Submissions

These guidelines include information on:

• Submissions
• Review process
• Manuscript categories
• Manuscript preparation

 

SUBMISSIONS

The editorial team of the Australasian Journal of Plastic Surgery invites authors from any country to submit articles for publication on any aspect of plastic surgery. All manuscripts submitted to the journal are screened by the editors-in-chief. Manuscripts are immediately rejected if they do not follow the AJOPS author guidelines, are not in line with the aims of the journal, or are well short of the standard required for publication. 

In assessing a manuscript for publication reviewers consider the originality, educational value and validity of the submission. Recommendations regarding revisions or corrections may be offered to help authors re-write their submission. If revisions are required, authors are given four weeks to re-submit their work. Depending on the reviewers’ recommendation, revised submissions may be accepted for publication or undergo a further round of review.

As part of the submission process, authors are required to check the compliance of their submission with all of the following items. Please note:

• Manuscripts sent by post will not be accepted.
• Authors who plagiarise will be banned from the journal and reported to their host institution. 

Requirements

• Manuscripts should be submitted electronically, in Microsoft Word format (.doc or .docx ).
• Submissions should be uploaded with a separate title page containing all identifying information.
• Main text files should have all identifying information removed (this includes file names, document properties, references to own publications, acknowledgements and declarations of financial support or relationships that may pose conflict of interest (these can be added later if the manuscript is accepted)
• Submissions may be returned to authors that do not adhere to these guidelines.

Download the AJOPS Submissions preparation checklist here.

Manuscript format and style

The journal complies with the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors' (ICMJE) Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals: Writing and Editing for Biomedical Publication. Authors are responsible for the accuracy of their work, including all statistical calculations and drug doses.

Submissions must conform to acceptable English usage. The text must be clear, logical and concise. Authors for whom English is a second language may choose to have their manuscript professionally edited before submission (paid for and arranged by the author). 

General formatting requirements:

• manuscripts must conform to requirements and word length set out for manuscript category
• text should be single-spaced
• pages should be consecutively numbered, with the number placed in the top right-hand corner of each page

General style requirements:

• authors should refer to the Macquarie Dictionary for spelling and usage
• all measurements must be given in SI units (excepting blood pressures, which should be given in mmHg). Please go to the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM) websitefor more information about SI units.
• numbers under 10 are spelt out, except for measurements with a unit (8mmol/l), age (6 weeks old), or lists with other numbers (11 dogs, 9 cats, 4 gerbils).
• Abbreviations should only be used to reduce repetition of long, technical terms.
• Abbreviations should be avoided in Editorials and Perspectives.
• Abbreviations should not to be used in article titles.
• Use generic names for chemical substances and materials wherever possible
• For trade names for specific materials, software, equipment and proprietary drugs the name and address of the manufacturer must be given in parentheses.

For more detailed information, please read the AJOPS Style guidelines

Submission forms

AJOPS Patient consent form

ICMJE Conflict of Interest Form

 

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REVIEW PROCESS

The journal reviews all manuscripts submitted. Manuscripts are reviewed for publication on the basis that the contents have not been submitted simultaneously to another journal, have not been accepted for publication elsewhere, and have not already been published.

For original articles, review articles and case reports, the journal uses double-blind peer review process. In this process, all identifying information is removed from the submission so that authors and reviewers remain anonymous to each other.

Editorials, letters to the editor, media reviews, perspectives, how to guides, practical non-clinical skills for surgeons, video content and features written by the journal’s own editorial staff do not undergo external peer review. Articles reporting original research conducted by journal editors are independently peer reviewed.

As reviewers assist in their own time, without remuneration, authors can greatly assist the process by submitting correctly formatted contributions in accordance with the following guidelines.

For more information, please read the AJOPS guidelines for reviewers here.

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MANUSCRIPT CATEGORIES

Original articles

Full-length reports of current research in either basic or clinical science.

• Word limit: 4,000 words maximum including abstract, references and figures/tables
• Abstract: 250 words maximum
• Subheadings: include subheadings for Abstract, Backgrounds, Methods, Results, Conclusion
• References: No limit
• Figures/tables: Each counts as 250 words; maximum 8 in total

Review articles

Reviews are comprehensive analyses of specific topics. They are usually submitted upon invitation by the editors. Both solicited and unsolicited review articles will undergo peer review prior to acceptance.

Systematic reviews:

• Word limit: 4,800 words maximum including abstract, references and figures/tables
• Abstract: 250 words maximum
• Subheadings: include subheadings for Abstract, Backgrounds, Methods, Results, Conclusion
• References: No limit
• Figure/tables: Each counts as 250 words; maximum 8 in total

Narrative reviews:

• Word limit: 4,800 words maximum including abstract, references and figures/tables
• Abstract: 250 words maximum; no subheadings required
• References: No limit.
• Figure/tables: Each counts as 250 words; Maximum 8 in total

Case reports

Case reports are peer-reviewed. They describe interesting or unusual cases and provide clinical insight into patient care. The generally accepted format for a case report includes a title, abstract, introduction/background, case presentation, discussion, conclusions and references. Include three-five key words.

• Word limit: 900-1000 words maximum
• Abstracts: not required
• References: 10 maximum
• Figures/tables: 3 maximum; these do not contribute to the word count

Editorials

Editorials are commissioned by the editors-in-chief from members of the editorial team and occasionally by invitation.

• Word limit: 800-1,000 words words maximum
• Abstract: no abstract required
• References: No limit
• Figures/tables: 1 maximum; this does not contribute to the word count

Letters to the editor

Letters may be submitted to the editors-in-chief on any topic, including case reports, but letters commenting on articles published in recent issues of the journal are most welcome. Letters must offer perspective to content published in the journal or information critical to a certain area. A letter must reference the original source, and a response to a letter must reference the letter in the first few paragraphs. Letters can use an arbitrary title but a response must cite the title of the letter to ensure that readers can track the line of discussion.

• Word limit: 300 words maximum
• Abstract: not required
• References: 4 maximum
• Figures/tables: 1 maximum; this does not contribute to the word count.

Perspectives

Perspectives are welcome on any topic. They can be overview statements, personal views, or studies based on surveys. Perspectives should contain a tight linear argument and be more than just a mini-review. Perspectives are evaluated by the Editors-in-Chief and may not be subjected to peer review. Strict on word count – should be no more than 1,200 words.

• Word limit: 1,000 words maximum including references and figures/tables; no headings required
• Abstract: no abstract required
• References: No limit
• Figures/tables: No limit but each counts as 250 words

How to do it

How to do it articles should be focused descriptions of key aspects of operative technique. The title of the article should start with ‘How to do…’ eg ‘How to do Rhinoplasty’. 

• Word limit: 550-600 words
• Abstract: not required
• References: up to 6 references
• Illustrations: 1 illustration

Supplementary material (to go on the website):

• Word limit: 5,000 words
• Abstract: not required
• References: up to 30 references
• Videos: up to 10Mb maximum; QuickTime, MPEG, and AVI formats accepted.

Media review

Media reviews may be submitted to the editors-in-chief about any material of interest to surgeons that appears in either print or digital format. Book reviews are often commissioned by the editors.

• Word limit: 600 words maximum including figures/tables; no headings required
• Abstracts: Not required
• References: up to 10 if required.
• Figures/Tables: No limit but each counts as 250 words

Practical non-clinical skills for surgeons

• Word limit: 4,000 words maximum including references
• Abstract: No abstract required
• References: No limit
• Figures/tables: 1-2 maximum; these do not contribute to the word count.

Images for surgeons

Images for surgeons should contain a brief case report followed by a discussion. Images for surgeons are evaluated by the editors-in-chief and may not be subjected to peer review. 

• Word limit: 750 words maximum
• Abstracts: not required
• References: 10 maximum
• Figures/tables: 3 maximum; these do not contribute to the word count.

Download a summary of AJOPS Manuscript categories and length here.

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MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION

This section includes information on:

• Manuscript parts
• Title page
• Abstract and keywords
• References
• Tables
• Figures
• Statistics
• Qualitative research
• Supporting information.

Manuscript parts

The length of manuscripts should adhere to the guidelines outlined for each type in the Manuscript categories section. For original articles and review articles, submissions should include a separate title page file and a main text file. Figures, tables, illustrations, and other (if any) supporting information should be supplied separately. Footnotes to the text are not allowed and any such material should be incorporated into the text as parenthetical matter.

Title page

The title is a concise label that allows readers to scan for relevance. The nature of the research must be clearly signposted. Strive for an interesting title that is also an accurate label. Avoid the use of abbreviations.

Title pages should be uploaded separately to ensure anonymity during the peer review process.

The title page should include the following:

• full title - no more than 80 characters, including spaces
• short title - no more than 40 characters, including spaces
• full names of the authors - followed by up to two qualifications (eg MD, PhD, MBBS) and institutional affiliations
• whether the corresponding author is a recipient of a research scholarship
• corresponding author’s full name, email, postal addresses and telephone numbers
• whether the paper is based on a previous communication to a society or meeting
• number of figures and tables included
• word count each for the abstract, text, and references
• five key words to index the content of manuscripts selected from the US National Library of Medicine's Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) browser list
• copyright licence information.
• Any acknowledgements and disclosure statements (these can later be added to the main manuscript file if the submission is accepted).

Abstract and keywords

Five key words are required to index the content of articles. They should be selected from the US National Library of Medicine's Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) browser list.

References

The journal uses the Vancouver referencing style, that is, references are numbered sequentially as they occur in the text and ordered numerically in the reference list.

• References should be cited using superscript Arabic numerals.
• Number references in their order of appearance.
• References first cited in tables or figure legends must be numbered so that they will be in sequence with references in the text.
• List all authors.

Authors are responsible for the accuracy of references. For the purpose of double-blind peer review, avoid citing personal communications and abstracts.

Please refer to the AJOPS style guidelines for more information.

Figures

All illustrations (line drawings and photographs) are classified as figures. Each figure should be supplied as a separate file, with the figure number incorporated in the file name. Figures should be accompanied by confirmation of permission to use the image from the copyright holder (plus any payment, if required). Figures should not be embedded in the text.

• Figures should be cited in consecutive order in the text using Arabic numerals
• All figures should be in colour (the journal accepts colour illustrations and photographs free of charge)
• All figures should be high-resolution (at least 300 dpi) saved as .eps or .jpg files
• All figures must be complete with legends.

Figure legends

Legends must be submitted for all figures, and should be included at the end of the text. They should be self-explanatory and incorporate definitions of symbols. Abbreviations and units of measurement should be explained so that the figure and its legend are understandable without reference to the text. Identify statistical measures of variation, such as standard deviation and standard error of the mean.

Tables

Titles of tables should be cited consecutively in the text and should be numbered using Arabic numerals. All tables should be presented on a separate page at the end of the main document file, with a comprehensive but concise legend above the table.

• Tables should be self-contained and complement, but not duplicate, information contained in the text.
• Tables should be double-spaced, and should not contain internal lines.
• Each data point must be contained within a unique cell.
• Column headings should be brief, with units of measurement in parentheses.
• All abbreviations should be defined in footnotes.
• For footnotes, use the following symbols, in sequence: †, ‡, §, ||, ¶, ††, ‡‡ (*, **, *** should be reserved for P values).
• Identify statistical measures of variation, such as standard deviation and standard error of the mean.

Statistics

Document the specific objectives of the study and identify the main endpoints. Explain and justify how the sample size was determined in experiments, clinical trials, case-control studies and cohort studies.

Report results to a level of precision commensurate with their scientific or clinical relevance. For example, report mean blood pressure without decimal places. Avoid over-precision by restricting the use of decimal places. Provide the numbers in the numerator and denominator when stating a percentage.

Describe the central tendency and dispersion of continuous measurements. Use the mean (standard deviation) for measurements that approximate the normal distribution; and, only use the mean (standard error of the mean) when estimating the precision of the observed mean. For other continuous measurements use the median value and percentiles – such as the inter-quartile range and the absolute range. Avoid any ambiguity about the numbers of observations.

Describe the analyses in enough detail to enable readers with access to the original data to verify the results. Ensure that the data satisfy the assumptions of the chosen statistical tests. Provide references for techniques not in common usage and include a brief explanation. Document the name and source of any commercial statistical computer packages that were used to calculate the results.

Appreciate that statistical significance tests show whether or not an effect could be due to chance and do not indicate the biological or clinical importance of any observed differences. Comment on the magnitude of the chief differences between the groups. Declare the level of statistical significance (usually P 0.05) and state whether this refers to a one- or two-sided probability. Report the value of the test statistic and the actual P value, for instance P = 0.04, not P 0.05. Allow for multiple comparisons by adjusting the P value, for instance by the Ryan-Holm stepwise Bonferroni procedure or the Benjamini-Hochberg false discovery rate. Generally, though within reason, report confidence intervals as well as P values.

Correlation coefficients provide a summary of the linear association between two quantitative variables. They measure the association between independent variables and should never be used to measure agreement (concordance): correlation coefficients must never be used when comparing different methods of measuring the same variable.

Take particular care, and consider obtaining professional advice, when performing multivariable analyses and estimating survival. Survival curves must be accompanied by a declaration of the numbers of patients involved in each analysis and should be truncated when the numbers at risk are small; that is, when they are less than one-third of the starting figure.

Qualitative research

Qualitative research may be difficult to fit into the IMRAD (Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion) format. It is sometimes best to present the results and discussion together for each theme, and the structured abstract can be adjusted accordingly. Incorporate direct quotes from participants into tables whenever appropriate.

Supporting Information

Supporting information is not essential to the article but provides greater depth and background and may include tables, figures, videos, datasets, etc. This material can be submitted with your manuscript, without editing or typesetting.

Please note that the provision of supporting information is not encouraged as a general rule. It will be assessed critically by reviewers and editors and will only be accepted if it is essential.

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