Editorial policies

Vascular Cell endorses the editorial policy recommendations reiterated by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors on Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals

Vascular Cell subscribes to the principles mentioned by the World Association of Medical Editors in the Policy Statement on Geopolitical Intrusion on Editorial Decisions according to which “decisions to edit and publish manuscripts submitted to biomedical journals should be based on characteristics of the manuscripts themselves and how they relate to the journal's purposes and readers. Among these characteristics are importance of the topic, originality, scientific strength, clarity and completeness of written expression, and potential interest to readers. Editors should also take into account whether studies are ethical and whether their publication might cause harm to readers or to the public interest”. Our editorial decisions are based solely on the originality and value of the manuscripts without interference from other institutions and organisations. The editorial process is impartial and not dependent on any other entity.Vascular Cell will handle all the submitted manuscripts according to the Committee of Publication Ethics’ (COPE) Guidelines for peer reviewers. Confidentiality of the peer-review process is of paramount importance for our journal and the reviewers are not allowed to disclose any information apart from the published material, at any stage before or after publication of the article. In addition, Vascular Cell will not share any information related to the authors or the content of the submission except in cases of plagiarism.

Our journal requires that the authors to select a corresponding author-“guarantor” which will submit the manuscript and all the other materials on behalf of the whole group. Upon receipt of the manuscript an acknowledgment form will be issued to the authors. The initial evaluation will be conducted by the Editor-in-Chief and the Editorial team in charge. Those manuscripts deemed not acceptable will be rejected without being sent to reviewers. However, the innovative original manuscripts that fit the scope and the requirements of Vascular Cell will be sent for peer-reviewing.

Peer-review policy

The peer review process is of paramount importance for Vascular Cell. In this sense our journal endorses the peer review principles as reiterated in the “Uniform requirements for manuscripts submitted to biomedical journals: Writing and editing for biomedical publication” published by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) (2010). As such, peer review improves the overall quality of Vascular Cell and helps its Editors in accepting or rejecting a manuscript.

In order to comply with International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) peer review direction, Vascular Cell relies on independent scientists with significant experience to select the best manuscripts for publication. Once the manuscript is received by Vascular Cell it will be evaluated for the required criteria after which if the evaluation is positive, the Editor-in-Chief along with his team will select and contact the best potential reviewers, professionals of high international standing and ethics.

Our journal employs a “double-blind” peer-reviewing system. As such, the author’s and reviewers’ team will not be known to each other. Moreover, the reviewers will be selected from different institutions than the authors. The feed-back received from the reviewers will be conveyed to the authors as soon as possible. If necessary, the authors will have to submit an updated version of their draft. This process may be repeated several times until the reviewers’ team will be satisfied. The accepted manuscripts will be edited and the proofs will be sent for final verification to the corresponding author. However, after this final validation of the manuscript, no corrections will be possible.

Human Ethics approval

Vascular Cell embraces the Declaration of Helsinki regarding scientific research on patients or using human data and material. Manuscripts based on clinical and experimental studies, submitted for evaluation must have the Ethical approval from the institution where the study was conducted. The cover letter accompanying the manuscript must have a statement regarding the Human Ethical approval. The following must be mentioned in the cover letter: the name of the institution which has provided the Ethical approval, number and date of this approval. At the time of submission of the manuscript, it is not necessary to include a copy of Human Ethics approval but this must be provided at any time during the evaluation process if the Editor-in Chief, the Responsible Editor or any or the Reviewers will request it.

Vascular Cell does not accept for evaluation studies with retrospective Ethics approval. However, the Editor-in Chief in collaboration with the Editorial Board will reject any manuscript if the experimental study suggests that there are significant issues related to the wellbeing of patients. In addition the Editor-in-Chief reserves the right to contact the issuing authority of the Human Ethics approval for further information, if necessary.

Animal Ethics approval

Vascular Cell endorses the following acts related to research on animal models:

• The Basel Declaration
• The Guidelines of the International Council for Laboratory Animal Science
• The revised Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986
• The Directive 2010/63/EU in Europe
• Convention on the Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
• IUCN Policy Statement on Research Involving Species at Risk of Extinction

However, the Editor-in Chief in collaboration with the Editorial Board will reject any manuscript if the experimental study suggests that there are significant issues related to the wellbeing of animals. In addition the Editor-in-Chief reserves the right to contact the issuing authority of the Animal Ethics approval for further information, if necessary.

Written consent for publication

Regarding the clinical or any other studies using human tissue or data, Vascular Cell advocates a strict patients’ confidentiality. Therefore, the authors must obtain a written consent for publication if the manuscript indicates, even remotely, the identification a certain patient. More specifically, information pointing towards a specific patient could be sometimes revealed in the main text as well as in the tables or any other illustration of the manuscript. If the patient is a minor less than 16 years of age, written consent must be obtained from one of their parents or the legal guardian.

However if the manuscript contains no indication about the identity of the patient, the written consent for publication might not be required. The final decision regarding the need for a written consent for publication rests with the Editor-in-Chief.

At the time of submission of the manuscript, it is not necessary to include a copy of this written consent but this must be provided at any time during the evaluation process if the Editor-in Chief, the Responsible Editor or any or the Reviewers will request it.

Clinical trials

Along the principles described in “Uniform requirements for manuscripts submitted to biomedical journals: Writing and editing for biomedical publication” published by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), our journal endorses a public database of clinical trials. For more information the authors are recommended to visit ICMJE Recommendation - Clinical trial registration

The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) described a clinical trial as any type of research that prospectively selects human subjects for any type of therapy or intervention while in parallel comparing their evolution with control matched subjects. As such, the cause-and-effect of an intervention or a pharmacological agent can be compared between the interventional and control groups.

Registration of clinical trials is a compulsory condition for publication of the study in Vascular Cell. As reiterated by The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), a clinical trials registry must be available at no cost for the general public. In addition, an acceptable registry must be administered by a not for profit entity ad must be accessible for registration to any research group. However, it is not necessary to register the clinical trial result but just the clinical trial methodology. The clinical trial result registration is required according to the US Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007 (FDAAA).

Acceptable clinical trials registration databases can be selected from the following :

• ICMJE website
• WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform
• www.clinicaltrials.gov
• www.isrctn.org
• www.actr.org.au

In addition, manuscripts related to clinical studies should be presented according to the guidelines for each specific type of clinical study as mentioned below:

• Randomized clinical trials: CONSORT
• Observational studies in epidemiology: STROBE
• Meta-analyses in observational studies in epidemiology: MOOSE
• Meta-analyses and systematic reviews: QUOROM
• Case reports: CARE
• Pre-clinical animal studies: ARRIVE
• Diagnostic Studies: STARD

Authorship

Vascular Cell fully endorses the definition of authorship as stated in the “Uniform requirements for manuscripts submitted to biomedical journals: Writing and editing for biomedical publication” published by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) (2010). According to this, an author should meet all the following criteria:

• Significant contribution to concept, study design, data acquisition or data evaluation and interpretation.
• Drafting the article or critical review of the manuscript for important intellectual content.
• Final approval of the manuscript to be published.

However, collections of data or providing input with the visual illustration of the manuscript alone do not qualify for an “authorship”. Also, activities such as obtaining research funding or supervision of the experiments alone do not constitute “authorship”.

Each authors should have participated sufficiently in the actual research study and drafting the manuscript. In addition, each individual author should be able to take public responsibility for their respective part of their work. If necessary, all the authors should make sure that any issue related to the integrity of any part of their study is efficiently solved.

The contribution of each individual author should be presented in the cover letter. Vascular Cell requires the corresponding author(s) to act as a “guarantor” to take responsibility for the integrity of the whole research, from inception to the publication of the articles. The “guarantor” must be able to explain the order as well as the inclusion in the authors’ list. The order of mentioning the authors in this list should be decided on the contribution of each individual towards implantation and completion of the study. Once received by the Vascular Cell, the authors’ order can be changed only with written consent from all the authors. After publication of the manuscript no changes can be made to the manuscript including the authors’ list.

Conflict of interests

All financial and non-financial competing interests that the authors might have related with publication of their research outcomes and their affiliation(s) including salaries, fees, and research funding, holding shares in a commercial entity as well as the mention in the manuscript of a certain device or patent must be declared in the cover letter. Potential conflicts of interest could be represented but not limited to:

• Individual authors’ commitments: any financial or personal relationships that could bias their work.
• Any type of relationship that exists between the authors and commercial entities, foundations and government

The nature of sponsorships must be addressed at the time of manuscript submission. The authors must reveal the role of a sponsoring entity in designing the study, selecting the methods, equipment and materials, data collection and evaluation as well as interpretation of the results and the actual submission of the manuscript for publication. The non-financial conflicting interest should also be disclosed as they could generate a significant professional and personal loss of credibility subsequent to publication.

Acknowledgements

This represents a very important part of the manuscript submission. All the professionals that do not meet the authorship criteria as stated in the “Uniform requirements for manuscripts submitted to biomedical journals: Writing and editing for biomedical publication” published by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) (2010), but have participated in the implementation of the study and drafting of the manuscript must be acknowledged in the cover letter. Vascular Cell requires the acknowledgement of all the collaborators that have had contributed with advice in designing the study as well as interpreting the data including statistics, information technology and graphics. It is advisable to seek permission for acknowledgements from those mentioned before submitting the manuscript for publication.

Duplicate publication

Vascular Cell fully endorses the policies related to duplicate publication as reiterated in “Uniform requirements for manuscripts submitted to biomedical journals: Writing and editing for biomedical publication” published by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) (2010) and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines. More information about this issue can be accessed on:

• http://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/publishing-and-editorial-issues/overlapping-publications.html
• http://publicationethics.org/resources/flowcharts

All the manuscripts submitted to a Vascular Cell for publication must be original and should not be sent for evaluation to other journals. Duplicate materials are not acceptable for our journal. Authors are obliged to declare any potential over-lapping with a similar material already published or “in press”. In these cases the corresponding author-“guarantor” must provide full explanations as well as a copy of the respective material.

However, the following type of materials could be included as refences:

• Scientific meetings abstracts
• Online electronic databases including institutional websites
• Outputs from clinical trials databases

Vascular Cell is a member of the CrossCheck consortium and cases of plagiarism or self-plagiarism will automatically be identified. The Editor-in-Chief reserves the right to inform the authors’ institution about this issue.

Corrections and retractions

Vascular Cell endorses the Committee on Publication Ethics Guidelines on Corrections and Retractions

It is possible to addresses various inaccuracies related to the actual research that have not been detected before publication by publication of an Erratum which represent a material in which the evaluation of data is updated. In these cases, the conclusions of the manuscript are unchanged. The Erratum will be linked and indexed to the initial article.

A retraction is necessary after publication if significant misconduct or experimental error (honest error) has been identified after publication of the manuscript. Also, retraction is necessary in cases of plagiarism or when serious ethical issues have been reported upon publication of the manuscript. Similar with Erratum, the retraction material will linked and indexed to the initial article.