Author Guidelines

** This can be downloaded as a PDF document by clicking here.**

InterPore Journal is an open access, peer-reviewed international journal owned and published by the International Society for Porous Media (InterPore). Our journal embraces a wide range of topics reflecting the diverse interests of our society's membership. However, you do not need to be a member of InterPore to submit your work. We invite contributions related to porous media applications across various domains.

Scope of Submissions: We welcome research that covers, but is not limited to:

Physical and numerical modeling
Imaging techniques and analysis
Theory development
Big data analysis
Characterization
Material design

Publication Policy: We consider only original work for publication. Submissions must not have been previously published elsewhere nor be under consideration for publication at any other venue. Electric preprints (pre-publication versions of work deposited on preprint servers or institutional websites) are acceptable, as they are not considered prior publications. If your article has been deposited as a preprint, please inform the editor at the time of submission and provide a link to the preprint along with any relevant licensing information. If your article is accepted for publication in InterPore Journal, please update the preprint with a reference to the published article, including its URL and DOI.

If your article has been published previously as an abstract, include this information in your cover letter. Mention where and when the abstract was published and provide a link if possible.

Additional Information:

For information on the types of papers we publish, please see this page.
For details on publication fees, please visit this page.

Please review our author guidelines carefully when preparing your manuscript for submission. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact the Managing Editor, Laura Lenz, at Laura.Lenz@InterPore.org.

We look forward to receiving your contributions and advancing the field of porous media research together.

Quick Check Table

For easy reference, we have prepared a Quick Check Table that serves as a quick reference to ensure all relevant information is included when preparing your manuscript for submission^[1]. This table can also be downloaded as a pdf here.

Submission

All articles should be submitted via the link provided on the journal's website. Once submitted, manuscripts will undergo the following review process:

Initial Review: The Managing Editor will conduct an initial review to ensure completeness.
Suitability Assessment: The Editor-in-Chief will assess whether the manuscript is suitable for the journal.
Assignment: If no issues are found, the manuscript will be assigned to an Editor, who will manage the peer review process.

Submission Agreement: As part of the submission process, the submitting author must agree on behalf of all authors to the following statements:

Privacy Policy: You agree to have your data collected and stored in accordance with our privacy policy.
Original Submission: This submission is original and has not been previously published nor is it currently being considered for publication elsewhere.
Authorship and Approval: All authors are listed, approve of the author order, agree to the submission for publication consideration, and have read and approved the final text. All authors are willing to be held accountable for the work.
Conflict of Interest: All relevant information pertaining to this submission, including conflicts of interest, has been disclosed in the Comments to Editor (or Cover Letter) and relevant statements and declarations within your paper.
References: All relevant references pertaining to your work have been included in the reference list.
Permissions: Necessary permissions have been obtained for any items included in your paper, such as figures or tables, which originate from other sources.

Additionally, during the submission process, you will also have the opportunity to suggest potential reviewers and to name any reviewers that should be avoided. For further details on the submission process or if you have any questions, please contact us at Laura.Lenz@InterPore.Org.

Comments for the Editor / Cover Letter

Submission Process: During the submission process, you can include a cover letter with your manuscript files or complete the “Comments for the Editor” section available during the first step of the submission process.

Comments for the Editor or Cover Letter: In this letter or section, please address the following:

Conflicts of Interest:
- Disclosure: Mention any actual or perceived conflicts of interest that the authors may have, including conflicts concerning potential reviewers. If there are no conflicts of interest, explicitly state this.
- Uncertainty: If you are uncertain whether a conflict of interest exists, seek advice from the Editor-in-Chief.
- Further Information: For guidance on what constitutes a conflict of interest, refer to the ICMJE Guidelines.
Review Process Preference: Indicate your preferred review process from the following options:
- Double Anonymized: The identities of both the reviewers and the authors are kept confidential.
- Single Anonymized: The identities of the authors are known, but the identities of the reviewers are not.
- Open: The identities of both the authors and reviewers are known.
Creative Commons License:
- cOAlition S Funded Research: If your article results from cOAlition S funded research or the funder requires publication under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), please specify this in your cover letter.
- Default License: Unless otherwise specified, all articles will be published under the Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
Preprint Information:
- If your article has been deposited on a preprint server or institutional website, state this and provide a link to the preprint article.
Additional Information:
- Relevant Details: Include any other information you believe is pertinent for the Editorial Office and Editors to be aware of.
- Artificial Intelligence: If artificial intelligence technologies were used in the preparation of your paper or at any stage during the research process, please mention this in your cover letter.

For further assistance or if you have any questions regarding the submission process, please contact us at Laura.Lenz@InterPore.org.

Preparing Your Manuscript for Double Anonymized Peer Review

If you prefer a double anonymized peer review process, please adhere to the following guidelines to ensure the identities of all authors are concealed:

Manuscript Preparation:
- Conceal Author Identity: Ensure that no names, affiliations, or identifying information are included anywhere in the manuscript or supplementary materials. Use the term “BLINDED” in all caps in place of author names and affiliations.
- Neutral Terminology: When referring to your own previous work, use neutral terms (e.g., "the previous study" rather than "our previous study") to avoid revealing author identities.
Cover Letter:
- Include Author Information: The cover letter should include the Acknowledgements, Author Contributions, Conflicts of Interest, and all Author Names and Institutions.
- Conflicts of Interest: Disclose any actual or perceived conflicts of interest, including any conflicts regarding potential reviewers.
Metadata:
- Remove Author Information: Ensure that any author information is removed from the metadata of the files to be submitted. This can typically be done by going to Properties under the File menu in word processors and PDF readers.
- Track Changes: For revised manuscripts, activate the "Track Changes" setting if available to show revisions without revealing author identities.
Submission Files:
- Anonymize Files: Ensure all submitted files, including the main manuscript and supplementary materials, are anonymized according to the above guidelines.

File Type & Formatting and Style Considerations

For the peer review process, please submit a single pdf document. Should your paper be accepted, the original files will need to be sent to the Editorial Office at Laura.Lenz@InterPore.org. The following file types are accepted: OpenOffice, Microsoft Word, LaTeX, or RTF document file format.

Document Submission:

Primary Document: When possible, please upload a single PDF document that includes the title page, main text, figures, tables, diagrams, legends, footnotes, and references.
Supplementary Information: Upload any supplementary information as 1 or more separate PDF documents.
Figures, Tables, Charts: If a figure, chart, or table is too large to be viewed properly when placed within the text, submit it as a separate file.
Original Files: Save all original files, as they will be required for the publication stage should your paper be accepted.

Formatting Guidelines:

Page Numbering: All pages should be consecutively numbered.
Line Numbering: All lines should be consecutively numbered.
Text Formatting: Text should be 1.5 or double-spaced and use an easy-to-read 12-point font.
Placement of Illustrations: Illustrations, figures, and tables should be placed within the text at the appropriate locations.
Language: Use American English spelling, grammar, and style.
Definitions and Jargon: Define technical terms, abbreviations, and symbols upon first use; avoid jargon.
Units: Use standard SI units and leave a space between the quantity and the unit.
Mathematical Symbols: Leave a space on each side of mathematical symbols.

By adhering to these guidelines, you will help facilitate a smooth review and publication process. For any questions or additional assistance, please contact the Managing Editor at [journal’s contact email].

Policy Regarding the Sharing of Data, Code & Protocols

To enhance the transparency and reproducibility of research published in the InterPore Journal, we encourage all authors to make their data, code, and related protocols available to the public at the time of publication. This practice supports the integrity of scientific research and facilitates the verification and further development of findings by other researchers.

For more information on this policy, please see here.

Submission and Review Process:

Disclosure: During the submission process, authors should disclose any data, code, and protocols related to their work to the Editors. This material must be made available upon request during the review process.
Availability: Authors are encouraged to deposit their data, code, and protocols in publicly accessible repositories and include links to these resources in their manuscript. If data or code cannot be made publicly available, authors should provide a detailed explanation for this limitation.
Further Information: For more details on our policy regarding the sharing of data, code, and protocols, please refer to this page on our website.

By adhering to this policy, authors contribute to the broader scientific community’s ability to validate, replicate, and build upon their research. For any questions or additional guidance on this policy, please contact us at Laura.Lenz@InterPore.org.

Policy regarding the use of AI Technologies

If authors use AI tools in the preparation of their manuscripts, they must ensure that any substantive use of these tools meets high standards of reliability and replicability. This is crucial for maintaining the integrity and credibility of the research. Therefore, when utilizing AI for substantive tasks, authors should provide detailed documentation of the AI tools used, including their versions, settings, and the specific applications. The use of AI can range from non-substantive to substantive contributions. Non-substantive use includes tasks such as spelling and grammar correction, as well as refining the text’s formulation and formatting. Substantive use, on the other hand, involves more complex tasks like data analysis.

If artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, including large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT or other AI tools, have been utilized in the preparation of your manuscript or at any stage during the research process, it is necessary to provide detailed information about their use in the “Materials and Methods” section. This should include:

Description of AI Technologies: Clearly specify which AI technologies or tools were employed.
Purpose and Application: Describe how the AI technologies were applied in your research. This could include their role in data analysis, text generation, experimental design, or any other relevant aspect of the research process.
Transparency in Contribution: Provide a detailed account of how the AI technologies contributed to the research outcomes.
Methodological Details: Include information on the specific algorithms, models, or software versions used, and any key settings or parameters if applicable.

Examples of AI technologies or tools include^[2]:

Natural language processing tools such as Chatbots (ChatGPT, Claude) and Text analysis tools (e.g. Grammarly, Paperbot, Quilbot)
Machine learning frameworks such as TensorFlow or PyTorch
Data analysis tools such as DataRobot or Tableau
Computer vision tools such as OpenCV
Speech recognition tools such as Google Speech-to-Text
Robotic process automation tools such as Elasticsearch
Predictive analytics tools such as IBM SPSS
Recommendation engines such as Netflix’s recommendation algorithm
AI in business applications such as Marketo, Alteryx, IBM Watson for Health

It is also the duty of the authors to thoroughly check all items for correctness for which an AI tool was used. If an AI technology was used during the proofreading or revising stage to improve the language, the original version should also be saved in case this is requested by the Editors for review. The authors are also responsible for ensuring that when uploading any data or text to an AI tool, that all items relating to copyright, privacy and confidentiality have been considered. It is the authors’ responsibility to ensure that all necessary rights to material used have been obtained in advance, and that the work of others has been properly cited in the text and in the references.

Please note that large Language Models (e.g., ChatGPT) or other artificial intelligence tools cannot be listed as authors as “they cannot be responsible for the accuracy, integrity, and originality of the work^[3]”, all of which are required to be considered according to the guidelines set by ICMJE.

This approach ensures that AI-enhanced research adheres to rigorous standards, enhancing trust and transparency in published works.

Article Components

Here is a detailed description of the standard components that should be included in all articles submitted to the InterPore Journal, unless otherwise specified in the article type overview:

Title page

Title: A clear and concise title that accurately represents the content of the paper.
Author Information: Full names and ORCID IDs of all authors should be included. The corresponding author should be indicated with contact information that is unlikely to change soon (email address at minimum).*
Collaboration groups can be listed as an author by providing the group name. Individual members of the collaboration group should be acknowledged in the “Acknowledgements” section.
Affiliations: List the institutional addresses where the work was performed. If an author has moved to a new institution since the work was conducted, include the current institutional address as well.
Keywords: At least three and ideally no more than five keywords or phrases relevant to the article.

*Authorship Criteria:

Substantial Contributions: Ensure that all listed authors have made substantial contributions to the work and have agreed to be held accountable for the work and its published form.
Authorship Guidelines: Adhere to the guidelines on Authorship from the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), which apply to all fields. You can find more information on authorship guidelines here.

*Special Considerations:

Shared First Authorship: If the first authorship is shared between two or more authors, please specify this on the Title Page.
Artificial Intelligence Tools: Large Language Models (e.g., ChatGPT) or other artificial intelligence tools cannot be listed as authors. If such tools were used in the research, their use should be documented in the Methods section of the manuscript.

Abstract

The abstract should provide a succinct and informative summary of your manuscript. It should include the following key components:

Purpose: Clearly state the main objective or research question of the study. What was the primary aim of your work?
Methods: Briefly describe the methodology used to achieve the research objectives. This includes any experimental techniques, theoretical approaches, or data analysis methods employed.
Results: Summarize the main findings or results of the study. Highlight the most significant outcomes and how they address the research question.
Conclusions: Explain the implications of your findings. How do they contribute to the field of porous media? What are the broader impacts or applications?
Significance: State what the study adds to the existing body of knowledge. Why is this work important, and what does it offer that is novel or valuable?
Graphical Abstract: While not mandatory, you are encouraged to submit a graphical abstract if it enhances the understanding of your work. A graphical abstract is a visual summary of the key points of your research, which can help in quickly conveying the core message of your study.

Additional Notes:

Abstract Length: The abstract should be concise and limited to a single page of text.
Types of Articles: Abstracts are required for all article types except for Commentaries on Previously Published Articles, Letters to the Editor, and Opinion Pieces.

Keywords

Please provide at least three and up to five keywords or keyword phrases that best represent the main content and focus of your article. Keywords should be specific to your research topic and facilitate the discoverability of your paper by readers and researchers interested in similar topics.

Main Text

The main text of your manuscript should encompass the core content of your article and can be organized into clear, structured sections with concise and descriptive headings. Proper organization ensures clarity and improves the readability of your manuscript.

Structure and Sections:

Introduction: Provide a brief background to the research topic, outlining the problem or question being addressed, and state the objectives or hypotheses of your study.
Materials and Methods: Detail the methodologies, experimental procedures, and techniques used in your research. Include specific information on materials, equipment, and any software or algorithms employed. This section should be thorough enough to allow for replication of your study.
Results: Present the main findings of your research. Use tables, figures, and text to clearly and logically convey the data. Avoid interpreting or discussing the implications of the results in this section.
Discussion: Interpret and analyze the results in the context of the research question or hypothesis. Discuss how your findings contribute to the field, compare with previous work, and highlight the significance of your study.
Summary & Conclusions: Summarize the key findings and their implications. Include any conclusions drawn from the study and suggest possible directions for future research.

Additional Guidance:

Subsections: Feel free to use subsections within these main headings to further organize complex information or distinct parts of your study.
Future Research: When relevant, address potential questions or areas for further investigation in the final section to provide a comprehensive view of the study’s impact and future directions.

By following these guidelines, your manuscript will be well-structured, making it easier for reviewers and readers to understand and evaluate your research.

Further Information Regarding the “Materials and Methods” Section

In the Materials and Methods section, it is essential to provide comprehensive and precise details to enable readers to replicate or extend your research.

Key Components to Include:

Procedural Details: Offer a clear and detailed description of the experimental procedures. Ensure that all steps are outlined systematically to facilitate replication. It is acceptable here to reuse the exact text from the Materials and Methods section of previous work as long as it is properly attributed.
Protocols: Include step-by-step protocols that encompass every aspect needed to reproduce the methodology. These protocols should be sufficiently detailed to allow others to follow them accurately. Authors are also encouraged to deposit their protocols in public repositories (e.g. https://www.protocols.io/)
Materials and Equipment: Provide a thorough list of all materials and equipment utilized, such as microscopes, objective lenses, cameras, detectors, and filter models. Specify the make and model where applicable.
Software Packages: List all software packages employed in your research, including image acquisition and processing tools. Detail key settings, configurations, and any processing manipulations that were applied.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technologies: If AI-assisted technologies were used, describe their role and how they were integrated into the research. Include specifics on algorithms, models, and any relevant parameters.

Formatting Recommendations:

Short vs. Detailed Versions: Consider including a concise version of the Materials and Methods in the main text, with a more extensive description available in the Supplementary Materials. This approach allows for clarity while providing in-depth information for those interested.
Shortcut citations: When using shortcut citations for your Methods, i.e. citing a previous work that describes the Methods used, make sure that this work is accessible (and not stuck behind a paywall) and contain a detailed description that accurately represents the steps that you yourself used. If any modifications have been made to the methods that are being cited, these modifications should be fully described.

Legends

Each Figure, Table, and Diagram should be accompanied by a concise yet descriptive Legend, which must be numbered sequentially (e.g., Figure 1, Figure 2, Table 1, Table 2). Ensure that the Legend clearly explains the content and context of the visual elements, providing enough detail for readers to understand the information presented without referring back to the main text.

Legends should not be embedded within the main text. Instead, they should be placed either directly next to or immediately following the respective Figure, Table, or Diagram. Alternatively, if preferred, all Legends can be compiled in a single section at the end of the manuscript.

Legends that refer to Figures, Tables, Charts, and Diagrams which report data should also refer to the relevant methods used.

Figures, Tables, Diagrams, Charts

Color Use and Accessibility: When using color in Figures, Tables, Diagrams, and Charts, please ensure that your visuals remain accessible to all readers, including those who are colorblind or visually impaired. For guidance on effective color use, refer to these resources:

File Formats and Resolution: It is only necessary to provide the original files for these upon acceptance. For the original submission and review process, these can be embedded in the main text.

File Types: Upon acceptance, figures should be provided in their original file formats (e.g., jpg, tiff, gif, png, svg, or eps). Please do not send a pdf file.
Resolution: Ensure all images have a minimum resolution of 150 DPI to maintain clarity.

Image Processing and Accuracy:

Processing: While some image processing is acceptable, it should be kept to a minimum. Final images must accurately represent the original data.
Unprocessed Data: Save all unprocessed data files in case they are needed for the review process or after publication.

Materials and Methods Section:

Tools and Software: Include detailed information in the Materials and Methods section about all image acquisition tools (e.g., microscopes, cameras) and image processing software (including version numbers) used.
Settings and Manipulations: Provide information on key settings and any processing manipulations. Indicate the type of equipment and software used, and specify any image manipulations in the figure legend.
Resolution: Report the measured resolutions of images where applicable.

Permission and Attribution:

Borrowed Content: If Figures, Tables, Diagrams, or Charts have been borrowed or adapted from another publication, obtain permission from the original copyright holder(s) for online re-use. Include a copy of this permission with your submission.
Credit Line: Provide a credit line as specified by the copyright holder. For example: (Reprinted with permission from Lunstrum, A., Van Den Berghe, M., Bian, X., John, S., Nealson, K., West, A.J. (2023) Bacterial use of siderophores increases olivine dissolution rates by nearly an order of magnitude. Persp. Let. 25, 51–55.)
Open Access: If the borrowed work is from an Open Access article, you must still cite the original work properly.

Abbreviations and symbols

If your paper uses a significant number of abbreviations or symbols, please include a comprehensive list at the end of your manuscript for easy reference. This list should define each abbreviation and symbol used in the text, ensuring clarity and consistency for readers.

Equations

All equations must be numbered consecutively and referenced in the text as Eq. 1, 2, 3, etc.

Formatting Guidelines:

Numbering: Place equation numbers in parentheses and align them to the right of the page.
Letters: Ensure that capital and lowercase letters in equations are clearly distinguishable to avoid confusion.
Equation Editor: Use an equation editor to produce high-quality equations directly in the text.
Variable Definitions: Define all variables used in the equations either immediately before or after their appearance in the text. Definitions should be clear to maintain the understanding and flow of the text.
Font: Please use the font “Cambria Math” when possible.

Footnotes

If your paper includes footnotes, please use raised lowercase letters (e.g., a, b, c) for labeling them. Ensure that footnotes are placed at the bottom of the page where they are referenced in the text. *Do not use footnotes to cite references. References should be cited within the main text and included in the reference list.

Statements and Declarations

At the end of your paper, please include the following sections:

Author Contributions: Provide a detailed account of each author’s contributions to the research and writing of the paper, following the CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) format.
Ethics Approval and Consent to Participate: If applicable, state whether the research was approved by an ethics committee or review board. Include the name of the approving ethics committee, and whether informed consent was obtained from all participants involved in the study.
Conflicts of Interest: Disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest that could influence the research. If there are no conflicts, state this explicitly. For more information on conflicts of interest, please refer to the COPE guidelines and flowcharts: https://publicationethics.org/resources/discussion-documents/handling-competing-interests-january-2016-0
Availability of Data, Code & Protocols: Provide information on the availability of data, code, and protocols. Specify where these materials can be accessed, such as public repositories or upon request. Assigned DOI or other identification numbers, links and any conditions that may be present in order to obtain access should be included. This information should also be included in the references and cited in the text.
Funding Received: List all sources of funding or financial support received for the research. Include grant numbers and the names of funding organizations.
Acknowledgements: Acknowledge any individuals or organizations that contributed to the research but do not qualify as authors. Include funding sources if not already mentioned.

References

InterPore Journal follows the APA reference style. For detailed guidance on APA formatting, including examples, please refer to the following resources:

A list of all references used should be included at the end of your paper in alphabetical order. Include all datasets used in the research, along with their DOI’s if present, in the reference list. Refer to references in the text by their number. For papers with 6 authors or less, please list all authors, otherwise list only the first 5 authors followed by et al. Include the DOI for each reference, if available. For online sources, also provide the URL and the date accessed.

The references should also include any research datasets, software and tests which were used. For more information, visit:

https://libraryguides.vu.edu.au/apa-referencing/7DatasetsSoftwareTests

Exclusions: The following items should not be included in the reference list. Instead, refer to them within the paper or its footnotes: Personal communications, General mentions of entire websites, and the source of an epigraph or quotations from others

Supplementary / Supporting Information

All supplementary or supporting information provided by the authors will be published online alongside the main article. This material will not be edited or composed prior to publication. Please adhere to the following guidelines for supplementary material:

Standalone Main Text: Ensure that the main text of the paper is comprehensive and can stand alone without reliance on supplementary material. The main text cannot be altered following acceptance of the paper.
Referencing Supplementary Material: When referring to supplementary material in the main text, use the term “Supplementary” on the first mention. For subsequent references, use the abbreviation “S” followed by the figure, table, chart, diagram, or equation number (e.g., Supplementary Figure S1 or S1).
Materials and Methods: If portions of your Materials and Methods are included in the supplementary material, make sure the main text includes sufficient information for readers to understand the procedures and results. The supplementary material should not be used to fill gaps in the main text.
Content Quality: Although supplementary material is not edited before publication, it should be prepared with care. Ensure clarity and accuracy in all supplementary content, as it will be accessible to readers alongside the main article.

Should any issues or questions arise during the submission process, please contact the Managing Editor at Laura.Lenz@InterPore.Org.

^[1]This table has been taken from the following source: Ufnalska S, Terry A (2020) Proposed universal framework for more user-friendly author instructions. European Science Editing 46: e53477. https://doi.org/10.3897/ese.2020.e53477

^[2]Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-artificial-intelligence-ai-tools-jatin-uaqkf/

^[3]Source: https://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/roles-and-responsibilities/defining-the-role-of-authors-and-contributors.html