INSTRUCTIONS TO AUTHORS

Introduction

Mastology is an international, multidisciplinary Journal, and the official publication of the Brazilian Society, is a specific medical journal established in 1991 to provide continuing medical education with a focus on breast diseases. The intentions are publishing articles on epidemiology, prevention, control, screening, biomarkers, diagnosis, therapeutics, rehabilitation, quality of life and scientific advances to improve the understanding of breast diseases and patient-related care.

All manuscripts will be initially accessed by the Editor for suitability for the Journal. Papers deemed suitable are then evaluated by at least two independent expert reviewers, in a blind-review process to assess the scientific quality of the paper. The Editor is responsible for the final decision regarding acceptance or rejection of articles. Those that do not have merit, which contain significant methodological errors, or that do not fit into the editorial policy of the Journal will be rejected and can not be appealed. The reviewers’ comments will be returned to the Authors for modifications in the text or justification of their conservation. Only after the final approval of the reviewers and Editors, will the manuscripts be forwarded for publication. All manuscripts accepted for publication shall become the property of the Journal and may not be edited, in whole or in part, by any other means of dissemination, without the prior written authorization issued by the Editor-in-Chief.

License Information

Mastology adopts Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0 license) for maximum dissemination and use of licensed materials. This one allows people to share and adapt the material if appropriate credit is given, a link to the license is provided, and an indication is given if changes were made. For more information access the link (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Ethics

If the paper involves the use of human subjects, the authors should ensure that it has been carried out following The Code of Ethics of the World Medical Association (Declaration of Helsinki) for experiments involving humans; Uniform Requirements for manuscripts submitted to Biomedical journals. All animal experiments should comply with the ARRIVE guidelines and should be carried out following the U.K. Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act, 1986 and associated guidelines, EU Directive 2010/63/EU for animal experiments, or the National Institutes of Health guide for the care and use of Laboratory Animals (NIH Publications No. 8023, revised 1978) and the authors should clearly indicate in the manuscript that such guidelines have been followed. The Journal will not accept editorial material for commercial purposes.

Ethics recommendations to be reported:
• The number and Institution of the Ethics committee approval must be reported.
• If the ethical evaluation is not necessary because the Brazilian resolution n. 466, it must be cited (for example: meta-analysis, systematic review). For non-Brazilian articles, national rules must be cited.
• Case reports need Ethics committee approval that must be reported.
• Ethics evaluation generally is necessary for original articles, short communications and case reports. For images in Mastology the patient authorization is necessary and it must be included in the submission documents.
• Declaration of Conflict of Interests must be reported. The Declaration of Conflict of Interests, according to Resolution of the Federal Council of Medicine in 1595/2000, prohibits promotion or advertisement of any commercial products or equipment in the scientific article.

Submission of manuscripts

Articles can be sent in English or Portuguese. After approval, all papers will be translated into English by Mastology free of charge. Mastology publishes the following categories: Editorials, Original Articles, Epidemiological Reports, Short Communications, Review Articles, Peer Review, Images in Mastology,  Case Reports, and Letters to the Editor.

Original Articles: Describe experimental or clinical research – prospective, retrospective, randomized, or double-blind study. They must have 3,000 to 5,000 words, excluding illustrations (tables, figures [maximum of 5]) and references [maximum of 40 and preferably from the last 5 years]. Manuscripts containing original clinical or experimental research results will be prioritized for publication. All manuscripts must present Title, Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusions and References.

Short Communications: Reports on important new results that fall within the scope of the journal may be submitted as short communications. These papers should not exceed 2,000 words in length and 20 references preferably from the last 5 years and should preferably follow the structure of an original research paper.

Review Articles: Systematic critical evaluation of the literature on a given subject, so as to contain a comparative analysis of the works in the area, which discusses the limits and methodological scope, allowing to indicate perspectives of continuity of studies in that line of research and should contain conclusions. The procedures adopted for the review, as well as the search, selection, and evaluation strategies of the articles should be described, clarifying the delimitation of the theme. Its maximum length should be 5,000 words and the maximum number of bibliographical references should be 60 and preferably from the last 5 years. Systematic reviews and meta-analysis are advised. Consider: Title, Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusions, and References. The general instructions for figures, tables and references are the same as for the original articles. For non-systematic reviews, the text can be divided in topics.

Peer Review: This journal operates a single blind review process. All contributions will be initially assessed by the editor for suitability for the journal. Papers deemed suitable are then sent to a minimum of 2 independent expert reviewers to assess the scientific quality of the paper. The Editor is responsible for the final decision regarding acceptance or rejection of articles. The Editor’s decision is final.

Images in Mastology: Unusual images in clinical practice or associated with topics that are considered very rare. The text will be continuous, expressing the rarity or singularity of the case, a maximum of 400 words, and no more than 10 references and 3 figures. They must present Title, Abstract (non-structured up to 150 words), Keywords, and References.

Case reports: They are manuscripts reporting unpublished, highly interesting, and well-documented clinical cases from a clinical and laboratory point of view. The text should express the rarity or singularity of the case, at a maximum of 2,000 words, and no more than 20 references preferably from the last 5 years and 3 figures. They should observe the structure: Introduction, Case report (with patient description, results of clinical exams, follow-up, diagnosis), Discussion (with similar data in the literature), and Conclusion. They must present Abstract (unstructured) and Keywords.

Letters to the Editor: They aim to comment or discuss papers published in the journal or report original research in progress. They will be published at the discretion of the Editors, with the corresponding reply where applicable. They must not exceed 600 words and 5 references from the last 5 years.

Editorials: Editorials are commissioned by the Editors, commenting on relevant works of the Journal itself, relevant researches, or communications from Editors. Authors who wish to contribute an Editorial to the Journal should contact the Editorial Office ([email protected]) prior to writing and submitting the Editorial.

Preparation of the Manuscript

a) Title page
• Title of the article in English containing maximum 12 words, not counting articles and prepositions. The Title should be motivating and should give an idea of ​​the objectives and content of work;
• RUNNING HEAD: includes the abbreviated title using the most important words from the original titles, and no longer than 50 characters including spaces and punctuation;
• full name of each author, without abbreviations (a maximum of 8 authors are allowed);
• indication of the academic degree and institutional affiliation of each author, separately. If there is more than one institutional affiliation, indicate only the most relevant;
• number of ORCID of all authors;
• indication of the Institution where the work was done;
• name, address, and e-mail of the corresponding author;
• sources of research assistance, if any;
• declaration of conflicts of interest;
• Study registration number, if necessary.

b) Second page 
Abstract and Descriptors: Abstract, in English or Portuguese, with a maximum of 300 words. For the original articles, should be structured (Introduction, Methods, Results, Conclusions), highlighting the most significant data of the work. Case reports, revisions, or updates and a previous note, the summary should not be structured. Below the abstract, specify at least 3 and maximum 6 descriptors (Keywords) that define the subject of the work. The descriptors should be based on the MESH terms (Medical Subject Headings) available for consultation at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/mesh. If no descriptors are available to cover the subject of the manuscript, terms or expressions available in PubMed (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed) are allowed.

c) Text
You should strictly obey the structure for each category of the manuscript.
In all manuscript categories, the citation of the authors in the text should be numeric and sequential, using Arabic numbers in superscript.
The standards to be followed were 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 also available for consultation at http://www.icmje.org.

Presentation of the text

You must use the Microsoft Word® processor.
Do not emphasize excerpts from the text: do not underline and do not use bold. Do not use capital letters in proper nouns (other than the first letter) in the text or Bibliographical References. When using acronyms or abbreviations, describe them in full the first time they are mentioned in the text.

Abstract

The abstract should contain relevant information, allowing the reader to get a general idea of ​​the work. All articles submitted must have an abstract in English or Portuguese, maximum 300 words. For original articles, the abstract should be structured including introduction, methods, results and conclusions. For the other categories, the format of the abstracts may be the narrative, but preferably with the same information. They should not contain quotations and with a minimum of abbreviations.

Keywords

Immediately after the abstract, provide between three and six keywords. You must use of MESH terms, for better indexing. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/mesh)

Introduction

In this section, show the current state of knowledge about the topic under study, divergences and gaps that may possibly justify the development of the work, but without extensive review of the literature. For Case Reports present a summary of the cases already published, epidemiology of the reported condition and a justification for the presentation as an isolated case. Clearly state the objectives of the work.

Methods

Start this section indicating the work planning: whether prospective or retrospective; Clinical or experimental trial; Whether the distribution of cases was random or not, and so on. Describe the criteria for the selection of patients or experimental groups, including controls. Identify the equipment and reagents used. If the applied methodology has already been used, give the references in addition to the brief description of the method. Also, describe the statistical methods employed and the comparisons for which each test was used. In the Case Reports, the sections Material and Methods and Results are replaced by the description of the case.

Results

It should be limited to describing the results found without including interpretations and comparisons. Present the results in a logical sequence, with text, tables and figures. It is not recommended to repeat in the text the data described in the tables and figures.

Discussion

It should properly and objectively explore the results, discussed in light of other observations already recorded in the literature, highlighting the new and original information obtained in the research. Emphasize the appropriateness of the research methods used. Compare and relate the observations with those of other authors, commenting and explaining the differences that occur. Explain the implications of the findings, their limitations and make recommendations. The discussion should culminate with the conclusions, indicating ways for new research or implications for professional practice. For Case Reports, base the Discussion on a broad and updated literature review.

Acknowledgments

Collaborations of individuals, institutions or acknowledgments for financial support, technical aids, deserving recognition, but not justifying inclusion as the author, should be included.

References

References should be listed at the end of the article, numbered consecutively, following the order in which they were first mentioned in the text, based on the Vancouver style (see: “Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals: Writing and Editing for Medical Publication” [https://www.nlm.nih.gov/bsd/uniform_requirements.html]). All authors and works cited in the text should be included in this section and vice versa. Articles accepted for publication may be cited accompanied by the expression: accepted and awaiting publication, or “in press” indicating the periodical, volume and year.
For all references, cite all authors up to six. When in greater numbers, cite the first six authors followed by the expression et al., for examples:

Articles of Journals

Freitas-Junior R, Martins E, Metran-Nascente C, Carvalho AA, Silva MFD, Soares LR, et al. Double-blind placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial on the use of paracetamol for performing mammography. Medicine (Baltimore). 2018;97(13):e0261.

Silva BB, Sousa-Esteves FC, Martins RS, Salha CP, Paiva-Melo BN, Moura CS, et al. Clinical and epidemiological profile of women with breast cancer managed in a public referral hospital in northeastern Brazil. Eur J Gynaecol Oncol. 2016;37(6):814-6.

Book Chapters with authorship

Urban C and Rietjens M. Oncoplastic Surgery. In: Veronesi U, Goldhirsch A, Veronesi P, Gentilini OD and Leonardi MC. Breast Cancer: innovations in research and management. Switzerland,  Springer International Publishing, 2017. p. 427-34.

Electronic publications

Breast cancer: prevention and control. World Health Organization. <https://www.who.int/cancer/detection/breastcancer/en/index2.html> [Accessed 27 April 2020].

Figures and Tables

All figures and tables must be in colors and cited in the text in consecutively numerical order. All figures and tables must contain captions or titles that accurately describe their content and the context or sample from which the information was obtained (ie, what are the results presented and what type of sample or scenario). The reader must be able to understand the content of the figures and tables simply by reading the titles (without the need to consult the text), that is, the titles must be complete. Acronyms or abbreviations in the titles of figures and tables are not acceptable. If it is necessary to use acronyms or abbreviations within a table or figure (for better formatting), they must be spelled out in a caption below the table or figure.

Artwork and Figures
All figures should be sent in separate digital files, preferably Tiff, EPS or JPG files with a minimum resolution of 600 dpi, and the list of figures with description must be reported after references.
The figure size must be 17 cm (maximum length of 22 cm), including the caption. Use Arial font, size 9 for the caption and all captions must be numbered consecutively. Images must not show the name or identification of patient. Do not include any images as part of your text file. Figures sent without adequate resolution or format will not be accepted.
Special conditions:
• Surgery and biopsy photographs where colorations and special techniques were used will be considered for color printing.
• Microscopic findings (ie, histopathological results): a scale should be incorporated into the image to indicate the magnification used (as on a map scale). Staining agents (in histological or immunohistochemical evaluations) must be specified in the figure caption.
• Flowcharts – They are an exception: they must be drawn on an editable document (such as Microsoft Word or PowerPoint or Illustrator without embedded images) and must not be sent as an image that cannot be changed).
• Figures as line graphs or bars: They must be accompanied by the data tables from which they were generated (for example, sending them in Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and not as image files). This allows the Journal to correct captions and titles, if necessary, and format the graphics according to the Journal’s style. The graphics generated from software such as SPSS or RevMan must be generated in the appropriate size so that they can be printed.
• Scanned line drawings and line drawings in bitmap format should have a minimum resolution of 1200 dpi.
• Vector graphics containing fonts must have the fonts embedded in the files.

Tables
The presentation of the tables should be in colors, with captions and numbered consecutively using Arabic numbers. Tables should be sending in separate files (one or multiple table files), in Microsoft Word® or Microsoft Excel®. The quantities, units and symbols used in the tables must comply with the International Metric System Nomenclature.
Footnotes to tables should be indicated by superscript lower-case letters (or asterisks for significance values and other statistical data) and included beneath the table body.

Permissions
If you include figures that have already been published elsewhere, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner(s) for both the print and online format. Please be aware that some publishers do not grant electronic rights for free and that Mastology will not be able to refund any costs that may have occurred to receive these permissions. In such cases, material from other sources should be used.

Abbreviations and Acronyms

They must be preceded by the full name when first mentioned in the text. In tables, figures should be to contain their meaning below the table.
If the illustrations have already been published, they must be accompanied by written authorization from the author or publisher, with the reference source where it was published.
The text entered in the program Word for Windows®, with double space, with text in Arial font, size 12. It must be submitted electronically, and the Mastology reserves the right not to accept for evaluation the articles that do not fulfill the criteria formulated above.

Submission of the manuscript

The manuscript must be accompanied by a letter signed by the correspondent author, authorizing its publication, stating that it is unpublished and that it was not or is being submitted for publication in another periodical. The other authors will receive an email to communicate about the submission and if they do not agree with the submission, they must get in contact as soon as possible with the Editor-in-Chief.
All people designated as authors must respond for the authorship of the manuscript and have participated sufficiently in the work to assume public responsibility for its content. Authorship credit must be reported using CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) – CASRAI attribution (https://casrai.org/credit/) that including 14 roles which can be used to describe each contributor’s specific contribution to the scholarly output, which are:

• Conceptualization – Ideas; formulation or evolution of overarching research goals and aims.

• Data curation – Management activities to annotate (produce metadata), scrub data and maintain research data (including software code, where it is necessary for interpreting the data itself) for initial use and later re-use.

• Formal analysis – Application of statistical, mathematical, computational, or other formal techniques to analyze or synthesize study data.

• Funding acquisition ​- Acquisition of the financial support for the project leading to this publication.

• Investigation – ​Conducting a research and investigation process, specifically performing the experiments, or data/evidence collection.

• Methodology – Development or design of methodology; creation of models.

• Project administration – Management and coordination responsibility for the research activity planning and execution.

• Resources – Provision of study materials, reagents, materials, patients, laboratory samples, animals, instrumentation, computing resources, or other analysis tools.

• Software – Programming, software development; designing computer programs; implementation of the computer code and supporting algorithms; testing of existing code components.

• Supervision – Oversight and leadership responsibility for the research activity planning and execution, including mentorship external to the core team.

• Validation – Verification, whether as a part of the activity or separate, of the overall replication/reproducibility of results/experiments and other research outputs.

• Visualization – Preparation, creation and/or presentation of the published work, specifically visualization/data presentation.

• Writing – original draft – ​Preparation, creation and/or presentation of the published work, specifically writing the initial draft (including substantive translation).

• Writing – review & editing – Preparation, creation and/or presentation of the published work by those from the original research group, specifically critical review, commentary or revision – including pre- or post-publication stages

Cover Letter to Editor

A cover letter must be included with each manuscript submission. The letter must explain the importance of the article, justifying its evaluation for possible publication in Mastology. The author must include a statement that the article is not being submitted to another journal.

Supplementary material

Mastology do not accept supplementary material. If the author consider that it is important the inclusion or more Tables or Figures, justify this condition to the Editor-in-Chief in cover letter.

Funding

Information on possible sources of research funding must be reported.

Submission:

The works must be submitted through the electronic address https://www.mastology.org/submissions/.
To make your submission easier, prepare the documents previously for submission. The files for submission are: Title page, Main document, Figure, Tables, Supplement file for Review, Supplement file not for review.

The main metrics considered are:
• Title: 50 words
• Running head: 50 characters
• Abstract: 300 words
• Keywords: between 3 to 6
• Cover letter: maximum 4.000 characters

Plagiarism Policy

Plagiarism is not allowed, including the publication of excerpts from the author without proper citation. Manuscripts submitted to Mastology are checked for originality in a plagiarism detection program before undergoing peer review. The Journal adopts the Plagiarism Detector system to identify plagiarism.

Access Rights

All articles published open access will be immediately and permanently free for everyone to read, download, copy and distribute.

User Rights

Permitted third party reuse is defined by the following user license(s):

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (CC BY-NC-ND):

Allows users to copy and distribute the Article, provided this is not done for commercial purposes and further does not permit distribution of the Article if it is changed or edited in any way, and provided the user gives appropriate credit (with a link to the formal publication through the relevant DOI), provides a link to the license, and that the licensor is not represented as endorsing the use made of the work. The full details of the license are available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.

Author Rights

For open access publishing, this journal uses a licensing agreement. Authors will retain copyright alongside scholarly usage rights, and KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. will be granted exclusive publishing and distribution rights.