Prepare for submission

Before submitting your article, ensure you have prepared the manuscript to the journal’s specification. Use our submission checklist to ensure you’ve included everything you need to.

Manuscript preparation

Please refer to the instructions for authors for your specific manuscript type structure. Some journals may require a template for certain manuscript types. Looking at previously published articles is a good way to know how to structure your submission.
Ensure there is double line spacing and continuous line numbering; this greatly aids the reviewers in referring to specific parts of your manuscript.
References should be listed in the order they appear in the text, in numerical (Vancouver) style. All authors should be listed, unless there are more than 10 authors, in which case please list the first 10, followed by et al.
The main body of text should be submitted as a Word document.
Figures should be of high resolution (300dpi), readable at 100% magnification, and submitted as PDF files. Each figure should be uploaded separately to the main body of text.
Tables should be uploaded as Word document Each table should be uploaded separately to the main body of text.
Any figures or tables that have been reproduced from previously published material (even your own) must be cited correctly, and written permission obtained. This can count for sections of already published figures/tables as well.

Check journal policies

The covering letter must be addressed to the Editor-in-Chief. All authors must agree to the submission of the paper, and the submitting author must accept responsibility for this by signing the letter. The letter must briefly outline the study, and state any relevant conflicts of interest. All authors and their institutions should be stated. The cover letter should be no more than 1 A4 page.
Please read Bioscientifica’s Open Access policy before deciding whether or not you wish to have your paper Open Access or not, if applicable.
It is important that you are fully aware of the journal specific charges that may be imposed upon authors, should the paper be accepted. Please read the relevant policy from the link, and particularly note the page charges policy.
Please ensure the correct Creative Commons licence is chosen, and note that some funders (e.g. RCUK and Wellcome Trust) may require you to choose a particular licence.
You have the option to publish your paper online within 24 hours of acceptance as an ‘Accepted Pre-Print’ (the format it is when accepted). This will be replaced with the fully print formatted paper at a later date. Please ensure you have selected the desired choice.
All Bioscientifica journals welcome authors to input their ORCID IDs.

Essentials before submission

All articles must be submitted via the journal specific ScholarOne Manuscripts submission system accessible through the journal website. Please ensure pop-up blocker is disabled, and all cookies are accepted for the site.
If you are a new user, register, otherwise log in and start a new submission in the author resources section of the author centre.
Please ensure the correct article type is selected and that all highlighted sections in each of the steps (1–8) are completed fully, according to the on-screen instructions.
In order to be correctly cited in PubMed, the submitting author must ensure each author’s full name, email address and current institution are entered correctly, and according to existing publications.

Checklist

☐ Does your article fit the scope of the journal?

☐ Is your article in the style required by the journal?

☐ Does your article meet the ethical standards for the journal?

☐ Are your manuscript, tables, figures and any supplemental data saved as separate files?

☐ Have you included the name and affiliation of all co-authors?

☐ Have you included all references?

☐ Have you obtained permission to use figures or tables that have been published previously?

☐ Have you numbered and double-spaced your manuscript?

☐ Have you written a cover letter?

☐ Have you collected up-to-date contact details and ORCID IDs for your co-authors?

☐ Have you checked the charges for publishing your paper?

☐ Have you checked your funder’s requirements regarding open access, embargo periods and licenses?

☐ Have you decided whether to publish the pre-print version of your submitted manuscript online?

Prepare for submission