General Editorial Policies

Read AIP Advances’ Information for Contributors

AIP Advances is published by the American Institute of Physics. The Executive Editors, aided by the Academic Editors, are responsible for the content and other editorial matters related to the journal. The journal covers all areas of applied physical science.

AIP Advances is funded via an author-pays model. Authors publishing manuscripts in AIP Advances retain copyright and grant the publisher a license to publish under a Creative Commons agreement. The pre-publication peer review process focuses on whether the manuscript is technically correct and original. Concepts such as 'timeliness', 'significance', and 'importance' are evaluated by the community post-publication through the implementation of online commenting and ranking tools.

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The Review Process

Submitted manuscripts are initially screened for their suitability and those that appear appropriate for publication in AIP Advances are sent to an expert referee for evaluation and may be sent to another referee for a second review. The identities of the referees remain confidential. On the basis of the report, the Editors make a decision either to accept the paper for publication, to reject it, or to ask the author for revisions suggested by the referee. Revised versions should be sent to the editorial office in a timely manner, otherwise the original receipt date may be replaced. The rapid nature of the review process for AIP Advances precludes extensive cycles of revision and it is our intention to reach a decision regarding acceptance or rejection of a manuscript on the basis of no more than two rounds of reviewing.

An author may appeal an editor's decision to reject a manuscript by making a request to the editor that the paper be reconsidered. If the editor is not persuaded that (further) review is warranted, he/she will consult one of the Executive Editors for a second opinion. If the decision to reject is upheld, any subsequent appeal will be reviewed by the Executive Director of AIP. The Executive Director will not make direct decisions whether or not a paper should be accepted for publication, but rather will assess whether procedures were followed properly. Additional rounds of review or adjudication would only be called for if proper procedures were not followed.

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Criteria for Publication

Papers are accepted for publication in AIP Advances according to the following criteria:

•	The manuscript must present results of primary scientific research.
•	The manuscript must present research in an area of applied physical science.
•	The results must not be published elsewhere.
•	The analysis must meet rigorous technical standards and be presented in sufficient detail.
•	The conclusions must be supported by the data presented.
•	The manuscript must be understandable and written in good scientific English.

Papers the editors deem inappropriate for the journal will be rejected without refereeing.

Although AIP Advances focuses on the publication of primary scientific research, review articles will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Additional criteria that apply to review articles include balance, comprehensiveness, clarity, accuracy, and appropriateness of topic.

AIP Advances, as a matter of policy, does not entertain submissions that assert sources of unlimited energy or related concepts in perpetual motion. Extraordinary claims that contradict well-established physical law require extraordinary efforts in verification which cannot be provided within the venue of the journal.

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The Production Process

Authors will not receive page proofs of their manuscript before publication. Manuscripts must be in final form, following all preparation guidelines, before acceptance.

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Ethics and Responsibilities of Authors

AIP Advances is published as part of the charter of its publisher, the American Institute of Physics, to advance and diffuse knowledge of the science of physics and its applications to human welfare. To that end, it is essential that all who participate in producing the journal conduct themselves as authors, reviewers, editors, and publishers in accord with the highest level of professional ethics and standards.

A detailed statement of what this journal expects can be found here.

By submitting a manuscript to AIP Advances, each author implicitly confirms that it meets the highest ethical standards.

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Retraction and Correction Policies

AIP takes its responsibility to maintain the integrity and completeness of the scholarly record of our content for all end users very seriously. AIP places great importance on the authority of articles after they have been published and our policy is based on best practice in the academic publishing community. Changes to articles after they have been published online may only be made under the circumstances outlined in AIP's Retraction and Correction Policies which can be accessed here.

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