3.3 Format and other technical details
When actually writing something, you start with the brainstorming and worry about minor technical details last. However, to learn about writing, let us use a bottom-up approach to master some of the minor details of English that can help your writing look good from the beginning.
When you have decided to write a paper, the first thing to do is to look at the Instructions for Contributors (Instructions to/for Authors) which usually can be found in the first issue of the volume.
Our first consideration here will be with capitalization, punctuation and spacing. Although they may seem minor, many editors are so bothered by these “minor” details when they are not correctly used. It is almost like trying to read Japanese with a lot of errors in kanji usage. One referee comments as follows:
4.1 | Suzuki et al. draw a very interesting conclusion concerning the biosynthesis of ... The studies were well thought out and executed; the data was well presented. The structural conclusion of the paper, though unexpected, is consistent with the data. I recommend publication of the paper after the authors have addressed a few minor points: i) corrections to typographical errors noted directly on the manuscript; ii) suggestions for improving the grammar and wording of several sentences are noted directly on the manuscript... |
Now let us turn to some specific issues related to these technical problems.
The following table (4.2) presents some conventions which are usually accepted for journal manuscripts.
4.2 Conventions related to technical issues in paper writing
Item | Convention |
Capitalization | In the title, use upper case letters (capital letters) according to the journal format: (1) the first letter of the first and all other words, except for articles, connectors, and prepositions; (2) all letters; or (3) the first letter of the first word only. (Lower case letters = small letters) |
Capitalize the first letter of the first word of each sentence; if the first letter cannot be capitalized, capitalize the first one which can. | |
Examples: | (1) 2,2-Azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) of reagent grade was purified by recrystallization. (2) n-Octyl mercaptan was used as a chain transfer agent. |
Paragraph start | At the start of a paragraph in the abstract, indent five spaces or start flush at the left margin (depending on the format of the journal). [Published material is indented only three spaces but manuscripts prepared with word processing software should be indented five spaces.] |
At the start of the first paragraph in the text, indent five spaces or start flush at the left margin (depending on format of journal). | |
At the start of the second and succeeding paragraphs in the text,indent five spaces. | |
Comma | Use a comma to separate (1) clauses, (2) items in a list, phrases, (3) last and first name when in reversed order. |
Leave one space after a comma. | |
Examples: | (1) Redundancy is not tolerated, so concepts and results should be expressed shortly. (2) Polyvinylpyrrolidone, tricaprylyl methylammonium chloride, reagent-grade methanol and cyclohexane were used as received. (3) Yamada, Taro |
Semicolon | Use a semicolon to separate (1) groups of items in a list which already uses commas or requires a stronger sense of separation than a comma, (2) main clauses (used in place of a conjunction). |
Leave one space after a semicolon. | |
Examples: | (1a) With a pure PS solution (c = 0.03 mg/mL; Figure 4a) the ellipsometric angle does not change with time, whereas the block copolymer PS-PEO-184 (c = 0.015 mg/mL; Figure 4b) is adsorbed, as indicated by a decrease in the angle leading to a final plateau value. (1b) Avoid confusion between 0 (zero) and o (the letter); 1 (the number), l (the letter); a, alpha; k, kappa; p, rho; u, mu; v, nu; n, eta; epsilon; etc. (2a) Our convention for numerical subscripts for rate constants is the same as that used in most life sciences but opposite to that currently used in pharmacokinetics; i.e., our kij is the fractional rate of transfer... (2b) All concentrations are similar; the dashed lines indicate the calculated increase of the adsorbed amount. |
Colon | Use a colon to introduce (1) a list or (2) numerals in a ratio. |
Leave two spaces after a colon but no space before or after it in a ratio. | |
Examples: | (1) Key: LW, single-mode wave guide; L, He-Ne laser, Ar laser; Q, polarizer and quarter-wave plate to produce circular polarized light; P and A, polarizer and analyzer mounted in rotable goniometers driven by stepping motors... (2) The ratio was 3:5. |
Period | (1) Use a period to end sentences; leave two spaces after the period. (2) Use a period to indicate that a word has been abbreviated; leave one space after the period. (3) Use a period in a reference list to indicate that the initial letter of a name has been used; the journal or publication name has been abbreviated (follow journal format); leave one space (or no space in the case of name initials if so indicated by the journal) after the period. (4) Use a period to indicate a decimal number; leave no space after the period. |
Examples: | (1) Almog et al. [1] have suggested that this technique is useful for their production. Since then, Ober et al. [2], Tseng et al. [3], and we [4] have pointed out the usefulness of this technique... (2) Fig. 1 shows the results. (3) A.K. Sharma, F. Millich and E.W. Hellmuth, J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 26, 2205 (1981). (4) The pH was adjusted to 5.8. |
Question mark | Use a ? to end a question; leave two spaces after it. |
Exclamation point | Use a ! to end an exclamation; leave two spaces after it. |
Hyphen (en dash) | Use a - to separate parts of a word; leave no space before or after the hyphen. |
Examples: | (1) Effects of Inhibitors on the Light-Induced Changes in Electrical Potential... (2) The cell-free enzyme solubilized by X was further purified by four-stage chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, hydroxyapatite, butyl-Toyopearl and ... |
Hyphenation of word at end of line | Use a - to indicate that a word is to be continued on the next line. Do not cut words to leave or send only one letter on a line. (1) American usage: Words can be cut at syllable breaks. (2) British usage: Words can be cut according to root origins. |
Examples: | (1) chro/ma/tog/ra/phy (2) chromato/graphy |
Dash (em dash) | Use a -- to separate phrases; leave no space before or after the dash. |
Examples: | (1) Both data sets show the same trend--a sharp drop in magnitude, but over a _7℃ range. (2) ...that permitted by sections 107 and 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law--unless the copies are for general distribution, for advertising, for creating new works, or for resale--provided the per-copy fee is paid through the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc.... |
Percent (%), degrees centigrade or Celsius (℃) | Leave no space between the numeral and the percent or temperature degree mark. |
Example: | The seeds were raised in a growth cabinet kept at 23℃ and 65% humidity. |
Parenthesis ( ) Square brackets [ ] Braces { } | Leave no space between the opening mark and the first word or between the last word and the closing mark. Leave one space before the opening mark and after the closing mark. |
Examples: | (1) Therefore, the material will appear isotropic on the length scale of the wavelength of light (which is much larger than molecular dimensions), and the minimized light intensity will be small (see discussion below). (2) The wettability gradually diminishes with time, especially in dry air [12-16]. |
Quotation marks “ ” | Leave no space between the opening mark and the first word or between the last word and the closing mark. (1) American usage: End periods are placed inside the end mark. (2) British usage: End periods are placed outside the end mark when the phrase within quotations is not a direct quotation. |
Examples: | (1) The enormous capacity of these gels to swell in water has also led to their use as “super absorbers.” (2) This is part CII of the series “Studies on Suspension and Emulsion”. |
Scan the specific text requirements in the Instructions for Contributors to a journal of your choice then do the exercise presented in 4.3.
4.3 | Exercise: Here is a handwritten manuscript. Pretend you are keying it in as a manuscript for submission to the journal you have chosen. Use the graph sheet as though one square were one key-in character or space. See the example. |
4.4 Exercise: Journal Instructions Checklist
Scan the instructions to authors for the journal you would like to publish in and give the following information as it applies to your paper.
Journal name | |
Paper category | |
No. of copies to submit | |
Submission address | |
Paper size | |
Margins | |
Page number format | |
Page ordering | |
Paper length limit | |
Type size | |
Format information | |
Abstract word limit | |
Reference format | |
Electronic submission details | |
Page charge | |
Copyright transfer form | |
Reprint procedure |
On the next few pages are examples of the Information for Authors from different journals. Refer to them to find the information to complete the above table.
