About the Journal

Author Guidelines

Before you begin

For inquiries related to the status of your paper pre-decision, please contact the Editor or the Journal Editorial Office. For queries post-acceptance, please contact the Supplier Project Manager. You can find these contact details in the Editorial Team section.

 

Author Responsibilities

Our aim is to provide you with a professional and courteous experience at every stage of the review and publication process. There are also certain responsibilities that fall upon you as the author. We expect you to:

  1. Respond promptly to any queries during the publication process.

  2. Take responsibility for all aspects of your work, including addressing any questions about accuracy or research integrity.

  3. Treat communications between you and the journal editor as confidential until an editorial decision has been made.

  4. Familiarize yourself with our research ethics for authorship, which require you to:

    • Include anyone who has made a substantial and meaningful contribution to the submission (others involved should be acknowledged).

    • Exclude individuals who have not contributed to the paper or have chosen not to be associated with the research.

    • Clarify that Large Language Models (LLMs) cannot be credited with authorship as they require human direction for research design and cannot be accountable for the work's integrity, originality, and validity. Authors must describe the AI tool's role, cite its name and version, and appropriately reference any additional works the AI tool relies on. The use of standard spelling and grammar tools is not affected by this guidance, and the Editor and Publisher may determine the permissibility of AI tool usage.

    • Ensure ethical approval if your article involves human participants and include this information in your submission.

 

Generative AI Usage Key Principles

When using generative AI tools or LLMs, certain principles apply:

  1. Copywriting any part of an article using a generative AI tool/LLM is not permissible, including the abstract or literature review, as authors must be responsible and accountable for the work's accuracy, integrity, and validity.

  2. The generation or reporting of results using a generative AI tool/LLM is not allowed, as authors must be responsible for creating and interpreting their work and ensuring its accuracy, integrity, and validity.

  3. In-text reporting of statistics using a generative AI tool/LLM is not permissible due to concerns over data authenticity, integrity, and validity. However, using such a tool for work analysis is acceptable.

  4. Copy-editing an article using a generative AI tool/LLM to improve language and readability is permissible, as it aligns with standard spelling and grammar tools and uses existing author-created material. The author remains responsible for the original work.

  5. The submission and publication of images created by AI tools or large-scale generative models are not allowed.

 

Research and Publishing Ethics

Our editors and staff work diligently to ensure ethically sound content. We adhere closely to COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines and have our own research and publishing ethics guidelines. Here are some key points:

  1. Manuscripts should be original and not previously published in their current or similar form, with exceptions outlined in our pre-print and conference paper policies.

  2. Your work should not be submitted elsewhere simultaneously.

  3. Declare any conflicts of interest upon submission.

  4. Ensure you have obtained written permission to use any third-party material in your manuscript before submission.

  5. Familiarize yourself with copyright requirements and permissions.

 

Open Access Submissions and Information

Our journals offer two open access (OA) publishing paths: gold open access and green open access. Here's what you need to know:

  1. Gold Open Access: You can choose to publish your paper as gold open access, making it freely available upon publication. You'll be required to pay an APC (article processing charge), which varies by journal. Your article will carry a Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 user license.

  2. Green Open Access: If your funding doesn't cover the APC, you can opt for green open access. After publication, you can make the accepted manuscript openly available, free from payment and embargo periods.

 

Transparency and Openness Promotion (TOP) Guidelines

We are committed to the Transparency and Openness Promotion (TOP) Guidelines to support research reproducibility. We encourage you to:

  1. Cite and fully reference all data, program code, and methods in your article.

  2. Include persistent identifiers (e.g., DOI) for datasets and program code references.

  3. Follow international and national procedures for data protection, privacy rights, and ethical considerations.

 

Submit Your Manuscript

Follow these steps to submit your manuscript:

  1. Use the editorial system for submission, creating a separate author account for each journal.

  2. Add your ORCiD ID during submission.

  3. Check your manuscript for completeness, correctness, spelling, and typographical errors.

  4. Ensure your manuscript aligns with journal aims and scope and follows research and publishing ethics guidelines.

  5. Confirm any necessary publishing permissions.

  6. Follow the formatting requirements outlined in the author guidelines.

  7. Do not include author names in the manuscript text, figures, or captions to maintain anonymous peer review.

 

Post Submission

Review and Decision Process

After submission, the editor will conduct an initial check. If the manuscript aligns with the journal's scope and meets quality standards, it will undergo double anonymous peer review by at least two independent referees. The editor may accept the manuscript, request revisions, or decline it. You'll receive updates on the review progress.

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If Your Submission Is Accepted

If your manuscript is accepted, you'll receive an acceptance email containing instructions for preparing your paper for publication. Please follow these steps:

  1. Review and address any requested revisions.

  2. Pay any applicable APC (article processing charge) for gold open access.

  3. Complete and submit your copyright form.

  4. Prepare your manuscript and supplementary files according to the final formatting guidelines.

  5. Await further instructions from the journal's editorial team.

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If Your Submission Is Not Accepted

If your manuscript is not accepted, you'll receive feedback from the peer reviewers and editor. You may choose to revise and resubmit your work, submit it elsewhere, or take any other appropriate action.

 

Publication and Promotion

Once your manuscript is accepted and all required materials are submitted, the journal will prepare your article for publication. It will appear on the journal's website and, if you choose gold open access, will be freely accessible to readers immediately upon publication.

Promote your work through various channels, such as social media, your institution's website, and academic networking sites. Share your published article with colleagues and peers to increase its visibility and impact.

 

Conclusion

By following these guidelines and ethical standards, you can ensure a smooth submission and publication process for your research paper. Remember to adhere to the journal's specific author guidelines and consult with the editorial team or support staff if you have any questions or concerns. Good luck with your submission!