Radiographics Guidelines

Full-Length Manuscripts

Overview
Save the following textual materials as three separate files:
1. the full title page, acknowledgments, and anything with the authors’ identities
2. the manuscript
o half title page
o abstract and summation
o body text
o references
o figure legends
o tables and appendices
3. the SA-CME exercise
o learning objectives
o test
Permission letters and other legal documents should be saved and uploaded as separate files
designated as supplemental files not for review
(see the sections Rights Protection and  Permissions in Editorial Policies.)

1. Full-Title-Page File
The full-title-page file should include
A. full title page
B. any acknowledgments
C. credit lines for commissioned or borrowed illustrations (see Non-Original Content
under Permissions in the Editorial Policies tab).

A. Full title page:

 Title
 Names of all authors
o first name, middle initial, surname, highest academic degrees
 Affiliations during manuscript preparation:
o department, institution, city, and state or country
o complete postal address for the corresponding author
 department, full institutional name, complete street address, city, state,
and postal code
 Grant funding or other financial support
 Telephone, fax, and e-mail address of the corresponding author
*** Contact information for the corresponding author given on the title page must exactly
match that in the RadioGraphics manuscript submission system***
2. Manuscript File
The manuscript file should include
A. Abbreviated title page
B. Abstract and summary statement page
C. Complete manuscript:
i. body text with SA-CME test answers and Teaching Points marked
ii. list of references
iii. list of figure legends
iv. any tables and appendices

A. Abbreviated Title Page

 should contain only the title of the manuscript.

B. Abstract and Summary Statement

i) Abstract should consist of 225–250 words describing
 Main topic
 Authors’ approach to the topic
 The most pertinent facts
 Conclusion
 Purpose or rationale for the article
Provided example…

ii) Summary statement

At the end of the abstract, append a single sentence of 50–75 words describing the purpose
and content of the article. This summation will appear beneath the title in the Journal table of
contents.

C. Complete manuscript:
(i) Body Text
 Introduction
o state the objectives of the article
o give any background information necessary to understand why the topic is
important
o briefly describe the subtopics covered
 The intervening text should follow a logical structure depending on the topical content
of the article, with appropriately worded heads and subheads.
o More information about article structure: RadioGraphics 2012; 32:3–8
 Conclusion should summarize the most important points succinctly.
Rules

 SA-CME Answers
o mark all statements within the manuscript body text that supply the correct
answer to each test question with a boldfaced label (eg, CME 1a, CME 2c, and so
on) and encompassed within boldfaced braces {}.
  Teaching Points
o identify exactly five Teaching Points within the text.
 grammatically complete statements of key concepts
 the most important information to remember after reading the article.
 may consist of one or several sentences
o Each Teaching Point and should be preceded by the boldfaced label TP and
encompassed by boldfaced square brackets []

(ii) References (75 max)

 Number your references consecutively in the order of their initial citation in the text.
References in tables, figures, or figure legends are considered to be cited at the point in the
text where the table or figure is cited and should be numbered accordingly.
 Place the References section after the Conclusion (or appendices, if any).
 Follow the style used in PubMed, with the title of the journal abbreviated and the issue
number followed by the inclusive page range for the article. Abstracts, editorials, and letters
to the editor should be specified as such.
 Seven or more coauthors:
o surname and first and middle initials of the first three authors, followed by “et al.”
 Six or fewer authors:
o list all… up to six.
Provided examples

(iii) Figure Legends

 Place the consecutively numbered legends in a series immediately after the References.
 A legend must be supplied for each figure or figure part
 Explain in detail without duplicating information in the main text.
o specify the diagnosis or topic illustrated
o describe the type of figure shown, including important imaging parameters
o explain what can be seen on the image.
o For cases of disease:
 include the age, sex, and clinical history of the patient, if relevant to the case.
o For photomicrographs:
 include original magnification and stain
 An abbreviated term whose first appearance in the text is within a figure legend should be
spelled out in full before the abbreviation is given. Thereafter, the abbreviation should be
used alone, without expansion, throughout the manuscript.
 At the time of submission, you will be asked to specify the source(s) of any figures that did
not originate with the authors. See the section on Nonoriginal Content,
under Permissions in Editorial Policies, for guidance in obtaining the necessary permissions
and providing appropriate credit.
 The preferred format for a complex legend that describes a figure consisting of multiple
parts may vary according to the illustrative purpose of the figure. When a figure with
multiple parts (eg, a–d) represents a single case or patient, the legend is often structured as
shown in the example below.
o Figure 1. Extraskeletal chondrosarcoma in the lower leg of a 69-year-old
woman. (a) Anteroposterior radiograph shows a densely mineralized mass in the
soft tissues adjacent to the proximal tibia. (b) Axial CT scan (bone window) shows
the dense mineralization extending throughout the mass. (c)Low-power
photomicrograph (original magnification, ×30; hematoxylin-eosin [H-E] stain) shows
mature hyaline cartilage that is calcified peripherally.
 However, if the purpose of a multipart figure is to facilitate a comparison between two or
more cases, the structure of the legend should mirror the logic of the comparison between
the figure parts, as shown in the following examples.
o Figure 3. Artifacts due to hidden metal in garments. (a, b)Sagittal T1-
weighted (a) and T2-weighted (b) MR images of a patient wearing a bra with an
underwire made of ferromagnetic metal show the characteristic signal dropout. (c,
d) Sagittal T1-weighted (c) and T2-weighted (d) MR images obtained after removal of
the bra show the true anatomy. 
o Figures 4, 5. (4) Left renal laceration (grade II injury) in a 25-year-old woman who
was involved in a motor vehicle accident. CT scan shows.... (5) Renal laceration
(grade III injury) in a 32-year-old man who sustained blunt trauma. Oblique sagittal
MPR image shows.... (Fig 5 reprinted, with permission, from reference 6.)

(iv) Tables
 Tables should be created as grids but should not include visible vertical or horizontal lines or
shading.
 Number tables consecutively in the order in which they are first cited in the text (eg, “Table
1,” “Table 2,” and so on) unless there is only one, in which case it is cited simply as “Table.”
 Each table should have a title that accurately describes its content.
 All columns in the table, including the far-left column, should have a subhead describing the
type of information in that column.
 Any abbreviations occurring in a table that is cited in the text at a point before any other
occurrence of the same abbreviation(s) should be listed in alphabetical order and defined
(ie, spelled out) in a table footnote (eg, “CSF = cerebrospinal fluid, GRE = gradient-recalled
echo”). Thereafter, the abbreviation(s) should be used alone, without the full wording,
throughout the text.
 At the time of submission, you must specify the source(s) of any tables that did not
originate with you or one of your coauthors. If the tables were previously published, you
must obtain reprint permission and provide the appropriate form of credit in a table note;
for more details, see Nonoriginal Content, under Permissions in Editorial Policies.
3. SA-CME File
Authors of all full-length education-oriented manuscripts for RadioGraphics should submit a
related SA-CME exercise to avoid a delay in the peer review process.
The SA-CME file should include
1. three learning objectives 
2. a test consisting of seven numbered multiple-choice questions, one of which is an
image-based question
3. an answer key

1. Learning objectives:
a) a verbal phrase that follows grammatically from the statement “After completing this
journal-based SA-CME activity, participants will be able to”
b) describe a goal that the reader can reasonably be expected to accomplish after reading
the article. Begin each objective with a verb denoting a quantifiable action such as “list,”
“identify,” “recognize,” “describe,” or “discuss.”

2. SA-CME test questions

Requirements:
 The question should be grammatically complete and should contain all the information
necessary to answer it correctly even if answer options were concealed.
 Four answer options designated by boldfaced letters: a–d
 Only one answer can be the correct.
 All answer options should be similar so that they can be characterized by a single
unifying word or phrase included in the question.
 One of the questions must be image based—that is, answerable only after reviewing a
specific image or images selected by the authors from among the figures and identified
in the question by the figure number and, if necessary, the letter or letters of the
appropriate figure part or parts (see Digital Image Files). Images that were not part of
the accompanying article can also be used. Embed the image (preferably as a TIFF
image) in the SA-CME Word document, above the pertinent test item.
 Before submitting the SA-CME file, verify that the correct answer to each question is
clearly identified in the manuscript text (see SA-CME Answers under Manuscript File).
Place the answer key at the end of the test.

References:
RadioGraphics 2013; 33: 1865–1866
RadioGraphics 2006; 26: 543–551

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Digital Image Files
Figures should support and illustrate concepts presented in the body text and should be
numbered consecutively in the order in which they are first cited.
Each figure (or figure part) should be saved as a separate image file.
If two or more related images are to be combined in a single multipart figure, designate each
figure part with the figure number followed by a lowercase letter (eg, “2a,” “2b,” and so on).
Avoid redundant figures; no more than 40 individual image files should be uploaded in any
single submission.
Medical images and anatomic drawings should be cropped to the area of interest, while
showing enough of the anatomy to establish the frame of reference.
To verify that all pertinent features will be visible to readers of the print version of the Journal,
view your images at approximately 3 inches wide. If you cannot see the radiologic finding on a
3-inch printout of the image, your reader will not see it on the printed page.
Different views of the same anatomic segment (eg, anteroposterior and lateral views), when
combined in a single figure, should be the same height.
When several radiologic images of a given type (eg, CT, MR, or US) are included in a single
figure, they should all be at roughly the same magnification.
The original tonal relations and orientation of the images should be maintained: Radiographs
should show the white bones on a dark background, with the patient’s right to the observer’s
left. CT scans and MR images should observe the “view-from-below” convention.
Submit only images of the highest quality.
Color or gray-scale radiologic images should have a spatial resolution of 300 ppi (pixels per
inch) and should be no wider than 4 inches on printouts of the digital image files.
Charts and diagrams should have a spatial resolution of 600 ppi and may be up to 6 inches wide
if necessary for visibility of the internal text and other elements. 
Do not submit any images with a printed size of more than 6 inches wide or a file size of more
than 8 MB.
Acceptable digital image file formats are TIFF, EPS, and AI.
Please resave any Photoshop (ie, PSD) files as TIFF files.
If radiologic images can be exported from your picture archiving and communication system or
other information system only as JPEG files, please immediately resave them as TIFF files.
Use the layers capability to place keys (eg, arrows, text) on the images, taking care to select
keys that will be clearly visible (eg, do not place a white key on a white or light gray
background). Do not flatten images or merge layers if that can be avoided.
Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files are acceptable formats for illustrations consisting mostly of
text (eg, flowcharts, spreadsheets, graphs).
Authors are responsible for the accuracy of their images, including orientation and labeling.
Modifications to images may be requested by RSNA Publications staff during processing for
publication. Before you submit any revised images, check them carefully, as you will not receive
proofs of the images with the edited galleys of the text.
For further advice on image editing, manipulation, and annotation, refer to the following
articles:
 Levine, “How to Obtain Images from Picture Archiving and Communication Systems and
Ready Them for Publication.” (Radiology 2010, 257:603–608)
 Corl et al, “A Five-Step Approach to Digital Image Manipulation for the Radiologist.”
(RadioGraphics 2002, 22:981–992)
 Caruso and Postel, “Image Editing with Adobe Photoshop 6.0.” (RadioGraphics 2002,
22:993–1002)
Supplemental Material and Online Article Enhancements
Web-based multimedia enhancements (eg, animations, movies, and sound) and supporting
information (eg, numerous long tables or a large number of images exceeding available space in
the print edition of the Journal) or appendices may be submitted as online supplemental
material.
When uploading these kinds of files to the RadioGraphics manuscript submission system,
designate them as supplemental files for review (even though videos will display in line with the
article). Legends for supplemental figures should be grouped in numeric order within a separate
document.
Online supplemental material must be cited in the main body of the manuscript.
If you wish to submit a file type not addressed here, please contact the Editorial Office.
The Editor reserves the right to designate figures, tables, and appendices as supplemental
materials when necessary for space considerations.

Submission
Online-only publication of supplemental material is designed to take full advantage of the
Internet medium and allows publication of material that cannot be accommodated in print. This
material can include (a) multimedia (eg, animation, dynamic image sets [movies], audio), (b)
large numbers of relevant images whose number would exceed the limits of print publication,
(c) relevant data in the form of tables or text that could not be accommodated in the print
version, and (d) interactive materials and other programs for expanding browser capabilities
and interactivity in areas such as image display and computer-assisted instruction. Materials
prepared and submitted according to instructions below will be considered for online
publication.
Supplemental material must be in electronic form and can be submitted to our manuscript
submission system along with the main article. Movies, audio, text, tables, and digital images
should be submitted as separate files with the appropriate file extension (eg, .mp4 for MP4
movies, .docx for Word files). Supplemental material should accompany the rest of the original
submission, and be uploaded in our manuscript submission system as “Multimedia.” Permission
letters required for any of the supplemental material must also be included.

Preparation of Text
Text may be submitted as MS Word (.docx, .doc) or rich text format (.rtf) files. Online
appendices should be named in numeric order as Appendix E1, Appendix E2, and so on.

Images and Tables

For images, follow the instructions in the section on Digital Image Files. For guidelines on tables,
see the Tables section.
Each supplemental image requires a legend, and the image and legend should be included in an
accompanying text document. Online figures and tables should be named, for example, Figure
E1, Table E3.

Movies
Please submit movies and animations as MP4 (preferred), MPG, QT, MOV, AVI, WMV, or GIF
files. Be aware that all video files will be converted to MP4 by RSNA staff if the files are not
already in that format. File compression and dimension limits should be used to ensure that
movie files do not exceed 30 MB. Movies and animations must be accompanied by a legend,
which should be added at the end of the figure captions in the main document (see Figure
Legends in the Full-Length Manuscripts section). Name videos consecutively in citation order
(Movie 1, Movie 2, etc).

RSNA Annual Meeting Digital Presentation System (DPS) Exhibits 

DPS exhibits may be submitted as Supplemental PowerPoint (Microsoft; Redmond, Wash)
presentations for consideration as online supplemental material with your manuscript. Slide
presentations are peer reviewed with your manuscript. Follow these guidelines:
 Revise, update, or expand the presentation as necessary before submission.
 Delete any previously published figures or images for which you have not obtained
copyright permission for online publication in RadioGraphics. 
 Submit forms granting reprint permission for figures from the copyright holder, if
applicable. 
 Limit the number of slides to 40–50. Submit a title-page slide with the names, degrees,
and affiliations of each author as a separate PowerPoint file.
 Submit a second, “blinded” title-page slide, removing any elements revealing the
authors’ identities during peer review. This should be the first slide in your PowerPoint
presentation.
 Note any changes in authorship between the original DPS exhibit and the manuscript. If
any authors of the original exhibit are not authors of the manuscript, please inform the
original exhibit authors that an updated version of the exhibit may be published online. 

Audio
Please provide audio-only clips as MP3 files.