Instructions for Authors

 | Post date: 2018/12/25 | 
NeuroLife is a continuous open access, peer-reviewed journal published by Medical Sciences Publications (MedSci), LLC from January 2023. NeuroLife will be considered and accepted articles in all areas of Basic & Clinical Neuroscience. All research articles submitted to NeuroLife should be original in nature, never previously published in any journal or presented at a conference or undergoing such process across the globe. All the submissions will be peer-reviewed by the panel of experts associated with a particular field. Submitted papers should meet the internationally accepted criteria and manuscripts should follow the style of the journal for the purpose of both reviewing and editing. 
 

NeuroLife publishes diverse categories of articles. All types of articles are subject to peer review. The journal publishes the following types of contributions:

NeuroLife Article Types:

- Editorial
- Review Article
- Original Article
- Short Communication
- Letter to Editor


Please insert the type of your manuscript on top of the Title Page and Main Manuscript.
 

Manuscript Submission

Submission to NeuroLife occurs online. In addition, the authors can submit their manuscripts by email directly to the journal editorial office. All manuscripts must be submitted in the online submission system. Some authors prefer to submit manuscripts by email and some are not familiar with the online submission system, we may accept submissions by email or by Online Submission System. In the first case, our technical personnel will enter the details and files associated with the manuscript into the online submission system for the authors. Please send the manuscript and required files (including the title page and manuscript text) to the NeuroLife Editorial Office at: (editor.neurolifegmail.com).

Please read the following instructions carefully and follow them closely to ensure that the review and publication of your article is as efficient and quick as possible. The editorial office reserves the right to return manuscripts that are not in accordance with the NeuroLife instructions for authors. Once you have prepared your manuscript according to the instructions below, you can then submit your work via our online submission form. During the submission procedure, authors are asked to provide: a) a statement that the manuscript has been read and approved by all authors; b) the name, affiliation, postal address, email address, telephone or fax number of the corresponding author who is responsible for negotiations concerning the manuscript; c) first and last name, email address and affiliation are also required for all contributing authors. Only those authors that their complete information has been submitted will be named in article's homepage once accepted. Once the manuscript is submitted, the corresponding author will receive an acknowledgment notification.

Manuscript File Format

Acceptable manuscripts' file formats include Microsoft Word and WordPerfect. Do not submit your manuscripts in PDF format.

Text Style Guideline

Use A4 size. The text should be left justified. Use 12-point font size. Use preferably Times and New Roman font. Use 1.5 line spacing. Use line and page number. Use Initial Upper Case for Title, Headings and Subheadings, Keywords, Affiliations, and Authors’ Name. Make the titles, headings, and subheadings bold, or use different colors.
 

Preparing the Title Page and Main Manuscript

Title Page

The title page should contain the following components:

Manuscript Title: please keep it as precise and concise as possible and ensure it reflects the subject matter
Corresponding author's name, qualification, affiliation, telephone number, and email address
Each author's affiliation, email address, and qualifications
Use 3 to 6 keywords to describe the subject of your manuscript
Acknowledgments: in this section, all sources of funding for research must be explicitly stated, including grant numbers if appropriate. Other financial and material support, specifying the nature of the support, should be acknowledged as well.
Authors' contributions: in this section, you must specify explicitly who did what based on the substantive intellectual contribution made to the article. It should be noted that any changes should be made by completing the Change of Authorship Form before an acceptance is granted on the manuscript.
Conflict of interest: if your work is sponsored by a funder with a proprietary or financial interest in the outcome, please clearly state this in your title page.
Ethical issues: if your manuscript is an original article you should name the ethics committee that has approved the study.
A word count of the full article

Important Note: While submitting your manuscript please bear in mind to upload the Authorship From as well (this form must be completed by the corresponding author and signed by all authors).

Main Manuscript Components

The manuscript should follow through these sections: Abstract (no more than 350 words), Key Messages (only for Original Articles), Background, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, and References. However, it may be appropriate to combine the discussion and conclusion sections in some articles. Tables and Figures should be inserted within the text as close as possible to where they are referenced. Authors should not upload them as separate files. Please add page numbers and line numbers for your manuscript.

- Abstract

Include a structured abstract of no more than 350 words for original articles and reviews. An abstract is often presented separately from the article, so it must be able to stand alone. It should state briefly and clearly the purpose and setting of the research, the principal findings and major conclusions, and the article's contribution to knowledge. Abstracts should be prepared in NeuroLife style including background, methods, results, and conclusion. For other manuscripts, include an unstructured manuscript of no more than 300 words that summarizes the objectives and background, main points, and conclusions of the article. Abstracts are not required for correspondence, and letters to editors.

- Keywords

Authors need to add up to 5 keywords separately into the online system during submission, and should accurately reflect the content of the article. Abbreviations/acronyms could be used with their expansions. The keywords will be used for indexing purposes. Please prepare the keywords according to the following instructions:

3-5 Keywords (single or phrases with no more than 3 words)
Contain words and phrases that suggest what the topic is about
Use variants of terms or phrases that readers are likely to use
If the article focuses on a particular region (geographic, climatic, etc.), use that as a keyword
Use specific phenomena or issues as keywords (climate change, air pollution, etc.)

- Tables

Should be prepared left to right and cell-based (i.e., created in Word with the Tables tool).
The table number and caption always appear above the table. Leave 2 line spaces between the table and the caption.
Should be editable and upright on the page, not sideways.
Should be prepared with real rows and columns and not aligned with tabs, returns, or spaces.
Multi-part tables with varying numbers of columns or multiple footnotes should be organized as separate tables.
Should be plain with NO colors, shading, or graphics.
Should not contain inserted text boxes, tables within tables or cells within cells.
Should be cited in numerical order upon their first mention.
Symbols and abbreviations should be defined immediately below the table, followed by an essential brief description.
All tables should be inserted within the text as close as possible to where they are referenced. Authors should not upload them as separate files.

- Figures/illustrations

All figures/images must be cited within the main text in numerical order.
All figures/images must be centered. The figure number and legend always appear below the figure. Leave 2 line spaces between the figure and the legend.
Figures must be prepared in one of the following formats: Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) for photography or microscopy, Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) for illustrations or diagrams, Tagged Image File Format (TIFF), EPS, or PS. Files prepared with Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw or Adobe Photoshop should be uploaded in these native file formats.
All digitized images must be of high quality; that is, resolutions of at least 300 dpi for color figures, 600 dpi for greyscales and 1200 dpi for line arts.
Histograms should be prepared in a simple, two-dimensional format, with no background grid.
Make sure that any specific patient/hospital details are removed or blacked out (e.g., X-rays, MRI scans, etc).
If photographs of patients are used, they should not be identifiable. However, do not use a black bar to obscure a patient’s identity.
Original data from which the images were prepared should be available, as the editors may request to see these data (e.g., Office, SPSS and other line art images).
Lettering in figures (e.g., labeling of axes) should be in lower-case type, with the first letter capitalized and no full stop. All text should be in a sans-serif typeface, preferably Arial with size 8 pt.
Avoid using touch-up tools, such as cloning and healing tools in Photoshop, or any feature that deliberately obscures manipulations.
Graphics downloaded from Web pages should not be used.
Please remember that Vector drawing data is absent from these files: png, jpeg, tiff, or bmp. Subsequently resaving any of these files as a PDF or EPS will not produce a vector drawing in these files. Please supply the original EPS, ai, or PDF file versions of artwork.
Figures/images should be inserted within the text as close as possible to where they are referenced. Authors should not upload them as separate files.

- References

Arrange references as a simple list at the end of your manuscript based on our EndNote style which is downloadable through NeuroLife EndNote Style.
Authors are responsible for the accuracy of cited references and these should be checked before the manuscript is submitted.
Only one publication can be listed for each number.
Published conference abstracts, numbered patents and preprints on recognized servers may be included in reference lists, but text, grant details and acknowledgements may not citing in the text.
Cite references in the text, tables, or figures in consecutively numerical order by means of superscript Arabic numerals. It is acceptable for a reference to be cited only in a table or a figure legend and not in the text if it is in sequence with references cited in text.
Use Arabic superscript numerals outside periods and commas, inside colons and semicolons.
Two references are cited with a comma and no space. Three or more consecutive references are cited in a range with dashes.
References in tables, figures, and panels should be in numerical order according to where the item is cited in the text.
Please note that if references are not cited in order the manuscript may be returned for amendment before it is passed on to the Editor for assessment.
Only articles published or in press should be included in the reference list. Personal communications or unpublished data must be cited in parentheses in the text with the name(s) of the source(s) and the year. Authors should request permission from the source to cite unpublished data.

In reference list:

List the surnames and initials of first names of all authors if there are 6 or fewer; otherwise list the first 3 and add ‘et al.’ Use one space only between words up to the year and then no spaces. The journal title should be in italics and abbreviated according to the style of PubMed. If the journal is not listed in PubMed, then it should be written out in full. Check journal abbreviations using PubMed.

Examples of NeuroLife End Note Style:

Journal article (1-6 authors)

Haller J, Mikics E, Makara G. The effects of non-genomic glucocorticoid mechanisms on bodily functions and the central neural system. A critical evaluation of findings. Front. Neuroendocrinol. 2008; 29(2): 273–291. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yfrne.2007.10.004

Journal article (more than 6 authors)

Haller J, Mikics E, Makara G, et al. The effects of non-genomic glucocorticoid mechanisms on bodily functions and the central neural system. A critical evaluation of findings. Front. Neuroendocrinol. 2008; 29(2): 273–291. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yfrne.2007.10.004

Books and book chapters

Sambrook J, Russell DW. Molecular cloning -a laboratory manual. 3rd ed. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press. Cold Spring Harbor; 2001.

Thesis

Weisbaum LD. Human sexuality of children and adolescents: a comprehensive training guide for social work professionals [master's thesis]. Long Beach (CA): California State University; 2005.

- Abbreviations and Symbols

Use only standard abbreviations; use of nonstandard abbreviations can be confusing to readers. Avoid abbreviations in the title of the manuscript. The spelled-out abbreviation followed by the abbreviation in parenthesis should be used on first mention unless the abbreviation is a standard unit of measurement (For further information please visit ICMJE Recommendation).

Authorship

All contributing authors should qualify for authorship. The order of authorship should be a joint decision of the co-authors. Sufficient participation in the work is of utmost importance (please see the Authorship Form). Authorship credit should be based on substantial contribution to the conception and design, execution, or analysis and interpretation of data. All authors should be involved in drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content, must have read and approved the final version of the manuscript and approve of its submission to this journal. Any change in authorship following initial submission would have to be agreed by all authors as would any change in the order of authors (For further information please visit ICMJE).

Important Note: The Authorship Form should be signed by ALL AUTHORS.

- Changes to authorship

This statement concerns the addition, deletion, or rearrangement of author names in the authorship of submitted manuscripts as described in below:

After the manuscript is submitted or accepted for publication, the corresponding author is required to send a request to add or remove an author, or to rearrange the author names of the submitted/accepted manuscript and must include: (a) the reason the name should be added or removed, or the author names rearranged and (b) signed NeuroLife Change to Authorship Form by all authors that they agree with the addition, removal or rearrangement. Requests that are not sent by the corresponding author will be forwarded by the Journal Managing Editor to the corresponding author, who must follow the procedure as described above. No authorship change is allowed after the publication of the manuscript.

Funding Source

Authors are requested to clearly identify who provided financial support for the conduct of research and/or preparation of the article and briefly describe the role of the funder/sponsor in any part of the work including design and conduct of the study, data collection, data management, data analysis and interpretation, preparation, review and approval of the manuscript. The following rules should be followed:

-The sentence should begin with: ‘This work was supported by …’.

-The full official funding agency name should be given, i.e. ‘the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health’.

-Grant numbers should be complete and accurate and provided in brackets as follows: ‘[grant number ABX CDXXXXXX]’

-Multiple grant numbers should be separated by a comma as follows: ‘[grant numbers ABX CDXXXXXX, EFX GHXXXXXX]’

Proofs

The proofs (as PDF files) will be sent to the corresponding author by email. These should be checked immediately and corrections, as well as answers to any queries, returned to the journal as an annotated PDF via email within 3-5 working days (further details are supplied with the proof). 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 note that rephrasing sentences, additions, or omissions are not allowed at the proof stage.

Important Note: Authors should approve the PDF Proof and provide us with the corrections in due time. Not paying attention to the deadline and a long delay to respond could lead to withdrawal of the manuscript at this stage.


Quality control and pre-publication check:

The authors will receive the final PDF version after all of the quality control checks and prior to publishing the article.



Article Processing Charges (APC):

All articles submitted to NeuroLife during 2023-2024 will not be subject to any Article Processing Charges (APC) and the articles will be published without any charges immediately upon acceptance.



Additional Resources

Please download the additional resources for further consideration. These include:

NeuroLife Authorship Form

NeuroLife Change Authorship Form

NeuroLife EndNote Style

Title Page Word Template

Original Article Word Template

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