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General: The manuscript should be submitted as a plain Microsoft Word format document, or similar. No attempt should be made to arrange the text into columns, or apply other formatting. This also applies for supplements.
Title: The title should contain no more than twenty words (including subtitle, if any). Do not use abbreviations in the title.
Running Title: An informative running title, of no more than 50 characters, must be provided.
Authors: Use initials and last names of all authors with only commas between. Do not add titles (e.g. Prof. Dr. PhD etc.). Different affiliations should be marked by superscript numbers (1,2 etc,). The corresponding author should be designated by an asterisk (*). Full mailing address (essential) as well as e-mail address (essential) should be included.
Key Words: Provide up to 10 key words or phrases. Do not use abbreviations in the key words.
Abstract: The abstract should be no more than 250 words. It should contain the purpose of the work, the methods used, as well as the main results and conclusions. It must not contain phrases like "will be described", "will be discussed", "are presented", etc. Abbreviations may be used in the abstract but must be defined in parentheses the first time they are used, e.g. "...transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to....". References should not be included in the abstract.
Introduction: This must be a clear and concise statement of the purpose of the paper and the relationship of this paper to what is already in the literature (along with relevant references).
Materials & Methods:
All eCM reviewers are asked a simple question. Is the M&M section
described well enough to allow repetition of the work? If the answer
is no the paper is sent back. This section must have complete
information (even if already published) so that others
could duplicate the work.
For review papers, this section may not be applicable.
Text: All text will be presented in Times New Roman font. Where symbols other than standard Greek letters are used please indicate the font set they can be found in. Each paragraph should be clearly indented.
Headings: Do not number headings. Major headings should be typed in bold upper and lower case, bold and centred. Subheadings: print bold and place flush with the left margin of the text on a separate line, indent the following line (text) as a new paragraph. Sub-subheadings: Place at the start of a new paragraph that is indented, print in bold, and continue text on the same line. All headings must conform to these categories.
Equations : Each equation must be consecutively numbered, and placed centred on a separate line with space before and after it. Equation numbers, in parentheses, should be flush with the right margin. If the work is submitted as a Microsoft Word document the equation should be prepared using 'Microsoft Equation Editor'. Otherwise the equations should be prepared as bitmaps with DPI values of 300 or better.
Symbols and abbreviations : Define each abbreviation in parentheses the first time it is used (even if it has already been defined in the Abstract). For more than 10 symbols include a separate table in the text defining symbols (with units, as applicable).
Tables : Tables should be numbered and referred to sequentially in the text. Each Table should have a short descriptive heading, on the same line as the Table number. Additional details, explanation of symbols, etc., should be placed at the bottom of the Table. Tables must fit in one column (8cm wide), or, if that is not possible, over the width of a page (two columns, 17cm). All letters and numbers in tables should be at least 2.0 mm at publication (A4 size page). Where tables have been prepared in Microsoft Excel and pasted into a Word document, the 'Paste Special' option should be used to choose 'paste as a picture' and not as an embedded object or send the XL file with the paper.
Units : Use SI or metric units. Note that kilovolt is abbreviated kV. Use nm rather than Ångstrom.
Number each figure (including line drawings) and refer to each figure in sequence in the text (no exception to this rule is allowed, even if several figures are mounted to form a plate). Multiple illustrations within each figure must be designated (lower case) (a), (b), (c) etc. Each figure must have a comprehensive caption. Letters, labels and numbers must be at least 2mm when printed in their final size onto an A4 page.
All figures must be supplied in digitised form *.jpg as
high resolution (at minimum 300dpi - in their final size - as printed
on an A4 page).
TIFF images are not acceptable since they cause the PDF's to be
unmanageable for review.
Diagrams in vector drawing format should be sent in either *.wmf
or PowerPoint format. Where figures are derived from programs
such as Microsoft Excel files they should be saved as graphics
files and not included in the form of embedded objects in a Word
file. No Figures should be embedded in the word file, papers
will be sent straight back and not reviewed !
Use arrows or letters of sufficient size to point out features in figures. Use white lettering on dark backgrounds and vice versa. Labelling must be added to the digital bitmap files BEFORE saving. Do NOT add labelling to figures as overlays in Microsoft Word files.
Magnification marker - This MUST be included on all image figures : Use a line representing 10 micrometers, 1 micrometer, 100nm, etc. to indicate magnification, identify the line size either on the photo or in the caption. Magnification should NOT be indicated as 'X ..........' in the legend, this has no meaning.
Size : Line drawings should be suitable for display at a final size of 8cm or 17cm. Micrographs should be of a size suitable for display at their final size (digital resolution of 600 dpi). Please advise your preference of grouping of photographs, if any, in your cover letter. Alternatively you may compile plates and supply them as single *.jpg bitmaps to a final size resolution of 600 dpi.
Captions : Each figure must have a separate caption; the caption should include: Figure x (in bold), followed by the caption text. The text should provide a comprehensive description of the figure(s).
Stereopairs : Use 7.5cm wide photographs, if already mounted, the space between photos on the final size (printed on A4) should be 12mm. Red/green and red/cyan (please specify) anaglyphs are preferred, if possible.
Include all references relevant to the paper. References can be made only to readily available published work and to papers in press. Unpublished results, submitted manuscripts and personal communications are not allowed and must not be included in the reference list, but can be acknowledged in the text (in parentheses). Important: All references cited in the paper, and the names (spellings) and years in the text must match those in References. Reference may be made to Web sites. These must be listed separately, in a list entitled 'Web References', following the usual 'References' list. Web references in the list should be numbered in the order in which they appear in the text. Web references should be referred to in the text as '(Web ref. 1)','(Web ref. 2)' etc. Details of each Web reference should include the FULL Uniform Resource Locator (URL), followed by the date accessed in square brackets 1.e. [dd-mm-yyyy].
References must be organized in alphabetical order by the first author's last name. For several references with the same first author , the following order must be used: [a] one-author references, ordered by year {e.g., Jones (1989); Jones (1991)}; [b] two-author references, ordered first according to second author's last name, then ordered by year {Jones and Brown (1990); Jones and Smith (1988)}; and [c] three (and more)-author references, ordered by year {Jones et al. (1983); Jones et al. (1993a); Jones et al. (1993b)}.
In the text use the following style:
Jones (1989) or (Jones, 1989) or Jones and Smith (1988). If there are three or more authors, use the form Jones et al. (1993) (use italics for et al.). If more than one paper is published by the same author(s) in the same year, use the form Jones (1986a)
Output styles for Endnote and Reference Manager
Download Reference manager ouput style HERE
Download Endnote ouput style HERE
The output files should be saved to your computer and opened in your reference manager software.
Reference list section:.
Begin each reference on a separate line.
For papers in journals; last names and initials of all authors (not "et al."), year (in parentheses), full title of paper, name of publication (use standard abbreviations), volume number (in bold), and first and last pages must be provided. Do not use any punctuation (nor "and " or "&" preceding last author's name), except for commas between authors' names.
Titles of journals should be abbreviated according to the style used in Index Medicus. The list can be obtained from the following Web page
For a book, include name(s) and initials of author(s), year, title of book (in upper and lower case), name and city of publisher, range of pages or chapter cited; do not refer to an entire book!
For a Proceedings or multi-author book, in addition, the names of all editors, name and city of publisher or alternatively full availability information, as well as the last pages must be included. Abstracts should be clearly identified as such.
For internal or contract reports, Master's and Doctoral Theses relevant inclusive pages, full availability information, with identification numbers and complete address must be provided.
The Discussion with Reviewers (DWR) section is an important part of eCM journal and should be prepared with great care. Improper, careless or non-responsive answers will require revision and will thus delay publication. No length limit is imposed on DWR, therefore please provide complete but concise answers. The DWR section should be placed immediately following the References. Consider 'Discussion with Reviewers' to be a major heading. Leave one line of space and start with the first question. Deal with each of the reviewers' questions separately. Extra figures and references can be included, when necessary.
| Last modified August 6, 2010 |