For Authors

For Authors

1. Editorial Process

This section describes the editorial principles and procedures of Regional Synergies in Engineering & Society (RSES) and explains how manuscripts are handled from submission to publication. Our editorial process is designed to ensure fairness, transparency, and the highest academic and ethical standards.

1.1. Publication Criteria and Ethics

To be accepted for publication in RSES, manuscripts must present original research, provide significant scientific or practical value, or report findings that are of interest to the journal’s readership in engineering, social sciences, and related interdisciplinary fields. Originality means that the main results must not have been previously published, nor be under consideration for publication in any other journal. Contributions should demonstrate methodological soundness, theoretical significance, or practical applicability that supports regional development, innovation, and sustainability.

All submitted manuscripts are expected to comply with the highest standards of publication ethics. By submitting to RSES, authors confirm their adherence to ethical principles of research and scholarly publishing, including honesty, integrity, transparency, and respect for intellectual property.

1.2. Submission Method

To ensure smooth processing and minimise delays, manuscripts must comply with the RSES formatting requirements at the time of submission and during each revision (see Formatting Guide).

All papers should be submitted through our Open Journal Systems (OJS). Authors are required to register and log in using their institutional email addresses. Submissions sent via other channels will not be processed. First-time users must create an OJS account with their institutional email address before proceeding with submission.

Authors are also encouraged to submit a cover letter along with their manuscript. The cover letter should emphasise the significance of the research and explain why it fits the scope of RSES. It should not duplicate information already included in the abstract or introduction.

1.3. Initial Evaluation

Upon submission, each manuscript is assigned to an editor responsible for the relevant subject area. The editor conducts an initial evaluation to determine whether the paper should proceed to peer review. The main criteria include the novelty of the work, its relevance to the journal’s scope, and its potential to make a meaningful contribution to the interdisciplinary dialogue between engineering and social sciences.

At this stage, the editor may seek preliminary input from experts in the field before making a decision. It is important to note that this initial assessment does not evaluate the full technical validity of the results, nor does it reflect the paper’s detailed impact within its specific discipline. Rather, the purpose of this stage is to ensure that the manuscript is suitable for further peer review.

1.4. Peer Review

If the editor decides that a submitted manuscript meets the basic criteria for novelty, relevance, and quality, it will be sent for peer review. The editor responsible for the paper will select independent reviewers with expertise in the relevant fields. When needed, the editor may consult with other editorial team members who have recently managed manuscripts in similar subject areas.

Each paper is reviewed by at least two qualified experts, independent of the authors and their institutions. Reviewers are expected to assess the technical soundness, originality, clarity, and contribution of the manuscript to the interdisciplinary focus of the journal. They must also provide constructive, unbiased, and timely feedback to support the editorial decision and help authors improve their work.

1.5. Copy Editing

After a manuscript has been accepted for publication, it undergoes a thorough copy editing process to ensure maximum clarity and overall quality. The editorial team reviews grammar, spelling, formatting, and adherence to the journal’s style standards. Special attention is given to manuscripts authored by non-native English speakers to improve readability without altering the scientific meaning.

During this stage, editors carefully review summary sections, the logical flow of the text, figures, tables, and titles. The copyedited manuscript must meet the following requirements:

  • text has appropriate length and structure;
  • terminology, references, and notation are consistent and conform to journal standards;
  • figures and tables are clear, correctly formatted, and suitable for publication.

This process ensures that every published article is presented in a professional, accessible, and academically rigorous form.

1.6. Publication

Once a manuscript has been editorially accepted and any applicable publication fees have been processed, the paper will be published in the upcoming issue of RSES. Publication ensures that the research is formally indexed, citable, and available worldwide to the journal’s readership.

2. Formatting Guide

This section explains how to prepare your manuscript for submission to RSES. Authors are strongly encouraged to read this section and the journal template carefully before submission. Familiarity with RSES’s style and content, by reviewing previously published articles, either online or in print, will help ensure that submissions meet the journal’s standards. It is strongly advised to replace only the "content” of the template while keeping the “form” intact, preserving formatting, structure, and style requirements.

Template Download

2.1. General Requirements

2.1.1. Readability

RSES is an international interdisciplinary journal that addresses readers from engineering, social sciences, and related fields. Therefore, manuscripts should be written in clear, accessible English, avoiding unnecessary jargon. Where technical terms are essential, they must be defined on first use. Abbreviations should be spelt out in full at first mention, and non-standard abbreviations should be kept to a minimum.

The background, methodology, and main conclusions of the paper should be explained clearly. Titles and abstracts must be concise and understandable for a broad scholarly audience. Authors are strongly encouraged to use the “spell-check” and “grammar-check” functions of their word processor before submission.

2.1.2. Inclusive Language

RSES supports inclusive and respectful academic communication. Manuscripts should avoid assumptions about readers’ beliefs or backgrounds, and must not include language that implies superiority of one group over another based on race, gender, culture, or other characteristics. Authors should use gender-neutral expressions (e.g., “he or she” or “they” instead of only “he”), and avoid stereotypical job titles (e.g., “chairperson” instead of “chairman”).

2.1.3. Overall Structure

Manuscripts should be organised in the following sequence:

  • Title
  • Author information
  • Abstract
  • Keywords
  • Introduction
  • Methodology
  • Results and Discussion
  • Conclusions
  • Acknowledgements
  • References
  • Nomenclature (if applicable)
  • Appendix (if applicable)

Manuscripts should be submitted in Microsoft Word format. Tables and figures may be included in the main file or provided separately. The preferred manuscript length is between 6 and 12 pages, and each paper should cite at least 20 relevant references.

2.2. Requirements by Section

2.2.1. Title

The title should be concise and informative, without acronyms, abbreviations, punctuation, or formulae. It must be general enough to reflect the theme of the paper for readers outside the immediate field while specific enough to ensure proper indexing.

2.2.2. Author Information

Provide the full name, affiliation, and address of each author, along with the email address of the corresponding author. The corresponding author should be identified with an asterisk (*) and will be responsible for handling revisions, corrections, and communication with the editorial team. Being designated as the corresponding author does not imply seniority.

2.2.3. Abstract

Each manuscript must include a single-paragraph abstract of up to 300 words. The abstract should not include references, non-essential abbreviations, acronyms, or measurements. It should follow a structured flow (without subheadings):

  • Purpose: Place the research in a broad context and state its purpose.
  • Methodology: Briefly describe the main methods applied.
  • Results & Conclusions: Summarise key results and provide a concise interpretation.
  • Implications: Explain the contribution and relevance of the findings.

2.2.4. Keywords

Immediately after the abstract, provide up to six keywords, arranged alphabetically. Avoid overly general terms, plurals, or combined concepts (e.g., “and”, “of”). Use only established abbreviations. Keywords must be specific to the paper but recognisable within the subject area for indexing purposes.

2.2.5. Introduction

The introduction should be succinct, with no subheadings. It must place the research in a broad academic or practical context, clearly define its objectives and hypotheses, review the state of the field with references to key works, and conclude with a concise thesis statement outlining the paper’s aim, methodology, and anticipated contributions.

2.2.6. Methodology

Describe methods concisely but with sufficient detail to allow replication. Established methods may be briefly summarised with proper citations, while new methods must be described thoroughly. Avoid repeating lengthy methodological descriptions from previously published works; instead, cite and discuss them. Subsections should be used if multiple methods are applied.

2.2.7. Results and Discussion

Results and discussion may be presented together or separately. Authors should clearly present findings, interpret them in light of prior studies, and discuss their broader implications. Use subheadings if helpful. Results should be concise, accurate, and supported with proper analysis. Discussion should connect findings to hypotheses and to the wider field.

2.2.8. Conclusions

This section must present the principal conclusions of the study, highlighting its importance and relevance. Limitations and directions for future research may also be included. Avoid repetition of the abstract or inclusion of unsupported claims.

2.2.9. Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements should appear before the references. List contributors who are not authors, funding sources, or supporting institutions in a concise format. Example: This work was supported by the National Science Foundation (Grant numbers: xxxx, yyyy). Avoid personal thanks, anonymous reviewers, or effusive comments.

2.2.10. References

All references must follow the APA citation style, 7th edition. Authors should ensure consistency in formatting both in-text citations and the reference list.

  • Ensure that every in-text citation appears in the reference list and vice versa.
  • References must be numbered sequentially as they appear in the text. Each number should correspond to one unique publication.
  • Include all authors’ names in the reference list.
  • Article and book titles must be written exactly as in the source.
  • For books: include publisher and city of publication.
  • Journal titles should be abbreviated according to common usage.
  • Include the DOI where available.
  • References to websites must include author (if available), page title, full URL, and access date
  • Authors are encouraged to cite relevant work previously published in RSES.
  • Each paper must include a minimum of 20 references.

2.2.11. Nomenclature

List all symbols and their definitions clearly and unambiguously. Avoid assigning multiple meanings to the same symbol or using different symbols for the same parameter. SI units must be indicated for dimensional symbols. Dimensionless groups must be identified as such.

2.2.12. Appendix

If included, the appendix should follow the nomenclature section and adhere to the journal’s formatting guidelines.

2.3. Special Requirements

2.3.1. Equations

Authors are strongly recommended to prepare equations in MathType (preferred) or Microsoft Equation Editor. Equations must be submitted as editable text, not images. Avoid mixing formats (e.g., part text and part MathType). Do not use “Float over text”. Number all displayed equations consecutively if they are cited in the text. Formatting examples are available in the journal template.

2.3.2. Tables

Tables should be created with the embedded functions of Microsoft Word or exported from Excel, not manually formatted with spaces or tabs. Each table must include:

  • a concise, one-line title in bold;
  • clearly defined columns with units in the headings where applicable.

At initial submission, tables should be uploaded in a separate file. For final publication, insert them into the main text close to their first mention. Tables must be numbered sequentially (Table 1, Table 2, etc.).

2.3.3. Figures

Figures must be provided in electronic format and kept as clear and simple as possible. Captions should be short, explanatory, and placed directly below the figure on the same page. Use lower-case lettering with only the first letter capitalised. SI units must be applied with a space between the number and the unit (e.g., 5 mm), and large numbers separated by commas (e.g., 1,000).

At initial submission, figures should be uploaded in a separate file. For final publication, insert them into the manuscript close to their first citation. Figures must be numbered consecutively (Figure 1, Figure 2, etc.).

2.3.4. Measurement Units

All units should follow the International System of Units (SI). Non-SI units (imperial, US customary, etc.) must be converted to SI whenever possible. Always separate numbers from units with a space (e.g., 25 °C, 100 kg).

2.4. Charges and Fees

This journal applies an Article Processing Charge (APC) of 600 USD for each accepted paper.

For inquiries, please contact: rsesjournal@gmail.com