These guidelines apply to submissions for TSRA Education Articles, the peer-reviewed, open-access journal of the Thoracic Surgery Residents Association. Our format is designed to deliver high-quality, citable educational content for cardiothoracic surgery residents, fellows, and new attendings.

Topics of Interest

1. Expert Opinion / Commentary
2. Technique Spotlight / Surgical and Procedural Techniques
3. Evidence-Based Mini-Reviews
4. Clinical Pearls / Teaching Points
5. Resident Perspectives / Educational Narratives
6. Journal Club / Landmark Paper Appraisal
7. Curriculum & Educational Innovations
8. Resident Wellness & Lifestyle

What TSRA Education Articles Will NOT Accept

TSRA Education Articles publishes concise, high-yield educational content for cardiothoracic surgery residents, fellows, and new attendings. We are not a venue for full-length scientific research manuscripts or surgical outcomes studies. Submissions that primarily report original research data, detailed surgical outcomes, new surgical techniques, or methodologies intended for publication in scientific journals such as JTCVS or the Annals of Thoracic Surgery will be considered out of scope and may be returned without peer review. We encourage articles that focus on educational summaries, expert opinions, technique spotlights, clinical pearls, succinct evidence-based reviews, and practical teaching for trainees.

How to Submit

1. Review these guidelines to confirm your topic and format are in scope.
2. Prepare your manuscript with the required author details, Take Home Message, Learning Objectives, body text, multimedia, and references.
3. Create a journal account at journal.tsraweb.com. This account is separate from your TSRAWeb account.
4. Start a new submission through the online submission wizard.

Email submission is no longer the standard submission pathway. Questions about fit, scope, or technical issues may still be sent to tsrawebapp@gmail.com.

Overall Requirements (For All Submissions)

Originality & Relevance

• Articles must be original and unpublished elsewhere.
• Content should focus on educational material pertinent to cardiothoracic surgery training and practice.

Content Expectations

Articles should provide standalone educational value. Multimedia elements such as videos and podcasts should supplement the written content, not replace it.

Articles should prepare trainees for real-world clinical decision-making and written and oral boards examination.

Authorship & Institutional Details

• Author Information: List all authors’ names and credentials. Maximum of 8 authors.
• Institutional Affiliation: Provide each author’s institution, department, city, state, and country.
• Corresponding Author: Clearly identify the corresponding author with appropriate contact information.
• ORCID: Provide ORCID identifiers where available.
• Date of Submission: Include the submission date.

Conflicts of Interest

• Disclose any relevant financial or non-financial conflicts of interest.

Mandatory Introductory Sections

• Take Home Message: Begin every article with a brief Take Home Message summarizing the key educational points. Maximum of 2–3 sentences.
• Learning Objectives: List 2 to 5 learning objectives that outline what the reader should understand or be able to apply after reading. Objectives must be directly addressed by the article content and should be specific and measurable.

Formatting & Structure

• Title: Provide a concise and informative title.
• Content Structure: Use a flexible structure. Traditional sections such as Introduction, Discussion, and Conclusion are not mandatory; choose the format that best suits your content.
• Word Count: Articles should be 1,000–2,500 words. Submissions under 500 words are unlikely to provide sufficient educational depth for standalone value.

Multimedia & References

• Multimedia Elements: Integrate relevant images, diagrams, or embedded media such as videos or podcasts where useful.
• Permission Requirement: If including an image or diagram from another source, obtain explicit permission and provide proper credit.
• Author-Generated Content Preferred: Original flowcharts or diagrams, especially those interpreting data from sources such as AHA or STS guidelines, are preferred.
• References: Cite all sources using a standardized citation style such as AMA or Vancouver. Include no more than 10 references.

For Video or Podcast-Based Articles: While multimedia may be embedded, the written article must provide sufficient educational content to stand alone. A reader who does not access the multimedia should still gain meaningful knowledge from the written content alone. Articles should not read as transcript outlines or bullet-point summaries of the multimedia.

DOI & Publication Information

• Each accepted article will be assigned a unique Crossref-registered DOI upon publication.
• Accepted articles are published open access at journal.tsraweb.com.

Review Process

• Submissions are reviewed by the TSRA Executive Committee and, where appropriate, invited subject-matter reviewers.
• Reviewers evaluate manuscripts for clarity, accuracy, educational value, relevance to trainees, and adherence to journal scope.
• Authors may receive Accept, Revise & Resubmit, or Reject decisions. Revisions may be requested before final acceptance.
• Average time to first decision is approximately 21 days.

Language & Style

• Use clear, professional language appropriate for an academic audience.
• Maintain consistent terminology, abbreviations, and proper referencing throughout the article.

Category-Specific Guidelines

1. Expert Opinion / Commentary

• Focus: Provide insights and reflections on current trends and practices in cardiothoracic surgery.
• Content: Present a clear perspective supported by relevant literature or examples.
• Multimedia: Diagrams or images are encouraged to illustrate key points.

2. Technique Spotlight

• Focus: Offer a detailed description of a surgical or procedural technique with step-by-step guidance.
• Content: Include high-quality images, diagrams, or video links to effectively demonstrate the technique.

3. Evidence-Based Mini-Reviews

• Focus: Synthesize current literature on a specific educational topic.
• Content: Highlight key findings, best practices, and clinical implications drawn from recent studies.
• Multimedia: Optional diagrams or tables may be included to visually present data.

4. Clinical Pearls / Teaching Points

• Focus: Present concise, high-yield educational messages or tips for clinical practice.
• Content: Highlight 3–5 critical points, using bullet lists or numbered sections.
• Multimedia: Infographics or schematic diagrams are highly encouraged.
• Oral Boards Readiness: For surgical and clinical topics, include specific numeric thresholds that guide decisions, key differential diagnoses and how to distinguish them, intraoperative decision points and contingency plans, and common complications with management strategies.

5. Resident Perspectives / Educational Narratives

• Focus: Share personal experiences and lessons learned during training, offering mentorship and practical advice.
• Content: Write in a narrative style that blends reflective commentary with actionable insights.
• Multimedia: Supplement with relevant photos or diagrams.

6. Journal Club / Landmark Paper Appraisal

• Focus: Critically appraise a recent study or landmark paper with emphasis on its educational implications for practice.
• Content: Summarize the discussed article, provide a balanced critique, and discuss its impact on clinical practice.
• Multimedia: Graphs, tables, or key data figures may be included.

7. Curriculum & Educational Innovations

• Focus: Discuss new educational tools, curricula, simulation techniques, or innovative teaching methods.
• Content: Describe the innovation, its implementation, outcomes, and lessons learned.
• Multimedia: Use charts, images, or video links to illustrate the application and effectiveness of the innovation.

8. Resident Wellness & Lifestyle

• Focus: Provide practical advice and supportive insights on resident wellness, work-life balance, family planning, and personal finance management tailored for CT surgery trainees.

Submission Checklist

Before submitting your article, please ensure that you have:

• Created a journal account at journal.tsraweb.com. Remember: this is separate from your TSRAWeb login.
• Included all required author details: names, credentials, institutional affiliations, corresponding author information, ORCID where available, and date of submission.
• Disclosed any conflicts of interest.
• Provided a clear title, a Take Home Message of 2–3 sentences, and 2–5 Learning Objectives at the beginning.
• Structured the article in a logical format suited to the content. Flexible structure is allowed; traditional sections are not mandatory.
• Ensured that the manuscript is between 1,000–2,500 words.
• Integrated appropriate multimedia elements such as images, diagrams, or videos as needed, with permissions obtained for any external sources.
• Included all necessary references, maximum of 10, using a consistent citation style.
• Confirmed the article provides standalone educational value and is not dependent on multimedia.
• Verified each learning objective is directly addressed by the content.
• For clinical topics: included relevant context, decision thresholds, and outcomes data.
• Submitted through the online submission wizard.

By adhering to these guidelines, contributors help maintain the high quality and educational integrity of TSRA Education Articles. This structured yet flexible approach ensures that every article serves as a valuable, citable resource for the cardiothoracic surgery community.