Author guidelines

 
Ready to submit? Go straight to submission.
 
 

Overview

Before submitting

Manuscript formatting

Article types

Supplementary data

Editorial policies

 
 
 

Overview

 
Submissions are assessed by the Editorial Board and are subject to external peer review using the single anonymous method whereby the identity of the reviewers and editors is not disclosed to the authors.
The journal aims to return a decision on a peer-reviewed paper in less than a month.
 
 

Before submitting

 
  • Approval – Ensure all authors have seen and approved the final version of the article prior to submission and are aware it is being submitted to Vascular Biology.
  • Open access – The appropriate open-access licence must be selected on submission. Authors are responsible for ensuring any funder mandates are followed. For further details, please see the open-access policy.
  • Charges – Bioscientifica is sponsoring the Article Publication Charge during the launch years; as such authors can publish completely free of charge. Further details are available on our publication charges page.
  • Ethical compliance – All articles are required to meet the requirements outlined in our ethical policy. Ensure you have included all relevant ethical approval statements.
  • Author list – All authors must be listed on the title page and entered on the ScholarOne Manuscripts submission in the correct order. Ensure all author email addresses provided are valid. Author information entered into ScholarOne Manuscripts will be used to generate PubMed listings for published papers.
  • Cover letter – This letter should introduce your paper and outline why your work is important and suitable for publication at this time.
  • English language – Non-native English speakers are encouraged to have their manuscript professionally edited before submission. See Bioscientifica’s recommended English language editing services. Manuscripts may be written in either UK or US English.
 

User account details

 

ORCID iD

All submitting authors are required to link their ScholarOne account with their ORCID iD. The system will prompt the author to do this when creating the submission.
The journal also requests that all authors identified as ‘corresponding authors’ create and link an ORCID iD with their account on ScholarOne prior to article acceptance. We also encourage contributing authors to associate an ORCID iD with their ScholarOne account. Author ORCID iDs will be displayed on the published article.

 

Author email addresses

The journal requires an institutional email address is associated with the account of both the submitting author and corresponding author; please edit the associated ScholarOne accounts to include this before pressing 'submit'. Alternatively please provide an explanation as to why this is not available to the Editorial Office by contacting vb@bioscientifica.com
This policy has been adopted in order to verify the authenticity of article submissions and protect the integrity of Vascular Biology.

 

Manuscript formatting

 
Vascular Biology offers a flexible submission process for first time submissions wherein authors can submit in any recognisable manuscript format, but should be complete such that editors and peer reviewers may easily assess the scientific merit of the study. Revisions, where invited, should follow the standard journal formatting outlined below.
 
Accepted file types:
  • Please be aware that the combined size of your files should not exceed 40 MB;
  • For article text: txt, doc, docx, rtf. We are unable to accept PDF files for article text for revised manuscripts, but can do so for first submissions;
  • For figures: eps, tiff, jpg.
Changes within revised manuscripts should be highlighted using the highlighter function or coloured text, and should be accompanied by a full response letter to editor and reviewer comments.
 
 

Article types

 

Original Research

 
Limited to 5000 words for research articles. Contain no more than 10 figures/tables and no more than approximately 60 references.
Authors are encouraged to follow the relevant reporting guidelines available at http://www.equator-network.org/. The EQUATOR network provides a database of reporting guidelines, aiming to improve the reliability of published health research literature by promoting transparent and accurate reporting.
All revised articles submitted should be formatted with the following sections:
 

1. Title Page

Include a separate title page with:
  • Title (maximum 85 characters)
  • All authors' names and full addresses
  • Corresponding author’s postal and email address
  • A short title (maximum 46 characters, including spaces)
  • A minimum of four keywords describing the manuscript
  • Word count of the full article, excluding references and figure legends
 

2. Abstract

The abstract should be a single paragraph of not more than 250 words, clearly stating the objective of the study or review, the methods used (where applicable), and summarizing results and conclusions. Avoid abbreviations and references in this section.

 

3. Introduction

The introduction should set the study in context by briefly reviewing relevant knowledge of the subject; follow this with a concise statement of the hypothesis and objectives of the study. The introduction should rarely exceed 3 pages of double-spaced text.

 

4. Materials and methods

Provide sufficient information for other workers to repeat the study. If well-established methods are used give a reference to the technique and provide full details of any modifications.

  • Include the source of chemicals, reagents and hormones and give the manufacturer’s name in parentheses.
  • Give the generic name, dose and route of administration for drugs.
  • Specify the composition of buffers, solutions and culture media.
  • Use SI symbols, give concentrations in mol/L and define the term % as w/v or v/v for all solutions. For international units use IU (U should be used for enzyme activity).
  • Specify the type of equipment (microscopes/objective lenses, cameras, detectors) used to obtain images.
  • Specify any image acquisition software used, and give a description of specialized techniques requiring large amounts of processing, such as confocal, deconvolution, 3D reconstructions, or surface and volume rendering.
 

5. Results

The results should read as a narrative leading the reader through the experiments and investigations performed. Referencing and mention of others studies is permitted in the Results section where necessary or helpful.
 

6. Discussion

Should not simply re-state results, but should put them in the broader context and highlight the importance and novelty of the work.
 

7. Declaration of interest, Funding, Contributions and Acknowledgements

 
Declaration of interest
Actual or perceived conflicts of interest for all authors must be declared in full.
Please either (a) declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research reported; or (b) fully declare any financial or other potential conflict of interest.
Conflicts of interest include, but are not limited to:
  • Employment and consultancies
  • Grants, fees and honoraria
  • Ownership of stock or shares
  • Royalties
  • Patents (pending and actual)
  • Board membership
 
Funding
Please detail all of the sources of funding relevant to the research reported in the following format:
This work was supported by the Medical Research Council (grant numbers xxxx, yyyy); the Wellcome Trust (grant number xxxx); and Tommy’s Baby charity (grant number xxxx).
Where research has not been funded please state the following:
This research did not receive any specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sector.
 
Author contribution statement (compulsory)
Please include a statement concisely specifying the contribution of each co-author. Use author initials to indicate contributions, for example: CP conceived the study and wrote the paper. GF performed experiments and analysed datacontribution of each co-author.
 
Acknowledgements
Please be as brief as possible.
 

8. References

All references cited in the text must be included in the reference list and vice versa. All references must be given in numerical (Vancouver) format. However, if a reference consists of only a web address do not include it in the reference list but cite it in the text, giving the date the page was accessed.
 
Unpublished work
Any unpublished work (personal communications, manuscripts in preparation and manuscripts submitted but not yet accepted for publication) must be referred to in the text and not listed in the references.
Give the full list of authors, including their initials. For example:
(A Stone, J Brown & M R Smith, unpublished observations)
(J Brown, personal communication)
Articles accepted for publication but not yet published may be listed as ‘in press’ in the reference list, using the current year as the publication year. If an ‘in press’ article is included in the Accepted Manuscript service or a similar scheme, then the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) should be included; otherwise, provide a copy of the article as a supplementary file for reviewing purposes.
 
In the text
Cite references in the text in numerical order.
 
In the reference list
List references in the order they are cited in the text.
 
Reference in the following format:
1. Inkster S, Yue W & Brodie A. Human testicular aromatase: immunocytochemical and biochemical studies. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 1995 80 1941–1947.
2. Matthews CH, Borgato S, Beck-Peccoz P, Adams M, Tone Y, Gambino G, Casagrande S, Tedeschini G, Benedetti A & Chatterjee VK. Primary amenorrhea and infertility due to a mutation in the β-subunit of follicle-stimulating hormone. Nature Genetics 1993 5 83–86.
3. Royer P. Hormonal regulation of calcium metabolism: biology and pathology. In Pediatric Endocrinology, edn 2, ch 6, pp 477–543. Eds J-C Job & M Pierson. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1981.
 
List all authors in each reference in the reference list; do not use et al in the reference list.
 
EndNote
Please use Vancouver style (superscripted number). Do not use an Endnote style which abbreviates the reference list in your submitted article.
 

9. Tables

Tables should be concise. Tables too large for print publication should be submitted as supplementary data.
  • Number tables in the order they are cited in the text
  • Include a title – a single sentence at the head of the table that includes the name of the organism studied
  • Use footnotes to provide any additional explanatory material, cross-referenced to the column entries
  • Give a short heading for each column
  • Do not use internal horizontal or vertical lines, colour or shading
  • Explain all abbreviations used in the table in the footnotes
Please note that the option to print large tables in a final article is subject to editorial approval. If the tables are deemed too large for the final article, you will be asked to publish your tables as supplementary data.
 

10. Figures

The journal has produced digital image guidelines in order to clarify the standards expected by the journal. All submitted digital images must adhere to these guidelines.
  • Number figures in the order they are cited in the text
  • Include legends to all figures, giving the figure number, keys to any symbols used, the name of the organism studied, the names of any statistical tests used and the probability levels used for comparisons
  • Label figure sections as A, B etc in the top left-hand corner
  • Use Arial or a similar sans-serif font for text labels
  • Do not enclose figures in boxes
  • Indicate magnification by a scale bar in the bottom right-hand corner of the image and give the measurement in the legend
  • Use the preferred symbols of closed and open circles, squares and triangles. Ensure that symbols are large enough to be read clearly when the figure is reduced for publication
  • Use Courier or a similar non-proportional font for amino acid, DNA, RNA and PCR primer sequences and highlight sections of homology between sequences with grey shading
 
File types and resolution
Vascular Biology is committed to publishing high quality figures. EPS or TIFF files are preferred and files should be exported in Illustrator-compatible format. Avoid using PowerPoint or Word files for figures.
  • Line images/graphs: EPS, TIFF, high-resolution PDF, AI (Adobe Illustrator); resolution at final published size: 1200 dpi
  • Half-tone (greyscale) images: TIFF, high-resolution PDF, JPG; resolution at final published size: 600 dpi
  • Colour images: TIFF, high-resolution PDF, JPEG. EPS or AI files can be used for graphical data and illustrations that don’t include photographs; resolution at final published size: 300 dpi; RGB format for colour.
 
 

Reviews

 
The format of review articles is more fluid but should include the following:
  • Title page
  • Abstract
  • Conclusions
  • Declaration of interest, Funding, Author contributions statements (where appropriate)
  • References
  • Figure legends
  • Figures/tables
Review submissions should be limited to 5000 words. We recommend a maximum of 60 references for review articles, with 2–6 figures and tables. Original summary diagrams and illustrations of proposed models (in colour where appropriate) are encouraged. Line drawings may be redrawn. Boxes can be used to separate detailed explanations and background information from the main part of the text.
 
 

Supplementary data

 
Data sets which exceed the bounds of the manuscript may be submitted for publication as supplementary files.
 
Supplementary data files intended for publication should be submitted online via ScholarOne Manuscripts as ‘Supplemental File for Review’, and referred to as supplementary data in the text:
(Supplementary Table 1)
(Supplementary Figures 1 and 2)
 
Supplementary information will be reviewed as part of the manuscript, evaluated for its importance and relevance and, if accepted, will be referenced in the text of the article.
 
 

Editorial policies

 

Human subjects research

 
Authors must ensure research involving human subjects complies with the Declaration of Helsinki.
Authors must include a statement that consent has been obtained from each patient after full explanation of the purpose and nature of all procedures used. For research requiring ethics committee approval, please include a statement to this effect in the manuscript. Also indicate whether patient consent was obtained in line with the below policy. We will be unable to accept research papers without this statement.
 
 

Animal studies

 
Experiments with animals must be performed in accordance with international, national and institutional requirements. Include a statement that investigations have been approved by the local ethical committee, along with the following:
  • Give the full binomial Latin names for all experimental animals other than common laboratory animals
  • State the breed or strain and source of animals, and give details of age, weight, sex and housing
  • Detail the procedures and anaesthetics used, including doses given.
 
Articles will only be considered if the procedures used are clearly described and conformed with the international and national legal and ethical requirements, as well as the requirements outlined by the institution in which the work took place. A statement identifying the committee approving the study must also be included in the Methods section.
Authors are encouraged to refer to the ARRIVE guidelines, and in particular the checklist within them, when preparing manuscripts detailing animal experiments.
Editors reserve the right to request further information on the exact procedures and ethical approval obtained as part of the review process. Papers may be rejected on ethical grounds should the editors feel the study does not adequately meet current international guidelines for humane research.
 

Experiments with genetically engineered mice

In inbred mice, genetic strain effects can have significant effects on phenotype. Because of this the following controls for experiments with genetically-manipulated mice should be used: parental inbred strain, or wild-type littermates.
 
 

Cell lines

 
In general, studies that are based on observations performed in a single cell line will not be considered for publication if other lines of the same general lineage and characteristics are available. If at all possible, observations should be replicated in multiple cell lines.
 

Authentication of cell lines

We require that all cell lines are authenticated for correct origin. Specifically, the author should include the following information supporting the authentication of lines:
  • Source of cell lines. Gifts of cell lines from individuals will not be acceptable
  • Please state what the method of authentication is. For example, ATCC uses STRS analysis
  • State the passage number(s) of cell lines used for the experiments described in the submission. Unless the research is specifically about senescence, lines >35 passages would not be acceptable.
 
 

Gene and protein nomenclature

Wherever possible, manuscripts must be prepared in accordance with approved gene nomenclature.
  • In gene and protein symbols, substitute Greek letters with the corresponding roman letter, eg TGFBR2 not TGFβR2
  • Avoid hyphens unless they are part of the approved symbol, eg IGF1 not IGF-1
  • Use arabic rather than roman numerals, eg BMPR2 not BMPRII
Follow species-specific formatting standards as follows:
 

Mice and rats

  • Gene symbols should be in italics with only the first letter capitalised, eg Sox2
  • Protein designations should be the same as the gene symbols except that all letters should be capitalised and in roman (ie not italicised), eg SOX2
  • Use symbols approved by the International Committee on Standardized Genetic Nomenclature for Mice and the Rat Genome and Nomenclature Committee, which can be queried at the MGI website

Humans, non-human primates and domestic species

  • Gene symbols should be in italics with all letters capitalised, eg SOX2
  • Protein designations should be the same as the gene symbols but not italicised, eg SOX2
  • Use symbols approved by the HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)

Fish

  • Gene symbols should be in italics with all letters in lower case, eg sox2
  • Protein designations should be the same as the gene symbols but not italicised and with the first letter capitalised, eg Sox2
  • Use symbols approved by the Zebrafish Nomenclature Committee (ZNC), which can be queried at the ZFIN website
 
 

Digital image integrity

 
No specific feature within an image may be enhanced, obscured, moved, removed or introduced. The groupings of images from different parts of the same gel, or from different gels, fields or exposures must be made explicit by the arrangement of the figure (eg using dividing lines) and in the text of the figure legend. Adjustments of brightness, contrast or colour balance are acceptable if and as long as they do not obscure or eliminate any information present in the original. Nonlinear adjustments (eg changes to gamma settings) must be disclosed in the figure legend. Adjustments should be applied to the entire image. Threshold manipulation, expansion or contraction of signal ranges and the altering of high signals should be avoided.
 
References
Burry RW 2011 Controls for immunocytochemistry: An update. Journal of Histochemistry & Cytochemistry 59 6–12. (doi:10.1369/jhc.2010.956920) 
Saper CB 2009 A guide to the perplexed on the specificity of antibodies. Journal of Histochemistry & Cytochemistry 57 1–5. (doi:10.1369/jhc.2008.952770) 
 
 

Microscopy

 
Microscope images should be made available to referees in images that are at least 300 dpi at the size which they will be published. 'Pseudo-colouring' and nonlinear adjustment (for example 'gamma changes') are only allowed if unavoidable and must be disclosed.
 
 

Statistical analysis

 
It is the author’s responsibility to document that the results are reproducible and that the differences found are not due to random variation. No absolute rules can be applied but, in general, quantitative data should be from no fewer than three replicate experiments. Appropriate statistical methods should be used to test the significance of differences in results. The term ‘significant’ should not be used unless statistical analysis was performed, and the probability value used to identify significance (eg P < 0.05) should be specified.
When several t-tests are employed, authors should be aware that nominal probability levels no longer apply. Accordingly, the multiple t-test, multiple range test, or similar techniques to permit simultaneous comparisons should be employed. Also, in lieu of using several t-tests, it is often more appropriate to utilize an analysis of variance (ANOVA) to permit pooling of data, increase the number of degrees of freedom, and improve reliability of results. Authors should use appropriate nonparametric tests when the data depart substantially from a normal distribution.
In presenting results of linear regression analyses, it is desirable to show 95% confidence limits.
When data points are fitted with lines, specify the method used for fitting (graphical, least squares, computer program). If differences in slopes and/or axis intercepts are claimed for plotted lines, these should be supported by statistical analysis.
Give sufficient details of the experimental design and analysis so that the reader can assess their adequacy and validity for testing the hypotheses of interest.
In particular:
  • Describe the numbers of experimental units used and the way in which they have been allocated to treatments
  • Justify the omission of any observations from the analysis
  • Describe methods of analysis precisely and state any necessary assumptions, as these may affect the conclusions that can be drawn from the experiment
 
 

Preprint repositories

 
A preprint is a version of the article prior to submission to the journal for peer review, and has not been copyedited or typeset.
Bioscientifica allows deposition of preprints to recognized repositories, such as bioRxiv, provided that Bioscientifica is informed of this at the time of submission and it does not infringe any subsequent copyright or licence agreement.
Upon final publication, authors are required to add a link from the preprint to the published article (version of record).
 

Depositing data in public databases

Authors are strongly encouraged to deposit data sets in appropriate public databases, such as GenBank or Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Authors should include the relevant database identifiers and accession numbers for deposited sequences within the manuscript using the following format: Database: xxxx, eg: GEO: GSE6364. Authors are also required to provide the URL for the sequence(s).
Please contact the editorial office if you have a query about relevant databases.
 

Licence and Copyright

During the submission process the submitting author will need to complete a publication agreement on behalf of the co-authors and the copyright holder for the article. As part of this agreement, the copyright holder will grant Bioscientifica a non-exclusive licence to publish the article. The copyright is retained by the original copyright holder and is not assigned to Bioscientifica.

Authors may download a copy of this agreement in advance.

 

Appeals

Authors are entitled to appeal against a rejection decision made by a journal. Appeals should be submitted to the journal email address. We must receive your valid appeal within four weeks of the original decision, otherwise it will not be considered. An appeal is considered to be an extension of the peer review process and so you should not submit your article to another publication whilst an appeal is ongoing.

To be considered, appeals must directly address the reason(s) given for the initial rejection decision. If reviewer reports were included with the decision letter, then these criticisms must be responded to in the appeal, however you should not prepare and submit a revised version of your article with the appeal. Appeals that are received late, do not address reviewers’ criticisms, are dismissive of the reviewer comments, or contain offensive language will not be considered.

Valid appeals will be sent to a member of the journal’s Editorial Board for consideration. Where possible, an independent member of the Editorial Board who was not connected to the original decision will oversee the appeal.

If successful, an appeal may result in the decision being rescinded and a continuation of the peer-review process. If the appeal is rejected, then the original rejection decision is upheld and no further consideration of that article is possible.

 

Privacy policy

Vascular Biology’s privacy policy can be viewed here.