The APS Contributors FAQ

Quick answers to frequently asked questions on APS's manuscript criteria, review process, and more.

What kinds of manuscripts does APS consider?

The APS welcomes current original researches on all aspects of life sciences, both experimental and clinical, from any part of the world.  APS is interested in a wide range of manuscripts presenting original research and commentary in all areas of sciences.  For original research, the common thread is that the work should reveal novel concepts of broad importance to the scientific community. Reviews based primarily on authors' own research of internationally important topics with 3-10 keywords are also welcome.

Full-length articles should be prepared in accordance with the “Uniform requirements for manuscripts submitted to biomedical journals” in Ann Intern Med 1997 Jan 1; 126 (1): 36-47 or http://www.icmje.org

What percentage of submissions does APS accept?

How fast can APS evaluate my manuscript?

Is APS interested in material only from China authors?

The title of our journal defines only the location of its publishing base, but not its geographic scope. APS is an international one, and encourages submission from all countries. Definitely, APS is interested in publishing the best papers from all countries and regions, and welcomes submissions from authors.

Does APS require copyright transfer?

Yes. It is the policy of APS to acquire copyright in all contributions. Publication of papers in APS is contingent on the authors' transferring copyright of the paper, including electronic rights, to APS's publisher. Copy form can be downloaded from our site.(download)

What's the policy on prior publication of results?

Prior and duplicate publications are not accepted.  All manuscripts, especially data, must not be published or submitted for publication elsewhere.  English translations of published articles are not acceptable.  The authors should make a full statement to the APS about all submissions and previous reports that might be regarded as prior or duplicate publications of the same or very similar work. Copies of such material should be included with the manuscript to the APS. We only consider research papers that are reporting primary data and the main conclusions for the first time.

How do I prepare a manuscript for APS?

To see the details, see our Instructions for Authors at  www.chinaphar.com.

The following items should be paid attention to:

Title  Must be informative, specific, and brief (<120 characters and spaces).

INTRODUCTION  Use references to provide the most salient background rather than an exhaustive review. The last sentence should state tersely your purpose to do this study (not methods, results, or conclusion).

DISCUSSION  should deal with the interpretations of your results. Emphasize any new and important aspects and relate your results to other studies. Discuss the shortcomings in your experiments. Focus the discussion on your results. Avoid unqualified statements and wide digressions. End with a brief conclusion, which ought to be linked with the goal stated in Introduction.

REFERENCES References must be verified by the present authors against the original documents. List all authors, but if the number exceeds six give six followed by et al.

Tables and illustrations  Each table or illustration should be made on a separate sheet and should be “self-explanatory” (sufficient to be intelligible without reference to the text). Avoid repetitions of data in the text, tables, and illustration. Explain tersely the symbols, letters, or number used. Indicate the number and character of observations and subjects. the n must be clearly defined. Indicate what the n was, eg, n=9 cells from 9 rats. Identify statistical significance by superscripts in front of the probabilities (P): ^aP>0.05, ^bP<0.05, ^cP<0.01 vs A;

Tables  Give each column a short or abbreviated heading, in which the quantity and the unit are usually separated by a solidus (/).

Figures  Use standard symbols: ○, ●, ×, □, ■, △, ▲. Do not extrapolate the curves, nor extend the axes far beyond the contents. Combine related curves in a single figure when possible. A composite of curves will save space and convey more information.

Photographs must be of the highest quality showing the best contrast. Color photographs are welcome.

Legends for illustrations should be typed or printed out using double spacing, starting on a separate page.

Typeset  Past tense should be used for the past occurrences (eg, methods and results). Type italics when necessary, eg, Macaca mulatta, Panax ginseng, Plasmodium falciparum, in vitro, et al, etc. Greek letters should be spelled out in full in the margin of the page. The manuscript must be written in clear, grammatical English. Correct all typing errors. Manuscripts that do not meet the minimal requirements of English grammar and composition will be rejected.

Style  Keep the manuscript as terse as possible.

Use concise, not redundant, expressions. Use short (American), not long (British), spellings. Avoid complicated compound complex sentences. Delete unnecessary wording.

How to select terms from the latest Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) list of Index Medicus.?

The updated MeSH are available at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/2006/MBrowser.html

How do I submit a manuscript to APS?

To whom should I direct my manuscript?

It is not required that you address your paper to a specific editor when submitting a new manuscript. If you wish, however, you can direct the cover letter for your manuscript to the editor who handles its subject area.

APS rejected my manuscript.  Should I revise it and submit it again?

No. Rejected manuscripts will not be returned to authors unless requested previously. Because of strict page limitations and strong competion, the rejected manuscripts should not be resubmitted. Most editorial decisions at APS are based not only on the paper's technical merit but also on the general interest or importance of the work, and on comparison with other papers that we are considering in the paper's field. So we will only reconsider papers for which we have specifically invited resubmission or when a significant error has been made during review that determined our final decision. 

Will APS accept a manuscript written in Chinese?

No.

How much should I pay to APS if my manuscript is accepted?

A charge of RMB ￥200 (US$25) per printed page will be levied on all manuscripts accepted.  The cost of color photographs is defrayed by the authors. Authors will be charged RMB ￥1000 (US $125) per colour page and RMB ￥400 (US $50) per black-and-white color page.