Nucleic Acids Research, 2003, Vol. 31, No. 22 6381-6382
© 2003 Oxford University Press
EDITORIAL
Charges for Excess Page Length and for Colour FiguresThe popularity of NAR amongst authors continues to rise, associated perhaps with the sustained rise in impact factor. This has been reflected in a 23% increase in submissions and a 20% increase in the number of pages published in the first half of 2003 compared with 2002, a figure not including the special Database issue. In the light of the general climate of falling print journal subscriptions, there is a need to control costs.
All papers published after January 1st 2004 (except Survey and Summary papers) longer than 9 pages will incur a page charge for the excess pages of $208 (£138) per excess page. This modest reduction in the number of free pages reflects the need to address the issue of the increasing number of pages published. In addition the Editors would like to encourage authors to be as concise as possible in writing manuscripts.
For some years NAR has encouraged the use of colour in figures, especially where this aids clarity. Unlike many other journals, authors have not been charged for this facility. However, the recent substantial increase in colour usage as well as in the number of papers published has meant that the additional cost of colour reproduction can no longer be absorbed fully by the publishers. Accordingly, for papers published after January 1st 2004 (other than for Database and Web Server issues, for which other arrangements apply), authors will be limited to a maximum of two free colour figures per published article. The use of colour will be at the discretion of the Editor in charge of the manuscript, who must agree on its need for clarity. Additional colour figures will be charged at a rate of $500 (£300) per colour figure, a charge which will partially cover the additional costs associated with colour reproduction.
Please note that authors from certain developing countries are eligible for a waiver of page and/or colour charges (see http://www3.oup.co.uk/jnls/devel/).
Changes to the Criteria for Consideration
The attention of authors is drawn to some changes in the Criteria for Consideration. For full details of the changes visit http://www3.oup.co.uk/nar/instauth/auth6.html. Please note the specific changes outlined below to policy in the areas of Genomics and Sequences, which particularly concern manuscripts that involve whole genome approaches, for example, microarray data. Emphasis has now been placed on the need for novel insights into biological problems and the requirement to validate hypotheses generated by whole genome approaches. Substantial changes have also been made to the area of RNA biogenesis to stress the necessity for insights into molecular mechanisms as well as significance beyond a particular gene, organism or cell type.
Genomics and Sequences
The Journal’s primary focus in this area is on genomic studies directly related to nucleic acid biochemistry with novel biological insights relevant to genome function or evolution. Manuscripts are primarily in two categories:
• genome analysis, either complete chromosomal or genomic sequences, or comparative genomics. Both genome analysis and comparative studies should contain complementary data with relevance to genomic organisation, transcription, RNA processing, expression, genetic analysis or other novel biology. The reported sequence must shed significant new light on basic questions of structural or functional interest.
Except for whole genome sequences, reports that merely summarize information from DNA sequence database annotations are discouraged;
or
• those that apply whole genomic approaches to the analysis of gene regulation (e.g. array and proteomic technologies). Such manuscripts must provide novel insights into biological problems and provide evidence to corroborate and validate hypotheses that have been generated using whole genomic approaches.
Purely descriptive accounts of microarray data, or sequence characterizations (data mining) not leading to a testable hypothesis will not be considered.
Nucleic acid sequences must be deposited in a databank; only those parts relevant to the discussion of the results will be printed.
RNA biogenesis
Manuscripts dealing with transcription (including promoters, enhancers and terminators as well as RNA polymerases and transcriptional regulatory proteins) and RNA processing (including constitutive and differential splicing, polyadenylation, editing and turnover as well as assembly of ribosomes and other ribonucleoprotein particles).
These manuscripts will be considered if they provide:
• new insights into the mechanism or control of transcription or RNA processing, especially if the significance extends beyond a particular gene, organism, or cell type, or
• biologically significant information about regulation of genes involved in nucleic acid metabolism, or
• structural insights into proteins and protein-nucleic acid complexes relevant to transcription or RNA processing, particularly if these involve new motifs.
Changes to the Instructions to Authors
Please note a number of other changes that have been made to the Instructions to Authors. Included is the need for authors of papers published in the Database and Web Server issues to make certain information available, and for microarray data papers to comply with MIAME guidelines. There is also increased flexibility in acceptable file types for the final electronic version of figures of manuscripts accepted for publication that have fully completed the review process. Please see http://www3.oup.co.uk/jnls/list/nar/instauth/ for full details.
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