Author Guidelines

Author Guidelines and Editorial Policies

Review Article Guidelines

Applied Radiation Oncology is a peer-reviewed clinical-review journal published quarterly by Anderson Publishing, Ltd. Each issue is delivered in print and electronically to 4000+ practicing radiation oncologists worldwide.

Materials submitted to Applied Radiation Oncology must be original work, and may not have been published elsewhere. Submissions should be review articles geared to radiation oncologists and should reflect practical everyday clinical applications, rather than research activity. Articles may pertain to clinical management, applications of a particular technology to treating an oncological condition, as well as administration, fiscal, technical, and/or medico-legal issues. Articles must have an original, novel focus.

Submission

Please submit your review article to John Suh, MD, FASTRO, FACR, Chairman, Department of Radiation Oncology, Associate Director of Gamma Knife Radiosurgery, Brain Tumor and Neuro-oncology Center, Taussig Cancer Institute, 9500 Euclid Ave. / T28, Cleveland, OH 44195. Email: suhj@ccf.org. Please cc Managing Editor Sharon Breske at sharon@appliedradiationoncology.com.

Cover Page

The cover page should include the full title of the article as well as the following information:

Author Information—All authors should be listed, including full names, degrees, titles and current affiliations (department, institution/company, city and state). All authors must provide email addresses for submission and authorship confirmation purposes. Please include Twitter handles, if applicable, for all authors.

For the corresponding author, provide full contact information: mailing address, phone, and e-mail address.

Conflict of interest/author disclaimer—Any actual, potential, or apparent conflicts of interest must be stated on the cover page, or you may download the form at http://www.icmje.org/conflicts-of-interest/ and return it to ARO. All sources of financial support for the study presented or any author relationships with manufacturers of any products mentioned in the article must be stated. When applicable, conflicts of interest will be included in final publication to maintain scientific integrity.

Prior publication/presentation—If any part or portion of the article has been published or presented in another form previously (eg, published as an abstract or presented at a meeting), the original presentation must be identified with a complete citation. See additional guidelines below.

Manuscript

Word Count: Manuscripts should be 2000-3000 words, with a minimum of 2,000 words not including references.

Formatting your review article

Introduction

Introduce the oncological condition/disease that will be discussed, and describe its impact is on patient populations; and
Introduce techniques and technology used to treat the disease.

Body

Technology: Describe the featured technology used for treatment.
Clinical Application: Describe the clinical utility of the technology with examples of a patient case or multiple patient cases.

Conclusion

Summary of key findings and efficacy of the technology in patient treatment.

Figures

Key Images: Provide 3 to 4 JPEG, PNG, or TIFF images (resolution: 300+ dpi). To help ensure image quality, please provide images in original form, not pasted into a Word document.
Each figure should have a descriptive legend
Each figure should be cited within the text.
Large Image Files: Image files that are too large to send via e-mail can be zipped into a single ZIP file. The ZIP file labeled with the corresponding author's name can be uploaded to: https://www.hightail.com/u/Applied-Radiology.

Tables

All tables must be cited in text, numbered in order of first appearance in the article (Table 1, Table 2, etc.). Indicate appropriate table title and define all abbreviations, symbols, and footnotes used.

References

Reference citations in the text must be numbered sequentially in order of first appearance in the text. Please do not list the references alphabetically. Reference numbers may be cited repeatedly in the text; however, all references must be cited at least once. Please use AMA format for references and overall style.

Example

Holliday E, Fuller CD, Wilson LD, Thomas CR Jr. Success breeds success: authorship distribution in the Red Journal, 1975-2011. Int JRadiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2012;5:146-149.

Copyright Assignment

For all copyrighted materials used in your manuscript, such as Figures and Tables, the author must include written permission attained from the Publisher (eg, Elsevier, McGraw-Hill) upon submitting the case to Applied Radiation Oncology. The assignment of rights to Anderson Publishing includes, but is not limited to, rights to edit, publish, reproduce, distribute copies, and publish in electronic form or other media. Authors retain the right to revise, adapt, prepare derivative works, present orally, or distribute the article, provided notice of copyright is given.

SA-CME Information

Please note that review article submissions should include the following information for SA-CME offerings:

Instructions on Writing ABR Self-Assessment Module (SAM) Questions

Description: Practice Gaps and Learning Objectives

Please provide 2-3 Practice Gap bullet points or short statements that correlate with the learning objectives (ie, what gap in a reader’s practice knowledge may exist about this topic that then correlates with the learning objective that will close the loop on that potential gap).
Please provide 2-3 short Learning Objective bullet points that outline what readers are expected to achieve. Ideally, readers should be able to do something different (ie, have a change in practice behavior) based on reading the article, and objectives should reflect this accordingly (example verbs of high-outcome objectives include implement, adopt, enact, apply, put into practice, etc.). Objectives should be listed in the order of what level of learning each represents. Specifically, the order should represent a hierarchy of the outcomes that will happen (ie, they'll learn fact-->they'll use the facts--they'll use the facts to improve patient care)

How Many Questions Do I Write?

Each SAM question must have a minimum of five (5) multiple-choice questions, each having a stem (question or statement to be completed) and four answer options.
The stem is usually written first and is best written as a complete sentence or question.

What Specific Guidelines Should Be Followed?

Questions should:

Relate to the objectives of the article.
Be in a multiple-choice format with a stem, a correct answer and three detractors (four answer choices, total). A detractor is defined as the incorrect answer.
Be designed to produce only “one-best-answer.”
NOT be stated negatively, (e.g., “Each of the following is true EXCEPT” or “Which of the following statements is NOT correct?”). A question should ask for the correct answer, not the wrong answer.
Not include “none of the above” or “all of the above.”
Be clear and concise.

Example: “Which of the following presents as a chronic airspace disease on a chest radiograph?”

Streptococcal pneumonia
Adult respiratory distress syndrome
Pulmonary edema
Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis
COPD

Additional SA-CME Requirements

Must include one or more specific references associated with each question, which should be in a standard citation format.
Please provide explanatory rationales (which may be brief) to inform participants as to why each answer option is correct or incorrect.
Educational links to key portions of the content materials may be supplied in addition to references.
Each author must sign and return a Faculty Disclosure Form.

Case Report Guidelines

Submission

Please submit your case report to Editor-in-Chief John Suh, MD, FASTRO, FACR, Chairman, Department of Radiation Oncology, Associate Director of Gamma Knife Radiosurgery, Brain Tumor and Neuro-oncology Center, Taussig Cancer Institute, 9500 Euclid Ave. / T28, Cleveland, OH 44195. Email: suhj@ccf.org. Please cc Managing Editor Sharon Breske at sharon@appliedradiationoncology.com.

Cover Page

The cover page should include the full title of the article as well as the following information:

Author Information—All authors should be listed, including full names, degrees, and current affiliations (department, institution/company, city and state). Please include Twitter handles, if applicable, for all authors.
For the corresponding author, provide full contact information: mailing address, phone, and e-mail address.
Informed consent: Please confirm that the patient involved in the case report provided informed written consent to publish their case information. Note: The signed consent form should not be provided, but confirmation that it is available if needed must be confirmed.
Conflict of interest/author disclaimer—Any actual, potential, or apparent conflicts of interest must be stated on the cover page, or you may download the form at http://www.icmje.org/conflicts-of-interest/ and return it to ARO. All sources of financial support for the study presented or any author relationships with manufacturers of any products mentioned in the article must be stated. When applicable, conflicts of interest will be included in final publication to maintain scientific integrity.
Prior publication/presentation—If any part or portion of the article has been published or presented in another form previously (eg, published as an abstract or presented at a meeting), the original presentation must be identified with a complete citation. See additional guidelines below.

Manuscript

Word Count: Cases should be 750-1,500 words.

Formatting the case report

Case Summary: This should be a brief (<150 words) review of the patient’s history, physical examination, and laboratory data emphasizing important clinical features of the disease.
Imaging Findings: Briefly discuss the salient and important imaging findings of your case.
Diagnosis: State the diagnosis and any reasonable differential diagnostic considerations, if applicable.
Discussion: This should be a succinct, yet thorough, review of the pertinent historical, clinical, radiological, and pathological characteristics of the disease(s). Differentiation of your case from other diagnostic possibilities should be included if pertinent. Radiologic-pathologic correlation with gross and/or microscopic characteristics of the lesions(s) is encouraged. Please limit your references to a total of ten (10).
Conclusion: This should consist of one or two brief paragraphs summarizing the key points of your case.

Figures

Key Images: Please provide 2 to 3 JPEG, PNG, or TIFF images (resolution: 300+ dpi). To help ensure image quality, please provide images in original form, not pasted into a Word document.
Each figure should have a descriptive legend
Each figure should be cited within the text.
DICOMs. If image files are too large for sending in an email, please provide the DICOM data set as a ZIPPED file and upload the ZIPPED files labeled with the corresponding author's name to: https://www.hightail.com/u/Applied-Radiology

Tables

All tables must be cited in text, numbered in order of first appearance in the article (Table 1, Table 2, etc.). Indicate appropriate table title and define all abbreviations, symbols, and footnotes used.

References

Reference citations in the text must be numbered sequentially in order of first appearance in the text. Please do not list the references alphabetically. Reference numbers may be cited repeatedly in the text; however, all references must be cited at least once. Please use AMA format for references and overall style.

Example:

Sanders BM, West KW, Gingalewski C, et al. Inflammatory pseudotumor of the alimentary tract: clinical and surgical experience. J Pediatr Surg. 2001;36:169-173.

Copyright Assignment

For all copyrighted materials used in your manuscript, such as Figures and Tables, the author must include written permission attained from the Publisher (eg, Elsevier, McGraw-Hill) upon submitting the case to Applied Radiation Oncology. The assignment of rights to Anderson Publishing includes, but is not limited to, rights to edit, publish, reproduce, distribute copies, and publish in electronic form or other media. Authors retain the right to revise, adapt, prepare derivative works, present orally, or distribute the article, provided notice of copyright is given.

Research Article Guidelines

Submission

Please submit your research article to Editor-in-Chief John Suh, MD, FASTRO, FACR, Chairman, Department of Radiation Oncology, Associate Director of Gamma Knife Radiosurgery, Brain Tumor and Neuro-oncology Center, Taussig Cancer Institute, 9500 Euclid Ave. / T28, Cleveland, OH 44195. Email: suhj@ccf.org. Please cc Managing Editor Sharon Breske at sharon@appliedradiationoncology.com.

Cover Page

The cover page should include the full title of the article as well as the following information:

For the corresponding author, provide full contact information: mailing address, phone, and e-mail address.

Manuscript

Word Count: Manuscripts should be 1,500-2,500 words.

Formatting your research article

Abstract

Provide a short overview of the research, including the objective and hypothesis, methods and materials, results, conclusions, and key words.

Introduction

State the objectives and provide background, including a brief review of the literature. Discuss what experimental question the study aims to answer and state the hypothesis. Briefly describe how the hypothesis was tested and how the results will contribute to radiation oncology.

Methods and Materials

Include a straightforward description of the methods used in the study, including enough detail so the work may be reproduced. References should be used for previously published methods, with relevant modifications described.

Results

Results should be concise, presenting the experimental data.

Discussion

Briefly provide an overview of the work. Summarize the most important findings and, if applicable, accept or reject the hypothesis. Identify the most interesting, significant findings and contrast them to other studies. Consider other works that address the topic and the how the work contributes to radiation oncology. Conclusions State the primary conclusions of the study.

Figures

Key Images: Provide 3 to 4 JPEG, PNG, GIF, or TIFF images (resolution: 300+ dpi). To help ensure image quality, please provide images in original form, not pasted into a Word document.
Each figure should have a descriptive legend
Each figure should be cited within the text.
DICOMs. If image files are too large for sending in an email, please provide the DICOM data set as a ZIPPED file and upload the ZIPPED files labeled with the corresponding author's name to: https://www.hightail.com/u/Applied-Radiology

Tables

References

Example

Holliday E, Fuller CD, Wilson LD, Thomas CR Jr. Success breeds success: authorship distribution in the Red Journal, 1975-2011. Int JRadiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2012;5:146-149.

Copyright Assignment

EDITORIAL POLICIES

Author Requirements

Authors must ensure that no part of their manuscript has been published or is under review by another publishing house. ARO only accepts original unpublished work. Portions of the manuscript presented at a conference as an abstract, poster, presentation or exhibit may be published with an acknowledgement of the disclosure. Authors must indicate any use of copyrighted material and provide permissions to reprint the material with their submission.

The order of authors listed in a manuscript should indicate level of contribution (first author listed is the lead author). All authors must have contributed substantially to the work with regard to its concept/design, writing and revisions, and approval. Authors must provide necessary referencing, and are responsible for a manuscript’s content and accuracy.

Authors should follow the “Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing and Publication of Scholarly Requirements for Manuscripts” http://www.icmje.org/urm_main.html by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).

Applied Radiation Oncology follows the “Editorial Policy Statements” found at http://www.councilscienceeditors.org/resource-library/editorial-policies by the Council of Science Editors (CSE), which describes the rights and responsibilities of editors of peer-reviewed journals.

Conflict of Interest

Authors must state any actual, potential, or apparent conflicts of interest on the article cover page, or by downloading the form at http://www.icmje.org/conflicts-of-interest/ and returning it to ARO. All sources of financial support for the study presented/article or any author relationships with manufacturers of any products mentioned in the article must be stated. Conflicts of interest will be included in final publication to maintain scientific integrity.

Ethical Guidelines

In general, ARO adheres to the “Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals (www.icmje.org) with regard to suspected scientific misconduct. Authors involved in ethical misconduct may be banned from submitting future manuscripts, and articles that violate ethical practices will be retracted. Ethical misconduct in publishing includes plagiarism, data falsification, duplicate publishing and inappropriate authorship (eg, article submission with author agreement, inclusion of authors who did not significantly contribute to the work, or exclusion of authors contributed extensively). ARO follows guidelines set forth by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE’s guidelines) in dealing with ethics allegations.

Informed Consent and Patient Details

In order to comply with laws and regulations regarding the privacy/security of personal information, identifying details of patients should be omitted from all articles if they are not essential, and informed consent should be obtained if there is any doubt regarding patient anonymity. Informed consent for this purpose requires that a patient who is identifiable be shown the manuscript to be published. When obtained, informed consent will be indicated in the published article. If the authors do not have permission from the patient or appropriate party, they must remove personal information of those concerned in the article, illustrations and related materials; it is generally not sufficient to use eye bars or face-blurring techniques. If identifying characteristics are altered to protect anonymity, such as in genetic pedigrees, authors should provide assurance that alterations do not distort scientific meaning. Authors should also identify individuals who provide writing assistance, and disclose the funding source for this assistance.

Human, Animal Rights

Authors/researchers must ensure that the planning conduct and reporting of human research comply with the Helsinki Declaration (www.wma.net/policies-post/wma-declaration-of-helsinkiethical-principles-for-medical-research-involving-humansubjects/). Authors should secure approval to conduct research from an independent local, regional, or national review body such as an institutional review board, ethics committee, etc. If unsure whether the research complied with the Helsinki Declaration, the authors must explain the rationale for their approach and show that the review body approved any doubtful elements of the study.

Any animal experiments should comply with the ARRIVE guidelines and be carried out in accordance with the U.K. Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act, 1986 and associated guidelines, EU Directive 2010/63/EU for animal experiments, or the National Institutes of Health guide for the care and use of Laboratory animals (NIH Publications No. 8023, revised 1978). The manuscript should state that such guidelines have been met. Additional guidelines on animal research ethics are available from the International Association of Veterinary Editors’ Consensus Author Guidelines on Animal Ethics and Welfare (http://veteditors.org/ethicsconsensusguidelines.html).

Correspondence

ARO welcomes comments on all articles, and correspondence should be sent to Editor-in-Chief John Suh, MD, FASTRO, at suhj@ccf.org. ARO will provide relevant comments to authors of articles discussed in correspondence and will ask authors to respond to substantial criticisms of their work. Authors of correspondence should declare any competing or conﬂicting interests. Correspondence may be edited for length, grammatical correctness, and journal style. Alternatively, comments may be made online in the comment section of individual articles featured at www.appliedradiationoncology.com. Comments that are discourteous, inaccurate or irrelevant article will be removed at the editor’s discretion.

ARO Peer Review Process and Reviewer Policies

All review articles, case reports and research articles are reviewed by radiation oncologists, medical physicists and related experts on the ARO Peer Review Panel whose expertise most closely matches the article topic. Reviews are double-blind and assess the practicality, originality, accuracy, presentation, usefulness and overall content of the manuscripts, as well as adherence to the article submission policies. Reviewers typically have 2 weeks to comment and recommend one of the following: reject, unacceptable/major revision, acceptable/minor revision, accept. Authors receive a summary of comments, which may include tracked changes; they must address each point when submitting revisions. The reviewers accept or reject revisions, or may ask for additional corrections/revisions.

ARO follows the recommendations for peer reviewers as set forth in Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). These recommendations state that because manuscripts submitted to journals are privileged communications, reviewers must keep manuscripts and the information they contain strictly conﬁdential. Reviewers must not publicly discuss authors’ work and must not appropriate authors’ ideas before manuscript publication. Reviewers who solicit aid with a review from other experts (who must also ensure confidentiality of the manuscript) should acknowledge these contributions in the written comments provided to the editor. Reviewers must not retain the manuscript for personal use and should destroy copies of manuscripts after submitting their reviews. Reviewers are expected to respond promptly to requests to review, and to submit reviews within the time agreed. Reviewers’ comments should be constructive, honest, and polite. Reviewers should declare their conﬂicts of interest and recuse themselves from the peer-review process if a conﬂict exists.

ARO also follows the Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers developed by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) found at https://publicationethics.org/files/cope-ethical-guidelines-peer-reviewers-v2_0.pdf.

Fees

There are no fees for manuscript submission.

Corrections (Errata)

Errors or important omissions made by authors or introduced by editors, production staff or printers will be corrected at the first opportunity. For print, this means providing a correction notice in the next available journal issue; online, this means correcting the error within the article in question as soon as possible. Corrections in print will be noted in the table of contents.

Advertising Policies

ARO follows the recommendations for advertising set forth by the ICMJE’s “Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals.” These recommendations state that advertisements should not be juxtaposed with editorial content on the same product and should be clearly identiﬁable as advertisements. Editors have full and ﬁnal authority for approving print and online advertisements and for enforcing advertising policy. ARO will not carry advertisements for products proven to be seriously harmful to health, and will consider all criticisms of advertisements for publication. Advertisements are not related in any way to editorial decision making. Online advertisements are displayed at random vs. being linked to content or reader behavior. Types of advertisements are described in the ARO Media Planner at https://appliedradiationoncology.com/Advertise.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

See https://appliedradiationoncology.com/terms-and-conditions for policies on copyright ownership and permitted use, trademark ownership, and additional information.

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