Instructions for Authors
Prepare a clear, complete JHC submission by checking fit, manuscript requirements, declarations, and the available submission route before you begin.
These instructions set out the manuscript, declaration, file, revision, and proof-correction requirements for JHC submissions.
Before you prepare
Confirm that the manuscript fits JHC and that you can provide the information needed for an editorial assessment.
- Read the Aims and Scope and select the appropriate manuscript category: Research Articles, Review Articles, Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses, Clinical Case Reports, Short Communications, Letters, or Expert Perspectives by invitation only.
- Review Editorial Policies, the article processing charge, and the CC BY licence information.
- Keep a complete version of the manuscript and any supplementary material before beginning submission.
Prepare the manuscript
Use descriptive headings and files that allow editors and reviewers to assess the research question, evidence, and cardiovascular relevance.
Title, abstract, and keywords
Use a clear title of no more than 30 words. Provide a structured abstract of no more than 250 words (Background, Methods, Results, Conclusions) and 5–12 keywords. Case reports may use a brief unstructured abstract where appropriate.
Main text and article sections
Research Articles should normally use Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusions. Use a study-appropriate structure for reviews, systematic reviews, case reports, short communications, and letters. As general guidance, keep the Introduction to 500 words or fewer and the Discussion to 1,500 words or fewer.
Writing and references
Submit an English-language manuscript, define abbreviations at first use, and use Vancouver references numbered consecutively in the order cited. Include DOI information where available.
Study reporting
Use the reporting guidance that fits the design, such as CONSORT, STROBE, PRISMA, or CARE where applicable.
Include the required declarations
Include the statements that apply to the work so the editorial team can evaluate it responsibly.
- Ethics approval and informed consent where applicable.
- For a clinical trial, provide the publicly accessible registry name and registration number in the abstract and Methods section; registration must occur before enrolment of the first participant.
- Authorship, funding, competing-interest, and data-availability statements.
- Permissions for material that is not original to the authors.
- A disclosure of substantive AI-assisted writing, analysis, or image-generation use; AI tools cannot be authors.
Prepare files and supporting material
Make the article and supporting files easy to identify and review.
Figures
Submit figures as TIFF, EPS, or high-quality JPEG files at a minimum of 300 dpi. Supply a caption for each figure, ensure text remains legible after reduction, and remove patient identifiers from clinical images.
Tables
Provide tables as editable text rather than images. Number tables in order, give each a concise title, and explain abbreviations or symbols in notes.
Supplementary files
Label each supplementary file clearly, cite it in the manuscript, and state the file type and purpose so editors and reviewers can assess it.
Language support
Authors who want language support may use the JHC language-editing service. Using the service is optional and does not affect editorial assessment, peer review, or acceptance.
Submit, revise, and correct proofs
ManuscriptZone is the official Open Access Pub submission and tracking portal.
Submit and track through ManuscriptZone
Submit and track your manuscript through the official Open Access Pub ManuscriptZone portal. Use it for manuscript status, editorial messages, and revision history.
Alternative routes
Authors may also upload files through the JHC manuscript submission form; the editorial office will review the files and continue processing through ManuscriptZone. Where email submission remains supported under publisher policy, a manuscript may also be sent to the editorial-office email address.
Revision response
When revisions are requested, submit a clean revised manuscript, a marked version where requested, and a point-by-point response explaining how each editorial or reviewer comment was addressed.
Proof corrections
Review proofs promptly and return only essential corrections. Substantive changes to accepted work require editorial approval and may require further review.
Public Access and Funder Compliance
Some authors are required by their funders to make their research publicly available. Under the 2024 NIH Public Access Policy, Author Accepted Manuscripts accepted for publication on or after July 1, 2025, must be submitted to PubMed Central upon acceptance and made publicly available without embargo on the official date of publication.
What JHC provides: JHC publishes the Version of Record under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. The journal also permits authors to deposit their Author Accepted Manuscript in funder-designated repositories. Upon acceptance, we confirm the accepted manuscript version and record the funder and grant information supplied by the authors.
Author responsibility: JHC does not currently deposit manuscripts in PubMed Central on behalf of authors. Authors are responsible for determining which funder requirements apply, initiating the appropriate repository submission and completing any required NIHMS approval steps.
Eligibility and successful processing through PubMed Central or NIHMS are determined according to the relevant funder and NIH/NLM requirements.
Important: The deposit of an individual article in PubMed Central may result in that article appearing in PubMed. It does not mean that JHC is indexed in MEDLINE, included in the PMC Journal List or that all JHC articles are available through PubMed. The journal's current coverage is listed on the Indexing page.
Complete the checks, then use the route that suits your submission.
Use ManuscriptZone to submit and track your manuscript, the JHC form for an alternative upload route, or the editorial-office email where that route remains supported under publisher policy.