ISSN 0102-8650 printed version
ISSN 1678-2674 online version

INSTRUCTIONS TO THE AUTHORS

• Scope and policy
• Organizing electronic manuscript

The Journal Acta Cirurgica Brasileira has rule, norm, standard and style. Follow Instructions to the Authors available from www.scielo.br/acb (English) and observe models of published articles.

Manuscript that does not comply with these instructions is not accepted.

The Journal follows - INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF MEDICAL JOURNAL EDITORS - ICMJE. Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals: Ethical Considerations in the Conduct and Reporting of Research:www.icmje.org

Authorship

The Journal considers all article participants as authors.

Authorship credit should be based on substantial contributions. An author must take responsibility for at least one component of the work:

1. substantive scientific and  intellectual contributions to the study;
2. responsible for conception and design;
3. responsible for manuscript preparation;
4. acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data;
5. manuscript writing;
6. critical revision;
7. final approval of the version to be published.

Contributors who not meet the criteria for authorship should be listed in an acknowledgments section (Ex.: Persons who provided purely technical help or general support). Cite the responsible for English language version.

Acta Cirúrgica Brasileira is a peer-reviewed journal and publishes articles on surgical research. Articles are submitted for review by experts who are not part of the editorial staff. The journal has national and international boards of consultants. Each manuscript is read by the Editor and one of the Associate Editors. Together, they decide whether to send the paper to outside reviewers. Rejected manuscripts are returned to authors. Editor-in-Chief has full authority over the editorial content of the journal.

The journal does not accept case reports/retrospective studies/review articles.

Must be submitted manuscripts resulted from experimental surgery.

The Editors of Acta Cirúrgica Brasileira welcome systematic reviews and meta-analysis and they will be regarded for publication when a surgical topic of current interest is addressed. All meta-analysis of randomized trials must adhere to guidelines outlined in the QUORUM statement (Lancet 1999;354:1896-1900) and a suitable QUORUM flow chart must be included in the submission.

Manuscript must be delivered by e-mail to the chief editor [sgolden@terra.com.br], written in English language.

First page

The title page must contain: a) the title of the article (in English and in Portuguese), which should be concise but informative. Insert the number one superscript (Arabic) indicating, after the References, where research was performed (laboratory, research center, division, department and institution).

Affiliation

Full name of all the authors with the sequence number superscript (Roman) indicating below:

a) the highest academic degree(s) Access www.scielo.br/acb   Acta Cir Bras. 2006;21(2):60 Mar-Abr. Academic degrees examples
b) the name of division/department and institution Follow examples of published articles.

ABSTRACT

Must not exceed 200 words and should be presented in a structured format:

Purpose: The main aim of the study or investigation.
Methods: Selection of subjects (patients or experimental animals); Basic procedures.
Results: Main findings (giving specific data and their statistical significance).
Conclusion: state the main answer concerning the purpose of the study.
Key words: should be provided based on Medical Subject Headings - Mesh
(http://www.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/meshhome.html).
Authors must include an abstract in Portuguese (Resumo), with the key words (Descritores) based on Descritores de Ciências da Saúde (DeCS) - http://decs.bvs.br

Manuscript format

Introduction

Clearly state the subject and the purpose of the study. Give only pertinent citations, and do not review the subject extensively.

Methods

Describe your selection of the observational or experimental subjects (patients or laboratory animals, including controls) clearly (quantity and quality). Identify all procedures in sufficient detail. Identify precisely all drugs and chemicals used, including generic name(s), dosage(s), and route(s) of administration. Do not use patient's names, initials, or hospital numbers. Describe statistical procedures with enough detail to enable a knowledgeable reader with access to the original data to verify the reported results. Authors are responsible for the accuracy of their report including all statistical calculations and drug doses.

ETHICS

When reporting experiments on human subjects, indicate whether the procedures were in accord with the Ethical Committee on Human Experimentation of the Institution in which the experiments were done or in accord with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975 as revised in 2008 [World Medical Association (www.wma.net/e/policy/b3.htm) Patients have a right to privacy that should not be infringed without informed consent. Obligation to register clinical trials in a public trials registry established by the World Health Organization. Identification number at the end of abstract [CONSORT - Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (www.consort-statement.org) and International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP).

When reporting experiments on animals, indicate that the use of laboratory animals follow the Council for International Organization of Medical Sciences (CIOMS) ethical code for animal experimentation (WHO Chronicle 1985; 39(2):51-6)

The journal reserves the right not to accept an article on the grounds that appropriate ethical or experimental standards have not been reached.

Results

Present the results in logical sequence in the text, using table, chart and figure. Do not repeat in the text, all the data in the tables, chart and figures. In the text, emphasize or summarize only important findings. Include the statistical significance.

Tables: Are numbered in sequence (use arabic numerals), and supply a brief title for each at the top. Use only approved abbreviations. Explain in footnotes all non standards abbreviations that are used in each table. Must be without vertical lines.

Chart: Is descriptive and closed. title at the top.

Figures [illustrations, photos, graphics]: must be with good quality. Numbered in sequence (use arabic numerals). The legends must be in the bottom of the figure.

Discussion

Emphasize the new and important aspect of the study Compare the method and the results with those formely published. DO NOT REPEAT RESULTS.

Conclusion

Must be clear and concise. Link the conclusion with the goals of the study. AVOID CONCLUSIONS NOT SUPPORTED ON DATA.

Acknowledgments

Acknowledge only persons who have made substantial contributions to the study.

References

Follow model of published article

The journal follow the Vancouver style:
UNIFORM REQUIREMENTS FOR MANUSCRIPTS SUBMITTED TO BIOMEDICAL JOURNALS of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (www.icmje.org).

All references should be numbered consecutively in the order in which they are first mentioned by superscript in the text.

List all the authors, "et al" is not accepted.

Abbreviations of journals should conform to those used in MEDLINE/PubMed.

The article must have at a maximum of 20 references.

References to abstracts, personal communications and books is discouraged. Books are not indexed. Reference to unpublished communications will not be accepted.

Examples of references are given below:

Journal article
List all authors

You must not repeat a set of ten, one hundred or thousand in the final page.

Diethelm AG. Surgical management of complications of steroid therapy. Ann Surg. 1977;185(3):251-63.

Park HK, Fernandez I, Dujovny M, Diaz FG. Experimental animal models of traumatic brain injury: medical and biomechanical mechanism. Crit Rev Neurosurg. 1999;9:44-52.

Correspondence:

Name, address
Phone/Fax, e-mail of author.

Declare conflict of interest.
Inform the source(s) of support.

Inform where research was performed (laboratory, research center, division, department and institution.

PROCEDURES OF THE JOURNAL

1. The article will be examined to verify whether it complies with the journal's instructions; Manuscripts that do not conform to the requirements and style of the journal will be returned for recasting. Do an accurately revision of the manuscript before sending it;
2. The article will be submitted to peer-review for analysis and approval, in addition to approval by the Editors;
3. After approval, the manuscript will be published according to the date of submission.

The Editors retain the right to alter style and shorten material for publication.

PLEASE, CONSULT RECENT ISSUES OF THE JOURNAL available from www.scielo.br/acb

Copyright to Acta Cirurgica Brasileira

This statement must be sent in a separate letter to the editor together with the paper and must be signed by all authors. Submissions received without a signed copyright statement will not be acceptable. The main author is responsible for ensuring that all authors have seen, approved and are fully conversant with its contents.

Copyright transfer

The authors undersigned transfer copyright of the article
name of article

to Acta Cirúrgica Brasileira. They declare that this is an original unpublished  article that does not transgress any copyright or intellectual property rights of other people and it is not being evaluated for publication in other journals. The article has been read and each contribution was approved.

Names of authors                                                             date

Article that do not comply with these instructions is not accepted

Manuscript Fees:

In order to participate in publication costs, authors have a charge of US400.00 for each accepted manuscript.

Please send payment order to:

Beneficiary Customer:
SOCIEDADE BRASILEIRA DESENVOLVIMENTO PESQ CIRURGIC SOBRADPEC
ALAMEDA RIO CLARO , 179 AP 141
CNPJ: 57.860.488/0001-44
Account number: 001189880000091618
Beneficiary Bank: BANCO DO BRASIL S.A.
São Bernardo do Campo (SP) Brasil
BIC SWIFT: BRASBRRJSBO
Address: RUA SÃO BENTO, 465 5º ANDAR, CENTRO SÃO PAULO SP
Through: BANCO DO BRASIL S.A.
New York - USA
BIC SWIFT: BRASUS33
ABA: FW026003557

FURTHER INFORMATION OR QUESTIONS PLEASE CONTACT PROF. SAUL GOLDENBERG

Editor-in-Chief
sgolden@terra.com.br