style guidelines
STYLE GUIDELINES
Manuscripts submitted to Revista Científica Signos Fónicos must be prepared using the journal’s official template and comply with the following presentation guidelines. These guidelines are intended to ensure uniformity, clarity, and editorial consistency across published articles.
1. General Manuscript Format
The manuscript text—including citations, footnotes, tables, figure captions, and bibliographic references—must be presented clearly and legibly using the official Revista Científica Signos Fónicos template.
The main text must be typed in 10-point Lato font and formatted in a single-column layout, while preserving the configuration and styles established in the official template.
The document must maintain the following margins:
- Top: 2 cm.
- Bottom: 2 cm.
- Left: 4 cm.
- Right: 2.84 cm.
The title must be provided in Spanish and English, followed by the authors’ names and their respective institutional affiliations, in accordance with the layout established in the official template.
2. Titles and Subheadings
Titles and subheadings must clearly and accurately identify the different sections of the manuscript and maintain a consistent hierarchy throughout the document.
The main title must be concise, informative, and accurately reflect the content of the manuscript.
Authors must retain the typographic styles and hierarchy levels established in the official template, avoiding unnecessary use of all capital letters, underlining, or other forms of emphasis.
3. Tables
Tables must be referred to in the text before they appear and numbered consecutively using Roman numerals, according to their order of appearance:
Table I, Table II, Table III...
The table title must appear above the table, centered, in 8-point Lato font. The table content must be presented in 7-point font.
Tables must be created directly in Word and submitted in an editable and legible format. Each table must contain sufficient information to allow it to be understood independently.
The source of the information must be indicated below the table. When the data are the authors’ own work, the corresponding authorship must be indicated; when the data are obtained from another source, appropriate attribution and citation must be provided.
If a table is excessively large and cannot be properly accommodated within the available space, it may be presented as a figure, provided that the legibility of its content is ensured.
Unnecessary duplication of information between tables and the main text should be avoided.
4. Figures
Photographs, illustrations, diagrams, and other visual elements must be identified as figures and numbered consecutively using Arabic numerals according to their order of appearance:
Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3...
All figures must be referred to in the text.
Figures must be placed within a borderless table to ensure that the image, its designation, and its description remain together.
The figure designation and description must appear below the figure, centered, beginning with a capital letter, and in 8-point Lato font. The corresponding source must also be indicated.
Figures must additionally be submitted as separate JPG files, named according to their numbering; for example:
Figure1.jpg
When previously published images are reproduced or adapted, authors are responsible for providing appropriate attribution and obtaining permission for reproduction whenever required.
In photographs or clinical images, the identity of individuals must be protected, and the corresponding authorization for publication must be obtained.
5. Graphs
Graphical representations of data must be placed within a borderless table and numbered consecutively according to their order of appearance:
Graph 1, Graph 2, Graph 3...
Graphs must be presented in full color, with a transparent background, and using 8-point Lato font.
They must contain, at a minimum, the information required for appropriate interpretation, including the title, the categories or variables represented, and the measurement scale, when applicable. The source must also be indicated.
If the quality of a graph included in the manuscript is insufficient for proper editorial reproduction, the author must submit the Excel file used to generate it.
6. Abbreviations and Acronyms
Abbreviations and acronyms should be used only when they facilitate the reading of the manuscript.
At first mention, the term must be written in full, followed by the corresponding abbreviation or acronym in parentheses. The abbreviated form may be used alone in subsequent mentions.
The use of abbreviations and acronyms in the title should be avoided and, whenever possible, they should also be avoided in the abstract.
7. Units of Measurement
Units corresponding to physical quantities must be expressed consistently throughout the manuscript.
Where applicable, the units and symbols established by the International System of Units (SI) must be used.
Consistency must be maintained in the presentation of symbols, numerical values, units, and decimal notation throughout the document.
8. Presentation of Statistical Data
Statistical symbols and values must be presented consistently throughout the manuscript.
Authors must maintain consistency in the presentation of p values, measures of central tendency and dispersion, confidence intervals, percentages, and other reported statistics.
Statistical information presented in tables, figures, and graphs must use the same nomenclature as that used in the main text.
9. Footnotes
The use of footnotes must be limited to supplementary information that is essential for understanding the text.
Footnotes must not be used as a substitute for bibliographic references or contain essential information that should be included in the main body of the manuscript.
10. In-Text Citations
In-text citations must follow the Vancouver style and be numbered consecutively according to their first appearance in the text.
A reference cited more than once must retain the same number assigned at its first appearance.
Authors must verify the exact correspondence between citations appearing in the text and the references listed at the end of the manuscript.
11. Bibliographic References
References must be prepared according to the Vancouver style and numbered sequentially according to their first appearance in the text.
Each reference must contain sufficient information to accurately identify and retrieve the source. Inclusion of the DOI (Digital Object Identifier) is recommended whenever available.
Authors are responsible for verifying the accuracy, completeness, and correspondence of all references included in the manuscript.
Examples for the main types of sources are provided below:
11.1. Journal Article
Example:
- Smith J. The impact of early intervention on speech development. J Speech Lang Hear Res. 2020;63(2):123-30. doi:10.1234/jslhr.2020.0123.
11.2. Book
Example:
- Johnson M. Speech therapy techniques. 2nd ed. New York: Health Press; 2019.
11.3. Book Chapter
Example:
- Davis L. Language assessment in children. In: Thompson R, editor. Pediatric speech therapy. London: Wiley; 2018. p. 45-60.
11.4. Article in an Electronic Publication
Example:
- Brown T. New approaches in stuttering therapy. J Commun Disord [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2024 Oct 15];54(4):234-40. doi:10.1016/j.jcomdis.2021.01.001. Available from: https://www.journalofcommunicationdisorders.com/article/123456.
11.5. Thesis or Dissertation
Example:
- Green P. The effects of noise on language development [thesis]. Los Angeles: University of California; 2020.
Authors must verify the accuracy of all bibliographic information and maintain consistency and precision in the presentation of all references. For document types not covered by the examples above, the Vancouver style must be followed.
