Supplementary Material Guidance

What is Supplementary Material?

Supplementary material (also known as supplementary information or supporting information) consists of additional data, files, or content that supports the findings presented in your manuscript but is not essential for understanding the main conclusions of the research.

Supplementary material is published online alongside the main article and is freely accessible to readers. It undergoes the same peer review process as the main manuscript.

What Can Be Included as Supplementary Material?

Acceptable Content

Additional figures and tables
Extended datasets
Detailed methodologies
Video files demonstrating procedures
Audio files (e.g., patient interviews)
3D models or animations
Extended statistical analyses
Questionnaires and surveys
Additional case studies
Source code or algorithms

Not Acceptable

Essential data required to understand main findings
Key figures or tables central to conclusions
Primary methodology descriptions
Patient consent forms (submit separately)
Copyright-protected material without permission
Identifiable patient information

File Format and Technical Requirements

Supported File Formats

Documents:

PDF (.pdf)
Word (.doc, .docx)
Excel (.xls, .xlsx)

Images:

JPEG (.jpg, .jpeg)
PNG (.png)
TIFF (.tif, .tiff)
GIF (.gif)

Multimedia:

Video (.mp4, .avi, .mov)
Audio (.mp3, .wav)

Technical Specifications

File Size: Maximum 100 MB per file (contact editorial office for larger files)
File Naming: Use descriptive names (max 100 characters), no special characters except hyphens (-) and underscores (_)
Image Resolution: Minimum 300 dpi for figures, 600 dpi for line art
Video Quality: Minimum 720p resolution, H.264 codec recommended
Compression: Use standard compression; avoid proprietary formats

Preparation Guidelines

1. Organization and Labeling

Number all supplementary items sequentially (e.g., Supplementary Figure 1, Supplementary Table 1)
Provide clear, descriptive titles and legends for each item
Reference supplementary material in the main manuscript text
Create a separate file listing all supplementary items with brief descriptions

2. Quality Standards

Ensure all supplementary material is of publication quality
Verify that all text is legible and figures are clear
Check that videos play correctly and audio is audible
Remove any patient identifiers or obtain proper consent
Ensure compliance with ethical guidelines

3. Documentation

Include detailed legends explaining each supplementary item
Provide methodology for supplementary analyses
Credit sources and obtain permissions for third-party material
Include acknowledgments specific to supplementary content

Important Policies

CRITICAL: Post-Publication Policy

Once your article is published, supplementary material CANNOT be modified, corrected, or removed except through our formal corrections, retractions, and removals process.

Please ensure all supplementary material is complete, accurate, and final before submission.

Peer Review

All supplementary material undergoes peer review alongside the main manuscript. Reviewers may:

Request modifications to supplementary content
Suggest moving material between main text and supplements
Recommend removal of non-essential supplementary items
Request additional supplementary material to support findings

Copyright and Permissions

Authors retain copyright of supplementary material
Material is published under the same license as the main article
Third-party content requires written permission
Properly cite and acknowledge all sources

Accessibility

Supplementary material is freely accessible online
Provide alternative text descriptions for images
Include transcripts for audio/video content when possible
Ensure PDFs are searchable and screen-reader compatible

Best Practices

Tips for Success

Be Selective: Only include material that genuinely supports your research
Stay Organized: Use consistent naming and numbering conventions
Test Everything: Verify all files open correctly before submission
Provide Context: Include clear legends and descriptions
Check References: Ensure all citations in supplementary material are included in the main reference list
Respect Privacy: Remove all patient identifiers
Final Review: Double-check everything before final submission

Examples of Supplementary Material

Clinical Research

Extended patient demographics tables
Additional MRI/CT scan images
Detailed surgical procedure videos
Complete statistical analysis outputs
Patient questionnaires used in study

Basic Science

Raw experimental data files
Additional Western blot images
Time-lapse microscopy videos
Detailed protocols and reagent lists
Computational model source code

Submission Checklist

Before submitting, verify that you have:

Numbered all supplementary items sequentially Provided clear titles and legends for each item Referenced all supplementary material in the main manuscript Verified file formats are acceptable Checked that filenames meet requirements (max 100 characters, no special characters) Tested that all files open and display correctly Removed all patient identifiers or obtained consent Obtained permissions for third-party content Understand that material cannot be modified after publication

Need Help?

If you have questions about supplementary material or need assistance with file preparation, please contact our editorial office:

Email: editorial@majn-journal.org

Phone: +1 (555) 123-4567

Office Hours: Monday - Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM EST