Information for authors
This page describes our policies and provides information that we think will be helpful to you as you prepare manuscripts for submission and publication. If you have submitted a paper and want information about the status of the paper, please log in to our online manuscript submission system,Editorial Manager (EM) Opens in new window. If you run into any problems or if you have specific questions, you can always e-mail us atcelleditor@cell.comor call +1-617-397-2800.
About the journal
Cellwas launched in 1974 as the journal of exciting biology. Now a part of Cell Press, a family of scientific journals,Cellis committed to building on the journal's legacy and reputation for publishing need-to-know conceptual advances in biomedical science and to providing authors with a fast, fair, informed, and responsive review process.Cellmaintains editorial independence from its sister journals. Our Ph.D.-trained scientific editors work with authors, reviewers, and editorial board members with the goal of publishing the most interesting discoveries in biology every year, including an annual review issue. Every paper published inCellis freely available starting 12 months after publication.
We have the utmost respect for you and your work and want your experience atCellto be positive and worth your valuable time. We are available to address questions related to your manuscript throughout the editorial and publication processes. You will find our email addresses on our websitecontact page.
We’re looking for papers across the breadth of biology and biomedical sciences that report results that prompt new thinking about a biological problem or therapeutic challenge—work that will inspire others to want to build on it. Our scope continually expands and evolves as biology does. We'd like to challenge your perception of what aCellpaper looks like. The way we see it,Cellpapers come in many shapes and sizes. Not all papers will have seven figures, and not all papers will have complete molecular mechanisms. If you have interesting and significant conclusions that you can support in a few figures, submit it. If you have made a significant and unexpected discovery that does not include mechanistic insight, submit it. Not convinced? Send us an e-mail describing your findings and why you think they are significant and we'll set up a phone call. We love to talk about science.
When you submit your paper, we'll send you an e-mail with your manuscript number. Within the next 3–7 business days, you'll either receive an e-mail letting you know that your paper has been sent out for review and how to contact your editor or you'll receive an e-mail explaining why we've decided not to send your paper for review. During this initial evaluation phase, our editorial team discusses your paper and your handling editor reads the entire paper. If your paper is rejected without review and our rationale is unclear or you think we've missed something important, please feel free to contact your editor by e-mail, explaining your concerns, and we will continue a conversation by e-mail or schedule a phone call. Our goal is to publish the best, most exciting thought-provoking science and to provide you with our best assessment of whether we think a full review process will be worth your and the reviewers' time. If we have missed something fundamental in evaluating your paper, it doesn't serve you or the journal not to correct that. Keep in mind though that not every negative decision will be reversed with further discussion, and if there isn't a major misunderstanding in our evaluation of your work, your time might be better spent submitting to another journal. If you would like to submit to another Cell Press journal, we can help you with this.
If your paper is sent for review, we aim to get back to you with reviews and a decision within 3–4 weeks. If after review we invite you to revise your paper, we will communicate to you in the decision letter what revisions we think are necessary and what aren't. We don't want you to spend time and money performing unnecessary experiments. The letter will also invite you to schedule a phone conversation with your handling editor to discuss the concerns raised in review and come to agreement on a revision plan. Our intention is to limit consideration to two rounds of review at most and to only one whenever possible. If we take some of the reviewers' suggestions off the table, we will communicate this to the reviewers if we send the revised paper out for re-review.
If we reject your paper after review, it is likely for one of two reasons: being a strong candidate would require expansion of the current conceptual scope of the paper or being a strong candidate would require so much additional support for the current claims that we think that a single revision of 2–3 months is not likely to result in publication. We think it's not reasonable to send you off to generate a mountain of additional data for a revision. If you think we've missed something important, feel free to contact your handling editor explaining your concerns, and s/he will continue a conversation by e-mail or schedule a phone call. We aim to get back to you about a rebuttal within 2 weeks. As this process takes some time and not all conversations will result in reversing a decision, we ask that you please be judicious in considering whether we and the reviewers really did miss something fundamental before taking this route. If you do decide to rebut, we consider that your paper is still under consideration and that you won't submit to another journal during this time. So if you have written to us and requested reconsideration of your paper, and while you are waiting to hear from us you decide that you'd prefer to submit the paper to another journal, please let us know. This is important because consideration at two journals at once is considered dual submission and a breach of publication ethics.
We appreciate that there are lots of frustrations and concerns around the publishing process in general, and we are eager to be a good partner for authors in setting consistent, fair, and understandable editorial standards and then doing everything we can to help you get your paper published quickly in the best venue.
Regarding Zhengxianling - China's first pan - international talent recruitment platform
Zhengxianling is developed and operated by Shanghai Yuntong Information Technology Co., Ltd. The company mainly provides international services such as talent job-seeking and recruitment, recruitment and introduction of high-level talents / science and technology innovation-related talents (Overseas Excellent Young Talents, Qiming Plan, online and offline job fairs, campus recruitment, social recruitment, online recruitment, headhunting, etc.), academic exchanges, and software development. In due time, we will launch language platforms and APPs in AI English, Korean, Japanese, French, German, etc. to meet the needs of global users. Up to now, the company has established communication channels with national ministries and commissions such as the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the Ministry of Science and Technology, talent offices of the Organization Departments of some provincial and municipal Party committees, departments of human resources and social security, industry and information technology, science and technology, trade unions, chambers of commerce, academic societies, associations, 985 and 211 universities in various regions across the country, HRs of some enterprises, the International Academician Consortium, the United Nations Science and Technology Commission WDTA, and some international institutions in countries such as Russia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, New Zealand, Australia, the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Canada, and QS World's top 100 universities (MIT, Oxford, the University of Melbourne...).
Service items are as follows:
A. Recruitment and introduction of international high-level / science and technology innovation-related talents (doctors, post-doctors, academicians) (online and offline job fairs, campus recruitment, social recruitment, online recruitment, headhunting, etc.), overseas enterprise study tours, academic exchanges, and software development.
B. Operation of Zhengxianling® (The types of talents on the platform and official account are not limited. Note: The official website is undergoing upgrading and renovation).
Service-supported regions:
China, South Korea, Japan, Russia, Singapore, New Zealand, Australia, the Netherlands, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Hungary, Italy, the United States, Canada, etc. (covering more than 100 countries and regions).
Main service content: Online and offline special high-level talent job fairs for cities, parks, and employers, talent-introduction activities related to science and technology innovation (project solicitation, screening, roadshow... implementation, etc.), investment promotion, academic exchange conferences, online job-seeking and recruitment, and offline services are available in the above-mentioned designated countries.
In the past 2024, we have successively joined the Hubei Chushang Federation in China and the World Federation of Inventors' Associations [IFIA], and have established the grand goal of building Zhengxianling into China's first pan-international talent recruitment platform (Language platforms and APPs in AI English, Korean, Japanese, French, German, etc. will be launched in due time. The establishment of the International HRD (HR) Alliance is in progress), and in the future, it will serve billions of users in more than 200 countries around the world. As of December 31, 2024, we have received a reply from the chairman of the United Nations Science and Technology Commission WDTA, welcoming Yuntong Technology and Zhengxianling to join the cooperation of the United Nations Science and Technology Commission WDTA in 2025. Starting from 2025, we will cooperate with the International Academician Consortium and may participate in activities such as the FCPAE (Federation of Chinese Professionals in Europe) European Forum to facilitate international talent exchanges and cooperation, thereby promoting scientific and technological innovation, driving employment, serving global economic construction, and promoting friendly cross-border cooperation to create a better future. Thus, we can better serve users from all over the world.
The Chinese full name of IFIA: World Federation of Inventors' Associations. Its headquarters are located in Geneva, Switzerland, and San Francisco, the United States. In February 2024, after being reviewed and approved by the 47th Global Executive Committee of IFIA, Shanghai Yuntong Information Technology Co., Ltd. [Zhengxianling] joined the organization. For details, please refer to the official website of IFIA:
https://www.ifia.com/ifia-47th-executive-committee-meeting-held-on-feb-2024/
Our company's recruitment platform will officially launch a paid service starting from February 1, 2025. For details, please refer to:
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/YmOxE1snwAAvskZgwm5RxA
Currently, we are organizing online and offline special job fairs for high-level talents of international organizations. For details of the event, please refer to the push article on the schedule plan of the international high-level talent recruitment activities of Zhengxianling®:
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/UGfNhxHRoIs1KZF7Thsfxg
Zhengxianling® recruits a large number of overseas high-level talents and innovative talents all year round. For details, please refer to the official account introduction:
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/8YaCD8xaXiDeC93a1foUKQ
Regarding the invitation letter for the initiation of the International HRD (HR) Alliance, please refer to the official account introduction:
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/fdg6QB82KAJCeTi0VZVZKQ
We welcome HRs of employers from all over the world, heads of universities and research institutes, academic leaders, young doctors / post-doctors / academicians and other talents to contact us or register to join our platform,The talents we recruit will be preferentially recommended to work in universities, research institutions and other units in China or various countries around the world.
Editorial evaluation timeline
We read and evaluate every submission, and we try our best to get back to you quickly. We are mindful of how long it can take to publish a paper, so we work with authors and reviewers to minimize that time. Here’s how long each step in the process usually takes:
Initial decision to review | 3–7 days after submission |
Decision after review | 3–4 weeks after submission |
Anticipated timeframe for suggested revisions | 2–3 months (with flexibility if needed) |
Time to online publication | 3–6 weeks after acceptance |
Time to print publication | Within 10 weeks of acceptance |
Presubmission inquiries
Unsure if your paper is suitable forCell? Send us a presubmission inquiry atcelleditor@cell.com, and we'll let you know what we think in 3–5 business days. Please include a title, an abstract, and an explanation of why your paper is significant and broadly interesting.
Relationship between Cell Press journals
Cell Press Multi-Journal Submission
If you think your paper might be suitable for two or more Cell Press journals, you now have the opportunity for simultaneous consideration at multiple journals using Cell Press Multi-Journal Submission. With Multi-Journal Submission, all the Cell Press life and health science journals of your choice provide unified consideration of your manuscript via one handling editor who works closely with you, your chosen journals’ editorial teams, and expert reviewers from the field to help you navigate a path to publication with Cell Press. To take advantage of this unique opportunity, please submit directly to theMulti-Journal Submission site. For more information, view theInformation for authorsandFAQpages, or reach out to us atmulti-journal@cell.comwith any questions.
Transfer
We appreciate that serially submitting your manuscript to multiple journals can be time consuming and frustrating. In case of a negative outcome at our journal, we may give you the opportunity to transfer it, along with any reviewers' reports and identities, to another journal published by Cell Press or Elsevier using the link in the decision letter. You will have a chance to edit your files before they are sent to the new journal. Our editors will provide guidance wherever possible on the best course of action and, if you have questions about your specific transfer options, you can email our dedicated Cell Press team attransfers@cell.com. You can also read ourFAQs on article transfersfor general information on the transfer process. If reviewer reports are available, they will be used by the editors of the new journal to speed up their decision making. Occasionally, the editors may seek comments from additional reviewers. If you resubmit your manuscript to another Cell Press journal without using the transfer link or mentioning the previous submission, the editors of the new journal might still be aware of the previous submission(s). They will evaluate the manuscript as a new submission against their own editorial criteria and may utilize any available information to speed up the editorial assessment.
Communication with other Cell Press journals
If your paper is not a strong candidate for further consideration at the journal submitted to, the handling editor of your manuscript may contact other topically-relevant journals within Cell Press with a view to offering you the option of a transfer. Your handling editor may briefly describe the paper to editors at one or more Cell Press journal.
Editorial policies
Preprint servers
We are happy to consider manuscripts previously posted on preprint servers likearXiv,bioRxiv,BioRN,ChemRxiv,ChemRN, orSSRN. Three of our broad scope journals,Cell Reports,Current Biology, andiScience, also support direct submission of manuscripts from bioRxiv via transfer of manuscript files and metadata to the journal’s Editorial Manager site. Our support for posting of preprints only applies to the original submitted version of the manuscript; we do not support posting to preprint servers revisions that respond to editorial input and peer review or final accepted manuscripts. Once your paper is published, we encourage you to update the preprint record with a link to the final published article. Please see ourprepublication publicity policyfor more information on sharing your work at the prepublication stage.
Related manuscripts
If you or your coauthors have any related papers submitted or in press elsewhere, you need to let us know and include them with your initial submission (or with your revision if they were submitted during revision). We ask this because having access to related papers often helps us (and reviewers) to assess the submitted work, and it can help prevent potentially difficult scenarios down the road. Failure to provide copies of related manuscripts may delay the review process and may be grounds for rejection. As a matter of publishing ethics, we cannot consider any paper that contains data that have been published or submitted for publication elsewhere.
Submission verification
By submitting your manuscript, you are indicating the following:
·The work described has not been published previously (except in the form of an abstract, a published lecture, or an academic thesis).
·It is not under consideration for publication at another journal within or outside of Cell Press. The status of under consideration includes manuscripts that have been submitted or transferred to another journal and have not yet received a final decision to decline or publish the paper. This includes manuscripts being reviewed, in revision, or awaiting the outcome of an appeal. Manuscripts under consideration elsewhere must be withdrawn before they can be submitted to this journal.
·Its publication is approved by all authors and tacitly or explicitly by the responsible authorities where the work was carried out.
·If the manuscript is accepted and published without a CC-BY license (that is, if it is published under the subscription model), it will not be published elsewhere in the same form, in English or in any other language, including electronically, without the written consent of the copyright holder.
To verify originality, your article will be checked by the originality detection serviceCrossref Similarity Check Opens in new window.Manuscripts are also screened against a Cell Press cross-journal database.
Duplicate submissions
In accordance with guidelines from theCommittee on Publication Ethics, duplicate submissions, defined as active consideration of a manuscript by multiple journals, are considered a serious ethical issue because they can lead to duplicate publications. It is our policy that a manuscript must not be submitted to more than one journal at the same time, or in any case when the paper is under active consideration at a journal, that is, before a final decision to publish or decline the manuscript is made. To help enforce this policy, Cell Press journals screen new submissions against a cross-journal database. If a journal finds previous submissions to other Cell Press journals that are not duplicate submissions or transfers, it will evaluate the manuscript as a new submission against its own editorial criteria, and may utilize any available information to speed up the editorial assessment. Submissions to Cell Press Multi-Journal Submission are not considered duplicate submissions because they involve consideration from multiple journals by design, in a transparent way.
Authorship
Our authorship policy provides a framework that makes clear the contributions of each author. We are guided by industry best practice on what constitutes authorship, including theguidelines Opens in new windowfrom the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) that are based on these criteria:
·substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work;
·drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content;
·final approval of the version to be published; and
·agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.
Author contributions section: For transparency, all research articles must include an author contributions section. Please describe the contributions concisely and use initials to indicate author identity. We encourage you to use theCRediT taxonomy Opens in new window, which offers standardized descriptions of author contributions. An author contributions section is not required for front-matter articles.
Corresponding author: You must designate at least one corresponding author. We recommend a single corresponding author; however, we understand that, for some studies, multiple authors may bear the responsibilities of a corresponding author. If you have compelling reasons, you may include additional corresponding authors. We may ask you to explain your rationale and to verify that all corresponding authors understand their responsibilities (listed below). We ask that you describe each corresponding author's specific contributions in the author contributions section.
Lead contact: You must designate one lead contact who is the corresponding author that is also responsible for communicating with the journal (before and after publication) and for conveying any relevant information or updates to co-authors and is accountable for fulfilling requests for reagents and resources and for arbitrating decisions and disputes. You should denote the lead contact with a footnote in the author list (e.g., 5Lead contact).
Responsibilities of the corresponding author and lead contact: All corresponding authors bear responsibilities 1-8 below; the lead contact additionally bears responsibility 9.
1.Supervising the work
2.Being responsible for all data, figures, and text
3.Ensuring that authorship is granted appropriately to contributors
4.Ensuring that all authors approve the content and submission of the paper, as well as edits made through the revision and production processes
5.Ensuring adherence to all editorial and submission policies
6.Identifying and declaring conflicts of interest on behalf of all authors
7.Identifying and disclosing related work by any co-authors under consideration elsewhere
8.Archiving unprocessed data and ensuring that figures accurately present the original data (see data and code availability)
9.Arbitrating decisions and disputes and ensuring communication with the journal (before and after publication), sharing of any relevant information or updates to co-authors, and being accountable for fulfilment of requests for reagents and resources
Equal contributions: The lead contact is the only designation that we strictly limit to one author. In addition to noting corresponding authors with an asterisk, you may use numbered footnotes to designate senior authors and otherwise equally contributing authors. The following footnote should be used for authors who have made equal contributions: 6These authors contributed equally. Senior authors can be designated with a footnote, e.g., 6Senior author. Please use the author contributions section of the manuscript to more fully describe each author's specific contributions.
Authorship changes: If authors wish to remove, add, or change the order of authors after the initial submission and before publication, they must provide written consent from all authors, including those that are added or removed. Post-publication authorship changes must also be approved in writing by all authors, including those that are added or remove, and a correction will be issued.
Authorship disputes: All authors should discuss and agree on author order and authorship designations. We do not adjudicate authorship disputes. These disputes should be resolved by the researchers involved and/or their institutions. If we become aware of a dispute, we will require the lead contact to provide documentation showing that all authors approve of the author list and order, and we might suspend consideration of the manuscript in the meantime.
Competing interests
Transparency is essential for a reader’s trust in the scientific process and for the credibility of published articles. At Cell Press, we believe that disclosure of competing interests is a critical aspect of transparency.
Competing interests for authors
We require that all authors disclose any financial or other interests related to the submitted work that (1) could affect, or have the perception of affecting, the author’s objectivity, or (2) could influence, or have the perception of influencing, the content of the article.
Examples of financial and non-financial interests that should be reported include: stocks or shares in companies with interests related to the submitted work or consulting fees from companies that could have interests related to the work, professional affiliations, advisory positions, board memberships (including membership on a journal’s advisory board when publishing in that journal), or patent applications and/or registrations that are related to the subject matter of the contribution. As a guideline, authors need to declare an interest for (1) any affiliation associated with a payment or financial benefit exceeding ¥10,000 p.a. or 5% ownership of a company or (2) research funding by a company with related interests. You do not need to disclose diversified mutual funds, 401ks, or investment trusts. Authors should also disclose relevant financial interests of immediate family members. Cell Press uses the Public Health Service definition of “immediate family member,” which includes spouses and dependent children.
We require authors to disclose any competing interests in a “declaration of interests” form, which must be submitted alongside their manuscript for all article types, and in a “declaration of interests” section in the text of all articles. This section should include financial or other competing interests as well as affiliations that are not included in the author list. Primary affiliations should be included on the title page of the manuscript with the author list and do not need to be included in the “declaration of interests” section. Funding sources should be included in the “acknowledgments” section and also do not need to be included in the “declaration of interests” section. If there are no competing interests to declare, the declaration of interests statement should read “The authors declare no competing interests.” For all peer-reviewed content, the declaration of interests form will be shared with reviewers.
Competing interests for reviewers
Reviewers should decline to review manuscripts that they feel unable to evaluate objectively due to competing interests that can affect, or be perceived to affect, the impartiality of their judgement. In any case, reviewers should alert the editor of any potential competing interest they may have in relation to the manuscript that they are asked to review as soon as such interests become evident. If unsure, reviewers should contact the editor for advice. Reviewers must not use information acquired in the peer review of a manuscript for personal gain, for example to advance their own research without attributing credit properly.
Competing interests for editors
Editors at Cell Press are required to report any competing or conflicting interests that could affect, or be perceived to affect, their editorial judgement. Competing interests must be reported as soon as they arise, and in any case through an annual declaration, so that they can be assessed and mitigated or resolved. Editorial competing interests will be disclosed with the editor’s biography on the journal’s website for ongoing competing interests (such as holding a patent), and/or on published papers for competing interests related to the specific paper.
Competing interests for editors include both financial and non-financial interests, such as:
·Current academic affiliations or other editorial roles. Examples include: employment, consultancies, professional affiliations, advisory positions, board memberships, or acting as an expert witness (in each case whether paid or unpaid).
·Authoring content for any third-party publications operating in a related subject area to that of the Cell Press journal(s) the editor is working at.
·Financial interests, including patents or patent applications, travel grants, ownership, and directorship. Minor investments in publicly traded stock (less than 1% of the outstanding shares of the publicly traded company) or investments through mutual funds/pension funds/401Ks are excluded.
Editors are required to comply with Elsevier’s policy on the publication of research articles in Elsevier journals which discourages them from submitting research papers for publication in Elsevier journals, other than when the research was conducted before they joined Elsevier or in exceptional situations such as where the work was presented at a conference and the full conference proceedings are eventually published in an Elsevier journal. In all cases where a research paper is submitted for publication in an Elsevier journal, the Elsevier employee must disclose the conflict to the editor of the journal upon submission and the journal will ensure that all editorial processes are fully independent of the editor-author. If the article is accepted for publication, the article’s declaration of interests statement should disclose that Elsevier is the current employer of an author and that the peer review was fully independent of said author.
Editors must also comply with Elsevier’spolicy Opens in new windowregarding non-involvement of editors in papers which they have written or which have been written by family members or colleagues or which relate to products or services in which family members or colleagues have an interest.
In addition, editorial staff are forbidden to use information acquired through their work for personal gain.
Competing interests for advisory board members
For journals with advisory boards, advisory board members are not involved in editorial oversight of peer review of manuscripts and do not have access to submitted manuscripts unless they are specifically invited to comment on them as a peer reviewer. Any papers they themselves submit are handled by the in-house editorial team with the same editorial process and degree of confidentiality as submissions from all other authors.
Appeals
To appeal an editorial decision you have received from this journal, please email the editorial office, summarizing the scientific basis on which you wish to appeal and including the manuscript number in the subject line of your email. The handing editor and, as needed, editorial team will consider your appeal and respond to you once they have done so. Please note that when your paper is under appeal at this journal, we regard it as being under active consideration, so please let us know immediately if you decide to submit to another journal instead.
Data and image processing
Processing of microscopy and other images is sometimes necessary but should be minimal to ensure that the final figures accurately reflect the original data (for example, regarding contrast and presence of background). We encourage you to make all processing steps transparent by describing these in the methods and/or figure legends.The following guidelines must be followed for image processing.
·You must apply any alteration (for example, contrast/brightness adjustments) to the entire image. When this is impossible (e.g., when a single color channel on a microscopy image is altered), you must clearly explain the alteration in the figure legend and methods.
·In gel images, if you remove lanes from gels and blots or consolidate your data in any way, you must make the alterations obvious (for example, by including a line or space between non-consecutive lanes) and indicate the alterations in the figure legend.
·You must only compare data that are appropriate to compare (e.g., data from the same experiment).
·Individual images should not be used in multiple figures unless the figures describe different aspects of the same experiment (e.g., multiple experiments were performed simultaneously with a single control experiment). If an image is used in multiple figures, please clearly state the reason in the figure legend.
·You must not obscure or hide non-specific background in microscopy or gel images.
·You must include a scale bar on all microscopy images.
·You must have the original, unprocessed data available upon request of editors or reviewers
·We do not permit the use of generative AI or AI-assisted tools to create or alter images in submitted manuscripts. Please read ourpolicy Opens in new windowon the use of generative AI and AI-assisted tools in figures, images, and artwork.
For clear and accurate presentation of your data, we also recommend the following..
·Include the full gel images as part of the supplemental data for figures presenting cropped images of gels.
·Plot the individual data points in addition to indicating the average ± error for graphs displaying quantitation of a dataset.
·Indicate in the figure legend if a final microscopy image is stitched together from individual panels.
·Use a vector graphics program (such as Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape) to assemble the figures and verify that at final print size, each displayed image is at least 300 pixels per inch. Note that programs such as Word or PowerPoint often reduce the resolution of primary data images.
Image screening
We screen all accepted papers for image irregularities. If there is a question about a figure, either throughout this process or during the review process, we will work with the lead contact to resolve the issue. This is done on a case-by-case basis, but generally, we’ll ask you to supply the original, unprocessed data, along with descriptions of how the experiments were performed and how the figures were prepared. Based on this, we will let you know if the current form of the figure is OK or if we’ll need a revised figure. If the problem is more serious, we may need to delay publication while we work through the issues, or we may decide not to publish the paper. Before you submit a new paper, a revision, or the final paper, it is critically important that you check the original data and make sure you know and are happy with how the figures were prepared from them. We view this as the responsibility of the corresponding author(s). As the final step before submission, we encourage you to go over all of the figures once more and connect all of the data in the figures to the original, unprocessed data. You might findour blog post on avoiding common mistakes in figure preparationhelpful.
Process for post-publication issues
Correcting the scientific record is a priority for us. Readers concerned with potential issues with papers published at Cell Press should contact the relevant journal, detailing allegations and providing any supporting evidence. Authors that become aware of potential irregularities with their own papers should similarly contact the journal and report any issue. We do not monitor the internet or social media for reports of concerns.
When potential issues are brought to our attention, the journal editors will evaluate them in collaboration with our research integrity team as needed and following guidelines from theCommittee on Publication Ethics Opens in new window. If we conclude that further investigation is needed, we will discuss the concerns with the lead contact and, depending on the nature of the concern, might ask for: clarifications on how the experiments were conducted; the original, unprocessed data; information on how the figures were prepared; and so on. We will assess these materials and may consult with reviewers or other experts. At any point, if our analysis uncovers potentially serious issues, we might ask authors to alert their institution and funding bodies.
Depending on our findings, the outcome of our investigation can result in: no further action, the publication of a note to alert readers, the correction of the published record, or the retraction of the paper. In exceptional cases, we may consider article withdrawal, which removes all article content from the journal website. If the concerns follow from an institutional investigation, we will take the recommendation of the institution into account when reaching our decision.
Editorial note
We may publish an editorial note when we need to alert readers of reported issues with the paper that do not warrant a correction, explaining why we are taking no further action.
Editorial expression of concern
When the timeline to a potential resolution seems long-for example, if we are awaiting the conclusion of an institutional investigation-we may publish an editorial expression of concern to alert the community that potential issues with the paper were uncovered and an investigation is ongoing.
Correction
If we conclude that the issues can be addressed with amendments to the paper, we will work with the authors to prepare a correction statement.
Retraction
If serious issues are uncovered that undermine the main results of the paper or that have resulted from misconduct, we will work with the authors to retract the paper. We might proceed with a retraction whether authors agree to it or not.
Throughout our investigation, we will respect requests of anonymity by whistleblowers, but they should be aware that the nature of any evidence provided can give their identity away if, for example, an institutional investigation is carried out. Because we consider the process confidential, we do not provide updates on our investigation to the person who reported the concern. We are committed to reaching a fast resolution to best serve the scientific community; however, because investigations can be complex and must be carried out with the highest rigor, they can take time to conclude.
Other post-publication changes
Upon request from authors who have changed their name, we will update author names on published papers and publish a correction. In cases of authors with a strong need for privacy, the change will be made invisibly, without publishing a correction. We will also arrange to update the article metadata in secondary indexation databases, specifically Clarivate/Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus. Authors can submit a request for a change of name by emailingnamechange@elsevier.com. For more information, seehttps://www.elsevier.com/about/policies/inclusive-author-name-changes. (Authors requesting corrections of typographic errors in their published name should contact the journal directly.)
This policy aims to help researchers receive proper credit for their full body of published work after they have changed their name, and to help make those name changes as comprehensive as possible. We realize that names and identities are not fixed, and our policy represents our ongoing efforts to help authors align their identities with their published work at Cell Press, Elsevier, and across the broader publishing ecosystem.
Studies involving humans and animals
For manuscripts reporting studies involving human subjects, statements identifying the committee approving the studies and confirming that informed consent was obtained from all subjects must appear in the STAR Methods section. All experiments on live vertebrates or higher invertebrates must be performed in accordance with relevant institutional and national guidelines and regulations. In the manuscript, a statement identifying the committee approving the experiments and confirming that all experiments conform to the relevant regulatory standards must be included in the STAR Methods section. The sex and gender, or both, must be reported for human subjects, and the sex of animal subjects and cells must be provided. In cases where this is appropriate, the influence (or association) of sex, gender, or both on the results of the study must be reported. We also require reporting of the age or developmental stage of subjects. If there are technical or scientific reasons why sex/gender and age/development stage cannot be reported, a statement must be provided to disclose this and the reasons why. The editors reserve the right to seek comments from reviewers or additional information from authors on any cases in which concerns arise. We suggest that researchers carrying out experiments with animals refer to theARRIVE guidelinesand recommendations from anNIH-sponsored workshopregarding experimental design and reporting standards.
Reporting sex- and gender-based analyses (SGBA)
Reporting guidance
For research involving or pertaining to humans, animals, model organisms, or eukaryotic cells, investigators should integrate sex- and gender-based analyses (SGBA) into their research design according to funder/sponsor requirements and best practices within a field. Authors should address their research's sex and/or gender dimensions in their manuscript. In cases where they cannot, they should discuss this as a limitation to their research's generalizability. With research involving cells and model organisms, researchers should use the term sex. With research involving humans, researchers should consider which terms best describe their data (see definitions section below). Authors can refer to theSex and Gender Equity in Research (SAGER) Guidelines Opens in new windowand theSAGER guidelines checklist Opens in new window. They offer systematic approaches to the use and editorial review of sex and gender information in study design, data analysis, outcome reporting, and research interpretation. However, there is no single, universally agreed-upon set of guidelines for defining sex and gender or reporting SGBA.
Definitions
In human research, the term sex carries multiple definitions. It often refers to an umbrella term for a set of biological attributes associated with physical and physiological features (e.g., chromosomal genotype, hormonal levels, or internal and external anatomy). It can also signify a sex categorization, most often designated at birth (sex assigned at birth) based on a newborn's visible external anatomy. The term gender generally refers to socially constructed roles, behaviors, and identities of women, men, and gender-diverse people that occur in a historical and cultural context and might vary across societies and over time. Gender influences how people view themselves and each other, how they behave and interact, and how power is distributed in society. Sex and gender are often incorrectly portrayed as binary (female or male; woman or man), concordant, and static. However, these constructs exist along a spectrum that includes additional sex categorizations and gender identities, such as people who are intersex/have differences of sex development (DSD) or identify as non-binary. In any given person, sex and gender might not align, and both can change. Sex and gender are not entirely discrete concepts, and their definitions continue to evolve. Biology and society influence both, and many languages do not distinguish between them. Since the terms sex and gender can be ambiguous, authors should describe the methods they use to gather and report sex- and/or gender-related data (e.g., self or physician report, specific biological attributes, current sex or gender, sex assigned at birth, etc.) and discuss the potential limitations of those methods. This will enhance the research's precision, rigor, and reproducibility and help to avoid ambiguity or conflation of terms and the constructs to which they refer. Authors should use the term sex assigned at birth rather than biological sex, birth sex, or natal sex, as it is more accurate and inclusive. When asking about gender and sex, researchers should use a two-step process: (1) ask for gender identity allowing for multiple options and (2) if relevant to the research question, ask for sex assigned at birth. In addition to this defining guidance and the SAGER guidelines, you can find further information about reporting sex and gender in research studies in Elsevier's diversity, equity, and inclusion in publishing author guide availablehere Opens in new window.
Clinical trials
Cell Press follows the guidelines of theWorld Medical Association (WMA)’s Declaration of Helsinki, theWorld Health Organization (WHO), and theInternational Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE)to ensure that all clinical research reported in our journals gives reliable and unbiased results and that the rights, welfare, integrity, and confidentiality of all human study participants are protected at all times.
All research involving human participants must be planned, conducted, and reported in accordance with the WMA’s Declaration of Helsinki as revised in 2013.
Cell Press supports the EQUATOR (Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research) Network and requires that all manuscripts reporting clinical research follow the appropriate EQUATOR reporting guidelines (e.g., CONSORT for trials, STROBE for observational studies, and CARE for case reports).
We require that all clinical trials be prospectively registered in a publicly accessible trial registry accepted by the WHO and ICMJE before recruitment of the first study participant. We follow the ICMJE definition of a clinical trial as “any research project that prospectively assigns people or a group of people to an intervention, with or without concurrent comparison or control groups, to study the relationship between a health-related intervention and a health outcome. Health-related interventions are those used to modify a biomedical or health-related outcome; examples include drugs, surgical procedures, devices, behavioural treatments, educational programs, dietary interventions, quality improvement interventions, and process-of-care changes. Health outcomes are any biomedical or health-related measures obtained in patients or participants, including pharmacokinetic measures and adverse events.”
Approval to conduct research must be obtained prior to recruitment of the first study participant from an independent local, regional, or national review body (e.g., ethics committee or institutional review board), and the identity of the committee approving the studies must be disclosed at the point of submission. If there is any doubt whether there is a conflict with the Declaration of Helsinki, the authors are required to explain the rationale for their approach and provide evidence that the review body explicitly approved the conflictual aspects of the study.
We require that informed consent is obtained in writing, dated and signed by each participant or their legal guardian at the time of recruitment and prior to the start of any intervention. In some cases, we may request the submission of a blank consent form. When applicable, studies involving minors should document the collection of assent from the study participants in addition to the informed consent of their legal guardians.
Human participants in research studies have a right to privacy that must not be violated. Appropriate consents, permissions, and releases must be obtained where authors wish to include case details or other personal information or images of patients and any other individuals in the manuscript, and these materials must comply with all applicable laws and regulations concerning the privacy and/or security of personal information. Nonessential identifying information must be omitted from publication.
All competing interest and funding sources must be declared at the point of submission and published as part of the manuscript, in alignment with our competing interest policy.
For clinical trials, we require that the trial's protocol, including any amendments and the Statistical Analysis Plan (SAP), be made available to reviewers. We do not require its publication.
We do not publish interim analyses or any partial reporting of clinical trial results while the trial is still ongoing unless the interim analysis has been pre-specified in the trial registration.
Cell Press journal editors will pre-screen any manuscript reporting a clinical trial for compliance with the Cell Press clinical trials policy prior to sending it out to peer review. In addition to requiring documented approval by a responsible review body, editors will form their own judgment as to whether the conduct of the research was appropriate and in accordance with the Cell Press clinical trials policy and its underlying ethical guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki, WHO, and ICMJE. Cell Press will not publish any clinical research suspected to be in violation of this policy or in conflict with the ethical guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki, WHO, or ICMJE.
If your manuscript reports results from a clinical trial, please make sure that all relevant information and documents are included in your submissionto avoid unnecessary delays. Feel free to use our handychecklistfor preparing your submission. Should any of the information or items listed in this checklist be missing, your editor will request them before sending the manuscript out to review.
Human embryos and embryo models, gametes, and stem cells
Cell Press is a strong proponent of publishing stem cell research in strict adherence to regulatory and ethical standards. The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) has releasedcomprehensive guidelines Opens in new windowgoverning research using human embryos, gametes, and stem cells, and Cell Press supports reporting standards aligned with this guidance.
When considering manuscripts describing research requiring specialized scientific and ethical review processes with continued oversight, including Category 2 research and/or human gametes or embryo models (Category 1b), Cell Press editors may consult external bioethicists, either before or during the peer review process. We additionally require an ethics statement for publication of Category 1b and Category 2 research and strongly encourage its inclusion at the time of submission. If an ethics statement is not provided at the time of submission and the paper is selected for peer review with a bioethics expert, it may be returned to the authors so the statement can be included. Please refer to theSTAR Methodsguide for instructions about preparing this statement. All other guidelines regarding data availability, as described in theSTAR Methodsguide, must be followed.
Authors are expected to have supporting documentation (e.g., consent forms, IRB documentation) ready to share at editors’ request, and delays may result if such requests are not honored in a timely manner.
Chemical compounds
If your paper reports a new chemical compound, you must provide the exact structure of the compound. We also encourage you to provide data to support the reported structure. If the compound was synthesized, please include details of the synthesis in the STAR Methods. You should submit small-molecule crystallographic data to theCambridge Structural Database (CSD)and deposit relevant information toPubChem. Database IDs should be included in the final version of the manuscript.
In naming chemical compounds, you can use either IUPAC conventions or informal common names like rapamycin, cholesterol, and penicillin. For displaying chemical structures, please follow the IUPAC conventions. Chemical structures should be included as high-resolution files according toCell Press figure guidelines.
Structures of biological macromolecules
At initial submission, if a paper reports any structure(s) determined by X-ray crystallography, Cryo-EM, or NMR, we require inclusion of an official PDB Validation Report(s) before we will proceed with editorial consideration and peer review. We strongly prefer to receive the Full Validation Report. We will use these reports for peer review purposes, and they will not be part of the final published paper.
Prior to acceptance, the atomic coordinates and related experimental data (structure factor amplitudes/intensities and/or NMR restraints) must be deposited at a member site of theWorldwide Protein Data Bank. Electron microscopy-derived density maps must be deposited into theEMDB. Atomic coordinates fitted to EM maps must also be deposited to a wwPDB member site. The corresponding database IDs must be included in the manuscript, and the dataset(s) must be made publicly available at the time the associated article is published. Authors are responsible for ensuring that the atomic coordinates and experimental data are listed as HPUB by the time their article is accepted and released publicly upon article publication.
Declaration of generative AI in scientific writing
Authors must declare the use of generative AI in scientific writing upon submission of the paper. The below guidance only refers to the writing process, and not to the use of AI tools to analyze and draw insights from data as part of the research process.
·Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies should only be used in the writing process to improve the readability and language of the manuscript.
·The technology must be applied with human oversight and control and authors should carefully review and edit the result, as AI can generate authoritative-sounding output that can be incorrect, incomplete or biased. Authors are ultimately responsible and accountable for the contents of the work.
·Authors must not list or cite AI and AI-assisted technologies as an author or co-author on the manuscript since authorship implies responsibilities and tasks that can only be attributed to and performed by humans.
The use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in scientific writing must be declared by adding a statement at the end of the manuscript when the paper is first submitted. The statement will appear in the published work and should be placed in a new section after the declaration of interests section. An example:
·Title of new section: Declaration of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process.
·Statement: During the preparation of this work the author(s) used [NAME TOOL / SERVICE] in order to [REASON]. After using this tool/service, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take(s) full responsibility for the content of the published article.
The declaration does not apply to the use of basic tools, such as tools used to check grammar, spelling and references. If you have nothing to disclose, you do not need to add a statement.
We advise you to read Elsevier'spolicy Opens in new windowfor authors on the use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies.
Please note that to protect authors’ rights and the confidentiality of their research, this journal does not currently allow the use of Generative AI or AI-assisted technologies such as ChatGPT or similar services byreviewers Opens in new windoworeditors Opens in new windowin the peer review and manuscript evaluation process. We are actively evaluating compliant AI tools and may revise this policy in the future.
Generative AI and figures, images, and artwork
Please read ourpolicy Opens in new windowon the use of generative AI and AI-assisted tools in figures, images and artwork, which states:
·We do not permit the use of Generative AI or AI-assisted tools to create or alter images in submitted manuscripts.
·The only exception is if the use of AI or AI-assisted tools is part of the research design or methods (for example, in the field of biomedical imaging). If this is the case, such use must be described in a reproducible manner in the methods section, including the name of the model or tool, version and extension numbers, and manufacturer.
·The use of generative AI or AI-assisted tools in the production of artwork such as for graphical abstracts is not permitted. The use of generative AI in the production of cover art may in some cases be allowed, if the author obtains prior permission from the journal editor and publisher, can demonstrate that all necessary rights have been cleared for the use of the relevant material, and ensures that there is correct content attribution.
Expectations for professional behavior
At Cell Press, we strive to maintain a respectful and professional environment for our staff. We expect all parties involved in the publishing process (authors, editors, reviewers, publishers, and learned societies) to treat each other with respect and dignity and without discrimination, harassment, bullying, or retaliation. Abusive and violent language and/or behavior directed at our staff is strictly prohibited. When any such conduct is reported, we will take appropriate remedial action, which may include alerting an employer. Under such circumstances, our staff are not required or obligated to continue with correspondence or interactions.
Resource availability
If you publish at Cell Press, you must be willing to distribute materials and protocols to qualified researchers with only necessary restrictions and in a timely manner. Any restrictions must be disclosed in the cover letter and in the “resource availability” section at submission. You may request reasonable payment for maintenance and transport of materials. You may also ask researchers receiving materials to sign a materials transfer agreement (MTA) that covers potential commercial use, but this agreement may not restrict the ability of researchers to reproduce and build on your work in a research context. We do not consider it appropriate to require authorship credit solely for provision of previously published materials.
For publication of research articles, we require a resource availability section, which contains the following required subsections: lead contact, materials availability, and data and code availability.
Lead contact
In this section, you must provide the full name and email address of the lead contact, which should match the author indicated with a dedicated footnote in the author list. The lead contact is responsible for communicating with the journal before and after publication, communicating relevant information to co-authors, and arbitrating decisions and disputes. They are also responsible for responding to requests and providing information regarding materials and resource sharing. They must be willing to distribute all materials, datasets, and protocols used in the manuscript. While manuscripts may have multiple corresponding authors and senior authors, there must only be one lead contact, who must also be a corresponding author.
An example of a lead contact statement is below.
·Requests for further information and resources should be directed to and will be fulfilled by the lead contact, Jane Doe (janedoe@qwerty.com).
Materials availability
The materials availability statement describes the availability of newly generated materials associated with the paper, including any conditions for access. In cases where there are restrictions for distribution of materials, we require a written explanation of the restriction (i.e., MTA). For ease of distribution, we encourage the use of repositories (e.g., Addgene, The Jackson Laboratory, American Type Culture Collection, etc.). For journals using STAR Methods, newly generated items should be also listed in the key resources table, where the source should be stated as “this paper.” We require a materials availability statement even if no materials were generated in the study.
Examples of materials availability statements are below. A combination of these statements may be appropriate.
·This study did not generate new unique reagents.
·Plasmids generated in this study have been deposited to [Addgene, name and catalog number or unique identifier].
·Mouse lines generated in this study have been deposited to [the Knockout Mouse Project (KOMP), name and catalog number or unique identifier].
·There are restrictions to the availability of [reagent] because of [reason why restrictions exist].
·There are restrictions to the availability of [reagent] because of the lack of an external centralized repository for its distribution and our need to maintain the stock. We are glad to share [reagent] with reasonable compensation by requestor for its processing and shipping.
·[Reagent] generated in this study will be made available on request, but we may require a payment and/or a completed materials transfer agreement if there is potential for commercial application.
·All unique/stable reagents generated in this study are available from the lead contact without restriction.
·All unique/stable reagents generated in this study are available from the lead contact with a completed materials transfer agreement.
Data and code availability
You must be willing to share all data and original code reported in your paper unless there is a legal or ethical prohibition (e.g., the data are confidential medical records). In this section, you must describe the steps you have taken to make your data and original code available. We strongly recommend that you archive all unprocessed data and original code that your paper reports in an online repository that meets the criteria for digital longevity, implementation of FAIR standards, and community support asarticulated by Fairsharing.org and collaborators. If issues arise after publication, failing to produce your data might lead to a retraction.
Cell Press has specific requirements for data types that have community-endorsed, data-type-specific repositories. We call these data types “standardized data types.” Examples of standardized data types include nucleic acid sequencing, proteomics, and crystallography. A list of data types considered standardized under Cell Press policy, with recommended repositories, is availablehere.
This author's guidedescribes requirements and recommendations for standardized datasets and original code at each stage, from submission through publication. Please note that it describes general practices; editors will provide guidance for specific cases. Exceptions to these requirements can be made for individual datasets when sharing data is legally or ethically prohibited. If you need an exception, you must contact your editor and discuss this as early as possible, ideally at the submission stage.
Requirements for publication
All datasets that are composed of standardized data types and reported in Cell Press papers must be deposited in a data-type-specific, Cell Press-recommended repository before a paper is accepted for publication.The datasets’ accession number(s) or unique, permanent identifier(s) must be reported in the published paper. Any embargo must be lifted by the paper’s publication date, and the deposited datasets must be publicly accessible unless there is a countervailing legal or ethical prohibition and you have received permission from your editor for an exception. Note that if standardized datasets cannot be made accessible, editors might require that summary statistics (e.g.,genomic summary results Opens in new window) or non-identifiable, post-processed versions of the data be deposited and shared.
All other data types must be either deposited in a general-purpose repository and publicly accessible as of the paper’s publication date or shared by the lead contact upon request after publication.A list of general-purpose repositories that are recommended by Cell Press is availablehere.
All original code must be deposited in a repository that mints DOIs or included in the supplemental information before a paper is accepted for publication.If the code is deposited, its DOI must be reported in the published paper. Any embargo must be lifted by the paper’s publication date, and the deposited code must be publicly accessible. A list of general-purpose repositories that are recommended by Cell Press is availablehere.
These requirements for publication apply to all Cell Press journals. Individual journals may have additional requirements that align with their scientific community’s standards. If your journal has additional requirements that impact your paper, your editor will reach out to you with details.
You must include a comprehensive and accurate data and code availability statement within the resource availability section, including any accession numbers and DOIs.This statement is structured and consists of three sections (bullet points are recommended). Each section must be present.In total, the three sections describe the steps that have been taken or will be taken to ensure that the datasets and original code reported in the study are available after publication.
Detailed instructions for each section are included below, followed by an example of a complete data and code availability statement.
Instructions for section 1: Data
The statements below may be used in any number or combination, but at least one must be present. They can be edited to suit your circumstance. If your paper contains a STAR Methods section, please also include DOIs and accession numbers in the key resources table. Please ensure that all data types reported in your paper are represented in section 1.
·[Standardized data type] data have been deposited at [data-type-specific repository] as [Database: accession number] and are publicly available as of the date of publication.
·[Adjective] data have been deposited at [general-purpose repository] and are publicly available as of the date of publication at [DOI].
·[De-identified human/patient standardized data type] data have been deposited at [data-type-specific repository] as [Database: accession number]. They are publicly available as of the date of publication until [date or delete “until”].
·[De-identified human/patient standardized data type] data have been deposited at [data-type-specific repository] as [Database: accession number]. They are available upon request until [date or delete “until”] if access is granted. To request access, contact [insert name of governing body and instructions for requesting access]. [Insert the following when applicable] In addition, [summary statistics describing these data/processed datasets derived from these data] have been deposited at [data-type-specific repository] and are publicly available as of the date of publication.
·Raw [standardized data type] data derived from human samples have been deposited at [data-type-specific repository] as [Database: accession number]. Local law prohibits depositing raw [standardized data type] datasets derived from human samples outside of the country of origin. Prior to publication, the authors officially requested that the raw [adjective] datasets reported in this paper be made publicly accessible. To request access, contact [insert name of governing body and instructions for requesting access]. [Insert the following when applicable] In addition, [summary statistics describing these data/processed datasets derived from these data] have been deposited at [data-type-specific repository] and are publicly available as of the date of publication.
·The [adjective] data reported in this study cannot be deposited in a public repository because [reason]. To request access, contact [insert name of governing body and instructions for requesting access]. [Insert the following when applicable] In addition, [summary statistics describing these data/processed datasets derived from these data] have been deposited at [data-type-specific or general-purpose repository] and are publicly available as of the date of publication.
·This paper analyzes existing, publicly available data, accessible at [DOI or Database: accession number].
·[Adjective or all] data reported in this paper will be shared by the lead contact upon request.
Instructions for section 2: Code
The statements below may be used in any number or combination, but at least one must be present. They can be edited to suit your circumstance. For papers that include a STAR Methods section, DOIs should also be listed in the key resources table.
·All original code has been deposited at [repository] and is publicly available at [DOI] as of the date of publication.
·All original code is available in this paper’s supplemental information.
·This paper does not report original code.
Instructions for section 3: Additional information
Section 3 consists of the following statement: Any additional information required to reanalyze the data reported in this paper is available from the lead contact upon request.
*Example of a complete “data and code availability statement,” containing all three sections:
Data and code availability
·Single-cell RNA-seq data have been deposited at GEO at GEO: accession number and are publicly available as of the date of publication.
·Original western blot images have been deposited at Mendeley at [DOI] and are publicly available as of the date of publication. Microscopy data reported in this paper will be shared by the lead contact upon request.
·All original code has been deposited at Zenodo at [DOI] and is publicly available as of the date of publication.
·Any additional information required to reanalyze the data reported in this paper is available from the lead contact upon request.
Sensitive human data
Personal data related to, or derived from, humans should be handled and shared in an ethical and legally compliant manner. Researchers handling such data should seek guidance from their institutions, ethics committees or data privacy officers regarding appropriate data handling, storage and sharing mechanisms.
Cell Press authors must be willing to share all data reported in published papers unless there is a countervailing legal or ethical prohibition. Datatypes for which community-endorsed, datatype-specific repositories exist must be deposited in adatatype-specific, Cell Press-recommended repository. We encourage authors to deposit aggregated or anonymized data to suitable public data repositories when possible. Authors should ensure that such datasets do not include information that might allow individuals to be identified, including indirect identifiers that in combination could permit reidentification, except in cases where individuals have provided clear, informed consent for the sharing of identifiable data.
For sensitive personal data that cannot be openly shared, we encourage authors to host the data in well-managed, controlled-access repositories that have experience handling human data. For genotype-phenotype data, please see the recommendationshere. Data availability statements should describe where the data are hosted, how researchers may apply for access, who regulates access, and any restrictions on use. Please also include a link to, or a copy of, the data access agreement, if relevant. In cases where sensitive human data cannot be shared under any condition, the data availability statement should outline these limitations in a transparent manner.
Resource identification initiative
Cellis pleased to be part of theResource Identification Initiative, a project aimed at clearly identifying the key resources used in the course of scientific research. This project helps address concerns of reproducibility by providing unique searchable identifiers, research resource identifiers (RRIDs), for critical reagents and tools. RRIDs can be used to link readers to external resources, and they also enable search engines to return all papers in which a particular antibody, organism, or tool was used. We see these as important steps toward ensuring reproducible methods and providing critical data to help researchers identify suitable reagents and tools.
At this stage, we are asking authors to please include RRIDs for antibodies and genetically modified organisms in the Key Resources Table of the STAR Methods sections. Fortunately, obtaining an RRID is fairly simple. TheResource Identification Portalallows you to search for antibodies and organisms and obtain the appropriate identifiers. Once you have located the RRID, please insert RRID: plus the identifier in the appropriate location in the manuscript. For example:
·Antibodies: Sections were stained with a rabbit polyclonal antibody against ERK1 (Abgent Cat# AP7251E, RRID: AB_2140114).
·Genetically modified organisms: Subjects in this study were Fgf9Eks/Fgf9+ mice (RRID: MGI_3840442)...
For more information on how to find an RRID, how to include RRIDs in your paper, and how to request an RRID, please consult ourRRID page. For search tips and help, contactrii-help@scicrunch.org.
Replication studies
Although Cell Press journals do not have a dedicated format for replication studies, we are open to considering them. They will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis using the same journal-specific editorial criteria used to evaluate other manuscripts.
Rights, sharing, and embargoes
An overview of the rights that Cell Press authors retain, the options for sharing articles at various stages, and the duration of embargo periods, as well as open access options, is available athttp://www.cell.com/rights-sharing-embargoes.
Open access and copyright licenses
Papers published with gold open access will be immediately and permanently free for everyone to read and download, and you will retain the copyright of your article. We ask authors to sign a publishing agreement offering a choice of three Creative Commons licenses and ensuring that any attributions in reproductions of the work acknowledge the journal as the primary reference publication.
Once selected, Creative Commons user licenses are non-revocable. We recommend that you check if your funding body requires a specific license. See theCreative Commonswebsite for more details about what to consider before choosing a user license.
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0):Allows users to distribute and copy the article; create extracts, abstracts, and other revised versions, adaptations or derivative works of or from an article (such as a translation); include in a collective work (such as an anthology); and text or data mine the article. These uses are permitted even for commercial purposes, provided the user gives appropriate credit to the author(s) (with a link to the formal publication through the relevant DOI); includes a link to the license; indicates any changes that were made; and does not represent the author(s) as endorsing the adaptation of the article or modify the article in such a way as to damage the authors’ honor or reputation. This license encourages maximum use and redistribution. The full details of the license are available athttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0):Allows users to distribute and copy the article; and include in a collective work (such as an anthology). These uses are permitted only for non-commercial purposes, and provided the user gives appropriate credit to the author(s) (with a link to the formal publication through the relevant DOI); provides a link to the license; and does not alter or modify the article. The full details of the license are available athttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode.
Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial 4.0 (CC BY-NC 4.0):Allows users to distribute and copy the article; create extracts, abstracts, and other revised versions, adaptations or derivative works of or from an article (such as a translation); include in a collective work (such as an anthology); and text or data mine the article. These uses are permitted only for non-commercial purposes, and provided the user gives appropriate credit to the author(s) (with a link to the formal publication through the relevant DOI); includes a link to the license; indicates if changes were made; and does not represent the author(s) as endorsing the adaptation of the article or modify the article in such a way as to damage the authors’ honor or reputation. The full details of the license are available athttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/legalcode.
User license | Read, print, and download | Redistribute or republish the final article (e.g. display in a repository) | Text & data mine | Translate the article | Reuse portions or extracts from the article in other works | 'Sell' or reuse for commercial purposes |
Commercial license: CC-BY 4.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Non-commercial license: CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes *for private use only and not for distribution | Yes *for private use only and not for distribution | Yes, for non-commercial purposes | No |
Non-commercial license: CC-BY-NC 4.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, for non-commercial purposes | No |
Funding bodies/open access
We have worked with institutions and funding bodies to help authors comply with open access policies. Please see ourFunding Body Policiespage for complete information on gold and green open access options for each funding body, as well as information about deposition to PubMed Central.
Details about rights and sharing, embargo periods, and open access options and fees for each Cell Press journal are available athttps://www.cell.com/open-access
General information about open access at Cell Press can be found athttps://www.cell.com/open-access
Permissions
Permission should be sought before reproducing material from a copyrighted work. For most Cell Press articles, you can request permission easily via RightsLink. This option can be found on the article’s page. On cell.com, look for a copyright symbol followed by Get Rights. On ScienceDirect, look for Get rights and content.
If you are preparing to submit to a Cell Press journal, and your manuscript includes content originally published elsewhere, you must (1) obtain permission from the copyright owners and (2) include appropriate credit in your manuscript before your submission can be accepted. As lack of appropriate permissions can delay publication, we recommend that you request permission before or at the time of submission.
If you are an author who wants to re-use your own content previously published in a Cell Press journal, you do not need to ask our permission; we ask only that you cite the Cell Press article.
If you wish to usematerial published in Cell Press journalsin other articles or media, butyou arenotthe author of the original publication, you can request permission via RightsLink.
For more information on requesting permission to re-use previously published work, please visit Elsevier’spermissions page external link opens in new window.
Prepublication publicity
Part of our role as a scientific publisher is to help ensure that the work you publish with us reaches the broadest possible readership within both the research community and the broader public. We understand that effective communication of the advances you have made helps promote public appreciation of science, and we want to do what we can to further that goal. We also take seriously our responsibility to support informed scientific journalism and look to encourage balanced and accurate coverage that avoids inappropriate hype. To assist with these aims, most Cell Press journals operate an embargoed press release system, which allows reporters a protected window to develop their stories. Embargoed Cell Press papers are made available to the media up to one week prior to publication and are under media embargo until 11 AM (US, ET) on the date of their publication. We ask authors not to begin active promotion of their work until this one-week window. The embargo date and time should be clearly communicated in any materials distributed in advance to the press and in conversations with reporters.
We always encourage authors to share their work with the scientific community through conference presentations and other discussions. We also understand that some of our authors may choose to share copies of their manuscripts by posting them online on a preprint server or via Cell Press Sneak Peek. With online posting, we appreciate that information about the work is publicly available and may therefore be covered by media outlets or other venues and that authors may be contacted by and speak to reporters, but please note that early coverage can impact media interest in a paper at the time of publication.
Please contact our press office (press@cell.com) if you or your press officer need embargo information for your paper, you plan on hosting a press conference, or if there are special circumstances that you would like to discuss.
How to prepare and submit research articles
You can submit your manuscript using our online submission system,Editorial Manager (EM). For assistance, please contact us atcelleditor@cell.comor +1-617-397-2800.
Editorial Managerwill send all communications (including the request for final approval and the confirmation of submission) to the person who is selected as corresponding author at submission or, if no name is designated, to the person whose account is used to submit the manuscript. If you want to specify a different author for correspondence after submission, please contact the journal associate atcelleditor@cell.com.
Cover letter
In your cover letter, please explain what was previously known, the conceptual advance provided by your work, and the significance to a broad readership. You may suggest appropriate reviewers and make up to three requests for reviewer exclusions. Please use the cover letter to notify us of information that is relevant to our handling and evaluation your paper (e.g., related work, time constraints, competition). The cover letter is confidential and will not be seen by reviewers.
Initial submissions
For initial submissions, you do not need to strictly adhere to every formatting guideline in the sections below, nor do you need to provide a graphical abstract, highlights, or an eTOC paragraph. However, we do ask that you stay close to our length restrictions, adhere to figure limitations, and use page numbers. For information about length/figure restrictions for specific article types, please see ourarticle typespage.
We recommend uploading your manuscript and other related files individually. By submitting your manuscript as a Word file, it may allow for Editorial Manager to automatically identify and extract the title, author list and affiliations, and abstract of your paper, helping to ease the submission process. Alternatively, for initial submissions, you can upload your paper as a single combined PDF. In doing this, you can intersperse the figures and figure legends within the results section to aid evaluation of your paper. In either case, Editorial Manager will build a composite PDF of submitted files for editorial and reviewer consideration. This composite PDF will contain links that editors and reviewers can use to download individual high-resolution files (for figures which have been submitted in JPEG, TIFF, or EPS format). The version of the composite PDF that is shared with reviewers will not include a cover letter or any reviewer preferences. We require that the composite PDF is kept below 20MB to ease editorial and reviewer consideration.
Formatting guidelines
These sections provide guidance on formatting your manuscript and the sections that should be included during the revision stage. This information is not necessary for initial submission.
These guidelines apply to mostresearch articles. For other formats (e.g., reviews), refer to the article types page and/or your decision letter. If you have questions about whether any of these guidelines apply to your manuscript, please contact your handling editor.
Your revised manuscript must be in an editable format, preferably Microsoft Word. The text (title through references) should be provided as one single document.Optional article templates are availableto help you with formatting. LaTeX users should refer to this page for guidance.
Revised papers that are not resubmitted within one year will be automatically withdrawn, unless other arrangements are made with the handling editor.
Gene symbols should be italicized; protein products of the loci are not italicized. Nonstandard abbreviations should be defined when first used in the text. Use of abbreviations should be kept at a minimum.
Title
Titles should:
·Be concise, around 10-12 words (no more than 145 characters total, including spaces)
·Avoid the use of jargon and uncommon abbreviations
·Capture the broad conceptual significance of the work
Author list
·Author first and last names should be spelled out in their entirety (e.g., do not abbreviate J.H. Watson unless this is how the author's name always appears). Middle initials are OK.
·Chinese characters may be included as an alternate name, e.g., Zhang San (张三).
·Please check your co-author names very carefully. After the paper's acceptance, any changes to the author list will require approval of the handling editor and all co-authors; after publication, any changes will additionally require a formal correction notice to alert readers.
·If one or more of the authors of your paper is a consortium, please see ourguide for consortia in the author list.
Author affiliations and footnotes
·Institutional affiliations should be signified with numbered footnotes.
·Affiliations should contain the following information at minimum: department(s)/subunit(s), institution, city, state/region (if applicable), and country.
·After the institutional affiliations, numbered footnotes may be used to indicate an author's present address, equal contribution, and/or senior authorship.
·Corresponding authors (see below) may additionally include X (formerly Twitter) handles as a means of contact.
·The final numbered footnote should indicate which author is the paper's lead contact (required).
Contact information
·One author must be designated as the lead contact. There can be no more than one lead contact.
·The lead contact must be designated as a corresponding author.
·Additional authors may also be noted as corresponding authors.
·All corresponding authors should be indicated with an asterisk (*) in the author list. Use 2 asterisks (**) for the second-listed corresponding author, 3 (***) for the third-listed, and so on.
·The email address(es) of the corresponding author(s) should be listed after the author list footnotes (e.g., *Correspondence:john_doe@cell.com).
·Please list only one email address per corresponding author.
For more on author lists, affiliations, footnotes, and contact information, please see the editorial policies on authorship.
Summary
The summary is a single paragraph of no more than 150 words, which should include:
·The background and/or purpose of the research
·A description of the principal results, approaches/model systems, and major conclusions
·An indication of the broader significance of the work
Please keep in mind that the summary is often read as stand-alone text. For this reason, do not include reference citations, and avoid the use of non-standard abbreviations.
We discourage novelty claims (e.g., use of the word novel and first) because they are overused, tend not to add meaning, and are difficult to verify.
Keywords
After the summary, you may include up to 10 keywords with your paper, separated by commas. These keywords will be associated with your paper on Cell Press platforms and on PubMed and other abstract indexing platforms.
Introduction
A good introduction should:
·Be succinct
·Provide pertinent background information needed for readers to understand the motivation for the study and the context of the results
·End with a brief statement of what has been achieved
The introduction should not include subheadings.
Results
The results section should be clear, concise, and divided into subsections with short, informative subheadings.
·Subheadings should be specific and convey information about the findings: for example, rather than Analysis of factors X and Y using approach Q, a subheading should say Factor X requires factor Y to function in process Z
·We recommend that you use similar language in your figure titles for clarity and structural harmony
Discussion
The discussion should not simply repeat what has been described in the results section. Rather, it should explain the implications of the work and place them into a broader context. You can use the discussion to explain how the experiments support your central hypothesis, include supporting findings from the literature, and indicate directions the work might be built on in the future.
For some article types, if appropriate, the discussion may be combined with the results as a results and discussion section. See the article types page or consult your editor if you think this is the case for your paper.
Resource availability
The resource availability section is required for all research articles. This section might also be required for applicable reviews and perspectives. This section must contain the following required subsections under the resource availability heading: lead contact, materials availability, and data and code availability. For complete information on requirements, including formatting instructions, refer to theresource availability policy.
Acknowledgments
This section is strongly encouraged for all research articles. Please use it to acknowledge contributions from non-authors and list funding sources. If this work was enabled by contributions of a core facility or shared resource at your institution, we encourage you to acknowledge those contributions as well. Because this section contains important information and many funding bodies require the inclusion of grant numbers here, please check it carefully.
Author contributions
This section is required for all papers. Please concisely describe each author’s contributions by using initials to indicate each author’s identity. We encourage you to usethe CRediT taxonomy, but you can also use a traditional format (e.g., A.B. and C.D. conducted the experiments; E.F. designed the experiments and wrote the paper.).
Declaration of interests
This section is required for all papers. The statement should be identical to the text provided in thedeclaration of interests form. If you have no interests to disclose, please note that with the following wording: The authors declare no competing interests.
Declaration of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies
If generative AI and AI-assisted technologies were used in the writing process, this must be disclosed in a new section entitled “Declaration of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process.” Example statement: “During the preparation of this work, the author(s) used [NAME OF TOOL OR SERVICE] in order to [REASON]. After using this tool or service, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take(s) full responsibility for the content of the publication.” This declaration does not apply to the use of basic tools for checking grammar, spelling, references, etc. If you have nothing to disclose, please do not include this section.
Supplemental information titles and legends
If your paper includes supplemental information, upload the supplemental files separately in EM. In the main text, include a brief index listing each supplemental file you have uploaded, along with its title and contents, e.g.:
Supplemental information
Document S1. Figures S1–S3 and Table S1
Table S2. Excel file containing additional data too large to fit in a PDF, related to Table 1
Video S1. Title, related to Figure 2
Figure legends
Legends should be included in the submitted manuscript as a separate section. Each figure legend should have a brief title that describes the entire figure without citing specific panels, followed by a description of each panel. In writing the figure title, we encourage you to re-use the subheadings of the results section to make the relationship clear. For any figures presenting pooled data, the measures should be defined in the figure legends (for example, Data are represented as mean ± SEM.). Each legend should refer to any supporting items in the supplemental information (e.g., See also Figure S1.).
Tables
Please use the Microsoft Word table function to make tables; you may need to revise any tables that are not created using this function. Tables should include a title, and footnotes and/or legend should be concise. Include tables in the submitted manuscript as a separate section.
When creating tables, please adhere to the following guidelines:
Do not submit tables in Excel or PDF format. Do not place an Excel table in a Word document.
Format tables with Word's table function; do not use tabs or spaces to create a table.
Tables should be in black and white; rows and columns should not be shaded.
Do not use line breaks or spaces to separate data within a cell. Use separate cells for all discrete data elements within a table.
Number distinct tables as Table 1, Table 2, Table 3, etc., rather than as Table 1a, Table 1b, Table 1c, etc.
If bold or italic font is used within a table to indicate some feature of the data, please give an explanation of its usage in the legend.
All abbreviations within a table must be defined in the table legend or footnotes.
Footnotes should be listed with superscript lowercase letters, beginning with “a.” Footnotes may not be listed with numbers or symbols.
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STAR Methods
The STAR Methods section replaces our experimental procedures and supplemental experimental procedures sections. The STAR Methods section should include enough detail to allow the reader to understand the experimental design and to be able to assess the conclusions. STAR Methods also detail what resources and procedures are needed for readers to reproduce experiments, using standardized sections and a key resources table. For guidelines on how to structure your paper in the STAR Methods format, please visit ourSTAR Methods web page for authors.
We encourage but do not require authors to follow the STAR Methods format when articles are initially submitted. However, for submission we do require that sufficient information about design and analysis is included so that the editors and reviewers can evaluate the paper accurately and appropriately. Failure to provide sufficient design and analysis transparency may result in delays in the consideration process. Our minimum requirements for the reporting of design and analysis at submission include:
1.Basic details must be included for experimental models and controls used (origin of cells/animals, species, sex and husbandry, including temperature and pathogen status).
2.Basic methods information must be included (e.g., assays/tests, drug dosage/frequency, data collection details).
3.Details of statistical analyses should include the rationale for the chosen test, sample sizes, exclusion criteria, and replication details.
4.Details of newly generated chemical compounds, crystal structures, codes, DNA, RNA, and protein datasets should be included. These may be provided as password-protected links on community-endorsed repositories for the editors and reviewers during consideration. For a list of community-endorsed public repositories, please see the mandatory data deposition section on this page. All new datasets will need to be made freely available at the time of publication. Any restrictions on the availability of materials must be disclosed to the editors at the submission stage.
5.For clinical trials, the registered clinical trial number must be reported, and the CONSORT diagram included.
If accepted, articles must adhere to the STAR Methods format. Please see oureditorial, as well as theSTAR Methods launch site, to learn how STAR Methods helps align our papers to external reporting guidelines to improve transparency and robust and rigorous reporting of methods details.
References
Please adhere to the following guidelines, as well as the style shown in the provided examples.CSLandEndNotestyles are also available if desired.
·References should be sequentially numbered according to their first citation in the manuscript.
·References cited in the SI and ONLY in the SI should appear ONLY in the SI, not in the main text.
·Each reference should contain only one article and may not contain parts a, b, c, etc.
·Note that et al. should be used only after 10 author names.
·In-text citations should be written in numbered superscript style, e.g., Multiple reports support this observation1,2 or This observation is supported by Smith et al.1
·Please include only material that is published or in press. We encourage the inclusion of digital object identifiers (DOIs) whenever possible.
·For in press articles, please confirm with the cited journal that the article is in fact in press, and include a DOI and scheduled online publication date.
·Preprints may be included with appropriate identification information and an independent persistent identifier, such as a DOI. If a preprint has subsequently become available as a peer-reviewed publication, please use the formal publication data instead.
·Unpublished data (including manuscripts submitted and/or under review), abstracts, and personal communications may be cited within the text but should not appear in the reference list. Unpublished articles should be cited as “unpublished data,” “data not shown,” or “personal communication,” and any cited personal communications should be documented by a letter of permission.
·All datasets, program code, and methods used in your manuscript must be appropriately cited in the text and listed in the reference section either in the form of the publications in which they were first reported or in the form of independent persistent identifiers, such as DOIs. When a dataset, program code, or method has a persistent identifier independent from the original study in which it was first reported, we encourage you to cite both that identifier and the original study.
Example references:
·Article in a periodical: Sondheimer, N., and Lindquist, S. (2000). Rnq1: an epigenetic modifier of protein function in yeast. Mol. Cell 5, 163–172. 10.1016/S1097-2765(00)80412-8.
·Article on a preprint server or other repository: De Virgilio, C., Hatakeyama, R., Péli-Gulli, M.-P., Hu, Z., Jaquenoud, M., Osuna, G.M.G., Sardu, A., and Dengjel, J. (2018). Spatially distinct pools of TORC1 balance protein homeostasis. Preprint at Mendeley Data, 10.17632/m9s42s94fc.1.
·Article in a book: King, S.M. (2003). Dynein motors: Structure, mechanochemistry and regulation. In Molecular Motors, M. Schliwa, ed. (Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH), pp. 45–78.
·An entire book: Cowan, W.M., Jessell, T.M., and Zipursky, S.L. (1997). Molecular and Cellular Approaches to Neural Development (Oxford University Press).
·Websites: United Nations. Goal 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/energy.
·Software: R Development Core Team (2008). R: A language and environment for statistical computing (R Foundation for Statistical Computing).
·Data/code repository: Gerczuk, M. (2023). HyperPersonalisation. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8328092.
How to prepare and submit revised/final files
In addition to the sections required for initial submissions, revised manuscripts must also contain a detailed point-by-point response to the comments of the reviewers and/or editors. The cover letter should briefly summarize how the revised manuscript addresses these comments. In general, we allow 2–3 months for revision; if you think you might need more time, please contact the handling editor for guidance.
The final submission should also contain highlights and a graphical abstract. These items will appear with the online version of the paper and on the PDF cover page. We have provideda handy checklistfor preparing the final version of your paper.
Highlights
Highlights are bullet points that convey the core findings of your paper. You may include up to four highlights. The length of each highlight cannot exceed 85 characters (including spaces).
On the EM page where you are asked to upload your files, please choose highlights and eTOC blurb and upload a Word document.
Graphical abstract
A graphical abstract is an image that summarizes the main findings of a paper. It adds a rich, visual component to the start of a paper, helping readers to quickly appreciate and understand the central message.
Graphical abstracts may be submitted at any stage but are only required with the final submission. The image should be 1200 pixels square at 300 dpi, using Arial font with a size of 12–16 points; smaller fonts will not be legible online. Please refer to ourgraphical abstract guidelinesfor more details and recommendations.
Figures
Digital figure files submitted throughEditorial Managermust conform to ourdigital figure guidelinesor you will be asked to revise them. Please be aware that we may resize figures during the production process. The cost for color figures is ¥1,000 for the first color figure and ¥275 for each additional figure.
If you have any questions about figures, please contact Charlie Scanlan, production editor ofCell, atcscanlan@cell.com.
Videos
Cell Press offers authors the opportunity to publish supplemental videos as well as video abstracts, Figure360s, and methods videos along with their papers. Submitted video files must conform to our guidelines or you will be asked to revise them. For information on supplemental videos, please referhere, and for information on our other video options, please refer to ourvideo guidelines.
Cover submissions
After acceptance, authors are welcome to submit potential cover images related to their manuscript. Cover submissions should be informative and may be based on or resemble figures in the article. But they should be creative and artistic. Authors may submit several different images for consideration. The editors make their selection based on the aesthetic quality of the image and the scientific scope of the study. For more information, see ourcover submission guidelines.
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