The Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia Imagem Cardiovascular (ABC Imagem Cardiovascular) are committed to upholding the highest ethical standards in all of its editorial operations. Our ethical guidelines follow the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME).

In addition, ABC Imagem Cardiovascular recognizes the importance of ensuring high ethical standards in the conduct, reporting, and publication of research involving human participants, including research involving populations or individuals in vulnerable situations. Manuscripts submitted to the journal must comply with the ethical principles established in the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki, as well as applicable national and institutional regulations and the requirements of the relevant Research Ethics Committees. Particular attention should be given to protecting the autonomy, privacy, confidentiality, and dignity of participants, as well as to the requirements for informed consent, assent, and consent for publication, when applicable.

We also emphasize our commitment to the principles of Diversity, Equity, Equality, and Accessibility (DEIA) in all of our editorial activities. We believe it is essential to include and value diverse perspectives and experiences throughout our editorial process, thereby promoting an inclusive, equitable, and accessible environment for authors, reviewers, and readers.

The following guidelines establish the main ethical principles and responsibilities applicable to the journal’s editors, reviewers, authors, and publisher.

 

DUTIES OF EDITORS

1. Publication Decisions

  • The decision to publish an article must be based on its scientific merit and relevance, following the journal’s policies and applicable legal guidelines.
  • Editors may consult editorial boards or academic societies for additional guidance, but the final decision must be independent and impartial.

2. Peer Review

  • The review process must be fair and impartial, selecting reviewers with relevant expertise and without personal biases.
  • Editors must ensure that reviewers represent diverse perspectives and experiences in the research field.

3. Impartiality

  • Manuscripts must be evaluated based on intellectual content and research quality, without regard to authors’ institutional affiliation or prestige.
  • There must be a clear mechanism for authors to appeal editorial decisions, and editors should respond to such appeals transparently and fairly.

4. Journal Metrics

  • Editors must avoid practices that could artificially manipulate journal metrics, such as requiring authors to cite articles from the same journal to boost its impact factor.
  • Journal promotion should be based on content quality and editorial integrity, not tactics that artificially inflate metrics.

5. Confidentiality

  • Editors must protect the confidentiality of manuscripts and communications with reviewers, ensuring that only authorized individuals have access to this information.
  • Confidentiality may be breached only in cases of misconduct investigation, and even then, with extreme care to protect the privacy of those involved.

6. Declaration of Conflicts of Interest

  • Editors must regularly update their declarations of conflicts of interest and ensure that any new conflicts are communicated and appropriately managed.
  • Editors must not participate in the review of articles related to their own interests or research.

7. Oversight of Published Record

  • Editors must review and investigate any allegations of misconduct or issues with published articles.
  • When necessary, editors must coordinate the publication of corrections or retractions to address errors or irregularities in previously published articles.

  

DUTIES OF REVIEWERS

 1. Contribution to Editorial Decisions

  • Reviewers must provide a critical and constructive assessment of manuscripts, assisting the editor in making informed publication decisions.
  • If a reviewer feels unqualified to assess the research, they should promptly inform the editor to designate another reviewer.

2. Confidentiality

  • Manuscripts must be treated as confidential documents, and reviewers must not share or discuss their content with third parties without authorization.
  • If reviewers consider it necessary to discuss the manuscript with colleagues, they must obtain the editor’s permission and ensure that all involved comply with confidentiality standards.

3. Alerting Ethical Issues

  • Reviewers must alert the editor to any ethical or integrity issues, such as substantial overlap with other publications or improper use of data.
  • Reviewers must also identify and request citation of relevant works that the manuscript may have overlooked.

4. Objectivity Standards and Conflicts of Interest

  • Reviewers must evaluate manuscripts objectively, avoiding personal biases.
  • Reviewers must declare any potential conflicts of interest that could affect their ability to impartially review the manuscript.

 

DUTIES OF AUTHORS

1. Reporting Standards

  • Authors must report their methods and results accurately and clearly, providing sufficient detail to allow the research to be replicated.
  • Works that represent the authors’ personal opinions must be clearly identified as such, to distinguish them from original research and reviews.
  • Research involving human participants must have been submitted for review and approval by the appropriate Research Ethics Committee, when required by applicable legislation and ethical standards. Authors must state in the manuscript the name of the responsible Research Ethics Committee and the approval or protocol number, when applicable.

2. Research Involving Vulnerable Populations

  • Research involving populations or individuals in vulnerable situations must comply with the ethical principles established in the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki (2024 version) and with applicable national and institutional regulations. Vulnerability may arise from individual, social, economic, cultural, or political factors, or from specific circumstances that may limit autonomy or increase the risk of harm to participants.
  • The inclusion of individuals, groups, or communities in situations of particular vulnerability must be ethically justified, address their health needs and priorities, and include specific protection and support measures. Such participants should only be included when the research cannot be adequately conducted in a less vulnerable population or when their exclusion could perpetuate or exacerbate inequalities.
  • When a participant is unable to provide informed consent, consent must be obtained from their legally authorized representative, in accordance with applicable legislation and institutional requirements, taking into account, whenever possible, the preferences and values expressed by the participant. When the participant has the capacity to provide assent, assent must also be obtained, in addition to the consent of the legal representative, and any refusal by the participant must be respected.
  • For children and adolescents, informed consent must be obtained from a parent or legal guardian and, when applicable, the participant’s assent, according to their capacity to understand and the applicable ethical and legal requirements.
  • For participants who are unconscious or temporarily unable to provide consent, the procedures established in the research protocol, applicable legislation, and the requirements of the respective Research Ethics Committee must be followed. In exceptional emergency situations in which prior consent cannot be obtained and the research cannot be postponed, conducting the research without consent must be duly justified in the protocol and approved in advance by the Research Ethics Committee, and consent must be obtained as soon as possible, in accordance with applicable requirements.

3. Consent for Publication and Protection of Privacy

  • Authors must protect the privacy and confidentiality of participants. Identifiable information, photographs, clinical images, videos, pedigrees, or other materials that could allow an individual to be identified must not be published without written informed consent for publication, when required by applicable ethical and legal standards. The need to publish identifiable information does not eliminate the obligation to obtain consent when consent is required.
  • When consent for publication is required, an identifiable participant must have the opportunity to review the material that will be published before providing consent. When the participant is unable to provide consent, authorization must be obtained from their legally authorized representative, when required by applicable legislation.
  • Information that could identify a participant must be removed whenever it is not essential to the scientific purpose of the publication. When there is doubt as to whether an individual could be identified, consent for publication must be obtained. The use of anonymization measures must not compromise the scientific meaning of the information presented.
  • Authors must inform participants, when applicable, that potentially identifiable materials may be made available electronically and may remain accessible after publication.

4. Data Access and Retention

  • The sharing of research data is encouraged for editorial review and, when appropriate, with other researchers, in order to ensure transparency and reproducibility.
  • Whenever possible, authors should maintain access to the data after publication, in accordance with the journal’s guidelines.

5. Originality and Acknowledgment of Sources

  • All work and ideas of other authors must be appropriately cited, and plagiarism is strictly prohibited.
  • Private information obtained during the research must not be used without permission and must be treated confidentially.

6. Multiple, Redundant, or Simultaneous Publication

  • Authors should avoid publishing identical results in more than one journal, unless this is clearly indicated and justified.
  • Such publication may be permitted in certain cases, but the primary publication must be cited and the context must be clearly explained.

7. Confidentiality

  • Authors must protect information obtained during the submission and peer-review processes and must not disclose such information without authorization.

8. Authorship

  • All authors must have made substantial contributions to the work, participated in drafting or critically revising the manuscript, approved the final version, and agreed to be accountable for the published content.
  • Minor contributions should be acknowledged in the Acknowledgments section.

9. Responsibility for Research Integrity

  • Authors must cooperate with editors and the relevant institutions in investigating potential research integrity issues or misconduct related to the manuscript or published work.
  • When authors identify significant errors or inaccurate information in a published work, they must promptly notify the journal and cooperate in the publication of a correction, retraction, or other appropriate action, when necessary.

 

DUTIES OF THE PUBLISHER

 1. Academic Record

  • The publisher acts as a custodian of the academic record, ensuring that published work is of high quality and that the review process is fair and transparent.
  • This includes implementing policies to ensure the integrity of the editorial process and resolving any issues of misconduct or plagiarism.

2. Policies of the Brazilian Society of Cardiology (SBC)

  • The SBC, as the publisher, commits to maintaining the integrity of the academic record, avoiding commercial interests from influencing editorial decisions.
  • Adherence to the COPE recommendations and the use of Crossref to verify originality are examples of how SBC seeks to maintain quality and transparency.
  • SBC provides technical and educational support for editors and researchers, including training on publication ethics and review practices.

3. Conflicts of Interest for ABC Imagem Cardiovascular Editors

  • Editors must declare any conflicts of interest that may influence their decisions. This includes disclosing financial or personal interests related to the articles they are evaluating.
  • Editors are prohibited from evaluating their own articles in the journal they edit and must ensure that any conflict of interest is managed transparently.
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