Author Guidelines

Manuscript Submission

Manuscripts should be submitted online via the OJS online manuscript submission and review system. At the time of submission, complete contact information (postal/mail address, e-mail address, telephone and fax numbers) for the corresponding author is required. First and last names, e-mail addresses, and institutional affiliations of all coauthors are also required. Manuscripts submitted through the OJS should not be submitted by mail or e-mail. After the manuscript is submitted online, the corresponding author will receive a manuscript number.
All aspects of the manuscript (tables, illustrations, and references) should be prepared according to the ICMJE requirements. For more information visit http://www.icmje.org/manuscript_1prepare.html

Cover Letter

A cover letter must accompany all submissions and provide the following information in accordance with the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals: Writing and Editing for Biomedical Publication, available at http://www.icmje.org
  • That the manuscript is being submitted only to PAEDIATRIA CROATICA, that it will not be submitted elsewhere while under consideration, that it has not been published elsewhere, and, should it be published in PAEDIATRIA CROATICA, that it will not be published elsewhere – either in similar form or verbatim – without permission of the editors. Any prior publications or submissions with any overlapping information should be disclosed and a copy of the work(s) must be provided.
  • That all authors are responsible for reported research. That all authors have participated in the concept and design; analysis and interpretation of data; drafting or revising of the manuscript, and that they have approved the manuscript as submitted.
  • All authors are also required to disclose any professional affiliation, financial agreement or other involvement with any company whose product figures prominently in the submitted manuscript.
  • If tables or figures have been reproduced from another source, a letter from the copyright holder (usually the Publisher) stating authorization to reproduce the material must be attached to the covering letter.
  • Authors can suggest up to 3 to 5 external reviewers for their manuscript, but the Editor is not obliged to use the author suggested reviewers. Authors can also indicate the names of reviewers by whom they may not wish to have their manuscripts reviewed.
  • Authors who wish to include supplemental data in the online version of the jounal shoud state this in the cover letter

Author Listing

All authors' names should be listed in their entirety. All authors must clearly present institutional/professional affiliations and degrees held.

Abbreviations

Authors should provide a list of abbreviations on the abstract page. All acronyms in the text should be expanded at first mention, followed by the abbreviation in parentheses. The acronym may appear in the text thereafter. Do not use abbreviations in the title and abstract.

Keywords

Authors should provide keywords on the abstract page and use Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms as a guide. For more information visit: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/meshhome.html

Units of Measure

Laboratory values should be expressed using conventional units of measure, with relevant Système International (SI) conversion factors expressed secondarily (in parentheses) only at first mention.
The metric system is preferred for the expression of length, area, mass, and volume. Temperatures should be in degrees Celsius. Blood pressures should be in millimeters of mercury. For more detail, see the Units of Measure conversion table on the web site for the AMA Manual of Style http://www.us.oup.com/us/pdf/9780195176339/table_2.pdf.

Drug Nomenclature

Drugs should be described as follows:
  • Trade names of drugs and other products must not appear in the article title.
  • At first usage (once in the Abstract and once in the Methods section), cite the generic name, with the trade and manufacturer name in parentheses; subsequent appearances should use the generic name only.
  • The trade name may appear once in the Abstract and once in the Introduction or Methods section; all other product mentioning must be in the form of the generic name.

Gene Names, Symbols, and Accession Numbers

Authors describing genes or related structures in a manuscript should include the names and official symbols provided by the US National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) or the HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee.

Proprietary Products

Authors should use nonproprietary names of drugs or devices unless mention of a manufacturer is pertinent to the discussion. If a proprietary product is cited, the name and location of the manufacturer must also be included.

Manuscript Style

Manuscripts – including tables, illustrations, and references – should follow the style of the Vancouver agreement detailed in the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors’ revised Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals: Writing and Editing for Biomedical Publication, as presented at http://www.icmje.org/index.html

Language editing service

Manuscript that is written in English, should be written in understandable style and checked for correct spelling and use of grammar. The Journal does not provide language editing service. However, authors may find the links to several language editing services. Paediatria Croatica does not have any preferences for the use of any particular service provider.



Recommended File Sizes

We recommend individual file sizes of no more than 500 kB and not exceeding 1 MB, with the total size for all files not exceeding 5 MB (not including any video files).

Manuscript File Formats

For submission and review, acceptable manuscript file formats include Word and WordPerfect. Do not submit your manuscript in PDF format. Use 10-point font size, double-space text, and leave right margins unjustified (ragged).

Parts of the Manuscript

Manuscripts should be presented in the following order: Title page, Abstract, Keywords and Abbreviations used in the text, Text, Acknowledgments, References, Appendices, Tables (each table complete with title and footnotes), Figure legends, Figures. Start each of these sections on a new page, numbered consecutively, beginning with the title page.

Title Page

The title page should contain:
  • The title of the paper
  • Type of manuscript
  • Full names of the authors with their affiliations
  • The addresses of the institutions at which the work was carried out
  • Full postal and e-mail address, fax and telephone numbers of the corresponding author
  • Short title
  • Word count for text only (not including abstract, acknowledgment or references)

Abstracts and Keywords

Regular articles (Original Articles, Review Articles, Case Reports) require a structured abstract that states in no more than 250 words the purpose, basic procedures, main findings and principal conclusions of the study. Divide the abstract with the headings: Aim, Methods, Results, and Conclusions. All information reported in the abstract must appear in the manuscript. The abstract should not include references. Write the abstract with a general medical audience in mind. Please use complete sentences for all sections of the abstract.
Letters and Commentaries do not require abstract.
Keywords should be taken from those recommended by the US National Library of Medicine’s Medical Subjects Headings (MeSH) browser list (visit: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/MBrowser.html)
A list of abbreviations used in the text with adequate explanation should be placed at the bottom of the abstract page.

Article Types

When preparing the manuscript for PAEDIATRIA CROATICA, authors must first determine the article type, and then select the appropriate manuscript preparation instructions from the types listed below. Also, become familiar with the journal style and correct preparation of figures, tables, and multimedia.
  • Original Articles
    • Maximum text length: 3000 words
    • Tables and figures: max 5
    • References: max 40
    • Original articles are research contributions that aim to change clinical practice or the understanding of a disease process. They include, but are not limited to clinical trials, interventional studies, cohort studies, case-control studies, epidemiologic assessments, and surveys.
    • Components of an Original Article include:
      • Structured Abstract. Authors must supply up to three brief points "What is already known on this topic", and up to three brief points stating "What this paper adds?".
      • Introduction. A one- to two-paragraph long introduction outlining the wider context that generated the study and the hypothesis.
      • Patients and Methods. Section detailing inclusion criteria and study design to ensure reproducibility of the research.
      • Results: This section should give specific answers to the aims or questions stated in the introduction. Results should be clear and concise. The order of presentation of results should parallel the order of the methods section. The data presented in the tables or figures should not be repeated in the text. Graphs should be used as an alternative to tables with many entries; do not present the same data in duplicate (e.g., in both graphs and tables).
      • Discussion. An expanded discussion highlighting antecedent literature on the topic and how the current study changes the perception of the current knowledge on the subject.
      • Conclusion. A concluding paragraph presenting the impact of the study and possible new research on the subject.
  • Review Articles
    • Maximum text length: 3000 words
    • Tables and figures: max 5
    • References: max 50
    • Review Articles combine and/or summarize data from the knowledge base of a topic. These articles can include systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Reports of systematic reviews and meta-analyses should use the PRISMA statement as a guide, and include a completed PRISMA checklist and flow diagram to accompany the main text. Blank templates of the checklist and flow diagram can be downloaded from the http://www.prisma-statement.org/usage.htm. When writing review article, it is recommended to use a Structured Abstract with following headings: Context, Objective, Data Sources, Study Selection, Data Extraction, Results, and Conclusions.
    • Authors considering the submission of uninvited reviews should contact the Editor-in-Chief in advance to determine whether the topic that they propose is of current potential interest to the PAEDIATRIA CROATICA. The Editorial Board has decided to accept review articles only from the authors who have already published at least two PubMed cited original papers in the field treated by the review article.
  • Clinical and Laboratory Observations (CLOs)
    • Maximum text length: 2000 words 
    • Tables and figures: max 4
    • References: max 20
    • CLOs are: (1) small series of diagnostic or therapeutic interventions; or (2) brief, focused studies related to a topic of interest to pediatricians. Please note that CLOs are not designed to present information that is generally available in textbooks, even if the reported entity is novel. CLOs are designed to provide readers with new information and stimulate new approaches to diagnosis, clinical management, or research.
    • Structured Abstract: Authors must supply up to three brief points "What is already known on this topic", and up to three brief points stating "What this paper adds?".
    • Introduction: A one- -paragraph short introduction outlining the backgorund and outlining the aims of the study.
    • Patients and Methods: Section detailing inclusion criteria and study design to ensure reproducibility of the research.
    • Results: This section should give specific answers to the aims or questions stated in the introduction. Results should be clear and concise. The order of presentation of results should parallel the order of the methods section. The data presented in the tables or figures should not be repeated in the text. Graphs should be used as an alternative to tables with many entries; do not present the same data in duplicate (e.g., in both graphs and tables). Exact P-values should be provided for all tested differences (e.g., write P=0.048 instead of P<0.05) rounded to three decimal places.
    • Discussion:  A short discussion highlighting antecedent literature on the topic and how the current study changes the perception of the current knowledge on the subject.
    • Conclusion: A concluding paragraph presenting the impact of the study and possible new research on the subject.

  • Case Reports
    • Maximum text length: 1800 words
    • Tables and figures: max 4
    • References: max 20
    • Case Report articles are descriptions of a case or small number of cases revealing novel and important insights into a condition's pathogenesis, presentation, and/or management in order to expand differential diagnosis and improve patient care. Case Report articles should be structured as follows:
      • Abstract. An unstructured or structured abstract that summarizes the case(s).
      • Introduction. A brief introduction.
      • Patient Presentation. A case report section that details patient presentation, initial diagnosis, and outcome.
      • Discussion. A discussion section including a brief review of the relevant literature and how this case brings new understanding to the disease process.
  • Research Letter
    • Maximum text length: 600 words
    • Tables and figures: max 2
    • References: max 6
    • Authors: no more than 5
    • These are very brief reports offered in a letter format reporting a clinical or laboratory observation that adds to the scientific knowledge of the condition. As in all letters, the manuscripts are not subdivided into sections nor do they include an abstract. Key words are required for indexing purposes.
  • Commentaries
    • Maximum text length: 800 words
    • Tables and figures: NO tables/figures
    • References: max 5
    • Authors: no more than 3
    • Commentaries are opinion pieces consisting of a main point and supporting discussion. They may address virtually any important general issues or controversies in the field of pediatrics. These contributions usually pertain to and are published concurrently with a specific article. Commentaries should be well focused, scholarly and clearly presented, and serve to launch a broader discussion of a topic.
      Authors who wish to propose a Commentary should e-mail a proposal letter and outline to the Editor-in-Chief for approval before submitting the full manuscript.
  • Letters to the Editor
    • Maximum text length: 300 words
    • Tables/figures: NO tables/figures
    • References: max 5
    • Authors: no more than 3
    • Letters to the Editor may be submitted in response to work that has been published in the PAEDIATRIA CROATICA within the past year or to related topics. Letters should be short commentaries related to specific points of agreement or disagreement with the published work. Letters are not intended for presentation of original data unrelated to a published article. Letters must not duplicate other material published or submitted for publication and should not include unpublished data.
      Letters will be published at the discretion of the Editors and are subject to abridgement and editing for style and content.
  • Clinical Practice Guidelines - Clinical Practice Guidelines identify, summarize and evaluate the highest quality evidence and most current evidence based data about prevention, diagnosis, prognosis and treatment, including dosage of medications, risk/benefit and cost-effectiveness.
    In order to guide decisions and criteria regarding diagnosis, management and treatment in specific diseases, PAEDIATRIA CROATICA publishes Clinical Practice Guidelines. These recommendations are developed by medical specialty societies, professional associations, public and private organizations, government agencies, and health care organizations.
  • Society News
    The Society News keeps you informed about past conferences and upcoming events and announcements related to clinical and translational research. If you have an event or announcement that you would like us to include please contact secretar on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Figures

All illustrations (line drawings, photographs, charts, graphs) are classified as figures. Authors should number figures in the order in which they appear in the text. Color illustrations are acceptable. Note that colors must be dark enough and of sufficient contrast for reproduction. A reasonable number of black and white illustrations will be reproduced at no cost to the authors, but the Editors retain the right to edit or delete illustrations and tables for the sake of brevity. Authors will be charged for all color illustrations and other special processing. It is the responsibility of the authors to make arrangements before manuscripts are processed.
Each figure should be supplied as a separate file, with the figure number incorporated in the file name. For submission, low-resolution figures saved as .jpg or .bmp files should be uploaded, for ease of transmission during the review process.
Refer to Types of Articles because there may be a limit on the number of figures for the type of manuscript.
Each illustration must be provided with a Legend that does not exceed 50 words. Legends should be double-spaced on a separate page within the main document file following the references page. If an illustration has been previously published, the legend must give full credit to the original source. Avoid using color descriptors in the figure legends.

Tables

Tables should be numbered in the order in which they are cited in the text. Tables should not reiterate information presented in the Results section, but rather should provide clear and concise data that further illustrate the main point. Include a title for each table (a brief phrase, preferably no longer than 10 to 15 words). If a table must be continued, repeat the title on a second sheet, followed by “(cont).” If a table or any data therein have been previously published, a footnote must give full credit to the original source. Tables are to be uploaded as separate documents, formatted in .doc or .xls.
Refer to Types of Articles because there may be a limit on the number of tables for the type of manuscript.

Supplemental Data

Supplemental Data allow authors to enhance papers in PAEDIATRIA CROATICA by making additional substantive material available to readers. Supplemental Data may take the form of figures, tables, datasets, derivations, or videos, and is published only in PAEDIATRIA CROATICA online; it does not appear in the printed version of the journal. Authors who wish to include Supplemental Data should state so in the cover letter when the manuscript is submitted.
Supplemental Data files should be submitted at the time of manuscript submission, and will be reviewed along with the manuscript. The files should be uploaded in the field marked "Upload Supplemental Data Files", and should not be attached with the manuscript and figure files. Authors should refer to the Supplemental Data in the manuscript at an appropriate point in the text or figure/table legend.
The file formats listed below may be used for Supplemental Data. Provide a brief description of each item in a separate HTML or Word file (i.e. figure or table legends, captions for movie or sound clips, etc.). Do not save figure numbers, legends, or author names as part of an image. File sizes should not exceed 5 MB. Images should not exceed 500 pixels in width or height. Do not use tabs or spaces for Word or WordPerfect tables; please use the table functions available within these word processing programs to prepare tables. For web pages, provide a complete list of files and instructions for creating directories.
  • .htm, HTML *
  • .JPG, JPEG image *
  • .gif, Graphical image
  • .PDF, Adobe Portable Document Format
  • .xls, MS Excel Spreadsheet
  • .mov, Quick Time
  • .wav, Sound
  • .doc, MS Word 6 documents **
  • .txt, Plain ASCII *

*These files can be viewed directly on standard web browsers.
**MS Word may be used for text only.

References

Authors are responsible for the accuracy of references. The Vancouver system of referencing should be followed:
  • References should be numbered consecutively in the order in which they are first mentioned in the text.
  • Identify references in text, tables, and legends by Arabic numerals in bracket and cite DOI number of the article.
  • References cited only in tables or figure legends should be numbered in accordance with the sequence established by the first identification in the text of the particular table or figure.
  • Cite the names of all authors when there are six or fewer.
  • When there are seven or more authors, list the first three followed by et al.

Examples:

  • Journal article
    • Less than six authors - Robitaille P, Merouani A, He N, Pei Y. Bartter syndrome in two sisters with a novel mutation of the CLCNKB gene, one with deafness. Eur J Pediatr. 2011;170:1209-11.
    • More than six authors - Flick RP, Katusic SK, Colligan RC, et al. Cognitive and behavioral outcomes after early exposure to anesthesia and surgery. Pediatrics. 2011;128:1123-6.
  • Books - Turnpenny P, Ellard S, ed. Emery's Elements of Medical Genetics. 14th ed. Philadelphia: Elesevier Churchill Livingstone; 2010.
  • Book Chapter - Wallace RJ Jr, Griffith DE. Antimycobacterial agents. In: Kasper DL, Fauci AS, Longo DL, Braunwald E, Hauser SL, Jameson JL, ed. Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine. 16th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 2005:946.
  • Web page - Zhang M, Holman CD, Price SD, Sanfilippo FM, Preen DB, Bulsara MK. Comorbidity and repeat admission to hospital for adverse drug reactions in older adults: retrospective cohort study. BMJ. 2009 Jan 7;338:a2752. doi: 10.1136/bmj.a2752

Supplements

The proceedings of meetings can be accepted as supplements to PAEDIATRIA CROATICA. Supplements must contain material pertinent to pediatric audience. Prior to submission, approval of the topic of a supplement must be obtained from Editorial Board. We ask for a brief letter outlining the supplement, a proposed table of contents listing titles and authors of prospective papers, and a statement describing who will underwrite the cost of the supplement. All costs for production, copyediting, press, distribution and postage, and online production of the supplement, including agreed number complimentary copies, will by charged to the submitter.
To submit the supplement after conceptual approval, please send 1 hard copy plus a CD-ROM, of the entire supplement to the Editorial Office. Material appearing in PAEDIATRIA CROATICAis subject to journal's editorial standards

Announcements and Upcoming Events

Announcements of scheduled meetings, conferences, symposia, or postgraduate courses of interest to the pediatric readership may be sent to the Editorial Office via e-mail for consideration well in advance of the meeting date or deadline, having in mind that the journal is published quarterly. News items of general interest to pediatricians and related specialists will also be considered. Submissions for the Announcements and Upcoming Events section must include the following information (* = required):
  • Event Title*
  • Dates*
  • Host/Organizer/Sponsor*
  • Location*
Approved Announcements will be published in the online version of PAEDIATRIA CROATICA.