About the journal

Aims and scope

The "Journal of Advances in Welding & Joining" is an international, peer-reviewed publication focusing on cutting-edge research in welding and joining technologies. It covers three main areas:

1 - Design and Structural Integrity:

• Analyzing and improving joint integrity

• Novel design approaches

• Computational modeling

• Failure analysis and prevention

• Advanced materials joining

2 - Process Optimization:

• Welding and joining parameters optimization

• Geometric optimization

• Advanced control systems

• Automation and robotics

• Novel and hybrid processes

3 - Bio-inspired Design:

• Biomimetic approaches

• Nature-inspired designs

• Bio-inspired materials

• Adapting natural joining mechanisms

• Sustainable techniques

The journal aims to connect theory with practice, publishing research articles, reviews, short communications and case studies. It encourages interdisciplinary approaches combining materials science, mechanical engineering, manufacturing, and biological sciences.

Key topics include additive manufacturing, non-destructive testing, microstructure-property relationships, residual stress analysis, joining dissimilar materials, eco-friendly processes, AI applications, and bio-inspired mechanisms.

This platform serves academics, researchers, and industry professionals, promoting knowledge sharing and innovation in welding and joining science and technology.

Review Process and Editorial Integrity

Our journal employs a blind peer review system to ensure unbiased evaluation of submissions:

Initial Screening: Our editorial team assesses each manuscript for its fit with the journal's scope and quality standards.

Expert Review: Suitable manuscripts are sent to at least two independent specialists for thorough evaluation of scientific merit. Importantly, all author names and affiliations are removed from the manuscripts before they are sent to reviewers, ensuring an unbiased assessment based solely on the content of the work.

Editorial Decision: based on reviewer feedback, our editors determine whether to accept, revise, or reject the submission.

Maintaining Objectivity:

To preserve impartiality, our editors recuse themselves from decisions involving:

• Their own work

• Submissions from family or close colleagues

• Articles related to products or services in which they have a vested interest

In such cases, the review process is managed independently of the affected editor and their research group.

Appeals Process:

Authors may contest editorial decisions through a formal appeal, provided it adheres to OAP's Appeal Policy guidelines. Please note:

• Only one appeal per submission is permitted

• The appeal decision is final

This approach ensures a fair, transparent, and rigorous evaluation of all submissions to our journal, with anonymity maintained throughout the review process to promote objective assessment.

Special Issues and Article Collections

The peer review for special issues and article collections mirrors the standard process, with a few key differences:

1 - A guest editor may:

• Send submissions to reviewers

• Recommend decisions to the journal editor

2 - The journal editor:

• Oversees the entire peer review process

• Ensures adherence to high ethical standards and responsiveness

• Makes the final decision on acceptance or rejection of articles

This approach maintains the integrity of the review process while allowing for specialized input on themed collections.

Ethics and policies

Ethics in publishing

Authors must follow ethical guidelines stated in OAP’s Publishing Ethics Policy.

Submission declaration

By submitting an article to an OAP journal, authors implicitly confirm that:

1 - Originality: The work is original and unpublished, except for:

• Preprints

• Abstracts

• Published lectures

• Academic theses

• Registered reports

2 - Exclusivity: The article is not currently under consideration by any other publication.

3 - Approval: All authors and relevant authorities at the research site have approved the article's publication.

4 - Uniqueness: If accepted, the article will not be republished elsewhere in its current form, in any language or medium, without the copyright holder's written permission.

5 - Compliance: OAP reserves the right to use screening tools to verify adherence to our publishing policies.

Changes to authorship

Our journal maintains a strict policy regarding authorship to ensure transparency and integrity:

1 - Initial Submission:

• All authors must be listed in the manuscript

• Author details must be entered into the submission system

• Carefully consider the authorship list and order before submission

2 - Changes to Authorship:

• Generally, not considered after manuscript submission

• Exceptions may be made prior to acceptance, subject to editor approval

• Post-acceptance changes considered only in exceptional circumstances

3 - Process for Requesting Changes:

• Must be initiated by the corresponding author

• Reasons for the change must be provided to the editor

• Written confirmation required from all authors, including those being added or removed

• All requests must use the designated form

• Non-compliant requests will not be considered

4 - Consequences:

• Publication may be paused during consideration of authorship changes

• Approved changes post-publication will result in a corrigendum

• Unauthorized changes may lead to article rejection or retraction

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Declaration of competing interests

To maintain transparency and scientific integrity, all authors must declare any potential conflicts of interest that could influence their work. These include, but are not limited to:

1 - Professional Affiliations:

• Current employment

• Consulting relationships

2 - Financial Interests:

• Stock or share ownership

• Received honoraria

3 - Legal Involvements:

• Paid expert testimony

• Patent applications or registrations

4 - Funding Sources:

• Research grants

• Any other financial support

Authors must disclose these relationships with individuals or organizations that could be perceived as inappropriately influencing their research or its presentation. This policy ensures readers can assess potential biases and maintains the credibility of published work.

Always fill out the declarations form.

If you have no competing interests, choose "I have nothing to declare".

Upload your declaration as a Word document (.doc/.docx format) during the "attach/upload files" step when submitting. No need for author signatures.

Remember: Even if you're unsure whether something constitutes a competing interest, it's always better to disclose it. Transparency is key in scientific publishing.

Funding sources

Authors must disclose all funding sources that supported their research and/or article preparation. Explain the sponsors' role (if any) in study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, report writing, and the decision to publish. If sponsors weren't involved in these aspects, state this clearly in your submission.

List funding sources in this standard format to meet funders' requirements:

Funding: This work was supported by the European Research Council [grant numbers xxxx, yyyy]; the World Health Organization [grant number zzzz]; and the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme [grant number aaaa].

You don't need to provide detailed descriptions of grant types, scholarships, or awards. If funding comes from a block grant or other institutional resources, just mention the institution's name.

If your research didn't receive specific funding, we recommend including this sentence:

"This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors."

Declaration of generative AI in scientific writing

When submitting a paper, authors must declare any use of generative AI in their writing. This guidance applies only to the writing process, not to AI tools used for data analysis or research insights.

Guidelines for using AI in writing:

1. Use generative AI only to enhance readability and language.

2. Apply AI with human oversight and control.

3. Carefully review and edit AI-generated content, as it may be incorrect, incomplete, or biased.

4. Authors are fully responsible for the work's content.

Important points:

• Don't list AI tools as authors or co-authors. Authorship involves responsibilities only humans can fulfill.

• Declare AI use by adding a statement at the end of your manuscript upon first submission.

• Place this statement in a new section before the references.

Example:

Title: Declaration of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process

Statement: In preparing this work, the author(s) used [TOOL NAME] to [PURPOSE]. The author(s) reviewed and edited the AI-generated content and take full responsibility for the published article.

Note: This declaration isn't needed for basic tools like grammar checkers or reference managers. If you didn't use AI, no statement is necessary.

Jurisdictional claims

Geographical and Institutional Representation in OAP Publications

1 - Author Autonomy and OAP's Neutral Stance

• At OAP, we recognize the complexity of global geopolitics and respect our authors' autonomy in representing geographical areas and institutional affiliations. Our policy is one of strict neutrality regarding territorial disputes or jurisdictional claims. This approach applies to all aspects of published content, including cartographic representations and institutional designations.

• For publications managed by OAP on behalf of third parties, please note that separate policies may be in effect as determined by the respective journal owners.

2 - Guidelines for Cartographic Representations

When incorporating maps in your submissions, please adhere to the following principles:

• Accessibility: Ensure that study areas can be easily located using standard mapping tools.

• Precision: Focus solely on the specific area under investigation.

• Scope: Refrain from including broader regional maps that extend beyond the immediate study zone.

• Clarity: Incorporate a clear disclaimer stating: "Mapped boundaries indicate research areas and do not necessarily reflect officially recognized borders."

During the review process, our editorial team may suggest modifications to ensure compliance with these guidelines.

3 - Institutional Affiliation Standards

To maintain the highest standards of research integrity and facilitate independent verification, authors are requested to use one of the following when stating their institutional affiliation:

• The complete, official title of the institution

• The widely recognized, standard abbreviation of the institution's name

Writing and formatting

File format

To facilitate a smooth review and publication process, we kindly request that you submit your work in editable formats. Here's what you need to know:

File Formats

• • For Microsoft Word users: Save your documents with .doc or .docx extensions and .tex for LaTeX files.

  • Important: PDFs are not accepted as source files.

Layout Considerations

• • Simplify your document structure by using a single-column format.

  • This approach enhances readability for reviewers and editors.

Text Formatting

• • Clean up your manuscript by removing any strikethrough or underlined text.

  • Exception: Retain such formatting only if it carries scientific significance relevant to your article.

Quality Assurance

• • Leverage your word processor's built-in tools:

    1. Run a spell-check to catch typographical errors.

    2. Employ the grammar-check function to refine your writing.

Title page - essential Information for Your Submission

1 - Article Title

• • Craft a concise yet informative title

  • Avoid abbreviations and formulae unless widely recognized (e.g., DNA)

2 - Author Information

• • List full names (given name(s) and family name(s)) of all authors

  • Maintain the author order as in the submission system

  • Optional: Include names in original script (in parentheses) after English transliteration

3 - Institutional Affiliations

• • Provide complete addresses where the work was conducted

  • Use superscript lowercase letters to link authors with their affiliations

  • Include full postal addresses and author email addresses (if available)

4 - Corresponding Author Details

• • Clearly identify the author responsible for correspondence

  • Ensure contact information is current and complete

  • This person will handle queries throughout the publication process and beyond

5 - Address Changes

• • For authors who have relocated:

    • Indicate "present address" with a footnote

    • Use superscript Arabic numerals for footnotes

  • Retain the original work location as the main affiliation

6 - Visiting Researchers

• • If applicable, note "permanent address" for visiting authors

  • Use the same footnote system as for address changes

Abstract

Your abstract serves as a window into your research. Here's how to make it shine:

Key Elements:

1. Purpose: Clearly state your research objectives

2. Methods: Briefly outline your approach

3. Results: Highlight your most significant findings

4. Conclusions: Summarize the main takeaways

Best Practices:

• • Keep it concise: aim for 250 words or less

  • Ensure independence: Your abstract should be understandable without the full article

  • Minimize references: Include only if absolutely necessary, citing author(s) and year(s)

  • Use familiar terms: avoid obscure abbreviations; define any that are crucial

Remember: Your abstract is often the first (and sometimes only) part of your paper that readers will see. Make every word count to capture interest and convey the essence of your work.

Pro Tip: Write your abstract last, after you've completed your paper. This ensures you capture the most important aspects of your research accurately and concisely.

Highlights

Elevate your article's visibility with compelling highlights:

Highlights Defined:

• Concise bullet points

• Spotlight your key findings and innovative methods

• Boost your article's discoverability in search engines

Crafting Effective Highlights:

1. Distill your research into 3-5 key points

2. Keep each point snappy - max 85 characters (spaces included)

3. Focus on novelty and significance

Submission Tips:

• Create a separate file for your highlights

• Label the file clearly (e.g., "YourName_Highlights.doc")

• Submit this file alongside your main manuscript

Remember: Your highlights are like a teaser trailer for your research. Make them intriguing enough to entice readers to explore your full article.

Tables

Format Requirements:

• • Submit tables as editable text, not images

  • Ensure compatibility with word processing software

Placement Options:

• • Adjacent to relevant text

  • Grouped at the article's end

Best Practices:

1. Cite every table within your manuscript

2. Use sequential numbering based on appearance

3. Include clear, informative captions

4. Place explanatory notes beneath the table

Design Tips:

• • Avoid vertical lines

  • Minimize cell shading

  • Aim for clean, easily readable layouts

Content Considerations:

• • Use tables judiciously

  • Prevent data redundancy with text or figures

Remember: Tables should complement your narrative, not replicate it. They are powerful tools for presenting complex data succinctly, enhancing your article's clarity and impact when used effectively.

Figures, images and artwork

File Requirements:

• • Provide all visual elements as separate files

  • Include these alongside your main manuscript

Essential Steps:

1. Reference each visual element in your text

2. Apply sequential numbering based on appearance

3. Use logical file names (e.g., Figure_1, Figure_2)

4. Craft informative captions for all visuals

Special Considerations:

• • Text graphics:

    • May be embedded within the manuscript text

Remember: Visual elements are crucial for enhancing your article's impact and clarity. They should complement your written content, providing additional insights or illustrating complex concepts.

Artwork formats

Vector Graphics:

• • Preferred formats: EPS or PDF

  • Fonts: Embed or convert to outlines

  • Text: Save as "graphics" when possible

Photographic Images:

• • Formats: TIFF, JPG, or PNG

  • Resolution: Minimum 300 dpi

  • Dimensions:

    1. Single column: at least 1063 pixels wide

    2. Full page: at least 2244 pixels wide

Line Drawings:

• • Formats: TIFF, JPG, or PNG

  • Resolution: Minimum 1000 dpi

  • Dimensions:

    1. Single column: at least 3543 pixels wide

    2. Full page: at least 7480 pixels wide

Combined Line/Photo Images:

• • Formats: TIFF, JPG, or PNG

  • Resolution: Minimum 500 dpi

  • Dimensions:

    1. Single column: at least 1772 pixels wide

    2. Full page: at least 3740 pixels wide

Avoid Submitting:

• • Low-resolution files (e.g., GIF, BMP, PICT, WPG)

  • Oversized images that may render text unreadable

Remember: High-quality visuals enhance your article's impact. Adhere to these guidelines to ensure your artwork meets publication standards and reproduces clearly in print and online formats.

Figure captions

Each caption should consist of a concise, descriptive title followed by a detailed explanation of the image content. While keeping text within the image to a minimum, ensure that any symbols or abbreviations used are clearly explained in the caption.

Your captions should be self-explanatory, providing context for the image's relevance to your research. They serve as a bridge between your main text and the visual elements, guiding readers through your research narrative.

When preparing your manuscript, compile all captions in a separate document. Label this file clearly, for example, "Image_Captions.doc", to facilitate the editorial process.

Remember to review your captions as standalone text. They should provide sufficient information for readers to grasp the key points of your images without needing to refer to the main article text. This approach ensures that your visual elements are fully integrated into your research story, enhancing the overall clarity and impact of your manuscript.

Generative AI and Figures, images and artwork

Our journal maintains a strict stance on the use of Generative AI or AI-assisted tools in manuscript submissions. We prohibit the creation or alteration of images using these technologies for general submission purposes.

However, we recognize the legitimate role of AI in certain research contexts. If AI or AI-assisted tools form an integral part of your research design or methods, such as in biomedical imaging, their use is permissible. In such cases, you must provide a detailed, reproducible description in your methods section. This should include the specific model or tool name, version and extension numbers, and manufacturer information.

Regarding supplementary materials, we do not allow the use of generative AI or AI-assisted tools for creating artwork like graphical abstracts. For cover art, there may be exceptions, but these require prior approval from the journal editor and publisher. In such instances, authors must demonstrate that all necessary rights have been secured and ensure proper content attribution.

Our policy aims to maintain the integrity of scientific visual communication while acknowledging the evolving role of AI in research. We encourage authors to prioritize original, manually created images that accurately represent their research findings.

Article structure

Article sections:

Organize your manuscript into clearly defined sections with appropriate headings to guide readers through your research narrative.

Glossary: Include a glossary of specialized terminology to enhance reader comprehension of your field-specific concepts.

Acknowledgements:

Place a dedicated acknowledgments section just before your references, recognizing all who contributed to your research without being co-authors.

Author contributions (CRediT):

Corresponding authors must specify each co-author's contributions using the CRediT taxonomy, which outlines various research roles from conceptualization to writing and editing:

• Conceptualization

• Data curation

• Formal analysis

• Funding acquisition

• Investigation

• Methodology

• Project administration

• Resources

• Software

• Supervision

• Validation

• Visualization

• Writing – original draft

• Writing – review and editing

Funding sources:

Authors must provide a comprehensive disclosure of all financial support received for their research and article preparation. This includes detailing the roles of sponsors in study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, report writing, and the decision to publish. If sponsors had no involvement in these aspects, this should be explicitly stated.

To ensure compliance with funders' requirements, present funding information in a standardized format.

For example:

"Funding: This work was supported by the National Science Foundation [grant numbers xxxx, yyyy]; the European Research Council [grant number zzzz]; and the World Health Organization [grant number aaaa]."

While grant numbers are essential, detailed descriptions of programs or award types are unnecessary. For institutional block grants, simply name the providing organization.

If the research received no specific funding, include this statement:

"This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors."

Appendices:

When including appendices in your manuscript, follow these structured guidelines to ensure clarity and consistency:

Appendix Identification:

Use alphabetical labels (A, B, C, etc.) to distinguish individual appendices within your article. This system allows for easy reference and navigation.

Equation Numbering:

For equations within appendices, adopt a specific numbering system. Use the format Eq. (A.1), Eq. (A.2), etc., for Appendix A, and Eq. (B.1), Eq. (B.2), etc., for Appendix B, and so on. This approach clearly links each equation to its respective appendix.

Tables and Figures:

Apply a similar numbering convention to tables and figures in appendices. Use formats such as Table A.1, Fig. A.1 for items in Appendix A, and Table B.1, Fig. B.1 for those in Appendix B.

References

References within text

Maintain consistency between in-text citations and your reference list, ensuring every source mentioned appears in both. When citing in your abstract, provide full references. While unpublished results and personal communications should generally be mentioned only in the text, if included in the reference list, follow the journal's standard style, substituting the publication date with appropriate descriptors. Use "in press" for accepted but unpublished works. Linking to cited sources enhances your research's discoverability. Before submission, carefully verify all reference data, including copied references, to facilitate proper linking to abstracting and indexing services

Reference format

Our journal maintains a flexible approach to reference formatting during the submission process. We don't impose strict requirements, allowing authors to use any consistent style or format for their references. However, it's crucial to include essential information such as author names, publication titles (for journals, books, chapters, or articles), publication year, and relevant details like volume numbers, article numbers, or page ranges where applicable. We strongly encourage the use of DOIs for enhanced accessibility and citation tracking. Rest assured that after your article is accepted, we'll apply our journal's specific reference style during the proof stage. At that point, if necessary, we may ask you to provide any missing reference data or make corrections to ensure completeness and accuracy.

Web references

For web references, it's essential to include the complete URL and the date of your last access. If available, we encourage you to provide additional details such as DOI, author names, dates, or references to source publications. This extra information enhances the credibility and traceability of your web sources.

Regarding the placement of web references, you have two options. You can either create a separate section for them immediately following your main reference list, or you can integrate them directly into your primary reference list. Choose the method that best suits your document's structure and your field's conventions.

Submitting your manuscript

Submission checklist

Before submitting your manuscript, we recommend reviewing our submission checklist:

1. Corresponding author designation: Ensure one author is designated as the corresponding author, providing their complete contact information (email address, full postal address, and phone numbers).

2. File completeness: Verify all necessary files have been uploaded, including keywords, figure captions, and tables (with titles, descriptions, and footnotes).

3. Language check: Conduct thorough spelling and grammar checks on your manuscript.

4. Reference consistency: Confirm all references cited in the article text appear in the reference list and vice versa.

5. Copyright compliance: Obtain permission for any copyrighted material used from other sources, including web content.

6. Open access understanding: Ensure all authors are aware of their responsibility for the article publishing charge (APC) if the manuscript is accepted. Note that the APC may be covered by the corresponding author's institution or the research funder.

Submit online

Our online submission system is designed to streamline the process of submitting your manuscript. As you progress through the steps, you'll be guided to enter your manuscript details and upload your files. Once you've completed these tasks, our system automatically converts your article files into a single PDF document, which is then used during the peer-review process. It's important to note that for final publication, we require editable files such as Word or LaTeX formats to typeset your article. Throughout the submission and review process, all communication, including the editor's decision and any requests for revisions, will be sent to you via email. This ensures a smooth and efficient workflow from submission to publication.