Authors must use the MRS Advances Template to format their manuscripts. This template includes the manuscript title format, author list format and the proper headings, font and spacing. MRS Advances formatting template instructions are located here.

A sample manuscript is available. Please use these guidelines with the example.

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Use the Microsoft Word formatting document to prepare your document.  All manuscripts will be converted to PDF upon upload.

• Manuscript length limitations: Contributed articles - 2500 words (8-9 pages); Invited Speaker articles and invited reviews - 5000 words (16-17 pages)
• Page numbering: Do not use page numbering and do not otherwise insert page numbers.
• Text: Text should be typed single-spaced. However, if the manuscript includes numerous superscripts or subscripts, 1-1/2 spacing may be used. Double spacing should only be used before and after headings and subheadings as shown in the example.
  No spaces should be placed between paragraphs but the leading word should be indented.
• Figures: Embed figures into the text in a manner that will be explained in detail later on in this document. If you are using color figures, please verify that they are readable and clear when printed in black and white.
  

The typical MRS Advances manuscript will have the following elements: Manuscript Title, Author(s) and Affiliation(s), Abstract, Introduction, Theory or Experiment, Results, Discussion, Conclusions, Acknowledgments (optional) and References. The MRS Advances template will help with proper formatting.

Review articles are considered by invitation or proposal. To submit a review article, download the MRS Advances Proposal form. Please return the completed proposal form to the MRS Advances Editorial Office at mrsadvances@mrs.org.

Note: Keywords will be entered into the online submission form and should not appear in the manuscript.

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Title, Authors and Affiliations: Please include titles, authors and affiliations on the manuscript you upload. Use upper and lower case letters for the title. Type the author names in the order you want them to appear in the final manuscript. Use first names, middle initial and last names. Type the affiliations of the authors in the correct order and exactly as you want them to appear in the final manuscript. The manuscript you upload should contain the same title and author information as you enter into the manuscript submission website during the manuscript upload process.

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Position of Headings: (ABSTRACT, INTRODUCTION, THEORY, ETC.), See Example D in sample manuscript. Style of headings and subheadings should follow this format: Main headings in bold, all caps and secondary headings should be bold and underlined, with initial cap on the first word only. See Example K.

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Tables, Figures and Equations:
To ensure proper flow of figures within the text:

• Right click on your figure in Word and choose Format Object or Format Picture
• Choose the Layout tab, and then choose the wrapping style "in line with text."
• Avoid using frames, which increases the size of documents tremendously and may slow the manuscript upload process.

If you are using color figures, please verify that they are readable and clear when printed in black and white.

Tables and figures should be placed after their first reference in the text. Roman numerals should be used for tables and Arabic numerals for figures. Table captions should be placed above the tables. Figure captions should be placed below the figures or to the side, depending on the layout. Figure captions and reference to figures in the text of the manuscript must use the style of: Figure 1, Figure 2, etc. Do not bold figure references in the text. Scale markers should appear on all micrographs. 

Each equation should be presented on a separate line from the text with a blank space above and below. The equation should be numbered at the outer right margin of the text; the equation number should appear in parentheses, e.g.,

CoSi2:RH = 2.7 x 10 -24 (1) See Example F.

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Theory or Experiment
Numerical data and specific results must be presented. See Example G. Figure captions and table headings should be sufficient to explain the figure or table without needing to refer to the text. Figures and tables not cited in the text should not be included. It is expected that authors will submit carefully written and proofread material. Spelling and grammatical errors, as well as language usage problems, are not acceptable. It is recommended that non-English speaking authors have their work edited and proofread by someone fluent in English before submission of the manuscript to ensure that their results are clearly communicated.

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URL Links

If URLs are used in references or as links (the latter for the electronic version of the published manuscript), the author should address these issues:

1. 1. URLs and links (in electronic version) should be used judiciously and the author should ensure that the link adds value to the manuscript. Furthermore, such material should not serve as a substitute for crucial content that should be included in the body of the manuscript. A manuscript that cannot stand on its own without access to URLs or links will be rejected.
2. 2. Because there is no guarantee that referenced URLs or links will be sustained, the author should include an appropriate disclaimer in, or at the conclusion of, the text indicating that the author does not guarantee the availability of such links. MRS suggests usage of the following disclaimer or appropriate derivative: "At the date this manuscript was written, URLs or links referenced herein were deemed to be useful supplementary material to this manuscript. Neither the author nor the Materials Research Society warrants or assumes liability for the content or availability of URLs referenced in this manuscript."
3. 3. All references to website sources must specify the date that information was accessed in writing the submitted manuscript: Author: Title (date). Available at: website (accessed day/month/year). The reference can begin immediately with the title if there is no discernible author.

Language Editing Services All manuscripts must be written in English. If English is not your native language, please have your manuscript edited for correct English grammar and sentence structure prior to submission. Please note that poor English may ultimately be a reason to reject the paper. The Materials Research Society has partnered with American Journal Experts (AJE) to provide a 10% discount to MRS members on a comprehensive suite of author services, including English language editing. Learn more at aje.com/go/mrsauthors.

Use of these services does not guarantee that a manuscript submitted to MRS Advances will be accepted.

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Conclusions or Results
The Conclusions section should discuss results, summarize work presented and offer conclusions with recommendations. It should not include data that is not previously presented in an earlier section of the manuscript. See Example H.

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Acknowledgements (optional)
The Acknowledgments section should list funding sources for the specific work covered in the manuscript as required by sponsors or agencies. Personal acknowledgments may also be included. See Example I.

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References
The AIP reference style is recommended although other styles (such as IEEE or OSA) may be used. Style guides may be obtained directly from these organizations. The chosen style must be used consistently throughout the manuscript. Reference numbers in the text should be designated by square brackets, e.g., [1]. Book references should be complete and include the page number to which the author is referring. Journal references should include the complete author list (rather than "et al."), if possible. Proceedings references must contain sufficient information to enable the reader to identify and retrieve the referenced volume. References to classified or confidential/proprietary documents should be avoided wherever possible; private communication references should be used minimally. If necessary, comments can be made in the Reference section. See Example J

View sample references here

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License-to-Publish Form

A License-to-Publish form must be signed and emailed to mrsadvances@mrs.org, faxed to (724) 779-4396, or mailed directly to MRS at 506 Keystone Drive, Warrendale, PA 15086-7573, Attn: MRS Advances Editorial Department. Manuscripts cannot be published unless a signed License-to-Publish form has been received by MRS.

Download the appropriate License-to-Publish form here.