Submissions

Author Guidelines

Instructions to Authors

Quality of Life publishes original research papers and reviews and aims to provide a forum for the rapid dissemination of significant novel research in the various disciplines encompassing the Science and Technology of Food, Public health engineering, Sanitary inspection and control, Environmental and Public Health.
Quality of Life publishes original scientific papers, preliminary communications, professional papers, scientific notes and reviews:
Original scientific papers report unpublished results of original research. They must contain significant and original observations to be critically evaluated. Experimental data should be presented in a way that enables reproduction and verification of analyses and deductions on which the conclusions are based.
Preliminary communications include short information on the results of scientific research which require immediate publication.
Scientific notes include reports on shorter but completed research or descriptions of original laboratory techniques (methods, apparatus etc.) and should be concise.
Reviews are original, critical and up-to-date surveys of an area in which, preferably, the author himself/herself is active. They should include recent references from international publications.
Professional papers present new possibilities of improvement within areas of science. The emphasis is on the application of known methods and facts as well as on broadening the knowledge in the particular area. The acquired knowledge is applied to the object of research.
Difference between scientific and professional papers is in their original results and conclusions as well as method used. Although professional paper may be more useful for the application it is not considered as a new scientific contribution.
Papers previously reported at a congress, symposium etc. will be published only if they have not previously been published in proceedings. However, these papers are subject to regular editorial procedure, i.e. evaluation by referees and revision.
Submission
Only the manuscripts that conform to the following instructions will be considered:
The manuscript should be submitted in duplicate printouts of 10–15 typewritten pages with 1.5 spacing on one side of the paper (A4 format) accompanied by the identical file by e-mail (preferably Microsoft Word compatible formats). Normal plain font should be used (Times New Roman, font size 12) for both text and figures.
All papers must be written in English. If English is not the authors’ first language, the manuscript should be given to a native speaker of English for proofreading.
The cover letter should contain full names (with underlined surnames) of all authors, their titles and their signatures confirming that manuscript or part of it was not accepted for publication or being considered for publication or published somewhere else.
The manuscript must contain full names and business addresses of all authors with asterisk next to the name of the corresponding author. Footnote at the bottom of the first page should contain information about the corresponding author (phone, fax and e-mail).
Latin words, phrases and abbreviations, including generic and specific names, should be written in italic. The references should be cited with ordinal numbers of the references in round brackets, with only the number written in italic.
Figures, tables and their legends should be included at the end of the document and their position marked in the text.
The manuscripts should be sent to the following address:
Quality of Life, Editorial Board,
Pan-European University APEIRON
Pere Krece 13,
78000 Banja Luka, Bosnia and Hercegovina,
phone: +38451 247 910 and fax: +387 51 247921,
e-mail: info@qol-au.com, sekretar@qol-au.com, redakcija@qol-au.com
URL: http://www.qol-au.com
Potential referees
All papers will be peer reviewed. Authors are asked to submit full contact details, including e-mail addresses, for three potential referees. Referees should be experts in the field of the paper, and not associated with the institution with which the authors are affiliated. The final choice of referees will remain entirely with the Editor.
General format
For clearness the paper should be divided into the following sections: Title Page, Abstract, Key words, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion (Results and Discussion), Conclusions, Acknowledgements, and References.
Title Page
The title page should be devoted to the title (in caps), the full name(s) of the author(s), and the full postal addresses for all co-authors. In multi-authored texts indicate author affiliation by superscript Arabic numbers placed after author’s name and before the appropriate address. Clearly indicate who is willing to handle correspondence at all stages of refereeing, publication and post-publication. The corresponding author should be identified with an asterisk. A footnote should contain an e-mail address, telephone number and fax number for the corresponding author. Title should be concise and explanatory of the content of the paper.
Abstract
Abstract (not longer than 250 words) should explain the aim of the paper and include the most relevant results and conclusions. Directly below the summary, authors should provide the key words.
Key words
Key words should list the main topic of the paper and should not contain more than 6 words or phrases, which should be separated by commas.
Introduction
It is particularly important that the introductory part be as brief as possible and clear in description of the aims of investigation. Previous relevant work regarding the topic of the manuscript should be included with references.
Materials and Methods
Experimental part should be written clearly and in sufficient detail to allow the work to be repeated. Detailed description is required only for new techniques and procedures, while the known methods must be cited in the references. For chemicals and apparatus used full data should be given including the name, company/manufacturer and country of origin. Statistical analysis should also be included. All unnecessary details should be omitted from the experimental part. Spectra, chromatograms and similar will not be published if their only purpose is to additionally characterize particular compounds.
Results and Discussion
Results and Discussion can be written as two separate or one combined section. Discussion should not be merely the repetition of the obtained results. Combining the results with discussion can simplify the presentation.
Each table and illustration must have all necessary information to be understood independently of the text. The same data should not be reproduced in both diagrams and tables. Whenever, possible formulae and equations are to be written in one line.
All figures (graphs, photographs, diagrams, etc.) and tables should be cited in the text and numbered consecutively throughout. Preferred program for writing figures and tables is Excel. The placement of figures and tables should be indicated. The size of letters and other symbols on diagrams and figures should be such as to allow reduction to column width without loss in legibility. Several figures should be grouped in a plate on one page. Unmounted figures are preferred. Figures and other illustrations should be of good quality, well-contrasted and black and white. If authors insist on color prints, they are requested to cover the additional cost of printing.
Figure legends should be placed at the bottom of each figure, while table headings should appear above the tables. The values on the x- and y-axes must be clearly and precisely defined, decimal numbers must have decimal points, not commas. Footnotes to tables should be indicated by superscript letters or symbols. Experimental error and statistical significance should be stated clearly.
Nomenclature
If symbols, letters and abbreviations are used in the text they should be listed with their explanations. SI (Système International) units should be used. Nomenclature of inorganic and organic compounds should conform to the rules of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC).
Conclusion
It should indicate the significant contribution of the manuscript with its applications.
Acknowledgements
Acknowledgements to colleagues or institutions or companies for donations or any other assistance are recommended to be put at the end of the manuscript, before references, rather than in the text.
References
All publications cited in the text should be presented in a list of references following the text of the manuscript. No more than 30 references should be cited in your manuscript. In the text refer to the author’s name (without initials) and year of publication (e.g. “Martinez, Fearne, Caswell and Henson (2007) studied the effects...” or “...similar to values reported by others (Soares, 1998)...”). For 2-6 authors all authors are to be listed at first citation. At subsequent citations use first author et al. When there are more than 6 authors, first author et al. should be used throughout the text. The list of references should be arranged alphabetically by authors’ names and should be as full as possible, listing all authors, the full title of articles and journals, publisher and year. The manuscript should be carefully checked to ensure that the spelling of authors’ names and dates are exactly the same in the text as in the reference list.

References should be given in the following form:
References to a journal publication:
Scollan, N., Hocquette, J., Nuernberg, K., Dannenberger, D., Richardson, I. & Moloney, A. (2006). Innovations in beef production systems that enhance the nutritional and health value of beef lipids and their relationship with meat quality. Meat Science, 74(1), 17–33.
Dransfield, E., Martin, J. F., Fisher, A., Nute, G. R., Zygyiannis, D., Stamataris, C., et al. (2000). Home placement testing of lamb conducted in six countries. Journal of Sensory Studies, 15(4), 421–436.
Beltran, E., Pla, R., Yuste, M., & Mor-Mur, M. (2003). Lipid oxidation of pressurized and cooked chicken: Role of sodium chloride and mechanical processing on TBARS and hexanal values. Meat Science, 64(1), 19–25.
Mann, N. (2000). Dietary lean red meat and human evolution. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 39, 71–79.
Johansson, J. K. (1989). Determinants and effects of the use of ‘made in’ labels. International Marketing Review, 6, 47–58.
Scott, J. M. (1999). Folate and vitamin B12. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 58, 441–448.
Faustman, C., & Cassens, R. G. (1990). The biochemical basis for discoloration in fresh meat: A review. Journal of Muscle Foods, 1, 217–243.
Ramanathan, R., Konda, M. K. R., Mancini, R. A., & Faustman, C. (2009). Speciesspecific effects of sarcoplasmic extracts on lipid oxidation in vitro. Journal of Food Science, 74, C73–C76.
References to a conference:
Savell, J. W., & Shackelford, S. D. (1992). The significance of tenderness to the meat industry. In Proceedings of the 45th Reciprocal Meat Conference (pp. 43–46). Chicago, IL.
Joseph, P., Suman, S. P., Li, S., Beach, C. M., & Claus, J. R. (2008). Mass spectrometric characterization and thermostability of turkey myoglobin. In Proceedings of 61st annual reciprocal meat conference, Gainesville, FL. Abstract no. 87.
References to a book:
Meilgaard M., Civille G.V., & Carr T.B. (1999). Sensory Evaluation Techniques. (3rd ed.). CRC Press, Printed in USA.
Strunk, W., Jr., & White, E. B. (1979). The elements of style. (3rd ed.). New York: Macmillan, (Chapter 4).
Morgan, J. B., Cannon, J. B., McKeith, F. K., Meeker, D., & Smith, G. C. (1993). National pork chain quality audit (packer-processor-distributor). Final Report to the National Pork Producers Council.
USDA. (1997). USDA advises consumers to use a meat thermometer when cooking hamburger. FSIS News and Information Bulletin. FSIS, USDA. Washington, DC.
USDA-FSIS (2005). Federal register notice: HACCP plan reassessment for mechanically tenderized beef products. Federal Register, 70, 30331–30334.
References to a chapter in an edited book:
Gudmundsson, M., & Hafsteinsson, H. (2002). New non-thermal techniques for processing seafood. In H. A. Bremner (Ed.), Safety and quality issues in fish processing (pp. 308–329). Cambridge, England: CRC Press, Woodhead Publishing Ltd.
Olson, J. C. (1977). Price as an informational cue: Effects on product evaluations. In A. G. Woodside, J. N. Sheth, & P. D. Bennett (Eds.), Consumer and industrial buying behavior (pp. 267–286). New York: Elsevier.
Monroe, K. B., & Krishnan, R. (1985). The effect of price on subjective product evaluations. In J. Jacoby & J. C. Olson (Eds.), Perceived quality: How consumers view stores and merchandise (pp. 209–232). Toronto: Lexington.
References to a internet:
World Health Organisation. (1990). Diet, nutrition and the prevention of chronic disease. Technical Report Series No. 797. Geneva: WHO. Available at <http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/publications/trs916/en/gsfao_global.pdf>. Accessed 10.06.10
National Bison Association. (2009). <http://www.bisoncentral.com>. Accessed 22.06.10
Bowater, F. J. (2001). Rapid carcass chilling plants compared to conventional systems. International Institute of Refrigeration. <www.fjb.co.uk>. Accessed 12.05.10.
Soares, N. F. F. (1998). Bitterness reduction in citrus juice through nariginase immobilized into polymer film. New York: Cornell University. 130 p. (PhD Dissertation).
Citing and listing of web references. As a minimum, the full URL should be given. Any further information, if known (DOI, author names, dates, reference to a source publication, etc.), should also be given. Web references can be listed separately (e.g., after the reference list) under a different heading if desired, or can be included in the reference list.(example: Abbott, A., Basurto, M., Daley, C.A., Nader, G. and Larsen, S. (2004). Enhanced nutrient content of grass-fed beef: justification for health benefit label claim. Available at: http://www.csuchico.edu/agr/grassfedbeef/health-benefits/index.html (Accessed: 11 July, 2007).
Anonymous. (2007). 2006 International Beef Quality Perceptions Survey. Canadian Beef Export Federation (http://www.cbef.com, Accessed 10 October 2007).
The Digital Object Identifier (DOI) may be used to cite and link to electronic documents. The DOI consists of a unique alpha-numeric character string which is assigned to a document by the publisher upon the initial electronic publication. The assigned DOI never changes. Therefore, it is an ideal medium for citing a document, particularly “Articles in Press” because they have not yet received their full bibliographic information. The correct format for citing a DOI is shown as follows (example taken from a document in the journal Physics Letters B: doi:10.1016/jphysletb.2003.10.071
When you use the DOI to create URL hyperlinks to documents on the web, they are guaranteed never to change.
Additional Information
Review Process
All manuscripts are sent to at least two independent referees who will be asked to complete the refereeing job within 4 to 6 weeks. The final decision regarding acceptance will be made by the Editors. Manuscripts may be sent back to authors for revision if necessary. Revised manuscript submissions should be made as soon as possible (within 4 weeks) after the receipt of the referees’ comments.
Proofs
One set of page proofs in PDF format will be sent by e-mail to the corresponding Author. The author may list the corrections and return to the journal in an e-mail. Please list the corrections quoting line number. If, for any reason, this is not possible, then mark the corrections and any other comments on a printout of your proof and return by fax, or scan the pages and e-mail, or by post.
This proof should only be used for checking the typesetting, editing, completeness and correctness of the text, tables and figures. Significant changes to the article as accepted for publication will not be considered at this stage. It is important to ensure that all corrections are sent back to the journal in one communication. The publication of the article may be proceeded if no response is received.
Proofs must be corrected and returned to the publishers within 48 hours of receipt.
Offprints: The corresponding author, at no cost, will be provided with a PDF file of the article (e-offprints) via e-mail and 10 free paper offprints.
Copyright
The authors bear the sole responsibility for the content of the contributions. The Editorial Board assumes that by submitting their papers the authors have not violated any internal rules or regulations of their institutions related to the content of the contributions and that they have not submitted the paper somewhere else. The acceptance of the paper obliges the authors not to publish the same material elsewhere. If excerpts from other copyrighted works are included, the author(s) must obtain written permission from the copyright owners and credit the source(s) in the article.