Guidelines for Authors:

The Article Submission System facilitates authors to submit articles electronically throughout the year. The authors can format the article in a single column or the prescribed journal template. The submitted articles should not have been published before or are not currently being considered for publication elsewhere. The International Journal of Soft Computing and Engineering (IJSCE) only publishes articles that provide in-depth analysis and discussion on a specific topic and does not accept short or brief notes for publication. Furthermore, the editors reserve the right to decline any article that lacks originality or quality without sending it for review.

All submitted articles must be pertinent to the journal’s scope and undergo a rigorous double-anonymized peer-review procedure. It is the author’s responsibility to confirm their understanding of the content of their submitted article and ensure that it adheres to acceptable standards of English grammar and usage.

Authors can streamline proofreading tools such as Grammarly to enhance their articles. As an open-access journal, Authors must pay an Article Processing Charge (APC) to publish their articles and retain copyright. Furthermore, authors acquaint themselves with the journal’s editorial and publishing policies.

Article Submission Criteria:
To ensure a smooth submission process, all authors must review and adhere to the publishing benchmarks and guidelines outlined below before submitting their articles.

Types of Articles
Authors must verify that the submission of their article aligns with the relevant category enlisted from the available options:

  • Case Study – A case study is a research methodology that intensively explores a typical concern. It employs experimental or survey techniques to identify potential solutions and provides a detailed problem analysis from various perspectives. It is an effective way to gain an in-depth understanding of complex issues and generate valuable insights for decision-making.
  • Review Articles- Review articles comprehensively analyze and evaluate primary research in a particular field, focusing on the latest advancements and discoveries. These articles are intended for experts and professionals who can quickly grasp technical details and insights.
  • Research-Oriented Articles – The articles must provide comprehensive and straightforward explanations of verified findings and experimental methodologies to facilitate further research and experimentation. Additionally, the article’s length should be ample enough to enable thorough comprehension and interpretation of the work.

Submission Checklist:
Before submitting an article to the International Journal of Soft Computing and Engineering (IJSCE), authors must ensure that their article retains the following segments:

  1. Authorship:
    The authors leading the group (the corresponding Authors (CAs)) are accountable for disclosing any use of editorial services to avoid Conflicts of Interest. The CAs are also responsible for ensuring the accuracy of contribution listings and preventing ghost authorship. For more detailed information, please visit the Authorship policy.

    1. Authors Contacts: Specifying the author’s name with their contact details, including their full postal address, email address, and Orcid ID, is essential.
    2. Corresponding Authors (CAs): The article should only have a maximum of two CAs assigned to it. The responsibilities of the CAs include handling any future inquiries related to the methodology and materials used in the article. Furthermore, the CAs must verify the article’s authors’ order and contact details.
  2. Basic Requirements in the Article- A Briefing:
    • Words Count in the article should not exceed 5000 words, excluding Abstract, Methods, Tables, References, and figure legends.
    • Page count should not be more than 20.
    • Submitting File Size: Each file should not exceed 10MB (.doc/.docx/ PDF).
    • Title words count should not be more than 50.
    • Abstract words count should be a minimum of 200 words and a maximum of 300 words.
    • Keyword count should be a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 5.
    • Font Name and Font Size: Times New Roman, Font Size 10, single or double column with 1.05 multiple spacing and justified.
    • Figures count should not be more than 10 figures. The figures should be 300 dpi.
    • Tables count should not be more than 8, and each table should not exceed one page.
    • Figure Legend words count should not exceed 350 words per figure.
    • Graphical Abstracts / Highlights files: Optional.
    • Supplemental files: Optional
    • Spell and Grammar: Authors must confirm that they have read and understood the content of their submitted article and ensure that it meets acceptable English grammar and usage standards. To help with the proofreading process, authors can use tools like Grammarly or similar applications.
    • Abbreviations count should not be more than 15 abbreviations. Ensure consistency of abbreviations throughout the article.
    • Declaration: Authors must include an accountability declaration outlining each author’s involvement in all articles, including reviews. The level of detail required may vary, but it’s best to place the declaration after the conclusion before the reference section. For more detailed information, please visit the Declaration Statement. 
    • References count should not be more than 60.
    • Referee suggestions: To be bestowed based on journal requirements.
    • Footnote: Footnote should not be employed.

Structure of the Article:
Authors must include a title page with author info and identify the corresponding author with an asterisk. Please structure the main body of the text in a way that fits the research. Authors can format their article either in (i) a single-column format or (ii) as per the journal Template.

  • Abstract: It is mandatory. A research article requires a concise abstract that presents factual information about the research’s purpose, principal outcomes, and significant conclusions. The abstract should be self-contained and able to stand alone, as it is often presented separately from the article. Therefore, avoiding references and non-standard or uncommon abbreviations in the abstract is essential. But, if necessary, the authors and years should be cited and defined in the abstract at their first mention.
  • Keywords/index terms: It is essential to use precise and accurate keywords in your research work. Including up to five keywords directly related to your study is recommended when drafting your abstract. Avoid using broad or plural terms, multiple concepts, or abbreviations not commonly used in your field. As these keywords will be used for indexing purposes, it is essential to use the most relevant and specific ones to ensure that your intended audience quickly discovers your research work.
  • Introduction: Outline the study’s aims and provide a comprehensive context, refraining from an exhaustive review of existing literature or a synopsis of the findings.
  • Material and Methods: There are no limitations on the length of the explanation regarding the methods employed. Providing comprehensive information to aid an autonomous researcher in replicating your work is recommended. If you directly cite a previously published procedure, use quotation marks and correctly reference the source. Furthermore, kindly indicate any adjustments made to existing methods. To ensure transparency and accessibility in research, authors must make their data readily available without unnecessary restrictions. It is essential to clearly state any limitations on resource accessibility, including the Data Access and Material Availability Statement that identifies the location of the data, such as a public repository. It will facilitate the reuse of data and promote open science practices. It is advisable to furnish ample information on new compounds to allow for accurate replication and utilize established public repositories for biological materials.
  • Furthermore, the authors ensure that research data and materials remain accessible for a reasonable duration after publication. To conduct experiments involving Animals and Humans, it is imperative to strictly adhere to local, national, and ethical regulations and obtain necessary licensing arrangements. Authors must register their clinical trials in a publicly accessible database and provide the registration numbers in the abstract to disclose their outcomes.
  • Theory/Calculation: In academic writing, the Theory section should expand upon the Introduction without repeating the same information. Its primary goal is to establish a solid groundwork for future research. On the other hand, the Calculation section applies theoretical concepts to real-world scenarios, demonstrating their practical uses.
  • Results (with subheadings if applicable): The outcome must be unambiguous and concise, devoid of verbosity or unnecessary detail.
  • Discussion (without subheadings): The section on Results and Discussion must emphasize the importance of the research outcomes while avoiding repetition. It is advisable to steer clear of an excessive number of citations of published literature and delve into extensive discussions about it.
  • Conclusion: The Conclusions section, either as a separate section or a subsection within the Results and Discussion section, should provide a concise summary of the principal outcomes of the study.
  • Acknowledgement: When acknowledging external contributions to a piece of work, it’s essential to list those who helped with research, language, writing, or proofreading, as well as any funding sources. Excluding these contributors from the title page is recommended to avoid potential Conflicts of Interest. If applicable, grant details should be included within this section. For a more in-depth understanding of the acknowledgement process, please refer to the Acknowledgement section. 
  • Declaration Statement: All scholarly articles require accountability from every author, specifying their level of involvement in the research process. The level of detail required may vary based on the subject matter. The declaration should be placed after the conclusion but before the reference section. For more information, see the Declaration Statement policy.
  • Figures: Include a separate caption for each illustration, with a brief title and description. Explain all symbols and abbreviations used in the illustration.
  • Figure Legends: When composing legends for figures, start with a concise sentence that captures the essence of the entire figure. Provide a brief portrayal of the contents shown in each panel in a logical sequence without overwhelming the reader with excessive technical jargon. Ensure that each legend is no longer than 350 words. Lastly, arrange the figure legends in numerical order after the references.
  • Tables: Tables should be editable as text rather than images and placed alongside relevant text or on separate pages. Number tables consecutively and include notes beneath the table body. Avoid using tables for data already described elsewhere in the article. Abstain from using vertical rules and shading in table cells.
  • Equations: Experts in the field should integrate mathematical expressions and equations into the main body of their articles, using parenthetical numbers like (1) to identify and reference them throughout the text. These equations should be editable in Microsoft Word, so authors are encouraged to use the equation editor feature. Additionally, when submitting the article in a Word format, it is essential to ensure that all mathematical expressions and equations are compatible with Microsoft Word for easy editing.
  • Appendices: When handling multiple appendices, it is necessary to label them appropriately. This can be done by assigning them letters such as A, B, etc. To ensure clarity, equations should be numbered separately within each appendix, such as Eq. (A.1), Eq. (A.2), and so on. When dealing with subsequent addenda, it is essential to use proper numbering such as Eq. (B.1) and so forth. The same applies to tables and figures; they should be labelled with the appendix letter and numbers, such as Table A.1 and Fig. A.1.
  • References: When modifying references, authors must avoid plagiarism at all costs. References must be cited and formatted accurately and linked to external databases. To achieve this, authors should use numerical numbers within square brackets sequentially (e.g., [1], [2]). Each numerical number should correspond to a single reference. It is highly recommended that authors only include articles, datasets, conference abstracts, or patents that have been accepted or published by recognized publications, preprint servers, or repositories. Grant details and acknowledgements should not be included in the references. It is essential that:
    1. Include all authors unless the number exceeds six, in which case, mention the first author followed by ‘et al.’ For Example, Bellin, D. L. et al. Electrochemical camera chip for simultaneous imaging of multiple metabolites in biofilms. Nat. Commun. 7, 10535; 10.1038/ncomms10535 (2016).
    2. Authors should be classified by their last name first, followed by a comma and their initials (with full stops) for their given names. For example (Printed journals), Schott, D. H., Collins, R. N. & Bretscher, A. Secretory vesicle transport velocity in living cells depends on the myosin V lever arm length. J. Cell Biol. 156, 35-39 (2002).
    3. Please use Roman text for both article and dataset titles. The first word of the title should be capitalized and written precisely as it appears in the cited work, followed by a period. For example, Babichev, S. A., Ries, J. & Lvovsky, A. I. Quantum scissors: teleportation of single-mode optical states using a nonlocal single photon. Preprint at https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0208066 (2002).
    4. To properly format book titles, utilize italics and capitalize the first letter of every word in the title. For example: Smith, J. Syntax of referencing in How to reference books (ed. Smith, S.) 180-181 (Macmillan, 2013).
    5. Please utilize italics when referring to journal and data repository names. It is appropriate to abbreviate them according to commonly used standards, including full stops. For example, Hao, Z., AghaKouchak, A., Nakhjiri, N. & Farahmand, A. Global integrated drought monitoring and prediction system (GIDMaPS) data sets. figshare https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.853801 (2014).
    6. Please utilize bold to indicate volume numbers followed by a comma.
    7. Provide the complete page range (or article number) when applicable. 

Article Submission and Template:
The Article Submission System facilitates authors to submit articles electronically throughout the year. The authors can format the article in a single column or the prescribed journal template. The submitted articles should not have been published before or are not currently being considered for publication elsewhere. The International Journal of Soft Computing and Engineering (IJSCE) only publishes articles that provide in-depth analysis and discussion on a specific topic and does not accept short or brief notes for publication. Furthermore, the editors reserve the right to decline any article that lacks originality or quality without sending it for review.

All submitted articles must be pertinent to the journal’s scope and undergo a rigorous double-anonymized peer-review procedure. It is the author’s responsibility to confirm their understanding of the content of their submitted article and ensure that it adheres to acceptable standards of English grammar and usage.

Cover Letter:
A cover letter is a mandatory inclusion when submitting your work for publication. This letter should provide the corresponding author’s affiliation, contact information, and a brief explanation of why the work suits the journal. The letter should also feature the names and contact information of any potential reviewers recommended by the author. Additionally, authors are required to identify any referees they would prefer not to review their work and confirm whether there have been any prior discussions with a journal Editorial Board Member regarding their submission.

Supplementary Data:
Suppose any essential information required to assess the validity of an article is not available through public sources. In that case, authors must provide it as Supplementary Data. Authors can submit supplementary data along with the article for peer review. The Supplementary Data will be published online with the accepted articles. It is essential that authors carefully review the Supplementary Data before submitting it because any changes made after publication will require a formal correction. Please note that the International Journal of Soft Computing and Engineering (IJSCE) does not edit, typeset, or proofread Supplementary Information. Therefore, it should be presented accurately and concisely at the initial submission to match the style and terminology of the rest of the article.

Statistical Standards:
When incorporating statistical testing in a research article, it is essential to provide comprehensive information, including the name of the test, sample size (n), comparisons, normality of data, alpha level, and P values. Use descriptive statistics for summarising data sets, including n value, central tendency, and variability. When presenting graphs, it is necessary to include clearly labelled error bars and specify whether the number following ± is s.e.m. or s.d. The term “significant” should be used along with P values, while other words, such as “substantial” or “considerable”, should be precisely defined. Researchers should justify using a particular test and verify if the data adheres to the test’s assumptions. It is worth noting that researchers often encounter three errors during this process.

  • Authors can adjust the alpha level and employ ANOVA instead of multiple t-tests while comparing data sets to minimize errors.
  • Ensuring the data is close to a normal distribution is essential for accurate statistical evaluations. To achieve this, authors should provide evidence of how they have assessed the normality of the data. If the data does not meet the test’s assumptions, alternative non-parametric methods should be considered.
  • Please employ suitable statistical tests for small sample sizes or rationalize adopting large-sample tests.

Image Integrity and Processing:
It is imperative to refrain from altering experimental images to deceive readers, particularly in the context of technical publications. When using an image or figure protected by copyright, obtaining permission from the owner before reuse is required. Additionally, it is essential to include a statement in the figure legend indicating that permission has been granted. Even if reuse is allowed, citing the source for proper attribution is still essential. For more detailed information, please visit the Image Integrity and Processing Policy.

Peer-Review Process:
When submitting an article, combine the article’s text and figures into a single Microsoft Word file. Maintaining the image quality at 300 dots per inch (dpi) is essential to ensure optimal clarity and legibility. The articles submitted for publication go through a rigorous double-anonymized peer-review process to ensure their quality and accuracy. Our editors thoroughly review the articles to ensure they meet the required standards. The articles that meet the criteria will be forwarded to external reviewers who are experts in the field for further evaluation. Any articles that meet the standards are promptly accepted. Our editors may also seek expert advice to ensure the articles are of the highest quality. For more detailed information, please visit the peer-review policy of the journal.

Revised Articles:
Only provide all text in a single file using MSWord (.doc/.docx) for revised articles. The authors can format the article in a single column or the prescribed journal template. Authors ensure that:

  • Article texts and figures into a single file (MS Word) and maintain image quality at 300 dpi.
  • page numbers (e.g., 1,2, 3) should be inserted in the footer of each page.
  • Times New Roman fonts are used for text, and the ‘symbols’ font is used for Greek characters.
  • Supplementary Data (if any) as a separate file, preferably in PDF format. The title of the article and its author list should be included on the first page of the Supplementary Data file.

Embargo Period for the Rejected Article:
Upon rejection, the article will be embargoed from the re-submission process for six months. The author must explain the modifications made before resubmitting the article to the General Editor. The author must incorporate the revisions based on the negative feedback received. The General Editor will assign the Associate Editor to scrutinize the resubmitted article to ensure that it has been revised as per the negative comments. For an in-depth understanding, kindly refer to the peer-reviewed policy of the journal.

Animal and Human Research Participants: Clinical Trials, Nomenclatures, and Abbreviations
For authors to publish their articles in the International Journal of Soft Computing and Engineering (IJSCE), they must prove their adherence to ethical standards, ensuring transparency in clinical trials, including upholding the dignity and rights of individual participants, associated individuals and communities, human and non-human life, and the environment.

When conducting experiments involving animals and humans, following local and national regulations and ethical standards and obtaining necessary licenses is essential. Authors must register their clinical trials in an open-access database and include the registration numbers in the abstract of their results. Please refer to the Animal and Human Research Participants policy for a comprehensive guide.

Copy Editing, Language, and Proof Reading Services:
The International Journal of Soft Computing and Engineering (IJSCE) refrains from offering comprehensive editing services for articles during publication. It is the author’s responsibility to enhance the language of their articles before submission or during the revision stage. Several proofreading tools like Grammarly can aid authors in this process. Additionally, authors can seek assistance from American Journal Experts to arbitrate these services. It is imperative to note that the cost of editing services is solely the author’s responsibility and does not guarantee peer review or publication acknowledgement selection.