Instructions to Authors

Manuscipt Submission
Submit four copies of the manuscript and figures : A diskette (3.5in) or a CD Rom containing the word processed file of the manuscript should also be sent. The disk should be labeled with the name of the file, word processing software, operating environment (i.e. Word, Mac or PC). Manuscripts will not be accepted by fax. All manuscripts should be accompanied by a cover letter from the author responsible for correspondence regarding the manuscript. The cover letter should contain the following statement:

“Upon acceptance by the World Journal of Nuclear Medicine, all copyright ownership for the article ____________________ is transferred to the World Journal of Nuclear Medicine. The undersigned stipulates that the material submitted to the World Journal of Nuclear Medicine is new, original and has not been submitted to another publication for concurrent consideration. The manuscript has been seen and approved by all authors. Any human and/or animal studies undertaken as part of the research from which this manuscript was derived are in compliance with regulations of our institution(s) and with generally accepted guidelines governing such work.”

This statement must be signed by the author responsible for correspondence. The cover letter should also give any additional information that may be helpful to the Editor. If there has been any prior publication of any part of the work, this should be acknowledged and appropriate written permission included.

Review Process
Submitted manuscripts are reviewed for originality, significance, adequacy of documentation, reader interest, scientific accuracy, clarity, style and adherence to the guidelines contained herein. Manuscripts not submitted in accordance with these instructions will be returned to the author for correction before beginning the peer review process. All manuscripts considered suitable for review are evaluated by a minimum of two reviewers. Authors may suggest individuals who could serve as reviewers for their manuscripts. Reviewers receive manuscripts with abbreviated title pages (no author names listed) to ensure unbiased review. It is unusual for a manuscript to be accepted for publication without first undergoing a process of revision. Revised manuscripts are judged on the adequacy of responses to suggestions and criticisms made during the initial review. The data reported in submitted manuscripts is kept confidential at all times.

Format Requirements
Manuscripts must be written in English. When necessary, authors should seek the assistance of experienced, Englishspeaking medical editors. A medical editor should review the final draft of the original and any revisions of the manuscript. Type the manuscript on white bond A4 paper, (21 x 29.6cm), with margins of at least 4 cm. Type size should be at least 10 pt. Type on one side of the paper only, double spacing every page. Begin each of the following sections on separate pages and in the following order: title page, abstract, text, acknowledgments, references, tables (each on a separate page) and figure legends. Number pages consecutively, beginning with the abstract. Names of authors or institutions should not be given in the text or on illustrations.

a. Title Page
The title page of the manuscript should include the following:
1. concise and informative title (fewer than 200 characters)
2. complete byline, with first name, middle initial and last name of each author and highest academic degree(s)
3. complete affiliation for each author, with the name of department(s) and institution(s) to which the work should be attributed
4. name, address, telephone number, fax number and e-mail address of one author responsible for correspondence and to whom reprint requests should be directed.

b. Abstract
A structured abstract must be included with each original scientific manuscript submitted to WJNM. The abstract should contain a maximum of 350 words and include four clearly identifiable elements of content: rationale, methods, results and conclusions. Except for the rationale, these sections should be preceded by headings (i.e. Methods, Results and Conclusion). Three to five key words should also be submitted with the abstract.

c. Text
Generic names should be used throughout the text. Identify instruments and radiopharmaceuticals by manufacturer name and address in parentheses and describe procedures in sufficient detail to allow other investigators to reproduce the results. The text of original scientific and methodology articles is usually divided into the following sections: Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion and Conclusion. The introduction should set out the aim and the motivation of the study. The text of original scientific papers, exclusive of the abstract, legends, tables and references, should not exceed 5000 words. All measurements should be listed in Systeme Internationale (SI) units. Older units may be used after the SI units but should be placed in parentheses. With the exception of units of measurement, WJNM discourages the use of abbreviations. The first time an abbreviation is used, it should be preceded by the full word or name of the item being abbreviated. Brief Communications should contain a concise description of no more than 1250 words, 2 illustrations, 2 tables and a maximum of 5 references. Abstracts for this type of article should contain a maximum of 150 words. Letters should concern previously published material or matters of general interest and should be brief and to the point. All material is subject to editing. Letters
commenting on previously published articles should be received within 1 year of the date of the referenced article's publication. Letters should normally contain no images or tables and no more than 5 references.

d. References
References should be cited in consecutive numerical order at first mention in the text and designated by reference number in parentheses. References appearing in a table or figure should be numbered sequentially with those in the text. The reference list must be typed, double-spaced and numbered consecutively as in the text. Abbreviated journal names according to the List of Journals Indexed in Index Medicus. References cited as "in press" must have been accepted for publication and not in preparation or submitted. The author is responsible for the accuracy of all references and must verify them against the original document. List all authors up to six. If more than six, list the first three with et.al.

For journal articles:
Alavi A, Clark C, Fazekas F. Cerebral ischemia and Alzheimer's disease: critical role of PET and implications for therapeutic intervention. J Nucl Med 1998;39:1363- 1365.

Licho R, Soares E, Feinbloom D, Weaver JP. Comparison of bone SPECT with structural imaging modalities in directing the management of back pain [abstract]. J Nucl Med 1998;39(suppl): 29P.

For books and book chapters:
Sherlock S, Dooley J. Diseases of the Liver and Biliary System. 9th ed. Oxford, England: Blackwell Scientific Publications; 1993.
Wootton R. Measurement of bone blood flow in humans.

In: Schoutens A, Arlet J, Gardeniers J, Hughes S, eds. Bone Circulation and Vascularization in Normal and Pathological Conditions. New York, NY: Plenum Press; 1993:85-94.

e. Tables
Type each table double-spaced on a separate page. Do not submit tables as photographs. The number of tables should be limited to seven. Tables should be self-explanatory and should supplement, not duplicate, the text. Each table must be cited in consecutive numerical order in the text. Number the tables consecutively with an Arabic number following the word "Table" (e.g. Table-1). Titles should be descriptive and brief and typed centered in upper and lower case letters. Horizontal rules should be placed below the title and column headings and at the end of the table. Do not use vertical lines. Give each column a short or abbreviated heading. Place explanatory matter in footnotes, not in the heading. Use the following symbols in this sequence: *, †, ‡, §, **. Expand in the footnote all nonstandard abbreviations used in each table in the order in which they appear in the table. For footnotes, identify statistical measures of variations, such as standard deviation and standard error of the mean. If data from another published source are used, obtain written permission from the publisher of the original source and acknowledge fully. If data from an unpublished source are used, obtain permission from the principal investigator and acknowledge fully.

f. Illustrations
Illustrations should clarify and augment the text. Because imaging is a major aspect of nuclear medicine, the selection of sharp, high-quality illustrations is of paramount importance. Figures of suboptimal quality will be returned to the author for correction or replacement. Submit four complete sets of glossy illustrations, no smaller than 9x12.5 cm nor larger than 20X25 cm. Letters, numbers and symbols (typeset or template) must be clear and of sufficient size to retain legibility after reduction. Each illustration must be numbered and cited in consecutive order in the text. Illustrations should be identified on a gummed label affixed to the back of each illustration and contain the following information: figure number, short running headline (from the title page) and designation of "top" but not the name of the author(s) nor institution(s). Colour illustrations will be considered for publication All submitted illustrations will not be returned unless the manuscript is rejected.

g. Legends of Illustrations
Legends for illustrations should be concise and should not repeat the text. Legends should be typed double-spaced on a separate page. Each figure should be cited in consecutive numerical order in the text. Number the figures with an Arabic number following the word "FIGURE." Use letters to designate parts of illustrations (e.g. A, B or C) and describe each part clearly in the legend. Any letter designations or arrows appearing on the illustration should be identified and described fully. Nonstandard abbreviations used in each figure should be expanded in the legend in the order in which they appear in the illustration. Original (not previously published) illustrations are preferred for publication in WJNM; however, if illustrations have been published previously, authors are responsible for obtaining written permission from the publisher to reprint. The source of the original material must be cited in the references and the following credit line in parentheses included in the legend: "Reprinted with permission of Ref. X." All permission releases must be submitted to the Editor at the time of manuscript submission.

h. Acknowledgements
Acknowledge persons or agencies contributing substantially to the work, including any grant support.