Information for Reviewers of Conference Manuscripts
General
Pure and Applied Chemistry is the official monthly Journal of IUPAC, with responsibility for publishing works arising from those international scientific events and projects that are sponsored and undertaken by the Union. The policy is to publish highly topical and credible works at the forefront of all aspects of pure and applied chemistry, and the attendant goal is to secure widespread acceptance of the Journal as an essential holding in academic and institutional libraries.
Pure Appl. Chem. publishes collections of papers based upon authoritative lectures presented at IUPAC sponsored events, most usually those of plenary or main lecturers. In exceptional circumstances, determined through prior negotiation, this may be extended to include selected contributions by a broader cross-section of participants. In addition, papers or collections of papers on topics of compelling scientific interest may be published by invitation or arrangement, as Special Topic features. Unsolicited manuscripts are not normally considered for publication.
Publication Policy
A collection of papers based upon a Conference, Symposium or Workshop is expected to capture the scientific impact and topicality of the theme, and furnish readers with an indispensable archival resource. Conference papers are typically short critical overviews of specialized topics, and authors have considerable latitude in emphasizing review content or disclosing hitherto unpublished findings. Pure Appl. Chem. aspires to offer readers distinctive insights into new science that complement rather than compete with or replicate those published in the primary research literature.
A critical overview based upon a plenary presentation may occupy up to perhaps 12 Journal pages, whereas other forms of Conference presentation will usually be shorter (6 to 8 Journal pages), and may even incorporate a short experimental section to exemplify and underpin new findings. However guidelines on manuscript content and length are applied flexibly, and authors are welcome to explore the scope for departing from these guidelines, in consultation with the Scientific Editor.
Much emphasis is placed upon representative, timely and scientifically useful publication of Conference outputs. Accordingly, invited authors are encouraged to make every effort to participate, and to adhere to the prescribed timetable for submission of manuscripts.
Assessment of Manuscripts
Reviewers are invited to offer a short critical evaluation of the manuscript, taking cognizance of the publication policy and objectives of the Journal. The report should assess appropriateness and scientific quality of the content, and offer a recommendation for the guidance of the Conference Editor and the Scientific Editor of the Journal. Reviewers are welcome to draw attention to any specific features of presentation, such as departure from prescribed format and style, or shortcomings in language and terminology, which may guide the author and editors in finalizing the manuscript for publication. However, reviewers need not edit the manuscript in detail, but rather exemplify any such shortcomings for the guidance of authors. The following categories of assessment apply:
Recommendations for major revision or rejection must be supported by explicit and detailed grounds for the decision, and offer unambiguous guidelines for revision, where appropriate. The report should be submitted to ManuscriptCentral, preferably within 14 days.
2008-07-01