Information for Science of Synthesis Authors
This page provides information for Science of Synthesis authors for guidance through the writing process and editorial stages, along with answers to some frequently asked questions. If you can’t find the information you need or have a specific inquiry, please contact the Science of Synthesis editorial team and we’ll be happy to assist you.
Editorial Guidelines
Our authors are invited to write a contribution for Science of Synthesis by our volume editors or by members of the Editorial Board. Upon accepting an invitation to write, the editorial office provides authors with resources designed to help with the preparation of a manuscript for submission. These files can also be found here.
Document Templates for Microsoft Word
Using the document template helps structure a contribution and is essential for preparing the proofs. The template’s styles assign text blocks to their specific roles in the manuscript (e.g., discussion text, method headings, experimental procedures). This effectively tags the information electronically at an early stage, which supports the editing process and the development of the electronic version of Science of Synthesis. Please note that the template’s appearance is generally not representative of the final typeset or electronic layout.
While the template is a useful tool, of greater importance is ensuring that the contribution meets the aims of Science of Synthesis articles: providing a critical evaluation of the reported synthetic methods (practical advantages, green issues, etc.), presenting selected examples in the preferred formats to illustrate scope/limitations, and including all necessary features (such as experimental procedures).
For guidance on these aspects, please refer to the sample chapters provided.
Instructions for using the templates:
Sample Chapters and Endnote Style
Below you will find some sample contributions from Science of Synthesis, both as the final published typset versions, and also examples of how a contribution would appear in the Word document template. Please refer to these for examples of presentation of the key features of Science of Synthesis articles.
Examples – Final published articles:
Examples – Word templates (before proof production):
If using Endnote to help prepare a Science of Synthesis contribution, an output style file for the correct formatting of Science of Synthesis references can be downloaded here:
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
This page provides information for Science of Synthesis authors for guidance through the writing process and editorial stages, along with answers to some frequently asked questions. If you can’t find the information you need or have a specific inquiry, please contact the Science of Synthesis editorial team and we’ll be happy to assist you.
How do I sign the Imprimatur (permission to publish) digitally?
A step-by-step guide to creating and using a digital signature should have been sent to you with the authors agreement. If, after following these instructions, you still have problems, it is acceptable to print the agreement, sign it by hand, and send a scanned copy back to the Editorial Office by e-mail.
Does the document template have to be used?
Yes, please do. It is important for manuscript processing that the appropriate style names (e.g., H_Method) are attached to the heading paragraphs for each section. It is not important that formatting properties such as the font size, line spacing, or the number of lines per page match the document template. Please feel free to change these properties as long as the style naming is not affected. However, note that any formatting options in the document processing program except the style names are deleted after manuscript submission.
Is it acceptable to adjust the font size and spacing in my manuscript?
The font type and style (see above) of the text is important for its identification. Spacing/sizing is not important, but sticking to the template helps to give an idea of the estimated length of the chapter when coverted to final typeset pages.
For estimating the final length of a contribution, the following general rules should be used:
1.5 typewritten pages (template, with formulas/schemes) = 1 printed page
2 typewritten pages (template, without formulas/schemes) = 1 printed page
What structure drawing program should I be using?
If possible, please create schemes and figures using ChemDraw. If you do not have access to ChemDraw, the use of other drawing programs will be accepted, but this may result in longer manuscript processing times as a result of redrawing.
For graphics that show other items/images that chemical structures and reactions, other tools may be used but the submitted graphic files (tif, jpf, etc.) should be in good resolution (at least 300 dpi).
Latest News from the SOS Editorial Office
Thieme Cheminars: Presented by SOS
Thieme Cheminars is a series of free-to-attend online seminars that cover topics at the forefront of chemical research. These mini-symposia are presented by Science of Synthesis and Thieme's chemistry journals.
Case Study: Synthetic Strategies toward Lactones
Take a look at this SOS case study by Yingmin Ji and Dr. Albert Granados at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona in Spain. It focuses on the synthesis of lactones and explains how to use SOS as a structure-based planning tool.
Thieme Has Signed National Agreement for SOS
Stuttgart: Thieme has signed a German agreement with FID Chemie – Fachinformationsdienst Chemie to provide nationwide access to Science of Synthesis, our flagship synthetic chemistry reference database.
New SOS Reference Library: Dearomatizations
The new Science of Synthesis volume "Dearomatizations", edited by David Sarlah, serves as an essential reference, covering all aspects of dearomative chemistry, from classic transformations such as the Birch reduction to cutting-edge developments in asymmetric catalysis, photochemistry, and electrochemistry.
Case Study: Discovering an Improved Synthetic Route to [1.1.1]Propellane
Check out this case study, focusing on the topic of ring-strain chemistry, from Kasmita Singha at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore, and learn more about how SOS can help you in your day-to-day work.
Mariola Tortosa Becomes New SOS Board Member
We are delighted to welcome Professor Mariola Tortosa from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain) as a new member of the Science of Synthesis Editorial Board. Her research interests include boron chemistry, asymmetric catalysis and the synthesis of natural products.
New SOS: Now Online on Thieme Serve
Science of Synthesis is now available on a new platform. The new SOS makes your daily work faster and more efficient—while offering the same trusted, expert‑curated content.
Explore Modern Strategies in Organofluorine Chemistry
Jean-François Paquin is the Volume Editor of the SOS Reference Library series “Modern Strategies in Organofluorine Chemistry”. In this news, he shares an inspiring perspective on how electrochemistry is driving innovation in organofluorine chemistry.
Case Study: Enantioselective Hydroselenation of Unsaturated Hydrocarbons
Check out this case study from Chen Cui, working on organoselenium chemistry at the Beijing Institute of Technology (PR China) and learn more about how SOS can help you in your day-to-day work.
New SOS: Exclusive Sneak Preview
Science of Synthesis is moving on to a new chapter and we are excited to share a preview of what’s coming. Discover how the new, more intuitive platform will make daily work smoother, faster, and more efficient for anyone involved in organic synthesis.
A Pleasure to Contribute: Advancing Electrochemical Fluorination with SOS
“Contributing to Science of Synthesis was a pleasure because it forces you to distil a large and fast-moving literature into what a synthetic chemist actually needs: trusted methods, clear context, and practical guidance. In our chapter on electrochemical fluorination, we set out to show how electrosynthesis can make fluorination more controlled and sustainable, and to provide a clear framework for selecting conditions across nucleophilic and electrophilic fluorine sources, including mediator-based strategies.”