ABCD recommends that authors prepare the manuscript using the standard template before submission. The template reduces formatting problems and helps ensure that all required sections are included. Manuscripts must be submitted through the online system. Questions about submission, files, or technical problems should be sent to the editorial office by e-mail.
Version 2026.1 · Last updated: 21 September 2026 · These instructions are reviewed at least once a year.
ABCD publishes manuscripts related to digestive surgery and related areas. The journal considers original articles, review articles, surgical technique articles, guidelines, consensus statements, position papers, brief communications, case reports, invited editorials, and letters to the editor.
Manuscripts must be original and must not be under consideration elsewhere. Previous deposit in a recognized preprint server is not considered prior publication (see section 3). Duplicate publication, and the translation of an article already published elsewhere, are not accepted.
All articles are published in English. Authors should submit the manuscript in English whenever possible; the editorial office may request professional language revision before acceptance. A title and an abstract in Portuguese are also required, because they are part of the metadata published on SciELO. For international authors, the editorial office will arrange the Portuguese version of the title and abstract when necessary. References must also be given in English (see section 10).
ABCD accepts manuscripts previously deposited in recognized preprint servers, including SciELO Preprints. At submission, declare the server, the DOI, and the date of deposit in the cover letter. Accepted manuscripts that already have a DOI may also be posted by the journal to SciELO Preprints to speed up dissemination.
Every manuscript must include a data availability statement (see section 7). Data, code, and other materials that support the findings should be deposited in a public repository — SciELO Data, Zenodo, figshare, Dryad, or a recognized disciplinary repository — and cited in the text and in the reference list like any other source, with author, year, title, repository, and DOI. When data cannot be shared, the statement must explain why (for example, restrictions imposed by the ethics committee or by patient confidentiality).
ABCD operates single-anonymized peer review: reviewers know the identity of the authors, and reviewers remain anonymous unless they choose otherwise. By mutual agreement, authors and reviewers may opt for greater openness:
The name of the editor who handled the manuscript is published with the article.
Manuscripts must be submitted through the ABCD online submission system: https://mc04.manuscriptcentral.com/abcd. The corresponding author is responsible for the accuracy of all submitted files and metadata, and for keeping co-authors informed at every stage. The maximum total size of all uploaded files is 97.66 MB; if a file exceeds it, contact the editorial office.
Include the study design; title in English; title in Portuguese; full names of all authors as they should appear in the publication; institutional affiliation of each author with institution, city, state, and country; ORCID iD for all authors (mandatory, and free of charge); the contribution of each author (see Declarations); conflicts of interest; use of artificial intelligence; financial source; ethical approval; data availability; and corresponding author details, including full name, institutional affiliation, full institutional address, and e-mail address. Authors without an institutional link are identified as Independent Researcher. E-mail addresses of all authors must accompany the submission.
Provide a structured abstract of up to 300 words in a single paragraph, using the headings Background, Methods, Results, and Conclusion, in English and in Portuguese. The abstract should not contain abbreviations, acronyms, citations, tables, or figures. Abstracts are not required for letters to the editor or editorials.
Provide 3 to 5 keywords selected from DeCS or MeSH.
Provide a visual summary of the main message of the study when applicable. The image should be clear, readable, and suitable for dissemination.
Send it as the editable PowerPoint file (.pptx), not as an exported image, so the editorial team can adjust it for publication. Want tips on how to build one? Our step-by-step guide has seven ready-made PowerPoint models, colour palettes, typography and a free icon bank: visual abstract, step by step →
Tell your study in your own voice. Authors are invited — never required — to record a short video of 2 to 3 minutes about the accepted article and send it to revistaabcd@cbcd.org.br. A video travels further than a PDF: it is shared on the journal’s YouTube channel and social media, and it brings readers to your paper.
Sending a video is free, entirely optional, and has no influence on the editorial decision.
Provide a simple overview of the study for social media and broad dissemination. Maximum: 100 words.
Provide a brief statement explaining the practical value, future perspectives, and potential implications of the study. Maximum: 100 words.
Provide 3 to 5 bullet points summarizing the main findings, innovations, or methodological contributions. Each highlight should be concise, searchable, and no longer than 85 characters, including spaces.
Original articles and reviews should usually include an Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, Acknowledgments (when applicable), and References. The Conclusion is a required section and must answer the study aim. Other article types may follow the structure most appropriate to the study design.
Authorship requires a substantial contribution to the conception and/or conduct of the research and/or the writing of the manuscript, and — mandatorily — the review and approval of the final version. Everyone who meets these criteria must be listed; contributors who do not meet them should be recognized in the Acknowledgments. Any change of authorship after submission requires written agreement from all authors, sent to the editorial office. Artificial intelligence tools cannot be listed as authors.
The contribution of each author must be stated in the manuscript, following the CRediT taxonomy — the same roles the submission system asks for. Name every author and list the roles that apply, for example: “SILVA J: Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing - original draft. SOUZA M: Data curation, Formal analysis, Writing - review & editing.”
Available roles: Conceptualization; Data curation; Formal analysis; Funding acquisition; Investigation; Methodology; Project administration; Resources; Software; Supervision; Validation; Visualization; Writing - original draft; Writing - review & editing.
A data availability statement is required in every manuscript, at the end of the text. Examples: “The dataset supporting the results of this study is available at [repository], DOI [...]”; “All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article”; “The data are not publicly available because they contain information that could compromise participant privacy; they are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request, subject to approval by the ethics committee.”
Authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest, including financial, professional, or personal relationships that could influence the study. If there are no conflicts, state: “The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.”
Authors must disclose any use of artificial intelligence tools in manuscript preparation, including text editing, data analysis, image generation, figure preparation, translation, or language improvement. The tool name and its specific use must be described, and the authors remain fully responsible for the content. If artificial intelligence was not used, state: “Artificial intelligence tools were not used in the preparation of this manuscript.” This policy follows the SciELO guide on the use of artificial intelligence in research communication.
Authors must inform all funding sources, grants, institutional support, or financial assistance related to the study. If the study received no funding, state: “This study received no funding.”
Authors must provide the name of the ethics committee or institutional review board that approved the study, together with the approval number or protocol ID. For studies conducted in Brazil, also provide the CAAE number whenever applicable.
Authors must state whether written informed consent was obtained from all participants or from their legal representatives. If consent was waived, say so clearly and explain both the reason and who granted the waiver — for example, a retrospective analysis of anonymized records approved by the ethics committee, or a waiver provided for by institutional or national regulations.
If ethical approval was not required for the study, explain why, according to the institutional or national regulations that apply.
Studies involving humans, animals, or identifiable data must comply with applicable ethical standards. Clinical trials must be registered before enrollment, and the registration number must appear in the manuscript, in a registry recognized by the WHO and the ICMJE — a condition for the manuscript to proceed to review. For study designs listed by the EQUATOR Network, authors should submit the appropriate completed reporting checklist (CONSORT, STROBE, PRISMA, CARE, and others).
All submissions are screened with a similarity-detection service (Crossref Similarity Check / Turnitin). ABCD follows COPE guidance on research and publication misconduct, and does not accept manuscripts originating from paper mills.
Useful links: ICMJE; WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform; EQUATOR Network; https://ensaiosclinicos.gov.br/
The most common cause of delay. Articles are published from XML, not from the Word file as it looks on screen. Anything that cannot be edited — a table pasted as a picture, a chart flattened into a JPEG, text inside an image — has to be rebuilt, and the manuscript goes back to the authors. Files prepared as described below usually clear production without a single round trip.
Videos may be submitted when they add educational or scientific value. They should be clearly identified and cited in the manuscript. If the video cannot be uploaded because of file size or technical limitations, authors should contact the editorial office at revistaabcd@cbcd.org.br.
ABCD follows Vancouver style (ICMJE) with the adaptations below, which are applied to the final version of every article. There is no maximum number of references; however, authors should cite only relevant and necessary sources.
Reference lists are checked entry by entry against PubMed during production; after that check, please do not alter the wording of a reference without contacting the editorial office.
Submitted manuscripts undergo technical screening — scope, structure, declarations, similarity check — followed by external peer review by at least two reviewers. The editorial office may return manuscripts that do not follow these instructions before peer review. Acceptance depends on scientific merit, methodological quality, ethical compliance, relevance to the journal scope, clarity of presentation, and adequate response to editorial and reviewer comments.
If the editorial decision is revision, please prepare the following before resubmitting through ScholarOne (use the same manuscript ID):
Please respect the deadline stated in the decision letter. If you need more time, contact the editorial office.
Once your manuscript is accepted:
Authors who identify an error in a published article should contact the editorial office. Corrections are published as an erratum linked to the original article, following the SciELO erratum guide. Retractions — whether requested by the authors or determined by the journal — follow COPE guidance and the SciELO retraction guide, and the retraction notice remains permanently linked to the article.
Articles are published in open access under the Creative Commons Attribution licence (CC BY 4.0). Authors retain the copyright of their work and grant ABCD the right of first publication; anyone may reuse the material provided the original article is properly cited.
ABCD charges no fees. There are no submission charges, article processing charges (APC), page charges, or colour charges at any stage.
Run through this list before uploading the revised or final version. It is the list the editorial office and production would otherwise send back to you.
Text file
Authors
Declarations
References
Tables, figures, and visual abstract
For questions about submission, files, videos, or editorial communication, contact: revistaabcd@cbcd.org.br.