Submission of Papers

Authors are requested to submit their manuscript online via http://ees.elsevier.com/epj. Prior to submission, authors are encouraged to read the instructions available by following this link and clicking on the 'help' icon in the top right hand corner of the page.

Submission of a paper implies that it has not been published previously, that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere, and that if accepted it will not be published elsewhere in the same form, in English or in any other language, without the written consent of the publisher.

Manuscript Preparation

General:
Manuscripts must be typewritten, double-spaced with wide margins on one side of white paper. A font size of 12 or 10 pt is required.
The corresponding author should be identified (include a Fax number and E-mail address).
Full postal addresses must be given for all co-authors.
Authors should consult a recent issue of the journal for style if possible.
The Editors reserve the right to adjust style to certain standards of uniformity.
The language of the journal is English.
The Editor will reject manuscripts submitted in any language other than English.

Graphical Abstract. In addition to the Abstract, which will appear at the beginning of the text, the author should provide a graphical abstract for the Table of Contents (TOC). It should consist of the manuscript title, the author name(s), and the appropriate graphic. The TOC graphic should capture the reader's attention and, in conjunction with the manuscript title, should give the reader a quick visual impression of the essence of the paper. It should be in the form of a structure, graph, drawing, TEM/SEM/AFM micrograph, or reaction scheme without any added text. Tables or spectra are not acceptable. Color is encouraged. Type size of labels, formulas, or numbers within the graphic must be legible. The graphic should be submitted as a separate file in either TIFF, JPG, Word, or Powerpoint format.

Language and Style: Manuscripts should be written in English in a clear and concise manner and follow the style of a current issue of European Polymer Journal. Authors whose native language is not English should have the spelling, grammar, and style checked by someone fully proficient in the English language.

Manuscripts which are not written in fluent English will be rejected automatically without refereeing.
English language help service: please consult our sponsored services at www.elsevier.com/locate/languagepolishing

Text:
Follow this order when typing manuscripts:
Title,
Authors,
Affiliations,
Abstract,
Main text,
Acknowledgements,
Appendix,
References,
Figure Captions
Tables.

Do not import the Figures or Tables into your text. The corresponding author should be identified with an asterisk and footnote. All other footnotes (except for table footnotes) should be identified with superscript Arabic numbers.

Symbols and Units:
Letters to be set in Greek type should be clearly indicated.
Confusion between the letter I and the numeral 1 when standing alone can be avoided by looping the letter I when typewritten.
Differentiation between the O (and o) and zero 0 is advisable when there is any possibility of confusion.
Subscripts and superscripts should be clearly indicated.
Primes (as p') should be written or identified so that they will not be interpreted as superior figure 1 (p¹).

Mathematics:
In general, equations and formulae should be clearly and carefully written, taking care to have all figures and symbols, especially in fractions and equations, in the alignment in which they are to be printed.

Abbreviations:
Abbreviations are used freely in European Polymer Journal, particularly in setting the Experimental Section. For the most part these are not followed by a full stop (period). Among the more commonly used abbreviations, these may be listed:

g kg mm cm ml cm³ sec min hr n25 D(x)25 D25° (without C which is always understood) l (litre) but m.p., b.p., in. (inch) but in² without a period.

Nomenclature following the IUPAC Commission rules will always be accepted without modification. Otherwise, the Editor's function in these matters will be advisory in nature.

References:
All publications cited in the text should be presented in a list of references following the text of the manuscript. In the text refer to references by a number in square brackets on the line (e.g. Since Akovali[1]), and the full reference should be given in a numerical list at the end of the paper.
References should be given in the following form:

1. Akovali G, Rzaer ZMO, Mamedov DG. Plasma surface modification of polyethylene with organosilicon an organotin monomers. Euro Polym Jnl 1996;32(3):375-383.

2. Scherowsky G. Ferroelectric polymers. In: Nalwa HS, editor. New York: Marcel Dekker, Inc., 1995. p. 435-537.

3. Noshav A, McGrath JE. Block copolymers overviews and criteria survey. New York: Academic, 1977.
Photographs, charts and diagrams are all to be referred to as "Figure(s)" and should be numbered consecutively in the order to which they are referred. They should accompany the manuscript, but should not be included within the text.
All figures should have a caption.

Colour:
Authors will be charged for colour at current printing costs. Colour online is free of charge.

Tables:
Tables should be numbered consecutively and given a suitable caption
Footnotes to tables should be typed below the table and should be referred to by superscript lowercase letters.
No vertical rules should be used.
Tables should not duplicate results presented elsewhere in the manuscript, (e.g. in graphs).

Proofs
Proofs will be sent to the author (first named author if no corresponding author is identified of multi-authored papers) and should be returned within 48 hours of receipt.
Corrections should be restricted to typesetting errors; any others may be charged to the author. Any queries should be answered in full.
Please note that authors are urged to check their proofs carefully before return, since the inclusion of late corrections cannot be guaranteed.

Offprints
The corresponding author will be provided with a PDF of the article via e-mail or, alternatively, with twenty-five paper offprints, at no cost in either case. The PDF is a watermarked version of the published article and includes a cover sheet with the journal cover image and a disclaimer outlining the terms and conditions of use.
Additional offprints and copies of the issue can be ordered at a specially reduced rate using the order form sent to the corresponding author after the manuscript has been accepted. Orders for reprints (after publication) will incur a 50% surcharge.

Copyright
All authors must sign the "Transfer of Copyright" agreement before the article can be published. This transfer agreement enables Elsevier Ltd to protect the copyrighted material for the authors, but does not relinquish the author's proprietary rights.
The copyright transfer covers the exclusive rights to reproduce and distribute the article, including reprints, photographic reproductions, microfilm or any other reproductions of similar nature and translations. This includes the right to adapt the article for use in conjunction with computer systems and programs, including reproduction or publication in machine-readable form and incorporation in retrieval systems. Authors are responsible for obtaining from the copyright holder permission to reproduce any figures for which copyright exists.
For enquiries relating to the submission of articles (including electronic submission where available) please visit this journal's homepage at http://www.elsevier.com/locate/europolj. You can track accepted articles at http://www.elsevier.com/trackarticle and set up e-mail alerts to inform you of when an article's status has changed, as well as copyright information, frequently asked questions and more. For specific enquires on the preparation of electronic artwork, consult http://www.elsevier.com/artworkinstructions

Contact details for questions arising after acceptance of an article, especially those relating to proofs, are provided when an article is accepted for publication.