Guide for Authors

Systematic Reviews will however be considered. Intending authors should communicate with the Editor beforehand, by email, outlining the proposed scope of the review. Maximum length 10 journal pages (approximately 33 double-spaced typescript pages) including figures and tables.

Three copies of the manuscript should be submitted: each accompanied by a set of illustrations. The requirements for submission are in accordance with the "Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals", Annals of Internal Medicine, 1997,126, 36-47. All manuscripts must be written in American English. Authors are urged to write as concisely as possible.

The Editor and Publisher reserve the right to make minimal literary corrections for the sake of clarity. Authors for whom English is not the first language should have their manuscripts read by colleagues fluent in English. If extensive English corrections are needed, authors may be charged for the cost of editing. For additional reference, consult issues of Dental Materials published after January 1999 or the Council of Biology Editors Style Manual (1995 ed.).

All manuscripts should be accompanied by a letter of transmittal, signed by each author, and stating that the manuscript is not concurrently under consideration for publication in another journal, that all of the named authors were involved in the work leading to the publication of the paper, and that all the named authors have read the paper before it is submitted for publication.

Always keep a backup copy of the electronic file for reference and safety.

Manuscripts not conforming to the journal style will be returned. In addition, manuscripts which are not written in fluent English will be rejected automatically without refereeing.

Format
General
• number all pages consecutively.
• type double-spaced on A4 or 8.5 x 11-inch bond paper, with margins of 30 mm.
• double-space references.
• indent or space paragraphs.
• arrange article in the following order: Title, Abstract, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, Acknowledgements, References, Tables, Figures, Captions.
• start each section on a separate page.

Title page
• Title (capitalize the first letter of the first word) e.g. Comparison of the color stability of ten new composites.
• Authors (first name, middle initial, surname) e.g. Kenneth J. Anusavice 1, Victoria Marker 2
• Authors' addresses (abbreviated) e.g.
1 Department of Biomaterials, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
2 Department of Biomaterials Science, Baylor College of Dentistry, Dallas, Texas, USA
• Short Title (45 characters) e.g Color stability of composites
• Corresponding Author details (essential): Name, complete address, phone, fax, and E-mail numbers

Abstract (structured format)
• 250 words or less.
• subheadings should appear in the text of the abstract as follows: Objectives, Methods, Results, Significance. (For Systematic Reviews: Objectives, Data, Sources, Study selection, Conclusions). The Results section may incorporate small tabulations of data, normally 3 rows maximum.

Keywords
Up to 10 keywords should be supplied e.g. dental material, composite resin, adhesion.

Introduction
This must be presented in a structured format, covering the following subjects, although actual subheadings should not be included:
• succinct statements of the issue in question;
• the essence of existing knowledge and understanding pertinent to the issue (reference);
• the aims and objectives of the research being reported relating the research to dentistry, where not obvious.

Materials and methods
• describe the procedures and analytical techniques.
• only cite references to published methods.
• include at least general composition details and batch numbers for all materials.
• identify names and sources of all commercial products e.g.
"The composite (Silar, 3M Co., St. Paul, MN, USA)..."
"... an Au-Pd alloy (Estheticor Opal, Cendres et Metaux, Switzerland)."
• specify statistical significance test methods.

Results
• refer to appropriate tables and figures.
• refrain from subjective comments.
• make no reference to previous literature.
• report statistical findings.

Discussion
• explain and interpret data.
• state implications of the results, relate to composition.
• indicate limitations of findings.
• relate to other relevant research.
• suggest directions for future research.

Conclusion (if included)
• must NOT repeat Results or Discussion
• must concisely state inference, significance, or consequences

Acknowledgements
As appropriate, e.g.:
"Based on a thesis submitted to the graduate faculty, University of Virginia, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the M.S. degree."
"This investigation was supported in part by Research Grant DE 00000 from the National Institute of Dental Research, Bethesda, MD 20892."

References - must now be given according to the following numeric system:
Cite references in text in numerical order. Use square brackets: in-line, not superscript e.g. [23]. All references must be listed at the end of the paper, double-spaced, without indents. For example:
1. Moulin P, Picard B and Degrange M. Water resistance of resin-bonded joints with time related to alloy surface treatments. J Dent, 1999; 27:79-87.
2. Taylor DF, Bayne SC, Sturdevant JR and Wilder AD. Comparison of direct and indirect methods for analyzing wear of posterior composite restorations. Dent Mater, 1989; 5:157-160.
Avoid referencing abstracts if possible. If unavoidable, reference as follows:
3. Demarest VA and Greener EH . Storage moduli and interaction parameters of experimental dental composites. J Dent Res, 1996; 67:221, Abstr. No. 868.

Tables and figures
All tables and figures must be thoroughly discussed in the text of the manuscript.

Tables
• one table to a page, each with a title.
• number tables in order of mention using Arabic numerals.
• must be able to "stand alone" apart from text.
• when appropriate, standard deviations of values should be indicated in parentheses; (do NOT use ± notation).
• results of statistical analysis must be included, use superscript letters to indicate significant differences.
• for explanatory footnotes, use symbols (*, #,**,##).

Figures
• Do not import the figures into the text file but, instead, indicate their approximate locations directly in the electronic text. Images to be supplied separately in jpg, gif or other graphics file.
• only black and white photographs for print publication.
• omit titles and other information contained in the figure caption.
• maximum of 6 figures per manuscript.
• figures grouped together should have similar dimensions and be labelled "a, b, c", etc.
• place magnification markers directly on the micrographs.
• authors should consider that the majority of figures will be reduced to the width of a single column (approximately 85 mm). Preferably figures should exactly match, or be no more than 1.5 times that width.
• authors can indicate if they feel a figure should be full page width.

Dental Materials has been selected for inclusion in a new 'colourful e-products' workflow. Figures that appear in black and white in the printed version of the journal can be IN COLOUR, online, in ScienceDirect. Authors wishing to make use of this facility should ensure that 1. the artwork is in an acceptable format (TIFF, EPS or MS Office files) and at the correct resolution 2. RGB colourspace is used and 3. for colour online and black and white in print, both colour and black and white artwork (file and/or hardcopy) is provided. There will be no charges to the authors for colour figures online.

Graphs
• unique, concise axis labels; do not repeat the Figure caption.
• uniform size for graphs of similar type.
• type size that will be easily read when the graph is reduced to one column width.
• lines that are thick and solid (100% black).

Captions to tables and figures
• list together on a separate page.
• should be complete and understandable apart from the text.
• include key for symbols or abbreviations used in Figures.
• individual teeth should be identified using the FDI two-digit system.

General Notes on Text
Abbreviations and acronyms: terms and names to be referred to in the form of abbreviations or acronyms must be given in full when first mentioned.
Correct Usage
• use S.I. units (International System of Units). If non-SI units must be quoted, the SI equivalent must immediately follow in parentheses.
• use correct symbols for &mgr;, L (as in &mgr;m, mL, etc.)
• put leading zeros in all numbers less than 1.0
• write out number of ten or fewer (ten rats) except when indicating inanimate quantities (10 mL)
• always use digits for dates, dimensions, degrees, doses, time, percentages, ratios, statistical results, measurements, culture cells, and teeth.
• the complete names of individual teeth must be given in the text.

General Policy
• receipt of manuscripts will be acknowledged.
• after initial review, authors will be notified of status.
• every effort is made to obtain timely reviews; please remember that the referees and the editor are volunteers.
• a list of revisions and responses to reviewers' critiques must accompany resubmitted revised manuscripts.

On Submission: Agreement, by the act of ticking a box, to the statement, "This paper has been compiled with the knowledge, input and approval of all the named authors."

On acceptance, authors will be required to sign a transfer of copyright agreement. If figures, tables, or other excerpts, are included from copyrighted works the author is responsible for obtaining written permission from the copyright holder prior to submitting the final version of the paper. Full credit must be given to such sources.

Offprints and page charges: no page charges are levied on articles published in Dental Materials. Each corresponding author receives 25 offprints of their article free of charge after it has been published; they will also have the opportunity to order additional copies.

Submission Package Checklist:
• letter of transmittal signed by all authors.
• One electronic copy of the manuscript.
• One electronic copy of each image and table, all labelled.
For further guidance on electronic submission, please contact Author Services, Log-In Department, Elsevier Ltd, The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford, OX5 1GB, UK. E-mail: authors@elsevier.co.uk, fax: +44 (0)1865 843905, tel: +44 (0)1865 843900.