Guide for Authors

Authors are invited to submit original manuscripts to Civil and Geoengineering Letters. Submissions must comply with the following guidelines to ensure smooth processing and publication.

Manuscript Structure

  • Title Page: The title page must include the manuscript title (maximum two lines), full names of all authors, their institutional affiliations, ORCID iDs, and contact details of the corresponding author. Authors are also required to include funding information, a declaration of conflicts of interest, and an author contribution statement in accordance with international standards (see CRediT taxonomy).
  • Abstract: Authors are required to provide a structured abstract of 100 to 250 words that briefly summarises the study’s objectives, methods, results, and conclusions.
  • Keywords: Provide 4–6 keywords that best describe the subject matter of the manuscript.
  • Main Text: Manuscripts should be written in clear English, in a single-column format. The recommended font is Times New Roman, size 12, with double line spacing.
  • Conclusion: A distinct conclusion section of up to 350 words must highlight the key findings, implications, and potential future directions.
  • Figures and Tables: Figures, tables, and illustrations must be numbered consecutively and provided in separate files, placed at the end of the manuscript. Each figure/table should include a clear caption. High-resolution images (minimum 350 dpi) are required.
  • Data Availability: Data Availability Statement: Authors are encouraged to include a statement describing the availability of the data supporting the findings of the study (e.g., repository link), or to state that data are available on reasonable request, or that no new data were created.
  • Ethics Approval: Where applicable, authors must confirm that the research complies with relevant ethical standards and approvals (e.g., studies involving human participants, sensitive data, or fieldwork permissions).
  • Use of AI: Any use of AI tools in manuscript preparation must be disclosed. AI tools may not be listed as authors and do not replace the authors’ intellectual contribution.
  • Conflict of Interest: Authors must declare any potential conflicts of interest. If none exist, authors should state: “The authors declare no conflict of interest.”.
  • References: References must follow the APA style (author–year system). In-text citations should appear as (Author, Year), and the full list of references must be included at the end of the manuscript in alphabetical order.

Cover Letter

A cover letter is required for all submissions. It should briefly outline the relevance of the manuscript to the journal’s aims and scope and summarise the main contribution of the work.

The cover letter should also confirm that all authors have approved the submission and identify the corresponding author for editorial correspondence.

Language Editing Recommendation

Authors are responsible for ensuring that manuscripts are written in clear, accurate, and grammatically correct English prior to submission. Where authors consider it appropriate, independent professional language-editing services may be used at the authors’ own discretion to improve clarity and presentation.

In line with common international publishing practice, including that adopted by academic publishers such as Elsevier, Springer Nature and Linguaproofing, authors may, at their own discretion, consult independent third-party language-editing services prior to submission.

Use of any language-editing service is entirely optional, does not constitute endorsement by the journal, and does not imply any association with the journal or its publisher.

The use of professional language editing does not guarantee acceptance for publication and has no influence on the peer-review or editorial decision-making process. Full responsibility for the scientific content, originality, and integrity of the manuscript remains with the authors.

Graphical Abstract

Authors may optionally submit a Graphical Abstract to accompany their article. A graphical abstract provides a concise visual summary of the main findings and supports clear and effective communication of the research to a broad readership.

  • File format: The graphical abstract should be submitted as a single image file in PNG (.png) format.
  • Content: The image should clearly illustrate the central concept, methodology, or principal result of the study and be understandable without reference to the full text.
  • Quality and style: The graphical abstract should be of high resolution, contain minimal and clearly legible text, and maintain a professional, scholarly appearance. All text must be in English.
  • Accuracy and ethics: The content must accurately reflect the results presented in the manuscript and comply with applicable ethical standards. Promotional material, commercial logos, or misleading elements are not permitted.
  • Copyright: Authors are responsible for ensuring that the graphical abstract is original or that appropriate permissions and acknowledgements have been obtained for any reused material.

Submission of a graphical abstract is entirely optional and has no influence on editorial assessment, peer review, or acceptance decisions. If a graphical abstract is not provided, the journal may, at its discretion, select a suitable figure from the article to be used as a representative visual.

Additional Requirements

  • Formatting and Compliance: Manuscripts must be prepared in accordance with the journal’s formatting, ethical, and submission requirements. Only compliant submissions will be considered for peer review.
  • File Format: Manuscripts should be submitted as a single Word file (.doc or .docx). Figures and tables must be uploaded as separate files and clearly cited within the manuscript.
  • Cover Letter: A cover letter is required for all submissions. It should briefly explain the relevance of the manuscript to the journal’s scope, highlight its main contribution, and identify the corresponding author for editorial communication.
  • Title Page: A separate title page must be provided, including full author names, institutional affiliations, corresponding author contact details, funding information, author contributions, and declarations.
  • Funding Disclosure: All sources of financial support must be clearly disclosed. If no external funding was received, this should be explicitly stated.
  • Ethical Approval: Where applicable, authors must confirm that the research complies with relevant ethical standards and that necessary approvals or permissions have been obtained.
  • Acknowledgements: Acknowledgements should be limited to individuals or organisations that contributed to the work but do not meet the criteria for authorship.
  • Plagiarism Screening: All submissions are subject to plagiarism and similarity checks as part of the editorial assessment process.
  • DOI Assignment: All accepted articles are assigned a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) to ensure permanent identification, citability, and long-term accessibility.

By following these guidelines, authors help ensure an efficient review process and contribute to the journal’s mission of publishing high-quality, accessible scholarship in civil and geoengineering sciences.