (see below for details) and References.

Statements to be included: Acknowledgements, Funding, Availability of data and materials, Authors’ contributions, Conflict of interest, Consent for publication, Ethical approval

Word limit: Abstract: 250 words maximum. Article (not including abstract, references and tables/figures/diagrams): 6,000 words maximum.

Tables/Figures/Diagrams: Up to 8 in total.

  • Protocol

Structure: Usually containing a Title page, Structured abstract (including Background, Aim, Methods, Summary), Introduction (including a statement of aims and hypothesis), Methods (usually including participants, experimental design and experimental protocol), Summary, Ethical statements (see below for details) and References.

Statements to be included: Acknowledgements, Funding, Availability of data and materials, Authors’ contributions, Conflict of interest, Consent for publication, Ethical approval

Word limit: Abstract: 250 words maximum. Article (not including abstract, references and tables/figures/diagrams): 4,000 words maximum.

Tables/Figures/Diagrams: Up to 4 in total.

  • Commentary

A short, narrowly focused, opinion piece providing a current perspective on a topic of interest.

Structure: Usually containing a Title page, Abstract, Introduction, sub-sectioned Main Body of the article (including a summary and directions for future research) and References.

Word limit: Abstract: 150 words maximum, Article (not including abstract, references, and tables/figures/diagrams): 2,000 words maximum.

Tables/Figures/Diagrams: Up to 3 in total.

  • Hypothesis

A short, narrowly focused, manuscript presenting a novel hypothesis or theory of interest.

Structure: Usually containing a Title page, Structured Abstract, Introduction, Statement of the Hypothesis (that should be framed in the context of the underpinning theory), Evaluation (provided by existing literature and pilot data if available), Implications, Ethical statements (see below for details) and References.

Statements to be included: Acknowledgements, Funding, Availability of data and materials, Authors’ contributions, Conflict of interest, Consent for publication, Ethical approval

Word limit: Abstract: 150 words maximum. Article (not including abstract, references and tables/figures/diagrams): 2,000 words maximum.

Tables/Figures/Diagrams: Up to 3 in total.

  • Case Study

These will typically be published where there is likely to be exceptional interest in classical or unusual issues facing the practitioner. It must be clearly justified why the report is needed rather than an alternative research methodology. Please contact a member of the Editorial Board to discuss the case study ahead of submission. These will be accepted both as short communications and full papers.

Structure: Usually containing a Title page, Structured abstract (including background/theoretical basis, case presentation, outcomes and implications, recommendations), Background (including a review of the theoretical and research basis for treatment), Case Presentation (including case introduction, presenting complaints, history, assessment, rationale for treatment), Outcomes and Implications (including course of intervention, complicating factors, potential confounders and barriers), Ethical statements (see below for details), Recommendations and References.

Statements to be included: Acknowledgements, Funding, Availability of data and materials, Authors’ contributions, Conflict of interest, Consent for publication, Ethical approval.

Word limits:
Short communications: Structured abstract: 150 words maximum. Article (not including abstract, references and tables/figures/diagrams): 1,500 words maximum
Full papers: Structured abstract: 250 words maximum. Article (not including abstract, references and tables/figures/diagrams): 2,500 words maximum.

Tables/Figures/Diagrams: Up to 4 in total.

Writing your paper

Make your article discoverable
When writing up your paper, think about how you can make it discoverable. The title, keywords and abstract are key to ensuring readers find your article through search engines such as Google. For information and guidance on how best to title your article, write you’re abstract and select your keywords.

Article Preparation Guidelines:
Authors are expected to attach an electronic covering letter completely mentioning the type of manuscript (e.g, Research article, Review articles, Brief Reports, Case study etc.) Unless invited on a special case, authors cannot classify a particular manuscript as Editorials or Letters to the editor or concise communications.
Confirm that each individual named as an author meets the requirements of the International Journal of Integrative Cardiology criteria for authorship. Please make sure that the article submitted for review/publication is not under consideration elsewhere simultaneously.
Clearly mention financial support or benefits if any from commercial sources for the work reported in the manuscript, or any other financial interests that any of the authors may have, which could create a potential conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict of interest with regard to the work.
A clear title of the article along with complete details of the author/s (professional/institutional affiliation, educational qualifications and contact information) must be provided on the title page.
The corresponding author should include address, telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address on the first page of the manuscript and authors must address any conflict of interest with others once the article is published.
Number all sheets in succession, including references, tables, and figure legends. The title page is page 1. On the first page, type the running head (short title for top of each page), title (which cannot include any acronyms), names of the authors and their academic degrees, grants or other financial supporters of the study, address for correspondence and reprint requests, and corresponding author's telephone and fax numbers and e-mail address.

Editorial Policies

Peer review policy
International Journal of Integrative Cardiology operates a conventional single-blind reviewing policy in which the reviewer’s name is always concealed from the submitting author
As part of the submission process, you will be asked to provide the names of peers who could be called upon to review your manuscript. Recommended reviewers should be experts in their fields and should be able to provide an objective assessment of the manuscript. Please be aware of any conflicts of interest when recommending reviewers. Examples of conflicts of interest include (but are not limited to) the below:

  • The reviewer should have no prior knowledge of your submission.
  • A reviewer should not have recently collaborated with any of the authors.
  • Reviewer nominees from the same institution as any of the authors are not permitted.

Please note that the Editors are not obliged to invite any recommended/opposed reviewers to assess your manuscript.

Authorship
Papers should only be submitted for consideration once consent is given by all contributing authors. Those submitting papers should carefully check that all those whose work contributed to the paper are acknowledged as contributing authors.
The list of authors should include all those who can legitimately claim authorship. This is all those who made a substantial contribution to the concept or design of the work or acquisition, analysis or interpretation of data, drafted the article or revised it critically for important intellectual content, approved version to be published, each author should have participated sufficiently in the work to take public responsibility for appropriate portions of the content.

The authors should meet the conditions of all of the points above. When a large, multicenter group has conducted the work, the group should identify the individuals who accept direct responsibility for the manuscript. These individuals should fully meet the criteria for authorship.

Acquisition of funding, collection of data, or general supervision of the research group alone does not constitute authorship, although all contributors who do not meet the criteria for authorship should be listed in the Acknowledgments section.

Acknowledgements

All contributors who do not meet the criteria for authorship should be listed in an Acknowledgements section. Examples of those who might be acknowledged include a person who provided purely technical help, or a department chair who provided only general support.

Writing Assistance
Individuals who provided writing assistance, for example: from a specialist communications company, do not qualify as authors and so should be included in the Acknowledgements section. Authors must disclose any writing assistance – including the individual’s name, company, and level of input – and identify the entity that paid for this assistance).
It is not necessary to disclose the use of language polishing services.
Any acknowledgements should appear first at the end of your article prior to your Declaration of Conflicting Interests (if applicable), any notes, and references.

Funding

International Journal of Integrative Cardiology requires all authors to acknowledge their funding under a separate heading. In case no funding received, please state "This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors".

Declaration of conflicting interests

It is the policy of International Journal of Integrative Cardiology to require a declaration of conflicting interests from all authors enabling a statement to be carried within the paginated pages of all published articles. Please ensure that a ‘Declaration of Conflicting Interests’ statement is included at the end of your manuscript, after any acknowledgments, and prior to the references. If no conflict exists, please state that ‘The Author(s) declare(s) that there is no conflict of interest’.
Information on informed consent to report individual cases or case series should be included in the manuscript text. A statement is required regarding whether written informed consent for patient information and images to be published was provided by the patient(s) or a legally authorized representative.

Publishing Policies

Plagiarism
International Journal of Integrative Cardiology takes issues of copyright infringement, plagiarism, or other breaches of best practice in publication very seriously. We always investigate claims of plagiarism or misuse of published articles. Equally, we seek to protect the reputation of the journal against malpractice. Submitted articles may be checked with duplication-checking software. Where an article, for example, is found to have plagiarized other work or included third-party copyright material without permission or with insufficient acknowledgment, or where the authorship of the article is contested, we reserve the right to take action including, but not limited to publishing an erratum or corrigendum (correction); retracting the article; taking up the matter with the head of department or dean of the author's institution and/or relevant academic bodies or societies, or taking appropriate legal action.

Open access and author archiving
International Journal of Integrative Cardiology offers open access publishing.

Information required for completing your submission

You will be asked to provide contact details and academic affiliations for all co-authors via the submission system and identify who is to be the corresponding author. These details must match what appears in your manuscript. At this stage please ensure you have included all the required statements and declarations and uploaded any additional supplementary files (including reporting guidelines where relevant).

Permissions

Please also ensure that you have obtained any necessary permission from copyright holders for reproducing any illustrations, tables, figures or lengthy quotations previously published elsewhere.

On acceptance and publication

Journal production editor will keep you informed as to your article’s progress throughout the production process. Proofs will be sent by PDF to the corresponding author and should be returned promptly. Authors are reminded to check their proofs carefully to confirm that all author information, including names, affiliations, sequence and contact details are correct, and that Funding and Conflict of Interest statements, if any, are accurate. Please note that if there are any changes to the author list at this stage all authors will be required to complete and sign a form authorizing the change.

Online First Publications

Online First allows final articles (completed and approved articles awaiting assignment to a future issue) to be published online prior to their inclusion in a journal issue, which significantly reduces the lead time between submission and publication. 

Promoting your article

The publication is not the end of the process! You can help disseminate your paper and ensure it is as widely read and cited as possible.

We are here to guide you in the right way to publish it, in the most cost-effective way, with a hassle-free and seamless process that is convenient for authors.

Article Processing Charges

International Journal of Integrative Cardiology charges article processing charges (APC) for all the articles accepted for publication. APCs in International Journal of Integrative Cardiology are based on article type. This is in recognition of the varying editorial time and effort involved in publishing different article types.

A Type Articles US$ 747 (Includes: Research Articles, Method Articles)

B Type Articles US$ 596 (Review, Short Communication, Validation Articles, Reviews, Systematic Reviews, Clinical Practice Articles, Case Reports, Opinion Articles)

C Type Articles US$ 504 (Includes: Mini Review, Technical Note, and other)

D Type Articles Free (Includes: Data Notes, Correspondence, Editorials)

Once the corresponding author has confirmed to withdraw the submitted article, the author has to communicate with the Journal Editor or the Managing editor via e-mail. A manuscript withdrawal form will be sent to the author’s email following which all the respective authors should sign and express their interest for withdrawal. Upon receiving the completed form from the corresponding author, further processing of the article will be stopped. No processing charges will be collected if the article is withdrawn within 7-10 days of submission. If authors wish to withdraw their manuscript after the post production process/just before publication, then authors are requested to pay10% of the total APC as a withdrawl fee to cover the post production expenses. 

WHY CHOOSE US?

Salient features that insist you to choose us include:
  • Open Access
  • Fast-track publication
  • Peer-review process
  • Online Manuscript Tracking
  • Quality Research Papers
  • Widely Indexed
  • Automatic Citation
  • Quality Reprints
scroll up