Guide for Authors

This guide provides essential information for authors preparing manuscripts for submission to the journal. Authors are encouraged to read this guide carefully before submission and to consult the journal's Aims and Scope, Article Types, Open Access and Fees, and Journal Policies pages where applicable.

The journal publishes scholarly work in perioperative medicine, including anesthesiology, perioperative care, surgical patient safety, critical care, pain medicine, airway management, perioperative monitoring, enhanced recovery, perioperative inflammation and immunity, perioperative complications, translational perioperative science and related interdisciplinary fields.

Manuscripts that do not meet the journal’s requirements may be returned for correction before editorial assessment or peer review. Submission of a manuscript does not guarantee external peer review or acceptance.

Before submitting a manuscript, authors should ensure that the work is suitable for the journal and that all required materials are prepared.

Authors should:

• read the journal’s Aims and Scope to confirm that the manuscript fits the journal's academic focus and target readership;

• select the appropriate article type and follow the relevant requirements for structure, word limits, references, tables, figures and supplementary materials;

• ensure that the manuscript is original, has not been formally published previously and is not under consideration by another journal;

• obtain approval from all authors for the submitted version;

• ensure that authorship, author order and corresponding author details have been agreed by all authors before submission;

• prepare all required statements, including ethics approval, informed consent, author contributions, competing interests, funding, data availability, clinical trial registration and AI-use statements where applicable;

• follow appropriate reporting guidelines according to the study design;

• obtain permission for any third-party material, including figures, tables, images, videos, substantial text or adapted content reproduced from other sources;
  

• review the journal's policies on peer review, publication ethics, authorship, research ethics, data availability, use of AI, copyright, licensing and post-publication updates.

Authors who are unsure whether their manuscript is suitable for the journal may contact the Editorial Office with a pre-submission inquiry. A pre-submission inquiry should include the manuscript title, author list, abstract and a brief explanation of the manuscript’s relevance to the journal. A positive response to a pre-submission inquiry does not guarantee peer review or acceptance.

Preprints

The journal considers manuscripts that have been posted on recognized preprint servers, provided that the work has not been formally published and is not under consideration by another journal at the same time.

Authors must disclose any preprint at submission and provide the preprint server name, DOI or link where applicable. If the manuscript is accepted, authors are encouraged to update the preprint record with a citation and link to the final published article.

Online Submission

Manuscripts must be submitted through the journal’s online submission system. Authors should create a user account, log in and submit the manuscript following the instructions in the system. Submissions sent by email are generally not considered unless specifically requested by the Editorial Office.

The maximum file size for individual uploaded files is 50 MB, unless otherwise specified by the submission system.

The journal considers several types of manuscripts. Authors should select the article type that best matches the purpose, design and scope of their work.

Detailed requirements for each article type, including word limits, abstract format, reference limits, figure and table limits and required sections, are provided on the Article Types page.

Common article types may include:

Original Research Article

Reports original research findings based on experimental, clinical, translational, epidemiological, public health, methodological or other scholarly research. Original Research Articles should generally include Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion sections.

Review Article

Provides a comprehensive, balanced and critical overview of a defined topic. Review Articles should synthesize current evidence, identify knowledge gaps and discuss future directions.

Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Presents a systematic search, selection, appraisal and synthesis of existing evidence. Authors should follow appropriate reporting guidelines, such as PRISMA, and provide protocol registration information where applicable.

Brief Report / Short Communication

Reports concise but significant findings that may not require a full-length article. These submissions should present clear methods, focused results and a well-supported conclusion.

Case Report / Case Series

Describes clinically or scientifically important cases with educational, diagnostic, therapeutic or mechanistic relevance. Written informed consent must be obtained when identifiable patient information is included.

Guideline / Consensus

Provides evidence-based or expert consensus recommendations on a specific topic. The methodology for evidence review, consensus development and recommendation grading should be clearly described.

Editorial / Commentary / Perspective

Presents expert opinion, critical discussion or interpretation of current issues in the field. These article types are usually commissioned, but unsolicited submissions may be considered at the editors’ discretion.

Letter to the Editor

Provides brief comments on articles published in the journal or concise observations of interest to readers.

Manuscripts should be prepared clearly, concisely and consistently. Authors should write for an international scholarly audience and avoid unnecessary jargon, unsupported claims or excessive technical detail that is not essential to understanding the work.

File Format

Manuscripts should be submitted in an editable format, such as Microsoft Word. LaTeX files may be accepted where appropriate. Figures, tables and supplementary materials should be prepared according to the journal’s file and formatting requirements.

Title Page

The title page should include:

• manuscript title;

• full names of all authors;

• author affiliations;

• corresponding author name, email address and full contact details;

• ORCID iDs, where available;

• equal contribution or co-corresponding author notes, where applicable;

• short running title, if required;

• word count, number of figures, number of tables and number of supplementary files, if requested.

Abstract and Keywords

The abstract should accurately summarize the purpose, methods, main findings and conclusions of the manuscript. Original Research Articles and clinical studies should generally use a structured abstract where required by the article type.

Authors should provide keywords that are specific, searchable and relevant to the manuscript. Medical subject headings or other standardized terms may be used where appropriate.

Main Text

Original Research Articles should generally include:

• Introduction;

• Methods;

• Results;

• Discussion;

• Conclusions, where appropriate.

The Methods section should provide sufficient detail to allow the work to be evaluated and, where applicable, reproduced. Statistical methods, software, study design, participant selection, experimental procedures and analysis plans should be described clearly.

The Results section should present findings in a logical order, supported by appropriate tables, figures and statistical information. The Discussion should interpret the findings in the context of existing evidence, acknowledge limitations and avoid overstating conclusions.

Tables and Figures

Tables and figures should be numbered consecutively in the order in which they are cited in the text. Each table and figure should have a clear title and legend.

Figures should be of sufficient resolution for peer review and publication. Authors should avoid image manipulation that could misrepresent the data. Adjustments to brightness, contrast or color balance must not obscure, eliminate or misrepresent information.

Where figures or tables are reproduced or adapted from another source, authors must obtain appropriate permission and provide proper attribution.

Clinical Images, Videos and Monitoring Data

Clinical images, videos, intraoperative photographs, airway images, ultrasound images, monitoring screenshots, anesthesia records, ICU data or other perioperative materials should be anonymized before submission. Written consent for publication is required when any patient, participant or case detail may be identifiable.

Supplementary Materials

Supplementary materials should be directly relevant to the manuscript and should support, but not replace, the main text. Supplementary files may include extended methods, additional tables, figures, datasets, checklists, protocols, statistical analysis plans, videos, code or other supporting information.

References

References should be accurate, complete and relevant. Authors are responsible for checking all references before submission. References may be formatted according to the journal’s reference style, or in any clear and consistent style at initial submission if the journal permits format-free submission. Final accepted manuscripts may be required to conform to the journal’s reference style.

Authors should avoid inappropriate citation practices, including excessive self-citation, citation manipulation or citation of unreliable sources.

Language and Style

Manuscripts should be written in clear English. Authors who are not fluent in English may consider professional language editing before submission. Language editing does not guarantee editorial review or acceptance.

Authors should follow appropriate reporting guidelines according to study design and should submit completed checklists where required.

Relevant guidelines may include:

• CONSORT for randomized trials;

• SPIRIT for clinical trial protocols;

• PRISMA for systematic reviews and meta-analyses;

• STROBE for observational studies;

• STARD for diagnostic accuracy studies;

• TRIPOD or TRIPOD+AI for prediction model studies;

• CARE for case reports;

• ARRIVE for animal studies;

• TIDieR for intervention description;

• SQUIRE for quality improvement studies;

• CONSORT-AI or SPIRIT-AI for clinical studies involving AI components, where applicable.

Authors should consult the EQUATOR Network to identify the most appropriate reporting guideline for their study design.

Perioperative and Clinical Research

For studies involving anesthesia, analgesia, airway management, surgery, perioperative monitoring, critical care, enhanced recovery, perioperative devices or clinical pathways, authors should describe the clinical setting and intervention in sufficient detail.

Where applicable, authors should report:

• surgical or procedural context;

• anesthesia technique and relevant perioperative management;

• airway management approach;

• analgesic strategy;

• monitoring methods and parameters;

• perioperative medications, fluids, transfusion or hemodynamic management;

• patient risk stratification and comorbidities;

• perioperative complications and adverse events;

• postoperative outcomes and follow-up duration;

• operator or center experience where relevant;

• protocol deviations and missing data.

Clinical Trial Registration and Data Sharing

Clinical trials should be registered in a publicly accessible registry before participant recruitment begins. The registry name and registration number should be provided in the manuscript.

Manuscripts reporting clinical trials should include a data sharing statement where required by applicable standards or journal policy. The statement should indicate whether de-identified individual participant data will be shared, what data will be shared, whether related documents such as the study protocol or statistical analysis plan will be available, when and for how long data will be available, and the conditions for access.

Authors must include all statements required by the journal and applicable policies. These statements should usually appear in the manuscript file, title page, acknowledgements section or submission system, according to the journal’s instructions.

Required statements may include:

Ethics Approval

Studies involving human participants, human data, human tissue or animals must include the name of the ethics committee or institutional review board, approval number or reference, and any relevant exemption information.

Informed Consent

For studies involving human participants, authors should state whether informed consent was obtained. For case reports, clinical images or any identifiable patient information, written informed consent for publication must be obtained.

Clinical Trial Registration

Clinical trials should be registered in a publicly accessible registry, preferably before participant recruitment begins. The registry name and registration number should be provided in the manuscript.

Author Contributions

Authors should describe each author’s contribution to the work. The journal encourages use of the CRediT taxonomy where appropriate.

Competing Interests

All authors must disclose any financial or non-financial competing interests. If there are no competing interests, authors should state this explicitly.

Funding

Authors should disclose all funding sources and grant numbers. The role of the funder in study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation and the decision to submit should be stated. If the work received no specific funding, this should also be declared.

Data Availability

Authors should include a Data Availability Statement describing where the data supporting the findings can be accessed, or explaining why data cannot be shared.

Use of AI and AI-assisted Technologies

AI tools and large language models cannot be listed as authors. Authors remain responsible for all submitted content. Any use of generative AI or AI-assisted technologies beyond basic language editing should be disclosed according to the journal’s AI policy.

Acknowledgements

Individuals or organizations that contributed to the work but do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged with their permission.

Before submitting a manuscript, authors should ensure that the following items are complete:

• the manuscript fits the journal’s Aims and Scope;
• the correct article type has been selected;
• the manuscript follows the relevant structure and formatting requirements;
• the title page includes complete author, affiliation and corresponding author information;
• all authors have approved the submitted version;
• authorship, author order and corresponding author details have been confirmed;
• the abstract and keywords are included;
• all tables and figures are cited in the text and uploaded in the required format;
• figure legends and table titles are complete;
• supplementary materials are cited and uploaded where applicable;
• references are accurate and complete;
• ethics approval, informed consent and trial registration information are provided where applicable;
• author contributions, competing interests, funding and data availability statements are included;
• AI-use disclosure is included where applicable;
• reporting checklists and flow diagrams are uploaded for relevant study types;
• permission has been obtained for third-party material;
• the cover letter has been prepared;
• all required files have been uploaded to the submission system.

Manuscripts should be submitted through the journal’s online submission system. Submissions sent by email are generally not considered unless specifically requested by the Editorial Office.

During submission, authors may be asked to provide:

• manuscript title and abstract;

• author names, affiliations and email addresses;

• corresponding author details;

• article type;

• keywords;

• manuscript file;

• figures, tables and supplementary files;

• required statements and declarations;

• reporting checklists;

• suggested or opposed reviewers, where permitted;

• funding and conflict of interest information.

Authors should disclose any related manuscripts, previous submissions, preprints or overlapping work.

After submission, the corresponding author will receive confirmation from the submission system. The Editorial Office may contact the corresponding author if required information is missing or if files need correction before editorial assessment.

If revision is invited, authors should submit the revised manuscript after careful revision. Extensions may be requested from the Editorial Office where necessary.

A revised submission should usually include:

• a clean version of the revised manuscript;

• a marked-up or tracked-changes version showing revisions;

• a detailed point-by-point response to all editor and reviewer comments;

• revised figures, tables or supplementary materials, where applicable;

• updated declarations or statements, if any changes have been made.

• Authors should respond to each comment respectfully and clearly. Where authors disagree with a reviewer or editor comment, they should provide a reasoned explanation supported by evidence where appropriate.

Submission of a revised manuscript does not guarantee acceptance. Revised manuscripts may be returned to reviewers, assessed by the editors, or declined if concerns have not been adequately addressed.

After acceptance, authors may be required to complete a publishing agreement, confirm copyright and licensing arrangements, select open access options where applicable, and pay any applicable publication charges.

The corresponding author will receive proofs for review before publication. Proof corrections should be limited to typographical errors, formatting issues and factual corrections. Substantial changes to the content, authorship, data or conclusions after acceptance may require editorial approval.

Accepted articles may be published online before assignment to an issue, where applicable. The final published article will be assigned a DOI.

After publication, authors may share their article according to the journal’s article sharing and self-archiving policies. Requests for corrections, retractions or other post-publication updates will be handled according to the journal's relevant policies.