Author Guidelines

I- Changes to authorship: 

Authors are expected to consider carefully the list and order of authors before submitting their manuscript and provide the definitive list of authors at the time of the original submission. Any addition, deletion or rearrangement of author names in the authorship list should be made only before the manuscript has been accepted and only if approved by the journal Editor. To request such a change, the Editor must receive the following from the corresponding author: (a) the reason for the change in author list and (b) written confirmation (e-mail, letter) from all authors that they agree with the addition, removal or rearrangement. In the case of addition or removal of authors, this includes confirmation from the author being added or removed.

II- Preparation of manuscript:

All text files must be doc. files, single-spaced throughout (including abstract, text, references, tables, and legends) uses a 12-point font Arial or Times New Roman; employs italics, rather than underlining (except with URL addresses). All illustrations, figures, and tables are placed within the text at the appropriate points as they should appear on your final manuscript, rather than at the end. Pages should be numbered consecutively, beginning with the title page as page 1.  

The manuscript must be written in English, using either American or British spelling, but consistent throughout. Poor language quality often belies the true content of a paper. Consult the American Medical Association Manual of Style, 10th edition, for recommended abbreviations. Define abbreviations after their first appearance in the text, avoiding their use completely in the title and abstract. Internationally accepted abbreviations of common medical usage need not be defined (e.g.: ASD, AIDS, DNA, VSD).

Arrange the main document of the manuscript as follows: (1) Title page including: Title, abstract and 3-5 key words (2) Introduction (3) Patients and Methods (4) Results (5) Discussion (6) Study limitations and future prospects (7) Conclusion, (8) Acknowledgements, (9) conflict of interest and (10) References. (11)Legends (12)  Tables and figures and videos. All manuscripts will be subjected to double-blind reviewing process. Please avoid all allusions to your identity or institution except where asked for in metadata. 

III- Manuscript Types

A- Original Article and work in progress manuscripts: There are two sub-categories: Original Cardiac and Original Thoracic. A manuscript for an original article should not exceed 5000 words and should be proportionally shorter the more illustrations and tables are included. Illustrations and tables should not exceed 8. References are to be restricted to the relevant ones, not more than 30.

B- Case reports and series:  This category is for brief reports comprising a single or more than a single case but reviewing a rather limited experience, for instance with short term / preliminary results for small series of patients. Its text should be limited to 1500 words with a maximum of 4 illustrations and 10 references.

C- The text for how-to-do-it articles should be about 800 to 1000 words. As this category is intended for descriptions of surgical techniques, it should be focused on the illustrations provided, with a maximum of 5 figures. Referencing should be highly selective with a maximum of 5. The following structure should be used: Introduction, Technique Description, Discussion.

D- Letter to the Editor: This category is for discussion of a paper already published in The Journal of the Egyptian Society of Cardiothoracic Surgery and can be contradictory or affirmative. It should clearly state the opinion of the author and may be supported by a maximum of three references.

E- Systematic review and meta-analysis: Review papers should give a thorough overview of their subject together with an analysis of the current literature. Due to their nature, they may amount to 6500 words with a maximum of 80 references. If you consider writing a review about a subject you are familiar with, you are advised to contact the Editor in-Chief in advance to discuss further details.

F- Images in cardiothoracic surgery are limited to 350 words including title and text and to two, possibly three figures. The entire contribution must fit on one printed page. Manuscripts not meeting the above criteria may be rejected for formal reasons without undergoing a review process.

G- Advertisement for new collective study (ANCS). Authors having a good idea for a multicenter retrospective study or have encountered a rare case and wish to attract more participants to reinforce their findings; they can send a proposal (an abstract) that will be published online for 2 months, free of charge. A concises abstract of 150-200 words should describe the study aim and design (retrospective, retrospective with prospective score matching, report of exceedingly rare cases/disease, etc..), expected duration of data collection,  study completion and paper submission. All participants have to sign a formal commitment to submit the final manuscript to the journal and to follow the standard editorial process. 

IV- Manuscript anatomy:

1- Title page:

* Title: A concise title attracts the reader’s attention, try to confine it to 95 characters.

* Abstract: Provide a structured abstract no longer than 350 words for an original article. It should be divided into four sections, in the following order: Background, Methods, Results, Conclusion. The abstract for case reports should be limited to a maximum of 100 words. Letters to the editor do not require an abstract. 

* Keywords: Include at least three keywords to assist in cross-indexing the article and to facilitate reviewer assignment. Please choose keywords available in NIH MeSH terms available in this link: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/authors.html

* Meeting presentation: If the paper has been presented at a scientific meeting, name, location, and dates have to be provided here.

* Word count: Indicate abstract and manuscript word counts

N.B. Don't include authors' names and affiliation in title page or any other part of your manuscript to ensure double blind reviewing process.

2- Introduction: describing the problem being investigated, the gap of knowledge and what the authors hope to achieve, in 3-5 sentences. 

3- Material and methods:  Authors should clearly describe how the study was designed to answer the research question, supplying sufficient information to replicate the research. Authors should clearly define population and sample, both its size and method of sampling. Methods of data collection and measures to ensure their accuracy should be given in details. Credit suppliers and manufacturers of equipment, drugs, and other brand-name material mentioned in the manuscript within parentheses, giving the company name and primary location.

* Human investigation: Include the date / file number of approval by the responsible institutional human research or ethics committee. Indicate if specific individual consent for the study was obtained according to the relevant guidelines or waived as is the case of many retrospective studies. 

* Humane animal care:   a statement confirming that all animals have received humane care in compliance with the 1996 “Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals”, as recommended by the US National Institutes of Health. Institutional approval of the protocol is mandatory. The journal supports the ARRIVE guidelines (Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments) which can be found at http://www. nc3rs.org.uk/page.asp?id=1357

* Randomized controlled trials (RCT): The ECTS endorses the CONSORT statement regarding randomized controlled trials (RCTs). All authors performing such studies are asked to follow the principles outlined in the CONSORT statement (http://www. consort-statement.org). Respective manuscripts should include the CONSORT flow diagram and checklist upon submission. Protocol registration is an advantage for accepting your manuscript. 

* Observational studies: Authors should follow the STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement (http://www.strobe-statement.org/index.php?id=strobe-home). Authors are required to follow the most appropriate checklist (cohort, case-control, or cross-sectional design)

* Diagnostic studies should follow the Standards for Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy (STARD) (http://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/stard/). Authors are required to follow these guidelines and to include a STARD flow diagram; within the manuscript. For guidance, refer to the STARD checklist.

* Animal studies should follow Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments (ARRIVE) (https://www.nc3rs.org.uk/arrive-guidelines). Authors are required to follow these guidelines and to include ARRIVE checklist.

* Systematic review and Meta-analyses registration on Prospero is an advantage for accepting your review. Authors should follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement (http://www.prisma-statement.org). Authors submitting systematic reviews and meta-analyses are required to follow these guidelines and to include a flow diagram within the manuscript. For guidance, refer to the checklist.

* New technology: When reporting experience with a new technology or a new device, the state of the certification process in the authors’ country and internationally must be given. Each such article will be accompanied by the following statement: ”Disclaimer: The ECTS neither endorses nor discourages the use of the new technology described in this publication.”

* Statistical analysis section: define the statistical methods used to express and analyze data in a separate paragraph, placed at the end of the methodology section. Sample size calculations are included at the end of this section. A biostatistical review by a consultant statistician is strongly advised. 

4- Results: Authors should clearly explain what was discovered, in a logical sequence. Give all measurements and weights in standard metric units, temperatures in degrees Celsius, blood pressures in millimeters of mercury (mmHg). International System of Units (SI) units is acceptable. Avoid duplicating results, which should be either cited along text lines, in a table or a figure.

* Tables: All tables should be double-spaced, each with a table number (Arabic) and title above the table. Tables should be self-explanatory. Explanatory notes and abbreviations should be submitted under the table, in the order of their citation. Please refrain from using any color, shadows or vertical lines in tables. Tables simply duplicating data already given in the text are redundant and will be deleted. 

* Figures: Use the figure number as the image filename. Figures must be submitted as jpg or tiff files. Color and black-and-white photographs must have a minimum resolution of 300 dpi, diagrams and line drawings of 600 dpi. Distinctive symbols and patterns should be used. Black, white and wide crosshatching is preferable, shades of gray to be avoided.

* Videos: The preferred format for video submissions is MPEG-1 (QuickTime or AVI formats are also acceptable). Please include a descriptive legend at legend section of your main document, which will be published together with a link to your video.

5- Discussion: authors are invited to discuss (not to repeat) their results with those of other studies, beginning by the most important and explaining the reasons behind supporting or contradicting the previous theory. Authors should discuss the validity of research and explain the reasons behind inconsistency or inconclusiveness.

6- Conclusion: authors have to state their main conclusions and clearly show how would colleagues and/or patients benefit from their findings.  

7- Reviewing study limitations shows the depth of the authors' knowledge about the subject and gives a positive impression to editors, reviewers, and readers. Possible future prospects can also be suggested.

8- Acknowledgements: Grants, financial support, as well as any technical or other assistance (e.g. statistical consulting) are to be listed at the end of the text before the references and will be printed in the article.

9- Conflicts of interest: At the time of manuscript submission, a disclosure statement is required for all studies which received financial or other aid from a commercial source. 

10- References: Number references consecutively in the order in which they first appear in the text. Identify references in text, tables, and legends by Arabic numerals placed on the line [ ] in square brackets. In the numbered reference list at the end of the text, use the style of the examples given below.

a) Journal: Use Index Medicus abbreviations for journal titles. 

1. Abo Elnaser M, Arafat AA, Abdelwahab AA, Taha AM. Intercostal versus subxiphoid approach for pleural drainage post coronary artery bypass grafting. J. Egypt. Soc. Cardiothorac. Surg. 2017; 25 (1): 8- 13.

List all authors if 6 or fewer; otherwise list first 3 and add “et al”. 

b) Chapter in Book: 

2. Cooley DA. Techniques in cardiac surgery. Philadelphia: Saunders, 1984:167-76.

3. Rastan AJ, Borger MA, Haensig M, Kempfert J, Mohr FW. Recent developments in transcatheter aortic valve implantation in Moorjani N, Ohri SK, Wechsler A (eds). Cardiac Surgery: Recent Advances and Techniques. CRC press 2013. Online-only publications (please give the doi wherever possible)

c) Online References:

4. The Bristol Royal Infirmary Inquiry. (July 2001). Online: www.bristol-inquiry.org.uk [accessed May 20, 2011].

11- Legends: should be sequential indicating number of table or figure, with full description.

12- Tables, figures and videos:

Tables: All tables should be double-spaced, each with a table number (Arabic) and title above the table. Tables should be self-explanatory. Explanatory notes and abbreviations should be submitted under the table, in the order of their citation. Please refrain from using any color, shadows or vertical lines in tables. Tables simply duplicating data already given in the text are redundant and will be deleted. 

* Figures: Use the figure number as the image filename. Figures must be submitted as jpg or tiff files. Color and black-and-white photographs must have a minimum resolution of 300 dpi, diagrams and line drawings of 600 dpi. Distinctive symbols and patterns should be used. Black, white and wide crosshatching is preferable, shades of gray to be avoided.

* Videos: The preferred format for video submissions is MPEG-1 (QuickTime or AVI formats are also acceptable). Please include a descriptive legend at legend section of your main document, which will be published together with a link to your video.

V- Steps of online submission:

• Start by choosing the journal section: adult cardiac, congenital cardiac, thoracic or multimedia.
• Check and verify ALL submission requirement items.
• Provide your comments for the editor (covering letter) briefly outlining the contents of the manuscript and the message the authors wish to convey. Any confidential information for the Editor should be included here. If the paper has been presented at a scientific meeting, name, location, and dates have to be provided here too.
• Agree on the privacy statement. Click on save and continue.
• Upload your files. Be sure that any identification of the authors or affiliation has been removed from the uploaded text. Click on the link: ”Ensuring a blind review” for more details on how to do it. You can change the uploaded file any time by clicking on “change file”. 
• Upload a document file suggesting two reviewers (including their name, affiliation & email)
• Upload the 2 required forms after being downloaded, completed and signed:

  1. Conflict of interest (for each author)

  2. Author contribution form 
• Upload any supplementary file you want to show to editor/reviewer to support your work. The editor will consider if those files will be useful to be published at the end -but not forming part- of your manuscript.
• Review file details, edit or change file if needed. Click on continue.
• You can add another text file, image or multimedia or confirm the upload by clicking on complete. Click on save and continue to go to the next step.
• Enter metadata; including (a) manuscript title, (b) subtitle, (c) Abstract, (d) list of contributors with role and email of each one of them and (d) submission data: 3-5 keywords, supporting agency and a separate complete list of references. Authors have to note the following: a) Although the manuscript title and subtitle, abstract, keywords, supporting agencies and list of references are integral parts of your uploaded manuscript, yet they have to be included in metadata file as well for indexing purposes.       b) On the other hand, authors’ names, affiliations, and emails which are included in the metadata file should NEVER appear in the uploaded manuscript to ensure the double-blind reviewing process.
• Confirmation and click finish submission
• Next steps: you will receive an email confirming your submission. Use the provided link to review your submission and its progress, any time you wish to. 

VI- Withdrawal policy:

Although the journal does not deny the right of the authors to withdraw their manuscripts whenever they wish to, yet the authors should not deny the right of the journal to receive an explanation of this act, in return to the effort made in reviewing and revising their work. The ECTS discourages unethical withdrawal of manuscript from the publication process during or after peer review before receiving a formal request signed by all co-authors stating the reason for withdrawing the manuscript. No response from the authors to all journal communication after review and provisional acceptance is also considered unethical withdrawal. Withdrawn manuscripts noted to have already been submitted or published in another journal will be subjected to sanctions in accordance with the journal policy.