AUTHOR GUIDELINES

Journal of Cukurova Anesthesia and Surgical Sciences (J Cukurova Anesth Surg) e-ISSN: 2667-498X

1. General Information

The Journal of Cukurova Anesthesia and Surgical Sciences (J Cukurova Anesth) is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal published quarterly (March, June, September, and December). The journal publishes original research articles, review articles, case reports, and letters to the editor in the fields of anesthesiology, pain medicine, intensive care, and surgical sciences.

All manuscripts must be submitted in English. Submissions not meeting these guidelines will be returned without review.

2. Open Access and License Policy

This journal operates under a full open-access model. All published articles are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). Authors retain copyright but grant the journal the right of first publication. There are no article processing charges (APCs) for authors.

License details: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

3. Ethical Requirements

3.1. All research involving human participants must comply with the Declaration of Helsinki (https://www.wma.net/policies-post/wma-declaration-of-helsinki/). Ethics committee approval must be stated in the Methods section, including the name of the committee, approval number, and date.

3.2. Informed consent must be obtained from all human participants. For case reports, written informed consent from the patient (or legal guardian) is mandatory.

3.3. Animal studies must comply with the ARRIVE guidelines and 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.pdf). Institutional animal ethics committee approval must be stated.

3.4. Clinical trials must be registered in a publicly accessible registry (e.g., ClinicalTrials.gov, ISRCTN, WHO ICTRP) before patient enrollment. The trial registration number must be included at the end of the abstract.

3.5. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses must follow PRISMA guidelines (http://www.prisma-statement.org/). Randomized controlled trials must follow CONSORT guidelines. Observational studies must follow STROBE guidelines. Authors are encouraged to include the relevant completed checklist as supplementary material.

3.6. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools (e.g., large language models) for manuscript writing is not permitted. AI may be used for language editing, but this must be disclosed in the cover letter. AI tools cannot be listed as authors.

4. Authorship

Authorship must comply with the ICMJE criteria (https://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/roles-and-responsibilities/defining-the-role-of-authors-and-contributors.html). All authors must have:

• Made substantial contributions to conception/design, acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data
• Drafted or critically revised the manuscript
• Approved the final version
• Agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work

All authors must have an active ORCID iD (https://orcid.org/). Any changes to authorship after submission must be approved by all authors and the editor.

Author Contribution Statement (CRediT Taxonomy)

All manuscripts must include an author contribution statement using CRediT taxonomy (https://credit.niso.org/) at the end of the manuscript. Example:

Conceptualization: A.B., C.D.; Methodology: A.B.; Formal analysis: C.D.; Writing – original draft: A.B.; Writing – review & editing: C.D., E.F.; Supervision: E.F.

5. Manuscript Types and Limits

Word counts exclude abstract, references, tables, figure legends, and title page.

6. Manuscript Preparation

6.1. File Format Submit manuscripts as Microsoft Word (.docx) files. Use Times New Roman, 12-point font, double line spacing throughout, with 2.5 cm margins on all sides. Pages must be numbered consecutively.

6.2. Title Page (Separate File) The title page must include:

• Full title in English (and Turkish if applicable)
• Running title (max. 60 characters)
• Full names, academic titles, institutional affiliations, city, country, and ORCID iD of all authors
• Name, institutional address, telephone, and email address of the corresponding author
• Funding sources and grant numbers (or a statement that no funding was received)
• Conflict of interest disclosure
• Ethics committee name, approval date, and approval number
• Clinical trial registration number (if applicable)
• Word count, number of tables, and number of figures
• Acknowledgments (if any)

Author details must appear only on the title page to ensure blinded peer review.

6.3. Structured Abstract All research articles must include a structured abstract of no more than 250 words with the following headings:

• Background/Objective: State the purpose of the study.
• Materials and Methods: Describe the study design, setting, participants, and key methods.
• Results: Report the main findings with key statistics.
• Conclusion: State the main conclusion and its clinical implication.

Abstracts for Case Reports should include: Introduction, Case Presentation, and Conclusion (max. 150 words).

Abstracts for Review Articles should include: Background, Methods (search strategy), Results, and Conclusion.

Do not cite references in the abstract. Avoid abbreviations unless defined at first use.

6.4. Keywords Provide 3–6 keywords, selected from MeSH (Medical Subject Headings; https://meshb.nlm.nih.gov/). List keywords below the abstract in alphabetical order, separated by semicolons.

7. Manuscript Structure

7.1. Original Research Articles

• Introduction
• Materials and Methods
• Results
• Discussion
• Conclusion
• Author Contributions
• Funding
• Conflict of Interest
• Ethical Approval
• Informed Consent
• Data Availability Statement
• References
• Tables (each on a separate page)
• Figure Legends
• Figures (each as a separate file)

7.2. Review Articles

• Introduction
• Methods (if systematic/scoping review: include search strategy, inclusion/exclusion criteria)
• Body sections with appropriate subheadings
• Conclusion
• Author Contributions, Funding, Conflict of Interest, References

7.3. Case Reports

• Introduction
• Case Presentation (including history, examination findings, investigations, treatment, and outcome)
• Discussion
• Conclusion
• Patient Consent Statement
• References

8. Statistical Reporting

Authors must report statistical methods in sufficient detail to allow verification of reported results. The following are required:

• Name the statistical software used (including version and manufacturer details)
• Report exact p-values (not "p < 0.05" alone); p-values below 0.001 may be reported as "p < 0.001"
• Report effect sizes and confidence intervals (95% CI) alongside p-values where applicable
• For survival analyses, provide Kaplan–Meier curves and log-rank test results
• Specify whether data are normally distributed and the tests used to assess this
• Clearly distinguish between primary and secondary outcomes in clinical studies

9. References

All references must follow the Vancouver citation style and be numbered sequentially in the order of first appearance in the text.

General Rules:

• In-text citations use superscript Arabic numerals placed before punctuation marks (e.g., "as previously described.¹")
• Consecutive references are indicated with a hyphen (e.g., ¹⁻³); non-consecutive references are separated by commas (e.g., ¹,³,⁵)
• List all authors if ≤6; if >6, list the first 6 followed by "et al."
• Journal titles must be abbreviated according to PubMed/Index Medicus standards
• All references must include a DOI where available
• Authors are responsible for the accuracy of all references

Reference Formats:

Journal Article: Sinclair DR, Chung F, Mezei G. Can postoperative nausea and vomiting be predicted? Anesthesiology. 1999;91(1):109-18. doi:10.1097/00000542-199907000-00018

Journal Article with >6 Authors: Smith A, Jones B, Brown C, Davis D, Wilson E, Taylor F, et al. Title of article. J Abbrev. 2020;10(2):100-110. doi:10.xxxx/xxxxx

Book: Ropper AH, Brown RH. Adams and Victor's Principles of Neurology. 8th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2007.

Book Chapter: Phillips MK, Gain P. Hypertension and stroke. In: Laragh JH, Brenner BM, editors. Hypertension: Pathophysiology and Management. 2nd ed. London: Ran Press; 1985. p. 495-8.

Website: World Health Organization. Obesity and overweight [Internet]. Geneva: WHO; 2021 [cited 2024 Mar 15]. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight

Preprint: Author A, Author B. Title of preprint. medRxiv [Preprint]. 2023 [cited 2024 Jan 10]. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1101/xxxx. Note: Authors should clearly label preprints as such.

10. Tables

• Tables must be submitted within the main manuscript Word file, each on a separate page after the references section.
• Number tables consecutively (Table 1, Table 2, etc.) in the order they appear in the text.
• Each table must have a concise, descriptive title placed above the table.
• Use only horizontal lines (top, below column headings, and at the bottom); do not use vertical lines or internal horizontal lines.
• All abbreviations used in the table must be defined in a footnote below the table in alphabetical order, using standard symbols (*, †, ‡, §).
• Do not duplicate data presented in the text or figures.
• For tables reproduced from previously published work, written permission from the original publisher must be submitted with the manuscript.

11. Figures, Images, and Illustrations

• Figures must be submitted as separate files (TIFF or JPEG) in addition to being embedded in the manuscript for reference.
• Minimum resolution: 300 DPI for photographs/clinical images; 600 DPI for line art/graphs.
• Minimum width: 8 cm (single column) or 17 cm (full page width).
• File format: TIFF preferred; high-resolution JPEG acceptable.
• Number figures consecutively (Figure 1, Figure 2, etc.) in the order of appearance.
• Figure legends must be placed at the end of the main manuscript file. Each legend must describe the figure sufficiently for it to be understood without reference to the text.
• For microscopic images, indicate the staining method and magnification.
• Figures adapted or reproduced from previously published work require written permission from the copyright holder; include permission documentation at the time of submission.
• Patient identifiers must be removed from clinical images. Written informed consent from the patient for image publication must be stated in the manuscript.
• Color figures are published online at no additional cost. Authors should confirm whether figures should appear in color or black-and-white in print.

12. Supplementary Material

Authors may submit supplementary files (additional tables, figures, datasets, protocols, checklists) that support but are not essential to the main manuscript. Supplementary files are subject to peer review. Label supplementary items as Supplementary Table 1, Supplementary Figure 1, etc., and reference them in the main text.

13. Data Availability Statement

All manuscripts must include a Data Availability Statement at the end of the manuscript (before references). This statement should indicate whether the data that support the findings of this study are publicly available and, if so, where. If data cannot be shared, authors must state this with a brief explanation. Example statements:

• "The data that support the findings of this study are openly available in [repository name] at [URL/DOI]."
• "The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request."
• "All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article and its supplementary files."

14. Funding Statement

All sources of financial support for the research must be disclosed in the title page and repeated in a Funding section at the end of the manuscript. Grant numbers should be included where applicable. If no funding was received, state: "This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors."

15. Conflict of Interest

All authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could influence (or could be perceived to influence) the work. This includes employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, expert testimony, patents, and grants. If no conflicts exist, state: "The authors declare no conflict of interest."

16. Cover Letter

A cover letter must accompany all submissions. The cover letter should:

• State the manuscript type (original research, review, case report, etc.)
• Confirm that the manuscript has not been published previously and is not under consideration elsewhere
• Confirm that all authors have read and approved the manuscript
• Disclose any related manuscripts under review or recently published by the same authors
• Disclose use of any AI writing tools (if applicable)
• Suggest 3–5 potential peer reviewers with their names, affiliations, and email addresses (the editors are not obliged to use these suggestions)

17. Submission Checklist

Before submitting, authors must confirm the following:

☐ Manuscript is in English, double-spaced, Times New Roman 12pt, with numbered pages ☐ Title page is prepared as a separate file and contains all required information ☐ Abstract is structured and within word limits; keywords are from MeSH ☐ Text is within word limit for the manuscript type ☐ Ethics committee approval number and date are stated in the Methods ☐ All authors have valid ORCID iDs ☐ Author Contribution Statement (CRediT) is included ☐ Data Availability Statement is included ☐ Funding and Conflict of Interest statements are included ☐ References follow Vancouver style with DOIs where available ☐ All tables are on separate pages after the references, with titles above and abbreviations defined below ☐ Figures are submitted as separate high-resolution files (≥300 DPI) ☐ For clinical trials: trial registration number is included at end of abstract ☐ For systematic reviews: PRISMA checklist is uploaded as supplementary material ☐ For case reports: patient informed consent for publication is stated ☐ Cover letter is included ☐ Copyright Transfer Form (signed by all authors) is included

18. Peer Review

The journal applies a double-blind peer review process. All submitted manuscripts are first assessed by the editors for scope and quality. Manuscripts meeting the requirements are assigned to at least two independent external reviewers. The expected time from submission to first decision is approximately 6–8 weeks.

19. After Acceptance

Upon acceptance, the corresponding author will receive page proofs for correction. Only typographical and factual errors may be corrected at proof stage; substantive changes are not permitted. Corrected proofs must be returned within 48 hours.