Anaesthesia, Pain & Intensive Care is a member of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and adheres to the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals, available at: http://www.icmje.org/urm_main.html

Submission Checklist

Please review the following checklist before submission:

• Read the Aims & Scope to gain an overview and determine whether your manuscript is suitable for publication in this journal.
• Use Microsoft Word to prepare your manuscript.
• Ensure that issues related to publication ethics, copyright, authorship, figure formats, data, and references have been appropriately addressed.
• Confirm that all authors have approved the contents of the submitted manuscript.

 Manuscript Submission Overview

Types of Publications

Anaesthesia, Pain & Intensive Care places no restriction on manuscript length, provided the text is concise and comprehensive. Authors must provide full experimental details to allow reproducibility. The journal requires publication of all experimental controls and encourages sharing full datasets where possible.

Submitted manuscripts must not have been published previously or be under consideration elsewhere. Duplicate submissions, if detected, will be reviewed by the journal’s Ethics Committee.

Article Types:

Original Research Articles: Must present scientifically sound experiments and a significant amount of new information. Authors should avoid fragmenting research into multiple related manuscripts. However, Short Communications of preliminary but important results may be considered. Study quality and impact will be evaluated during peer review.

Review Articles: Should provide concise, precise updates on recent developments in a given research area or clinical practice. Systematic reviews must follow HEC or PMDC guidelines.

Preprints and Conference Papers: The journal does not accept preprints or conference proceedings. However, expanded, high-quality conference papers may be considered if:

1. Expanded to the length of a research article
2. The original conference paper is cited and noted on the first page
3. Permission is obtained from the copyright holder (if applicable)
4. Authors disclose the conference origin in their cover letter and note what has been changed

 Anaesthesia, Pain & Intensive Care does not publish pilot studies or those with insufficient statistical power.

 Submission Process

Manuscripts must be submitted through the online system:

1. eJManager at https://www.ejmanager.com/my/apic/
2. Open Journal System at: http://www.apicareonline.com/index.php/APIC/

The submitting (usually corresponding) author is responsible for the manuscript during submission and peer review. All co-authors must be listed and should approve the manuscript prior to submission. Co-authors can view the submission details by registering and logging in using the email address provided during submission.

Manuscript Preparation

Research Article Structure

Front Matter: Title, Author Names, Qualifications, Affiliations (Designation, Department, University), Emails, Structured Abstract, Keywords

Main Body: Introduction, Objective, Literature Review, Research Methodology & Design, Results, Discussion, Limitations, Conclusions, Future Directions

Back Matter: Acknowledgements, Author Contributions, Conflicts of Interest, References

Front Matter

Title: Should be concise, specific, and relevant. Indicate study type (e.g., clinical trial, systematic review).

 Author List and Affiliations: Provide full names. Use PubMed/MEDLINE formatting: include full address, city, postal code, country, and emails. Designate a corresponding author with full contact details.

Abstract (max. 200 words): Structured with the following headings:

Background: Context and purpose of the study.

Methodology: Briefly describe main methods/treatments used.

Results: Summarise key findings.

Conclusion: Main interpretations/conclusions.

Abbreviations must be defined on first use. Do not include unsubstantiated or exaggerated results. Include pre-registration links where applicable.

Keywords: Three to ten relevant keywords, preferably MeSH terms.

 Main Body

Introduction: Provide background and define the study’s purpose, significance, and hypotheses. Review key literature and highlight controversies.

Objective of Study: Clearly state the main aim and expected outcomes. Ensure accessibility for readers outside your specialty.

Literature Review: Should be concise and focused. Include at least 12 recent references from the past 5 years.

Research Methodology & Design: Provide sufficient detail for replication. Describe new methods in full; cite standard methods. Mention software used and availability of code.

Results: Present findings concisely, with interpretation and conclusions.

Discussion: Interpret results in the context of existing research and hypotheses. Discuss limitations and suggest future directions. May be combined with Results.

Conclusions: Optional unless the discussion is lengthy.

Patents: Optional. Include if any patents resulted from the work.

 References

• Number references in the order of appearance (including tables and figures), using superscripts.
• Reference limits: Original Articles (25), Case Reports (10), Reviews (40).
• Follow Vancouver style.
• Include DOI numbers where available.
• List all authors if six or fewer; if more, list the first six followed by “et al”.

 Examples:

1. Şeker YT, Sözer N. Chronic post-hypoxic myoclonus in intensive care: Lance–Adams Syndrome. Anaesth Pain & Intensive Care 2019;23(1):33–36
2. Grewal A. Dexmedetomidine: New avenues. J Anaesthesiol Clin Pharmacol 2011;27:297–302. doi: 10.4103/0970-9185.83670

 Book Reference Example:

Haroon TS. How to plan a scientific study. In: Jawaid SA, Jafary MH, Zuberi SJ, editors. Medical Writing, 2nd ed. Karachi: Pakistan Medical Journalists Association; 1993. p. 1–13.

Figures, Schemes, and Tables

• Submit figures in a separate zipped folder at high resolution (min. 1000 px or 300 dpi). JPG, JPEG, EPS, and PDF formats are preferred.
• Insert all figures/tables in the main text near their first mention and number them sequentially.
• All figures/tables must have titles and captions. Use editable tables (not images), with minimum 8 pt font size.
• Colour figures (RGB, 8-bit) are encouraged—no extra charges apply.

Clinical Trials Registry

The journal supports clinical trial registration and accepts registration from the following:

• http://www.ctri.in/
• http://www.actr.org.au/
• http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/
• http://isrctn.org/
• http://www.trialregister.nl/
• http://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr

Authorship Criteria

Authorship credit should be based solely on substantial contributions to each of the following components:

• Concept and design of the study, or acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data
• Drafting the paper or revising it critically for important intellectual content
• Final approval of the version to be published
• Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work

Participation solely in the acquisition of funding, collection of data, or general supervision does not justify authorship.

Each contributor should have participated sufficiently in the work to take public responsibility for appropriate portions of the content of the manuscript.

The order of the authors' names should be based on the relative contribution of each contributor to the study and the writing of the manuscript.

Once submitted, the order cannot be changed without the written consent of all contributors.

Biomedical journals generally prescribe a maximum number of authors for manuscripts depending on the type of manuscript, its scope, and the number of institutions involved (vide infra). Authors should provide a justification if the number of authors exceeds these limits.

For details:  http://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/roles-and-responsibilities/defining-the-role-of-authors-and-contributors.html

Deletion Policy

The Apicare Journal follows the International Association of Scientific, Technical and Medical Publishers' guidelines on retractions and the preservation of the objective record of science. Deletion of the online version of a paper will only be allowed in the following cases:

• In the case of a violation of the privacy of a research subject.
• The paper contains errors that could expose a member of the general public to harm, and if followed or adopted, would pose a significant risk to health.
• A defamatory comment has been made about others in the relevant field or about their work.
• An accepted article needs to be retracted due to gross errors, accidental duplicate submission, or violation of professional ethical codes.

However, bibliographic information about the deleted article should be retained for the scientific record, and an explanation must be provided for its deletion.

Withdrawal Policy

An accepted article may be withdrawn if it is the uncorrected, unedited, and non-typeset version prior to publication. If an accepted article is to be retracted—due to reasons such as containing significant errors, being accidentally submitted twice, or violating a professional ethical code—it may be deleted and replaced with a formal withdrawal statement. The manuscript processing fee will not be refunded under any circumstances.

An article may also be withdrawn in the following cases:

• When there has been a violation of the privacy of a research subject
• When the article contains errors that, if followed or adopted by the general public, could pose a significant risk to health
• When clearly defamatory comments have been made about individuals in the relevant field or about their work

Note: No refunds will be issued for processing fees