Submission Guidelines and Manuscript Preparation | Archives of Surgery and Clinical Research

Submission Package: Required Files

Upload the following files in the order listed. File separation supports double-blind review and accurate metadata capture for indexing and preservation.

File	Purpose	Notes
Title Page (separate file)	Holds author identities and disclosures; not shared with reviewers	Names, affiliations, corresponding author contact, ORCID iDs, CRediT roles, funding, conflicts, ethics approvals/registrations
Blinded Manuscript	Main text for review	Remove names/affiliations; redact self-identifying details; scrub file properties; include abstract, main text, references, tables/figure legends
Figures	High-quality visuals	Each figure as a separate file (TIFF/PNG; 300+ dpi photos; 600+ dpi line art; SVG/EPS for vector). Add concise, descriptive legends.
Tables	Editable data	Provide in the manuscript after references and/or as separate CSV/XLSX; avoid images of tables.
Supplementary Material	Reproducibility & transparency	Datasets (CSV), code (plain text with license), multimedia (MP4 + captions), search strategies (for PRISMA)
Checklists	Reporting standards	CONSORT, PRISMA, STROBE, ARRIVE, CARE, SQUIRE, and any study-type-specific forms
Cover Letter	Context for editors	Brief significance, scope fit, declarations (preprint DOI, prior dissemination), reviewer suggestions and exclusions

Tip: Keep a single ZIP archive containing the figures and supplementary items to streamline upload, but do upload the Title Page and Blinded Manuscript as separate files.

Manuscript Formatting

General layout

Text: 12-pt font, double-spaced, 2.5 cm margins, continuous line numbers encouraged.
Headings: use a consistent hierarchy (H1 not needed in main doc; begin with H2-level section headers).
File type: DOCX or RTF; LaTeX accepted (provide PDF and source files).
Language: clear, precise English; avoid jargon where possible and define abbreviations at first use.
Units: SI units (with conventional units in parentheses if useful).

Title page (separate)

Full title (≤20 words) and running title (≤60 characters).
Author names, degrees (optional), affiliations (department, institution, city, country).
Corresponding author email and telephone (for office use).
CRediT contributions; funding statement; conflicts of interest; trial registration; data availability statement location.

Blinded manuscript sections

Abstract: structured (Background/Methods/Results/Conclusions) for research; ≤300 words.
Keywords: 3–6 terms; prefer controlled vocabularies where applicable.
Main text: IMRaD or suitable schema; keep methods reproducible and results precise.
Ethics & consent: include statements (IRB/IACUC approvals, patient consent) within Methods.
Data Availability: repository links/DOIs or access conditions.
Acknowledgments: avoid identifying details at review stage.
References: numbered (Vancouver/AMA-like), DOIs as https://doi.org/…
Figure legends and tables after references or as separate files.

Double-blind reminder: Remove self-identifiers (“at our institution…”) where possible; cite your prior work in the third person.

Methods, Statistics & Reproducibility

Describe study design, setting, eligibility criteria, interventions/exposures, outcomes, and follow-up in sufficient detail to replicate.
Pre-specify primary/secondary outcomes; report sample size justification or power calculations where appropriate.
Report effect sizes with 95% confidence intervals alongside p-values; avoid “p<0.000” phrasing—use exact values (e.g., p=0.0003).
Describe handling of missing data, multiplicity, subgroup analyses, model assumptions, and software (name, version).
For randomized trials, include CONSORT flow diagram; for observational designs, align with STROBE.
Provide access to de-identified data/code when permitted; otherwise explain restrictions.

Figures, Tables & Multimedia

Figures

Submit separate files: TIFF/PNG at ≥300 dpi (photos) or ≥600 dpi (line art); vector preferred for diagrams (SVG/EPS).
Do not compress figures into DOCX; avoid JPEG artifacts; ensure fonts are embedded or outlines converted for vector art.
State any global adjustments (brightness/contrast) in legend; disclose splicing/boundaries where unavoidable.
Maintain patient privacy (mask faces/identifiers unless consent explicitly permits publication).
Use clear, color-blind-aware palettes; include scale bars and annotations for surgical steps.

Tables

Provide editable tables; avoid screenshots. Use concise titles and explanatory footnotes; identify denominators for percentages.
Align decimals; present units in headers; avoid vertical rules; limit significant figures to measurement precision.

Videos

Format: MP4 (H.264), 720p+; provide narrative captions; include on-screen step labels where helpful.
Confirm consent and anonymization; remove PHI from audio and video.

Citations & Reference List

Use a numbered citation style. Cite sources in order of first appearance; superscripts or bracketed numbers are acceptable. Ensure one-to-one correspondence between in-text citations and the reference list. Include DOIs wherever available in canonical https://doi.org/ format.

Examples

Article: Lastname AB, Lastname CD. Title. Archives of Surgery and Clinical Research. 2025;9(2):e123–e131. https://doi.org/xx.xxxx/xxxxx
Preprint: Lastname AB, Lastname CD. Title. medRxiv [preprint]. 2025. https://doi.org/xx.xxxx/xxxxx
Dataset: Lastname AB. Title [dataset]. Repository; 2024. https://doi.org/xx.xxxx/xxxxx
Software: Project Name v1.2.0 [software]. 2025. Available at: URL or DOI

Ethics, Consent & Transparency

Identify approving human research ethics committees and protocol numbers; state informed consent procedures.
Register interventional trials before first participant enrollment and include registry/ID in the manuscript and title page.
For animal research, provide protocol approvals and humane endpoints; describe measures to minimize pain/distress.
Declare conflicts of interest and funding sources; describe the funder’s role.
Include a Data Availability Statement; cite datasets/code with DOIs where possible.
Disclose preprints or prior dissemination (theses, conference abstracts) transparently.

Integrity checks: Submissions undergo similarity screening and may undergo image/data integrity checks. Retain raw data and unprocessed images for verification.

File Naming & Metadata

Consistent file names help prevent errors in production and archiving. Use short, descriptive names with no spaces; prefer hyphens.

Item	Example file name	Notes
Title page	ascr-2025-lee-title-page.docx	No author info in blinded manuscript file names
Blinded manuscript	ascr-2025-manuscript-blinded.docx	Scrub author metadata from file properties
Figure 1 (photo)	ascr-fig1-intraop-photo-300dpi.tif	State dpi and type when helpful
Figure 2 (diagram)	ascr-fig2-flowchart.svg	Vector preferred
Table 1	ascr-table1-baseline.xlsx	Submit as editable file or within manuscript
Supplemental video	ascr-video1-procedure.mp4	Provide caption file if possible (VTT/SRT)
Checklist	ascr-consort-checklist.pdf	Attach flow diagram as separate figure

Online Submission Workflow

Create/Sign in to your account; add your ORCID iD and affiliation info.
Start new submission: choose article type; confirm scope and ethical compliance.
Enter metadata: title, abstract, keywords, author list (names, affiliations, ORCID), funding, conflicts, trial registration.
Upload files following the order in “Submission Package”. Ensure the Title Page and Blinded Manuscript are separate.
Suggest reviewers (optional) and list non-preferred reviewers with reasons.
Confirm license & policies: CC BY 4.0, originality, data availability, repository permissions (VoR/AAM).
Final review: preview PDF, verify figure/table order, and submit.
Post-submission: you’ll receive a confirmation email and manuscript ID. Track status via your dashboard.

What happens next?

Initial editorial screening (scope, integrity, and policy checks).
Assignment to handling editor and double-blind external review (≥2 reviewers).
Decision: Accept / Minor revision / Major revision / Reject. Revisions require a tracked-changes file and a response-to-reviewers letter.
Post-acceptance production: copyediting, typesetting, author proofs, DOI registration, publication.

Templates & Exemplars

Structured abstract template (research)

Background: State the clinical problem and knowledge gap. Methods: Design, setting, participants, interventions/exposures, outcomes, statistics. Results: Key numbers with effect sizes and 95% CIs; avoid interpretation here. Conclusions: Clear, balanced statement of what the results mean and their implications.

Cover letter template

Dear Editors,

Cover letter template

Dear Editors,

Response-to-reviewers template

We thank the reviewers for their insightful comments. Below we respond point-by-point (R# = Reviewer number).

Response-to-reviewers template

We thank the reviewers for their insightful comments. Below we respond point-by-point (R# = Reviewer number).

Can I deposit the accepted manuscript or VoR in a repository?

Yes. You may deposit the AAM on acceptance and the VoR on publication with the citation, DOI, and CC BY notice. See the Repository Policy.

How do I handle patient images?

Obtain explicit consent for publication; ensure robust de-identification. If full anonymity is impossible, the consent must state that identifiable images may appear.

What if I need to withdraw my submission?

Contact the editorial office with your manuscript ID and reason. Stage-based administrative fees may apply depending on editorial progress; see the Withdrawal Policy.

What style should I use for references?

Numbered (Vancouver/AMA-like) with DOIs where available. Ensure consistency and completeness.

Are there APCs?

APCs apply only to accepted manuscripts. Waivers/discounts may be available; see APCs and Waiver Policy pages.

Contact

Submission and formatting queries: [email protected] · Technical support: [email protected]