For Authors: Instructions & Policies

All manuscripts submitted to CHEST should be prepared in accordance with our instructions to authors, which reflect the latest “Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals: Writing and Editing for Biomedical Publications” of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors.

If you don't see what you are looking for, you can browse this page by going to your web browsers menu to "Edit" then "Find." Type in the term you are looking for on this page.

Authors are also encouraged view the Editor in Chief's series of short videos clips of frequently asked questions.

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CHEST follows the “Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals: Writing and Editing for Biomedical Publications” and defines “author” as a person who has participated sufficiently in the work to take public responsibility for all portions of the content. Specifically, an author is a person who meets the following three criteria:

has made substantial contributions to conception and design, or acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data;
has drafted the submitted article or revised it critically for important intellectual content; and
has provided final approval of the version to be published.

Any person who does not meet all three of the listed criteria does not qualify as an author and should not be designated as an author. The final author lineup and order should be determined by all authors before submission and may not be changed without a written explanation and signed permission of all authors postsubmission.

Responsibility for Data

For reports containing original data, at least one author (eg, the principal investigator) must indicate that (s)he had full access to all the data in the study and that he or she takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis, including and especially any adverse effects. The corresponding author must assume full responsibility for the integrity of the submission as a whole, from inception to published article. CHEST reserves the right to clarify each author’s role, based upon information collected from authors in connection with their submission. For large, randomized, multicenter, controlled trials, different authors may share responsibilities and separately attest to these:

For efficacy data: "Dr. XYZ has personally reviewed the efficacy data, understands the statistical methods employed for efficacy analysis, and confirms an understanding of this analysis, that the methods are clearly described and that they are a fair way to report the results."

For safety data: "Dr. XYZ has personally reviewed the safety data. (S)he understands the statistical methods employed for safety analysis and confirms that (s)he understands this analysis, that the methods are clearly described, and that they are a fair way to report the results." Furthermore, (s)he has personally reviewed the Serious Adverse Events occurring in ≥ 0.1% of participants per treatment group and confirms that these are fairly disclosed and analyzed even in the presence of uncertainty with respect to relationship to treatment."

For study design: "Dr. XYZ confirms that the study objectives and procedures are honestly disclosed. Moreover, (s)he has reviewed study execution data and confirms that procedures were followed to an extent that convinces all authors that the results are valid and generalizable to a population similar to that enrolled in this study."

Group Authorship

If a research group is designated as the author of an article, one or more group members who fully meet the above criteria for authorship should be listed in the article's byline, followed by "on behalf of the [name of group]." The other group members should be listed in an acknowledgment section at the end of the article. Acknowledged group members will not be cited in PubMed.

Alternatively, the byline can include the name of the group, followed by an asterisk corresponding to a list that specifies the authors who fully meet the above criteria for authorship and that also mentions the other group members.

Other Contributions

The names of individuals who contribute to a manuscript but do not qualify for authorship should be listed (with their written permission) in an Acknowledgments section with a description of their individual contributions. This requirement covers any and all editorial or authorship contributions made on behalf of outside organizations, persons, funding bodies, or persons hired by funding bodies. When a medical writer or editing service was used, their activities and the funding source for these services should be noted.

Communication

Communication related to submissions or submission inquiries should come from the corresponding author or principle investigator. Inquiries regarding manuscripts from non-authors, including inquiries from third-party medical writers and commercial medical writing companies, are strongly discouraged and may not receive a reply.

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CONFLICT OF INTEREST

A conflict of interest is a financial or intellectual relationship or other set of circumstances that might affect, or reasonably be perceived by others to affect, an author’s judgment, conduct, or manuscript. When in doubt, disclose.
Each author must report conflicts of interest in two places.

Each author should provide a summary conflict of interest statement to be included on the title page of the manuscript. If an author has no conflicts of interest, a statement to this effect should be provided.
Once the corresponding author has completed the submission process (including adding all co-authors and e-mail addresses into the appropriate fields, each author will be notified via e-mail that they need to sign into their account in ScholarOne Manuscripts and complete the combined electronic Author Agreement/Conflict of Interest Disclosure form. Accepted manuscripts will not enter production or be scheduled for an issue until all forms for all authors are received.

It is important that conflict of interest is reported in two places. The electronic form completed in ScholarOne Manuscripts serves as the official “signed” (electronically) documentation for the Journal’s records, whereas the summary statement included on the title page of the manuscripts is the statement accessible to the Journal peer reviewers throughout the process and ultimately published in the Acknowledgments section of accepted articles in CHEST. Further, it is important to ensure that the information reported on the form and that disclosed on the title page match exactly. The Editorial Office will review this information and will contact the authors to remedy any discrepancies.

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COPYRIGHT

Authors are welcome to submit manuscripts for exclusive publication in CHEST, provided they have not been published nor are under review elsewhere. Once the corresponding author has completed the submission process (and has been assigned a manuscript number), each manuscript author will be notified via e-mail that they need to sign into their ScholarOne Manuscripts account to complete an online copyright form (combined with the conflict of interest disclosure form). Missing forms will delay publication. By submitting to CHEST, each author assigns all of his or her intellectual property rights (including US and international copyrights), subject to the exceptions noted on the form. If a manuscript is rejected, all rights revert to the author. Manuscripts become the permanent property of CHEST on acceptance and may not be published elsewhere, in whole or part, without prior written permission from the Journal.

PubMed Central (NIH-Funded Work/Authors)

Studies (or authors) funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) must be deposited into PubMed Central. CHEST submits the final version of all articles (or authors) funded by the NIH to PubMed Central on the authors’ behalf on publication. The article will become publicly accessible through PubMed Central 12 months after the final publication date in a numbered issue of CHEST. On submission of NIH-funded work, authors should respond “Yes” to the NIH-funding question in ScholarOne Manuscripts and include the relevant grant numbers on the title page.

Open Access Options

CHEST offers two author-pays open access options that can be selected on submission via ScholarOne Manuscripts. Each open access publication in CHEST provides the following services:

The article will be made free to view on publication to all users of the CHEST Publications website with a flag denoting open access status; no login credentials or subscription will be necessary for access.
CHEST will deposit the article into PubMed Central, where it will be indexed and publicly available.
One of two Creative Commons Licenses will be assigned, depending on the open access option exercised: general open access or Wellcome Trust-compliant open access.

General Open Access. Any author can opt to exercise the general open access option, which is available for a $3,000 fee, payable prior to publication. Articles published under this option will be made free on publication and deposited in PubMed. In addition, these articles will be assigned a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No-Derivatives License (CC BY-NC-ND) in place of the traditional copyright. This allows readers and users of the article to copy and distribute the article free of charge, with acknowledgment of the source, while protecting the content from alteration or modification. Commercial entities are still required to clear rights and permissions through ACCP. Additional fees will apply if open access is requested post-acceptance.

Wellcome Trust-Compliant Open Access. Authors who are funded by the Wellcome Trust are required by the funding body to select this option, which is available for a $5,000 fee prior to publication. Articles published under this option will be made free on publication and deposited in PubMed. In addition, these articles will be assigned a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) in place of traditional copyright. This allows all users of the article to copy, distribute, and/or adapt the work for commercial and noncommercial purposes, provided the user(s) attribute the source material by noting the citation of the original CHEST work.

It is the author's responsibility to comply with all other Wellcome Trust requirements (ie, grant acknowledgment). Additional fees will apply if Wellcome Trust-Compliant Open Access is requested post-acceptance and requests pertaining to articles published prior to April 2013 will not be considered. This option is not available to authors/studies that are not funded by the Wellcome Trust.

Preliminary Reporting of Data/Embargo

CHEST does not consider the reporting of raw data or results, as required by funding bodies such as government institutions or commercial entities, to constitute prior publication. However, on acceptance for publication in CHEST, the article content is embargoed from media coverage and any media coverage should be coordinated through the American College of Chest Physicians. More information is available in the Media/Embargo Policy.

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ETHICAL TREATMENT OF PATIENTS/SUBJECTS

For all human research, authors must ensure that studies are in accordance with the amended Declaration of Helsinki. Authors should indicate in their manuscripts that they have obtained informed consent from patients for the procedure/treatment and for their medical data to be used in a study.

Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval/Helsinki Declaration

For any studies involving patients (including chart reviews), a statement must be included to the effect that:
This study was conducted in accordance with the amended Declaration of Helsinki. Local institutional review boards or independent ethics committees approved the protocol, and written informed consent was obtained from all patients.
The name of the committee and the approval number should follow this statement in the Methods section. If this is a multicenter study, the list may be provided in a separate Word document to be published as Supplemental Material.

Animal Studies

For all animal studies, research must conform to the National Research Council guidelines as well as local and state regulatory principles or requirements.

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ONLINE FIRST

Original Research articles are posted online two to three weeks after acceptance as the raw, unedited manuscript. These articles are published with a disclaimer that substantive changes may be made between Online First publication and appearance in a final, numbered issue of CHEST. Authors will be given a chance to review and make changes to the manuscript after acceptance (called “First Look” in the ScholarOne Manuscripts system), prior to Online First Publication. Once the corresponding author has approved the “First Look” manuscript, it will be processed for publication in Online First. The article title, author names and affiliations, and abstract will be provided to PubMed for indexing. This information is listed as provided on the author-approved accepted article (prior to proofs). CHEST will not allow changes to the manuscript from the time of Online First publication until page proofs are received. Although Online First articles are indexed in PubMed, publication information will be updated as needed (ie, title change) at the time of final publication in a numbered issue of CHEST. If errors are discovered that require the article to be removed from the website, the authors will be charged for the cost of completing this work.

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PERMISSIONS

Reuse of any previously copyrighted/published material, including material that appears on a website, within an article submitted to CHEST requires written permission from the copyright holder. Information on how to obtain permission for material published in CHEST is available in Rights & Permissions.

Figures/Tables

It is the author’s responsibility to obtain written permission and, where necessary, pay any fees to the copyright holder for republication in CHEST.

obtain permission for all print, online, and licensed uses from the copyright holder (usually the publisher);
provide copies of the permission with the submission (attach it as “supplemental material” in the file upload area in ScholarOne Manuscripts);
acknowledge the source in the legend of the figure/table with a numbered reference;
provide the full citation in the reference list; and
ensure that any language requirements of the copyright holder have been met (eg, “Reproduced with permission from XXX”).

Survey Instruments/Questionnaires

Patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures are increasingly used to assess different aspects of patients' health status, such as symptoms and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). For instance, results of HRQoL are frequently used as a primary outcome measure in studies. Well-developed PRO measures are precise instruments that accurately assess patients' quality of life and by definition need to meet certain standards in terms of development and psychometric validation. Investigators should understand that "even small modifications can compromise the reliability and validity of these instruments. Even modifications that may appear innocent, such as changing the format or layout of the instrument, changing the order of the items, or rewording the instrucitons, may alter the patients' responses. Therefore, it is important to administer only the exact version used in the validation."¹

It is not acceptable to adapt, modify in any way, or translate these instruments into another language without the permission of the developer(s) of the instrument.¹ Lack of copyright does not imply that researchers are allowed to adapt, modify, or translate instruments.

Authors are responsible for obtaining permissions related to any survey instruments or tools relating to PRO used in their submission and for providing CHEST with a written copy of the permission to use (and modify or translate, if applicable) with the manuscript submission (attach it as “supplemental material” in the file upload area in ScholarOne Manuscripts). The methods section of the paper should include a statement noting that permission has been obtained for use of the instrument or tool.²
References:

1. Breugelmans MA. Dangers in using translated medical questionnaires: the importance of conceptual equivalence across languages and cultures in patient-reported outcome measures. Chest. 2009;136(4):1175-1177.

2. Juniper EF. Medical questionnaires are copyrighted to ensure that validity is maintained. Chest. 2009;136(4):951-952.

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PRIVACY AND INFORMED CONSENT

Authors must omit from their text, tables, figures, and supplemental data any identifying details regarding patients and study participants, including names, initials, date of birth, Social Security numbers, dates, or medical record numbers. If there is a possibility that a patient may be identified in text, tables, figures, or video, authors must obtain written informed permission from the patient, guardian, or next of kin. Copies of the permission must be provided to CHEST prior to publication. If the patient has died or is otherwise unavailable, then permission must be sought from the next of kin. If the next of kin cannot be reached or if other conditions prevail that prevent the author from obtaining permission, and authors have made every reasonable effort to obtain permission, authors may appeal to the Editor in Chief via the cover letter upon submission to consider publication without written permission. Per the Council on Publication Ethics (COPE) Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors (http://publicationethics.org/files/Code_of_conduct_for_journal_editors_Mar11.pdf ) and with proper steps to deidentify the patient, written permission may be waived if 1) public interest considerations outweigh the possible harm, 2) it is impossible to obtain permission, and 3) a reasonable individual would be unlikely to object to publication.

Written patient permission to publish is required for all case-based sections of CHEST, including Case Reports/Series, Chest Imaging and Pathology for Clinicians, Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine Pearls and Ultrasound Corner.

Download the CHEST permission form here.

All authors are responsible for ensuring the submission complies with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act or national equivalent.

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SCIENTIFIC MISCONDUCT

When CHEST has concerns, or receives allegations, of scientific misconduct, CHEST reserves the right to proceed according to the procedures described below and to the guidelines issued by the Office of Research Integrity. CHEST recognizes its responsibility to appropriately address concerns and allegations of misconduct. Examples of misconduct include falsification of data, plagiarism (both plagiarism of others and self-plagiarism), improper designations of authorship, duplicate publication, misappropriation of others’ research, failure to disclose conflict(s) of interest, and failure to comply with applicable legislative or regulatory requirements. Misconduct also includes failure to comply with any rules, policies, or procedures implemented by CHEST and other behaviors specified in the Office of Research Integrity guidelines.

Process

In general, CHEST follows the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) when working to address allegations of misconduct. Concerns or allegations of misconduct will be referred to the CHEST Ethics Subcommittee and publisher. Involved parties will be contacted to provide a written explanation of the situation. As needed, CHEST may also contact the institution at which the study was conducted and any other involved journals. CHEST will attempt to determine whether there was misconduct, and the Editor in Chief will respond with an appropriate action. Examples of actions include:

Sending a letter of explanation only to the person(s) involved or against whom the allegation is made. (This response might be appropriate if the person(s) seemed to have acted with a genuine and innocent misunderstanding of policy or procedure.)
Sending a letter of reprimand to the same person(s), warning of the consequences of future, similar instances. (This response might be appropriate if the misunderstanding of policy or procedure appears to be not entirely innocent.)
Sending a letter to the relevant head of the educational institution and/or financial sponsor of the person(s) involved, expressing the concerns and information collected. (This response might be appropriate if actual misconduct seems probable, in which case a formal review and determination are advisable. CHEST might request a written report of the findings of the investigation and might take further action based on the findings.)
Publishing in CHEST a notice of duplicate publication, “salami” publishing, plagiarism, or other misconduct, if unequivocally documented. In cases of ghost-written manuscripts, the notice may include the names of the responsible companies as well as the submitting author(s).
Providing specific names to the media and/or government organizations, if contacted regarding the misconduct.
Formally withdrawing or retracting the article from CHEST, and informing readers and indexing authorities.
Banning an author or authors from publishing any manuscript in CHEST for a specified time period, with notice to the author(s)’ institution.

Plagiarism and Overlapping Publication

Submissions will be considered for publication in CHEST only if they are submitted solely to CHEST and do not overlap with other articles. Any manuscript that has similar or near similar hypothesis, sample characteristics, results, and conclusions to a manuscript currently in review, in press, or published in final form is a duplicate article and is prohibited. CHEST is part of CrossCheck, a multi-publisher initiative to screen published and submitted content for originality. CHEST uses iThenticate software to detect instances of overlapping and similar text in submitted manuscripts.

CHEST also prohibits so-called overlapping or “salami” publishing that involves slicing of data collected from a single research process or during a single study period, into different pieces that form the basis of individual manuscripts published in different journals or the same journal.¹

If any material related to the submission (other than a meeting abstract or trial registration) has been published previously, is in preparation, or has been submitted or accepted for publication elsewhere, authors must provide copies of all such manuscripts and other materials on submission via ScholarOne Manuscripts (attach as “supplemental file”), as well as outline the relationship of the data in the cover letter to avoid any possibility of duplicate publication. For this purpose, authors must disclose also republication of a paper in another language and publications in journals with a different reader base, as well as articles that relate to the same or similar pool of data described in the submitted article. Although CHEST does not treat publication of an abstract as a duplicate publication, CHEST requires disclosure of the publication on the title page of the submission.

Image Manipulation

If an image must be manipulated to show detail, the manipulation should be applied to the entire figure; it is not acceptable to adjust specific elements of a figure. Any manipulation to the figure must be disclosed and explained in the caption.

CHEST randomly reviews photographic (halftone) images for manipulation via image forensic software. Examples of manipulation include splicing of images so that one image is actually many images, removal or distortion of pixels so that the data are distorted, and removal of background data from an image. If the software detects manipulation, the figure will be sent to an expert reviewer for further scrutiny. This review may delay publication. In some cases, the figure may be returned to the author with an explanation on how to correctly prepare the figure or add information to the legend. In cases where fraud is discovered, CHEST will impose disciplinary action.

References:
1. Block AJ. Duplicate publication. Chest. 1998;114(6):951.

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STYLE AND USAGE

CHEST follows the American Medical Association Manual of Style¹ (10^th ed) in matters of editorial style and usage. All accepted manuscripts are subject to copyediting for conciseness, clarity, grammar, spelling, and CHEST style. The corresponding author will receive page proofs to review before publication. If requests for changes are made after the authors have returned corrected proofs, a fee will be charged for additional changes. Care should be exercised in this stage of review so as to avoid publication of errata or retractions.

Special notes on eponyms with disease names:

Beginning January 1, 2013, CHEST (in addition to many other respiratory journals) will replace the terms "Clara Cell"; and "Clara cell secretory protein"; with "club cell (Clara)"; and "club cell secretory protein (Clara)", respectively.

² The parenthetic term "(Clara)" will be dropped after its first mention in an article. In agreement with other journals, CHEST will parenthetically continue to use the term "Clara" for 2 years, at which time it will be dropped. Additional background information about this issue can be found elsewhere.³

In accordance with other scientific groups, CHEST now uses the term "granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegner's)" instead of "Wegner's granulomatosis."⁴ Additional background information about this issue can be found elsewhere.⁵

References: 

1. JAMA and Archives Journals. American Medical Association Manual of Style: a guide for authors and editors. 10th ed. New York, NY: Oxford University Press

2. Irwin RS, Augustyn N, French CT, Rice J, Tedeschi V, Welch SJ on behalf of the Editorial Leadership Team. Spread the word about the Journal in 2013: From citation manipulation to invalidation to invalidation of patient-reported outcomes measures to renaming the Clara cell to new Journal features. Chest. 2013;143(1):1-4.

3. Winkelmann A, Noack T. The Clara cell: a "Third Reich eponym." Eur Resp J. 2010;36:722-727

4. Irwin RS, Augustyn N, French CT, Rice J. Welch SJ. Spread the word about the journal in 2012: From Impact Factor to Plagiarism and Image Falsification Detection Software. Chest. 2012;141(1):1-4.

5. Falk RJ, Gross WL, Guillenin L et al. Granulomatosis with polyangiitis: an alternative name for Wegner's granulomatosis. Ann Rheum Dis. 2011;70:704

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SUBMISSION

CHEST uses ScholarOne Manuscripts for manuscript submission and peer review. Submissions received by e-mail or mail will not be considered. Technical assistance for ScholarOne Manuscripts is available by phone at +1 434-964-4100, and or via online support that includes tutorials.

Tracking and Correspondence

Receipt of a manuscript is acknowledged via e-mail from ScholarOne Manuscripts. Each submission is assigned a manuscript tracking number that will appear in the e-mail. This tracking number should be provided on all correspondence regarding the manuscript. Although all authors are copied on decision letters, only the corresponding author should communicate with CHEST regarding the manuscript. Authors can also check the status of submitted manuscripts by logging into the ScholarOne Manuscripts Author Center.

Peer Review

All submissions are subject to peer review. CHEST will send manuscripts to outside reviewers selected from an extensive database. Authors are encouraged (and in the case of Original Research required) to provide the names of qualified reviewers who have had experience with the subject matter but who are not affiliated with the same institution(s) as the author(s). Authors may also suggest names of individuals who they would prefer not to review their paper. CHEST reserves the right to make the final selection of peer reviewers. CHEST also reserves the right, at its discretion, to determine the number and kind of manuscripts sent for review, the number of reviewers, the reviewing procedures, and the use made of reviewer’s opinions. In addition to scientific merit, the Editor in Chief reserves the right to evaluate papers without external peer review. Effort is made to complete the review process in a timely manner.

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TOBACCO POLICY

CHEST will not consider research and manuscripts that have been supported either directly or indirectly by tobacco companies.

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GENERAL MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION

When submitting to CHEST, authors will be asked to separately upload several distinct files through ScholarOne Manuscripts. The following list includes the types of files that may be required. More detailed information on each element is provided in the following structured and labeled sections.

1. Cover letter (either entered as text or uploaded to the “Cover Letter” area)

2. Manuscript file (uploaded as “Main Document”), inclusive of:

Title page
Abbreviations list
Abstract
Text
Acknowledgments
References
Tables
Figure legends

3. Figure files

4. Supplemental material files for online only publication (upload as “Online Content Only”)

5. Permissions for republication or survey use (where applicable, upload as “Supplemental File”)

6. Patient consent for publication (where applicable, upload as “Supplemental File”)

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ABBREVIATION LIST

An alphabetical list of all abbreviations used in the paper, followed by their full definitions, should be provided on submission. Each abbreviation should be expanded at first mention in the text and noted parenthetically after expansion. Abbreviations should only be used for terms that appear more than three times in text. To aid readers, please use abbreviations sparingly.

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ABSTRACT

For Original Research studies (clinical trials, interventional studies, cohort studies, case-control studies, epidemiologic assessments, surveys, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses), the abstract should consist of the following sections:

Background
Methods
Results
Conclusions
Clinical Trial Registration (registrar, website, and registration number, where applicable)

The sections should briefly describe, respectively, the problem being addressed in the study, how the study was performed (including numbers of patients or laboratory subjects), the significant results, and what the authors conclude from the results.
For all other manuscript types requiring abstracts, CHEST requires a narrative (unstructured) abstract. More information is available in Guidance for Specific Article Types.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The acknowledgments section will vary slightly by article type. Possible elements include:

Guarantor statement, naming one author who takes responsibility for (is the guarantor of) the content of the manuscript, including the data and analysis (Original Research)
Author contributions should define the individual contributions each author made to the development of the manuscript and should include at minimum the three criteria required for Authorship as defined by CHEST (Original Research)
Financial/nonfinancial disclosures should match those provided on the title page
Role of the sponsors should detail what input or contributions, if any, were provided by the funding sources in the development of the research and manuscript
Other contributions

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FIGURES

Figures should be provided in the following formats: .tiff, .jpg, or .ppt. NOTE: ScholarOne Manuscripts cannot convert .pptx files; authors should use “Save As” to convert to .ppt files. Line art, including graphs and drawings without gray tones, should be created at a resolution of 1200 dpi. Black and white or color photographs without text or line labeling can be submitted at a resolution of 300 dpi. Combination figures, such as photographs with labeling, should be submitted at 600 dpi.

Radiologic or other diagnostic examination figures or other diagnostic testing figures should have all patient-related numbering (including test date or medical record numbers) or wording removed prior to submission. Pathology images are required to be published in color (and authors must agree to pay for color).

Figure Legends

All illustrations must be cited in consecutive numerical order within the text of the manuscript. A legend for each illustration should be provided on a separate page of the manuscript, not on the figure itself. Stains and magnifications for all photomicrographs should be included in the legend. Any image manipulation (eg, splicing) should be described in the legend. Permissions for any republished figures and any required patient consent lines for identifiable images also should be noted in the legend.

Color Charges

CHEST encourages the inclusion of color illustrations and will share the expense of reproduction and printing. The author’s share of this cost is $500 per color figure. Images may be combined into one multipart figure (eg, Figure 1A-D) to minimize cost. Authors who cannot pay their share of the color production charges should not submit color images. By submitting a color figure, an author agrees to share the reproduction costs. Because color may be an integral part of the understanding of a figure, if a color figure is submitted, the Editor in Chief may, at his discretion, stipulate that payment for color is a condition for acceptance.
Payment should not be sent with the submission. On acceptance, the corresponding author will be sent an e-mail verifying the final cost and will be invoiced before CHEST will proceed with production. Outstanding color charges will delay publication.

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REFERENCES

Authors are responsible for the accuracy and completeness of citations. In text, references must be given as superscript numerals, numbered consecutively in the order in which they appear in the text. If the first (or only) mention of a reference appears in a Table, place the reference number after the Table call out in text. For example, if a reference is in Table 3 and has not been called out any earlier in the text, then the text call out should be, eg, "Table 3²⁷...". This will preserve numbering in citation management software.

The full citations must be listed in numerical order at the end of the text. Each reference must contain, in order, the following:

Authors (last name initials), listing all when there are up to six; first three followed by “et al” in the case of more than six authors
Title of article (sentence case, no quotation marks)
Publication source (italicized), when referring to a journal, the journal name should be abbreviated according to Index Medicus
Year of publication
Volume number
Issue number
Page numbers (inclusive)

No spaces should be used from the year of publication through the final page number. References to published abstracts may be included but must be noted as such. Please note that no periods should be used after authors’ initials or after journal abbreviations; however, periods should be inserted after the publication name and at the end of each reference. Examples of commonly used reference types are noted below.

Journal Article

1. Sillen MJH, Speksnijder CM, Eterman R-MA, et al. Effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation of muscles of ambulation in patients with chronic heart failure: a systematic review of the English-language literature. Chest. 2009;136(1):44-61.
2. Barker E, Haverson K, Stokes CR, Birchall M, Baily M. The larynx as an immunological organ: immunological architecture in the pig as a large animal model. Clin Exp Immunol. 2006;143(1):6-14.

In-Press Journal Article

1. Annane D, Sebille V, Charpentier C, et al. Effect of treatment with low doses of hydrocortisone and fludrocortisone on mortality in patients with septic shock. JAMA. In press. doi:10.1001/jama.288.7.862

Book

1. Shields TW, LoCicero J III, Reed CE, Feins RH. General Thoracic Surgery. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2009:200-232.

Book Chapter

1. Stone AC, Klinger JR. The right ventricle in pulmonary hypertension. In: Hill NS, Farber HW, eds. Pulmonary Hypertension. New York, NY: Humana Press; 2008:93-126.

Abstract

1. Garg N, Garg G, Christensen G, Singh A. Acute coronary syndrome caused by coronary artery mycotic aneurysm due to methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus [abstract]. Chest. 2008;134(suppl):1001S.
For assistance in formatting other types of references, please refer to the American Medical Association Manual of Style.¹
References:
1. JAMA and Archives Journals. American Medical Association Manual of Style: a guide for authors and editors. 10th ed. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

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SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL/APPENDICES

Authors may submit supplemental material (ie, material that will be published only with the online version of the journal) if it enhances a study. The main text must stand alone, and the use of supplemental material should be judicious. The same standards for ethics, copyright, permissions, and publication quality for the full-text article apply to all supplemental material. Tables and figures meant for print should be integrated with the main manuscript. The inclusion of a single table and/or figure as supplemental material is not acceptable; that element should be integrated into the text. References in supplemental material should be numbered consecutively beginning with 1; if a reference appears in the main article, it must also be included in the supplemental material and will likely have a different reference number. Supplemental material should be thought of distinctly in this regard.
If any of the material included as supplemental material has been previously published, the authors are responsible for obtaining the required permissions and attributing the source material.
Appendices will no longer appear in CHEST articles, but may be included as supplemental material, labeled e-Appendix. Lists of study participants, multicenter institutional review board data, and the like are appropriate for e-Appendices.

Numbering

Each component of the supplemental material should be called out in the text of the article. Authors should not intersperse supplemental material consecutively with material for the print edition. The following convention should be used for labeling and numbering material:

e-Table: number as e-Table 1, e-Table 2, etc
e-Figure: number as e-Figure 1, e-Figure 2, etc
e-Appendix: number as e-Appendix 1, e-Appendix 2, etc
Audio: number as Audio 1, Audio 2, etc
Video: number as Video 1, Video 2, etc (note, if shorter videos are combined into a single file, label each portion, eg, clip 1, clip 2, etc.

Example: The distribution of missed bronchoscopy skills data points across centers and bronchoscopy milestones are depicted in e-Figure 1.

Formats

The manuscript title, author list, and heading “Supplemental Material” should be included at the beginning of each file. The following formats can be uploaded as “Online Content Only” in ScholarOne Manuscripts:

Video: Quicktime (.mov), Windows media (.wmv), Audio Video Interleave (.avi), animated GIF (.gif), .mpeg. All movie clips should be provided at the desired size and length (10 MB or 5 min maximum). Before submitting, authors should verify that clips are viewable in Quicktime or Windows Media Player. In addition, a brief text description should be provided in a word processing document explaining the video. Authors are encouraged to supply a still image of the video file for inclusion as reference in the print version of the article.
Audio: .mp3, .mp4, .wav, .au. In addition, a brief text description should be provided in a word processing document explaining the audio file.
Tables: Because CHEST now typesets all tables as supplemental material, they must be provided as Word files. The total size of the document cannot exceed 8.5” x 11” inches.
Figures: .tiff, .png, high-resolution .pdf, .jpeg, and .gif. One word processing file should be provided that contains brief captions for all figures.
Text: Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx), .rtf, and .txt files.

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TABLES

Tables should be self-explanatory and should not duplicate text material. They must be numbered and cited in consecutive order in the text. Each must have a succinct title, column and row headings, and (where appropriate) a legend describing abbreviations and lettered footnotes at the bottom of the table. Tables should not contain any shading or special symbols and any special formatting (bold, italics) must be explained in the legend. Tables consisting of more than 10 columns are unacceptable and will not be published. Tables should be provided as word processing documents, not in a spreadsheet file format or as an image file. Tables may be added at the end of the main document file.

Permissions for any republished tables should be noted in the legend.

See References for guidance on how to number and cite references that 1) appear only in tables or 2) are first cited in tables that are called out before other references.

Tables used to describe or compare literature should include a column with the following information from the source publication: lead author last name, year of publication, and a numbered citation that corresponds to the full reference in the manuscript reference list.

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TEXT

Headings Within Articles

No more than 8 headings per article. Each heading can consist of only 5 words, including words such as a, an, the, and, and.

Headings should be explanatory, but there is no need to repeat the title in every heading.

Sample Original
Abstract | What Is Interdisciplinary Collaboration? | Why Should We Embrace the Concept of Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Delivering Health Care? | Can an Interdisciplinary Collaborative Model of Critical Care Be Successfully Implemented in a Large Academic Medical Center, and Will It Be Associated With Favorable Outcomes? | What Is Our Story? | What Was the New Philosophy and Model of Critical Care That Emerged? | What Were the Building Blocks of Our Critical Care Model? | What Were the Outcomes Associated With the Implementation of Our Interdisciplinary Collaborative Model of Critical Care? | Summary | Acknowledgment | References

Sample Revised
Abstract | Interdisciplinary Collaboration | Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Health-Care Delivery | Implementing Collaborative Models | Our Story | New Philosophy and Model | Building Blocks | Outcomes | Summary | Acknowledgement | References

The Guidance for Specific Article Types section provides more detail on how to format the text.

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TITLE PAGE

The title page should be submitted as a word processing file and should include the following elements:

Word counts for the text and abstract in the upper left-hand corner
Title and short title/running head (of 50 characters or less)
Author list, showing all names in the order and format that they are to appear on publication. Also, include any middle initials and the highest degree obtained, as well as institutional affiliations. NOTE: Complete author information, including names, e-mail addresses, and institutional affiliations must also be entered in ScholarOne Manuscripts to facilitate the collection of the required forms.
Corresponding author information, with full mailing address and e-mail address (will appear on publication)
Summary conflict of interest statements for each author (or a statement indicating no conflicts exist for the specified author[s])
Funding information, including any NIH grant numbers where applicable
Notation of prior abstract publication/presentation, including the name, date, and location of the relevant meeting

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GUIDANCE FOR SPECIFIC ARTICLE TYPES

In addition to following the general manuscript preparation instructions, authors should refer to the specific instructions for the type of article they are submitting.

Section Title	Consider Unsolicited (Y/N^a)	Abstract (wd max)	Text^d (wd max)	Reference (no. max)	Color Payment
Ahead of the Curve	N	250	2,500	50	2 free, then $500/per
Case Reports	Y	150	750	20	$500/per
Case Series	Y	150	1,600	20	$500/per
Chest Imaging & Pathology for Clinicians	Y	none	1,600	20	2 free, then $500/per
Clinical Practice Guidelines	Y	250	tbd	tbd	tbd
Commentary	Y	250	2,500	50	$500/per
Consensus Statements^a	N	250^c	3,800	75	$500/per
Contemporary Reviews in Critical Care Medicine	N	250	3,500	75	$500/per
Contemporary Reviews in Sleep Medicine	N	250	3,500	75	$500/per
Correspondence	Y	none	400	5	$500/per
Editorials	N	none	1,000	12	$500/per
Errata	Y	None	400	n/a	n/a
Medical Ethics	Y	250	3,500	75	$500/per
Original Research	Y	250^b	2,500	75	$500/per
Point/Counterpoint Editorials	N	none	1,000	12	$500/per
Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine Pearls	Y	none	1,200	10	$500/per
Recent Advances in Chest Medicine	N	250	3,500	75	$500/per
Retractions	N	none	400	n/a	n/a
Special Features^a	Y	250	3,500	75	$500/per
Topics in Practice Management	N	250	2,500	50	$500/per
Translating Basic Research Into Clinical Practice	N	250	2,500	50	2 free, then $500/per
Ultrasound Corner	Y	none	1,200	10	free

^aThese article types are solicited, but authors with ideas for topics are encouraged to contact CHEST with their proposal via the Contact Us form.
^bOriginal Research articles must have a structured abstract.
^cConsensus Statements must also be submitted with an executive summary.
^dText word counts exclude abstract, references, figure legends, and tables.
^eFor case reports or commentaries follow instructions for those sections.

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AHEAD OF THE CURVE

Article Element	Requirements
Abstract length	250 words, narrative format
Text length	2,500 words
Reference count	50 references
Color	2 free + $500 per figure for each additional figure

Ahead of the Curve papers serve to provide glimpses into research that may, in coming years, impact clinicians. They will be published in the Commentary Section, under the subtopic of "Ahead of the Curve." Topics in this section are developed and invited by the CHEST Section Editors and Editor in Chief. Authors with suggestions for a topic are encouraged to contact CHEST.

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CASE REPORTS/SERIES

Article Element	Requirements
Abstract length	150 words, narrative format
Text length	750 words, for a single report; 1,600 words for a series
Reference count	20 references
Color	$500 per figure
Format	Either (1) Introduction, Case Reports, Discussion; or (2) Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results
Other	Written patient permission is required for publication

Case reports for CHEST are meant to describe a new entity, mechanism, or presentation of a disease state. All submissions to this section must be novel and/or unique. Any manuscripts submitted for publication should provide new insights for clinicians. In addition to standard case reports and case series, CHEST will also consider:

Case-based submissions to the Patient Safety Forum, provided they describe unique cases of iatrogenesis events that will assist in process improvement.
Case-based submissions to the Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine Pearls and Chest Imaging and Pathology for Clinicians sections, for cases that are not novel but which are instructive.

Case reports do not need institutional review board approval, but authors must preserve patient privacy and follow the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act or national equivalent rules in writing up the case. On acceptance, CHEST will require submission of written patient permission for publication.
It is acceptable to submit case reports to CHEST that have been presented at meetings and congresses. This information should be disclosed on the title page and provided in the references.

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CHEST IMAGING AND PATHOLOGY FOR CLINICIANS

Article Element	Requirements
Abstract length	None
Text length	1,600 words (of which clinical, radiologic, and pathologic findings and discussion should be 500 words each)
Reference count	20 references
Color	2 free + $500 per figure for every additional figure
Format	Case Presentation (with distinct Clinical, Radiologic, and Pathologic Findings subsections); Q: What is the Diagnosis; A: Diagnosis; Discussion (with distinct Clinical, Radiologic, and Pathologic Discussion subsections); Conclusion
Other	Written patient permission is required for publication

Chest Imaging and Pathology for Clinicians is designed to aid readers in mastering the fundamentals of interpretation and ordering of chest imaging modalities, CHEST publishes case-based articles with characteristic chest imaging and related pathology. Pathology must be included in all cases submitted.
Selection of images should reflect state-of-the-art image quality. Pictures of plain chest radiographs and CT scans taken with a digital camera will not be accepted. For example, cases of interstitial lung disease must be imaged with high-resolution CT techniques. Similarly, CT or MR studies related to vascular disease must be performed with contrast enhancement. Cases illustrating advanced imaging techniques such as volumetric rendered images, or virtual endoscopy are also welcome, provided that these techniques prove critical to radiologic diagnosis.
The format for this series is very important. Authors are encouraged to read the following instructions carefully:

Title, should include a short summary of the presenting feature, but not the diagnosis (ie, Dyspnea with slow-growing mass of the left hemithorax)
Case Presentation, should include the following sections in sequence without the use of subheadings and without giving away the diagnosis:
- Clinical findings, should mention the relevant positives and negatives while avoiding detailed description of hospital course
- Radiologic findings, briefly detailing the plain chest radiograph (no corresponding figure need be submitted) and describing in detail the additional imaging studies performed, emphasizing findings that point to the diagnosis
- Pathologic findings, should be described in detail and should focus on correlations with the radiologic findings
What is the diagnosis? Alternative questions may also be included (ie, What study should be conducted next?) in addition to the diagnosis question.
Diagnosis: XXX, should also include the answer to any other questions posed
Discussion, should include the following sections in sequence with the use of subheadings
- Clinical discussion, should illuminate how the clinical findings tie in with the diagnosis, addressing the typical and atypical case features. Authors are encouraged to highlight the clinical features that may alert the clinician to the diagnosis.
- Radiologic discussion, should highlight specific findings from chest radiographs and CT, PET, MR scans. Authors are encouraged to highlight findings that exclude diagnosis and elaborate on the use of particular modalities.
- Pathologic discussion, should highlight pathologic patterns of lung involvement that correspond to patterns seen on chest imaging, and the pathologic differential diagnosis of the disease under discussion should be presented. Special staining techniques that may allow the diagnosis to be established should be addressed.
Conclusion, should enumerate the patient’s clinical course and treatment given.

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CLINICAL PRACTICE GUIDELINES

Article Element	Requirements
Executive summary	Provided in bold text and including one to two paragraphs of introduction, followed by a summary of the data and a bulleted list of all recommendations and suggestions included in the document
Abstract length	250 words, structured format
Text length	To be negotiated with CHEST
Reference count	To be negotiated with CHEST
Color	$500 per figure

Clinical Practice Guidelines are generated by the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) under a well-defined development process. Committees will work closely with the Section Editor of Guidelines and Consensus Statements and the Editor in Chief of CHEST in developing guideline articles intended for submission to CHEST.

Authors and organizations outside of the ACCP are discouraged from submitting guidelines to CHEST. If the authors strongly believe that CHEST is the proper forum for publishing these types of papers, authors should:

Review the existing guidelines from ACCP to ensure there is no overlap with existing ACCP guidelines;
Contact the Editor in Chief of CHEST before embarking on such projects; and
Be willing to use the same grading system, format, and development process followed by ACCP guidelines. CHEST will likely have any such submissions evaluated by the relevant ACCP Committees as part of the review process.

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COMMENTARY

Article Element	Requirements
Abstract length	250 words, narrative format
Text length	2,500 words
Reference count	50 references
Color	$500 per figure

Commentaries are solicited manuscripts that promote a specific point of view. CHEST will consider unsolictied commentary submissions, but authors must be aware that at any given time CHEST also has a long list of pending invited topics. Authors are encouraged to contact CHEST with a proposal on the topic prior to writing or submitting any commentaries.

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CONSENSUS STATEMENTS

Article Element	Requirements
Executive summary	Provided in bold text and including one to two paragraphs of introduction, followed by a summary of the data and a bulleted list of all suggestions included in the document
Abstract length	250 words, structured format
Text length	3,800 words
Reference count	70 references
Color	$500 per figure

Development Process

Consensus Statements are developed by the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) and follow a detailed development process. CHEST has a designated Section Editor for consensus statements and clinical practice guidelines. Committees will work closely with the Section Editor of Guidelines and Consensus Statements and the Editor in Chief in the development of the topic, manuscript, and submission for CHEST peer review.

Authors and organizations working outside of the ACCP are generally discouraged from submitting consensus statements to CHEST. If the authors strongly believe that CHEST is the proper forum for publishing a consensus statement, authors should first:

Review the existing ACCP consensus statements to ensure there is no overlap with existing statements;
Contact the Editor in Chief of CHEST before embarking on such projects; and
Be willing to use the same grading system, development process, and format followed by ACCP-developed consensus statements.

CHEST will likely have any such submissions evaluated by the relevant ACCP Committees as part of the review process.

Format

Title, should begin with the phrase “American College of Chest Physicians Consensus Statement on …” followed by the topic name
Executive summary, should be provided in bold text and include one to two paragraphs of introduction, followed by a summary of the data and a bulleted list of all suggestions included in the document. At the discretion of the Journal and depending on the length of the full article, the Executive Summary may appear in print with the full article available online only.
Abstract, should be structured, utilizing labels (Background, Methods, Results, and Conclusions)
Introduction, should include an explicit statement that the opinions given are based on expert consensus and should include the following disclaimer: “these suggestions should not be used for performance measurement or for competency purposes because they are not evidence-based as outlined by the ACCP Health and Science Policy Committee.”
Materials and Methods, should describe how the literature search was performed and the method used to achieve consensus. Formal methods, such as the Delphi technique, are preferred to informal techniques (eg, vote). If questionnaires are used to derive consensus, questions are to be validated using appropriate and accepted statistical methods.
Body, should be organized by suggestions, including background, a brief review of the relevant data, the panel’s suggestions, and any caveats or critical minority opinions. Future therapies/research should be indicated for each section
References
Tables, should adhere exactly to CHEST table requirements

NOTE: For consensus statements, it is important that certain terminology be used to denote evidence based on the quality of evidence and type of literature reviewed. The phrase “we suggest” may be used in consensus statements only if there are data from the literature to support a suggestion. The phrases “evidence-based,” “guideline,” and “we recommend” are reserved for evidence-based guidelines and should not be used in consensus statements.

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CONTEMPORARY REVIEWS IN CRITICAL CARE AND CONTEMPORARY REVIEWS IN SLEEP MEDICINE

Article Element	Requirements
Abstract length	250 words, narrative format
Text length	3,500 words
Reference count	75 references
Color	$500 per figure

The purpose of the Contemporary Reviews in Sleep Medicine and Critical Care sections is to publish concise reviews on important topics in medicine. These are to be state-of-the-art reviews, not exhaustive dissertations. There should be a summary of the field as well as a discussion of the most recent advances in the text, and if justifiable, a summary table that lists management advances based upon randomized controlled clinical trials. Topics in this section are developed and invited by the CHEST Section Editors and Editor in Chief. Authors with suggestions for a topic are encouraged to contact CHEST.

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CORRESPONDENCE

Article Element	Requirements
Abstract length	None
Text length	400 words
Reference count	5 references
Color	$500 per figure
Other	Single figure and table maximum, supplemental material may be included.

The correspondence section is primarily intended for the clarification and edification of articles published in CHEST. While letters that describe research in preliminary terms and announcements of general interest are uncommonly published as letters. It is up to the discretion of the Editor in Chief whether any Correspondence is sent for external peer review and whether to accept any letter for publication.

Commenting on Recent Articles

All letters commenting on previous articles should strive to provide constructive and respectful comments of the original work. Any correspondence discussing recent CHEST articles should include a short original title that does not duplicate the title of the article. Authors should include the full citation to the complete article in the reference list. For letters responding to articles published to the Online First section, CHEST will hold publication until the final version of the article is published in a numbered issue of CHEST. All accepted letters will be sent to the corresponding author of the original article with an invitation to submit a response for publication.

Response Letters

Authors are asked to submit all replies to letters on their work within four weeks of receiving the invitation. Authors should never correspond directly with the authors of correspondence. The replying author should also include the full reference to their original work and should submit the same conflict of interest information relevant to the original work. CHEST reserves the right to update the conflict of interest line in this regard as needed.

General Interest and Announcements

CHEST will occasionally consider correspondence that serves to announce matters of importance to the pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine community.

Reference:
Foote MA. Comments on writing letters to the editor: moving from duels and fencing to belles lettres. Chest. 2010;138(1):228-230.

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EDITORIALS

Article Element	Requirements
Abstract length	None
Text length	1,000 words
Reference count	12 references
Color	$500 per figure

Editorials are invited by the Editor in Chief.

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ERRATA

Errata are published to communicate corrections necessary to previously published versions of articles. All errata are indexed by PubMed and attached to the original article citation. In addition to publishing an erratum, CHEST will consider correcting the online version of the published article, but the author of the original article will be required to pay a fee to cover the cost of the postproduction changes.

To request a correction to a published article, authors should contact CHEST, providing details of the error, including the complete article citation, location of the error and corrected text. CHEST will draft a correction notice, and the authors will be required to sign off on a proof prior to publication. CHEST will publish corrections in the next available issue and will link the correction to the original article.

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MEDICAL ETHICS

Article Element	Requirements
Abstract length	250 words, narrative format
Text length	3,500 words
Reference count	75 references
Color	$500 per figure

Topics in this section are developed and invited by the CHEST Section Editors and Editor in Chief. Authors with suggestions for a topic are encouraged to contact CHEST.

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ORIGINAL RESEARCH

Article Element	Requirements
Abstract length	250 words, structured format, include clinical trial information for randomized controlled trials
Text length	2,500 words
Reference count	75 references
Color	$500 per figure
Format	Text should include: Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusions
Acknowledgments	Author guarantor statement and contributions required

Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval/Helsinki Declaration

Most Original Research manuscripts must include a statement relating to institutional review board (or equivalent) approval in the “Materials and Methods” section. CHEST requires that authors include the committee name and approval number. In multicenter studies, the list of relevant committees and approval numbers may be included as an e-Appendix. See more information on IRB approval here.

Randomized Controlled Trials (RCT):

CHEST defines a randomized controlled trial (RCT) as “any research study that prospectively assigns human participants or groups of humans to one or more health-related interventions to evaluate the effects on health outcomes.” Authors preparing RCTs for submission to CHEST should follow the CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials) checklist and must include a CONSORT flowchart as Figure 1. Templates for the generation of CONSORT flowcharts are available online.

In addition to following CONSORT, CHEST requires investigators to register their clinical trials in an approved public trials registry. Approved public trials registries are those that meet the criteria established by the World Health Organization (WHO). To register a trial, authors must submit the details directly to any one of the WHO primary registries. CHEST reserves the right to reject papers if it deems the disclosure at the registry to be incomplete. An IRB statement is not a substitute for an approved clinical trial registration.

Purely observational studies (those in which the assignment of the medical intervention is not at the discretion of the investigator) do not require registration.

Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses

Authors preparing systematic reviews and meta-analyses for submission to CHEST should follow the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses) checklist and must include a PRISMA flow diagram as Figure 1 on submission.

Surveys/Questionnaire-Based Studies

Investigators who administer surveys and questionnaires as part of their study should obtain copyright permission if needed; no surveys should be adapted without the permission of the of the developer. Any unapproved changes in how PRO instruments are used or approved changes that have not been psychometrically studied and found to be reliable and valid will invalidate the results.

Studies based on surveys or questionnaires should report on data that have been collected within two years of submission, include supporting reliability and validity data, and have response rates of at least 60%. All survey-based studies should describe the method used to achieve the response rate (eg, Dillman's tailored design method) and should provide a convincing rationale for why lower response rates provide important and generalizable information. Surveys with a response rate of less than 60% may be rejected. Nonrespondents should be characterized well enough to allow for assessment of potential for nonresponse. Authors are encouraged to report outcome rates for most surveys using standardized definitions and metrics (eg, those proposed by the American Association for Public Opinion Research. This information must be detailed in the methods section.

Other Study Types

The Equator Network provides checklists for other types of studies such as the STROBE (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) statement. Checklists are also available for cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies, and authors are encouraged to follow these.

Matching Language to Level of Evidence

CHEST endorses the recently published HEART Group Statement¹ calling for better matching language in Original Research to the evidence found in different study designs.² In short, in observational studies investigators should use descriptive statements such as "we observed a lower risk" rather than a more definitive statement such as "reduced the risk by" that are more appropriate to RCTs.

1. Editors of Heart Group Journals. Statement on matching language to the type of evidence used in describing outcomes data. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2012;60(23):2420.

2. Kohli P, Cannon CP. The importance of matching language to type of evidence: Avoiding the pitfalls of reporting outcomes data. Clin Cardiol. 2012:35:714-717.

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POETRY (PECTORILOQUY)

Poems should not exceed 350 words, should not have been previously published, and should relate to concerns of health-care providers, patients and families, and medicine. Poems should not violate patient privacy (ie, they should be HIPAA compliant). Physicians should refrain from directly referencing specific identifiable situations in their poems. In case of doubt about appropriate content, check with your institution. Poems that have been previously published will be returned to the authors.
Submissions to the Pectoriloquy Section should be sent via e-mail to poetrychest@aol.com for review and preliminary acceptance by the Section Editor, Michael Zack, MD, FCCP. Authors of poems that Dr. Zack has approved will be asked to submit the final version to ScholarOne Manuscripts. Authors will be required to complete an Author Agreement form transferring copyright to CHEST. They will also be asked to provide two or three sentences about themselves and about their poem. Final acceptance for publication rests with the Editor in Chief.
All poems published in CHEST are free online, with PDF versions available for downloading.

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POINT/COUNTERPOINT EDITORIALS

Point/Counterpoint Editorials are submitted in two stages, each with distinct requirements: the point and counterpoint pieces have longer word limits. The rebuttals are intended to be more succinct.

Point/Counterpoint:

Article Element	Requirements
Abstract length	None
Text length	1,300 words
Reference count	20 references
Figure/table limits	3 total tables and figures (not 3 of each)
Color	$500 per figure

Rebuttals:

Article Element	Requirements
Abstract length	None
Text length	500 words
Reference count	7 references
Figure/table limits	1 figure or table
Color	$500 per figure

Point/Counterpoint Editorials are invited by the Editor in Chief. Authors with suggestions for a topic are encouraged to contact CHEST.

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PULMONARY, CRITICAL CARE, AND SLEEP PEARLS

Article Element	Requirements
Abstract length	None
Text length	1,200 words (of which case presentation should be 150 to 250 words, with the discussion 850 words, excluding listing of pearls)
Reference count	<5 - 10 references listed under a heading of "Suggested Readings." List in chronological order. No citations in text.
Color	$500 per figure
Format	See Below
Other	Written patient permission is required for publication

Manuscripts for this section are designed to present a case, pose a question, provide the answer, and summarize the main teaching points as Pearls.

Title, should include a short summary of the presenting feature, but not the diagnosis
History, provide the recent clinical presentation with relevant past medical history. Provide enough information regarding relevant positives and negatives to allow construction of a reasonable differential diagnosis.
Physical Examination Findings, should give the patient’s vital signs and other physical findings labeled by organ system (eg, chest: bibasilar rales; cardiac: grade II/VI holosystolic murmur at the apex radiating to the axilla; abdomen: non-tender without organomegaly).
Diagnostic Studies, should list all of the relevant normal and abnormal studies required to construct a reasonable differential diagnosis: hemogram, blood chemistry, urine studies, arterial blood gases, microbiology results, tissue biopsy studies, miscellaneous studies (ECG, esophageal motility studies, etc), radiographic studies, polysomnographic studies. Authors should place normal values in parentheses when referring to unusual test results or values that have different normal ranges between laboratories.
What is the diagnosis? Additional questions may also be included (ie, What study should be conducted next?) in addition to the diagnosis question. Alternative questions may focus on management alone when a manuscript does not present a diagnostic question (eg, end-of-life management issues).
Diagnosis: XXX, state the diagnosis and the answers to any additional questions posed in the preceding "What is the diagnosis?" Do not provide explanatory text here but just mention the answers.
Discussion, using the present tense, present a clear discussion of the clinical condition that flows clearly from one topic to another. Most manuscripts should cover sequentially the topics of epidemiology, pathophysiology/etiology, clinical manifestations, treatment and outcomes. Exceptions, such as manuscripts on end-of-life decision-making, should retain a clearly organized sequence of topics. Avoid stating the findings or opinions of others (eg, Jones and Smith reported. . .); instead, authors should synthesize the literature and state their views on the topic.
Clinical Course, should take the general discussion back to the specific patient presented, informing readers how the diagnosis was established, how the patient was managed and what outcomes occurred.
Pearls, 3 to 5 important teaching points extracted from the Discussion. Pearls should represent concise, specific and clinically useful information rather than general statements of fact.
Suggested readings, should be listed in chronological order with the most recent first and include a mix of classic and recent journal or book citations. References to general medical or nursing textbooks should be avoided.

Figures are only needed for the case presentation. In discussing figures in the case report, simply refer to their presence when the findings are sufficiently obvious to challenge the reader. If the finding is subtle and difficult to detect, the abnormality can be described in the case report, but in describing the figure do not provide the diagnosis or the answer to the question you will pose in the manuscript. When not mentioned in the case report, the abnormality in the figure should be discussed in the body of the discussion on the following page when referring in general to the condition and in the section on clinical course when providing follow-up for the patient presented.

NOTE: Pathology figures must be provided in color, and authors must agree to pay for their share of the color ($500 per figure).

Sample: Kyle R. Brownback, MD; Michael S. Crosser, MD; Steven Q. Simpson, MD. A 49-Year-Old Man With Chest Pain and Fever After Returning From France. Chest. 141(6):1618-1621.

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RECENT ADVANCES IN CHEST MEDICINE

Article Element	Requirements
Abstract length	250 words, narrative format
Text length	3,500 words
Reference count	75 references
Color	$500 per figure

Recent Advances in Chest Medicine are state-of-the-art concise reviews intended to frame a topic and focus on the new developments in this field in the past 2 to 4 years. The audience is intended to be clinicians and clinician-scientists, with emphasis on information that will inform practice. Topics in this section are developed and invited by the CHEST Section Editors and Editor in Chief. Authors with suggestions for a topic are encouraged to contact CHEST.

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RETRACTIONS

The main purpose of retractions is to correct the literature. According to the Committee on Publication Ethics, acceptable reasons for retraction include:

Clear evidence that findings are unreliable (either as a result of misconduct or honest error);
The findings have previously been published elsewhere without proper cross-referencing, permission, or justification;
It constitutes plagiarism; or
It reports unethical research.

In cases in which one of the above situations arises, authors are required to contact CHEST to explain the situation. Similarly, if CHEST learns of scientific misconduct and believes that an article must be retracted, the Editorial Office will contact all authors.

Published retractions will take the form of a letter, signed by all authors of the original work. The title of the letter will be “Notice of Retraction of…” followed by the full title of the original publication. The letter will include the details on why the article is being retracted and will include the full publication information of the original article both in a parenthetical notation and as a reference. Prior to publication, all authors will be required to submit the Author Agreement and Conflict of Interest Disclosure form. All retractions will be indexed in PubMed and attached to the original article citation.

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SPECIAL FEATURES

Article Element	Requirements
Abstract length	250 words, narrative format
Text length	3,500 words
Reference count	75 references
Color	$500 per figure

Special Features are solicited reviews that do not fit well into other categories. NOTE: Systematic reviews should be submitted as Original Research. CHEST will consider unsolicited Special Feature submissions, but authors must be aware that at any given time CHEST also has a long list of pending invited topics. Authors are encouraged to contact CHEST with a proposal on the topic prior to the writing or submission of any Special Feature articles.

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SUPPLEMENT ISSUE PROPOSALS

Although CHEST will consider supplements sponsored by third parties for publication, it will publish only those supplements that advance the field or provide information that will significantly impact patient care in a novel way.

Proposal: A complete draft table of contents, inclusive of titles, proposed authors, article lengths, and a brief description of what will be covered should be submitted to CHEST prior to the development of any further materials. Funding sources should also be disclosed. The material covered should have a broad interest to one or more constituents served by CHEST and the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP). (eg, pulmonologists, critical care physicians, and cardiovascular or thoracic surgeons). The Editor in Chief will make a preliminary determination as to whether the proposal is of interest to CHEST. Final manuscripts will be submitted to peer review, and no guarantee of acceptance can be made.
Funding: Supplements must have a commitment of funding, ideally from a nongovernmental organization, philanthropic foundation, or government-funded health-care body. The supporting organization shall not in any way dictate or impact the editorial content of the supplement. No title or article shall have the appearance of a conflict of interest, paid advertisement, or proprietary study. The Editor in Chief will make such determinations. Supplements funded by single commercial entities are strongly discouraged and may not receive approval.
Draft Manuscripts: Manuscripts should be written by the named authors. Ghost authorship is not permitted. Any editorial assistance and/or writing support should be noted in the acknowledgments of each article, as should the source of funding for this assistance. Typically, one or more of the organizers of the supplement will provide a preliminary review of all the papers in a supplement for suitability of content, initial quality control, and adherence to agreed-on format (the format will be a coordinated effort of the supplement organizers and CHEST). They will work with authors before papers are formally submitted to the Journal. Once the organizers have met their own standards for submission, they will provide the CHEST Editorial Office with a list of manuscripts, authors, and contact information for a Corresponding Author for each manuscript.
Peer Review: A designated supplement material receipt date will be set by the CHEST Editorial Office. All manuscripts and materials must reach the Editorial Office by that date. CHEST will contact all corresponding authors with instructions on finalizing and uploading manuscripts into ScholarOne Manuscripts system. All CHEST requirements for authors also apply to authors of supplement papers. CHEST will send out all papers in a group to an external reviewer for final evaluation. Authors will be responsible for making the requested changes.
Editing: CHEST will copyedit all articles for grammar and style. The corresponding author of each article will be responsible for review and approval of final page proofs.
Publication: Publication date will be determined by CHEST. An estimated publication date will be set once CHEST offices have received all the supplement material. CHEST reserves the right to move up or delay publication. All supplements will appear online as a standalone issue of CHEST, available to all CHEST subscribers.
Pricing: The price of an online only supplement is $100,000 for up to 100 PDF pages. Each additional 4-pages will cost $2,500. Print publication is also available, and costs will be determined based on the estimated page count and use of color images.
Reprints & Bulk Orders: Single article reprints, e-prints, and bulk orders will be available on publication.

To submit a supplement proposal, contact CHEST.

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TOPICS IN PRACTICE MANAGEMENT

Article Element	Requirements
Abstract length	250 words, narrative format
Text length	2,500 words
Reference count	50 references
Color	$500 per figure

The general concept of Topics in Practice Management is to create a short focused article, combining a brief review of a clinical topic with a practice management perspective. References in this section should include or even emphasize available website information from CMS, local Medicare contractors, and even the American College of Chest Physicians or other professional society websites if applicable. Topics in this section are developed and invited by the CHEST Section Editors and Editor in Chief. Authors with suggestions for a topic are encouraged to contact CHEST.

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TRANSLATING BASIC RESEARCH INTO CLINICAL PRACTICE

Article Element	Requirements
Abstract length	250 words, narrative format
Text length	2,500 words
Reference count	50 references
Color	2 free + $500 per figure

The purpose of Translating Basic Research into Clinical Practice is to publish short articles that present advances in basic research that are likely to be relevant to clinical practice in the respiratory field. Articles are to explain why this advance is (or will become) important to know about and how it may impact the management of respiratory disease in the future. Topics in this section are developed and invited by the CHEST Section Editors and Editor in Chief. Authors with suggestions for a topic are encouraged to contact CHEST.

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ULTRASOUND CORNER (ONLINE ONLY VIDEO SECTION)

Article Element	Requirements
Abstract length	None
Text length	1,200 words (of which case presentation should up to 300 words, with the discussion 900 words, including take-home points, ie, "Reverberations")
Reference count	10; no references should appear before the Discussion
Videos	2 or 3 video file sets (more than 1 video clip may be compiled for use in each video set),^a: sets may include 1) first step in diagnosis; 2) next step by ultrasonography; 3) discussion video. Authors are responsible for creation and editing of videos, including addition of captioning and labeling.^b Section editor will work with authors and ACCP to add voice-over narration on acceptance
Color	Acceptable, no charge
Format	1) Introduction/case presentation + initial examination video set; 2) Question + follow-up ultrasonography video set; 3) Discussion + discussion video; 4) take-home points, ie “reverberations”; 5) references
Other	Written patient permission is required for publication; waivers may be considered on a case-by-case basis and must be approved by the editor in chief.

^aVideo clips may be combined as needed.

^bAuthors should combine all needed video clips for each step into a single video file, using software such as Windows MovieMaker or Apple Final Cut Pro. For short ultrasound readings (eg, 2 or 3 seconds), authors should either loop the frames or copy the sequences several times so that viewers have a chance to absorb what they are seeing.

Manuscripts for this section are designed to teach readers, via a case-based article, to learn 1) the best selection and use of ultrasound procedures and 2) use of those procedures for better and more efficient diagnoses. Articles in this section will be online only; the article will be listed in the print issue table of contents.

Title: should include a short summary of the presenting feature, but not the procedural steps
Introduction: should begin with a description of patient presentation and initial tests
Video 1: should show initial test findings
Question: Based on these videos and the patient's clinical history and physical examination, what would be the next logical area to examine with ultrasonography?
Video 2: show next needed ultrasonography tests
Answer: In the format, eg, "The next areas to examine are XX and XX that led to the diagnosis of X"
Discussion: describes in more detail the selection and results of the ultrasonography tests, resulting in a diagnosis and course of treatment
Video 3: discussion videos (mentions to be incorporated into the Discussion text)
Reverberations: list of 3 to 5 teaching points
References

CHEST Journal
Print ISSN: 0012-3692
Online ISSN: 1931-3543

For Authors: Instructions & Policies

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