JCE Online Journal of Chemical EducationDivision of Chemical Education, American Chemical SocietyAmerican Chemical Society
 | Subscriptions  | Software Orders  | Support  | Contributors  | Advertisers  | 

JCE Print

JCE Digital Library

JCE Software

Only@JCE Online

About JCE


 Home > Contributors > Authors > Journal of Chemical Education >
Instructions for Final Manuscript Preparation
To prepare your manuscript for publication, send us both printed materials and computer files. Following these directions will help speed your manuscript to publication. Here is the information you need to do this. You may also download a PDF version of this document.
 
Prepare Computer Materials

A. Computer Files Needed

Send a separate computer file for each of these items using an acceptable file format as listed in sections B–F below.

  1. abstract
  2. body (manuscript text)
  3. manuscript tables
  4. figure captions
  5. references
  6. each chemical structure and reaction scheme
  7. each figure (graphic, photograph, etc.)
  8. complete manuscript, all tables and graphics in correct positions
  9. a complete file of all supplementary material (and if possible a PDF of the file)

B. Text and Tables: Computer Files

We prefer files from one of these word processors:

  • MS Word
  • WordPerfect
  • Claris Works

using the settings below. Files created by other applications may be acceptable, but check with Liana Lamont before sending them.

NOTE: We cannot process documents prepared with Lotus Word Pro or LaTeX.

Font
Use at least as large as 10 point Times or Times New Roman.
Justification
Do not justify text (align text left, ragged right).
Hyphenation
Turn automatic hyphenation OFF.
Line Spacing
Double space all text (1 line/cm).
Tables
If possible, send tables in spreadsheet (Excel) with each table a separate sheet; otherwise, use the table feature in your word processor or use tab-separated columns. Do not use spaces between columns.
References
Put into Journal style.
EndNote
Use Remove Field Codes and Unformat Citation(s) before saving your final draft.

C. Molecular Structures and Reaction Schemes: Computer Files

Acceptable formats
ChemDraw, KnowItAll (ChemWindow), or ISIS Draw
Font
Use 16 point sans serif. (Helvetica and Geneva are sans serif fonts.)
Bond length
Make bonds consistently 30 point (0.417 in).

D. Figures or Other Graphics

A schematic line drawing of any apparatus is almost always more effective than a photograph. Please submit a color version of any figure for which color is important as well as a grayscale version. Although the Journal is primarily printed in black and white, color images will be used in the JCE Online version of your article and may be used in the table of contents.

Paint and Draw Files
Acceptable Formats:
PS, EPS, TIFF, CDR (Corel Draw), PSD (Photoshop), AI (Adobe Illustrator)
Dimensions
6 in. (15.2 cm) wide × (maximum of) 10 in. (25.4 cm) high; figures are reduced by half for publication
Font
20 point sans serif (Helvetica and Geneva are sans serif fonts). If you need to use more than one size font, smaller sizes may be used, but 12 point is the smallest that is acceptable.
Resolution
for the best results we prefer vectorized files (EPS, AI, CDR format); for rasterized files (TIF, PSD), use a minimum resolution of 300 dpi
Printouts and Hand Drawings
General
Original drawings or high-quality printouts (at least 300 dpi)
Text
Make 1/6 to 1/3 in. (4 to 8 mm) high; use sans serif lettering (Helvetica and Geneva are sans serif fonts)
Lines
Make lines dark and smooth, of even thickness, with sharp (not fuzzy) intersections—hairlines, splotches, and jagged diagonals will not print clearly and therefore are not acceptable
Print quality
If individual dots/pixels are visible in printouts, the printouts are not good enough to use
Not acceptable
photocopies, overhead transparencies, chart recorder output.
Photographs

Prints should be glossy (not matte), at least 3 in. wide, and show sharp contrast.

E. Graph Files

Make graphs in Excel, Delta Graph, or KaleidaGraph.

F. Supplementary Materials (for JCE Online publication)

If possible, combine supplementary material into one file, with figures and tables embedded in the text where you want them to appear. Include an Adobe Acrobat PDF file of this file if you are able.

Check Spelling
Before saving and writing files, check the spelling of the entire document (check every file you will send!).
 
Save Your Work
Name your files according to this convention: Begin with the type of file (Abs for abstract, Bod for body, etc.). Next, give the manuscript number. Then place a period followed by a three-character extension that specifies the application that created the file. (For example, the abstract file for manuscript 2004-0065 should be named Abs_2004-0065.doc if it was produced by Microsoft Word on a Windows computer.) Here is a list of types of files and example names for manuscript number 2004-0065. (xxx indicates file format: EPS, TIF, DOC, etc.; XX is a scheme, structure, or figure number.)

File Type
Example Name
abstract
Abs_2004-0065.xxx
body (ms text)
Bod_2004-0065.xxx
tables
Tab_2004-0065.xxx
figure captions
Cap_2004-0065.xxx
references
Ref_2004-0065.xxx
structures/reactions
S_XX__2004-0065.xxx
Fig. 1, graphics file
Fig. 2, grayscale graphics file
Fig_XX_2004-0065.xxx
Gr_XX_2004-0065.xxx
complete manuscript in one file
Msc_2004-0065.xxx
supplementary materials
Sup_2004-0065.xxx

Saving Files to Disks or CDs; Labeling Them

Save your files on 100 or 250 MB Zip disks, CD-ROM, or 3.5 in. disks, formatted for either Mac OS or Windows; do not send Jaz disks. Label each disk or CD-ROM with your manuscript number, date, operating system (Windows, Mac OS); include names of authors and, if possible, file names.

Make a List: (Green) Electronic Submission Form

Fill out the green Electronic Submission Form, following the directions there. Use the same information as on the disk label above; take particular care to specify file names correctly.


Now Print Out On Paper
Send one printed (paper) copy of
  1. the complete manuscript (including the abstract) with tables and figures embedded (where they should appear)
  2. each figure, table, chemical structure, and reaction scheme—each printed on a separate page
  3. all supplementary material formatted exactly as you intend it to appear on JCE Online

Keyword Form
Please select keywords for your paper using the new Keyword List with definitions and keyword form [PDF] (blue form) to be submitted.

Send It!

Send us these things:

  1. electronic media: CD or disks
  2. completed Electronic Submission Form (green form)
  3. one complete printed (paper) copy (as described above)
  4. completed Keyword Form (blue)
  5. all other materials requested by the editor :

Send them to this address:

Journal of Chemical Education
University of Wisconsin–Madison
209 North Brooks Street
Madison, WI 53715-1116 (USA)

Other: Cover
If you have materials (such as photographs or additional files) that you think might make a good JCE cover, please include them for our consideration.
 
Questions?
If you have questions about preparing your manuscript, check with Liana Lamont of the Journal staff before sending your disk; phone: 608/262-7151; fax: 608/262-7145.
 
 Home > Contributors > Authors > Journal of Chemical Education > Final Manuscript Preparation


Subscriptions

JCE HS CLIC

Our Secondary School editors work hard to distill all the JCE materials to produce a fraction of particular interest to high school teachers. We call it CLIC.


Contributions Welcome
JCE welcomes your submission

Advertisers
In recent years we have worked hard to better match our advertisers with our readers. When shopping for chemistry education materials, visit our advertisers' WWW sites first.

Be An Ambassador
Take JCE along on your outreach missions. Copies of the Journal, guest access to JCE Online, our publications catalog, and more are available for your particpants.