Information For Authors

Interested in submitting to this journal? We recommend that you review the About the Journal page for the journal's section policies, as well as the Author Guidelines. Authors need to register with the journal prior to submitting or, if already registered, can simply log in and begin the five-step process.

Types of Articles

JVIN accepts a broad spectrum of article types, including Original Research Articles, Review Articles, Case Reports, Clinical Trials, Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, Short Communications, Editorials, and Letters to the Editor. Authors must comply with the specific guidelines and checklists pertinent to each article category to promote clarity, consistency, and high standards in scholarly publishing. Furthermore, all clinical trials are required to be registered with appropriate authorities, and Institutional Review Board (IRB) approvals must be secured where applicable. These measures ensure adherence to ethical standards and uphold research integrity throughout the submission and publication process.

Presented below are succinct summaries and established guidelines pertaining to each category of article:

Original Research Articles

These articles present innovative and original findings obtained through experimental or observational research, functioning as the primary method for distributing new scientific knowledge.

Guidelines:

Structured Abstract: Provides a succinct overview of the research question, methodology, principal results, and conclusions. The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE, of which NLM is a sitting member) requires the use of structured abstracts for original research articles, systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

The structured abstract should incorporate the details outlined below, and authors are encouraged to reference recent issues of the journal for examples.

Background and Objectives: Briefly outline existing knowledge, identify gaps being addressed, and clearly state the main research question, primary and secondary objectives, or the hypothesis under investigation.

Methods: Summarize the study design (e.g., randomized trial, cohort), recruitment setting, participant identification, key inclusion/exclusion criteria, and follow-up duration if applicable. Do not include the number of participants here. Outline any interventions or exposures, describe matching methods if used, and define primary outcome measures along with their assessment methods. Briefly explain data analysis procedures.

Results: Clearly specify the number of participants enrolled in the study, along with their essential clinical and demographic characteristics. The main emphasis of this section should be on presenting the primary outcome. Report absolute numbers, effect size or association estimates, and appropriate measures of uncertainty (such as 95% confidence intervals). Isolated reporting of p-values should be avoided. Clearly identify any secondary outcomes or post hoc analyses. For studies assessing diagnostic or prognostic tests, include data on sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratios, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and other relevant predictive values.

Conclusions: Summarize the primary outcome's main finding and limit conclusions to those supported by the study's data. Include one sentence on the clinical, research, policy, or public health significance. Avoid unsupported inferences.

Introduction: Outlines the relevant background, articulates the research question, and states the study's objectives.

Background/rationale: Explain the scientific background and rationale for the investigation being reported

Objectives: State specific objectives, including any prespecified hypotheses

Methods: Delivers a comprehensive account of the experimental design, materials employed, and procedures followed.

Study design - Present key elements of study design early in the paper

Setting - Describe the setting, locations, and relevant dates, including periods of recruitment, exposure, follow-up, and data collection

Participants

Cohort study—Give the eligibility criteria, and the sources and methods of selection of participants. Describe methods of follow-up Case-control study—Give the eligibility criteria, and the sources and methods of case ascertainment and control selection. Give the rationale for the choice of cases and controls Cross-sectional study—Give the eligibility criteria, and the sources and methods of selection of participants (b) Cohort study—For matched studies, give matching criteria and number of exposed and unexposed Case-control study—For matched studies, give matching criteria and the number of controls per case

Variables- Clearly define all outcomes, exposures, predictors, potential confounders, and effect modifiers. Give diagnostic criteria, if applicable

Data sources/measurement - For each variable of interest, give sources of data and details of methods of assessment (measurement). Describe comparability of assessment methods if there is more than one group

Bias - Describe any efforts to address potential sources of bias

Study size - Explain how the study size was arrived at

Quantitative variables - Explain how quantitative variables were handled in the analyses. If applicable, describe which groupings were chosen and why

Statistical methods - Describe all statistical methods, including those used to control for confounding (b) Describe any methods used to examine subgroups and interactions (c) Explain how missing data were addressed (d) Cohort study—If applicable, explain how loss to follow-up was addressed Case-control study—If applicable, explain how matching of cases and controls was addressed Cross-sectional study—If applicable, describe analytical methods taking account of sampling strategy (e) Describe any sensitivity analyses

The authors should also read the recommendations of the STAndards for the Reporting of Diagnostic accuracy studies (STARD) initiative to improve the accuracy and completeness of reporting of studies of diagnostic accuracy, to allow readers to assess the potential for bias in the study (internal validity) and to evaluate its generalizability (external validity) presented at http://www.stard-statement.org/.

Test Methods

Describe the reference standard and rationale.
Describe technical specifications of materials and methods, including timing of measurements and references for index/reference tests.
Describe the definition and rationale for units, cut-offs, or categories for both index tests and reference standard.
Describe the number, training, and expertise of those executing and reading the tests.
Describe whether readers were blinded to other test results and what clinical information was available to them.

Statistical Methods

Describe methods for calculating or comparing diagnostic accuracy measures and statistical methods for quantifying uncertainty (e.g., 95% confidence intervals).
Describe methods for calculating test reproducibility, if performed.

Results: Presents the findings, incorporating tables and figures where appropriate to enhance clarity.

Participants (a) Report numbers of individuals at each stage of study—eg numbers potentially eligible, examined for eligibility, confirmed eligible, included in the study, completing follow-up, and analysed (b) Give reasons for non-participation at each stage (c) Consider use of a flow diagram

Descriptive data - Give characteristics of study participants (eg demographic, clinical, social) and information on exposures and potential confounders (b) Indicate number of participants with missing data for each variable of interest (c) Cohort study—Summarise follow-up time (eg, average and total amount)

Outcome data

Cohort study—Report numbers of outcome events or summary measures over time Case-control study—Report numbers in each exposure category, or summary measures of exposure Cross-sectional study—Report numbers of outcome events or summary measures

Main results (a) Give unadjusted estimates and, if applicable, confounder-adjusted estimates and their precision (eg, 95% confidence interval). Make clear which confounders were adjusted for and why they were included (b) Report category boundaries when continuous variables were categorized (c) If relevant, consider translating estimates of relative risk into absolute risk for a meaningful time period

Other analyses - Report other analyses done—eg analyses of subgroups and interactions, and sensitivity analyses

Recommendations of the STAndards for the Reporting of Diagnostic accuracy studies (STARD) initiative for Results

Section	Recommendation
Participants	Report when the study was done, including the beginning and ending dates of recruitment. Report clinical and demographic characteristics of the study population (e.g., age, sex, spectrum of presenting symptoms, comorbidity, current treatments, recruitment centers). Report the number of participants satisfying the criteria for inclusion that did or did not undergo the index tests and/or the reference standard; describe why participants failed to receive either test (a flow diagram is strongly recommended).
Test results	Report time interval from the index tests to the reference standard, and any treatment administered between. Report distribution of severity of disease (define criteria) in those with the target condition; other diagnoses in participants without the target condition. Report a cross tabulation of the results of the index tests (including indeterminate and missing results) by the results of the reference standard; for continuous results, the distribution of the test results by the results of the reference standard. Report any adverse events from performing the index tests or the reference standard.
Estimates	Report estimates of diagnostic accuracy and measures of statistical uncertainty (e.g., 95% confidence intervals). Report how indeterminate results, missing responses, and outliers of the index tests were handled. Report estimates of variability of diagnostic accuracy between subgroups of participants, readers or centers, if done. Report estimates of test reproducibility, if done.

Discussion: Analyses and interprets the results, discusses their implications, and situates them in the context of existing literature.

Key results - Summarize key results with reference to study objectives

Limitations - Discuss limitations of the study, taking into account sources of potential bias or imprecision. Discuss both direction and magnitude of any potential bias

Interpretation - Give a cautious overall interpretation of results considering objectives, limitations, multiplicity of analyses, results from similar studies, and other relevant evidence

Generalizability - Discuss the generalizability (external validity) of the study results

Conclusion: Summarizes the principal findings and proposes directions for future research.

References: Provides a comprehensive and precise list of all sources cited in the manuscript.

Funding - Give the source of funding and the role of the funders for the present study and, if applicable, for the original study on which the present article is based

Format

Main text – up to 3500 words, excluding abstract, Methods, references and figure legends.
Structured Abstract – up to 150 words, unreferenced.
Display items – 6 items (figures and/or tables).
References – 50.
Articles specify the dates on which they were received and accepted.
Supplementary information may accompany articles.
All articles undergo a thorough peer review process.

Review Articles

A Review constitutes an authoritative, balanced, and scholarly assessment of recent advances within a specific research domain. Its scope should be sufficiently comprehensive to ensure that it is not disproportionately influenced by the contributions of a single laboratory, including those of the authors themselves. These offer an extensive overview of research related to a particular subject, encapsulating recent advancements and delivering critical evaluation.

Guidelines:

Unstructured Abstract: This section provides a concise overview of the topic and presents the primary conclusions drawn from the analysis. Reviews include an unstructured abstract of up to 250 words summarizing the background, focus, and key points addressed in the manuscript.

Introduction: A detailed overview of the topic’s significance and scope.

Body: Organized sections that address various aspects or findings pertinent to the subject matter.

Conclusion: This section provides an overview of the present research landscape and outlines potential avenues for future investigation.

References: A comprehensive compilation of pertinent research studies and scholarly reviews.

Format

Main text – up to 5000-6000 words
Figures and Tables- 6
References – up to 100
Reviews specify the dates on which they were received and accepted.
Reviews undergo peer reviewed process

Case Reports

A comprehensive report documenting the symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of an individual patient. Such reports frequently emphasize atypical or novel clinical cases.

Guidelines:

Abstract: Structured (Introduction, Case report, Conclusion) or unstructured abstract. This section provides an overview of the case and highlights its importance.

Introduction: Outline of the background and justification for presenting this case report.

Case Presentation: Comprehensive patient data, clinical observations, results of diagnostic tests, therapeutic interventions, and patient outcomes.

Discussion: Analysis of the case in the context of existing literature.

Conclusion: Key takeaways and implications for practice.

References: Pertinent literature has been cited.

Format

Main Text- 1200-1600

Tables/Figures- 6

References-20

Clinical Trials

Reports on the methodology and results of clinical trials.

Guidelines:

Structured Abstract: This section provides an overview of the trial's objectives, methodology, results, and conclusions.

Introduction: This section provides the background, justification, and objectives of the clinical trial.

Methods: Comprehensive account of the trial design, participant selection criteria, interventions administered, and outcome measures utilized.

The Consolidated Standards for Reporting of Trials (CONSORT) Statement, first published in 1996 and revised in 2001, provides recommendations for reporting standards of randomized controlled trials. These recommendations include specification of the rationale for any adjusted analysis, statistical methods used, and clarification of the choice of variables used for adjustment.

Trial design -Description of trial design (such as parallel, factorial) including allocation ratio. Important changes to methods after trial commencement (such as eligibility criteria), with reasons

Participants Interventions- Eligibility criteria for participants. Settings and locations where the data were collected

Interventions- The interventions for each group with sufficient details to allow replication, including how and when they were administered

Outcomes- Completely defined pre-specified primary and secondary outcome measures, including how and when they were assessed. Any changes to trial outcomes after the trial commenced, with reasons

Sample Size- How sample size was determined. When applicable, explanation of any interim analyses and stopping guidelines

Randomization:

Sequence generation: Method used to generate the random allocation sequence

Type of randomization; details of any restriction (such as blocking and block size)

Allocation concealment mechanism: Mechanism used to implement the random allocation sequence (such as sequentially numbered containers), describing any steps taken to conceal the sequence until interventions were assigned

Implementation: Who generated the random allocation sequence, who enrolled participants, and who assigned participants to interventions

Blinding- If done, who was blinded after assignment to interventions (for example, participants, care providers, those assessing outcomes) and how. If relevant, description of the similarity of interventions

Statistical Methods: Statistical methods used to compare groups for primary and secondary outcomes. Methods for additional analyses, such as subgroup analyses and adjusted analyses

Clinical Trial Design: Structured Overview

North American Trial of Unruptured and Ruptured Aneurysms committee. The purpose of this report was to review the basic components of the designs and methods for randomized clinical trials

Background

Sufficient evidence from observational studies, previous research, and Phase I and II trials justifies the need for evaluation of a new procedure (equipoise).
Adequate experience has accrued (technical maturation), and the timing of the trial is appropriate.

^Objective

A primary objective measure of efficacy has been defined.
A quantitative difference has been specified to define the superiority of one procedure over another.
The patient population to be studied has been specified.

^{Study Population}

Representative of the target and relatively homogeneous population.
Accessible and readily identifiable with explicit inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Feasible to study, minimizing the ratio of eligible nonrandomized to randomized patients.

^{Sample Size and Statistical Power}

Alpha level and statistical power are determined.
Planned interim analyses may be included in the study plan.
Anticipated rate of events in the control group is estimated from available data.
Magnitude of difference necessary for clinically meaningful superiority is specified.
Variability of the efficacy variable is considered.

^{Methods of Assignment}

Allocation concealment is ensured.
Randomization, with or without stratification, is applied.

^{Masking (Blinding)}

Blinding methods are undertaken to avoid investigator and patient bias in postprocedural care and outcome ascertainment.

^{Identification and Selection of Variables}

Objective criteria define outcomes and influencing variables.
Clear rationale for selection of outcomes and variables is provided.

^{Study Centers and Investigators}

Participating centers have investigators with adequate expertise (objective criteria).
Centers possess necessary organizational resources.

^{Trial Monitoring}

An external body performs independent auditing to verify conformity with eligibility criteria, recruitment, outcome data, and adverse event reporting.
The external body reports to the principal investigators and the data and safety monitoring committee.

^{Clinical Protocol: Manual of Operations}

Protocol for baseline evaluation: Collect any baseline data that may influence intervention results or overall prognosis.
Protocol for intervention: Standardization of intervention steps is important for procedure success.
Protocol for follow-up evaluations: Designed to ensure enough patients reach primary endpoints for meaningful comparison.

^{Ascertainment of Outcomes}

Outcomes are objectively defined and reproducibly ascertained.
An independent body adjudicates outcomes, preferably at multiple levels.
A structured system is in place for determining, managing, monitoring, and reporting adverse events.
Protocols for referring and/or treating subjects experiencing adverse events are available.

^{Data and Safety Monitoring and Interim Analyses}

Discontinue trial if compelling evidence of harm or benefit arises, or if a very low probability exists of addressing the study hypothesis within a feasible timeframe.

^{Analysis and Interpretation of Results}

Outcome analysis is performed using intention-to-treat or target population analysis, with parametric or nonparametric methods.
Methods are defined for analyzing data from patients who did not receive the allocated intervention, crossed over, withdrew, or were lost to follow-up.
Rates of outcomes for each group are compared to predicted rates using survival analysis.
Post hoc analysis confirms uniformity among clinical subgroups and centers.

Results: Outcomes are presented with accompanying statistical analysis.

Consolidated Standards for Reporting of Trials (CONSORT) Statement, first published in 1996 and revised in 2001, provides recommendations for reporting standards of randomized controlled trials.

Participant flow (a diagram is strongly recommended) - For each group, the numbers of participants who were randomly assigned, received intended treatment, and were analyzed for the primary outcome

For each group, losses and exclusions after randomization, together with reasons

Recruitment - Dates defining the periods of recruitment and follow-up Why the trial ended or was stoppedBaseline data -A table showing baseline demographic and clinical characteristics for each group

Numbers analyzed -For each group, number of participants (denominator) included in each analysis and whether the analysis was by original assigned groups

Outcomes and estimation -For each primary and secondary outcome, results for each group, and the estimated effect size and its precision (such as 95% confidence interval). For binary outcomes, presentation of both absolute and relative effect sizes is recommended

Ancillary analyses - Results of any other analyses performed, including subgroup analyses and adjusted analyses, distinguishing pre-specified from exploratory

Harms - All important harms or unintended effects in each group (for specific guidance see CONSORT for harms)

Discussion: Analysis of findings, consideration of study limitations, and evaluation of broader implications.

Conclusion: Consolidated overview of results and their significance in clinical practice.

References: Comprehensive listing of all studies and sources cited.

Format

Abstract-200 words

Main Text-1200

Tables/Figures-3

References-20

Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses

These reviews consolidate existing research on a subject by employing systematic approaches to gather, evaluate, and summarize data.

Guidelines:

Structured Abstract: This section provides a concise overview of the review's aims, methodology, key findings, and principal conclusions.

The abstract is structured as described for original research article, which includes, Background and Objectives, Methods, Results, Conclusions

Within the Methods section, specify the databases and years searched. Clearly outline both inclusion and exclusion criteria used in the systematic search, and describe the procedures employed for data abstraction.

In the Results section for meta-analysis, report the number of studies included, rate the quality of available evidence, specify the outcomes analyzed, and include measures of effect size/association with corresponding uncertainty measures (e.g., 95% CIs).

Introduction: This section outlines the background and delineates the objectives of the review.

Methods: Comprehensive description of the literature search strategy, inclusion criteria, and procedures for data extraction.

Reporting criteria Meta-analysis Of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) Group recommendations

A) Description of relevance or appropriateness of studies assembled for assessing the hypothesis to be tested
B) Rationale for the selection and coding of data (eg, sound clinical principles or convenience) Documentation of how data were classified and coded (eg, multiple raters, blinding, and interrater reliability)
C) Assessment of confounding (eg, comparability of cases and controls in studies where appropriate) Assessment of study quality, including blinding of quality assessors; stratification or regression on possible predictors of study results
D) Assessment of heterogeneity
E) Description of statistical methods (eg, complete description of fixed or random effects models, justification of whether the chosen models account for predictors of study results, dose-response models, or cumulative meta-analysis) in sufficient detail to be replicated
F) Provision of appropriate tables and graphics

Another initiative that provides recommendations for minimum set of items for reporting in systematic reviews and meta-analyses is Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The PRISMA Statement focused on randomized trials, but PRISMA can also be used as a basis for reporting systematic reviews of other types of research, particularly evaluations of interventions and is presented as follows:

Method	Description
Protocol and registration	Indicate if a review protocol exists, where it can be accessed (e.g., Web address), and provide registration information including registration number if available.
Eligibility criteria	Specify study characteristics (e.g., PICOS, length of follow-up) and report characteristics (e.g., years considered, language, publication status) used as eligibility criteria, giving rationale.
Information sources	Describe all information sources (e.g., databases with dates of coverage, contact with study authors for additional studies) used in the search and date last searched.
Search	Present the full electronic search strategy for at least one database, including any limits used, so that it could be repeated.
Study selection	State the process for selecting studies (screening, eligibility, inclusion in systematic review, and, if applicable, inclusion in meta-analysis).
Data collection process	Describe the method of data extraction from reports (e.g., piloted forms, independently, in duplicate) and any processes for obtaining and confirming data from investigators.
Data items	List and define all variables for which data were sought (e.g., PICOS, funding sources) and any assumptions and simplifications made.
Risk of bias in individual studies	Describe methods used for assessing risk of bias of individual studies (whether at the study or outcome level), and how this information is used in data synthesis.
Summary measures	State the principal summary measures (e.g., risk ratio, difference in means).
Synthesis of results	Describe the methods of handling data and combining results of studies, including measures of consistency (e.g., I2) for each meta-analysis.
Risk of bias across studies	Specify any assessment of risk of bias that may affect the cumulative evidence (e.g., publication bias, selective reporting within studies).
Additional analyses	Describe methods of additional analyses (e.g., sensitivity or subgroup analyses, meta-regression), indicating which were pre-specified if done.

Results: Outcomes presented with integrated synthesis and comprehensive statistical analysis.

Reporting criteria Meta-analysis Of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) Group recommendations

Reporting of results should include
a) Graphic summarizing individual study estimates and overall estimate Table giving descriptive information for each study included
b) Results of sensitivity testing (eg, subgroup analysis)
c) Indication of statistical uncertainty of findings

Recommendations for Results (PRISMA)

Section	Details/Recommendations
Study Selection	Include numbers of studies screened, assessed for eligibility, and included in the review. Provide reasons for exclusions and use a flow diagram for clarity.
Study Characteristics	Present key characteristics for each study, including study size, PICOS, follow-up period, and citations.
Risk of Bias Within Studies	Report risk of bias for each study and outcome-level assessment, including sources of bias and quality evaluations.
Results of Individual Studies	Present summary data for each intervention group and effect estimates, including confidence intervals and forest plots.
Synthesis of Results	Report the results of each meta-analysis, including effect size, confidence intervals, and consistency metrics.
Risk of Bias Across Studies	Summarize assessments of bias across included studies, referring to systematic biases like publication bias.
Additional Analysis	Report on sensitivity analyses, subgroup analyses, or meta-regression as appropriate.

Discussion: Interpretation of results, evaluation in the context of existing literature, and acknowledgment of study limitations.

MOOSE criteria for Reporting of discussion should include
a) Quantitative assessment of bias (eg, publication bias)
b) Justification for exclusion (eg, exclusion of non-English-language citations) Assessment of quality of included studies

Conclusion: Summary of findings and implications for future research.

References: An extensive compilation of the studies incorporated, along with pertinent literature.

Format

Abstract-250 Words

Main Text-3500

Tables and Figures -6

References-35-50

Short Communications

A Brief Communication presents a succinct, high-quality study that holds significant interest for a wide audience. Concise reports that present novel discoveries or significant advancements, which may not justify the full-length article.

Guidelines:

Abstract: Unstructured abstract and a concise overview of the communication.

Introduction: This section outlines the background and objectives of the report.

Methods: An overview of the methodologies employed.

Results: Summary of principal findings.

Discussion: Concise interpretation of the findings.

Conclusion: A comprehensive summary of the key findings.

References: Relevant citations.

Format

Brief abstract – 70 words.
Main text – 1500 words, not including abstract, references and figure legends, and contains no headings.
Figures/Tables – 3
References – 15
Received and accepted dates are required for all Short Communications.
Supplementary information may be included with Short Communications.
Short Communications undergo peer review.

Editorials

Concise articles presenting informed opinions or perspectives on topics relevant to the journal's audience.

Guidelines:

Introduction: Overview of the topic’s context and significance.

Body: Examine the topic in detail and articulate the author's perspective.

Conclusion: Summary of key points.

References: If applicable, relevant literature citations.

Letters to the Editor

Brief comments or critiques pertaining to previously published articles or current issues within the field.

Guidelines:

Introduction: Brief explanation of the purpose of the letter.

Body: Principal points and supporting arguments.

Conclusion: In summary, these are the closing observations regarding the subject matter.

References: If applicable, relevant citations.

Format

Body Text- 850 words

References - 5

Figures/Tables - 1

Summary of Word Count-Article Types

Article Type	Abstract	Body text	References	Tables	Figures	Supplementary Materials
Original Research Article	250-word limit	3500	35-50	6	6	No set limit
Review Article	250-Word limit	5000	Up to 100	6	6	No set limit
Case Reports	200	1200-1600	20	6	6	No Set limit
Clinical Trials	200	1200	20	3	3	No set limit
Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses	250	3500	35-50	6	6	No Set limit
Short Communications	70	1500	15	3	3	No set limit
Letters to Editor	NA	850	5	1	1	No set limit

Helsinki Declaration

Research Involving Human Subjects and Use of Animals

JVIN is committed to ensuring that all research involving human participants is conducted ethically and in accordance with the highest standards of integrity and according to guidelines of ICJME. This policy outlines the requirements for the protection of research participants.

Adherence to Ethical Standards

Helsinki Declaration Compliance: All research must be conducted in accordance with the principles outlined in the Helsinki Declaration as revised in 2013. Investigators are responsible for ensuring that the planning, conduct, and reporting of their research comply with these ethical guidelines.

Declaration of Helsinki

The Declaration of Helsinki is a set of ethical principles for conducting medical research involving human participants. Authors, editors, and publishers share a responsibility to uphold these ethical standards throughout the research publication process. Manuscripts that do not adhere to the principles articulated in the Declaration should not be accepted for publication. Every research study involving human subjects must meet the ethical requirements established by the Declaration of Helsinki, including statements on ethics committee approval, clinical trial registration, and informed consent. For clinical research articles, such as case control studies, clinical trials, observational studies, prospective studies, randomized clinical trials, randomized controlled trials, retrospective cohort studies, and retrospective studies—submitted to this journal, authors are required to provide the following three documents prior to final manuscript acceptance.

Ethics committee approval statement

The design and execution of all research studies involving human participants must be thoroughly detailed and appropriately justified within a comprehensive research protocol. This protocol should clearly specify funding sources, sponsoring organizations, institutional affiliations, potential conflicts of interest, participant incentives, and measures in place for the treatment or compensation of individuals who may be harmed during participation. Prior to commencement, the protocol must be submitted to the local ethics committee for review and approval. Authors are required to provide the ethics committee’s approval statement in PDF format, which will be published alongside the manuscript. Faxed or printed versions will not be accepted.

Approval from Review Bodies: Authors must seek approval from an independent local, regional, or national review body, such as an ethics committee or institutional review board, prior to conducting research. Documentation of this approval should be available for review by the journal's editors upon request.

Ethical Justification: In cases where there is uncertainty about adherence to the Helsinki Declaration, authors must provide a rationale for their methods and evidence of explicit approval from the review body for any contentious aspects of the study.

Editorial Discretion: Approval by a review body does not preclude the journal's editors from making independent judgments about the ethical conduct of the research.

Clinical trial registration statements

Every clinical trial involving human subjects must be registered in a publicly accessible database prior to the enrollment of the first participant. This process ensures that reliable information is available to the public, healthcare professionals, researchers, and sponsors, thereby promoting transparency in the design and conduct of clinical trials and making registered clinical trials publicly available for free query and evaluation. Authors are required to provide both the name of the trial registry and the clinical trial registration number (in PDF format; e.g., Clinical trial information: NCT00382018), which will be published alongside the manuscript. Submissions in faxed or printed form are not acceptable.

JVIN follows the recommendations set forth by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) regarding the registration of clinical trials. Detailed guidelines can be found at the ICMJE website: ICMJE Recommendations on Clinical Trial Registration.

Mandatory Registration: As a condition for consideration of publication, clinical trials must be registered in a publicly accessible trials registry. Registration should occur at or before the time of first patient enrollment.

Accepted Registries: We accept registration in any public registry that:

Is a primary register of the World Health Organization (WHO) International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) and includes the minimum acceptable 24-item trial registration dataset.

Alternatively, registration in ClinicalTrials.gov, which is a data provider to the WHO ICTRP, is also acceptable.

Ensuring compliance with these registration requirements is essential for the transparency and reproducibility of clinical research. The registration of clinical trials allows for comprehensive tracking of trial methodologies and outcomes, promoting ethical research standards.

Each potential subject must be thoroughly informed of the aims, methods, sources of funding, any potential conflicts of interest, the researcher’s institutional affiliations, anticipated benefits, potential risks of the study, possible discomforts, and any other relevant aspects. The study may proceed only after verifying that the participant has comprehended this information and providing freely given written informed consent. Authors are required to submit the signed written informed consent in PDF format for publication alongside the manuscript. Faxed or printed copies will not be accepted.

Patient Privacy and Informed Consent

Right to Privacy: Patients' privacy rights must be respected. Identifying information, such as names, initials, or hospital numbers, should not be published unless it is crucial for scientific purposes and written informed consent has been obtained from the patient or their legal guardian.

Informed Consent for Publication: Written informed consent requires that identifiable patients review the manuscript to be published. Authors must inform patients about the possibility of their identifiable information being available both in print and online. Consent documents should be archived either by the journal, the authors, or both, in accordance with local regulations.

Confidentiality Assurance: Nonessential identifying details should be omitted to maintain anonymity. If anonymity cannot be guaranteed, informed consent must be obtained. Masking the eye region in photographs is insufficient for maintaining anonymity.

Deidentification and Scientific Integrity: Authors must confirm that deidentifying information does not alter the scientific meaning, and editors will note this assurance.

Animal Research

Ethical Standards for Animal Research: Authors must indicate compliance with institutional and national standards for the care and use of laboratory animals when reporting experiments involving animals.

Publication Requirements

Informed Consent Documentation: The requirement for informed consent must be stated in the journal's instructions for authors. When informed consent has been obtained, it should be explicitly mentioned in the published article.

Copyright and Licensing

^{Authors retain copyright ownership of their articles published in JVIN; however, all third-party images and materials remain protected by the respective owners’ copyright. Authors may share or republish their work, provided they comply with any third-party copyright agreements and properly cite the original source. This policy permits visitors to download and forward published articles as long as JVIN’s citation requirements are met and any applicable license fees imposed by the publisher are paid. The rights to copy, download, forward, or distribute materials are subject to maintaining visible and unaltered copyright notices at all times.}

^{Authors whose manuscripts are accepted are required to grant permission for publication of their articles as open access under a Creative Commons license. This facilitates unrestricted access and reuse of content, provided proper attribution is given to the original authors. All articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which supports the widespread dissemination of scientific knowledge.}

Reuse of JVIN Article Content

JVIN operates under the Creative Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY) license or other comparable licenses that permit free and unrestricted use of articles and other published works.
Authors submitting papers to JVIN retain copyright ownership and consent to the application of the CC BY license to their work.
If your institution or funder requires your work or materials to be published under a different license or dedicated to the public domain—such as Creative Commons 1.0 Universal (CC0) or the Open Governmental License—this is permitted provided the terms are equivalent to or more permissive than CC BY.
JVIN stipulates that authors agree to allow unrestricted reuse of their article content, in whole or in part, for any purpose including commercial use, at no cost.
This includes, but is not limited to, self-archiving by authors of submitted, accepted, and published versions of their manuscripts in institutional repositories.

JVIN content may be copied, redistributed, reused, or modified, provided that proper citation of the author and original source is maintained. This approach facilitates freedom in reuse while ensuring that JVIN content can be mined without barriers for the needs of research.

Content Owned by Someone Else

If your manuscript includes materials such as photographs, images, clipart, tables, audio files, videos, proprietary protocols, code, or similar content that you or your co-authors do not own or did not create, it is necessary to provide documentation verifying that one of the following conditions applies:

The material is either in the public domain or available under an open access license that is compatible with CC BY 4.0, or
The content owner has provided written authorization for its use and publication under the open access CC BY 4.0 license.

Please note that purchasing copyright use is unlikely to meet this requirement, as many journals and publishers restrict the terms of purchased copyright use in ways that do not accommodate open access publication. In addition, we cannot accept Creative Commons licensed materials with additional non-commercial (CC BY-NC), share-alike (CC BY-SA), or non-derivative (CC BY-ND) clauses.

Please be advised that purchasing copyright usage rights typically does not satisfy this requirement, as many journals and publishers impose restrictions on purchased copyrights that are incompatible with open access publication. Furthermore, we are unable to accept Creative Commons licensed materials that include non-commercial (CC BY-NC), share-alike (CC BY-SA), or non-derivative (CC BY-ND) conditions.

Do not presume that all content available on the Internet is free for use, or that unclear ownership or licensing information makes it permissible to utilize such material. It is your responsibility to determine what rights, if any, you have to use that content.

Manuscripts must not include any third-party trade secret information under any circumstances

Using Article Content Previously Published in Another Journal

It is a common misconception among authors that prior publication of a paper through another publisher automatically grants them unrestricted rights to reuse its content in their JVIN submissions. In reality, the ability to reuse previously published material is determined by the terms of the applicable license. While some publishers permit free and unrestricted reuse of their content—such as under the CC BY license. Others impose conditions that require the same license to be applied when their content is reused by another individual or publisher.

If the paper is published under a CC BY license, or another license permitting unrestricted use, you may incorporate its content into your JVIN manuscript, provided that appropriate attribution is given as explained above.

If content is published under a more restrictive license, it is essential to determine your rights according to the terms of that license. At a minimum, carefully review the license to confirm your ability to use the material. If you have any questions regarding the license terms, please consult with the publisher, as JVIN staff are unable to provide legal advice concerning the use of third-party content. Should the license not grant permission to include the content in a paper governed by an unrestricted license, written authorization from the publisher must be obtained prior to incorporating such material into your JVIN submission. Please ensure that all content included in your JVIN paper is properly licensed for use and remember to always provide appropriate attribution.

Authorship Criteria JVIN

To ensure that authorship is attributed fairly and that all contributors who meet these standards are appropriately recognized, JVIN editorial board follows the criteria of authorship as set by International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). By adhering to these criteria, we maintain the integrity and quality of our scientific publications.

To be recognized as an author of a manuscript, one must fulfill ALL of the following:

Significant Contribution:

Engage in the initial conception or design of the study, or participate in data collection, analysis, or interpretation.

Manuscript Development:

Participate in drafting or revising the manuscript critically to ensure significant intellectual content.

Final Approval:

Provide final approval of the manuscript version that will be published.

Accountability:

Agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work, ensuring that any issues related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the research are properly investigated and resolved.

Contributors who do not meet all four authorship criteria should be acknowledged rather than listed as authors. Examples of such contributions include funding acquisition, general supervision, administrative support, and various forms of editorial assistance.

All individuals designated as authors must satisfy our established criteria for authorship. Conversely, any person meeting these criteria should be listed as an author, with their respective contributions clearly stated.

It is expected that each author assumes public accountability for the content of manuscripts submitted to JVIN.

Authorship Requirements

All authors are required to make substantial contributions to the submitted work and to assume responsibility for its integrity both prior to and following publication.

Significant contributions in one or more of the following areas: conception or design of the study; data acquisition, analysis, or interpretation; development of novel software utilised in the research; drafting or substantial revision of the manuscript.

and

Has approved the submitted version, as well as any substantially revised version that incorporates the author's contribution to the study.

and

Accepts personal responsibility for their own contributions and commits to ensuring that any concerns regarding the accuracy or integrity of any aspect of the work are properly investigated, addressed, and that the outcomes are formally documented in the literature.

Group Authorship JVIN

Authors are expected to adhere to the ICMJE guidelines concerning group authorship.

The ICMJE guidelines on group authorship state:

When a large, multi-author group undertakes research, it is advisable to determine authorship roles prior to commencing the work and to confirm author status before manuscript submission. Each individual listed as an author should satisfy established authorship criteria and be prepared to assume public responsibility for the study, demonstrating confidence in the accuracy and integrity of their co-authors' contributions. Additionally, all group members designated as authors are required to individually complete disclosure forms.

In certain cases, large multi-author collaborations attribute authorship to a group name, sometimes accompanied by the names of individual contributors. When submitting a manuscript on behalf of such a group, the corresponding author should clearly specify the group name, if applicable, and explicitly identify those members who are eligible to receive credit and assume responsibility for the work as authors.

A designated individual contributor should be identified as the corresponding author, regardless of whether a consortium or group author name appears in the byline.

Author Contributions

A clear description of each author's contributions is required. JVIN utilises the CRediT Taxonomy to detail each individual's role in the research. It is the responsibility of the submitting author to provide accurate contribution statements for all authors at the time of submission. Prior to submission, all authors are expected to review, discuss, and agree upon their respective contributions. These statements will be published with the final article and must accurately reflect each author’s involvement in the work.

Contributor Role	Role Definition
Conceptualization	Conceptualization, development, or evolution of comprehensive research objectives and aims.
Data Curation	Management activities to annotate (produce metadata), scrub data and maintain research data (including software code, where it is necessary for interpreting the data itself) for initial use and later reuse.
Formal Analysis	The utilization of statistical, mathematical, computational, or other formal methodologies for the analysis or synthesis of study data.
Funding Acquisition	Acquisition of the financial support for the project leading to this publication.
Investigation	Conducting research and investigative procedures, including the execution of experiments and the systematic collection of data or evidence.
Methodology	Development or design of methodology; creation of models
Project Administration	Management and coordination responsibility for the research activity planning and execution.
Resources	The supply of study materials, reagents, equipment, patient access, laboratory specimens, animal models, instrumentation, computing resources, or other analytical tools.
Software	Programming, software development; designing computer programs; implementation of the computer code and supporting algorithms; testing of existing code components.
Supervision	Oversight and leadership responsibility for the research activity planning and execution, including mentorship external to the core team.
Validation	Verification, whether as a part of the activity or separate, of the overall replication/reproducibility of results/experiments and other research outputs.
Visualization	Preparation, development, and presentation of the published work, with an emphasis on visualization and data display.
Writing – Original Draft Preparation	Creation and/or presentation of the published work, specifically writing the initial draft (including substantive translation).
Writing – Review & Editing	Preparation, creation and/or presentation of the published work by those from the original research group, specifically critical review, commentary or revision – including pre- or post-publication stages.

Acknowledgments

Individuals who do not fulfill the requirements for authorship should be recognized in the Acknowledgments section. It is standard practice to obtain permission from all individuals prior to including their names in this section.

Corresponding Author Responsibilities

The corresponding author assumes responsibility for the manuscript and serves as the representative for all contributing authors.

Pre-publication:

Please ensure that the manuscript fully adheres to all JVIN editorial and publishing policies. Confirm that each author has access to, and approves, the final version submitted, with consensus on both the author list and individual contributions. Verify that every author has thoroughly reviewed the final draft prior to publication.

Provide written confirmation to the journal stating that all authors consent to any proposed changes relating to the manuscript’s authorship.

Post-publication:

Serve as the primary point of contact for all inquiries regarding the published paper.

Communicate any developments promptly to all coauthors and ensure that these matters are resolved efficiently.

Authorship Changes

JVIN follow the COPE guidelines for changes in authorship.

Any modifications to the author list following submission—including additions, deletions, or changes in order—require unanimous agreement from all authors involved. Requests for such changes must be initiated by the corresponding author, who will need to complete an Authorship Change Form and provide a detailed explanation regarding the contributions of any newly added authors, as well as the rationale for adding or removing authors after the original submission. The corresponding author is also responsible for submitting documentation to JVIN that confirms written consent from all authors impacted by the proposed changes, including those being added, removed, or reordered. All requests for changes in authorship are subject to approval by JVIN, which may require further verification of author contributions from an appropriate institutional representative.

Author Identification

JVIN endorses ORCID and mandates that all corresponding authors submit an ORCID iD with their manuscript. Coauthors are also encouraged to register for and utilize their ORCID identifiers.

The ORCID iD of the corresponding author, along with any additional ORCIDs provided by coauthors, will be published upon acceptance of the manuscript. We also participate in Crossref’s auto-update functionality, ensuring that upon publication, authors’ ORCIDs are deposited and subsequently used to update their respective ORCID records.

Style and Format JVIN

File Format	Acceptable manuscript formats include DOC, DOCX, and RTF. Microsoft Word files should not be locked or protected. LaTeX manuscripts are required to be submitted in PDF format.
Length	Refer to Article Types for manuscript length specifications. Present and discuss findings concisely.
Font	Use a standard font size with any standard font except “Symbol.” Insert symbols via your word processor’s Insert → Symbol feature or by pasting the correct Unicode character.
Layout and Spacing	Ensure that all text in your manuscript is double-spaced. Avoid formatting your text into multiple columns.
Page and Line Numbers	Include both page numbers and continuous line numbers in the manuscript file. Do not restart line numbering on each page
Footnotes	Footnotes are not allowed. Include footnote content directly in the main text or add it to the reference list as needed.
Language	Manuscripts must be submitted in English. Translations of the manuscript or abstract may be provided as supplementary material.
Abbreviations	Abbreviations should be defined at their first appearance in the text. Non-standard abbreviations are permitted only if they appear three or more times throughout the document. The use of abbreviations should be limited whenever possible.
Reference Style	Please format references according to the Vancouver style, as specified in the ICMJE sample references.

Nomenclature Guidelines
Units of Measurement	Use SI units. When you mention non-SI units, include the equivalent SI value in parentheses right after each one.
Drugs	Please provide the Recommended International Non-Proprietary Name (rINN).
Species Names	Italicize species names (e.g., Homo sapiens). Use the full genus and species in the title and at first mention; thereafter, abbreviate the genus (e.g., H. sapiens).
Genes, Mutations, Genotypes, and Alleles	Write these terms in italics. When mentioning a gene for the first time, use the recommended gene name from the appropriate genetic nomenclature database and consider including any synonyms. Gene prefixes—such as those indicating oncogenes or cellular localization—should appear in roman typeface (for example, v-fes or c-MYC).
Allergens	Follow the WHO/IUIS Allergen Nomenclature Sub-Committee’s guidelines for naming allergenic proteins in manuscripts. New allergens must have their names approved by the Sub-Committee before publication.

THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)

When authors use artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process, the following guidelines should be observed:

1) These technologies should be utilized solely to enhance readability and linguistic clarity, and not as substitutes for essential researcher tasks such as data interpretation or drawing scientific conclusions.

2) Apply the technology under vigilant human supervision and control, ensuring that all outputs are thoroughly reviewed and edited. It is important to note that AI-generated responses may occasionally appear authoritative while being inaccurate, incomplete, or biased.

3) AI and AI-assisted technologies should not be listed as authors or co-authors, nor cited as authors. Authorship entails specific responsibilities and tasks that can only be attributed to and performed by humans. AI tools, including chatbots, do not satisfy the established criteria for authorship, as they lack the capacity to comprehend or discharge duties such as granting final approval of the publication version or maintaining accountability for the integrity of the work.

4) Authors are required to disclose any use of AI or AI-assisted technologies in the writing process, as outlined below. An appropriate statement will be included in the published work. Authors retain full responsibility and accountability for all content within their submission.

Disclosure Guidelines:

Authors must include a disclosure statement regarding the application of AI or AI-assisted technologies in the writing process. This statement should be placed at the end of the manuscript under a distinct section titled ‘Declaration of AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process’. The recommended format is as follows:

During the preparation of this work, the author(s) utilized [NAME TOOL / SERVICE] in order to [REASON]. After the use of this tool/service, the author(s) thoroughly reviewed and edited the content as necessary and accept(s) full responsibility for the final publication.

Please note that this declaration excludes the use of standard tools for grammar, spelling, and reference checks. No statement is required if there is nothing to disclose.

5) Accountability for AI-generated content: Authors bear responsibility for maintaining the accuracy and originality of any content generated by AI tools within their manuscripts. They are also required to provide appropriate attribution for all sources, including those created by AI, and must ensure that their work is free from plagiarism.

6) Need for AI detection tools for editors: Editors must have reliable tools to detect AI-generated or altered content within submissions. To uphold the integrity of scientific publishing, such tools should be universally accessible to all editors, irrespective of financial limitations.

These guidelines are intended to uphold the integrity and quality of research publications by ensuring transparency and accountability in the utilisation of AI tools throughout the writing process.