Preparing for submission in Cells Journal

All manuscripts must be submitted online through the website. First time users will have to register at this site. Registered authors can keep track of their articles after logging into the site using their user name and password.

If you experience any problems, please contact the help desk by e-mail at support@emergingpub.com.

Overview

Submitting a manuscript to the Emerging Cells implies that the work has not been previously published and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere (with the exception of an abstract, which must be clearly indicated if applicable).

All submitted manuscripts will undergo thorough review to detect any signs of plagiarism, duplication, or data manipulation. Special attention will be given to images, which will be closely inspected for any signs of intentional or inappropriate alterations.

Authorship

All individuals listed as authors must have contributed significantly to the work and be able to take public responsibility for its content. Anyone who meets the authorship criteria set by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) should be included as an author. Contributors who do not meet these criteria should be recognized in an 'Acknowledgments' section, with their names and affiliations. The journal may request that authors provide justification for their authorship designations.

Length of article

Article length limitations will depend on the article type. Word limits of the main text (excluding references, figures, and tables) and limitations in number of references are as follows:

• Original articles: Abstract max 200 words, Introduction max 500 words, Material and Results 2000-2500 words, Discussion max 1500 words. References 40–50 (if strongly motivated more references can be accepted)
• Short communications: Abstract max 200 words, Introduction max 400 words, Material and Results: 800-1000 words, Discussion max 800 words. References max 20.
• Case reports: max 2,000 words. References max 15.
• Images in Medicine: max 1,000 words. References 15
• Letters to the Editor: max 1,000 words. References max 10
• Reviews articles: max 5,000 words. Reference numbers may vary considerably.

 

Submission

You are encouraged to review articles in the area you are addressing including those that have been previously published in the journal, and to reference them where you feel it is appropriate. This will enhance context, coherence, and continuity for our readers. Submit the manuscript as one Microsoft Word file; using 10-point font (Times New Roman); 1.5-spacing; and employs italics, rather than underlining. All tables are placed at the end of the paper, after the references. Photographs and illustrations are submitted and as separate EPS or TIFF files (resolution of at least 300 dpi).

Language and style

Submitting your manuscript in clear, high-quality English is essential to ensure that reviewers and editors can fully understand and fairly evaluate your work. All manuscripts must be written in English. We strongly recommend having your manuscript reviewed by a fluent English speaker or using a professional language editing service prior to submission to improve readability. Upon acceptance, all papers will undergo minor English editing for clarity and style consistency. However, using a language editing service is not mandatory and does not guarantee peer review or acceptance of your manuscript.

Conflict of interest and funding

It is the responsibility of authors to identify and disclose any financial or other conflicts of interest that could influence their research. All sources of funding and any financial or personal relationships related to the work should be acknowledged in the manuscript. If no conflicts of interest exist, authors should include a statement to that effect (suggested wording: "The authors declare no conflicts of interest").

UN Declaration of Human Rights: Cells makes a statement against war and violence, in all parts of the world, and therefore requires all authors to confirm that they accept and agree with the UN’s Declaration of Human Rights when submitting a manuscript to the journal.

Reporting guidelines

Information on the design, use, and array of reporting guidelines can be found on the website for the Enhancing the Quality and Transparency of Health Research (EQUATOR) network and they should be used for Cells manuscripts when applicable:

1) CONSORT for randomized controlled trials www.consort-statement.org

2) Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) for observational studies: www.strobe-statement.org

3) Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: www.prisma-statement.org

4) Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research for studies of diagnostic accuracy: www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/stard

5) Case Reports (CARE) for case reports: www.care-statement.org

 

Arrangement of manuscript

In order to make the editorial and peer review process as efficient as possible as well as save authors time, we have prepared a manuscript template to help authors when submitting their manuscripts to Cells. We strongly recommend that you use this for your submission. You can find the manuscript template

Manuscripts should normally be divided into Title, Abstract, Introduction (including a clear statement of the aim of the study), Methods, Results, Discussion, Declarations and References.

Abbreviations: All abbreviations should be explained the first time they are used - unless it is a standard unit of measurement - and thereafter the use of abbreviations should be consistent throughout the paper. Avoid excessive use of abbreviations. Never use abbreviations in the article's title or in the Abstract.

Title page: A separate title page should include:

• the title of the article: it should be short and informative mirroring the main message of the paper,
• full names of the authors (first name and last name), and highest academic degree
• institutions of origin,
• a short title

Abstract: Emerging Cells requires structured abstracts for all original articles. The following headlines should be used where appropriate: Objective, Design, Subjects/Patients, Methods, Results, and Conclusion. Please make sure the abstract provides an answer to the aim of the study, and that the total number of words does not exceed 200. A list of from 3-8 key-words or terms from Medical Subject Headings www.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/MBrowser.html suitable for indexing terms should be typed at the bottom of the abstract page.

Introduction: State the purpose of the article and justify the study, why is it needed. Summarize the rationale for the study. Give only pertinent references; do not review the subject extensively.

Methods: Describe the selection of the subjects. Give details about randomization. Present characteristics of the subjects/patients; if pertinent use ICF terms from corresponding short forms of core sets. Describe methods for any blinding of the observations. Identify methods, equipment/materials, and procedures in sufficient detail, including pertinent references, to allow others to reproduce the study. Names and addresses of the manufacturers and/or suppliers of equipment and/or materials used in a study must be identified by names, town, and stated the first time the equipment/material is mentioned.

Results: Present results in logical sequence in the text, tables, and figures. It is strongly encouraged to present the main results in a figure. Avoid repeating information in text, tables, and figures. Restrict tables and figures to those needed to explain arguments and to assess their support. Use figures as an alternative to tables with many entries. Do not write in the text what variables are seen in a table but which are the main findings. Thus write "In table xx is seen" or give the reference to the specific table in parenthesis after the main information seen in the table is presented.

Interval data should be presented with means and 95% confidence intervals. Ordinal data from categorical (rating) scales are presented with medians, quartiles and range (if necessary and to compare to clinical praxis, means and SD may be given in addition). Please do not use “average” but rather "mean" or "median" and please always write SD as “mean (SD)” and not “mean±SD.

Discussion: Start with a one-paragraph summary of the main findings. Then place your study in context, referring to other relevant work. Do not repeat in detail data or other information presented in the Introduction or Result section. Discuss the limitation of the methods and the results presenting the clinical relevance of your study and the implications for future studies. Address the issue of effect magnitude, in terms of both the statistics reported and the implications of the results. You should not use a specific headline for the conclusion, but if pertinent, start the last paragraph with "In conclusion".

References: References should be numbered consecutively in the order in which they are first mentioned in the text. Identify references in the text by Arabic numerals in parenthesis as follows: "as shown by Smith (5)":... if two authors; "Smith & Jones (6)";... if more than two authors; "Smith et al. (7)". The style of references must follow the Vancouver system, and for the abbreviations of journal titles: please consult the Journals database, hosted at www.nlm.nih.gov.

Accepted but still unpublished material should be referred to as "In press". (References to submitted but not accepted material are not permitted but should be mentioned as footnotes.)

References should always include a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) ​​if applicable. If you are unsure of the DOI for a given reference, or whether a DOI for the reference is available, you can search for title, author name, etc. at https://search.crossref.org. Please use the reference guide below when preparing your paper (an EndNote output style is also available to assist you).

The most common types of references are exemplified below:

1. Standard journal article (if a journal carries continuous pagination throughout a volume the month and issue number should be omitted)

Up to six authors:

Halpern SD, Ubel PA, Caplan AL. Solid-organ transplantation in HIV-infected patients. N Engl J Med 2002; 347: 284–287. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMsb020632

More than 6 authors:

Rose ME, Huerbin MB, Melick J, Marion DW, Palmer AM, Schiding JK, et al. Regulation of interstitial excitatory amino acid concentrations after cortical contusion injury. Brain Res 2002; 935: 40–46. DOI: 10.1016/s0006-8993(02)02445-9

2. Chapter in a book

Meltzer PS, Kallioniemi A, Trent JM. Chromosome alterations in human solid tumors. In: Vogelstein B, Kinzler KW, editors. The genetic basis of human cancer. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2002, p. 93-113. DOI: 10.1036/ommbid.320

3. Journal article in electronic format: Abood S. Quality improvement initiative in nursing homes: the ANA acts in an advisory role. Am J Nurs [serial on the Internet]. 2002 Jun [cited 2002 Aug 12];102(6):[about 3 p.]. Available from: http://www.nursingworld.org/AJN/2002/june/Wawatch.htm. DOI: 10.1097/00000446-200206000-00031

Tables and figures: Tables are to be numbered consecutively with Roman numerals. Each table should be typed on a separate sheet and should have a descriptive, self-explanatory title (i.e. no unexplained abbreviations). Highlight an introductory sentence in bold and list footnotes below the table, using a, b, c for referencing. Asterix is used for probability values. Place other explanatory text above the table.

All illustrations should be considered as figures and uploaded as separate files. Each graph, drawing, or photograph should be numbered in sequence with Arabic numerals. All figures should have legends, listed on one separate sheet. Line drawing and lettering should be large enough to sustain photoreduction. Authors are responsible for obtaining the necessary permission to reuse any third-party material in the article.

Supplementary material and Video Abstracts

Supplementary material can include for example video- and audio files but also figures, tables, and datasets that are of relevant to the main article. Including supplementary material with your article can make it more discoverable, and help maximizing downloads and citations.

Video abstracts can be a good way of getting others to engage with your research, ultimately increasing the visibility and impact of your work. Through a video abstract you can introduce the article in your own words, telling readers what the unique contribution of your article is and why they should read it. We recommend keeping a video abstract short and to the point (no more than a few minutes) and that you use images, charts or tables to help explain the focus of your article. Consider the aim of the video throughout - to get people to read your article. The best video format is MP4 although other video formats such as MOV and MPEG4 are also supported. The minimum dimension is 426 x 240 and the max dimension is 3840 x 2160.

Please make sure to include any supplementary files at the same time as you submit your manuscript, although a video abstract can be sent upon acceptance instead.

Supplemental material will be published as submitted, and will thus not be checked for scientific content, it will not be copyedited and it will not be typeset. Please note that supplementary material and videos will be published free of charge.