Submission Process

Manuscripts for Spectrum of Mechanical Engineering and Operational Research (SMEOR) should be submitted online through the journal's online submission system. The submitting author, who is generally the corresponding author, is responsible for the manuscript throughout the submission and peer-review process. The submitting author must ensure that all eligible co-authors are included in the author list and that all authors have read and approved the submitted version of the manuscript. Authors must register and log in to the journal platform to submit a manuscript.

Manuscript Templates

Authors must use the Microsoft Word template or LaTeX template when preparing their manuscripts. Use of the journal template facilitates editorial processing, copy-editing, and production following acceptance.

Accepted File Formats

• PDF: A PDF version of the manuscript may be submitted for the initial peer-review stage. Editable source files must be provided when requested and are required for production following acceptance.
• Microsoft Word: Manuscripts prepared in Microsoft Word must use the SMEOR Word template and should be submitted as a single editable file. Figures, schemes, and tables should be inserted in the main manuscript close to their first citation.
• LaTeX: Manuscripts prepared in LaTeX must use the official SMEOR LaTeX template and the associated class and style files. Authors should submit all source files necessary to compile the manuscript successfully, including the main .tex file, bibliography files, figures, and any additional required files.
• Figures: Vector graphics should preferably be provided in an appropriate vector format such as PDF or EPS. Raster graphics should normally be provided in a publication-quality format such as TIFF, PNG, or JPEG and at a resolution of at least 300 dpi at the intended publication size.
• Supplementary Files: Supplementary materials may be submitted in appropriate formats. Authors are encouraged to use common, accessible, and preferably non-proprietary file formats wherever possible.

Submission Checklist

Before completing the submission, authors should ensure that all required files and information have been provided and that:

• the manuscript has been prepared using the appropriate SMEOR template;
• the title, abstract, and keywords are included;
• all authors and affiliations are correctly identified;
• all figures are included and have appropriate captions;
• all tables are included and have appropriate titles, headings, and footnotes where necessary;
• all figures and tables are cited in the main text and numbered consistently;
• equations are provided in editable form and are numbered consistently where applicable;
• all references cited in the manuscript appear in the reference list and vice versa;
• all required declarations, including Funding, Author Contributions, Data Availability, and Conflicts of Interest, are provided where applicable;
• supplementary files are provided where applicable.

Reproducing Published Material from Other Publishers

Authors are responsible for ensuring that they have the necessary rights to reproduce or adapt material from previously published or otherwise protected sources. Permission must be obtained where the intended reuse is not permitted by the applicable license, copyright law, or another relevant legal exception.

Permission may be required for:

• the authors' own previously published works where they did not retain the rights necessary for the intended reuse;
• substantial extracts from another person's copyrighted work;
• figures, tables, graphs, charts, schemes, photographs, or artwork where the applicable license or other legal exception does not permit the intended reuse;
• adaptations of copyrighted material where authorization is required under the applicable license or law.

Separate permission is generally not required where:

• the material is distributed under a license, such as an applicable Creative Commons license, that already permits the intended reuse, provided that all conditions of that license are satisfied;
• authors create an original table, graph, chart, scheme, or other visualization based on underlying data or information that may lawfully be reused, provided that protected elements of the original work are not reproduced and the original source is appropriately cited;
• short quotations are used where permitted under applicable copyright law or another relevant legal exception, provided that the original source is appropriately cited;
• the material is in the public domain or otherwise not subject to copyright restrictions applicable to the intended reuse.

Reuse or adaptation of third-party material must always be appropriately acknowledged. Where material is reproduced or adapted under a Creative Commons or another open license, authors must comply with the attribution and other requirements of the applicable license.

Generative AI must not be used to recreate, redraw, modify, or otherwise reproduce third-party figures, images, artwork, or other visual material for inclusion in a manuscript. The use of AI-generated visual content is subject to the journal's policy on Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies.

Obtaining Permission

Authors should obtain any necessary permissions as early as possible to avoid delays in the editorial and publication process. If there is uncertainty as to whether permission is required, authors are responsible for determining whether the intended reuse is permitted under the applicable copyright, license, or other relevant legal provisions.

Spectrum of Mechanical Engineering and Operational Research will not knowingly publish third-party material where the necessary rights or permissions for publication have not been obtained.

Where permission is required, authors must comply with any attribution wording specified by the copyright holder. If no specific wording is required, an appropriate acknowledgment may be provided in the figure, table, or scheme caption, for example: “Reproduced with permission from [author/source], published by [publisher], [year].”