Editorial Policies
Our commitment to ethical publishing and rigorous peer review.
Upholding Excellence in Fetal Surgery Publishing
Fetal Surgery maintains the highest standards of publication ethics, peer review integrity, and research transparency. Our editorial policies align with Committee on Publication Ethics guidelines and industry best practices, ensuring the fetal surgery literature remains trustworthy and valuable for clinical decision-making and research advancement.
Peer Review Process
Double-Blind Review
Manuscripts undergo double-blind peer review where author and reviewer identities remain confidential. This ensures unbiased evaluation based solely on scientific merit and clinical relevance.
Expert Evaluation
Reviewers are selected based on expertise in the manuscript's specific topic area. For fetal surgery papers, we engage practitioners with hands-on procedural experience.
Decision Timeline
Initial editorial decisions are typically communicated within two to three weeks. Authors receive detailed reviewer comments and clear guidance on revision requirements.
Appeals Process
Authors may appeal rejection decisions by providing point-by-point responses to reviewer concerns. Appeals are evaluated by senior editors not involved in the original decision.
Research Ethics
Human Subjects Protection
Research involving human subjects must have documented institutional review board approval. Studies involving pregnant patients and fetuses require enhanced ethical oversight and informed consent.
Animal Research
Animal studies must comply with institutional and national guidelines for humane treatment. Authors must confirm adherence to ARRIVE guidelines for reporting animal research.
Conflict of Interest
All authors must disclose financial relationships, consulting arrangements, and other potential conflicts that could influence research conduct or interpretation.
Data Integrity
Authors must ensure accuracy of all data presented. We may request raw data for verification purposes. Image manipulation beyond standard adjustments is prohibited.
Misconduct Policy
Zero Tolerance: Fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, and duplicate publication result in manuscript rejection or retraction. Serious misconduct is reported to authors' institutions and relevant professional bodies. We follow COPE guidelines for investigating and responding to allegations.
Authors found to have committed research misconduct may be barred from future submissions. Published articles may be corrected, retracted, or removed based on severity of violations and COPE recommendations for handling specific misconduct types.
We encourage readers, reviewers, and editors to report suspected misconduct through our editorial office. All allegations are investigated confidentially following established procedures that protect both accusers and accused parties.
