Guide for Authors

The manuscript (including tables and figure captions) should be provided as a single Microsoft Word 2003, 2007 or PDF file. The authors have to submit their manuscript and TRANSFER OF COPYRIGHT (Copyright form) to the Journal of Tethys via journal’s website.

The papers are published free of charge to the author(s).

The manuscript should be arranged in the following order:

  1. Title page including authors’ names and affiliations
  2. Abstract
  3. Text (including appendices)
  4. Acknowledgments
  5. Reference list
  6. Tables
  7. Figure captions
  8. Figures
  • If MS Word is used to typeset the manuscript, use 12 pt Times New Roman.
  • Use British English as the language.
  • Indent or space between all paragraphs. Use one-and-half spacing for the manuscript.
  • Use the metric system throughout; use of appropriate SI units is encouraged.  If using other, more commonly used units, give the SI equivalent in parentheses.
  • Do not use italic font for units of measure or chemical elements.
  • Do not create math equations or tables as pictures.
  • Format the manuscript in a single column.

Title page:

The title of the paper must be short and contain words useful for indexing. Include in the title page the names (with initials) of authors and the name and affiliation. The manuscript title should be as an abbreviated running title of not more than 50 characters (including spaces).

One author has been designated as the corresponding author with contact details:

• E-mail address

• Full postal address

• Telephone and fax numbers

Abstract:
Please summarize the objectives of the investigation and the important conclusions. Set the abstract as a single paragraph of not more than 300 words. Do not include references in the abstract.

keywords:

Set maximum six keywords for indexing.

Mathematical material:

Equations must be clearly written, each on its own line, well away from the text. All equations must be numbered consecutively in arabic numerals with the equation number in parentheses near the right hand margin; number displayed equations consecutively within the article, not within the section. Use italic for variables, bold for vectors and matrices, script for transforms, and sans serif for tensors. Use superscripts and subscripts in superior or inferior position; do not use raised and lowered fonts.  Extend fraction bars under the entire length of the numerator. Use solidus fractions (l/r) in text.  Use the following to avoid ambiguity: parentheses, brackets, and braces, in that order { [ ( ) ] }. Add one extra line space above and below all displayed equations.

References:

References at the end of the paper should be listed alphabetically by authors’ names, followed by initials, year of publication, title of the paper, full name of the journal volume number, and starting and ending page numbers.  References to books should include: name(s) of author(s), initials, year of publication, title of the book, edition if not the first, initials and name(s) of editor(s) if any, preceded by ed(s), place of publication, publisher. References to thesis must include the year, the title of the thesis, the degree for which submitted, and the University.

 Citation in text

Please ensure that every reference cited in the text is also present in the reference list (and vice versa). References should be cited in the text by authors and year. If there are more than two authors, reference should be to the first author followed by “et al” in the text; Italicize “et al” [For example: (Jackson et al., 2008) or Jackson et al.  (2008)]

Web references

As a minimum, the full URL should be given and the date when the reference was last accessed. Any further information, if known (DOI, author names, dates, reference to a source publication, etc.), should also be given. Web references can be listed separately (e.g., after the reference list) under a different heading if desired, or can be included in the reference list.

References in a special issue

Please ensure that the words ‘this issue’ are added to any references in the list (and any citations in the text) to other articles in the same Special Issue.

Reference to a journal publication:

Jackson, J., Hains, J., Holt, W. 1995. The accommodation of Arabia-Eurasia plate. Journal of Geophysical Research: 100, 205–215.

Reference to a book:

Strunk Jr., White, E.B. 2000. The Elements of Style, fourth ed. Longman, New York.

 Reference to a chapter in an edited book:

Mettam, G.R., Adams, L.B. 2009. How to prepare an electronic version of your article, in: Jones, B.S., Smith , R.Z. (Eds.), Introduction to the Electronic Age. E-Publishing Inc., New York, pp. 281–304.

Tables:

All tables must be numbered consecutively in arabic numerals in the order of appearance in the text.  Include all tables in the PDF file containing the manuscript text. The tables should be self-contained and have a descriptive title.  All columns must have headings arranged to clarify their relation to the data.  Footnotes should be indicated by superscript, lowercase letters. Each table must be cited in text. Avoid tables created with the tab key, pictures, and embedded objects.

Figure formats:

All figures including photographs should be numbered consecutively in arabic numerals in the order of appearance in the text. The journal publishes colour figures free of cost. Authors are encouraged to prepare all figures to final size. Decide if the figure is to be a one-column figure (maximum width 8.4 cm, including all labels and legends) or a two-column figure (maximum width 17 cm, including all labels and legends). Preparing figures initially to the expected final size also avoids the need for the publisher to enlarge or reduce the figure to fit the journal requirements, thereby maintaining the original quality. Combine multipart figures or plates, adding letter labels as needed for captions, or provide separate captions for each part. The number of figure files should equal the number of figure captions.
For most graphics with lines and text only, use vector graphics EPS (Encapsulated PostScript). For images or photographs, use TIFF or high-resolution JPEG. JPEG is the best format for photos with a large file size.
For false-colour imagery, shading, or texture, use TIFF. TIFF provides the highest resolution to ensure patterns and shading are maintained.
Use Helvetica as the font for legends and labels. Ensure that no label or legend is smaller than 8 pt. All lines must be at least 0.5 pt (no hairline rules).

 

PUBLICATION ETHICS

Publication and authorship:

An author is considered to be someone who has made substantive intellectual contributions to a published study. Authors are generally defined as persons who have contributed sufficiently to a scientific report to be listed on the byline of the published report. Principles, customs, and practices regarding authorship differ from one scientific discipline to another.

Principles related to authorship with general consensus include the following:

  • Identification of authors and other contributors is the responsibility of the people who did the work (the researchers) not the people who publish the work (editors, publishers). Researchers should determine which individuals have contributed sufficiently to the work to warrant identification as an author.
  • Individuals who contributed to the work but whose contributions were not of sufficient magnitude to warrant authorship should be identified by name in an acknowledgments section.
  • All individuals who qualify for authorship or acknowledgment should be identified. Conversely, every person identified as an author or acknowledged contributor should qualify for these roles.
  • Individuals listed as authors should review and approve the manuscript before publication.
  • Editors should require authors and those acknowledged to identify their contributions to the work and make this information available to readers.
  • The ultimate reason for identification of authors and other contributors is to establish accountability for the reported work.

An author includes anyone who:

  • Made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution or interpretation of the research study
  • Drafted or substantively reviewed or revised the publication
  • Approved the final version of the publication

Duties of Authors:

Authors should present an objective discussion of the significance of research work as well as sufficient detail and references to permit others to replicate the experiments. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behavior and are unacceptable. Review articles should also be objective, comprehensive, and accurate accounts of the state of the art. The authors should ensure that their work is entirely original works, and if the work and/or words of others have been used, this has been appropriately acknowledged. Plagiarism in all its forms constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable. Authors should not submit articles describing essentially the same research to more than one journal. The corresponding author should ensure that there is a full consensus of all co-authors in approving the final version of the paper and its submission for publication.

Reporting standards
Authors of reports of original research should present an accurate account of the work performed as well as an objective discussion of its significance. Underlying data should be represented accurately in the paper. A paper should contain sufficient detail and references to permit others to replicate the work. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behavior and are unacceptable.
Data Access and Retention
Authors are asked to provide the raw data in connection with a paper for editorial review, and should be prepared to provide public access to such data (consistent with the ALPSP-STM Statement on Data and Databases), if practicable, and should in any event be prepared to retain such data for a reasonable time after publication.
Originality and Plagiarism
The authors should ensure that they have written entirely original works, and if the authors have used the work and/or words of others that this has been appropriately cited or quoted. Multiple, Redundant or Concurrent Publication An author should not in general publish manuscripts describing essentially the same research in more than one journal or primary publication. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable.
Acknowledgement of Sources
Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be given. Authors should cite publications that have been influential in determining the nature of the reported work.
Authorship of the Paper
Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. All those who have made significant contributions should be listed as co-authors. Where there are others who have participated in certain substantive aspects of the research project, they should be acknowledged or listed as contributors. The corresponding author should ensure that all appropriate co-authors and no inappropriate co-authors are included on the paper, and that all co-authors have seen and approved the final version of the paper and have agreed to its submission for publication.
Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
All authors should disclose in their manuscript any financial or other substantive conflict of interest that might be construed to influence the results or interpretation of their manuscript. All sources of financial support for the project should be disclosed.
Fundamental errors in published works
When an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in his/her own published work, it is the author’s obligation to promptly notify the journal editor or publisher and cooperate with the editor to retract or correct the paper.

Duties of Editors:

Publication decisions
The editor of the journal is responsible for deciding which of the articles submitted to the journal should be published. The editor may be guided by the policies of the journal’s editorial board and constrained by such legal requirements as shall then be in force regarding libel, copyright infringement and plagiarism. The editor may confer with other editors or reviewers in making this decision.
Fair play
An editor will at any time evaluate manuscripts for their intellectual content without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy of the authors.
Confidentiality
The editor and any editorial staff must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, other editorial advisers, and the publisher, as appropriate.
Disclosure and conflicts of interest
Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in an editor’s own
research without the express written consent of the author.

Another editor duties include:

  • To act in a balanced, objective and fair way while carrying out their expected duties, without discrimination on grounds of gender, sexual orientation, religious or political beliefs, ethnic or geographical origin of the authors.
  • To handle submissions for sponsored supplements or special issues in the same way as other submissions, so that articles are considered and accepted solely on their academic merit and without commercial influence.
  • To adopt and follow reasonable procedures in the event of complaints of an ethical or conflict nature, in accordance with the policies and procedures of the Society where appropriate. To give authors a reasonable opportunity to respond to any complaints. All complaints should be investigated no matter when the original publication was approved. Documentation associated with any such complaints should be retained.

Duties of Reviewers:

Contribution to Editorial Decisions
Peer review assists the editor in making editorial decisions and through the editorial communications with the author may also assist the author in improving the paper.
Promptness
Any selected referee who feels unqualified to review the research reported in a manuscript or knows that its prompt review will be impossible should notify the editor and excuse himself from the review process.
Confidentiality
Any manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. They must not be shown to or discussed with others except as authorized by the editor.
Standards of Objectivity
Reviews should be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Referees should express their views clearly with supporting arguments.
Acknowledgement of Sources
Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors. Any statement that an observation, derivation, or argument had been previously reported should be accompanied by the relevant citation. A reviewer should also call to the editor’s attention any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under consideration and any other published paper of which they have personal knowledge.
Disclosure and Conflict of Interest
Privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review must be kept confidential and not used for personal advantage. Reviewers should not consider manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or institutions connected to the papers.

Publishing ethics issues:

All participants of the research should be informed about the aims of the study and any possible side effects. Written informed consent from the participant is necessary for any such studies. The Journal reserves the right to request the related documents.

The JTethys precludes business needs from compromising intellectual and ethical standards.

Plagiarism: Use of verbatim texts from other sources without acknowledgement is prohibited. The content of all articles must be the original work of authors and must not be plagiarized from other articles.

Data fabrication:  Fabrication is the practice of inventing data or results and reporting them in the research. Both of these misconducts are fraudulent and seriously alter the integrity of research. Therefore, articles must be written based on original data and use of falsified or fabricated data is strongly prohibited.

Image manipulation: The JTethys encourages authors to send their original images. All digital images in manuscripts accepted for publication will be checked for inappropriate manipulation. No specific feature within an image may be enhanced, obscured, moved, removed, or introduced. Adjustments of brightness, contrast, or color balance are acceptable as long as they are applied to the entire image and do not misrepresent any information present in the original, including the background. The editors will request the original data from the authors to compare the manipulated figures in cases suspected of inappropriate manipulation.

Peer review process:

The peer review involves an exchange between editor and a team of reviewers (referees). After the referees receive a Manuscript from the editor-in-chief, they read it closely and provide individual critiques, usually within four weeks. In the review form they comment on the validity of the science, judge the significance by evaluating the importance of the findings, determine the originality of the work,  and identify missing or inaccurate references. Finally, they recommend that the paper be published or rejected.

Manuscript Withdrawal Policy

Manuscripts may be withdrawn at any stage of review and publication process by submitting a request to the editorial office. Manuscript withdrawal will be permitted after submission only for the most compelling and unavoidable reasons. A withdrawal penalty may or may not be levied on the authors:

* Withdrawal after manuscript submission to before peer reviewer’s comments are sent to the authors – No penalty.

  * Withdrawal after the peer reviewer’s comments have been sent to the authors to before the authors are informed of the final decision about manuscript acceptance – $50 withdrawal penalty.

* Withdrawal after the authors are informed of the final decision about manuscript acceptance – $100 withdrawal penalty.