Author Guidelines

APALM is an open access, double-blind peer-reviewed journal covering all areas of pathology and laboratory medicine. Please read these instructions carefully before submitting. Submissions that do not conform may be returned for correction.

1. Scope & Article Types

APALM welcomes: Original Articles, Review Articles, Case Reports/Case Series, Letters to the Editor, Images in Pathology, and Short Communications. Current article types, length limits, and structural expectations follow the journal’s “Information for Authors” and posted templates.

Please download and use the official manuscript templates available under Submissions → Download Template for Manuscript preparation on the journal site.

2. Policies You Agree to by Submitting

Authors must confirm that the work is original, not under consideration elsewhere, that all authors meet authorship criteria, and that all ethical and legal requirements have been met. APALM adheres to the ICMJE Recommendations (updated 2024) for research ethics, authorship, conflicts of interest, trial registration, and corrections/retractions.

3. Preparing Your Manuscript

3.1 Structure & Templates

  • Prepare the manuscript in English, using the official APALM templates for the relevant article type.

  • Keep figures/tables embedded in the Word file for peer review (post-acceptance we may request separate high-resolution image files).

  • Follow the article type–specific limits in “Information for Authors” and ensure all mandatory sections (abstract, keywords, introduction, methods, results, discussion, conclusions) are present where applicable. 

3.2 Reporting Guidelines (EQUATOR)

Use the appropriate EQUATOR guideline and upload a completed checklist with your submission when applicable:

  • Randomized trials: CONSORT 2025 (include checklist/flow diagram).

  • Systematic reviews/meta-analyses: PRISMA 2020.

  • Observational studies (cohort, case-control, cross-sectional): STROBE.

  • Case reports/series: CARE checklist. 

  • Animal research: ARRIVE 2.0 (Essential 10 + Recommended set). 

3.3 Clinical Trials: Registration & Data Sharing

  • Register clinical trials at or before first participant enrollment in a WHO ICTRP primary registry or ClinicalTrials.gov; include registry name/identifier in the manuscript.

  • Provide a data sharing statement for clinical trials consistent with ICMJE guidance.

3.4 Ethics, Consent, and Animal Welfare

  • Human studies must state IRB/ethics approval and adherence to the Declaration of Helsinki. Identify the approving body and reference number.

  • Patient privacy/consent: Do not include identifying information unless essential and written informed consent for publication has been obtained and archived; state this in the manuscript.

  • Animal studies must state compliance with institutional/national standards for animal care and welfare and follow ARRIVE 2.0.

3.5 Author Contributions (CRediT) & ORCID

  • List each author’s contributions using the CRediT taxonomy (14 roles; e.g., Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing–original draft, etc.). 

  • Provide ORCID iDs for the corresponding author (required) and, ideally, all authors. ORCID iDs should be authenticated via ORCID’s OAuth process and will be included in article metadata. 

3.6 Conflicts of Interest & Funding

Disclose all financial and non-financial relationships/activities/interests that could be perceived to influence the work, and list all funding sources, including grant numbers, per ICMJE guidance. 

3.7 Data Availability

Include a Data Availability Statement in every research article, describing where and how the data, code, materials, and protocols can be accessed (or justified restrictions), consistent with APALM’s Research Data Availability & Sharing Policy. Pacific Group of e-Journals

3.8 Preprints & Self-archiving

APALM permits and encourages posting of preprints and immediate deposit of the Author Accepted Manuscript and Version of Record (VoR) with proper citation and DOI—no embargo—as detailed in our Open Access Policy. 

3.9 Figures, Tables, and Image Integrity

  • Submit clear, legible figures and tables with concise legends.

  • Do not manipulate images in a way that could mislead; any adjustments must be applied to the entire image and described in Methods.

3.10 Units, Nomenclature, & Abbreviations

Use SI units throughout. Define abbreviations at first use. Use accepted medical/pathology nomenclature.

3.11 References

Use a numbered (Vancouver/ICMJE) style. Ensure references are accurate and accessible. (For examples and formatting details, follow ICMJE sample formats and guidance.)

4. How to Submit

Submit via the journal’s OJS submission system. Complete all metadata fields, upload the manuscript (with embedded figures/tables for review), the title page/cover letter, reporting guideline checklists (where applicable), ethical approvals/consents, conflict of interest disclosures, and any supplementary files. Templates are available on the APALM site under Submissions. 

5. Editorial & Peer-Review Process

All submissions undergo initial editorial screening and double-blind external peer review by relevant experts. Decisions (accept, minor revision, major revision, reject) are based on methodological rigor, reporting quality (including adherence to EQUATOR guidelines), originality, and relevance to scope. See the full Peer Review Policy for details.

6. Plagiarism Screening

APALM screens submissions for text overlap using antiplagiarism service. Similarity reports inform editorial assessment; matches are examined in context, and inappropriate overlap may lead to rejection or post-publication action. 

7. Open Access, Copyright, & Licensing

APALM provides immediate open access under CC BY 4.0. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal a non-exclusive license to publish. License terms appear on each article page/PDF and in metadata. See our Open Access Policy for details. 

8. Article Processing Charges (APCs) & Waivers

See the APC & Waiver page for current fees, waivers, and discounts. Editorial decisions are independent of payment status. 

9. Proofs & post-publication corrections

After online publication, APALM sends page proofs to the corresponding author for a rapid check (typically 48–72 hours). Corrections at this stage are limited to typographical, layout, or production errors; substantive changes (data, analyses, interpretations, author list, affiliations) are not permitted at proof. If a factual error is identified after the article goes online, APALM follows our Corrections & Retractions policy: we issue a free correction notice linked to the article (no silent edits). Where a change substantively affects the record, we publish an Expression of Concern or a Retraction as appropriate.

10. Appeals & Complaints

Authors may appeal editorial decisions or lodge complaints about processes or policies by writing to the editorial office with a clear rationale and supporting information. Appeals are reviewed by an editor not involved in the original decision.

11. Contact

For queries about suitability, formatting, or policy interpretation, contact the editorial office.