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INSTRUCTIONS FOR MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION

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Editorial policy
Manuscript preparation
Manuscript submission

PREPARING YOUR MANUSCRIPT

  1. Follow the manuscript preparation instructions to authors regarding the format of your manuscript and references. Please note that upon initial submission only a complete .pdf (that contains tables, figures, and figure captions) is required. Other formats, such as a complete .doc, may be uploaded if you cannot generate a .pdf. Other files which are required for production (such as the .doc/.rtf/.tex file and figure files) should be uploaded to Manuscript Central after your article has been reviewed but before acceptance.
  2. Prepare your manuscript, including tables and figure captions (but excluding figure images), using a word processing program and save it as a .doc or .rtf file.
  3. Prepare your figure images at publication quality resolution, using applications capable of generating high-resolution .tif files (1200 dots per inch for line drawings and 300 dots per inch for color and half-tone artwork). The printing process requires your figures to be in this format if your paper is accepted and printed. For useful information on preparing your figures for publication, please visit Sheridan's Web site where you can test whether your figures are suitable for production by using the preflight tool. Prepare any other files that are to be submitted for review, including any supplementary material. The permitted formats for these files are the same as for manuscripts and figures. Other file types, such as Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and Powerpoint presentations, may be uploaded and will form part of the single PDF proof that is created for use in the peer review process. It is also possible to upload TeX and LaTeX files but these will not be automatically converted to .pdf format. The journal staff, editors, and reviewers will only be able to view these unconverted files if they have the appropriate software, which cannot be guaranteed.
  4. When naming your files, please use simple file names and avoid special characters and spaces. If you are a Macintosh user, you must also type the three-letter extension at the end of the file name you choose (e.g. .doc, .rtf, .jpg, .gif, .tif, .ppt, .xls, .pdf, .eps, .mov).

SUBMITTING YOUR MANUSCRIPT

Now that your files are ready, visit the online submission Web site.

Upload your .pdf via the 'File Upload' screen.

  1. First, you will need to log into the system. Note: Before you begin, you should be sure you are using an up-to-date version of Netscape or Internet Explorer. If you have an earlier version, you can download a free upgrade using the icons found at the bottom of the 'Instructions and Forms' section of the online submission Web site.
    • If you know your log-in details (i.e., you have submitted or reviewed a manuscript on this system before), use your User ID and Password to log on.
    • If you do not know your log-in details, check to see if you are already registered by clicking on the 'Forgot your Password' button and following the on-screen instructions. If you are not already registered, you can register by clicking on the 'Create Account' button on the log-in screen and following the on-screen instructions.
    • If you have trouble finding manuscripts or have other problems with your account do not create another account. Instead, please contact the Journal's Editorial Office.
  2. To submit a .pdf of the new manuscript, go to the 'Author Center', click on the button to 'Submit a Manuscript', and then follow the on-screen instructions. There are up to seven steps for you to follow to submit your manuscript. You move from one step to the next by clicking on the 'Save and Continue' button on each screen or back to the previous screen by clicking on the 'Previous' button. Please note that if you click on the 'Back' or 'Forward' button on your browser, the information you have entered will not be saved. At any stage you can stop the submission process by clicking on the 'Main Menu' button. Everything you have typed into the system will be saved, and the partially completed submission will appear under 'unsubmitted manuscripts' in your 'Author Center'. To return to the submission process you will need to click on the button 'Continue Submission' against the relevant manuscript title.
  3. When submitting your .pdf, please enter your manuscript data into the relevant fields, following the detailed instructions given at the top of each page. Complete addresses are required for the corresponding author. You may like to have the original word processing file available so that you can copy and paste the title and abstract into the required fields. You will also be required to provide e-mail addresses for your co-authors, so please have these to hand when you log into the site.
  4. When you are satisfied with the uploaded file, click on 'Next' which will take you to the 'Review & Submit' screen. The system will check that you have completed all the mandatory fields and that you have viewed your file. It will also present you with a summary of all the information you have provided and give you a final chance to edit it. When you have finished reviewing this information press 'Submit'.
  5. After the article has been submitted you will see a confirmation screen and receive an e-mail confirmation stating that your manuscript has been successfully submitted. This will also give the assigned manuscript number, which is used in all correspondence. If you do not receive this, your manuscript will not have been successfully submitted to the journal and the paper cannot progress to peer review. If this is the case your manuscript will still be sitting in the 'Unsubmitted Manuscripts' section of your 'Author Center' awaiting your attention.
  6. If you return to your 'Author Center' you will notice that your newly submitted manuscript can be found in the 'Submitted Manuscripts' area. Among the information listed there, the 'Processing Status' section provides information on the status of your manuscript as it moves through the review process.

Please note: This journal does not accept Microsoft Word 2007 documents at this time. Please use Word's "Save As" option to save your document as an older (.doc) file type.

SUBMITTING A REVISED MANUSCRIPT

Please supply your revised paper though the online submission Web site using your User ID and Password to log on---remember that these are both case-sensitive.

  1. Log on to the online submission Web site and, in the 'Author Center', click on 'Manuscripts with Decisions' under 'My Manuscripts'. You will then see a list of all manuscripts you have submitted where the editors have been able to make a decision.
  2. Find the manuscript you wish to revise and click on the link 'create a revision' in the 'Actions' column.
  3. This will initiate a revised-submission process that prompts you to respond to the points made by the Editors and/or reviewers.
  4. Continue to follow the seven-step submission process, providing information when prompted. At this point, please upload your manuscript .doc/.rtf file as well as your supplementary material files and high resolution figure files. You will also need to upload a PDF of the text that contains all tables, figures, and figure captions, but this file needs to exclude any supplementary files. This PDF file will be the PDF published on Advance Access.

    If your manuscript is in LaTeX/Tex format, at this stage we only require a PDF file, which should be uploaded as your main document and which should include text, tables, figures, and figure captions. You should also upload any supplementary material files at this time. If your manuscript is accepted, the editorial office will contact with details on sending your LaTeX/Tex files.

Please note: All the files from your previous submission will have been retained by the system. So, when your reach the 'File Upload' screen (Step #6), you will need to delete any files that are no longer needed or need replacing with revised versions.

IMPORTANT. As detailed above, your images are required as high-resolution .tif files (1200 dots per inch for line drawings and 300 dots per inch for color and half-tone artwork). For useful information on preparing your figures for publication, please visit Sheridan's Web site. Please note that publication of your manuscript will not proceed until figures suitable for reproduction are received.

Getting help

If you experience any problems during the online submission process please consult the Author's User Guide (http://mcv3help.manuscriptcentral.com/stalkjddfesd/MC3Help.htm) which provides more detailed submission instructions and 'movie tutorials' explaining how to submit your paper. Alternatively, please contact the Journal's Editorial Office who will be pleased to assist you.