It is hoped that this list will be useful during the final checking of an article prior to sending it to
the journal's Editor for review. Please consult this Guide for Authors for further details of any item.
Ensure that the following
items are present:
• One Author designated as corresponding Author: • E-mail address • Full postal address
• Telephone and fax numbers • All necessary files have been uploaded • Keywords • All figure captions
• All tables (including title, description, footnotes)
Further considerations
• Manuscript has been "spellchecked"
• References are in the correct format for this journal • All references mentioned in the Reference list are cited in the
text, and vice versa • Permission has been obtained for use of copyrighted material from other sources (including the Web)
• Colour figures are clearly marked as being intended for colour reproduction on the Web (free of charge) and in print or to be
reproduced in colour on the Web (free of charge) and in black-and-white in print • If only colour on the Web is required, black
and white versions of the figures are also supplied for printing purposes
Submission of
an article implies that the work described has not been published previously (except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published
lecture or academic thesis), that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere, that its publication is approved by all Authors
and tacitly or explicitly by the responsible authorities where the work was carried out, and that, if accepted, it will not be published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.
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: contact Elsevier's Rights Department, Oxford, UK: phone (+44)
1865 843830, fax (+44) 1865 853333, e-mail permissions@elsevier.com. Requests may also be completed online via the Elsevier
homepage (http://www.elsevier.com/locate/permissions).
Upon acceptance of an article, Authors will be asked to transfer
copyright (for more information on copyright see http://authors.elsevier.com). This transfer will ensure the widest possible
dissemination of information
Online submission to the journal prior to acceptance
Submission to this journal proceeds
totally online. Use the following guidelines to prepare your article. Via the "Author Gateway" page of this journal (http://ees.elsevier.com/engeo)
you will be guided stepwise through the creation and uploading of the various files. The system automatically converts source files to
a single Adobe Acrobat PDF version of the article, which is used in the peer-review process. Please note that even though manuscript
source files are converted to PDF at submission for the review process, these source files are needed for further processing after acceptance.
All correspondence, including notification of the Editor's decision and requests for revision, takes place by e-mail and via the Author's
homepage, removing the need for a hard-copy paper trail.
Note: electronic articles submitted for the review process may need to be
edited after acceptance to follow journal standards. For this an "editable" file format is necessary. See the section on "Electronic
format requirements for accepted articles" and the further general instructions on how to prepare your article below.
Please submit,
with the manuscript, the names and addresses of four potential Referees. You may also mention persons who you would prefer not to review
your paper.
Electronic format requirements for accepted articles
General points
We accept most word
processing formats, but Word, WordPerfect or LaTeX is preferred. Always keep a backup copy of the electronic file for reference and safety.
Save your files using the default extension of the program used.
Word processor documents It is important that
the file be saved in the native format of the word processor used. The text should be in single-column format. Keep the layout of the
text as simple as possible. Most formatting codes will be removed and replaced on processing the article. In particular, do not use the
word processor'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 word processor'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 Author Gateway's Guide to Publishing with Elsevier: http://authors.elsevier.com). 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.
LaTeX documents
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 Author Gateway's Quickguide: http://authors.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".
Preparation of text
Presentation of manuscript
General
Please write your text
in good English (American or British usage is accepted, but not a mixture of these). Italics are not to be used for expressions of Latin
origin, for example, in vivo, et al., per se. Use decimal points (not commas); use a space for thousands (10 000 and above). Language
Polishing. 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
Provide the following data on the title page (in the order given).
Title. Concise and informative. Titles are often
used in information-retrieval systems. Avoid abbreviations and formulae where possible. Author names and affiliations. Where
the family name may be ambiguous (e.g., a double name), please indicate this clearly. Present the Authors' affiliation addresses (where
the actual work was done) below the names. Indicate all affiliations with a lower-case superscript letter immediately after the Author's
name and in front of the appropriate address. Provide the full postal address of each affiliation, including the country name, and, if
available, the e-mail address of each Author. Corresponding Author. Clearly indicate who is willing to handle correspondence
at all stages of refereeing and publication, also post-publication. Ensure that telephone and fax numbers (with country and area code)
are provided in addition to the e-mail address and the complete postal address. Present/permanent address. If an Author
has moved since the work described in the article was done, or was visiting at the time, a "Present address" (or "Permanent address")
may be indicated as a footnote to that Author's name. The address at which the Author actually did the work must be retained as the main,
affiliation address. Superscript Arabic numerals are used for such footnotes. Abstract. A concise and factual abstract is
required (maximum length 500 words). The abstract should state briefly the purpose of the research, the principal results and major conclusions.
A structured abstract is required. For this, a recent copy of the journal should be consulted. An abstract is often presented separate
from the article, so it must be able to stand alone. References should therefore be avoided, but if essential, they must be cited in
full, without reference to the reference list. Non-standard or uncommon abbreviations should be avoided, but if essential they must be
defined at their first mention in the abstract itself. Keywords. Immediately after the abstract, provide a maximum of 4-6
keywords, avoiding general and plural terms and multiple concepts (avoid, for example, "and", "of"). Be sparing with abbreviations: only
abbreviations firmly established in the field may be eligible. These keywords will be used for indexing purposes. Abbreviations.
Define abbreviations that are not standard in this field at their first occurrence in the article: in the abstract but also in the main
text after it. Ensure consistency of abbreviations throughout the article. N.B. Acknowledgements. Collate acknowledgements,
including information on grants received, in a separate section at the end of the article and do not, therefore, include them on the
title page, as a footnote to the title or otherwise.
Arrangement of the articleSubdivision of the article. Divide
your article into clearly defined and numbered sections. Subsections should be numbered 1.1 (then 1.1.1, 1.1.2, ?), 1.2, etc. (the abstract
is not included in section numbering). Use this numbering also for internal cross-referencing: do not just refer to "the text." Any subsection
may be given a brief heading. Each heading should appear on its own separate line.References. See separate section, below.
Figure captions, tables, figures, schemes. Present these, in this order, at the end of the article. They are described in more
detail below. If you are working with LaTeX and have such features embedded in the text, these can be left, but such embedding should
not be done specifically for publishing purposes. Further, high-resolution graphics files must be provided separately (see Preparation
of illustrations). Text graphics. Present incidental graphics not suitable for mention as figures, plates or schemes at
the end of the article and number them "Graphic 1", etc. Their precise position in the text can then be indicated. See further under
the section, Preparation of illustrations. If you are working with LaTeX and have such features embedded in the text, these can be left,
but such embedding should not be done specifically for publishing purposes. Further, high-resolution graphics files must be provided
separately (see Preparation of illustrations).
Specific remarks
Mathematical formulae. Present simple formulae
in the line of normal text where possible. In principle, variables are to be presented in italics. Use the solidus (/) instead of a horizontal
line, e.g., X/Y rather than X Y Powers of e are often more conveniently denoted by exp. Number consecutively any
equations that have to be displayed separate from the text (if referred to explicitly in the text).
Footnotes. Footnotes
should be used sparingly. Number them consecutively throughout the article, using superscript Arabic numbers. Many word processors build
footnotes into the text, and this feature may be used. Should this not be the case, indicate the position of footnotes in the text and
present the footnotes themselves on a separate sheet at the end of the article. Do not include footnotes in the Reference list.
Tables.
Number tables consecutively in accordance with their appearance in the text. Place footnotes to tables below the table body and indicate
them with superscript lowercase letters. Avoid vertical rules. Be sparing in the use of tables and ensure that the data presented in
tables do not duplicate results described elsewhere in the article.
Nomenclature and units. Follow internationally accepted
rules and conventions: use the international system of units (SI). If other quantities are mentioned, give their equivalent in SI.
Preparation of supplementary data. Elsevier accepts 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 instruction pages at the Author Gateway at http://authors.elsevier.com/artwork.
References
(a) References in the text consist of the surname of the author(s), followed by the year of publication in parentheses.
All references cited in the text should be given in the reference list and vice versa.
(b) The reference list should be in alphabetical
order. Please consult a copy of a recent issue for further guidance.
Preparation of electronic illustrations
General
points • Make sure you use uniform lettering and sizing of your original artwork. • Save text in illustrations
as "graphics" or enclose the font. • Only use the following fonts in your illustrations: Arial, Courier, Helvetica, Times,
Symbol. • Number the illustrations according to their sequence in the text. • Use a logical naming convention for your
artwork files. • Provide all illustrations as separate files. • Provide captions to illustrations separately. •
Produce images near to the desired size of the printed version.
A detailed guide on electronic artwork is available on our website:
http://authors.elsevier.com/artwork. 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: • embed graphics in your word processor (spreadsheet, presentation)
document; • supply files that are optimised for screen use (like GIF, BMP, PICT, WPG); the resolution is too low; •
supply files that are too low in resolution; • 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.
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://authors.elsevier.com/artwork.
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.
Proofs
One set of page proofs in PDF format will be sent by e-mail to the corresponding Author (if we do not have an e-mail
address then paper proofs will be sent by post). Elsevier now sends PDF proofs which can be annotated; for this you will need to download
Adobe Reader version 7 available free from http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html. Instructions on how to
annotate PDF files will accompany the proofs.
If you do not wish to use the PDF annotations function, you may list the corrections
(including replies to the Query Form) and return to Elsevier in an e-mail. Please list your corrections quoting line number. If, for
any reason, this is not possible, then mark the corrections and any other comments (including replies to the Query Form) on a printout
of your proof and return by fax, or scan the pages and e-mail, or by post.
Please use this proof only for checking the typesetting,
editing, completeness and correctness of the text, tables and figures. Significant changes to the article as accepted for publication
will only be considered at this stage with permission from the Editor. We will do everything possible to get your article published quickly
and accurately. Therefore, it is important to ensure that all of your corrections are sent back to us in one communication: please check
carefully before replying, as inclusion of any subsequent corrections cannot be guaranteed. Proofreading is solely your responsibility.
Note that Elsevier may proceed with the publication of your article if no response is received.
Electronic offprints (e-offprints)
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.
