Authors Guide

Submission Guidelines

Review the journal’s Aims & Scope to ensure your manuscript aligns with its focus and subject areas.
Prepare your manuscript using LaTeX formatting.
Verify that all aspects related to publication ethics, copyright, authorship, figure formatting, data presentation, and citation style have been properly addressed.
Confirm that all co-authors have reviewed and approved the manuscript and are familiar with the Instructions for Authors.

Manuscript Submission Overview

Types of Submissions

To ensure reproducibility, complete experimental details must be provided, including all controls. Where possible, authors should make full datasets publicly available (refer to our guidelines on Supplementary Materials and unpublished data).

Manuscripts submitted to the International Journal for Housing Science and Its Applications must not have been previously published or currently under review elsewhere. The primary submission categories are research articles and review articles:

Research Article: These are original research papers presenting scientifically valid experiments with significant new findings. Manuscripts should include the most up-to-date and relevant references. A typical structure consists of an Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, and (optionally) Conclusions.
Review Article: Reviews provide a thorough evaluation of the current literature in a specific area, highlighting gaps or unresolved issues. They should be critical and constructive, offering suggestions for future research. Reviews should not include new or unpublished data. The structure may include an Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Relevant Sections, Discussion, Conclusions, and Future Directions.

Submission Process

Manuscripts for the International Journal for Housing Science and Its Applications are submitted via the Editorial Manager system. The corresponding author, who typically handles the submission and review process, must ensure all co-authors are listed and have approved the manuscript. To submit, please register and log in to the submission website. Once registered, access the submission form for further information. Co-authors can track the manuscript status if they register using the email provided during submission.

Accepted File Formats

While we do not impose strict formatting requirements, all manuscripts should include the following sections: Author Information, Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Materials & Methods, Results, Conclusions, Figures and Tables with Captions, Funding Information, Author Contributions, Conflict of Interest, and Ethics Statements. Detailed formatting instructions can be found in the Journal’s Instructions for Authors.

References can follow any consistent style, but must include author names, publication title, year, volume, issue (if applicable), and page numbers. Including DOI numbers is optional but encouraged. We recommend using reference management tools like EndNote, Zotero, Mendeley, or Reference Manager for accuracy.

Upon acceptance, authors will be required to format the manuscript according to the journal’s guidelines using the journal’s template.

Cover Letter

A concise cover letter should accompany each submission, explaining the significance of the work and how it relates to current research. It should also justify how the manuscript fits the journal’s scope.

Author Affiliation

Authors must list their current affiliations and the institution where the bulk of the research was conducted. It’s recommended to prioritize the affiliation where most of the work was carried out, but consult your institution for any specific requirements. Ensure that author names and affiliations are accurate, as they are crucial for proper attribution, citations, and professional advancement. Corrections to author information may not be possible after publication.

Independent Researchers

If one or more authors were not affiliated with a university, institution, or company during the manuscript’s development, they should list themselves as “Independent Researchers.”

Essential Components of a Manuscript

When preparing a manuscript, it is crucial to ensure that all necessary sections are included to present the research clearly and comprehensively. Below is a detailed guide to the required components for all submissions:

Title: The title should be succinct yet descriptive, encapsulating the core focus of the research. It must clearly convey the main topic of the paper, making it easily identifiable and searchable.
Author Information: Provide the full names, affiliations, and academic positions of all contributing authors. Ensure that the corresponding author’s email is listed and that the author has consented to have their contact information published. This section allows for proper attribution and helps readers identify the contributors to the work.
Abstract: A concise summary of the study, typically limited to a single paragraph of no more than 200 words. The abstract should briefly cover the background, objectives, methodology, significant findings, and conclusions. It is intended to give readers a snapshot of the study, helping them decide whether the full text is relevant to their interests.
Keywords: Provide 3 to 10 keywords or phrases that accurately represent the primary topics and themes of the paper. These keywords assist in indexing the manuscript and enhance its discoverability through search engines and academic databases.
Introduction: The introduction should set the stage for the research, providing the necessary context and background. It should discuss the existing literature, identify gaps, and explain the study’s relevance. This section must end with a clear statement of the study’s objectives or research questions, helping readers understand the significance of the work.
Materials and Methods: This section must describe the experimental procedures and methodologies in sufficient detail to allow for replication by other researchers. It should include specifics about the materials used, equipment, experimental design, and any statistical analyses conducted. If any novel techniques or approaches were employed, these should be clearly explained, allowing for transparency and replicability.
Results: Present the findings of the study in a clear and concise manner. This section should summarize the experimental results without interpretation. The use of figures, tables, and graphs is encouraged to enhance clarity and provide a visual representation of the data.
Discussion: In this section, interpret the findings in the context of existing literature and the study’s original objectives. The discussion should highlight the significance of the results, acknowledge any limitations, and suggest possible avenues for future research. In some cases, this section may be combined with the Results section to provide a seamless narrative of the findings and their implications.
Conclusions (optional): This section is particularly useful when the discussion is lengthy or complex. It provides a concise summary of the key findings, reinforcing the study’s main contributions and implications.
Figures and Tables: Include any figures and tables that illustrate the study’s results, ensuring they are accompanied by clear, descriptive captions. These visual aids should be numbered sequentially and referenced in the text, helping to support the data presented.
Funding Information: A disclosure statement detailing any financial support received for the research. This transparency is critical to acknowledge the institutions or organizations that provided funding and to highlight any potential conflicts of interest related to financial backing.
Author Contributions: Specify the individual contributions of each author using the Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT). This ensures proper recognition of each author’s role, whether it be conceptualization, data collection, analysis, writing, or project administration.
Conflicts of Interest: A statement declaring whether there are any potential conflicts of interest. This ensures transparency and allows readers to evaluate the objectivity of the research. If no conflicts exist, this should be explicitly stated.
References: Provide a list of all references cited within the manuscript, following a consistent citation style, such as Vancouver. The references should be numbered sequentially as they appear in the text. Using reference management tools like EndNote, Zotero, or Mendeley is highly recommended to ensure accuracy and consistency in citation formatting.

Guidelines for Preparing Figures, Schemes, and Tables

Placement and Numbering

To ensure a smooth and logical flow within the manuscript, it is important to place figures, schemes, and tables as close as possible to their first mention in the text. Each element should be numbered consecutively throughout the manuscript, following the order in which they are introduced (e.g., Figure 1, Scheme 1, Table 1). This systematic numbering helps readers easily locate and reference visual and tabular data as they move through the document. Additionally, each figure and table must be accompanied by a clear and concise title that summarizes its content. A brief, informative caption should also be included to provide additional context or explanation of the data. For tables, ensure that each column is labeled with informative headings that clearly describe the data presented. If a table contains a large amount of information, it is acceptable to reduce the font size for clarity, but it should not be smaller than 8 pt for readability. Authors are advised to use Microsoft Word’s built-in table feature, as it simplifies formatting and editing, making the manuscript easier to manage during submission and revisions.

Figures and Use of Color

Authors are encouraged to use color in their figures and schemes to enhance clarity and visual impact. Color (RGB, 8-bit per channel) helps in distinguishing data points and can significantly improve the comprehension of complex visuals. However, it is essential to consider accessibility when choosing color schemes, particularly for readers with color vision deficiencies. Authors should strive to select color palettes that are distinguishable by all readers to ensure the broadest possible accessibility. Where necessary, alternative visual cues such as patterns or labels may also be employed to aid in interpretation.

Image Resolution and Acceptable File Formats

For figures that include microscopy images, detailed diagrams, or any visual elements requiring high precision, it is essential to provide high-resolution files. The minimum resolution should be 1000 pixels in width or 300 dpi (dots per inch) to ensure that all details are clear when printed or viewed digitally. Accepted file formats for figures include TIFF, PNG, GIF, and EPS. Authors may be required to submit original, unedited image files during the review process to maintain the integrity of the visual data. These files should be uploaded as supplementary material to facilitate transparent peer review and ensure reproducibility of the findings.

Image Editing and Data Integrity

When processing images for inclusion in the manuscript, authors should limit any modifications to ensure that the scientific data remains intact. Adjustments such as cropping, brightness, contrast, or color changes are permissible, but they must be applied uniformly across the entire image to avoid introducing bias. These alterations should never obscure or misrepresent the original data. If any part of an image is cropped, the unaltered version should be submitted as supplementary material. The figure legend should include a note explaining any modifications made to the image to maintain full transparency.

Software and Image Processing Disclosure

Any software tools used to process images—whether for deconvolution, three-dimensional reconstructions, filtering, or any other form of image manipulation—must be explicitly mentioned in the methods section of the manuscript. This includes disclosing the names of the software and its version number. When adjusting images (e.g., altering brightness or contrast), ensure that these modifications are applied evenly across the entire image. Selective enhancement of specific areas is discouraged, as it can skew data interpretation. Transparency in image processing is critical to uphold the integrity and reproducibility of the research.

Composite Images

If a figure contains composite images—images taken at different times or from different locations—ensure that the boundaries between individual images are clearly visible and distinguishable. The composite nature of the figure should also be explicitly mentioned in the figure legend, providing a clear description of how the images were combined. This practice ensures that the reader can easily understand the nature of the visual data being presented.

Data Management, Supplementary Materials, and Code Sharing

Data Sharing and Openness

In keeping with the journal’s emphasis on open science, authors are encouraged to share their data with the broader research community. This includes not only raw and processed datasets but also any algorithms, code, or protocols used in the research. Authors should adhere to the FAIR data principles—Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable—when preparing their data for publication. Sharing data according to these guidelines allows other researchers to locate, access, and reuse the data, thereby fostering greater transparency and collaboration within the scientific community.

Public Data Repositories

Authors are strongly urged to deposit their datasets in publicly accessible repositories that issue persistent identifiers (e.g., DOIs) to ensure long-term access. If there are legal, ethical, or privacy concerns that prevent data from being shared publicly, these issues must be clearly explained in a Data Availability Statement. Additionally, if data is proprietary or cannot be shared due to ongoing research, this should be transparently communicated, along with any necessary permissions for sharing.

Data Availability Statement

A clear Data Availability Statement is a required component of the manuscript. This section informs readers where and how they can access the datasets used in the research. Common examples include:

“The data are available in [repository name] with DOI [number].”
“The data are available upon request due to [privacy, legal, or ethical reasons].”
“No new data were created in this study.”
“Raw data will be made available by the authors upon reasonable request.”

Long-term Data Preservation

Authors are responsible for ensuring that their data remains accessible for a minimum of five years following publication. If a repository becomes unavailable, the authors must transfer the data to a new repository and notify the journal of the updated location. It is recommended to choose repositories that provide persistent identifiers (e.g., DOIs) to ensure long-term access. Resources like re3data.org or fairsharing.org can assist authors in selecting appropriate repositories for their data.

Data Citation

All datasets referenced in the manuscript must be properly cited following journal policies. Proper citation ensures that datasets are acknowledged as a critical component of the research, and it also promotes academic transparency and reproducibility.

Code Sharing and Availability

For studies involving the development of new software, algorithms, or code, authors should make these resources publicly available in recognized repositories or as supplementary material. Code sharing promotes transparency and allows other researchers to validate and build upon the work. The version of the software should be clearly cited, along with the repository where it can be accessed.

Supplementary Materials and Data Submission Guidelines

Additional Files and Enhancements

Authors are encouraged to provide supplementary materials that enrich the content of their primary manuscript. These may include extra datasets, high-quality images, videos, or other multimedia elements that add value to the research findings. Supplementary files will be evaluated in conjunction with the main manuscript during the peer review process. For ease of access and consistency, authors should use standard, widely accepted formats (e.g., CSV for data, PDF for text, MP4 for video) to ensure that supplementary files are accessible to all readers. If specific data or supplementary content is not ready at the time of submission, this should be clearly stated in the manuscript. Authors should avoid placeholder phrases such as “data not shown,” as this can lead to ambiguity and may affect the manuscript’s credibility.

Storage of Large Files

For exceptionally large files—such as extensive datasets over 60 MB or multimedia elements that require specialized storage—authors are expected to utilize suitable institutional or field-specific repositories. These repositories should be reliable and provide persistent access. The manuscript must include relevant details such as the name of the repository, its web address, and a unique identifier for the dataset (such as a DOI or an accession number). This ensures that other researchers can readily locate and access the data, supporting the transparency and reproducibility of the study.

Supplementary References

Any references cited within the supplementary materials must also be listed in the main manuscript’s reference section. This practice ensures a comprehensive reference list, maintaining consistent attribution of all sources used in the research.

Publication Ethics and Ethical Responsibilities

Ethical Standards and Compliance

The International Journal for Housing Science and Its Applications is dedicated to maintaining high ethical standards throughout the publication process. The journal rigorously follows the guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), adhering to its Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines. These ethical principles guide the journal’s approach to authorship, data sharing, peer review, and the publication of research findings, ensuring transparency, honesty, and integrity in all published works.

Key Ethical Responsibilities for Authors

Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest: Authors must declare any potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise, within their manuscript. This disclosure is crucial for transparency, enabling readers to evaluate any possible biases that might affect the interpretation of the study’s results.
Maintaining Research Integrity: Authors must present their findings accurately, avoiding fabrication or manipulation of data. A detailed and clear description of the research methodology should be provided, allowing other scientists to replicate the study. Additionally, raw data should be made available if requested by reviewers or the editorial team during the review process.
Data Accessibility: Whenever possible, raw data should be deposited in a publicly accessible repository before submission. If public access is not feasible, authors must ensure that the data can be made available upon request during peer review. Providing access to underlying data fosters reproducibility and transparency.
Zero Tolerance for Plagiarism: The journal strictly prohibits plagiarism, including the unauthorized use of text, ideas, images, or data, even from the authors’ previous work. Manuscripts undergo plagiarism screening using tools like iThenticate, and any evidence of plagiarism at any stage—submission, review, or post-publication—may lead to manuscript rejection or retraction.
Avoidance of Simultaneous Submissions: Submitting the same research to multiple journals simultaneously is not allowed. This policy ensures that published research is unique and avoids conflicts between publishers.
Use of Previously Published Content: If authors reuse or translate previously published material, proper permissions must be obtained, and the content must adhere to the journal’s licensing terms, such as the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license.

Image and Data Integrity

Accurate Image Representation: Authors are expected to refrain from manipulating images in ways that could mislead or distort the scientific content. This includes adding or removing elements, combining images from various sources, or selectively altering contrast and brightness to emphasize certain aspects. Any image manipulation that compromises the integrity of the data can lead to the rejection of the manuscript or, if discovered post-publication, retraction.

Correction, Retraction, and Misconduct Handling

If authors discover errors in their published work, they are obligated to promptly inform the journal to make necessary corrections or initiate retraction. If any form of misconduct is confirmed—such as plagiarism or data falsification—the journal will notify the authors’ affiliated institutions and take appropriate corrective action.

Citation Standards and Ethical Citation Practice

The International Journal for Housing Science and Its Applications holds strict standards regarding the proper attribution of sources, following COPE guidelines to maintain academic integrity. Authors are expected to:

Cite Sources Accurately: Properly acknowledge all sources, including their own previously published work, to give credit to original authors. Citations must be precise and reflect the accurate source material.
Avoid Unnecessary Self-Citations: While citing one’s own work is acceptable if relevant, it should not be excessive. Citations should focus on enhancing the manuscript’s content, not boosting citation metrics.
Do Not Cite Unread Sources: Authors should only cite publications they have personally read. Copying citations from other sources without verifying the original material is prohibited.
Avoid Biased Citations: Citations should not favour the authors’ own publications, colleagues’ work, or research affiliated with their institution unless it is directly pertinent to the study. Favoritism in citations undermines the objectivity of the research.
Prohibited Content Citations: Advertisements or promotional content should never be cited as scholarly references.

Direct quotes from any source, including an author’s prior work, must be placed within quotation marks and accompanied by an accurate citation. This aligns with ethical practices as outlined by COPE.

Reviewer Recommendations and English Language Requirements

Reviewer Suggestions

Authors are asked to suggest three potential peer reviewers who have expertise relevant to the manuscript’s topic. These suggested reviewers should:

Have no recent collaborations (within the past three years) with the authors.
Be affiliated with institutions other than the authors’ own.
Be presented with complete contact information, including email and institutional affiliation.

While the editor may or may not select the suggested reviewers, their inclusion helps to expedite the review process.

Manuscript Language Requirements

Submissions must be in clear, grammatically correct English. While the journal provides minor language editing, extensive corrections are the responsibility of the authors. If a manuscript is found to require significant editing, it may be returned to the author for revision, potentially delaying publication. Authors are advised to have their manuscript reviewed by a native English speaker or a professional language-editing service before submission.

Authorship and Contribution Acknowledgement

The International Journal for Housing Science and Its Applications follows the authorship guidelines set forth by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE):

Significant Contribution: Each listed author must have made a substantial contribution to the study’s design, data collection, analysis, or interpretation.
Draft Review and Revisions: Authors should actively participate in writing or revising the manuscript.
Approval of Final Manuscript: All authors must approve the final version of the manuscript before publication.
Accountability for Content: Authors are collectively responsible for the accuracy and integrity of the work.

Contributors who do not meet the criteria for authorship should be acknowledged in the Acknowledgements section rather than listed as authors. Any changes to the authorship list must be approved by all co-authors. The corresponding author will act as the primary contact between the editorial team and all co-authors. The journal reserves the right to verify that all listed authors meet the required authorship criteria.