Submissions

Author Guidelines

Focus, Scope, and Languages

Focus and Scope
RBPS publishes manuscripts related to the health field, including original research, systematic reviews, case reports, experience reports, and other relevant studies. The main goal is to promote high-quality, scientifically rigorous, and impactful knowledge.

Accepted Languages

• Manuscripts can be submitted in Portuguese, English, or Spanish.
• Manuscripts submitted in English or Spanish must include a language review certificate or a declaration from a native-speaking co-author.
• Manuscripts in Portuguese must include an abstract in English, but no language review certification is required (this step will be handled by the journal).
  
  

Types of Manuscripts

RBPS accepts the following types of manuscripts, each with specific structures and requirements:

Note: Systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and scoping reviews must have their protocols registered in PROSPERO (systematic reviews) or Open Science Framework (OSF) (scoping/integrative reviews). A checklist and PRISMA or PRISMA-ScR flow diagram must also be submitted.

Manuscript Structure and Formatting

The complete structure and guidelines can be viewed in the journal's template (click here to download).

General Formatting

• Word Processor: Word for Windows
• Page Size: A4 (21x29.7 cm) with 3 cm margins on all sides
• Font: Arial, size 12
• Line Spacing: 1.5
• Text Alignment: Justified
• Paragraphs: First line indent of 1.25 cm
• Page Limit: 25 pages, including all elements (title page, abstract, body, references, figures, and tables)

Required Elements

1. Title Page (submitted as a supplementary document)

• Title in Portuguese and English
• Full names of authors and affiliations (institution, city, state, country)
• Corresponding author’s full address (including ZIP code and email)
• Sources of funding
• Important: Do not include author names in the body of the manuscript (for blind review).

2. Abstract (Portuguese) and Abstract (English)

• Maximum of 250 words
• Structure: Introduction, Objectives, Methods, Results, Conclusion (section titles in bold)
• Single-paragraph text
• Include 3 to 5 keywords (in Portuguese and English) following the DeCS (Health Science Descriptors) guidelines.

3. Keywords

• 3 to 5 keywords, according to the DeCS (https://decs.bvs.br).

4. Body of the Manuscript

• The structure follows the type of manuscript (see the "Types of Manuscripts" table).
• References should be numbered in Vancouver style in the order of appearance.

5. Illustrations (Figures, Tables, Charts, Graphs)

• Maximum of 5 illustrations.
• Must be mentioned in the body of the text and submitted on separate pages with a title at the top, following ABNT NBR 14724 standards.
• If the manuscript is accepted, authors must provide high-resolution files (300 dpi).

6. References

• Maximum of 30 references (except for systematic reviews).
• Must follow Vancouver style.
• Authors are responsible for the accuracy of the references.

Abbreviations
Only use internationally recognized abbreviations. If the number of abbreviations is significant, provide a glossary.

Citing References in the Text

To ensure consistency and ease of reference identification, RBPS uses the superscript numeric system for in-text citations.

Guidelines

• References should be cited using superscript numbers (e.g., ¹, ², ³), without author names or publication years.
• Superscript numbers should be placed after punctuation (e.g., period, comma).
• Use of author names in the text is allowed only if strictly necessary and must be followed by the superscript number.
• To cite references in continuous order, use a hyphen (e.g., ^1-4). For non-consecutive citations, separate the numbers with commas (e.g., ²^,⁸^,¹⁰).
• Citations with 4 or more lines must be presented as a new paragraph, with a 4 cm indent on the right, font size 10, and single spacing.
  
  

Required Documents and Declarations

The following documents must be submitted as supplementary files:

• Title Page (with Declaration of Responsibility and Copyright Transfer)
• Declaration of Conflict of Interest
• Approval from Ethics Committee (when applicable)

All declaration templates and documents are available for download. Manuscripts must be submitted exclusively through the RBPS Online Submission System: Submission System.

Author Contributions (CRediT Taxonomy)

RBPS adopts the CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) to identify the contributions of each co-author. The following roles are available:

1. Conceptualization: Formulation of the research goals and objectives.
2. Data Curation: Management of data, including cleaning and organization.
3. Formal Analysis: Application of statistical or computational techniques.
4. Funding Acquisition: Obtaining financial support for the project.
5. Investigation: Conducting the research and data collection.
6. Methodology: Development of the research methodology.
7. Project Administration: Management and coordination of the project.
8. Resources: Provision of materials, instruments, or computational resources.
9. Software: Programming and software development.
10. Supervision: Oversight and guidance of the project.
11. Validation: Validation of the results or methodology.
12. Visualization: Creation of visual representations (e.g., figures).
13. Writing – Original Draft: Initial manuscript writing.
14. Writing – Review & Editing: Reviewing and editing the manuscript.
    
    

Clinical Trial Registration

For manuscripts reporting clinical trial results, authors must include the trial registration number from a registry recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) or the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) (http://www.icmje.org/). The trial registration number must be provided at the end of the abstract.

Conflict of Interest

Authors and reviewers must declare any potential conflicts of interest (financial, professional, or personal) that could influence the results or interpretation of the manuscript. Declarations will be handled confidentially.

Use of Generative AI

If generative AI tools were used for writing assistance, the following statement must be included after the references:

“During the preparation of this manuscript, the author(s) used [TOOL/SERVICE NAME] for [PURPOSE]. The author(s) reviewed and edited the content as necessary and assume full responsibility for its content.”

AI tools cannot be listed as authors and should only be used for language assistance.

Editorial Process and Review Flow

1. Submission and Initial Screening

• The manuscript is submitted through the system, and the Secretariat verifies compliance with the Guidelines for Authors, including the required documentation.
• If the submission is compliant, the manuscript is forwarded to the Scientific Editors. Otherwise, it is returned for adjustments.

2. Focus and Scope Analysis

• The Scientific Editors check if the manuscript aligns with the journal's focus and scope.
• If it is outside the scope, the manuscript is either rejected or returned for adjustments.

3. Double-Blind Peer Review

• The manuscript is sent to two Ad Hoc Reviewers. One reviewer is affiliated with a national institution, and the other with an institution outside the state of Espírito Santo or from another country.

4. Reviewers' Decision

The reviewers issue a decision with three possible outcomes:

1. Accepted – The manuscript proceeds to minor editorial corrections.
2. Accepted with Revisions – The manuscript is returned for adjustments, and the authors must resubmit it for further review.
3. Rejected – The manuscript is rejected and returned with a justification.

5. Final Decision by the Scientific Editor

• Based on the reviewers' evaluations, the Scientific Editor issues the final decision.

6. Final Adjustments

• For accepted manuscripts, minor editorial adjustments may be requested before publication.