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All IEEE authors are encouraged to share their data, code to facilitate verification and reproducibility of experiments and their conclusions. (see IEEE - IEEE Statement of Support for Open Science, Code Ocean | Innovate (ieee.org), Upload a Dataset | IEEE DataPort (ieee-dataport.org)Research Reproducibility - IEEE Author Center, Enabling the Reproducibility of Your Research and Citing Data and Code).

Authors are required to ensure before submission that their manuscripts are in full compliance with the magazine’s submission policy and guidelines as outlined below. Submissions not complying with policy and guidelines receive an immediate (administrative) reject and are not forwarded to the review process (IEEE PSPB Operation Manual, 8.2.2.A.3); same applies for articles which do not meet a minimum criterion for technical substance.

The use of content generated by artificial intelligence (AI) in an article (including but not limited to text, figures, images, and code) shall be disclosed in the acknowledgments section of any article submitted to an IEEE publication. The AI system used shall be identified, and specific sections of the article that use AI-generated content shall be identified and accompanied by a brief explanation regarding the level at which the AI system was used to generate the content. The use of AI systems for editing and grammar enhancement is common practice and, as such, is generally outside the intent of the above policy. In this case, disclosure as noted above is recommended.

General

  1. Authors submitting manuscripts to the IEEE Communications Magazine for review and possible publication should be aware of the IEEE policy on “Electronic Information Dissemination” (including posting preprints). The policy can be found in the IEEE Publications Services and Products Board (PSPB) Operations Manual (OM), Section 8, Art. 8.1.9. Third party servers that may host IEEE content are updated on the IEEE Publications site. Authors must follow this policy upon posting preprint on permitted servers, upon submission of manuscripts to the IEEE Communication Magazine, upon their acceptance and publication. They must add prominently displayed IEEE copyright notice as required. Authors should also be aware of the IEEE Communications Society policies on Plagiarism and Multiple Submissions, and Electronic Posting.
  2. Notwithstanding item 1 here above, the IEEE Communications Magazine considers for publication only highly original manuscripts and requires an Overall Similarity Index Percentage (CrossRef Similarity Check by iThenticate) that is less than 20%.
     

    Please check the latest version of IEEE PSPB Operations Manual. Current version: 8.2.4 Allegations of Misconduct D. GUIDELINES FOR ADJUDICATING DIFFERENT LEVELS OF PLAGIARISM:
     
    Uncredited Verbatim Copying of a Large Portion (greater than 20% and up to 50%) within an Article[...] Uncredited Verbatim Copying within More than One Article by the Same Author(s). [This case includes instances where the sum of plagiarized material from the different articles would constitute the equivalent of a large portion (greater than 20% and up to 50%) of the discovered article with the fewest words.]
     
    Uncredited Verbatim Copying of Individual Elements (Paragraph(s), Sentence(s), Illustration(s), etc.) Resulting in a Significant Portion (up to 20%) within an Article"

  3. Authors are encouraged to read through the IEEE Communications Magazine website and other published articles to better understand the Features of an IEEE Communications Magazine Paper.
  4. Manuscripts should be tutorial in nature and should be written in a style comprehensible to the average reader in the Telecommunication/Communication field and to those outside the specialty of the manuscript.
  5. Papers must avoid any statements perceived as advertisements or endorsements of commercial companies or products.

Manuscript Format

  1. Mathematical equations and notations should not be used. In justified cases, up to three simple equations may be allowed. The inclusion of more than three equations requires permission. The mathematical expressions in this case must be both necessary and simple.

    Authors seeking approval for including math must submit their manuscript through the IEEE Author Center with an explanation of why the included math is needed and whether it could be understood by the general readership. The (A)EiC will examine the requests on a case by case basis and may deny approval if the motivations are not convincing.

    As an exception to the above rule, articles submitted for the Math Corner track are allowed to have up to 10 equations and are not subject to (A)EiC approval. However, there is room for one Math Corner article per ComMag issue, therefore the time to publication may be longer than for regular manuscripts.

    In all the above cases, the mathematical expressions must be displayed and numbered - not inline with the article's text. The only mathematical notations that are allowed to be inline with text are those needed to explain the symbols used in the numbered equations.

  2. Figures and tables should be limited to a combined total of six. Authors may not get around this requirement by excessively inserting multiple sub-figures and/or sub-tables into their figures/tables, or by manipulating figures/tables sizes. Figures and tables should be easily readable and properly sized as they would appear in a published paper.
     

    If the article exceeds these recommended limits, please submit your manuscript through the submission system with an explanation of why it is needed.

  3. References should be included to guide readers to more information on the topic of the manuscript. The reference list need not include every available source in the subject matter. A limit of 15 archival references (complete with publication name, year, volume, issue and page numbers) is recommended. Authors’ Self-citation must be minimized. References must be numbered sequentially, not listed alphabetically. All references to online sources (website URLs, web-posted papers) are required to show an "Accessed on" date. All references must be listed in the references section at the end of the paper. No inline references within the text or as footnotes are allowed. The inclusion of more than 15 references requires permission from the Editor-in-Chief.
     

    Following the recommendation from DORA citation should be of primary literature in favor of reviews in order to give credit to the group(s) who first reported a finding.

  4. The IEEE Communications Magazine does not charge authors for extra pages. However, the maximum number of pages of any paper is SEVEN (7) magazine pages. Manuscripts MUST always be submitted in two-column format, complete with authors’ bios. It is recommended that the manuscript be written in Times New Roman, 12-pt font size, and 20-pica column width, but authors may use an IEEE approved two-column template. The following parameters are required to meet the page limit:
    • Manuscript should not exceed 5500 words in total; inclusive of title, authors’ names/info, abstract, body (introduction to conclusion), figures, tables, captions, footnotes, acknowledgements, references, authors’ bios, etc. (everything). Footnotes are strongly discouraged however. MS Word enables authors to monitor their word count easily, and is therefore recommended
    • Authors’ bios are not to exceed 150 words each.

Regardless of typesetting, the authors are responsible for maintaining a maximum of SEVEN (7) pages upon initial submission (recommended to have less than 7 pages in order to leave room for potential improvements in revisions that require additional space), revisions, and final manuscript. Manuscripts may be rejected if not complying with this limit at any time. Final, camera-ready, versions will not be published if they exceed this limit.

An exception to the rule above is made for manuscript submitted for publication on the Technology Review track, which is accepting longer articles so as to allow a more comprehensive coverage of a given subject technology. Technology Review articles are allowed to have a maximum of FOURTEEN (14) pages, up to 11000 words, up to 12 figures/tables and up to 6 simple equations.

  1. Manuscripts may be edited for clarity and grammatical accuracy, and will be copyedited according to the magazine's style. Authors may refer to The IEEE Communications Society Publications Department Style Guide when preparing their manuscript.

IEEE Communications Magazine offers Paperpal Preflight to assist authors in checking their manuscript prior to submission:

Manuscript Submission

All manuscripts must be submitted through Clarivate’s ScholarOne Manuscript Central (MC). Below is a list of the IEEE Communications Magazine publication tracks. There are three tracks open for submissions: Series, Feature Topics, and the Open Call. After determining the track they want to submit to, depending on the subject of the manuscript and authors’ preference, the lead/corresponding author can go to Manuscript Central, register or log in, and proceed to the Author Center where he/she should follow the instructions to submit.

Authors should disclose any conflict of interest with editors through "Oppose Editors" form.

The Magazine Series

If you would like to submit a manuscript to one of the magazine series, please examine the Call for Papers (CFP) of the Series you are interested in to verify the relevance of your manuscript to the Series scope. Visit Manuscript Central to submit to the category designated to the Series of your choice. Select your manuscript type, enter your title and abstract into the appropriate boxes, and submit the manuscript. You may also contact the Series Editors if you have question(s).

Feature Topics

As opposed to our broad-scope Series, authors can submit to one of our Feature Topics (FTs), each focusing on a current narrow-scope hot topic. Please examine the Call for Papers (CFP) of the FT you are interested in to verify the relevance of your manuscript to its scope. Visit Manuscript Central to submit to the category designated to the FT of your choice. Select your manuscript type, enter your title and abstract into the appropriate boxes, and submit the manuscript.

Feature Topics are important part of ComMag. They are timely, innovative, and embrace new editorial blood. They usually involve new Guest Editors (GEs) working under more experienced ones. There are cases were the review process may take more time than usual, need more reviews than usual, or need further checks on our part. This may result in some papers missing the publication time of the FT in which case they are redirected to the open call or to other publication tracks of the IEEE Communications Magazine. FTs may also be cancelled for different reasons, in which case papers are also redirected. While utmost care is assured in treating all ComMag papers fairly and similarly, authors electing to submit to FTs must understand the risks involved with them. Authors who prefer to avoid these risks should submit their manuscripts to one of the magazine Series or to the Open Call.

The Magazine Open Call (OC)

The Open Call (OC) is for free submissions in any subject within the scope of communication engineering and technologies. All in-scope submissions are welcome. If the author(s) would like to submit a manuscript to OC, the lead/corresponding author should select the Open Call type, enter the title and abstract into the appropriate boxes, and submit the manuscript.

Invited Papers

In few and special cases, an invitation may be extended by the Editor in Chief to expert(s) in the communication/telecommunication field to write a paper in an important topic of interest to our readership. Such invited papers are subject to special consideration and may be exempted from format, length, math, and references restrictions. Invited papers are reviewed by peers however and may be revised before finally approved for publication. 

Technology Review Papers

Technology review papers are longer articles organized to provide comprehensive coverage of developments and state of the art in a given subject technology. Technology Review articles are allowed to have a maximum of fourteen pages, up to 11000 words, up to 12 figures/tables and up to 6 simple equations, and up to 30 references.

The Math Corner

ComMag’s Math Corner is dedicated to coverage of topics that require more intensive use of mathematical notations compared to typical ComMag papers. The articles for the Math Corner can contain up to 10 equations and are not subject to (A)EiC approval. There is room for one Math Corner article per ComMag issue, therefore the time to publication may be longer than for regular manuscripts.

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor can be sent through submission system with manuscript type: "Columns (restricted)" and title "Letter to the Editor"

Submission of Manuscript Revisions

The review process of a new manuscript (Revision 0, or R0) may result in acceptance (with or without minor changes), rejection, or a request for revision (major or minor revision). If a revision is requested, the authors would revise and improve the manuscript based on the remarks on R0, thereby producing an R1. Further revisions: R2, R3, etc. may deem necessary based on progress in the review process. Upon every revision, the same format and submission guidelines are held and must be respected. Every revision of the manuscript is expected to make considerable progress towards publication. However, a revision decision is no guarantee for ultimate acceptance. Furthermore, if the manuscript fails to demonstrate considerable and steady progression towards publication, it may be rejected at any time.

Authors are required to submit revisions within certain periods of time after which the manuscript can no longer be considered for publication and is considered rejected:

  • In the case of major revision required of R0, and unless a shorter duration is requested due to special editorial reason, an R1 must be submitted no later than forty five (45) days after the decision issued for R0.
  • If a major revision is allowed/required for R1, and unless shorter duration is requested due to special editorial reason, an R2 must be submitted no later than twenty one (21) days after the decision issued for R1 (typically, two major revision requests in a row are ground for paper rejection)
  • If a decision is made requiring minor changes of an R0 or R1, and unless a shorter duration is requested due to special editorial reason, the revision must be submitted within no more than fifteen (15) days after the decision. If “minor changes required” is issued for a second time, however, the new revision must be submitted within no more than ninety six (96) hours
  • Unless shorter duration is required due to special editorial reason, further revisions (R3 and beyond) must be submitted no later than ninety six (96) hours after the decision.

For Feature Topics, and due to the limited time period available for their review process, shorter durations are usually required and manuscripts undergoing major or multiple revisions may not be published as part of the FT. Upon their late acceptance, if ultimately accepted, these manuscripts are published under the open call or in other tracks.

Authors of a manuscript where a revision was requested should return a list of point-by-point responses to reviewers’ remarks. These responses must be included in a file separate from the revised manuscript. A standalone revised manuscript is always necessary to check format compliances. Responses to reviewers’ remarks are required after revision decisions only, NOT with a submission of a new manuscript a previous version of which was rejected before. New manuscripts in this case should be thoroughly revised versions where all the comments and concerns to the previously rejected manuscripts are carefully addressed. These new manuscripts will be handled by new editor and new reviewers. 

Appeal of Editorial Decisions

The IEEE Communications Society is committed to providing fair and impartial treatment of each paper submitted to its publications. Unless there is a clear content-related problem or quality/scope concerns with the paper submitted to the IEEE Communications Magazine, it will receive at least three reviews (although a reject decision could be based on 2 reviews) that are used by an editor for making a recommendation to the EiC. The EiC - or an Associate Editor in Chief (AEiC) delegated by him/her- then makes the decision based on the combination of the reviews, the editor(s) recommendation, his own remarks, and any other factors that are deemed relevant. In the event that the author(s) find a compelling reason to disagree with the decision, they have the right to appeal the editorial decision per the IEEE Publications Services and Products Board (PSPB) Operation Manual.

For tracking purposes, appeals should be sent through ScholarOneManuscripts: Submitting Author Dashboard>Manuscripts with Decisions>Contact Journal indicating in cc the recipient (editor, AEiC or EiC according to stages below)

Author(s) may initiate an appeal process within no more than 14 days from receiving a final decision to reject a paper. This is done by contacting the editor who handled this paper with an objective response focusing on the substance of the review process and specifying what they believe as errors, incorrect comments, and/or improper judgements in the review process. The editor will evaluate authors’ comments/objections to decide if they made a case for him/her to change his/her recommendation. The editor will report his/her determination to the authors and to the EiC. If the authors are not satisfied with the editor’s decision, they can appeal to the AEiC within no more than 7 additional days from getting the editor’s response. If not satisfied with the AEiC recommendation, the authors can take their case within 96 hours to the EiC, whose decision will be final.

Note that there are cases where papers may receive positive reviews and yet be legitimately rejected. For example, if there are past/other paper(s) covering essentially the same topic/content, or several papers the editor(s) have to select from. Note also that certain publication tracks (FTs for example) may have a space for only a limited number of papers.

Guidelines to Submit Final Files (Accepted Manuscripts)

See the Manuscript Publishing Guidelines for information about submitting the final files of accepted manuscripts.

ORCID

All IEEE publications require an Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID) for all authors. ORCID is a persistent unique identifier for researchers and functions similarly to a paper’s Digital Object Identifier (DOI). ORCIDs enable accurate attribution and improved discoverability of an author’s published work. To create an ORCID, please visit https://orcid.org/register. The author will need a registered ORCID in order to submit a manuscript or review a proof with an IEEE publication.

Follow these steps to link a ScholarOne account to a registered ORCID:

  • Login to ScholarOne and click on your name in the top right corner of the screen.
  • Click E-mail / Name in the dropdown menu.
  • In the ORCID section at the top of the page, click the appropriate link to either register for a new ORCID or associate the account with an existing ORCID.
  • A new page will open to create and/or validate your ORCID. Once the validation is complete, the new page will close and you will return to ScholarOne.
  • Save the changes to your ScholarOne user account.

Authors who do not have an ORCID in their ScholarOne account will be prompted to provide one during submission. For more information on ORCID please visit the IEEE Support Center.

Download the 2021 IEEE COMMUNICATIONS MAGAZINE Manuscript Submission Policy