Formatting Guidelines

All manuscript submissions must be prepared in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) and contain all figures, images, and/or pictures embedded where you want them and appropriately captioned. Also included here is a summary of the formatting instructions. You should, however, review the sample Word document and formatting guide for references on our website for details on how to correctly format your manuscript and your references. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit and reformat any submitted document in order to meet publication standards of the journal.

The references included in the References section of your manuscript must follow APA formatting guidelines. In order to help you, the sample Word document and formatting guide for references include numerous examples of how to format a variety of scenarios. Keep in mind that an incorrectly formatted manuscript will be returned to you, a delay that may cause it (even if accepted) to be moved to a subsequent issue of the journal.

1. Word Document Page Setup: Two columns with ¼” spacing between columns; top of page = ¾”; bottom of page = 1″ (from the top of the footer to bottom of page); left margin = ¾”; right margin = ¾”.
2. Paper Title: Centered at the top of the first page with a 22-point Times New Roman (Bold), small-caps font.
3. Page Breaks: Do not use page breaks.
4. Figures, Tables, and Equations: All figures, tables, and equations must be placed immediately after the first paragraph in which they are introduced. And, each must be introduced. For example: “Figure 1 shows the operation of supercapacitors.” “The speed of light can be determined using Equation 4:”
5. More on Tables and Figures: Center table captions above each table; center figure captions below each figure. Use 9-point Times New Roman (TNR) font. Italicize the words for table and figure, as well as their respective numbers; the remaining information in the caption is not italicized and followed by a period—e.g., “Table 1. Number of research universities in the state.” or “Figure 5. Cross-sectional aerial map of the forested area.”
6. Figures with Multiple Images: If any given figure includes multiple images, do NOT group them; they must be placed individually and have individual minor captions using, “(a)” “(b)” etc. Again, use 9-point TNR.
7. Equations: Each equation must be numbered, placed in numerical order within the document, and introduced—as noted in item #4.
8. Tables, Graphs, and Flowcharts: All tables, graphs, and flowcharts must be created directly in Word; tables must be enclosed on all sides. The use of color and/or highlighting is acceptable and encouraged if it provides clarity for the reader.
9. Textboxes: Do not use text boxes anywhere in the document. For example, table/figure captions must be regular text and not attached in any way to their tables or images.
10. Body Fonts: Use 10-point TNR for body text throughout (1/8″ paragraph indention); indent all new paragraphs as per the images shown below; do not use tabs anywhere in the document; 9-point TNR for author names/affiliations under the paper title; 16-point TNR for major section titles; 14-point TNR for minor section titles.
11. Personal Pronouns: Do not use personal pronouns (e.g., “we” “our” etc.).
12. Section Numbering: Do not use section numbering of any kind.
13. Headers and Footers: Do not use either.
14. References in the Abstract: Do NOT include any references in the Abstract.
15. In-Text Referencing: For the first occurrence of a given reference, list all authors—last names only—up to seven (7); if more than seven, use “et al.” after the seventh author. For a second citation of the same reference—assuming that it has three or more authors—add “et al.” after the third author. Again, see the sample Word document and the formatting guide for references for specifics.
16. More on In-Text References: If you include a reference on any table, figure, or equation that was not created or originally published by one or more authors on your manuscript, you may not republish it without the expressed, written consent of the publishing author(s). The same holds true for name-brand products.
17. End-of-Document References Section: List all references in alphabetical order using the last name of the first author—last name first, followed by a comma and the author’s initials. Do not use retrieval dates for websites.
18. Author Biographies: Include biographies and current email addresses for each author at the end of the document.
19. Page Limit: Manuscripts should not be more than 15 pages (single-spaced, 2-column format, 10-point TNR font).
20. Page Numbering: Do not use page numbers.
21. Publication Charges: Manuscripts accepted for publication are subject to mandatory publication charges.
22. Copyright Agreement: A copyright transfer agreement form must be signed by all authors on a given manuscript and submitted by the corresponding author before that manuscript will be published. Two versions of the form will be sent with your manuscript’s acceptance email. Only one form is required. Do not submit both forms! The form named “paper” must be hand-signed by each author. The other form, “electronic,” does not require hand signatures and may be filled out by the corresponding author, as long as he/she receives written permission from all authors to have him/her sign on their behalf.
23. Submissions: All manuscripts and required files and forms must be submitted electronically to Dr. Philip D. Weinsier, manuscript editor, at philipw@bgsu.edu.
24. Published Deadlines: Manuscripts may be submitted at any time during the year, irrespective of published deadlines, and the editor will automatically have your manuscript reviewed for the next-available issue of the journal. Published deadlines are intended as “target” dates for submitting new manuscripts as well as revised documents. Assuming that all other submission conditions have been met and that there is space available in the associated issue, your manuscript will be published in that issue if the submission process—including payment of publication fees—has been completed by the posted deadline for that issue. Missing a deadline generally only means that your manuscript may be held for a subsequent issue of the journal. However, conditions exist under which a given manuscript may be rejected. Always check with the editor to be sure. Also, if you do not complete the submission process (including all required revisions) within 12 months of the original submission of your manuscript, your manuscript may be rejected or it may have to begin the entire review process anew.