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PREPARING AND SUBMITTING THE MANUSCRIPT

1.

PRINT AND PAGE FORMAT

When you send your finished manuscript to the journal, it should be in a form that can be directly used by the editors. The following guidelines apply to both physical and electronic manuscripts. Font. Use a clean, standard font. Appropriate, easy-to-read fonts include Arial, Microsoft Sans Serif, Tahoma, Times Roman, and Verdana. Line Spacing. Double space all the text, including the References, Footnotes, and Figure Legends. Also double space manuscripts submitted as electronic files. Margins. Leave large margins. For a standard 8.511 page, the top, bottom, and both side margins should be 11.25 wide. Page Numbers. Number every page in your manuscript packet. Add an identifier to the number, such as Katz, page 18.

2. 2.1.

THE MANUSCRIPT PACKET Page One

The first page of your manuscript packet is the identification page. It should include the article title, the full names of the authors and their institutional affiliations, and the name and the contact information of the author taking responsibility for interacting with the editors. The identification page should look like this:

M.J. Katz, From Research to Manuscript, Springer Science + Business Media B.V. 2009

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Photographic Intensifier Improves Bodian Staining of Tissue Sections and Cell Cultures Michael J. Katz and Lynne F. Watson Department of Anatomy Case Western Reserve University Cleveland OH USA

correspondence: Dr. Michael Katz Dept. of Anatomy Case Western Reserve University 10900 Euclid Ave. Cleveland OH 44106-4977 USA mjk8@case.edu tel. 216-368-2390 Katz, page 1

2.2.

Page Two

The second page has a summary of the manuscript packet and any necessary disclosures, qualifications, and disclaimers. 2.2.1. Summary

The summary includes the number of pages in the manuscript packet, the number of words in the main text, the number of figures (itemized as tables, graphs, drawings, and photographs), and the number of additional items (footnotes, appendixes, etc.), if there are any. For example: Manuscript: pages = 12 words = 1451 tables = 0 drawings = 1 (black-and-white) photographs = 3 (half-tone) 2.2.2. Disclosures

The disclosures, qualifications, and disclaimers begin with the sources of funding for the research project. Next, list any non-authors who helped write the

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manuscript and give the source of the funds that were paid to these people. In addition, many journals now require a Conflict of Interest statement, which belongs in this sectionconflicts of interest are any affiliations or funding sources that have the potential to bias the authors. For example: Funding: A grant to MJ Katz from the Whitehall Foundation. Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest with regard to this research or its funding.

2.3.

Page Three

The third page is the Abstract, with KEY WORDS, if this is the journals style.

2.4.

Page Four

The manuscript proper begins on page 4 of the manuscript packet.

2.5.

The Last Pages

At the end of the main text of your paper and after the References section put any Appendices. Next, put a page for any Footnotes. Following the Footnotes, put each Table and Figure on a separate page. End the packet with a page for all the Figure Legends. Number every sheet included in the manuscript packet. Finally, when you are sending a paper version (as opposed to electronic files) of your manuscript, be sure to include as many copies as are required by the journal.

3.

THE INTRODUCTORY LETTER

Send your manuscript packet with a short, formal cover letter. In the letter, give:

The full title of your article. The type of article (original research paper, brief report, review article, commentary, or letter). The essential point of the article (usually, the main conclusion). All the authors names.

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A statement that each author has read the article and takes responsibility for its content. Details of any possible conflicts of interest. For example Dr. Janet Jones, Editor Stain Technology
May 24, 2008

Dear Dr. Jones, Please consider the accompanying original research manuscript Photographic Intensifier Improves Bodian Staining of Tissue Sections and Cell Cultures by Michael J. Katz and Lynne F. Watson for publication in Stain Technology. In this paper, we describe a chemical intensification procedure for a classic silver-based nerve stain. Both authors have read and approved the manuscript and take full responsibility for its content. The authors have no conflicts of interest in regard to this research or its funding. Sincerely, Michael J. Katz Dept. of Anatomy Case Western Reserve University 10900 Euclid Ave. Cleveland OH 44106-4977 USA mjk8@case.edu tel. 216-368-2390

With your introductory letter, include copies of any permissions that you obtained to reproduce material from other sources.