Appendices

Use Arabic numbers when the there is more than one Appendix. Give a brief title, capitalizing the first word of the title and using lowercase thereafter. Capitalize the first word after a colon, unless it is a designation or abbreviation that is lowercase. Place a period after the title. Appendices appear after Acknowledgments and Addendums and before References.

Example:

Appendix 1. FASTA identifiers: Identification of sequence source databases.

Boxes

This format sets information in a separate box from the text, accessible from the text by a link and from the jump list on the left of the screen (sidebar).

Number the boxes consecutively with Arabic numbers followed by a period. Capitalize the first word of the title and use lowercase thereafter. If the title contains a colon, the word after the colon is capitalized, unless that word is a designation or abbreviation that begins with a lowercase letter. This is the same title style as Tables.

Example:

Box 1. Approaches to associate sequence data with LocusLink loci.

Figures

Write out the word “Figure” in the text and legends.

In legends, the title is written in bold on a separate line from the additional information. Italicize the locants and the parts of the figure. Locants may be in lowercase or uppercase, but be consistent.

The word “panel” can usually be avoided. Be sure that all symbols on the figure are described. Refer to symbols as “filled” (not “solid”) and to lines as “unbroken” (not “solid”).

Example:

----------------------------------------

Figure 7. Karyotype parser.

The short-form written karyotype (a) has been converted into a modified long-form karyotype (b).

----------------------------------------

Note the position of the locants in the figure legend. The locant follows the information it describes. Locants given in a series format are styled: a, fresh samples; b, desiccated samples.

When referring to the figure in the text, use roman-style locants (“Figure 7a”). When you want to refer to two parts of the figure (such as “Figure 7, a and b”) and the figure contains only two parts, change the text entry to read “Figure 7”. If the figure contains more than two parts and you are referring to two parts, show “Figure 7, a and b”.

References

Cite references in the text in the proper order (numerically) as full-size, on-line numbers within parentheses. Number the references in the References section consecutively. References cited only in tables and figures are listed after those that have been cited in the text.

References “in press” are cited in the References section of the paper. Unpublished work, manuscripts in preparation or submitted for publication, verbal reports given at meetings, and personal communications are cited in the text in parentheses (or as footnotes).

Use of et al.: References in a paper that are linked with a PubMed ID or to the NCBI Bookshelf should still list all authors. In projects where space is an issue (such as in a Table but not in the References), it is acceptable to use one author with et al.

Unlike titles in boxes, tables, and figures that use a capital in the first word after a colon, the part of the title in a reference after a colon is not capitalized (unless it is a proper noun, designation, or other form that takes a capital letter anyway).

Use the NLM style for format. See the styles below for examples of this format. See also Sample PubMed Central Citations - XML Tagged and select the “untagged version” from the page. For PDFs of the recommended formats, see Recommended Formats for Bibliographic Citation and Supplement: Internet Formats.

Tables

The word “Table” should be capitalized and spelled out, followed by an arabic number and a period. Give the table a brief title, followed by a period. If the title contains a colon, capitalize the word after the colon (unless it is a designation or abbreviation that is shown in lowercase). Additional descriptive material may be given in a paragraph below the title. Use superscript, lowercase, italic letters for footnote citations. Change abbreviations such as “n.d.” (“not done”), “n.s.” (“not significant”), and “n.a.” (“not applicable”) to ND, NS, and NA, respectively.

Example: