The International Journal of Surgery (IJS) is dedicated to the global advancement of surgical research, education and clinical practice. It aims to promote continued developments in surgery through the sharing of knowledge, ideas and good practice across all surgical specialties. The IJS provides readers with critically peer-reviewed, carefully selected/edited and up to date publications about advances in the field of surgery that are relevant to them. The journal aims to develop and uphold the highest standards at the cutting-edge of research, provide a focus for evidence-based medicine through the publication of timely review articles and special issues and give the findings context, through the publication of editorials, commentaries and letters from the surgical community. We enforce reporting guidelines and mandate the registration of all research involving human participants in a publicly accessible research registry. As a broad scope journal covering all surgical specialities, the IJS aims to facilitate the transfer of important ideas and lines of thought between and across specialities. In this way, the journal will help prevent the trend of increasing sub-specialisation leading to 'tunnel-vision' and the sequestration of important surgical advances within particular specialties.