1. Scope and Suitability

Manuscripts submitted to JASEM must fall within the scientific scope of the journal and demonstrate a clear contribution to one or more of the following areas:

• materials science and engineering;
• engineering sciences and technologies;
• fundamental sciences with direct engineering, materials-related, or technological relevance;
• applied sciences;
• computational modelling and simulation;
• artificial intelligence and data-driven engineering;
• sustainable technologies and industrial applications; or
• interdisciplinary research connecting these fields.

Authors must clearly explain the originality, scientific significance, and potential contribution of their study.

Manuscripts that merely apply an established method without sufficient novelty, validation, methodological advancement, or transferable scientific insight may be rejected during the preliminary editorial assessment.

2. Publication Language

JASEM accepts and publishes manuscripts exclusively in English.

All parts of the submission, including the title, abstract, keywords, main text, tables, figures, captions, declarations, supplementary files, and correspondence relating to the manuscript, must be prepared in clear and academically appropriate English.

Authors may use either British or American English, provided that one form is used consistently throughout the manuscript.

Manuscripts whose language quality prevents reliable scientific assessment may be returned for linguistic revision before peer review. Authors remain responsible for the accuracy of the scientific terminology and meaning of their work, irrespective of whether professional language-editing or AI-assisted language tools have been used.

3. Manuscript Types

JASEM considers the following manuscript types.

3.1. Original Research Article

Original Research Articles report previously unpublished experimental, theoretical, computational, or interdisciplinary research.

An Original Research Article should present:

• a clearly defined research question, hypothesis, or engineering problem;
• an appropriate and reproducible methodology;
• original findings;
• adequate validation and analysis;
• a critical interpretation of the results; and
• a clearly stated scientific, engineering, materials-related, or technological contribution.

3.2. Review Article

Review Articles provide a critical, structured, and up-to-date synthesis of a defined scientific or technological field.

A Review Article should:

• define its purpose and boundaries;
• explain how the literature was identified and selected;
• critically evaluate rather than merely summarise previous research;
• identify inconsistencies, methodological limitations, and research gaps;
• discuss emerging developments and future research directions; and
• provide an original conceptual, scientific, or technological perspective.

Systematic reviews must transparently report their search strategy, eligibility criteria, screening process, and method of synthesis.

3.3. Short Communication

Short Communications report concise but scientifically significant findings that merit timely publication.

They must contain sufficient methodological information, evidence, analysis, and validation to support their conclusions. Preliminary observations without adequate scientific substantiation are not considered.

3.4. Technical Note

Technical Notes describe an original experimental method, analytical procedure, computational technique, material-processing approach, instrument, technical improvement, or engineering solution.

A Technical Note must demonstrate novelty, technical validity, reproducibility, and relevance beyond a single routine or local application.

4. Originality and Previous Publication

Manuscripts submitted to JASEM must be original and must not:

• have been published previously in substantially the same form;
• be under consideration by another journal;
• contain plagiarised, fabricated, falsified, or improperly manipulated material;
• reproduce substantial parts of the authors’ previous publications without appropriate citation and disclosure; or
• represent an unjustified fragmentation of a single study into multiple publications.

All listed authors must approve the manuscript and agree to its submission to JASEM.

4.1. Preprints

The previous posting of a manuscript on a recognised preprint server does not automatically prevent consideration by JASEM.

Authors must:

• disclose the preprint during submission;
• provide its persistent identifier or link;
• explain any material differences between the preprint and the submitted version; and
• update the preprint record with the citation and DOI of the published article where permitted.

A manuscript developed from a previously published conference paper may be considered when it contains a substantial extension of the earlier work.

The submitted manuscript must:

• cite the conference paper;
• disclose the previous version in the cover letter;
• clearly explain the differences between the two versions;
• contain substantial new data, analysis, validation, interpretation, or technical development; and
• comply with the copyright conditions of the conference publication.

Simple reformatting or minor expansion of a conference paper is not sufficient.

4.3. Theses and Dissertations

Manuscripts derived from theses or dissertations may be considered provided that:

• the thesis or dissertation is disclosed during submission;
• the source is cited where appropriate;
• the manuscript has been prepared as an independent scholarly article; and
• any institutional repository record is identified.

5. Required Submission Files

Authors should prepare the following files, where applicable:

1. An anonymised manuscript
2. A separate title page
3. A cover letter
4. Figures or graphical files
5. Supplementary material
6. Required declaration forms
7. Ethical approval or consent documents
8. Reporting guideline checklists, where applicable

The official manuscript template and required forms are available on the Documents page.

Files should be named clearly and must not contain hidden author-identifying information where anonymity is required.

6. Double-Blind Submission Requirements

JASEM applies a double-blind peer review process. The identities of the authors and reviewers are concealed from one another during the evaluation process.

The anonymised manuscript must not include:

• author names;
• affiliations;
• email addresses;
• ORCID iDs;
• acknowledgements identifying individuals or institutions;
• biographical notes;
• identifying statements about funding or institutional projects;
• author contribution statements containing names;
• document properties or metadata revealing author identity; or
• wording that directly identifies the authors through self-reference.

Authors should cite their own previous work in the same manner as other publications and should avoid expressions such as “in our previous study” where these may reveal their identity.

Identifying information will be added after acceptance.

7. Title Page

The title page must be uploaded separately and should include:

• the full manuscript title;
• the full name of each author;
• the institutional affiliation of each author;
• department, institution, city, and country;
• the email address of each author;
• the ORCID iD of each author, where available;
• the name and contact details of the corresponding author;
• the order of authors as approved by all contributors;
• acknowledgements;
• funding information;
• author contribution statement;
• conflict of interest declaration; and
• any other author-identifying declaration required by the journal.

One author must be designated as the corresponding author. The corresponding author is responsible for communication with the journal and for ensuring that all authors have approved the submission, revisions, declarations, and final version.

8. Cover Letter

The cover letter should briefly state:

• the title and manuscript type;
• why the manuscript is suitable for JASEM;
• the principal originality and contribution of the study;
• whether any part of the work has appeared as a preprint, thesis, conference paper, report, or other previous output;
• that the manuscript is not under consideration elsewhere;
• that all authors have approved the submission;
• whether any related manuscripts exist; and
• any information that the editors should consider during the preliminary assessment.

The cover letter should not contain unsupported claims regarding the expected impact or importance of the manuscript.

9. Manuscript Preparation

Authors must use the official JASEM manuscript template available on the Documents page.

The manuscript should be:

• clearly organised;
• written concisely;
• technically accurate;
• internally consistent;
• prepared in editable format; and
• sufficiently detailed to allow readers and qualified researchers to understand and, where appropriate, reproduce the study.

Automatic line numbering should be enabled where supported by the manuscript format.

Citation and Referencing Style

JASEM uses the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition (APA 7) for in-text citations and reference-list entries.

Authors must use the APA author–date citation system and arrange the reference list alphabetically by the surname of the first author.

APA 7 requirements apply primarily to citations, quotations, and references. The organisation, technical presentation, equations, units, nomenclature, tables, figures, supplementary materials, and other manuscript components must follow the JASEM manuscript template and the journal-specific requirements provided in these Author Guidelines.

Where a journal-specific instruction differs from general APA manuscript-formatting guidance, the JASEM Author Guidelines and official manuscript template take precedence.

10. Title

The title should:

• accurately reflect the main subject of the study;
• be concise and informative;
• identify the principal material, method, system, process, or application where relevant;
• avoid unnecessary abbreviations;
• avoid unsupported claims such as “novel”, “revolutionary”, “unprecedented”, or “the first” unless objectively demonstrated; and
• not be written entirely in capital letters.

11. Abstract

The abstract should be written as a single, self-contained paragraph of approximately 150–250 words.

It should briefly describe:

• the background or problem addressed;
• the objective of the study;
• the principal methods;
• the main findings;
• the most important quantitative results, where relevant; and
• the principal conclusion and contribution.

The abstract should not normally contain:

• citations;
• undefined abbreviations;
• equations;
• references to tables or figures;
• unsupported claims; or
• information not presented in the manuscript.

Review Articles should clearly state the purpose, coverage, review approach, principal synthesis, and conclusions.

12. Keywords

Authors should provide four to six keywords.

Keywords should:

• represent the principal concepts, materials, methods, processes, or applications addressed;
• be specific enough to support indexing and discoverability;
• avoid repeating the complete wording of the title;
• avoid excessively broad terms; and
• use internationally recognised scientific terminology.

Abbreviations should be used as keywords only when they are widely established in the relevant field.

13. Manuscript Structure

13.1. Original Research Articles

Original Research Articles should normally include:

1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods or Methodology
3. Results
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
6. Declarations
7. References

The Results and Discussion sections may be combined where this structure is more appropriate for the discipline.

13.2. Review Articles

Review Articles should normally include:

1. Introduction
2. Review Methodology or Literature Identification Approach
3. Thematic or Technical Review Sections
4. Critical Discussion
5. Research Gaps and Future Directions
6. Conclusions
7. Declarations
8. References

13.3. Short Communications and Technical Notes

These manuscripts may use a shorter structure appropriate to the work but must still contain:

• a clear objective;
• sufficient methodological detail;
• adequately supported results;
• a critical discussion;
• conclusions; and
• required declarations.

14. Introduction

The Introduction should:

• define the scientific, engineering, or technological problem;
• provide the necessary background;
• critically position the study within the relevant literature;
• identify the knowledge or technical gap;
• explain the importance of addressing that gap;
• state the objective, hypothesis, or research question; and
• clarify the original contribution of the study.

The Introduction should not become an unnecessarily extensive literature review.

15. Materials and Methods

The Materials and Methods section must provide sufficient information for scientific assessment and reproducibility.

Where applicable, authors should report:

• materials, chemicals, specimens, samples, or datasets used;
• grades, purity levels, compositions, dimensions, and relevant properties;
• manufacturers and model information for specialised equipment;
• sample preparation and processing conditions;
• experimental design;
• control and comparison conditions;
• calibration procedures;
• measurement techniques;
• computational methods;
• software and version numbers;
• mathematical or statistical methods;
• number of experimental replicates;
• uncertainty and error analysis;
• validation procedures; and
• ethical approval information.

Previously published methods may be cited, but any modifications must be explained. A citation alone is not sufficient when essential methodological information is required to evaluate or reproduce the work.

15.1. Computational and Simulation Studies

Computational studies should report, where relevant:

• governing equations and assumptions;
• boundary and initial conditions;
• numerical methods and solver settings;
• mesh or discretisation procedures;
• convergence criteria;
• sensitivity or independence analyses;
• software and version information;
• model calibration;
• verification and validation procedures;
• comparison with experimental or established reference results; and
• uncertainty and limitations.

15.2. Artificial Intelligence and Machine-Learning Studies

AI and machine-learning studies should report, where applicable:

• the origin, composition, and eligibility of the dataset;
• data cleaning and preprocessing procedures;
• training, validation, and test partitions;
• measures taken to prevent data leakage;
• model architecture and hyperparameters;
• feature selection or engineering;
• baseline and comparator methods;
• evaluation metrics;
• internal or external validation;
• uncertainty, robustness, and sensitivity analyses;
• procedures addressing class imbalance;
• explainability methods;
• software, libraries, and versions; and
• code or model availability.

A high performance metric alone is not sufficient. Authors must explain the scientific or engineering relevance of the model and demonstrate that comparisons are methodologically fair.

16. Results

Results should be presented clearly, objectively, and in a logical order.

Authors should:

• report findings relevant to the research objectives;
• provide appropriate quantitative evidence;
• report measurement uncertainty, variability, or confidence information where applicable;
• avoid duplicating the same data in both tables and figures;
• distinguish observations from interpretation; and
• report negative, unexpected, or non-significant findings when scientifically relevant.

Statistical tests, sample sizes, numbers of replicates, error-bar definitions, and significance criteria must be stated clearly.

17. Discussion

The Discussion should:

• interpret the findings rather than simply repeat them;
• explain their scientific, engineering, or technological significance;
• compare the results critically with relevant literature;
• discuss possible mechanisms or explanations;
• address inconsistencies or unexpected findings;
• identify practical and theoretical implications;
• acknowledge methodological and technical limitations; and
• avoid conclusions that extend beyond the evidence.

18. Conclusions

The Conclusions section should provide a concise synthesis of:

• the principal findings;
• the contribution of the study;
• the practical or scientific implications;
• important limitations; and
• appropriate directions for future research.

Conclusions must be supported by the results presented in the manuscript. General claims that are not directly derived from the study should be avoided.

19. Units, Symbols, and Nomenclature

Authors should use the International System of Units (SI) throughout the manuscript.

Non-SI units may be included in parentheses when necessary for comparison or when widely established in a specialised field.

Authors should:

• place a space between a numerical value and its unit, such as 10 mm, 25 °C, and 5 kg;
• use internationally recognised unit symbols;
• use a full stop as the decimal separator;
• define symbols at their first occurrence;
• use symbols and abbreviations consistently;
• distinguish clearly between variables, units, vectors, matrices, and operators; and
• report chemical names, formulas, and material designations according to recognised scientific conventions.

Unit symbols should not be pluralised and should not normally be followed by a full stop.

20. Abbreviations

Abbreviations should be used only when they improve readability.

Each abbreviation must be defined at first use in both the abstract and the main text. Abbreviations should not normally be used in the title.

A nomenclature or list of abbreviations may be included when the manuscript contains a substantial number of technical symbols or specialised terms.

21. Equations

Equations should:

• be prepared in an editable format;
• be numbered consecutively;
• be cited in numerical order in the text;
• define all variables and symbols;
• distinguish scalar, vector, and matrix quantities clearly; and
• use consistent notation throughout the manuscript.

Equation numbers should appear in parentheses and be positioned consistently according to the journal template.

Equations embedded solely as low-resolution images are not acceptable.

22. Tables

Tables should be:

• numbered consecutively using Arabic numerals;
• cited in numerical order in the text;
• provided with a concise and informative title;
• understandable without excessive reliance on the main text;
• prepared in an editable format;
• limited to data that contribute directly to the study; and
• accompanied by explanatory notes where necessary.

Units should be included in column headings rather than repeatedly within individual cells.

Unnecessary lines and decorative formatting should be avoided. The same results should not be reproduced in both a table and a figure unless scientifically justified.

23. Figures

Figures include graphs, diagrams, photographs, maps, micrographs, schematics, and other visual material.

Figures should:

• be numbered consecutively;
• be cited in numerical order in the text;
• contain readable labels and symbols;
• use consistent terminology and notation;
• include scale bars where applicable;
• identify error bars in the caption or text;
• provide sufficient resolution for publication;
• remain interpretable when reduced to publication size; and
• be accompanied by a self-contained caption.

Multi-panel figures should use consistent panel labels such as (a), (b), and (c).

Image adjustments must be applied to the entire image and must not alter, obscure, remove, or misrepresent scientifically relevant information. Any non-linear adjustment, image combination, or processing relevant to interpretation must be disclosed.

Authors are responsible for obtaining written permission to reproduce or adapt copyrighted figures, tables, or other material.

24. In-Text Citations and References

JASEM uses the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition (APA 7) for in-text citations and reference-list entries.

APA 7 uses an author–date citation system. References must not be numbered, and numerical citation formats such as [1], [2, 3], or [4]–[7] must not be used.

Authors are responsible for the completeness and accuracy of all citations and references.

24.1. General Citation Requirements

Authors must ensure that:

• every source cited in the text appears in the reference list;
• every source included in the reference list is cited in the manuscript;
• all author names, publication dates, titles, journal details, page ranges, and persistent identifiers are accurate;
• original and primary sources are cited wherever possible;
• relevant DOI information is provided when available;
• retracted publications are not cited as valid supporting evidence;
• references are directly relevant to the scientific content of the manuscript;
• excessive self-citation is avoided; and
• references are not added for the purpose of manipulating citation metrics.

Citation-management software may be used, but authors remain responsible for checking every citation and reference against the original source.

24.2. Parenthetical and Narrative Citations

APA 7 permits two forms of in-text citation.

Parenthetical citation:

Materials performance may be affected by processing temperature (Smith, 2024).

Narrative citation:

Smith (2024) demonstrated that processing temperature affects materials performance.

24.3. Works by One Author

For a work by one author, include the author’s surname and year of publication.

(Smith, 2024),

or

Smith (2024).

24.4. Works by Two Authors

For a work by two authors, cite both authors every time the source is referenced.

Use an ampersand in parenthetical citations:

(Smith & Chen, 2024)

Use “and” in narrative citations:

Smith and Chen (2024)

24.5. Works by Three or More Authors

For a work by three or more authors, include only the surname of the first author followed by “et al.” in every citation, including the first citation:

(Smith et al., 2024)

or:

Smith et al. (2024)

The term “et al.” should not be italicised.

24.6. Multiple Sources in the Same Citation

When multiple sources are cited within the same parentheses, arrange them alphabetically according to the surname of the first author and separate them with semicolons:

(Ahmed, 2022; Chen & Singh, 2023; Smith et al., 2024)

Sources by the same author should be ordered chronologically:

(Smith, 2021, 2023, 2025)

24.7. Works by the Same Author Published in the Same Year

When two or more works have the same author or author group and the same publication year, distinguish them by adding lowercase letters after the year:

(Smith, 2024a, 2024b)

The same letters must be used in the corresponding reference-list entries.

24.8. Group or Organisational Authors

The full name of an organisation should normally be provided in the first citation.

When the organisation has a well-established abbreviation, it may be introduced in the first citation and used subsequently.

First citation:

(International Organization for Standardization [ISO], 2024)

Subsequent citation:

(ISO, 2024)

The organisation’s full name must be used in the reference list.

24.9. Direct Quotations

Direct quotations should be used sparingly in scientific and engineering manuscripts.

A direct quotation must include:

• the author’s surname;
• the year of publication; and
• the page number or another appropriate locator.

Example:

“Quoted material” (Smith, 2024, p. 18).

For quotations covering more than one page:

(Smith, 2024, pp. 18–20)

When the source does not contain page numbers, authors should provide another locator:

(Smith, 2024, para. 6)

Page or paragraph numbers are not normally required for paraphrased material.

24.10. Secondary Citations

Authors should consult and cite the original source whenever possible.

A secondary citation may be used only when the original work cannot reasonably be accessed:

Smith’s original model, as cited in Chen (2024), proposed that …

Only the work actually consulted should appear in the reference list.

24.11. Personal Communications

Personal communications include private emails, interviews, telephone conversations, unpublished correspondence, or other non-recoverable communications.

They should be cited only in the text and should not be included in the reference list:

(A. A. Smith, personal communication, March 14, 2026)

Authors must obtain permission from the individual being cited.

24.12. Reference List Organisation

The reference list must:

• appear at the end of the manuscript under the heading References;
• include only works cited in the manuscript;
• be arranged alphabetically by the surname of the first author;
• not use reference numbers or bullet points;
• use a hanging indent of 1.27 cm or 0.5 inches;
• preserve the correct order of authors shown in the original publication;
• use the publication year immediately after the author information;
• use sentence case for titles of articles, books, chapters, reports, theses, datasets, and webpages;
• use italics according to APA 7 conventions;
• include DOI information where available; and
• provide a functional URL where required.

24.13. Author Names in the Reference List

Authors’ surnames should be followed by their initials.

For works with up to 20 authors, list all authors.

For works with 21 or more authors:

• list the first 19 authors;
• insert an ellipsis;
• add the name of the final author; and
• do not place an ampersand before the final author following the ellipsis.

The original order of authors must not be changed.

24.14. Titles and Capitalisation

Titles of journal articles, book chapters, conference papers, reports, theses, datasets, software, and webpages should be written in sentence case.

Authors should normally capitalise only:

• the first word of the title;
• the first word following a colon or dash;
• proper nouns; and
• scientifically required capitalisation.

Journal titles should retain their official capitalisation and be italicised.

The journal volume number should be italicised. The issue number should appear immediately after the volume number in parentheses and should not be italicised.

24.15. DOIs and URLs

When a DOI is available, it must be presented as an active URL:

https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx

The following formats should not be used:

doi:10.xxxx/xxxxx

DOI: 10.xxxx/xxxxx

A full stop should not be added after a DOI or URL where it may interfere with the link.

URLs should not normally be preceded by “Retrieved from” unless a retrieval date is required for content designed to change over time.

24.16. Reference Examples

Journal Article

Smith, A. B., & Chen, C. D. (2025). Computational modelling of thermal behaviour in composite structures. Journal of Engineering Materials, 18(2), 115–132. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx

Journal Article with an Article Number

Smith, A. B. (2025). Data-driven prediction of composite material performance. Journal of Applied Materials, 21(4), Article 104582. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx

Book

Smith, A. B. (2024). Advanced engineering materials (3rd ed.). Academic Publisher.

Chapter in an Edited Book

Smith, A. B., & Chen, C. D. (2024). Nanostructured coatings for industrial applications. In E. F. Jones (Ed.), Developments in surface engineering (pp. 85–112). Academic Publisher.

Published Conference Paper

Smith, A. B. (2025). Computational analysis of advanced composite systems. In E. F. Jones (Ed.), Proceedings of the International Conference on Engineering Materials (pp. 100–112). Academic Publisher. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx

Conference Presentation

Smith, A. B., & Chen, C. D. (2025, June 10–12). Machine-learning applications in materials characterisation [Conference presentation]. International Conference on Applied Engineering, London, United Kingdom.

Doctoral Dissertation

Smith, A. B. (2024). Computational modelling of advanced composite materials [Doctoral dissertation, University Name]. Institutional Repository. URL

Unpublished Dissertation

Smith, A. B. (2024). Computational modelling of advanced composite materials [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. University Name.

Technical Report

Research Organisation. (2025). Advanced materials performance report (Report No. 25-104). URL

Standard

International Organization for Standardization. (2024). Title of the standard (ISO Standard No. xxxx). URL

Dataset

Smith, A. B. (2025). Experimental dataset for composite material testing (Version 2) [Data set]. Repository Name. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx

Software

Research Organisation. (2025). Engineering simulation software (Version 3.1) [Computer software]. URL

Preprint

Smith, A. B., & Chen, C. D. (2025). Machine-learning prediction of material properties [Preprint]. Repository Name. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx

Webpage

Research Organisation. (2025, March 15). Title of the webpage. URL

24.17. Reference Quality and Citation Integrity

Authors should prioritise references that are:

• scientifically credible;
• directly relevant;
• appropriately current for the subject;
• traceable and retrievable;
• peer-reviewed where appropriate; and
• necessary to support the manuscript’s methods, interpretations, and conclusions.

JASEM does not impose an arbitrary minimum or maximum number of references. The number of references should be appropriate to the manuscript type, research question, and state of the relevant literature.

The following practices are not acceptable:

• excessive or irrelevant self-citation;
• coordinated citation exchange;
• citation of sources not consulted by the authors;
• adding references solely at the request of another party without scientific justification;
• citing unreliable, fabricated, or unverifiable sources;
• using AI-generated references without verifying them against the original publication;
• omitting relevant research to create a misleading impression of novelty; or
• manipulating the reference list to influence citation indicators.

25. Data, Code, and Research Materials

Authors should make the data, code, models, protocols, and other materials necessary to evaluate or reproduce the study available whenever ethical, legal, contractual, commercial, or security restrictions do not prevent sharing.

A Data Availability Statement must be included in every manuscript, even when no new data were generated.

Examples include:

The data supporting the findings of this study are available in the [Repository Name] at [persistent identifier].

The data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

The data are not publicly available because of [specific ethical, legal, contractual, or commercial restriction].

No new data were generated or analysed in this study.

Where code or software is central to the findings, authors should provide:

• the version used;
• dependencies and relevant configuration;
• sufficient documentation;
• a persistent repository link where possible; and
• information necessary to reproduce the principal analyses.

Restrictions on access must be explained transparently.

26. Supplementary Material

Supplementary material may include:

• additional datasets;
• extended methods;
• calculations;
• videos or animations;
• computer code;
• additional tables or figures;
• technical specifications; or
• other material supporting the article.

Supplementary files must be directly relevant to the manuscript and cited in the main text.

Authors are responsible for the accuracy, functionality, copyright compliance, and appropriate anonymisation of supplementary material.

Supplementary material is subject to editorial assessment and may also be provided to peer reviewers.

27. Required Declarations

The manuscript must include a clearly labelled Declarations section containing the following statements, as applicable.

27.1. Acknowledgements

Individuals or organisations that contributed to the work but do not qualify for authorship may be acknowledged with their permission.

Acknowledgements should not be included in the anonymised manuscript when they reveal author identity.

27.2. Author Contributions

The specific contributions of each author should be stated using the CRediT Contributor Roles Taxonomy, where applicable.

The contribution statement may include:

• conceptualisation;
• methodology;
• software;
• validation;
• formal analysis;
• investigation;
• resources;
• data curation;
• writing—original draft;
• writing—review and editing;
• visualisation;
• supervision;
• project administration; and
• funding acquisition.

Example:

Conceptualisation: A.A. and B.B.; Methodology: A.A.; Investigation: B.B. and C.C.; Formal analysis: C.C.; Writing—original draft: A.A.; Writing—review and editing: all authors; Supervision: B.B.

27.3. Funding

All financial and material support must be disclosed, including the name of the funding organisation and grant number where applicable.

Example:

This research was supported by [Funder Name] under Grant [number].

When no funding was received:

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

27.4. Conflict of Interest

Authors must disclose any financial, professional, institutional, or personal relationship that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the work.

When no conflict exists:

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

27.5. Ethical Approval

Studies involving human participants, human-derived materials, animals, or other research requiring formal oversight must provide:

• the name of the approving body;
• the approval number;
• the approval date; and
• confirmation that the research complied with applicable ethical standards.

When ethical approval was not required, authors should provide an appropriate explanation.

27.6. Informed Consent

Research involving participants, identifiable personal information, or identifiable images must include statements regarding consent to participate and consent for publication where applicable.

27.7. Data Availability

A Data Availability Statement must be provided as described in these guidelines.

28. Authorship and Changes in Authorship

Authorship should be limited to individuals who made a substantial intellectual or scientific contribution to the work and who accept responsibility for the published article.

Individuals who provided only technical assistance, administrative support, language editing, general supervision, or funding should not automatically be listed as authors.

All authors must:

• approve the submitted and final versions;
• agree on the order of authors;
• accept responsibility for their contributions;
• cooperate with requests concerning the integrity of the work; and
• ensure that questions relating to accuracy or integrity are appropriately investigated.

Requests to add, remove, or reorder authors after submission must be:

• explained in writing;
• supported by a clear justification; and
• approved by all affected authors.

The editor may reject an authorship change when the justification or documentation is insufficient.

29. Use of Artificial Intelligence and AI-Assisted Technologies

Artificial intelligence systems and generative AI tools cannot be listed as authors because they cannot assume responsibility or accountability for a scholarly work.

Authors remain fully responsible for:

• the accuracy and originality of the manuscript;
• the validity of references and factual statements;
• the integrity of data, images, analyses, and conclusions;
• compliance with confidentiality, copyright, and data-protection requirements; and
• all content produced or modified with AI-assisted tools.

Any substantive use of generative AI in drafting text, generating or modifying code, analysing data, creating images, designing models, conducting literature searches, or supporting scientific interpretation must be disclosed transparently.

The declaration should identify:

• the name and version of the tool;
• the purpose for which it was used;
• the section or stage of the research in which it was used; and
• how the output was checked and validated by the authors.

Routine spelling, grammar, or formatting assistance that does not generate or alter scientific content does not normally require a declaration.

AI tools must not be used to fabricate, falsify, obscure, or inappropriately manipulate scientific data or images.

AI-generated or AI-modified visual material must not be presented as primary scientific evidence unless its generation is an explicit, methodologically justified, reproducible, and clearly disclosed component of the research.

30. Reporting Guidelines

Authors should use recognised reporting guidelines appropriate to the study design and discipline.

Where applicable, manuscripts should include relevant checklists, protocols, or flow diagrams for:

• systematic reviews and meta-analyses;
• laboratory or animal studies;
• computational and simulation studies;
• machine-learning and artificial-intelligence models;
• environmental and lifecycle assessments;
• experimental design and statistical analysis; and
• other specialised research designs.

Use of a reporting guideline does not replace the need to provide complete methodological information.

31. Revised Manuscripts

When submitting a revised manuscript, authors must provide:

1. A clean revised manuscript
2. A version showing or highlighting changes, where requested
3. A point-by-point response to the editor and reviewers

The response document should:

• reproduce or clearly identify each comment;
• explain how the manuscript was revised;
• indicate the relevant page and line numbers; and
• provide a reasoned scientific explanation where a suggested change was not made.

Responses should remain professional, evidence-based, and focused on the manuscript.

32. Proofs and Final Corrections

After acceptance, the corresponding author will receive the publication proof for final checking.

Authors should verify:

• author names and order;
• affiliations;
• ORCID iDs;
• title and abstract;
• equations;
• tables and figures;
• funding and declarations;
• references;
• supplementary files; and
• technical typesetting.

Proof corrections should be limited to typographical, formatting, or production errors.

Substantial changes to the scientific content, authorship, data, analyses, or conclusions require editorial approval and may require further review.

33. Submission Checklist

Before submission, authors should confirm that:

• the manuscript falls within the Aims & Scope of JASEM;
• the manuscript is written entirely in English;
• the work is original and is not under consideration elsewhere;
• all authors have approved the manuscript and its submission;
• the official journal template has been used;
• the manuscript file has been anonymised;
• the title page has been uploaded separately;
• the cover letter includes all required declarations;
• the abstract and keywords comply with the guidelines;
• SI units and a full stop as the decimal separator have been used;
• all tables, figures, and equations are numbered and cited;
• all in-text citations and reference-list entries comply with APA 7;
• the reference list is arranged alphabetically and is not numbered;
• every in-text citation has a corresponding reference-list entry;
• every reference-list entry is cited in the manuscript;
• DOI information has been provided in https://doi.org/xxxxx format where available;
• all references have been checked against the original sources;
• funding, conflicts of interest, author contributions, ethical approval, and data availability have been declared;
• any substantive use of AI-assisted technologies has been disclosed;
• permissions have been obtained for reused material;
• supplementary files have been identified and cited; and
• all required forms and supporting documents have been uploaded.

Submission of a manuscript indicates that the authors have read and accepted the journal’s editorial, ethical, and publication policies.