About the Journal

EDITORIAL POLICIES

 

Aims and scope

The Portuguese Journal of Pediatrics (PJP) was founded in 1938 and is an official organ of the Portuguese Society of Pediatrics (SPP). It is a Portuguese scientific double-blind peer-reviewed journal published in English that aims to publish high quality articles in topics ranging from clinical to experimental issues concerning pediatric and maternal-fetal conditions. The PJP publishes original articles, review articles, case reports, case series, images in Pediatrics, editorials letters to the Editor and other contents that aim to improve clinical practice (guidelines and perspectives).  It is published trimestraly in both paper-based and digital formats.

The accuracy of the PJP contents as well as the views expressed are the sole responsibility of the authors. All published articles constitute property of the PJP and cannot be reproduced, partly or completely, without the editor’s authorization.

Manuscripts submitted to the PJP must comply with the norms included in the  Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals, created by the International Committee of Medical Journals Editors (ICMJE), reviewed in December 2016, available online in http://www.icmje.org/icmje-recommendations.pdf.

The PJP’s process of review and publication respects the Editorial Policy Statements issued by the Council of Science Editors (https://www.councilscienceeditors.org/wp-content/uploads/CSE-White-Paper_2018-update-050618.pdf).

The PJP has adopted its current name in 2018, functioning as a continuation of the formerly named Acta Pediátrica Portuguesa. 

 

Editorial independence

It is the responsibility of the SPP to appoint and dismiss the Editorial Board of the PJP, as well as to establish a contract at the time of their appointment, in which their rights, duties and authority are described, as well as general terms of nomination and conflict resolution mechanisms. The performance of the Editorial Board is evaluated by mutually agreed indicators.

The PJP adopts the definition of editorial freedom of the ICMJE described by the World Association of Medical Editors, which states that the Editor-in-Chief assumes complete authority over the editorial content of the journal as a whole and on the publication of its content. The SPP, as proprietor of the PJP, does not interfere in the process of evaluating, selecting, programming or editing any manuscript, either directly, or by maintaining an environment that can strongly influence the decisions. The editor bases the editorial decisions on the quality of the articles submitted for publication and its importance to the readers of the PJP and not in the any business implications they may have for the journal. The Editor is also free to express critical but responsible views on all aspects of medicine without fear of reprisals.

 

Revenue sources

The journal is supported by the Portuguese Pediatrics Society and by advertising. There are no article processing charges, no submission fees, no subscriptions nor other organisational supports.
The Portuguese Pediatrics Society does not influence the selection or editing of submissions.
Editorial decisions are not influenced by comercial factors. Decisions about individual papers remain separate from the sale of advertising.

 

Publishing best practices

Authorship and responsibility

As mentioned in the Requirements, ICMJE authorship requires a substantial contribution to the manuscript, being necessary to specify, in the cover letter, the contribution of each author to the work.

 

Individual contributions statement signed by each author

All of those designated as authors must meet the four criteria for authorship, below indicated and all those who meet the four criteria should be identified as authors. Contributors who do not meet the four criteria for authorship, but have contributed to the study or manuscript should be recognized in the Acknowledgements section, specifying their contribution.

Each manuscript must have a ‘corresponding author’. However, all the authors should have participated significantly to take public responsibility for the content and authorship credit.

The corresponding author must obtain written permission from everyone mentioned in the acknowledgements.

Authors are those who:

1. Have a direct and substantial intellectual contribution to the conception or design of the article;
2. Participate in the analysis and interpretation of data;
3. Participate in the drafting of the manuscript, version review and critical review of the content; approval of the final version;
4. Acknowledge that they are accountable for the accuracy and integrity of the work.

In addition to being responsible for the work already done, an author must be able to identify which of the co-authors were responsible for the other specific parts of the work.

Obtaining funding, collecting data, or the general supervision of the work group, by itself, does not justify authorship.

 

Group authorship

When a large group of authors perform a work, this group must decide, before starting to work, who will be the authors listed as such in manuscripts submitted for publication.

All group members listed as authors should meet the four criteria of authorship, including approval of the manuscript's final version - and should be able to take public responsibility for the totality of the work of other group authors. Individually, all group members must complete the declaration of conflicts of interest form.

Some groups, particularly when numerous, ascribe authorship of the work to the name of the group, with or without listing individual names. When submitting a manuscript whose authorship is a group, the corresponding author must specify the group name, if it exists, and clearly identify which group members can receive credit and take responsibility for the work as authors. Whenever authors publish on behalf of a group, the group members should be listed in the Appendix.

If a medical writer was involved in the manuscript drafting, a statement is required signed by the corresponding author, with the name and information of whether there was funding from that person. This information should be added in the Acknowledgements section. It is mandatory to have statements signed by the medical writer, indicating that he or she gives permission to be named in the Acknowledgements section.

 

Changes in authorship

Authors must determine among themselves the order of authorship and resolve any disagreements before submitting the manuscript for publication. Changes in authorship (whether in order or number of authors) should be discussed and approved by all the authors. Any requests for changes in authorship after the initial manuscript submission and prior to publication should be explained in writing to the editor in an e-mail with every author on copy.

Any change in authorship after submission must be approved in writing by all the authors. Changes to authorship or the authors order are not considered after the acceptance of the manuscript.

 

Role of the corresponding author

The corresponding author will act on behalf of all coauthors as the preferred correspondent with the editorial team during the submission process and review. The corresponding author, on behalf of all coauthors, is responsible for communicating with the journal during submission, peer review and publication process. He or she is also responsible for ensuring all the administrative requirements of the journal (providing details of authorship; approval by the Ethics Committee; conflict of interest forms; informed consent).

 

Guidance for submission of studies

The PJP recommends the guidelines for publication of the EQUATOR network (http://www.equator-network.org), namely the CONSORT declarations and their extensions (randomized trials, http://www.consort-statement.org), STROBE (observational studies, https://www.strobe-statement.org), STARD (diagnostic/prognostic studies. http://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/stard), PRISMA (Systematic reviews and meta-analyses, http://prisma-statement.org), SQUIRE (quality improvement studies, http://www.squire-statement.org) e CARE (case reports, http://www.care-statement.org).

The reporting of statistical details should be done in accordance with the Statistical Analysis and Methods in the Published Literature (SAMPL Guidelines, http://www.equator-network.org/2013/02/11/sampl-guidelines-for-statistical-reporting)

 

Duplicate submission and publication

The PJP does not accept any material that has already been published (except for presentations at conferences and other scientific meetings) or that it is waiting to be reviewed for publication by another journal.

The PJP endorses the ICMJE policy regarding overlapping publications (http://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/publishing-and-editorial-issues/overlapping-publications.html).

 

Plagiarism policy

Whether it's intentional or not, plagiarism is a serious violation. We define plagiarism as reproduction of another work with at least 25% similarity and without citation. The PJP uses specific software for similarity check.  

If evidence of plagiarism is found before/after the acceptance or after the publication of the article, the author will be given an opportunity for a rebuttal. If the arguments presented are considered not to be satisfactory, the manuscript will be retracted, and the author will be sanctioned with a suspension to publish any work for a period to be determined by the Editor.

  

Ethical considerations

The author must ensure that the study submitted for publication complies with the ethical and legal principles, during research and publication phases, including the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki revised in 2013 (http://www.wma.net/en/20activities/10ethics/10helsinki), the ICMJE (www.icmje.org) and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) (http://publicationethics.org/resources/guidelines) guidelines.

When applicable, the author must show that the research was approved by the Ethics Committee(s) of the involved institutions and that recommendations were followed. This information should appear in the body of the article. Any suspected research misconduct will be investigated, and all interested parties will be informed. Identifying information of the research subjects, including photographs, names or hospital numbers, should not be published. Studies involving animal experiments must be conducted in accordance with the guidelines defined in the “Guide for the care and use of laboratory animals” by the National Institutes of Health. All animal studies should also comply with the ARRIVE (Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments) guidelines. The author should also comply with the national legislation that regulates this type of study (Decree-Law No. 113/2013 of 7 August 2013). The manuscript should clearly explain that the above-mentioned guidelines were followed.

The PJP holds the right to reject any manuscript based on the ethical misconduct of human or animal studies.

 

Privacy and informed consent

Studies involving patients or voluntaries require approval by the Ethics Committee and informed consent from each subject. These should be clearly stated in the article.

The author is responsible for obtaining informed consent from each subject shown in photographs, videos, detailed case descriptions, even after appropriate measures to preserve anonymity are taken. Names, initials or other forms of identification must be removed from photos or other images. Personal data, such as profession or residence, must be omitted except when epidemiologically relevant to the study. The author must ensure that data allowing for unequivocal identification is not presented or, if this is not possible, informed consent of subject(s) (or, where applicable, the next of kin) must be obtained.

Generally, the presentation of a case report must be accompanied by the written consent of the subject (or parent/guardian) prior to publication. This is particularly important when photographs are used or in cases where the unique nature of the case allows for the identification of the patient. Although the Editorial Board recognizes that it is not always possible or appropriate to obtain this consent, the author must demonstrate that this exception applies in the specific case.

 

Language

The manuscripts submitted to PJP must be written in English.

 

Open access policy

All articles in this journal are Open Access and meet the requirements of the funding agencies or academic institutions.

Article download statistics are available on website for each article.

 

Copyright

Considering third party use, the PJP is licensed under a Creative Commons ‘Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives (by-nc-nd)’ license. The journal allows the author(s) to hold the copyright of their work (all usages allowed except for commercial purpose). The journal allows the author(s) to retain publishing rights without restrictions. License information will be permanently attached to published content, ensuring that this data will not change in the case of a journal changing policies for new submissions. Please contact us at editorinchief.pjp@spp.pt for permissions related to commercial use of the article(s).

The author is responsible for obtaining permission to reproduce illustrations, tables, etc., from other publications.

Upon acceptance of an article, the authors will be asked to complete a “Publishing Agreement”. An e-mail will be sent to the corresponding author confirming receipt of the manuscript together with a Publishing Agreement form or a link to the online version of this agreement.

The PJP follows Sherpa/RoMEO policies on copyright and auto-archiving (http://www.sherpa.ac.uk/romeo/).

 

Auto-archiving

The author is entitled to post the manuscript in their institution's repository, as long as the publication journal is stated, and it complies with the Creative Commons license.

This journal utilises the LOCKSS system to create a distributed file system among participating libraries and allows them to create permanent archives of the journal for preservation and restoration. 

 

Article processing charges

There are no article processing charge (no submission fees even for the publication of color images).

 

Permissions

All previously published and copyrighted material, including illustrations (figures and tables), must be accompanied by the written permission of the copyright holders.

 

Conflicts of interest and funding sources

Public trust in the scientific process and the credibility of published articles depend in part on how transparently conflicts of interest are handled during the planning, implementation, writing, peer review, editing, and publication of scientific work.

A conflict of interest exists when professional judgment concerning a primary interest (such as patients’ welfare or the validity of research) may be influenced by a secondary interest (such as financial gain). 

Financial relationships are the most easily identifiable conflicts of interest and the most likely to undermine the credibility of the journal, the authors, and science itself. However, conflicts can occur for other reasons, such as personal relationships or rivalries, academic competition, and intellectual beliefs. Authors should avoid entering in to agreements with study sponsors, both for-profit and nonprofit, that interfere with authors’ access to all of the study’s data or that interfere with their ability to analyze and interpret the data and to prepare and publish manuscripts independently when and where they choose.

All participants in the peer-review and publication process—not only authors but also peer reviewers, editors, and editorial board members of journals—must consider their conflicts of interest when fulfilling their roles in the process of article review and publication and must disclose all relationships that could be viewed as potential conflicts of interest.

When authors submit a manuscript of any type or format they are responsible for disclosing all financial and personal relationships that might bias or be seen to bias their work.

The details of all sources of funding for the study must be stated, together with a description of their role in the study design and in the decision to submit the article for publication. The precision and accuracy of the contents, as well as the opinions expressed are the sole responsibility of the author.

All authors must complete and submit the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest available at: http://www.icmje.org/downloads/coi_disclosure.pdf. This information will be kept confidential during the manuscript review and will not influence the editorial decision but will be published if the article is accepted. If there are no conflicts of interest, the authors must state this fact.

This information should be provided under the section entitled “Declaration of Conflicts of Interest”, which should appear after the “Acknowledgements” section and before the “References” section. The absence of any conflict of interest must also be declared.

 

Editors, members of the editorial board and journal staff as authors

The PJP will consider original papers submitted by editors, members of the editorial board and journal staff, but these are not involved in editorial decisions about their own scholarly work.
After submission, an editorial assistant will verify if any member of the PJP team is an author, in which case, these members will be excluded from publication decisions. The PJP has 2 Editors-in-Chief and one of them (without authorship responsibility) will assign one editor that is unbiased, to coordinate and oversea the review process.

 

Clinical trials

The PJP supports initiatives that contribute to a better disclosure of clinical trial results. These include prospective registration of clinical trials in public databases. In accordance with the ICMJE recommendations, the PJP requires the registration of all clinical trials included in manuscripts submitted for publication in this journal.

ICMJE adopts the World Health Organization's definition of clinical trial: “any study that prospectively assigns human participants or groups of humans to one or more health-related interventions to evaluate the effects on health outcomes”. This definition includes Phase I to Phase IV trials. ICMJE defines health-related interventions as “any intervention used to modify a biomedical or health-related outcome” and health-related outcomes as “any biomedical or health-related measures obtained in patients or participants”.

Registration in a public clinical trials database is mandatory for the publication of data from clinical trials in the PJP, in accordance with the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE, http://www.icmje.org). The trials must be registered prior to or at the beginning of the patient recruitment period. A clinical trial is any study that prospectively assigns human participants or groups of humans to one or more health-related interventions to evaluate the effects on health outcomes. Health-related interventions are those used to modify a biomedical or health-related outcome; examples include drugs, surgical procedures, devices, behavioral treatments, educational programs, dietary interventions, quality improvement interventions, and process-of-care changes. Health outcomes are any biomedical or health-related measures obtained in patients or participants, including pharmacokinetic measures and adverse events. Purely observational studies (those in which the assignment of the medical intervention is not at the discretion of the investigator) will not require registration.

The trial registration number (TRN) and date of registration should be included as the last line of the manuscript abstract.

 

Availability of data

The PJP strongly suggests that all datasets on which the conclusions of the manuscript rely should be available to readers. We encourage authors to ensure that their datasets are either deposited in publicly available repositories (where available and appropriate) or presented in the main manuscript or additional supporting files, in machine-readable format (such as spreadsheets rather than PDF files) whenever possible.

The PJP requires an “Availability of Data” section at the end of each manuscript. For drug or medical device trials, this section must include at least the relevant data of each patient, properly anonymized, available upon justified request to the authors.

We suggest one of the following forms for this statement:

"Availability of data: individual patient data [and/or] complete dataset [and/or] technical appendix [and/or] statistical analysis specifications are available in [/DOI] [with free access/but the following restrictions apply] [from the corresponding author]. Subjects gave informed consent for the availability of data [either informed consent was not obtained from the participants, but the data are anonymized and the risk of identification is low, or informed consent was not obtained, but the potential benefits of the availability of these data justify the potential risks, as...]”.

If data are not available, the statement should mention: “Availability of data: additional data are not publicly available.”
This option does not apply to clinical trials of drugs or medical devices.
The raw data on which the manuscript is based can be requested from the authors during the review process and up until 10 years after publication.

 

Appeals and Complaints

Any appeal on a decision or complaint during peer-review, or post-publication, must be submitted in writing to the editorial office (contact: editorinchief.pjp@spp.pt). All cases will be handled in line with COPE guidelines.

 

Advertising

The PJP accepts only advertising relevant to the area of Pediatrics, including prescription and nonprescription drugs, other pharmaceuthical products or medical devices.
The decision of accepting adverts will be made by the editorial board and authorized by the Portuguese Pediatrics Society.
Editorial decisions are not influenced by comercial factors. Decisions about individual papers remain separate from the sale of advertising.
The adverts are inserted in the journal edition immediately before the Contents Page at random (printed version only) and so are not linked to content or reader behaviour.

 

Bibliographic databases/Repository

The PPJ is indexed/listed in:

• Scopus e SciELO/Elsevier
• Free Medical Journals
• Directory of Open Access Journals
• Índex de Revistas Médicas Portuguesas
• Latindex
• RCAAP Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal
• Socolar
• Directório Luso-Brasileiro
• SherpaRomeo