Policies

When authors submit a manuscript of any type or format they are responsible for disclosing all relationships and activities that might bias or be seen to bias their work.

This can be done by completing the ICMJE Disclosure form which can be downloaded from http://www.icmje.org/disclosure-of-interest.

This completed form MUST be included with your submission. Please contact the editorial office if you have any problems downloading the form

Following the initial review by the Editor in Chief a manuscript may be rejected and a reason for this will be provided straight away. Otherwise, manuscripts that fit peer review criteria (listed below) are sent out to at least two reviewers before publication.

We provide reviewers with 10 top tips for guidance, along with a proforma to complete and submit with their response. We also refer them to the COPE Ethical Guidelines for peer review, which provides information on how to be objective and constructive in their review.

We encourage authors to suggest referees. Names and contact details can be provided within the introductory correspondence to the Editor. The journal reserves the right to not use the recommendations.

We aim to return a decision to the author within 4 weeks from receipt of their manuscript. The author may be sent the completed proforma with a request to address and resubmit before acceptance can be made.

The following types of contribution to JVSGBI are peer-reviewed:

• Original research papers
• Clinical trials
• Reviews (including systematic reviews and meta-analyses)
• Cohort Study
• Clinical case reports
• Debate/commentary article

News items, conference reports, editorials, Q&A and letters are not externally peer reviewed.

Following final acceptance, the manuscript will be sent for copy editing and typesetting. A PDF proof of the manuscript will be sent to the corresponding author for approval, along with an author query form (minimal amends can be made at this time).

A Consent to Publish and Transfer of Copyright form will also be sent which must be completed and signed by the corresponding author on behalf of all authors of the paper.  The article will not be published online or in print without signed consent

Once in receipt of author approval, the article will be reviewed by the Editor in Chief and, if everything is in order, the article will be published online.  It will then be at the discretion of the Editor in Chief if it becomes part of an online issue and / or printed issue.