Instructions for Author
Journal of Lung Cancer Epidemiology (JLCE) publishes rigorous population research that informs prevention, screening, and policy.
Use the guidance below to prepare manuscripts that meet methodological, ethical, and reporting standards.
Pre submission essentials
Scope fit
Confirm the manuscript addresses lung cancer epidemiology or population outcomes.
Article type
Select the correct article category and reporting guideline.
Authorship
Confirm all authors meet contribution criteria and approve the submission.
Corresponding author
Provide a working email address and ORCID where available.
Funding disclosure
List grants, sponsors, and relevant funding statements.
Ethics readiness
Confirm approvals, consent, and registry permissions are documented.
Data planning
Prepare data availability and access statements before submission.
Cover letter
Summarize novelty, policy relevance, and scope fit in two to three sentences.
Recommended structure by article type
Original research
Title, structured abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion, conclusions.
Systematic reviews
Structured abstract, protocol, search strategy, and PRISMA flow.
Screening evaluations
Context, design, outcomes, harms, and implementation detail.
Registry studies
Data source description, linkage methods, and bias handling.
Modeling studies
Model structure, assumptions, validation, and sensitivity analysis.
Methods papers
Step by step methods with validation and reproducibility details.
Brief communications
Focused results with concise discussion and limitations.
Perspective pieces
Evidence informed commentary with clear citations.
Style and formatting expectations
Headings
Use clear section headings and consistent terminology.
Abbreviations
Define at first use and avoid excessive acronyms.
Figures and tables
Number consecutively and provide descriptive captions.
Units and measures
Use consistent units and describe measurement methods.
Keywords
Provide 4 to 6 keywords aligned with lung cancer epidemiology.
References
Ensure citation accuracy and completeness.
Supplementary files
Cite supplementary content in the main text.
Line numbers
Include line numbers to support reviewer feedback.
Figures, tables, and supplemental materials
Image quality
Provide high resolution images with clear labels.
Table clarity
Define all abbreviations and highlight key outcomes.
Supplementary data
Include extended methods, additional analyses, or datasets.
File formats
Use standard formats such as TIFF, EPS, or high quality PNG.
Image integrity
Avoid manipulation and retain raw originals.
Permissions
Obtain permissions for any third party content.
Graphical summaries
Optional graphical abstracts improve accessibility.
Data linkage
Ensure tables and figures reference relevant data sources.
Ethical requirements for epidemiology studies
Ethics approval
Provide IRB or ethics committee approval information.
Informed consent
Document consent procedures or waivers when applicable.
Registry permissions
Include data access approvals for registry studies.
Data privacy
Describe protections for sensitive or identifiable data.
Conflicts of interest
Disclose financial or professional conflicts.
Funding statements
List all sources of funding and grant numbers.
Clinical trial registration
Provide registration identifiers when required.
AI disclosure
Disclose any AI assisted tools used for analysis or writing.
Reproducibility and data sharing guidance
Data statements
Include a data availability statement with access details.
Repositories
Deposit data in trusted repositories when possible.
Code sharing
Share analytic scripts for reproducibility where feasible.
Metadata
Provide data dictionaries or variable definitions.
Versioning
Note software versions and analysis environments.
Restrictions
Explain any access limitations or embargoes.
Data citation
Cite datasets using persistent identifiers.
Quality checks
Verify data consistency before submission.
Recommended reporting standards
STROBE
Observational studies and population based analyses.
PRISMA
Systematic reviews and meta analyses.
CONSORT
Randomized trials or intervention studies.
RECORD
Studies using routinely collected health data.
CHEERS
Economic evaluations and cost effectiveness studies.
CARE
Case reports with clear clinical context.
TREND
Non randomized public health interventions.
ARRIVE
Animal studies where applicable.
Files to upload with your submission
Main manuscript
Include figures and tables or references to separate uploads.
Title page
Author affiliations and corresponding author contact details.
Cover letter
Explain novelty, policy relevance, and scope fit.
Figures
Separate high resolution files for production.
Declarations
Conflict of interest, funding, and ethics statements.
Supplementary files
Data, protocols, or extended analyses.
Reporting checklists
Attach completed guideline checklists.
Suggested reviewers
Optional list of qualified reviewers.
Statistical and analytic expectations
Describe statistical methods clearly, including software and versions. Explain how missing data were handled and how confounding was addressed.
Report effect sizes and confidence intervals where applicable, and explain any sensitivity analyses performed.
For modeling studies, document assumptions, validation steps, and potential limitations that affect interpretability.
Responding to reviewer feedback
Provide a numbered response letter that addresses each reviewer point. Indicate where changes were made in the manuscript.
If a requested analysis is not feasible, explain the limitation and provide rationale. Clear responses speed decision making.
What happens once your paper is accepted
Accepted manuscripts undergo copyediting and proofing. Authors must review proofs promptly to avoid delays.
Final articles are published open access with DOI assignment and metadata distribution to discovery services.
Exposure and risk factor measurement
Describe exposure definitions, measurement sources, and time windows. For smoking, specify status categories, pack years, and data collection methods.
Report how confounding was handled, including variable selection and adjustment strategy. Sensitivity analyses should address residual confounding where possible.
If misclassification is possible, describe validation steps or limitations and how they may influence results.
Reporting screening and early detection outcomes
For screening evaluations, report eligibility criteria, uptake rates, follow up intervals, and adherence patterns.
Discuss potential harms such as overdiagnosis, false positives, and downstream testing burden.
When presenting mortality outcomes, specify lead time and length bias considerations.
Data linkage and governance reporting
Describe registry sources, linkage methods, match rates, and quality checks used to confirm accuracy.
Explain how missing data were handled and provide reasons for exclusions or loss to follow up.
If data sharing is restricted, outline the governance process and access approvals for readers.
Epidemiology submission readiness
Protocol readiness
Confirm protocol versions align with what was registered or approved.
Variable definitions
Provide clear definitions for exposures, outcomes, and covariates.
Bias mitigation
Describe steps to reduce selection bias and measurement bias.
Statistical plan
Document primary and secondary analyses before submission.
Data linkage notes
Explain linkage algorithms and quality thresholds.
Sensitivity analyses
Summarize the main sensitivity checks and rationale.
Visualization quality
Use clear legends, rate denominators, and confidence intervals.
Policy implications
Connect findings to prevention, screening, or equity outcomes.
Handling bias and sensitivity analyses
Describe selection bias risks and how you mitigated them through study design or weighting.
Report sensitivity analyses that test robustness to exposure misclassification or missing data.
If using imputation, detail the method, variables used, and diagnostics.
Choosing the right submission method
ManuscriptZone is recommended for full submissions that require detailed tracking, reviewer communication, and revision management.
The simple submission form is suitable for straightforward uploads when you already have complete files prepared.
Regardless of route, ensure all required files and disclosures are included to avoid delays.
Human data and registry compliance
State the ethics committee name, approval ID, and consent model for all human data sources.
For registry or trial data, cite registration numbers and explain deviations from pre registered plans.
If secondary datasets require data use agreements, summarize permissions and access limits in the manuscript.
Final checks before submission
Title and abstract
State population, exposure, outcome, and key findings clearly.
Tables and figures
Provide denominators, confidence intervals, and clear legends.
Methods detail
Include data sources, linkage methods, and missing data handling.
Reporting guidelines
Attach STROBE, PRISMA, or other relevant checklists.
Ethics statements
List approvals, consent models, and registry permissions.
Data availability
Describe repository location or access conditions.
Clarity on access and reuse
Provide a data availability statement that names the repository or explains controlled access.
If sharing is limited, outline who can approve access and expected timelines.
Link to protocols or code repositories when available to support reproducibility.
Summarize any embargo periods or access restrictions required by data owners.
Keep files review ready
Before uploading, confirm tables and figures are cited in order and use consistent abbreviations throughout the manuscript.
Provide a clean manuscript file without track changes, plus a marked version if requested.
Submit to the Journal of Lung Cancer Epidemiology
Share population based evidence that improves lung cancer prevention, detection, and outcomes worldwide.
