Policies for Manuscript Writing

Preparation

Good communication between researcher(s) and repository staff members ensures projects are completed with all the objectives met and in a timely manner. We feel it is extremely important for the researcher to clearly explain the specific aims of the project to repository staff and the staff pathologist. It is our policy to allow one week to identify cases for the project. If the project requires complicated data searches to identify appropriate cases, BRCF staff members will communicate an estimated timeline for finding the requested patient population. It is the responsibility of the researcher(s) to define deadlines.

Pathology Review

Sufficient amount of time should be allotted for the identification of cases and any pathology review. Provided appropriately stained slides or imaged slides are provided, a minimum of two weeks is required for the pathologist to review interpretation. The pathologist will communicate with the researcher(s) if the slides or images cannot be interpreted due to poor quality.

Authorship

As a multi-discipline institute, we believe recognizing members of our facility for participation in research is integral to academic achievement. This includes work performed by the qualified staff pathologist. When determining authorship, the pathologist should be listed as a co-author if one's contribution included a major component of the project. Contributions by the staff pathologist include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. The pathologist conceptualized or participated in study design, including actively identifying cases to meet the objective of the project.
2. The pathologist interprets slides for any experimental results or identifies pathology elements, including specific histology or prognostic markers, of tissues specific to the project.
3. The pathologist reviews images for pathological findings.
4. Pathological findings identified by the pathologist from interpreting slides or images results in a data set used in the manuscript.
5. The pathologist writes any part of the manuscript, specifically any histological significance, experimental method, description of findings, and/or results of histology work.  
6. The pathologist reviews and provides revisions at any point during the writing of the manuscript.

It is the Biospecimen Repository's policy that the staff pathologist to be recognized as an author is any of the above criteria are met. The researcher(s) and the staff pathologist should agree early on in the project if the work performed by the staff pathologist meets the criteria for authorship. Differences in opinion between the researcher(s) and the staff pathologist regarding authorship will be addressed by the Director of the Biospecimen Repository Core Facility.

When the repository provides histology services, specimens, or other services, the facility should be mentioned in the Acknowledgments.

Acknowledgments

Human specimens and histology services are provided by the University of Kansas Cancer Center (KUCC).  The funding sources for KUCC should be included in the publication of any manuscript that presented results from the use of repository services.

For Specimens: "We acknowledge support from the University of Kansas (KU) Cancer Center's Biospecimen Repository Core Facility staff for helping obtain human specimens. The authors also acknowledge support from the KU Cancer Center's Cancer Center Support Grant (P30 CA168524)"  

For Histology Services: "We acknowledge support from the University of Kansas (KU) Cancer Center's Biospecimen Repository Core Facility staff for performing histological work. The authors also acknowledge support from the KU Cancer Center's Cancer Center Support Grant (P30 CA168524)"  

It is department policy that research projects or correlative studies from clinical trials recognize the BRCF in manuscripts if repository services yielded results used in any publication. Disputes between differences of opinion will be addressed by the Director of the Biospecimen Repository Core Facility.

As a reminder all request forms in iLab contains one of the above statements for each respective service. The requester agrees to include the statement in the acknowledgments at the time the request is made. Willful violation of the agreement made on the original request will be treated as misconduct.

Abstract and Manuscript Submission

Following submission, a final copy of the abstract or manuscript must be sent to:

1. Project Manager at BRCF@kumc.edu.
2. The staff pathologist.