Politics

Open Access Policy

Medicoquirúrgicas Research is licensed under a Creative Commons-Noncommercial License (CC BY-NC 4.0).

This journal provides immediate open access to its content based on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.

Conflicts of Interest, Plagiarism, and Other Ethical Aspects

Plagiarism Detection Policy

Investigaciones Medicoquirúrgicas has a plagiarism detection policy, which aims to ensure that authors comply with the necessary ethical standards to ensure transparency in the publication process.

Journal editors perform the similarity detection process using specialized software (StrikePlagiarism and Turnitin), and it can be carried out at any stage of the editorial process. When plagiarism is detected, it is immediately rejected, and the authors and institution are informed of the situation.

Likewise, reviewers are asked, during the evaluation stage, to report if they detect any form of plagiarism in the manuscript.

Conflict of Interest and Ethical Aspects Policy

The Journal of Medical and Surgical Research abides by the principles and practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE - https://publicationethics.org). In the case of allegations of misconduct, authorship conflicts, conflicts of interest in author contributions, and post-publication conflicts, a committee composed of members of the Editorial Board and a representative of the Sponsor is appointed. Within 20 business days of becoming aware of the conflict, the committee issues a verdict and the implications, which is then communicated to those involved and to the relevant authorities, when appropriate.

In the case of complaints and appeals to the editorial process, the Sponsor and the Publisher evaluate the complaint. If violations have occurred, the corresponding administrative measures are taken. Ethical aspects are detailed in the instructions to authors.

Digital Archive Preservation Policy

We have two methods for preserving your publications (last updated March 3, 2022)*:

Internally, we store our publications on external media, with content updated quarterly.
Investigaciones Medicoquirúrgicas adheres to the current digital data preservation policy established by the Editorial de Ciencias Médicas (ECIMED) and the National Center for Medical Sciences Information (Infomed).
Preprint-Postprint Policy

Given that the acceptance-publication period for Investigaciones Medicoquirúrgicas can be somewhat lengthy, the publication allows authors to share their research results before their manuscript is officially published. Investigaciones Medicoquirúrgicas approves authors' publications on Preprint-Postprint Servers. It is recommended that you use the SciELO server for these purposes.

Copyright Policy: see Privacy Statement

 

Publication Charges (APC)

Researches Medicoquirúrgicas does not charge any fees (No APC) for reading, submitting, reviewing, editing, or publishing any of its content and articles.

Archive

This journal uses the LOCKSS system to create a distributed storage system among participating libraries and allows for the creation of permanent archives within the journal for preservation and restoration purposes. More...

How to upload an article to the online platform

Go to the journal's online platform at: http://revcimeq.sld.cu/index.php/imq/index

If you are not registered, you must do so first. Once you have added your username and password (they do not have to be the same ones you use for your email address), click Log in and your profile home page will appear. Once there, click on author and you will see START A NEW SUBMISSION. Below, click here to go to the first step.

Step 1. Start Submission

Under Section, click the box and select the section.
Check that all the necessary aspects for uploading the article have been met on the checklist and select each one.
Click SAVE AND CONTINUE.

Step 2. Entering Metadata

All information for each author must be entered. Pay special attention to information marked with an asterisk*.
Entering the affiliation and ORCID number for each author is mandatory. The format for entering affiliation is explained in the instructions for authors.
To add each author, click Add Author until the total number of authors is reached.
Add the title. Do not precede the title or add a period.
Add the Structured Abstract below.
Below, add the Keywords. Separated by semicolons (;) and all in lowercase.
Complete any other information in this section that may be relevant for indexing your article, if necessary.
Click SAVE AND CONTINUE

Step 3. Upload the submission.

Where it says "Upload the submission," click the button that says "Browse." Find your article on your computer and click "Open." The article will be placed in the blank space. However, you must click "Upload" to complete the operation.
Then, at the end, click "Save and Continue."

Step 4. Submit supplementary files.

In this step, you will upload the following: the author's letter of authorization for the publication and distribution of your article, the originality form, and the ethical principles form.
In addition, you can upload databases and complementary high-resolution images related to your research.
To do this, click Browse and search for the selected documents on your computer, click Open, and then click Upload.
IMPORTANT: In regulatory documents where the authors' names are revealed, do not select the option to show the supplementary files to the reviewers.
At the bottom of the page, click SAVE AND CONTINUE.

Step 5. Confirmation of Submission

If everything is correct, click CONFIRM and you're done.

Resubmitting Corrected Manuscripts
Once logged in, log in to the journal's OJS platform at the link: http://www.revcimeq.sld.cu/index.php/imq/index

Enter your username and password and click Login.
When you exit the author's home page, click Author.
This page displays the articles you have submitted.
Click on the title of the article you have corrected, and you will see the abstract, etc.
At the top, you will find links that say: ABSTRACT, REVIEW, etc. Click REVIEW.
On the REVIEW page, at the bottom, there is a section named: Editorial Decision, and at the bottom, an item that says Upload Author's Version.
Click Browse and search your computer for the corrected article. Select it and click Open in the dialog box.
The article will fill in the blank, but you need to click Upload and wait until the article appears in Author Version, and your article will then be ready to continue the process and be submitted for review again.

Resources for Reviewers

The reviewers of Investigaciones Medicoquirúrgicas are highly respected scientists and academics in each of their areas of expertise. They represent our strengths and deserve full and ongoing recognition for their selfless work for our publication.

Investigaciones Medicoquirúrgicas provides the following review guidelines, which you are required to review and use for article evaluations.

Review Guidelines for Original Articles

Review Guidelines for Case Presentations

Review Guidelines for Review Articles

For systematic reviews and meta-analyses, you should use the COCHRANE guidelines to evaluate the content and value of these types of research. You can access them through the following links.

Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions

Other references

http://www.prisma-statement.org/documents/Hutton%20NMA%20Spanish%20Medicina%20Clinica%202016.pdf

https://www.paho.org/journal/sites/default/files/09--SPEC--Welch--60-67_RD6.pdf

You can use the DeCs/MeSH tool to refine keywords included in the MeSH and DeCs.

Functions of the Editorial Committee and the Advisory Board

Editorial Committee

The Editorial Committee is the journal's main governing body and is responsible for fulfilling the commitments established in the editorial process. Therefore, the author is responsible for:

Ensuring compliance with the editorial policy
Proposing, discussing, and approving changes to the publication's editorial policy
Ensuring the quality of the publication's editorial process
Complying with and enforcing the ethical principles of scientific research and publication in the event of complaints and ethical violations
Developing, reviewing, and/or modifying the publication standards for authors
Directing the review process, as well as creating and maintaining an updated database of reviewers that allows for an organized evaluation of their work
Communicating with authors throughout the editorial process and keeping them informed about the status of the manuscript
Establishing a referee recognition policy
Proposing topics for special issues and supplements
Developing strategies to attract authors and manuscripts
Identifying leading authors and analyzing and approving strategies for their direct attention
Ensuring scientific and technological advances are used to improve the publication and, to the extent possible, incorporating them into the publication

Meet established deadlines for the publication of manuscripts.
Propose and implement strategies to systematically improve the publication's positioning and visibility, as well as maintain monitoring of this issue.
Ensure that the publication's legal information is updated in all formats.
Appoint the members of the Advisory Board, ensuring balanced representation among the disciplines and associated institutions.
Maintain the journal's presence in national and international networks.
Ensure the development and constant improvement of the journal's scientific quality and visibility.

The Editorial Committee is a collegiate body composed of different members, each with specific roles that ensure the proper functioning of the journal:

Editor-in-Chief: Responsible for the operation of the publication and compliance with its policy.

Executive Editor: Coordinates the work of the Editorial Committee and the Advisory Board. He or she is also responsible for assigning the editor in charge for each manuscript. He or she monitors the editorial processes and updates the necessary management documents. He or she issues certifications related to the editorial process and publication of works.

Editors: Responsible for communication with authors. They carry out complete monitoring (from assignment to final publication) of each work received, which includes an initial formal, thematic, and content review, review of the evaluations received, and preparation of a final report on each work.

The Editor-in-Chief's responsibilities include:

Ensuring the quality of the publication's content
Selecting works that are original, innovative, and contribute to knowledge
Responsibility for monitoring deadlines throughout the editing and production process (delivery deadlines at each stage, from manuscript receipt to publication)
Clearly defining and implementing the journal's ethical standards
Informing readers and secondary services when plagiarism, fabrication, or data falsification is formally discovered
Detecting trends that reflect a deterioration in quality and implementing corrective actions as necessary
Treating authors fairly, courteously, objectively, and honestly
Making decisions and responding to authors' questions in a timely manner
Protecting the integrity and confidentiality of each author's work
Establishing and enforcing a conflict of interest policy for authors, editors, and referees
Describing an appeals process for authors when they raise complaints
Describing a process for responding to allegations of misconduct Inappropriate review by authors
Provide guidance for the preparation and submission of manuscripts
Select appropriate and qualified peer reviewers to review each manuscript submitted for peer review and oversee the review process

Establish standards for referees, set reasonable deadlines, and require referees to provide references to document their critical comments on manuscript deficiencies.
Ensure that editorial processes related to scientific peer review are carried out with rigor, speed, thoroughness, and cordiality.
Provide referees with explicit written instructions regarding the journal's expectations regarding the content, quality, and timeliness of their evaluations.
Ask all authors to review the final draft of their work and take responsibility for it.
Require authors to contribute to the development of the manuscript.
Create mechanisms and tools to assess whether the journal meets the needs and expectations of readers.
Define strategies to achieve greater visibility and increase impact.
Monitor scientific trends that may impact the publication.

Executive Editor

Deputize for the Editor-in-Chief when the latter, for justified reasons, is unable to fulfill any of his or her duties.
Coordinate and accredit the work of the Editorial Committee.
Ensure strict compliance with the policy established by the Editorial Committee.
Control and audit the entire editorial process, ensuring that established deadlines and best practices for scientific publication are met by all involved parties.
Interact with section editors, referees, and authors of manuscripts submitted for publication.
Guarantee the necessary information to the editorial team, authors, and referees so they can perform their duties with quality.
Co-direct the process of creating the issues to be published with the participation of the rest of the Editorial Committee.
Verify, together with the Editor-in-Chief, the quality of the articles once the peer review process is complete, after they have been approved by the designated referees.
Ensure the optimal functioning of the Open Journal System (OJS) in the different processes.
Respond to any difficulties that users and members of the Editorial Committee may encounter when accessing and publishing. manage the OJS and advise them in resolving the problems presented

Assign articles in progress to copyeditors for review and editing before publication.
Serve as a referee when required.
Propose, together with the Editor-in-Chief, measures and actions necessary for the development of the journal.
Propose, together with the Editor-in-Chief, actions to encourage authors, editors, referees, and other people associated with the journal.
Supervise copyediting, layout, and proofreading once the review is complete.
Propose and implement strategies to ensure the publication's positioning and visibility.
Develop strategies to attract authors and manuscripts.
Restore archived submissions to the active "Under Review" or "In Editing" lists.
Edit the table of contents of upcoming issues.
Make editorial decisions, together with the Editor-in-Chief, regarding the relevance of the article (accept, reject).
Monitor scientific and technological advances for the improvement of the publication and, to the extent possible, manage their incorporation into the publication.
Ensure for updating the legal data and contents of the publication in all its media

Chair the committee created to deal with any claim or incident that may arise related to ethical aspects of works published or submitted for publication, as well as maintain the correspondence arising from it, as well as keep the Editor-in-Chief informed about the progress of this task.

Advisory Board

The Medical-Surgical Research Advisory Board is an observer and advisory body made up of renowned specialists in different areas of knowledge.

The Advisory Board is composed of specialists from nationally and internationally recognized research centers. The members of the Advisory Board guide the journal toward continuous improvement in its scientific quality and the dissemination of its content. In this regard, they recommend modifications to its policy, always consistent with the principles of the Medical-Surgical Research Center and international standards of ethics and good practices.

The members of the Advisory Board propose publishable material from their area of ​​expertise and support its management, in accordance with the journal's publication policy. To this end, they establish personal and virtual contacts within their reach to strengthen the exchange of specialists, using the journal as a binding platform.

In the exceptional event that one of the members of the Advisory Board decides to publish in Medical-Surgical Research, it will be considered a special contribution.

To ensure they maintain a position that promotes the greatest possible objectivity in their role as observers, the members of the Advisory Board will not act as external evaluators, except in cases where their expertise in a particular subject makes their opinions essential.

The researchers who serve on the Advisory Board do so on an individual basis and free of charge.