Authors Instructions
Instructions to authors
Original articles
The original articles should contain, on the front page, the concise and informative title of the study; the name and surname of each author; the institutions and institutional departments in which the study has been carried out (without describing the nomination or institutional position of the authors), as well as the name and current address of the corresponding author; where applicable, a mention of the research funding sources; a short title of no more than 40 characters (with spaces and letters), and keywords to facilitate inclusion in international indexes. You should refer to the uniform requirements page for manuscripts submitted to biomedical journals, of the International Committee of Biomedical Journal Editors (http://www.wame.org), for more information on the preparation of manuscripts.
Structured Abstract
The abstract will have a maximum of 200 words in free format, and will indicate the purpose of the research, the basic procedures (sample selection, analytical and observational methods), the main findings (concrete data and, if possible, their statistical significance), the relevant conclusions and the originality of the research. At the end, three to six keywords will be written down to facilitate inclusion in international indexes.
The use of the terms from the Medical Subject Headings of the most recent Index Medicus is recommended.
Introduction
It should include the background, the approach to the problem and the objective of the study in a free and continuous reference-based text.
Material and methods
The characteristics of the sample will be clearly indicated, the methods used with the relevant references, so that the reading of this chapter will allow other researchers to conduct similar studies.The statistical methods should be clearly marked with the corresponding reference.
Results
This section should include the important findings of the study, comparing them with the figures or charts that are strictly necessary and that expand the information in the text.
Discussion
The results should be compared with those results reported in the literature and with the objectives and hypotheses presented in the paper. Original articles should not include the "Conclusions" section.
Acknowledgements
This section will describe the acknowledgments to individuals and institutions, as well as funding sources.
References
They will be presented following the uniform requirements for manuscripts submitted to biomedical journals, of the International Committee of Biomedical Journal Editors (www.icmje.org), which can be found on the web page http://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/manuscript-preparation/preparing- for-submission.html
References will be indicated by Arabic numerals consecutively and in the order they appear within the text for the first time. They shall be referred to in the text, tables and footnotes with the corresponding Arabic numerals.
In citations with more than six authors, only the first three authors should be included, followed by "et al.", after the abbreviation of the name or names of the sixth author. In the case of six or fewer authors, all of them will be included in the citation.
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Type of study |
Guía |
Checklist |
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CONSORT (CONsolidated Standards Of Reporting Trials) |
CONSORT Checklist |
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TREND (Transparent Reporting of Evaluations with Nonrandomized Designs) |
TREND Checklist |
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STROBE (STrengthening the Reporting of Observational studies in Epidemiology) |
STROBE Checklist |
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STARD (STAndards for Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies) |
STARD Checklist |
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PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) |
PRISMA Checklist |
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Tables
They must be presented in double space, numbered consecutively with Arabic numerals in the order cited within the text, with the headings at the top and the meaning of the abbreviations and the explanatory notes in the footnote.
They should be included at the end of the manuscript, after the references.
Figures or charts
Figure captions will be written in double space. The caption will contain the information necessary to correctly interpret the figure without resorting to the text. They must be referenced in the text in the appropriate order.
Regarding their quality, charts, sketches and drawings must be generated with high-resolution graphics (JPG, TIFF, EPS, PowerPoint and Illustrator).All the images have to be original. Otherwise, it must cite the original reference, and the author must obtain the prior permission of the respective publisher and, where appropriate, pay for reproduction rights.Figures will not replicate data already described in the text.
Photographs of objects will include a ruler to calibrate the reference measurements.Microphotographs should show microscopic magnification or a reference micron bar.The patient's name, face and data will not be shown in the figures.The authors should add colour illustrations that adequately adorn the text.
Review articles
Manuscripts should be 20–22 double-spaced pages, including references (max. 75 references), figures and tables. All manuscripts are peer-reviewed.
Title page
The title page should carry the full title of the paper and a «running head» of no more than 40 characters including spaces. The title page should also include the first name, middle initial and last name of each author (no more than three are accepted). If the work is to be attributed to a department or institution, its full name and location should be included. Persons listed as authors should be those who substantially contributed to the study’s conception, design, and performance. Sources of support for the work in the form of grants, equipment, or drugs should be included on the title page. Disclaimers, if any, should appear on the title page, as should the name and address of the author responsible for correspondence concerning the manuscript.
Structured abstract
The abstract should not exceed 250 words. It should state the primary objective of the review, the principal reasoning for the procedures adopted, the procedures used, the main results of the referred studies, and the conclusions that can be drawn from the data available. Numerical data may be included, but should be kept to a minimum.
Keywords
The abstract should be followed by a list of 4-6 keywords or short phrases which will assist in the cross-indexing of the article. The terms used should be from the Medical Subject Headings list of the Index Medicus (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/meshhome.html).
Text
Full papers should be divided into sections at the convenience of the author, but should include an Introduction and a Conclusion.
References
References should be numbered consecutively in the order in which they first appear in the text. They should be assigned Arabic numerals which should be given in brackets, e.g. [17]. References should include the names of the first three authors (adding et al.) or all if there are not more than six names (https://www.nlm.nih.gov/bsd/uniform_requirements.html). References should also include full title and source information. Journal names should be abbreviated as in the Index Medicus (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nlmcatalog/journals).
References should be not more than 75.
Personal communications and unpublished work should not be included in the reference list, but should appear in parentheses in the text. Submitted but not yet accepted work should not be cited. Work accepted for publication but not yet released should be included in the reference list with the words «in press» in parentheses beside the name of the journal. References must be verified by the author(s) against the original documents.
Illustrations
References to figures and tables should be made in order of appearance in the text and should be in Arabic numerals in parentheses, e.g. (Fig. 2). Figures should be professionally drawn and photographed; freehand or typewritten lettering is unacceptable. Photomicrographs must have internal scale markers. If photographs of people are used, their identities must be obscured or the picture must be accompanied by written permission of the subject to use the photograph.
If a previously published figure is used, the original source must be acknowledged and written permission for print and electronic (internet and CD-ROM) formats from the copyright holder must be submitted with the material. Permission is required regardless of authorship or publisher, except for documents in the public domain. Figures may be reduced, cropped or deleted at the discretion of the Editors.
Captions for illustrations
Captions should be typed in double spacing, beginning on a separate page. Each one should have an Arabic numeral corresponding to the illustration or table to which it refers. Internal scale should be explained and staining methods for photomicrographs should be identified.
Tables
Each table should be typed on a separate sheet in double spacing. Tables should not be submitted as photographs. Each table should be assigned an Arabic numeral, e.g. (Table 3), and a brief title.
Clinical Cases
They should include an abstract in English and Spanish (maximum 100 words) in a free format, introduction, case presentation, discussion, illustrations and references, with a maximum extension of 10 pages and following instructions to the authors.
Clinical cases will only be published in supplements and aren't includded in ordinary issues' contents.
The authors must confirm or clarify any of the following assumptions, as appropriate, in the ethical disclosures section:
- The authors declare that they have not used any type of generative artificial intelligence for the writing of this manuscript, nor for the creation of images, graphics, tables, or their corresponding captions.
- The authors declare that they have used generative artificial intelligence, specifically (name of the AI in question) in the writing of this manuscript and/or in the creation of images, graphics, tables, or their corresponding captions (please specify in all cases where it has been used).
Fees and charges
Authors are not asked to pay anything per manuscript when it is accepted for publication.
Editorial process
The editorial process consists of 6 stages:
1. Reception of the manuscript (indeterminate, depending on whether the author meets the requirements): its objective is to verify that the manuscript complies with the specifications of these instructions for authors and that the submitted documentation is complete.
2. Initial editorial review (maximum 5 business days): its objective is to corroborate the relevance, timeliness, originality, and scientific contribution of the manuscript, as well as the methodological and statistical soundness of the study. At this time, it will be submitted to an electronic plagiarism detection system. Derived from this, a rejected opinion may be obtained, or it will be sent for review by peer researchers.
3. Review by peer researchers (maximum 30 business days): the opinion of at least two experts in the area in question will be obtained, who will evaluate the technical and methodological aspects of the investigation.
4. Editorial review (maximum 7 business days): its objective is to make a decision based on the opinion of peer reviewers. The opinion can be rejected, major changes, minor changes or accepted. In the case of major or minor changes, it will be submitted again for evaluation by the initial peer reviewers.
5. Final edition (6 weeks): its objective is the technical and linguistic edition (and translation), layout of galleys, DOI assignment, and correction by the author.
6. Advanced publication: All manuscripts will be published ahead of print on the journal's website as soon as they complete the editing process, until they are incorporated into a final issue of the journal.
Print proofs (PDF) of acepted articles
The corresponding author will receive proofs of the article for revision and correction of terminology errors, or any other updates related to facts/figures. As the article will already have been edited according to the journal’s internal editorial guidelines, style corrections will not be accepted. The corresponding author will receive an email with the article in PDF format, on which they can leave their comments. Authors will need to have Adobe Reader (version 9, or a later version), downloadable for free). For other system requirements, please visit the Adobe website.
Alternatively, authors may list their corrections and submit them via email. Any major changes at this stage will be subject to the approval of the Editor. Authors should make sure to include all changes in a single email, as we cannot guarantee the inclusion of subsequent corrections.
The proof review is the responsibility of the author.
Relevant links
Committee on Publication Ethics. Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers
Instructions to Reviewers
Review and the process
Upon receiving the invitation, you will have access to your editor's intranet, where you can download the documents by clicking on the green arrow next to the article's name.
Accepting/Declining invitations
Before accepting/declining the invitation to review the article by clicking on the appropriate box, please write the reasons for your rejection (if any) in the Comments to the editor box, or any comments you wish to share with the editor, such as for example, a suggestion for another review, a comment related to the acceptance to review the paper, etc.
How to state your opinion
You must enter the comments to the authors in the Comments to Author box, where you should include:
- A general comment on the revised manuscript.
- The changes you create must be entered in the article, in case changes are accepted.
- The reasons why you believe the article should not be published, should it be rejected for publication.
Please consider that comments should be written in a constructive and helpful manner.
Thereafter, in the confidential Comments to the Editor window, state your opinion and write a brief private comment to the editors.
Once you have saved the comments, choose the tab corresponding to your decision: accepted, accepted with changes or rejected for publication.
Bear in mind that if your decision is accepted with changes, the editors may ask you to review again the modified version of the manuscript, if necessary, in order to make a final decision. The re-examination process should be easy to do because the authors will submit a letter describing in detail the changes made to the modified version.
Conflicts of interest
Please inform editors if you believe there may be a conflict of interest; for example, if you currently work or have worked in the past in the same department as one or more of the authors, as well as if you have or have had any financial connection of a professional nature regarding the content of the manuscript. This does not necessarily mean that you will not be eligible for the article review, but it will help editors make a decision about the manuscript.
Experience
Make sure that the manuscript that you are invited to review, matches your experience. The editor usually knows the work of the reviewers who are invited, but in order to avoid errors or inaccurate comments, please make sure that you are competent to review the article. If you declined to review the article for this (or another) reason, we would be grateful if you could suggest the name (including work centre and mailing address) of a colleague whom you consider that could review the paper correctly (please indicate this in the Comments to the editor window).
Deadlines
The usual time to make a review is three weeks. Please be sure to stick to the deadline. If you think you may need more time to review the document, you must inform upon receiving the invitation by entering a comment in the Comments to the Editor window. The editor may ask you to recommend another reviewer or wait for your review.
Confidentiality
The reviewer must maintain the confidentiality of the manuscript without sharing or discussing its content with other persons who are not involved with the manuscript review.
Reporting claims
The reviewer must communicate, if he/she suspects any case of fraud, plagiarism, duplicity or other ethical concern.
Editorial process
The editorial process consists of 6 stages:
1. Reception of the manuscript (indeterminate, depending on whether the author meets the requirements): its objective is to verify that the manuscript complies with the specifications of these instructions for authors and that the submitted documentation is complete.
2. Initial editorial review (maximum 5 business days): its objective is to corroborate the relevance, timeliness, originality, and scientific contribution of the manuscript, as well as the methodological and statistical soundness of the study. At this time, it will be submitted to an electronic plagiarism detection system. Derived from this, a rejected opinion may be obtained, or it will be sent for review by peer researchers.
3. Review by peer researchers (maximum 30 business days): the opinion of at least two experts in the area in question will be obtained, who will evaluate the technical and methodological aspects of the investigation.
4. Editorial review (maximum 7 business days): its objective is to make a decision based on the opinion of peer reviewers. The opinion can be rejected, major changes, minor changes or accepted. In the case of major or minor changes, it will be submitted again for evaluation by the initial peer reviewers.
5. Final edition (6 weeks): its objective is the technical and linguistic edition (and translation), layout of galleys, DOI assignment, and correction by the author.
6. Advanced publication: All manuscripts will be published ahead of print on the journal's website as soon as they complete the editing process, until they are incorporated into a final issue of the journal.
