Instructions

INSTRUCTIONS FOR AUTHORS

Submission Deadlines and Publishing Schedule 2024

31 January – ALFA 1 (published on 15 March)
17 April – ALFA 2 (published on 14 June)
26 June – ALFA 3 (published on 13 September)
29 September – ALFA 4 (published on 6 December)

Call for papers 2024: http://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.13023.64160

General Information

The authors are required to acquaint themselves with the following documents and comply with all the provided information when submitting their manuscripts including all associated documents:

  1. Peer Review Policy and Publishing Ethics
  2. Open Access License (needs to be signed and returned electronically) – since issue 1/2021
  • No fee is charged and authors are not paid for any of the stages of article submission, evaluation, or publication – funded from the budget resources of the Faculty (subsidy from the Ministry), no article processing charges apply.
  • New contributions are accepted solely in English and in a formal scientific style.
  • The editor will arrange for the spell- and grammar check, and stylistic revision of the text.
  • All authors are required to send their submissions electronically via Editorial Manager (since 22 Aug 2022)

Review of Articles

The editorial board of the Journal welcomes original authorial texts that have not been published yet. Each text to be published should include the author’s own contribution. A submitted manuscript also must not be subject to a peer-review process at another journal at the same time.

Submitted texts for all categories specified below are subject to an anonymous blind peer review process. There are normally 3 reviews for each article, submitted through the Editorial Manager. Based on the reviews, the editors reserve the right to reject the paper or request the author to adjust it. After the texts have been reviewed, the comments of the reviewer must be considered and worked in the text without unnecessary delays.

Extent of the Content

  • Manuscripts’ word count is calculated based on the number of characters with spaces. The total length of the document is inclusive of tables, charts/graphs, captions/legends to figures, footnotes/references and images/figures.

Scientific studies and papers are published in 3 categories (sections) within this extent:

  1. Design Research – from 20,000 up to 36,000 characters
  2. Research by Design – from 20,000 up to 36,000 characters
  3. Findings, Conclusions of the Current Research Projects – from 12,000 up to 18,000 characters

Text Layout and Arrangement

  • Manuscripts must be submitted in the Word template (click to download), which was last updated on 10 Nov 2022, not edited, without inserted figures. Authors are required to keep all the elements of the template format. Please note that using other programs than Microsoft Word, even its online or mobile versions, and copy-pasting texts from elsewhere may result in serious unexpected changes in the template document, which are sometimes impossible or very difficult to correct. If you are using Microsoft Word online, save the template document to your computer and continue editing it outside the online version. It is also recommended to type directly into the template to prevent any formatting issues that occur with the copying of the content from a different document. If you still decide to copy and paste any text to the template, automatic hyphenation must be turned off for the source text being copied. This is especially important to follow when using a different text editor, including a different version of the recommended non-online MS Word.
  • Title of the paper captures the essence of the topic, it should be concise. The title must not include abbreviations; if the main title does not capture the entire scope of the topic, the author may add a subtitle.
  • The template includes more specific information on how to write the paper and what to include.

Supplementary Texts

  • Authors must supply each scientific study/paper for Design Research and Research by Design categories also with an extra summary in English that is 5,400 characters long and with keywords or key expressions (up to 7), as a separate document.
  • For the journal section Current Research Projects, the summary is 3,600 characters long.

Figures, Photographs, and Graphics

  • The main author of the article shall be responsible for the copyright to graphical materials. Please allow enough time to carefully verify all copyrights related to all content used in your submission whether it is online, in print, or in person, be it graphics or text.
  • Diagrams, schemes, drawings, and photographs must be good quality originals or digital copies. Bitmap graphics has to be supplied in formats such as .jpg, .png/.tif (if text is included), vector graphics in the .pdf format, tables and charts/graphs in the .doc, .docx or .xml format (tables are unsuitable provided as images).
  • Photographs must be supplied in the maximum resolution and size possible, not optimized and not compressed. The minimal resolution of all graphic elements is 300 dpi.
  • Every image (photograph, drawing and the like) must bear a caption/legend stating the legitimate author and source.
  • Submitted figures must not be part of the text document. Authors indicate their preferred placement in the article by e. g.: Fig. 1.
  • Tables, charts/graphs, diagrams and schemes must be placed at the end of the text or in separate files, their placement must be indicated in the text, e. g.: Tab. 1.

Declaration of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in scientific writing (since issue 1/2024)

  • The below guidance only refers to the writing process, and not to the use of AI tools to analyse and draw insights from data as part of the research process.
  • Where authors use generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process, authors should only use these technologies to improve readability and language. Applying the technology should be done with human oversight and control, and authors should carefully review and edit the result, as AI can generate authoritative-sounding output that can be incorrect, incomplete, or biased. AI and AI-assisted technologies should not be listed as an author or co-author, or be cited as an author. Authorship implies responsibilities and tasks that can only be attributed to and performed by humans.
  • Authors should disclose in their manuscript the use of AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process by following the instructions below. A statement will appear in the published work. Please note that authors are ultimately responsible and accountable for the contents of the work.
  • Disclosure instructions: Authors must disclose the use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process by adding a statement at the end of their manuscript in the core manuscript file, before the References list. The statement should be placed in a new section entitled ‘Declaration of Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process’.
  • Statement: During the preparation of this work the author(s) used [NAME TOOL / SERVICE] in order to [REASON]. After using this tool/service, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take(s) full responsibility for the content of the publication.
  • This declaration does not apply to the use of basic tools for checking grammar, spelling, references etc. If there is nothing to disclose, there is no need to add a statement.

Bibliography

  • Authors take full responsibility for the accuracy of their references. Please add the DOI number or URL of a full-text version if it exists. The DOI of journal papers can be found on page http://www.crossref.org/SimpleTextQuery/ (you need to register first). DOIs must be given for conference papers too. Insert DOI as an active link in the following format (example): https://doi.org/[DOI].
  • Author names are expected in the “Family, C.” format where “C” is the initial of the first name.
  • Provide the complete title of the publication (the title of the paper, book, book chapter, standard, patent). Do not abbreviate journal or conference names, e.g. write “World Transactions on Engineering and Technology Education” instead of “World Trans. on Engng. and Technol. Educ.”.
  • All items of the reference list must be directly cited in the body of the text using the Harvard in-text citation. Citations may be made directly (or parenthetically).
  • Each citation in the text must be included in the reference list.
  • Reference style (since 2024 – all citations in the text should refer to:
    • Single author: the author’s name (without initials, unless there is ambiguity) and the year of publication,
    • Two authors: both authors’ names and the year of publication,
    • Three or more authors: first author’s name followed by ‘et al.’ and the year of publication.
  • Groups of references should be listed first alphabetically, then chronologically. References should be arranged first alphabetically and then further sorted chronologically if necessary.
  • More than one reference from the same author(s) in the same year must be identified by the letters ‘a’, ‘b’, ‘c’, etc., placed after the year of publication. Examples: ‘as demonstrated (Allan, 2000a, 2000b, 1999; Allan and Jones, 1999). Kramer et al. (2010) have recently shown ….’

Sample Reference List

Journal articles:

  • Author, A. and Author, B. (Year) “Title of article”, Complete Title of the Journal, Volume(Number), pp. xxx–xxx. https://doi.org/[DOI]

Journal articles without DOI (publically available on the internet):

  • Author, A. et al. (Year) “Title of article”, Complete Title of the Journal, Volume(Number), pp. xxx–xxx. [online] Available at: URL [Accessed: date (day month year)]

Chapters of books:

  • Author, A. B. (Year) “Title of a chapter in the book”, In: Title of the Published Book, Publisher, City of Publisher, Country, pp. xxx–xxx. https://doi.org/[DOI]

Chapters of edited books:

  • Chapter author(s) (Year) “Title of a chapter in the book”, In: Book editor(s) with (ed. or eds.) Title of the Published Book, Publisher, City of Publisher, Country, pp. xxx–xxx. https://doi.org/[DOI]

Books:

  • Author, A. B. (Year) “Title of the book”, Publisher, City of Publisher, Country. https://doi.org/[DOI]

Conference proceedings (published):

  • Author, A. B. (Year) “Title of paper”, In: Name of Conference, City of Conference, Country, pp. xxx–xxx. https://doi.org/[DOI]

Papers presented at conferences (unpublished):

  • Author, A. B. (Year) “Title of paper”, presented at Name of Conference, City of Conference, Country, Abbreviated Month, Day, Year.

Dissertations/Theses and e-version:

  • Author, A. B. (Year) “Title of dissertation”, Level, Official name of the University.
  • Author, A. B. (Year) “Title of dissertation”, Level, Official name of the University. Available at: URL [Accessed: date (day month year)]

Websites:

  • Authorship or Source “Title of the web document or webpage”. [online] Available at: web address/URL [Accessed: date (day month year)]

Reports:

  • Author, A. B. (Year) “Title of the report”, Name of the Corporation, City of the Corporation, Country, Rep. xxx.

Patents:

  • Inventor name, Initials, Assignee (Year) “Title of the patent”, Place, Patent number (status, if an application).

Standards:

  • Corporate author (Year of Publication) “Identifying letters and numbers and full title of Standard”, Publisher, Place of publication.

PDF documents (for example, a Government publication or similar which is freely available):

  • Authorship “Title of document”, [pdf] Publisher, Place of publication (if known). Available at: web address or URL for the actual pdf [Accessed: date (day month year)]

Computer Program:

  • Authorship/Organisation “Title of program, (Version)”, [computer program]. Available at: web address/URL [Accessed: date (day month year)]

European Union (EU) documents:

  • The name of the Institution where the document originates (e.g. Commission), Form (e.g. Directive or Decision), Year/Legislation number/ Initials of Institution followed by the date it was passed if known, followed by the title.

Newspaper articles:

  • Author, A. B. (Year) “Title of article or column header”, Full Title of Newspaper, Day and month before page numbers and column line.

Online newspaper articles:

  • Author or corporate author (Year) “Title of document or page”, Name of newspaper, [online] additional date information. Available at: URL [Accessed: date (day month year)]

Archive material:

  • Author, A. B. (Year) “Title of document”, [type of medium] Collection, Document number, Name of Library/Archive/Repository, Geographical Town/Place.

Cited papers not in English, give the title in the original language, then the translation to English, and a remark at the end: (in [Language]):

  • Author, A. B. (Year) “Name of paper” (English translation), Complete Title of the Journal, Volume(Number), pp. xxx–xxx. (in [Language]) https://doi.org/[DOI]

 

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Last update: 18 Jan 2024