Submissions

Exceptional Coursework

All the following submission types are acceptable for submission to Sciential. If your submission is a part of coursework, publication is only possible with the permission of the instructor.  Submit the Exceptional Coursework Approval Form (Appendix IV) as a supplementary file upon your submission of the work, along with any other forms shall they be required per the specific submission type.

Sciential Online (SciLine)

Exceptional coursework pieces that do not fit any of the below categories but are science-communication-based— such as lay summaries, blogs and essays, may be submitted to be considered for publication on the Sciential Online (SciLine) website (https://scientialonline.wixsite.com/sciline).  The word limit is flexible for this submission type but is typically between 400 and 500 words. Please submit these pieces under “Sciential Online (SciLine)” on OJS.

Original Research

Original Research submissions must be submitted to Sciential’s Open Journal System (OJS) and include independent theses and research practicum coursework reports. The Original Research Approval Form (Appendix I) must also be completed and submitted as a supplementary file. The original research piece should be between 3000 - 6500 words. Do not neglect to number pages of main work (bottom right hand of each page).

Images Formatting Considerations:

• If your submission includes images, each image must be uploaded as a supplementary file, with a minimum resolution of 75 dpi each.
• Figures and tables should be provided in the manuscript where they are to be placed once published.
• Ensure to indicate whether the figure or table will be 1-columned, 1.5-columned or 2-columned.
• If the figure has been adapted from an external source, indicate that in accordance with Vancouver (superscript - after period) style citations.
• Graphical abstracts are an excellent tool for providing visual representations. Follow this link to view an example of a graphical abstract. If you would like assistance in the creation of a graphical abstract, email Scientia@mcmaster.ca to arrange an appointment with the Graphic Designers for this purpose. Please submit separately in the accepted file formats. 

The submitted manuscript must contain the following sections in this sequence:

Title Page: State the title of the work submitted. Also, list all author names in sequence of who conducted the most to least amount of work. Along with this, indicate the school, campus address, program, and year of graduation of each author using Arabic numeral superscripts to organize the information. Provide the email correspondence to only one author and ensure the accompanying author has an asterisk superscript near their name. Lay Summary: Summarize the entire piece for a lay audience in 100-200 words. Make sure to include relevant information such as the motivation driving the piece, main results, as well as the significance of the findings to society as a whole. This should not be identical to the abstract.  Abstract: Briefly outline the research and the significance of the work (max. 200 words). Graphical abstracts, if applicable, should be pasted in this section as well. Keywords: A list of 3-6 keywords that best describe the work. Introduction: Provide an informative description of the relevant field(s) of science. Include the literature background in this section. Methods: Describe the order of procedures and experiments attempted in obtaining the results as well as relevant tools/equipment and ethics disclosure where live participants are involved. Results: Describe all the results obtained from the experiments. Include figures, graphs, data tables with appropriate titles, and statistical analysis outputs. Discussion: Summarize the results and discuss the findings and its significance towards the research field. Describe the limitations of the project and outline further steps to be taken. Conclusion: Relate the main findings to the original hypothesis(ses). Acknowledgements: Provide information regarding funding, conflict of interests, equal authorship (if applicable) and support. References: All references should be listed using the Vancouver (superscript - after period) citation format. All references here should be mentioned in the text of the manuscript and vice versa. Refer to the following Vancouver (superscript - after period) citation guide to format your list of references: http://bit.ly/VancouverReferencing.

Academic Literature Review

Review submissions must be submitted to Sciential’s Open Journal System (OJS) and include systematic reviews of primary academic research, as well as meta-analyses of multiple primary research articles pertaining to a specific topic. The review should be between 3000 - 6500 words. Do not neglect to number pages of main work (bottom right hand of each page).

Images Formatting Considerations:

• If your submission includes images, each image must be uploaded as a supplementary file, with a minimum resolution of 75 dpi each.
• Figures and tables should be provided in the manuscript where they are to be placed once published.
• Ensure to indicate whether the figure or table will be 1-columned, 1.5-columned or 2-columned.
• If the figure has been adapted from an external source, indicate that in accordance with Vancouver (superscript - after period) style citations.
• Graphical abstracts are an excellent tool for providing visual representations. Follow this link to view an example of a graphical abstract. If you would like assistance in the creation of a graphical abstract, email Scientia@mcmaster.ca to arrange an appointment with the Graphic Designers for this purpose. Please submit separately in the accepted file formats.

The submitted manuscript must contain the following sections in this sequence:

Title Page: State the title of the work submitted. Also, list all author names in sequence of who conducted the most to least amount of work. Along with this, list the school, campus address, program, and year of graduation of each author using Arabic numeral superscripts to organize the information. Provide the email correspondence to only one author and ensure the accompanying author has an asterisk superscript near their name. Lay Summary: Summarize the entire piece for a lay audience in 100-200 words. Make sure to include relevant information such as the motivation driving the piece, main results, as well as the significance of the findings to society as a whole. This should not be identical to the abstract. Abstract: Briefly outline the review and the significance of the work (max. 200 words). Graphical abstracts, if applicable, should be pasted in this section as well. Keywords: A list of 3-6 keywords that best describe the work. Introduction: Describe the basics of the field of work being written about. Body: The body encompasses the majority of the review. It should be divided into sections and subsections in an organized manner using Arabic numerals (e.g. 1.1 Stem Cell Characteristics, 1.1.1 Observations via Microscopy). Conclusion: Overview of the work written and the next steps to be taken in the research field. Appendix: describe your methodology of conducting literature searches for your manuscript. This part of the submission will not be published. Acknowledgements: Provide information regarding funding, conflict of interests, equal authorship (if applicable) and support. References: All references should be listed using the Vancouver (superscript - after period) citation format. All references here should be mentioned in the text of the manuscript, and vice versa. , refer to the following Vancouver (superscript - after period) citation guide to format your list of references: http://bit.ly/VancouverReferencing.

Research Proposal

Project proposal submissions must be submitted to Sciential’s Open Journal System (OJS) and constitute a brief review of relevant literature, proposal for a series of experiments that will support the research question, and a brief description of the experimental design. The proposal should be between 2000 - 4500 words. Do not neglect to number pages of main work (bottom right hand of each page).

Images Formatting Considerations:

• If your submission includes images, each image must be uploaded as a supplementary file, with a minimum resolution of 75 dpi each.
• Figures and tables should be provided in the manuscript where they are to be placed once published.
• Ensure to indicate whether the figure or table will be 1-columned, 1.5-columned or 2-columned.
• If the figure has been adapted from an external source, indicate that in accordance with Vancouver (superscript - after period) style citations.
• Graphical abstracts are an excellent tool for providing visual representations. Follow this link to view an example of a graphical abstract. If you would like assistance in the creation of a graphical abstract, email Scientia@mcmaster.ca to arrange an appointment with the Graphic Designers for this purpose. Please submit separately in the accepted file formats.

The submitted manuscript must contain the following sections in this sequence:

Title Page: State the title of the submission; list all author names in descending order from greatest to least contribution; list the school, campus address, program, and year of graduation for all authors. Provide the email correspondence of only one author distinguished by a mark (e.g., an asterisk). Lay Summary: Summarize the entire piece for a lay audience in 100-200 words. Make sure to include relevant information such as the motivation driving the piece, main results, as well as the significance of the findings to society as a whole. This should not be identical to the abstract. Abstract: Briefly summarize the review and the significance of the work (max. 200 words). Graphical abstracts, if applicable, should be pasted in this section as well. Keywords: A list of 3-6 keywords that best describe the work. Introduction: Describe the basics of the field of work being written about. Body: The body encompasses the majority of the manuscript. It should be organized and divided into numbered sections and subsections (e.g. 1.1 Stem Cell Characteristics, 1.1.1 Observations via Microscopy). Conclusion: Overview of what has been accomplished and its implications. Acknowledgements: Provide information regarding funding, conflict of interests, equal authorship (if applicable) and support. References: References are expected for all citations using the Vancouver (superscript - after period) citation format; provide information regarding funding and support where appropriate. All references here should be mentioned in the text of the manuscript, and vice versa. Refer to the following Vancouver (superscript - after period) citation guide to format your list of references: http://bit.ly/VancouverReferencing.

Opinion Piece

Opinion piece submissions must be submitted to Sciential’s Open Journal System (OJS) and include evidence-based pieces of argumentative writing that express the author’s personal opinions pertaining to a controversial topic in science. A proposed solution, if applicable, may or may not be provided in the work.  Ensure that the writing is opinionated, but the tone is still appropriate. A competitive Opinion Piece will demonstrate that the author is informed on opposing views, yet still diplomatically argues that their viewpoint is unequivocal.

General Formatting Considerations:

• Page numbers should be provided at the bottom right-hand corner of each page of the manuscript using Arabic numerals.
• All citations should be referenced in the text and in the ‘References’ section using Vancouver (superscript - after period) The Editors of the journal will check for the validity of the citations, and manuscripts with missing citations will not be considered for publication.
• The piece should be between 700 - 1100 words.

The submitted manuscript must contain the following sections in this sequence:

Title Page: State the title of the submission; list all author names in descending order from greatest to least contribution; list the school, campus address, program, and year of graduation for all authors. Provide the email correspondence of only one author distinguished by a mark (e.g., an asterisk). Lay Summary: Summarize the entire piece for a lay audience in 100-200 words. Make sure to include relevant information such as the motivation driving the piece, main results, as well as the significance of the findings to society as a whole. This should not be identical to the abstract. Abstract: Briefly summarize the review and the significance of the work (max. 200 words). Graphical abstracts, if applicable, should be pasted in this section as well. Keywords: A list of 3-6 keywords that best describe the work. Introduction: Describe the basics of the field of work being written about. Body: Overview of what has been accomplished and its implications. Acknowledgements: Provide information regarding funding, conflict of interests, equal authorship (if applicable) and support. References: References are expected for all citations using the Vancouver (superscript - after period) citation format; provide information regarding funding and support where appropriate. All references here should be mentioned in the text of the manuscript, and vice versa. Refer to the following Vancouver (superscript - after period) citation guide to format your list of references: http://bit.ly/VancouverReferencing.

News and Views

News and Views submissions must be submitted to Sciential’s Open Journal System (OJS); the contents should contain critical review recent (2018 and onwards) primary literature. Please exclude the discussion of politically controversial matters, for this we suggest Opinion Pieces. View an example of a News and Views article by following the link. We expect submissions of approximately 1000-1500 words.

Images Formatting Considerations:

• If your submission includes images, each image must be uploaded as a supplementary file, with a minimum resolution of 75 dpi each.
• Figures and tables should be provided in the manuscript where they are to be placed once published.
• Ensure to indicate whether the figure or table will be 1-columned, 1.5-columned or 2-columned.
• If the figure has been adapted from an external source, indicate that in Graphical abstracts are an excellent tool for providing visual representations. Follow this link to view an example of a graphical abstract. If you would like assistance in the creation of a graphical abstract, email Scientia@mcmaster.ca to arrange an appointment with the Graphic Designers for this purpose. Please submit separately in the accepted file formats.
• All the figures (including the graphical abstract, if applicable) should also be submitted separately as a supplementary file during the submission process and be one of the accepted format types (refer to the accepted file types below). 

The submitted manuscript must contain the following sections in this sequence:

Title: State the title of the submission; list all author names in descending order from greatest to least contribution; list the school, campus address, program, and year of graduation for all authors. Provide the email correspondence of only one author distinguished by a mark (e.g., an asterisk.) Lay Summary: Summarize the entire piece for a lay audience in 100-200 words. Make sure to include relevant information such as the motivation driving the piece, main results, as well as the significance of the findings to society as a whole. This should not be identical to the abstract. Abstract: Briefly outline the research review and provide your interpretation of the significance of the work (max. 200 words).  Keywords: A list of 3-6 keywords that best describe the work. Introduction: Provide an informative background on the work. For example, if the manuscript is about a novel treatment, include information on the related disorder(s), past treatment(s), and associated issues of the preceding knowledge. Body: The body encompasses the majority of the manuscript. It could be divided into sections in an organized manner using Arabic numerals (eg. 1.1 Genetically Modified Organisms, 1.1.1 Commercial Foods), or could be structured as a single body of the text. Provide your personal perspective on the work throughout the body section. Conclusion: Overview of what has been accomplished and its implications. Acknowledgements: Provide information regarding funding, conflict of interests, equal authorship (if applicable) and support. References: All references here should be mentioned in the text of the manuscript and vice versa. Refer to the following Vancouver (superscript - after period) citation guide to format your list of references: http://bit.ly/VancouverReferencing.

Abstract

Abstract submissions must be submitted to Sciential’s Open Journal System (OJS) and constitute a concise yet comprehensive summary of the pending or completed research work. Each submission must be accompanied by a title and a visually appealing graphical abstract. An ideal abstract should be engaging to the undergraduate science audience and should convey the importance of the conducted research. Please submit a graphical abstract together with the written abstract. The abstract should be between 250-350 words.

Images Formatting Considerations:

• Graphical abstracts are an excellent tool for providing visual representations. Follow this link to view an example of a graphical abstract. If you would like assistance in the creation of a graphical abstract, email Scientia@mcmaster.ca to arrange an appointment with the Graphic Designers for this purpose. Please submit separately in the accepted file formats.

The submitted manuscript must contain the following sections in this sequence:

Title Page: State the title of the submission; list all author names in descending order from greatest to least contribution; list the school, campus address, program, and year of graduation for all authors. Provide the email correspondence of only one author distinguished by a mark (e.g., an asterisk). Lay Summary: Summarize the entire piece for a lay audience in 100-200 words. Make sure to include relevant information such as the motivation driving the piece, main results, as well as the significance of the findings to society as a whole. This should not be identical to the abstract. Abstract: Briefly outline the research review and provide your interpretation of the significance of the work. Please include the following sections: introduction, objective(s), methods, results, discussion/limitations, and conclusion.  Keywords: A list of 3-6 keywords that best describe the work. Graphical Abstract: Provide a graphical presentation of your abstract. Have a look at the “Images Formatting Considerations” for more details. Acknowledgements: Provide information regarding funding, conflict of interests, equal authorship (if applicable) and support. References: Sources listed in the reference list should be mentioned in the text of the manuscript, and vice versa. Refer to the following Vancouver (superscript - after period) citation guide to format your list of references: http://bit.ly/VancouverReferencing.

Infographic

Infographics must be submitted to Sciential’s Open Journal System (OJS) and should describe a scientific or mathematical concept using informative content and appealing visuals. The title should be visibly stated on the work. The infographic should be between 1000 - 1500 words. Do not neglect numbering your pages located at the bottom right of each page.

Infographic submissions comprise the following components:

• References and in-text citations should also be listed on the infographic using the Vancouver (superscript - after period) citation format. Refer to the following guide to format your list of references in Vancouver (superscript - after period) format: http://bit.ly/VancouverReferencing. The Editors of the journal will check for the validity of the citations, and manuscripts with missing citations will not be considered for publication.
• The infographic should be letter size (8.5” width x 11” height) or tabloid sized (17” width x 11” height) split into two letter size pages of at least 300 dpi resolution.
• Ensure your submission is one of the approved formats (check the Note section below). View an example of an infographic here: http://bit.ly/ScientialInfographicExample.

Interview

Written interviews must be submitted to Sciential’s Open Journal System (OJS). Interviews can be conducted with researchers and students at McMaster University. Interviews are an integral part of Sciential as they allow personal insight into the innovative research done at McMaster University. Written interviews should be between 300-1000 words.

Interview submissions comprise the following components:

• Specific interview questions are written by the interviewers and must be approved by Sciential’s team using the Interview Approval Form (Appendix II). There must be a minimum of 5 questions to which a reasonably thorough response might be expected. This form must be completed and submitted 14 days prior to the actual interview as a supplementary file to Scientia@mcmaster.ca. Questions should focus on the planning and findings of the project. Additional topics may include challenges, limitations, or particular aspects of the researcher's career and research.
• Include a high-quality photograph of the interviewee as a supplementary file with your submission, as well as an abstract (200 words) briefly outlining their research and their biography (200 words).

Research Presentations

Videos of research presentations must be sent to Sciential@mcmaster.ca. This includes videos of poster presentations and research symposia of original research and reviews of primary research work. Please view the following video as an example of research presentations: http://bit.ly/ScientialPosterPresentationExample. The presentation must not exceed 15 minutes upon submission. All citations that are referenced on the poster or PowerPoint should be stated on the Video Presentation Approval Form (Appendix III), which must be submitted as a supplementary file upon submission of the video to Sciential@mcmaster.ca.  All the references should be listed using the Vancouver citation format. Please, refer to the following Vancouver citation guide to format your list of references: http://bit.ly/VancouverReferencing. Please, ensure that the individual and their poster or the PowerPoint presentation are clearly visible on tape. If technical (i.e. videographical) equipment is required, please contact Sciential@mcmaster.ca to arrange an appointment with the requested equipment. Refer to the Note section for accepted formats. Please ensure your video is at least of 480p. The format of the poster or the PowerPoint may vary depending on the topic of the presentation, however, the submitted video should follow the recommended general outline listed below:

Background: State the title of the research and the names of individuals associated with the project, including yourself. Describe all the necessary background information. 

Body: State the hypothesis, experimental setup, results (including their significance) and the conclusion.

Discussion: Discuss the limitations behind the project, state suggestions for improvements, as well as next steps of the research. 

Acknowledgements: Briefly acknowledge the support provided for your research, as well as for the presentation.

Note: All written submissions should be made in docx., rtf., txt. All infographics are to be submitted in pdf., png., and jpeg.. All video files should be in .mp4., .mov., or a link to a non-public YouTube video. All other formats will not be accepted.