Guide for authors

Atención Primaria Práctica is a Spanish and English language international journal that publishes articles of interest for health professionals that wish to become familiar with the practical aspects of the discipline. Although it is included in the group of "case report" journals, it is not limited to publishing clinical cases, as it also approaches all those aspects that are of interest in Primary Care practice, such as projects on the improvement of clinical quality, patient safety, patient-centred care, community programs, ethical conflicts, or organisational innovations that improve Primary Care.

Descriptive studies of cases and unique experiences are situated at the bottom of the scientific evidence pyramid, and for this reason they are not usually accepted in journals that publish biomedical research; however, these works provide knowledge that can be very useful for the clinician, the student, and the researcher. They are of interest for identifying rare or new diseases, to evaluate the effects of therapeutics, their adverse effects, or the cost of interventions, as well as contributing to problem-based learning and non-repetition of errors. They serve to encourage the creation of guidelines or clinical practice pathways or to suggest future research projects. They are an important part of medical progress.

Any article in this journal involving experiments with human or animal subjects will follow the guidelines in the Human and animal rights described in the Ethics in publishing section of this guide for authors. Authors should clearly indicate in the manuscript that such guidelines have been followed, as well as the statement that informed consent was obtained for experimentation with human subjects.

Any article sent to this journal will follow the guidelines described in the section "Ethics in the publication" of this guide for authors, therefore it is essential to consult it before sending the manuscripts.

In particular, the manuscripts corresponding to the original section the authors must clearly indicate at the end of the section "Material and methods" that such guidelines have been followed, as well as the written and informed consent of the patients has been obtained and has been approved by the corresponding ethics committee.

Likewise, in the manuscripts corresponding to the "Case reports", “Letters to the Editor”, “Medical Images” and “Clinical videos” sections, the authors must clearly indicate in the article´s body that the protocols and procedures of the institutional Centre related with the patient´s data publication have been followed, as well as the subject privacy and the patient consent for its publication has been obtained.

Any article in this journal involving experiments with human or animal subjects will follow the guidelines in the “Human and animal rights” described in the “Ethics in publishing” section of this guide for authors. Authors should clearly indicate in the manuscript that such guidelines have been followed, as well as the statement that written and informed consent was obtained for experimentation with human subjects.

For any section of this journal, except for Editorials, the three epigraphs: Ethical considerations, Funding and Conflict of interest should be added in the manuscript, before the bibliography.

Ethical considerations: If the work involves the use of human subjects, the author should ensure that the work described has been carried out in accordance with The Code of Ethics of the World Medical Association (Declaration of Helsinki) for experiments involving humans; Uniform Requirements for manuscripts submitted to Biomedical journals. Authors should include a statement that informed consent was obtained for experimentation with human subjects, and all the ethical procedures were performed. The privacy rights of human subjects must always be observed. The approval of the institutional review board (IRB) or the appropriate committee must be stated in this epigraph.

Funding: You are requested to identify who provided financial support for the conduct of the research and/or preparation of the article and to briefly describe the role of the sponsor(s), if any, in study design; in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; and in the decision to submit the article for publication. If the funding source(s) had no such involvement, then this should be stated.

Conflict of interest: All authors must specify the existence of any type of financial and personal relationship with other people or organizations that may have influenced their work, even if it is not directly related to the current manuscript. Examples of potential competitive interests include employment, consulting, stock ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony, patent and other fund applications / registrations, as well as travel grants and participation in courses and conferences as a paid expert. If none of the above conditions is present, it must be indicated: "Declarations of interest: none".

EDITORIALS

Articles that refer to the most current in Primary Health Care or to any of the articles published in the issue. It is expected that the articles of this section are opinions and reflections of interest in Primary Health Care, that might stimulate debate, or present new perspectives on a topic. Opinions of authors that do not necessarily correspond to those of the publisher or those of the editors should be considered.

The maximum number of authors is 3. 

The manuscript should include:

- Cover letter (see general guidelines).

- First page (see general guidelines)

- Text (maximum: 1,000 words. not counting the bibliography).

- Tables and Figures (maximum: 1 (See general guidelines).

- The maximum number of literature references is 12. 

Each one of the previous parts must be started on a new page.

With the aim of helping in its understanding, it is recommended that the text is structured as follows: establishment of the problem, positioning of the author, arguments in favour, arguments against, and conclusions. It is important that the discussion is presented logically and that it cites the type of tests on which the key statements are based (personal or expert opinions, observational studies, clinical trials, systematic reviews…).

ORIGINAL ARTICLES

In this section, manuscripts are included that describe an innovative experience such as clinical safety projects, organisational changes in care, implementation of new technologies or quality improvements, as well as community health programs, or a series of clinical cases.

The structure of the works must be as follows:

• Cover letter (see general guidelines).
• First page (See general guidelines). The number of authors should normally be between 4 and 6.
• A structured resumen/abstract in Spanish and in English (maximum: 250 words) (There are specific guidelines for each type of original article)
• Text: a maximum of 2500 words, not counting Tables, literature references or the resumen /abstract. (There are specific guidelines for each type of original article)
• From 3 to 6 key points.
• Study outline (if applicable, according to the specific guidelines for each type of original)
• Tables and Figures: maximum 6 (See general guidelines).

Each one of the previous sections must be started on a new page.

Acknowledgements: To individuals or institutions that, although not having fulfilled the requirements of authorship, may have collaborated in the performing of the work, provided material, technical, or financial help. The type of contribution should be mentioned. They must be included on the first page.

Bibliography: A maximum of 30 literature references is recommended, which must be as recent and relevant as possible, and carefully written in accordance with the Vancouver format.

Key points: All original works must include a Table with the key points to help in the understanding of the work by those readers that do not wish to read the full article. It must include a maximum of 3 short and precise sentences that indicate what is known on the topic before carrying out the study and the need to have carried it out (under the heading "What is known on the topic”), and another maximum of 3 sentences that indicate what this study has contributed to the previous knowledge of the topic (under the heading What this study contributes).

ORIGINALS ON IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS or COMMUNITY PROGRAMS

This format is suitable for presenting works on safety, quality, or outcomes of the health services or programs or health policies

- The guidelines for this type of original follow the Revised Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence (SQUIRE 2.0 ): http://squire-statement.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.ViewPage&pageId=471

TITLE

Mention that the manuscript refers to an initiative to improve Primary Care (quality, safety, effectiveness, patient-focused care, costs, efficiency, equity, or community programs)

STRUCTURED ABSTRACT:

Besides including the title of the work, it should describe the essential aspects of the manuscript and should have the following structure: Context / Local problem/ Methods /Interventions/ Results / Conclusions

TEXT:

It must be adapted to the Introduction/Materials and Methods/Results and Discussion / bibliography structure, following the recommendations set out below:

Introduction: It should explain the justification of the project. It must mention the nature and significance of the problem to intervene, a summary of what is known of the problem; include previously conducted studies. The framework, concepts or theories that explain the problem and the reasons that justify the intervention are also presented, as well as the reasons that leads to thinking that the intervention may be effective. This section must contain the aim of the study and of the manuscript that is presented. The introduction must be as brief as possible and be supported in a limited number of key literature references.

Methods: It attempts to explain what has been done. It has to contain aspects such as the contextual elements that explain the intervention, the timeline, the characteristics of the intervention, with sufficient details so that it can be reproduced, as well as the characteristics of the team that performed it. The approach used to assess the impact of the intervention, and to explain that the results are due to the intervention. The methods used to study the process and the result of the intervention, justifying the validity and quality of the data. The quantitative and qualitative methods employed to extract the data, as well as the ethical aspects. The use of headings is recommended to organise the information (study population, interventions, follow-up, statistical analysis…).

Results: It should describe what has been found, mentioning the initial phases of the intervention and any changes. Data on process indicators and results, the contextual elements that have influenced the intervention, as well as the relationship between the contextual aspects, the intervention and the results. The positive unexpected consequences should also be presented, as well as the problems, failures and costs. Also include the details of the missing data. Headings may be used to make the presentation clearer. It is advised to use Tables and Figures without the unnecessary repetition of the data in the text. It is recommended to highlight the Table or Figure that contains the main results of the study, with a description of these in the legend.

Discussion: It reflects on the significance of the work done. It is recommended to begin with a summary of the key findings, relating them with the main reason for the intervention, as well as the strengths of the intervention. An interpretation of the findings is then presented: the relationship between the results and the intervention, the comparison with other studies, impact of the study on the population or the health system, the relationship between the results obtained and those expected considering the context, its costs. The limitations of the study must also be mentioned, in relation to their generalisation, their internal validity and the efforts made to minimise the limitations. It must finish with some conclusions on the usefulness of the project, its sustainability, its possibility of being applied in other contexts, its implications for clinical practice, as well as the indications for steps to follow in the future. It is advised to structure it with sub-headings.

ORIGINALS of QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH PROJECTS OR CLINICAL CASE SERIES

Works will be included here that present clinical and epidemiological studies that have used quantitative methodology in their design and analysis (for example, prevalence studies, follow-up of a cohort, case control studies, randomised clinical trials, etc.).

The specific guidelines of these works are as follows:

ABSTRACT

It must have the following structure:

Objective: clear identification of the main purpose of the study. Design: description of the basic design of the study (randomised clinical trial, case control study...), and its basic characteristics if they are relevant (double blind, multicentre...). If the design of the study is not clear, its main characteristics must be mentioned (cross-sectional or longitudinal, prospective or retrospective, observational or intervention, controlled or uncontrolled…).

Setting: place where the study was performed and the type and level of health care (Primary Care, Hospital, Community ...). 

Participants: patient characteristics, selection criteria, number of enrolled subjects and non-responders and drop-outs that have occurred. 

Interventions (in intervention studies): main characteristics, including the administration schedule and duration, of the interventions performed in the study groups, as well as any in the comparison groups. 

Main measurements: primary variables of the study, especially the response variable used and its evaluation method. 

Results: main quantitative results, identifying the type of measurement used and its corresponding confidence intervals. Where applicable, it should contain the level of statistical significance. 

Conclusions: the main conclusions arising from the results of the study, including their practical application. 

TEXT 

It must be adapted to the Introduction /Materials and Methods/ Results and Discussion structure, following the recommendations set out below: 

Introduction. It must present the current situation on the knowledge of the topic and the context in which the study is framed. The objective of the study must be clearly defined. The introduction must be as brief as possible and be supported in a limited number of key literature references. 

Material and methods: It must include the design of the study, the centre where the research was carried out, the inclusion and exclusion criteria and the screening procedure of the participants, the interventions performed (if applicable), the definitions, and the measurement techniques of the variables, the follow-up of the subjects and the analysis strategy, as well as the statistical tests used. It must be written with sufficient detail so that the study could be repeated. The use of headings is recommended to organise the information (study population, interventions, follow-up, statistical analysis…). 

Results: It must present, not interpret, the principle findings associated with the aims of the study. Headings may be used to make the presentation clearer. It is advised to use Tables and Figures without the unnecessary repetition of the data in the text. The main results must include the corresponding confidence intervals, and must clearly indicate the type of measurement and the statistical tests used, where applicable. When the significance level is less than 0.20, it is preferable to present its exact value. It is recommended to highlight the Table or Figure that contains the main results of the study, with a description of these in the legend. 

Discussion: It is advised to structure it with the following headings (where relevant): limitations of the design used: a comparison with the scientific literature, attempting to explain the differences observed; practical application of the results, performing an evaluation on their clinical relevance; and directions for future research on the topic. 

Study outline: A Figure will also be included with an outline of the study in which it indicates the number of subjects in each of the stages of the study and the reasons for the non-responders, losses, and drop-outs that may have occurred. The Figure legend must summarise the main characteristics of the study design. If the study is a randomised clinical trial, this Figure must follow that of the most up to date CONSORT statement, available at: http://www.consort-statement.org 

ORIGINALS: SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS (META-ANALYSIS)   

This section will include all works that present systematic reviews of the literature and other sources of evidence, which are critically evaluated in order to provide an answer to a particular question; therefore, narrative type reviews or knowledge update articles are not included. 

ABSTRACT. 

It must have the following structure: 

Objective: clear identification of the main purpose of the review. If there is more than one, it is advised to point out the primary one and any secondary ones. 

Design: It study must be identified as a systematic review. 

Data sources: Data bases consulted, period covered and main characteristics of the search strategy of the individual studies used. 

Selection of studies: selection criteria of the studies, number of studies included and excluded, main characteristics of the studies included. 

Data extraction: method for assessing the validity of the studies and data collection, and main variables collected. 

Results: main quantitative results, identifying the type of measurement used and its corresponding confidence intervals. Where applicable, it should include the level of statistical significance. Where applicable, the results of the sensitivity analysis should be included. 

Conclusions: the main conclusions arising from the results of the study, including their practical application. 

TEXT 

It must be adapted to the Introduction /Materials and Methods/ Results and Discussion structure, following the recommendations set out below: 

Introduction: It must present the current situation on the knowledge of the topic and the context in which the study is framed. The question that the review seeks to answer must be clearly defined. The introduction must be as brief as possible and be supported in a limited number of key literature references. 

Material and methods: The strategy for identifying the relevant studies must be described, including the data bases consulted and the descriptive terms used, the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the studies,, the procedure for assessing their validity, the data extraction methods and the analysis strategy, as well as the statistical tests used for the data analysis. It must be written with sufficient detail so that the study could be repeated. The use of headings is recommended in order to organise the information (identification of studies, selection of studies, data extraction, analysis...). 

Results: It must present, not interpret, the principle findings associated with the aims of the review. Headings may be used to make the presentation clearer. It is advised to use Tables and Figures without the unnecessary repetition of the data in the text. It is recommended to include a Table with a breakdown of the main characteristics and results of the studies included in the review. The main results must include the corresponding confidence intervals, and must clearly indicate the type of measurement and the statistical tests used, where applicable. It is recommended to graphically present the confidence intervals in a Figure. When the significance level is less than .20, it is preferable to present its exact value. It is recommended to highlight the Table or Figure that contains the main results of the study, with a description of these in the legend. 

Discussion: It is advised to structure it with the following headings (where relevant): limitations of the review, including suggestions on the effect of a possible publication bias, and comments on the homogeneity of the individual studies and the possible influence of variability on the final results; a comparison with the scientific literature, attempting to explain the differences observed; practical application of the results, performing an evaluation on their clinical relevance; and directions for future research on the topic. 

Study outline: A Figure will also be included with a diagram that indicates the number of studies selected in each of the stages of the review and the reasons for the exclusions. It is recommended that the outline follows the most up to date PRISMA statement, available at: http://www.prisma-statement.org/ 

ORIGINAL QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

Works will be included here that present studies that have used qualitative methodologies for the approach to the topic of the research. 

ABSTRACT. 

It must be structured, include the title of the work in Spanish and in English and should have the following structure: 

Objective: clear identification of the main purpose of the study. If there is more than one, it is advised to point out the primary one and any secondary ones. 

Design: a description of the qualitative method and the methodological strategies used, as well as its temporal contextualisation. 

Setting: place where the study was performed and the type and level of health care (Primary Care, hospital, Community ...). 

Participants and / or contexts: Selection criteria and acquisition process. 

Method: sample design, description of the information and collection technique/s, mechanisms for ensuring information saturation, strategy and theoretical framework of the analysis. 

Results: the main findings, interpretations, topics and concepts identified, structure of the segmentation and categories constructed, and relationship within the conceptual framework. 

Conclusions: the main conclusions arising from the study and their use for the understanding of the problem and for action and change. 

TEXT 

It must be adapted to the Introduction /Materials and Methods/ Results and Discussion structure, following the recommendations set out below (adapted by: Fernández de Sanmamed Santos MJ. Adecuación de las normas de publicación en revistas científicas a las investigaciones cualitativas.(Adaptation of the guidelines published in scientific journals to qualitative research) Aten Primaria. 2000;25:502–4): 

Introduction: The current situation on the knowledge of the topic must be presented, the relevance and the context in which the study is framed, including the formal and informal documental sources, opinions, intuitions and general theoretical and interpretative frameworks, where necessary, all of them in the most concise and brief form as possible, being supported in a reduced number of key literature references. The objective of the study must be clearly defined. 

Participants and methods: It is recommended to structure this section into the following headings: 

• Design: projected design and methodological strategies, justification for their use, temporal contextualisation, information collection techniques, changes in the design or emerging design, if applicable, etc. 
• Sample and participants and/or contexts: sample design, number and description of participants and/ or contexts, selection criteria of the informants and/or contexts, acquisition process, mechanisms for ensuring information saturation, etc. 
• Analysis: strategy and theoretical framework of the analysis, description and validation of the analysis, strategies for ensuring the reliability of the results, etc. 

Results and Discussion: In qualitative research it is difficult to separate the results from the discussion. The results must be presented in a form that makes the analysis method and the structure of the segmentation and categories constructed clear, and associating them within the prior conceptual framework. An exhaustive presentation of the results must be avoided, only showing the most relevant and significant, that may be real contributions to the knowledge of that examined. It is advisable to use narrative fragments or observations to support the analytical synthesis, and to use illustrative matrices and Tables to facilitate the reading and comprehension of the results. It is recommended to highlight the Table or Figure that contains the main results of the study, with a description of these in the legend. 

Conclusions, usefulness and limitations: The key findings and interpretations of the research must be highlighted, along with their use in the knowledge of the problem and for action or change. The limitations of the study must also be included, as well as proposals for new questions or research lines. 

CLINICAL CASE 

The presentation of the case must follow the CARE guidelines (Case Reports Guidelines: http://www.care-statement.org) (Annexe 1) 

What types of cases are published? 

Cases published represent a diagnostic, ethical, or management challenge that has some aspects that provide a teaching interest. In short, they must fulfil any of the following criteria: 

• Records of important clinical lessons
• Errors that provide a lesson
• Unusual presentation of a common illness
• Dispels myths
• Rare diseases
• New diseases
• New diagnostic tests
• New treatment
• Unusual combination of diseases
• Unexpected clinical outcome
• New adverse drug effects
• Ethical dilemma
• Cases that could have an epidemiological impact
• Finding that could cast light on the pathogenesis of a disease or an adverse drug effect
• Cases attended to in unusual settings: such as refugee centres, telemedicine, or in novel conditions. 

Authors: Normally no more than 4. All of them have to have participated in the writing of the manuscript and not only in the clinical care of the case. Those that have care for the patient may appear in the acknowledgements

Patient consent: The authors must ensure that they have the written consent signed by the patient or relatives available when submitting the manuscript for its publication.

- Cover letter (see general guidelines).

- First page (See general guidelines).

- Text (maximum: 1,000 words, not counting the bibliography). It must have the following sections: 

Title: do not include the words “clinical case”

Resumen /Abstract: 250 words in length, summarising the essential aspects of the manuscript, and preferibly structured into the sections:

• context: why the case should be published and its novelty
• Presentation of the case: a short description of the clinical picture of the patient and their demographic characteristics, diagnosis, the interventions and the result.
• Conclusions: a synthesis of the clinical impact or implications of the case, its main lessons

Palabras clave/ key words: from 3 to 6

Context: The setting of the case must be described in this section, the relevant literature references, and the objectives that justify its publication

Presentation of the case: This section must contain aspects such as, the description of the patient, their family and social context, their demographic data, medical history, signs and symptoms, differential diagnosis, treatment or interventions, results, and any other relevant aspect.

Discussion and Conclusions: The case must be discussed in relation to similar cases already published in the international literature. Present its limitation, as well as the main conclusions, demonstrating its relevance for the clinic, teaching, or research.

Key points: from 3 to 5 points that summarise the lesson that this case offers us.

Bibliography: the literature references numbered and listed in the order of appearance, following the Vancouver guidelines.

Figures, Tables and other additional documents (video for example): up to a maximum of 10 Tables and/or Figures

The patient perspective: An optional but very interesting section that provides the point of view of the patient and their experience. 

CLINICAL PRACTICE

This section will publish articles that are of interest to the clinician, such as consensus conferences, continous medical education articles, technical reports or reviews of a topic, and that do not meet the methodological criteria and structure of the section of original articles or systematic reviews.

The maximum number of authors is 6. 

The manuscript should include:

- Cover letter (see general guidelines).

- First page (see general guidelines).

- Abstract (máximum: 150 words with the key ideas of the study).

- Text (maximum: 3,000 words. Not counting tables, abstract and bibliography).

- Tables and Figures (maximum: 6 (See general guidelines).

- The maximum number of literature references is 24. 

Each one of the previous parts must be started on a new page.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Letters that comment on articles that have recently appeared in the Journal will be published preferentially and as quickly as possible. The letter will be sent to the authors of the article to which it refers and, and if these wish to reply to it, the letter and its reply will be published simultaneously.

Letters to the Editor will also be accepted that present experiences and opinions of interest to Primary Care other than clinical case descriptions or case series or summaries of research work.

The maximum number of authors will be 4.

The structure of the works must be as follows:

• Cover letter (see general guidelines).
• First page (See general guidelines).
• Text (maximum: 600 words, not counting literature references or Tables).
• Table and/or Figure (maximum: 1 (See general guidelines).

Each one of the previous parts must be started on a new page.

The maximum number of literature references is 6.

For letters that refer to a published article, one of the references must correspond to this article.

IMAGES IN MEDICINE 

Images will be accepted that, by themselves, enable a visual diagnosis to be made. These images must be accompanied by a short explanatory text, which may simply be the description of what the image shows, or a comment in the form of a short clinical case. Up to a maximum of 4 authors will be allowed.

The maximum length of the text will be 600 words.

With a maximum of 2 Figures.

A maximum of 6 literature references.

CLINICAL VIDEOS 

Videos are of great use to show how to perform procedures in health care. The materials that may be submitted to this Journal have to necessarily contribute innovative actions, as well as having to reflect best practice. These documents are essentially for educational purposes. They should last for 2 to 3 minutes and must be accompanied by a text of up to 600 words and a maximum of 6 references. The text has to set a relevant question about the video, as well as its answer. 

The patients and professionals that appear in the video must give their consent in writing as well as permission for publication. 

See specific guidelines for videos.

SCIENTIFIC LETTERS

This section will accept letters that present short reports on research studies and descriptions of series of clinical cases. In the text of these types of letters, it must mention the aims, design of the study, measurements, results and main conclusions.

The maximum number of authors will be 4.

The structure of the works must be as follows:

- Cover letter (see general guidelines).

- First page (see general guidelines)

- Text (maximum: 600 words, not counting literature references or Tables).

- Tables and/or Figures (maximum: 1 (See general guidelines).

Each one of the previous parts must be started on a new page. The maximum number of literature references is 6.

You can send your manuscript at www.evise.com/evise/jrnl/appr

This journal is published in Spanish and in English language.

You can use this list to carry out a final check of your submission before you send it to the journal for review. Please check the relevant section in this Guide for Authors for more details.
Ensure that the following items are present:
One author has been designated as the corresponding author with contact details:
- E-mail address
- Full postal address
All necessary files have been uploaded:
Manuscript:
- Include keywords
- All figures (include relevant captions)
- All tables (including titles, description, footnotes)
- Ensure all figure and table citations in the text match the files provided
- Indicate clearly if color should be used for any figures in print
Graphical Abstracts / Highlights files (where applicable)
Supplemental files (where applicable)
Further considerations
- Manuscript has been 'spell checked' and 'grammar checked'
- All references mentioned in the Reference List are cited in the text, and vice versa
-Permission has been obtained for use of copyrighted material from other sources (including the Internet)
- A competing interests statement is provided, even if the authors have no competing interests to declare
- Journal policies detailed in this guide have been reviewed

For further information, visit our Support Center.

Please see our information pages on Ethics in publishing and Ethical guidelines for journal publication.

If the work involves the use of human subjects, the author should ensure that the work described has been carried out in accordance with The Code of Ethics of the World Medical Association (Declaration of Helsinki) for experiments involving humans. The manuscript should be in line with the Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals and aim for the inclusion of representative human populations (sex, age and ethnicity) as per those recommendations. The terms sex and gender should be used correctly.

Authors should include a statement in the manuscript that informed consent was obtained for experimentation with human subjects. The privacy rights of human subjects must always be observed.

All animal experiments should comply with the ARRIVE guidelines and should be carried out in accordance with 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 sex of animals must be indicated, and where appropriate, the influence (or association) of sex on the results of the study.

Studies on patients or volunteers require ethics committee approval and informed consent, which should be documented in the paper. Appropriate consents, permissions and releases must be obtained where an author wishes to include case details or other personal information or images of patients and any other individuals in an Elsevier publication. Written consents must be retained by the author but copies should not be provided to the journal. Only if specifically requested by the journal in exceptional circumstances (for example if a legal issue arises) the author must provide copies of the consents or evidence that such consents have been obtained. For more information, please review the Elsevier Policy on the Use of Images or Personal Information of Patients or other Individuals. Unless you have written permission from the patient (or, where applicable, the next of kin), the personal details of any patient included in any part of the article and in any supplementary materials (including all illustrations and videos) must be removed before submission.

All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence (bias) their work. Examples of potential competing interests include employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony, patent applications/registrations, and grants or other funding. Authors must disclose any interests in two places: 1. A summary declaration of interest statement in the title page file (if double-blind) or the manuscript file (if single-blind). If there are no interests to declare then please state this: 'Declarations of interest: none'. This summary statement will be ultimately published if the article is accepted. 2. Detailed disclosures as part of a separate Declaration of Interest form, which forms part of the journal's official records. It is important for potential interests to be declared in both places and that the information matches. More information.

The below guidance only refers to the writing process, and not to the use of AI tools to analyse and draw insights from data as part of the research process.

Where authors use generative artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process, authors should only use these technologies to improve readability and language. Applying the technology should be done with human oversight and control, and authors should carefully review and edit the result, as AI can generate authoritative-sounding output that can be incorrect, incomplete or biased. AI and AI-assisted technologies should not be listed as an author or co-author, or be cited as an author. Authorship implies responsibilities and tasks that can only be attributed to and performed by humans, as outlined in Elsevier’s AI policy for authors.

Authors should disclose in their manuscript the use of AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process by following the instructions below. A statement will appear in the published work. Please note that authors are ultimately responsible and accountable for the contents of the work.

Disclosure instructions
Authors must disclose the use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process by adding a statement at the end of their manuscript in the core manuscript file, before the References list. The statement should be placed in a new section entitled ‘Declaration of Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process’.

Statement: During the preparation of this work the author(s) used [NAME TOOL / SERVICE] in order to [REASON]. After using this tool/service, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take(s) full responsibility for the content of the publication.

This declaration does not apply to the use of basic tools for checking grammar, spelling, references etc. If there is nothing to disclose, there is no need to add a statement.

Submission of an article implies that the work described has not been published previously (except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture or academic thesis, see 'Multiple, redundant or concurrent publication' section of our ethics policy for more information), that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere, that its publication is approved by all authors and tacitly or explicitly by the responsible authorities where the work was carried out, and that, if accepted, it will not be published elsewhere in the same form, in English or in any other language, including electronically without the written consent of the copyright-holder. To verify originality, your article may be checked by the originality detection service Crossref Similarity Check.

Please note that preprints can be shared anywhere at any time, in line with Elsevier's sharing policy. Sharing your preprints e.g. on a preprint server will not count as prior publication (see 'Multiple, redundant or concurrent publication' for more information).

Reporting guidance
For research involving or pertaining to humans, animals or eukaryotic cells, investigators should integrate sex and gender-based analyses (SGBA) into their research design according to funder/sponsor requirements and best practices within a field. Authors should address the sex and/or gender dimensions of their research in their article. In cases where they cannot, they should discuss this as a limitation to their research's generalizability. Importantly, authors should explicitly state what definitions of sex and/or gender they are applying to enhance the precision, rigor and reproducibility of their research and to avoid ambiguity or conflation of terms and the constructs to which they refer (see Definitions section below). Authors can refer to the SSex and Gender Equity in Research (SAGER) guidelines and the S SAGER guidelines checklist. These offer systematic approaches to the use and editorial review of sex and gender information in study design, data analysis, outcome reporting and research interpretation - however, please note there is no single, universally agreed-upon set of guidelines for defining sex and gender.

Definitions
Sex generally refers to a set of biological attributes that are associated with physical and physiological features (e.g., chromosomal genotype, hormonal levels, internal and external anatomy). A binary sex categorization (male/female) is usually designated at birth ("sex assigned at birth"), most often based solely on the visible external anatomy of a newborn. Gender generally refers to socially constructed roles, behaviors, and identities of women, men and gender-diverse people that occur in a historical and cultural context and may vary across societies and over time. Gender influences how people view themselves and each other, how they behave and interact and how power is distributed in society. Sex and gender are often incorrectly portrayed as binary (female/male or woman/man) and unchanging whereas these constructs actually exist along a spectrum and include additional sex categorizations and gender identities such as people who are intersex/have differences of sex development (DSD) or identify as non-binary. Moreover, the terms "sex" and "gender" can be ambiguous—thus it is important for authors to define the manner in which they are used. In addition to this definition guidance and the SAGER guidelines, the Sresources on this page offer further insight around sex and gender in research studies.

All authors should have made substantial contributions to all of the following: (1) the conception and design of the study, or acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data, (2) drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content, (3) final approval of the version to be submitted.

Authors are expected to consider carefully the list and order of authors before submitting their manuscript and provide the definitive list of authors at the time of the original submission. Any addition, deletion or rearrangement of author names in the authorship list should be made only before the manuscript has been accepted and only if approved by the journal Editor. To request such a change, the Editor must receive the following from the corresponding author: (a) the reason for the change in author list and (b) written confirmation (e-mail, letter) from all authors that they agree with the addition, removal or rearrangement. In the case of addition or removal of authors, this includes confirmation from the author being added or removed.
Only in exceptional circumstances will the Editor consider the addition, deletion or rearrangement of authors after the manuscript has been accepted. While the Editor considers the request, publication of the manuscript will be suspended. If the manuscript has already been published in an online issue, any requests approved by the Editor will result in a corrigendum.

Randomized controlled trials should be presented according to the CONSORT guidelines. At manuscript submission, authors must provide the CONSORT checklist accompanied by a flow diagram that illustrates the progress of patients through the trial, including recruitment, enrollment, randomization, withdrawal and completion, and a detailed description of the randomization procedure. The CONSORT checklist and template flow diagram are available online.

This journal uses the Elsevier Article Transfer Service to find the best home for your manuscript. This means that if an editor feels your manuscript is more suitable for an alternative journal, you might be asked to consider transferring the manuscript to such a journal. The recommendation might be provided by a Journal Editor, a dedicated Scientific Managing Editor, a tool assisted recommendation, or a combination. If you agree, your manuscript will be transferred, though you will have the opportunity to make changes to the manuscript before the submission is complete. Please note that your manuscript will be independently reviewed by the new journal. More information.

Upon acceptance of an article, authors will be asked to complete an 'License Agreement' (see more information on this). Permitted third party reuse of open access articles is determined by the author's choice of user license.

Author rights
As an author you (or your employer or institution) have certain rights to reuse your work. More information.

Find out how you can share your research published in Elsevier journals.

You are requested to identify who provided financial support for the conduct of the research and/or preparation of the article and to briefly describe the role of the sponsor(s), if any, in study design; in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; and in the decision to submit the article for publication. If the funding source(s) had no such involvement then this should be stated.

This is an open access journal: all articles will be immediately and permanently free for everyone to read and download. To provide open access, this journal has an open access fee (also known as an article publishing charge APC) which needs to be paid by the authors or on their behalf e.g. by their research funder or institution. Permitted third party (re)use is defined by the following Creative Commons user licenses:

Researcher Academy is a free e-learning platform designed to support early and mid-career researchers throughout their research journey. The "Learn" environment at Researcher Academy offers several interactive modules, webinars, downloadable guides and resources to guide you through the process of writing for research and going through peer review. Feel free to use these free resources to improve your submission and navigate the publication process with ease.

Please write your text in good English (American or British usage is accepted, but not a mixture of these). Authors who feel their English language manuscript may require editing to eliminate possible grammatical or spelling errors and to conform to correct scientific English may wish to use the English Language Editing service available from Elsevier's Author Services.

Please submit your article via www.evise.com/evise/jrnl/appr

This journal operates a double anonymized review process. All contributions will be initially assessed by the editor for suitability for the journal. Papers deemed suitable are then typically sent to a minimum of two 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. Editors are not involved in decisions about papers which they have written themselves or have been written by family members or colleagues or which relate to products or services in which the editor has an interest. Any such submission is subject to all of the journal's usual procedures, with peer review handled independently of the relevant editor and their research groups. More information on types of peer review.

This journal uses double-anonymized review, which means the identities of the authors are concealed from the reviewers, and vice versa. More information is available on our website. To facilitate this, please include the following separately:
Title page (with author details): This should include the title, authors' names affiliations, acknowledgements and any Declaration of Interest statement, and a complete address for the corresponding author including an e-mail address.
Anonymized manuscript (no author details): The main body of the paper (including the references, figures, tables and any acknowledgements) should not include any identifying information, such as the authors' names or affiliations.

It is important that the file be saved in the native format of the word processor used. The text should be in single-column format. Keep the layout of the text as simple as possible. Most formatting codes will be removed and replaced on processing the article. In particular, do not use the word processor's options to justify text or to hyphenate words. However, do use bold face, italics, subscripts, superscripts etc. When preparing tables, if you are using a table grid, use only one grid for each individual table and not a grid for each row. If no grid is used, use tabs, not spaces, to align columns. The electronic text should be prepared in a way very similar to that of conventional manuscripts (see also the Guide to Publishing with Elsevier). Note that source files of figures, tables and text graphics will be required whether or not you embed your figures in the text. See also the section on Electronic artwork.
To avoid unnecessary errors you are strongly advised to use the 'spell-check' and 'grammar-check' functions of your word processor.

Divide your article into clearly defined sections. Each subsection is given a brief heading. Each heading should appear on its own separate line. Subsections should be used as much as possible when cross-referencing text: refer to the subsection by heading as opposed to simply 'the text'.

State the objectives of the work and provide an adequate background, avoiding a detailed literature survey or a summary of the results.

Provide sufficient details to allow the work to be reproduced by an independent researcher. Methods that are already published should be summarized, and indicated by a reference. If quoting directly from a previously published method, use quotation marks and also cite the source. Any modifications to existing methods should also be described.

Results should be clear and concise.

This should explore the significance of the results of the work, not repeat them. A combined Results and Discussion section is often appropriate. Avoid extensive citations and discussion of published literature.

The main conclusions of the study may be presented in a short Conclusions section, which may stand alone or form a subsection of a Discussion or Results and Discussion section.

If there is more than one appendix, they should be identified as A, B, etc. Formulae and equations in appendices should be given separate numbering: Eq. (A.1), Eq. (A.2), etc.; in a subsequent appendix, Eq. (B.1) and so on. Similarly for tables and figures: Table A.1; Fig. A.1, etc.

• Title. Concise and informative. Titles are often used in information-retrieval systems. Avoid abbreviations and formulae where possible.
• Author names and affiliations. Please clearly indicate the given name(s) and family name(s) of each author and check that all names are accurately spelled. You can add your name between parentheses in your own script behind the English transliteration.  Present the authors' affiliation addresses (where the actual work was done) below the names. Indicate all affiliations with a lower-case superscript letter immediately after the author's name and in front of the appropriate address. Provide the full postal address of each affiliation, including the country name and, if available, the e-mail address of each author.
• Corresponding author. Clearly indicate who will handle correspondence at all stages of refereeing and publication, also post-publication. This responsibility includes answering any future queries about Methodology and Materials. Ensure that the e-mail address is given and that contact details are kept up to date by the corresponding author.
• Present/permanent address. If an author has moved since the work described in the article was done, or was visiting at the time, a 'Present address' (or 'Permanent address') may be indicated as a footnote to that author's name. The address at which the author actually did the work must be retained as the main, affiliation address. Superscript Arabic numerals are used for such footnotes.

Highlights are optional yet highly encouraged for this journal, as they increase the discoverability of your article via search engines. They consist of a short collection of bullet points that capture the novel results of your research as well as new methods that were used during the study (if any). Please have a look at the examples here: example Highlights.

Highlights should be submitted in a separate editable file in the online submission system. Please use 'Highlights' in the file name and include 3 to 5 bullet points (maximum 85 characters, including spaces, per bullet point).

A structured abstract, by means of appropriate headings, should provide the context or background for the research and should state its purpose, basic procedures (selection of study subjects or laboratory animals, observational and analytical methods), main findings (giving specific effect sizes and their statistical significance, if possible), and principal conclusions. It should emphasize new and important aspects of the study or observations.

The headings will consist of: «Introduction and Objectives», «Patients or Materials and Methods», «Results» y «Conclusions».

Although a graphical abstract is optional, its use is encouraged as it draws more attention to the online article. The graphical abstract should summarize the contents of the article in a concise, pictorial form designed to capture the attention of a wide readership. Graphical abstracts should be submitted as a separate file in the online submission system. Image size: Please provide an image with a minimum of 531 × 1328 pixels (h × w) or proportionally more. The image should be readable at a size of 5 × 13 cm using a regular screen resolution of 96 dpi. Preferred file types: TIFF, EPS, PDF or MS Office files. You can view Example Graphical Abstracts on our information site.
Authors can make use of Elsevier's Illustration and Enhancement service to ensure the best presentation of their images and in accordance with all technical requirements: Illustration Service.

Immediately after the abstract, provide a maximum of 6 keywords, using British spelling and avoiding general and plural terms and multiple concepts (avoid, for example, 'and', 'of'). Be sparing with abbreviations: only abbreviations firmly established in the field may be eligible. These keywords will be used for indexing purposes.

List funding sources in this standard way to facilitate compliance to funder's requirements:

Funding: This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health [grant numbers xxxx, yyyy]; the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, WA [grant number zzzz]; and the United States Institutes of Peace [grant number aaaa].

It is not necessary to include detailed descriptions on the program or type of grants and awards. When funding is from a block grant or other resources available to a university, college, or other research institution, submit the name of the institute or organization that provided the funding.

If no funding has been provided for the research, please include the following sentence:

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Whilst it is accepted that authors sometimes need to manipulate images for clarity, manipulation for purposes of deception or fraud will be seen as scientific ethical abuse and will be dealt with accordingly. For graphical images, this journal is applying the following policy: no specific feature within an image may be enhanced, obscured, moved, removed, or introduced. Adjustments of brightness, contrast, or color balance are acceptable if and as long as they do not obscure or eliminate any information present in the original. Nonlinear adjustments (e.g. changes to gamma settings) must be disclosed in the figure legend.

General points
• Make sure you use uniform lettering and sizing of your original artwork.
• Embed the used fonts if the application provides that option.
• Aim to use the following fonts in your illustrations: Arial, Courier, Times New Roman, Symbol, or use fonts that look similar.
• Number the illustrations according to their sequence in the text.
• Use a logical naming convention for your artwork files.
• Provide captions to illustrations separately.
• Size the illustrations close to the desired dimensions of the published version.
• Submit each illustration as a separate file.
• Ensure that color images are accessible to all, including those with impaired color vision.

A detailed guide on electronic artwork is available.
You are urged to visit this site; some excerpts from the detailed information are given here.

Formats
If your electronic artwork is created in a Microsoft Office application (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) then please supply 'as is' in the native document format.
Regardless of the application used other than Microsoft Office, when your electronic artwork is finalized, please 'Save as' or convert the images to one of the following formats (note the resolution requirements for line drawings, halftones, and line/halftone combinations given below):
EPS (or PDF): Vector drawings, embed all used fonts.
TIFF (or JPEG): Color or grayscale photographs (halftones), keep to a minimum of 300 dpi.
TIFF (or JPEG): Bitmapped (pure black & white pixels) line drawings, keep to a minimum of 1000 dpi.
TIFF (or JPEG): Combinations bitmapped line/half-tone (color or grayscale), keep to a minimum of 500 dpi.
Please do not:
• Supply files that are optimized for screen use (e.g., GIF, BMP, PICT, WPG); these typically have a low number of pixels and limited set of colors;
• Supply files that are too low in resolution;
• Submit graphics that are disproportionately large for the content.

Please make sure that artwork files are in an acceptable format (TIFF (or JPEG), EPS (or PDF) or MS Office files) and with the correct resolution. If, together with your accepted article, you submit usable color figures then Elsevier will ensure, at no additional charge, that these figures will appear in color online (e.g., ScienceDirect and other sites). Further information on the preparation of electronic artwork.

Ensure that each illustration has a caption. Supply captions separately, not attached to the figure. A caption should comprise a brief title (not on the figure itself) and a description of the illustration. Keep text in the illustrations themselves to a minimum but explain all symbols and abbreviations used.

Please submit tables as editable text and not as images. Tables can be placed either next to the relevant text in the article, or on separate page(s) at the end. Number tables consecutively in accordance with their appearance in the text and place any table notes below the table body. Be sparing in the use of tables and ensure that the data presented in them do not duplicate results described elsewhere in the article. Please avoid using vertical rules and shading in table cells.

Please ensure that every reference cited in the text is also present in the reference list (and vice versa). Any references cited in the abstract must be given in full. Unpublished results and personal communications are not recommended in the reference list, but may be mentioned in the text. If these references are included in the reference list they should follow the standard reference style of the journal and should include a substitution of the publication date with either 'Unpublished results' or 'Personal communication'. Citation of a reference as 'in press' implies that the item has been accepted for publication.

Increased discoverability of research and high quality peer review are ensured by online links to the sources cited. In order to allow us to create links to abstracting and indexing services, such as Scopus, CrossRef and PubMed, please ensure that data provided in the references are correct. Please note that incorrect surnames, journal/book titles, publication year and pagination may prevent link creation. When copying references, please be careful as they may already contain errors. Use of the DOI is highly encouraged.

A DOI is guaranteed never to change, so you can use it as a permanent link to any electronic article. An example of a citation using DOI for an article not yet in an issue is: VanDecar J.C., Russo R.M., James D.E., Ambeh W.B., Franke M. (2003). Aseismic continuation of the Lesser Antilles slab beneath northeastern Venezuela. Journal of Geophysical Research, https://doi.org/10.1029/2001JB000884. Please note the format of such citations should be in the same style as all other references in the paper.

As a minimum, the full URL should be given and the date when the reference was last accessed. Any further information, if known (DOI, author names, dates, reference to a source publication, etc.), should also be given. Web references can be listed separately (e.g., after the reference list) under a different heading if desired, or can be included in the reference list.

This journal encourages you to cite underlying or relevant datasets in your manuscript by citing them in your text and including a data reference in your Reference List. Data references should include the following elements: author name(s), dataset title, data repository, version (where available), year, and global persistent identifier. Add [dataset] immediately before the reference so we can properly identify it as a data reference. This identifier will not appear in your published article.

Where a preprint has subsequently become available as a peer-reviewed publication, the formal publication should be used as the reference. If there are preprints that are central to your work or that cover crucial developments in the topic, but are not yet formally published, these may be referenced. Preprints should be clearly marked as such, for example by including the word preprint, or the name of the preprint server, as part of the reference. The preprint DOI should also be provided.

Please ensure that the words 'this issue' are added to any references in the list (and any citations in the text) to other articles in the same Special Issue.

Most Elsevier journals have their reference template available in many of the most popular reference management software products. These include all products that support Citation Style Language styles, such as Mendeley. Using citation plug-ins from these products, authors only need to select the appropriate journal template when preparing their article, after which citations and bibliographies will be automatically formatted in the journal's style. If no template is yet available for this journal, please follow the format of the sample references and citations as shown in this Guide. If you use reference management software, please ensure that you remove all field codes before submitting the electronic manuscript. More information on how to remove field codes from different reference management software.

Text: Indicate references by superscript numbers in the text. The actual authors can be referred to, but the reference number(s) must always be given.
List: Number the references in the list in the order in which they appear in the text.
Examples:
Reference to a journal publication:
1. Van der Geer J, Hanraads JAJ, Lupton RA. The art of writing a scientific article. J Sci Commun 2010;163:51–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.Sc.2010.00372.
Reference to a journal publication with an article number:
2. Van der Geer J, Hanraads JAJ, Lupton RA. The art of writing a scientific article. Heliyon. 2018;19:e00205. doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2018.e00205.
Reference to a book:
3. Strunk Jr W, White EB. The elements of style. 4th ed. New York: Longman; 2000.
Reference to a chapter in an edited book:
4. Mettam GR, Adams LB. How to prepare an electronic version of your article. In: Jones BS, Smith RZ, editors. Introduction to the electronic age, New York: E-Publishing Inc; 2009, p. 281–304.
Reference to a website:
5. Cancer Research UK. Cancer statistics reports for the UK, http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/aboutcancer/statistics/cancerstatsreport/; 2003 [accessed 13 March 2003].
Reference to a dataset:
[dataset] 6. Oguro M, Imahiro S, Saito S, Nakashizuka T. Mortality data for Japanese oak wilt disease and surrounding forest compositions, Mendeley Data, v1; 2015. https://doi.org/10.17632/xwj98nb39r.1.
Note shortened form for last page number. e.g., 51–9, and that for more than 6 authors the first 6 should be listed followed by 'et al.' For further details you are referred to 'Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts submitted to Biomedical Journals' (J Am Med Assoc 1997;277:927–34)(see also Samples of Formatted References).

Journal names should be abbreviated according to the List of Title Word Abbreviations.

Elsevier accepts video material and animation sequences to support and enhance your scientific research. Authors who have video or animation files that they wish to submit with their article are strongly encouraged to include links to these within the body of the article. This can be done in the same way as a figure or table by referring to the video or animation content and noting in the body text where it should be placed. All submitted files should be properly labeled so that they directly relate to the video file's content. In order to ensure that your video or animation material is directly usable, please provide the file in one of our recommended file formats with a preferred maximum size of 150 MB per file, 1 GB in total. Video and animation files supplied will be published online in the electronic version of your article in Elsevier Web products, including ScienceDirect. Please supply 'stills' with your files: you can choose any frame from the video or animation or make a separate image. These will be used instead of standard icons and will personalize the link to your video data. For more detailed instructions please visit our video instruction pages. Note: since video and animation cannot be embedded in the print version of the journal, please provide text for both the electronic and the print version for the portions of the article that refer to this content.

Include interactive data visualizations in your publication and let your readers interact and engage more closely with your research. Follow the instructions here to find out about available data visualization options and how to include them with your article.

Supplementary material such as applications, images and sound clips, can be published with your article to enhance it. Submitted supplementary items are published exactly as they are received (Excel or PowerPoint files will appear as such online). Please submit your material together with the article and supply a concise, descriptive caption for each supplementary file. If you wish to make changes to supplementary material during any stage of the process, please make sure to provide an updated file. Do not annotate any corrections on a previous version. Please switch off the 'Track Changes' option in Microsoft Office files as these will appear in the published version.

This journal encourages and enables you to share data that supports your research publication where appropriate, and enables you to interlink the data with your published articles.  Research data refers to the results of observations or experimentation that validate research findings. To facilitate reproducibility and data reuse, this journal also encourages you to share your software, code, models, algorithms, protocols, methods and other useful materials related to the project.

Below are a number of ways in which you can associate data with your article or make a statement about the availability of your data when submitting your manuscript. If you are sharing data in one of these ways, you are encouraged to cite the data in your manuscript and reference list. Please refer to the "References" section for more information about data citation. For more information on depositing, sharing and using research data and other relevant research materials, visit the research data page.

If you have made your research data available in a data repository, you can link your article directly to the dataset. Elsevier collaborates with a number of repositories to link articles on ScienceDirect with relevant repositories, giving readers access to underlying data that give them a better understanding of the research described.

There are different ways to link your datasets to your article.  When available, you can directly link your dataset to your article by providing the relevant information in the submission system. For more information, visit the database linking page.

For supported data repositories a repository banner will automatically appear next to your published article on ScienceDirect.

In addition, you can link to relevant data or entities through identifiers within the text of your manuscript, using the following format: Database: xxxx (e.g., TAIR: AT1G01020; CCDC: 734053; PDB: 1XFN).

One set of page proofs (as PDF files) will be sent by e-mail to the corresponding author (if we do not have an e-mail address then paper proofs will be sent by post) or a link will be provided in the e-mail so that authors can download the files themselves. To ensure a fast publication process of the article, we kindly ask authors to provide us with their proof corrections within two days. Elsevier now provides authors with PDF proofs which can be annotated; for this you will need to download the free Adobe Reader, version 9 (or higher). Instructions on how to annotate PDF files will accompany the proofs (also given online). The exact system requirements are given at the Adobe site.
If you do not wish to use the PDF annotations function, you may list the corrections (including replies to the Query Form) and return them to Elsevier in an e-mail. Please list your corrections quoting line number. If, for any reason, this is not possible, then mark the corrections and any other comments (including replies to the Query Form) on a printout of your proof and scan the pages and return via e-mail. Please use this proof only for checking the typesetting, editing, completeness and correctness of the text, tables and figures. Significant changes to the article as accepted for publication will only be considered at this stage with permission from the Editor. We will do everything possible to get your article published quickly and accurately. It is important to ensure that all corrections are sent back to us in one communication: please check carefully before replying, as inclusion of any subsequent corrections cannot be guaranteed. Proofreading is solely your responsibility.

The corresponding author will be notified and receive a link to the published version of the open access article on ScienceDirect. This link is in the form of an article DOI link which can be shared via email and social networks. For an extra charge, paper offprints can be ordered via the offprint order form which is sent once the article is accepted for publication. Both corresponding and co-authors may order offprints at any time via Elsevier's Author Services.

Visit the Elsevier Support Center to find the answers you need. Here you will find everything from Frequently Asked Questions to ways to get in touch.
You can also check the status of your submitted article or find out when your accepted article will be published.