Holubar Lab — Research Toolkit
Journal Cheat Sheet
Quick reference for the lab's target journals — impact factor, article types, word/figure limits, section organization.
You're authenticated. Magic-link gated. Comprehensive quick-reference for the lab's target journals — word/figure limits, article types, impact factor. Maintained by SDH; last refreshed 2026-05-25 (v1: +7 surgery journals added: Updates in Surgery, Surgery Today, Digestive Surgery, J Visceral Surgery, Frontiers in Surgery, Quant Imag Med Surg, J Computational Surg [discontinued 2016]).
Journals by section
82 entries across colorectal / surgery / gastro / cancer / surgery specialties / medicine / AI categories. Section headers highlighted in teal. Footnote markers: * Open Access (Frontiers); ^ discontinued/archived journal.
| Journal | IF | Guidelines | Original Articles | Review Articles | Short Reports | Letters | Dynamic Articles | Videos | Images | Case Reports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| COLORECTAL | ||||||||||
| DC&R | 3.5 | ✓ | 3000 | 3500 | - (1500 Resident’s Corner) | 250 | - | 10 min | - | - |
| Colorectal disease | 2.9 | ✓ | 3000 | 3000 | - | 300 (2000 opinion articles) | - | 5 min | - | - |
| Tech in Coloproct | 2.5 | ✓ | 3000 | 4000 | 1500 | 800 | - | 10 min 800 words | 100 | -- |
| J of GI Surgery | 2.5 | ✓ | 6000 | 6000 | 600 (1000 for ‘Inside the Operating Room’ or ‘Surgical Perspectives’) | 750 | - | 9 min | 750 | - |
| Annals Coloproct | 2.1 | ✓ | No limit | 7500 | 1500 | 1000 | 1500 | 1500 (no limit on time) | - | No limit |
| Internat J Colorec Dis | 2.5 | ✓ | No limit | No limit | 1500 | 1500 (“Debate”) | - | - | - | No limit |
| J Anus, Rectum & Col | 1.5 | – | 4000 | 5000 | 3500 | 500 (2000 for “How I Do It”) | - | - | - | 3000 |
| SURGERY | ||||||||||
| JAMA Surgery | 14.9 | ✓ | 3000 | 3000 3500 narr review | 600 – Research Letter 1200 – Viewpoint | 400 | - | <5min preferred | - | - |
| Annals of Surgery | 9.0 | ✓ | 3000 | 5000 | 1500 – Surgical Perspectives 700 – Research Letter | Correspondence (~500) | - | - | - | Not accepted |
| BJS | 8.8 | ✓ | 3000 (3500 experi research) | - (no limit listed) | 600 – Research Letter | 800-1000 (Editorial) 300 (Correspondence) | - | - | - | - |
| JACS | 3.4 | ✓ | 4000 | 3000 – SR/MA 4000 – scoping review | 800 – Research Letter 1000 – Brief Tech Report | 800 – Letter to Editor 1000-1500 – Surg Viewpoints | - | - | - | - |
| International J Surg | 10.1 | ✓ | 4000 | 4000 | 600 – Research Letter | 750 (4000 – Editorial) | - | 10 min | - | - |
| Surgery | 3.8 | ✓ | 3500 | 3500 | 1000 – Research Letter | 500 – Letter to Editor 1000 – invited commentaries | - | 2 min | (no longer accepted) | - |
| Surgical Endoscopy | 3.1 | ✓ | No strict limit | No strict limit | - | - | Not reported but accepted | - | (no longer accepted) | - (must be >10 pts) |
| J Surgical Education | 2.1 | ✓ | 3000 | Not a standard type | - (1200 – How I Do It) | 1500 - Perspectives | - | - | - | Not accepted |
| World J of Surgery | 2.6 | ✓ | 3000 (2000 – Surgical History) | 3500 | 800 – Research Letters 1200 – Innovations in Field | 500 – Letter to Editor 1200 – Editorial perspective | - | - (allowed in Original & Innovation) | - | Not Accepted |
| American J Surg | 2.7 | ✓ | 15 pg. | 20 pg. | - | 2 pg. | - | - | - | Not accepted |
| Langenbecks Arch Surg | 1.8 | – | 15 pg | 15 pg | 3000 – Brief Report | - | - | - | - | Generally not accepted |
| ANZ Surg | 1.7 | ✓ | 4000 | 4800 | - | 300 – Letter to Editor (800 – Editorial) | (1000 – Perspective) | 600 | 500 | - (under Letters to Ed.) |
| Surg Lap Endo Perc Tech | 1.2 | – | 3500 | 4500 | 1500 (Technical Report) | 1500 | 1500 | - | - | (under Tech Report) |
| JSLS | 1.8 | ✓ | No max | No max (100 refs) | - | 500 | - | - | - | → CRSLS (~2000) |
| Int J Med Robot | 2.1 | – | 4000 | 10,000 | 1500 | 600 | - | - | ||
| BJS Open | 4.3 | ✓ | 3500 | - | - | 600 | - | - | - | Not accepted |
| Current Prob Surg | 1.9 | – | Invited only (70-90 pg) | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Surg Infect (Larchmont) | 1.5 | – | 3000 | 5000 | - | 500 (1000 – Commentary) | - | - | - | 1500 |
| Ann Med Surg (Londo) | 1.6 | – | 2500 (3000 cohort studies) | 3500 | - | 1000 (2000 – Editorial) | (can submit w/ original or cohort/case-control) | - | - | 1500 |
| Surg Innov | 1.6 | – | 5000 | 5000 | - (800 – Inventors Corner) | 600 – Letter (700 – Editorial) | - | <10min | - | Not routine |
| Scand J Surg | 1.8 | – | 3000 | 5000 | 650 – Research letter (650 – Viewpoint) | 300 – Letter to Ed. (400 – Editorial) | - | - | - | Not accepted |
| Updates in Surgery | 2.2 | Springer link 13304 | 4000 | 6000 | 1500 (Technical Notes) | 600 | - | - | - | - |
| Surgery Today | 1.6 | Springer link 595 | No strict limit (200wd abstract) | No strict limit (200wd abstract) | 9 pages (Short Comm; 150wd abstract) | 500 (incl refs) | 9 pages (How to Do It) | - | - | Surgical Case Reports (sister journal) |
| Digestive Surgery | 1.2 | karger.com/dsu | 3500 (Research Article) | 5000 | 1500 (How I Do It; 1-4 videos) | 500 | How I Do It (1-4 videos) | 1-4 per How I Do It | - | 1000 (Commentary 1000; Editorial 1000) |
| J Visceral Surgery | 1.0 | ScienceDirect | 3500 | 5000 | 1500 | 500 | Technique videos (invited) | Yes | - | 1500 |
| Frontiers in Surgery* | 1.8 | frontiersin.org | 12000 (15 fig/tab) | 8000 (Review/Mini-Review) | 4000 (Brief Research Report; 4 fig/tab) | - | Case Report | Yes | - | 2500 (Case Report; 5 fig/tab) |
| Quant Imag Med Surg | 2.3 | qims.amegroups.org | No fixed limit (200-450wd abstract; 10 fig) | No fixed limit | Case Description (20 refs / 8 fig max) | Letter to Editor | - | - | Yes (imaging-focused) | Case Description (8 fig max) |
| J Computational Surg^ | DISCONTINUED | Archived SpringerOpen | Ceased 12/2016 | Ceased 12/2016 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| GASTRO | IF | Original Articles | Review Articles | Short Reports | Letters | Dynamic Articles | Videos | Images | Case Reports | |
| Lancet Gastrohepatology | 38.6 | ✓ | 3500 (4500 for RCT) | 4500 | - | 400 – Letter to Ed. (750 – Editorial) | - | No limit | - | Not accepted |
| Gastroenterology | 25.6 | ✓ | 7000 (inc. ref, table/fig legends) | 7000 | 1000 – Brief Communication (inc case series) | 750 – Letter to Ed. (2400 – Commentary) | - | 7 min | - | - |
| GUT | 23.0 | ✓ | 4000 | 4000 | - | 600 | - | 400 (no time limit) | 400 | - |
| Clin Gastro Hepat | 12.0 | ✓ | 6000 (inc ref, table/fig legends) | 6000 | 1000 – Research Letter | 750 – Letter to Ed. | - | 200 (no time limit) | 200 | - |
| Amer Coll Gastro | 9.8 | ✓ | 3000 | 3000 | 1000 – Brief Report | 500 | - | 300 | 200 | - -> ACG Case Reports |
| J Crohn's & Colitis | 8.0 | ✓ | 7500 | 7500 | 1500 | 450 – Letter to Ed. (800 – Editorial) | - | - | - | - |
| AP&T | 7.6 | ✓ | 12-20 pg | 12-20pg | - | 500 | - | - | - | - |
| IBD Journal | 5.4 | ✓ | 7000 | 7000 | 1500 | 400 | - | - | - | - |
| World J Gastro | 4.3 | – | ~5000 | ~7000 | ~3000 (Minireview) | ~1000 | - | - | - | ~2500 |
| Inflamm Intestinal Dis | 3.6 | – | 4000 | 4000 | 2000 (1000 – Commentary) | 1000 | - | - | - | 2000 |
| Dig Dis Sci | 2.5 | ✓ | No max | No max | - | 500 | - | No max time but 2GB max size | 150 | No longer accepted |
| Translational GastroHep | 2.5 | – | No max | 6000 | 2500 | 1000 – Letter to Ed. (2500 - Editorial) | - | 20 min | No max | 2500 |
| BMC Gastro | 2.6 | ✓ | No max | No max | - | - | - | - | - | Not accepted (→ JMCR) |
| Crohn’s & Colitis 360 Open* | 2.6 | ✓ | No max | No max | 1000 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Current Drug Targets | 2.5 | – | 4000-6000 | 6000-10,000 | - | 400 | - | - | - | 1500-2500 |
| Curr Opin Gastroenterol (invited articles only) | 2.5 | – | 2500 | Invited only (~2500) | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Expert Rev Gastro Hep | 2.5 | – | 7000 | 7000 | 3000 | 1500 | - | - | - | - |
| Gastro Rep (Oxf) | 4.2 | – | 7500 | 7500 | 1000 | 1000 | - | - | - | 1000 |
| ACG Case Report Journal (no fee for ACG members) | 0.6 | – | - | - | - | 250 – Correspondence | 0 | 200 | 200 | 1000 |
| CANCER | IF | Original Articles | Review Articles | Short Reports | Letters | Dynamic Articles | Videos | Images | Case Reports | |
| Cancer | 5.1 | ✓ | 3500 | 4000 | - | 750 – Letter to Ed. (1500 – Editorial) | (within original articles) | No max, “concise” | - | - |
| Annals of Surg Onco | 4.9 | ✓ | 3500 | 5000 | 600 – Research Letter- | 500 – Letter to Ed. (1500 – Editorial) | 250 | 9 min | - | - |
| Eur J Surg Onc | 2.9 | ✓ | 3000 | 5000 | 1500 | 1500 | - | - | - | - |
| Eur J Cancer | 7.1 | – | 4000 | 6000 | - | 1000 | - | - | - | - |
| J Cancer | 3.2 | – | No max | No max | 2500 | No max | - | - | - | - |
| BMC Cancer | 3.4 | ✓ | 5000 | 5000 | 2500 | 2000 | - | - | - | 2500 |
| J Clin Onc | 43.4 | – | 3000 | 4000 | - | 750 | - | - | - | 1500 |
| SURGERY SPECIALTIES | ||||||||||
| J Peds Surg | 2.5 | ✓ | 5000 | 4000 | - | 250-500 Letter to Ed (1500 – Perspective Commentary) | - | - | - | - |
| J Trauma Acute Care Surg | 3.7 | ✓ | 4000 | 4000-5000 | 2000 | 1000 | (within original articles) | - | - | - |
| Obese Surg | 3.1 | – | 2400 | 3000 | 800 | 1200 | - | 10 | - | - |
| Annals Vasc Surg | 1.6 | – | 3500 | 5000 | 1500 | - | - | 350 | 350 | 1200 |
| MEDICINE | ||||||||||
| NEJM | 96.2 | ✓ | 2700 | 2500-3000 | - | 750 | - | No max | No max | 1600 |
| CCF J of Medicine | 4.1 | – | 3500 | 3500 | - | 300 | - | - | - | 2500 |
| BMJ Open | 2.3 | ✓ | No max | 4000 | - | 800 | - | - | - | - ->BMJ Case Reports |
| Cureus | 1.3 | ✓ | No max | No max | - | No max – Editorial (Letters to editor not accepted) | - | - | - | 1200 |
| J Clin Med | 2.9 | – | No max (encourage all to be concise) | No max | No max | No max | - | - | - | No max |
| BMJ Case Reports | 0.5 | – | N/A (cases only) | N/A (cases only) | N/A (cases only) | N/A (cases only) | - | 500 | 500 | 2000 |
| ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | ||||||||||
| JAMIA | 4.6 | ✓ | 4000 | 4000 | 2000 | 1000 | - | - | - | 2000 |
| NEJM AI | 78.5# | – | 3000 | 3000 | 1200 | 1000 | - | - | - | 2000 |
| Nature Digital Medicine$ | 14.0 | ✓ | 3000 | 4000 | 1500 | 1200 | - | - | - | - |
| Theranostics | 13.3 | – | 4000 | 5000 | 2000 | 1500 | - | - | - | 2000 |
*Fees, #for NEJM, $do not impose strict limits on word count or page numbers as the journals are online only and fully Open Access, ^in original article, %Not accepted as standalone articles (would be case series in “Other Observational Studies” – 3000 words, 50–75 refs, ≤5 figs/tables, structured abstract, key points)
For questions, additions, or onboarding help — email Stefan directly:
webmaster@holubarlab.org