Submission Guidelines and Manuscript Preparation

The Annals of Clinical Hypertension is committed to ensuring that the submission process is clear, fair, and accessible to authors across the globe. To facilitate smooth processing and uphold the highest scientific and ethical standards, we provide detailed Submission Guidelines and Manuscript Preparation Instructions. Adhering to these not only accelerates editorial and peer-review timelines but also improves the clarity, credibility, and reproducibility of published research.

Overview of the Submission Process

Submissions are accepted exclusively in electronic format, either through the journal’s designated online portal or via the editorial email. Each submission undergoes three sequential checks: initial editorial screening for scope and formatting, plagiarism assessment via iThenticate, and, if suitable, peer review. Authors should prepare all required files in advance, ensuring strict adherence to our formatting rules. A well-prepared submission increases the likelihood of swift progression to review.

Pre-Submission Considerations

  • Scope Matching: Ensure that your manuscript falls within hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, or relevant interdisciplinary areas (renal health, neurology, endocrinology, etc.). Off-topic submissions will be declined without review.

  • Ethical Compliance: Secure ethics approval for human or animal studies, trial registration for clinical trials, and written consent for identifiable patient data. Authors must prepare statements confirming compliance.

  • Authorship Consensus: Decide authorship order and contributions before submission. All listed authors must approve the final version and consent to submission.

  • Conflict of Interest Declaration: Collect disclosures from all co-authors regarding financial or personal conflicts.

Required Submission Components

  1. Cover Letter: Briefly describe the significance of the research, how it contributes to the field, and why it suits our journal. The letter must confirm originality, exclusivity of submission, and author consent.

  2. Title Page: Includes manuscript title, running head, author details, affiliations, corresponding author information, and acknowledgments of funding/support.

  3. Main Manuscript File: Excluding author identifiers, this file must contain abstract, keywords, introduction, methods, results, discussion, conclusions, references, and figure/table callouts.

  4. Figures: Submitted separately in high-resolution JPEG/TIFF formats (300 dpi or higher). Each figure should be numbered sequentially and include a legend in the main file.

  5. Tables: Provided in Word/Excel format, editable (not images), with clear headings and footnotes. Each table must be cited in the manuscript.

  6. Supplementary Material: Datasets, multimedia files, appendices, or extended methods should be submitted separately and will be published online as supporting information.

  7. Ethics and Conflict Statements: A separate section declaring ethical approvals, trial registration numbers, informed consent, funding, and conflict disclosures.

Manuscript Formatting Guidelines

  • Use double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, with margins of 1 inch on all sides.

  • Number pages consecutively. Line numbering is encouraged to simplify peer review commentary.

  • Headings should follow a clear hierarchy: bold for first-level, italics for second-level, standard text for third-level.

  • Abbreviations must be spelled out at first mention. Units should follow SI conventions.

Abstract and Keywords

Abstracts must be concise (≤300 words). Research articles require structured abstracts (Background, Methods, Results, Conclusion). Case reports and editorials may use unstructured abstracts. Authors must provide 4–6 keywords using Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) for indexing purposes.

References

References must follow Vancouver style, numbered sequentially as they appear in the text. Journal names should be abbreviated according to PubMed standards. Authors are encouraged to cite recent and relevant studies to situate their work appropriately.

Figures and Tables

  • Figures: Must be high-resolution (≥300 dpi), submitted separately, and labeled consistently. Avoid duplicating data between figures and tables.

  • Tables: Should be concise, not exceed two pages each, and formatted in editable Word/Excel. Each table must be cited in the text and accompanied by explanatory notes where necessary.

Supplementary Material

Authors may submit supplementary data, including raw datasets, additional statistical analyses, extended literature reviews, or multimedia elements such as video demonstrations. Supplementary materials enhance transparency and reproducibility and are published alongside the article online.

Ethical and Legal Compliance

Authors must include ethical approval statements, informed consent confirmations, and declarations of adherence to animal welfare standards. All clinical trials must be registered in a recognized registry. Authors are responsible for securing permissions for reproducing figures, tables, or text excerpts from other publications.

Submission Workflow

  1. Initial Screening: Manuscripts are checked for completeness, scope relevance, and formatting adherence.

  2. Plagiarism Check: All submissions undergo similarity detection. Authors may be asked to revise if overlap is high.

  3. Peer Review: Suitable manuscripts are sent for double-blind peer review. Reviewers assess novelty, methodological rigor, and clinical significance.

  4. Editorial Decision: Based on reviewer recommendations, the editor issues a decision (accept, revise, or reject).

  5. Revision and Resubmission: Authors must address reviewer comments point-by-point. Revisions are re-evaluated.

  6. Acceptance and Production: Accepted manuscripts proceed to copyediting, typesetting, proofing, and final publication.

Common Reasons for Rejection

Manuscripts may be rejected at initial screening or peer review for reasons including: out-of-scope content, inadequate novelty, poor methodological design, ethical non-compliance, excessive plagiarism, unclear writing, or failure to follow formatting requirements. Authors can avoid such outcomes by adhering strictly to guidelines and ensuring their research meets high standards.

Post-Acceptance Procedures

After acceptance, authors receive proofs for correction. Proof corrections should focus on typographical or factual errors, not major rewriting. The corresponding author must approve the final version before publication. Once published, articles are assigned a DOI, indexed, and archived in multiple repositories for permanent access.

Tips for a Successful Submission

  • Review recent issues of the journal to familiarize yourself with style, scope, and expectations.

  • Prepare figures and tables early, ensuring they comply with technical specifications.

  • Craft a strong cover letter emphasizing novelty and impact.

  • Be transparent about limitations and conflicts of interest.

  • Respond constructively to reviewer feedback during revisions.

Contact for Assistance

The editorial office provides guidance at all stages of submission and manuscript preparation. Authors are encouraged to reach out with queries regarding formatting, ethics, or submission logistics. We are committed to supporting authors in producing high-quality manuscripts that meet international standards.

Contact Editorial Office