Guidelines for Authors
Before submitting your manuscript to the Samarra Journal of Engineering Science and Research (SJESR), please ensure that it meets the following criteria:
- Language: Written in English with clear, professional scientific language.
- Originality: Presents original research that has not been previously published.
- Exclusivity: Not under consideration or review at any other journal or publication.
- Scope: Falls within the journal's scope, covering all engineering disciplines and related fields.
- Quality: Meets scientific and methodological standards for peer-reviewed publication.
- Ethics: Complies with all ethical standards for research involving human or animal subjects.
- Format: Prepared according to SJESR's template and formatting guidelines.
Manuscript Preparation Guidelines
General Formatting
Document Format: Follow the journal template.
Length Guidelines:
- Research Articles: 4,000–8,000 words (excluding references).
- Review Articles: 6,000–10,000 words.
- Short Communications: 2,000–3,000 words.
- Technical Notes: 2,000–4,000 words.
Manuscript Structure
Title Page
Includes:
- Manuscript Title: Concise and descriptive (maximum 20 words).
- Author Information: Full names of all authors.
- Affiliations: Complete institutional affiliations with department, institution, city, and country.
- Corresponding Author: Name, email, and complete mailing address.
- Keywords: 3–5 keywords.
- Abstract: 150–200 words.
Main Text Sections
Introduction:
- Background and context.
- Literature review.
- Research gap.
- Significance and aim of the study.
Materials and Methods (or Methodology):
- Detailed description allowing replication.
- Materials, equipment, and procedures.
- Study design and participants (if applicable).
- Data collection and analysis methods.
- Statistical methods.
- Ethical approvals.
Results and Discussion:
- Present findings logically and clearly.
- Use tables and figures appropriately.
- Avoid interpretation in the Results section.
- Report statistical significance.
- Interpret results in the context of existing literature.
- Compare with previous studies.
- Explain implications and significance.
- Acknowledge limitations.
- Suggest future research directions.
Conclusions:
- Summarize main findings.
- State implications.
- Avoid repeating the abstract or introduction.
- No new information.
Acknowledgments (optional):
- Funding sources with grant numbers.
- Technical assistance.
- Individuals who contributed but don't meet authorship criteria.
- Institutional support.
Conflict of Interest Statement:
- Declare all conflicts or state "The authors declare no conflict of interest."
Funding Information:
- List all funding sources.
- Grant numbers and agency names.
- If no funding: "This research received no external funding."
References:
- Use IEEE style (see Citation Guidelines below).
- List all cited works in numerical order.
Tables
- Number consecutively: Table 1, Table 2, etc.
- Title above the table (descriptive and self-explanatory).
- Notes and abbreviations below the table.
- Cite all tables in the text in order.
- Use the table function in Word (not images).
Figures
- Number consecutively: Figure 1, Figure 2, etc.
- Caption below the figure (descriptive and self-explanatory).
- Ensure legibility when reduced to print size.
- Use color only when necessary.
- Ensure figures are interpretable in grayscale.
Equations
- Use Microsoft Word Equation Editor or MathType.
- Number equations consecutively on the right margin: (1), (2), (3).
- Define all symbols and variables upon first use.
- Ensure equations are editable (not images).
Supplementary Materials (if applicable)
- Large datasets.
- Additional figures or tables.
- Video files.
- Software code.
- Detailed calculations.
- Survey instruments.
- Submit as separate files with clear labels.
Citation and Reference Style
IEEE Reference Style
SJESR follows the IEEE citation format, a numeric referencing system where citations are numbered in square brackets [1] in the order they appear in the text.
In-Text Citations
General Rules:
- Citations numbered sequentially in order of first appearance: [1], [2], [3].
- Use brackets around the citation number: [5].
- Place citation numbers outside punctuation: "as shown in the study [12]."
- Multiple citations separated by commas: [3], [5], [8].
- Sequential citations use hyphens: [1]–[4].
- Same reference cited multiple times uses the same number.
Examples:
- "... as shown by Brown [4], as previously stated."
- "The theory was first proposed in 1987 [1]."
- "For example, see [7]."
- "Several recent studies [3], [4], [15], [16] have suggested that..."
Author Names in Text:
- Up to two authors may be named: "Brown and Smith [4] reported..."
- More than two authors use "et al.": "Johnson et al. [12] demonstrated..."
- In most cases, prefer numeric citations only: "Previous studies [5], [8] have shown..."
Reference List Format
General Rules:
- Heading: References (centered, bold).
- List all references in numerical order [1], [2], [3]...
- Match numbering to in-text citations.
- Single spacing within each reference.
- 6 pt spacing between references.
- Hanging indent (0.5 cm).
Author Names:
- Initials followed by surname: "J. Smith" or "J. A. Smith."
- Up to six authors: list all.
- More than six authors: first author + "et al."
Common Reference Types
Journal Article:
[1] F. Yan, Y. Gu, Y. Wang, C. M. Wang, X. Y. Hu, and H. X. Peng, "Study on the interaction mechanism between laser and rock during perforation," Opt. Laser Technol., vol. 54, pp. 303–308, Dec. 2013.
Book:
[2] I. A. Glover and P. M. Grant, Digital Communications, 3rd ed., Harlow, UK: Prentice Hall, 2009.
Book Chapter:
[3] C. W. Li and G. J. Wang, "MEMS manufacturing techniques for tissue scaffolding devices," in MEMS for Biomedical Applications, S. Bhansali and A. Vasudev, Eds., Cambridge, UK: Woodhead, 2012, pp. 192–217.
Conference Paper:
[4] S. P. Bingulac, "On the compatibility of adaptive controllers," in Proc. 4th Annu. Allerton Conf. Circuits and Systems Theory, New York, NY, USA, 1994, pp. 8–16.
Standard:
[5] IEEE Standard for Local and Metropolitan Area Networks, IEEE Standard 802.11, 2020.
Thesis/Dissertation:
[6] J. O. Williams, "Narrow-band analyzer," Ph.D. dissertation, Dept. Elect. Eng., Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA, USA, 1993.
Website/Online Source:
[7] World Health Organization, "Drinking-water quality guidelines." WHO. https://www.who.int/water (accessed Jan. 15, 2024).
Patent:
[8] J. P. Thomas, "High-efficiency solar cell design," U.S. Patent 10 234 567, Mar. 19, 2019.
Journal Name Abbreviations
Use standard IEEE abbreviations for journal names:
- "Journal" → "J."
- "Transactions" → "Trans."
- "Proceedings" → "Proc."
- "Conference" → "Conf."
- "International" → "Int."
How to Submit
Follow these steps to submit your manuscript to SJESR:
STEP 1: Register or Login
- Visit the journal website: https://journals.uosamarra.edu.iq/sjesr/
- New users: Click "Register" and create an account with your name, email, and affiliation.
- Returning users: Login with your existing credentials.
- Complete your user profile with accurate contact information.
STEP 2: Prepare Your Manuscript
Download our Journal Template:
- Download the SJESR manuscript template: Download Template
- Use Microsoft Word (.docx format).
Format Your Manuscript:
- Follow the template guidelines for structure, formatting, and style.
- Include all required sections (Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion, Conclusions, References).
- Ensure figures and tables are properly formatted and cited.
- Use IEEE reference style (see Citation Guidelines above).
Save Your File:
- Use a clear, descriptive filename (e.g., Structural_Analysis_Concrete_Beams.docx).
- Keep a backup copy.
STEP 3: Complete Required Forms
Declaration and Copyright Transfer Form:
- Download the form: Download Form
- Complete all required fields:
- Manuscript title.
- All author names, affiliations, and contact information.
- Declarations regarding originality, ethics, and conflicts of interest.
- Sign the form (corresponding author signs on behalf of all co-authors).
- Save as PDF format.
- Ensure all co-authors have reviewed and approved the submission.
STEP 4: Submit Online
Navigate to Submissions:
- Go to the "Submissions" section on the journal website.
- Click "Make a New Submission."
Upload Required Files:
- Main manuscript file (MS Word .docx format).
- Declaration and Copyright Transfer Form (PDF format).
- Supplementary materials (if applicable).
Complete Metadata Fields:
- Enter manuscript title and abstract.
- Add all author names, affiliations, and emails.
- Select article type (research article, review, technical note, etc.).
- Enter keywords (3–5 keywords).
- Provide any additional comments for the editor.
Review and Submit:
- Carefully review all information for accuracy.
- Check that all files are uploaded correctly.
- Click "Submit" to complete the submission process.
STEP 5: Track Your Submission
Confirmation:
- You will receive an automatic confirmation email with a manuscript tracking number.
- Save this number for future reference.
Status Tracking:
- Monitor your submission through your author dashboard.
- Check your email regularly for updates.
- Status updates include: Submitted → Under Review → Decision → Revision Required → Accepted/Rejected.
Timeline:
- Initial editorial screening: 3–5 working days.
- Peer review process: typically 4–6 weeks.
- Revision period (if required): typically 2–6 weeks.
- Total time from submission to final decision: typically 8–12 weeks.
Contact: For submission questions or technical issues, email: sjesr@uosamarra.edu.iq (include your manuscript tracking number).
Last Updated: February 26, 2026