MISSION
Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO) is the primary forum of scientific discourse for the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). JCO strives to publish the highest quality manuscripts dedicated to clinical oncology. Although Original Reports remain the focus of JCO, scientific communication is enhanced by selected Editorials, Review Articles, and other articles that relate to the care of patients with cancer.
JCO publishes 36 issues per year. The impact factor for 2007 was 15.484 with a total of 707 indexed published articles and 81,338 citations. Total circulation is approximately 26,000. For submission information for all article types, please refer to JCO’s Manuscript Preparation Guidelines. In addition, authors may refer to the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE)’s "Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals" for additional advice on appropriate manuscript preparation.
PEER-REVIEW PROCESS
Based on editorial judgment, approximately one-third of papers are rejected initially without external review and are returned to authors. If review is required, authors may expect to learn of rejection or acceptance in approximately 4 weeks, depending on the turnaround time for reviews. Upon completion of review, the Editor’s decision will be e-mailed to the corresponding author, along with instructions for accessing the reviewers’ comments online.
Many factors contribute to acceptance, including but not limited to the following:
- Importance of the research to the field of oncology.
- The originality of the work.
- The quality of the study.
- The priority of the work to JCO and its readership.
The overall acceptance rate for Original Reports is approximately 20%.
If an author disagrees with the editorial decision, polite inquiry is invited through the online Manuscript Processing System. The response must be timely and include a detailed rebuttal.
MANUSCRIPT CATEGORIES
Original Reports
Original Reports are the primary mode of scientific communication in JCO. The Editor-in-Chief and an Associate Editor review all Original Reports. Selected manuscripts are also reviewed by external peer reviewers, and when required, a biostatistician. Comments offered by external reviewers are returned to the author(s) for consideration.
Authors should focus on accuracy, brevity, and clarity in their presentation and avoid lengthy introductions, repetition of data from tables and figures in the text, and unfocused discussions. Authors should include extended patient demographic data in a table, not within the text.
Instructions for Original Reports:
- Write descriptive but succinct titles.
- Limit abstract length to 250 words.
- Limit body text to 3,000 words (excluding the abstract, references, figures, and tables).
- Include no more than a total of six figures and tables per manuscript, not counting panels within figures.
- Label additional figures or tables as "online only" in the legends.
- Include a CONSORT diagram for all phase II and III clinical trial reports. This required diagram does not count toward the figure and table limit (see Statistical Guidelines below).
Review Articles
The Editor-in-Chief typically solicits Review Articles. Before submitting an unsolicited Review, authors should ascertain the suitability of the topic by sending an inquiry to Daniel G. Haller, MD, Editor-in-Chief, at jco{at}asco.org. The authors, rather than a representative, should make the inquiry. The manuscript must present significant new information to justify publication. Review Articles will be reviewed in the same manner as Original Reports.
Suitability inquiries must contain the following:
- A detailed explanation of the manuscript concept.
- An outline listing specific clinical or phase trials to be included.
- All of the authors’ conflicts of interest.
Instructions for Review Articles:
- Limit body text to 4,500 words (excluding the abstract, references, figures, and tables).
- Devote at least half of the text to describing studies detailing human impact, marker effect on prognosis, or clinical trials.
- Adhere to the Editors’ suggested limit of 150 references (additional references may be published online in an appendix).
Editorials and Comments and Controversies
The Editor-in-Chief may solicit an Editorial to accompany an accepted manuscript. Authors may submit editorials to the Comments and Controversies section that are unrelated to a specific article or related to important research published in another journal. Before submitting unsolicited Comments and Controversies articles, authors should contact Daniel G. Haller, MD, Editor-in-Chief, at jco{at}asco.org, to determine the appropriateness of the topic for JCO. Manuscripts for the Comments and Controversies section are peer reviewed, and should not exceed 1,500 words.
Perspectives in Oncology
These submissions are not connected to a specific article, but are reserved to provide a unique viewpoint to the readership from a public figure. Before submitting, authors should contact Daniel G. Haller, MD, Editor-in-Chief, at jco{at}asco.org, to determine the appropriateness of the topic for JCO.
Special Articles
Special Articles are manuscripts whose content and style do not fall under the categories of Original Reports or Review Articles. These may include—but are not limited to—guidelines, summaries of consensus meetings, and other scholarly communications. Consensus statements must be generated from an open scientific meeting.
Summaries of consensus meetings should:
- Present recent changes in a topic and not repeat material that is well-documented.
- Come from an established, high-profile cancer group made up of recognized experts on the topic.
- Include a high level of evidence.
Biology of Neoplasia
Review Articles for the Biology of Neoplasia section address timely topics in the basic science of cancer. Acceptance of these articles is contingent upon satisfactory peer review. Associate Editor, Stephen A. Cannistra, MD usually commissions these manuscripts; however, interested authors may also e-mail a proposal to cannists{at}asco.org. More information can be found by reading the series introduction “Cancer defeated’: not if, but when--introducing the Biology of Neoplasia series” (J Clin Oncol 15:3297-3298, 1997).
Diagnosis in Oncology (Case Reports)
JCO invites case reports with high-resolution images, preferably in color, including x-rays or scans of characteristic or classic conditions relevant to oncology, for consideration in the Diagnosis in Oncology section.
Instructions for Diagnosis in Oncology Articles:
- Include a brief overview describing the case and a concise literature review.
- Do not include an abstract.
- Limit text to 1,500 words or fewer.
- Describe figures in the text rather than in separate legends.
- All identifying information of patients, such as names, dates of birth, dates of service, or patient identification codes must be removed.
- Obtain the written consent of each patient (or the patient’s legal representative) to publish his or her image, and upload it as a supplemental file during the submission process. (This criterion applies even to images with no identifying details in the image or text.) If your institution does not have one, use JCO’s consent form.
- If the case report or the image includes individually identifiable health information, authors must comply with the applicable privacy laws and obtain a HIPAA-compliant patient authorization form.
The Art of Oncology: When the Tumor Is Not the Target
Art of Oncology articles focus on the issues of communication, ethics, and symptom control in the practice of oncology. Authors may want to begin the paper with a short case report to illustrate the discussion, and should consult previously published articles to become familiar with their format and substance. More information can be found by reading the series introduction “A New Addition to the Journal of Clinical Oncology: The Art of Oncology —When the Tumor Is Not the Target” (J Clin Oncol 18:3, 2000).
Instructions for Art of Oncology Articles:
- Double space and limit text to 3,000 words or fewer.
- Include a title page, but not an abstract.
Correspondence
Correspondence (Letters to the Editor) may respond to a published article or express an opinion in a short, freestanding piece. If the Correspondence refers to a published article, the Editor-in-Chief may choose to invite a reply. In rare instances, the Editor-in-Chief considers observations that would not qualify as an Original Report or Diagnosis in Oncology submission. However, this section is not meant to skirt the peer-review process; studies with scientific merit sufficient enough to warrant publication are considered Original Reports.
All accepted Correspondence will appear in the online version of JCO, which is the journal of record. Selected Correspondence may also appear in the print version at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief.
Instructions for Correspondence:
- Limit text to 1,200 words or fewer.
- Provide a succinctly worded title, which differs from the previously published JCO article.
- Include a title page.
Statistics in Oncology
Special articles for the Statistics in Oncology section include the presentation of new methods, examination of controversies and timely reviews for a readership of biostatisticians and scientists. Associate Editors, Stephanie Land, PhD, and Judith Abrams, PhD, usually commission these manuscripts; however, interested authors may also e-mail proposals to lands{at}asco.org for pre-submission review. Acceptance of these articles is contingent upon satisfactory peer review. More information can be found by reading the series introduction “Statistics in Oncology” (J Clin Oncol 26:3668, 2008).
Review Issues
In addition to its standard issues, JCO publishes topic-driven review issues on an as needed basis. JCO encourages proposals of topics and articles by e-mail to reviewseries{at}asco.org or online through “Suggest a Topic” under the Review Series section of www.jco.org. Acceptance of any review article is contingent upon satisfactory peer review.
MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Authors must submit all new manuscripts directly to Daniel G. Haller, MD, Editor-in-Chief, using the online Manuscript Processing System. Once the manuscript is assigned to an editor, an acknowledgment of receipt will be e-mailed to the authors.
Cover Letter
With each new manuscript submission, authors must include a cover letter describing the significance of the work, its uniqueness, and any similar work the authors reported previously.
Human Investigations
JCO reviews reports on human experimentation in accordance with the precepts of the Helsinki Declaration. All reports must include:
- A statement that the investigators performed the human investigations after approval by a local Human Investigations Committee and in accord with an assurance filed with and approved by the Department of Health and Human Services, where appropriate.
- A statement that the investigators obtained informed consent from each participant or each participant’s guardian.
Recombinant DNA
All manuscripts dealing with recombinant DNA research must include a description of the physical and biologic containment procedures practiced, in accord with the National Institutes of Health Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules.
Originality
Manuscripts must contain original material. The title page and cover letter should include a statement about the originality of the work, and disclose any previous abstracts, presentations, reports, or publications that contain any material that appears in the article. If a similar or supplemental publication exists, the authors should upload a copy as a supplemental file as part of the submission process. If applicable, authors should cite any previously published or closely related work within the text. Further guidelines are available from the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) in the section on Overlapping Publications.
Proprietary Drug Names
Proprietary drug names are typically given once, at the first mention of the generic drug name in the text, and must accompany the generic drug name. The use of proprietary drug names or devices requires inclusion of the manufacturer’s name and location. JCO does not publish proprietary names in article titles or abstracts, and will modify the title and abstract of accepted manuscripts to contain the generic name only.
DISCLOSURES OF POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
Authors
In compliance with standards established by ASCO’s Conflict of Interest Policy (J Clin Oncol 24:519, 2006), ASCO’s intent is to promote balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all of its editorial policies related to JCO, through the disclosure of financial and other interests, and in the identification and management of potential conflicts. The financial interests or relationships requiring disclosure are outlined in the ASCO Conflict of Interest Policy. All contributors to JCO are required to disclose financial and other relationships with entities that have an investment, licensing, or other commercial interest in the subject matter of their manuscript. These disclosures should include, but are not limited to, relationships with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, device manufacturers, or other commercial entities whose products or services are related to the subject matter of the submission.
Disclosures of financial interests or relationships involving the authors must be addressed on the Author Disclosure Declaration. Each author must complete a declaration form for each manuscript submitted. The corresponding author must enter this information as part of the online submission process, but should not send hard copies of the forms to the Editorial Office. The form is available online at http://submit.jco.org in the JCO Author Area, or upon request from the Editorial Office. The Editorial Office recommends that corresponding authors collect the Author Disclosure Declaration from all other authors before starting the formal online submission. All disclosures will appear in print at the end of all published articles.
Disclosure of Research Funding Instructions
- Disclose financial research support received from commercial entities under question #5 (Research Funding) on the Author Disclosure Declaration form (note that funding from government or nonprofit entities should not be disclosed here).
- Acknowledge financial research support of the study on the manuscript title page (see Manuscript Preparation Guidelines), rather than on the form.
- Disclose commercial research funding received by an author’s institution, cooperative group, or clinical division on the form if the author has received benefit (eg, salary support).
- For more information, see Questions and Answers Regarding the ASCO Conflict of Interest Policy online.
Principal Investigator Restrictions
For reports based on clinical trials that began accrual on or after April 29, 2004, the ASCO Conflict of Interest Policy places some restrictions on the financial relationships of Principal Investigators (PIs). If a PI holds any relationships that are restricted by the Policy, his or her manuscript may require an exception to the ASCO Conflict of Interest Policy in order to be considered for publication.
For more information, see the ASCO Conflict of Interest Policy (J Clin Oncol 24:519, 2006).
Editors and Reviewers
Editors and reviewers are required to disclose financial interests or relationships, and are asked to answer the same questions as authors. Reviewers are asked to disclose potential conflicts when accepting a review assignment. These disclosures are held in confidence within the Editorial Office, while the Editors’ disclosures are published online annually.
If in doubt about reporting any potential conflict of interest, it is better to declare a conflict than not. For additional information regarding ASCO’s Conflict of Interest Policy, see this Web site.
AUTHORSHIP CONTRIBUTIONS
JCO adheres to the guidelines on authorship established by the ICMJE. According to these guidelines, the criteria established for authorship are intended to present an honest account of what took place. Those with substantial intellectual contributions or who have written the manuscript should be included as an author. Entering patients for study or providing funding or administrative oversight are not sufficient for authorship; instead these contributions should appear in the Acknowledgment section. If someone other than the authors, such as a science writer or corporate employee, has participated in writing the paper, this participation should be disclosed in the Acknowledgment section. If a multicenter group conducted the research, the group should identify a writing committee that accepts direct responsibility for the manuscript.
Authors themselves, not JCO, are responsible for settling any disputes about authorship.
Author Contribution Forms must be filled out and submitted as part of every online submission process. These forms should be forwarded to the corresponding author, rather than the Editorial Office. The forms are available online at http://submit.jco.org in the JCO Author Area, or upon request from the Editorial Office.
Corresponding authors are responsible for ensuring that all authors have reviewed and approved the final manuscript prior to submission.
CLINICAL TRIALS
A clear description of the study design, conduct, and analysis methods used to obtain the results should support the results of clinical trials.
JCO considers phase I studies if they have:
- Interesting clinical responses.
- Unusual toxicity that points to the mechanism of action of the agents.
- Important or novel correlative laboratory studies associated with the trials.
Reports of phase II studies should include:
- A clear definition of the primary end point.
- Hypothesized value of the primary end point that justified the planned sample size.
- Discussion of possible weaknesses, such as any comparison to historical controls.
If the research results might impact oncology practice within the next few years, presentation of the key findings is critical. Therefore, JCO welcomes novel research submissions from authors who have "one hand on the bench and the other on the patient." Some examples of the types of research that JCO encourages for submission include the following (Translational Oncology: Transforming Cancer Care. J Clin Oncol, 25:750, 2007):
- Early phase II and phase III studies that report an unusual clinical response or an unexpected adverse effect that speaks to the mechanism of an action.
- Studies that present novel biomarkers that contribute significantly to the understanding of a drug's effect.
- Biomarkers, with biologic importance, that have been validated as useful clinical tools.
- Preclinical studies that address critical issues and bring insight to complex clinical problems.
Biomarker Submissions
Prior to the submission of a biomarker paper to JCO, authors should review and follow the NCI-EORTC Reporting Recommendations for Tumor Marker Prognostic Studies (REMARK) (J Natl Cancer Inst 97:1180, 2005). Authors of biomarker manuscripts should report biomarkers that have a clear biologic relevance to a particular tumor type. Studies that are clinically important, provide significant validation, and have a strong underlying hypothesis are most appropriate for submission.
CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION
Any clinical trial for which patient enrollment began on or after November 1, 2006 must be registered. Authors have 6 months from the first patient enrollment to register the trial, but JCO recommends registration prior to enrollment. This registration policy applies to prospective, randomized, controlled trials only.
JCO uses the ICMJE definition of a clinical trial: "Any research project that prospectively assigns human subjects to intervention and comparison groups to study the cause-and-effect relationship between a medical intervention and a health outcome. By 'medical intervention' we mean any intervention used to modify a health outcome. This definition includes drugs, surgical procedures, devices, behavioral treatments, process-of-care changes, and the like... a trial must have at least one prospectively assigned concurrent control or comparison group in order to trigger the requirement for registration" (Clinical trial registration: A statement from the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. N Engl J Med 351:1250, 2004).
JCO accepts registration in any public database that meets the World Health Organization's minimal data set. The ICMJE’s Frequently Asked Questions section lists the following registries as fully compliant:
www.actr.org.au, www.clinicaltrials.gov, www.controlled-trials.com, www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/index.htm, and www.trialregister.nl.
Upon submission, authors must provide the registration identification number and the URL for the trial's registry.
STATISTICAL GUIDELINES
For randomized clinical trials and other comparative studies, authors should carefully follow the ICMJE and CONSORT statement guidelines. To produce consistent results, please refer to the JCO’s CONSORT template.
- Submit a CONSORT diagram for all phase II or III studies.
- For randomized clinical trials, report two-sided P values.
- If the trial design was Bayesian, used one-sided P values, or was not based on a standard two-sided test, the primary result and conclusion may be described in terms of the original design. However, also include the two-sided P value of a standard test.
- Report actual P values, not, for example, P >.05. Two digits are sufficient for P > .01.
- Report outcomes with both absolute and relative differences and confidence intervals where appropriate.
Authors may report differences in terms of odds ratios or hazard ratios, but should also include a comparison of an absolute difference of the primary measure (eg, difference in survival at 5 years or difference in proportions of successes).
When studies report prognostic markers (based on clinical, etiologic, or genetic factors), JCO gives highest priority to studies in which an algorithm obtained in a training set is applied exactly the same way in the validation set as in the training set. That is, the factors included and the cutoffs must be determined in the training set and applied to each patient in the validation set. Authors should clearly identify further statistical analyses as exploratory.
JCO gives lower priority to prognostic studies that report the results of an algorithm from the same data that were used to fit the algorithm. However, inclusion of cross-validation analyses and a clear statement of the limitations of the study will enhance the article’s priority.
JCO considers reports describing data from multiple studies to be a true meta-analysis only if the author analyzed the data separately and attempted to include study data that were not reported. Studies that apply meta-analytic techniques to published data will have lower priority, and authors should include a discussion of the limitations.
Reports of studies with multiple or secondary end points should address the multiple comparison issues and describe the exploratory nature of the studies.
MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION GUIDELINES
Title Page
The first page of all manuscripts must contain the following information:
- Succinct title.
- Author list of 20 names or fewer (first name, middle initial, and last name).
- Names of each author’s institution and an indication of each author's affiliation.
- Acknowledgments of research support for the study.
- Name, address, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail address of the corresponding author.
- Running head of 65 characters or fewer (including spaces).
- List of where and when the study has been presented in part elsewhere, if applicable.
- Disclaimers.
Abstract Instructions
- Limit the abstract to 250 words and place it after the title page.
- Format the abstract according to the following headings:
(1) PURPOSE, (2) PATIENTS AND METHODS (or MATERIALS AND METHODS, METHODS, or similar heading), (3) RESULTS, and (4) CONCLUSION. Authors may use DESIGN instead of PATIENTS AND METHODS in abstracts of Review Articles.
- Do not use proprietary or trade names in the title or abstract.
- Comments and Controversies, Editorials, Correspondence, Art of Oncology, and Diagnosis in Oncology articles do not require abstracts.
Text Instructions
- Write the body of the manuscript as concisely as possible.
- Adhere to the manuscript category word limits described herein.
- Number and double space all pages.
- Use Helvetica or Arial fonts at 12-point size.
- Adhere to the style guidelines set forth by the ICMJE.
Reference Instructions
- Double space and list references after the body text under the heading: REFERENCES.
- Number references in the order in which they are cited in the text.
- Conform abbreviations of medical periodicals to those in the "List of Journals Indexed in Index Medicus" in the latest edition of Index Medicus and on MEDLINE.
When a reference is an abstract or supplement, it must be identified as such in parentheses at the end of the reference. Abstract and supplement numbers should be provided, if applicable. When a reference is unpublished data, a manuscript in preparation, or a manuscript submitted but not in press, it should be included in parentheses in the body of the text, and not cited in the reference list. Personal communications should also be listed parenthetically, and should contain the first initial and last name of the contact, as well as the month and year of the communication. Published manuscripts, and those that have been accepted and are pending publication, should be cited in the reference list.
Reference Style
A journal article with one, two, or three authors:
1. Dolan ME, Pegg AE: O6-Benzylguanine and its role in chemotherapy. Clin Cancer Res 8:837-847, 1997
Journal article with more than three authors:
2. Knox S, Hoppe RT, Maloney D, et al: Treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma with chimeric anti-CD4 monoclonal antibody. Blood 87:893-899, 1996
Journal article in press (manuscript has been accepted for publication):
3. Scadden DT, Schenkein DP, Bernstein Z, et al: Combined immunotoxin and chemotherapy for AIDS-related non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Cancer (in press)
Supplement:
4. Brusamolino E, Orlandi E, Morra E, et al: Analysis of long-term results and prognostic factors among 138 patients with advanced Hodgkin's disease treated with the alternating MOPP/ABVD chemotherapy. Ann Oncol 5:S53-S57, 1994 (suppl 2)
Book with a single author:
5. Woodruff R: Symptom Control in Advanced Cancer. Victoria, Australia, Asperula Pty Ltd, 1997, pp 65-69
Book with multiple authors:
6. Iverson C, Flanagin A, Fontanarosa PB, et al: American Medical Association Manual of Style (ed 9). Baltimore, MD, Williams & Wilkins, 1998
Chapter in a multiauthored book with editors:
7. Seykora JT, Elder DE: Common acquired nevi and dysplastic nevi as precursor lesions and risk markers of melanoma, in Kirkwood JM (ed): Molecular Diagnosis and Treatment of Melanoma. New York, NY, Marcel Dekker, 1998, pp 55-86
Abstract:
8. Bardia A, Wang AH, Hartmann LC, et al: Physical activity and risk of postmenopausal breast cancer defined by hormone receptor status and histology: A large prospective cohort study with 18 years of follow up. J Clin Oncol 24:49s, 2006 (suppl; abstr 1002)
9. Kaplan EH, Jones CM, Berger MS: A phase II, open-label, multicenter study of GW572016 in patients with trastuzumab refractory metastatic breast cancer. Proc Am Soc Clin Oncol 22:245, 2003 (abstr 981)
Conference/meeting presentation:
10. Dupont E, Riviere M, Latreille J, et al: Neovastat: An inhibitor of angiogenesis with anti-cancer activity. Presented at the American Association of Cancer Research Special Conference on Angiogenesis and Cancer, Orlando, FL, January 24-28, 1998
Internet resource:
11. Health Care Financing Administration: Bureau of data management and strategy from the 100% MEDPAR inpatient hospital fiscal year 1994: All inpatients by diagnosis related groups, 6/95 update. http://www.hcfa.gov/a1194drg.txt
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):
12. Small EJ, Smith MR, Seaman JJ, et al: Combined analysis of two multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled studies of pamidronate disodium for the palliation of bone pain in men with metastatic prostate cancer. J Clin Oncol 10.1200/JCO.2003.05.147
Government Announcement/Publication:
13. Miller BA, Ries CAG, Hankey BF, et al (eds): Cancer Statistics Review: 1973-1989. Bethesda, MD, National Cancer Institute, NIH publication No. 92-2789, 1992
ASCO Educational Book:
14. Benson AB III: Present and future role of prognostic and predictive markers for patients with colorectal cancer. Am Soc Clin Oncol Ed Book 187-190, 2006
Figure Legend Instructions
- Create a separate section in the manuscript for the legends.
- Provide figure legends for all article types with the exception of Diagnosis in Oncology articles.
- Define all relevant and explanatory information extraneous to the actual figure, including figure part labels, footnotes, abbreviations, acronyms, arrows, and levels of magnification in insets, in the legend.
- Double space and limit text to 55 words per figure.
Figure Submission
Place images at the end of the manuscript and cite figures in the order they appear in the text using Arabic numerals.
JCO prints figures at 1-column, 1.5-column, and 2-column width. One-column figures measure 3.5 inches (8.5 cm), 1.5-column figures measure 5 inches (12.5 cm), and 2-column figures measure 6.75 inches in width (17 cm). Authors should submit figures at 100% size whenever possible.
Images are converted to PDFs and appended to the end of the manuscript file. If images are included within the manuscript, they do not need to be uploaded separately.
If an image is embedded in a document and is not converting correctly, create and submit a PDF instead of the original source file.
Images may be embedded in PowerPoint files, and PowerPoint files may be submitted for conversion, only if each file contains a single slide. Multislide files cannot be converted to a PDF.
Formats accepted on first submission are as follows:
- .eps
- .gif
- .tiff
- .jpeg
- PowerPoint
Formats not accepted are as follows:
- Any file using OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) technology to display information or embed files
- Bitmap (.bmp)
- PICT (.pict)
- Excel (.xls)
- Photoshop (.psd)
- Canvas (.cnv)
- CorelDRAW (.cdr)
- Illustrator (.ai)
- Locked or encrypted PDFs
Figure Submission After Acceptance
- Submit all line graphs, bar graphs, flow charts, scatter plots, forest plots, diagrams, and gene expressions as vector-based artwork, not bitmapped art (ie, no .bmp, .tiff, .gif, or .jpeg files).
- Submit vector artwork as .eps or PDF files whenever possible. Original documents from common applications (Adobe Illustrator, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, or Excel) are also usable. If a graph is submitted as a bitmap, supply a 300 dpi .tiff or high-quality .jpeg at 100% scale.
- For typeface within figures, use 6 pt to 12 pt Universe (Arial or Helvetica are also acceptable). Eps files with fonts embedded (not converted to paths) are preferred.
- Submit photographs (halftones) with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi at final size (100% scale).
- Do not embed figure numbers or letters in figure parts of photographs.
- Place labels on top of the image or set outside of each part. Labels may also be listed in figure legends.
Upon acceptance, a graphic artist will format all figures to JCO style.
Table Instructions
Cite tables in the order in which they appear in the text using Arabic numerals. The legend should include any pertinent notes and must include definitions of all abbreviations and acronyms used in the table.
Acknowledgments
Acknowledgments should be no longer than 45 words, and include any contributors who did not meet the requirements for authorship and any science writers or corporate employees who participated in the development of the manuscript. Acknowledgments over 45 words will be published in the online version only with a reference in the print version.
Appendices/Supplemental Material
Appendices and other supplemental material will be published in the online only version of JCO. A reference to the availability of the online only material will appear in the print version of the article.
Use of English Language
Appropriate use of the English language is a requirement for publication in JCO. Authors who have difficulty writing in English may seek assistance with grammar and style to improve the clarity of their manuscript. Many companies provide substantive editing via the Web, including the following:
www.biosciencewriters.com; www.bostonbioedit.com; www.sciencedocs.com; www.prof-editing.com; www.journalexperts.com; www.bluepencilscience.com; and www.stallardediting.com.
Neither ASCO nor JCO takes responsibility for, or endorses, these services. Their use does not guarantee acceptance of a manuscript for publication.
POST-ACCEPTANCE INFORMATION
Copyright Transfer Agreement
Manuscripts will not be published until each author has completed a copyright transfer agreement. Upon acceptance, each author will receive an invitation by e-mail to sign a statement confirming that the manuscript does not contain any material for which publication would violate a copyright or other personal or proprietary right of any person or entity. US Federal employees will be asked to complete a separate section on the copyright form.
National Institute of Health Grantees
For all papers accepted on or after April 7, 2008 that report research supported by any funds or grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), JCO will assume responsibility for depositing the final published version of the manuscript to PubMed Central, as a service to ASCO members and to JCO authors. Authors should NOT submit their unedited accepted manuscripts to the PubMed Central archive as instructed by the NIH Public Access Policy (NOT-OD-08-033); instead JCO will provide a copy of the published article to the NIH to be made available for public access by PubMed Central 12 months after the date of publication. In so doing, JCO will fulfill the authors’ obligation and meet the deposit requirement of NIH. More information from NIH can be found on http://publicaccess.nih.gov/FAQ.htm.
Page Proofs
Corresponding authors will receive proofs, and must carefully review them for content and typesetting errors. When proofs are available for downloading, the corresponding author will receive an e-mail notification with a password and Web address from which to download and print PDF proofs (paper copies will not be sent).
The corresponding author is responsible for collecting and submitting all author corrections into a single submission. Corresponding authors must return corrections to proofs by e-mail, fax, or mail within 48 hours to avoid publication delay.
JCO discourages substantive or stylistic changes to proofs. The Editor-in-Chief must approve all major alterations, which may delay publication of the manuscript.
Reprints
An order form showing the cost of reprints accompanies the page proofs, so authors may order reprints prior to publication. Authors may also order reprints after publication, but at a higher cost. JCO produces all reprints in color at no additional charge to the authors. In addition, corresponding authors receive 10 electronic reprints at no charge. These e-prints may be distributed via e-mail to colleagues, regardless of whether the recipients are JCO subscribers.
Permissions
Authors submit manuscripts with the understanding that, if accepted, the copyright of the article, including the right to reproduce the article in all forms and media, shall be assigned exclusively to ASCO.
If any portion (eg, a figure or table) of a manuscript submitted for consideration has been published previously, authors must acknowledge the original source, and submit written permission from the copyright holder to reproduce the material. Permission is required regardless of authorship or publisher, except for documents in the public domain. To request permission from a copyright holder, authors may find it helpful to use the permission template found online at Information for Contributors.
Upon submission, authors are required to upload these permission statements from the copyright holder using the Manuscript Processing System. An accepted manuscript will not be published if the necessary permissions have not been granted.
ASCO will not refuse any reasonable request for permission to reproduce any material published in JCO. Authors should e-mail requests to permissions@asco.org.
