Instructions for Authors
Clear guidance for neonatal and perinatal manuscripts.
Prepare a strong neonatal submission
The International Journal of Neonatology publishes rigorous evidence that improves outcomes for newborns and families.
Use the guidance below to ensure your manuscript meets editorial and ethical standards.
Original research
Clinical trials, cohort studies, and translational neonatal investigations.
Systematic reviews
PRISMA compliant reviews and meta analyses in neonatal care.
Case reports
Educational cases with clinical relevance and learning value.
Short communications
Concise reports of novel neonatal observations or pilot data.
Quality improvement
NICU improvement studies with measurable outcomes.
Protocols
Registered or prospective protocols with transparent methods.
Methodological papers
Novel methods or diagnostics relevant to neonatal practice.
- Title that specifies population, intervention, and outcome when applicable.
- Structured abstract with objective, methods, results, and conclusion.
- Introduction that defines neonatal clinical context and knowledge gap.
- Methods with inclusion criteria, interventions, and statistical analysis.
- Results aligned with primary and secondary outcomes.
- Discussion that interprets clinical relevance and limitations.
- References formatted consistently with DOIs where available.
- Provide keywords that reflect neonatal terms used in indexing.
CONSORT
Clinical trials should follow CONSORT with trial registration.
STROBE
Observational studies must follow STROBE guidance.
PRISMA
Systematic reviews should follow PRISMA checklists.
CARE
Case reports should follow CARE recommendations.
STARD
Diagnostic accuracy studies should follow STARD.
ARRIVE
Animal studies should comply with ARRIVE guidelines.
IRB approval
Provide ethics approval identifiers for human studies.
Parental consent
Document informed consent for neonatal participants.
Data privacy
Follow HIPAA, GDPR, or local privacy regulations.
Conflict disclosure
All authors must disclose conflicts and funding.
Clinical trial registration
Include registration numbers for interventional studies.
- Submit high resolution figures with clear labels and captions.
- Use consistent units and terminology across tables.
- Reference all figures and tables within the text.
- Provide permissions for reused figures or images.
- Include supplementary files where necessary for methods or data.
Manuscript file
Submit an editable file with line numbering and clear section headings.
Figure files
Upload figures as separate files with descriptive file names.
Table files
Provide tables in editable format rather than embedded images.
Abbreviations
Define abbreviations at first use and avoid uncommon short forms.
Language clarity
Ensure the manuscript is written in clear, professional English.
- Provide a data availability statement for neonatal datasets.
- Include code availability or analytic workflow descriptions.
- Register clinical trials and include registration numbers.
- Describe protocol deviations and missing data handling.
- Confirm consent and privacy protections for neonatal participants.
- Identify repositories or controlled access pathways for sensitive data.
Novelty statement
Summarize the main contribution and clinical relevance.
Scope fit
Explain how the manuscript aligns with neonatal care priorities.
Reviewer suggestions
Provide potential reviewers with no conflicts of interest.
Funding disclosure
List funding sources and potential conflicts clearly.
Preprint disclosure
Indicate if a preprint is available and provide the link.
- Confirm all authors meet contribution criteria and approve the final version.
- Provide a contributorship statement if required.
- Identify the corresponding author and include ORCID identifiers.
- Acknowledge funding, institutional support, and technical assistance.
- Ensure author order is agreed before submission.
Outcome definitions
Clearly define primary and secondary outcomes relevant to neonatal care.
Sample size
Explain sample size calculations or recruitment rationale.
Randomization
Describe allocation methods and blinding where applicable.
Missing data
Report how missing data were handled in analyses.
Sensitivity analysis
Include checks that support robustness of findings.
Subgroup analysis
Predefine neonatal subgroups and avoid post hoc over interpretation.
Reporting precision
Provide confidence intervals and effect sizes with key results.
- Describe neonatal population characteristics and gestational age ranges.
- Report inclusion and exclusion criteria in detail.
- State interventions and comparators clearly.
- Describe adverse events or safety outcomes.
- Provide follow up duration and outcome time points.
- Identify device settings or dosing protocols where relevant.
- Report NICU setting characteristics that affect generalizability.
- Include limitations that affect clinical translation.
- Summarize key implications for neonatal practice in the discussion.
Data availability
State where de identified data can be accessed or how access is requested.
Code access
Provide analysis scripts or detailed workflows when possible.
Protocol access
Include protocols or registered trial links in supplements.
Repository use
Use trusted repositories with persistent identifiers for datasets.
Data dictionaries
Add variable definitions to support reuse and interpretation.
- All required files are uploaded and properly labeled.
- Ethics approvals and consent statements are complete.
- Funding and conflict disclosures are included.
- Figures and tables are referenced in the text.
- Abstract and keywords match the main findings.
- Cover letter states novelty and scope fit.
- Reviewer suggestions have no conflicts.
- All authors have approved the final version.
- Ensure supplementary files are cited in the main text.
- Confirm that the manuscript follows the journal formatting template if provided.
Initial screening
Editors assess neonatal scope and completeness.
Single blind review
Reviewers are anonymous while author identities are visible.
Decision letters
Editors provide clear guidance and required revisions.
Proofing
Authors review proofs before final publication.
Timelines
Average first decisions are communicated promptly to authors.
APC invoicing
Charges are invoiced after acceptance with support for waivers if eligible.
Proof review
Authors review and approve production proofs promptly.
Publication
Articles receive a DOI and publish online for immediate access.
Visibility
Share your article with NICU teams and neonatal networks.
Repository deposit
Deposit the final article in approved repositories when required.
- Describe protections for vulnerable neonatal populations.
- Document parental consent and assent procedures where applicable.
- Report safety monitoring and adverse event handling.
- Clarify inclusion of high risk or critically ill neonates.
- Describe biospecimen collection and storage approvals.
- Ensure privacy safeguards for imaging and genomic data.
- Include ethics approval numbers and dates in the methods.
Author rights
Authors retain copyright and grant publication rights to the journal.
Reuse terms
Open access licenses enable reuse with proper attribution.
Third party content
Secure permission for reused figures or tables.
Data licensing
Align dataset licenses with institutional and funder policies.
Attribution
Use accurate credit lines for adapted content.
Clinical uptake
Share findings with NICU teams and clinical networks.
Repository sharing
Deposit published versions in approved repositories.
Corrections
Notify the editorial office if errors are identified after publication.
Community impact
Use your article to inform training and neonatal guidelines.
Media support
Coordinate with institutional communications if press coverage is planned.
For questions about manuscript preparation or submissions, contact [email protected].
Careful preparation improves review speed and supports rapid dissemination of neonatal evidence.
Plan submissions early and allow time for institutional approvals, ethics documentation, and data sharing arrangements.
Use this guide as a checklist to reduce revision cycles and improve editorial efficiency.
These author preparation considerations help avoid delays, support compliance, and keep neonatal manuscripts ready for rapid publication.
Plan approvals and documentation early so editorial checks can move smoothly and authors remain on schedule.
Clear coordination across teams reduces rework and strengthens trust in the final record.
Workflow clarity
Define roles, responsibilities, and expected response times for author preparation tasks across all contributors.
Documentation readiness
Organize approvals, forms, and supporting files before final submission to avoid last minute delays.
Stakeholder alignment
Align coauthors, departments, and institutions on author preparation decisions and approval pathways.
Timeline control
Build buffer time for reviews, approvals, and compliance checks tied to author preparation.
Quality assurance
Confirm key elements are consistent across the manuscript, metadata, and supplementary files.
Communication cadence
Maintain clear updates with the editorial office and respond quickly to author preparation requests.
Compliance tracking
Record required disclosures and policy statements to keep author preparation documentation complete.
Version control
Keep a clear version history so revisions and author preparation changes are traceable.
- Confirm the responsible contact for author preparation coordination.
- Validate that required statements are included and up to date.
- Double check consistency between forms and manuscript text.
- Record timelines and key dates to avoid delays.
- Retain documentation for institutional or funder reporting.
- Keep a change log for author preparation updates during revision.
- Review policy alignment before final submission.
- Ask questions early if any requirements are unclear.
A final set of author preparation checkpoints helps keep the submission complete and compliant.
These steps reduce back and forth and improve editorial efficiency.
Consistency check
Align terminology, abbreviations, and labels across the manuscript.
Readability check
Confirm the narrative is clear for neonatal audiences and clinical teams.
Policy alignment
Verify author preparation statements match journal policies and funder expectations.
Submission readiness
Confirm files, disclosures, and metadata are complete.
Quality review
Recheck figures, tables, and supplements for accuracy.
Timeline review
Confirm deadlines for approvals and final submission.
- Check contact details for accuracy.
- Ensure core statements appear in the correct section.
- Review timelines and expectations with coauthors.
- Verify that required supplements are included.
- Confirm that disclosures match funding records.
- Ensure submission files use clear names and versions.
Submit Your Neonatal Research
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