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SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA PART B: ATOMIC SPECTROSCOPY
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Guide for Authors
Guide for Authors
1. Aims and Scope
Spectrochimica Acta Part B: Atomic Spectroscopy, is intended for the rapid
publication of both original work and reviews in the following fields:
• Atomic Emission (AES), Atomic Absorption (AAS) and
Atomic Fluorescence (AFS) spectroscopy;
• Mass Spectrometry (MS) for inorganic analysis covering Spark Source (SS-MS), Inductively
Coupled Plasma (ICP-MS), Glow Discharge (GD-MS), and Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS).
• Laser induced atomic spectroscopy
for inorganic analysis, including non-linear optical laser spectroscopy, covering Laser Enhanced Ionization (LEI), Laser Induced Fluorescence
(LIF), Resonance Ionization Spectroscopy (RIS) and Resonance Ionization Mass Spectrometry (RIMS); Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy
(LIBS); Cavity Ringdown Spectroscopy (CRDS), Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (LA-ICP-AES) and
Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS).
• X-ray spectrometry, X-ray Optics and Microanalysis,
including X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) and related techniques, in particular Total-reflection X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry
(TXRF), and Synchrotron Radiation-excited Total reflection XRF (SR-TXRF).
Manuscripts dealing with (i) fundamentals, (ii) methodology
development, (iii)instrumentation, and (iv) applications, can be submitted for publication.
The emphasis is on papers having a relationship
with "spectrochemical analysis". The main subjects will include theoretical or experimental studies of the physical and chemical processes
connected with the generation of atomic or mass spectra; the determination of atomic data; diagnostics for spectrochemical sources; the
fundamentals, design or performance of complete instrumental systems, components of instruments, or devices used in any of the above
stated fields of spectrometry; qualitative and quantitative analysis in the sense of complete analytical procedures using a single method
or a combination of methods, or parts of complete procedures: sampling, sample preparation, sample introduction, detection, data acquisition
and handling (including calibration and statistical evaluation); analytical performance and analytical figures of merit: limits of detection
and limits of determination, selectivity, precision, accuracy, interferences. Authoritative and comprehensive review articles, dedicated
to a particularly important topic or field of analysis, are published regularly. In addition, shorter, concise reviews or viewpoints
focusing on the current status and future prospects of a field or topic particularly relevant to the development of a new analytical
methodology or to a better understanding of its fundamental underlying principles are welcome. Tutorial reviews, illustrating in depth
fundamental concepts in atomic spectroscopy and analytical atomic spectroscopy, are also published.
Articles describing an application
of a spectroscopic technique to analysis will also be considered. In this case, however, the spectroscopic flavor of the manuscript should
be substantial: mere analytical recipes or papers emphasizing separation and pre-concentration techniques should not be submitted. Finally,
to the editors' discretion, accelerated publication of short papers dealing with new important concepts, instrumental developments or
applications will be considered.
2. Submission of articles
2.1 General
It is a condition of publication
that all manuscripts must be written in clear and grammatical American English and be submitted to the Spectrochimica Acta Part B Web
site at  http://ees.elsevier.com/sab/. Authors are requested to transmit the text and art of the manuscript in electronic
form to this address. Each manuscript must also be accompanied by a cover letter outlining the basic findings of the paper and their
significance. If the authors are unable to provide an electronic version, they should contact one of the editors prior to submission:
Nicoló Omenetto, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA. E-mail: omenetto@chem.ufl.edu
Margaretha
de Loos-Vollebregt, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands, E-mail: m.t.c.deloos@tnw.tudelft.nl
All
articles submitted will be refereed. The editors reserve the right to reject articles and to edit manuscripts when necessary. Authors
are encouraged to suggest the name(s) of persons who are qualified to serve as reviewers of their paper: such reviewers may be used at
the discretion of the Editors. Authors may also draw the editors' attention to reviewers with whom a potential conflict of interest may
arise.
Should authors be requested by the editor to revise the text, the revised version should be submitted within a reasonable period
of time. If revision is returned after 6 months, the article will be regarded as a new submission. A manuscript will be accepted after
peer review (and revision) as a "Regular Paper", a "Views and Criticisms'' article, a (Tutorial) Review, or a "Note'' (that is a Research
Note, a Technical Note, an Analytical Note, a Communication, or a Letter to the Editor).
The editor will start the processing of
a manuscript under the assumption that the same work has not been published (except as an abstract, or as part of a lecture, review,
or academic thesis), that it is not currently under consideration for publication elsewhere, nor it has been previously submitted for
publication elsewhere. If the last condition applies, the authors should notify the editor. Moreover, it is understood that the manuscript
submitted for publication has been approved by all of the authors and by the institution where the work was carried out; further, that
any person cited as a source of personal communications has approved such citation.
Upon acceptance of an article, authors will be
asked to transfer copyright (for more information on copyright, see http://www.elsevier.com/locate/authorsrights). This
transfer will ensure the widest possible dissemination of information. A letter will be sent to the corresponding author confirming receipt
of the manuscript. A form facilitating transfer of copyright will be provided after acceptance.
If material from other copyrighted
works is included, the author(s) must obtain written permission from the copyright owners and credit the source(s) in the article. Elsevier
has pre-printed forms for use by authors in these cases: contact Elsevier Global Rights Department, P.O. Box 800, Oxford OX5 1DX, UK;
phone: (+44) 1865 843830, fax: (+44) 1865 853333, e-mail: permissions@elsevier.com.
2.2 On-line submission
to the journal prior to acceptance
Authors can upload their article as a LaTeX, Microsoft? (MS) Word?, WordPerfect?,
or PostScript document via the Journal Website at http://ees.elsevier.com/sab/, where they will also find a detailed
description on its use. The system generates an Adobe Acrobat PDF version of the article, which is used for the reviewing process. It
is crucial that all graphical and tabular elements be placed within the text, so that the file is suitable for reviewing. For production
purposes authors will also be asked to upload the figures separately. For Authors, Reviewers and Editors send and receive all correspondence
by e-mail and no paper correspondence is necessary. Please find general instructions on how to prepare your article below in the sections
"Preparation of text", "References", and "Preparation of illustrations".
Wordprocessor 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. To
avoid unnecessary errors you are strongly advised to use the 'spellchecker' function of your word processor. 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.
Do not import the figures into the text file but, instead, indicate their approximate locations directly in the electronic text and on
the manuscript. See also the section on Preparation of electronic illustrations.
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 at: http://www.elsevier.com/latex. It consists of the files: elsart.cls (use this file if
you are using LaTeX2e, the current version of LaTeX), elsart.sty and elsart12.sty (use these two files if you are using LaTeX2.09, the
previous version of LaTeX), guidelines for users of elsart, a template file for quick start, and the instruction booklet "Preparing articles
with LaTeX". Although Elsevier can process most word processor file formats, should your electronic file prove to be unusable, the article
will be typeset from the hardcopy printout.
3 Preparation of text
3.1 Presentation of manuscript
Please write your text in good American English. 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). Prepare the entire manuscript for printing
on one side of the paper only, using double spacing and wide (3 cm) margins. (Avoid full justification, i.e., do not use a constant right-hand
margin.) Ensure that each new paragraph is clearly indicated. Present tables and figure legends on separate pages at the end of the manuscript.
If possible, consult a recent issue of the journal to become familiar with layout and conventions. Number all pages consecutively.
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, acronyms 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 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 260 words). The abstract should state briefly the purpose of the research, the principal results and major
conclusions. An abstract is often presented separate from the article, so it must be able to stand alone. Formulae, detailed analytical
methodology and references should therefore be avoided in the Abstract. If references are 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 five keywords, using
American spelling and 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 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.
3.2 Arrangement of the article
Subdivision 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.
Introduction.
The Introduction should outline the objectives of the work and make clear why the study was undertaken. The Introduction should also
refer to those publications that link the manuscript with previous work. The Introduction should start on a new page.
Theoretical:
A Theory section should extend, not repeat, the background to the article already dealt with in the Introduction and lay the foundation
for further work. In contrast, a Calculation section represents a practical development from a theoretical basis.
Experimental:
Provide sufficient detail to allow the work to be reproduced. Methods already published should be indicated by a reference: only relevant
modifications should be described. The equipment can often be conveniently specified in the form if a table. However, such tables should
not repeat information already in the text.
Results and Discussion. This should explore the significance of the results
of the work, not repeat them.
Conclusions: Whenever possible, a manuscript must be concluded with a suitable section, in
which the results are briefly compared with the objectives stated in the Introduction. The conclusions should make clear what the work
added to the existing knowledge.
Acknowledgements. Place acknowledgements, including information on grants received, before
the references, in a separate section, and not as a footnote on the title page.
References. See section 4
3.3 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., Xp/Ym
• Subscripts and superscripts should
be clearly indicated o Greek letters and other non-Latin symbols should be explained in the margin where they are first used. Take special
care to show clearly the difference between for example, zero (0) and the letter O, between one (1) and the letter l.o Give the meaning
of all symbols immediately after the equation in which they are first used.
• Please use – or approximately equal, and – for
proportional to.o Equations should be sequentially numbered on the right hand side of the equation and in parentheses. In general, only
equations explicitly referred to in the text need be numbered. In appendices use A1, etc.
• The use of fractional powers instead
of root signs is recommended. Powers of e are often more conveniently denoted by exp.
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. As a general rule, footnotes should not be included 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. Provide a title for each table.
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. You are urged to consult IUPAC nomenclature for spectroscopy and analytical chemistry for
further information ( http://www.iupac.org)
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 http://www.elsevier.com/artworkinstructions.
4. References
Responsibility for the accuracy of bibliographic citations lies entirely with the authors. Citations in
the text: Please ensure that every reference cited in the text is also present in the reference list (and vice versa). Any references
cited in the abstract must be given in full. As a rule unpublished results and personal communications should not be in the reference
list, but may be mentioned in the text. Citation of a reference as 'in press' implies that the item has been accepted for publication
at the time of publication and a copy of the relevant article must be submitted. Citing and listing of web references. As a minimum,
the full URL should be given. Any further information, if known (author names, dates, reference to a source publication, etc.), should
also be given. Web references can be listed separately (e.g., after the reference list) under a different heading if desired, or can
be included in the reference list.
Reference style
Indicate references by number(s) in square brackets in line
with the text. The actual authors can be referred to, but the reference number(s) must always be given.
Example: "..... as demonstrated
[3,6]. Barnaby and Jones [8] obtained a different result ...."
If reference is made in the text to publications written by more
than two authors, the name of the first author should be listed, followed by "et al.". Note that in the reference list the names and
initials of the authors and co-authors should be given in full. Number the references (numbers in square brackets) in the reference list
in the order in which they appear in the text. Include both the first and last page of each reference, as well as the title of the reference
after the list of authors and before the name of the journal.
Examples:
Reference to a journal publication: [1] J.
van der Geer, J.A.J. Hanraads, R.A. Lupton, The art of writing a scientific article, J. Sci. Commun. 163 (2000) 51-59.
Reference
to a book:
[2] W. Strunk Jr., E.B. White, The Elements of Style, third ed., Macmillan, New York, 1979.
Reference to a chapter in
an edited book:
[3] G.R. Mettam, L.B. Adams, How to prepare an electronic version of your article, in: B.S. Jones, R.Z. Smith (Eds.),
Introduction to the Electronic Age, E-Publishing Inc., New York, 1999, pp. 281-304.
Reference to conference proceedings, symposia
etc:
[4] R. Zheng, M. Campbell, K.W.D. Ledingham, W. Jia, C.T.J. Scott, R.P. Singhal, in H.-J. Kluge, J.E. Parks, K. Wendt (Eds.), Resonance
Ionization Spectroscopy, AIP Conference Proceedings 1994, AIP, New York, 1995, p. 353.
Journal names should be abbreviated according
to CAS (Chemical Abstracts Service): http://www.cas.org/
Use of the Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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.
5. Preparation of illustrations
5.1 Preparation of electronic illustrations
Submitting your artwork in an electronic format helps us to produce your work to the best possible standards, ensuring accuracy, clarity
and a high level of detail.
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, and supply a separate listing of the files and the software used.
• 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://www.elsevier.com/artworkinstructions
You are urged to visit this site; 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. For colour images always use RGB.
TIFF: Bitmapped line drawings: use a minimum of 1000dpi.
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:
• Supply embedded graphics
in your wordprocessor (spreadsheet, presentation) document;
bull; 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.
5.2 Captions
Ensure that each illustration has a caption. Supply captions on a separate
sheet, 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.
5.3 Colour illustrations
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.
6. Proofs
When your manuscript is received by 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 solely your responsibility.
A form with queries from the copyeditor 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. Return corrections within 2 days of
receipt of the proofs. Should there be no corrections, please confirm this.
7. 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.
8. Author enquiries
For enquiries relating to the submission of articles (including
electronic submission) please visit the Journal Website ( http://ees.elsevier.com/sab/) for the facility to track accepted
articles and set up e-mail alerts to inform you when an article's status has changed. The Journal Website also provides detailed artwork
guidelines, copyright information, frequently asked questions and more. Contact details for questions arising after acceptance of an
article, especially those relating to proofs, are provided when an article is accepted for publication.
9. Elsevier/Spectrochimica
Acta Atomic Spectroscopy Award
Since 1987, each year a jury has selected the best paper of the year which is awarded $1000 and
a certificate. Each year a list of the top papers from this selection are published.
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