For Authors

Author Guidelines

Thank you for considering "Archives of Breast Cancer" (ABC) to publish your article. The articles of this journal are published in American English, and you should prepare your manuscript in this language.

To download the Copyright Form, please click here.

1. Open Access

Archives of Breast Cancer (ABC) provides immediate open access to all its materials and contents to facilitate the global exchange of knowledge. ABC aims to provide full access for all users worldwide to all its articles.

All the content of ABC, under a Creative Commons license, can be freely viewed and used online with attribution anywhere in the world.

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2. What do we publish?

2.1 Aims & scope

ABC is an open-access, peer-reviewed journal that publishes articles on all aspects associated with breast cancer research, ranging from pathophysiology, prevention, early detection, and diagnosis to treatment, molecular and cellular biology, genetics, epidemiology, psychological issues, rehabilitation, and quality of life. While the emphasis of the journal is on breast cancer, ABC also publishes articles related to benign breast diseases and breast health.

2.2 Article types

ABC accepts manuscripts in the following categories:

  • Original Articles
  • Review Articles (Systematic Reviews, Meta-Analyses, Scoping Reviews, and Narrative Reviews)
  • Short Communications
  • Study Protocols and Algorithms
  • Case Reports and Case Series
  • Clinical Experience
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Editorials
  • Invited Commentaries

Please note that this journal does not publish Educational Reviews.

2.3 Writing your paper

2.3.1 General format

Manuscripts should be prepared using Microsoft Word (in .doc or .docx format). PDF submissions are not accepted. Manuscripts should be double-spaced with line numbering, including text, tables, legends, and references.

Number each page and avoid using footnotes; instead, use parentheses within the text. Use the Tab key once for paragraph indents. The text should be in Times New Roman typeface, and Greek and special characters should be inserted using a Symbols font. Authors whose first language is not English should have their manuscripts proofread by a native English speaker prior to submission.

2.3.2 Main sections of the manuscript (general guidance)

Specific requirements vary by article type (see Section 3.1).

Papers should include the following sections:

Title

  • The title should clearly represent the research and its content.
  • It should be unique and not replicate titles of previously published articles.
  • It should not exceed 50 words.

Keywords

  • To enhance the discoverability of your article, keywords should be optimized for search engines and aligned with the MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) database. Ensuring compatibility with MeSH will significantly improve its visibility and accessibility.
  • Incorporating these specific keywords into your article's content and metadata will increase its discoverability on search engines.

Abstract

  • This journal requires a “structured” abstract. The required sections vary depending on the manuscript type.

Introduction

  • Present the main aims of the research.
  • State the primary reasons for conducting the research.
  • A detailed literature review is not necessary in this section.
  • Cite appropriate references to support the content.

Methods

  • State the type of study conducted.
  • Present the methods, tools, and procedures in sufficient detail to allow other researchers to replicate the results without needing to contact the authors.
  • Describe the intervention and control groups, if applicable.
  • Describe the statistical tests used for analysis.
  • Provide justification for using specific statistical tests, if relevant.
  • Define the level of statistical significance.

In addition, authors must confirm that their study complies with the Declaration of Helsinki, that their research was approved by an ethics committee, and that written informed consent was obtained from all participants or their legal guardians.

Results

  • Present the findings in the text, tables, or figures, but avoid presenting the same data in multiple formats.
  • Be precise and do not interpret the findings in this section; reserve interpretation for the Discussion.
  • Use the metric system (SI units) for all quantities and measurements.

Discussion

  • State the original and significant aspects of the study. Do not repeat findings from the Results section.
  • Discuss the importance of the findings and their relevance to previous studies.
  • Present only conclusions that are directly supported by the data.
  • State the limitations of your study and the practical applications of your results.

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3. Preparing your manuscript

3.1 Acceptable format based on different categories

Original Articles
Original articles are reports of original research that add to the body of knowledge on a topic. These articles must have ethical approval.
Original articles should be limited to 5,500 words and include a structured abstract (limited to 250 words), references (with DOIs), figure legends, and tables. The manuscript should contain up to 50 references and no more than 10 figures and tables combined (with a maximum of 6 of either type).
The sections included in an original article are: (1) Title page, (2) Structured abstract (250-word limit), (3) Keywords, (4) Introduction, (5) Methods, (6) Results, (7) Discussion, (8) Conclusions, (9) Acknowledgments, (10) Conflicts of Interest, (11) Ethical Considerations, (12) Funding, (13) Data Availability, (14) AI Disclosure, (15) Author Contributions, (16) References, (17) Figures, (18) Figure Legends, (19) Tables, and (20) Table Legends. In addition to embedding figures and tables within the main text, authors must provide the non-compressed, original versions of their figures and artwork. Read more.

Review Articles
A review article is a detailed examination of previous research on a topic. ABC does not publish educational reviews or book chapters written as CME materials. Acceptable review types include Systematic, Scoping, Narrative, and other research-oriented reviews. Authors are advised to contact the Editor-in-Chief (akaviani@archbreastcancer.com) before preparing a review article to avoid duplicating previous research. Review articles may have up to 100 references.
These articles should not exceed 7,000 words, including references. They must include the following sections: (1) Title page, (2) Structured abstract (250-word limit), (3) Keywords, (4) Introduction, (5) Methods, (6) Results, (7) Discussion, (8) Conclusions, (9) Acknowledgments, (10) Conflicts of Interest, (11) Ethical Considerations, (12) Funding, (13) Data Availability, (14) AI Disclosure, (15) Author Contributions, (16) References, (17) Figures, (18) Figure Legends, (19) Tables, and (20) Table Legends. It is recommended to insert figures and tables at their desired locations within the text. Read more.

Short Communications
A short communication is a report of a small-scale study containing new and significant information. It should have an abstract not exceeding 150 words, a body of text not exceeding 800 words, a maximum of 2 tables or figures, and up to 50 references.
The required sections are: (1) Title page, (2) Abstract, (3) Keywords, (4) Introduction, (5) Methods, (6) Results, (7) Discussion, (8) Conclusions, (9) Acknowledgments, (10) Conflicts of Interest, (11) Ethical Considerations, (12) Funding, (13) Data Availability, (14) AI Disclosure, (15) Author Contributions, (16) References, (17) Figures, (18) Figure Legends, (19) Tables, and (20) Table Legends. It is recommended to insert figures and tables at their desired locations within the text.

Case Reports and Case Series
Case reports are studies that present new insights into the diagnosis or treatment of a disease. These reports should not exceed 1,500 words, excluding references. The required sections are: (1) Title page, (2) Structured abstract (including Background, Case Presentation, and Conclusion), (3) Keywords, (4) Introduction, (5) Case Presentation, (6) Discussion, (7) Conclusions, (8) Acknowledgments, (9) Conflicts of Interest, (10) Ethical Considerations (including informed consent), (11) Funding, (12) Data Availability, (13) References, (14) Figures, and (15) Figure Legends.
Ethical considerations, particularly informed consent, must be included.

Editorials
Editorials are written by the Editor-in-Chief, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, an associate editor, an Editorial Board member, or a guest editor to present opinions on topics relevant to the journal. An editorial should not exceed 1,500 words, excluding references.
The required sections are: (1) Title page, (2) Keywords, (3) Main manuscript, (4) Acknowledgments, (5) Ethical Considerations/Conflicts of Interest, and (6) References.

Commentaries/Perspectives/Viewpoints/Protocols
Commentaries present findings on a general topic while providing the author's original ideas. They differ from reviews by focusing on the author's original ideas rather than summarizing previous research. They should not exceed 1,500 words, excluding references.
The required sections are: (1) Title page, (2) Keywords, (3) Text, (4) Acknowledgments, (5) Ethical Considerations/Conflicts of Interest, and (6) References.

Letters to the Editor
Letters may comment on or criticize articles published in ABC within the past four issues or express views on other relevant topics. They should not exceed 1,500 words, excluding references.
The required sections are: (1) Title page, (2) Keywords, (3) Text, (4) Acknowledgments, (5) Conflicts of Interest, and (6) References.

3.2 Artwork, figures, and other graphics

3.2.1 Figures

Only essential figures should be included. Figures should not duplicate data presented in tables or in the text. Manuscripts may have a combined total of up to 10 figures and tables. Additional figures and tables may be submitted as supplementary material for online publication only.

Ensure images are of high resolution for both print and digital formats. For graphics, charts, and illustrations, we recommend using vector image formats such as EPS or SVG to maintain quality.

If you are submitting raster images (e.g., photographs, micrographs), they should have a resolution of at least 300 pixels per inch (ppi) for color images and 1200 ppi for black-and-white graphics. These graphics should be high quality and submitted in a raw TIFF format. Avoid saving images in JPG, PNG, or other lossy formats, as these can reduce image quality.

Please ensure each figure file is named clearly to indicate the figure number (e.g., Figure_1.tif, Figure_2.eps) and matches the manuscript’s figure list.

The use of generative AI to create or alter images, figures, or artwork is not permitted, except when AI-assisted imaging is part of the research methodology itself.

3.2.2 Videos

Authors may submit relevant videos, graphics, and slide presentations. These will be linked with other materials. Patient anonymity must be maintained unless written permission has been provided.

The size of each video clip or computer graphic is limited to 40 MB. Up to three videos or graphics can be submitted, each with a concise legend in the manuscript. We accept videos compatible with Windows Media Player, submitted in MPEG-1, MPEG-2 (.mpg), MPEG-4 (.mp4), or QuickTime (.mov) format.

3.2.3 Tables

Tables should be submitted in a separate file, with a short title for each table. Tables must be cited in the text and numbered with Arabic numerals. If a table is adapted from a previous work, include the reference at the end of the table caption. Use asterisks (*) or other symbols for p-values and other statistical notes, and explain these symbols in a footnote below the table. All acronyms and abbreviations used in a table must be expanded in a note below that table.

3.2.4 Figure and video legends

Each figure must have a short caption describing its content. Figure legends should begin with the term "Figure" followed by the figure number, both in boldface (e.g., Figure 1).

3.3 Reference style

ABC follows the Vancouver (superscript) reference style and the standards summarized in the NLM's International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals: Sample References and detailed in the NLM's Citing Medicine, 2nd edition.

The accuracy of reference details is the responsibility of the authors. ABC does not accept personal communications, unpublished observations, or submitted manuscripts as references. References should be cited in the text consecutively using superscript Arabic numerals (e.g., 1, 1,2, 1-3).

The list of references at the end of the manuscript should be in numerical order, corresponding to the order they appear in the text. Include DOIs for all references where available.

Below are examples of acceptable reference formats:

1.	Harris JR, Lippman ME, Morrow M, Osborne CK. Diseases of the Breast. 5th ed. China: Wolters Kluwer Health; 2014. ISBN: 978-1-45-118627-7
Reference to a chapter in an edited book:
2.	Hirshaut Y, Pressman P, Brody J. Breast Cancer: The Complete Guide. 5th ed. Random House Publishing Group; 2009. Chapter 11, Hormone therapy and chemotherapy; p. 186-234.
Reference to a chapter in an edited book written by authors in a book edited by others:
3.	Newman LA, Bensenhaver JM, editors. Ductal Carcinoma In Situ and Microinvasive/Borderline Breast Cancer. In: Kanumuri P, Chapgar BA. Epidemiology of Ductal Carcinoma In Situ. 4th ed. New York: Springer; 2015. p. 1-12.
With seven or more authors, list the first six and then add "et al.":
4.	Hjorthaug K, Højbjerg JA, Knap MM, Tietze A, Haraldsen A, Zacho HD, et al. Accuracy of 18F-FDG PET-CT in triaging lung cancer patients with suspected brain metastases for MRI. Nucl Med Commun. 2015;36(11):1084-90. doi: 10.1097/MNM.0000000000000371

The number of references is limited to 30 for Letters, Editorials, and Commentaries; 50 for Case Reports, Clinical Experiences, and Original Articles; and 100 for Review Articles.

Use "in press" or "forthcoming" for papers that have been accepted but not yet published. Use "unpublished observations" for manuscripts that have been submitted but not yet accepted.

An EndNote style file for Vancouver (superscript) is available for download here: Online Link.

3.5 DOI Number

All published manuscripts will be assigned a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) by Crossref upon acceptance.

3.6 Authorship Criteria and Author Contributions

ABC adheres to the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) recommendations for defining the roles of authors and contributors. Authorship must be based on all four of the following 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.

All individuals designated as authors must meet all four criteria for authorship, and all who meet the four criteria must be identified as authors.

Contributors who do not meet all four criteria for authorship should be acknowledged in the "Acknowledgments" section (see Section 6.2).

The Author Contributions section provides transparency regarding each author's specific role in the research and manuscript preparation.

Authors should include a detailed Author Contributions section that:

  1. Lists each author by their initials.
  2. Describes specific contributions using clear, descriptive language.
  3. Indicates who had primary responsibility for key aspects of the work.

Sample Format

“A.B. and C.D. conceptualized the study; A.B. and E.F. developed the methodology; C.D. conducted the formal analysis; E.F. and G.H. performed the investigation; A.B. acquired funding; G.H. created visualizations; A.B. supervised the project. All authors reviewed and edited the manuscript.”

CRediT Taxonomy Option

Authors are encouraged to use the CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) system to standardize contribution descriptions, with additional notes for AI-assisted work. The 14 CRediT roles include:

  • Conceptualization
  • Methodology
  • Software
  • Validation
  • Formal Analysis
  • Investigation
  • Resources
  • Data Curation
  • Writing - Original Draft
  • Writing - Review & Editing
  • Visualization
  • Supervision
  • Project Administration
  • Funding Acquisition

Group Authorship

For manuscripts originating from large, multi-author groups or consortia, all individuals designated as authors within the group must meet the four ICMJE authorship criteria. The corresponding author must clearly identify the group name (if applicable) and explicitly list the individual authors who meet the criteria. The group should decide on authorship before the work begins and confirm it before submission.

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4. Submitting your manuscript

4.1 How to submit your manuscript

Submit your manuscript via the ABC online submission system: www.archbreastcancer.com. Manuscripts that do not comply with the author guidelines will not be sent for external review.

4.2 Necessary files for submission

Authors must provide a title, a short title, an abstract, and keywords with their article. These elements are vital for ensuring that readers can find the article through online search engines like Google.

4.2.2 Cover letter

Manuscripts must be submitted with a cover letter that addresses the following points:

  • A brief statement on the importance and novelty of the research.
  • Confirmation that the manuscript has not been previously published and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere.
  • Confirmation that all authors have approved the manuscript and agree to its submission to ABC.
  • Disclosure of any prior presentations or publications of the work (e.g., conference abstracts).
  • Contact information for the corresponding author.

4.2.3 Title page (as a separate file)

The title page must contain the following information:

  • The full manuscript title.
  • The full names, academic degrees, affiliations, ORCID (Open Researcher and Contributor ID) IDs, and email addresses for ALL authors.
  • The corresponding author should be clearly indicated with an asterisk (*). Provide their full mailing address, phone/fax number, and email.
  • A statement on equal contributions if applicable (e.g., "X.Y. and Z.A. contributed equally to this work and share first authorship.").
  • The Author Contributions statement (as discussed in Section 3.6).
  • A running title (not exceeding 20 characters, including spaces).
  • Word counts for the abstract and the main body of the manuscript.

4.2.4 Main manuscript file (anonymized for double-blind review)

  • This file must NOT contain any author-identifying information.
  • It must include the Abstract, Keywords, Main Text (Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusions), Acknowledgments, Ethical Considerations (including a statement on how informed consent was obtained), Declaration of Conflicting Interests, Funding, Data Availability Statement, AI Disclosure Statement, References, and Figure Legends.
  • Tables and figures should be embedded within this file at the appropriate places for ease of review. High-resolution figure files must also be uploaded separately.

4.2.5 Figure files

Upload each figure as a separate, high-resolution file (see Section 3.2.1).

4.2.6 Table files

Tables can be included at the end of the main manuscript file or uploaded as separate Word files.

4.2.7 Copyright form

Authors must download and complete the copyright form, which needs to be signed by the corresponding author. By uploading this form, the corresponding author verifies that all co-authors have approved the final version of the manuscript submitted to ABC.

To download the Copyright Form, please click here.

4.2.8 Supplementary files (optional)

4.2.9 Submission preparation checklist

Authors must confirm compliance with all items on the checklist provided during the online submission process.

4.3 Information required for completing your submission

Authors must provide contact details, academic affiliations, and an ORCID ID for all co-authors through the submission system and must identify the corresponding author. These details must match the information in the manuscript. The affiliation is the institution where the research was conducted. If an author has moved to a new institution since the completion of the research, the new affiliation can be noted at the end of the paper.

4.4 Permissions

  • If authors plan to reuse previously published illustrations, figures, tables, or text passages, they are required to obtain permission from the copyright owners. Any content submitted without such evidence will be assumed to be the original work of the authors.
  • The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring the accuracy of the author list and the order of authors, for obtaining consent from all co-authors for submission and for any subsequent changes to authorship, and for addressing any authorship disputes.

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5. On acceptance and publication

If a manuscript is accepted for publication, the authors are expected to cooperate with ABC throughout the production process until the final copy is prepared.

5.1 ABC production

Upon acceptance, the manuscript will be listed in the “Upcoming Issue” section of the journal website.

Authors will be notified of their article's progress throughout the production process. We will send the corresponding author proofs in PDF format, and we expect authors to return corrected proofs within 2-3 business days. Authors must carefully examine their proofs to confirm the accuracy of all information, including names, affiliations, author sequence, contact details, and the funding and conflict of interest sections. To make any changes to the author list, a form authorizing the change must be completed and signed by all authors. Significant content changes are not permitted at the proof stage.

5.2 Online publication and dates

The primary advantage of online open-access publishing is its speed. A further advantage is that there are no page limits. The online publication is fully citable with a DOI number and is entirely free for all readers to read and download.

The journal will publish the following dates with each article: Date of Submission, Date of Acceptance, and Date of Publication.

5.3 Article processing charge (APC)

A nominal Article Processing Charge (APC) for certain types of accepted articles has been introduced, effective September 1st, 2024. Review Articles, Original Research Articles, and Case Reports will incur a charge of USD 500 upon acceptance. However, the publication of letters, editorials, and commentaries will remain free of charge.

We appreciate your understanding and continued support for Archives of Breast Cancer.

5.4 Waiver policy

The Archives of Breast Cancer waiver policy for authors is based on the World Bank's country income classifications:

  • Authors from Low-Income Countries are eligible for up to a 75% waiver.
  • Authors from Lower Middle-Income Countries are eligible for up to a 30% waiver.
  • Authors from Middle and High-Middle-Income Countries are eligible for up to a 20% waiver.

To request a waiver, please send an application to info@ArchBreastCancer.com (or email us at info@ArchBreastCancer.com) or include the request in the cover letter during submission. The application must include the manuscript number and the reason for the waiver request. The editorial office and the publisher will evaluate the request and respond to the authors before processing the submitted manuscript.

For income classifications, please refer to the World Bank Country and Lending Groups information.

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6. Editorial policies

6.1 Peer-review policy

Peer review is an integral part of the publishing process at Farname. Peer reviewers are scholars who volunteer their time to review manuscripts and offer free advice to authors.

Key features of our peer-review process are as follows:

  • All manuscripts are reviewed by at least two qualified experts.
  • All publication decisions are made by the ABC Editor-in-Chief based on the reviewers' reports.
  • Members of the editorial board may provide advice to the Editor-in-Chief to assist in decision-making.
  • Supplementary material submitted with a manuscript is generally made available to reviewers and is considered part of the peer-review process.
  • All submitted manuscripts and their review processes are treated with strict confidentiality.

Initial manuscript evaluation

All manuscripts are first read by the editorial board. To save authors' and reviewers' time, only manuscripts that are most likely to meet our editorial criteria are sent for formal review. Manuscripts that the editors deem to be of insufficient general interest or otherwise inappropriate are promptly rejected without external review.

All submitted manuscripts undergo rigorous screening for plagiarism and academic misconduct using iThenticate before being sent for formal peer review.

Type of peer review

ABC uses a double-blind review process, where the identities of both the author and reviewer are concealed throughout the review.

Selecting peer reviewers

The selection of reviewers is critical to the publication process. We base our selection on expertise, reputation, specific recommendations, and our prior experience with reviewers.

Reviewers suggested by authors may be considered.

Reviewers must adhere to the principle of confidentiality regarding the content of the manuscript sent to them for critical review.

Length of the review process

Typically, the review process takes 2-4 weeks.

Final report

Decisions of acceptance or rejection are sent to the author, along with suggestions and verbatim comments from the reviewers.

6.2 Acknowledgments

Contributors who do not meet the criteria for authorship must be listed in the Acknowledgment section.

6.3 Funding

The source of all financial and material support (including grant numbers) must be provided under a separate heading. If no funding was received, please include the following statement:

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

6.4 Declaration of conflicting interests

Archives of Breast Cancer strictly adheres to the ICMJE recommendations regarding conflicts of interest. We require transparent disclosure from all participants in the publication process to ensure impartiality and maintain trust in the scholarly record.

Authors: Authors must disclose all financial and non-financial relationships and activities that might bias or be perceived to bias their work. We encourage authors to use the ICMJE Disclosure Form to standardize this disclosure. This information must be provided during manuscript submission in a dedicated section within the manuscript.

Peer Reviewers: Reviewers must disclose any relationships or activities that could bias their opinion of a manuscript. They must recuse themselves from reviewing any manuscript where a potential for bias exists or if they have a direct conflict of interest. Reviewers are prohibited from using knowledge of the work they are reviewing before its publication to further their own interests.

Editors and Editorial Board Members: Editors and editorial board members involved in manuscript decisions must recuse themselves from decisions where their relationships or activities could pose a conflict of interest. Editorial staff are also required to disclose relevant relationships and must refrain from using information gained through manuscript handling for private gain. The disclosure statements of the Editor-in-Chief and editorial board members are regularly updated on the journal website (or are available upon request).

6.5 Research ethics and patient consent

Medical research involving human participants must be conducted in accordance with the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki.

6.6 Clinical trials

In compliance with ICMJE requirements, all clinical trials must be registered in a World Health Organization (WHO)-approved public trials registry before the enrollment of the first patient. The trial registry name, URL, and registration number must be included at the end of the abstract.

6.7 Reporting guidelines

Authors must follow the relevant research reporting guidelines for their study type as provided by the EQUATOR (Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research) Network. This ensures that sufficient information is provided for editors, peer reviewers, and readers to understand how the research was conducted and to assess the reliability of the findings.

The main reporting guidelines include:

  • Randomized controlled trials (RCTs): CONSORT
  • Systematic reviews and meta-analyses: PRISMA (and MOOSE [Meta-analysis Of Observational Studies in Epidemiology] for meta-analyses of observational studies)
  • Observational studies in epidemiology: STROBE
  • Diagnostic accuracy studies: STARD
  • Qualitative research: COREQ or SRQR
  • Quality improvement studies: SQUIRE
  • Case reports: CARE

6.8 COPE guidelines and research misconduct

Archives of Breast Cancer is committed to upholding the highest standards of research integrity and adheres to the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

The journal takes all allegations of research misconduct seriously and follows COPE's established procedures for investigating and addressing such concerns. This includes, but is not limited to, fabrication (making up data), falsification (manipulating research materials, equipment, or processes, or changing/omitting data), and plagiarism (appropriating another person's ideas, processes, results, or words without giving appropriate credit). Citation manipulation and redundant publication are also considered forms of misconduct.

Allegations should be submitted in writing to the editorial office with supporting evidence. The journal will assess the allegation in accordance with COPE guidelines to determine if a formal investigation is warranted. The investigation process ensures impartiality and fairness, involving the Editor-in-Chief and editorial board, and may include communication with the authors’ institutions. Types of misconduct considered include plagiarism, data fabrication/falsification, duplicate publication, authorship disputes, and undeclared conflicts of interest. If misconduct is confirmed, appropriate actions will be taken, such as manuscript rejection, article retraction, publication of corrections, and notification of relevant institutions. The journal follows COPE's flowcharts for specific misconduct cases. We are dedicated to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record and encourage authors, reviewers, and editors to adhere to the highest ethical standards in research and publication.

6.9 Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Research and Publication

Use of Generative AI in Manuscript Preparation

Authors who use generative Artificial Intelligence (AI)tools (such as ChatGPT, LLaMA, Claude, Gemini, etc.) in the preparation of their manuscript must adhere to the following guidelines:

  1. Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies cannot be listed as authors or co-authors. Authorship requires responsibilities that can only be fulfilled by humans, including accountability for the work's accuracy and integrity, and the ability to approve the final manuscript. No part of the manuscript can be generated by AI.
  2. Authors must disclose any use of generative AI in manuscript preparation in a dedicated section of the manuscript.

Recommended Disclosure Format:

"In preparing this manuscript, the author(s) used [SPECIFIC AI TOOL/MODEL] for [SPECIFIC PURPOSE]. The author(s) reviewed and edited all AI-generated content and take full responsibility for the accuracy and integrity of the final manuscript."
  1. Authors remain fully responsible for verifying all information, citations, and content in their manuscript, including any AI-generated portions.
  2. Tools used solely for grammar checking, spelling correction, citation formatting, or general editing that do not employ generative AI do not require disclosure.

Use of AI in Data Collection, Processing, and Analysis

  1. Any use of AI tools for data collection, processing, statistical analysis, pattern recognition, or interpretation must be fully disclosed in both the Methods section and the AI Disclosure Statement.
  2. Authors must acknowledge potential biases, limitations, or uncertainties introduced by AI-assisted analysis and address how these were mitigated.
  3. AI tools cannot be used to fabricate, falsify, or manipulate research data or findings.

Use of AI in Figures, Images, and Artwork

  1. The use of generative AI for creating or altering images, figures, or artwork is not permitted, except when AI-assisted imaging is part of the research methodology itself.
  2. When AI is used as part of the research methodology for imaging or visualization, this use must be fully described in the Methods section and appropriately disclosed in the AI Disclosure Statement.

AI Use in the Peer Review Process

  1. Peer reviewers must not use AI tools when reviewing manuscripts or preparing comments for authors.
  2. Reviewers must maintain strict confidentiality and are prohibited from uploading any manuscript content into AI systems.
  3. If a reviewer inadvertently uses AI assistance, they must immediately disclose this to the editor.

Editorial Use of AI

  1. The journal may use AI tools to assist in manuscript screening, plagiarism detection, and identifying potential research misconduct.
  2. Editorial decisions will always involve human judgment and will not be based solely on AI recommendations.
  3. The journal's use of AI detection tools and procedures will be transparent and disclosed to authors.

Compliance and Ethical Considerations

  1. Authors using AI tools must ensure compliance with relevant data privacy regulations and institutional policies.
  2. The use of AI must be lawful, ethical, and respect the principles of human autonomy, prevention of harm, fairness, and transparency.
  3. Authors should be aware that AI-generated content may inadvertently reproduce copyrighted material or contain inaccuracies, and they remain liable for any such issues.

Prohibited Practices

  • Using AI to generate fabricated data, citations, or references.
  • Submitting substantially AI-generated manuscripts without proper disclosure and human oversight.
  • Using AI to create deceptive or misleading visual content.
  • Violating confidentiality by inputting proprietary or sensitive research data into public AI systems.

6.10. Data Sharing and Reproducibility

ABC encourages authors to share their research data where appropriate and ethical.

  • Data Availability Statement: All research articles must include a Data Availability Statement outlining how the data supporting the results can be accessed. This may include links to publicly archived datasets, a statement that data are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request, or an explanation if data cannot be shared due to ethical or legal restrictions.
  • Reproducibility: Authors should describe their methods in sufficient detail to allow others to replicate their findings (see Section 2.3.2). Sharing of code or protocols is encouraged.

6.11. Corrections, Retractions, and Post-Publication Discussions

ABC is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record.

  • Corrections (Errata/Corrigenda): Errors discovered post-publication that affect the interpretation or integrity of the work will be corrected via an Erratum (for a publisher error) or a Corrigendum (for an author error).
  • Retractions: Articles may be retracted in cases of serious error, research misconduct (e.g., plagiarism, data fabrication), or redundant publication, in accordance with COPE guidelines.
  • Post-Publication Discussions: Readers can engage in post-publication discussion via Letters to the Editor (see Section 2.2), which may comment on published articles.
  • For detailed policies, see Farname Publication Ethics, Section XX.

6.12. Editorial Freedom

Archives of Breast Cancer is published by Farname Inc. While the publisher provides the necessary infrastructure and administrative support, the journal operates with full editorial independence. The Editor-in-Chief and the editorial board are solely responsible for all content decisions, including manuscript selection, peer review processes, and overall editorial direction. Editorial decisions are not influenced by commercial, political, or external interests, nor by the publisher. The appointment and responsibilities of the Editor-in-Chief are governed by a clear agreement with the publisher that upholds this principle of editorial freedom.

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7. Complaints procedure

Authors can contact us via email. In case of a complaint, please email our assistant editor, Dr. Nahid Raei, at assistant-editor@archbreastcancer.com (or assistant-editor@archbreastcancer.com). We will acknowledge receipt of a complaint within three working days and provide a full response within four weeks.

In case of dissatisfaction with the resolution, the case will be transferred to the Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Ahmad Kaviani.

Unresolved complaints may be referred to COPE if they fall within COPE's remit.

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8. Article withdrawal policy

If the authors intend to withdraw a submitted manuscript, they must:

  • Send a letter signed by all authors stating the reasons for withdrawal.
  • Pay a penalty. To avoid the withdrawal penalty of USD 300, please ensure that you submit your withdrawal request within 48 hours of the initial submission.

Submitting a manuscript elsewhere before completing the submission process with ABC is considered unethical. Authors may not submit their manuscript to other journals while it is under consideration at ABC.

A withdrawal request may be accepted by the Editor-in-Chief without penalty if there are significant scientific errors in the manuscript.

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9. Further information

Any correspondence or requests for information regarding the manuscript submission process should be addressed to:

ABC Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Ahmad Kaviani (akaviani@archbreastcancer.com)

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