Before using the template, be sure to read the Instructions for Authors for the appropriate journal. Please also consult a recent issue of the journal to see the actual format of the publication and the layout of the particular article type.

Once the template is in your template folder, open Word, then click File\New, and then in Templates\On my computer select SynthesisSynlett_v1-3.dot. A dialogue box will open that displays a list of all current articles that can be submitted to both SYNTHESIS and SYNLETT. An article type must be selected, the template will then generate a template for the chosen article type which contains detailed instructions, including guidelines for the type of text, graphics, or data required in different sections (print a copy before use). It is important that all settings (page setup, line spacing, font type and size, etc.) within the template be left unchanged and that you follow the instructions to overwrite your text in the appropriate places.

On the left-hand side of the toolbar, there is a menu bar called ‘paragraph style’, showing the full range of styles available in the sample document. These styles can be used to assign specific styles in the manuscript. When the document view is Normal, the assigned styles show up in the left-hand margin as they are selected. Please do not use any styles that do not appear in the paragraph style drop-down list, as they will not be readable by our production software.

Note: If you write your article in another document and copy/cut and paste into the template then the paragraph styles will not be correct and the symbols may not be correct; the correct paragraph styles and symbols must then be applied using the toolbars.

The template contains additional icons on the toolbar. These icons should be used to facilitate the insertion of tables, figures, schemes, and equations, and to ensure the correct representation of symbols (i.e., Greek letters, mathematical symbols) independent of the language settings of the computer or software. Please use only these icons when inserting symbols.

Be sure to delete all unnecessary paragraphs and image placement guidelines provided in the sample manuscript before saving the final document as a “.doc file”. The filename should be changed from the default template name in order to clearly identify the manuscript.

Note: All manuscripts prepared using the template should be saved in PDF format; this ensures that the integrity of the file is maintained. We actively encourage all authors to convert manuscripts into PDF format; this will also result in a more efficient submission and reviewing process. Adobe Acrobat (full version) is required to convert files into PDF format. In addition, there are a number of free PDF writers available on the internet, the links to which can be found on the SYNTHESIS and SYNLETT website.

The template also contains a checklist (also available in the Instructions for Authors) that details all parts of the manuscript required for final submission and specific details of how to submit a manuscript to SYNTHESIS and SYNLETT.

In the event of problems downloading or using the template, please contact Dr. Selena Boothroyd by e-mail at selena.boothroyd@thieme.de.