This document provides details on typesetting and layout requirements pertaining to manuscript submission to Lignatorum Investigationes: Undergraduate Research and Creative Designs Journal.

Formatting Requirements

• Please submit a 150-word abstract in addition to your paper
• Do not include a title page or abstract. (Begin the document with the introduction; a title page, including the abstract, will be added to your paper by the editors.)
• Do not include page numbers, headers, or footers. These will be added by the editors.
• Write your article in English (unless the journal expressly permits non-English submissions).
• Submit your manuscript, including tables, figures, appendices, etc., as a single file (Word, RTF, or PDF files are accepted).
• Page size should be 8.5 x 11-inches.
• All margins (left, right, top and bottom) should be 1.5 inches (3.8 cm), including your tables and figures.
• Double space your text.
• Use a single column layout with both left and right margins justified.
• Font:
  1. Main Body—12 pt. Times New Roman
  2. Footnotes—10 pt. Times New Roman
• If figures are included, use high-resolution figures, preferably encoded as encapsulated PostScript (eps).
• Proofread your manuscript.
• When possible, there should be no pages where more than a quarter of the page is empty space, except for the final page.

Additional Recommendations

Indenting, Line Spacing, and Justification

Indent all paragraphs except those following a section heading. An indent should be at least 2 em-spaces.

Do not insert extra space between paragraphs of text with the exception of long quotations, theorems, propositions, special remarks, etc. These should be set off from the surrounding text by additional space above and below.

Don't "widow" or "orphan" text (i.e., ending a page with the first line of a paragraph or beginning a page with the last line of a paragraph).

All text should be left-justified (i.e., flush with the left margin—except where indented). Where possible, it should also be right-justified (i.e., flush with the right margin). "Where possible" refers to the quality of the justification. For example, LaTeX and TeX do an excellent job of justifying text. Word does a reasonable job. But some word processors do a lousy job (e.g., they achieve right justification by inserting too much white space within and between words). We prefer flush right margins. However, it is better to have jagged right margins than to have flush right margins with awkward intra- and inter-word spacing. Make your decision on whichever looks best.

Language & Grammar

All submissions must be in English. Except for common foreign words and phrases, the use of foreign words and phrases should be avoided.

Foreign terms

Whenever possible, foreign terms should be set in italics rather than underlined.

Authors should use proper, standard English grammar.

Article Length

The manuscript length must be 3500-7000 word count (approximately 14-28 pages) and creative design is 1000-2000 word count (approximately 4-8 pages). This does not include captions.

Tables and Figures

Format all tables and figures per content-specific guidelines and embed within the manuscript; not as appendices or separate files.

Photographs/Artwork

Authors are responsible for obtaining any needed releases or permissions for use of photographs or artwork. Documentation of such permissions should accompany the proposed submission.

Links

Authors submitting creative designs may require links to access files demonstrating information that needs audio or visual representation along with their written description. All hyperlinks should be live.

References

References must follow content-specific guidelines. References should appear right after the end of the document, beginning on the last page if possible.