Instructions for authors

This page provides instructions for authors.

In this course, the writing process is structured into three successive stages and associated deadlines:

1. Write an “extended” outline. The outline is due on the Monday following the presentation. We will discuss it during the consultation hours. Usually, the extended outline has 4-levels: title, sections, subsections, paragraphs.
2. Write your manuscript. It is due 2 weeks after the presentation, and should be submitted electronically using the web interface.
3. Revise your manuscript based on the feedback from the peer-reviews. Your revision is due 1 week after you obtain the peer-reviews.

In the context of this course, a review is a synthesis of a current computational biology research area. The target readership is composed of research and masters students in the computational biology. The typical length of a review is between 1800-2000 words.

In this course, the policy for authorship follows the guidelines of the CAM Good research practice.

If the manuscript builds upon the seminar presentation—as is generally the case—the (guest) lecturer who presented the topic is included in the list of authors.

The guiding principle for the formatting of your initial submission is that it should ease peer-review:

• At a minimum, the heading (or title page) should include the title, name of authors, date, and abstract.
• The text should be double-space, single column text.
• Citations should be in author-date format (e.g. APA-style).
• Figures (or tables) should be provided alongside the text with appropriate captions (titles).
• Pages should be numbered.

As word processor, most students like to use Word, OpenOffice, or LaTeX. Perhaps of interest for some is the WYSIWYG editor for Latex/Tex Lyx.

Submit your review in PDF format directly on the article management system.

If you have not already, you will need to start by creating an account. Note that you have to explicitly select author and reviewer roles upon registration:

If you missed these options upon registration, you can still activate the author or reviewer roles by changing your profile settings (Home > User > Edit Profile).

Check-list

• Spelling: use an automated spell-checker (e.g. ispell) and use British English and proofread your text carefully.
• Verify one more time
  • that the references are accurate and complete
  • that each claim is backed by citation(s)
  • that your narrative is coherent (with a beginning, middle and conclusion)
  • that the article meets our editorial policy

• Ask a colleague for feedback on the draft (thank them for their help in the Acknowledgements section)

Submit your revision directly on the article management system. Include the following files:

• PDF (if you use LaTeX, you can use the course template)
• Original document, i.e. Word or LaTeX file with all sources (e.g. bibliography, .tex, .bib, images, and any other file required to produce your manuscript)
• Cover letter that explains how you addressed the concerns of the referees (and of the editor, if any).

• LaTeX templates for the course (V1.0)
• LaTeX (Try installing it through your usual package manager first)