Author Guidelines

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Scope of the Journal

ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science will publish high quality, innovative, and impactful research across the broad spectrum of biological sciences, covering basic and molecular sciences through to translational preclinical studies. Clinical studies that address novel mechanisms of action, and methodological papers that provide innovation, and advance translation, will also be considered. We give priority to studies that fully integrate basic pharmacological and/or biochemical findings into physiological processes that have translational potential in a broad range of biomedical disciplines.

 

Therefore, studies that employ a complementary blend of in vitro and in vivo systems are of particular interest to the journal. Nonetheless, all innovate and impactful research that has an articulated translational relevance will be considered.

 

ACS Pharmacology and Translational Science does not publish research on biological extracts that have unknown concentration or unknown chemical composition.

 

Authors are encouraged to use the pre-submission inquiry mechanism to ensure relevance and appropriateness of research. See more here.

Manuscript Types

ACS Pharmacology & Translational offers publication of Full Research Articles, Letters/Communications, Reviews, Perspectives, and Viewpoints to provide flexible formats to readily communicate all aspects of research relevant to these fields. The following are guides for authors and are not intended to be prescriptive.

 

Letters. Short reports of highly original research focused on an individual significant finding. Letters are peer-reviewed and begin with an unreferenced abstract of less than 150 words. Abstracts should not contain abbreviations or acronyms unless essential. Letters include unheaded sections for the Introduction and combined Results and Discussion and a headed section for Methods that can also contain subsections. Letters should contain 4–6 display items (figures/tables/schemes) and ~30 references. Letters should include sufficient experimental detail to allow others to reproduce the findings presented. Supporting Information is encouraged. Letters should be less than 4500 words in length, including the abstract, body text, methods, references, and figure/scheme legends. Letters include a graphical Table of Contents entry and a list of up to six keywords.

 

Articles. Concise, yet comprehensive, original research presenting an advance of immediate, broad, and lasting impact. Articles are not intended to be follow-up manuscripts, unless they contain new and extensive information that will advance the understanding of the system or biological process. Articles are peer-reviewed and contain an unreferenced abstract of 250 words or less. Abstracts should not contain abbreviations or acronyms unless essential. A referenced introduction should expand on the background of the work. Articles include the following headed sections (presented in this order): combined Results and Discussion, and Methods. In general, Articles should normally be less than 6500 words in length and include 7–10 display items (figures/tables/schemes) and ~50 references. Supporting Information may be included. Articles include a graphical Table of Contents entry and a list of up to six keywords.

 

Reviews. Topical and of general interest to the readership. Reviews are peer-reviewed and contain an unreferenced abstract of 250 words or less. A good Review critically evaluates existing work, provides a logical organization, and makes the material more easily available to those not expert in the area through clear text and figures. Reviews should be greater than 5000 words in length, include 4–8 display items (figures/tables/schemes), and contain ~100 references though there is no strict limit on the number of references. Include a graphical Table of Contents entry consisting of a colorful figure that represents the topic of the Review. Authors may choose to divide the Review into sections preceded by headings. Finally, the journal recommends that authors define key words used in the Review and key concepts in a separate paragraph. Mini-reviews in highly topical areas of research may also be solicited. Mini-reviews should be less than 3000 words and contain 3-4 display items, with less than 50 references.

 

Perspectives. Perspectives are designed to provide an enlightened appraisal of a field of research in which experts review the “state of the art” for a given topic similar to Reviews. Unlike Reviews, however, authors have editorial freedom to express their views on the strategic directions of the field of research. The Perspective series provides a forum with high visibility within the pharmaceutical industry, clinical and government research, and academia. Perspectives are peer- reviewed, contain an unreferenced abstract of 250 words or less, and include a graphical Table of Contents. Perspectives should be 2500–5000 words in length, include 3–6 display items (figures/tables/scheme), and contain up to 100 references. Authors may choose to divide the Perspective into sections preceded by headings. Finally, the journal recommends that authors define key words used in the Perspective and key concepts in a separate paragraph.

 

Viewpoints. Viewpoints will encompass an expanded scope compared to the other manuscript types for this journal. While the main scope areas will still include pharmacology, biochemistry, experimental medicine, and clinical studies, the Viewpoints may also report general topics of high interest to the pharmacology field. Such topics could include career advice, funding trends, and issues related to gender and geographical diversity. Viewpoints should be 2000 words in length, contain a ~50-word abstract, include 0-2 figures/tables, and should have no more than 12 references.

ACS Publishing Center

While this document will provide basic information on how to prepare and submit the manuscript as well as other critical information about publishing, we also encourage authors to visit the ACS Publishing Center for additional information on everything that is needed to prepare (and review) manuscripts for ACS journals and partner journals, such as

  • Mastering the Art of Scientific Publication, which shares editor tips about a variety of topics including making your paper scientifically effective, preparing excellent graphics, and writing cover letters.
  • Resources on how to prepare and submit a manuscript to ACS Paragon Plus, ACS Publications’ manuscript submission and peer review environment, including details on selecting the applicable Journal Publishing Agreement.
  • Sharing your research with the public through the ACS Publications open access program.
  • ACS Reviewer Lab, a free online course covering best practices for peer review and related ethical considerations. 
  • ACS Author Lab, a free online course that empowers authors to prepare and submit strong manuscripts, avoiding errors that could lead to delays in the publication process.
  • ACS Inclusivity Style Guide, a guide that helps researchers communicate in ways that recognize and respect diversity in all its forms.

Manuscript Preparation

Submit with Fast Format

All ACS journals and partner journals have simplified their formatting requirements in favor of a streamlined and standardized format for an initial manuscript submission. Read more about the requirements and the benefits these serves authors and reviewers here.

 

Manuscripts submitted for initial consideration must adhere to these standards:

  • Submissions must be complete with clearly identified standard sections used to report original research, free of annotations or highlights, and include all numbered and labeled components.
  • Figures, charts, tables, schemes, and equations should be embedded in the text at the point of relevance. Separate graphics can be supplied later at revision, if necessary.
  • When required by a journal's structure or length limitations, manuscript templates should be used.
  • References can be provided in any style, but they must be complete, including titles. For information about the required components of different reference types, please refer to the ACS Style Quick Guide.
  • Supporting Information must be submitted as a separate file(s).

Document Templates and Format

The templates facilitate the peer review process by allowing authors to place artwork and tables close to the point where they are discussed within the text. Learn more about document templates here. 

 

General information on the preparation of manuscripts may also be found in the ACS Guide to Scholarly Communication.

Acceptable Software, File Designations, and TeX/LaTeX

See the list of Acceptable Software and appropriate File Designations to be sure your file types are compatible with ACS Paragon Plus. Information for manuscripts generated from TeX/LaTeX is also available.

Cover Letter

A cover letter must accompany every manuscript submission. During the submission process, you may type it or paste it into the submission system, or you may attach it as a file.

 

A letter must contain the following elements:

  • Manuscript title
  • Name of the corresponding author
  • Name(s) of any other author(s)
  • A paragraph explaining why the paper is appropriate for ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science, and
  • Note whether the manuscript was discussed with an ACS Pharmacology & Translational  Science Editor before submission
  • A short (~150 word) lay summary (at the level of an undergraduate in biochemistry) describing the significance of the study for a broad audience

 

If your manuscript is accepted for publication, ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science may choose to promote your research article through press communications.

Manuscript Text Components

ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science accepts format-neutral first submissions in a single PDF. Manuscripts do not need to be formatted according to specific journal guidelines at this stage. To submit via our online system, you will need the following files and information:

 

Title; Author List; Abstract; Key words; Table of Contents/Abstract Graphic; Introduction (unheaded); Results and Discussion (including figures/tables and figure/table legends); Methods; Acknowledgements; Author contributions; References; Supporting Information.

 

Title. Titles should clearly and concisely reflect the emphasis and content of the manuscript and be accessible to a broad audience. Titles are of great importance for current awareness and information retrieval and should be carefully constructed for these purposes. One option that authors may wish to consider is to present a significant outcome in the title. Titles should not contain specialized abbreviations or jargon. Editors may request author revision of a title at any time prior to publication.

 

Author List. Include all those who have made substantial contributions to the work. To facilitate indexing and retrieval and for unique identification of an author, use first names, initials, and surnames (e.g., John R. Smith) or first initials, second names, and surnames (e.g., J. Robert Smith). At least one author must be designated with an asterisk as the  person to whom  correspondence should be addressed.

 

Many funders and institutions require that institutional affiliations are identified for all authors listed in the work being submitted. ACS facilitates this requirement by collecting institution information during manuscript submission under Step 2: Authors and Affiliations in ACS Paragon Plus.

 

Abstract. All Articles, Letters, Reviews, Perspectives, and Viewpoints must contain an abstract, which should provide a succinct, informative summation of the most important results and conclusions. Ideally, an abstract should be less than 150 words (Letter) or 250 words (Article). References cannot be cited in the abstract. Abbreviations should be used sparingly and spelled out when first used. Abstracts display the same graphic provided for the TOC.

 

Keywords. Authors should provide a list of up to six keywords to be displayed below the abstract of their publication.

 

Table of Contents/Abstract Graphic. Each paper must include a single graphic to be used for the Table  of Contents (TOC) and abstract. This graphic should capture the readers’ attention and, in conjunction with the manuscript title, give readers a visual impression of the essence of the paper without providing specific details. The best images for these uses are simple and relatively free of text and technical characters and make use of color for visual impact. Tables or spectra are not acceptable  as TOC/abstract artwork. At  final published size, any text should be ~6 points. These graphics should be ~8 cm (~3.15 in) in width and ~4 cm (~1.57 in) height, and must be ~300 dpi in resolution and in RGB color mode.

 

Introduction. In this unheaded section, the purpose and significance of  the research should be  clearly stated and placed in the context of earlier work in the area. Historical summaries are seldom warranted. Do not attempt a complete survey of the literature. If a recent article  has summarized work on the subject, cite that article without repeating its individual citations. In general, the introductory section should be ~750 words for a letter and ~1000 words for an article.

 

Results and Discussion. Present this section concisely. The first paragraphs should explain the motivation for the work and the translational relevance of the work. Use tables and figures only if they are essential for comprehension of the data. Do not present the same data in more than one figure or in both a figure and a table. The purpose of the discussion is to interpret the results and relate them to existing knowledge in the field. Manuscripts reporting new 3D structures of small molecules from crystallographic analysis should include a structural figure with probability ellipsoids and a CIF file. Those reporting NMR or X-ray crystal structures of macromolecules must include  a table with relevant data collection and refinement statistics. For manuscripts reporting structures derived from electron microscopy experiments, authors must provide one image showing the distribution of particles being analyzed, the percentage of the particles being used in the reconstruction, and a correlation coefficient plot (or equivalent data) to indicate the resolution of the presented structure. Upon request from the Editor, the authors must provide sequence, structure data  (including coordinate files and density maps), and/or microarray data in a MIAME-compliant format to the Editors and reviewers for the purpose of evaluating the manuscript.

 

Methods. Provide a clear, unambiguous description of materials, methods, and equipment in sufficient detail to permit repetition of the work elsewhere. Describe novel experimental procedures in detail, but refer to published procedures by literature citation of both the original and any published modifications. Manuscripts reporting data from experiments on live animals must include a statement identifying the approving committee and certifying that such experiments were performed in accordance with all national or local guidelines and regulations. Authors are encouraged to follow the ARRIVE (Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments) guidelines for reporting on animal studies. For animal models, the precise genotype, strain, source, number of backcrosses, sex, and age of animals studied must be provided in the manuscript. Authors must emphasize any unexpected, new, and/or significant hazards or risks associated with the reported work. This information should be in the experimental details section of the full article or communication.

 

Microscope image acquisition. Provide the following information on how images were acquired and processed: make and model of microscope; magnification, numerical aperture and type of the objective lenses, camera make and model; any software used during data acquisition and the subsequent image processing, temperature, imaging medium, and fluorochromes. Please include details and types of operations involved (e.g., type of deconvolution, 3D reconstitutions, and surface or volume rendering, gamma adjustments, etc.) and be consistent in file formats when exporting files from devices.

 

Statistical analysis. Statistical analysis should be clearly provided in the Materials and Methods section and/or figure legends. Statistical analysis include but is not limited to the statistical test used, actual p-values, number of biological and technical replicates, measure of center, and measure of variability. Editors may request expert feedback on statistical analysis within the manuscript if deemed necessary.

 

Supporting Information. This information is made available to the reviewers during the peer-review process and to readers at the time of publication. The Supporting Information format of this journal can accommodate and make readily available almost any type of supplementary figures or data (e.g., reproductions of spectra, experimental procedures, tabulated data, movies or expanded discussion of peripheral findings). Supporting Information must be submitted at the same time as the manuscript and uploaded separately to the ACS Paragon Plus Environment. A list of acceptable file types is available on the web (acsparagonplus.acs.org).

 

If the manuscript is accompanied by any supporting information files for publication, a brief description of each file is required. The paragraph and descriptions should be placed at the end of the manuscript before the list of references. All Supporting Information available as PDF files should be contained in one PDF file and likewise for Excel, etc. files. A paragraph noting the availability of Supporting Information should be placed at the end of the text before the reference listing:

 

Abbreviations. If you use abbreviations extensively throughout the manuscript, please  add  this  section to spell these out.

 

Author Information. Please provide your current address in this section, if different from that listed in the affiliations section. ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science also requires that individual contributions of authors be listed under a separate subheading entitled “Author Contribution”. Please also list “Conflict of Interest” (if any) in another additional subsection.

 

Acknowledgment. Include financial support, technical assistance, advice from colleagues, gifts, etc.

 

References. Compile all references together in a list at the end of the manuscript text. Many of them will have links to other web resources, such as the corresponding abstracts in Chemical Abstracts  and the  full text on publisher websites. Because of this electronic linking, and because the references are not checked in detail by Editors or reviewers, it is crucial that authors verify their accuracy. Avoid unnecessarily long lists of references. However, authors must reference all previous publications in which portions of the present work have appeared. Avoid long references; place additional data and peripheral discussion in the Supporting Information rather than in references. Supplementary references, if any, must be placed in the Supporting Information file. Literature references must be numbered with Arabic numerals in the order of their first citation in the text and the corresponding numbers inserted at the appropriate locations in the text. All journal references should include the Digital Object  Identifier (DOI)  unique to  the citation.  Please use the following reference styles (which  in EndNote is the Biochemistry style).

 

For journals:

1. Moreau, P., Anizon, F., Sancelme, M., Prudhomme, M., Bailly, C., Severe, D., Riou, J.-F., Fabbro, D., Meyer, T., and Aubertin, A.-M. (1999) Syntheses and biological activities of rebeccamycin analogues. Introduction of a halogenoacetyl substituent. J. Med. Chem. 42, 584–592. DOI: 10.1021/sb500xxx.

 

For journal articles published online ahead of print or online only, the DOI should be used:

2. Liu,  C.,  and  Yang, S.  (2009)  Synthesis  of angstrom-scale  anatase titania atomic wires. ACS Nano Epub Mar 23, 2009. DOI: 10.1021/nn900157r.

 

For books:

3. Fierke, C. A., and Hammes, G. G. (1996) Transient kinetic approaches to enzyme mechanisms. In Contemporary Enzyme Kinetics and Mechanism (Purich, D., Ed.), 2nd ed., pp 1–35, Academic Press, New York.

 

Titles of journals are abbreviated according to Chemical Abstracts Service Source Index (CASSI, http://cassi.cas.org/search.jsp). Manuscripts accepted for publication are cited as “in press”; the DOI should be given if the paper is published online. Cite manuscripts  that  are  in  preparation or  have been submitted but not yet accepted as unpublished experiments or personal communications.

 

Manuscripts invited for resubmission need to following the journal formatting requirements outlined below.

 

Please refer to the Manuscript Submission and Peer Review in ACS Paragon Plus site acsparagonplus.acs.org) for a complete listing of acceptable file formats and tips for working with graphics.

 

Text. Prepare your manuscript as a double-spaced document. Do not include line numbers, these will be automatically added upon  submission.

 

Tables. Submit within the body of the manuscript text file.

  • Number consecutively using Arabic numbers.
  • Give footnotes letter designations and cite them in the table by italic superscript letters. The sequence of letters should proceed by line rather than by column.
  • Include a descriptive heading that, together with the individual column headings, makes the table self-explanatory.
  • When a reference is cited, insert a lettered footnote in the table and put the reference number in a footnote.
  • When columns are used, arrange data efficiently to save space.

 

Place crystallographic, electron microscopic, and NMR data tables last in a series of tables in a manuscript because they are generally placed in the Methods section.

 

Footnotes. Please note that ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science does not support the use of footnotes. Any footnotes present in manuscripts will be incorporated into a parenthetical expression within the text.

Supporting Information

This information is provided to the reviewers during the peer-review process (for Review Only) and is available to readers of the published work (for Publication). Supporting Information must be submitted at the same time as the manuscript. See the list of Acceptable Software by File Designation and confirm that your Supporting Information is viewable.

 

If the manuscript is accompanied by any supporting information files for publication, these files will be made available free of charge to readers. A brief, nonsentence description of the actual contents of each file, including the file type extension, is required. This description should be labeled Supporting Information and should appear before the Acknowledgement and Reference sections.  Examples of sufficient and insufficient descriptions are as follows:

 

Examples of sufficient descriptions: “Supporting Information: 1H NMR spectra for all compounds (PDF)” or “Additional experimental details, materials, and methods, including photographs of experimental setup (DOC)”.

 

Examples of insufficient descriptions: “Supporting Information: Figures S1-S3” or “Additional figures as mentioned in the text”.

 

When including supporting information for review only, include copies of references that are unpublished or in-press. These files are available only to editors and reviewers.

Research Data Policy

All ACS journals strongly encourage authors to make the research data underlying their articles publicly available at the time of publication.

Research data is defined as materials and information used in the experiments that enable the validation of the conclusions drawn in the article, including primary data produced by the authors for the study being reported, secondary data reused or analyzed by the authors for the study, and any other materials necessary to reproduce or replicate the results.

The ACS Research Data Policy provides additional information on Data Availability Statements, Data Citation, and Data Repositories.

Data Requirements

Nomenclature. Use abbreviations and acronyms sparingly, and all usage should be defined at the first occurrence in the text. Whenever possible, use systematic nomenclature as recommended by IUPAC and IUBMB for chemical compounds and biomolecules. Names of organisms should comply with genetic conventions, with genus and species names written in italics and spelled out in full on first appearance. Gene symbols should conform to approved nomenclature and should be italicized, whereas corresponding protein products should start with a capital letter and should not be italicized. Consult the available nomenclature databases (e.g., Entrez Gene) for correct names and symbols. Enzyme names should be accompanied by their Enzyme Commission numbers.

 

Chemical Compound Characterization. Knowledge of the purity of compounds employed in biological studies, whether they are synthesized, purchased, or received as gifts, is a crucial factor for obtaining reliable and reproducible results. For studies reported in ACS Pharmacology & Translational Sciences, it is recommended that assayed compounds be at least 90% pure as judged by HPLC, LC-MS, and NMR. The analytical methods used for compound characterization and purity assessment should be mentioned in the Methods section. For novel compounds, it is important to obtain such data to confirm their structure and purity. Manuscripts for ACS Pharmacology & Translational Sciences should at least provide exemplary characterization data for key compounds, including LC-MS, HPLC, 1H NMR/13C NMR (peak lists), and HRMS. For compounds prepared in a library format, a general experimental procedure should be provided, including full experimental details, with yields, for a representative selection of library members. The synthesis protocols and selected characterized compounds must reflect the reliability and scope of the reaction sequence. The purity of all reported library compounds should be explicitly stated. The submission of manuscripts purely based on mixture synthesis and/or mixture analysis is discouraged.

 

Use of Human Subjects or Animals in Research. The American Chemical Society Publications rules and ethical guidelines provide mandatory standards of practice in experimental studies performed using biological samples obtained from animals or human subjects. Studies submitted for publication approval must present evidence that the described experimental activities have undergone local institutional review assessing safety and humane usage of study subject animals. In the case of human subjects authors must also provide a statement that study samples were obtained through the informed consent of the donors, or in lieu of that evidence, by the authority of the institutional board that licensed the use of such material. Authors are requested to declare the identification or case number of institution approval as well as the name of the licensing institution.

Database Deposition. 

Sequence Data. Papers reporting protein or nucleic acid sequences will not be published without an accession number to GenBank/EMBL/DDBJ, SWISS-PROT, or another appropriate database in the field that provides free access to the data for all scientists from the date of publication.

 

Crystal and NMR Structures. Small molecular crystallographic data should be submitted upon publication to the Cambridge Structural Database (www.ccdc.cam.ac.uk). Papers reporting macromolecular NMR or crystal structures must specifically state that the atomic coordinates have been deposited in the Protein Data Bank (PDB) (www.rcsb.org/pdb/home/home.do) or the Nucleic Acid Database (http://ndbserver.rutgers.edu) and must list the accession code(s). These coordinates must be designated “for immediate release upon publication”. Authors of papers reporting X-ray crystal structures are encouraged to deposit the structure factor files in the PDB. No formal requirement exists for deposition of NMR assignments and constraints (see Biological Magnetic Resonance Data Bank at www.bmrb.wisc.edu).

 

Structural Cryo-Electron Microscopy Data. No formal requirement exists for deposition of molecular envelope reconstruction from electron microscopy data, but the journal encourages authors to deposit relevant information in appropriate databases. Approved databases for deposition of electron microscopy data are the Worldwide Protein Data Bank (www.wwpdb.org), the Protein Data Bank Japan (pdbj.org/), or the Protein Data Bank in Europe (PDBe) (www.ebi.ac.uk/pdbe/).

 

Authors are encouraged to provide the following information required for data reproducibility:

 

Methods for Motion Correction and CTF estimation during image analysis and details of the process used for initial model generation. Authors should also provide the commands used to generate Masks for postprocessing of refined maps. Both the non-post-processed final map and the corresponding sharpened map should be submitted to the appropriate database.

 

Microarray Data. Data must be submitted to the GEO (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo) or ArrayExpress (www.ebi.ac.uk/arrayexpress) databases and the relevant accession numbers included in the published manuscript. Please reference the Microarray Gene Expression Data (MGED) open letter specifying microarray standards at http://www.mged.org/Workgroups/MIAME/miame_checklist.html.

 

Genetically Modified Organisms and Mutants. Use established repositories such as the Jackson Laboratory, the Mutant Mouse Regional Resource Center, the American Type Culture Collection, the UK Stem Cell Bank, or another public storage area whenever possible. Large datasets for which an approved database has not yet been established must be housed as online Supporting Information on the journal’s website.

 

Cell Line Verification. Authors must describe the source of all cell lines utilized. Authors are also encouraged to include information regarding authentication of cell lines and testing for mycoplasma contamination.

 

Format of Figures. Wherever practical, authors should include the individual data points. The journal discourages the use of bar graphs where this information is not included.

 

Material and Data Availability. ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science understands that communication and collaboration between researchers are significantly enhanced when materials and data can be exchanged among scientists. Any restrictions to the availability of materials or information must be stated at the time of submission.

 

Web Enhanced Objects Such as Movies. ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science encourages the use of multimedia attachments such as animations and movies. These objects should complement a reader’s understanding of the research being reported. For acceptable file formats and specifications please refer to the webpage on Specifications for Web Enhanced Objects.

 

ACS Math Style. Authors including math, display or in-text, in their manuscripts are encouraged to consult the ACS Guidelines for Presenting Mathematical Information. This style sheet provides brief discussion of formatting related to the presentation of mathematical formulas, complete with examples of ACS style and layout. This document was developed to help authors anticipate how mathematical expressions will be formatted in the published version of the paper.

 

PDB Coordinates for Computational Models. If three-dimensional computational models of targets, binding sites, or target-ligand complexes are reported, PDB coordinates of hydrogen-suppressed atomic models must be included as Supporting Information for Publication at submission to ensure reproducibility of calculations and reported findings.

Language and Editing Services

A well-written paper helps share your results most clearly. ACS Publications’ English Editing Service is designed to help scientists communicate their research effectively. Our subject-matter expert editors will edit your manuscript for grammar, spelling, and other language errors so your ideas are presented at their best.

Preparing Graphics

The quality of illustrations in ACS journals and partner journals depends on the quality of the original files provided by the authors. Figures are not modified or enhanced by journal production staff. All graphics must be prepared and submitted in digital format.

 

Graphics should be inserted into the main body whenever possible. Please see Appendix 2 for additional information.

 

Any graphic (figure chart, scheme, or equation) that has appeared in an earlier publication should include a credit line citing the original source. Authors are responsible for obtaining written permission to re-use this material.

Figure and Illustration Services

The impact of your research is not limited to what you can express with words. Tables and figures such as graphs, photographs, illustrations, diagrams, and other visuals can play a significant role in effectively communicating your findings. Our Artwork Editing and Graphical Abstract services generate publication-ready figures and Table of Contents (TOC) graphics that conform to your chosen journal’s specifications. For figures, this includes changes to file type, resolution, color space, font, scale, line weights, and layout (to improve readability and professional appearance). For TOC graphics, our illustrators can work with a rough sketch or concept or help extract the key findings of your manuscript directly for use as a visual summary of your paper.

Preparing for Submission

Manuscripts, graphics, supporting information, and required forms, as well as manuscript revisions, must all be submitted in digital format through ACS Paragon Plus, which requires an ACS ID to log in. Registering for an ACS ID is fast, free, and does not require an ACS membership. Please refer to Appendix 1 for additional information on preparing your submission

Prior Publication Policy

ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science authors are allowed to deposit an initial draft of their manuscript in a preprint repository such as ChemRxiv, arXiv or bioRxiv. It is recommended that authors check with the editorial office prior to the deposition of their paper on a preprint server. Please note that any use of a preprint server needs to be disclosed in the cover letter during submission, and as appropriate, state how the manuscript has been adjusted/updated between deposition and submission. All other forms of prior publication will preclude consideration of those papers for publication in ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science. The editors will make the decision on the suitability of the paper for publication. Upon publication in ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science, authors are advised to add a link from the preprint to the published paper via the citation and Digital Object Identifier (DOI).

 

For further details, contact the Editorial Office.

Editorial Policies

Costs. ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science does not impose any submission or publication fees.

 

The Review Process. Editors evaluate submitted manuscripts, and only those judged to fall within the scope of the journal and to be of appropriate interest to our readers are sent to two or more reviewers for evaluation. Reviewers can suggest that a paper be published, revised, or rejected. Reviewers will evaluate the originality, technical quality, clarity of presentation, and importance to the field. The Editors evaluate the reviewers’ arguments in the context of the scope and aims of the journal and make the final decision on each manuscript.

 

Please note that editorial decisions are based on many factors. Reviewers’ concerns are considered very seriously. In cases when reviewers suggest differing decisions, additional information may be requested from the reviewers, other experts may be consulted, and/or the authors may be asked to clarify questionable sections. Reviewers may be asked to review subsequent versions of the manuscript, especially if new data have been added to the paper, to evaluate whether the authors have addressed the scientific concerns. In such cases, blind copies of all reviewer comments are normally sent to the reviewers. This practice allows the reviewers to obtain a clear understanding of the expectations of the Editors. The Editors will expedite any additional rounds of reviews to ensure timely publication.

 

Anonymity. The ACS strongly disapproves of any attempts by authors to determine the identity of reviewers or to confront potential reviewers. The editorial policy of this journal is to neither confirm nor deny any speculation about the identities of our reviewers. The journal will not release the identity of a reviewer to the authors or to other reviewers.

 

Conditions of Acceptance. When a paper is accepted for publication in ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science, the authors:

  • Will honor any reasonable request from Editors, reviewers, and other scientists for materials, methods, or data necessary for verification of the conclusions reported in the paper;
  • Will have deposited protein and nucleic acid sequences, crystallographic or cryo-EM structures, and microarray data in approved databases and provided accession numbers for inclusion in the published manuscript as described in the deposition policies described above;
  • Will provide assurance that animals used in the study were cared for in accordance with institutional guidelines;
  • Will verify that, in human studies, consent was obtained after the consequences of the studies had been explained to the experimental subjects (all research on humans must have IRB approval);
  • Agree to disclose all potential sources of bias, including affiliations, funding sources, and financial or management relationships, that may constitute conflicts of interest; and
  • Will not release to the press or the public the accepted manuscript prior to the stated embargo date.

 

"Scooped Research" policy. Being scooped - that is when two or more groups are investigating the same or similar systems but where one group publishes first - is often considered negatively by some journals for subsequently submitted manuscripts.

 

ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science understands the value of high quality science, including research that may confirm or extend recently published research.

 

As such, work that is submitted to the journal in a timely manner following a first publication will be considered to have equal merit to that of the earlier published manuscript when undergoing editorial assessment and peer review, and we encourage submissions of this type in the interest of providing reproducibility to the broader scientific endeavor.

Providing Potential Reviewer Names

Please suggest 5 reviewers. Authors are encouraged to avoid suggesting reviewers from the authors’ institutions. Do not suggest reviewers who may have a real or perceived conflict of interest. Whenever possible, suggest academic email addresses rather than personal email addresses.

Manuscript Transfer

If your submission is declined for publication by this journal, the editors might deem your work to be better suited for another ACS Publications journal or partner journal and suggest that the authors consider transferring the submission. Manuscript Transfer simplifies and shortens the process of submitting to another ACS journal or partner journal, as all the coauthors, suggested reviewers, manuscript files, and responses to submission questions are copied by ACS Paragon Plus to the new draft submission. Authors are free to accept or decline the transfer offer.

 

Note that each journal is editorially independent. Transferring a manuscript is not a guarantee that the manuscript will be accepted, as the final publication decision will belong to the editor of the next journal.

PRODUCTION AND PUBLICATION

Proofs via ACS Direct Correct

Correction of the galley proofs is the responsibility of the Corresponding Author. The Corresponding Author of an accepted manuscript will receive e-mail notification and complete instructions when page proofs are available for review via ACS Direct Correct. Extensive or important changes on page proofs, including changes to the title or list of authors, are subject to review by the editor.

 

It is the responsibility of the Corresponding Author to ensure that all authors listed on the manuscript agree with the changes made on the proofs. Galley proofs should be returned within 48 hours in order to ensure timely publication of the manuscript.

Publication Date and Patent Dates

Accepted manuscripts will be published on the ACS Publications Web site as soon as page proofs are corrected and all author concerns are resolved. The first date on which the document is published on the Web is considered the publication date.

 

Publication of manuscripts on the Web may occur weeks in advance of the cover date of the issue of publication. Authors should take this into account when planning their patent and intellectual property activities related to a document and should ensure that all patent information is available at the time of first publication, whether ASAP or issue publication.

 

All articles published ahead of print receive a unique Digital Object Identifier (DOI) number, which is used to cite the manuscript before and after the paper appears in an issue. Additionally, any supplemental information submitted along with the manuscript will automatically be assigned a DOI and hosted on Figshare to promote open data discoverability and use of your research outputs.

ASAP Publication

Manuscripts will be published on the “ASAP Articles” page on the web as soon as page proofs are corrected and all author concerns are resolved. ASAP publication usually occurs within a few working days of receipt of page proof corrections, which can be several weeks in advance of the cover date of the issue.

Post-Publication Policies

The American Chemical Society follows guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) when considering any ethical concerns regarding a published article, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern.

Additions and Corrections

Additions and Corrections may be requested by the author(s) or initiated by the Editor to address important issues or correct errors and omissions of consequence that arise after publication of an article. All Additions and Corrections are subject to approval by the Editor, and should bring new and directly relevant information and corrections that fix scientific facts. Minor corrections and additions will not be published. Readers who detect errors of consequence in the work of others should contact the corresponding author of that work.

 

Additions and Corrections must be submitted as new manuscripts via ACS Paragon Plus by the Corresponding Author for publication in the “Addition/Correction” section of the Journal. The corresponding author should obtain approval from all coauthors prior to submitting or provide evidence that such approval has been solicited. The manuscript should include the original article title and author list, citation including DOI, and details of the correction.

Retractions

Articles may be retracted for scientific or ethical reasons and may be requested by the article author(s) or by the journal Editor(s), but are ultimately published at the discretion of the Editor. Articles that contain seriously flawed or erroneous data such that their findings and conclusions cannot be relied upon may be retracted in order to correct the scientific record. When an article is retracted, a notice of Retraction will be published containing information about the reason for the Retraction. The originally published article will remain online except in extraordinary circumstances (e.g. where deemed legally necessary, or if the availability of the published content poses public health risks).

Expressions of Concern

Expressions of Concern may be issued at the discretion of the Editor if:

  • there is inconclusive evidence of research or publication misconduct by the authors;
  • there is evidence that the findings are unreliable but the authors’ institution will not investigate the case;
  • an investigation into alleged misconduct related to the publication either has not been, or would not be, fair and impartial or conclusive;
  • an investigation is underway but a judgment will not be available for a considerable time.

 

Upon completion of any related investigation, and when a final determination is made about the outcome of the article, the Expression of Concern may be replaced with a Retraction notice or Correction.

Sharing Your Published Article

At ACS Publications, we know it is important for you to be able to share your peer reviewed, published work with colleagues in the global community of scientists. As sharing on sites known as scholarly collaboration networks (SCNs) is becoming increasingly prevalent in today’s scholarly research ecosystem, we would like to remind you of the many ways in which you, a valued ACS author, can share your published work.

 

Publishing open access makes it easy to share your work with friends, colleagues, and family members. In addition, ACS Publications makes it easy to share your newly published research with ACS Articles on Request (see below). Don’t forget to promote your research and related data on social media, at conferences, and through scholarly communication networks. Increase the impact of your research using the following resources: Altmetrics, Figshare, ACS Certified Deposit

E-Prints

When your article is published in an ACS journal or partner journal, corresponding authors are provided with a link that offers up to 50 free digital prints of the final published work. This link is valid for the first 12 months following online publication, and can be shared via email or an author’s website. After one year, the access restrictions to your article will be lifted, and you can share the Articles on Request URL on social media and other channels. To access all your Articles on Request links, log in to your ACS Publishing Center account and visit the “My Published Manuscripts” page.

Reprints

Article, journal, and commercial reprints are available to order.

Appendix 1: PREPARING FOR SUBMISSION

We’ve developed ACS’ publishing and editorial policies in consultation with the research communities that we serve, including authors and librarians. Browse our policies below to learn more.

Ethical Guidelines

ACS editors have provided Ethical Guidelines for persons engaged in the publication of chemical research—specifically, for editors, authors, and reviewers. Each journal also has a specific policy on prior publication.

OFAC Compliance

As a U.S.-based non-profit organization, the American Chemical Society (ACS) is required to comply with U.S. sanctions laws and regulations administered by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). While these laws and regulations permit U.S.-based publishers like ACS to engage in publishing-related activities with authors located in sanctioned regions in many cases, ACS may be prohibited under U.S. law from engaging in publishing-related activities in some cases, including, but not limited to, instances where an author or the institution with which an author is affiliated is located in a particular sanctioned region or has been designated by OFAC as a Specially Designated National (SDN) pursuant to certain U.S. sanctions programs. ACS reserves the right to refrain from engaging in any publishing-related activities that ACS determines in its sole discretion may be in violation of U.S. law.

 

Safety Considerations

Authors must emphasize any unexpected, new, and/or significant hazards or risks associated with the reported work. This information should be in the Experimental Section of a full article and included in the main text of a letter. Statement examples can be found in the Safety Statement Style Sheet and additional information on communicating safety information from the ACS Guide to Scholarly Communication is freely available here.

Conflict of Interest Disclosure

A statement describing any financial conflicts of interest or lack thereof is published in each ACS journal and partner journal article.

 

During the submission process, the Corresponding Author must provide a statement on behalf of all authors of the manuscript, describing all potential sources of bias, including affiliations, funding sources, and financial or management relationships, that may constitute conflicts of interest. If the manuscript is accepted, the statement will be published in the final article.

 

If the manuscript is accepted and no conflict of interest has been declared, the following statement will be published in the final article: “The authors declare no competing financial interest.”

Plagiarism

In publishing only original research, ACS is committed to deterring plagiarism, including self-plagiarism. ACS Publications uses CrossCheck's iThenticate software to screen submitted manuscripts for similarity to published material. Note that your manuscript may be screened during the submission process.

 

Further information about plagiarism can be found in Part B of the Ethical Guidelines to Publication of Chemical Research. See also the press release regarding ACS' participation in the CrossCheck initiative.

Authorship, Author List, and Coauthor Notification

Authors are required to obtain the consent of all their coauthors prior to submitting a manuscript. The submitting author accepts the responsibility of notifying all coauthors that the manuscript is being submitted.

 

During manuscript submission, the submitting author must provide contact information (full name, email address, institutional affiliation, and mailing address) for all of the coauthors. Because all of the author names are automatically imported into the electronic Journal Publishing Agreement, the names must be entered into ACS Paragon Plus. (Note that coauthors are not required to register in ACS Paragon Plus.) Author affiliation should reflect where the work was completed, even if the author has since left that institution. Authors may include a note with a current address if their institution has changed since the work was completed.

 

To expedite the processing of your manuscript, please format your author and affiliation information according the guidelines in this link: https://pubsapp.acs.org/paragonplus/submission/author-address-information.pdf.

 

Criteria for authorship can be found in Part B of the Ethical Guidelines to Publication of Chemical Research. Artificial intelligence (AI) tools do not qualify for authorship. The use of AI tools for text or image generation should be disclosed in the manuscript within the Acknowledgment section with a description of when and how the tools were used. For more substantial use cases or descriptions of AI tool use, authors should provide full details within the Methods or other appropriate section of the manuscript.

 

If any change in authorship is necessary after a manuscript has been submitted, confirmation is required that all of the authors (including those being added or removed) have been notified and have agreed to the change. To provide this confirmation, authors are asked to complete and sign an authorship change form and provide the completed form to the appropriate editorial office.

 

Authors with a single name: If you, or any of your coauthors, have only one name, please follow these steps for proper submission to ACS Paragon Plus:

  1. First (Given) Name Field: Enter an asterisk (*) into the "First (Given) Name" field.
  2. Last (Family) Name Field: Enter your single name into the "Last (Family) Name" field.

If your paper is accepted, the asterisk (*) will be removed from the published version of the paper.

 

 

Patent Activities and Intellectual Property

Authors are responsible for ensuring that all patent activities and intellectual property issues are satisfactorily resolved prior to first publication (ASAP or in issue). Acceptance and publication will not be delayed for pending or unresolved issues of this nature.

Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID)

Authors submitting manuscript revisions are required to provide their own personal, validated ORCID iD before completing the submission, if an ORCID iD is not already associated with their ACS Paragon Plus user profiles. This ID may be provided during original manuscript submission or when submitting the manuscript revision. All authors are strongly encouraged to register for an ORCID iD, a unique researcher identifier. The ORCID iD will be displayed in the published article for any author on a manuscript who has a validated ORCID iD associated with ACS when the manuscript is accepted.

 

ORCID iDs should not be typed into the manuscript. ACS publishes only those ORCID iDs that have been properly verified and linked before the manuscript is accepted. After your ORCID iD is linked, it will be displayed automatically in all subsequently accepted manuscripts for any/all ACS journals. We do not publish ORCID iDs provided during proof review or via other communications after a manuscript is accepted for publication.

 

With an ORCID iD, you can create a profile of your research activities to distinguish yourself from other researchers with similar names, and make it easier for your colleagues to find your publications. If you do not yet have an ORCID iD, or you wish to associate your existing ORCID iD with your ACS Paragon Plus account, you may do so by clicking on “Edit Your Profile” from your ACS Paragon Plus account homepage and following the ORCID-related links. Learn more at www.orcid.org.

To obtain forms and guidelines for completing the Journal Publishing Agreement or obtaining permissions from copyright owners, and to explore a Copyright Learning Module for chemists, click here.

Funder Reporting Requirement

Authors are required to report funding sources and grant/award numbers. Enter ALL sources of funding for ALL authors in BOTH the Funder Registry Tool in ACS Paragon Plus and in your manuscript to meet this requirement.

Open Access Compliance

ACS offers options by which authors can fulfill the requirements for open access and deposition into repositories for funded research. Visit our ACS Open Science site to see how to fulfill requirements for specific funders and to find out if you are eligible to publish under a Read + Publish agreement between ACS and your institution. You can also find out more about Open Access Compliance and ACS Open Science initiatives.

Diversity and Inclusion Statement

During manuscript submission, ACS journal authors have the option to submit a statement sharing information related to diversity and inclusion that is relevant for their paper. If supplying a diversity and inclusion statement, the corresponding author must provide this on behalf of all authors of the manuscript during the submission process. These statements include but are not limited to analysis of citation diversity and acknowledgment of indigenous land on which research was conducted. Statements expressing political beliefs are not permitted and may be removed by the journal office. All statements are subject to final review by the Editor.

  • Citation Diversity Statement:The citation diversity statement should appear in the Acknowledgements section of the manuscript. ACS recommends including the following: (1) the importance of citation diversity, (2) the proportion of citations by gender and race/ethnicity for the first and last authors, (3) the method used to determine those proportions and its limitations, and (4) steps taken to by the authors to improve citation diversity in the article. We recognize that one limitation of the current methods is that it cannot account for intersex, non-binary, and transgender people, or Indigenous and mixed-race authors. (Adapted from BMES/Springer Guidelines)
  • Land acknowledgment:The land acknowledgment statement should appear in the Acknowledgements section of the manuscript. The statement should link to the institutions’ formal land acknowledgments on which the research took place, if possible. Further guidance for creating these statements can be found here: https://nativegov.org/news/a-guide-to-indigenous-land-acknowledgment/.

 

Appendix 2: Preparing Graphics

Resolution

Digital graphics pasted into manuscripts should have the following minimum resolutions:

  • Black and white line art, 1200 dpi
  • Grayscale art, 600 dpi
  • Color art, 300 dpi

Size

Graphics must fit a one- or two-column format. Single-column graphics can be sized up to 240 points wide (3.33 in.) and double-column graphics must be sized between 300 and 504 points (4.167 in. and 7 in.). The maximum depth for all graphics is 660 points (9.167 in.) including the caption (allow 12 pts. For each line of caption text). Lettering should be no smaller than 4.5 points in the final published format. The text should be legible when the graphic is viewed full-size. Helvetica or Arial fonts work well for lettering. Lines should be no thinner than 0.5 point.

Color

Color may be used to enhance the clarity of complex structures, figures, spectra, and schemes, etc., and color reproduction of graphics is provided at no additional cost to the author. Graphics intended to appear in black and white or grayscale should not be submitted in color.

Type of Graphics

Table of Contents (TOC)/Abstract Graphic

Consult the Guidelines for Table of Contents/Abstract Graphics for specifications.

Our team of subject-matter experts and graphical designers can also help generate a compelling TOC graphic to convey your key findings. Learn more about our Graphical Abstract service.

Figures

A caption giving the figure number and a brief description must be included below each figure. The caption should be understandable without reference to the text. It is preferable to place any key to symbols used in the artwork itself, not in the caption. Ensure that any symbols and abbreviations used in the text agree with those in the artwork.

Charts

Charts (groups of structures that do not show reactions) may have a brief caption describing their contents.

Tables

Each table must have a brief (one phrase or sentence) title that describes the contents. The title should be understandable without reference to the text. Details should be put in footnotes, not in the title. Tables should be used when the data cannot be presented clearly in the narrative, when many numbers must be presented, or when more meaningful inter-relationships can be conveyed by the tabular format. Tables should supplement, not duplicate, information presented in the text and figures. Tables should be simple and concise.

Schemes

Each scheme (sequences of reactions) may have a brief caption describing its contents.

Chemical Structures

Chemical structures should be produced with the use of a drawing program such as ChemDraw.

Cover Art

ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science authors are encouraged to submit images to be considered for use on the journal’s front cover or Supplementary Covers at the time of the submission of their revised manuscript. If your article is accepted for publication, your suggestion may also be selected for use on one of the journal’s covers. Images chosen for the front cover will be published at no cost to the author. If your art is selected for front cover, ACS will send you information about how to request one complimentary 18” by 24” printed poster featuring your work.

 

Cover image submissions should be colorful and visually engaging, with minimal text. The cover image should not resemble a graphical abstract or data figure, but rather should be an artistic and scientifically accurate representation of the manuscript. We strongly advise authors to view recent journal issues to review what type of artwork we accept for the front cover. Image files should be submitted as TIF, JPG, PNG or EPS files (layered files are best) with a resolution of at least 300 dpi for pixel-based images. Images should be 8.19 in. wide × 10.00 in. high (or 20.80 cm × 25.40 cm). Please note that the journal title will cover the top 2.7 in. (6.86 cm) of the image. Authors should submit the cover image, along with a very short (<50 words) caption explaining the image, as supplementary files to ACS Paragon Plus with their revised manuscript.

 

If you wish to be considered only for the front cover, and not a paid supplementary cover, please respond NO accordingly to the Journal Covers question in ACS Paragon Plus. For more information on the Supplementary Covers program, please see this webpage. All art submitted for consideration for a supplementary cover will also be considered for a front cover.

Web Enhanced Objects (WEO)

The Web editions of ACS journals allow readers to view multimedia attachments such as animations and movies that complement understanding of the research being reported.

 

WEOs should be uploaded in ACS Paragon Plus with ‘Web Enhanced Object’ selected as the file designation. Consult the list of compatible WEO formats.

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