For submission guidance on Editorial Manager, please refer to the following YouTube video:
The Author Guide to Editorial Manager
Submission Checklist
Before submitting your manuscript to the Iraqi Journal of Civil Engineering (IJCE), please ensure that it meets all the requirements listed below.
Your article
- Structure – Confirm that the submission follows the required structure and includes all necessary sections. Refer to Preparation of Manuscripts for further details.
- Title Page – Include a complete title page containing all relevant author and manuscript information. See General Requirements for details.
- Format – Ensure compliance with the journal’s formatting guidelines, including word count, page margins, and line numbering. See General Requirements for details.
- Reported Data – Verify the accuracy of all data, numerical values, and units of measurement to ensure consistency throughout the manuscript.
- References – Follow the journal’s reference style exactly as outlined in the References section.
- Graphics – Present all figures and tables clearly with informative captions and legends.
- Ethical Compliance – All submissions must comply with the Ethical Policy. Include all required ethical approval statements.
Before Submitting
- Author Approval – All authors must review and approve the final version of the manuscript and agree on the submission to IJCE.
- Open Access – Select the appropriate open-access option during submission and ensure compliance with any funder mandates. See Open Access Policy for details.
Uploading Your Submission
- Author List – Ensure that all authors are correctly listed on the title page and within the submission system in the proper order, with valid email addresses.
- Cover Letter – Provide a brief cover letter introducing the work, explaining its significance, and describing why it is suitable for publication in IJCE.
- File Formats – Submit all files in the correct formats as specified under General Requirements.
- Figures and Tables – Ensure that all figure and table files are complete, properly labeled, and correctly positioned within the text.
Manuscript Categories and Preparation Guidelines
Authors are encouraged to use the IJCE Microsoft Word template to prepare their manuscripts. Using the journal template helps expedite the copy-editing and publication process. The total size of all submission files must not exceed 120 MB. If this limit presents a problem, please contact the Editorial Office at ijce@uoanbar.edu.iq
File Preparation
- Manuscripts prepared in Microsoft Word must be submitted as a single consolidated file.
- All figures, tables, and schemes should be inserted directly within the text following their first mention.
Research Articles
All research papers should be organized in the following structure:
Title Page
Include a separate title page containing:
- Full article title (maximum 85 characters)
- Names and full affiliations of all authors
- Corresponding author’s postal and email address
- Short title (maximum 46 characters, including spaces)
- Minimum of five keywords describing the manuscript
- Word count (excluding references and figure legends)
Abstract
A concise paragraph (maximum 300 words) summarizing the study’s objectives, methods, results, and conclusions. Avoid abbreviations and references.
Introduction
Briefly review the relevant background and context, followed by a clear statement of the study’s objectives.
Headings and Format
Main headings should be numbered (1, 2, 3, …), in bold, and 9.5 pt font. Paragraphs should flow continuously without breaks except for section headings, subheadings, images, or equations. Follow the IJCE author template for detailed formatting instructions.
Figures, Tables, and Equations
- Each figure, table, and equation must be placed on the same page as its descriptive text whenever possible.
- A page should not contain more than two-thirds of its area as images.
- Avoid using irrelevant or low-quality photos.
- When necessary, two figures may be placed side by side (horizontally).
- Figure Elements – Clearly label photo elements using numbers or letters. Ensure all images are high resolution and text within figures matches caption style.
- Numbering – Figures should be numbered sequentially (1, 2, 3, …). Captions (10 pt, centered) should appear below the figure.
- Tables – Tables must be simple, numbered, and accompanied by clear captions above each table. Place tables directly after their first mention in the text.
- Equations – Write equations using Math Type, numbered consecutively on the right margin, and separated from text by one space.
Materials and Methods
Describe materials and methods in sufficient detail to allow replication. Use standard international (SI) units. Reference previously published methods and specify the software used for simulations or statistical analyses. Define all terms, abbreviations, and symbols.
Results
Present original findings clearly and concisely. Compare results with relevant studies and avoid excessive repetition of data. Indicate whether results are theoretical, simulated, or experimental. Ensure all figures and tables are properly numbered and described with self-explanatory legends.
Discussion
Interpret and critically analyze results in the context of relevant literature. Avoid redundant data presentation. Conclude with a summary of key findings. The Results and Discussion sections may be combined if appropriate.
Conclusion
Summarize the main findings, focusing on the novelty and significance of the study. Avoid repeating content from the Abstract or Introduction. Highlight the essential contributions and implications of your research.
Acknowledgements
Acknowledgements of individuals, institutions, grants, or funding sources should be included in a separate section before the References list.
The names of funding organizations must be written in full. If the study receives financial support, the funding source and the associated Grant Number should be clearly stated in this section.
Example:
The authors acknowledge the financial support provided by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Iraq (Grant No. XXX).
References
References must be formatted according to the APA (American Psychological Association) style. All sources cited in the text must appear in the reference list, and all entries in the reference list must be cited in the text.
Before Submission of the Article
As part of the submission process, authors are required to confirm compliance with the following requirements. Manuscripts that fail to meet these conditions may be returned for revision prior to review.
Ethics and Integrity
- All authors must read and comply with the Ethics in Publishing, Violation of Publication Ethics, Plagiarism Prevention, and Handling Cases of Misconduct policies before submission.
- The manuscript must be written entirely in English.
Manuscript Preparation
- Ensure that the manuscript (text, tables, and figures) adheres to all requirements stated in the Guidelines for Authors.
- The title should not contain “&” or other non-standard abbreviations.
- Author names and affiliations must comply with the journal’s format and be thoroughly verified.
- The corresponding author must be clearly identified, with a valid email address and postal address included.
- Appropriate keywords should be added and accurately reflect the content of the manuscript.
- All tables and figures must be properly numbered, captioned, and referred to within the text.
- The quality and resolution of all figures must be verified to meet publication standards.
- References must be properly formatted according to the APA style as outlined in the References section.
- The manuscript must be thoroughly checked for spelling and grammatical accuracy.
Revised Submission
When submitting a revised manuscript, authors must upload the following files:
- Revised Manuscript (with tracked changes):
Include all modifications made since the original submission using the Track Changes function in Microsoft Word. Upload this as the “Revised Article with Changes Highlighted” file.
- Clean Copy of the Revised Manuscript:
Provide a final version of the revised manuscript without tracked changes. Upload this as the “Final Revised Manuscript” file.
- Response to Reviewers:
Prepare a detailed document addressing each reviewer’s and editor’s comments.
- List each comment followed by your response.
- Describe the changes made in the manuscript corresponding to each comment.
Upload this document as the “Response to Reviewers” file.
All the above documents must be submitted by the corresponding author and signed by all authors to confirm agreement and accountability for the revisions.