Preparing Your Revised Manuscript in Word or WordPerfect
Important note: Science cannot at present accept files in Word 2007's .docx format. Please see our instructions for Word 2007 users before submitting.
For resubmission of revised manuscripts after peer review -- in contrast to the procedures for initial submission of manuscripts before review -- we ask that authors submit manuscript text (including tables) in a single electronic file, and figures and supporting online material in other, separate files. At the revision stage, the manuscript flow will be smoothest if authors submit their electronic text files in one of several common word processing program formats. (Authors wishing to submit manuscripts in TeX or LaTeX should see our special instructions for these formats.)
Irrespective of their original format, all files at the revision stage are converted into Microsoft Word format for copyediting and production processing. Thus, although we can receive papers in most word processing programs, we strongly recommend that authors use Microsoft Word versions up to 2003 (or 2004 for the Macintosh) for preparing their revised manuscript if possible. As noted above, cannot accept file in Word 2007's default .docx format.
On this page, we provide some suggestions for preparing your manuscript using these or other common word processing programs, for the smoothest possible trip through our editorial and production process. Then, we offer some information about the actual process of uploading your revised manuscript, figures, and supporting online material.
Downloadable Files
Manuscript Preparation
Files and formats
- For both initial submission and submission of a revised manuscript after peer review, word processor files should be saved in a version compatible with Microsoft Word versions up to 2003 (or 2004 on the Macintosh). One exception: Files in rich text format (RTF) cannot be accepted at initial submission, though they are acceptable for the revised manuscript.
- Science cannot at present accept files in Word 2007's .docx format. If you use Word 2007, please see our information on .docx before submitting.
- Format the manuscript for U.S. letter-sized paper.
- Do not include hidden text or comments in the file. If you have been using a word processing feature that tracks changes to the manuscript, make sure to instruct the program to "accept all changes"; then save the file as a new file after accepting the changes and turning off the "track changes" feature.
- Ensure that all text boxes are deleted from the file. Move content of text boxes into the main text. The only boxes that should appear are those for embedded equations.
- Clear all tabs.
- For revised manuscripts (after peer review), files for the main text should be named using the manuscript number, followed by an extension signifying the file type. Example: For manuscript #1058736, prepared in Word, the appropriate filename would be 1058736.doc.
Fonts
- Use Times or Times New Roman font for normal text and Symbol font for all symbols. Authors may want to download a Word list of commonly used symbols that can be cut and pasted into manuscripts.
- On the Macintosh, please use the "Insert Symbol" command sequence (in Word) rather than keystroke shortcuts to insert symbols. This creates a character using the correct font, versus one from an extended font set.
- Please avoid unusual or exotic fonts. Even the well-known Zapf Dingbats font can cause font-mapping problems across platforms, software, and printer drivers. (Authors who wish to use dingbats in their manuscript should, if possible, use the equivalent TrueType font, Wingdings, or, preferably, Lucinda Unicode fonts.)
- Use subscripts and superscripts where appropriate. Do not use raised or lowered baselines. Use a degree symbol, not a raised or superscipt lowercase "o".
- Use boldface only for volume numbers in references.
- Do not use colored text. All text should be black or white background.
Equations
- We cannot accept manuscripts containing equations created in the Microsoft Word 2007 default equation editor. Please use earlier versions of Word, or use MathType, to create equations and save to an earlier version of Word. The new equation editor in Word 2007 is not compatible with MathML, the standard for typesetting and online display, and will render equations as unresolvable graphics on conversion to earlier Word versions.
- Long equations should be set off from the text and numbered sequentially. After an equation is introduced, refer to it by number (e.g., "Eq. 1," "Eqs. 3 and 4").
- If some or all of your equations are simple (on a single baseline), use normal text and fonts:
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E(t) · r = D+[exp(-iwt)] + D-[exp(iwt)]
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(1) |
- Complex equations should be embedded using standard plug-ins like Mathtype or the Word Equation Editor contained in versions of Microsoft Word up to 2003 (or 2004 for the Macintosh):
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(2) |
Do not use the default Word 2007 equation editor, which is incompatible with our production process.
- If the paper includes many equations or schemes, these can be collected in a table of equations, which we can display as a boxed figure.
References
- Arrange references as a simple list at the end of your manuscript, per Science reference style. If you use a reference manager such as EndNote, please resolve EndNote references before submitting.
Headers and footers
- A running header or footer (for example, with page numbers) can be included on your files; it will be replaced during the editing of the manuscript. Please do not use footnotes, however, except in tables.
Graphics and figures
Tables
- Tables set up in Word or WordPerfect can be included directly in the manuscript file for both initial submissions and revisions. Please convert table files prepared in Microsoft Excel into Word if they are to be included in the print article or report. Tables should be sized to be printed on U.S. letter-sized paper.
- If any of your tables have columns delimited only by tabs or spaces, convert them to Word or WordPerfect tables.
- Tables should have a descriptive caption. Authors are encouraged to examine previous issues of Science for samples of appropriate table captions.
- Tables can include footnotes. These are called out using a series of characters in this order: *, †, ‡, §, ||, ¶.
The Upload Process
When you use our WWW site to upload your manuscript from revision, you will first be asked to complete an electronic version of our conflict-of-interest form and license for publication. The corresponding author can complete these for all authors, but before you start the upload process, you should have all of the relevant information from all authors (see instructions for these forms here ). If you prefer, you can also FAX or send in a hard copy of these forms.
When you have prepared electronic files for your text and tables, your figures, and your supporting online material according to the instructions provided in these pages (as well as an electronic version of any illustration that you wish to have considered for the cover of Science), along with a cover letter, you are ready to upload your revised manuscript using our revision upload form. (The form supports only version 4 or higher of Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer, and requires that JavaScript and cookies be enabled on the browser.) We recommend a quick review of the instructions listed at that site (which briefly cover items such as file naming conventions). Then, you will be guided through a series of screens:
- Click on the "Proceed with Revised Submission" link.
- Enter the user I.D. and password supplied to you in the letter from the manuscript editor. Click "Submit".
- Fill out the conflict of interest form, if you have not already done so.
- Fill out the license to publish form, if you have not already done so.
- Use the "Browse" buttons to find the cover letter file, manuscript text file, figure files, supporting online material files, cover art file on your hard drive and insert those files into the form. Click "Upload Files" to complete the process.
Uploading the files will take several to many minutes depending on the speed of your connection and the size of your files. Please do not interrupt or cancel the upload once it's started.
Good luck with submission of your revised manuscript, and thanks for publishing in Science.
