Proposed policy, pending editorial approval. This text is a working draft and may change before the journal launches.
These guidelines are based on ICMJE recommendations, EQUATOR Network guidelines and COPE principles, adapted to pediatric surgery.
Manuscript types
Maximum length of the main text, excluding abstract, references, tables and figures. Limits are an editable proposal.
| Type | Words | Abstract | References | Figures and tables | Reporting guideline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Original article | 3000 | 250, structured | ≤ 40 | ≤ 6 | CONSORT / STROBE |
| Systematic review and meta-analysis | 4000 | 300, structured | ≤ 80 | ≤ 6 | PRISMA 2020 |
| Narrative review | 4000 | 250, unstructured | ≤ 80 | ≤ 5 | SANRA |
| Case report | 1500 | 150 | ≤ 15 | ≤ 4 | CARE |
| Case series | 2500 | 250, structured | ≤ 30 | ≤ 5 | PROCESS |
| Surgical technique | 2000 | 150 + video | ≤ 25 | ≤ 8 | — |
| Innovation in minimally invasive and robotic surgery | 2500 | 250, structured | ≤ 30 | ≤ 6 | IDEAL |
| Clinical or surgical image | 400 | None | ≤ 5 | ≤ 2 | — |
| Brief communication | 1500 | 150 | ≤ 15 | ≤ 2 | By design |
| Letter to the editor | 800 | None | ≤ 5 | ≤ 1 | — |
| Editorial (by invitation) | 800 | None | ≤ 10 | ≤ 1 | — |
Manuscript preparation
- FileManuscript in Word (DOCX), with numbered pages and lines.
- Title page (separate file)Title in Spanish and English, authors, institutions, corresponding author and ORCID of each author.
- AbstractStructured (introduction, methods, results, conclusions) when applicable, in both languages.
- Keywords3 to 6, in Spanish (DeCS) and English (MeSH).
- ReferencesVancouver style (ICMJE), numbered in order of appearance.
- Tables and figuresNumbered, cited in the text, with self-explanatory legends. High-resolution figures.
- ContributionsAuthor contribution statement following the CRediT taxonomy.
- Funding and conflictsFunding source and ICMJE conflict of interest form for each author.
- EthicsApproval by an ethics committee or justification for exemption, with approval number.
- ConsentsInformed consent from parents or guardians and assent from the child when applicable, especially for cases and images.
- DataData availability statement.
- Use of AIDisclosure of generative AI tools. AI cannot be listed as an author.
Reporting guidelines
Attach the checklist of the guideline that fits your design. More guidelines at equator-network.org.
| Study design | Guideline |
|---|---|
| Randomized clinical trials | CONSORT |
| Observational studies (cohort, case-control, cross-sectional) | STROBE |
| Systematic reviews and meta-analyses | PRISMA 2020 (+ registro PROSPERO) |
| Case reports | CARE |
| Surgical case series | PROCESS |
| Diagnostic accuracy | STARD |
| Animal research | ARRIVE 2.0 |
| Prediction models | TRIPOD |
| Trial protocols | SPIRIT |
| Qualitative research | COREQ / SRQR |
| Economic evaluations | CHEERS |
| Quality improvement | SQUIRE 2.0 |
| Clinical practice guidelines | AGREE II / RIGHT |
| Surgical innovation | IDEAL |
Languages
Full manuscripts are accepted in Spanish, English or both. Title, abstract and keywords must be provided in both languages. The journal does not publish machine translations without editorial validation.
Submitting the manuscript
Before submitting, read the publication ethics and the editorial process.