Stony Brook Orthopaedic and Musculoskeletal Journal

Editorial Policies

Overview

The Editorial Team of the Stony Brook Orthopaedics Research and Patient Safety/Quality Improvement Journal works to ensure that this journal is a source of interesting, relevant, and stimulating material for those practicing, training, and otherwise interested in musculoskeletal disorders, injuries, and diseases.

Editorial Team and Peer Review Process

One of the Editors will make an initial appraisal of each manuscript to determine if it fits in the scope of the journal. Manuscripts passing initial review are then assigned to an appropriate editor for a detailed peer review. Once the review process has been completed, the editor will recommend acceptance, revision, or rejection of the manuscript. For manuscripts recommended for revision, authors are requested to submit their revisions, along with a point-by-point response to the reviewers’ comments within four weeks. Revised manuscripts will undergo an additional review that will be performed by the original reviewers whenever possible. Final decisions on all manuscripts will be made by the Co-Editors.

Manuscripts must not be under review by another journal during the review period and will be maintained as confidential documents until publication. Appeals, complaints, or allegations of misconduct will be taken with utmost seriousness, regardless of whether those involved are internal or external to the journal, or whether the submission in question is pre- or post-publication. All appeals, complaints, or issues of potential misconduct regarding the journal or its content should be raised with the Co-Editors for review and development of an action plan, if needed.

The Editorial Team will consider requests for corrections or retractions from manuscript authors, as well as from others that raise legitimate concerns over scholarship. Any decisions will be made by a committee comprising at least one Editor, one Associate Editor, and one Assistant Editor. Any resulting corrections or retractions will be denoted on the Table of Contents for the appropriate issue. If any member of the Editorial Team has any ethical or scientific concerns over a manuscript these will be reviewed by a similar committee, which will then decide if the manuscript should be corrected, retracted, or a statement amended to the manuscript reflecting these concerns.

To preserve independence and avoid any potential conflicts of interest, no advertisements will be accepted in this journal.

Authorship

Each listed author must have provided a substantial scholarship contribution to at least one aspect of the study (e.g., conception or design of the work, data acquisition, data analysis, data interpretation) and must be willing to take public responsibility for that contribution. The order of authors’ names shall reflect the mutual preference of the authors and shall not be interpreted as indicating the magnitude or nature of contribution. All authors must participate in drafting and editing the manuscript. All authors must review and approve of the final version of the manuscript submitted for publication and of any substantive revisions prior to acceptance. Individuals whose participation is limited to a single section of the manuscript, the provision of cases or materials, or other narrow technical or administrative assistance shall not be listed as authors. Such contributors should be recognized in the acknowledgements section, with their specific contributions described where appropriate.

Generative Artificial Intelligence

The use of generative AI (GAI) must be transparent, must not compromise research integrity, and must follow all applicable ethics and data protection requirements. The authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, integrity, and originality of all content, including material produced or assisted by GAI. GAI is allowed for language/grammar editing and drafting support (such as improving clarity or structure) provided all GAI content is thoroughly reviewed. Use of GAI as part of the research methods (e.g., AI-based data analysis) is allowed if fully described and validated in the methods section. All use of GAI must be disclosed in the acknowledgments section and must name the tool, provider, version, and how it was used (e.g., grammar editing).

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is prohibited and constitutes grounds for rejection of a manuscript or retraction of a published article from this journal. Plagiarism is defined as the use of another person’s words, ideas, data, images, or code, without appropriate attribution. This includes, but is not limited to copying without quotation marks, close paraphrasing without citation, and applies to the work of others, as well as one’s own work without proper citation.

Malpractice

Publishing malpractice is prohibited and constitutes grounds for rejection of a manuscript or retraction of a published article from this journal. Publishing malpractice includes, but is not limited to, data fabrication or falsification, duplication or redundant publication, undisclosed conflicts of interest, improper authorship practices, and manipulation of the peer-review process. Manuscripts that report on studies that violate ethical standards for research involving humans, animals, or sensitive data, or misrepresents institutional or ethical approvals, is also considered malpractice.

Corrections and Retractions

The Editorial Team will consider requests for corrections or retractions from manuscript authors, as well as from others that raise legitimate concerns over scholarship. Any decisions will be made by a committee comprising at least one Editor, one Associate Editor, and one Assistant Editor. Any resulting corrections or retractions will be denoted on the Table of Contents for the appropriate issue. If any member of the Editorial Team has any ethical or scientific concerns over a manuscript, these will be reviewed by a similar committee which will then decide if the manuscript should be corrected, retracted, or a statement amended to the manuscript reflecting these concerns.