Preparing Your Manuscript

Before submitting your manuscript, authors should ensure that:

• The manuscript falls within the scope of the Journal.
• All authors have approved the final version.
• The manuscript complies with the Journal's formatting and submission guidelines.
• Ethical approvals and informed consent have been obtained where applicable.
• Conflicts of interest and funding sources have been fully disclosed.
• References, figures, tables, and supplementary materials are complete and accurate.

Careful preparation before submission helps facilitate a faster editorial assessment and peer review process.

Submit Your Manuscript

Authors can submit manuscripts through the Journal's online submission system.

The Editorial Office will acknowledge receipt of the submission and assign a unique manuscript identification number for future correspondence. All submissions undergo an initial editorial assessment before being considered for peer review.

Peer Review Process

Every eligible manuscript is evaluated through an independent peer review process designed to ensure scientific quality, originality, and ethical compliance.

The review process generally includes:

• Initial editorial screening.
• Assignment to qualified expert reviewers.
• Scientific evaluation and reviewer recommendations.
• Editorial decision.
• Author revisions, where required.
• Final acceptance and publication.

Editorial decisions are based solely on scientific merit, originality, methodological quality, ethical standards, and relevance to the Journal.

Article Processing Charges (APCs)

As an Open Access journal, Annals of Surgery does not charge readers for access to published articles.

Instead, publication costs are supported through Article Processing Charges (APCs), which help cover:

• Editorial management.
• Peer review administration.
• Copyediting and typesetting.
• Online publication.
• Digital archiving and long-term preservation.
• Website hosting and maintenance.
• Article dissemination and indexing support.

Where applicable, APCs become payable only after a manuscript has been accepted for publication.

Waiver Policy

The Journal may consider requests for partial or full APC waivers in appropriate circumstances.

Waiver requests are reviewed individually and are evaluated independently of the editorial process. The ability to pay publication charges has no influence on editorial decisions.

Publication Ethics

Annals of Surgery is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and research integrity.

Authors are expected to:

• Submit original research.
• Avoid plagiarism, duplicate publication, and data fabrication.
• Disclose conflicts of interest.
• Obtain appropriate ethical approvals.
• Follow accepted standards for authorship.
• Report research accurately and transparently.

The Journal investigates allegations of research or publication misconduct in accordance with internationally recognized ethical principles.

Reporting Guidelines

Authors should prepare manuscripts in accordance with recognized reporting guidelines appropriate for their study design whenever applicable.

Examples include guidance for:

• Randomized clinical trials.
• Observational studies.
• Systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
• Diagnostic accuracy studies.
• Case reports.
• Clinical practice guidelines.

Following established reporting standards improves the quality, transparency, and reproducibility of published research.

Editorial Support

Our Editorial Office is available to assist authors with questions regarding:

• Manuscript submission.
• Editorial policies.
• Peer review.
• Article Processing Charges.
• Publication ethics.
• Copyright and licensing.
• Manuscript revisions.
• Publication procedures.

Authors are encouraged to contact the Editorial Office whenever additional guidance is required during the publication process.

Our Commitment to Authors

At Annals of Surgery, we strive to provide:

• Fair and unbiased editorial evaluation.
• Confidential and rigorous peer review.
• Transparent editorial communication.
• Efficient manuscript handling.
• High editorial and publication standards.
• Global visibility through Open Access publishing.

We value the trust that authors place in our Journal and remain committed to publishing high-quality surgical research that advances science and improves patient care worldwide.