1. Editorial Policy

Now that you've chosen Smart Materials and Devices (SMD) for your submission, before publishing with us, please familiarize yourself with our Editorial Policies and the following a few important requirements.

1.1 Aim and Scope

The manuscript's topic must align within the journal's scope. For detailed information, please refer to the Aims and Scope.

1.2 Open Access

SMD is an open access journal where all content is freely accessible to users and their institutions without any charges. Users are permitted to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, link to the full texts of articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose without needing prior permission from the publisher or author.

1.3 Licensing and Copyright

SMD is published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Authors retain the copyright of their work and agree to make their original works freely available for use, copying, and redistribution in all formats without needing permission, provided that proper citation is given to the authors and the original source.

1.4 Peer Review

SMD employs a single-blind peer review model, meaning that while reviewers' identities are hidden from authors, the authors' identities are known to the reviewers. All accepted articles undergo a rigorous and thorough review process to assess their novelty, scientific content, academic integrity, and other criteria. Please refer to Editorial Policies for further details on peer review.

1.5 Article Processing Charges

SMD adopts open access publishing model. When a paper is accepted for publication, authors are required to pay Article Processing Charges (APCs) to cover editorial and production costs. Until the end of 2028, all APCs will be covered by the publisher Science Exploration. For more details, please refer to the Science Exploration Article Processing Charges.

1.6 Archiving Policy

All published contents will be archived on the Portico platform to ensure long-term digital preservation.

1.7 Repository Policy

SMD allows authors to deposit versions of their work in an institutional or other repository of their choice without embargo.

1.8 AI and AI-assisted Technologies Policy

Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies are influencing and transforming academic research and paper writing. To maintain research integrity, prevent academic misconduct, and ensure the authenticity, accuracy, and transparency of the research process and results, SMD makes the statement regarding the use of AI in scientific writing: 1) When submitting a manuscript, authors must clearly describe the use of AI or AI-assisted technologies during the research or manuscript preparation process, including large language models, chatbots (such as ChatGPT), or image generation tools; 2) AI cannot be used to write the entire paper or significant parts of it (such as research methods, results, and interpretation of results). All content that constitutes scientific contribution or intellectual labor should be completed by the authors. If the main content of the paper is completed using AI, the editorial office will treat it as academic misconduct; 3) AI or AI-assisted technologies do not qualify for authorship and should not be listed as authors or co-authors in the manuscript. Similarly, they should not be listed as authors or co-authors in the references.

2. Preparation for Submission

2.1 Cover Letter

Each submission must be accompanied by a cover letter. A cover letter should briefly introduce the study, highlight its significance, and explain why it is suitable for the journal. It should include the manuscript title, a statement confirming the manuscript's originality and that it is not under consideration elsewhere, and any relevant disclosures or conflicts of interest. Additionally, if the manuscript is being submitted to a specific Special Issue, specify its exact name in the cover letter; if the manuscript was presented in part or whole at a conference, provide details of the conference including its name, time, and location. If applicable, it should mention any suggested reviewers or individuals to exclude. For example:
Dear [Editor's Name],
We are pleased to submit our manuscript titled "[Manuscript Title]" for consideration in [Journal Name] for the Special Issue on "[Special Issue Name]." This study [briefly describe the study and its significance], and we believe it aligns well with the journal's focus on [journal's focus or field].
We confirm that this manuscript is original, not under consideration elsewhere, and there are no conflicts of interest. Part of this work was presented at the [Conference Name], held from [Conference Date] in [Conference Location].
We suggest [Reviewer Names] as potential reviewers due to their expertise in [relevant field]. We kindly request excluding [Names to Exclude] due to potential conflicts of interest.
Thank you for considering our submission. We look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]  
[Your Affiliation]  
[Your Contact Information]

2.2 Article Types

SMD accepts Article, Review, Perspective, and Editorial. Please prepare your manuscript according to the writing requirements for each manuscript type listed in the table below.

2.3 Manuscript Structure

2.3.1 Title

The title of the manuscript should be concise, specific, and relevant. It should clearly state the main result or conclusion of the manuscript, omitting implicit terms and avoiding abbreviations. If gene or protein names are included, use the abbreviated names rather than the full names.

2.3.2 Authors and Affiliations

Authors should be listed with their full names, including initials of middle names if provided. Institutional addresses for all authors must be included. At least one author must be designated as the corresponding author and provide email. Authors are encouraged to provide their Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID) during submission. Affiliations should be formatted with superscript numbers linked to each author's name, detailing the department, institute/university, city, city zip codes, state (where applicable), and country. For example:
Umapada Pal^1 
1Institute of Physics, Autonomous University of Puebla, Puebla 72570, Mexico.

2.3.3 Abstract

Article, review, and perspective require unstructured abstracts. The Abstract section should provide a concise summary of the study, capturing the essence of your research in a single, fluid paragraph.

● Briefly introduce the research objective or problem, providing context and highlighting the significance of the study. 
● Summarize the main experimental techniques or approaches used, without diving into too much detail. 
● Emphasize the most important findings, focusing on what makes your results novel or significant.
● Highlight the broader impact of your findings in related field, mentioning potential applications or future research directions.

Key Points:

- Brevity and Fluidity: The abstract should be a seamless, concise paragraph, typically 150-250 words, with no headings or separate sections. 
- No Citations: Avoid including any references or citations. 
- Accessibility: Use clear, straightforward language to ensure the abstract is accessible to a wide audience, avoiding overly technical jargon.

Clinical trial abstracts should include register number at the end of the abstract.

2.3.4 Keywords

Typically, 3-8 keywords should be provided.

2.3.5 Main Body

Different manuscripts types are organized with distinct sections of content. Please consult the Manuscript Types to ensure the inclusion of appropriate sections in your submissions.

2.3.5.1 Introduction

The Introduction section serves to set the stage for your research by providing background information, outlining the research problem, and stating the study's objectives. The followings are how to write and what to consider:

● Context and background: Start by introducing the broader field of study, explaining the importance of the topic, and providing relevant background information. Discuss the current state of research and any existing gaps or challenges that your study aims to address. 
● Literature review: Briefly review key studies that have been conducted in your area of research. Highlight the most relevant findings and discuss how they relate to your work, pointing out where there are still unanswered questions or controversies. 
● Research problem: Clearly define the specific problem or research question your study addresses. Explain why this problem is important and how solving it will contribute to the field. 
● Objectives and hypotheses: State the main objectives of your research and, if applicable, the hypotheses you are testing. This provides a clear focus for the study and informs the reader about what to expect. 
● Overview of approach: Give a brief overview of the methods or approaches you will use to tackle the research problem. This doesn't need to be detailed but should provide a sense of how you plan to achieve your objectives.

Key Points:

- Clarity and relevance: Ensure the Introduction is clear and directly relevant to your research. Avoid unnecessary details that don't contribute to understanding the research problem. 
- Logical flow: Organize the section logically, moving from broad context to specific research questions. Ensure each part flows naturally to the next. 
- Engagement: Write in a way that engages the reader's interest, emphasizing the significance and potential impact of your research. 
- Avoid overloading with details: While providing context and background, be concise and avoid overloading the reader with excessive information. Focus on the most relevant details that support your research objectives.

2.3.5.2 Experimental Section

When writing the Experimental Section, clarity, detail, and reproducibility are key. The followings are authors should approach:

● Outline the procedures: Clearly describe the materials, equipment, and methods used. Include specific details like the type of instruments, settings, concentrations, and environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, humidity) to ensure that others can replicate the experiments. 
● Organize logically: Structure the section chronologically or by grouping similar methods together. Start with the preparation of materials, followed by the experimental procedures, and end with the methods of data analysis. 
● Use precise language: Avoid ambiguity by using precise and technical language. Specify quantities, units, and measurements accurately, and avoid using vague terms like "small" or "large." 
● Justify method choices: Briefly explain why specific methods or materials were chosen, especially if they differ from common practices. This helps the reader understand the rationale behind the experimental design. 
● Highlight critical steps: Emphasize any critical or novel steps in the procedure that are crucial for obtaining reliable results. If any steps require special attention or precautions, mention them explicitly. 
● Include control experiments: Describe any control experiments conducted to validate the results, and explain how they contribute to the overall experimental design. 
● Ethical considerations: If the experiment involves ethical considerations (e.g., use of hazardous materials), briefly mention how these were addressed.

Key Points:

- Reproducibility: The ultimate goal is to provide enough detail so that another researcher could reproduce your results. 
- Conciseness: While detail is important, avoid unnecessary information that does not contribute to understanding the procedure.
- Referencing protocols: If you followed established protocols or methods from other studies, cite them appropriately rather than repeating extensive details.

Authors who used AI technology to conduct the study should describe its use in the methods section in sufficient detail to enable replication of the approach. including the tool used, version, and prompts where applicable.

2.3.5.3 Results and Discussion

● Organized by Key Themes or Research Questions: 
- Structure: Organize the section around key themes, research questions, or experiments. For each theme or research question, present the relevant results first, followed immediately by a discussion of those results. 
- Logical flow: Ensure a logical flow between different themes or experiments, smoothly transitioning from one set of results and discussions to the next. 
● Presentation of Results: 
- Concise data presentation: Start each subsection by clearly presenting the relevant data. Use figures, tables, and graphs to illustrate your findings, and describe what each visual shows. 
- Emphasize key findings: Highlight the most significant results that are directly tied to your research questions or hypotheses. 
● Immediate Discussion of Findings: 
- Interpret results in context: Right after presenting the results, discuss their meaning and implications. Explain how these findings contribute to answering your research questions and how they compare to existing literature in the field. 
- Address unexpected outcomes: If there are any unexpected or anomalous results, discuss possible reasons and implications. Provide a balanced interpretation that considers potential limitations or alternative explanations. 
● Synthesize Overall Findings: 
- Integrated discussion: After discussing individual results, synthesize the findings to present a broader understanding. Highlight any patterns, trends, or overarching conclusions that emerge from the data. 
- Theoretical and practical implications: Discuss the implications of your findings for theory and practice in related field. Consider how your results advance the field or suggest new directions for research.

Key Points:

- Cohesion and clarity: Maintain cohesion throughout the section, ensuring that each part naturally leads to the next. The combination of results and discussion should be seamless, with clear connections between the data presented and the interpretations made. 
- Engagement with literature: Continually engage with existing literature to contextualize your findings. This demonstrates how your work contributes to the broader scientific dialogue. 
- Avoid repetition: Be concise and avoid unnecessary repetition. Ensure that each piece of data is directly linked to the corresponding discussion, without redundant explanations.

2.3.5.4 Conclusion

The Conclusion section should summarize the main findings of the research, highlight the significance of these findings, and suggest possible future research directions. The followings are how to structure this section:

● Summarize main findings: Begin by briefly summarizing the key results of your study. Focus on the most important outcomes that directly address your research questions or hypotheses. 
● Highlight significance: Discuss the broader implications of your findings. Explain how your results contribute to the field, and why they are important. Highlight any advancements your study has made in understanding the materials, processes, or phenomena you investigated. 
● Acknowledge limitations: Acknowledge any limitations of your study that may impact the interpretation or generalizability of your results. This shows a balanced and critical understanding of your work. 
● Suggest future research directions: Propose directions for future research based on your findings. Identify any new questions that have arisen from your study or areas where further investigation could be valuable. Suggest specific experiments, methodologies, or approaches that could build on your work. 
● Concluding remarks: End with a strong concluding statement that encapsulates the overall contribution of your research. This should leave the reader with a clear understanding of the importance and impact of your study.

Key Points:

- Clarity and conciseness: Keep the conclusion clear and concise, avoiding unnecessary repetition of details already covered in the main body of the paper. 
- No new information: Avoid introducing new data or findings in the conclusion. All points discussed should have been covered in the results and discussion sections. 
- Forward-looking: While summarizing the study, also emphasize the potential future developments in the field as suggested by your research.

2.3.6 Declaration

2.3.6.1 Acknowledgments

The Acknowledgments section typically acknowledges individuals or institutions that contributed to the study but do not meet authorship criteria. This may include research assistants, technical support, or colleagues who provided valuable feedback. It should also mention any permissions obtained for the use of copyrighted material. The tone is usually formal and appreciative, briefly noting each contributor's role or support in the research process.

Additionally, if any part of the manuscript's content has previously appeared online, such as in a thesis or preprint, it should be mentioned here and properly referenced in the reference list.
If there are no acknowledgments to make, this section should be omitted.

2.3.6.2 Author's Contribution

Each author should have contributed significantly to the conception, design, acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data, or the creation of new software used in the work, or substantively revised the manuscript. Contributions should be indicated using Surname and Initials of Forename.
For example：
Data analysis and interpretation: Pal U, Li M
Article conception and design: Tian P, Bella F.
If an article is single-authored, please state "The author contributed solely to the article." in this section.

2.3.6.3 Conflicts of Interest

The Conflicts of Interest section should disclose any financial or personal relationships that could potentially bias the study's findings or influence the authors' interpretation. Authors should explicitly state whether they have received funding, honoraria, or fees from organizations that may benefit from the research outcomes, or if they hold any patents or have financial interests related to the study topic. If no conflicts of interest exist, authors should explicitly state "The authors declare no conflicts of interest." Transparency in disclosing potential conflicts ensures trustworthiness and integrity in biomedical research publications. Some authors may be restricted by confidentiality agreements; in such cases, authors should declare "All authors declare that they are bound by confidentiality agreements preventing disclosure of conflicts of interest in this work."

2.3.6.4 Ethical Approval and Consent

Research involving human subjects, human materials, human data, and animals must adhere to the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki and state that the study protocol was reviewed and approved by an appropriate ethics committee or institutional review board (IRB), including the name of the board and the approval number if applicable. 
This section should also mention that informed consent was obtained from all participants or their legal representatives, ensuring that participants were fully informed about the study's purpose, procedures, risks, and benefits before consenting to participate. 
If this issue is not applicable to the manuscript, please indicate "Not applicable".

2.3.6.5 Funding Information

In this section, authors should acknowledge all financial support received for the study. This includes grants, fellowships, and any other funding sources. It should specify the names of the funding agencies, the grant numbers, and any relevant project titles. If no funding was received, this should be stated “None" in this section.

2.3.6.6 Copyright

Authors retain the copyright to their work under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, allowing readers to copy, distribute, and use the research with proper attribution and without any fees. Each article will display the declaration "© The Author(s) Year." Authors are required to sign a License to Publish agreement prior to formal publication.

2.3.7 References

Authors are required to adhere to the following guidelines to ensure uniformity in citations.

● The reference list should reflect the current state of knowledge in the field, avoiding bias, and should not contain an excessively high proportion of citations to the same authors or sources. 
● Citations of non-academic and non-peer-reviewed sources should be avoided or minimized.
● The number of references should be appropriate for the article type.
● Authors should refrain from citing sources that do not pertain to the article's scope or the journal's focus.
● Authors must verify the accuracy of all references, ensure that all links are functional, and adhere to the specified reference styles detailed below.
● In the main text, reference numbers should be placed in square brackets and in superscript.
● All references must be numbered in the order they are first cited in the text.
● Reference lists should only include published or accepted articles.
● A DOI should be provided to each reference (if applicable). 
● For article formats that permit the inclusion of unpublished data, submitted manuscripts, or personal communications, such references should be acknowledged in the main text. When supplementary information is available, it will be presented as footnotes.
● All citations of published works within the text, figures and tables should be included in the reference list. 
● For works that have been accepted but not yet published, use "Acceptance" instead of volume, issue, and page numbers. 
● If there are six or fewer authors, list all their names. If there are more than six authors, list the first six authors, followed by et al. 
● Given names of authors should be abbreviated (e.g., Wei D, Smith DW, etc.). 
● Use sentence case for article titles and book chapters (capitalize only the first word and proper nouns). Use title case for journal names and book titles (capitalize all major words).

Please refer to the reference styles listed below for more information.

2.3.8 Supplementary Materials

Additional data and information that are not critical to the main text, or that are too large or incompatible with the current format, can be presented as supplementary materials alongside the published article. These materials will be part of the peer review process and are not formatted, so please ensure all information is presented clearly and that the files include appropriate headings. Figures and tables in the supplementary materials should be cited sequentially in the main text (e.g., Supplementary Figure/Table S1, Supplementary Figure/Table S2, etc.). The style of supplementary figures or tables must adhere to the same requirements as those for figures or tables in the main text. Acceptable file formats include:
Data sheet (Word, Excel, CSV, CDX, FASTA, PDF or Zip files)
Presentation (PowerPoint, PDF or Zip files)
Image (CDX, EPS, JPEG, PDF, PNG or TIF/TIFF)
Table (Word, Excel, CSV or PDF)
Audio (MP3, WAV or WMA)
Video (AVI, DIVX, FLV, MOV, MP4, MPEG, MPG or WMV).
Videos and audios should be prepared in English and limited to a size of 500 MB.

2.4 Manuscript Format

2.4.1 Format

The manuscript files can be in DOC, DOCX, or LaTeX formats. If submitting in DOC or DOCX format, files should not be locked or protected. If submitting in LaTeX format, please ensure all relevant manuscript files are uploaded: .tex file, PDF, and .bib file.

2.4.2 Language

Please prepare the manuscript in English.

2.4.3 Figure and Table Guidelines

Authors are responsible for obtaining permission to use copyrighted material from other sources, including re-published, adapted, modified, or partial figures and images sourced from the internet. Authors must acquire the necessary licenses, adhere to citation requirements specified by third-party rights holders, and cover any associated fees.

2.4.3.1 Figures

Figures should be cited numerically in sequence (e.g., Figure 1, Figure 2) and placed after the paragraph where they are first referenced. Figures can be submitted in TIFF, PSD, or JPEG format with a resolution of 300-600 dpi. The figure caption should be positioned below the figure. Diagrams containing descriptive text (such as flow charts, coordinate diagrams, bar charts, line charts, and scatter plots) should be editable in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint formats.

Labels, numbers, letters, arrows, and symbols within figures should be clear, uniform in size, and contrast with the background. For figures with multiple panels, each panel should be distinctly labeled (A), (B), (C), etc. Symbols, arrows, numbers, or letters used for identification within illustrations must be clearly defined in the legend. If applicable, include explanations of internal scales (magnification) and staining methods in photomicrographs. All non-standard abbreviations should be clarified in the figure legend.

For LaTeX submissions, include figures in the provided PDF. Upon acceptance, Production Editor may request high-resolution files of figures in EPS, JPEG, or TIF/TIFF formats.

2.4.3.2 Tables

Tables should be cited in order and placed after the paragraph where they are first cited. The table caption should be positioned above the table and labeled sequentially (e.g., Table 1, Table 2). Tables must be provided in an editable format such as DOC or DOCX (images are unacceptable). Abbreviations and symbols used in tables should be explained in footnotes. Explanatory details should be also included in footnotes.

2.4.4 Multimedia Files

The journal supports manuscripts with multimedia files under the following guidelines: Video or audio files must be in English only; they should feature clear frames and moderate speech speed for easy comprehension of the presentation and introduction; include a concise summary of the video or audio content within the manuscript text; ensure that video files are no larger than 500 MB in size; please use professional software to create high-quality video files, which will facilitate acceptance and publication along with your submitted article. Upload videos in MP4, WMV, or RM formats (preferably MP4), and audio files in MP3 or WAV formats.

2.4.5 Abbreviations

Abbreviations must be defined upon their first appearance in the abstract, main text, and in figure or table captions, and should be used consistently thereafter. Minimize the use of abbreviations overall. Non-standard abbreviations are permitted only if they appear at least three times in the text. Commonly used abbreviations can be used without definition. Avoid using abbreviations in titles and keywords, except for those that are widely recognized.

2.4.6 Italics

Use italics for general terms such as vs., et al., in vivo, in vitro; statistical tests like t test, F test, U test; related coefficients as r, sample size as n, and probability as P; names of genes; and Latin names of bacteria and biological species.

2.4.7 Equations

Equations should be inserted into the text using an equation Editor in editable format, not as images.

2.4.8 Units

We encourage authors to use Standard International Units in all manuscripts. Please refer to SI Units.

2.4.9 Numbers

Numbers appearing at the beginning of sentences should be written out in English. When there are two or more numbers in a paragraph, they should be expressed as Arabic numerals. If there is only one number in a paragraph, numbers less than ten should be written in English, while numbers greater than ten should be expressed as Arabic numerals. For instance, 12345678 should be formatted as 12,345,678.

2.5 Language Editing

To be considered for publication in SMD, manuscripts must adhere to international English language standards. Submissions should be written clearly and cohesively in high-quality English. Authors who are not native English speakers are encouraged to have their work reviewed or edited by a native speaker before submission.

2.6 Submission Link

Click the link to log in to system to submit your article: http://www.intellimanus.com/#/login?journalPath=smd

3. Editorial Process

Submission will be handled as shown in the flowchart below. For detailed information, please refer to Editorial Process.

4. Contact us

SMD Editorial Office:

Editorial Office Email: smdjournal@sciexplor.com
For inquiries regarding submissions, editorial policies, or other matters related to SMD, please contact us via email at the addresses provided above.