JSLR publishes original research, systematic reviews, clinical trials, methodological advances, and data resources that advance hepatology and splenic medicine. Submissions should demonstrate rigorous methods, clear diagnostic criteria, and clinical or translational relevance.

• Title page with author names, affiliations, and corresponding author details
• Structured abstract with objectives, methods, results, and conclusions
• Introduction that defines the clinical context and research gap
• Methods with study design, inclusion criteria, and protocol details
• Results with validated outcomes, effect sizes, and confidence intervals
• Discussion linking findings to clinical care or mechanistic insight
• Conclusion highlighting key contributions and future directions

• Use clear headings and consistent terminology
• Define abbreviations and clinical codes at first use
• Provide units and reference ranges for laboratory values
• Include figure legends that describe sample sizes and data sources
• Prepare tables in editable format with clear headings
• Label supplementary files clearly and reference them in the text

• Provide institutional review board approvals and consent statements
• Follow CONSORT for clinical trials and STROBE for observational studies
• Use PRISMA for systematic reviews and ARRIVE for animal studies
• Disclose conflicts of interest and funding sources
• Describe limitations and generalizability

Authors should provide data availability statements and, when possible, deposit data in trusted repositories. Code or analysis pipelines should be shared or documented to support reproducibility.

• Include accession numbers or repository links
• Describe preprocessing and quality control steps
• Document software versions and computational environments
• State any access restrictions for sensitive data

• Submit high resolution figures in standard formats
• Label axes and include units for quantitative plots
• Provide color blind friendly palettes when possible
• Ensure tables are editable and include footnotes

• Ensure references are complete and consistent
• Include DOIs where available
• Use standard citation formats
• Confirm all in text citations appear in the reference list

Clinical trials should include registration identifiers and follow applicable regulatory requirements. Observational studies using registries should describe data governance and consent limitations.

• Provide trial registration numbers when applicable
• Describe primary and secondary endpoints
• Report adverse events and safety monitoring
• Include protocol deviations and amendments

JSLR uses single blind peer review. Reviewers evaluate study rigor, data quality, and clarity of reporting. Initial decisions are typically issued within two to four weeks depending on reviewer availability.

Accepted manuscripts move to production for copyediting, proof review, and DOI registration. Articles are published under CC BY 4.0 to support open access reuse with attribution.

Authors should review proofs promptly to confirm accuracy of figures, tables, and metadata.

APCs are applied after acceptance and cover peer review management, production, and archiving services. Partial waivers may be available for eligible authors. Contact the editorial office for guidance.

• Scope alignment confirmed
• Data availability statement included
• Diagnostic criteria and staging documented
• Cover letter prepared with scope summary
• Ethics and consent statements included

For questions about formatting or submission steps, contact [email protected].

• Report etiologic classification and staging criteria for liver or spleen disorders.
• Provide key liver function tests and reference ranges with units.
• Describe imaging modalities and acquisition parameters (ultrasound, CT, MRI, elastography).
• Include histopathology scoring systems used (METAVIR, Ishak, NAS) when applicable.
• Clarify portal hypertension assessments, variceal screening, or hemodynamic measures.
• Report transplant eligibility criteria, waiting list status, and follow up windows.
• Provide splenic size measurements, platelet counts, and immune markers when relevant.
• Describe biomarker assays, limits of detection, and quality control procedures.
• Detail medication exposure, dosing schedules, and adherence monitoring methods.
• Explain inclusion and exclusion criteria, comorbidities, and alcohol use history.
• Define adverse events, safety monitoring, and clinical endpoints clearly.
• Describe handling of missing data, confounders, and subgroup analyses.
• Provide data availability statements and access conditions for sensitive datasets.
• Document ethics approvals, informed consent, and biospecimen governance.
• Report cirrhosis stage, decompensation events, and MELD or Child-Pugh scores.
• Include model validation metrics and calibration details for predictive studies.
• State whether liver biopsy or noninvasive markers were used and why.
• Describe antiviral, immunosuppressive, or antifibrotic therapies and timelines.
• Provide baseline demographic tables with disease duration and comedications.
• Include microbiome or metabolomics protocols when gut-liver axis is studied.
• Clarify transplant graft outcomes, rejection criteria, and survival measures.
• Report imaging reader blinding, inter-rater reliability, or adjudication procedures.
• Describe quality control for laboratory assays and external proficiency testing.
• Include definitions for remission, response, progression, or relapse outcomes.
• Provide statistical power calculations or justification for sample size.
• Report secondary endpoints and exploratory analyses separately.
• Describe patient reported outcome measures and validation sources.
• State regulatory or trial registration identifiers when applicable.
• Provide statements on data sharing, reuse, and repository access.
• Explain limitations and generalizability for clinical implementation.
• Specify sample handling, storage temperatures, and processing timelines for biospecimens.
• Report comorbidity indices and medication interactions that may affect outcomes.
• Describe criteria for treatment response or nonresponse classifications.
• Include protocol for laboratory assay repeatability and inter-lab variation.
• Explain adjustments for confounders such as BMI, diabetes, or alcohol intake.
• Provide patient flow diagrams and attrition details for each study stage.
• Include liver imaging scoring systems and threshold definitions used.
• Report hospitalization, mortality, or readmission outcomes when applicable.
• Clarify rationale for inclusion of control or comparator groups.
• Describe patient monitoring intervals and follow up adherence strategies.
• Explain criteria for noninvasive fibrosis assessment and cutoff values.
• Provide details on imaging contrast agents, timing, and safety monitoring.
• Report surveillance intervals for hepatocellular carcinoma when relevant.
• Describe nutritional assessment methods and sarcopenia measures.
• Include patient education or adherence interventions used in the study.
• Clarify definitions for acute versus chronic presentations.
• Describe criteria for hospitalization or readmission endpoints when measured.
• Provide a structured abstract with clear objectives, methods, results, and conclusions.
• Use consistent hepatology terminology and define abbreviations at first use.
• Include a data availability statement with repository links or accession numbers.
• Report statistical tests, effect sizes, and confidence intervals where applicable.
• Describe patient cohorts, inclusion criteria, and disease staging methods.
• Provide clear figure legends and indicate sample sizes and data sources.
• Confirm references include DOIs where available and match in text citations.
• Disclose funding sources, grant numbers, and potential conflicts of interest.
• Report ethical approvals and informed consent requirements.
• Include a brief limitations statement that addresses generalizability.
• State whether preprints exist and disclose prior dissemination.
• Describe how raw data and code can be accessed, including access controls.
• Provide trial registration identifiers when applicable.
• Include laboratory reference ranges and clinical units for key measures.
• Describe adverse event reporting and safety monitoring procedures.
• Clarify primary and secondary endpoint definitions and timing.
• Provide CONSORT flow diagrams or equivalent for trial-based submissions.

JSLR is committed to rigorous, transparent publishing in hepatology and spleen research. We emphasize reproducible clinical methods, clear reporting of diagnostic criteria, and ethical compliance across all article types.

The editorial office supports authors, editors, and reviewers with clear guidance and responsive communication. For questions about scope or workflow, contact [email protected].

We encourage continuous improvement in reporting practices and share updates that help the community maintain high standards in hepatobiliary and gastrointestinal research.