Transdermal Magazine

We accept submissions for technical articles that convey practical or experimental information about processes, materials, or equipment that our readers use.

Authors do not have to be experienced writers; we will provide editing services to polish the articles. If you have questions after reading the guidelines, you can contact the editor at pwright@cscpub.com or (651) 698-2760.  

Determining the Content of Your Technical Article

All Transdermal technical articles must handle their subject matter objectively and use a noncommercial approach. You cannot promote one manufacturer’s equipment or technology or write only about your company's equipment or materials. This prohibition, however, does not apply to nonvendor scientists or researchers who conduct independent studies or evaluations.

Your article can discuss the results of your research or provide facts, ideas, and advice on selecting, operating, or troubleshooting equipment. Or it can provide the reader with insights on a process or test method. It may be as simple as providing a checklist. Some ideas include:

• Select-and-apply articles:

These types of articles help the reader select and apply a particular process, technology, or type of equipment. The facts help the reader make informed decisions. For instance, your article can

• Discuss major facts about a process or material.

• Compare and contrast equipment or material.

• Detail important criteria for selecting a process, equipment, or materials.

• Provide advice on troubleshooting existing processes, equipment or materials.

• Trends articles:

In these types of articles, you discuss current trends in equipment design, production processes, test methods, or regulations. Your article can discuss broad changes within a technology or one portion of a particular technology or process.

• Studies:

These articles describe what you learned from conducting a study on delivery strategies, production methods, packaging, testing, or any other study related to transdermal pharmaceuticals.

• Tips:

These articles are usually short; in them, you share your tips for solving a problem related to any part of the process of producing transdermal drugs.

Before Writing

To save you the time and effort of preparing an article that may not be right for the audience of Transdermal or that may not fit into our editorial schedule, we urge you to send us a brief abstract of your proposed article. The abstract should give us a good idea of what you have in mind: the topic and scope of the article and its value to our readers; that is, what readers will learn from the article.

If the abstract fits with our upcoming editorial plans, we will ask you to submit the complete article. Please remember that this request does not mean that we definitely will publish the article. We will make the final decision when we have the article in hand.

The Abstract

The abstract should be short, 25 to 50 words. It should give a concise description of the content of the article and indicate what our readers will learn from the article.

Writing Your Article

The Text

Write in a conversational manner as best you can, as though you are talking to a friend about your work. Write as simply and clearly as the topic allows. Explain any technical terms or industry jargon.

The Length

Transdermal is flexible about length, but articles typically run 1,800 to 3,600 words. An article that offers only tips may be only 800 to 1,500 words. Provide as much detail as you think is necessary: It’s better to provide too much text than too little.

Details

The best way to submit manuscripts is as an e-mail attachment. You are welcome to send a hard copy as well.

• Manuscripts

We use Microsoft Word for word processing. If you use a different word-processing program, please send two files: one saved in your program and the other saved as plain text.

• Byline

On the first page of the manuscript, indicate how you would like your name and your company’s name to appear when the article is published.

• Mathematical equations 

Present formulas and equations clearly and double-check them for accuracy. Label symbols that might be ambiguous. Define all symbols, even if the meaning is obvious to you or is generally known. If your manuscript uses several symbols, please supply a nomenclature table.

• Footnotes and references

Format these consistently in your preferred style. Make sure each listing contains complete bibliographical data, including page numbers and the place and date of the publication. Number your references in order of their appearance in the text.

• Biography

Include a short professional biography that specifies your job title, your experience, and your educational background. Also include a mailing address, telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address.

Images and Illustrations

Good pictures, tables, charts, or other illustrations will attract readers to your article and help them understand the information you present.

• Format

Submit good-quality images and illustrations. Most authors send digital images, but you can also send photographic prints, slides, or transparencies. Digital files should be sent by e-mail or on CD. They should be at least 600 pixels wide, but the larger the image, the better. We prefer .jpg, .eps, and .tif formats. We cannot use photocopies, prints from inkjet printers, or half-tone prints.

• Content

  • The best photos clearly show the equipment or material under discussion. A supplier’s nameplate should not be prominent in the photo.

  • All graphics should enhance the reader’s understanding of your text. Please send the original graphics if possible. Be sure that everything you send is crisp and readable.

  • Submit each item as a separate digital file. Do not embed the images or other graphic elements into the pages of the text. Make sure you cite each image or illustration in the text.

  • Every photo or illustration you submit needs a caption. Give as much detail as you like.

• Copyrights

Photos, illustrations, tables, graphs, and charts can be copyrighted, just like text. If you borrow any of these items from another source—such as a book, article, or website—you must obtain permission to use them. Provide us with proof that you have permission and tell us how to credit the copyright holder.

• Clearances

If you need approval to publish from your company, a supervisor, or another party, please obtain the approval before you submit the article. You should tell anyone who must approve the article that changes are likely to occur during editing.

After Sending Your Article

Editorial Review

After we receive your article, we will perform an editorial review. This review will include evaluation by editors on CSC’s staff and possibly by members of our Editorial Advisory Board or other experts. We will tell you as quickly as possible, usually within a couple of weeks, if we have accepted your manuscript, if we require revisions, or if we have declined your article. If we require revisions, we will provide guidance.

The following are some of the questions that we consider when we evaluate an article:

• Does it cover a topic specific to the industry?

• Will it be useful to a large segment of our audience?

• Does it offer sound, impartial information or advice?

• Does it offer a fresh look at its subject?

• Is it written to help the reader?

• Will it advance the reader’s professional knowledge?

• Does it have interesting, informative photos or other graphics?

Scheduling and Editing

When the editor of Transdermal and you have agreed jointly to proceed, the editor will schedule your article to appear in a specific issue. We’ll also schedule time for your article to undergo editing. We may make minor changes, such as sharpening sentence structure and word choice. We may also make substantial changes, such as condensing some portions and rewriting or reorganizing others, clarifying content, and providing a balanced level of detail. We’ll contact you with questions during this process.

Accuracy Check

Prior to publication, we’ll send you the edited article so that you can check it for technical accuracy and correct any technical errors.

After Publishing

Copyright Status

Upon publication of the article, Transdermal retains the copyright, which includes the right to use the article on our website, for promotional purposes, and for possible inclusion in an anthology. You must obtain CSC’s permission to post the article on your website or to make copies for distribution. You retain the right to prepare derivative works or to revise, adapt, or orally present your unedited article.