Article Types

The Journal accepts the following article types. Word counts refer to the body text only, excluding the abstract, references, figure legends, and table content. Limits are maxima and not targets.

† Abstract structure: the table above indicates maximum word counts and abstract type (structured or unstructured). The specific headings required for each structured abstract type vary by article type. See Submission Guidelines (Section 11.1) for the complete specification of required headings and level-of-evidence statements. In the event of any discrepancy between the table above and Submission Guidelines (Section 11), Submission Guidelines (Section 11) prevails.

Original Article: reports the results of primary empirical research. Structured abstract required (Background, Objectives, Methods, Results, Conclusions). A statement of the level of evidence (clinical studies) or clinical relevance (basic science) must be included at the end of the abstract.

Systematic Review / Meta-analysis: must be registered in PROSPERO or an equivalent prospective register before data extraction begins. The registration number must be reported in the abstract and Methods section. PRISMA 2020 checklist is mandatory.

Narrative / Short Review: a focused narrative or scoping review on a defined topic. Not required to follow systematic review methodology. The terms “Narrative Review” and “Short Review” are used interchangeably within this category, consistent with Peer Review Policy (Section 4).

Protocol: describes a planned or ongoing study, including design, objectives, methods, and analysis plan. SPIRIT 2013 checklist strongly recommended.

Case Report: reports novel clinical observations. CARE checklist mandatory. Patient consent documentation must be provided at submission.

Guideline / Consensus: formal clinical practice guideline or consensus document. Where produced by or on behalf of a professional society, the society's name and formal endorsement must be stated.

Position Paper / Statement: reflects the position of the Journal's Editorial Board or a professional organization on a defined topic.

Data Note: describes a dataset deposited in a public repository, without presenting new analyses. The dataset DOI must be provided.

Commentary: a substantive academic comment on a topic of current relevance. If responding to a published article, the DOI of the article being discussed must be provided.

Letter to the Editor: a brief response to a recently published article or a topic of immediate clinical relevance. Letters responding to a published article must be submitted within 60 calendar days of online publication. Subject to editorial review only; however, letters with substantial scientific content may be subject to expedited external peer review at the Editor-in-Chief's discretion, in accordance with Peer Review Policy (Section 4). The Journal's policy on post-publication letters is set out in the Post-Publication Discussions Policy (to be published at egojournal.eu).

Editorial / Opinion / Opinion Corner: published by invitation only, unless otherwise indicated in a specific call for contributions. “Opinion” and “Opinion Corner” are treated as equivalent article subtypes within this category, consistent with the Peer Review Policy (Section 4).

Structure of Other Article Types

• Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses: must follow the PRISMA 2020 structure and include a PRISMA flow diagram.
• Case Reports: must include Introduction, Case Presentation, Discussion, and Conclusions. Patient details must comply with Submission Guidelines (Section 14.3).
• Protocols: should follow the SPIRIT 2013 framework.
• Narrative / Short Reviews, Position Papers, Statements, Guidelines/Consensus: section headings at the authors' discretion, subject to Editorial Office approval.
• Data Notes: Introduction, Data Description, Technical Validation, and (Re)Use Notes.
• Commentaries, Letters to the Editor, Editorials, Opinions/Opinion Corner: free structure, with clearly demarcated paragraphs.