Author guidelines

Reports on Progress in Physics has a long-established reputation as a journal for the publication of authoritative review articles in all branches of physics. Its appeal lies in both the breadth of its subject coverage and the high standing of the reviews, and these combined impose special requirements on the authors of review articles. Details concerning the coverage and article-types published in Reports on Progress in Physics can be found in the journal scope.

General Requirements

You should present a fair and balanced account of their subject. You should make a clear distinction between points of view which are well established and those which are still speculative or controversial. The opportunity for such a review of a particular field in the journal does not recur frequently, so you should cover the development of the subject over a period of the order of a decade, and not just the very latest developments.

You should bear firmly in mind that most readers will not be expert in the subject of the review; they may be physicists working in other fields who wish to keep informed of developments outside their own specialization, or who are looking for an introduction to a new field. You should therefore address the article to readers with no more than a degree or equivalent qualification in one of the physical sciences, and experience of research or development in a field of science or technology other than the subject under review.

The Introduction section is particularly important in this respect. It should give a clear overview of the subject and convey to the non-specialist why the subject is important and interesting.

You should pay careful attention to those sections of the review in which the current status of the subject, and its place within a wider context, are explained in non-specialist terms. You should avoid complex mathematical formalisms or lengthy catalogues of numerical data which do not carry the argument along to a clear conclusion. Provided the background and principles of the subject are explained initially in elementary terms, you should have no difficulty in leading the reader to the most recent and advanced developments and ideas of the subject.

These reviews, then, aim somewhere between a general overview and the kind of specialist review addressed to expert research workers in a fairly narrow branch of physics. This is not an easy task, but when successfully performed the result is of great value to the reader, to the author and to the discipline reviewed.

 

New proposals

Reports on Progress in Physics welcomes proposals from potential authors who wish to write for the journal. Please submit an outline consisting of an abstract or overview of your proposed article and list of proposed headings and sub-headings (with some indication of coverage) to rop@ioppublishing.org or via our website.

 

Outline

Before commissioning articles formally, the Editorial Board would like to see a brief outline of the proposed review. The purpose of this is to allow the Board to judge whether the proposal reflects what was intended in the invitation, and to ensure that overlap with any related articles is kept to sensible proportions. The outline should give a brief summary of the approach to the review, plus a list of contents to allow the Board to satisfy itself that the article will cover the subject comprehensively.

Notes for guidance on level and style

It is taken for granted that authors will ensure a high standard of scientific merit. The following recommendations are intended to assist you in satisfying the broader needs of both specialist and general readers.

1. It is very important that the review have a good introductory section aimed particularly at the reader new to the field. This should be at an introductory level and should lead the reader gradually into the more sophisticated material that follows. It should aim to put the subject into context and, in the case of topics on the fringe of physics or with a technological bias, it should bring out the relevant physics. It should also explain why the subject is of current interest and should pull together the main conclusions that are reached in the article.

2. Specialist concepts and terminology should be introduced and adequately explained early on in the review and certainly on first occurrence. Excessive use of acronyms should be avoided and all acronyms must be defined on their first occurrence. It may be useful to include a glossary of technical terms and acronyms.

3. You should:

  • Use language accessible to the non-specialist reader (e.g. avoid too mathematical a treatment).
  • Aim at objectivity and avoid dealing largely with current research and reflecting your own views.
  • Avoid catalogues of data or superficial summaries of earlier work.
  • Aim for concrete rather than too abstract a presentation.
  • Establish the relevance of the subject to physics, particularly if the subject is interdisciplinary.
  • You should conclude the article with a section that rounds off the review and picks out the main advances.

4. The length of the article should be between 20000 and a maximum of 25000 words, including an allowance of 250 words for each illustration.

Preparation of article

A summary of the most important points and particular requirements for Reports on Progress in Physics are given below.

  • References Either the Harvard or numerical system may be used, but we strongly urge you to include titles in article references. For the benefit of readers, both initial and final page numbers of references should be given wherever possible.
  • Figures The figures should be clear, easy to read and of good quality. Characters should appear as they would be set in the main body of the article. We will normally use figures as submitted, so it is your responsibility to ensure that they are correct and of good enough quality for printing. If the figure is taken from another published article you should attempt to obtain the original file. Scanned images often give poor reproduction, especially if they contain a lot of detail. Where illustrations are reproduced from previously published papers, .authors should obtain the permission of the copyright holder.
  • Colour illustrations The use of colour in illustrations can enhance the effective presentation of results, and we are pleased to offer free reproduction of colour illustrations in the electronic versions of our journals available via our Web server. However, because conventional full-colour printing remains an expensive process, we must ask you (or your institution) to pay the additional costs incurred if you also require colour in the printed version of your article unless the referee considers the use of colour essential. An estimate of the charges for your paper can be obtained by contacting us at rop@ioppublishing.org

How to submit

Web submissions using the online submission form is strongly encouraged. If you are submitting a revised version of your article, please remember to include a list of changes made in response to the referees' and Editorial Board reports.