Before You Begin
Confirm that the work is ready for editorial consideration, that all listed authors approve the submission, and that relevant declarations are complete.
Scope and Journal Selection
Choose the journal whose stated scope most closely matches the manuscript. Browse the journal directory before submitting.
Article Types
Structure the work for an article type supported by the selected journal. Availability can vary. Review the article-type directory.
Manuscript Preparation
Use a clear, internally consistent structure appropriate to the study design and audience. Provide enough methodological detail for informed assessment.
The Curette does not impose unstated universal word, figure, reference, or formatting limits. Follow any specific requirement displayed by the selected journal or submission workflow.
Title Page
Provide a concise title and complete author, affiliation, and corresponding-author information. Identify any additional title-page declarations requested by the selected journal.
Abstract
Summarize the purpose, approach, principal findings, and conclusions in a form suited to the article type. Avoid claims that extend beyond the reported evidence.
Keywords
Supply a focused set of terms that accurately describes the condition, population, intervention, method, or scientific subject. Avoid promotional phrases, unsupported claims, and long keyword lists designed only to attract search traffic.
Main Text
Organize the manuscript so readers can follow the rationale, methods or approach, findings, limitations, and interpretation. Use headings appropriate to the article type.
Methods
Describe the design, setting, dates or study period where relevant, participants or materials, eligibility and sampling, procedures, outcomes, variables, and analytical methods with enough detail for critical assessment. Identify software or specialized tools where material to reproducibility.
Report ethics oversight, consent, trial registration, protocol access, and deviations in the appropriate location. Distinguish prespecified from exploratory analyses and explain missing data, exclusions, and sensitivity analyses where applicable.
Results
Present findings in a logical sequence without duplicating the same information unnecessarily across text, tables, and figures. Report relevant denominators, uncertainty, adverse or unexpected findings, and missing observations where applicable. Keep interpretation and speculation distinct from the results themselves.
Discussion and Conclusions
Interpret findings in relation to the question, methods, existing evidence, clinical or scientific context, and important limitations. Conclusions must remain proportionate to the design and results; observational associations should not be presented as established causation. State implications and uncertainty clearly.
Figures and Image Integrity
Provide legible figures with descriptive captions and identify third-party material or necessary permissions. Images must not be manipulated to misrepresent findings; legitimate composites or adjustments should be explained, panels and annotations clearly identified, and original data retained where reasonably necessary.
This applies to microscopy, gels and blots, radiology, pathology, clinical photography, graphs, composites, and AI-assisted imagery. Cropping or tonal adjustment must not conceal, add, remove, or selectively emphasize evidence.
Tables
Present tables as accessible, editable content where practical, with clear titles, headings, notes, and definitions for abbreviations.
References
Cite relevant primary and secondary sources accurately and consistently. Authors are responsible for verifying authors, titles, publication details, links, and the support each reference provides. No universal citation style is imposed here; follow any style shown in the selected journal or submission workflow.
Units, Nomenclature, and Abbreviations
Use accepted scientific and clinical terminology consistently, define abbreviations at first meaningful use, and avoid unnecessary abbreviations. Report measurement units clearly and consistently. Drug, organism, gene, disease, and anatomical naming should follow appropriate field conventions without implying a universal house style not stated by the journal.
Supplementary Material
Where it improves transparency or usefulness, prepare supporting files with clear labels and descriptions. Remove confidential or identifying material that should not be shared.
ORCID
Authors may provide an ORCID identifier where available. It should belong to the named author and be entered accurately; the absence of an identifier must not be replaced with an invented or shared record.
Funding
Name funding and material support accurately and describe the funder’s role where relevant. If no specific support was received, provide an appropriate statement.
Conflicts of Interest
Disclose interests relevant to the work for every author, or state that none are identified. Read the conflicts guidance.
Ethics
Describe applicable oversight, approvals, exemptions, welfare safeguards, and relevant identifiers. Read the research ethics principles.
Informed Consent where applicable
State how informed consent was addressed when research participation or publication of identifiable information requires it. Protect participant privacy.
Case Reports and Case Series
Explain the clinical context, relevant history, findings, diagnostic assessment, intervention or management, outcomes, limitations, and educational contribution. Obtain appropriate publication consent where required, remove unnecessary identifiers, and consider whether rare features, images, dates, geography, pedigrees, or timelines could permit re-identification. Follow appropriate case-report guidance where applicable.
Clinical Trial Information where applicable
Where registration is required, provide the publicly accessible registry name, registration number, and registration timing where relevant. Prospective registration is expected where appropriate for applicable interventional trials. Read the research ethics policy.
Data Availability
Include an accurate statement describing access to supporting data and any justified restrictions. Read the data availability principles.
AI and AI-assisted Technologies
AI cannot be an author. Human authors remain accountable for every submitted element and must disclose material generative-AI use, verify references and claims, and never fabricate patients, data, results, experiments, or images. Read the AI policy.
Reporting Guidelines
Use an appropriate recognized reporting standard where applicable—for example CONSORT, STROBE, PRISMA, CARE, STARD, or ARRIVE—and submit a completed checklist if requested. A guideline supports complete reporting but does not replace sound methods, ethics approval, or journal assessment.
Preprints
Disclose any preprint or prior public version. Legitimate preprints are permitted subject to normal editorial review and continuing ethics, consent, privacy, and legal responsibilities. Read the preprint policy.
Cover Letter
Briefly explain the manuscript’s relevance to the selected journal and disclose information the editors need to assess the submission responsibly.
Submission Checklist
Confirm that files, metadata, author details, figures or tables, declarations, and applicable ethics, funding, conflict, and data statements are complete. Use the submission gateway to review preparation.
Preparing a Revision
Use the current manuscript record and revision route in the Author Portal. Provide a clear summary of changes and a point-by-point response identifying where each change was made. Explain respectful, evidence-based disagreements rather than silently omitting a requested response.
Upload clean, complete revision files, preserve required declarations, and identify any new analysis, author change, ethics issue, conflict, or material error. A revision invitation does not guarantee acceptance and further review may be required.
After Submission
The manuscript may undergo administrative and technical checks, initial editorial assessment, single-blind peer review where appropriate, revision, and a decision. Accepted work proceeds to publication requirements, APC handling where applicable, production, author proofs, and continuous publication.