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Frequently Asked Questions

General FAQ

What is Science Postprint?

It is an open access, peer-reviewed academic social media for the next generation of scientists in life science, medicine, and environmental science. The journal aims to publish reports on primary research in all area of science, but is focusing on fields mentioned above at this time.

Is your Journal indexed in PubMed and other databases?

As one of the recently launched journals, we are waiting to meet the qualification of Medline and Scopus. Those well-known online databases require concrete and credible publication experience as well as reliable publication policy. Science Postprint was launched on October 2013, and is now working to gain appropriate qualification. We will apply to those databases for being indexed when time comes, and actually are being under consideration for some of them.
We are now recognized by Google scholar ( http://scholar.google.co.jp/ ), CrossRef ( http://www.crossref.org/ ), DOAJ ( https://doaj.org/ ), J-Global ( http://jglobal.jst.go.jp/ ), and Ichushi-Web ( http://www.jamas.or.jp/index.html ) for indexing, so readers can reach our publications through them.

Do you have an Impact factor?

It is currently unavailable. Impact Factor is given after tracked by Thomson Scientific (ISI) for three years. Since we have just started publication on October 2013, we are still too young to be tracked. We understand that for scientists, impact factor is important when their works are assessed, so we consistently make our strides forward to grow our publications, as well as providing high quality of peer reviewing and editing. In this way, we have a strong confidence that we would gain an impact factor in the near future.
On the other hand, we are also trying to create a new value. Being assessed only by the Impact Factor is an issue of debate. It is true that the Impact Factor is just an average number of citations on a journal. We have constructed a system to evaluate each work one by one. In our system, we ask our reviewers to evaluate the work they reviewed in five point scales based on its potential for innovation, future advancement, and industrial usefulness, as well as comprehensive general evaluation. These evaluation points appear on the manuscript webpage, so that readers can see the objective judgments.

What is your ISSN number?

The ISSN number for Science Postprint is 2187-9834.

Author FAQ

Is Science Postprint peer reviewed?

All manuscripts submitted to Science Postprint will be peer-reviewed by experts from relevant fields. They assess the accuracy, reliability, originality and impact of the research fairly and rigorously to ensure the quality of publication. We adhere to our policies (/authors/policy.php) and ask our authors/reviewers to conform to the Author (/authorguide.php)/Reviewer Guidelines (/reviewerguide.php).

Why publish in Science Postprint?

Authors of Science Postprint have a choice of the peer review process. Traditional Peer Review is an ordinary publication with single blind peer review, and Post Publication Peer Review is a publication with open peer review. In both type of peer review process, authors will enjoy fast publication of their works with reliable peer review. The quality of the accepted or approved publication is ensured by the peer-review process in which experts from relevant field assess the accuracy, originality and reliability.
Furthermore, SPP’s open access policy enables readers to freely access every material, which we believe our responsibility for sharing science information without any restrictions. Authors retain copyright over their work under the Creative Commons Attribution License, CC BY-NC-ND 2.1 JP.

How do I submit my manuscript?

Before submitting a manuscript, please read our Policies and Guidelines (Editorial and Publishing Policy; Author Guidelines). Also you need to decide the peer review type you prefer. After finishing reading them, please submit your manuscript using our online submission system. Please make a remark in the field for comments in the submission form when you choose Post Publication Peer Review.

How about the process for publication?

After we receive a submission, Editorial Office will contact authors within three business days. Our editorial office will examine the submission, and sometimes request authors for correction.

Traditional Peer Review: After internal check, our editor will invite our reviewers to the peer review. Based on the comments from the reviewers, Editorial Office will make official decision. Authors will be informed about the decision, and they may be asked for revising. Gaining final approvals from the reviewers and Editorial Office, and receiving payment, Editorial Office will publish the article.

Post Publication Peer Review: After internal check and payment, the submission will be published within 1-3 business days. Peer review follows the publication and all of the peer review reports will be published. Authors may be asked for revision to be officially “Approved,” and after the quick publication of the revised version, re-reviewing follows immediately. Articles of officially “Approved” will be indexed in the known databases.
You can see the flow for publication in both of the peer review types here (A flow for Post Publication Peer Review/A flow for Traditional Peer Review).

What is the period from submission to publication?

We strive to shorten the period of submission to publication. Authors used to have to wait for even several months to hear the peer review results. We hope to reduce the stress of waiting as well as make research outcome quickly available for people all over the world. To achieve quick publication, we sincerely ask peer reviewers to finish reviewing within 2 weeks, send reminder email to them, and do not keep the peer review report or author’s revision at editor’s side for more than three working days. The average period for submission to acceptance in Traditional Peer Review is 61 days as of May 2014.
From August 2015, authors who hope prompt publication are able to choose Post Publication Peer Review, in which we provide transparent open peer review environment.

What is your acceptance rate?

The acceptance rate for the Traditional Peer Review is around 30%, as of May 2015. The rejection through internal check before peer review accounts for 70% of the rejected submissions. This is due to the misunderstanding of publication policy of SPP. We sincerely hope authors to be aware of publication ethics and read our policy prior to submission.

In which database I can search for my article in Science Postprint?

Articles in Science Postprint are indexed in crossref, DOAJ, Google scholar, Ichushi-web, J-Global, and J-Dream3 as of July 2015. We aim to be included in Medline (Pubmed) and Web of Science in the near future.

Do you charge for submissions?

Authors are charged for publication. The charge is for article processing and to ensure free access environment. However, the time for payment differs depending on the type of the review process the author chooses (see below). Editorial Office informs the author about the charge, receiving a submission. After the agreement about the charge, process will be started.

Traditional Peer Review: The regular charge is US$1,350/135,000JPY for an article. Authors pay when their manuscript is officially accepted upon peer reviewing. Authors are not charged for the article of rejection.

Post Publication Peer Review (PPP): Authors are charged for publication. Regular charge for Post Publication Peer Review is US$1,350 for an article.

Do you have a discount for publication?

There is no discount available at this moment.

Do you charge for submitting revision?

Yes and No. It differs according to the peer review procedure the author chooses.

Traditional Peer Review: There is no charge for submitting revision for the article of under peer review process.

Post Publication Peer Review (PPP): Charge for publication of revision is included in initial fee as long as the revision is version 2 within 3 months of the publication of the peer review reports for version 1. Publishing revision other than above case may cause additional charge. For details, please visit Charges for Revised Manuscript in Specific Guideline for PPP Authors.

How about minor error correction for published articles?

Science Postprint corrects minor errors that originate from Science Postprint without charge. Correction for minor errors that originate from authors will cause charge of US$3.00/400JPY for each one error, unless the request for correction is within 1 or 2 weeks of the publication. For details, see Table 2 in Charges for Minor Error Correction.

Who are on the Editorial Board?

Science Postprint’s Editorial Board ( /reviewers/editorialboard.php ) is composed of experienced researchers who lead the science and technology and share our ideals.

I want to know the breakdown of the area of expertise of your Editorial Board.

Experts in medicine comprise about 60% of our Editorial Board, followed by about 22% in biology, 12% of life sciences.

Who review my paper if I choose Post Publication Peer Review?

Editorial Office invites experts in the appropriate area from Editorial Board or external voluntary cooperators. Editorial Office assesses their academic career when inviting outside cooperators. This process is completely the same as Traditional Peer Review.

Is the publication process speedup by Post Publication Peer Review?

If you hope to publish your article as soon as possible, Post Publication Peer Review will surely benefit you. The earliest timeline for submission to publication will be 2-3 business days. After the publication of the submission, peer reviewers are invited and peer review stars with the similar timeframe for Traditional Peer Review. The time frame for the first peer review is 2 weeks for each reviewer.

What if my paper was rejected in the process of Post Publication Peer Review?

Post Publication Peer review has a different concept compared to Traditional Peer Review. Although some manuscripts may be judged to be “Not Approved” after the open peer review, they will be kept accessible and not returned to the authors. Re-submission of any article which was published in PPP to another journal is prohibited.

Can I withdraw a paper which was published in Post Publication Peer Review?

Authors are not allowed to retract an article just because it was “Not Approved.” Authors should explain the reason for the request, and it may be accepted if it was due to the serious misconduct, breach of the publication/research ethics, or legal issue. In such cases, retraction notice will be published and the article will be basically kept accessible with the warning of retraction by CrossMark.

Will my article be indexed in PubMed when I publish in Post Publication Peer Review?

“Approved” articles in Post Publication Peer Review will be indexed in known databases. However, at this moment, Science Postprint is not indexed in Medline (PubMed). Science Postprint is gaining its experience step by step and building reputation for future inclusion in Medline and other known databases. Science Postprint is now indexed in DOAJ, Ichushi-web, J-Global, and J-Dream3 in addition to Google scholar as of July 2015.

I cannot upload my file. What should I do?

Please ensure your uploading files are in specified format. We accept doc., docx., tex., pdf., jpg., png., gif., outlined ai., zip. and so on. The upper limit of upload is 20 MB. When the file exceed 20MB, you can use firestrage.com ( http://firestorage.com/ ). If you have any trouble uploading your files, you can directly send them to our editor at < mori.s(at)ghjapan.jp >.

What version of the Creative Commons license does the journal use?

All Science Postprint manuscripts are published under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY-NC-ND 2.1 JP:https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.1/jp/deed.en_US).

What happens to my paper if you go out of business?

Science Postprint has partnered with CLOCKSS (Controlled Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe: http://www.clockss.org/clockss/Home ) to ensure that all our content remains accessible in the future no matter what happens to the publisher of Science Postprint.

Reviewer FAQ

What is the frequency of reviewing?

Since it depends on the submission amount in the reviewer's specialized field, the schedule will vary.

If there is a request to review, are we obligated to comply?

Reviewers reserve the right to refuse. There is no penalty for refusing.

Is there any compensation for reviewing?

There is no compensation at the moment. Your involvement is highly welcomed for fostering young researchers and progress in sciences.

Can anyone apply for Editorial Board?

Anybody with a wealth of experience in a specialized research field working for an academic research institution such as a college can apply for our Editorial Board. Corporate researchers as well as those at non-profits may also apply. We request those volunteer applicants to provide some information about their affiliation, current position, and previous publication to assess their experiences. We welcome and appreciate support from researchers. To join the review board, the web application form is available.

What are the criterions required for reviewers?

Reviewers in our Editorial Board are accepted based on their research performance and the field of expertise. Rejections depend on duplication with existing Editorial Board members’ field or lack of qualifications. If there are already enough reviewers in the new applicant’s field, we might have to decline the offer.

Can I publish my paper?

Yes, your submission is highly welcomed.

Is my peer review comment published?

Yes and No, depending on the type of the peer review the author chooses. Editorial Office informs the reviewer of the type of the peer review at the time of invitation.

Traditional Peer Review: No. Peer review reports will not be published. Reports are only sent to the authors. Science Postprint employs single blind peer review.
Post Publication Peer Review: Yes. All of the peer review reports from reviewers will be published. Reviewers have an option for disclosure of their name and affiliation. When a reviewer chooses not to disclose his/her name, nickname will be published.

I don’t want to disclose my name as a peer reviewer.

Reviewers have an option for name disclosure for both Traditional Peer Review and Post Publication Peer review. Editorial Office asks the reviewer his/her intention of the name disclosure before publication.

What is the benefit of reviewers for Post Publication Peer Review?

Reviewers will be given proper credit based on the published review reports, if they choose to disclose their names. If the value of the peer review report is recognized, it may be considered when being examined for promotion or applying for a new research project.

Award FAQ

Do authors need to pay when they apply for the award?

Yes. The application for an award is the same as usual submission. The processing charge depends on the author’s country of residence. Please refer to the following webpages.

Does my published work meet the qualification for the award?

Unfortunately, it does not. You need to meet the following three conditions.

  • It should be your original work.
  • It should never appear on any other peer reviewed journals.
  • It should never be submitted to or under consideration for publication in any other peer reviewed journals.

How about the covered fields?

Depends on the Award. Please refer to the Award introduction web page.

How can I apply?

You can apply for the award using our submission form. Applicants should declare the name of the award they are applying in the commenting space of submission form.

My country of residence is out of the qualification….

Sorry, some awards are targeted for particular countries, but there will be other awards prepared for you.

Post Publication Peer Review FAQ

What is Post Publication Peer Review?

Post Publication Peer Review is a publication model that differs from traditional academic publication. The difference is in the peer review procedure. In Post Publication Peer Review, submitted articles are published before peer review, and all of the following peer review process will be published.

What is the benefit of Post Publication Peer Review?

Authors will enjoy quick publication, and readers are able to learn the latest research achievements without delay. Another important thing is that, the transparency in the peer review process is ensured by the open peer review.

What are the criteria for acceptance in case of Post Publication Peer Review (PPP)?

“Accepted” in Traditional Peer Review almost corresponds to “Approved” in PPP. Editorial Office judges the article to be officially “Approved,” when two reviewers “approve,” or one reviewer “approves” and other two “approve conditionally.”

Is there any difference in the peer review process compared to traditional peer review?

No. The quality of the peer review and the procedure is the same as Traditional Peer Review in Science Postprint. The only difference is in the “open” peer review, in which all of the revisions by authors and peer review reports by reviewers are published.

What do you mean by “Approved” in Post Publication Peer Review?

“Approved” articles are ones of which their originality, credibility of the data, and scientific integrity are approved by the reviewers. Editorial Office judges the article to be officially “Approved,” when two reviewers “approve,” or one reviewer “approves” and other two “approve conditionally.” Criteria for judgments are explained in Specific Guideline for PPP Reviewers.

Can I cite an article which published in Post Publication Peer Review? If I can, how should I cite?

Yes. You can cite articles in Post Publication Peer Review as well as that in Traditional Peer Review. However for the article of Post Publication Peer Review, the title should be followed by information that tell readers it is an article of open peer review as well as its version, the review status and the date of citation. Please use the citation format published in the author and article information in each article. Examples are as below.

Authors (year) title of the article [open peer review; ver. 1; status: approve 1, approve conditionally 1; date of the status: 7/1/2015]. Science Postprint 1(2): e00000. doi:10.14340/spp.2015.07A0000.

I don’t recognize the value of a paper unless it is peer reviewed.

The peer review status of “Approved,” “Not Approved,” or judgments by each reviewer is available with the publication. Readers are able to use the status as an indicator for its reliability and importance. Furthermore, we believe that Post Publication Peer Review can be an innovation for the peer review process. Its open peer review process allows readers to make her/his own judgment for the value of the article, following the criticism or approval by reviewers as well as the discussed article.

Is it different from preprint server?

Articles which are published in Post Publication Peer review are apparently different from preprints, since it is followed by peer review reports. Authors are recommended for revision based on the reports and articles that gain a certain level of approval by reviewers will be officially judged to be “Approved” its scientific integrity and novelty.

What if nobody applies for the peer review of the article in Post Publication Peer Review?

Editorial Office carefully selects peer reviewers for every article. No article will be left without peer review.

My application for a peer reviewer of an article in Post Publication Peer Review was rejected.

Although readers are able to apply for a reviewer of an article in Post Publication Peer Review, it does not mean s/he is immediately allowed for the peer review. Experience in the field and competing interests are examined.