The International Journal for Marine Environmental Scientists, Engineers, Administrators, Politicians and Lawyers
Guide for Authors
Submission of Papers
Submission for all manuscripts to Marine Pollution Bulletin proceeds totally on-line. Via the Elsevier
Editorial System (EES) website for this journal at http://ees.elsevier.com/mpb you will be guided stepwise through the creation
and uploading of the various files. When submitting a manuscript to EES, authors need to provide an electronic version of their manuscript.
For this purpose, only original source files are permitted, so no PDF files. Once the uploading is done, our system automatically
generates an electronic (PDF) proof, which is then used for reviewing. It is crucial that all graphical elements be uploaded in separate
files, so that the PDF is
suitable for the reviewing process. All correspondence, including notification of the Editor's decision and
requests for revisions, will be by e-mail.
The above represents a very brief outline of electronic submission, you can find further details
at the website given above.
Copyright
Submission of an article is understood to imply that the article is original
and is not being considered for publication elsewhere.
Upon acceptance of an article, authors will be asked to sign a 'Journal
Publishing Agreement' (for more information on this and copyright see http://www.elsevier.com/copyright). Acceptance of
the agreement will ensure the widest possible dissemination of information. An e-mail (or letter) will be sent to the corresponding author
confirming receipt of the manuscript together with a 'Journal Publishing Agreement' form or a link to the online version of this agreement.
Subscribers may reproduce tables of contents or prepare lists of articles including abstracts for internal circulation within their
institutions. Permission of the Publisher is required for resale or distribution outside the institution and for all other derivative
works, including compilations and translations (please consult http://www.elsevier.com/permissions).
If excerpts from
other copyrighted works are included, the author(s) must obtain written permission from the copyright owners and credit the source(s)
in the article. Elsevier has preprinted forms for use by authors in these cases: please consult http://www.elsevier.com/permissions.
Funding body agreements and policies
Elsevier has established agreements and developed policies to allow authors who publish
in Elsevier journals to comply with potential manuscript archiving requirements as specified as conditions of their grant awards. To
learn more about existing agreements and policies please visit http://www.elsevier.com/fundingbodies
Types of Contributions
Research reports; Shorter research Notes; Baseline records of contamination levels; Viewpoint articles; Letters to the Editor; Focus
articles (short reviews of 1500 words); Reviews.
Preparation of Texts
We accept most word processing formats for accepted
articles, but Word, WordPerfect or LaTeX is preferred. Always keep a backup copy of the electronic file for reference and safety. It
is important that the file is saved in the native format of the word processor used. The text should be in single-column format. Keep
the layout as simple as possible. Most formatting codes will be removed and replaced on processing the article. In particular, do not
use the wordprocessor's options to justify text or to hyphenate words. However, do use bold face, italics, subscripts, superscripts etc.
Do not embed 'graphically designed' equations or tables, but prepare these using the wordprocessor's facility. When preparing tables,
if you are using a table grid, use only one grid for each individual table and not a grid for each row. If no grid is used, use tabs,
not spaces, to align columns. The electronic text should be prepared in a way very similar to that of conventional manuscripts (see also
the Guide to Publishing with Elsevier: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/authorshome.authors/howtosubmitpaper). Do not import
the figures into the text file but, instead, indicate their approximate locations directly in the electronic text. See also the section
on Preparation of electronic illustrations. To avoid unnecessary errors you are strongly advised to use the spelling checker function
of your word processor.
LaTeX documents
If the LaTeX file is suitable, proofs will be produced without rekeying the
text. The article should preferably be written using Elsevier's document class "elsart", or alternatively the standard document class
"article", The Elsevier LaTeX package (including detailed instructions for LaTeX preparation) can be obtained from the Quickguide: http://www.elsevier.com/latex.
It consists of the files: elsart.cls, guidelines for users of elsart, a template file for quick start and the instruction booklet "Preparing
articles with LaTeX".
Manuscript Preparation General: Manuscripts must be typewritten, double-spaced with wide
margins. 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. Please ensure that a fluent English
speaker has revised the manuscript prior to submission to the Editors.
Authors who require information about language editing and copy
editing services pre- and post-submission please visit http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/authorshome.authors/languagepolishing
or contact authorsupport@elsevier.com for more information. Please note Elsevier neither endorses nor takes responsibility
for any products, goods or services offered by outside vendors through our services or in any advertising. For more information please
refer to our Terms & Conditions http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/termsconditions.cws_home/termsconditions.
The
Editors reserve the right to adjust style to certain standards of uniformity. Authors should retain a copy of their electronic files.
Abstract: This should not exceed 150 words.
Text: Follow this order when typing manuscripts: Title, Authors, Affiliations,
Abstract, Keywords, Main text, Acknowledgements, Appendix, References, Figure Captions and then 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.
Keywords: Authors are requested to provide up to six keywords
which describe the scope of the article. The keywords will appear listed after the abstract of each paper. Where relevant these should
include the main species concerned, the geographical area and the contaminant.
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 the author s name (without initials)
and year of publication (e.g. ``Since Brown (1986) has shown that or ``This is in agreement with results obtained later (Chou, 1997)
. For citations for three or more authors, use author et al. in the text. The list of references should be arranged alphabetically by
author s name. The manuscript should be carefully checked to ensure that the spelling of authors names and dates are exactly the same
in the text as in the reference list.
References should be given in the following form:
Brown, B.E. 1986. Human-induced damage to coral
reefs. UNESCO reports in Marine Science No. 40, UNESCO, Paris.
Chou, L.M. 1997. The status of southeast asian coral reefs. Proceedings
of the 8th International Coral Reef Symposium 11, 317 322.
Loya, Y. 1978. Poltless and transect methods. In D. R. Stoddart, R.E.
Johannes Coral reefs: research methods, pp. 197 217. Paris: UNESCO.
Osterberg, C., Pearcy, W. & Kujala, N. 1964. Gamma emitters
in a Fin Whale. Nature 204, 1006-1007.
Use of the digital object identifier
The digital object identifier (DOI) may be
used to cite and link to electronic documents. The DOI consists of a unique alpha-numeric character string which is assigned to a document
by the publisher upon the initial electronic publication. The assigned DOI never changes. Therefore, it is an ideal medium for citing
a document, particularly 'Articles in press' because they have not yet received their full bibliographic information. The correct format
for citing a DOI is shown as follows (example taken from a document in the journal Physics Letters B):
doi:10.1016/j.physletb.2003.10.071
When you use the DOI to create URL hyperlinks to documents on the web, they are guaranteed never to change. However, please check the
DOI very carefully as an error in a letter or number will result in a dead link.
Preparation of electronic illustrations
General
1.Make sure you use uniform lettering and sizing of your original artwork.
2.Save text in illustrations as "graphics"
or enclose the font.
3.Only use the following fonts in your illustrations: Arial, Courier, Helvetica, Times, Symbol.
4.Number
the illustrations according to their sequence in the text.
5.Use a logical naming convention for your artwork files.
6.Provide
all illustrations as separate files.
7.Provide captions to illustrations separately.
8.Produce images near to the desired
size of the printed version.
A detailed guide on electronic artwork is available on our website: http://elsevier.com/artworkinstructions.
Some excerpts from the detailed information are given here.
Formats
Regardless of the application used, when your electronic
artwork is finalised, please "save as" or convert the images to one of the following formats (note the resolution requirements for line
drawings, halftones, and line/halftone combinations given below):
EPS: Vector drawings. Embed the font or save the text as "graphics".
TIFF: Colour or greyscale photographs (halftones): always use a minimum of 300 dpi.
TIFF: Bitmapped line drawings: use a minimum
of 1000 dpi.
TIFF: Combinations bitmapped line/half-tone (colour or greyscale): a minimum of 500 dpi is required.
DOC, XLS or
PPT: If your electronic artwork is created in any of these Microsoft Office applications please supply "as is".
Please do not:
1. embed graphics in your word processor (spreadsheet, presentation) document;
2. supply files that are optimised for screen use
(like GIF, BMP, PICT, WPG); the resolution is too low;
3. supply files that are too low in resolution;
4. submit graphics
that are disproportionately large for the content.
Captions
Ensure that each illustration has a caption. Supply captions
separately, not attached to the figure. A caption should comprise a brief title (not on the figure itself) and a description of the illustration.
Keep text in the illustrations themselves to a minimum but explain all symbols and abbreviations used.
Line drawings
The lettering and symbols, as well as other details, should have proportionate dimensions, so as not to become illegible or unclear after
possible reduction; in general, the figures should be designed for a reduction factor of two to three. The degree of reduction will be
determined by the Publisher. Illustrations will not be enlarged. Consider the page format of the journal when designing the illustrations.
Do not use any type of shading on computer-generated illustrations.
Tables
Tables should be numbered consecutively and
given a suitable caption and each table typed on a separate sheet. 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).
Photographs (halftones)
Remove non-essential areas of a photograph. Do not mount
photographs unless they form part of a composite figure (plate). Where necessary, insert a scale bar in the illustration (not below it),
as opposed to giving a magnification factor in the caption.
Colour illustrations
Please make sure that artwork files
are in an acceptable format (TIFF, EPS or MS Office files) and with the correct resolution. If, together with your accepted article,
you submit usable colour figures, then Elsevier will ensure, at no additional charge that these figures will appear in colour on the
Web (e.g., ScienceDirect and other sites) regardless of whether or not these illustrations are reproduced in colour in the printed version.
For colour reproduction in print, you will receive information regarding the costs from Elsevier after receipt of your accepted article.
Please indicate your preference for colour in print or on the Web only. For further information on the preparation of electronic artwork,
please see http://www.elsevier.com/artworkinstructions.
Please note: Because of technical complications which can arise
by converting colour figures to "grey scale" (for the printed version should you not opt for colour in print) please submit in addition
usable black and white versions of all the colour illustrations. As only one figure caption may be used for both colour and black and
white versions of figures, please ensure that the figure captions are meaningful for both versions, if applicable.
Supplementary
Data
Elsevier accepts electronic supplementary material to support and enhance your scientific research. Supplementary files
offer the author additional possibilities to publish supporting applications, movies, animation sequences, high-resolution images, background
datasets, sound clips and more. Supplementary files supplied will be published online alongside the electronic version of your article
in Elsevier web products, including ScienceDirect: http://www.sciencedirect.com. In order to ensure that your submitted
material is directly usable, please ensure that data is provided in one of our recommended file formats. Authors should submit the material
in electronic format together with the article and supply a concise and descriptive caption for each file. For more detailed instructions
please visit our artwork instructions pages at http://www.elsevier.com/artworkinstructions.
GenBank/DNA sequence
linking
DNA sequences and GenBank Accession numbers Many Elsevier journals cite ``gene accession numbers in their running text
and footnotes. Gene accession numbers refer to genes or DNA sequences about which further information can be found in the databases at
the National Center for Biotechnical Information (NCBI) at the National Library of Medicine. Elsevier authors wishing to enable other
scientists to use the accession numbers cited in their papers via links to these sources, should type this information in the following
manner:
For each and every accession number cited in an article, authors should type the accession number in bold, underlined text. Letters
in the accession number should always be capitalised. (See Example 1 below). This combination of letters and format will enable Elsevier
s typesetters to recognize the relevant texts as accession numbers and add the required link to GenBank s sequences.
Example 1: ``GenBank
accession nos. AI631510, AI631511, AI632198, and BF223228), a B-cell tumor from a chronic lymphatic leukemia (GenBank accession no. BE675048),
and a T-cell lymphoma (GenBank accession no. AA361117) .
Authors are encouraged to check accession numbers used very carefully.
An error in a letter or number can result in a dead link.
In the final version of the printed article, the accession number text
will not appear bold or underlined (see Example 2 below).
Example 2: ``GenBank accession nos. AI631510, AI631511, AI632198, and BF223228),
a B-cell tumor from a chronic lymphatic leukemia (GenBank accession no. BE675048), and a T-cell lymphoma (GenBank accession no. AA361117)
.
In the final version of the electronic copy, the accession number text will be linked to the appropriate source in the NCBI databases
enabling readers to go directly to that source from the article (see Example 3 below).
Example 3: ``GenBank accession nos. AI631510,
AI631511, AI632198, and BF223228), a B-cell tumor from a chronic lymphatic leukemia (GenBank accession no. BE675048), and a T-cell lymphoma
(GenBank accession no. AA361117) .
Online Publication
Your article will appear on Elsevier's online journal database
ScienceDirect as an "Article in Press" within approximately 4-6 weeks of acceptance. Articles in Press for this journal can be viewed
at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/0025326X. An Article in Press may be cited prior to its publication by means
of its unique digital object identifier (DOI) number, which does not change throughout the publication process.
Proofs
When your manuscript is received at the Publisher it is considered to be in its final form. Proofs are not to be regarded as `drafts
.
One set of page proofs in PDF format will be sent by e-mail to the corresponding author, to be checked for typesetting/editing.
No changes in, or additions to, the accepted (and subsequently edited) manuscript will be allowed at this stage. Proofreading is your
responsibility.
A form with queries from the copy editor may accompany your proofs. Please answer all queries and make any corrections
or additions required.
The Publisher reserves the right to proceed with publication if corrections are not communicated. Please return
corrections within two working days of receipt of the proofs. Should there be no corrections, please confirm this.
Elsevier will
do everything possible to get your article corrected and published as quickly and accurately as possible. In order to do this we need
your help. When you receive the (PDF) proof of your article for correction, it is important to ensure that all of your corrections are
sent back to us in one communication. Subsequent corrections will not be possible, so please ensure your first sending is complete. Note
that this does not mean you have any less time to make your corrections, just that only one set of corrections will be accepted.
Reprints
The corresponding author, at no cost, will be provided with a PDF file of the article via e-mail or, alternatively,
25 free paper offprints.
The PDF file 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.
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, without the author relinquishing his/her 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 a similar
nature, and translations. It also 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 material for which copyright already exists.
Author Discount
Contributors
to Elsevier journals are entitled to a 30% discount on most Elsevier books, if ordered directly from Elsevier.
Author Enquiries
Authors can keep a track on the progress of their accepted article, and set up e-mail alerts informing them of changes to their manuscript
s status, by using the "Track a Paper" feature found at http://www.elsevier.com/trackarticle. For privacy, information on
each article is password-protected. The author should key in the "Our Reference" code (which is in the letter of
acknowledgement sent
by the publisher on receipt of the accepted article) and the name of the corresponding author. In case of problems or questions, authors
may contact the Author Support Department, E-mail: authorsupport@elsevier.com
