Submissions

Author Guidelines

Image Analysis and Stereology is the official journal of the International Society for Stereology. It serves as a platform for the exchange of scientific, technical, and organizational information related to the quantitative analysis of geometrically structured data. The journal covers a wide range of topics, including stereology, differential geometry, image analysis, image processing, mathematical morphology, stochastic geometry, statistics, pattern recognition, and related disciplines.

The scope of applications is broad and interdisciplinary, encompassing fields such as biomedicine, materials science, physics, geology, and geography.

Image Analysis and Stereology publishes full-length original research articles, review papers, technical notes, and short research communications. Contributions such as book reviews, communications, and notes are accepted by invitation of the Editor-in-Chief.

Submission of a manuscript to Image Analysis and Stereology implies that the work has not been previously published (except in abstract form) and is not under consideration elsewhere.

Each manuscript is reviewed by two independent referees and subjected to plagiarism checks. Authors will be informed of the editorial decision—acceptance, revision, or rejection—within 12 weeks of submission.

Except for any accompanying supplementary material, the electronic version of the published paper is identical to the printed version. In the event of any discrepancies, the electronic version shall be considered the official reference.

Sample articles:

• Original research paper (sample 1) - pure mathematical papers
• Original research paper (sample 2) - other papers
• Review article (sample)
• Technical note (sample)

Manuscript Submission. Manuscripts should be submitted electronically via the Online Submission system. For the initial submission, files must be in PDF format. Upon acceptance, the final version should be submitted in either Word or LaTeX format.

What To Submit:

• Manuscript (PDF) – Required for the initial submission
• Cover Letter – Required. Should include the names and contact details of suggested referees
• Supplementary Material – Optional. Include only if necessary to support the main text
• Final Manuscript and Figures – Required upon acceptance. Should be submitted in editable Word or LaTeX format, with high-quality figures
• Copyright Transfer Agreement – Required at the final submission of the accepted manuscript

Correspondence. For any inquiries regarding article submission, please do not hesitate to contact the Editorial Office online or via ias@guest.arnes.si

Guidelines for Manuscript Preparation. To ensure rapid and accurate publication, manuscripts must adhere strictly to the guidelines outlined below. Manuscripts should be prepared using Microsoft Word or LaTeX.

LaTeX. LaTeX style guide PDF file is available, providing instructions for preparing manuscripts for Stereology and Image Analysis. The guide also serves as an example of a properly formatted LaTeX manuscript. The complete LaTeX submission package, including templates and instructions, can be downloaded online:

• LaTeX zip package
• LaTeX style guide PDF file

The language Requirements. All manuscripts must be written in English. Please ensure consistency by using either British or American English throughout the entire text. Choose one form and apply it uniformly.

Length Requirements. Articles, including tables, figure legends, and references, should not exceed 30 manuscript pages when prepared in Microsoft Word, or 15 typeset pages if prepared in LaTeX.

Title. The title must be written entirely in capital letters and should not exceed 120 characters, including spaces. It should clearly reflect the methodological aspects of the work and be relevant across multiple fields of application. Additionally, provide a running title that includes the surname of the first author and does not exceed 100 characters, including spaces (e.g., MACKAY CE ET AL: Comparison of MRI and physical sections).

Abstract. The abstract should be written in the third person and must not exceed 250 words. It should provide a clear and concise summary of the work presented in the manuscript, highlighting the key objectives, methods, results, and conclusions. The abstract must be understandable to a nonspecialist audience.

Keywords should be listed immediately after the abstract. Provide no more than six keywords, arranged in alphabetical order. The keywords should accurately reflect both the methodological focus and the field of application, enabling proper classification and indexing of the paper.

Text. The manuscript must provide sufficient detail to ensure that an interdisciplinary audience can fully understand the problem addressed and the methods used. Avoid unnecessary subheadings. Within the text, do not underline words or use bold type for emphasis.

Methods. New methods or theoretical results must be supported with appropriate reasoning or derivation. The application of methods is encouraged, and authors should provide relevant real data, simulations, or numerical results to illustrate and validate the main findings.

Figures and Tables  must be prepared in a form suitable for publication, either fitting a single column (8 cm) or spanning a full page width (16 cm). The minimum font size used in all figures and tables should be 9 pt. They must be numbered consecutively using Arabic numerals (e.g., Fig. 1; Table 1), each accompanied by a brief, descriptive title. Every figure and table must include a self-explanatory legend to ensure clarity. For the initial submission, all figures and tables must be included within the manuscript file. Upon final submission (after acceptance), figures and tables should be uploaded as separate files. Ideally, the manuscript, figures, and tables should be bundled together in a ZIP archive. The maximum upload size is 50 MB. Figures should be submitted in TIFF or JPG format for raster (bitmap) images, and in PostScript (PS) format for vector graphics. TIFF files must have a resolution of 600 dpi, whether the image is in colour, greyscale, or black and white, to ensure high-quality reproduction in print and digital formats.

Equations should be placed on separate lines with additional spacing above and below to enhance readability. Each equation must be numbered consecutively, with the number enclosed in parentheses and aligned to the right margin. When including mathematical expressions within the text, maintain single-line spacing by using brackets—for example, (1 – x)/(3 – h). When referring to equations in the text, use the abbreviation "Eq." followed by the number (e.g., Eq. 1).

Units. SI units must be used wherever applicable to the parameter in question. A space should be placed between the numerical value and the unit (e.g., 5 µm, 2 mg, 1 min). Exceptions to this rule include the degree symbol, degrees Celsius, and percentages, where no space is used (e.g., 90°, 37°C, 50%).

References. Citations should appear in parentheses: (Fish, 1971) for one author; (Fish, 1971a,b) for multiple works in the same year; (Fish, 1971; 1972) for works in different years; (Flesh and Fowl, 1954) for two authors; (Good et al., 1962) for more than two; (Flesh and Fowl, 1954; Good et al., 1962) for multiple references. When the author's name is part of the sentence, write: as shown by Miller (1967). Use letters to distinguish multiple works by the same authors in the same year (e.g., 1985a, 1985b). The reference list must be in alphabetical order and follow the format shown below:

• Macpherson IA (1973). Soft agar technique. In: Kruse PF, Patterson IMK, eds. Tissue culture methods and application. Ch. 7. New York: Academic Press, 276-81.
• Osler AG (1976). Complement: Mechanisms and functions. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 51-5.
• Solter NA, Wasserman SI, Austen KF (1976). Cold urticaria: release into circulation of histamine and eosinophilic chemotactic factor of anaphylaxis during cold challenge. N Engl J Med 294:687-90.
• Bengtsson S, Solheim BG (1992). Enforcement of data protection, privacy and security in medical information. In: Lun KC, Degoulet P, Piemme TE, Rienhoff O, eds. MEDINFO 92. Proceedings of the 7th World Congress on Medical Informatics, 1992 Sep 6-10; Geneva, Switzerland. Amsterdam: North-Holland, 1561-5.

"Personal communications," "unpublished observations," and "in preparation" should be cited only in the text and must not be included in the reference list. References can be automatically formatted using our EndNote style file, available online. The internet source (URL), where referencing to the author is not applicable, should also be given in text only, e.g. (www.issia.net). 
Online documents may also appear in the reference list, e.g.:
Reinking L (2007, June). Examples of Image Analysis Using ImageJ. Retrieved may 31, 2021, from https://imagej.nih.gov/ij/docs/pdfs/examples.pdf

References can be automatically formatted using our EndNote style file, available online:

• EndNote style file for Image Analysis & Stereology

Page Numbering. All pages of the manuscript, beginning with the cover page, should be numbered consecutively using Arabic numerals.

Supplementary Materials Supplementary Materials may include images, videos, datasets, additional tables, or other files that support and enhance the manuscript. These materials are published exclusively in the online version of Image Analysis & Stereology and must be referenced appropriately within the manuscript. They must be submitted alongside the manuscript at the time of submission and accompanied by a complete set of legends - one for each supplementary item.

A cover letter must be submitted in the text box provided during the first step of the submission process. Manuscripts submitted without a cover letter will not be processed for peer review. The letter must include the following:

1. Significance Statement. A brief explanation highlighting the importance and relevance of the submitted work.
2. Conflict of Interest Declaration. Clearly state whether a conflict of interest exists. If so, describe it explicitly. If there is no conflict, this must also be declared.
3. Author Contributions. Confirm that all listed authors were directly involved in the planning, execution, or analysis of the study and the writing of the manuscript. All authors must have read and approved the submitted version. Contributions of each author must be listed individually. Submissions lacking this statement will not be considered for peer review.
4. Language Quality Assurance. Confirm that the manuscript has been written or professionally edited by a native English speaker. Manuscripts written in poor English will be rejected without further review.
5. Patient Consent (if applicable). If the manuscript includes any personal patient information (e.g., names, initials, hospital numbers, photos, or pedigrees), the authors must confirm that written informed consent has been obtained for both print and electronic publication. This statement should be included in both the cover letter and the manuscript. Do not send signed consent forms to the journal.
6. Suggested Reviewers. Provide the names, affiliations, and email addresses of four potential reviewers who are qualified to evaluate the manuscript.