LCGC International Author Guidelines

LCGC International welcomes articles that describe techniques and applications of all forms of chromatography and capillary electrophoresis and that are of immediate interest to users in industry, academia, and government.

Information for Authors

LCGC International accepts a variety of contributed articles, including peer-reviewed articles, technical articles, review articles, feature stories, updates on trending technologies, opinion articles, and blogs. The editors also review press releases for publication online. When submitting an article to LCGC International, please note that we operate a “digital first” content strategy where approved articles are submitted online and published in print and digital magazines and supplements when space permits.

We are seeking articles that cover important topics in all branches of separation science and mass spectrometry. Including, but not limited to: new techniques, method development, applications, sample preparation, data analysis, new technology, education, artificial intelligence/machine learning, chemometrics, instrumentation, business updates, and more.

Articles that promote a particular company or product are not acceptable for publication and will be rejected.

Manuscripts are reviewed with the understanding that they have not been published previously and are not under consideration for publication elsewhere. Authors are responsible for all statements made in their work. All manuscripts are subject to review and copyediting. Authors of accepted papers will have an opportunity to review galleys. If illustrations or other material in a manuscript have been published previously, the author is responsible for obtaining permission to republish.

Types of Manuscripts

Technical articles

Technical articles describe improved methods or improvements in techniques and should be of immediate relevance to chromatography users. Authors should not make comparisons between commercially available products from different manufacturers. Manuscripts for regular issues of LCGC or for CTMS should be ~2500–3000 words long plus up to four figures and tables (combined total).

Review articles

Review articles survey recent developments and the state of the art of current techniques or emerging technologies. We urge authors to submit a proposal to the editor before completing a manuscript. These articles should be no more than 2500 words in length with a maximum of two figures and tables (combined total).

Feature articles

A feature article should provide a new or interesting analysis of a trend in analytical chemistry or separation science. These articles should be no more than 2000 words in length and include at least three sources.

Blogs

Blog articles should be short in length (about 500–700 words) and should explain, in a conversational tone, a topic that impacts separation scientists and their work. These articles run exclusively online.

Technical Manuscript Submission Process

For papers with multiple authors, designate a single author to handle correspondence. Include this author's email address in the manuscript and in the email message that accompanies the manuscript. Before submitting the completed work, authors are urged to review manuscripts for clarity of expression, details of grammar, and typographical accuracy.

Key words or phrases: All manuscripts should include a list of approximately five key words or phrases.

Technical manuscripts should be presented in an abbreviated scientific format and should include the following:

Abstract: Very brief (100–150 words). Mention subjects studied, methods used, principal observations made, and conclusions reached.

Introduction: Without repeating published information, discuss the relationship of your work to previously published work. Describe the novelty or importance of the research presented.

Experimental: Present enough information that an experienced chromatographer would be able to reproduce the work. List those components of the experimental design that are of a specialized nature, including equipment manufacturer names and locations in parentheses after reference to specific types of equipment. Do not list equipment, reagents, or procedures that are normally found in the laboratory or that are common knowledge in the field. Include the following minimal information as it pertains to the chromatography being used: column dimensions, film thickness, packing type, mobile-phase composition, flow rate, detection method, injection conditions, instrument temperatures, applied potential, and instrument program.

Results and discussion: Focus your comments on the needs of users of chromatography, and stress the practical importance of your findings.

Conclusion: Summarize the main points of your article, and state important conclusions or recommendations.

Formatting: Please see the “LCGC International and Spectroscopy Formatting Help Guide” below for the details of how to format your manuscript, including figures, tables, and references. To accommodate print space constraints, references may be modified at the editors’ discretion. When necessary, the full reference list may be published online only, and the print version may include an abbreviated citation format (generally first author, publication abbreviation, and DOI).

Click here for the LCGC and Spectroscopy Quick Formatting Guide.

Where to Submit Manuscripts

Send manuscripts for LCGC International or Current Trends in Mass Spectrometry to Kate Jones at [email protected] and Alasdair Matheson at [email protected].

Send manuscripts for The Column to Kate Jones at [email protected] and Alasdair Matheson at [email protected].