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Recently there has been some confusion from reviewers and editors about whether it is proper for an author to submit a journal paper based on material that had been previously published in one or more conference papers. The point of this editorial is to clarify IEEE Communications Society’s policy on this topic. In the IEEE Publications and Services Products Board Operations Manual, section 8.1.7.E, IEEE policy states that conference papers can “evolve” into journal papers and that publications of material that has been previously published in a conference paper are allowed if there is the standard IEEE-approved peer review and there is sufficient material beyond that presented in the original conference publication(s). In addition, it is up to the governing society or steering committee to determine if a quantitative threshold is required to determine the amount of material beyond the conference paper is sufficient.

IEEE Communications Society encourages authors to submit papers that are extensions of their conference papers. While IEEE Communications Society requires that the submitted manuscript have a significant amount of new material beyond that of the conference paper(s), we do not have a quantitative threshold for determining it. Rather we leave that judgment to the editorial board. IEEE Communications Society does require authors, when submitting a manuscript to a journal that includes material from prior conference papers, to do the following: cite the prior conference papers and inform the editor about these prior publications.

This message is authored by:
Vice President - Publications - Sarah Kate Wilson
Vice President - Conferences - Hikmet Sari
Director - Journals - Len Cimini
Director - Magazines - Steve Gorshe
Director - Online Content - Sarah Kate Wilson | Len Cimini