Specifications for the Preparation and Publication of Guidelines/Consensus Papers in Anhui Medical Journal (Trial)
High-quality clinical diagnosis and treatment guidelines and consensus documents serve as critical references for clinicians to formulate standardized, efficient, scientific, evidence-based and cost-effective diagnosis and treatment regimens. To further improve the quality of guideline and consensus manuscripts and standardize their writing and publication procedures, the journal sets forth the following specifications, developed with reference to internationally recognized assessment tools for such documents.
I. Key Requirements for Manuscript Preparation
1. Title
Clearly label the document as either a guideline or consensus, and specify its category such as screening, diagnosis, treatment, etc. Indicate the scope of application and the year to ensure the title is highly targeted and reflects its timeliness.
2. Author Team
Guidelines shall be led by governmental institutions, industrial associations or academic societies, while consensus documents shall be primarily developed by multi-center expert panels. The lead experts must possess authoritative standing and academic influence in the relevant field. It is recommended to recruit a multidisciplinary team covering experts in epidemiology, evidence-based medicine, health economics, and information science (literature retrieval) to enhance the scientific rigor and comprehensiveness of the guidelines or consensus statements.
3. Preface / Background
Elaborate on the purpose and necessity of developing the guideline or consensus, including the epidemiological characteristics of the targeted health issue, the target audience, and expected outcomes. Clarify the document’s version status: whether it is a new development, an update, or an adaptation/ translation of an international guidelines or consensus statements.
4. Literature Retrieval and Evidence Quality Assessment
Conduct comprehensive searches across major domestic and international databases to guarantee high recall and precision of retrieved literature. Adopt recognized grading systems such as the GRADE(Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) or Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine Levels of Evidence to assess and stratify evidence, thereby ensuring the scientific validity and reliability of all recommendations.
5. Development of Recommendations
Specify the methodology adopted to formulate recommendations from available evidence, such as the Delphi method or consensus conference. Balance benefits and harms with full consideration of local healthcare settings, economic costs, and patient preferences and values to ensure the practicability and feasibility of each recommendation.
6. Grading and Summary of Recommendations
Assign a strength rating to each recommendation (e.g., strong recommendation, weak recommendation) by taking into account target population preferences, adverse events and safety profiles, cost-effectiveness and other relevant factors. Where feasible, summarize all recommendations using tables or figures to improve readability.
7. Limitations and Conflict of Interest Statement
Transparently disclose the limitations encountered during the guideline or consensus development process and their potential impacts on the final recommendations. All authors and peer reviewers must fully declare any potential conflicts of interest, particularly those involving pharmaceutical or medical device manufacturers, to safeguard the impartiality and objectivity of the document.
II. Publication and Dissemination
1. Peer Review
Rigorous peer review shall be conducted both during the development process and prior to formal publication to ensure the rigor and transparency of the content.
2. Editing and Proofreading
The manuscript will undergo professional editing and proofreading to guarantee textual accuracy and linguistic fluency.
3. Typesetting, Printing and Publication
Manuscripts will follow the standard typesetting, printing and publication procedures of Anhui Medical Journal.
4. Wide Dissemination
Guidelines and consensus documents will be broadly disseminated through online publication, translated versions, journal distribution, and other channels to enhance their clinical uptake and academic influence.
These specifications are formulated to elevate the quality of guidelines and consensus papers published in Anhui Medical Journal and to provide clinicians with more scientific, standardized and practical references for clinical practice.
