Articlo
Format a manuscript

University of São Paulo

Prepare your manuscript for Autopsy and Case Reports.

Review the checklist, choose your article type, and turn your draft into a cleaner submission package.

Checked 2026-07-15
Check readiness freePrepare this manuscript

Article types

Research Article
Review
Systematic Review
Case Report
Letter

Readiness requirements

Review the key details below, or download the complete checklist with every stored source-backed requirement.

Abstract length

  • Provide an author-written abstract of no more than 250 words.
  • Systematic Review: Use a structured abstract.
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  • Abstract Abstracts should not exceed 250 words.
  • Case Report: Structure: should comprise Title, Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Case Report, Autopsy Presentation, Discussion, and Conclusion.
  • Case Report: Structure: should comprise Title, Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Case Report, Discussion, and Conclusion.
  • Abbreviations should not be used in the manuscript Title and Abstract.
  • Systematic Review: Original articles and articles reporting systematic reviews and meta-analyses require a structured abstract.

Keywords

  • The methodology should include the used databases, keywords, extension of the search, data retrieve, analysis, and conclusion.

Reference style

  • Articlo formats your supplied references in Vancouver style and checks that citations match the reference list; source validity is not verified.
  • When preparing the manuscript, authors must make sure that: citations are sequentially numbered as superscript numbers and inserted after punctuation marks, without parentheses or brackets.
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  • The report should have a maximum of 500 words, 1–4 pictures, and 6 references or a bibliography.
  • Tables must appear at the end of the document, after the references.
  • Legends of Figures, Graphs, Drawings, and Tables should be placed in the manuscript after the references.
  • When preparing the manuscript, authors must make sure that: references used are accurate and have not been recently retracted.
  • When preparing the manuscript, authors must make sure that: all references are properly cited in the text.
  • When preparing the manuscript, authors must make sure that: whenever reference management software is used (such as Endnote, Reference Manager etc.), the field codes must be converted into plain text before submitting the manuscript.

Figure and table rules

  • Keep every figure and table numbered, captioned, and cited in the manuscript.
  • Group figures at the end of the manuscript.
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  • Group tables at the end of the manuscript.
  • Pictures and drawings should be numbered consecutively with Arabic numerals and cited as figures (Figure 1, Figure 2, etc.).
  • Tables The authors should limit the number of tables to 7, and they must be created using the MS Word table editor.
  • Additionally: Tables must be named and cited using consecutively Arabic numerals like Table 1, Table 2, etc.
  • Tables, Graphs, Drawings, and Figures must be cited in the main manuscript body and named consecutively with Arabic numerals.
  • Tables should be sent in the body of the manuscript.
  • Additionally: The same data in graphs should not be repeated in tables.
  • Additionally: All tables must be cited in the text.
  • Figures will not be redrawn or edited and, for this reason, should be prepared, preferably by a professional, taking care to maintain uniformity in the type and size of the font used throughout the entire article.
  • The number of pictures is limited to 12 (duets, and quartets counts as one figure).

Funding statement

  • Add or confirm the author-written Funding statement; Articlo flags it if author input is still needed.
  • Funding disclosure statement All financial support received must be disclosed by all authors.
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  • Use the author’s initials, followed by a short description, and include the funding agency’s name and grant identification number(s), in that order.
  • Financial support Disclosure statements for each author regarding financial support received are required for all authors.
  • The Title Page will require the following information: Financial support.
  • If no funding or other financial support was used, the following must be included: "The authors declare that no financial support was received.".

Competing interests

  • Add or confirm the author-written Conflict of interest statement; Articlo flags it if author input is still needed.
  • Conflict of interest Authors are required to include a statement disclosing any potential conflicts of interest.
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  • The Title Page will require the following information: Conflict of interest.
  • Each author must fill and save the ICMJE Conflict of Interest disclosure form ( http://www.icmje.org/conflicts-of-interest/ ) and the submitting author must upload them in a single Zip file.
  • If there are no potential conflicts of interest worth mentioning by any of the authors, then the following statement must be included: "The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.".

Ethics statement

  • Add or confirm the author-written Ethics statement; Articlo flags it if author input is still needed.
  • Case Report: Studies and reports involving humans Autopsy and Case Reports endorses and requests that authors follow the ICMJE recommendations for the protection of research participants.All studies and reports must be in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration as revised in 2013.
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  • Patients have a right to privacy that should not be infringed; therefore, informed consent is necessary.
  • Complete anonymity is difficult to achieve; however, informed consent should be obtained if there is any doubt.
  • This informed consent should also be archived by the authors.
  • Once obtained,the Informed consent, should be kept under the researchers' responsibility and made available if requested by the journal.
  • Or, in case your manuscript does not require informed consent, did you state this in the "Comments to the Editor"?
  • Identifying information, including patients’ names, initials, or hospital names and numbers, should not be published in written descriptions or photographs unless the information is essential for the scientific purposes, and the patient (or parent/guardian) gives written informed consent for publication.
  • Moreover, the authors must declare that the manuscript was held in accordance with the procedures and regulations adopted by the Research Ethics Commission of the Institution of origin.
  • Informed consent for this purpose requires that a patient who is identifiable be shown the manuscript to be published.

Blinded manuscript

  • Review: Remove author names, affiliations, acknowledgements, and other direct identifiers from the blinded manuscript file.
  • Review: Peer-review Articles submitted to Autopsy and Case Reports will undergo the following double-blind peer-review process: The first step after receiving the submission - the editorial assistant will verify if the articles do not fail to comply with the editorial policies and formatting guidelines, and will be returned for adjustments, if necessary.

Author contributions

  • Add or confirm the author-written Author contributions statement; Articlo flags it if author input is still needed.
  • Letter: The authors must disclose this by including a detailed description of those improvements and author contributions in the submission letter.
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  • Author statements Author Contributions The description of each co-author contribution must be included after the author's full name, exactly as it appears in the authorship byline.
  • The Title Page will require the following information: authors contributions.

Title page and author information

  • Provide the author, affiliation, and correspondence details for the separate title page; Articlo creates the editable companion file.
  • Institutional affiliations Author affiliations should be listed below the authors’ names using the same superscript Arabic numerals used in the byline.
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  • This statement must be included in the Title Page as outlined in the manuscript preparation guidelines.
  • The Title Page template must be obtained here, downloaded as a docx file and filled according to the instructions therein, and the journal guidelines and policies.
  • The affiliation list must include only institutions where each author carried out the work related to the article.
  • Authors who do not have an ORCID yet must register at https://orcid.org/signin and create one.
  • The Title Page will require the following information: article title.
  • The Title Page will require the following information: authorship byline.
  • The Title Page will require the following information: Institutional affiliations.
  • The Title Page will require the following information: Correspondence information.
  • The Title Page will require the following information: Hosting institution.
  • The Title Page will require the following information: Acknowledgments.
  • All authors' names, correct email addresses, and institutions of origin must be added to the submission system in the same order in which they appear on the Title Page of the manuscript.

Reporting guidelines

  • Articles sent to authors for revision should be returned within a maximum of 10 days; otherwise, the process will be interrupted, and the article may be rejected.
  • Images should be sent separately as jpeg files measuring close to 17 × 13 cm with a resolution of 300 dpi (at least 2010 x 1535 pixels).
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  • General files preparation guidelines File sizes and formats Individual file size should not exceed 10MB in size.
  • Manuscripts should be prepared using an A4 size numbered pages, double spaced lines, and Arial 12 font.
  • The images' resolution should be as close as possible to 300 dpi and size 17 × 13 cm to allow the best edition and reproduction.
  • Image files must be sent separately in JPEG or TIFF format, using RGB color mode, flattened (without layers), and have 300 dpi at 17 × 13 cm, which translates as having at least 2000 pixels wide.
  • The resolution of the drawings and graphs should also be as close as possible to 300 dpi and size 17 × 13 cm (at least 2000 pixels wide) to allow the best edition and reproduction.
  • Title Authors should try to create an interesting and succinct title that describes the study design and major findings when appropriate, and also: Be as concise and explanatory as possible while not exceeding 45 characters (including spaces).
  • All the submissions should represent original works and must be not under evaluation nor submitted to another journal.
  • Letter: Submitted articles that have already undergone evaluation for another journal are required to include that journal's corresponding rejection letter during submission.
  • Case Report: The clinical case report type of article comprises a clinical case presentation, which should include the surgical pathology documentation when available.
  • Submission and evaluation: authors interested in publishing an editorial should first write an email to the Editor-in-chief presenting their idea.
  • This may require several rounds of negotiation between the journal’s scientific editor responsible for the content and the authors.
  • Identifying details should be omitted if they are not essential.
  • In this particular case, any information that may violate the anonymity of the corpse should be omitted.
  • All suspected misconduct will be thoroughly investigated, reaching out to the involved parties and their institutions if required.
  • Photomicrographs should be captured by professional devices providing adjustments of the white balance, size and dpi.
  • Text inserted in images must be clear and sharp and allow for the perfect reading.
  • Files required for submission Authors are expected to read and follow all the journal policies and guidelines thoroughly.
  • However, their publication will require the author's agreement.
  • Images should be sent separately in JPEG extension files, not inserted in.docx files neither.pptx files, but must be cited in the manuscript.
  • Drawings and graphs should also be uploaded in JPEG format and sent separately (not inserted in the manuscript file).
  • Similarly to the pictures, they should be cited in the manuscript.
  • Nomenclature and acronyms Authors should only use well-established nomenclature and acronyms in the manuscript.
  • Blood pressures should be in millimeters of mercury.
  • Additionally: Diagonal cell divisions must not be used.
  • When preparing the manuscript, authors must make sure that: journal names are correctly abbreviated; and.
  • The final step will show small red text and an "edit" link should you have any errors.
  • It is essential to rigorously follow instructions that appear while submitting an article, paying special attention to metadata, which should be carefully filled in.
  • Or, in case your manuscript does not require approval, did you state this in the "Comments to the Editor"?
  • As per the journal’s general policies and quality standards, they must be accompanied by excellent documentation and preferentially a good clinical-anatomical and radiological correlation.
  • Letter: The authors are requested to state in the submission letter if the manuscript is by their national and/or institutional ethical research committee and has received the proper approval if required by the study type.
  • File designation Filename Required?
  • Title Authors should try to create an interesting and succinct title that describes the study design and major findings when appropriate, and also: Use sentence case, capitalizing only the first word and any proper nouns.
  • Title Authors should try to create an interesting and succinct title that describes the study design and major findings when appropriate, and also: Do not use a period in the end.
  • Use of AI by Authors.
  • Use of AI by Reviewers.
  • Thus, the period between submission and publication is quite variable but does not exceed 3 months.
  • In order to make it easier for the journal staff and authors to check compliance, we require that the following files are carefully prepared.
  • Concepts presented in the published articles are the authors' exclusive responsibility and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the journal or its Editorial Board.
  • Review: Eventually, when the peer-review requires no more amendments, the manuscript is accepted and sent to the production.
  • The timeframe for the publication of an article depends on the editorial cycle, which involves steps that may not rely directly on the journal's responsibility.
  • Keep up-to-date.

Preprints and prior publication

  • Include or confirm the preprints and prior publication required by the journal. Articlo checks this item and flags anything that still needs author input.

Artificial intelligence disclosure

  • Authors must provide a detailed declaration of the AI tools used, describing their purpose and extent of use.
  • Contributions from AI tools should be explicitly mentioned where appropriate, but not as authors.
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  • Use of Artificial Intelligence in Publishing.
  • As we continue to develop a comprehensive set of policies that address the implications of AI tool usage by all parties at every stage, we require adherence to the following key principles which were developed using the ICMJE and COPE recommendations: Transparency and Declaration: Authors must disclose all uses of AI tools in their submissions.
  • As we continue to develop a comprehensive set of policies that address the implications of AI tool usage by all parties at every stage, we require adherence to the following key principles which were developed using the ICMJE and COPE recommendations: Transparency and Declaration: We currently require authors do disclose all uses of AI tools either on the Methods or in a designated section at the end of the manuscript: For uses involving data treatment and analysis, authors must describe the application of AI tools in the Methods section of the manuscript.
  • As we continue to develop a comprehensive set of policies that address the implications of AI tool usage by all parties at every stage, we require adherence to the following key principles which were developed using the ICMJE and COPE recommendations: Transparency and Declaration: We currently require authors do disclose all uses of AI tools either on the Methods or in a designated section at the end of the manuscript: For other uses such as manuscript drafting, text revision, or image generation or editing, the dedicated section at the end of the article must be used.
  • As we continue to develop a comprehensive set of policies that address the implications of AI tool usage by all parties at every stage, we require adherence to the following key principles which were developed using the ICMJE and COPE recommendations: Authorship and Responsibility: AI tools do not qualify for authorship.
  • As we continue to develop a comprehensive set of policies that address the implications of AI tool usage by all parties at every stage, we require adherence to the following key principles which were developed using the ICMJE and COPE recommendations: Ongoing Policy Development: The journal is actively studying and developing more detailed policies that take into account the varied implications of AI tool use by authors, reviewers, and editors throughout the publication process.

Article type and manuscript length

  • Maximum length: At least 1,000 words presenting a maximum of 6 references.
  • Maximum length: 3,000 words.
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  • Maximum length: 3000 words.
  • Maximum length: 1500 words.
  • Review: If the authors include a literature review, this word limit may be exceeded.
  • Depending on your work or manuscript type, other files might be required, such as the recommended checklists found on the EQUATOR Network.

Study reporting guidelines

  • Review: Structure: should follow the appropriate review type as recommended by the EQUATOR network.
  • As such, authors are required to take special care when preparing images, photographs, drawings, and graphs, or other visual media.
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  • Those should be named according to the specific checklist used, like care-checklist.pdf, prisma-checklist.pdf etc.
  • Case Report: Units of measurement Autopsy and Case Reports uses the International System of Units (SI) and requests that authors take care and when reporting quantities and adhere to the following recommendations: Measurements of length, height, weight, and volume should be reported in metric units (meter, kilogram, and liter) or decimal multiples.
  • Case Report: Units of measurement Autopsy and Case Reports uses the International System of Units (SI) and requests that authors take care and when reporting quantities and adhere to the following recommendations: Temperatures should be in degrees Celsius.

Authorship and originality

  • All authors must approve the final version of the manuscript and be responsible for each part of the collaborative work in its final version.
  • Acknowledgments Contributions from anyone who does not meet the authorship criteria should be listed, with permission from the contributor, in an Acknowledgments section.
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  • All authors must sign the Declaration of Responsibility and License Agreement.
  • Changes in authorship after submission After submission, changes in authorship (order, inclusions or exclusions) will only be possible with a written request signed by all authors detailing the reasons for the required changes.
  • Correspondence information Must include the author's full name exactly as typed in the authorship byline and be followed by a full postal address, telephone numbers, and email address.

Language and text style

  • Names of Institutions must be written in their original language or English when not in the Roman alphabet.
  • Review: Depending on the language quality, the editor might require that the authors send the manuscript to a professional copy editing service provider and submit it again along with the editing certificate to send the paper to the peer-review stage.
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  • When using abbreviations in the text, unless it is a standard unit of measurement, the full spelled-out text must be used and followed by the proper abbreviation in parentheses when first mentioned.
  • She has been working for the journal for many years and is well-acquainted with the medical language needed to convey the scientific content correctly.

Manuscript structure

  • Review: Furthermore, review manuscripts should describe the methods used to locate, select, extract, and synthesize the data.
  • Images should not be manipulated or adjusted in any way that could result in misinterpretation of the information.
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  • The main manuscript file must be structured according to the requirements described in our Section Policies and the Manuscript preparation guidelines section.

Submission forms and permissions

  • Submitting your manuscript One of the authors must create an account on the online submission system: Check if you already have an account at: click here.
  • Submitting your manuscript One of the authors must create an account on the online submission system: If you are not registered, register at: user registration.
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  • Submitting your manuscript One of the authors must create an account on the online submission system: Submit your manuscript at: http://autopsy.submitcentral.com.br.
  • Letter: Pre-submission checklist Before you finish your submission on the online submission system, please make sure that you answer YES for the following questions: If your manuscript has already been evaluated by other journals, did you include the rejection letter in the submission and mentioned in the "Comments to the Editor"?
  • Pre-submission checklist Before you finish your submission on the online submission system, please make sure that you answer YES for the following questions: Were all the files named according to the "Files required for submission" section and uploaded in the proper file format?
Save journal and get updates Download complete checklist

What your package checks

Abstract: 250 words
References: Vancouver
Title page: separate file
Declarations: Funding, Conflict of interest, Ethics, Author contributions
Format: Arial, double spacing

Source transparency

This preparation guide uses published journal-specific author requirements. Journal instructions can change, so authors should complete a final review before submission.

Open official guideline source