Submissions

Author Guidelines

Author Guidelines — Anticancer Intelligence

Scope and Editorial Policy

Anticancer Intelligence is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal published by the International Cancer Artificial Intelligence Research Institute (ICAIRI). The journal publishes original research, reviews, and methodological contributions at the intersection of artificial intelligence and oncology. Submissions are welcomed across six core areas: AI Methods for Cancer Research, Cancer Genomics and Multi-omics, Cancer Imaging and Pathology, AI-driven Drug Discovery, Clinical Oncology and Decision Support, and Reviews and Tutorials.

We also welcome rigorous anticancer research that incorporates emerging computational approaches or provides empirical foundations for future machine learning applications in oncology. Studies addressing novel therapeutics, drug delivery systems, biomarkers, or clinical outcomes that demonstrate substantial methodological rigor or computational depth are encouraged to submit.

Submission Policy

Authors are invited to make a submission to Anticancer Intelligence. All submissions will be assessed by an editor to determine whether they meet the aims and scope of the journal. Those considered to be a good fit will be sent for peer review before determining whether they will be accepted or rejected.

Pre-Submission Requirements

Before making a submission, authors are responsible for:

• Obtaining permission to publish any material included with the submission, such as photos, documents, and datasets
• Ensuring all identified authors consent to be named as authors
• Obtaining appropriate ethics committee approval where required by law or institutional policy
• Submitting manuscripts in English

Desk Rejection Policy

An editor may desk reject a submission without peer review if it:

• Falls outside the journal's scope
• Does not follow the Author Guidelines
• Is unclear in language or presentation
• Presents results insufficient to support the stated conclusions
• Is not objectively based on valid experimental or methodological grounds
• Substantially repeats results already published by the same or other authors
• Shows evidence of plagiarism, as detected by plagiarism screening

We recommend that before submitting, authors ensure the study design and research argument are structured and articulated properly. The title should be concise and the abstract should be able to stand on its own. This will increase the likelihood of reviewers agreeing to review the paper.

Language Quality Note: Manuscripts with significant language or presentation problems may be desk-rejected. Non-native English speakers are encouraged to use professional editing services before submission.

Accepted Article Types

Anticancer Intelligence accepts the following article types:

• Original Research Articles — unpublished empirical or computational research (maximum 8,000 words)
• Reviews — comprehensive syntheses of current knowledge (maximum 10,000 words)
• Short Communications — concise reports of preliminary findings or focused studies (maximum 3,000 words)
• Case Reports — detailed clinical or research case documentation (maximum 5,000 words)
• Tutorials and Methods — step-by-step guides to new methodologies or tools (maximum 8,000 words)

Manuscript Preparation

Language and Format

• Language: Manuscripts must be submitted in English.
• File Format: Submit as a Word (.docx) file, double-spaced, with line numbers enabled for ease of review.

Length Requirements

• Original Research: 8,000 words maximum (excluding references, tables, and figures)
• Reviews: 10,000 words maximum
• Short Communications: 3,000 words maximum
• Case Reports: 5,000 words maximum
• Tutorials/Methods: 8,000 words maximum

Abstract

A structured abstract of 250–300 words is required, summarizing the background/aim, methods, results, and conclusions. For Case Reports, the structure should be: Background/Aim – Case Report – Conclusion.

Keywords

Provide 4–6 keywords relevant to the article's content and discipline.

Figures and Tables

• Number sequentially in order of appearance
• Submit as separate high-resolution files (minimum 300 DPI for images)
• Include a descriptive caption for each figure and table
• Ensure figures are legible and tables are clearly formatted

Supplementary Materials

Supplementary materials (e.g., extended methods, additional figures, datasets, code) may be submitted and will be published online alongside the accepted article. Clearly label all supplementary files and indicate their placement in the manuscript text.

Citation Style

References should follow the Vancouver citation style, numbered consecutively in the order they appear in the text. Ensure all cited works are accurate and complete. Examples:

• Journal article: Smith J, Johnson K, Williams R. Title of article. Journal Name. 2024;15(3):123–135.
• Book: Author A. Book Title. Publisher; Year.
• Online resource: Organization Name. Title of resource. https://www.example.com [Accessed DATE].

Data Availability

Authors are strongly encouraged to make datasets, code, and computational scripts publicly available via repositories such as:

• GitHub
• Zenodo
• Open Science Framework (OSF)
• Institutional repositories
• Domain-specific repositories (e.g., GEO for genomics, TCGA for cancer data)

A Data Availability Statement must be included in the manuscript specifying where data can be accessed, or confirming that data are available on request with justification for restrictions (e.g., patient privacy, proprietary materials).

Manuscript Structure

All manuscripts should be organized into the following sections in this order:

Title Page

Include:

• Title: Concise, not exceeding 15 words
• Author names and affiliations: Full names and institutional affiliations for all authors (maximum 20 authors)
• Corresponding author(s): Maximum 2 corresponding authors, with affiliation, postal address, email address, and telephone number. At least one corresponding author is required.
• Keywords: 4–6 keywords
• Study type indication: Original research, review, clinical, epidemiological, computational, or experimental
• Date of submission

Abstract

• Structure: Structured format with Background/Aim – Methods – Results – Conclusion (for Case Reports: Background/Aim – Case Report – Conclusion)
• Length: 250–300 words
• Standalone clarity: Should be comprehensible without reference to the full text

Introduction

• Establish the research context and background
• Clearly state the research question, hypothesis, or objectives
• Cite relevant prior work concisely

Materials and Methods

• Describe the study design, population/sample, data sources, and analytical approaches
• Provide sufficient detail for reproducibility
• For computational studies, specify algorithms, parameters, software versions, and validation methods
• Include any ethical approvals and consent procedures

Results

• Present findings clearly, using text, tables, and figures as appropriate
• Avoid interpreting results in this section

Discussion

• Interpret findings in context of prior literature
• Address study limitations transparently
• Discuss implications for clinical practice, research, or policy
• Suggest future directions

Conclusion

• Summarize main findings and their significance
• Avoid introducing new data

Conflicts of Interest

• Authors must disclose all financial, personal, or institutional relationships that could be construed as a conflict of interest
• This includes funding sources, consulting fees, stock ownership, patents, or other material benefits
• If no conflicts exist, state: "The authors declare no competing interests."

Authors' Contributions

• Clearly indicate each author's specific contributions using the CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) taxonomy
• Example roles: Conceptualization, Methodology, Software, Formal Analysis, Investigation, Data Curation, Writing – Original Draft, Writing – Review & Editing, Visualization, Supervision, Project Administration, Funding Acquisition

Acknowledgements

• Thank individuals or institutions that contributed to the work but do not meet authorship criteria
• Acknowledge funding sources not listed elsewhere

Funding

• List all sources of financial support for the research
• Include grant numbers and funder names
• If no funding was received, state: "This research received no specific grant from any public, commercial, or not-for-profit funding agency."

AI Disclosure

• Mandatory section. Disclose whether artificial intelligence (AI) tools were used in the preparation of the manuscript
• If AI was not used, state: "No artificial intelligence tools were used in the preparation of this manuscript."
• If AI was used, specify:
  • Which tools were used (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude, DeepL, Copilot, specialized research tools)
  • The extent and purpose (e.g., language editing, literature search assistance, data analysis, figure generation, code development)
  • Any limitations or verification steps taken
• Important: AI tools must not be listed as authors. Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, integrity, and originality of all submitted work, including any content generated with AI assistance.

References

• Numbered consecutively in order of appearance in text
• Follow Vancouver citation style
• Verify accuracy and completeness before submission

Peer Review Process

Single-Blind Peer Review

Anticancer Intelligence follows a single-blind peer review process:

• Author names and affiliations appear on the title page as normal
• Reviewer identities remain confidential throughout the process

Review Timeline

• Acknowledgement: An acknowledgement of receipt, including the manuscript number and date received, is sent to the corresponding author upon submission. If this is not received within 10 business days, contact the editorial office at editor@icairi.org.
• Peer review: Manuscripts are typically sent to two independent reviewers
• Reviewer response: Reviewers are asked to return evaluations within 3 weeks of receipt
• Editorial decision: Authors typically receive an editorial decision within 6–8 weeks of submission
• Revision submission: Authors are typically given 4–6 weeks to revise and resubmit their manuscript. Manuscripts not resubmitted within this period will be considered withdrawn.

Publication Fees

Upon acceptance, an Article Processing Charge (APC) of $450 USD applies.

Fee Waiver Policy

Fee waivers are available for authors facing financial hardship. Requests should be submitted at the time of initial submission and must include:

• Justification of financial hardship
• Confirmation that this is the author's first publication in a similar venue (or other relevant circumstances)

Decisions on fee waivers are made on a case-by-case basis and are not guaranteed. More information is available upon request to editor@icairi.org.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Disclosure Policy

Disclosure is mandatory for all submissions.

Authors must clearly state whether AI tools were or were not used in manuscript preparation. This includes:

• Language editing tools (e.g., grammar checkers, paraphrasers)
• Literature search and analysis tools (e.g., AI-powered reference managers)
• Data analysis and visualization tools
• Code generation and debugging assistance
• Figure or graphic generation
• Any other AI-assisted content generation

Authorship and AI

• AI tools must not be listed as authors
• Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, integrity, originality, and factual correctness of all submitted work
• AI-generated content must be reviewed, verified, and approved by the authors before submission
• Overfitting or over-reliance on AI assistance without independent verification may be grounds for rejection

Transparency

Clear disclosure of AI use enhances transparency and allows reviewers to assess the work appropriately. Failure to disclose AI use may result in desk rejection or retraction of published work.

Editorial Standards

Anticancer Intelligence requires that all manuscripts comply with:

• ICMJE (International Committee of Medical Journal Editors) – "Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals"
• COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) – "Code of Conduct"
• DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals) – best practice standards
• WAME (World Association of Medical Editors) – ethical guidelines
• OASPA (Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association) – transparency principles

We are committed to research integrity, reproducibility, and ethical publication practices.

Submission Checklist

Before submitting, please confirm:

• Manuscript is in English
• Manuscript follows the Author Guidelines structure
• Abstract is 250–300 words and structured
• Keywords (4–6) are provided
• All authors have consented to authorship
• Corresponding author contact details are correct
• Funding sources are disclosed
• Conflicts of interest are disclosed (or explicitly stated as none)
• CRediT author contributions are specified
• AI disclosure section is completed (mandatory)
• Ethics approval is documented (if applicable)
• Data Availability Statement is included
• Figures are high-resolution (300 DPI minimum) and submitted separately
• References follow Vancouver style and are complete
• Plagiarism check has been performed (optional but recommended)
• Non-native English speakers have used professional editing (recommended)

Contact Information

For questions regarding the Author Guidelines or submission process, please contact:

Editor-in-Chief
Dr. Ioannis Liakos
Anticancer Intelligence
International Cancer Artificial Intelligence Research Institute (ICAIRI)
Email: editor@icairi.org
Website: https://aci.icairi.org