Contents

• About the Journal —Scope, indexing, digital preservation
• Editorial Policies — Ethics, misconduct, conflicts of interest, generative AI, sex and gender (SAGER guidelines), open science, preprints, data
• Editorial Process — Peer review, appeals, corrections, errata, retractions

 

MASTOLOGY

Mastology is an international, multidisciplinary, open-access, peer-reviewed scientific journal and the official publication of the Brazilian Society of Mastology (SBM). Founded in 1991, the journal was established to provide a high-quality forum for the dissemination of scientific knowledge and the promotion of continuing medical education in the field of breast diseases.

Since its inception, Mastology has been committed to publishing high-quality research and relevant contributions covering epidemiology, prevention and control, screening, biomarkers, diagnostic methods, therapeutic approaches, rehabilitation, quality of life, and scientific and technological advances aimed at improving patient-centered care in breast diseases. The journal adopts a broad, multidisciplinary perspective that reflects both the complexity of breast medicine and the integration of different areas of health.

Over more than three decades of uninterrupted publication, Mastology has established itself as a leading scientific resource in Brazil and Latin America, progressively expanding its international reach. In recent years, the journal has adopted modern editorial practices — including digital publication and a continuous publication model — reinforcing its commitment to open access, timely scientific communication, and editorial modernization.

All manuscripts submitted to Mastology undergo an initial editorial assessment to verify their relevance, originality, and compliance with the journal's scope and ethical principles. Manuscripts deemed appropriate are evaluated by at least two independent reviewers through a single-blind peer review process. The final decision regarding acceptance or rejection rests with the Editor-in-Chief, based on scientific merit, methodological rigor, and adherence to the journal's editorial policies.

 

Open Science Compliance

Mastology operates under the Gold Open Access model, ensuring free, immediate, and permanent access to all its scientific content, with no submission or publication fees. The Open Science movement establishes guidelines for a more transparent, collaborative, reproducible, and socially responsible scientific practice. In alignment with these principles, Mastology publishes on a continuous flow basis, applies a rigorous peer review process, and upholds an institutional commitment to editorial transparency and the broad dissemination of scientific knowledge in the field of breast diseases.

This commitment is reflected in the journal's editorial policy, which:

• accepts manuscripts previously deposited in recognized preprint servers;
• ensures unrestricted open access to all published articles;
• encourages clear disclosure of individual author contributions in multi-authored manuscripts;
• promotes the sharing of research data, code, and supplementary materials — whenever ethically, legally, and technically feasible — through open and trusted repositories.

At the time of submission, authors must complete the Open Science Compliance Form, providing information on data availability, preprint use, methodological transparency, and other practices aligned with Open Science principles.

 

Publication Ethics

Mastology maintains a rigorous commitment to the highest ethical standards in scientific publishing. All submitted manuscripts must adhere to fundamental principles of scientific integrity, including accuracy and honesty in data presentation, appropriate attribution of authorship, and transparency in disclosing potential conflicts of interest. Any form of research misconduct — including, but not limited to, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, data manipulation, fabrication of results, or redundant submission — will be addressed seriously by the editorial team in accordance with formal, documented procedures.

 

Focus and Scope

Mastology is dedicated to publishing original scientific research, critical reviews, and relevant contributions in the field of breast diseases, with a multidisciplinary approach and a focus on improving clinical practice and women's health.

The journal publishes work addressing, among other topics:

• epidemiology, prevention, and control of breast diseases;
• screening, diagnostic imaging, pathology, and biomarkers;
• surgical, clinical, and radiation therapy;
• rehabilitation, physiotherapy, and supportive care;
• quality of life, psychosocial aspects, and health equity;
• translational research, technological innovation, and scientific advances applied to breast medicine.

 

Digital Preservation

Mastology adopts digital preservation practices to ensure continuous access, integrity, and long-term security of its published content. The journal uses distributed archiving systems, such as LOCKSS (Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe), which preserve articles through multiple copies stored at different locations, safeguarding content against technical or institutional loss.

Indexing Sources

• LILACS
• Google Scholar

 

Bibliographic Information

ISSN: 2594-5394

Publisher: The Brazilian Society of Mastology (SBM)

Frequency: Continuous (rolling publication)

Open Access Licence: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

No submission or publication fees.

 

Websites and Social Media

• Facebook
• Instagram
• LinkedIn

 

Editorial Policy

Mastology maintains an independent, transparent editorial policy based exclusively on the scientific merit of submitted manuscripts. Editorial decisions are not subject to commercial, institutional, or personal interests, and are grounded in originality, relevance, methodological rigor, clarity of reporting, and compliance with the ethical principles of scientific research.

The journal adheres to best editorial practices recommended by international organizations, including the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME). Authors, reviewers, and editors are expected to act responsibly, ethically, and collaboratively at every stage of the editorial process.

 

Preprints

Mastology accepts manuscripts previously deposited in recognized preprint servers. Preprint deposit does not compromise originality or prevent consideration for publication.

At the time of submission, authors must complete the Open Science Compliance Form, declaring: (i) prior deposit as a preprint (server and identifier/link), (ii) data and materials availability, and (iii) any other applicable transparency practices.

Manuscripts deposited as preprints are subject to the same editorial and peer review workflow applied to all other manuscripts.

 

Figure 1 – Flowchart of the Mastology editorial and peer review process

Average time from submission to first editorial decision: 8 to 12 weeks

 

Peer Review Process

Mastology operates under a single-blind peer review system. In this model, reviewer identities are kept confidential throughout the editorial process, while authorship and institutional affiliation information are accessible to reviewers.

All submitted manuscripts first undergo a preliminary editorial assessment to verify scope suitability, scientific relevance, originality, and compliance with ethical and editorial requirements.

Manuscripts deemed eligible are forwarded to at least two independent reviewers who are specialists in the subject area of the study. Editorial decisions are based on reviewer reports and the assessment of the handling Editor, with the Editor-in-Chief holding final authority regarding acceptance, revision request, or rejection (Figure 1).

Figure 1 – Flowchart of the Mastology editorial and peer review process

Average time from submission to first editorial decision: 8 to 12 weeks

 

Peer Review Process for Preprints

The prior existence of a manuscript as a preprint does not alter or replace Mastology's editorial process. All manuscripts, regardless of prior deposit in preprint servers, are evaluated according to the same scientific, ethical, and editorial criteria.

Public comments or assessments associated with the preprint may be considered by the Editor as supplementary information, but they do not replace the formal peer review process conducted by the journal.

Completion of the Open Science Compliance Form is also mandatory for manuscripts previously deposited as preprints.

 

Open Data — Deposit, Citation, and Data Linking

Mastology is committed to supporting the storage, access, citation, and discovery of research data, as part of a more transparent, reproducible, and efficient scientific practice. The journal's data policy establishes the principles guiding collaboration with the scientific community to strengthen the integrity and utility of published results.

For editorial purposes, research data refers to the outputs of observations, measurements, or experiments that support and validate the conclusions presented in a manuscript. Such data may include, among others:

• primary and secondary datasets;
• analysis code and scripts;
• software, models, and algorithms;
• protocols, methods, and workflows;
• supplementary materials relevant to the understanding and reproducibility of the study.

Mastology encourages authors to adopt good data-sharing practices, as feasible from an ethical, legal, and technical standpoint. In particular, authors are recommended to:

• deposit research data in trusted and recognized repositories (preferably open access: SciELO Data, Dryad, Figshare, Harvard Dataverse, Mendeley Data, Open Science Framework, and Zenodo);
• explicitly cite and link the datasets used or generated in the study;
• when sharing is not possible, document this in the Open Science Compliance Form, explaining the reasons for data unavailability.

 

Data Availability Statement

To promote transparency, all research manuscripts submitted to Mastology must complete the Open Science Compliance Form, indicating one of the following:

• data are publicly available, with indication of the repository and persistent identifier (DOI or Handle);
• data are available upon reasonable request to the corresponding author(s);
• data cannot be shared, with a clear explanation of the reason (e.g., sensitive or confidential data, patient-identifiable information, or legal and ethical restrictions).

Data availability requirements may also be stipulated by funding agencies or research institutions; authors are responsible for ensuring compliance with such requirements.

 

Responsibility and Best Practices

Responsibility for data curation, accuracy, integrity, and ethical compliance rests at all times with the authors. Data sharing must respect principles of confidentiality, privacy, informed consent, and applicable legislation — particularly in studies involving human subjects.

 

Article Processing Charges

Mastology does not charge submission, evaluation, or publication fees (APC).

 

Ethics, Misconduct, Errata, and Retraction Policy

Mastology is committed to upholding the highest standards of ethics, integrity, and transparency in scientific publishing. The journal follows the guidelines and flowcharts of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) as its reference framework for the prevention, identification, investigation, and handling of potential cases of research misconduct.

Authors, reviewers, and editors are expected to strictly adhere to the ethical principles governing scientific research and communication.

Mastology considers the following, among others, as forms of research misconduct:

• plagiarism and self-plagiarism;
• fabrication or falsification of data;
• inappropriate manipulation of images;
• redundant submission or duplicate publication;
• inappropriate authorship (honorary, guest, or ghost authorship);
• omission of relevant conflicts of interest;
• undisclosed or inappropriate use of generative artificial intelligence;
• involvement with paper mills or fraudulent manuscript production.

Suspected cases of misconduct will be assessed confidentially, fairly, and based on evidence, following COPE flowcharts. The process may include:

• requesting clarification from the authors;
• reviewing original documents and data;
• contacting affiliated institutions, when necessary.

The editorial process may be suspended during an investigation. Mastology reserves the right to take measures proportionate to the severity of each case.

 

Corrections, Errata, and Retractions

Mastology acknowledges that errors may occur and is committed to correcting them in a transparent and responsible manner.

Errata: Errata will be published when unintentional errors are identified in published articles that do not compromise the scientific validity of the results or conclusions. Errata will be permanently linked to the original article.

Expressions of Concern: An Expression of Concern may be published when there is credible evidence of serious ethical or scientific problems while an investigation is ongoing.

Retractions: Retractions will be published when there is clear evidence that the results or conclusions of an article are invalid, whether due to serious honest error or to research misconduct. The retraction notice will be clearly identified, permanently linked to the original article, and will explain the reasons for the decision in accordance with COPE recommendations.

 

Editorial Responsibility

Ultimate responsibility for editorial decisions rests with the Editor-in-Chief, who acts with editorial independence and in compliance with this policy. Mastology does not accept editorial material of a promotional or commercial nature.

 

Conflict of Interest Policy

Mastology adopts a rigorous policy of transparency in identifying and disclosing conflicts of interest, with the aim of preserving scientific integrity, the credibility of the editorial process, and the trust of readers.

Conflicts of interest arise when financial, institutional, or personal relationships may influence — or appear to influence — the conduct, interpretation, writing, or evaluation of a scientific work.

All authors must explicitly declare any potential conflicts of interest related to the submitted manuscript. The declaration should include, where applicable:

• financial ties (employment, consultancies, honoraria, grants, funding, equity interests, patents, or royalties);
• institutional or contractual relationships;
• personal, academic, or professional interests that could be perceived as undue influence on the work.

 

The absence of conflicts of interest must also be explicitly declared.

Conflict of interest information must be included:

• on the title page; and
• in the manuscript's Conflict of Interest Declaration Form.

 

Conflict of interest declarations will be published alongside the article.

Conflict of Interest — Reviewers

Reviewers invited to assess manuscripts for Mastology must declare any potential conflicts of interest before accepting the review assignment. This includes personal, professional, academic, or financial relationships with the authors, the institutions involved, or the subject matter of the manuscript.

Reviewers with relevant conflicts of interest must decline the manuscript review. The confidentiality of the peer review process must be maintained at all times.

Conflict of Interest — Editors

Editors must recuse themselves from the editorial process for manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest, including institutional ties, recent collaborations, personal relationships, or financial interests. In such cases, the manuscript will be assigned to another Editor to ensure independence and impartiality in editorial decision-making.

Omission or Inadequate Disclosure

Deliberate omission or inadequate disclosure of conflicts of interest may result in editorial action, including requests for clarification, manuscript rejection, publication of corrections, expressions of concern, or retraction, in accordance with COPE guidelines.

 

Similarity Detection Software

All manuscripts submitted to Mastology are mandatorily screened for similarity using specialized software, before and/or during the peer review process, to identify plagiarism, self-plagiarism, and other forms of undue content overlap.

 

Generative Artificial Intelligence Policy

Mastology acknowledges that generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used as support in activities related to research and scientific writing. However, the use of these technologies must occur responsibly, transparently, and ethically, without compromising scientific integrity, intellectual authorship, or the reliability of the reported findings.

This policy is aligned with the recommendations of the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME) and international best practices in scientific publishing ethics and integrity.

For further information, see the Guide on the use of Artificial Intelligence tools and resources in research communication on the SciELO Network (https://wp.scielo.org/wp-content/uploads/Guia-de-uso-de-ferramentas-e-recursos-de-IA-20230914.pdf).

Use of Chatbots and AI Tools in Submitted Manuscripts

When generative AI tools (including chatbots) are used in a meaningful way during manuscript preparation, authors must explicitly disclose this use in the article.

Mandatory AI Use Declaration (when applicable)

Authors must complete the Open Science Compliance Form and specify the tool used and the purpose of its use.

Exceptions

This declaration is not required when tool use is limited to:

• basic spell-checkers or grammar-correction tools;
• reference managers;
• similar technical support tools with no intellectual impact on the content.

When there is no meaningful AI use, the declaration may be omitted.

AI Use by Authors

The use of generative AI tools (e.g., for linguistic support, text organization, or grammatical revision) is permitted, provided that:

• the tool is not listed as an author, as it does not meet the criteria for scientific authorship;
• authors take full responsibility for the manuscript's content, including accuracy, originality, data integrity, and conclusions;
• AI use does not replace scientific analysis, interpretation of results, or the authors' critical judgment.

 

The use of AI for generating data, images, results, statistical analyses, scientific figures, or conclusions without adequate human validation is strongly discouraged and may constitute research misconduct.

AI Use by Editors and Reviewers

Reviewers and editors should be aware that generative AI tools may retain, reuse, or use for training purposes the content entered into them, including submitted manuscript text. Accordingly, entering all or part of a manuscript into AI tools that store or reuse content constitutes a breach of the confidentiality of the peer review process, in accordance with WAME recommendations.

If AI tools are used in a limited capacity to support the review process, reviewers and editors remain fully responsible for the content of their reports and must ensure that such use:

• does not compromise the confidentiality of the manuscript;
• does not involve sharing the submitted text with external systems;
• does not replace the reviewer's critical, independent, and evidence-based assessment.

Policy Updates

Given the rapid evolution of AI technologies, this policy may be periodically reviewed and updated in accordance with new international recommendations and best editorial practices.

Normative Reference

Zielinski C, Winker MA, Aggarwal R, Ferris LE, Heinemann M, Lapeña JF, et al; WAME Board. Chatbots, generative artificial intelligence, and scholarly manuscripts: WAME recommendations on chatbots and generative artificial intelligence in relation to scholarly publications. World Association of Medical Editors; 2023 May 31 [cited 2025 Jan 12]. Available from: https://wame.org/page3.php?id=106

 

Sex and Gender Considerations

Mastology adopts the SAGER Guidelines (Sex and Gender Equity in Research) as the reference framework for appropriately incorporating sex and gender dimensions in scientific research, recognizing their relevance to methodological quality, external validity, and health equity.

Sex refers to biological attributes (e.g., chromosomes, anatomy, physiology), while gender refers to social and cultural constructs (e.g., identities, roles, and relationships). Both may influence risk, clinical presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and health outcomes — particularly in the field of breast diseases.

Authors should:

• clearly indicate whether sex and/or gender were considered in the study design;
• explicitly define how sex and gender were conceptualized, measured, and operationalized;
• describe the sample composition with respect to sex and gender, where applicable.

When studies include only one sex or gender, authors must provide a scientific and methodologically sound justification for this choice.

Authors should use precise, inclusive, and non-stigmatizing language, avoiding the interchangeable or inappropriate use of the terms sex and gender. The terminology adopted must be consistent throughout the manuscript.

Editors and reviewers are encouraged to critically assess the adequacy of sex and gender reporting in accordance with the SAGER Guidelines as part of the evaluation of manuscript methodological quality.

For further details on inclusive writing practices, see the SAGER Guidelines (https://ease.org.uk/communities/gender-policy-committee/the-sager-guidelines/) and Chapter 11 of the AMA Manual of Style, 11th edition.

 

Ethics Committee

Mastology requires all manuscripts to comply with internationally recognized ethical principles for scientific research.

Research Involving Human Subjects

Authors must ensure that studies involving human subjects comply with:

• the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki;
• the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE);
• applicable national legislation and ethical standards.

Research Involving Animals

Studies involving animals must follow recognized ethical guidelines, including:

• the PREPARE Guide (https://norecopa.no/prepare);
• the ARRIVE Guidelines (https://arriveguidelines.org/);
• the Brazilian Guidelines for the Care and Use of Animals in Teaching or Scientific Research Activities – DBCA (CONCEA Normative Resolution No. 55), available at: https://www.in.gov.br/web/dou/-/resolucao-n-55-de-5-de-outubro-de-2022-434869177

Mandatory Ethical Declarations

The following items must be explicitly reported in the manuscript, where applicable:

• the opinion number and institution of the Research Ethics Committee;
• for studies conducted in Brazil, the CAAE number, opinion number, and date of approval by Plataforma Brasil must be provided;
• when ethical review is not required (e.g., systematic reviews or meta-analyses), the applicable regulatory basis must be cited — for Brazilian studies: CNS Resolution No. 466/2012; for international studies: the equivalent national standard;
• case reports require Ethics Committee approval;
• ethical review is generally mandatory for original articles, brief communications, and case reports;
• for the Images in Mastology section, formal patient authorization is required and must be included in the submission documents;
• a Conflict of Interest Declaration must be submitted by all authors.

 

In accordance with Resolution of the Brazilian Federal Council of Medicine (CFM No. 1595/2000), the promotion or advertising of products, equipment, or commercial interests in scientific articles published in Mastology is strictly prohibited.

 

Copyright

Copyright remains entirely with the authors. Upon submission and acceptance of a manuscript for publication, authors grant Mastology the right of first publication, as well as the right to edit, index, distribute, and make the article available on different national and international platforms and databases.

This policy ensures that authors retain legal ownership of their work while allowing its broad circulation and preservation in the scientific community.

All articles published in Mastology are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.

This license allows:

• copying, distributing, and transmitting the material in any medium or format;
• adapting, remixing, transforming, and building upon the material, including for commercial purposes;

provided that:

• appropriate credit is given to the authors and the original source;
• a link to the license is provided;
• any modifications made are indicated.

The adoption of the CC BY 4.0 license reflects Mastology's commitment to maximum dissemination, responsible reuse, and transparency of scientific knowledge.

More information about the license is available at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

 

Intellectual Property and Terms of Use

All content and articles published by Mastology, unless otherwise indicated, are made available in open access under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.

Under this license, authors retain copyright over their works and grant Mastology the right of first publication, as well as the right to disseminate, index, preserve, and distribute the published content. The CC BY 4.0 license permits the use, reproduction, adaptation, and redistribution of the material in any medium or format, provided that the original work is properly cited, with clear indication of authorship, the journal, and a link to the published version.

 

Author Self-Archiving

Mastology recognizes and supports manuscript self-archiving as an integral part of Open Science practices and contemporary scientific communication. Depositing manuscript versions in institutional repositories, thematic repositories, or preprint servers is considered a legitimate practice and does not constitute prior publication, nor does it compromise the scientific originality of the work submitted to the journal.

Authors are authorized to self-archive versions of their manuscripts before, during, or after the editorial process at Mastology, including:

• the submitted version (preprint);
• the manuscript accepted after peer review (Author Accepted Manuscript – AAM or postprint); and
• the published version (Version of Record), subject to the terms of the publication license adopted by the journal.

After the article is published, authors are encouraged to update the repository record to include the DOI and the link to the published version in Mastology, ensuring proper linking between versions and the integrity of the academic record.