Molecular Cancer Research: Information for Authors

Submit a Manuscript to Molecular Cancer Research [MCR]:

Papers submitted to Molecular Cancer Research should reflect its focus on the molecular and cellular aspects of cancer. They should present significant new information gathered from basic research that has implications for cancer therapeutics in one of the following areas: Angiogenesis, Metastasis, and the Cellular Microenvironment; Cancer Genes and Genomics; Cell Cycle, Cell Death, and Senescence; DNA Damage and Cellular Stress Responses; Model Organisms; and Signaling and Regulation. Papers should report novel and well-designed studies on molecular and cellular aspects of cancer biology, should be original, and should present a complete body of work. Conclusions should not be based on unpublished work or preliminary summaries of data. Previous studies or precedents should be clearly and completely referenced. Reviews, minireviews, and perspectives are encouraged; proposals should be submitted to the deputy editor for reviews for consideration. Some submissions may be considered for the Journal’s fast-track section; selection will be made by the editor-in-chief, and authors will be notified and asked to respond quickly to shortened review schedules.

Letters to the Editor are invited and will be reviewed by the editor-in-chief. If they are found to meet the Journal’s publication criteria (scholarly commentary on a subject of import and interest to the broad readership, length appropriate to the content), the Letter may be sent to the author(s) of the originally published article and possibly to other interested parties for a response to be published in the same issue of the Journal as the Letter. Letters should have an 8–10 word title that references the topic of the originating article, and Letters should not exceed 400 words.

 

1. EDITORIAL POLICY

Submission of a manuscript to Molecular Cancer Research implies that the author(s) of the paper understand, and fully accept, the policies of the Journal as detailed in "Information for Authors."

No Prior or Subsequent Publication. When a manuscript is submitted for consideration, the authors should confirm in writing that neither the submitted paper nor any similar paper, in whole or in part, other than an abstract or preliminary communication, has been published or is in press in any other scientific journal. Permission to reproduce all or parts of articles published in AACR journals must be sought from the AACR Publications Office [Phone: (215) 440-9300; Fax: (215) 440-9354; E-mail: permissions{at}aacr.org]

Embargo Policy. Submitted papers may not be discussed with the media (including other scientific journals). Once a paper is accepted, the AACR may notify the press about the article in advance of publication. Authors may speak with the press before the paper is published, but the information in accepted articles is embargoed from reporting by the print media until the Journal’s issue date and embargoed from reporting by all other media until 6 p.m. (EST) the evening before the issue date. Authors who discuss their work with the media before publication must ensure that the media know the preceding policy. Authors arranging their own publicity on their articles are advised to notify the AACR Communications Department [Phone: (215) 440-9300; Fax: (215) 440-9410; E-mail: mcr{at}aacr.org].

Authorship. Who should be listed as an author is determined by the authors or by policies at their institutions, or both. As a general guideline, persons listed as authors should have contributed substantially to 1)  the conception and design of the study, acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data; 2)  drafting the article or revising it for important content; and 3)  final approval of the version to be published. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all authors have agreed to be authors and have agreed to the manuscript’s content and its submission to the journal. If any changes are proposed to authorship after the manuscript is submitted, including the order of author listing, the corresponding author must provide the AACR Publications Department with signed documentation that the authors involved agree to the changes. Molecular Cancer Research accepts no responsibility for deciding matters of authorship.

Image Acquisition and Analysis

It is the authors’ responsibility to exercise discretion during data acquisition, where misrepresentation must be avoided. Acquisition of images for comparative purposes must be standardized. Specimen areas should be selected which objectively represent the critical features being presented. Images should be captured in a non-compressing format such as .tif, or .bmp. Authors should retain their unprocessed images and metadata files, as editors may request them to aid in manuscript evaluation. If unprocessed data is unavailable, manuscript evaluation may be delayed until the issue is resolved. Files which have been adjusted in any way should be saved separately from the originals, also in a non-compressed format. Compressing formats, such as .jpg, should only be used for presentation of final figures, where requested, to keep files sizes small for electronic transmission.

8 bit monochrome, or 24 bit RGB acquisition is acceptable for visual documentation, but capture at higher bit depths is generally required for fine analysis of intensity data. Only non-adjusted original files should be used for analysis. If data is presented which includes mathematical representations of pixel intensities and locations, the original unprocessed files must be provided for review. A description of the analysis preparation and techniques should be included in the supplementary data.

Image Manipulation

The American Association for Cancer Research allows that minimal image adjustment is acceptable for publication in its journals; however, the final image must remain representative of the original data. Adjustments of brightness, contrast, or color balance are acceptable only if they are applied to the whole image and as long as they do not obscure or eliminate any information present in the original, including backgrounds. Non-linear manipulation, such as “gamma” should only be used to adjust the overall presentation of the image, to make sure details are visible in the printed form. Alteration to specific features within the image is generally not acceptable. Sub-forms of an image may not be enhanced, obscured, moved or removed in relation to the larger image.

Non-linear algorithms to enhance overall presentation such as background subtraction, shading correction, sharpening, despeckling and flattening may be acceptable, but disclosure of adjustment must be included in the legend and the specific techniques must be described in the supplemental data. Descriptions must include the original, unprocessed files for comparison.

Image Composites

The grouping of images from different originals must be made explicit, both by the arrangement of the figure (i.e., adding dividing lines) and in the text of the figure legend. This also applies to multiple fields taken from the same image (such as individual lanes combined from a single electrophoresis gel), and separate images acquired with different conditions. If dividing lines are not included, they will be added by our production department, and may result in publication delays.

Figures presenting merged color images from fluorescence originals must include the original single channel images used to make the merged file. Original images captured as color files are acceptable, but grayscale images are preferred, laid out in sequence as part of the figure.

Multiple images may be combined into a single photomontage when the area of interest cannot be captured in a single image. In such a case, all images which make up the montage must be captured using a standardized method. Each smaller image must overlap its neighboring image by ¼ of the shared field in each direction. The outer boundary of the combined image must be clearly delineated with a line. Any post-processing must be done to the total, combined montage. All original images must also be submitted as supplementary data.

Electrophoretic gels and blots

Include positive and negative controls, as well as molecular size markers, on each gel and blot. Provide a citation for previously characterized antibodies. For antibodies less well characterized in the system under study, we require a detailed characterization that demonstrates not only the specificity of the antibody, but also the range of reactivity of the reagent in the assay, which will be published as supplementary data. Clearly separate vertically sliced gels that juxtapose lanes that were not contiguous in the experiment or include a line delineating the boundary between the gels.

The display of cropped gels and blots in the main paper is encouraged if it improves the clarity and conciseness of the presentation. In such cases, the cropping must be mentioned in the figure legend and the supplementary information should include full-length gels and blots wherever possible. These uncropped images should be labeled as in the main text and placed in a single supplementary figure. The manuscript’s figure legends should state that “full-length blots/gels are presented in Supplemental Figure X.”

• Cropped gels in the paper must retain important bands.
  
  
• Cropped blots in the body of the paper should retain at least six band widths above and below the band.
  
  
• High-contrast gels and blots are discouraged, as overexposure may mask additional bands. Authors should strive for exposures with gray backgrounds. Multiple exposures should be presented in supplementary information if high contrast is unavoidable. High-contrast immunoblots should be surrounded by a black line to indicate the borders of the blot.
  
  
• Describe all image acquisition tools and image processing software.
  
• Document key image-gathering settings and processing manipulations in the Supplementary Data.

Microscopy

The most important images should be made available to referees in images that are at least 300 dpi at the size which they will be published. Adjustments should be applied to the entire image. Threshold manipulation, expansion or contraction of signal ranges and the altering of high signals should be avoided. ’Pseudo-coloring’ and nonlinear adjustment (for example ’gamma changes’) are only allowed if unavoidable and must be disclosed. Include the following with the final revised version of the manuscript for publication:

• Include a magnification scale bar for each image.
  
  
• In the Methods section, specify the type of equipment (microscopes/objective lenses, cameras, detectors) used. Acquisition software should also be specified, as well as a description of specialized techniques requiring large amounts of processing, such as confocal, deconvolution, 3D reconstructions, or surface and volume rendering.
  
  
• In Supplementary Data, provide additional acquisition information for each image, including time and space resolution data (xyzt and pixel dimensions), image bit depth, experimental conditions such as temperature and imaging medium, and fluorochromes.

Conflict of Interest. Journal policy requires that authors and reviewers reveal to the editor-in-chief or senior editors any relationships that they believe could be construed as resulting in an actual, potential, or apparent conflict of interest with regard to the manuscript submitted for review. All new submissions to all AACR journals must include a completed Conflict of Interest Disclosure form. The submitting author is responsible for either completing the form on behalf of all authors or distributing the form amongst all of the authors for completion. The form must be uploaded in the conflict of interest field on the file upload portion of the author submission form. Only one form per manuscript should be uploaded. Manuscripts uploaded without the form will not enter the peer review process until the form is received. A copy of the form is available at Document Repository. The existence of financial interests or other relationships of a commercial nature is not necessarily regarded as creating a conflict of interest. Rather, journal policy represents a recognition of the many factors that can influence judgments about research data and a desire to make as much information as possible available to those reviewing the data. If a potential conflict of interest is disclosed, notification concerning the relationship will be published.

Policy Concerning Availability of Materials. It is understood that by publishing any work in Molecular Cancer Research the authors agree to make freely available to other academic researchers any of the cells, clones of cells or DNA or antibodies, etc. that were used in the research reported and that are not available from commercial suppliers. The publication of articles including new genes, proteins or crystallographic structures is contingent on deposition of the accession number and/or structural coordinates in a publicly accessible database. The reporting requirements extend to the chemical structures of drugs, as well as sequences of oligonucleotides used in antisense strategies and RNA. In addition, AACR journals require the disclosure of chemical structures of any unpublished synthetic, low molecular weight (<1,000 g/mol) chemical compounds used as part of the described research (including clinical studies in humans). These requirements are subject to amendment as the need for disclosure changes with evolving technologies. Also, authors may be required to make primary data available to the editor-in-chief in cases of dispute.

Depositing Data in Public Databases. The AACR requires that authors submitting manuscripts describing microarray data be prepared to supply peer reviewers with the data in a format that conforms to the Minimum Information About a Microarray Gene Experiment (MIAME) guidelines of the Microarray Gene Expression Data society (MGED). These guidelines include a checklist of information to be included with each new microarray submission; the checklist is available online (www.mged.org/Workgroups/MIAME/miame_checklist.html). Authors will also be required to deposit the data with either of two public repositories: GEO (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/) or Array Express (www.ebi.ac.uk/arrayexpress) and to have the accession numbers available to be published in the article.

Large data sets of peripheral significance to the main thesis of the investigation will not be published in Molecular Cancer Research but may be posted in the Data Supplements section of Molecular Cancer Research online. The manuscript should contain a footnote that indicates how this ancillary material can be obtained. Contact the AACR Publications Department [Phone: (215) 440-9300] for more information. Supplementary data should be submitted for review with the manuscript.

2. REVIEW PROCESS

The Journal has an international editorial board with broad expertise in all areas of cancer research. The senior editors and the editorial board provide fair and thorough evaluations of papers submitted to Molecular Cancer Research. When reviewing manuscripts, the editors and invited outside reviewers are expected to adhere to strict ethical conduct during the review. This mandates that the confidentiality of the material under review be maintained. Further details on appropriate conduct for editors and reviewers can be found in Ethics and Policy in Scientific Publications (First Edition, 1992, published by the Council of Biology Editors, Inc., Northbrook, IL 60603).

Submission of a manuscript implies acceptance by all authors of the strict policy of the Journal that under no circumstances will the identities or information leading to the identities of the reviewers be revealed.

Every effort is made to render editorial decisions promptly, consistent with thoroughness of review. Authors are able to track the progress of manuscripts submitted electronically and via mail through the AACR’s SmartSubmit system (mcr.msubmit.net). Other inquiries should be made to the AACR Publications Department via Phone: (215) 440-9300], Fax: (215) 440-9411, or E-mail: mcr{at}aacr.org.

Publication Fees and Reprints

A per-page charge of $55 for pages 1–6 and $75 for each additional published page will be levied on all manuscripts accepted for publication. It is understood at the time of submission that the author(s) agrees to pay this charge in the event of publication. If your manuscript is accepted, you will receive instructions regarding payment of the fee along with a form for ordering reprints. The reprint order form must be completed and returned two weeks before publication, even if reprints are not desired, because payment information for the publication fees is required. Failure to return the form with this information will delay publication of your article.

Prepayment for publication fees and, if desired, for reprints, can be made in the form of a check (in U.S.  dollars, drawn on a U.S. bank); signed institutional purchase order; or credit card (VISA, Mastercard, American Express) information supplied on the reprint order form, which serves as a proforma invoice. Return the order form and payment made payable to American Association for Cancer Research, P.O. Box 631060, Baltimore, MD 21263-1060.

Reprints are shipped approximately 2 weeks after publication of the journal. Allow extra time for delivery.

After publication, the cost of reprints for articles that contain color is much more expensive than before publication, and this cost will be estimated on an individual basis. For such an estimate or if you have any other inquiries regarding reprints, please contact Cadmus Journal Services Reprint Department [Phone: 1-800-407-9190 or (410) 819-3992; Fax: (410) 820-9765].

Under exceptional circumstances, when no grant or other source of support exists, the author(s) may apply to Diane Scott-Lichter, Publisher, AACR Publications Department (see masthead for address) at the time of submission for a waiver of the page charges. All such applications must be countersigned by an appropriate institutional official, and it must specifically state that no funds are available for the payment of page charges.

 

3. SUBMISSION PROCEDURES

Online Submission
Molecular Cancer Research authors must register electronically through the SmartSubmit system (mcr.msubmit.net). Complete details on how to submit or resubmit a manuscript can be found when you log on to SmartSubmit to create an author account or on the AACR Website (click here for PDF instructions).

When you submit on-line, you will be asked to provide the following:

• Title of the manuscript

• Running title to be printed at the top of each printed page that does not exceed 50 characters in length.

• Full name and affiliations of all authors, complete with first and middle names or initials, but not academic degrees, and contact information for each.

• Selection of a Journal section from the drop-down box that you believe to be the best match for your manuscript. Note that the final section assignments are at the discretion of the editors.

• Selection of the type of manuscript from a drop-down box and indication of whether or not it was invited.

• Selection of at least two keywords from the pull-down list of terms to classify your manuscript. (To download a searchable Excel file containing the complete list of keywords, click here. In addition to the keyword selection, you may also provide your own keywords in the text boxes provided.

• Suggestions for a senior editor and reviewers, including the reviewers’ addresses and affiliations; you may also provide names and affiliations of reviewers you would prefer we not use.

• A cover letter to be uploaded along with your manuscript and graphics files. Include here information not covered elsewhere in the form.

• Abstract (not to exceed 250 words) typed into the box provided. Abstracts are often copied directly by the secondary services, so they should recapitulate in abbreviated form the purpose of the study and the experimental technique, results, and interpretations of the data. Include a synopsis of all pertinent data but do not include references. Keep abbreviations and acronyms to an absolute minimum.

• Answers to questions about the manuscript, such as statement of authorship, notification of color reproduction costs, and disclosure of conflicts of interest.

When you have completed the submission form, you will be able to upload your cover letter, manuscript and graphics files, and supplemental data (if necessary). The following are acceptable formats for manuscript files: PDF (for original submission only; not for revisions), Word, WordPerfect, EPS, text, Postscript, or RTF. The following are acceptable formats for graphics files: TIFF, GIF, JPG, Postscript, or EPS format. Figures/images should NOT be embedded in the manuscript file. PDF files for figures/images are not acceptable.

Once you have successfully submitted your manuscript online, you will receive acknowledgement via E-mail.

Revisions
If you have been asked to revise your paper and you are ready to resubmit it, log on to the AACR SmartSubmit system (mcr.msubmit.net) and, on your author homepage, click the Revised Manuscripts link of the manuscript you wish to resubmit. You will be asked to review the information you originally submitted to confirm its accuracy. In your cover letter, please be sure to provide a point by point reply to the reviewers’ comments as well as a listing of the changes made and page numbers where the changes appear.

When you have successfully resubmitted your manuscript, you will receive acknowledgement via E-mail.

Please note that all authors on a paper will be required to complete Conflict of Interest and Copyright Transfer forms prior to acceptance of any manuscript.

Revision Time. Authors are advised that the revised version of their manuscript is likely to undergo another review if the original submission required extensive changes or if the authors’ responses to the criticisms entail rebuttal rather than revision. Authors are asked to submit their revised versions within 6–8 weeks from the notification of the decision on a manuscript. The editors acknowledge that a longer period of time might be needed to make the revisions in some cases. However, if a revised manuscript is not received within 5 months from the date of its original receipt, the resubmission will be considered a new manuscript and it will be subject to all of the conditions of an original submission, including being assigned a new date of receipt.

Appeals. Manuscripts that have been rejected for publication will be reconsidered at the senior editor’s discretion. An author of a rejected manuscript who wishes to resubmit must send a covering letter requesting reconsideration of the manuscript. The covering letter should also include the manuscript identification number of the previous submission, a response to the criticisms, and a description of the necessary revisions. If the senior editor determines that the paper should be reconsidered, the journal staff will allow the author access to submit the rebuttal manuscript via the on-line peer review system.

 

4. JOURNAL FORMAT

The Journal uses the following resources and advises authors to consult them in preparing manuscripts for submission: Stedman’s Medical Dictionary (Twenty-seventh Edition, 2000, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, MD); Scientific Style and Format; The CBE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers (Sixth Edition, 1994, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK); and The ACS Style Guide (First Edition, 1986, American Chemical Society, Washington, DC). For correct terminology and nomenclature, consult the recommendations of the IUPAC-IUB Commission on Biochemical Nomenclature, some of which are included in these instructions (see Journal Style section).

In preparing papers, write in concise, grammatically correct English. Include as many good quality figures and tables as are needed for clear and accurate presentation. Figures and tables should supplement the information in the text (or vice versa) and not duplicate it. Follow carefully the instructions provided herein for preparing art. Number the pages of your manuscript in order as follows:

Title Page. Include full names of all authors, complete with first and middle names or initials, but not academic degrees; affiliations of all authors; address for reprint requests; any grant information; a running title of about 50 characters; and 5 key words.

Authors and Affiliations. Authors are urged to include their full names, complete with first and middle names or initials. Academic degrees should not be included. The names and locations of institutions and the laboratories or names and locations of companies should be given. If several institutions are listed on a paper, it should be clearly indicated with which department and institution each author is affiliated by using superscript numbers that correspond to each author’s affiliation.

Abstract (not to exceed 250 words). Abstracts should recapitulate in abbreviated form the purpose of the study and the experimental technique, results, and interpretations of the data. Include a synopsis of all pertinent data but do not include references. Keep abbreviations and acronyms to an absolute minimum.

Introduction. Use this section to briefly acquaint the reader with the findings of others in the field and with the problem or question that the author’s particular investigation addresses.

Results. Include a concise summary of the data presented in tables and illustrations. Excessive elaboration of data already given in tables and illustrations should be avoided.

Discussion. The data should be interpreted concisely without repeating material already presented in the Results section. Speculation is permissible, but it must be well founded, and discussion of the wider implications of the findings is encouraged. The Results and Discussion sections should be combined if, by so doing, the logical sequence of the material is improved.

Materials and Methods. Explain experimental methods briefly but adequately for repetition by qualified investigators. Fully cite procedures that have been published previously and fully explain new and significant modifications of previously published procedures. Give the sources of special chemicals or preparations used and their locations [city and state (country, if foreign)].

This Journal endorses the principles embodied in the Declaration of Helsinki and expects that all investigations involving humans will have been performed in accordance with these principles. In particular, papers reporting human experimentation must include a statement that the human investigations were performed after approval by an institutional review board and in accordance with an assurance filed with and approved by the Department of Health and Human Services, where appropriate. Also, papers reporting biomedical research involving human subjects must include a statement that informed consent was obtained from each subject or subject’s guardian. To obtain a copy of the Helsinki Declaration, contact the World Medical Association, Bôite Postale 63, 01210, Ferney-Voltaire Cedex, France, or acquire a copy from the WMA Website (www.wma.net/e/policy/b3.htm).

Molecular Cancer Research is a staunch supporter of the most humane treatment of animals in the conduct of scientific studies, and it is expected that investogators will adhere to widely accepted national standards such as the following:

1. The U.S. Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, available from the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, RKLI, Suite 360, MSC 7982, 6705 Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892-7982, or online (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/olaw.htm#pol).

2. The United Kingdom Coordinating Committee on Cancer Research’s "Guidelines for the Welfare of Animals in Experimental Neoplasia" (Second Edition, 1997) available online at www.ncrn.org.uk/csg/animal_guides_text.pdf. This report encourages researchers to “refine endpoints in experiemental neoplasia and to disseminate best practice by publishing such improvements, to incorporate welfare statements in experimental protocols and to report compliance with appropriate guidelines in publications.”

 

Only the results (particularly the photographic presentation of experimental data) in which proper attention has been given to ethical considerations toward animals will be published, and the AACR reserves the right to reject papers that do not follow accepted studies.

Addenda. Data acquired after acceptance of the paper, by the authors themselves or by others, cannot be added to the text. An addendum may be included at the proof stage as a brief “Note Added in Proof,” preceding the References section. Addenda are subject to approval by the editor-in-chief.

References. See specific information on references in the References section of these Instructions.

Acknowledgments.

Tables. Every table must have a descriptive title and should supplement, not duplicate, data already presented in the text. Each column must carry an appropriate heading and, if measurements are given, the units should be given with the column heading. Tables should be numbered with Arabic numerals, and table footnotes should be indicated with standard footnote signs: *, Ü, á, ß, ||, **, ÜÜ, etc. Include a Note after the footnotes in which all abbreviations used in the table that have not been used in the text are explained. Indicate placement of tables in order in the text.

Figures or Illustrations. Follow carefully the instructions for preparing art (see the next section). Indicate placement of figures in order in the text.

Preparing Art
Illustrations can include line drawings (graphs) or halftone illustrations (photographs, photomicrographs, electrophoretic patterns). Authors are encouraged to submit illustrations on CD. Please note that all figures must be numbered on the front of the figure. Black and white illustrations should be provided in Tagged Image File Format (TIFF) and sized to approximate column width of the journal. The dimensions of the journal are 1 column = 3 inches, 2 columns = 6.75 inches. For estimating purposes, 3 figures are equal to 1 printed page. Do not include tables in figure sections. Photomicrographs should be cropped to show the main area of importance. In preparing graphs, be sure that the abscissas, ordinates, lines, and especially the symbols are sufficiently large to permit reduction if necessary. Note that gray does not reproduce well, especially if reduction is required, so use patterns consisting of solid black and white first on bar graphs. If further distinctions need to be made among elements on an illustration, use horizontal, vertical, diagonal, or cross-hatched lines. Avoid using fine, broken, or dotted lines.

Graphs should be ruled off close to the area occupied by the curve, and abscissas and ordinates should be clearly marked with appropriate units. Explanations of the coordinates should not extend beyond the respective lines. Do not box-in graphs with top and right-hand frame lines unless these are essential for reference. Titles printed outside the confines of the drawing waste space; all of this information should be included in the legend. Also, to conserve space, those curves that may appropriately appear together should be included in a single graph.

Color Art
Authors are encouraged to submit color art, but they must partially offset the cost of color reproduction. The cost of color reproduction charged to authors is $500 per color figure. Please submit prints of sufficient quality to permit accurate color reproduction; you will be asked to approve the final color proof. Please note carefully the differences between CMYK and RGB color prints before you submit your color art.

CMYK versus RGB Color Files. All color files submitted to the Journal must be saved as a CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) file, also known as subtractive color or process color. This is the four-color process that is used for high-end journal printing. Although graphics created and saved in RGB (red, green, blue) color space (also known as additive color or indexed color) display well within electronic processes such as the Web, screen displays, and CD-ROM products, they will not separate correctly for printing. The printed CMYK color will not match an RGB computer-generated file. Authors whose RGB files require extensive color correction will be charged for additional separations. For more information, go to http://art.cadmus.com/da/index.jsp.

For more detailed information on submitting illustrations electronically, you can visit the Cadmus Journal Services Website at http://art.cadmus.com/da/index.jsp.

Legends. Legends are required for all figures. They should briefly describe the data shown; details in the text should not be repeated. Staining and original magnifications must be included for photomicrographs. Each legend should adequately identify all symbols, abbreviations, mathematical expressions, abscissas, ordinates, units, and reference points used on the figure.

Cover Features
The covers of Molecular Cancer Research feature illustrations chosen by the editor-in-chief from the articles scheduled for publication in that issue. Authors whose articles are chosen for a cover feature will be asked to provide a high-quality version of the selected illustration as well as a brief legend (four to five sentences) describing the significance of the image. In light of the rapid production schedule for journal covers, authors are expected to provide the requested material within three days.

While authors may request consideration for a cover feature, final cover selections are made at the discretion of the editor-in-chief.

 

5. JOURNAL STYLE

Terminology
Use the approved terms and abbreviations for chemical substances recommended by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). Comprehensive recommendations on nomenclature are available online (www.iupac.org/dhtml_home.html). Recommended nomenclature for biomedical and physical sciences can be found in Scientific Style and Format (CBE), 1994 (Available from: www.councilscienceeditors.org).

Authors should use the Recommended Name given in Enzyme Nomenclature 1992: Recommendations of the Nomenclature Committee of the International Union of Biochemistry on the Nomenclature and Classification of Enzymes (Academic Press, Inc., Orlando, FL, 1992). In some cases the Systematic Name or the reaction catalyzed should also be included. It is strongly recommended that the Enzyme Commission number be stated at first mention. Supplements to this work are available online (www.chem.qmul.ac.uk/iubmb/enzyme).

Designations for mouse strains should conform to the Rules and Guidelines for Genetic Nomenclature in Mice, from the International Committee on Standardized Genetic Nomenclature for Mice (Mouse Genome; 1994:92: vii–xxxii) and available online (www.informatics.jax.org/mgihome/nomen/index.shtml).

Generic names of drugs are preferred with the brand name included at first mention only to identify new components that may not be recognized by their generic name. If a non-U.S. proprietary name is used, the name of the comparable U.S. product should be given. When there is no generic name for a drug, authors should give the chemical name or formula or a description of the active ingredients.

Authors should refer to the formally adopted generic names listed in the current edition of USAN and the USP Dictionary of Drug Names.

Histones. The six histone fractions are to be labeled H1, H1º, H2A, H2B, H3, and H4, rather than F1, F1–, F2a2, F2b, F3, and F2a1, respectively.

Interferon Assays. When reporting the calibration of interferon assays, authors should state the name, identifying number, and assigned potency of the international standard used to calibrate their assay, along with the observed geometric mean titer of the standard, the standard deviation of that value, the number of titrations performed to obtain that value, and the technical details of the assay.

Tumors. Tumors used in experimental investigations should be clearly described and identified in acceptable terminology. If these tumors are well known and have been identified in previous publications, extended descriptions and photomicrographs are unnecessary. Authors of clinical papers are encouraged to use the TNM staging system approved by the International Union Against Cancer and the American Joint Committee on Cancer, whenever applicable.

General. The composition of all solutions and buffers should be specified in sufficient detail so that the concentration of each component can be determined. The word "saline" should be replaced by "NaCl solution," along with the exact concentration. Inexact terms such as "physiological saline" or "phosphate-buffered saline" are not permitted; exact contents and concentrations should be given.

Decimals are preferred to fractions; the form 0.01, not .01, is required in text, tables, and illustrations.

Ionic charge should be designated by a superscript immediately following the chemical symbol, e.g., Mg2+.

6. REFERENCES

Number references in the order of their first mention in the text; cite only the number assigned to the reference, not the author. Verify all references: Authors are responsible for the accuracy of reference data. Note: There must be a citation for every reference and a reference for every citation. The Journal’s reference style follows that of the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals, which can be found on the website of the National Library of Medicine (www.nlm.nih.gov/bsd/uniform_requirements.html), along with sample references.

Use the Medline journal abbreviations and follow the reference style shown on the Website noted above, with the following exceptions:

• List all authors when there are six or fewer. If there are more than six authors, list the first three followed by et al.

• Do not use a period (full stop) at the end of the journal title or abbreviation.

Journal Articles and Serial Compendia. The complete title, journal, volume number, inclusive pages, and year of publication should be given. Serial compendia, such as Advances in Cancer Research and the Annual Review of Biochemistry, which appear annually in numbered sequence, should be cited as journals rather than books, thus omitting the names of publishers and editors. Index Medicus abbreviations should be used for journals and serial titles (www.nlm.nih.gov/tsd/serials/lji.html).

Books and Chapter Citations. Citation of a specific chapter or article in a book should carry the author(s) of the chapter, its title, editor(s) of the book, book title, edition, volume, inclusive pages of the chapter, location and name of the publisher, and year of publication. For references to complete books, give all of the above information that is pertinent.

Papers in Press. Manuscripts that have been accepted for publication may be listed among the references with the journal name and tentative year of publication.

Unpublished Material. Papers in preparation or submitted for publication, unpublished data, and personal communications should be cited in a footnote, not in the Reference section. The names of all authors should be given, along with manuscript titles if possible. Permission must be obtained from persons cited in a personal communication.

References to Information on the Internet. References to information available on the Internet are not considered legitimate references because they are not permanent and generally are not peer-reviewed. If the authors feel that such information would be valuable to the reader, the URL should be cited in a footnote.

 

7. COPYRIGHT AND PERMISSIONS

As a not-for-profit organization incorporated in the United States, AACR adheres to U.S. copyright law (PL 94-553), which became effective January 1, 1978. The law stipulates that copyright for works is vested in the author from the moment of creation and remains the property of the author until legally transferred. Authors who wish to publish articles and other material in AACR journals must formally transfer copyright to AACR. The copyright transfer form must be signed by all authors before AACR can proceed with publication. Appropriate forms for transfer of copyright will be requested from all authors after a manuscript has been deemed potentially acceptable.

Authors—use the form available online (click here for the Molecular Cancer Research Copyright Transfer Form PDF*) or request a form from the AACR Publications Department. The journal will not publish a paper unless the form is properly filled out and signed by all authors.

NOTE:  You now have the option with many of our forms to either print out, complete by hand, and Fax back to the AACR or to complete it electronically. With our writable PDF forms [contains fields within the PDF in which one can type information or add a signature] you will need to add a digital signature [an electronic signature used to authenticate the identity of the signer of a document]. Instructions on how to create and add a digital signature are available for download [click here]. [*PDFs require Adobe Acrobat Reader version 8—click icon for free download: ]

It is understood in conveying copyright that the authors have not published this material elsewhere, either whole or in part (except in abbreviated form as a preliminary communication or abstract), and that they have neither concluded previous negotiations nor initiated pending negotiations for copyright of this material.

The duly authorized agent of a commercial firm or commissioning organization must sign the AACR copyright transfer form if the author prepared the article as part of his or her official duties as an employee.

The federal government has determined that it has a nonexclusive right to publish or republish material developed from work performed by federal employees. Since the federal government does not recognize private copyright for work performed by its employees as part of their official duties, the journal will accept papers from government laboratories without copyright transfer, provided that the authors abide by the same provisions required of other authors and sign the appropriate section of our copyright transfer form.

Authors of articles published in AACR journals are permitted to use their article or parts of their article in the following ways without requesting permission from the AACR. All such uses must include appropriate attribution to the original AACR publication. Authors may:

1. reproduce  parts of their article, including figures and tables, in books, reviews, or subsequent research articles they write;

2. use parts of their article in presentations, including figures downloaded into PowerPoint,  which can be done directly from the journal’s website;

3. post the accepted version of their article (after revisions resulting from peer review but before editing and formatting) on their institutional website, if this is required by their institution. The version on the institutional repository must contain a link to the final, published version of the article on the AACR journal website. The posted version may be released publicly (made open to anyone) 12 months after its publication in the journal;

4. submit a copy of their article to his or her university in support of a doctoral thesis.

The AACR will routinely allow third parties (persons who are not authors) to use all or parts of articles for educational, not-for-profit purposes and for purposes defined as fair use in the copyright law, without charge. Third parties may include select parts of a copyrighted article in published reviews, books, or subsequent papers, provided that the requesting party obtain written permission from the AACR Publications Department. For each requested use of an article, the AACR Permission Request Form should be completed and returned to the AACR Publications Department [Fax: (215) 440-9354; E-mail: permissions{at}aacr.org. Persons requesting permission should use the form available online (click here for the Permission Form Word document).

Requests to reproduce an article in its entirety will be considered on an individual basis and permission may be granted contingent upon payment of an appropriate copyright fee. All reproduction requests must include a brief description of intended use.

Our standard turnaround time for permission request replies is two weeks. Please note that if a reply is required in five or fewer business days, a $50.00 per request Rush Fee may be assessed. The Rush Fee is levied in addition to any applicable copyright fees.

Free Access to AACR Journal Articles

All content of AACR journals is made free (open) to anyone to read or use (subject to the conditions listed above) 12 months after its original publication at our online publishing site www.aacrjournals.org.  In addition, AACR provides several hundred countries in the developing world with immediate free access to all AACR journals through the HINARI program (www.who.int/hinari/en/).

Funding Agency Requirements

Although AACR does not agree with the decision of some funding agencies to require deposit on government websites of articles that are already made available free to anyone online at the Publisher’s expense and that are maintained online in stable archives, we recognize that funding agencies have forbidden their grantees to publish in journals that do not allow such mandated deposits.

Because AACR does not wish to do anything that prohibits scientists from publishing in the journal of their choice, we have developed policies to accommodate the mandates of funding agencies. We will continue to work to reduce the literature redundancy these mandates impose, and have decided, for the immediate future, to not add to the financial burden of scientists by imposing fees for mandated deposits. The AACR Board will continue to review our policies to ensure they meet the needs of our authors. 

National Institutes of Health Public Access Policy

Prior to January 11, 2008, authors of manuscripts reporting NIH-funded work that were accepted by a journal after May 2, 2005 were requested but not required to deposit their unedited and unformatted manuscripts on the National Library of Medicine's PubMedCentral (PMC) database. Deposit is now required (mandated) for papers accepted for publication on or after April 7, 2008. NIH-funded authors are not required to deposit manuscripts accepted before that date, and it is not necessary to go back and deposit those papers. The AACR grants permission for authors who have signed our copyright transfer form to deposit their manuscripts on PMC, without formal request or fee, subject to the following conditions:

• Only the accepted manuscript is deposited, not the edited and formatted paper as published in the journal.
• Authors stipulate that PubMedCentral may release the paper for public access not sooner than 12 months after its print publication date (the print publication date is considered the official publication date, not any prior online publication of earlier versions of the paper.
• Authors acknowledge the published source of the material.
• A link to the final PDF version of the article on the publisher’s journal website is included.

At the time your paper is accepted for publication, you will be reminded to comply with your funding agency requirement, given a link for PMC deposit, and provided a copy or a link to the copy of the version of the paper that you are required to deposit. Because of the NIH requirement that authors verify the paper and supply various information about their funding, it is not possible at this time for AACR to make the deposit for you.

Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI)

Howard Hughes Medical Institute scientists who are major authors (usually but not always the first or last author) of original research papers submitted to journals after January 1, 2008, are required to deposit their accepted manuscripts on the National Library of Medicine's PubMedCentral (PMC). The AACR grants such permission to authors who have signed copyright transfer forms, without formal request or fee, subject to the following conditions:

• Only the accepted manuscript is deposited, not the edited and formatted paper as published in the journal.
• Authors stipulate that PubMedCentral may release the paper for public access 6 months after its print publication, not sooner.
• Authors acknowledge the published source of the material.
• A link to the final PDF version of the article on the publisher’s journal website is included.

Wellcome-Trust, Cancer Research-UK, or UK Medical Research Council

Authors of manuscripts reporting original research funded by the Wellcome Trust, Cancer Research-UK, or the UK Medical Research Council and accepted by an AACR journal after October 1, 2006, are required to deposit their articles on UK PubMedCentral (UKPMC) and allow distribution on PMC international mirror sites (currently only the U.S. PMC). Notwithstanding the terms of the AACR copyright transfer form and policies stated herein, AACR grants permission for such deposit, without formal request or fee, subject to the following conditions:

• Only the accepted manuscript is deposited, not the edited and formatted paper as published in the journal.
• Authors stipulate that UK PubMedCentral may release the paper for public access 6 months after its print publication, not sooner.
• Authors acknowledge the published source of the material.
• A link to the final PDF version of the article on the publisher’s journal website is included.

AACR further recognizes that granting permission to authors to deposit on UKPMC and mirror sites accepted manuscripts reporting work funded by the Wellcome Trust, Cancer Research-UK, or the Medical Research Council includes AACR granting permission for such work to be used freely by anyone for non-commercial purposes so long as proper attribution to authors and original publication are made. This permission applies only to reports of work funded by these UK-based agencies that are accepted by an AACR journal. Commercial purposes are defined, but not limited to, any use that involves the exchange of funds, including resale or funded distribution or use in commercial advertising.

 

8. ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

Abbreviations and acronyms are in general a hindrance to readers in fields other than that of the author(s), to abstractors, and to scientists whose first language is not English. Authors should limit their use to an absolute minimum. Do not use any but the most common standard abbreviations in titles and running heads. Single words are not to be abbreviated—for example, melanoma, folate, vincristine. Abbreviations are not to be used in titles, but running titles may carry abbreviations for brevity. All abbreviations must be explained at first mention unless the term is better known as an abbreviation (see Standard Abbreviations).

Units of Measure
The Journal abbreviates all units of measurement for physical and chemical quantities according to standard metric usage. Use the International System of Units (SI) base units and supplementary units, but do not use the SI exponential unit prefixes. Use the symbol. Exponential terminology is discouraged (the term mM is preferable to 10^-3 M). If exponentials are absolutely unavoidable in column headings, the quantity expressed should be preceded, not followed, by the power of 10 by which its value has been multiplied, i.e., 10^-3 concentration (M). This will prevent confusion as to whether the quantity should be multiplied or divided to obtain the correct value.

Selected SI Base Units of Measure and Symbols
Click here to download a list of journal abbreviations and SI base units of measure and symbols. See the CBE Manual for additional abbreviations.

Standard Symbols for Substances and Groups
The following trivial names for buffers may be used without definition: Aces, Ada, Bes, Bicine, Bistris, Bistris-propane, Caps, Hepes, Hepps acid, Mes, Mops, Pipes, Taps, Tes, Tricine, Tris.

 

9. ADVERTISEMENTS

Advertisement insertion orders and copy must be received approximately 5 weeks prior to the date of the issue in which the advertisement is to be published. Inquiries regarding advertising should be directed to: M.J. Mrvica Associates, Inc., 2 West Taunton Ave., Berlin, NJ 08009; Phone: (856) 768-9360; Fax: (856) 753-0064; E-mail: dmather{at}mrvica.com.

 

10. SUBSCRIPTIONS AND BUSINESS INQUIRIES

Molecular Cancer Research is published monthly, one volume per year, by the AACR, Inc. Except for members of the Association, all subscriptions are payable in advance to AACR, Subscription Office, P.O. Box 11806, Birmingham, AL 35202 [Phone: 1-800-633-4931 or (205) 995-1567; Fax: (205) 995-1588; E-mail: aacrsubs{at}ebsco.com, to which all business communications, remittances (in U.S. currency or its equivalent), and subscription orders should be sent should be sent. In Japan, send orders and inquiries to USACO Corporation, usaco{at}usaco.co.jp; Swets Japan, infor{at}jp.swets.com; EBSCO Japan, Japan{at}ebsco.com; or any other agent to broker a sub or site license. The regular annual subscription rate of Molecular Cancer Research for members of the AACR is $65; for nonmember individuals, $165; and for institutions, $590. Canadian subscribers should add 7% GST.

Changes of address should be sent 60 days in advance and include both old and new addresses. Member subscribers should send changes of address to: AACR Member Services, 615 Chestnut Street, 17th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106-4404. Nonmember subscribers should send changes of address to Subscription Office, Turpin Distribution,’The Bleachery’, 143 West Street, New Milford, CT 06776 and AACR Subscription Office, Turpin Distribution, Pegasus Drive, Stratton Business Park, Biggleswade, Befordshire SG18 8TQ, United Kingdom.