ACS Publications introduces new manuscript submission guidelines

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1, 2018 — As part of an ongoing effort to improve the author and reviewer experience, the Publications Division of the American Chemical Society (ACS) is pleased to announce “Review-Ready Submission.” This change to submission requirements will save researchers time by eliminating journal-specific formatting. By simplifying the way in which a manuscript is prepared, “Review-Ready Submission” will further ensure that authors, editors and reviewers focus on the science during preparation and peer review.

Beginning February 1, 2018, authors who submit their research to any ACS journal will be asked to adhere to the following standard practices:

Submissions must be complete with clearly identified standard sections used to report original research, free of annotations or highlights, and include all numbered and labeled components.

Figures, charts, tables, schemes and equations should be embedded in the text. Separate graphics can be supplied at revision.

When required by a journal’s structure or length limitations, manuscript templates should be used.

References can be provided in any style but they must be complete, including titles.

Supporting Information must be submitted as a separate file(s).

To streamline reference styling, ACS Publications will update publicly available reference managers with a common style, which will automatically include titles. Journal-specific reference styles will be applied by the journal production team after a paper is accepted for publication.

“ACS Publications recognizes that authors have choices when submitting their work for publication,” says Sarah Tegen, Ph.D., vice president, Global Journals Development. “Eliminating journal-specific formatting requirements will save researchers, editors and reviewers precious time during manuscript preparation and peer review. An added benefit is that this change will simplify the author’s experience when they transfer manuscripts between ACS journals.”

About the American Chemical Society
The American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society, is a not-for-profit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS is a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. ACS does not conduct research, but publishes and publicizes peer-reviewed scientific studies. Through its Publications Division, the Society publishes 50+ peer-reviewed journals and eBooks. ACS journals are among the most cited, most trusted and most read within the scientific literature. The Publications Division offers high-quality service to authors and readers, including rapid time to publication, cutting-edge web and mobile delivery platforms and comprehensive open-access options. The Society's main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.