JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL ATOMIC SPECTROMETRY, FEBRUARY 1986, VOL. 1 93 INSTRUCTIONS TO AUTHORS The Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry (JAAS) is an international journal for the publication of original research papers, short papers, communications and letters concerned with the development and analytical application of atomic spectrometric techniques. The journal will be published bimonthly, will also include comprehensive reviews on spe- cific topics of interest to practising atomic spectroscopists and will incorporate the literature reviews which were previously published in Annual Reports on Analytical Atomic Spectro- scopy (ARAAS) . Manuscripts intended for publication as papers or commun- ications must describe original work related to atomic spectrometric analysis. Papers on all aspects of the subject will be accepted, including fundamental studies, novel instrument developments and practical analytical applications. As well as atomic absorption, atomic emission and atomic fluorescence spectrometry, papers will be welcomed on atomic mass spectrometry and X-ray fluorescence/emission spectrometry.Papers describing the measurement of molecular species where these relate to the characterisation of sources normally used for the production of atoms, or are concerned for example with indirect methods of analyses will also be acceptable for publication. Papers describing the development and applications of hybrid techniques involving atomic spec- trometry ( e . g . , GC coupled AAS and HPLC - ICP) will be particularly welcome.Manuscripts on other subjects of direct interest to atomic spectroscopists including sample prepara- tion and dissolution and analyte pre-concentration proce- dures, as well as the statistical interpretation and use of atomic spectrometric data will also be acceptable for publication. There is no page charge for papers published in JAAS. The following types of papers will be considered. Full papers, describing original work. Short papers, also describing original work, but shorter and of limited breadth of subject matter; there will be no difference in the quality of the work described in full and short papers. Communications, which must be on an urgent matter and be of obvious scientific importance. Rapidity of publication is enhanced if diagrams are omitted, but tables and formulae can be included.Communications should not be simple claims for priority: this facility for rapid publication is intended for brief descriptions of work that has progressed to a stage at which it is likely to be valuable to workers faced with similar problems. A fuller paper may be offered subsequently, if justified by later work. Communications will normally be examined by one referee. Reviews, which must be a critical evaluation of the existing state of knowledge on a particular facet of analytical atomic spectrometry. Every paper (except Communications) will be submitted to at least two referees, by whose advice the Editorial Board of JAAS will be guided as to its acceptance or rejection. Papers that are accepted must not be published elsewhere except by permission. Submission of a manuscript will be regarded as an undertaking that the same material is not being considered for publication by another journal. Copyright.The whole of the literary matter (including tables, figures, diagrams and photographs) in JAAS is copyright and may not be reproduced without permission from the Society or such other owner of the copyright as may be indicated. Manuscripts. Papers should be typewritten in double spacing on one side only of the paper. Three copies of text and illustrations should be sent to the Editor, Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry,The Royal Society of Chemistry, Burling- ton House, London, W1V OBN, and a further copy retained by the author. Papers from North America should be submitted to Dr.J. M. Harnly, US Associate Editor (JAAS), US Department of Agriculture, Beltsville Human Nutrition Center, Bldg 161, Barc-East, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, USA. These papers will be refereed within the United States and Canada. Proofs. The address to which proofs are to be sent should accompany the paper. Proofs should be carefully checked and returned immediately (by Air Mail from outside Europe). Reprints. Fifty reprints of each paper are supplied free on request. Additional reprints can be purchased if ordered at the time of publication. Details are sent to authors with the proofs. Notes on the Writing of Papers for JAAS Manuscripts should be in accordance with the style and usage shown in recent copies of The Analyst. Conciseness of The recommended order of presentation is as indicated below: expression should be aimed at: clarity is increased by adopting a logical order of presentation, with suitable paragraph or section headings.To facilitate abstracting and indexing by Chemical Abstracts Service, and other abstracting organisations, it would be helpful if at least one forename could be included with each author’s family name. Descriptions of new methods should be supported by experimental results showing accuracy, precision and selectiv- ity. ( a ) Title. This should be as brief as is consistent with an adequate indication of the original features of the work. The particular aspect of the subject being discussed should be mentioned in the title. ( b ) Synopsis. A synopsis of about 100 words, giving the salient features and drawing attention to the novel aspects, should be provided for all papers.(c) Keywords. Up to 5 keywords, indicating the topics of importance in the work described, should be included after the synopsis. ( d ) Aim of investigation. An introductory statement of the object of the investigation with any essential historicalJOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL ATOMIC SPECTROMETRY, FEBRUARY 1986, VOL. 1 background, followed, if necessary, by a brief account of preliminary experimental work. Description of the experimental procedures. Working details must be given concisely. Analytical procedures should preferably be given in the form of instructions; well known operations should not be described in detail. Results. These are best presented in tabular form, followed by any statistical evaluation, which should be in accordance with accepted practice.Discussion of results. This section will comment on the scope of the method and its validity, followed by a statement of any conclusions drawn from the work. The accuracy and precision of any analytical method des- cribed should, wh,ere possible, be discussed with respect to real samples and the scope of the method indicated. Nomenclature. Current internationally recognised (IUPAC) chemical nomenclature should be used. Common trivial names may be used, but should first be defined in terms of IUPAC nomenclature. SZ units. The SI system of units should be used. These units are summarised in Appendix I. The effect on current style of papers for JAAS includes the following: ( a ) dimensions should preferably be given in metres (m) or ( 6 ) temperatures should be expressed in K or “C (not OF); (c) wavelengths should preferably be expressed in nano- metres (nm) (not mp), but angstroms (A) will be allowed; ( d ) frequency should be expressed in Hz (or kHz, etc.), not in c/s or c.P.s.; rotational frequency can be denoted by use of s-1; in millimetres (mm); (e) the micron (p) will not be used; 10-6 m will be 1 pm. Abbreviations.SI units should be used. Molarity is generally expressed as a decimal fraction (e.g., 0.375 M). Abbreviational full stops are omitted after the common contractions of metric units (e.g., ml, g, pg, mm) and other units represented by symbols. Abbreviations other than those of recognised units should be avoided in the text.Percentage concentrations of solutions should be stated in internationally recognised terms. Thus the symbols “m” for mass and “V” for volume are to be used instead of “w” for weight and “v” for volume. The following show the manner of expressing these percentages together with acceptable alterna- tives given in parentheses, where applicable: YO m/m (g per 100 g); O% m/V (g per 100 ml); YO V/V. Further implications of the use of the term “mass” are that “relative atomic mass” of an element (A,) replaces atomic weight, and “relative molecular mass” of a substance (M,) replaces molecular weight. Concentrations of solutions of the common acids are often conveniently given as dilutions of the concentrated acids, such as “dilute hydrochloric acid (1 + 4) ,” which signifies 1 volume of the concentrated acid mixed with 4 volumes of water.This avoids the ambiguity of 1 : 4, which might represent either 1 + 4 or 1 + 3. Dilutions of other solutions can be expressed in a similar manner. Tables and diagrams. The number of tables should be kept to a minimum. Column headings should be brief. Tables consisting of only two columns can often be arranged horizontally. Tables must be supplied with titles and be so set out as to be understandable without reference to the text. Either tables or graphs may be used but not both for the same set of results, unless important additional information is given by so doing. The information given by a straight-line calibration graph can usually be conveyed adequately by an equation or statement in the text.The style used in headings to tables and in labels on the axes of graphs, where the numbers represent numerical values, is, for example: Volume/ml. The diagonal lines (solidus) will not be used to represent “per.” In accordance with the SI system, units such as grams per millilitre are already expressed in the form g ml-1. For a table (or graph), this would appear as: Concentration of solution/g ml-1. It should be noted that the “combined” unit, g ml-1, must not have any “intrusive” numbers. To express concentration in grams per 100 milk litres, the word “per” will still be required: Concentratiodg per 100 ml. It may be preferable for an author to express concentrations in grams per litre (g 1-1) rather than grams per 100 ml. Most diagrams will be retraced and lettered in order to achieve uniform line thicknesses and lettering size and style, so it is not essential to prepare specially traced drawings. However, all diagrams should be carefully and clearly drawn on good quality paper and should be clearly lettered.If possible, complicated flow charts, circuit diagrams, etc., should be supplied as artwork for direct reproduction in order to avoid time-consuming and expensive redrawing. Three sets of illustrations should be provided, two sets of which may be made by any convenient copying process for transmission to the referees. All diagrams should be accompanied by a separately typed set of captions, Wherever possible, extensive identifying lettering should be placed in the caption rather than on lines on graphs, etc.Photographs. Photographs should be submitted only if they convey essential information that cannot be shown in any other way. They should be submitted as glossy or matt prints made to give the maximum detail. Colour photographs will be accepted only when a black-and-white photograph fails to show some vital feature and can be supplied either as prints or transparencies. References. References should be numbered serially in the text by means of superscript figures, e.g., Foote and Delves,l Burns et a1.2 or Hirozawa,3 and collected in numerical order under “References” at the end of the paper. They should be listed, with the authors’ initials, in the following form (double-spaced typing): 1. Foote, J. W., and Delves, H. T., Analyst, 1983, 108, 492. 2.Burns, D. T., Glockling, F., and Harriott, M., 1. Chromatogr., 1980, 200, 305. 3. Hirozawa, S. T., in Kolthoff, I. M., and Elving, P. J., Editors, “Treatise on Analytical Chemistry,” Part 11, Volume 14, Wiley, New York, 1971, p. 23. Journal titles should be abbreviated according to the Chemical Abstracts Service Source Index (CASH). For books, the edition (if not the first), the publisher and the place and date of publication should be given, followed by the page number. Authors must, in their own interest, check their lists of references against the original papers; second-hand references are a frequent source of error. The number of references must be kept to a minimum.JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL ATOMIC SPECTROMETRY, FEBRUARY 1986, VOL. 1 95 Appendix I The SI System of Units In the SI system there are seven base units- Some derived SI units that have special names are as follows- Physical quantity length mass time electric current thermodynamic temperature amount of substance luminous intensity Name of unit metre kilogram second ampere kelvin mole candela Examples of other derived SI units are- Physical quantity area volume density flow-rate concentration wavelength velocity magnetic field strength Symbol for unit m kg S A K mol Cd Physical quantity energy force power electric charge electric potential difference electric resistance electric capacitance frequency magnetic flux density pressure (magnetic induction) Name of unit square metre cubic metre kilogram per cubic metre millilitre or litre per minute microgram or milligram per gram nanometre metre per second ampere per metre Certain units will be allowed in conjunction with the SI system, e.g.- Physical quantity volume magnetic flux density temperature, t energy (magnetic induction) Name of unit litre gauss degree Celsius electronvol t Symbol for unit 1 G "C eV Name of unit joule newton watt coulomb volt ohm farad hertz tesla pascal Symbol for unit m* m3 kg m-3 ml min-1 or 1 min-1 pg g-1 or mg g-1 nm ms - 1 A m-1 Definition of unit 10-3 m3 = dm3 10-4 T t/"C = TIK - 273.16 1.6021 x lO-19J Symbol for unit J N w C V Q F Hz T Pa The common units of time (e.g., minute, hour, day) and the angular degree (") will continue to be used in appropriate contexts.Appendix II Abbreviations Whenever suitable, elements may be referred to by their chemical symbols and compounds by their formulae.provided that they are defined at the first place of mention. The following abbreviations will be used extensively in the Atomic Spectrometry Updates and may be used in original papers a.c. AA AAS AE AES AF AFS APDC ASV CMP CRM cw d.c. DCP alternating current atomic absorption atomic absorption spectrometry atomic emission atomic emission spectrometry atomic fluorescence atomic fluorescence spectrometry ammonium pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate (ammonium tetramethylenedithiocarbamate) anodic-stripping voltammetry capacitively coupled microwave plasma certified reference material continuous wave direct current d.c. plasma DMF DNA EDL EDTA ETA FAAS FAES FAFS FI GC GDL HCL h.f. HPLC IBMK N, N-dimethylformamide deoxyribonucleic acid electrodeless discharge lamp ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid electrothermal atomisation flame AAS flame AES flame AFS flow injection gas chromatography glow discharge lamp hollow-cathode lamp high- frequency high-performance liquid chromatography isobutyl methyl ketone (4-methylpentan-2-one)96 ICP IR LC LTE MECA MIP MS NAA NaDDC NTA OES PMT p.p.b. p.p.m. PTFE inductively coupled plasma infrared liquid chromatography local thermal equilibrium molecular emission cavity analysis microwave-induced plasma mass spectrometry neutron-activation analysis sodium diethyldithiocarbamate nitrilotriacetic acid optical emission spectrometry photomultiplier tube parts per billion (109) parts per million polytetrafluoroethylene JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL ATOMIC SPECTROMETRY, FEBRUARY 1986, VOL. 1 r.f. REE RM RSD SBR SEM SNR SSMS TCA TLC TOP0 u.h.f. uv VDU vuv XRF radio frequency rare earth element reference material relative standard deviation signal to background ratio scanning electron microscopy signal to noise ratio spark-source mass spectrometry trichloroacetic acid thin-layer chromatography trioctylphosphine oxide ultra-high-frequency ultraviolet visual display unit vacuum ultraviolet X-ray fluorescence