Objective and Scope 

Lusíadas Scientific Journal (Lusíadas Sci J) is the scientific journal of the Grupo Lusíadas Saúde. The mission of Lusíadas Sci J is to provide physicians and other healthcare professionals with the best research and information at the intersection of biomedical science and clinical practice and to present that information in understandable and clinically useful formats that inform healthcare delivery and improve patient outcomes.
Lusíadas Sci J strives to publish articles that are stimulating to read, educate and inform readers with the most up-to-date research, and lead to positive changes in health systems and in the way in which patient care is delivered.
Furthermore, to ensure quality and scientific relevance, the journal has a diverse and international Editorial Board and accepts only articles that undergo a rigorous double-blind review process, a procedure that protects the impartiality of the article selection process.
Lusíadas Sci J publishes articles preferably in English. Therefore, articles should be submitted in English(exceptionally in Portuguese from Portugal).

Periodicity

Lusíadas Sci J is published online quarterly.

Copyright and Author's Rights 

All articles in this journal are Open Access and meet the requirements of funding agencies or academic institutions. Regarding the use by third parties, Lusíadas Scientific Journal is governed by the terms of the Creative Commons - Attribution Non Commercial  (CC BY-NC)'.
This journal offers immediate open access to its contents, following the principle that making scientific knowledge freely available to the public provides greater worldwide democratization of knowledge.
It is the author's responsibility to obtain permission to reproduce figures, 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 along with a Publishing Agreement form or a link to the online version of that agreement.
Authors are authorized to make their published articles available in the repositories of their home institutions, provided that they always mention where they were published and according to the Creative Commons license.

Publication Costs 

There will be no publication costs (no fees for submission nor for publication of color images).

Reasons to Publish with Lusíadas SCI J

• Rapidity: offers fast publication while maintaining rigorous peer review;
• Quality: committed to the highest standards of peer review;
• Indexed to IndexRMP;
• Open Access - maximum visibility;
• Free of charge: no publication charges.

Editorial Freedom 

Lusíadas Sci J adopts the ICMJE definition of editorial freedom described by the World Association of Medical Editors, which states that the Editor-in-Chief assumes full authority over the journal’s editorial content. The Grupo Lusíadas as the owner of Lusíadas Sci J does not interfere in the process of evaluation and selection, scheduling or editing of any manuscript, and the Editor-in-Chief has total editorial independence.

Overview

1. Submission of a manuscript to Lusíadas Sci J implies that all authors have read and agreed with its contents and that the manuscript complies to the journal's policies.
2. Manuscripts submitted for publication should be prepared in accordance with the Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), updated in December 2016. This document is available at:
   http://www.icmje.org/recommendations/.
3. Lusíadas Sci J follows the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), which provides a forum for editors and publishers of scientific journals to discuss issues related to the integrity of the work submitted to or published in their journals.
4. The electronic version can be accessed at: http://www.lusiadasscientificjournal.pt/
   
   

ORCID

The Lusíadas SCi J requires ORCID IDs for the corresponding author; it is also recommended that co-authors indicate their ORCID IDs. We strongly believe that the increased use and integration of ORCID IDs will be beneficial to the entire scientific community.

For more information and to register, please visit ORCID.org (https://orcid.org/content/collect-connect)

Authorship Criteria and Authorship Form 

Lusíadas Sci J follows the guidelines on authorship defined by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors in the Declaration on Authorship and Contribution.
(http://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/roles-and-responsibilities/defining-the-role-of-authors-and-contributors.html)
As stated in the ICMJE Requirements, authorship requires a substantial contribution to the manuscript, and each author's contribution to the work must be specified in a cover letter.

Statement of individual contributions signed by each author
All those designated as authors must meet the four criteria for authorship indicated below, and all those who meet the four criteria must be identified as authors. Collaborators who do not meet the four criteria for authorship, but who have contributed to the study or manuscript, should be acknowledged in the Acknowledgments section, specifying their contribution.
Acquisition of funding, data collection, or general supervision alone do not qualify the contributor for Authorship.
Each manuscript must have a "Corresponding Author". The corresponding author should obtain written permission from all those mentioned in the acknowledgments.

Authors are those:

1. Have a substantial, direct, intellectual contribution to the design or conception of the work;
2. Participate in the analysis and interpretation of the data;
3. Participate in the writing of the manuscript, version review, and critical review of the content; approval of the final version;
4. Agree to be accountable for the accuracy and integrity of the entire work.

When a large multi-center group conducts the work, the group should identify the individuals who accept direct responsibility for the manuscript. These individuals must fully meet the criteria for authorship. Obtaining funding, collecting data, or general supervision of the working group alone does not qualify for authorship.

Changes in Authorship 

It is the corresponding author's responsibility to ensure that the list of authors is correct, both on the online submission form and in the submitted text. Any amendment in the list of authors, including the removal or addition of any author, between the initial submission and acceptance will require the written agreement of all authors if the manuscript is being reviewed for publication. The new authors must also confirm that they fully comply with Lusíadas Sci J authorship criteria.
Changes in authorship (addition or removal) will not be permitted after acceptance of the manuscript for publication.

Acknowledgments

All collaborators who do not meet the criteria for authorship should be listed in the Acknowledgment section. Examples of individuals who may be recognized include: who provided purely technical help or a department head who provided only general support. 

Writing Assistance

Individuals who provided writing assistance, such as from a specialized communication firm, do not qualify as authors and therefore should be included in the Acknowledgments section. Authors should disclose any assistance in writing - including the name of the individual, company, and level of input - and identify the entity that funded that assistance.
It is not necessary to disclose the use of language-polishing services. 

Corresponding Author

The corresponding author will act on behalf of all the coauthors as the prime correspondent with the editorial team during the submission and review process. 

Any author can be the corresponding author but only one author can be the corresponding author.

Role of the corresponding author: 

1. Ensures that the submission requirements are met and submits the manuscript to the journal
2. Ensures that all authors have reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript before submission;
3. Ensures authorship forms are completed - this includes conflict of interest forms for all authors;
4. Distributes decision letters, reviewer comments, and other Ophthalmology messages, and distributes proofs among coauthors for review;
5. Sends corrections and ensures that all authors approve each version of the article.

Patient Consent

Authors are responsible for obtaining informed consent for each individual in photographs, videos, detailed descriptions, or on x-rays or ultrasounds, even after attempting to conceal their identity.
Names, initials or other forms of identification should be removed from photographs or other images.
Personal data, such as profession or residence, should be omitted, except when epidemiologically relevant to the work.
Authors should ensure that no data are presented that would allow unambiguous identification or, if this is not possible, should obtain the informed consent of those involved.
Studies on patients or volunteers need ethics committee approval and informed consent from the participants
These should be documented in the article. Blackout bars or similar devices do not anonymize patients in clinical imaging: appropriate consent is required.

Duplicate Submission and Publication

Lusíadas Sci J does not accept previously published material in print or electronic form or manuscripts under consideration in another journal
Lusíadas Sci J endorses the ICMJE policies regarding duplication of publications (http://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/publishing-and-editorial-issues/overlapping-publications.html)

Plagiarism Policy

Plagiarism is a serious violation, whether intentional or not. We define plagiarism as reproduction of another work with at least 25% similarity and without citation. If evidence of plagiarism is found before/after acceptance or after the article is published, the author will be given an opportunity for rebuttal. If the arguments are not deemed satisfactory, the manuscript will be retracted, and the author sanctioned for the publication of works for a period to be determined by the Editor.

Fast-track Publishing 

A fast-track system is available for urgent and important manuscripts that meet Lusíadas Sci J requirements for expedited review and publication. Authors may request fast-track publishing through the manuscript submission process, clearly indicating why their manuscript should be considered for expedited review and publishing. The Editorial Board will decide whether the manuscript is suitable for expedited publishing and will communicate its decision within 48 hours. If the Editor-in-Chief finds the manuscript unsuitable for expedited publishing, the manuscript may be proposed for the normal review process, or the authors may withdraw their submission. The editorial decision on manuscripts accepted for expedited review will be made within five working days. If the manuscript is accepted for publishing, Lusíadas Sci J will aim to publish it electronically within 16 days.

Peer Review

Lusíadas Sci J uses a highly rigorous peer review process to evaluate manuscripts for scientific prediction,validity, novelty and importance. All research articles, and most other types of articles, published in Lusíadas Sci J undergo peer review. Reviewers are required to respect the confidentiality of the peer review process and not reveal details of a manuscript or its review, during or after the peer review process. If reviewers wish to involve a colleague in the review process, they must first obtain permission from the Editor. The acceptance criteria for all papers are the quality, clarity, and originality of the research and its significance to our readers. Manuscripts should be written in a clear, concise, direct style. The manuscript must not have been published, in whole or in part, or submitted for publication elsewhere. All submitted manuscripts are initially evaluated by the Editor-in-Chief and may be rejected at this stage without being sent to reviewers. Final acceptance or rejection is the responsibility of the Editor-in-Chief, who reserves the right to refuse any material for publication. Lusíadas Sci J follows a rigorous blind peer review. Lusíadas Sci J will send manuscripts to external reviewers selected from an extensive database. All manuscripts that do not comply with the instructions to the authors may be rejected before review. Final acceptance is the responsibility of the Editor-in-Chief. The letters to the Editor or Editorials will be evaluated by the Editorial Board, but external reviews may also be requested.

In the evaluation, manuscripts can be: 

• Accepted without changes;
• Accepted after modifications suggested by reviewers;
• Rejected.

Upon receipt of the manuscript, if it is in accordance with the instructions to authors and complies with the editorial policy, the Editor-in-Chief sends the manuscript to two reviewers. Within a maximum of 15 days, the reviewer must reply to the Editor-in-Chief indicating his/her comments on the manuscript under review and suggesting acceptance, revision, or rejection of the paper. Within 10 days, the Editorial Board will decide, which may be: i) to accept the manuscript without modifications; ii) to send the reviewers' comments to the authors as established; iii) to reject the manuscript. When changes are proposed the authors have 15 days (period that can be extended at the request of the authors) to submit a new revised version of the manuscript, incorporating the comments of the reviewers and the Editorial Board. You must answer all questions and send a revised version of the manuscript, with the inserted corrections highlighted in a different color. The Editor-in-Chief has 10 days to make the decision on the new version: reject or accept the new version or forward it for further appreciation by one or more reviewers. In any of the previous phases, in case of acceptance it will be communicated to the Corresponding Author. In the proofreading stage, substantial changes to the articles will not be accepted and may imply their subsequent rejection by decision of the Editor-in-Chief. Although the editors and reviewers make every effort to ensure the technical and scientific quality of the manuscripts, the ultimate responsibility for the content (namely the accuracy and predictability of the observations, as well as the opinions expressed) is the sole responsibility of the authors.

Proofs

The typographical proofs will be sent to the authors, indicating the deadline of revision according to the Lusíadas Sci J’s publication needs. The review must be approved by the corresponding author. The authors have 48 hours to review the text and report any typographical errors. At this stage, the authors cannot make any substantial modification to the article other than corrections of typographical errors and/or minor spelling errors. Failure to comply with the proposed deadline releases Lusíadas Sci J from accepting the review by the authors, and the review may be carried out exclusively by the Lusíadas Sci J services.

Erratas

Lusíadas Sci J publishes changes, amendments, or retractions to a previously published article, if after publication errors or omissions that influence the interpretation of data or information are identified. Amendments after publication will take the form of an erratum.

Retractions

Reviewers and Editors assume that authors report work based on honest observations. However, if there are substantial doubts about the honesty or integrity of the work, submitted or published, the editor will inform the authors of his concern, will seek clarification from the author's sponsoring institution and/or employing institution. Consequently, if they consider the published article to be fraudulent, Lusíadas Sci J will retract it. If this method of investigation does not obtain a satisfactory conclusion, the editor may choose to conduct his own investigation, and may choose to publish a note of concern about the conduct or integrity of the paper.

Sponsorships

The Journal sponsors are companies in the pharmaceutical industry or others that generate revenue through advertising. Advertising must not jeopardize the scientific independence of the journal or influence editorial decisions and must comply with general and specific legislation in the health and medicine field. Other expenses are borne by Grupo Lusíadas.

Submission Guidelines 

(See guidelines)

 

Final note – for a more complete clarification on this subject, we advise you to read the Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors), available at http://www.ICMJE.org

Last review: May 2021