Authors

Non-identifiable Images

Images that do not reveal the identity of individuals—such as X-rays, ultrasound scans, pathology slides, or laparoscopic images—do not necessitate formal consent.

However, methods such as the use of eye bars or facial blurring to obscure identity will be considered unacceptable unless prior consent has been obtained.

Animal Research Guidelines

Researchers conducting studies involving animals must adhere strictly to the standards established in the eighth edition of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (https://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/guide-for-the-care-and-use-of-laboratory-animals_prepub.pdf), published by the National Academy of Sciences, National Academies Press, Washington, D.C.

Furthermore, all animal research must comply with the NC3Rs ARRIVE Guidelines, which are available at https://www.nc3rs.org.uk/arrive-guidelines.

Authors are required to explicitly identify the approval committee and confirm that all necessary legal and ethical permissions were obtained prior to the commencement of the study. Additionally, all experiments must be conducted in full compliance with the prescribed guidelines and regulations.

• Authors in the United States must adhere to the US National Research Council’s ● Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals”.
• Compliance with the US Public Health Service’s “Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals” and ” Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals
• Authors in the United Kingdom are required to follow the provisions of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 Amendment Regulations (SI 2012/3039).
• Researchers in European countries, excluding the UK, are obligated to comply with Directive 2010/63/EU.
• All research involving animals must conform to the ethical standards established by the International Council for Laboratory Animal Science (ICLAS).
• Manuscripts must explicitly state adherence to all applicable guidelines, including the revised Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 in the UK and Directive 2010/63/EU in Europe. Furthermore, authors must detail the procurement of any necessary permissions or licenses in compliance with the IUCN Policy Statement on Research Involving Species at Risk of Extinction and the Convention on the Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

Ethics Approval Exemption

For studies exempt from ethics approval, authors are required to provide a clear justification for the exemption within the ethical statement. A sample ethical statement is as follows:

“This study involving animal subjects was granted an exemption from ethics approval due to [specific reasons]. The exemption was reviewed and approved by [Full name of ethics committee], ensuring strict adherence to established ethical standards.”

Client-Owned Animals

Research conducted on client-owned animals, including pets or non-commercial livestock, must uphold the highest standards of veterinary care. Authors are required to confirm that written consent was secured from the animal owner(s) or their authorized representatives prior to the study.

Example Ethical Statement

“This research was reviewed and approved by [Full name of the ethics committee]. Written informed consent was obtained from the animal owners, ensuring full compliance with ethical standards and established guidelines.”

International Standards and the 3Rs Principle

Studies involving animal subjects must strictly adhere to internationally recognized standards and the 3Rs principles: Replace, Reduce, and Refine.

Replace: Utilize alternative methods to avoid the use of animals wherever practicable.

Reduce: Limit the number of animals involved to the minimum required.

Refine: Enhance experimental procedures to minimize harm to animals.

Researchers are strongly encouraged to follow the ARRIVE guidelines (Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments) to promote ethical and transparent reporting.

Example ethical statement

“This research conforms to internationally recognized standards for animal experimentation and strictly adheres to the 3Rs principles. Reporting was conducted in accordance with the ARRIVE guidelines to ensure ethical and comprehensive documentation of live animal experiments.”

Euthanasia Protocols

The employment of euthanasia techniques, including but not limited to chloral hydrate, ether, or chloroform overdose, is strongly discouraged. Authors are required to provide a comprehensive account of all surgical, anaesthetic, or euthanasia procedures conducted during the course of the study.

In cases where procedures deviate from established protocols, editors may request supplementary documentation, such as ethics approval forms or pertinent references to the relevant literature.

Research Involving Plants

Experimental research that involves plants, whether wild or cultivated, must comply with internationally recognized standards. Manuscripts must contain a declaration affirming adherence to the applicable guidelines, along with evidence demonstrating that all necessary permits or licenses have been acquired. This must be consistent with the ICN Policy Statement on Research Involving Species at Risk of Extinction and the Convention on the Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

Hazard Study

Authors are obligated to clearly identify and document any potential hazards associated with the chemicals, procedures, or equipment utilized in their research within the manuscript. Such details must be included in both the “Materials and Methods” section as well as the “Declaration” section. For further information, refer to The World Medical Association: https://www.wma.net/what-we-do/public-health/chemicals.

The SAGER Guidelines (For Sex and Gender Equity in Research)

We remain steadfast in our dedication to advancing sex and gender equity within research by adhering to the principles established in the Sex and Gender Equity in Research (SAGER) guidelines. These guidelines are designed to ensure both inclusivity and scientific rigour in all submissions. It is a requirement for all authors to comply with the Sex and Gender Equity in Research (SAGER) guidelines, which emphasize the incorporation of sex and gender considerations in research to enhance the accuracy and relevance of published work.

The SAGER guidelines outline specific recommendations for the reporting of sex and gender information in aspects such as methodology, study design, data analysis, results, and the interpretation of findings. Authors preparing review articles are encouraged to address the processes involved in data selection, extraction, and synthesis. Systematic reviews must adhere strictly to these guidelines to ensure thorough reporting and analysis.

Research in Critical or Emergency Situations

The Content Majestic expects all contributors to adhere to the ethical principles of justice, beneficence, and autonomy in their research activities. We recognize that research conducted under exceptional circumstances, such as medical emergencies or humanitarian crises, may present unique challenges in comparison to standard research settings. Contributors are urged to ensure that their research does not cause harm to participants or researchers while maintaining scientific rigour within the limitations of the situation.

Particular attention must be given to vulnerable individuals, including those impacted by disasters or medical emergencies. Measures should be implemented to protect their privacy, dignity, and well-being. Researchers are encouraged to proactively identify and address challenges that arise from such contexts. Research in emergency settings must prioritize the well-being of survivors, minimize the risk of additional harm, and uphold the principles of preserving life, well-being, and security, as well as safeguarding participants’ rights to privacy and confidentiality.

Unethical Behavior

Instances of unethical behaviour or misconduct may be reported to the editor or publisher, provided adequate evidence is presented. Upon receiving such reports, the editor, in collaboration with the publisher, is required to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation, ensuring confidentiality is maintained throughout the process. Authors will be granted an opportunity to respond to all allegations, regardless of their severity.

For serious breaches, the editor or publisher, following a comprehensive review of all relevant evidence and, when necessary, consulting subject-matter experts, may take appropriate measures and duly inform the author.

Conclusion

• In instances of misrepresentation or improper handling of established International Standards, authors and reviewers must be promptly notified.
• A formal warning should be issued to both parties as a deterrent against the recurrence of unethical behaviour.
• An editorial addressing the reported misconduct should be published, or an official notice regarding the unethical conduct should be made publicly accessible on the website.
• Official correspondence concerning the misconduct must be sent to the respective department heads, the implicated author’s funding agencies, the reviewer, and the relevant abstracting and indexing organizations.
• If necessary, the retraction or withdrawal of the publication should be coordinated with the department head of the author or reviewer, with proper notification to all relevant senior authorities.
• The publisher reserves the right to impose a temporary suspension on the author’s privilege to submit future manuscripts to the journal.

Consent for Publication

In instances where a manuscript contains personal data, such as identifiable information, audiovisual materials, or similar content, it is essential to obtain explicit consent from the individual concerned. In the case of minors, consent must be obtained from a parent or legal guardian.

A formal declaration of this consent, including a consent-to-disclose statement, must be clearly stated in the copyright letter and included as a separate section at the conclusion of the article. This requirement is especially critical in research involving human participants, where obtaining written informed consent from each participant or their legal guardian is obligatory. The guarantor or corresponding author is responsible for maintaining the original consent form, and editors may request copies via fax or email if necessary.

Randomised Drug Clinical Trial Studies

Randomized drug clinical trials are structured biomedical or health-related research initiatives carried out in distinct phases. These studies involve human subjects who are randomly assigned to either receive or not receive a specific preventive, therapeutic, or diagnostic intervention, in accordance with a predefined protocol. The principal objective of such trials is to assess the safety and effectiveness of various methods in disease diagnosis, prevention, and treatment.

Researchers conducting randomized controlled trials are strongly advised to submit their trial protocols in conjunction with their manuscripts. It is a requirement for all clinical trials to be registered in a relevant public trial registry prior to the enrollment of the first participant. The selected registry must operate independently of commercial interests (e.g., www.clinicaltrials.gov).  If an editor examines an unregistered trial, the author is obligated to provide a brief explanation for the lack of registration.

• All randomized clinical trials are required to incorporate a flow diagram and a completed checklist, in full compliance with the CONSORT guidelines. Detailed resources, including the CONSORT Flow Diagram and Checklist, are available at consort-statement.org. Additionally, comprehensive guidelines can be accessed at: http://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/publishing-and-editorial-issues/clinical-trial-registration.html.
• Studies evaluating diagnostic accuracy must strictly adhere to the STARD guidelines (stard-statement.org).
• Observational studies—whether cohort, case-control, or cross-sectional—are obligated to comply with the STROBE guidelines and must include the corresponding protocols (strobe-statement.org).
• Genetic association studies are mandated to follow the STREGA guidelines (equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/strobe-strega/).
• Systematic reviews and meta-analyses must be conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines (prisma-statement.org).
• For an exhaustive list of all relevant reporting guidelines, authors are encouraged to consult equator-network.org.

Key Requirements for Submitting Clinical Trial Manuscripts

• Manuscripts should comprehensively present an objective or hypothesis, study design, methodology (including study setting, duration, participant inclusion and exclusion criteria, data sources, and selection processes), details of interventions, primary outcome measures, key findings, and a discussion that contextualizes the results within existing literature, addressing any limitations. All conclusions must be substantiated by original data.
• The trial registry name, registration number, and registry URL must be provided both at the end of the abstract and in the designated section of the online submission form. For controlled healthcare intervention studies, the trial registry and unique identifier must be included without spaces. Studies addressing other objectives, such as pharmacokinetics or toxicity (e.g., phase 1 trials), are exempt from this requirement.
• Reports on randomized trials must include a “Randomization and Masking” section within the methodology.
• Manuscripts must include a declaration identifying the institutional or licensing committee that approved the experiments, along with the specific details of such approval.
• Authors must use the SI unit system and the Recommended International Non-Proprietary Name (rINN) for drugs, providing precise information on dosage, route, and frequency of administration.
• Clinical trials sponsored by pharmaceutical companies must adhere to the principles of good publication practice (https://www.ismpp.org/about-us).

Manuscripts failing to meet these requirements may be rejected at the discretion of the editors. Authors bear full responsibility for ensuring the accuracy of all submitted data and compliance with these guidelines.

References

References must be presented according to either ACS or Vancouver style to guarantee both accuracy and completeness. Reference numbers should be finalized, and the bibliography must be properly formatted prior to submission.

References should be directly pertinent to the study and cite original research sources. Authors, editors, and peer reviewers are strongly encouraged to avoid self-citation and should ensure there are no conflicts of interest.

Examples of references in both ACS and Vancouver styles are provided below:

ACS Style

In ACS style, references are numbered consecutively within square brackets in the text and listed in the same order within the reference section. Superscript notation should not be utilized for in-text citations or in the reference list.

Reference Lists

Citation guidelines vary depending on the reference format. Below are examples of the most frequently utilized formats:

Journal Article Reference

The essential elements for referencing a journal article consist of the author’s name, the abbreviated title of the journal, the publication year, the volume number, and the initial page of the article, though the complete pagination may also be included. Both the journal abbreviation and the volume number must be italicized, while the publication year should be presented in bold. Each author must be listed separately, without employing “et al.” The journal abbreviations should adhere to the guidelines set by the Index Medicus/MEDLINE.

Example 1: Bard, M.; Woods, R.A.; Bartón, D.H.; Corrie, J.E.; Widdowson, D.A. Sterol mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae: chromatographic analyses. Lipids, 1977, 12(8), 645-654.

Example 2: Zhang, W.; Brombosz, S.M.; Mendoza, J.L.; Moore, J.S. A high-yield, one-step synthesis of o-phenylene ethynylene cyclic trimer via precipitation-driven alkyne metathesis. J. Org. Chem., 2005, 70, 10198-10201.

Book Reference

Example 3: Crabtree, R.H. The Organometallic Chemistry of the Transition Metals, 3rd ed.; Wiley & Sons: New York, 2001.

Book Chapter Reference

Example 4: Wheeler, D.M.S.; Wheeler, M.M.D. “Stereoselective Syntheses of Doxorubicin and Related Compounds In, Studies in Natural Products Chemistry, Atta-ur-Rahman, Ed.; Elsevier Science B.V.: Amsterdam, 1994; Vol. 14, pp. 3-46.

Conference Proceedings

Example 5: Jakeman, D.L.; Withers, S.G.E. In “Carbohydrate Bioengineering: Interdisciplinary Approaches,” Proceedings of the 4th Carbohydrate Bioengineering Meeting, Stockholm, Sweden, June 10-13, 2001, Teeri, T.T.; Svensson, B.; Gilbert, H.J.; Feizi, T., Eds.; Royal Society of Chemistry: Cambridge, UK, 2002; pp. 3-8.

URL (WebPage)

Example 6: National Library of Medicine. Specialized Information Services: Toxicology and Environmental Health. (Accessed May 23, 2004).

Patent

Example 7: Hoch, J.A.; Huang, S. Screening Methods for the Identification of Novel Antibiotics. U.S. Patent 6,043,045, March 28, 2000.

Thesis

Example 8: Mackel, H. Capturing the Spectra of Silicon Solar Cells. PhD Thesis, The Australian National University: Canberra, December 2004.

E-citations

Example 9: Citations for articles or materials that are published solely online or in open access (freely available) must include the accurate Web addresses (URLs) at the conclusion of the reference(s), except for materials hosted on an author’s personal website, unless they are editorially relevant, e.g., “Reference: Available from: URL.”

The following crucial guidelines should be adhered to:

• All authors must be properly cited, and the use of the term “et al.” is strictly prohibited.
• For online sources, the access date must be included.
• Proper punctuation must be applied, as exemplified in the provided illustrations.
• Abstracts, unpublished data, and personal communications (which may only be included with prior consent) should not be included in the references section, but they may be integrated into the footnotes.
• Authors are encouraged to utilize a current version of EndNote (version 5 or higher) or Reference Manager (version 10) for formatting the reference list, as these tools support the automatic extraction of references.

Vancouver Style

In the Vancouver referencing style, citations must be numbered sequentially within square brackets, and these numbers should appear in the same order in both the body of the text and the reference list. Correct punctuation, as demonstrated in the provided examples, is of utmost importance.

Reference Lists

Citations should comply with specific guidelines that vary based on the type of source. Below are examples illustrating common formats:

Journal Article

A citation for a journal article should include the author’s surname, the abbreviated title of the journal, the publication year, the volume number, and the starting page of the article. Complete pagination may also be included. When there are six or fewer authors, all should be listed; when there are more than six authors, the first three authors should be mentioned, followed by “et al.” (italicized). Journal abbreviations should follow the standards established by Index Medicus/MEDLINE. Only the first word of the article title, as well as proper nouns, should be capitalized, while all other words must be in lowercase.

• [1] Al-Habian A, Harikumar PE, Stocker CJ, Langlands K, Selway JL. Histochemical and immunohistochemical evaluation of mouse skin histology: comparison of fixation with neutral buffered formalin and alcoholic formalin. J Histotechnol. 2014 Dec;37(4):115-24.
• [2] Guilbert TW, Morgan WJ, Zeiger RS, et al. Long-term inhaled corticosteroids in preschool children at high risk for asthma. N Engl J Med. 2006 May 11;354(19):1985-97.

Edited Book

• [3] Blaxter PS, Farnsworth TP. Social health and class inequalities. In: Carter C, Peel JR, Eds. Equalities and inequalities in health. 2nd ed. London: Academic Press 1976; pp. 165-78.

Chapter in a Book

• [4] Phillips SJ, Whisnant JP. Hypertension and stroke. In: Laragh JH, Brenner BM, Eds. Hypertension: pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management. 2nd ed. New York: Raven Press 1995; pp. 465-78.

Patent

• [5] Larsen CE, Trip R, Johnson CR. Methods for procedures related to the electrophysiology of the heart. US Patent 5529067, 1995.

Conference Proceedings

• [6] Kimura J, Shibasaki H, Eds. Recent advances in clinical neurophysiology. Proceedings of the 10th International Congress of EMG and Clinical Neurophysiology; 1995 Oct 15-19; Kyoto, Japan. Amsterdam: Elsevier 1996.

Thesis and Dissertation

• [7] Borkowski MM. Infant sleep and feeding: a telephone survey of Hispanic Americans. PhD dissertation. Mount Pleasant (MI): Central Michigan University 2002.

URL(WebPage)

• [8] Aylin P, Bottle A, Jarman B, Elliott, P. Paediatric cardiac surgical mortality in England after Bristol: descriptive analysis of hospital episode statistics 1991-2002. BMJ [serial on the Internet]. 2004 Oct 9; [cited: 15 October 2004]; 329: [about 10 screens].

Electronic Material

Journal Article in Electronic Format

• [9] Frangioni G, Bianchi S, Fuzzi G, Borgioli G. Dynamics of hepatic melanogenesis in newts in the recovery phase from hypoxia. Open Zoo J 2009; 2: 1-7. Available from: PDPopen.com/ABSTRACT/TOZJ-2-1 [cited: 26th Jan 2009]
• [10] Abood S. Quality improvement initiative in nursing homes: the ANA acts in an advisory role. Am J Nurs [serial on the Internet]. June 2002 [cited: 12th Aug 2002]; 102(6): [about 3 p.]. Available from:nursingworld.org/ana/

The following essential factors should be taken into consideration:

• The access date must always be included when citing online sources.
• Superscripts are to be avoided in both in-text citations and the reference list.
• Abstracts, unpublished data, and personal communications should not be referenced unless prior consent has been obtained. Such information should instead be cited in the footnotes.
• Authors are strongly advised to use the most current versions of EndNote (version 5 or later) or Reference Manager (version 10), as these tools facilitate reference formatting and the automatic extraction of references.