Table of Contents

• About the journal
• Ethics and policies
• Manuscript preparation
• Manuscript submission
• Editorial and peer review process

About the journal

• Aims and scope

Annals of Child Neurology is the official peer-reviewed, open acess journal of the Korean Child Neurology Society. Annals of Child Neurology publishes clinical and research articles in pediatric neurology, neurosurgery, neuroradiology, psychiatry, neuropsychology, developmental and behavioral pediatrics, pediatric neuroscience, and developmental neurobiology. Topics include but are not limited to: neuropsychiatry, clinical neurophysiology, epilepsy, headache medicine, neurocritical care, neurodevelopmental disabilities, neurogenetics, neuroimaging, neuromuscular medicine, neuroimmunology, neuro-oncology, sleep medicine, vascular neurology, and other diseases of the developing nervous system.

• Article types

Annals of Child Neurology accepts the following types of manuscripts:

• 1) Original articles: These are full-length papers reporting the results of basic or clinical investigations. Submissions should be well documented and provide sufficient detail to meet the needs of critical readers.
• 2) Brief commuications: These manuscripts are concise reports of original research, preliminary studies, or significant findings that require rapid dissemination.
• 3) Reviews: Review articles combine and summarize established and new knowledge on important clinical or research topics, providing a comprehensive overview for readers.
• 4) Letters to the editor: These are brief discussions or observations on any topic of interest to the journal’s readership. They may also include short case reports that present novel findings from a single patient or a small series. Substantial novelty is required for publication.
• 5) Editorials: Editorials are typically invited by the journal’s editors. Authors interested in submitting an editorial are encouraged to contact the Editor-in-Chief prior to submission.

Ethics and policies

• Research and publication ethics

Annals of Child Neurology follows the guidelines of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing (COPE, DOAJ, WAME, OASPA). Authors are expected to adhere to ethical standards in research and publication.

• Authorship and responsibility

Authorship credit must meet all of the following criteria:

• 1) Substantial contributions to the work.
• 2) Drafting or critical revision of the manuscript.
• 3) Final approval of the manuscript.
• 4) Accountability for all aspects of the work.

Requests to change authorship (e.g., adding, removing, or rearranging authors) after submission must include a written explanation signed by all authors. Changes to authorship are not permitted after the manuscript is accepted. Contributors who do not meet authorship criteria may be listed in the Acknowledgments section.
Descriptions of co-first or co-corresponding authorship are accepted if justified by the corresponding author. Each author’s specific role and ORCID ID must accompany the submission. Authors must register on the ORCID website to obtain an ORCID ID. Registration is available at: https://orcid.org.
The corresponding author is primarily responsible for communication with the journal during submission, peer review, and publication. This includes providing required documentation, such as authorship details, ethics approvals, and clinical trial registration. They must also respond promptly to editorial queries and cooperate with requests for additional data or clarifications, even after publication.

• Originality, plagiarism, and duplicate publication

Manuscripts must be original and not under consideration by other journals. Accepted manuscripts, or portions thereof, must not be published elsewhere without permission from the Editorial Board. Authors must resolve any copyright issues when including figures or tables from other sources.
All submissions are screened for plagiarism using Crossref Similarity Check. Detected cases of plagiarism or duplicate publication may result in rejection, notification to the authors’ institutions, and potential sanctions.

• Secondary publication

Secondary publication is allowed if it complies with ICMJE guidelines, including approval from both journals, distinct target audiences, and full transparency regarding the original publication.
Secondary publication is permitted if it meets the ICMJE guidelines criteria:

• 1) Both journals’ editors approve the secondary publication, and the secondary version is intended for a different audience.
• 2) A clear interval is maintained between the primary and secondary publication.
• 3) The secondary article reflects the data and interpretations of the primary version.
• 4) Readers are informed of the primary publication, with a full reference included.

The title of the secondary publication must indicate its nature as a republication or translation. Note that the United States National Library of Medicine (NLM) does not index translations if the primary article is indexed in MEDLINE.

• Conflict-of-interest statement

Authors must disclose any financial, institutional, or personal relationships that could influence their work. Examples include employment, consultancies, stock ownership, and honoraria. Transparent disclosure allows readers, editors, and reviewers to fairly evaluate the research.
If conflicts arise during the research process, authors must explain the context and provide full disclosure in the manuscript. Disclosures help assess the validity of the findings in light of potential influences.

• Ethical approval and informed consent

Research involving human subjects must comply with the Declaration of Helsinki, and animal studies must follow national or institutional guidelines for ethical treatment.
Authors must provide Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval for studies involving human subjects and describe the consent process in the Methods section. If requested, authors should provide copies of IRB approval or informed consent documents.

• Clinical trial registration

Clinical trials are recommended to be registered with an accredited registry, such as a primary national clinical trial registry, ClinicalTrials.gov, or the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform. The trial registration number should be included in the manuscript.

• Research misconduct

Suspected cases of research or publication misconduct, such as plagiarism, duplicate submission, fabricated data, or ethical violations, will follow COPE’s flowchart for resolution. The journal’s editorial board will handle such cases with appropriate measures, which may include rejection, retraction, or informing relevant institutions.

• Editorial responsibilities

The editorial board is committed to maintaining publication integrity by ensuring the following:

• 1) Adherence to ethical guidelines in all published articles.
• 2) Prompt publication of corrections or retractions when errors or misconduct are identified.
• 3) Safeguarding reviewer anonymity.
• 4) Avoiding conflicts of interest in editorial decisions.

• Data sharing statement

Annals of Child Neurology adheres to ICMJE data-sharing policies. Authors should include a data-sharing statement in their submission if applicable. For further guidance, refer to the editorial “Data Sharing Statements for Clinical Trials: A Requirement of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors” in JKMS, vol. 32, no. 7.

• Preprint policy

A preprint is a complete draft of a research paper shared publicly before formal peer review. Preprints with a digital object identifier (DOI) are allowed for submission to Annals of Child Neurology and are not treated as duplicate submissions. The DOI must be disclosed in the cover letter upon submission.

• Copyright

Copyright for all published materials is retained by the Korean Child Neurology Society. During the submission process, authors must agree to transfer copyright to the Society. The corresponding author is responsible for submitting the signed copyright transfer agreement.

• Open access policy

Annals of Child Neurology is an open-access journal. Full-text articles are available on the journal’s website. Articles are distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided proper credit is given to the original work. Permission is not required to reuse figures or tables for scholarly and educational purposes.

• Deposit policy

In line with Sherpa/Romeo policy, authors may archive post-prints (i.e., the final version after peer review) and the publisher’s version/PDF. Preprints (i.e., drafts before peer review) cannot be archived.

• Archiving policy

Annals of Child Neurology ensures content preservation through electronic archiving in the National Library of Korea. This guarantees access even if the journal ceases publication.

Manuscript preparation

• General principles

• 1) Annals of Child Neurology accepts the following manuscript types: original articles, brief communications, reviews, letters to the editor, and editorials.
• 2) Manuscripts must not have been published previously or submitted for publication elsewhere. Any conflicts of interest for all listed authors must be disclosed.
• 3) Manuscripts should adhere to the journal’s prescribed format. Submissions that do not comply may be returned without review. The editorial board has the final decision on publication and may make minor edits to the text without altering its meaning.
• 4) Manuscripts must be written in English. Non-native English-speaking authors are strongly encouraged to use a professional editing service prior to submission.
• 5) Manuscripts must be double-spaced, use a standard 12-point font, and be formatted on A4 paper with margins of 2 cm on the left and right, and 3 cm at the top and bottom.
• 6) All pages should be numbered consecutively in the middle of the bottom margin, starting with the title page.
• 7) Abbreviations, except for units of measurement, should be minimized. They should not be used in the title or abstract and must be expanded at first mention in the text.
• 8) Measurements of length, height, weight, and volume should be reported in metric units (e.g., meters, kilograms, liters). Laboratory values should be presented using the International System of Units (SI).

• Cover letter

A cover letter must accompany the manuscript and include the following:

• 1) The type of manuscript being submitted.
• 2) Statements addressing ethical issues and conflicts of interest.
• 3) Complete contact information for the corresponding author.

The cover letter should also include the following statement: “All authors have read and approved the submitted manuscript. The manuscript has not been submitted elsewhere nor published elsewhere in whole or in part, except as an abstract (if relevant).”
Authors may suggest up to three potential reviewers for their submission, particularly members of the editorial board, and may also list up to three reviewers they prefer not to evaluate the manuscript. However, the final decision on the reviewers is made by the editor.

• Specifications by article type

The requirements for each manuscript type are as follows:

• 1) Original articles
  • a. Sequence: Title page, Abstract (structured: Purpose – Methods – Results –Conclusion), Keywords, Body of manuscript (structured: Introduction – Materials and Methods – Results – Discussion), Acknowledgment, References, Tables, and Figure legends.
  • b. Word count: Abstract should not exceed 250 words.
  • c. References: Maximum of 40.
  • d. Tables/Figures: No limit.
• 2) Brief communications
  • a. Sequence: Title page, Abstract (structured: Purpose – Methods – Results –Conclusion), Keywords, Findings (unstructured), Acknowledgment, References, Tables, and Figure legends.
  • b. Word count: Abstract should not exceed 150 words. Findings section should not exceed 2,000 words.
  • c. References: Maximum of 20.
  • d. Tables/Figures: Maximum of 3.
• 3) Reviews
  • a. Sequence: Title page, Abstract (unstructured), Keywords, Body of manuscript (structured: Introduction – Main Text – Conclusion), Acknowledgment, References, Tables, and Figure legends.
  • b. Word count: Body of manuscript should not exceed 7,000 words.
  • c. References: Maximum of 150.
  • d. Tables/Figures: Maximum of 6.
• 4) Letters to the editor
  • a. Sequence: Title page, Body of manuscript (unstructured), Acknowledgment, References, Tables, and Figure legends.
  • b. Word count: Body of manuscript should not exceed 1,500 words.
  • c. Authors: Maximum of 7.
  • d. References: Maximum of 10.
  • e. Tables/Figures: Maximum of 2.
• 5) Editorials
  • a. Sequence: Title page, Body of manuscript (unstructured), Acknowledgment, References, Tables, and Figure legends.
  • b. Word count: Body of manuscript should not exceed 1,000 words.
  • c. References: Maximum of 10.
  • d. Tables/Figures: Maximum of 2.

Summary of specifications by manuscript types

Article type	Abstract	Authors (Max)	Word count (Max)	References (Max)	Tables/Figures (Max)
Original article	Yes, structured	No limit	No limit	40	No limit
Brief communication	Yes, structured	No limit	2,000	20	3
Review	Yes, unstructured	No limit	7,000	150	6
Letter to the editor	No	7	1,500	10	2
Editorial	No	No limit	1,000	10	2

• Manuscript structure and content

Manuscripts must meet the content requirements specified by their article type (see the table above).

• Title page

The title page should include the following information:

• 1) The full title of the manuscript.
• 2) A complete list of authors (full names).
• 3) The institution(s) where the work was conducted.
• 4) Acknowledgments for research support.
• 5) Contact information for the corresponding author, including name, address, telephone number, fax number, and email.
• 6) A running title of 10 words or fewer.

• Abstract and Keywords

- Abstract guidelines:

• 1) Be a single paragraph of fewer than 250 words.
• 2) For Original articles and Brief communications, summarize the purpose, methods, results, and conclusion in a structured format within the paragraph.
• 3) Use abbreviations sparingly, with the full term provided at first mention.
• 4) Avoid footnotes, references, and tables.
• 5) An English language reviewer appointed by the editorial board may revise the abstract if needed.

- Keywords:

• 1) At the end of the abstract, list a maximum of 5 keywords to be used as index terms. Keywords should align with Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) (https://meshb.nlm.nih.gov/search).

• Body of manuscript: Original articles

The main text should be written under the heading “Findings” without subheadings but should include a chronological flow consisting of a brief background, aim, materials and methods, a focused discussion, and a brief conclusion. Supplementary materials may be published online if applicable.

• Body of manuscript: Reviews

They should include introduction, main text, and conclusion.

• Body of manuscript: Letters to the Editor

The body of the letter should not follow a structured format. Authors must include a statement confirming that written consent to publish was obtained from any patient(s) involved.

• Acknowledgment

This section should include brief statements recognizing any assistance received during the study and details of financial support or sponsorship. It should also mention any relevant information regarding research funding, facilities, or drugs used in the study.

• References

Citations should be numbered using Arabic numerals in square brackets and listed in the order they appear in the text. Only references cited within the text should be included, and they must be listed sequentially.

• 1) Journal Articles: References should include the authors’ names, full article title, journal name abbreviated according to MEDLINE, year, volume, and page numbers. If there are six or fewer authors, list all names. For seven or more authors, list the first six followed by “et al.” Author names should include the last name and the initials of the first and middle names. Papers in press can be cited with the journal name and the expected publication year.
• 2) Book Chapters: Provide the author and chapter title, followed by the editor of the book, book title, edition, volume (if applicable), place of publication, publisher, year, and page numbers.
• 3) Unpublished Data and Personal Communications: These should be cited in the text only and not included in the reference list.
• 4) Online Sources: Cite websites by listing the authors’ names (if available), the website title, the URL, and the date of the most recent update.
  All references should follow the guidelines outlined in the Recommendations from ICMJE. Authors are responsible for ensuring the accuracy and completeness of their citations.
  The maximum number of references is 40 for Original Articles, 20 for Brief Communications, 150 for Reviews, and 10 for Letters to the Editor and Editorials.

Examples of Reference Styles

1) Journal articles

• 1. Yoon JY, Kang MJ, Kim SY, Seo JY, Yang SW, Lee YA, et al. The relationship between initial body mass index and body mass index after one year of gonadotropinreleasing hormone agonist therapy in idiopathic true precocious puberty girls. J Korean Soc Pediatr Endocrinol 2011;16:165-71.
• 2 Wheless JW, Treiman DM. The role of the newer antiepileptic drugs in the treatment of generalized convulsive status epilepticus. Epilepsia 2008;49 Suppl 9:74-8.
• 3. Gardos G, Cole JO, Haskell D, Marby D, Paine SS, Moore P. The natural history of tardive dyskinesia. J Clin Psychopharmacol 1988;8(4 Suppl):31S-37S.
• 4. Nikitovic M, Wodchis WP, Krahn MD, Cadarette SM. Direct health-care costs attributed to hip fractures among seniors: a matched cohort study. Osteoporos Int In press 2012.

2) Books and other publications

- Entire book:

• 5. Volpe JJ. Neurology of the newborn. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: WB Saunders Co.; 1987.

- Book chapter:

• 6. Pan ES, Cole FS, Weinttrub PS. Viral infections of the fetus and newborn. In: Taeusch HW, Ballard RA, Gleason CA, editors. Avery’s diseases of the newborn. 8th ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier Saunders; 2005. p. 495-529.

- Abstract book or conference proceedings:

• 7. Vivian VL, editor. Child abuse and neglect: a medical community response. Proceedings of the First AMA National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect; 1984 Mar 30-31; Chicago. Chicago: American Medical Association; 1985.

- Thesis or dissertation:

• 8. Youssef NM. School adjustment of children with congenital heart disease (dissertation). Pittsburgh, PA: Univ. of Pittsburgh; 1988.

3) Websites

• 9. Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs. The Third Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES III) [Internet]. Seoul: Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs; 2006 [cited 2006 Jul 8]. Available from: http://knhanes.cdc.go.kr.

• Tables

• 1) Each table should be placed on a separate page, including the table number, title, and legend.
• 2) Tables should be numbered consecutively using Arabic numerals, following their order of citation in the text.
• 3) Titles should be concise, consisting of a phrase or clause, and the first character should be capitalized.
• 4) Tables should present data concisely and must not duplicate information already shown in figures.
• 5) Indicate the significance of results using appropriate statistical an alysis.
• 6) Avoid unnecessary vertical lines, and use horizontal lines sparingly.
• 7) All symbols and abbreviations must be explained below the table.
• 8) Use superscript letters (a, b, c) for footnotes and provide corresponding explanations beneath the table. List abbreviations in the footnotes, and clarify any empty cells.
• 9) Units of measurement and concentrations must be clearly designated.

• Figures and figure legends

• 1) Figures should be submitted as separate files, not embedded in the manuscript text. Images, including photographs, should be high quality and saved as JPEG or TIFF files with a resolution of at least 300 dpi. The preferred size is 7.4 × 10.0 cm (3 × 4 inches). For complex data presentations, figures may be resized or adjusted by the editor for publication.
• 2) Color figures and images will only be published if deemed essential by the editor.
• 3) Figure numbers should be written in Arabic numerals and referenced in the figure legends. Figures must be cited in order within the main text. If multiple images share the same figure number, use alphabet characters (e.g., Fig. 1A, Fig. 1B).
• 4) Each figure should have a descriptive legend written in complete sentences rather than phrases or clauses.
• 5) Symbols and abbreviations used in the figure must be explained beneath it.

Manuscript submission

Authors should submit manuscripts via the electronic manuscript management system available at http://submit.annchildneurol.org. Authors must first log in or register as a member of the system and follow the provided instructions. Manuscripts should be submitted by the corresponding author, who must provide their address, phone number, and e-mail address on the title page. Revised manuscripts should be resubmitted using the same web system and identification numbers. Detailed instructions for online submission are available on the website (http://annchildneurol.org).
There are no fees for submission or publication. The cost of the publication process is fully supported by the publisher. Annals of Child Neurology is a platinum open access journal, meaning there are no author charges. After successful submission, you will receive a confirmation receipt, which can be downloaded from the website.

• Online Submission Process:

• 1) Visit http://submit.annchildneurol.org.
• 2) Log in using your credentials, or register if you are a first-time user.
• 3) Click on ‘New Submissions’.
• 4) Review and confirm the ‘Author’s Manuscript Checklist’.
• 5) Proceed through the following 8 steps to complete your submission:
  • 1. Enter the manuscript type, title, running title, abstract, keywords, and the corresponding author’s details.
  • 2. Provide the names and affiliations of all authors.
  • 3. Write any additional notes to the Editor-in-Chief in the cover letter field and respond to any additional information requested.
  • 4. Suggest at least two reviewers (required for submission).
  • 5. Upload the manuscript file and the copyright transfer form.
  • 6. Once the conversion is complete, click ‘Make PDF’ to generate a preview.
  • 7. Review the preview. If everything is correct, click ‘Submit’.
  • 8. Your submission is complete. You will receive a registration number or a return notice via email.

Editorial and peer review process

All submitted manuscripts are initially reviewed by an Annals of Child Neurology editor. Manuscripts that are clearly outside the scope of the journal will be declined without further review. Submissions that are poorly written or incomplete, hindering the review process, will also be declined. However, authors may be given the option to resubmit if they address the concerns. All manuscripts are screened using plagiarism detection software before undergoing editorial review. The editor assigns each manuscript to two reviewers, selected based on their expertise. Peer referees are chosen through recommendations from the editorial board or the journal’s specialist database.
The journal employs a single-blind peer review process, meaning the reviewers’ identities are kept confidential (unless they choose to disclose them), while authors’ identities are known to the reviewers. Manuscripts under review are not disclosed to anyone outside the peer reviewers and editorial staff. Peer reviewers must maintain confidentiality and are prohibited from sharing any details about the manuscript or its content with third parties without the journal’s permission. Information from submitted manuscripts may be collected and analyzed to improve the quality of the editorial and peer review process, but any identifying details will remain confidential. The final decision on publication is made by an editor without relevant conflicts of interest. All correspondence, including editorial decisions and revision requests, will be conducted via e-mail.

• Decision Outcomes

• 1) Accepted: The manuscript is sent to the publisher without further corrections.
• 2) Minor Revisions: The author must address reviewers’ comments, which will be confirmed by the reviewers before submission to the publisher.
• 3) Major Revisions: The author must address reviewers’ comments and submit the corrected manuscript for review by three reviewers.
• 4) Reject: If one of the two reviewers rejects the manuscript, the final decision is made by the editorial committee.

The time to the first decision without peer review is typically made within 5 days (median). When peer review is required, reviewers’ comments are sent to the corresponding author within 14 days after reviewers agree to review the manuscript. Authors must submit their revised manuscripts online within 4 weeks of receiving the editorial decision. Failure to do so will be considered a withdrawal unless the editorial office is notified in advance and grants an extension.

• Conditions for Publication

Before a manuscript is considered for publication, all authors must confirm the following:

• 1) Manuscripts that do not present new results or conclusions must not have the same title as a previously published review article.
• 2) Once a case is published as an original paper, it cannot be submitted as a case report. Exceptions may be made if a novel diagnostic method, therapeutic trial, or previously unknown accompanying condition is presented, subject to approval by the editorial board.
• 3) Clinical trials involving drugs with commercial implications will be reviewed by the appropriate subcommittee or specialty group before being considered for publication.
• 4) Clinical letters concerning previously published cases are generally not accepted. Exceptions will be made for extremely rare cases, as determined by the editorial board. Authors are encouraged to review the Annals of Child Neurology index before submitting clinical letters.
• 5) Rejected manuscripts cannot be resubmitted.
• 6) Manuscripts will be rejected if authors fail to address reviewers’ comments or do not adhere to the journal’s guidelines.