Manuscript Preparation Overview

The Journal of Glycomics and Metabolism publishes original research across glycobiology, carbohydrate chemistry, metabolic biochemistry, and related translational applications. Authors should prepare manuscripts following these guidelines to ensure efficient processing and review. Submissions not conforming to basic requirements may be returned without review for correction before formal evaluation can proceed.

Manuscripts must present original, unpublished work not under consideration elsewhere. Authors bear responsibility for accuracy and appropriate permissions for all content including figures, tables, and supplementary materials. All authors must have contributed substantially to the research and approved the final submitted version for publication consideration within our glycomics and metabolism scope. We welcome innovative approaches.

Document Format and Structure

Specific Section Requirements

Introduction: Establish context within glycomics and metabolism literature, review relevant research, state research objectives, and explain study significance. Conclude with clear hypothesis or research questions guiding the investigation.

Materials and Methods: Provide sufficient detail for replication including reagent sources, cell lines, experimental conditions, analytical procedures, and statistical analyses. Describe glycan isolation protocols, mass spectrometry parameters, chromatographic conditions, and enzyme assay specifications. Cite established methods with references; describe modifications in detail.

Results: Present findings clearly without interpretation, using text to highlight key patterns while directing readers to figures and tables for detailed data. For glycan characterization studies, include mass spectrometry spectra, chromatographic profiles, and quantitative comparisons as appropriate.

Discussion: Interpret results in context of existing glycoscience literature, acknowledge limitations, and state conclusions supported by evidence. Avoid repeating results; focus on meaning, implications for metabolic understanding, and potential applications.

Figures and Tables

Include figures and tables at appropriate positions within the main document for review. Upload high-resolution figures separately with minimum 300 dpi for photographs and 600 dpi for line art. Glycan structure diagrams should follow Symbol Nomenclature for Glycans conventions with clear, consistent formatting.

Mass spectrometry data should include annotated spectra showing key fragmentation patterns supporting structural assignments. Metabolic pathway diagrams should clearly indicate enzyme reactions, metabolite flows, and regulatory connections. Ensure all figures and tables are cited in text and numbered consecutively with descriptive legends.

References

Cite all sources using author-date format in text. List references alphabetically by first author surname in the References section. Include DOIs where available. Verify all citations are accurate and complete before submission. Reference primary literature for glycan characterization methods and metabolic pathway definitions.

Ethical Requirements

Research involving human subjects requires institutional ethics committee approval with protocol numbers stated in Methods. Include informed consent documentation for studies using human samples. Animal research must demonstrate appropriate institutional ethics approval and compliance with relevant animal welfare guidelines.

Authors must disclose funding sources, potential conflicts of interest, and competing interests that could influence interpretation. For industry-sponsored research, clearly state sponsorship relationships and extent of sponsor involvement in study design, data analysis, and manuscript preparation.

Data Availability and Supplementary Materials

Deposit glycan mass spectrometry datasets in appropriate repositories such as GlyConnect, GlyTouCan, or general repositories like Zenodo. Metabolomics data should be deposited in MetaboLights or similar metabolomics databases. Include repository accession numbers in accepted manuscripts.

Supplementary materials including extended datasets, additional spectra, complete chromatographic profiles, and detailed protocols enhance manuscript impact and reproducibility. Video supplements demonstrating sample preparation or analytical procedures should be MP4 format with reasonable compression while maintaining clarity.

Revision Guidelines

Authors receiving revision decisions should prepare point-by-point responses to all reviewer comments, explaining how each concern was addressed or providing reasoned disagreement where appropriate. Highlight changes in the revised manuscript using tracked changes. Major revisions typically undergo additional review while minor revisions are often evaluated by editors directly.

Meet revision deadlines or request extensions proactively. Incorporate helpful suggestions thoroughly rather than making minimal changes that may require additional revision rounds. Maintain professional, respectful tone throughout responses even when disagreeing with specific suggestions.

Pre-Submission Checklist

Before submitting, verify that all sections are present and formatted correctly, figures are high-resolution and properly labeled following glycan nomenclature standards, references are complete and formatted consistently, author information is accurate for all contributors, ethics statements and approval numbers are included, data accessibility statements are provided with repository information, and cover letter is attached explaining manuscript significance and suggesting qualified reviewers with relevant glycomics expertise.

Writing Style and Language

Manuscripts must be written in clear, grammatically correct English. Authors whose first language is not English are encouraged to have their manuscripts reviewed by fluent colleagues or professional editing services before submission. Scientific terminology should follow established conventions within glycobiology and metabolic biochemistry. Define abbreviations upon first use except for commonly accepted terms like DNA, RNA, ATP, and standard monosaccharide abbreviations.

Use active voice where appropriate to enhance clarity. Avoid excessive jargon that may obscure meaning for readers from related but distinct research areas. Technical terms specific to glycomics methodology or metabolic pathway analysis should be clearly defined for accessibility to the broader scientific community.

Statistical Reporting

Present statistical analyses with appropriate detail for reproducibility. Report test statistics, degrees of freedom, and exact p-values rather than inequality symbols alone. Describe statistical software used with version numbers. Justify sample sizes and explain any data exclusions or transformations applied before analysis. For metabolomics studies, describe normalization procedures and multivariate analysis methods in detail.

Effect sizes should accompany significance tests where appropriate. Clearly distinguish between statistical significance and biological importance when interpreting results, avoiding overstatement of findings based solely on p-values without consideration of effect magnitude and practical relevance to glycan biology or metabolic function.

Cover Letter Requirements

Each submission requires a cover letter addressing manuscript significance, novelty, and suitability for our journal scope. We welcome innovative approaches. Highlight key findings, explain how your research advances glycomics or metabolism understanding, and suggest qualified reviewers with relevant expertise. Disclose potential conflicts of interest and confirm all co-authors have approved the final submitted version for publication consideration in our journal. Authors should also suggest any potential reviewers to exclude due to competing interests or conflicts that could bias objective evaluation of the manuscript content and scientific conclusions regarding glycan biology or metabolic pathway discoveries. Pre-submission inquiries are welcome for authors uncertain about manuscript suitability within our glycomics and metabolism scope definition for glycobiology and metabolic biochemistry research areas covered by our publication.