Editor Guidelines
Editorial Guidelines
Analytical and Quantitative Cytopathology and Histopathology (AQCH)
ISSN: 2578-742X
Website: www.journalaqch.com
AQCH is an Official Periodical of the International Academy of Cytology and the Italian Society of Urologic Pathology.
- Editorial Mission
Analytical and Quantitative Cytopathology and Histopathology (AQCH) is dedicated to publishing high-quality, peer-reviewed research in:
- Analytical cytopathology
- Quantitative histopathology
- Digital pathology and image analysis
- Molecular cytology and histology
- Urologic pathology
- Diagnostic innovations and biomarker research
- Computational pathology and AI applications in cytology
The editorial board is committed to maintaining scientific rigor, methodological accuracy, ethical integrity, and global relevance in diagnostic and translational pathology research.
- Editorial Structure
The journal operates under the following structure:
- Editor-in-Chief
- Deputy/Associate Editors
- Section Editors
- Editorial Board Members
- Guest Editors (for Special Issues)
All editorial decisions are made independently and without influence from sponsoring organizations.
- Manuscript Handling Process
AQCH follows a double-blind peer review process.
3.1 Initial Editorial Screening
Upon submission, editors will evaluate:
- Alignment with journal scope
- Scientific originality and novelty
- Methodological soundness
- Ethical approval documentation (where applicable)
- Compliance with author guidelines
- Plagiarism screening
Manuscripts failing to meet minimum standards may be desk rejected.
3.2 Peer Review Assignment
- A minimum of two independent expert reviewers will be assigned.
- Reviewers must have relevant expertise in cytopathology, histopathology, or related biomedical fields.
- Conflicts of interest must be avoided.
3.3 Editorial Decision Categories
Based on reviewer recommendations and editorial assessment:
- Accept
- Minor Revision
- Major Revision
- Reject
All decisions must be supported by clear, reasoned explanations.
- Ethical and Publication Standards
Editors must adhere to internationally recognized publication ethics principles, including:
- Zero tolerance for plagiarism
- Prohibition of data fabrication, falsification, or image manipulation
- Proper handling of duplicate or redundant submissions
- Ethical approval for studies involving human subjects or clinical material
- Disclosure of conflicts of interest
- Informed consent documentation where applicable
Suspected misconduct will be investigated thoroughly and confidentially.
- Image and Data Integrity
Given the analytical and quantitative focus of AQCH:
- Digital images must not be altered in a misleading manner.
- Adjustments to brightness or contrast must apply uniformly and be disclosed if significant.
- Quantitative data must be reproducible and statistically valid.
- Raw data may be requested for verification.
Editors reserve the right to request original image files.
- Conflict of Interest Policy
Editors must:
- Disclose financial, institutional, or personal conflicts.
- Recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where conflicts exist.
- Avoid decision-making for submissions from close collaborators or institutional colleagues.
- Special Issues
Special issues must:
- Be approved by the Editor-in-Chief.
- Follow the same rigorous peer-review standards as regular submissions.
- Maintain full editorial independence.
Guest editors must adhere strictly to AQCH policies.
- Editorial Timelines
Editors are expected to:
- Complete initial screening within 7–10 days
- Assign reviewers within 14 days
- Provide first decision within 6–8 weeks
- Ensure timely processing toward publication
- Appeals and Complaints
Authors may submit written appeals. The Editor-in-Chief will:
- Review the appeal
- Seek additional independent review if necessary
- Issue a final decision
All appeal decisions are final.
- Confidentiality
All submissions and peer-review communications are confidential. Editors must not:
- Share manuscript content outside the review process
- Use unpublished data for personal research
- Disclose reviewer identities
- Communication and Professional Conduct
Editors must:
- Maintain respectful and professional communication
- Provide constructive feedback
- Ensure transparency in editorial decisions
- Uphold fairness without discrimination
