Peer Review

Infections in Children follows a double-blind peer-review process, in which both authors and reviewers remain anonymous. Manuscripts are initially screened by the editorial team for adherence to guidelines, relevance and quality, followed by evaluation by at least two independent experts in pediatric infectious diseases. Reviewers assess scientific validity, clinical significance, originality, and adherence to reporting guidelines. The editorial board makes final decisions based on reviewer feedback. Authors may be asked to revise and resubmit their work.

Authorship

The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals recommend that authorship be based on the following four criteria:

1. Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND
2. Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; AND
3. Final approval of the version to be published; AND
4. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

In addition to being accountable for the parts of the work he/she has done, an author should be able to identify which co-authors are responsible for specific other parts of the work. In addition, authors should have confidence in the integrity of the contributions of their co-authors.
Infections in Children journal requires that all those designated as authors should meet all four ICMJE criteria for authorship, and all who meet the four criteria should be identified as authors. These authorship criteria are intended to preserve the status of authorship for those who deserve credit and can take responsibility for the work. The criteria are not intended for use as a means to disqualify colleagues from authorship who otherwise meet authorship criteria by denying them the opportunity to meet criterions 2 or 3. Therefore, all individuals who meet the first criterion should have the opportunity to participate in the review, drafting, and final approval of the manuscript.
At Infections in Children we want authors to assure us that all authors included on a paper fulfil the criteria of authorship. In addition, we want assurance that there is no one else who fulfils the criteria but has not been included as an author. When we encounter disagreements among authors, we follow guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Acknowledgement

We publish a list of authors' names at the beginning of the paper and we list contributors (some of whom may not be included as authors) at the end of the paper, giving details of who did what in planning, conducting, and reporting the work. This is a good place to include contributions by patients or members of the public who have assisted as research volunteers, giving their names and specific roles.
Contributors who meet fewer than all 4 of the above criteria for authorship should not be listed as authors, but they should be acknowledged. Because acknowledgment may imply endorsement by acknowledged individuals of a study’s data and conclusions, editors are advised to require that the corresponding author obtain written permission to be acknowledged from all acknowledged individuals.


Any change in authors and/or contributors after initial submission must be approved by all authors. This applies to additions, deletions, change of order to the authors, or contributions being attributed differently. Any alterations must be explained to the editor. The editor may contact any of the authors and/or contributors to ascertain whether they have agreed to any alteration.


According to the ICMJE Recommendations, a conflict of interest (COI) exists “when professional judgment concerning a primary interest (such as patients' welfare or the validity of research) may be influenced by a secondary interest (such as financial gain).”
All authors are required to disclose any financial relations, activities, relationships and affiliations that exist, or have existed, in the 36 months prior to submission with any commercial organizations, groups, institutions, or any other entities that has any interest in the subject matter, materials, or process(es) discussed in the manuscript. This includes but is not limited to: Research support (including research funding and provision of equipment or materials), Honoraria (such as lecture fees), Consulting, Employment, Promotional fees, Advisory or directing role, Stock and share ownership, Patent/licensing fees, Travel and accommodation expenses, Any other financial, institutional or personal relationships.
If there are none, the authors should state “The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest” on the title page.
All sources of funding from entities such as government or non-profit organizations, which are relevant to the study, should be acknowledged on the title page under the heading “Sources of Funding.”
You must use the following word format to describe any funding: “This work was supported by [name of funder] grant number [xxx]”. You must ensure that the full, correct, details of your funder(s) and any relevant grant numbers are included.

Medical Education

Duplicate/Simultaneous/Prior Publication
Update Pre-Print policy
Submissions must be original and not under consideration (not submitted to any other journal simultaneously) elsewhere. Preprints (e.g., arXiv, SSRN) are permitted but must be disclosed. Prior abstracts/posters (≤300 words) do not preclude submission. Duplicate publication (repetition of data without attribution) will result in retraction.