Guidelines for Authors

TYPES OF ARTICLES

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: This category includes papers where the author presents empirical studies and for the first time describes the results of research work. Suggested length: about 3,500–5,500 words (excluding abstract, tables, figures, and references). ABSTRACT and TAKE HOME MESSAGE: required. Type of Abstract: structured (with headings).

THEORETICAL ARTICLE: They aim at developing new theories from existing research. Suggested length: about 3,500–5,500  words (excluding abstract, tables, figures, and references). ABSTRACT and TAKE HOME MESSAGE: required. Type of Abstract: structured (with headings).

COMMENTARY:This category includes commentaries that discuss a specific article recently published in Journal HSS or elswhere. Key statements and assertions should be supported with evidence. Suggested length: about 2,500–3,500 words (excluding any tables, figures, and references). ABSTRACT and TAKE HOME MESSAGE: required. Type of Abstract: unstructured (without headings).

VIEWPOINT: Viewpoints are opinion-based essays that describe the perspectives of an author(s) on significant issues in an insightful way. Suggested length: about 1,500–2,500 words. ABSTRACT and TAKE HOME MESSAGE: required. Type of Abstract: unstructured (without headings).

REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS: Papers that fall under this category are narrative and systematic review or meta-analyses. Suggested length: about 3,500–5,500 words (excluding abstract, tables, figures, and references). ABSTRACT and TAKE HOME MESSAGE: required. Type of Abstract: structured (with headings).

CASE REPORT: Case Reports are also concise articles. Suggested length: about 1,000–1,500 words (excluding abstract, tables, figures, and references). ABSTRACT and TAKE HOME MESSAGE: required. Type of Abstract: unstructured (without headings).

TECHNICAL REPORT: Technical Reports are also concise articles; they provide a crisp summary of current issues related to the scientific aspects related to Journal HSS. Suggested length: about 1,000–1,500 words (excluding abstract, tables, figures, and references). ABSTRACT and TAKE HOME MESSAGE: required. Type of Abstract: unstructured (without headings).

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Letters to the Editor discuss articles published recently in Journal HSS. Most Letters to the Editor are 500–1,000 words. ABSTRACT and TAKE HOME MESSAGE: NOT required.

CLINICAL IMAGES: Most Clinical Images are up to 500 words. ABSTRACT and TAKE HOME MESSAGE: NOT required.

BOOK REVIEW: Most Book Reviews are 500-1000 words. ABSTRACT and TAKE HOME MESSAGE: NOT required.

Other type of contributions: We also accept Conference Announcements, News and Obituaries.
Except for commissioned pieces such as editorialsALL SUBMISSIONS will be published subject to double blind peer review.

 

ABSTRACT

Abstract should contain a maximum of 250-300 words, followed, below it, by up to five keywords or brief phrases to assist in indexing. (MeSH headings, whenever possible. Refer to: www.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/meshhome.html). The abstract should be structured with headings (for both original and review articles). It should include an introduction (outline of the problem), method of study, results and conclusions (significance of the research).

ARTICLE FORMAT

Please use this template for your paper submission: CABTI Template

TABLES

Kindly submit all tables in the text. Number tables consecutively in the order of their first citation in the text with Arabic numerals and supply a brief title for each. They should be understandable also without reference to the text and should be numbered in Arabic numerals in a consecutive and independent way according to their citation within the paper (e.g. Table 1). Tables should be prepared using Microsoft Word for Windows. Abbreviations should be reported in full in the legend. In the text and legend of the tables, authors must use, in the exact order, the following symbols: *, †, ‡, ¶, **, ††, ‡‡ …

FIGURES

Figures should be loaded as separate files. The following file formats are acceptable: JPEG, TIFF or EPS. A minimum resolution of 300 dpi is required. Figures should be numbered consecutively with arabic numerals and each figure should be accompanied by a legend only in the text of the manuscript. When referring to a Figure in the text, the word “Figure” is abbreviated as “Fig.”. It is spelled out completely in descriptive legends. Photographs, drawings, graphs, diagrams must have a minimum size of 10×15 cm. Figures will be printed in black and white or on greyscale. Colour figures will be printed in black and white, but will be visible in the original colour format in the electronic version of the printed article that will be available on the website of the journal. It is the author’s responsibility to ensure that colours printed in greyscale allow a clear reading of the image. If figures or graphs taken from other journals or books are intended to be published, the contributor must obtain prior written authorization to do so from the author and the publisher of such material. A copy of this authorization should be sent to the editorial board of the Journal and the source of the material used should be quoted in the article. Vectorial images (flow charts, schemes, and other non bitmap material) should be in Macromedia Freehand, Adobe Illustrator, Microsoft Power Point. Photographs must have a minimum resolution of 300 dpi, width 107 mm and presented in black and white.

Titles of the figures should be presented in the text of the manuscript (at the appropriate points) and contain a sufficient explanation of their object.

All image files for figures must be legible, and submitted in high-resolution TIFF or EPS format, according to the PMC’s Figure Graphic Formatting Guidelines.

ABBREVIATIONS

The first time an uncommon abbreviation appears it should be explained in parenthesis. For writing symbols, quantities and units of measurements refer to the International Systems of Units (SI) and the ISO Standards.

Acknowledgements and mention of any grants or other forms of financial support should appear at the end of the paper, before the list of references.

Publication Ethics

The rules presented below were developed on the basis of the recommendations of COPE, the Committee on Publication Ethics, which were included in the Core Practices.

Author Responsibilities

Reporting standards: authors reporting results of original research should present an accurate account of the work performed as well as an objective discussionof its significance. The underlying data should be represented accurately in the manuscript. The paper should contain sufficient details and references to permit others to replicate the work. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behaviour and are unacceptable.

Originality and Plagiarism: authors should ensure that they have written entirely original works, and if they have used the work and/or words of others, they should ensure that this has been appropriately cited or quoted.

Multiple, redundant or concurrent publications: in general, authors should not publish manuscripts describing essentially the same research in more than one journal or primary publication. Parallel submission of the same manuscript to more than one journal constitutes unethical publishing behaviour and is unacceptable.

Acknowledgement of sources: appropriate acknowledgement of the work of others must be given at all times. Authors should also cite publications that have been influential in determining the nature of the reported work.

Authorship of the manuscript: authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. All those who have made significant contributions should be listed as co-authors. Where there are others who have participated in certain substantive aspects of the research project, they should be named in the “Acknowledgements” section.

The corresponding author should ensure that all appropriate co-authors (according to the above definition) and no inappropriate co-authors are included in the author’s list of the manuscript, and that all co-authors have seen and approved of the final version of the paper and have agreed to its submission for publication.

Hazards and human or animal subjects: if the work involves chemicals, procedures or equipment that have any unusual hazards inherent in their use, the must clearly identify these in the manuscript.

Disclosure and conflicts of interest: it takes place when the author has a financial, commercial, legal, or professional relationship with other organizations whichcould influence his research. This is why all authors should disclose in their manuscript any financial or other substantive conflicts of interest that might be construed to influence the results or their interpretation in the manuscript. All sources of financial support for the project should be disclosed.

Fundamental errors in published works: when the discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in his/her own published work, it is the author’s obligation to promptly notify the journal’s editor or publisher and cooperate with them in order to either retract the paper or to publish an appropriate erratum.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

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). Perceptions of conflict of interest are as important as actual conflicts of interest.
Financial relationships (such as employment, consultancies, stock ownership or options, honoraria, patents, and paid expert testimony) are the most easily identifiable conflicts of interest and the most likely to undermine the credibility of the journal, the authors, and of science itself. However, conflicts can occur for other reasons, such as personal relationships or rivalries, academic competition, and intellectual beliefs. Authors should avoid entering in to agreements with study sponsors, both for-profit and non-profit, 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.

A conflict of interest is not in itself anti-ethical. Nevertheless, it must be publicly and openly acknowledged. Such acknowledgement shall have no bearing on the decision to publish.