Standards of reporting

Research should be communicated in a way that supports verification and reproducibility, and as such we encourage authors to provide comprehensive descriptions of their research rationale, protocol, methodology and analysis.

To aid authors in this, a number of study design specific consensus-based reporting guidelines have been developed which are endorsed by Dove Medical Press, and we encourage authors to use these as guidance prior to submitting their manuscript.

A comprehensive list of reporting guidelines for medicine and health research can be accessed via the EQUATOR network website, and for biosciences research via the MIBBI Foundry portal. A list of some key reporting guidelines for specific types of studies are listed below:

• CONSORT guidelines for clinical trials (including extensions)
• PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (including extensions)
• ARRIVE guidelines for in vivo animal studies
• CARE guidelines for clinical case reports
• STROBE guidelines for observational studies in epidemiology (including extensions)
• CHEERS guidelines for health economic evaluation studies
• COREQ guidelines for qualitative research in medicine and health
• SAGER guidelines for sex and gender information
• BRISQ guidelines for human biospecimen studies
• MIAME guidelines for microarray experiments
• RECORD guidelines for observational routinely-collected health data
• STRENDA guidelines for reporting of enzymology data
• STARD guidelines for reporting diagnostic accuracy studies

Statistical methods

Full information on the statistical methods and measures used in the research must be included within the manuscript. Authors are encouraged to consult the SAMPL guidelines. Manuscripts may be sent for specialist statistical review if considered necessary.

Cell line authentication

Due to concerns regarding cross-contamination and misidentification, if human cell lines are used in a study, authors are strongly encouraged to include the following information in their manuscript:

• Source of the cell line, including when and from where it was obtained
• Whether the cell line has recently been authenticated and by what method
• Whether the cell line has recently been tested for mycoplasma contamination

Authors are encouraged to consult the International Cell Line Authentication Committee (ICLAC), and check the NCBI database for misidentification and contamination of human cell lines.

Gene nomenclature and reporting of sequence variants and phenotypes

Standardized gene nomenclature should be used throughout the manuscript. Human gene symbols and names can be found in the HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC) database. Alternative gene aliases that are commonly used may also be reported but should not be used alone in place of the HGNC symbol.
For the reporting of sequence variants authors are strongly encouraged to consult the recommendations of the Human Variome Project Consortium for describing sequence variants (Human Genome Variation Society) and phenotypes (Human Phenotype Ontology).

Drug nomenclature

Dove Medical Press requires authors use the non-proprietary (generic) name of a drug throughout a manuscript whenever possible. Authors should give the chemical name or formula when a drug does not have a non-proprietary name. If this is not possible, in complex formulations for example, a drug can be identified by the proprietary (trade) name as appropriate and the non-proprietary name used subsequently. The active ingredients should be specified in the text after the first use of the proprietary name.

Lists of non-proprietary names can be found in various sources including the American Drug Index, the Merck Index Online, United States Pharmacopeia (USP), Physician’s Desk Reference, United States Adopted Names (USAN) or Electronic Medicines Compendium (EMC).

When the use of a proprietary name is necessary, the authors should place the non-proprietary name in parentheses immediately after the first mention of the proprietary name and use the non-proprietary name thereafter (once in the Abstract and once in the body of the manuscript is acceptable).

If an alternative non-proprietary name and a proprietary name are used, both may appear in parentheses at first mention.

When the salt is included in the non-proprietary name, it should only be given once.

The authors should capitalize proprietary names as appropriate and use the registered trademark symbol at first mention only.

Nomenclature for algae, fungi, plants and animals

Standardized nomenclature for organisms should be used throughout the manuscript, which should be in accordance with International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi and plants (ICN) and the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN).

Chemical compounds nomenclature

The synthesis of all new compounds must be described in detail, and information to verify the identity and purity should be included. Nomenclature and abbreviations should follow the recommendations from the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC).

Custom computer codes, software tools and mathematical algorithms

To enable full assessment of submissions, authors must make available on request to Editors and/or reviewers any custom computer codes, software tools or algorithms which have been used to generate the results and conclusions that are reported in the manuscript.

Updated 15 June 2020