Author Guidelines

Submission
All online submissions should be made via the “Make a Submission” button on the Journal of Architecture and Theory website. New users will need to create an account. After logging in, authors can submit their work or track the progress of their manuscript.

Peer-review and decisions
To avoid bias, the journal uses double-blind peer review, which means neither the authors nor the reviewers are aware of each other’s identities. See the journal’s peer-review policy.

It is urged that manuscripts be submitted in two separate Word files (per the submission template). After submission, all papers are reviewed by the editorial office, and if they are found to be outside the scope of the journal or otherwise unsuitable for acceptance, they may be rejected immediately. Articles that pass the preliminary review will be forwarded to an external reviewer. Please be patient, as reviews can take up to 60 days. The authors will receive their reviewer reports and editor’s decisions as soon as possible. Following review, the editor will determine whether to approve, reject, or revise. Both minor and major revisions are possible. If the decision is made to revise an article, authors are encouraged to do so as soon as possible; if they wait too long, the article may be considered a new submission. Depending on the level of editing required, revised articles can be sent out for further review.

Publication charges
The journal, owned by the Basanta Misra Education and Welfare Trust (BMEW Trust), is open access and peer-reviewed. See the journal’s Fees and Charges policy.  ‎

Copyright and publication
During the submission process, you will be asked to sign various warranties about the article (see Journal policies). One of these is stating that it is original and does not infringe on any legal or private rights (such as copyright, libel, or privacy). While granting the BMEW Trust the right of first publication, authors retain copyright to their works.

All papers will be published as open access under the Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 license. Because there are no barriers to entry, they will receive the maximum amount of exposure. Although readers may distribute and reuse the material under this license, they must always give full credit to the authors and the original publication. View the journal’s policies open access.

Article types
All original contributions of articles and reviews that are applicable to the journal’s goals and scope are encouraged. Each contribution must be original and have not previously been accepted by another journal. Any previously published material (such as figures) must be disclosed in the work, and authors are responsible for obtaining all necessary permissions before republishing. If asked for, proof of authorization must be provided; see Reproduction of Copyright Material.

Template of a manuscript
The paper should be submitted as two separate word documents. Please use the linked <Word template for Title Page> and <Word template for Anonymized Document>  to prepare your manuscript for this journal. The title page should include the paper’s title, authors’ names, institutional affiliations, addresses, email addresses, ORCID, corresponding author identification, abstract, and keywords. To maintain author anonymity, acknowledgements, funding, disclosures, and contributions should only appear on the title page (not in the anonymized document file).

To ensure author anonymity, an anonymous document should include a title, abstract, key words, the main body of the text (with personal information included in the Title Page file), and references. Following the peer-review process, the accepted manuscript will include personal information.

General guidelines
The articles must be written in English. Since authors are responsible for the language used in their articles, it is strongly advised that you have a native speaker or English language expert review your work before submitting it to ensure that the language is appropriate. All manuscripts must be written in non-discriminatory language. Terms that are racist or sexist should be avoided.

Authors should provide the following information:

• Full name
• Affiliation (where the author was positioned when the research was undertaken – if authors change affiliation before publishing this should be given as a footnote)
•  Address
•  Email address
•  ORCiD, this is not mandatory, but highly recommended for the benefit of authors: unique author identifier that ensures that all your works are correctly attributed to you – see https://orcid.org
•  The corresponding author should be clearly identified as the person who will be in charge of making sure the right version is submitted, that all authors consent to publication, and that any revisions are approved both during peer review and after acceptance.

Each article must comprise:

•  An informative title: ensure that it clearly explains what the article is about (not exceed 20 words)
•  An abstract of approximately 250 words: this should summarize the article, not simply introduce the topic
•  Between 3 – 7 key words
•  The main body of text should not exceed 4 000 to 5 000 words and should comprise:
  • An introduction to the topic, describing the research question being addressed
  • Methodology and/or theoretical framework
  • Results of the research
  • Discussion and interpretation of results obtained
  • Conclusions
  • Acknowledgements, funding, declarations of conflict of interest, authors’ contribution, etc.
  • References

For clarity, text sections can be sequentially numbered. There are no numbers in the introduction, conclusions, or references. SI units must be followed by authors. Italics are not used for units. Authors must use the symbol ® or TM when using a word that is or is claimed to be a proprietary term or trade mark.

Equations
The Equation Editor must be used to create formulas, equations, and their constituent parts, as shown in the text. Basic equation symbols should be 10 points in size, the same as the main text’s letter size; indexes and sub-indexes should be 7 and 6 points, respectively. See the Manuscript Template for more information.

Tables
Tables should be created in Word or Excel and designed to fit easily onto a standard journal page. Each table should be numbered sequentially throughout the article and referenced in the main text. Each table requires an informative caption to describe it. They may include footnotes if explanations of abbreviations, etc., are required.

Figures
Figures can be included in the text file before submission, but must be submitted separately after acceptance. Every figure in the article should be assigned a sequential number and cited within the text. Every figure must be described in an instructional caption. Please ensure that all figures have the necessary resolution: 1100 dpi for line art, 500 dpi for grayscale, and 250 dpi for color. Diagrams, charts, and schematics: Font: Times New Roman from 5 to 8 points, line thickness: 0.3 to 2 points, file formats: *.pdf, *.eps, *.cdr, *.xls, *.xlsx, *.dwg.

Author Contributions and Acknowledgments
Each person who made an intellectual contribution to the research, evaluation/analysis, or writing of the paper (as defined by the ICMJE) should be identified as an author. People who contributed to the work but did not meet the authorship standards should be mentioned in the Acknowledgments, along with their contributions. You must guarantee that anyone identified in the acknowledgments consents to being named.

Refer to the journal’s policies on authorship.

Conflict of Interest
Authors must also include a statement of disclosure in the publication that recognizes any financial, professional, or personal interest or advantage they receive from the direct uses of their study.

Funding

• Please provide any details necessary by any financing and grant-awarding authorities in a separate paragraph, as follows:
• This work was supported by  <Funding Agency> under Grant [number xxxx].
• This work received funding from under Grant [number xxxx], under Grant [number xxxx], and under Grant [number xxxx]. 

References
The Journal uses the APA Style (author–date method) short reference system for citations in the text with an alphabetical list at the end of the paper. Please ensure that every reference cited in the text is also present in the reference list and vice versa. Please check if all names and surnames of the authors, also the details (title, year, volume, pages, etc.) in the list of references are correct.

In the text use the following style examples:

• This was discussed by Smart (2016)…” – single author item
• This was discussed in full (Smart, 2016)” – single author item
• This was discussed in full (Smart & Burkart, 2016) – two authors
• This was discussed in full (Smart et al., 2016)…” – 3 or more authors
• This was discussed in full (P. Smart, 2016; S. Smart, 2017)…” where items have similar author names
• This was discussed in full (Smart, 2016a, 2016b)…” where two or more items are published in the same year

Reference examples:

Book

• Montgomery, D. C. (2012). Introduction to statistical quality control (7th ed.). Wiley.

Book chapter

• Slack, B. (2007). The terminalisation of seaports. In J. Wang, D. Olivier, T. Notteboom, & B. Slack (Eds.), Ports, cities, and global supply chains (pp. 41–50). Ashgate.

Journal article

• Badami, M. G., & Haider, M. (2007). An analysis of public bus transit performance in Indian cities. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 41(10), 961–981. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2007.06.002

Conference proceedings

• Saraiji, R., Harb, A., & Hamdan, M. O. (2011). Performance of LED street lights in hot environments. In K. Domke & C. A. Brebbia (Eds.), Light in engineering, architecture and environment (pp. 147–158). WIT Press. https://doi.org/10.2495/LIGHT110131
• Brown, S., & Caste, V. (2004, May). Integrated obstacle detection framework. Paper presented at the IEEE Intelligent Vehicles Symposium, Detroit, MI.

Thesis or dissertation

• Suwetwattanakul, C. (2010). Developing a knowledge sharing model for the implementation of the learning organization in Thailand (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia.

Internet documents

• Bown, J. (2019, December 17). How charity apps may be making us more generous. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-50572939

Non-book and other formats

• Sidra Intersections. (2008). User guide-introduction. Akcelik & Associates Pty Ltd.

Standards

• European Committee for Standardization. (2005). Eurocode 3: Design of steel structures – Part 1-9: Fatigue (EN 1993-1-9). https://www.phd.eng.br/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/en.1993.1.9.2005-1.pdf
• International Organization for Standardization. (1998). Ergonomics of the thermal environment – Instruments for measuring physical quantities (ISO 7726:1998). Geneva, Switzerland.

Directives

• European Parliament, & Council of the European Union. (2009). Directive 2009/28/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources and amending and subsequently repealing directives 2001/77/EC and 2003/30/EC. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX:32009L0028

Please use the transliterated (not translated) version of the names and sources in non-Romanian alphabet. We encourage to follow the rules for Romanization recommended by The Library of Congress https://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/roman.html

For citing papers published in the journals available in two or more languages, please give the English citation first, followed by the original language citation.

Additional online materials
The journal accepts supplemental files that support the submitted article (e.g., audio, video, or text files, such as a survey questionnaire stated in the paper). Supplemental information should be included with the application. It will not be formally evaluated, but it will be considered to see if it is necessary for the article. Please keep in mind that authors are solely responsible for the content of any extra information, and a disclaimer must explicitly specify that it has not been properly evaluated.

Data
We encourage every researcher to archive and disseminate their findings. Several grant funders now require this, and we feel it improves research by allowing other researchers to reuse and reinterpret data for the benefit of everybody. We encourage all authors to make their data available in appropriate repositories (for example, FigShare or another similar repository), where the item will be carefully kept and assigned a unique reference number (DOI or similar), allowing it to be mentioned in the authors’ publications. They should therefore be cited in the text (for example, ‘Data sets in repositories’ under References).

Use of Copyright Material
If you want to incorporate any content in your manuscript for which you do not own the copyright, you must seek formal permission from the copyright owner prior to submission. Such material can take the shape of text, data, a table, an illustration, an image, a line drawing, an audio clip, a video clip, a film still, a screenshot, and any additional information you choose to incorporate. This applies to both direct (verbatim or facsimile) and “derivative reproduction” (creating a new figure or table that is significantly based on a copyrighted source).

Publication ethical standards
The journals published by the BMEW Trust all follow the Committee on Publication Ethics’ (COPE) Core Practices principles for publication ethics and problem management.

All authors are expected to follow good practice when conducting and reporting on their research. See further in the Journal’s policies.

The author’s obligations include the following issues:
Plagiarism. Unauthorized copying of another published or unpublished work, as well as theft of another researcher’s ideas, is regarded as a serious offense. If suspected, the authors will be informed, and if the article is under review, it will be held until the issue is rectified. It is important to note that all submitted articles are scrutinized for plagiarism.

Authorship: Everyone who meets the criterion of an author (above) should be named as an author on the article, and no one who does not should be included. Authors may not be added or deleted after submission without a thorough explanation and signed approval from all authors. 

Potential Conflicts of Interest: All authors have to reveal any conflicts of interest that may have affected their study or the article submitted.

Misleading or misreporting of findings: authors must ensure that they do not select or inaccurately report their findings, or use language to mislead readers.

In all situations, the publisher reserves the right to contact the authors’ universities and retract any papers where substantial misbehavior has been detected.

Modifications after publishing
If any mistakes are identified after publication, the journal editors will work with the BMEW Trust and the authors to establish the best means of correction. See the Journal’s policies. 

Copyright Notice

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms

• Authors confirm that their submitted work does not infringe any existing copyright or third-party rights and does not contain defamatory, confidential, or otherwise unlawful material. Authors agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Editor and the Publisher against any claims or expenses, including legal costs, arising from a breach of this assurance.
• Authors affirm that permission has been obtained for all illustrations, diagrams, or other third-party material included in the article and that all such sources are properly acknowledged.
• On behalf of all co-authors, authors agree to the publication of the work in the Journal of Architecture and Theory as Open Access under the Creative Commons Attribution Licence (CC BY 4.0).

Authors who are not copyright holders (e.g., government employees) are requested to contact Basanta Misra Educational Fund Trust (BMEW Trust) to arrange alternative agreements.

Privacy Statement

Thank you for visiting the Journal of Architecture and Theory website or registering a user account on the Journal of Architecture and Theory website. The Journal Editorial Office respects your privacy and makes every reasonable effort to protect your personal data. This Privacy Statement explains what personal data we collect, why it is collected, and how it is used.

Contact
The Journal of Architecture and Theory website is owned and managed by Basanta Misra Educational Fund Trust (BMEW Trust).

If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions regarding this Privacy Statement, please contact us by email at [privacy@joaat.org].

Use of Cookies

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Cookies may be used to remember personal settings selected on the website. Cookies are not used to collect personally identifiable information. Most cookies are automatically deleted when you leave the website or shortly thereafter. Anonymous session cookies (short-term cookies that expire when the browser is closed) are used to enable website navigation and functionality. If you log in as a registered user, a session cookie may include your user ID to control access permissions. Any personal data collected is limited to what is strictly necessary for the stated purpose.

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Personal Information
When using this website, users may be asked to provide personal information (such as name, affiliation, and email address). This information is used solely for administering the journal’s editorial, peer-review, and publication systems. All personal data is stored securely and processed in accordance with applicable data protection regulations, including [relevant national and international data protection laws].

Users may request access to, correction of, or deletion of their personal data at any time by contacting [privacy@joaat.org].

What Data Do We Collect?
When registering on the Journal of Architecture and Theory website, we may collect the following information:

• Name and surname
• Email address
• Institutional affiliation
• Country
• User account details (username)
• ORCID iD (linked to the researcher’s public ORCID profile)

Why Is This Data Collected?
This data enables individuals to register as authors, reviewers, or editors, access the journal system, and participate in submission, peer-review, and editorial processes where applicable.

Information Collection and Use

How do we collect information?
The Journal of Architecture and Theory collects personal data in the following ways:

1. Online forms
   Information submitted through registration forms or text fields on the website, provided directly by the user.
2. With user permission
   Information provided with written (e.g., email) or oral consent (e.g., telephone or in-person) to create a user account on the individual’s behalf.

Note: Personal data may also be transferred from archival issues published under previous publishing platforms of the Journal of Architecture and Theory.

How Will the Data Be Stored?
Personal data is stored securely in databases managed by Basanta Misra Educational Fund Trust (BMEW Trust). Editors of the Journal of Architecture and Theory may access limited personal data (name, email address, user ID) strictly for editorial and publication purposes, including reviewer selection, author communication, and account management. Third-party access to data is permitted only when necessary for technical maintenance or development and only for the duration required. Appropriate security measures are always applied.

How Will the Data Be Used?
Names and email addresses collected by the journal are used exclusively for editorial and publication purposes related to this open-access journal and are not shared with third parties or used for unrelated purposes.

Email Notifications
Registered users receive automated emails related to submissions, reviews, and editorial decisions. Users who opt in as reviewers may receive review invitations related to their areas of expertise. Published articles include a correspondence email address for the corresponding author.

Direct Emails
Editors or journal staff may contact registered users when necessary to manage accounts, resolve technical issues, invite reviewers, or complete the publication process. Registered users may also be contacted for service improvement purposes (e.g., feedback surveys) or reviewer recognition, based on the legitimate interests of BMEW Trust.

Corresponding Author Details
Published articles include a correspondence email address for the corresponding author.

Consent Renewal
Basanta Misra Educational Fund Trust (BMEW Trust) may contact registered users prior to data deletion to offer the opportunity to renew consent and remain registered.

Data Retention
Personal data is retained only for as long as necessary to fulfil editorial, legal, and operational requirements. Once no longer required, data is securely deleted or anonymized.

Registration Forms
The Journal Editorial Office does not sell or rent personal information collected through registration forms.

Choosing How We Use Your Data
Users may:

• Verify, update, correct, or delete their personal information
• Request a copy of stored personal data
• Deactivate their account via account settings
• Contact the support team at [privacy@joaat.org] at any time

Archived data may be retained where required by law or for legitimate operational purposes.

This Privacy Statement may be updated periodically. Any changes will be published on the journal website.