Amsterdam-based publisher Elsevier is a global company that publishes more than 2,000 medical, scientific and technical journals and hundreds of books each year. It lists these journals on its website and provides authors with tools and guidelines for submitting journal articles, reviews, and books. Although submissions must follow guidelines, the use of templates is optional. Elsevier provides few Word templates for its authors, emphasizing that following the guidelines listed for each journal is more important than using a template. A submission may be rejected prior to review if the manuscript does not meet the guidelines.
Microsoft Word documents that conform to a specific journal’s guidelines are acceptable for all submissions. The website’s restricted templates are only available for formatting submissions in certain scientific fields.
Elsevier journal publication templates
Specific templates for the Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry and Tetrahedron Family publications are available for download from the Elsevier website. These optional templates can be opened in Word and include instructions on how to best use them.
Autorea’s website includes a selection of templates. Search for “Elsevier” and download the template that suits your journal. Currently the templates from Authorea
- Elsevier Vancouver
- Elsevier Harvard 2 (to prepare applications for genetics)
- Elsevier Software X
- Elsevier Harvard (with titles)
Elsevier Grading Guidelines
Adhering to the guidelines of a specific magazine is far more important than using a magazine template. These guidelines are listed on each journal’s Elsevier home page. Information varies, but generally includes ethical information, a copyright agreement, and open access options. The guidelines also include:
- The preferred structure for submitting an article to the journal.
- abstract content.
- keywords and strengths.
- Correct formatting for videos, artworks and dates.
Poor English is a common reason for rejection. Authors are advised to carefully proofread their manuscripts or have them professionally edited. Elsevier offers editing services as well as illustration services in its online store.
Elsevier tools for authors
Elsevier publishes a guide to “Get Published” and “How to Publish in Scholarly Journals” in PDF format for authors to download. The site also regularly publishes conferences of interest to authors in specific subject areas and maintains an author services site that contains other tools and information for authors.
Elsevier encourages authors to download its free Mendeley app for Android and iOS devices. Mendeley is an academic social network and referral manager. The application is designed for researchers, students and knowledge workers. It allows you to create bibliographies, import documents from other research software, and access your documents. The app facilitates online collaboration with other researchers.
Elsevier’s step-by-step publishing process
Authors who submit work to Elsevier follow a specific publication process. The steps in this process are as follows:
- Find a suitable journal (using Elsevier’s journal search function or by searching Elsevier’s journal list).
- Prepare your document for submission.
- Submit and review.
- Track your submission.
- Tracking of your item accepted.
- Share and promote.
Accepting your journal submission furthers your research and advances your career.