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Young Scientist Journal

Young Scientist Journal

Article Submission: Step 3

Article Submission: Step 3 – Figures and Tables

Figures should be inserted directly into the template. However, we ask that you also submit them separately as individual .jpg files.

Your images need to be ~ 300 dpi (dots per inch) in order to ensure that your figures aren’t stretched or look “grainy.” What does this mean? It means that you need to submit high resolution images!

If you are “image savvy” and have used image processing software before, you are welcome to follow the GIMP Figure Support page here. If not, please follow the tips/tricks below to ensure you don’t have to resubmit your figures later.

Think you already have figures ready? Perform this check first!

  • Print your manuscript! Does your figures look clean (not grainy or blurry)? Can you easily ready all figure text (including axis labels, legends, etc)?

Need to get your figures ready?

Prepare your figures exactly as you want them to appear in the final publication.

To do so:

Go to the ORIGINAL image or the ORIGINAL Excel, Matlab, Powerpoint, etc… file containing your image/graph OR if you modify the image to include arrows, labels, etc. (in PowerPoint, Illustrator, Photoshop, …), go to the original file where you made the modifications and do the following:

  • Adjust the overall figure size to match the size it needs to be in your manuscript, based on how much of the page it will take up.
    • Single column: Maximum width is 3.3 inches (8.5 cm)
    • Double column: Maximum width is 7 inches (17.8 cm)
  • Ensure that all text is in 8-9 pt font and that all lines and data points are sufficiently large or bold enough to be easily visible.
  • Once you have made all the adjustments to your image, right click and save it as a lastname_figure01_large.jpg. Perform the check above to ensure that it is ready to submit and then save it in your Young Scientist submission folder on your computer. If it is a supplemental figure, save it as lastname_supplemental01_large.jpg.

We also need a Table of Contents image!

We need an image to use in the journal’s Table of Contents. This can be:

  • A new image, if you want to make something that summarizes your project. Prepare to the same size and resolution as described above, and save as lastname_thumbnail.jpg.

or

  • One of your previous figure files. Just copy it and rename it as lastname_thumbnail.jpg

Troubles? Feel free to email young.scientist@vanderbilt.edu to ask questions or to check your figure(s) before you submit!

Are your figures ready?

Please move on to Step 4 to finalize other submission criteria!