Guideline for Authors

This journal employs a double-blind peer-review process.

Submission URL: https://oiccpress.com/jsaeb/about/submissions

Manuscript Submission

Submitting a manuscript confirms that:

  • The work has not been published previously.
  • It is not being considered for publication elsewhere.
  • All co-authors (if any) and relevant authorities at the institution where the research was conducted have approved its submission, either explicitly or implicitly. The publisher assumes no legal responsibility for any claims related to compensation.

Permissions

If authors wish to include previously published figures, tables, or text, they must obtain permission from the copyright holder(s) for both print and online formats. Proof of such permission must be provided at the time of submission. Any material submitted without proper documentation will be assumed to be the author’s original work.

Online Submission

To submit your manuscript, click on the “Submit Manuscript” link and follow the on-screen instructions to upload all necessary files.

Source Files

Authors must provide all relevant editable source files for each submission and revision. Incomplete submissions lacking editable source files will not be considered for review. Manuscripts should be submitted in standard word processing formats, such as .docx, .doc.

Title Page

Ensure your title page includes the following details:

The title should be clear, concise, and informative.

Author Information

  • Full name(s) of the author(s).
  • Affiliation(s) including institution, (department), city, (state), and country.
  • Contact details of the corresponding author, including an active email address.
  • If applicable, the 16-digit ORCID ID of the author(s).

For unaffiliated authors, only the city and country of residence will be recorded, and their email addresses will not be included unless explicitly requested.

Use of AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) for authorship

LLMs such as ChatGPT do not meet authorship criteria, as authorship entails accountability, which cannot be assigned to AI tools. Any use of LLMs should be documented in the Methods section (or an alternative section if a Methods section is not present).

Moreover, AI-assisted copy editing for grammar, style, and readability does not need to be disclosed as an authorship role, provided there is human accountability for the final version.

Abstract

Provide an abstract between 150 and 250 words. It should be a concise summary of the manuscript and should not include undefined abbreviations or citations.

  A graphical abstract file, in the accepted format, based on the Electronic Figure Submission guidelines, should be submitted.  

Keywords

Provide 4 to 6 keywords that accurately represent the study for indexing purposes. Ensure the keywords reflect the article's core content and provide clarity for indexing and searchability in databases.

When providing keywords for an academic article, choose terms that best represent the main topics, concepts, or themes of your paper. Keywords should be specific, relevant, and commonly used in your field. Avoid using overly broad or vague terms, and consider the terms that researchers might search for to find your work.

Statements and Declarations

Under the "Statements and Declarations" section, include competing Interests and Author Contribution.

Competing Interests: Disclose any financial or non-financial interests related to the submitted work. See submission guidelines for specific examples and wording recommendations.

Submissions missing relevant declarations will be considered incomplete. Refer to the submission guidelines for further details.

Text Formatting

  • Manuscripts should be submitted in Word format (.docx or .doc).
  • Use a standard font, such as 10-point Times New Roman.
  • Italics should be used for emphasis.
  • Enable automatic page numbering.
  • Avoid using field functions.
  • Use tab stops or other commands for indents instead of the space bar.
  • Create tables using the table function, not spreadsheets.
  • Use the equation editor or MathType for mathematical equations.

Headings

Limit the use of displayed headings to a maximum of three levels.

Abbreviations

Define abbreviations upon first use and apply them consistently throughout the manuscript.

Footnotes

Footnotes should provide additional information, which may include references from the reference list.

They should not consist solely of a reference citation or include full bibliographic details.

Figures or tables should not be included in footnotes.

Text footnotes should be numbered consecutively.

Table footnotes should use superscript lowercase letters (or asterisks for statistical significance values).

Footnotes related to the title or author names should not use reference symbols.

Use footnotes instead of endnotes.

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments for contributors, grants, and funding should be included in a separate section on the title page. Funding organizations should be mentioned in full.

References

References within text

Any references cited within your article should also be present in your reference list and vice versa. Some guidelines:

·       References cited in your abstract must be given in full.

·       We recommend that you do not include unpublished results and personal communications in your reference list, though you may mention them in the text of your article.

·       Any unpublished results and personal communications included in your reference list must follow the standard reference style of the journal. In substitution of the publication date add "unpublished results" or "personal communication."

·       References cited as "in press" imply that the item has been accepted for publication.

·       Linking to cited sources will increase the discoverability of your research.

Before submission, check that all data provided in your reference list are correct, including any references which have been copied. Providing correct reference data allows us to link to abstracting and indexing services such as Scopus, Crossref and PubMed. Any incorrect surnames, journal or book titles, publication years or pagination within your references may prevent link creation.

We encourage the use of Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) as reference links as they provide a permanent link to the electronic article referenced.

Reference format

This journal does not set strict requirements on reference formatting at submission. Some guidelines:

  • References can be in any style or format as long as the style is consistent.
  • Author names, journal or book titles, chapter or article titles, year of publication, volume numbers, article numbers or pagination must be included, where applicable.

Our journal reference style will be applied to your article after acceptance, at proof stage. If required, at this stage we will ask you to correct or supply any missing reference data.

Reference style

Indicate references by adding a number within square brackets in the text. You can refer to author names within your text, but you must always give the reference number, e.g., "as demonstrated [3,6]. Barnaby and Jones [8] obtained a different result ....".

Number references in the order they appear in your article.   

Examples:

Reference to a journal publication:

[1] Karimkhani, S., Derakhshi, P., Aberoomand Azar, P. et al. Facile, fast, and green preparation of high-purity and quality silica nanoparticles using a handmade ball mill: comparison with the sol–gel method. J Nanostruct Chem 14, 369–381 (2024).

Reference to a journal publication with an article number:

[2] Chandiramouli, R., Gopinath, P. & Sriram, S. Investigation on electronic transport property of cerium nitride nanoribbon-based molecular device: a first-principles study. J Nanostruct Chem 4, 108 (2014). 

Reference to a book:

[3] Miller, T., and Johnson, L.  Data Science Essentials. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2018.

Reference to a chapter in a book:

[4] Gomez, R. 2019. Cybersecurity challenges in the digital age. In: Lane, P., and Wright, H. (eds.), Modern Security Strategies, pp. 45–62. Springer, Berlin.

[5] Article with DOI: Taylor, R., Patel, M., and Kim, S. 2021. Machine learning applications in medical diagnostics. AI in J. Med. (2021) https://doi.org/10.1234/aimj.2021.5678.

Reference to a website:

[6] Lee, C. 2022. The impact of climate change on global agriculture. Environmental Research Institute. http://environmentalresearch.org/climate-impact. Accessed 10 March 2023.

Reference to software:

[7] E. Coon, M. Berndt, A. Jan, D. Svyatsky, A. Atchley, E. Kikinzon, D. Harp, G. Manzini, E. Shelef, K. Lipnikov, R. Garimella, C. Xu, D. Moulton, S. Karra, S. Painter, E. Jafarov, S. Molins, Advanced Terrestrial Simulator (ATS) v0.88 [software], Zenodo, March 25, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1234/zenodo.3727209.

Tables

  • Tables should be numbered sequentially using Arabic numerals.
  • They must be cited in the text in numerical order.
  • Each table should have a caption (title) that clearly describes its content.
  • If a table includes previously published material, the original source should be referenced at the end of the caption.
  • Footnotes should be marked with superscript lowercase letters (e.g., a, b, c) or asterisks (for significance values and statistical data) and placed below the table body.

Artwork and Illustrations Guidelines

Electronic Figure Submission:

  • Submit all figures in electronic format.
  • Specify the graphics software used to create the artwork.
  • Preferred file formats: Vector graphics: EPS (ensure fonts are embedded). Halftones: TIFF (minimum 300 dpi). MS Office files are also acceptable.
  • Figures should be named using “Fig” followed by the figure number (e.g., eps).
  • Ensure all lines are at least 1 mm (0.3 pt) wide and legible at final size.
  • Scanned line drawings and bitmap-format line art should have a minimum resolution of 1200 dpi.
  • If magnification is used in photographs, include a scale bar within the figure.

Combination Art

Definition: A mix of halftone and line art, such as halftones with line drawings, extensive lettering, or colour diagrams.

Resolution requirement: Minimum 600 dpi.

Colour Art

If printed in black and white, ensure the key information remains visible. A simple check is to print a grayscale copy.

Do not reference colours in captions if figures are printed in black and white.

Submit colour illustrations in RGB (8 bits per channel).

Figure Lettering

Use Helvetica or Arial (sans serif fonts).

Maintain consistent font size, usually 2–3 mm (8–12 pt).

Avoid large variations in font sizes within a single figure.

Refrain from using shading, outlined letters, or special effects.

Titles and captions should not be included within the figure itself.

Figure Numbering

Use Arabic numerals (e.g., Fig. 1, Fig. 2).

Figures must be cited in the text in numerical order.

For multiple parts of a figure, use lowercase letters (a, b, c, etc.).

Appendix figures should continue the main text numbering sequence, not be labeled “A1, A2, A3, etc.” However, figures in Supplementary Information (SI) should be numbered separately.

Figure Captions

Provide a concise description of the figure.

Include captions in the text file of the manuscript, not in the figure file.

Format: "Fig." in bold, followed by the figure number (also in bold), with no punctuation after the number (e.g., Fig. 1 Example of data trends).

Identify all elements of the figure in the caption using boxes, circles, or other markers as needed.

If previously published material is used, cite the original source at the end of the caption.

Figure Placement and Size

Figures should be embedded within the text unless large file sizes cause upload issues, in which case they can be submitted separately.

Ensure figures fit within the column width of the journal:

Large-sized journals: 84 mm (single-column) or 174 mm (double-column), max height 234 mm.

Small-sized journals: 119 mm wide, max height 195 mm.

Permissions

If using previously published figures, obtain permission from the copyright holder for both print and online use.

Be aware that some publishers may charge fees. Consider using alternative sources if necessary.

Accessibility Considerations

Ensure descriptive captions for figures to support text-to-speech and Braille readers.

Use patterns in addition to colours to help colourblind users distinguish elements.

Maintain a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for figure lettering.

Supplementary Information (SI)

Before submitting research datasets as supplementary materials, authors should review the journal’s Research Data Policy. Whenever possible, research data should be stored in designated repositories.

Submission Guidelines

Supplementary materials should be provided in standard file formats. Each file should include the article title, journal name, author names, and the corresponding author's affiliation and email.

Text and Presentations

Submit files in PDF format (Word or PowerPoint files are not suitable for long-term storage).

Collections of figures can be compiled into a single PDF.

Spreadsheets

Submit spreadsheets as .csv or .xlsx files.

Specialised Formats

Files in specialised formats such as .pdb (chemical), .wrl (VRML), .nb (Mathematica notebook), and .tex are accepted.

Multiple Files

Multiple files may be combined into a .zip or .gz archive.

Referencing and Formatting

The article text must reference supplementary materials similar to figures and tables.

Cite supplementary materials as “Online Resource” (e.g., "...as seen in the animation (Online Resource 3)" or “...additional data is provided in Online Resource 4”).

Name files in sequence, such as “ESM_3.mpg”, and “ESM_4.pdf”.

Captions

Provide a brief caption describing the content of each supplementary file.

Processing

Supplementary materials are published as submitted without modifications, formatting, or conversion.

Accessibility Considerations

To ensure accessibility for all users:

The manuscript should include a clear caption for each supplementary file.

After Acceptance

Once an article is accepted, it moves to production for typesetting. Authors will receive two emails:

One requesting confirmation of affiliation and payment of any associated fees (Article Processing Charges).

Another providing a link to article proofs for final review.

The AUTHOR PUBLISHING AGREEMENT (OPEN ACCESS - CC BY LICENSE) need to be completed and emailed to the journal office.

Additional Information

Proofreading

Proofs are for checking errors in typesetting, formatting, and content accuracy.

Major content changes, such as new results or modifications to authorship, require editorial approval.

Post-publication modifications can only be made via an Erratum linked to the article.

In Press

The article will be published online as soon as proofs are finalised, with a DOI for citation.

After final publication, the paper will also have issue and page numbers.

Copyright

OICC Press journals operate under an fully open-access model, meaning authors retain copyright over their work. Details on open-access licensing can be found on the journal website under the "Open Access Policy" section.

Scientific Style

Use internationally recognised SI units.

Follow systematic naming conventions (e.g., IUPAC for chemicals).

Italicize genus and species names.

Prefer generic drug and pesticide names; if trade names are used, include the generic name at first mention.

Apply standard mathematical notation, including:

Italics for variables, constants, and unknowns.

Roman/upright font for numerals, operators, and common functions (e.g., sin, log, max).

Boldface for vectors, tensors, and matrices.

Conflict of Interest

Authors must disclose any financial relationships with organisations that funded the research. If no conflicts exist, state: "The authors declare no conflict of interest". Please upload the signed form while submitting your manuscript, Download the Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form here.

Ethical Responsibilities

As part of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the journal follows ethical publishing standards. Authors must:

  • Ensure the manuscript is not submitted to multiple journals simultaneously.
  • Submit original work that has not been published elsewhere, except in cases of appropriate expansion.
  • Avoid "salami slicing," where a study is split into multiple submissions.
  • Be transparent about secondary publications, such as translations.
  • Present research data honestly, avoiding fabrication, falsification, or improper manipulation.
  • Properly acknowledge sources and avoid plagiarism.
  • Obtain necessary permissions for software, surveys, and copyrighted materials.
  • Cite relevant literature appropriately, avoiding excessive self-citation.
  • Avoid making false or harmful statements about individuals or entities.
  • Identify research with potential security risks, such as biological hazards.
  • Ensure correct authorship listing before submission, as changes post-acceptance are generally not permitted.

Authors must provide relevant documentation upon request to verify research validity. If misconduct is suspected, the journal will follow COPE guidelines and may:

  • Reject or retract the manuscript.
  • Issue an erratum, expression of concern or retraction notice.
  • Notify the author’s institution.
  • Flag ethical concerns in the author’s record.
  • Corrections and Retractions
  • If a significant error is discovered post-publication, the author must inform the journal. Corrections or retractions will be issued depending on the severity of the error.

Reviewer Suggestions

Authors may suggest reviewers or request the exclusion of certain individuals. Suggested reviewers must be independent and should represent diverse institutions and countries. While the journal may not use these suggestions, they are considered to help streamline the peer review process.