Copyright / Open Access
All materials, including Articles published in Biofuel Research Journal, will be Open-Access articles distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).
Guide for authors
Introduction
Biofuel Research Journal publishes original articles, review articles, case studies, book reviews, short communications, and hypotheses on the fundamentals, applications, processing, and management of biofuel & bioproduct technologies.
The journal's aim is to advance and disseminate knowledge in all the biofuel-related areas of biodiesel, bioethanol, biobutanol, biogas, biomass, algae, bioreactions, bioreactors, membrane-bioreactors, fermentation, biorefinery (e.g., membrane separation technology), bioprocess, applied microbiology, combustion, and bioresource technologies associated with conversion or production of biofuel. All the related aspects of the production and consumption of bioproducts are also considered.
Moreover, novel and integrated biofuel & bioproduct processing and hybrid systems, as well as energy audit for biofuel & bioproduct production plants, are of interest. The journal also seeks to publish articles with a focus on the application of artificial photosynthesis for biofuels production, carbon footprint analysis, strategies for limiting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, life cycle assessment (LCA), and exergy analysis of biofuel & bioproduct production/application pathways, compliance with the international standards (such as PAS 2050:2011 and ISO 14040:2006), techno-economic analysis of biofuel & bioproduct production/application, impacts of biofuels & bioproduct production/consumption on climate change, futuristic pathways for biofuels & bioproduct production, and promotion of biofuel & bioproduct applications in the developing world for indigenous development.
Topics include:
Submission of papers:
Covering letter to the editor:
When submitting the manuscript, it is mandatory to include a cover letter to the editor. The cover letter must state:
(1) That all the authors mutually agree that it should be submitted to BRJ.
(2) It is the original work of the authors.
(3) That the manuscript was not previously submitted to BRJ.
(4) State the novelty in results/findings or the significance of results.
(5) Detailed information of the corresponding author(s) (complete name, affiliation(s), tel/fax number, email, and academic degree).
Types of contributions: Original research papers, review articles, case studies, short communications, and book reviews. Review articles would be generally solicited by the editors from the experts. However, these can be contributed by others also. In this case, authors must consult the editor by sending the extended summary (approx. 500 words), outline, and the list of publications of authors on the topic.
Ethics in publishing
The publication of an article in a peer-reviewed journal is an essential building block in the development of a coherent and respected network of knowledge. It is a direct reflection of the quality of the work of the authors and the institutions that support them. Peer-reviewed articles support and embody the scientific method. It is therefore important to agree upon standards of expected ethical behavior for all parties involved in the act of publishing: the author, the journal editor, the peer reviewer, and the publisher.
Duties of Editors
Duties of Reviewers
Duties of Authors
Duties of the Publisher
We are committed to ensuring that advertising, reprint, or other commercial revenue has no impact or influence on editorial decisions. In addition, Alpha Creation Enterprise will assist in communications with other journals and/or publishers where this is useful to editors. Finally, we are working closely with other publishers and industry associations to set standards for best practices on ethical matters, errors, and retractions--and are prepared to provide specialized legal review and counsel if necessary.
Plagiarism Detection
The peer review process is at the heart of the success of scientific publishing. As part of our commitment to the protection and enhancement of the peer review process, Alpha Creation Enterprise has an obligation to assist the scientific community in all aspects of publishing ethics, especially in cases of (suspected) duplicate submission or plagiarism. However, the journal routinely screens article submissions for plagiarism.
Conflict of interest
All authors are requested to disclose any actual or potential conflict of interest, including any financial, personal, or other relationships with other people or organizations, within three years of beginning the submitted work that could inappropriately influence or be perceived to influence their work.
Submission declaration and verification
Submission of an article implies that the work described has not been published previously (except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture or academic thesis or as an electronic preprint), that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere, that its publication is approved by all authors and tacitly or explicitly by the responsible authorities where the work was carried out, and that, if accepted, it will not be published elsewhere in the same form, in English or in any other language, including electronically without the written consent of the copyright holder.
Changes to authorship
This policy concerns the addition, deletion, or rearrangement of author names in the authorship of accepted manuscripts:
Before the accepted manuscript is published in an online issue: Requests to add or remove an author, or to rearrange the author names, must be sent to the Journal Manager from the corresponding author of the accepted manuscript and must include: (a) the reason the name should be added or removed, or the author names rearranged and (b) written confirmation (e-mail, fax, letter) from all authors that they agree with the addition, removal or rearrangement. In the case of the addition or removal of authors, this includes confirmation from the author being added or removed. Requests that are not sent by the corresponding author will be forwarded by the Journal Manager to the corresponding author, who must follow the procedure as described above. Note that: (1) Journal Managers will inform the Journal Editors of any such requests, and (2) publication of the accepted manuscript in an online issue is suspended until authorship has been agreed. After the accepted manuscript is published in an online issue: Any requests to add, delete, or rearrange author names in an article published in an online issue will follow the same policies as noted above and result in a corrigendum.
Copyright
By submitting a manuscript, the Author acknowledges that they have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by the terms and conditions detailed in the 'Journal Publishing Agreement' should the Manuscript be accepted for publication.
Role of the funding source
You are requested to identify who provided financial support for the conduct of the research and/or preparation of the article and to briefly describe the role of the sponsor(s), if any, in study design, in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; and in the decision to submit the article for publication.
Language and language services
Please write your text in good English (American or British usage is accepted, but not a mixture of these). The Editors suggest avoidance of the usage of the first person (we, us, our) in the text.
IMPORTANT: Please note that poor language may cause the rejection of the manuscript.
Submission
Submission to this journal proceeds totally online, and you will be guided stepwise through the creation and uploading of your files. The system automatically converts source files to a single PDF file of the article, which is used in the peer-review process. Please note that even though manuscript source files are converted to PDF files at submission for the review process, these source files are needed for further processing after acceptance. All correspondence, including notification of the Editor's decision and requests for revision, takes place by e-mail, removing the need for a paper trail.
Submit your article
Please submit your article via http://www.biofueljournal.com/author
Referees
Please submit, with the manuscript, the names, addresses, and e-mail addresses of 5 potential referees. Note that the editor retains the sole right to decide whether or not the suggested reviewers are used.
The Managing Editor first evaluates all manuscripts on technical aspects such as compliance with the "Guide For Authors", and quality of grammar or English language. Revision can be requested. Manuscripts accepted at this stage are passed to the handling editor, who can also reject them on the basis of insufficient originality, serious scientific flaws, or because the work is considered outside the aims and scope of the journal. Those that meet the minimum criteria are passed on to experts for review. Referees advise the editor, who is responsible for the final decision to accept or reject the article. Please note: Any Editor's decision is final.
Manuscripts previously rejected by the Journal could not be re-considered by the Editors, provided that they have undergone significant improvements.
Manuscript Preparation
General:
Authors must follow the guide for authors strictly, failing which the manuscripts would be rejected without review. Editors reserve the right to adjust the style to certain standards of uniformity.
Structure:
Follow this order when typing manuscripts: Title, Authors, Affiliations, Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results and Discussion, Conclusions, Acknowledgements, References, Figure Captions, Tables, and Figures. The corresponding author should be identified with an asterisk and footnote. All other footnotes (except for table footnotes) should be avoided. Collate acknowledgments in a separate section at the end of the article, and do not include them on the title page as a footnote to the title or otherwise.
Text Layout:
Use double spacing and wide (3 cm) margins on white paper. (Avoid full justification, i.e., do not use a constant right-hand margin.) Ensure that each new paragraph is clearly indicated. Present tables and figure legends on separate pages at the end of the manuscript. If possible, consult a recent issue of the journal to become familiar with the layout and conventions. Number all pages consecutively; use 12 pt font size and standard fonts.
Page length: There is no page length limit. Figures and tables must be included in the main manuscript file.
Use of word-processing software: It is important that the file be saved in the native format of the word processor used. The text should be in single-column format. Keep the layout of the text as simple as possible. Most formatting codes will be removed and replaced on processing the article. In particular, do not use the word processor's options to justify text or to hyphenate words. However, do use boldface, italics, subscripts, superscripts, etc. When preparing tables, if you are using a table grid, use only one grid for each individual table and not a grid for each row. If no grid is used, use tabs, not spaces, to align columns. The electronic text should be prepared in a way very similar to that of conventional manuscripts. Note that source files of figures, tables, and text graphics will be required whether or not you embed your figures in the text. See also the section on Electronic artwork.
To avoid unnecessary errors you are strongly advised to use the 'spell-check' and 'grammar-check' functions of your word processor.
Article structure
Subdivision - numbered sections
Divide your article into clearly defined and numbered sections. Subsections should be numbered 1.1 (then 1.1.1, 1.1.2, ...), 1.2, etc. (the abstract is not included in section numbering). Use this numbering also for internal cross-referencing: do not just refer to 'the text'. Any subsection may be given a brief heading. Each heading should appear on its own separate line.
Introduction
State the objectives of the work and provide an adequate background, avoiding a detailed literature survey or a summary of the results.
Material and methods
Provide sufficient detail to allow the work to be reproduced. Methods already published should be indicated by a reference: only relevant modifications should be described.
Theory/calculation
A Theory section should extend, not repeat, the background to the article already dealt with in the Introduction and lay the foundation for further work. In contrast, a Calculation section represents a practical development from a theoretical basis.
Results and Discussion
Results should be clear and concise and be part of a single section, discussing the significance of the results of the work, not repeating them. Extensive citation and discussion of the published literature should be avoided.
Conclusions
The main conclusions drawn from the results should be presented in a short Conclusions section.
Appendices
If there is more than one appendix, they should be identified as A, B, etc. Formulae and equations in appendices should be given separate numbering: Eq. (A.1), Eq. (A.2), etc.; in a subsequent appendix, Eq. (B.1), and so on. Similarly, for tables and figures: Table A.1; Fig. A.1, etc.
Essential title page information
• Title: Concise and informative. Titles are often used in information-retrieval systems. Avoid abbreviations and formulae where possible.
• Author names and affiliations: Where the family name may be ambiguous (e.g., a double name), please indicate this clearly. Present the authors' affiliation addresses (where the actual work was done) below the names. Indicate all affiliations with a lower-case superscript letter immediately after the author's name and in front of the appropriate address. Provide the full postal address of each affiliation, including the country name and, if available, the e-mail address of each author.
• Corresponding author: Clearly indicate who will handle correspondence at all stages of refereeing and publication, also post-publication. Ensure that phone numbers (with country and area code) are provided in addition to the e-mail address and the complete postal address. Contact details must be kept up to date by the corresponding author.
• Present/permanent address: If an author has moved since the work described in the article was done or was visiting at the time, a 'Present address' (or 'Permanent address') may be indicated as a footnote to that author's name. The address at which the author actually did the work must be retained as the main affiliation address. Superscript Arabic numerals are used for such footnotes.
Abstract
A concise and factual abstract is required. Each paper should be provided with an abstract of about 200 words. The abstract should state briefly the purpose of the research, the principal results, and major conclusions. An abstract is often presented separately from the article, so it must be able to stand alone. For this reason, References should be avoided, but if essential, then cite the author(s) and year(s). Also, non-standard or uncommon abbreviations should be avoided, but if essential they must be defined at their first mention in the abstract itself.
Graphical abstract
A Graphical abstract is optional and should summarize the contents of the article in a concise, pictorial form designed to capture the attention of a wide readership online. Authors must provide images that clearly represent the work described in the article. Graphical abstracts should be submitted as a separate file in the online submission system. Image size: Please provide an image with a minimum of 531 × 1328 pixels (h × w) or proportionally more. The image should be readable at a size of 5 × 13 cm using a regular screen resolution of 96 dpi. Preferred file types: TIFF, EPS, PDF, or MS Office files.
Highlights
Highlights are mandatory for this journal. They consist of a short collection of bullet points that convey the core findings of the article and should be submitted in a separate file in the online submission system. Please use 'Highlights' in the file name and include 3 to 5 bullet points (maximum 85 characters, including spaces, per bullet point).
Keywords
Immediately after the abstract, provide a maximum of 6 keywords to be included in an article, using American spelling and avoiding general and plural terms and multiple concepts (avoid, for example, "and" and "of"). Be sparing with abbreviations: only abbreviations firmly established in the field may be eligible. These keywords will be used for indexing purposes.
Abbreviations
Define abbreviations that are not standard in this field in a footnote to be placed on the first page of the article. Such abbreviations that are unavoidable in the abstract must be defined at their first mention there, as well as in the footnote. Ensure consistency of abbreviations throughout the article.
Acknowledgments
Collate acknowledgments in a separate section at the end of the article before the references and do not, therefore, include them on the title page as a footnote to the title or otherwise. List here those individuals who provided help during the research (e.g., providing language help, writing assistance, proofreading the article, etc.).
Units
Follow internationally accepted rules and conventions: use the international system of units (SI). If other units are mentioned, please give their equivalent in SI.
Math formulas
Present simple formulas in the line of normal text where possible and use the solidus (/) instead of a horizontal line for small fractional terms, e.g., X/Y. In principle, variables are to be presented in italics. Powers of e are often more conveniently denoted by exp. Number consecutively any equations that have to be displayed separately from the text (if referred to explicitly in the text).
Footnotes
Footnotes should be used sparingly. Number them consecutively throughout the article, using superscript Arabic numbers. Many word processors build footnotes into the text, and this feature may be used. Should this not be the case, indicate the position of footnotes in the text and present the footnotes themselves separately at the end of the article. Do not include footnotes in the Reference list.
Table footnotes: Indicate each footnote in a table with a superscript lowercase letter.
Artwork
Electronic artwork
General points
• Make sure you use uniform lettering and sizing of your original artwork.
• Embed the used fonts if the application provides that option.
• Aim to use the following fonts in your illustrations: Arial, Courier, Times New Roman, Symbol, or use fonts that look similar.
• Number the illustrations according to their sequence in the text.
• Use a logical naming convention for your artwork files.
• Provide captions to illustrations separately.
• Size the illustrations close to the desired dimensions of the printed version.
• Submit each illustration as a separate file.
Please do not:
• Supply files that are optimized for screen use (e.g., GIF, BMP, PICT, WPG); these typically have a low number of pixels and a limited set of colors;
• Supply files that are too low in resolution;
• Submit graphics that are disproportionately large for the content.
Color artwork
Please make sure that artwork files are in an acceptable format (TIFF (or JPEG), EPS (or PDF), or MS Office files) and with the correct resolution.
Figure captions
Ensure that each illustration has a caption. A caption should comprise a brief title (not on the figure itself) and a description of the illustration. Keep text in the illustrations themselves to a minimum but explain all symbols and abbreviations used. Multiple figures can be expressed as one figure (e.g., 1a, 1b, 1c, etc.).
Tables
Number tables consecutively in accordance with their appearance in the text. Place footnotes to tables below the table body and indicate them with superscript lowercase letters. Avoid vertical rules. Be sparing in the use of tables and ensure that the data presented in tables do not duplicate results described elsewhere in the article. The Journal discourages the publication of simple one-parameter tables; such information should preferably be described in the text itself.
References
Maximum 50, 150, and 500 references for short communication, original research paper/case study, and review papers, respectively.
Citation in text
Please ensure that every reference cited in the text is also present in the reference list (and vice versa). Any references cited in the abstract must be given in full. Unpublished results and personal communications are not recommended in the reference list but may be mentioned in the text. If these references are included in the reference list they should follow the standard reference style of the journal and should include a substitution of the publication date with either 'Unpublished results' or 'Personal communication'. The citation of a reference as 'in press' implies that the item has been accepted for publication.
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.
Reference style
The Reference Style of Biofuel Research Journal in EndNote can be downloaded here
Text: All citations in the text should refer to:
1. Single author: the author's name (without initials, unless there is ambiguity) and the year of publication;
2. Two authors: both authors' names and the year of publication;
3. Three or more authors: first author's name followed by 'et al.' and the year of publication.
Citations may be made directly (or parenthetically).
Examples: 'as demonstrated (Allan, 1999, 2000a, 2000b; Allan and Jones, 1999). Kramer et al. (2010) have recently shown ....'
List: References should be arranged first alphabetically, THEN NUMBERED NUMERICALLY, and then further sorted chronologically if necessary. More than one reference from the same author(s) in the same year must be identified by the letters 'a', 'b', 'c', etc., placed after the year of publication.
Examples:
Reference to a journal publication:
Van der Geer, J., Hanraads, J.A.J., Lupton, R.A., 2010. The art of writing a scientific article. J. Sci. Commun. 163, 51–59.
Reference to a book:
Strunk Jr., W., 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.
References in the list should be placed first alphabetically and then numbered chronologically.
1. 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.
2. Strunk Jr., W., White, E.B., 2000. The Elements of Style, fourth ed. Longman, New York.
3. Van der Geer, J., Hanraads, J.A.J., Lupton, R.A., 2010. The art of writing a scientific article. J. Sci. Commun. 163, 51-59.
Journal abbreviations source
Journal names should be abbreviated according to
Index Medicus journal abbreviations: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/tsd/serials/lji.html;
List of title word abbreviations: http://www.issn.org/2-22661-LTWA-online.php;
CAS (Chemical Abstracts Service): http://www.cas.org/content/references/corejournals.
Supplementary data
BRJ accepts electronic supplementary material to support and enhance your scientific research. Supplementary files offer the author additional possibilities to publish supporting applications, high-resolution images, background datasets, sound clips, and more. Supplementary files supplied will be published online alongside the electronic version of your article. In order to ensure that your submitted material is directly usable, please provide the data in one of our recommended file formats. Authors should submit the material in electronic format together with the article and supply a concise and descriptive caption for each file.
Submission checklist
The following list will be useful during the final checking of an article prior to sending it to the journal for review. Please consult this Guide for Authors for further details on any item.
Ensure that the following items are present:
One author has been designated as the corresponding author with contact details:
• E-mail address
• Full postal address
• Phone numbers
All necessary files have been uploaded and contain:
• Keywords
• All figure captions
• All tables (including title, description, and footnotes)
Further considerations
• Manuscript has been 'spell-checked' and 'grammar-checked'
• References are in the correct format for this journal
• All references mentioned in the Reference list are cited in the text, and vice versa
• Permission has been obtained for the use of copyrighted material from other sources (including the Web)
Use of the Digital Object Identifier
The Digital Object Identifier (DOI) may be used to cite and link to electronic documents. The DOI consists of a unique alpha-numeric character string which is assigned to a document by the publisher upon the initial electronic publication. The assigned DOI never changes. Therefore, it is an ideal medium for citing a document, particularly 'Articles in press', because they have not yet received their full bibliographic information. Example of a correctly given DOI (in URL format; here is an article in the journal Physics Letters B):
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.physletb.2010.09.059
When you use a DOI to create links to documents on the web, the DOIs are guaranteed never to change.
Publication of Articles
After acceptance, the Journal will publish articles quickly online, free of charge. Requests for delayed publication of the accepted articles are generally not acceptable.
Proofs
One set of page proofs (as PDF files) will be sent by e-mail to the corresponding author, or a link will be provided in the e-mail so that authors can download the files themselves. If, for any reason, this is not possible, then mark the corrections and any other comments (including replies to the Query Form) on a printout of your proof and return by fax, scan the pages and e-mail, or by post. Please use this proof only for checking the typesetting, editing, completeness, and correctness of the text, tables, and figures. Significant changes to the article as accepted for publication will only be considered at this stage with permission from the Editor. We will do everything possible to get your article published quickly and accurately – please let us have all your corrections within 48 hours. It is important to ensure that all corrections are sent back to us in one communication: please check carefully before replying, as the inclusion of any subsequent corrections cannot be guaranteed. Proofreading is solely your responsibility. Note that Alpha Creation Enterprise may proceed with the publication of your article if no response is received.