Author’s Guidelines
Content
Publication Strategy and Quality Assurance
Polytechnic Journal is committed to a strategic publication approach that prioritizes quality, originality, and scholarly impact. To uphold high editorial standards, the number of articles published annually is intentionally limited to a maximum of 24. This selective policy allows the journal to focus on publishing well-prepared research that makes meaningful contributions to its respective field.
The journal’s editorial excellence is supported by a highly qualified Editorial Board composed of 82% international members, and a robust peer review system in which over 97% of manuscripts are evaluated by international reviewers. This ensures that all published articles undergo rigorous, fair, and objective quality assessment.
To further support transparency and professionalism, Polytechnic Journal utilizes the Digital Commons platform by Elsevier — a reliable and advanced editorial management system that facilitates smooth submission, review, and publication processes for authors, reviewers, and editors alike.
Polytechnic Journal Template
The Polytechnic Journal Template provides clear instructions and guidelines for authors to follow, covering various aspects such as document structure, citation and reference formatting, font styles, and other important elements. It serves as a comprehensive guide that facilitates the creation of well-organized and professionally presented manuscripts.
PDF Template Word doc Template PDF Title Page Template Word doc Title Page TemplateLanguage
All manuscripts must be written concisely and precisely in the English language. Authors and researchers who are not fluent in figurative English expressions are advised to seek help with manuscript preparation before submission. Reviewers are not expected to assist or correct grammatical errors. Any deficiencies in this area may detract from the scientific content of the paper, which may result in acceptance delays or rejection.
Types of Articles
Polytechnic Journal accepts three types of contributions, including original articles, short communications, and review articles, as described below:
- Original articles: These articles are expected to represent in-depth research in various scientific disciplines.
- Short communications: These articles are complete papers of significant importance, but their length and depth cannot justify a full-length paper. They should not exceed 5 figures and tables, and the number of words should be between 2,500 and 3,000.
- Review articles: These articles should not exceed 11,000 words and should contain an unstructured abstract and up-to-date references. Meta-analyses are considered as reviews. Special attention shall be paid to the teaching value of review articles.
Before Submission
Please ensure that your manuscript meets the following criteria:
- The author's document is an original academic work that has not been published or is currently under review with another journal or conference proceedings.
- The author's work adheres to all research ethics guidelines. If the work involves human or animal subjects, the manuscript must include a separate section on "Ethics Approval."
- The English language used in the paper is acceptable and free of grammatical and spelling errors.
- The manuscript has been edited according to the Polytechnic Journal template.
- The author's figures and tables are of acceptable quality and uploaded as separate files.
- The author's list of references is formatted correctly, and references are Vancouver as they appear in the text. Please follow the Polytechnic Journal's reference style.
- Manuscripts must align with the aims and scopes of the Polytechnic Journal.
- Manuscripts must conform to the guidelines provided by the Polytechnic Journal. Submissions that do not adhere to these guidelines will be rejected or returned to the author before the peer-review process.
- The Polytechnic Journal requires all authors, starting from April 2025, Volume 15, to include the following sections in their manuscripts upon submission: Author Contribution, AI Usage Declaration, Ethics Information, Funding Information, Conflict of Interest, Acknowledgements, and Data Availability Statement. These sections are mandatory and must be completed during the submission process in the system.
Authors should submit their manuscripts as Word files through the online Manuscript Tracking System. If the manuscript contains mathematical content and figures, it should also be submitted in Latex.
The original manuscript should be double-spaced, using Times New Roman font (12 pt), and fully justified on both sides. The text should be in a single-column format with justified margins. Boldface, italics, subscripts, and superscripts should be used where appropriate.
To avoid errors, authors are highly advised to use the "spell-check" and "grammar-check" functions of their word processing software. The text should be continuously numbered throughout, and all pages should be numbered. Equations should be created using the equation editor or Math Type, and tables should be made using the table function.
The decimal system of heading should be used, with no more than three levels, for example, 1., 2., 2.1, 2.1.1, etc.
Online Submission
The submission of research papers is exclusively open to one of the manuscript authors through the online Editorial Managing System (EMS) , following the instructions displayed on the screen. Only Word document files are accepted via the EMS, and there are no page limits for the manuscript. Submissions made by anyone other than one of the authors will not be considered. The submitting author is responsible for the manuscript during the submission process. In case of technical difficulties preventing the use of the EMS, authors can contact Support for assistance.
Initial Evaluation
All submitted documents will be carefully reviewed by the Editorial board to ensure they are properly prepared and comply with the ethical policies of the journal. In addition, all submitted papers will be screened for potential plagiarism in the EMS. Research papers that do not adhere to the journal's ethical policies or fail to meet the standards of Polytechnic Journal may be rejected prior to peer review. Incomplete manuscripts that are not prepared in the advised style will be returned to the authors without scientific review. Once these initial checks are complete, the Editorial board may consult the journal's Editor-in-Chief to determine whether the manuscript fits the scope of the journal and whether it is scientifically sound. Papers that are deemed to have insufficient priority for publication will be promptly rejected. Please ensure that your text is written in good English, as the Editor reserves the right to reject a paper on the grounds of insufficient language quality. Any rejections at this stage will be confirmed by the Editor-in-Chief.
Submission Declaration and Verification
When submitting a manuscript for publication in the Polytechnic Journal, the author must verify and warrant the following:
- The author has obtained authorization from any co-authors to submit the research article.
- The authors of the research paper are legally authorized to submit the article and grant Polytechnic Journal permission to publish it. However, if the paper must be published in the public domain by law, the editorial board will inform the journal at the time of submission.
- The paper is original, has not been previously published in any other journal, is not currently under consideration for publication by another journal, and does not infringe on any existing copyright or other rights prescribed by law.
- The manuscript does not contain anything that is unlawful, defamatory if published, or in violation of a contract or confidentiality agreement.
Article Structure
The document must be compiled in the following order:
- Title page
- Abstract, Keywords
- Introduction
- Material and Methods (Experimental or Methodology or Patients and Methods)
- Results and discussion
- Conclusion
- Author's contribution statement
- Ethical statement
- Funding
- Appendix
- AI Usage Declaration
- Acknowledgments
- Conflicts of Interest
- References
- Tables
- Figures
- Supplementary data
Title Page
The title page should include the following in English:
- The title of the manuscript is a crucial element, providing the first impression of your work. It should be clear, specific, and interesting. It should summarize your research in a few words, be precise, and catch the reader's attention while staying professional. Using key terms relevant to your field helps others find your work easily.
- The title should be brief, concise, and descriptive. It must not contain any literature references, compound numbers, or non-standardized abbreviations. It should be centered, typed in Times New Roman 14-point, and boldface.
- On the title page, please ensure the inclusion of the title, followed by author names, their affiliations, corresponding author details, abstract, and keywords only.
- Authors and affiliations: Provide given names, middle initials (optional), and family names for complete identification. They must be centered under the title and typed in Times New Roman 11-point, non-italic, and boldface. Use superscript lowercase letters to indicate various affiliations that should be as detailed as possible, including the department, faculty/college, university, city with zip code or P.O. Box, and country. The primary affiliation for each author must be the institution where most of their academic work is carried out. If an author has subsequently moved, their current address may also be stated. Addresses are not likely to be updated after the publication of the article.
- Corresponding author: must be indicated with a symbol, and their contact details (telephone, fax, and email address) must be placed in a footnote. If available, the corresponding author's 16-digit ORCID should also be provided.
Abstract
The abstract must be self-contained, citation-free, and should not exceed 250 words. It should describe the purpose of the study, how the investigation was conducted, the most significant outcomes, and the principal conclusions drawn from the results. Non-standard or uncommon abbreviations must be defined at first mention within the abstract. The abstract should be brief, and typed in Times New Roman, 10-point, non-italic, and non-boldface. Authors are encouraged to include a Graphical Abstract.
The structured abstract must be very clear and detailed, with no typos. The abstract should thoroughly cover the study's background, objectives, methods, results, and conclusions, following the required format and standards. This will improve its overall quality.
Keywords
Select specific, relevant, and widely-used keywords that accurately reflect your article's main topics. Ensure these five keywords are included in the title, abstract, and throughout the text to enhance discoverability and increase citations.
Authors are required to provide five (5) keywords for indexing purposes, separated by semicolons. It is recommended to use Times New Roman, 12-point font, and to avoid italics or boldface.
We recommend that you only use abbreviations in keywords if they are firmly established in the field.
Introduction
This section should be concise and have no subheadings. The author or authors should aim to clearly explain the importance of their work and why it should be published. Any background information should be brief and limited to relevant material.
Material and Methods (Experimental or Methodology or Patients and Methods)
This section should include enough detail to allow the procedures to be repeated. If multiple methods are described, they should be divided into subsections. Authors should be concise in describing experiments, including all information necessary to ensure reproducibility. Previous works and methods should be referenced, and only relevant modifications should be described. For chemicals, reagents, and strains, all details, such as the company, city, and country, must be provided. In the statistical analysis section, please state the appropriate test.
Results and Discussions
The study results should be presented precisely and concisely. The use of tables and figures should be limited to presenting essential data that contributes to the message and interpretation of the study. The results must be presented logically in the text, tables, and illustrations. In the discussion, authors should explore the significance of the study's results, rather than simply repeating them. The discussion should include the implications of the findings and their limitations, how the findings fit into the context of other relevant work, and recommendations and implications for future research.
Conclusion(s)
The key conclusions of the study should be presented in a concise conclusion statement that highlights the study's objectives, goals, and significance. Any relevant hypotheses should also be stated, if appropriate.
Author's contribution statement
For research articles with several authors, a short paragraph specifying their individual contributions must be provided. The following statements should be used “Conceptualization, X.X. and Y.Y.; methodology, X.X.; software, X.X.; validation, X.X., Y.Y. and Z.Z.; formal analysis, X.X.; investigation, X.X.; resources, X.X.; data curation, X.X.; writing—original draft preparation, X.X.; writing— review and editing, X.X.; visualization, X.X.; supervision, X.X.; roject administration, X.X.; funding acquisition, Y.Y. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.” Please turn to the CRediT taxonomy for the term explanation. Authorship must be limited to those who have contributed substantially to the work reported (use Times New Roman 12).
Ethical Statement
For the ethical statement, please refer to the following link: Research Ethics and Consent.
Funding
The Polytechnic J. requires authors to disclose not only all sources of funding but also any financial support received for their manuscript. The role of the sponsor must be mentioned at every stage, from study design to manuscript submission for publication. If the sponsor has not been involved, the authors must declare this as well. It is important to ensure that this information is accurate and complies with the requirements of the funding provider.
Example
There is no funding as regard to the publication of this manuscript.
This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
Appendix
Appendices, if needed, appear before the acknowledgment (use Times New Roman 12).
AI Usage Declaration
Did you use generative AI to write this manuscript?
The use of generative AI or AI-assisted tools to create or modify images, including graphical abstracts, is not permitted in submitted manuscripts.
Generative AI is not an author. These tools should only be used to improve language and readability, with caution. If you used generative AI or AI-assisted technology, include the following statement directly before the references at the end of your manuscript.
Example
Declaration of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process
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.
Acknowledgments
All acknowledgments must be included at the very end of the article. Any authors who made a contribution to the manuscript but are not listed as authors should be acknowledged with their permission.
You can acknowledge any assistance provided here that isn't addressed in the authors’ contribution or financing sections. This could include financial assistance, technical assistance, or in-kind contributions (such as supplies for experiments) (use Times New Roman 12).
Conflicts of Interest
Authors should declare all relevant interests that could be perceived as conflicting. Researchers must provide sufficient details to explain why each interest may represent a conflict. If no conflicts exist, the authors must state this. Submitting authors are responsible for ensuring that co-authors declare their interests.
References
Use VANCOUVER citation style in Mendeley and/or Endnote. References should be cited in the text using either parentheses (round brackets) (1) or square brackets [1].
Use Times New Roman, 10-point font.
Indicate references by Arabic numerals based on Vancouver style. In Vancouver style, citations are marked in your text with numbers. You will often need to mention the author when referring to a work or introducing a quote. Only use the author’s last name in your text. If a source has multiple authors, name only the first author followed by ‘et al.’:
Davies et al. (1) argue that …
It’s not always necessary to mention the author’s name in your text – but always include the reference number when you refer to a source:
Another study (13) explores the concept of …
Sources are numbered based on the order in which they are cited in the text: the first source you cite is 1, the second 2, and so on.
If the same source is cited again, use the same number to refer to it throughout your paper. This means that the numbers might not appear in consecutive order in your text:
Collins et al. (1) argue that this technique is highly effective. However, another study (2) conducted into the technique has raised doubts about….
Authors can also cite multiple sources in the same place:
Several studies (8, 12) indicate a similar effect.
To cite several sources that appear consecutively in your numbered list, you can use an en dash to mark the range.
There is a large body of research (1, 4–7) exploring this phenomenon.
Figures
Figures and tables should be included in the main article file and not submitted separately. If the article is accepted, authors will be requested to provide the source files for the figures.
Figures should be provided in either vector art or bitmap formats. Bitmap images should have a resolution of at least 600 dpi, unless a lower resolution is deliberately chosen for scientific reasons. If a bitmap image contains labels, the image and labels must be embedded in separate layers. Figures should be referred to in the text as "Fig. 1" or "Figs. 2, 3-5" using Arabic numerals, and all figures, tables, and schemes should be cited in the text in numerical order. Figure titles should be denoted with lowercase letters.
Tables
Tables should also be cited in numerical order within the text. Each table should have a descriptive title. If numerical measurements are provided, the units must be included in the column heading. Captions for figures and tables must be 12-point Times New Roman font, boldface, and non-italic. The first word of the caption should be capitalized, but subsequent words should be in lowercase. Figure captions should be placed below the figures, while table titles should be fully justified and placed above the table, aligned to both the right and left margins.
Funding Statement
Authors should clearly indicate the source of financial support for their research and publication by specifying the funding body, followed by the grant number in square brackets. For example, "This work was supported by the Medical and Physical Sciences Research Council [grant numbers xxxx, yyyy]; the National Science Foundation [grant number zzzz]; and a Leverhulme Trust Research Project Grant." If the study did not receive any specific funding but was carried out as part of the authors' employment, the name of the employer should be mentioned. In case the funding body was involved in any aspect of the research project, including writing, editing, approval, or decision to publish, it must be declared.
Nomenclature and Units
All articles and data should be presented in SI units whenever possible. If an internationally recognized unit is used instead, it should be enclosed in parentheses. Tables, figures, and illustrations must also use conventional units, and any conversion factors should be included in the legends or footnotes.
Proofs
One set of page proofs (in PDF format) will be sent by email to the corresponding author for checking the typesetting, editing, completeness, and accuracy of the text, tables, and figures. The journal strives to publish articles quickly and accurately, so it is important that authors provide all corrections in one communication within 48 hours. Proofreading is the sole responsibility of the author.
When authors submit a revised manuscript, they should include the following files:
- Revised manuscript: Authors should use the "Track Changes" option in Microsoft Word to clearly show the changes made to the original submission. The "Revised Article with Changes Highlighted" file should be uploaded.
- Response to reviewers: Authors should address the specific points made by each reviewer, including responses to all comments from reviewers and editors, and list the changes made to the manuscript.
After Acceptance
Upon acceptance, the author's article will be exported to production for typesetting. Once the typesetting is completed, the author will receive proofs to review.
Peer Review
All articles submitted to the Polytechnic Journal undergo a rigorous peer review process and are expected to meet high standards of academic excellence. Upon approval by the editor, submissions are sent to peer reviewers whose identities remain anonymous to the authors. Similarly, the authors' identities remain anonymous to the reviewers. The decision to accept or reject a manuscript is ultimately the responsibility of the editorial board, who consider the recommendations of the reviewers.
In addition to standard peer review, our Research Integrity team may seek advice from external experts on submissions with serious ethical, security, biosecurity, or societal implications. The editorial board may consult with academic editors and other experts to determine appropriate actions, which may include recruiting reviewers with specific expertise, seeking assessment by additional editors, and/or declining to further consider a submission.
Ethical Guidelines
In all research studies involving human or animal subjects, the following ethical guidelines must be followed. For any experiments involving humans, all academic work should be carried out in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki (1964). Research papers describing experimental work that carries a risk of harm to human subjects must include a statement indicating that the experiment was conducted with the understanding and consent of the human subjects, as well as a statement indicating that the responsible ethical committee approved the experiments. In the case of any animal experiments, the authors must provide a full description of any anesthetic or surgical procedures used, as well as evidence that all possible steps were taken to minimize animal suffering at each stage of the experiment.
Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement
Polytechnic Journal is firmly committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and expects all parties involved in the publication process “authors, reviewers, editors, and publishers” to adhere to these principles. The journal strictly follows the COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines to maintain transparency, integrity, and ethical conduct in scholarly publishing.
Ethical Conduct in Research and Reporting
Authors must ensure that all research reported in their submitted manuscripts has been conducted ethically and responsibly and complies with all relevant experimentation codes, regulations, and national or international legislation.
For original research papers involving humans, animals, plants, biological materials, protected or non-public datasets, collections, or sites, authors are required to include a clear written statement under an “Ethics Approval” section. This must include:
- The name of the ethics committee or institutional review board involved.
- The approval number or ID associated with the ethics approval.
- A statement confirming that informed consent was obtained from human participants prior to their involvement in the research.
Research involving animals must adhere to ethical standards regarding animal welfare. Original articles involving animal research must meet the following requirements:
- Comply with international, national, and institutional guidelines for the humane treatment of animals.
- Obtain ethics committee approval for all procedures and provide details in the Ethics Approval section, including the name of the committee and approval ID.
- Provide a clear justification for the use of animals and the species selected.
- Include information on housing, feeding, environmental enrichment, and all measures taken to minimize animal suffering.
Handling Allegations of Research Misconduct
Polytechnic Journal takes all allegations of research misconduct seriously, including but not limited to plagiarism, data fabrication or falsification, duplicate publication, and unethical research practices. A formal process is in place for handling such cases:
- Initial Assessment: Upon receiving an allegation, the editorial office conducts a preliminary review to assess the nature and seriousness of the issue.
- Notification: The corresponding author and co-authors (if applicable) will be informed and invited to respond to the concerns raised.
- Investigation: The case may be reviewed by the journal’s Editorial Board or an independent ethics committee, following COPE’s recommended procedures.
- Outcome and Action: If misconduct is confirmed, actions may include:
- Rejection of the manuscript (if under review)
- Retraction of a published article, accompanied by a retraction notice
- Notification of the author’s institution or relevant authorities
- Temporary or permanent bans on future submissions by the author(s)
The journal ensures fairness, confidentiality, and transparency throughout this process.
Data Sharing and Reproducibility Policy
Polytechnic Journal is committed to promoting research transparency, reproducibility, and accessibility of research data. To support this, authors are required to follow the guidelines below when submitting manuscripts.
1️ Data Availability Statement
All submitted articles must include a Data Availability Statement describing where the data supporting the findings can be accessed or provide reasons if data cannot be shared. This statement should be included after the Conclusion section in the manuscript.
Examples:
- The data supporting the findings of this study are openly available at [repository name] via [link or DOI].
- The data are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
- This study did not generate any new data.
- Due to confidentiality/legal/ethical restrictions, the data cannot be shared.
2️ Data Citation
Datasets used or generated during the study should be properly cited in the reference list with a persistent identifier (such as a DOI) whenever available.
3️ Reproducibility of Results
Authors must ensure that their research methodology is described in sufficient detail to allow other researchers to reproduce the findings. This includes clear descriptions of:
- Study design
- Data collection procedures
- Data analysis methods
- Software and tools used, including version numbers
For computational and modeling studies, authors are encouraged to share code and supplementary materials where possible.
4️ Data Sharing for Peer Review
Authors may be asked to make their data available to editors and reviewers during the peer review process to verify the results, with confidentiality maintained where necessary.
5️ Exceptions
If data cannot be made available for reasons such as participant confidentiality, legal restrictions, or proprietary agreements, authors must clearly justify this in the Data Availability Statement.
Polytechnic Journal follows international best practices in scholarly publishing and aligns its policy with guidelines recommended by COPE, DOAJ, and Scopus indexing requirements.
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