ISSN 0101-9880 printed version
ISSN 1980-5446 online version

INSTRUCTIONS TO THE AUTHORS

• Scope and policy
• Manuscript preparation
• Sending of manuscripts

The submitted works should be original (unpublished version) and must be exclusively intended for REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE COLOPROCTOLOGIA. The revision articles will be inserted under the proposal of the Editorial Board. In special cases, re-publication of the national or foreign works must contain formal authorization of the author and of the Journal / Copyright Holder.

The norms are based on the format proposed by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors and published in the article: Uniform requirements for manuscripts submitted to biomedical journals, which was updated in October 2004 and is available on the Website: http://www.icmje.org. For randomized clinical trials, the work should be presented in conformity with the CONSORT guidelines (Begg C, Cho N, Eastwood S et al. Improving the quality of reporting of randomized clinical trials: the CONSORT statement. JAMA 1996;276:637-9). A verification list is available on the JAMA Website: http://jama.ama-assn.org

The manuscripts submitted to the Journal, which meet the requirements "instructions to authors" and are in accordance with its publishing policy, are sent to 4 members of the editorial board, who will consider the scientific merit of such contribution. The manuscripts are then sent to the referees previously selected at random by the Editors. Anonymity is guaranteed through all the judging process. The decision on the acceptance is made by the Editors after consultation of 4 members of the Editorial Board and, if at least 3/4 of the members have recommended the publication. Copies of the comments can be sent to the authors and referees, through the exchange system among them. Refused manuscripts - Not accepted manuscripts will not be returned, unless they are requested by the proper authors. Refused manuscripts, which may possibly be reformulated, can be returned as a new work, starting a new judgment process. Accepted manuscripts - Accepted manuscripts or accepted under condition may be returned to the authors for approval of eventual alterations during the editing and normalization process according to the style used by the Journal. Approval for Publication - All entries for publication will be previously submitted for consideration to 4 members of the Editing Board. When accepted, they will be subject to slight corrections or changes, which will not alter the author's style. Eventual changes in form, style or interpretation will only occur after previous consultation. When refused, articles will be sent back with the Editor-in-Chief justification. Comments of the advisers, in such cases, may be sent by the Editor-in-Chief or requested by the Author. Final Correction: A proof of the articles to be published will be sent to the author for possible corrections and should be sent back as soon as possible. If a delay may occur when returning the revised articles, the Editor-in-Chief reserves the right to publish, irrespective of the final correction. A proof will be sent to the author to the address that has been indicated for mailing, the author will be responsible for the final appreciation of the issue, under the accordance of others for such publication.

It is exclusively sent to the subscribers, collaborators, libraries, hospitals, medical societies, study centers and to the national and foreign journals, with which exchanges are maintained.

REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE COLOPROCTOLOGIA reserves all the rights, including translation, in all the signatory countries of the Pan-American Convention and of the International Copyright Convention.

The total or partial reproduction of the works in other journals - with obligatory citation of the source will depend on the authorization of the Journal.

For commercial purposes, translation and partial or total reproduction of the published works in this journal is prohibited.

REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE COLOPROCTOLOGIA does not accept payment for any material published in its printed space, neither pays any amount, in cash or other, to the authors of the published works in its printed pages.

The Journal reserves the right not to accept the originals that does not consider appropriate (presentation, typewriting, number of copies, included items, etc.), as well as to propose changes, according to the Consultants and Editing Board suggestions.

The Editing Board, when necessary, will automatically adapt all the accepted works for publishing within the present norms.

• Identification page: It must contain: a) Title of the article, in Portuguese, which must be concise, but informative; b) full name of each author and institutional filiations; c) name of the department and Institution to which the work must be attributed; d) name, address, fax and e-mail of the author responsible for the article and to whom should the mail be sent, e) sources that support the research, f) potential conflicts of interest.
  
  
• Abstract and subject headings: The second page must contain the abstract, in Portuguese and English, with no more than 200 words for original articles, for revision, short communications and up-dating articles. Original articles, for revision and short communications, must be structured pointing out the aims of the study, methodology and main results, showing significant data and conclusions. For up dating, the abstract does not need to be structured, however, it must contain important information so that the importance of the work can be recognized. Below the abstract, specify 5 subject headings that will specify the topic of the work. The subject headings must be based on the DeCS (Descriptores en Ciencias de la Salud) published by Bireme, which is the translation for MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) of the National Library of Medicine that is available on the Website: http://decs.bvs.br
  
  
• Text : It must obey the required structure for each article category. In all categories citation of authors in the text must be numerical and sequential, using Arabic numbers between brackets and superscripted, avoid indicating the authors' names.
  
  Citations in the text and references cited in tables and figure legends must be consecutive numbered according to the order in which they appear in the text, with Arabic numbers (index numbers). The reference number must only be included, without any other information.
  
  
• Tables: Each table must be sent on a separate sheet. Tables must be consecutive numbered, with Arabic numbers, on the order they have been cited in the text, having an appropriate title. They must be cited in the text, without duplication of information. Tables, with the title and footnotes, must be self-explanatory. Tables originated from other sources must have footnotes informing the original references.
  
  
• Figures and graphs: Illustrations (photographs, graphs, drawings etc.) must be sent individually.
  
  They must be consecutive numbered with Arabic numbers; on the order they have been cited in the text and must be sufficiently clear in order to allow their reproduction. Legends for figures must be listed on a separate page. Photocopies will not be allowed. In case there are figures taken from other works previously published, the authors must provide a written permission for their reproduction. This written permission must be enclosed with the manuscripts for publication.
  
  
• Statistical analysis: The authors must demonstrate that the statistical procedures used were not only appropriate for the trials of the studied hypothesis, but were also correctly interpreted. The levels of statistical significance (ex. p<0,05; p<0,01; p<0,001) must be mentioned.
  
  
• Abbreviations: Abbreviations must be indicated in the text when they are first used. After that, the full name must not be repeated.
  
  
• Name and medicaments: The generic name must be used.
  
  
• Acknowledgments: Must include collaboration of people, groups or institutions that deserve acknowledgments, when their inclusion as authors has not been justified; acknowledgments for financial support, technical support, etc.
  
  
• References: Must be consecutive numbered on the same order they were cited in the text and identified with Arabic numbers. The presentation must be based on the " Vancouver Style" format, according to examples below, and Journal titles must be abbreviated according to the style presented by the List of Journal Indexed in Index Medicus, of the National Library of Medicine, which are available in the following Website: ftp://nlmpubs.nlm.nih.gov/online/journals/ljiweb.pdf
  
  The authors must check that the references cited in the text are registered in the reference list with the exact dates and author's names correctly written. The authors are responsible for the exact bibliographic references. Personal communications, unpublished or ongoing works may be cited when absolutely necessary, but must not be included in the bibliographic reference list; can only be cited in the text or in the footnotes. The reference list must follow the model of the examples below.
  
  For all references, mention all authors up to six.
  
  More than six, mention the first six, followed by the expression et al..

The articles must be handed in diskette or CD-Rom, in Word followed by 2 copies printed in paper. *4.2. Typewriting* The original articles must be typewritten and handed in two copies, with double space, on one side only, with pages containing 20 to 25 lines, duly numbered and signed by the main author with paraph. This material must be sent through mail to the SBCP address; it should include complete title of the work and a written permit to be published in this journal.

Subcommissions through e-mail (sbcp@sbcp.org.br) are also accepted. In this case, a reproduction permit of the material and approval letters from the Ethics Committee of the Institution, where the work was carried out, when regarding interventions (diagnosis or therapeutical) in human beings, as well as one signed by the authors, which declares that it is an unpublished work, must be sent by fax to RBCP (fax number: 55 21 2220-5803).