We use Microsoft Word (any editions) in the Editorial office. File sizes should be as small as possible, with a maximum size of 20 MB, so that they can be downloaded quickly. The combined total size of all files must not exceed 50 MB.
The following format for the text is recommended but not required for submission.
Title The title should be informative and concise, and not longer than 150 characters (including spaces). It should describe the topic of the manuscript in terms understandable to a broad readership.
Running title The running title describes the key aspect of the paper and should be 60 characters or less (including spaces). Authors Authors should be listed with full names, beginning with the given name, and followed by the family name. Affiliations (including department/unit, institution, city, state/region, postal code and country) should be provided for each author. If the authors are affiliated to different units, the affiliation sequence should be in the same order of author list, marked at the right upper corner of the author names using 1, 2, 3, etc. Corresponding author’s name, full postal address, telephone and fax numbers and e-mail address need to be provided.
Keywords Up to 6 words separated by commas.
Abstract The abstract (up to 250 words) should be written in one paragraph, clearly indicating the objectives, the key methods, major results and their significance. Extensive experimental detail and reference should be avoided.
Introduction The introduction should include the background of the research through literature citation, the questions needed to be resolved, the objectives of the research, and the main methods used.
Results Results can be described using text, tables and figures. The text should complement material given in Tables and/or Figures but should not directly repeat it. Please give full details of statistical analysis either in the text or in Tables and/or Figure legends. Please include the type of test, the precise data to which it was applied, the value of the relevant statistics, the sample size and/or degrees of freedom, and the probability level.
Discussion The main purpose of the Discussion is to comment on the significance of the results and set them in the context of previous work. Hypothesis should be rational and evidence-based. Please avoid repeating information in the Results section. Materials and methods Methods must be described in sufficient detail to permit other laboratories to replicate experiments and verify claims. Generally, standard procedures should be referenced, though significant variations should be described. Appropriate experimental design and statistical methods should be applied and described wherever necessary for proper interpretation of data and verification of claims. All novel materials and procedures should be described in sufficient detail to allow their reproduction (e.g., DNA constructs, genetic stocks, enzyme preparations, and analytical software).
Acknowledgements A list of contributions, credits, potential conflicts of interests, and previous presentation of the information reported in the manuscript.
Abbreviations Abbreviations used in the text should be defined. However, some common names, such as GTP, RNA, PBS, PCR need not be defined. All nomenclature, including gene names and symbols, should be used in a scientifically accurate manner following the nomenclature conventions adopted by the scientific community.
Figure legends Every figure should have a title, and the figure legend should follow the title closely. Figure legends should provide enough information to make the figures understandable without frequently referring to the text. Do not describe methods in figure legends unless they are necessary to interpret the results conveyed by the figure. Define in the legend all symbols and abbreviations that are used in the figure.
Tables Tables should be self-contained and self-explanatory. All tables should be cited in the text and numbered consecutively with Arabic numerals. Label each table at the top with an Arabic numeral followed by the table title. Insert explanatory material and footnotes below the table. Designate footnotes using lowercase superscript letters (a, b, c) reading horizontally across the table. Abbreviations that are used in a table should be defined in the footnotes. Please prepare the tables in MS Word with a single-space format. Do not embed tables as graphic files, document objects, or pictures.
Figures Figures (graphs, charts, photographs, and illustrations) should be self-explanatory and labeled professionally.
Dimensional drawings and diagrams should include only the essential details and as little lettering as possible. The magnification for micrographs should be indicated by scale bars, inscriptions should be legible, and the symbols and letters should be consistent among the panels.
Please make sure that the letters, labels and symbols are in proportion to the figure and are easily readable after the figures are reduced to printable size. For example, the final text should be at least 2 mm in size and the graph lines should be at least 0.5 pt in weight. We recommend that all graphs are submitted in the intended publication size. The options include:
1 column width: 3.3 inches (8.4 cm)
2 column width: 6.7 inches (17 cm)
Maximum height: 9 inches (23.0 cm)
Figures should be prepared in a publication quality resolution. The minimal resolution is:
300 dpi for grayscale and color image
900 dpi for line art
Compliance with Ethics Guidelines In order to comply with the ethical requirements, the following sentences should be included in a separate section of each article just before the reference list. The section should be called “Compliance with Ethics Guidelines”.
Conflict of Interest:
When an author or the institution of the author has a relationship, financial or otherwise, with individuals or organizations that could influence the author’s work inappropriately, a conflict of interest may exist. Examples of potential conflicts of interest may include but are not limited to academic, personal, or political relationships; employment; consultancies or honoraria; and finical connections such as stock ownership and funding. Although an author may not feel that there are conflicts, disclosure of relationships and interests that could be viewed by others as conflicts of interest affords a more transparent and prudent process. General collective statements like “The authors declare that there is no Conflict of Interest” is NOT sufficient. The Conflict of Interest statements should list each author separately by name:
John Smith declares that he has no conflict of interest.
Paula Taylor has received research grants from Drug Company A.
Mike Schultz has received a speaker honorarium from Drug Company B and owns stock in Drug Company C.
If multiple authors declare no conflict, this can be done in one sentence:
John Smith, Paula Taylor, and Mike Schultz declare that they have no conflict of interest
For studies with human subjects include the following:
All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000 (5). Informed consent was obtained from all patients for being included in the study.
If doubt exists whether the research was conducted in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration, the authors must explain the rationale for their approach, and demonstrate that the institutional review body explicitly approved the doubtful aspects of the study.
If any identifying information about patients is included in the article, the following sentence should also be included:
Additional informed consent was obtained from all patients for which identifying information is included in this article.
For studies with animals include the following sentence:
All institutional and national guidelines for the care and use of laboratory animals were followed.
For articles that do not contain studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors:
While it is not absolutely necessary, we recommend to include the following sentence, just to make sure that readers are aware that there are no ethical issues with human or animal subjects:
This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by the any of the authors.
References Biophysics Reports reference style can be downloaded from “Guidelines--Templates--Endnote output style for Biophysics Reports”.
Supplementary Materials Supplementary materials that are directly related to the conclusion are welcomed. However, unrelated data may be removed by editors. Depending on the nature of the supplementary data, they can be in plain text, MS Word, MS Excel, JPEG, TIFF, video etc.. We encourage authors to submit supplementary documents in PDF format if applicable.
