Editorial Policies and Instructions for Authors

Contents

EDITORIAL POLICIES

1. Aims and Scope
2. Editorial Freedom
3. Copyright
4. Article Processing Charges
5. ORCID
6. Authorship and Responsibility
1. Authorship
2. Group authorship
3. Changes in authorship
4. Acknowledgements
5. Medical writer
6. Corresponding author
7. Cover Letter
8. Conflicts of Interest and Funding Sources
9. Anonymity and Confidentiality
10. Originality
11. Ethical Considerations, Privacy and Informed Consent
12. Clinical Trials
13. Data Availability
14. Preprints Policy
15. Plagiarism Policy
16. Fast-Track Publication
17. Peer Review Process
18. Online First
19. Press Proof
20. Corrections
21. Retractions
22. Sponsorship
23. Authorizations

INSTRUCTIONS FOR AUTHORS

1. Language
2. Guidelines for Submission
3. Required Documents
4. General Requirements
5. General Guidance
6. Article Types
7. Structure of the Manuscript
8. Manuscript Text
9. Styles Guides
10. Supplement Publication Policy
11. Artificial Intelligence Positioning

EDITORIAL POLICIES

1 - Aims and Scope

The Portuguese Society of Ophthalmology Journal was founded in 1976, acquiring the current name of Oftalmology in 2001. It is a Portuguese scientific peer-reviewed open-access journal that aims to publish high-quality articles on topics ranging from clinical, translational to experimental issues concerning ophthalmology in its different subspecialties, as well as areas of knowledge of interest to the medical-surgical practice and clinical process from the perspective of clinical governance in ophthalmology.

The Oftalmologia publishes original articles, review articles, case reports, images in ophthalmology, editorials, letters to the Editor and other content that aim to improve clinical practice and education (guidelines and perspectives). It is published trimestraly in both paper-based and digital formats.

2 - Editorial Freedom

It is the responsibility of the Portuguese Society Ophthalmology/Sociedade Portuguesa de Oftalmologia (SPO) to appoint and dismiss the Editorial Board of the Oftalmologia, as well as to establish a contract at the time of their appointment, in which their rights, duties and authority are described, as well as general terms of nomination and conflict resolution mechanisms. The performance of the Editorial Board is evaluated by mutually agreed indicators.

The Oftalmologia adopts the definition of editorial freedom of the ICMJE described by the World Association of Medical Editors, which states that the Editor-in-Chief assumes complete authority over the editorial content of the journal as a whole and on the publication of its content. The SPO, as proprietor of the Oftalmologia, does not interfere in the process of evaluating, selecting, programming or editing any manuscript, either directly, or by maintaining an environment that can strongly influence the decisions. The editor bases the editorial decisions on the quality of the articles submitted for publication and its importance to the readers of the Oftalmologia and not in any business implications they may have for the journal. The Editor is also free to express critical but responsible views on all aspects of medicine without fear of reprisals.

3 - Copyright

All articles in this journal are open-access and meet the requirements of the funding agencies or academic institutions. Considering third-party use, the Oftalmologia is licensed under a Creative Commons "Attribution (CC BY-NC)" license."

The author is responsible for obtaining permission to reproduce figures, tables, etc., from other publications.

Upon acceptance of an article, the authors will be asked to complete a “Declaration of Author Responsibility and Publication Agreement” (link) and a Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest form (link). An e-mail will be sent to the corresponding author confirming receipt of the manuscript together with a Publishing Agreement form or a link to the online version of this agreement.

The Oftalmologia follows Sherpa/RoMEO policies on copyright and auto-archiving (http://www.sherpa.ac.uk/romeo/).

The author is entitled to self-archive the article in their institution's repository.

4 - Article Processing Charges

There is no article processing charge (no submission fees even for the publication of color images).

5 - ORCID

Oftalmologia requires ORCID IDs for the corresponding author; it is also suggested that co-authors indicate their ORCID IDs. We strongly believe that the increased use and integration of ORCID IDs will be beneficial to the entire scientific community.

For more information and to register, visit ORCID.org (https://orcid.org/content/collect-connect)

6 - Authorship and Responsibility

6.1 - Authorship

As mentioned in the Requirements, ICMJE authorship requires a substantial contribution to the manuscript, being necessary to specify, in the cover letter, the contribution of each author to the work.

Individual contributions statement signed by each author

All of those designated as authors must meet the four criteria for authorship, below indicated and all those who meet the four criteria should be identified as authors. Contributors who do not meet the four criteria for authorship, but have contributed to the study or manuscript should be recognized in the Acknowledgements section, specifying their contribution.

Each manuscript must have a ‘corresponding author’. However, all the authors should have participated significantly to take public responsibility for the content and authorship credit. The corresponding author must obtain written permission from everyone mentioned in the acknowledgments.

Authors are those who:

1) Have a direct and substantial intellectual contribution to the conception or design of the article;

2) Participate in the analysis and interpretation of data;

3) Participate in the drafting of the manuscript, version review and critical review of the content; approval of the final version;

4) Acknowledge that they are accountable for the accuracy and integrity of the work. In addition to being responsible for the work already done, an author must be able to identify which of the co-authors were responsible for the other specific parts of the work. Obtaining funding, collecting data, or the general supervision of the workgroup, by itself, does not justify authorship.

>6.2 - Group authorship

When a large group of authors perform a work, this group must decide, before starting to work, who will be the authors listed as such in manuscripts submitted for publication.

All group members listed as authors should meet the four criteria of authorship, including approval of the manuscript's final version - and should be able to take public responsibility for the totality of the work of other group authors. Individually, all group members must complete the Declaration of Conflicts of Interest form.

SSome groups, particularly when numerous, ascribe authorship of the work to the name of the group, with or without listing individual names. When submitting a manuscript whose authorship is a group, the corresponding author must specify the group name, if it exists, and identify which group members can receive credit and take responsibility for the work as authors. Whenever authors publish on behalf of a group, the group members should be listed in the Appendix.

6.3 - Changes in authorship

Authors must determine among themselves the order of authorship and resolve any disagreements before submitting the manuscript for publication. Changes in authorship (whether in order or number of authors) should be discussed and approved by all the authors. Any requests for changes in authorship after the initial manuscript submission and before publication should be explained in writing to the editor in an e-mail with every author on copy. Any change in authorship after submission must be approved in writing by all the authors. Changes to authorship or the authors order are not considered after the acceptance of the manuscript.

6.4 - Acknowledgement

Contributors who do not meet the four criteria for authorship, but have contributed to the study or manuscript should be recognized in the Acknowledgements section, specifying their contribution.

6.5 - Corresponding Author

The corresponding author will act on behalf of all coauthors as the preferred correspondent with the editorial team during the submission process and review.

The corresponding author, on behalf of all coauthors, is responsible:

• For communicating with the journal during submission, peer review and publication process.
• For ensuring all the administrative requirements of the journal (providing details of authorship; approval by the Ethics Committee; conflict of interest forms; informed consent)
• For distributing decision letters, comments from reviewers, press proof and other messages from Oftalmologia among co-authors.
• For sending corrections and ensures that all authors approve each version of the article

6.6 - Medical writer

If a medical writer was involved in the manuscript drafting, a statement is required signed by the corresponding author, with the name and information of whether there was funding from that person.

This information should be added in the Acknowledgements section. It is mandatory to have statements signed by the medical writer, indicating that he or she permits to be named in the Acknowledgements section.

7 - Cover Letter

Cover letter, written and signed by the corresponding author, who must justify the publication of the article on the Oftalmologia; point out that the article is original, was only submitted for publication on the Oftalmologia and not previously published; mention that the manuscript adheres to the structure and style standards adopted by the Oftalmologia; point out that the work complies with ethical and legal guidelines (recommendations of the Helsinki Declaration of the World Medical Association and has been evaluated and approved by the Ethics Committee, in the case of an original study); and indicate sources of funding.

8 - Conflicts of Interest and Funding Sources

Public trust in the scientific process and the credibility of published articles depend in part on how transparently conflicts of interest are handled during the planning, implementation, writing, peer review, editing, and publication of scientific work.

A conflict of interest exists when professional judgment concerning a primary interest (such as patients’ welfare or the validity of research) may be influenced by a secondary interest (such as financial gain).

Financial relationships are the most easily identifiable conflicts of interest and the most likely to undermine the credibility of the journal, the authors, and science itself. However, conflicts can occur for other reasons, such as personal relationships or rivalries, academic competition, and intellectual beliefs. Authors should avoid entering into agreements with study sponsors, both for-profit and nonprofit, that interfere with authors’ access to all of the study’s data or that interfere with their ability to analyze and interpret the data and to prepare and publish manuscripts independently when and where they choose.

All participants in the peer-review and publication process—not only authors but also peer reviewers, editors, and editorial board members of journals—must consider their conflicts of interest when fulfilling their roles in the process of article review and publication and must disclose all relationships that could be viewed as potential conflicts of interest. When authors submit a manuscript of any type or format they are responsible for disclosing all financial and personal relationships that might bias or be seen to bias their work. The details of all sources of funding for the study must be stated, together with a description of their role in the study design and in the decision to submit the article for publication. The precision and accuracy of the contents, as well as the opinions expressed, are the sole responsibility of the author.

All authors must complete and submit the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest available at: http://www.icmje.org/disclosure-of-interest. This information will be kept confidential during the manuscript review and will not influence the editorial decision but will be published if the article is accepted. If there are no conflicts of interest, the authors must state this fact.

This information should be provided under the section entitled “Declaration of Conflicts of Interest”, which should appear after the “Acknowledgements” section and before the “References” section. The absence of any conflict of interest must also be declared.

9 - Anonymity and Confidentiality

Editors, authors and reviewers are required to keep confidential all details of the editorial and peer review process on submitted manuscripts. Unless otherwise declared as a part of open peer review, the peer review process is confidential and conducted anonymously. All details about submitted manuscripts are kept confidential and no comments are issued to outside parties or organizations about manuscripts under consideration or if they are rejected. Upon accepting an invitation to evaluate a manuscript, reviewers must keep the manuscript and associated data confidential, and not redistribute them without the journal’s permission.

10 - Originality

Duplicate submission and publication: The Oftalmologia does not accept any material that has already been published (except for presentations at conferences and other scientific meetings) or that it is waiting to be reviewed for publication by another journal.

The Oftalmologia endorses the ICMJE policy regarding overlapping publications (http://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/publishing-and-editorialissues/overlapping-publications.html).

The title page and the cover letter must include a statement verifying the originality of the work and disclose any previous abstracts, presentations, reports or publications that contain material that may appear to overlap with the current submission.

On rare occasions, Oftalmologia will consider the co-publication of guidelines / consensus manuscripts with a limited number of other journals, assuming that the following conditions are met:

- The written request must be approved by the Editor-in-Chief before submitting the guidelines / consensus manuscript, justifying the need for co-publication, as well as indicating the specific journals being considered.

- The Editor-in-Chief of Oftalmologia is responsible for evaluating the guidelines / consensus manuscript and deciding its suitability for the journal.

- Online co-publication of the guidelines / consensus manuscript must occur simultaneously in all the journals involved. The corresponding author of the guidelines / consensus manuscript assumes responsibility for ensuring that this occurs.

11 - Ethical considerations, Privacy and Informed Consent

The author must ensure that the study submitted for publication complies with the ethical and legal principles, during research and publication phases, including the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki revised in 2013 (http://www.wma.net/en/20activities/10ethics/10helsinki), the ICMJE (www.icmje.org) and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) (http://publicationethics.org/resources/guidelines) guidelines.

When applicable, the author must show that the research was approved by the Ethics Committee(s) of the involved institutions and that recommendations were followed. This information should appear in the body of the article. Any suspected research misconduct will be investigated, and all interested parties will be informed. Identifying information of the research subjects, including photographs, names or hospital numbers, should not be published. Studies involving animal experiments must be conducted in accordance with the guidelines defined in the “Guide for the care and use of laboratory animals” by the National Institutes of Health. All animal studies should also comply with the ARRIVE (Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments) guidelines. The author should also comply with the national legislation that regulates this type of study (Decree-Law No. 113/2013 of 7 August 2013). The manuscript should clearly explain that the above-mentioned guidelines were followed. The Oftalmologia holds the right to reject any manuscript based on the ethical misconduct of human or animal studies.

Studies involving patients or voluntaries require approval by the Ethics Committee and informed consent from each subject. These should be clearly stated in the article.

The author is responsible for obtaining informed consent from each subject shown in photographs, videos, detailed case descriptions, even after appropriate measures to preserve anonymity are taken. Names, initials or other forms of identification must be removed from photos or other images. Personal data, such as profession or residence, must be omitted except when epidemiologically relevant to the study. The author must ensure that data allowing for unequivocal identification is not presented or, if this is not possible, informed consent of subject(s) (or, where applicable, the next of kin) must be obtained.

Generally, the presentation of a case report must be accompanied by the written consent of the subject (or parent/guardian) prior to publication. This is particularly important when photographs are used or in cases where the unique nature of the case allows for the identification of the patient. Although the Editorial Board recognizes that it is not always possible or appropriate to obtain this consent, the author must demonstrate that this exception applies in the specific case.

12 - Clinical Trials

The Oftlamologia supports initiatives that contribute to better disclosure of clinical trial results. These include prospective registration of clinical trials in public databases. Following the ICMJE recommendations, the Oftalmologia requires the registration of all clinical trials included in manuscripts submitted for publication in this journal.

ICMJE adopts the World Health Organization's definition of clinical trial: “any study that prospectively assigns human participants or groups of humans to one or more health-related interventions to evaluate the effects on health outcomes”. This definition includes Phase I to Phase IV trials. ICMJE defines health-related interventions as “any intervention used to modify a biomedical or health-related outcome” and health-related outcomes as “any biomedical or health-related measures obtained in patients or participants”.

Registration in a public clinical trials database is mandatory for the publication of data from clinical trials in the Oftalmologia, in accordance with the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE, http://www.icmje.org). The trials must be registered prior to or at the beginning of the patient recruitment period. A clinical trial is any study that prospectively assigns human participants or groups of humans to one or more health related interventions to evaluate the effects on health outcomes. Health-related interventions are those used to modify a biomedical or health-related outcome; examples include drugs, surgical procedures, devices, behavioral treatments, educational programs, dietary interventions, quality improvement interventions, and process-of-care changes. Health outcomes are any biomedical or health-related measures obtained in patients or participants, including pharmacokinetic measures and adverse events. Purely observational studies (those in which the assignment of the medical intervention is not at the discretion of the investigator) will not require registration.

The trial registration number (TRN) and date of registration should be included as the last line of the manuscript abstract.

13 - Data Availability

The Oftalmologia strongly suggests that all datasets on which the conclusions of the manuscript rely should be available to readers. We encourage authors to ensure that their datasets are either deposited in publicly available repositories (where available and appropriate) or presented in the main manuscript or additional supporting files, in machine-readable format (such as spreadsheets rather than PDF files) whenever possible.

The Oftalmologia requires an “Availability of Data” section at the end of each manuscript. For drug or medical device trials, this section must include at least the relevant data of each patient, properly anonymized, and available upon justified request to the authors. We suggest one of the following forms for this statement:

“Availability of data: individual patient data [and/or] complete dataset [and/or] technical appendix [and/or] statistical analysis specifications are available in [/DOI] [with free access/but the following restrictions apply] [from the corresponding author]. Subjects gave informed consent for the availability of data [either informed consent was not obtained from the participants, but the data are anonymized and the risk of identification is low, or informed consent was not obtained, but the potential benefits of the availability of these data justify the potential risks, as...]”.

If data are not available, the statement should mention: “Availability of data: additional data are not publicly available.” 

This option does not apply to clinical trials of drugs or medical devices.

The raw data on which the manuscript is based can be requested from the authors during the review process and up until 10 years after publication.

14 - Preprints Policy

Oftalmologia may consider publishing manuscripts that contain information previously posted on preprint servers. Authors cannot send their articles to a preprint server after being submitted to Oftalmologia.

If a report was published on a preprint server before submitting the manuscript, this must be recognized during the submission process. In addition, a link to this document must be provided so that reviewers and editors can evaluate the preprint information and compare it with the submitted manuscript. If the manuscript is accepted, Oftalmologia will include this link with its published manuscript. Failure to recognize the prior disclosure of the research posted on a preprint server or similar databases will adversely affect the submission status. When the manuscript is submitted to Oftalmologia, no review should be sent to the preprint server during the manuscript peer review process. If the manuscript is eventually accepted for publication, no revision should be posted on the preprint server until the final manuscript is published online by Oftalmologia. Finally, when the manuscript is published in Oftalmologia, any future changes, such as errata, for example, must first be submitted, approved and published by Oftalmologia, before making any changes to the preprint document. Violation of this pre-press policy will be considered a reason for withdrawing the article.

15 - Plagiarism Policy

Whether it's intentional or not, plagiarism is a serious violation. We define plagiarism as a reproduction of another work with at least 25% similarity and without citation. The Oftalmologia uses specific software for similarity checks. If evidence of plagiarism is found before/after the acceptance or after the publication of the article, the author will be given an opportunity for a rebuttal. If the arguments presented are considered not to be satisfactory, the manuscript will be retracted, and the author will be sanctioned with a suspension to publish any work for a period to be determined by the Editor.

16 - Fast-Track Publication

A fast-track system is available for urgent and important manuscripts that meet the Oftalmologia's requirements for rapid review and publication.

Authors that request the fast-track publication must submit their manuscript on the online platform and send an e-mail to the Editor-in-Chief (editor.chefe@spoftalmologia.pt) indicating why they consider the manuscript to be suitable for quick publication. The editorial group will decide whether the manuscript is suitable for a fast-track or regular submission.

The Editor-in-Chief will communicate within 48 hours if the manuscript is appropriate for fast-track evaluation. If deemed not appropriate for fast-track publication, the manuscript can be considered for the normal revision process. In this case, the authors will also have the opportunity to withdraw their submission.

For manuscripts that are accepted for fast-track publishing, the editorial decision will be made within five working days.

If the manuscript is accepted for publication, the Editorial-board will aim to publish it online within 16 days after acceptance.

17 - Peer-Review Process

All research articles, and most other article types, published in the Oftalmologia go through a peer review. Reviewers are therefore required to respect the confidentiality of the peer review process and not reveal any details of a manuscript or its review, during or after the peer review process. If reviewers wish to involve a colleague in the review process, they should first obtain permission from the Editor.

The acceptance criteria for all papers are the quality, clarity and originality of the research and its significance to our readers. Manuscripts should be written in a clear, concise and direct style. The manuscript should not have been published, in whole or in part, nor submitted for publication elsewhere.

All submitted manuscripts are initially reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief and can be rejected at this stage, without being sent to reviewers. Final acceptance or rejection rests with the Editor-in-Chief, who reserves the right to refuse any material for publication.

The Oftalmologia follows a rigorous blind peer review.

The Oftalmologia will send manuscripts to outside reviewers selected from an extensive database.

All manuscripts that do not comply with the instructions for authors can be rejected before being reviewed. Final acceptance is the responsibility of the Editor-in-Chief.

Letters to the Editor or Editorials will be evaluated by the Editorial Board, but may also require an external review.

In the evaluation, the manuscripts can be:

1. A) Accepted without changes
2. B) Accepted but contingent on small modifications
3. C) Reevaluated after major modifications
4. D) Rejected

Upon receipt of the manuscript, the Editor-in-Chief sends it to two reviewers if the manuscript is in accordance with the instructions to authors and meets the editorial policy.

Within 15 days, the reviewer should respond to the Editor-in-Chief indicating their comments on the manuscript and suggesting acceptance, review or rejection of the work. Within 10 days, the Editorial Board will make a decision which may be: accept the manuscript without modifications; sending the reviewers' comments to authors for manuscript review; rejection.

When changes are proposed, authors have 15 days (that may be extended at the request of the authors) to submit a new revised version of the manuscript, incorporating the comments of the reviewers and of the editorial board. Authors have to answer all the questions and also send a revised version of the manuscript, with the inserted amendments highlighted in a different colour. The Editor-in-Chief has 10 days to make the decision on the new version: reject or accept the new version, or refer it to a new appreciation for one or more reviewers.

In case of acceptance, in any of the mentioned phases, it will be communicated to the Corresponding Author.

In the proofreading phase, substantive changes to the manuscript will not be accepted. The inclusion of these changes can motivate the rejection of the manuscript by the decision of the Editor-in-Chief.

The editor's final decision to accept or reject a submitted paper is based on the following factors:

1. Originality: original subject and / or method, with valuable information and presentation of new results or confirmation of previously verified results.
2. Topicality and / or novelty - a topic that is on the agenda of scientific meetings or communications or is new.

III. Relevance - applicability of the results for the resolution of concrete problems in ophthalmological practice.

1. Innovation and significance - advancing scientific, technical and / or clinical practice knowledge.
2. Reliability and scientific validity - good methodological quality evidenced.
3. Presentation - good writing and organization of the text (good logical coherence and presentation of the material).

Although the editors and reviewers make efforts to ensure the technical and scientific quality of the manuscripts, the ultimate responsibility for the content (namely the accuracy and precision of the observations, as well as the opinions expressed) is the sole responsibility of the authors.

18 - Epub ahead of print/Online first (articles accepted for publication)

The Oftalmologia publishes some selected accepted articles online before final publication in a digital edition.

Online First allows final articles (completed and approved articles awaiting assignment to a future issue) to be published online prior to their inclusion in a journal issue, which significantly reduces the lead time between submission and publication.

They will, however, have a digital object identifier (DOI), which allows the article to be cited and tracked before being allocated to a journal issue. After final publication, the DOI remains valid and may continue to be used to cite and access the article. More information on DOIs can be found at http://www.doi.org/faq.html.

Online First articles are copy edited, typeset and approved by the author before being published.

19 - Press proof

The press proofs will be sent to the authors, indicating the review deadline depending on the publication needs of the Oftalmologia. The review must be approved by the corresponding author. Authors have 48 hours to review the text and communicate any typographical errors. At this stage, the authors cannot make any substantive modifications to the article, only corrections of small typographical errors and/or spelling mistakes can be made.

The non-compliance of the proposed deadline exempts the Oftalmologia from accepting the revision by the authors, so it can be carried out by Oftalmologia´s services.

20 - Corrections

The Oftalmologia publishes changes, amendments or retractions to a previously published article if, after publication, errors or omissions are identified which affect the interpretation of the data or information. After publication, further changes can only be made in the form of an erratum.

21 - Retractions

The reviewers and editors assume that the authors are reporting work based on honest observations. However, if substantial doubt arises about the honesty or integrity of work, either submitted or published, the editor will inform the authors of the concern and seek clarification with the author’s sponsoring body and/or employing authority. Consequently, if they find a published article to be fraudulent, the Oftalmologia will print a retraction. If this method of investigation does not result in a satisfactory conclusion, the editor may choose to conduct his or her own investigation and may choose to publish an expression of concern about the conduct or integrity of the work.

 

22 - Sponsorships

The journal sponsors are pharmaceutical industry companies or other companies that generate revenue through advertising. Advertising cannot influence the scientific independence of the journal or editorial decisions and must conform to the general and specific health care and medicines legislation. Other expenses are supported by the Oftalmologia.

23 - Authorizations

Before submitting a manuscript to the Oftalmologia, the authors must be in possession of the following documents which may be requested by the Editorial Board:

1. a) Informed consent of each participant, if applicable;
2. b) Informed consent concerning each person appearing in photographs, even after attempting to conceal their identity;
3. c) Authorization to reproduce/use previously published material (for example, illustrations);
4. d) Declaration of approval by the ethics committees of the institutions involved, if applicable.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR AUTHORS

1 - Language

The manuscripts submitted to Oftalmologia can be written in English or Portuguese.

2 - Guidelines for Submission

The Oftalmologia provides authors with an online-only system of submission and review of articles that can be accessed directly at https://revistas.rcaap.pt/index.php/oftalmologia/about/submissions. In the online platform, authors will be able to submit their articles and monitor their status throughout the review process. They will be notified by e-mail whenever their articles undergo relevant changes during the editorial process. In order to submit a manuscript, the authors must follow the following steps:

• Create a user account: Access https://revistas.rcaap.pt/index.php/oftalmologia, click "Enter", followed by "Register" and follow the instructions provided. An activation e-mail will be sent. To activate the Oftalmologia account, it is necessary to follow the link provided in the body of that e-mail, which will automatically redirect to a log in message on the Oftalmologia website.
• Manuscript submission: After the registration/log in process is complete, the authors will be able to submit and track the progress of their articles. After submitting a manuscript, the author will receive a confirmation e-mail with an identification number for the manuscript. If you have any question during the submission process, please contact our support team

3 - Required Documents

Before submitting a paper, authors must prepare:

• Cover letter, written and signed by the corresponding author, who must justify the publication of the article on the Oftalmologia; point out that the article is original, was only submitted for publication on the Oftalmologia and not previously published; mention that the manuscript adheres to the structure and style standards adopted by the Oftalmologia; point out that the work complies with ethical and legal guidelines (recommendations of the Helsinki Declaration of the World Medical Association and has been evaluated and approved by the Ethics Committee, in the case of an original study); and indicate sources of funding.
• Authorship responsibility statement (template available at https://rercaap.pt/index.php/oftalmologia/declaracaoautoral), filled out by the corresponding author and hand signed by all the authors of the work declaring that everyone meets the authorship criteria and specifying the contribution of each to the work; that everyone has read and had access to all the study data; that everyone accepts responsibility for the data validity; that everyone agrees with the article content and submission to the Oftalmologia; that everyone accepts the transfer of copyright and agrees with the availability of the manuscript on paper and online. Although editors and proofreaders develop efforts to ensure the scientific and technical quality of the manuscripts, the ultimate responsibility of the content (including accuracy and precision of the observations, as well as opinions expressed) is the sole responsibility of the authors to whom the article's intellectual property belongs.
• Declaration of Conflicts of Interest (ICMJE template, available at http://www.icmje.org/disclosure-of-interest/).

Authors must declare any potential conflicts of interest that could cause a bias or be seen as a bias in the conduct of their work, in the individual ICMJE template declaration. Consequently, authors are required to disclose all financial and personal relationships that might exist about the work that is submitted. They should also identify any benefits that might be associated with the publication of the article, including stock or financial interests in companies or other institutions, wages or awards, grants or other forms of funding, consulting, patent rights or any other type of financial relations.

These documents must be provided during the submission process through the online platform.

Any other personal, professional, political, religious or any other form of relationship that readers may consider likely to influence the article should also be reported. This information will be kept confidential during the manuscript review and will not influence the editorial decision, but will be published if the article is accepted.

The existence of conflicts of interest for the publication of an article does not constitute a reason for rejection, given that the said conflicts are properly declared. For any queries on what constitutes a relevant financial or personal interest, authors should contact the Editor-in-Chief.

Use of word-processing software

The file must be saved in the native format of the word processor. The text should be in a single-column format. Keep the text layout as simple as possible. To avoid unnecessary errors, you are strongly advised to use the grammar and spelling-checking functions of your word processor.

4 - General Requirements

All articles submitted to the journal must comply with these instructions. Failure to do so will result in the return of the manuscript and possible delay in publication.

• Manuscripts should be sent in DOC, DOCX format, and should not be blocked or protected.
• The text of the manuscript should be typed double-spaced. Do not format the text in multiple columns.
• The texts must be formatted in letter "Arial", size 11. Titles and sub-titles must be marked in bold and size 12.
• All margins should be at least 30 mm.
• All pages should be numbered consecutively in the top right-hand corner, beginning in the title page.

• Specify any special characters used to represent characters that are not on the keyboard.

5 - General Guidance for presentation of studies

The Oftalmologia recommends the guidelines for publication of the EQUATOR network (http://www.equator-network.org) namely:

• Randomized controlled trials (CONSORT)
• Systematic reviews and meta-analyses* (PRISMA) and protocols (PRISMA-P)
• Observational studies (STROBE)
• Case reports (CARE)
• Qualitative research (COREQ)
• Diagnostic/prognostic studies (STARD)
• Economic evaluations (CHEERS)
• Quality improvement studies (SQUIRE)
• Pre-clinical animal studies (ARRIVE)

* Authors of systematic reviews should also provide a link to an additional file in the 'methods' section, which reproduces all the details of the search strategy.

Except where otherwise indicated, manuscripts are subjected to double blind peer review by at least two anonymous reviewers. Final acceptance or rejection rests with the Editor-in-Chief, who reserves the right to refuse any material for publication.

Manuscripts must be written in a clear, concise, direct style so that they are intelligible to the reader. When contributions are considered suitable for publication based on scientific content, the Editor-in-Chief reserves the right to modify the texts to eliminate ambiguity and repetition and to improve communication between the author and the reader. If extensive changes are necessary, the manuscript will be returned to the author for review.

Manuscripts that do not follow the instructions for authors can be returned for modification before being revised.

6 - Article Types

Oftalmologia accepts articles of the following types (Click link to check table of article types):

1. a) Original Articles reporting clinical or basic research (clinical trials, cohort studies, case-control studies, other observational studies);
2. b) Review Articles,
3. c) Systematic Reviews with or without Meta-Analysis;
4. d) Short Communications;
5. e) Case Reports;
6. f) Mystery Case Reports;
7. g) Ophthalmological images
8. h) Editorials;
9. i) Letters to the Editor;
10. j) Flash Look;
11. k) Histories of the History of Ophthalmology;
12. l) Guidelines;

Authors should indicate in the cover letter what type of manuscript is being submitted for publication.

7 - Structure of the manuscript

Structure of the manuscript Front page (separate page):

I - Title

Title in portuguese and in english (concise and objective, preferably with less than 10 words).

II - Authors, affiliations and ORCID

Name of all authors (clinical or professional name) and respective affiliation (department, institution, city). Authors must provide an ORCID ID at the time of submission by entering it in the user profile in the submission system.

III. Corresponding author

Address and e-mail of the corresponding author

h) Statement of conflict of interests.

IV - Financing /Conflict of Interests

All sources of funding, in the public or private domain, including scholarships, that contributed to the work.

Indicate whether or not there are conflicts of interest (namely commercial in the product, equipment or process).

V -The authors will also include in this title page, under the designation “Ethical considerations” the declaration of “Protection of people and animals”, Data confidentiality and informed consent and Conflicts of interest.

VI - Prizes and previous presentations

Prizes and presentations of the study, prior to submission of the manuscript, must be mentioned

Second Page

I - Abstract

Abstract (maximum word count according to the article type). The abstract should not contain references and abbreviations.

II - Keywords

Keywords (three to six). Keywords should be easily searchable in indexing databases using Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terminology found at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/. In the manuscripts that do not require an abstract, the keywords should be presented at the end.

Following pages

The following pages should include the main text of the article according to the specific sections of each type. Acknowledgments, financing sources, awards and previous presentations should be mentioned after the text and before the references. After the references, the illustrations should be presented individually on a new page, in the following order: tables and figures.

8 - Manuscript text

Original Articles

Previous unpublished manuscripts describing clinical, preclinical, epidemiological investigations, clinical trials, clinical observations and other relevant investigations that are based on solid patient series, validated analytical methods and appropriate statistical evaluation.

The original articles must follow the following structure: Introduction, Material and Methods, Results, Discussion and Conclusion, Acknowledgments (if applicable), References, Tables and Figures. Structured abstract is required.

Words: maximum 4000 words (excluding abstract, figures and tables)

Abstract: maximum 350 words

Figures / Tables: maximum 6

References: maximum 50

Graphic Abstract

A graphic abstract is a single-panel image that is designed to give readers an immediate understanding of the "take-home" message of the scientific article.

The graphic abstract should be self-explanatory. The reader should understand it quickly and be able to decide whether or not to read the work.

It is not intended to replace the article, but rather to attract curiosity to it.

The graphic abstract will be displayed in online search results lists, next to the article on the journal's website, and will be used to promote the article on social networks, but will not appear in the PDF of the article.

Optional, but encouraged:

Authors must provide an original image that clearly represents the work described in the article. Graphic abstracts must be submitted as a separate file in the submission system.

Check the instructions

One important thing to keep in mind is that research can be complex but the graphic abstract should not be.

• Must have a clear beginning and end, "reading" top to bottom or left to right
• Have simple labels
• Use text sparingly
• Be different from any figures or diagrams included in the article
• All content must be in graphic form
• Minimize distracting and disruptive elements as much as possible
• Submitted in PDF, TIFF, JPG or PNG file format
• Size: The submitted image must be 1200 square pixels at 300 dpi
• Font: Arial, 12-16 points. Smaller fonts will not be readable online
• Content: The abstract must consist of a single panel

Mind the Graph (https://mindthegraph.com/app/create-graphical-abstract) is a solid repository of scientific illustrations and inspiration for abstract graphics.

Narrative Review Articles

Reviews should be about topics considered relevant to the magazine's audience. Containing the current state of knowledge or practice, integrating recent advances with accepted principles and practices, or summarizing and analyzing the consensual view of controversial issues in the knowledge of the practice. An unstructured abstract is required

Words: maximum 4000 words (excluding abstract, figures and tables)

Abstract: maximum 350 words

Figures / Tables: maximum 6

References: maximum 100

Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyzes

Systematic reviews may or may not use statistical methods (meta-analyzes) to analyze and summarize the results of the included studies.

Systematic Reviews can be presented in the Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion format. The subject must be clearly defined. The objective of a systematic review should be to produce an evidence-based conclusion. In the Methods, a clear indication of the literature search strategy, data extraction, evidence classification and analysis must be provided. The PRISMA standard must be followed (http://www.prisma-statement.org/) and the protocol must be registered with PROSPERO (https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero).

Structured abstract is required.

Words: maximum 4000 words (excluding abstract, figures and tables)

Abstract: maximum 350 words

Figures / Tables: maximum 6

References: maximum 100

Short Communications

Manuscripts describing technical and technological innovations, innovative surgical maneuvers, aspects of other areas of knowledge related to ophthalmological practice, namely laboratory in Ophthalmology, Management, Health Economics, Quality, Accreditation and Certification, Medical Ethics and Risk Management in Ophthalmology. There will be variable themes in each issue.

Words: maximum 1500 words (excluding figures and tables)

Abstract: no

Figures / Tables: maximum 2

References: maximum 20

Authors: maximum 5

Case Reports

The Clinical Case report should include the following sections: Introduction, Case Description and Discussion.

The CARE standard (http://www.care-statement.org/) must be followed.

Taking into account their nature, clinical case reports must have a parsimonious number of authors - exceptionally more than 5. If there are more than 5 co-authors, the submission letter must clearly and in detail indicate the role of each in the manuscript, in order to justify its inclusion in the line of authorship in the light of the ICMJE criteria (http://www.icmje.org/). The patient's permission (closest relative, legal guardian) may be required.

They must include a statement detailing that written informed consent for publication was obtained and from whom (for example, "Written informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this case report and any accompanying images."). If the patient died, consent for publication must be obtained from his closest relatives. If the patient described in the case report is underage or vulnerable, consent for publication must be obtained from the parent / legal guardian. The completed consent form must be made available to the Editor, if requested, and will be treated confidentially.

Making it difficult to identify the patient by omitting scientifically irrelevant data is acceptable, but changing that data is not.

Words: maximum 2000 words (excluding abstract, figures and tables)

Abstract: maximum 150 words

Figures / Tables: maximum 4

References: maximum 20

Authors: maximum 5

Mystery Case Report

Interactive section between Editorial Board and ophthalmologists and ophthalmology interns. There should be a presentation of diagnostic and therapeutic suggestions simulating the conditions of effectiveness of clinical practice in the face of a clinical case that is difficult to resolve.

Words: maximum 2000 words (excluding abstract, figures and tables)

Abstract: maximum 150 words

Figures / Tables: maximum 4

References: maximum 20

Authors: maximum 5

Ophthalmological Images

New and clinically relevant images of unusual or striking examples of clinical entities, laboratory / radiological studies or therapeutic procedures with brief explanatory text.

Words: maximum 200 words (excluding abstract, figures and tables)

Abstract: no

Figures: maximum 2

References: maximum 6

Authors: maximum 3

Editorials

Editorials are the responsibility of the editorial group, requested by invitation from the Editor-in-Chief, and will constitute comments on current topics or articles published in the magazine

Words: maximum 1200 words (figures and tables)

Abstract: no

Figures / Tables: maximum 2

References: maximum 20

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor consist of critical comments about an article published in the journal or a short note on a particular topic or clinical case.

Words: maximum 600 words (figures and tables)

Abstract: no

Figures / Tables: maximum 2

References: maximum 10

Authors: maximum 7

Flash Look

The purpose of this type of manuscript is to discuss current, controversial and difficult to resolve issues. The Editorial Board's invitations will be addressed to personalities recognized in the area in question.

Words: maximum 1500 words (figures and tables)

Abstract: no

Figures / Tables: maximum 4

References: maximum 15

Authors: maximum 3

Histories of the History of Ophthalmology

It is a short rubric highlighting aspects related to personalities or events of the submitted ophthalmology.

Words: maximum 2000 words (figures and tables)

Summary: no

Figures / Tables: maximum 4

References: maximum 20

Guidelines

Recommendations for clinical practice. This type of article can be submitted by working groups organized within the scope of scientific meetings or associations, or groups of authors with specialized work carried out on the topic in question.

Words: maximum 4000 words (figures and tables)

Abstract: maximum 350 words

Figures / Tables: maximum 6

References: maximum 100

9 - Style Guide

References

Citations in the text

Superscript Arabic numerals are used in the text. Authors may be identified, but the reference number must always be given.

References to unpublished data and personal communications should be made directly in the text and should not be numbered. Citation of a reference as “in press” implies that it has been accepted for publication.

Format of the reference list

Make sure that all the references mentioned in the Reference List are cited in the text, and vice versa. References should be listed using Arabic numerals in the order in which they are cited in the text. The reference list should be added as part of the text, not as a footnote. Reference software specific reference codes are not allowed.

Make sure that the data provided in the references are correct. When copying references, be careful as they may contain errors.

References to published articles should include the name of the first author followed by the names of the other authors, article title, journal name and the year of publication, volume and pages. Journal names should be abbreviated according to the Medline style.

A detailed description of the formats of different reference types can be found in “Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals” (https://www.nlm.nih.gov/bsd/uniform_requirements.html). List all the authors if there are six or fewer. Et al. should be added if there are more than six authors.

It is mandatory to indicate the DOI (Digital Object Identifier) in all references that have it. Examples

Published article:

1. Less than 6 authors

Chen L, Bai X, Avery RL. Diagnostic and Therapeutic Challenges. Retina. 2021;41:454-8. doi: 10.1097/IAE.0000000000002664.

2. More than 6 authors

Furino C, Montrone G, Cicinelli MV, Balestra S, Grassi MO, Reibaldi M, Boscia F, et al. Optical coherence tomography angiography in diabetic patients without diabetic retinopathy. Eur J Ophthalmol. 2020;30:1418-23. doi: 10.1177/1120672119895701.

3. Article in press

Polling JR, Klaver C, Tideman JW. Myopia progression from wearing first glasses to adult age: the DREAM Study. Br J Ophthalmol. 2021 (in press) doi: 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2020-316234.

Book:
Battler A. Stem Cell and Gene-Based Therapy: Frontiers in Regenerative Medicine. Berlin: Springer; 2006.

Book chapter:

Dawson DG, Ubels JL, Edelhauser HF. Cornea and Sclera. In: Levin LA, Nilsson SF, Ver Hoeve J, editors. Adler's Physiology of the Eye. 11th ed. Amsterdam: Elsevier; 2011. p. 71-130

Web page:

At a minimum, the full URL must be provided along with the date the document was accessed. Any other information, if known (author names, dates, reference to a source publication, etc.), should also be included.

Metagenomics: sequences from the environment [Internet]. Bethesda: National Library of Medicine, National Center for Biomedical Information; 2006 [cited 2020 Apr 20]. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?rid=metagenomics.TOC

Preprint

Duchen D, Beaty T. The ocular tissue-specificity of differentially expressed age-related macular degeneration associated genes. Preprint at: medRxiv 2020.12.28.20248962; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.12.28.20248962

Footnotes

Footnotes should be avoided. When necessary, they must be numbered consecutively and appear at the bottom of the appropriate page.

Acknowledgements (optional)

Collate acknowledgements in a separate section at the end of the article before the references; to thank all of those who contributed to the study but have no weight of authorship. In this section, you can thank all of the sources of support, whether financial, technological or consulting, as well as individual contributions.

Funding sources

The author should mention all funding sources, as well as their influence on the manuscript’s conception or decision to submit for publishing.

Awards and previous presentations

The author should mention any award attributed to the study, as well as any presentation of its content prior to the manuscript’s submission.

Abbreviations

Do not use abbreviations or acronyms in the title and in the abstract. Non-standard abbreviations should be defined on first use, in full, soon followed by the abbreviation in parentheses, then use the abbreviation only. This is not needed if the abbreviation is a standard unit of measure.

Excessive and unnecessary use of acronyms and abbreviations should be avoided. They should be used only when they facilitate readability, reducing the repetition of long technical terms.

Numbers

Numbers one through nine must be written in length, except when they have decimals or if followed by units of measure. Numbers greater than nine are written in digits, except at the beginning of a sentence. The point is to be used as a decimal separator. A thousands separator should not be used.

Numeric ranges must be separated by "-" (for example, 25-30). A space between a value and the respective unit of measure should be used (for example, 25-30 mg), except for percentages (for example, 3%) and temperature values (for example, 5ºC), which must be presented without a space.

Units of Measure

Units of measure in the International System of Units should be used. Measures of length, height, weight and volume should be expressed in metric units (meter, kilogram, or liter) or their decimal multiples. Temperatures should be written in degrees Celsius (° C), blood pressure in millimeters of mercury (mmHg), and hemoglobin in g/dL. All measurements should be referred to in the biochemical or hematological metric system according to the International System of Units (SI).

Names of diseases

The names of diseases should be written with lowercase initial letter, except for those that contain toponyms or anthroponyms.

Trade names

Precisely identify all the drugs and products with their generic (international non-proprietary name) name. Use of drug trade names is not recommend, but when the use is unavoidable, the product name must come after the generic name, in parentheses, in lower case, followed by the trademark symbol, in superscript (®).

Names of instruments and equipment

Instruments of measurement, diagnosis or computer programs used in the study and mentioned in the manuscript should be presented in a general manner and by its commercial description, followed by the symbol ® and the name of the manufacturer, in parentheses.

Genes, mutations, genotypes and alleles

They must be written in italics. The recommended name should be consulted in a genetic nomenclature database (e.g. HUGO for human genes). Sometimes, it is advisable to indicate the gene synonyms the first time that it appears in the text. Gene prefixes such as those used for oncogenes or cellular localization should be shown in italics.

Tables and figures

Tables and figures should be numbered in the order in which they are cited in the text with Arabic numerals and identified as a Figure or Table.

Each Figure and Table included in the manuscript must be referred to in the text; e.g. An abnormal immune response can be at the source of the symptoms of the disease (Fig. 2). It is associated with the other two lesions (Table 1).

Figure: When referred to in the text is abbreviated as Fig., while Table is not abbreviated. In captions, both words are written unabbreviated.

Each Table and Figure should be accompanied by a corresponding succinct and clear caption. Captions should be self-explanatory (without the need to resort to the text).

Graphics should be clear as to whether the information includes individual values, averages or medians, if there is representation of the standard deviation and confidence intervals and sample size (n).

Photographs must include identifiers (arrows and asterisks). Color photographs may be published, if considered essential.

Each Table should be used to show the results, showing individual lists or summarizing data, but it must not constitute a duplication of the results described in the text. It must be accompanied by a short but clear and informative title. The units of measurement used should be indicated (in parentheses below the heading of each category) and the numbers must be reduced to decimals of clinical significance.

Footnotes in the Tables, letters (a, b, c, d, etc.) must be used, not symbols.

If patient photographs are used, they must not be identifiable, or their pictures must be accompanied by written permission for use.

The color illustrations are reproduced at no extra cost.

General principles:

• Number the illustrations according to their sequence in the text.
• Provide the captions of illustrations separately.
• Scale the illustrations to near the desired dimensions of the published version.
• Send each illustration in a separate file.

Inclusion of the previously published figures and/or tables requires the authorization of the copyright holder (author or editor).

The submission must be made separately from the text in accordance with the instructions in the platform.

The figure files must be provided in high resolution, 800 dpi for graphics and 300 dpi for photographs.

The color illustrations are published at no extra cost. Image files should be delivered in one of the following formats:

• JPEG (.jpg)
• Portable Document Format (.pdf)
• PowerPoint (.pptx)
• TIFF (.tif)

All previously published and copyrighted material, including illustrations (figures and tables), must be accompanied by the written permission of the copyright owner, and will have to present it in the submission.

Multimedia Files

The multimedia files must be sent in a separate file with the manuscript. The multimedia material must follow the quality standards of production for publication with no need of any modification or editing. Acceptable files include: MPEG, AVI or QuickTime formats.

Appendices

Appendices should be used to submit long or detailed surveys, extensive mathematical calculations and/or item lists. They should be placed after the reference list, if necessary, with captions. Long appendices, such as algorithms, protocols and research will be published online only; the URL will be provided in the printed manuscript where the attachment is quoted. If more than one appendix is present, they should be identified as A, B, etc. Formulas and equations in appendices must be numbered separately: Eq. (A.1), Eq. (A.2), etc.; the next appendix should be named, Eq. (B.1) and so on. Similarly, for tables and figures, they should be named: Table A. 1; Fig. A. 1, etc.

Style

The Oftlamologia follows AMA Manual of Style (10th Edition) and the ICMJE Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals (http://icmje.org/recommendations)

10. Supplement Publication Policy

Oftalmologia will consider the publication of sponsored supplements that interest its readers and demonstrate scientific validity. The content must be of sufficient informational value and quality to warrant a separate journal issue and must have a unifying theme.

Submission of a supplement from a symposium or conference must occur promptly; in general, supplements will not be published if the publication date is more than 12 months after the event. No more than 2 supplements per month will be published. Publication costs must be borne entirely by the sponsor(s).

Submission Proposal

A written proposal for the supplement must be submitted to the Editor-in-Chief for consideration. The proposal must contain:

• The Guest Editor's or Coordinator's name, affiliation, and contact information;
• Topic(s) to be covered by the supplement, with a preliminary table of contents;
• If the supplement is to be based on a conference or symposium, information on dates, venue, and financial supporter(s);
• An estimate of the total number of double-spaced manuscript pages;
• Sponsor(s) of the supplement.

Role of the Guest Editor

A Guest Editor is a subject expert who is responsible for the content of the supplement, ensuring the quality of each component manuscript and its contribution to a cohesive, coherent whole. The Guest Editor is responsible for ensuring that all manuscripts are in final form before submitting. The Guest Editor may elect to write an introductory piece, but each article must be able to stand on its own.

In the absence of a Guest Editor, the authors are fully responsible for ensuring that the articles are consistent with one another and that their manuscripts are in final form before submission. In such cases, a Coordinator is responsible for handling all submissions and facilitating communications between the authors and the editorial office.

Publication Process

Oftalmologia can provide information on the journal’s production schedule and can recommend deadlines for receipt of materials that allow enough time for review, revision, and reconsideration of the supplement manuscripts. However, any estimated publication date is a projection based on the information available at the outset. Meeting the publication date depends on timely submission, the nature of the review required, and the extent of mandatory revisions.

Ideally, a supplement based on a conference or symposium should be planned so that authors provide the manuscripts to the Guest Editor or Coordinator at the time of the meeting.

Manuscript Requirements

The manuscripts must be prepared and submitted according to standards governing regular journal content. All supplements will undergo an appropriate review of their contents. Manuscripts will almost invariably require revision; in addition, the Editor-in-Chief reserves the right to reject portions of the supplement or the entire supplement. The editorial office will contact the Guest Editor or Coordinator regarding the decision to accept, reject, or require additional revisions.

Once a supplement has been accepted, it is formally scheduled for publication; changes to the publication date at this stage cannot be accommodated.

Disclosure and Funding

The supplement must contain a statement indicating the source(s) of funding. Furthermore, the Guest Editor or Coordinator must state what, if any, financial relationship they may have with the sponsor of the supplement. Likewise, all authors should disclose what, if any, financial relationship they have with the sponsor of the supplement, or the manufacturer of any products (or competing products) discussed in their manuscripts.

Each manuscript must list any support received. If medical writer(s)/editor(s) have been involved, their role must be explicitly acknowledged, and their affiliation/source of funding must be listed. Additionally, if the sponsor has a financial interest in a product either directly or indirectly discussed in the manuscript, this relationship should be identified, along with the name of the product. Information about sponsorship and related products will be published with each article in the supplement.

Copyright

Articles published in the Oftalmologia supplement are subject to the same copyright restrictions that apply to articles published in regular journal issues.

 

11. Artificial Intelligence Positioning

The recommendations stipulated by the Committee on Publication Ethics regarding the use of artificial intelligence in scientific research writing will be strictly followed.

Authors:

• At the time of submission, authors must declare whether artificial intelligence (AI) – assisted technologies (such as Large Language Models [LLMs], chatbots, or image creators) have been used in the production of submitted work. Authors who use such technology should describe, in both the cover letter and the submitted work in the appropriate section if applicable, how they used it. For example, if AI was used for writing assistance, describe this in the Acknowledgment. If AI was used for data collection, analysis, or figure generation, authors should describe this use in the Methods.
• Chatbots (such as ChatGPT) should not be listed as authors because they cannot be responsible for the accuracy, integrity, and originality of the work, and these responsibilities are required for authorship. Therefore, humans are responsible for any submitted material that includes the use of AI-assisted technologies. Authors should carefully review and edit the result because AI can generate authoritative-sounding output that can be incorrect, incomplete, or biased.
• Authors should not list AI and AI-assisted technologies as an author or co-author, nor cite AI as an author. Authors should be able to assert that there is no plagiarism in their paper, including in text and images produced by the AI. Humans must ensure there is appropriate attribution of all quoted material, including full citations.

Reviewers:

• Reviewers who choose to use AI-assisted technologies to support the review process must declare their use to the editorial team and are responsible for ensuring that any AI-generated content incorporated into the review is accurate and unbiased.

March 2025

Click link to check table of article types.