For authors | STEMS by stemm research

stems

Information for authors

Stems is a peer-reviewed journal that publishes original research, reviews, and thought-provoking pieces on current research, policy, and topics that resonate with the community. We aim to feature papers that exert significant influence within their respective fields or across disciplines. Selected articles should introduce novel and widely impactful data, syntheses, or concepts. The rapid release of preprints expedites timely knowledge dissemination, while our rigorous peer-review process safeguards against potential manuscript shortcomings, as does post-publication review.

Publication process

Publication process

01.

Manuscript is submitted as one .docx file

02.

Manuscript undergoes a quality check and posted online as preprint

03.

Manuscript is peer-reviewed and comments returned to authors

04.

Authors address all criticisms and the article enters production

05.

Final peer-reviewed article and marked-up preprint are published

Our free-format submission streamlines the submission process for corresponding authors. Simply embed your manuscript, figures, and tables into a single editable document, upload the file, and submit with a single click. We have designed this process to be user-friendly: no need for tedious submission procedures such as filling in names, emails, and affiliations.

Upon submission, your manuscript undergoes an initial quality check by STEMS editorial staff, is formatted for consistency, and is immediately published online as a preprint, free of charge. At this stage, the preprint will not yet have a DOI but will be indexed in preprint databases.

The manuscript is subjected to peer review by three to five experts chosen by the section editor. STEMS leverage Google Workspace for peer review, fostering comprehensive security while enabling seamless collaboration. This allows us to streamline the peer review process while upholding utmost data integrity. At the end of the peer-review cycle, manuscripts with track changes and comments are returned to authors for revision.

Authors address the criticisms raised by the referees, carefully revise their manuscript, and submit a clean, final copy. Upon approval, the manuscript enters the production phase. At this stage, an Article Processing Charge (APC) is payable.

The revised manuscript undergoes typesetting and is published alongside a version that incorporates referees' "in text" comments. This allows readers to gain a deeper understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the research findings. A DOI is assigned to the final version of the article. "Update" articles can be published over time to provide further insights and data.

Article types

Research, Reviews, and Updates are considered full-length publications that delve into original research findings, comprehensive summaries of scientific fields, and advancements within previously published articles. Research Letters and News and Views are considered concise publications that provide brief overviews of new findings and insightful commentary on scientific developments.

Research article

Research articles in STEMS describe the results of original research of exceptional importance. STEMS prioritises publishing original research that significantly contributes to the understanding of important problems and has immediate, far-reaching implications.

Review

A Review in STEMS should be a groundbreaking, insightful, and authoritative overview of a rapidly advancing field that has witnessed significant advancements within the last three to five years. Reviews should not include analyses of unpublished data. Systematic reviews (including scoping reviews, mapping reviews etc.) and mixed-methods reviews fall within this category, however formal meta-analyses are classified as original research papers. Proposals may be submitted to the Editor in Chief for approval.

News and views

These opinion pieces are succinct essays that may address virtually any important topic in science, technology, environment, medicine, and society, and generally are not linked to a specific article. They should have a novel and clear point to make, with the aim of provoking transformational thinking at a high level. Proposals may be submitted to the Editor in Chief for approval.

Research Letter

This is a type of brief report that provides concise and impactful accounts of original research findings that have the potential to open new avenues of exploration, offer compelling data that addresses long-standing controversies or broad-reaching questions, or introduce concise conceptual advances that significantly shape our understanding of the field. Research letters can include any of the study types of original articles.

Update

Updates are published when new data emerge that necessitate revising or expanding upon a previously published article. With the consent of the original copyright holder, the original article may be reproduced in the update. Authors should clearly articulate the rationale for the update and the significance of the newly acquired data.

Letter to STEMS

Letters should address previously published content in STEMS and are published free of charge. General interest letters, not linked to specific journal articles, can also be submitted. Letters may be peer-reviewed if they present original data, and we may request responses from the authors of the original publication or forward them the letters for their consideration.

Manuscript format

Research article

These articles typically span around 3000 words, incorporate approximately 50 references, and feature 4 medium-sized graphical elements (figures and tables). However, the specific length, reference count, and number of graphical elements may vary depending on the nature of the research and the complexity of the topic. Research articles should be divided into sections, namely Introduction, Results, Discussion, Conclusion (optional), and Methods. A structured abstract (Background, Methodology, Results, Conclusion) of up to 250 words is mandatory.

Review

Review articles are usually around 3-4000 words and can extend up to 6000 words in length (for the main text) and can encompass up to 150 references. They may also include 4 to 6 display items such as figures, boxes, or tables. An Abstract of up to 250 words must be included. Authors are encouraged to generate their own schematic figures rather than reproducing them from other sources. The ideal number of authors for Review articles is between 3 and 5, with a maximum of 8 authors permitted. Authors should ensure that fewer than 25% of the references in their Review point to their own work. Unsolicited proposals for Review articles are welcome. Proposals should consist of an enhanced abstract, a general outline, a list of 5 to 10 of the most significant recent papers, and a cover letter that clearly explains the rationale for the Review.

News and views

These articles are usually unstructured and do not have an abstract. News and views should not have more than 5 authors. Length guidelines are up to 2500 words and a maximum of 30 references. They may also include 2 to 3 display items such as figures, boxes, or tables.

Research Letter

Research letters should not exceed 1200 words of text and 15 references and may include up to 2 tables or figures. Research Letters may have no more than 7 authors. In general, these brief articles should be divided into the following sections: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. They should not include an abstract or key points, but otherwise should follow all of the guidelines in Research articles.

Update

Updates should follow the guidelines of Research or Review articles. For research article Updates, a structured abstract (Background, Rationale for update, Methodology, New results, Conclusion) of up to 250 words is mandatory.

Letter to STEMS

Correspondences must be submitted within 8 weeks of the original item's publication and should not exceed 500 words in length. General interest letters can be up to 750 words long. Only one table or figure is allowed, and references should not exceed ten, with a maximum of five authors. Letters do not have an Abstract.

Manuscript structure

We accept a free-format initial submissions as one individual editable file (Word or RTF formats). Submitting manuscript sections in the following order will allow us to locate important information more easily and may speed the review process. Preprints will be published using the following template.

Title page

Include title, authors, affiliations, name and complete address of corresponding author(s), classification, and keywords. Use asterisks (*) to designate co-corresponding authors and numbered footnotes to indicate equal contributions.

Abstract

Structured Abstract (Research articles and Updates) should be divided into four sections: “Introduction,” “Methodology,” “Results,” and “Conclusion”. Unstructured Abstract (Reviews) should state what was done and why, what was found, and what was concluded.

Authors should explain to the general reader the major contributions of the article in no more than 250 words.

Concise publications (Research Letters and News and views) and Letters to STEMS do not have an Abstract.

Main text

The main text should be divided into sections with brief subheadings. For original research, key methodology should be included in the Methods section of main text and full Materials and Methods should be included in supplementary materials and should be followed by additional data and figures needed to support the paper’s conclusions. Methods should describe procedures in sufficient detail so that the work can be repeated. All data must be available in either the main text or the supplementary materials.

Please take note of the following when preparing your manuscript for STEMS:

- Do not include statements of novelty or priority.
- Avoid laboratory jargon.
- Use correct chemical names.
- Specify strains of organisms.
- Use Système International units and symbols whenever possible.
- Use standardised nomenclature for species-specific gene and protein names (see Genecards, MGI Nomenclature page, HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee, the Wheat Initiative, or equivalent resources).
- Ensure that abbreviations are accessible to a broad scientific audience. Define all abbreviations that are specific to a particular field at first mention in the text.

Acknowledgments and funding sources

The Acknowledgment section is the designated area for acknowledging contributions, disclosures, credits, and other relevant information at the end of a manuscript, preceding the references. It typically covers the following:

Authors' contributions: A brief description of each author's specific involvement in the research.
Data access: Information on how the authors obtained the data used in the study.
Potential conflicts of interest: Disclosure of any financial interests, activities, relationships, or affiliations that could influence the research findings.
Funding and support: Acknowledgement of funding sources and sponsors, along with their roles in the study.
Collaborators: Identification of participants in a large study or other group (collaborators), along with their relevant details.
Disclaimers: Mention of any important limitations or caveats regarding the findings.
Presentation history: Information on whether the research has been presented previously.
Non-author contributors: Recognition of individuals who provided substantial contributions to the work but do not meet the authorship criteria. This includes data collection, analysis, and writing or editing assistance. The contributions of each non-author contributor should be specified.
Written permission: Authors must obtain written permission from all individuals mentioned in the Acknowledgment section. The corresponding author is responsible for confirming the procurement of such permissions in the Authorship Form.
AI/ML use: If artificial intelligence, language models, machine learning, or similar technologies were employed in the research process, either for content creation or writing/editing assistance, it should be acknowledged in the Acknowledgment section or the Methods section (if relevant to the research design). This includes a description of the content that was modified and the specific AI/ML tool used, including its name, version, extension numbers, and manufacturer.

All financial and material support provided for the research and the work must be clearly and comprehensively identified in the Acknowledgment section of the manuscript. At the time of submission, the corresponding author must complete the online manuscript submission and review system with information about the funding source, including grant identification numbers. Additionally, the specific role of the funding organisation or sponsor in each of the following aspects should be specified:

Design and conduct of the study: clearly indicate the extent to which the funding organisation or sponsor influenced the design, methodology, or execution of the study.
Collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data: Specify the role of the funding organisation or sponsor in providing data, managing data collection, analysing data, and interpreting findings.
Preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript: Clearly state whether the funding organisation or sponsor had any involvement in the preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript.
Decision to submit the manuscript for publication: Indicate whether the funding organisation or sponsor influenced the decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

References

STEMS uses the citation-sequence system, meaning that references at the end of your paper are numbered in the order in which the corresponding citations appear in your text, rather than listed alphabetically by author. In-text references consist of consecutive numbers in square brackets and placed before punctuation, e.g. [1], or [1, 3].

The reference list should include the full title and should follow the STEMS reference style (examples below). However, similar styles such as MEDLINE/PubMed citation style based on the National Library of Medicine's (NLM) Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals (URR) or Vancouver style are also acceptable.

Example of journal article [1], internet source [2], and book [3]:

Farina F. Reconciling quality and timeliness in a sustainable open access model. STEMS 2023; 1:1–3.
van Sebille E, Doblin M, Data from “Drift in ocean currents impacts intergenerational microbial exposure to temperature.” Figshare. Available at https://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3178534.v2. Deposited 15 April 2016.
Kahneman D, Sibony O, Sunstein C. Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment. (2021) New York: Little, Brown Spark. pp. 28–29.

Tables and Figures

Tables
Authors should supply tables in an editable Word, RTF, or LaTeX format. A brief title (above) and footnotes (below) the table should be provided.

Figures

Authors are required to adhere to the United Nations naming conventions for maps (see https://www.un.org/geospatial/mapsgeo). Refrain from drawing contested borders or employing contested topographical names. If disputed territories are relevant to a map, ensure neutral figure captions, legends, and labeling within the map. STEMS aims to provide accessible articles for readers worldwide by offering article PDFs that are readily downloadable in any setting. To accommodate file size and content, article PDFs are processed to display images at 200 ppi, ensuring print-quality resolution. Please provide all images at their final size. While figures may be resized conservatively to conserve page space, STEMS reserves the right to determine the final figure size in published articles. Authors may be requested to shorten manuscripts that exceed the stated length requirement.

Small: approximately 9 cm x 6 cm
Medium: approximately 11 cm x 11 cm
Large: approximately 18 cm x 22 cm
Ensure that all numbers, letters, and symbols are no smaller than 6 points (2 mm) and no larger than 12 points (6 mm) after reduction. Keep text sizing consistent within each graphic.
Preassemble all composite figures.
Submit images in these file formats: TIFF, EPS, PDF, or PPT.
Submit 3D images as either PRC or U3D. For each 3D image, include a 2D representation in TIFF, EPS, or PDF format.

Figure Legends

Include figure legends immediately following the figure reference in the manuscript. Ensure that figure legends adhere to the following guidelines:

For figures with multiple panels, the first sentence of the legend should provide a concise overview of the overall figure. Explicitly reference and describe each individual panel at least once within the legend.
Clearly label all error bars in graphs and describe them in the figure legend.
Specify whether the number following the ± sign represents a standard error (SEM) or a standard deviation (SD).
Provide the P value, magnification, or scale bar information when applicable.
Indicate the number of independent data points (N) represented in each graph within the legend.
Ensure that numerical axes on all graphs start at zero except for log axes.

Supplementary material

Supplementary information (SI) will be published as provided by the authors; it will not be edited or composed. The SI Appendix, datasets, movies, and software should be formatted as follows:

SI Appendix: Supply a single PDF file, combining all text, figures, tables, movie legends, and SI references. Use the PNAS SI template for proper formatting.
Datasets: Supply XLSX, RTF, PDF, CSV, GZ, or TXT files. Datasets should be well-organized and documented to facilitate their use.
Movies: Supply AVI, MOV, WMV, GIF, or MPEG files at the desired reproduction size and length. Limit the file size to 10 MB. Provide a brief legend for each movie in the SI Appendix.
Software: Supply source code or scripts in native file types. Package the software with proper documentation, installation instructions, and sample usage examples.

Preparation Guidelines:

The main text of the paper must be self-sufficient and informative without the need for SI.
SI references should be cited in numerical order as they appear in the SI. No main-text references should be cited in the SI, and vice versa.
Refer to the SI Appendix in the manuscript at an appropriate point in the text and use "SI Appendix" or "supporting information" as a general term. Number supporting figures and tables starting with S1, S2, and so on.
If detailed materials and methods are placed in the SI Appendix, provide sufficient detail in the main-text methods section for readers to follow the logic of the procedures and results. The main article text should also reference the SI methods section.
If a paper introduces a fundamentally new method or technique, the methods must be described completely in the main text. The SI Appendix can contain additional details, but the main text should be comprehensive enough to stand on its own.

Editorial policies

STEMS supports core practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and endorses the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME) Policy Statement on Geopolitical Intrusion on Editorial Decisions. STEMS also endorses the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals.

Submission of a manuscript to STEMS implies that all authors have read and agreed to its content and that the manuscript conforms to the journal’s policies.

Authorship

Authorship in STEMS press is guided by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) definition of authorship. Authors must meet the following criteria:

Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work;
Acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data;
Creation of new software used in the work;
Drafting or substantial revising of the work;
Approval of the final submitted version;
Personal accountability for the author's own contributions and for ensuring the accuracy and integrity of the work.

Authorship cannot be denied to individuals who have made substantial contributions, and neither can guest or honorary authorship be granted. Additionally, artificial intelligence tools cannot be listed as authors. Individuals who have participated in the research but do not meet the authorship criteria should be acknowledged in the acknowledgments section, with a brief description of their contributions. Editing services used in manuscript preparation should also be disclosed in the acknowledgments.

Corresponding author

In addition to meeting the authorship criteria, corresponding authors play a crucial role in ensuring the integrity and transparency of the publication process. Their responsibilities include:

Obtaining and documenting approval from all listed authors prior to submission.
Acting as the primary point of contact for editors and reviewers, receiving all correspondence and feedback.
Verifying that all data, materials (including reagents), and code, including those provided by other authors, adhere to the highest standards of transparency and reproducibility.
Ensuring that the original data, materials, and code upon which the manuscript is based are properly preserved and readily accessible for reanalysis.
Confirming that the presentation of data, materials, and code in the paper accurately reflects the original sources.
Anticipating and mitigating any potential challenges in sharing data, materials, or code.
Guiding the entire author group to comply with best practices for scientific publishing.

To ensure transparency and accountability, all listed authors receive an email with a link to confirm authorship upon manuscript submission.

Any submission without the approval of all authors is subject to immediate rejection without appeal.

Any changes to authorship, such as adding or removing authors or revising the author order, must be approved in writing by all original authors.

For accepted manuscripts, all authors are required to:

Provide a clear explanation of their contributions to the research.
Sign a statement agreeing to the conditions of publication, including the availability of data, code, and materials.
Disclose any potential conflicts of interest.

The senior author of each group is required to have examined the raw data generated by their research group.

We encourage all authors to adhere to the CRediT model for attributing individual contributions to the study and to include this information in the acknowledgments section of the published paper.

These measures collectively aim to maintain the high standards of scientific rigor and transparency upheld by STEMS press.

Conflict of interests

Author Disclosures

Authors of papers submitted to Science journals are required to disclose their affiliations, funding sources, and any potential conflicts of interest that could influence their work. These disclosures are intended to ensure transparency and objectivity in the publication process.

Affiliations

The title page of every submission must list all authors' affiliations, including academic institutions, corporations, government agencies, and other relevant organizations where the research was conducted.

Funding

All authors must disclose all financial contributions to the research, including grants, scholarships, and other forms of financial support. This information should be included in the Funding statement in the Acknowledgments section of the manuscript. Non-monetary contributions of goods or services should also be acknowledged if appropriate.

Competing Interests

Competing interests are defined as any circumstances that could reasonably be perceived as influencing an author's professional judgment about the execution of the research or the presentation of the content. Authors are required to disclose any competing interests that have occurred within the past five years, even if they are outside of the five-year time frame. If in doubt, authors should disclose the relationship. This information should be summarized in a Competing interests statement in the Acknowledgments section of the final published work. Authors are also encouraged to provide a URL to a list of their affiliations, interests, and relationships.

Examples of Competing Interests

Financial competing interests:
- Patents, including pending or awarded patents
- Stock ownership or options
- Paid employment or consultancy
- Serving on advisory boards or as officers of companies related to the research
Non-financial competing interests:
- Acting as an expert witness
- Serving on government or other advisory boards
- Being affiliated with organizations that have a financial interest in the research
- Being a member of lobbying or advocacy organizations
- Working for or consulting with companies that could be affected by the research
- Personal relationships with researchers or organizations involved in the research
- Personal beliefs that could influence the research or its presentation

Reviewers

Reviewers play a crucial role in ensuring the quality of published research. Therefore, Science journals seek reviewers who have no conflicts of interest with the authors or the research being reviewed. Reviewers are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest, and this information is taken into account by editors when making decisions about the review process.

Professional Editors

Editors for STEMS are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest to STEMS journal management.

Human and animal studies

Ethical Approval and Informed Consent

All research studies submitted to Science journals must have been approved by an appropriate institutional review board (IRB) or licensing committee. The authors must clearly identify the approving body and, if available, include reference/permit numbers in the methods section. If approval was not required, the authors must provide an explanation.

For studies involving human participants, authors must also confirm that informed consent was obtained from all participants. If consent was not obtained, the authors must provide a justification.

Compliance with Guidelines

All research studies must be conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Authors must also adhere to the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors' policy on clinical trial registration and provide registration numbers and the name of the registry in their manuscripts.

More broadly, clinical studies should follow the EQUATOR Reporting Guidelines.

Animal Studies

For animal studies, authors must clearly report the species, strain, sex, and age of the animals used in the research. They must also confirm that the animals were treated humanely and in line with the ARRIVE guidelines.

Research misconduct

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use

The use of AI software, such as ChatGPT, for manuscript preparation and to create images or graphics is allowed, but must be clearly disclosed in the Methods section (or Acknowledgments if no Materials and Methods section exists). AI software cannot be listed as an author. Authors are solely responsible for verifying the accuracy of outputs generated using AI software.

Image Guidelines

Image alterations are strictly limited to adjustments in brightness, contrast, or colour balance. No specific features can be enhanced, obscured, moved, removed, or introduced. Grouping or combining images from multiple sources must be clearly indicated in the figure layout and legend. If image manipulation questions arise during the review process, the editors may request the original data for comparison to the submitted figures. Failure to produce original data may lead to manuscript rejection. Deliberate data misrepresentation will result in rejection of the paper and may be reported to the corresponding author's institution or funding agency. Authors need to obtain consent for publication of figures containing recognizable human faces.

Research Misconduct

All work submitted to STEMS must adhere to the Code of Conduct for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). In cases of suspected or alleged misconduct, STEMS follows COPE's recommended procedures. STEMS press will also investigate any issues brought to their attention and may request source data, descriptions of experiments, or explanations of figure preparation.

Copyright, License, and Article processing charges

Copyright on all open access articles published by STEMS remains with the authors. Authors grant STEMS a license to publish the article and identify itself as the original publisher. Authors also grant third parties the right to freely use the article as long as its integrity is maintained and its original authors, citation details, and publisher are properly credited. The Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License formalizes these and other publishing terms and conditions. In exceptional cases where an author is unable to retain copyright, minor adjustments may be required to the copyright line and license statement. For instance, the copyright line may be changed to "© 2016 Crown copyright" for articles written by US government employees or those of Commonwealth governments. Authors requiring such variations should inform STEMS during or immediately after submitting their article. Changes to the copyright line cannot be made after publication.

All articles published in our journals are made freely accessible online immediately upon publication under an open access model. This is enabled by an article processing charge (APC) that covers the comprehensive range of publishing services we offer. These include providing online tools for editors and authors, handling article production and hosting, maintaining liaison with abstracting and indexing services, and delivering tailored customer support. The APC is payable upon editorial acceptance of your manuscript and before publication, and can be covered by either you, your funders, institutions, or employers.

Article processing charges

Submission prior to 30 June 2024

No APCs are payable

Submission from July 2024 to December 2025

50% APCs payable, namely:

750 GBP / 900 EUR / 980 USD / 7000 CNY / 140,000 JPY (full-length publications)

375 GBP / 450 EUR / 490 USD / 3500 CNY / 70,000 JPY (concise publications)

Submission from January 2026 to December 2028

1500 GBP / 1800 EUR / 1960 USD / 14,000 CNY / 280,000 JPY (full-length publications)

750 GBP / 900 EUR / 980 USD / 7000 CNY / 140,000 JPY (concise publications)