Please note that this journal is a commissioned review journal and does not accept unsolicited articles. If you are interested in
acting as a guest editor, please contact the Editorial Office: semcell@elsevier.com
Submission checklist
Please ensure that the following items are present:
The following details have been provided for the
designated corresponding author:
E-mail address
Full postal address
Telephone and fax numbers
All text pages
Keywords (maximum 5)
All figure captions
All tables (including title, description,
footnotes)
Further considerations
Manuscript has been "spell checked"
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 or to be reproduced in black-and-white
Language Polishing. Authors who
require information about language editing and copyediting 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
For any further information
please contact the Author Support Department at authorsupport@elsevier.com
Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology
is a review journal dedicated to keeping scientists informed of developments in the field of molecular cell and developmental biology,
on a topic-by-topic basis. Each issue is thematic in approach, devoted to an important topic of interest to cell and developmental biologists,
focusing on the latest advances and their specific implications. Every issue is edited by a guest editor, an internationally acknowledged
expert in the field, and contains eight authoritative invited reviews on different aspects of the subject area. The aim of each issue
is to provide a coordinated, readable, and lively review of a selected area, published rapidly to ensure currency.
Submission
of articles
General
It is essential to give a fax number and e-mail address when submitting a manuscript.
Articles must be written in good English.
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.
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.
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).
Submission to the Guest Editor
Submission to this journal proceeds totally online. Use the following guidelines to prepare your article. Via the submission page of
this journal (http://www.elsevier.com/locate/semcdb) 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.
The above represents a very brief outline of this form of submission. It can be advantageous to print this "Guide for
Authors" section from the site for reference in the subsequent stages of article preparation.
Electronic format requirements
for accepted articles
General points
We accept most wordprocessing 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.
Wordprocessor documents
It is important that the file be saved in the native format of the wordprocessor
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 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 and
on the manuscript. See also the section on Preparation of electronic illustrations.
To avoid unnecessary errors you are strongly
advised to use the "spellchecker" function of your wordprocessor.
Preparation of text
Each article should be
no more than 6,000 words in total (allow the equivalent of 250 words for each table or figure).
Please write your text in good English
(American or British usage is accepted, but not a mixture of these). Italics are 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).
Use 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, figures and figure legends on separate pages at the end of the manuscript. Consult a recent issue
of the journal or refer to the sample issue online at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/10849521 to become familiar
with layout and conventions. Number all pages consecutively.
The following information should be provided on the title page (in the
order given).
Title. Titles should be concise and informative. They are often used in information-retrieval systems. For
this reason, please use the word "Review" in the title or, if not, include "review" in the abstract or keywords.
In the title, 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 the e-mail
address of each author. 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.
Corresponding author. Clearly indicate who is to handle correspondence at all stages of pre- and 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.
Abstract. A concise and factual abstract is required (maximum length 100 words). 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 5
keywords, avoiding general and plural terms and multiple concepts (avoid, for example, 'and', 'of'). Only abbreviations
firmly established in the field are 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.
Structure of the article
Subdivision of the article. Divide
your article into clearly defined sections. Each subsection should have a brief heading on its own separate line. Subsections should
be used as much as possible when cross-referencing text: refer to the subsection by heading as opposed to simply 'the text.'
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 separate section, below.
Figure legends, tables,
figures, schemes. Present these on separate pages, in this order, at the end of the article. They are described in more detail below.
High-resolution graphics files must always be provided separate from the main text file (see Preparation of illustrations).
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. You are urged to consult IUB: Biochemical Nomenclature & Related Documents http://www.chem.qmw.ac.uk/iubmb/
for further information.
Annotations: Please annotate references that are of particular interest. Annotation of 6 to 10 references
is recommended.
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. 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.
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.
Text: 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.
List: Number the references (numbers in square brackets) in the list in the
order in which they appear in the text.
Examples:
Reference to a journal publication:
[1] Van der Geer J, Hanraads
JAJ, Lupton RA. The art of writing a scientific article. J Sci Commun 2000;163:51-9.
Reference to a book:
[2] Strunk Jr W, White
EB. The elements of style. 3rd ed. New York: Macmillan; 1979.
Reference to a chapter in an edited book:
[3] Mettam GR, Adams
LB. How to prepare an electronic version of your article. In: Jones BS, Smith RZ, editors. Introduction to the electronic age, New York:
E-Publishing Inc; 1999, p. 281-304.
Note the shortened form for last page number. e.g., 51-9, and that for more than 6 authors the
first 6 should be listed followed by 'et al.' For further details you are referred to "Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts
submitted to Biomedical Journals" (J Am Med Assoc 1997;277:927-934) (see also http://www.nejm.org/general/text/requirements/1.htm).
Preparation of illustrations
General points
Save text in illustrations as "graphics"
or enclose the font. Make sure you use uniform lettering and 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 electronic illustrations
as separate files.
Provide captions to illustrations separately.
Produce images near to the desired size of
the printed version.
You are urged to visit this site; some excerpts from the detailed information are given here.
Formats
Please save artwork 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 CMYK.
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:
Supply embedded graphics in your text;
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 on a separate page, 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.
Cover illustration
Authors are encouraged to submit interesting figures for possible
publication on the front cover of an issue of this journal; the figure should be related to the author's article.
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. The exact system requirements are given at the Adobe site: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/acrrsystemreqs.html#70win.
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.
Special Subject Repositories
Certain repositories such as PubMed Central ("PMC")
are authorized under special arrangement with Elsevier to process and post certain articles such as those funded by the National Institutes
of Health under its Public Access policy (see elsevier.com for more detail on our policy).
Articles accepted for publication in an Elsevier
journal from authors who have indicated that the underlying research reported in their articles was supported by an NIH grant will be
sent by Elsevier to PMC for public access posting 12 months after final publication. The version of the article provided by Elsevier
will include peer-review comments incorporated by the author into the article. Because the NIH 'Public Access' policy is voluntary,
authors may elect not to deposit such articles in PMC. If you wish to 'opt out' and not deposit to PMC, you may indicate this
by sending an e-mail to mailto:NIHauthorrequest@elsevier.com.
US National Institutes of Health (NIH) voluntary posting ("Public Access") policy.
Elsevier facilitates author response to
the NIH voluntary posting request (referred to as the NIH "Public Access Policy"; see http://www.nih.gov/about/publicaccess/index.htm
) by posting the author's peer-reviewed manuscript directly to PubMed Central on request from the author, 12 months after formal publication.
Upon notification from Elsevier of acceptance, we will ask you to confirm via e-mail (by e-mailing us at NIHauthorrequest@elsevier.com
that your work has received NIH funding and that you intend to respond to the NIH policy request, along with your NIH award number to
facilitate processing. Upon such confirmation, Elsevier will submit to PubMed Central on your behalf a version of your manuscript that
will include peer-review comments, for posting 12 months after formal publication. This will ensure that you will have responded fully
to the NIH request policy. There will be no need for you to post your manuscript directly with PubMed Central, and any such posting is
prohibited.
Authors' rights:
As an author you (or your employer or institution) may do the following: • make copies
(print or electronic) of the article for your own personal use, including for your own classroom teaching use • make copies
and distribute such copies (including through e-mail) of the article to research colleagues, for the personal use by such colleagues
(but not commercially or systematically, e.g., via an e-mail list or list server) • post a pre-print version of the article
on Internet websites including electronic pre-print servers, and to retain indefinitely such version on such servers of sites •
post a revised personal version of the final text of the article (to reflect changes made in the peer review and editing process) on
your personal or institutional website or server, with a link to the journal homepage (on Elsevier.com) • present the article
at a meeting or conference and to distribute copies of the article to the delegates attending such a meeting • for your employer,
if the articles is a 'work for hire', made within the scope of your employment, your employer may use all or part of the information
in the article for other intra-company use (e.g., training) • retain patent and trademark rights and rights to any processes
or procedure described in the article • include the article in full or in part in a thesis or dissertation (provided that this
is not to be published commercially) • use the article or any part thereof in a printed compilation of your works, such as collected
writings or lecture notes (subsequent to publication of your article in the journal) • prepare other derivative works, to extend
the article into book-length form, or to otherwise re-use portions or excerpts in other works, with full acknowledgement of its original
publication in the journal.
