These guidelines are intended for authors contributing chapters for publication by Digital Manuscriptpedia (DMPedia). Adhering to them ensures a smooth publishing process, minimises effort for both authors and editors, and helps us deliver a high-quality book on schedule.
Acceptable Files
It simplifies matters if we restrict ourselves to the standard software packages:
- Word for text and table files with standard fonts
- JPEG, JPG, TIF or EPS for figure files (always submit colour where possible), with a minimum resolution of 300 DPI.
- We never accept LaTeX file.
Layout of the Chapter
Since your chapter will be published online and available for individual purchase, it must meet our database requirements to ensure it is fully searchable, accessible, and able to stand alone. To achieve this, each chapter must include the following information (referred to as “metadata”) on its first page:
- Definitive title (not a working title but a strong and descriptive one)
- Definitive subtitle (if any)
- Final sequence of names of authors with affiliations (department, university/company name, city, country)
- E-mail address for the corresponding author
- Full mailing address and tel. # of the corresponding author for sending the print copy upon publication
- An abstract of a maximum of 200 words, which encapsulates the work (must not contain figures)
- Max 8 keywords/search terms that will aid users to find your work online
- Running head suggestion of no more than 45 characters (including spaces)
House Style and Format
The information in this section covers the most important style issues:
Language: Maintain consistency and precision when using technical terms and jargon. Define all terms and abbreviations at their first mention, and use the abbreviation consistently thereafter. Limit the use of acronyms and abbreviations wherever possible. Do not begin sentences with abbreviations—for example, write “Carbon…” instead of “C…”. Use SI (Système International) units exclusively for all measurements (metric only). Ensure correct usage of compound and hyphenated words: use “nanomaterials” rather than “nano- materials,” and “polyethylene-based” instead of “polyethylene based.”
Fonts: Use a regular font like Calibri or New Times Roman. Do not use bold, italic, or underlined within the text if you want to emphasize a word. Do not use ALL CAPITALS at any time. We display our headings in upper and lower case, such as “Dimercaptosuccinic Acid-Coated Magnetic Nanoparticles as a Localized Delivery System in Cancer Immunotherapy“. Please do use bold for the main heading.
Spelling: We prefer U.S. spelling.
Chapter Numbering and Subheadings: Sections within each chapter should use double-level numbering (e.g., 7.1.1), with numbering based on the assigned chapter number (e.g., Chapter 7). Unless the structure of the book or chapter requires deeper hierarchy, further subdivisions may be distinguished using bold or bold italic headings rather than additional numbering. Your volume editor will assign your chapter number—please ensure all section headings, figures, tables, equations, and in-text citations reflect this numbering accordingly.
Equations: Please do not save and submit any equations in “images” format because we cannot edit them. If you cannot write them originally in Word, then use the tool, which can be located at https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Write-insert-or-change-an-equation-in-Word-2007-f4789808-f958-4baa-9e90-09227c88c5da. This tool is very easy to use and will solve all the problems. Displayed equations are double numbered by chapter, in parentheses. Variables are italicized in the equations and in the text.
References: Use a numbered citation system: references should be cited by number in square brackets (e.g., [1]), in the order they appear in the chapter. List all references in numerical order at the end of the chapter. Regardless of citation style, each reference must include complete details—full author name(s) as published, full title, publisher, location, and year of publication. For journal articles, use standard abbreviations for journal titles and maintain consistency throughout. If unsure of the abbreviation, consult a reliable online source. Journal abbreviations and book titles should be italicized, and a period (full stop) must follow any journal title abbreviation.
Please follow exactly the styles below.
Journal Reference
George, J., Sreekala, M.S., Thomas, S.A., A review on interface modification and characterization of natural fiber reinforced plastic composites. Polym. Eng.Sci., 41, 1471, 2001.
Authored book
Sharon, M and Sharon M., Graphene: An introduction to fundamentals and industrial applications, pp.205-206, Wiley-Scrivener, 2015.
Edited volume
Mittal, K.L. (Ed.), Polymer Surface Modification: Relevance to Adhesion, VSPlBrill, Leiden, 2009.
Chapter in edited volume
Matinlinna, J.P., Dahl, J.E et al, The effect of the novel silane system on the flexural properties of E-glass fiber-reinforced composites for dental use, in: Silanes and Other Coupling Agents, K.L. Mittal (Ed.), pp. 107-121, VSPlBrill, Leiden, 2009.
Standard
Standard specification for ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene molding and extrusion materials, ASTM D4020-05, 2007.
Web Citation
Mitsui Chemicals, Ape1™ cyclo olefin copolymer (COC), http://www.mitsuichemicaIs.com/apel.htm, 2008.
Patent
W.A Anderson and G.N. Meckling, Polymeric bicyclo-(2,2,1)-2-heptene, US Patent 2721189, assigned to DuPont, 1955.
Figures and Tables
Permission to use figures: It is essential to obtain permission from the copyright holder before reusing any figures in your chapter. Do not wait until after manuscript submission to request permissions. If a fee is required, it is your responsibility to handle the payment. Alternatively, you may choose to create or source a replacement figure. Any required permission citation must be included as part of the figure caption.
Designation: Non-tabular materials are “Figures” (not exhibits, illustrations, etc.), and tabular materials are “Tables.” Make sure to note the approximate placement in the manuscript. Each figure and table should have a text reference occurring before (or within a few lines after) its placement.
Captions, Headings, and Credits: If figures or tables require credits, include them in parentheses immediately following the caption or heading. Captions and headings should be clear and descriptive enough for the figure or table to be understood independently of the main text. Do not embed captions or headings within the figure file; instead, include them separately in the List of Figures and Tables. As our digital editions are in color but the printed versions are in black and white, avoid using color-based descriptions in your figure captions to ensure clarity for all readers.
Fonts: When creating your own graphics, use one font consistently for their labels throughout your manuscript, and use one consistent arrowhead size. Keep in mind that large figures will be downsized by our typesetter.
Figure Resolution: At all times, figure resolution needs to be 600 dpi at the size it will be used. (Keep in mind that large figures will need to be downsized by our typesetter.) The exceptions are line art, which should be 800 dpi at the size it will be used, and grey scale charts and photos, which should be 400 dpi at the size they will be used. Figures downloaded from the Internet are generally not of good quality.
Figure File Naming: When creating a file name for your electronic figures, avoid all punctuation except the hyphen, as these can corrupt the file. (For example: use “3-07.tif” to name a file for the 7th figure of chapter 3.)
Table Format: Keep in mind what trim size your book will be. For example, a table with many columns would need to be formatted landscape in a 6X9 book, whereas in an 8 ½ X 11 book the same table may work in portrait format. Please do not save and submit any tables in “images” format because we cannot edit them. Write them in Word or Excel format.
Index
Authors of monographs and chapters are strongly encouraged to create the subject index in Word as they write their book/chapter. Please review the link below and follow the instructions. If you have any questions, then please ask.
http://www.teachucomp.com/how-to-create-an-index-in-microsoft-word-2013/
Proofs of your chapter
Proofs of your book or chapter will be sent to you for correction either by the publisher or the typesetters who will be providing project management. For authors, you will have 10 days to annotate the PDF and provide the chapter subject index (instructions will be given at the time).