Manuscript Review and Approval Policy

The AST Manuscript Review Policy, along with the related documents below, serves as guidance to the AST Committees, COPs, advisory councils, task forces, work groups, or individual authors acting on behalf of an AST group who seek publication of a white paper, opinion or position paper, practice guideline, patient education brochure, proceedings paper, etc. as an AST work product. AST’s affiliation with a piece of writing indicates that its quality meets the standards of the Society. The AST Manuscript Review Policy outlines circumstances under which this affiliation will be offered.

AST Education policies encourage the development and use of its educational content by AST members, as well as other audiences, including non-member transplant professionals, community-based healthcare professionals, and patients and their families, while protecting the AST name.

Manuscript Review Policy Documents

• EDU-510 Manuscript Review Policy - AST's core policy for manuscript review and approval.
• EDU-511P Potential Manuscript Work Pre-Approval Procedure - How to propose a manuscript initiative outside of the COP annual initiative process.
• EDU-512P Manuscript Review Procedure - How reviewers determine whether a manuscript is approved for submission as a work-product of an AST Committee, COP, or taskforce.

STEP 1: Before Work Begins - Approval of a Manuscript Project

All projects led, coordinated, and/or funded by the AST or any of its subgroups which are likely to result in a manuscript for publication must have the project officially approved by the Board or Education Committee prior to beginning the work.

If the project was approved by the Board as one of the Committee’s or COP’s annual initiatives, no further approval is needed to proceed with a draft.

If the work being proposed is new, it must be approved by the Education Committee prior to moving forward. The Education Committee will review the proposal in accordance with "EDU-511P Potential Manuscript Work Pre-Approval Procedure". To begin the review, manuscript originators must submit a proposal to the Education Program Manager for evaluation by the Education Committee. This proposal must include:

• Preliminary Title
• Proposed Author(s)
• Summary of Content and Objectives
• Anticipated Date of Completion
• Desired Method of Publication

STEP 2: Submitting Your Manuscript - The Process for Manuscript Review and Approval

Prior to submission for publication, the final draft of the manuscript must be submitted to the Education Committee (via the Education Program Manager). The Education Committee will select two subject matter experts to assess the academic quality of the manuscript and determine whether the manuscript is consistent with the Society’s mission. The Education Committee has the primary responsibility for ensuring that manuscripts given AST approval are deserving of the designation. However, the Committee, at its sole discretion, can request that the Board review a project or manuscript which has the potential to be controversial or for which subject matter experts cannot be found.

The reviewers will follow the policy outlined in "EDU-512P Manuscript Review Procedure" to make one of the following recommendations:

1. Approval for submission as a work-product of the (Name of Committee, COP, or taskforce),
2. Approval after minor revisions,
3. Recommendation for re-review after major revisions, or
4. Recommendation for disapproval.

Manuscripts which are recommended for a second review will be resubmitted to the Education Committee for final approval.

The Education Program Manager will submit an update to the AST Board of Directors upon approval of a manuscript.

STEP 3: After Your Manuscript is Approved - Instructions for Submission, Publisher Revisions, and Acceptance of a Manuscript

Manuscripts approved by the Education Committee (or Board) for submission as a work-product of an AST Committee or task force should state:
“This manuscript is a work product of the American Society of Transplantation’s (Name of Committee, COP, or task force).”

Only manuscripts approved for submission by the Education Committee or the Board may use the AST name or the name of any AST Committee in the manuscript.

Please use the following instructions for journal/publisher submission, revisions, and acceptance of manuscript:

• Per "EDU-510 Manuscript Review Policy", the manuscript title should not include specific reference to the Society (this includes no references to an AST Committee, COP, or taskforce).
• Approved manuscripts may be submitted to a journal/publisher selected by the author (indicated during the review and approval process).
• Authors must notify the Education Committee if substantial changes are required by the journal/publisher, as the Committee may need to re-review the manuscript to ensure AST’s approval is still applicable.
• An update to the AST Board will be provided upon approval of a manuscript.
• All manuscript titles approved by the AST will be made available to the entire membership.

Approved by the AST Board of Directors: August 2014
Revised: October 2014
Revised: May 2015
Revised: June 2016
Revised: February 2019