Computer Networks  计算机网络

The International Journal of Computer and Telecommunications Networking
国际计算机与电信网络杂志

Computer Networks is an international, archival journal providing a publication vehicle for complete coverage of all topics of interest to those involved in the computer communications networking area. The audience includes researchers, managers and operators of networks as well as designers and implementors. The Editorial Board will consider any material for publication that is of interest to those groups.
Computer Networks 是一本国际性的档案期刊，为计算机通信网络领域的相关人员提供完整报道所有感兴趣的主题的出版工具。受众包括研究人员、网络管理者和运营商以及设计人员和实施者。 编辑委员会将考虑这些团体感兴趣的任何出版材料。

SUBJECT COVERAGE  主题覆盖范围

The topics covered by the journal but not limited to these are:
该期刊涵盖的主题包括但不限于：

1. Communication Network Architectures:
1. 通信网络架构 ：
New design contributions on Local Area Networks (LANs), Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs), Wide Area Networks (WANs) including Wired, Wireless, Mobile, Cellular, Sensor, Optical, IP, ATM, and other related network technologies, as well as new switching technologies and the integration of various networking paradigms.
对局域网 （LAN）、城域网 （MAN）、广域网 （WAN） 的新设计贡献，包括有线、无线、移动、蜂窝、传感器、光学、IP、ATM 和其他相关网络技术，以及新的交换技术和各种网络范式的集成。

2. Communication Network Protocols:
2. 通信网络协议 ：
New design contributions on all protocol layers except the Physical Layer, considering all types of networks mentioned above and their performance evaluation; novel protocols, methods and algorithms related to, e.g., medium access control, error control, routing, resource discovery, multicasting, congestion and flow control, scheduling, multimedia quality of service, as well as protocol specification, testing and verification.
考虑到上述所有类型的网络及其性能评估，除物理层外，所有协议层的新设计贡献;与介质访问控制、错误控制、路由、资源发现、多播、拥塞和流量控制、调度、多媒体服务质量以及协议规范、测试和验证等相关的新协议、方法和算法。

3. Network Services and Applications:
3. 网络服务和应用程序 ：
Web, Web caching, Web performance, Middleware and operating system support for all types of networking, electronic commerce, quality of service, new adaptive applications, and multimedia services.
Web、Web 缓存、Web 性能、中间件和作系统支持所有类型的网络、电子商务、服务质量、新的自适应应用程序和多媒体服务。

4. Network Security and Privacy:
4. 网络安全和隐私 ：
Security protocols, authentication, denial of service, anonymity, smartcards, intrusion detection, key management, viruses and other malicious codes, information flow, data integrity, mobile code and agent security.
安全协议、身份验证、拒绝服务、匿名、智能卡、入侵检测、密钥管理、病毒和其他恶意代码、信息流、数据完整性、移动代码和代理安全。

5. Network Operation and Management:
5. 网络运营管理 ：
Including network pricing, network system software, quality of service, signaling protocols, mobility management, power management and power control algorithms, network planning, network dimensioning, network reliability, network performance measurements, network modeling and analysis, and overall system management.
包括网络定价、网络系统软件、服务质量、信令协议、移动性管理、电源管理和电源控制算法、网络规划、网络尺寸确定、网络可靠性、网络性能测量、网络建模和分析以及整体系统管理。

6. Discrete Algorithms and Discrete Modeling
6. 离散算法和离散建模
Algorithmic and discrete aspects in the context of computer networking as well as mobile and wireless computing and communications. Fostering cooperation among practitioners and theoreticians in this field.TYPES OF CONTRIBUTIONS CONSIDERED
计算机网络以及移动和无线计算和通信背景下的算法和离散方面。促进该领域的实践者和理论家之间的合作。考虑的供款类型

The primary purpose of the journal is to publish original and complete papers covering a specific topic or project in the above mentioned areas in sufficient detail and depth to be of practical use to interested readers. The readers should benefit from the novel solutions and analyses presented in the papers. Enhanced, extended versions of quality papers presented at conferences or workshops can be submitted to our journal for review. Note that papers which were already published with the same contents or simultaneous submission of the same paper to other journals or conferences will not be considered for publication in our journal and will be immediately rejected.
该期刊的主要目的是发表涵盖上述领域特定主题或项目的原创和完整论文，并具有足够的细节和深度，以便对感兴趣的读者具有实际用途。读者应该从论文中提出的新颖解决方案和分析中受益。在会议或研讨会上发表的高质量论文的增强版、扩展版可以提交给我们的期刊进行审查。请注意，已经以相同内容发表的论文或同时向其他期刊或会议提交同一篇论文的论文将不被考虑在本期刊上发表，并将立即被拒绝。

Dataset Articles. Computer Networks also publishes micro-articles that describe open datasets available in a redacted and organized way. The purpose is for researchers to easily share and reuse each other's datasets by publishing data articles that:
数据集文章。Computer Networks 还发布了微文章 ，以编辑和组织的方式描述了可用的开放数据集 。目的是让研究人员通过发布以下数据文章来轻松共享和重用彼此的数据集：

(i) Describe collected data in detail, facilitating reproducibility of experiments and improvements over proposed techniques, thus promoting rigorous experimentation and data analysis.
（i） 详细描述收集的数据，促进实验的可重复性和对拟议技术的改进，从而促进严格的实验和数据分析。
(ii) Describe tools developed to collect, analyze, and visualize data.
（ii） 描述为收集、分析和可视化数据而开发的工具。

Open-Source Software Articles. Computer Networks additionally publishes micro-articles that describe open source software that has been used to obtain scholarly results in the area of computer networks. This may include articles describing discrete-event or other simulators, emulation tools, software implementations of networking and communication functionalities and protocols, standard implementations, monitoring tools, among others.
开源软件文章。Computer Networks 还发表了介绍开源软件的微文章，这些软件已被用于获得计算机网络领域的学术成果。这可能包括描述离散事件或其他模拟器、仿真工具、网络和通信功能及协议的软件实现、标准实现、监控工具等的文章。

The primary purpose of Computer Networks is to publish original and complete research papers covering a specific topic or project in the above-mentioned areas in sufficient detail and depth to be of practical use to interested readers.
Computer Networks 的主要目的是发表涵盖上述领域特定主题或项目的原创和完整的研究论文，并具有足够的细节和深度，以便对感兴趣的读者具有实际用途。

Note that papers that were already published with the same content or simultaneous submission of the same paper to other journals or conferences will not be considered for publication in our journal and will be immediately rejected.
请注意，已经以相同内容发表的论文或同时向其他期刊或会议提交同一篇论文的论文将不被考虑在本期刊上发表，并将立即被拒绝。

Dataset Articles  数据集文章

Computer Networks also publishes micro-articles that describe open datasets available in a redacted and organized way. The purpose is for researchers to easily share and reuse each other's datasets by publishing data articles that:
Computer Networks 还发布了微文章，以编辑和组织的方式描述了可用的开放数据集。目的是让研究人员通过发布以下数据文章来轻松共享和重用彼此的数据集：

(i) Describe collected data in detail, facilitating reproducibility of experiments and improvements over proposed techniques, thus promoting rigorous experimentation and data analysis.
（i） 详细描述收集的数据，促进实验的可重复性和对拟议技术的改进，从而促进严格的实验和数据分析。

(ii) Describe tools developed to collect, analyze, and visualize data.
（ii） 描述为收集、分析和可视化数据而开发的工具。

Open-Source Software Articles
开源软件文章

Computer Networks additionally publishes micro-articles that describe open source software that has been used to obtain scholarly results in the area of computer networks. This may include articles describing discrete-event or other simulators, emulation tools, software implementations of networking and communication functionalities and protocols, standard implementations, monitoring tools, among others.
Computer Networks 还发表了介绍开源软件的微文章，这些软件已被用于获得计算机网络领域的学术成果。这可能包括描述离散事件或其他模拟器、仿真工具、网络和通信功能及协议的软件实现、标准实现、监控工具等的文章。

This journal follows a single anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors to determine suitability for publication in this journal. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected will be taken by our editors.
本期刊遵循单一的匿名审稿流程。我们的编辑将首先对您的投稿进行评估，以确定是否适合在本期刊上发表。如果您认为您的提交内容合适，通常会将其发送给至少两名审稿人 ，以便对科学质量进行独立的专家评估。您的文章被接受或拒绝的决定将由我们的编辑决定。

Read more about peer review.
阅读更多关于同行评审的信息。

Our editors are not involved in making decisions about papers which:
我们的编辑不参与对以下论文的决策：

• they have written themselves.
  他们自己写的。

• have been written by family members or colleagues.
  由家人或同事撰写。

• relate to products or services in which they have an interest.
  与他们感兴趣的产品或服务相关。

Any such submissions will be subject to the journal's usual procedures and peer review will be handled independently of the editor involved and their research group. Read more about editor duties.
任何此类提交都将遵循期刊的常规程序，同行评审将独立于相关编辑及其研究小组进行处理。阅读有关编辑职责的更多信息。

Authors may submit a formal appeal request to the editorial decision, provided the it meets the requirements and follows the procedure outlined in Elsevier’s Appeal Policy. Only one appeal per submission will be considered and the appeal decision will be final.
作者可以向编辑决定提交正式的上诉请求，前提是编辑决定符合要求并遵循爱思唯尔上诉政策中概述的程序。每次提交的内容将只考虑一次申诉，申诉决定将是最终决定。

Special issues and article collections
特刊和文章集

The peer review process for special issues and article collections follows the same process as outlined above for regular submissions, except, a guest editor may send the submissions out to the reviewers and may recommend a decision to the journal editor. The journal editor oversees the peer review process of all special issues and article collections to ensure the high standards of publishing ethics and responsiveness are respected and is responsible for the final decision regarding acceptance or rejection of articles.
特刊和文章集的同行评审流程与上述常规投稿的流程相同，不同之处在于，客座编辑可以将投稿发送给审稿人，并可以向期刊编辑推荐决定。期刊编辑监督所有特刊和文章集的同行评审过程，以确保遵守高标准的出版道德和响应能力，并负责关于接受或拒绝文章的最终决定。

We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
我们建议您访问我们的开放获取信息页面 ，了解本期刊的开放获取选项。

Authors must follow ethical guidelines stated in Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy.
作者必须遵守爱思唯尔出版道德政策中规定的道德准则。

When authors submit an article to an Elsevier journal it is implied that:
当作者向爱思唯尔期刊投稿时，暗示：

• the work described has not been published previously except in the form of a preprint, an abstract, a published lecture, academic thesis or registered report. See our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication.
  所述作品以前未发表过，除非以预印本、摘要、已发表的讲座、学术论文或注册报告的形式。请参阅我们关于多个、冗余或并发发布的政策。

• the article is not under consideration for publication elsewhere.
  该文章未考虑在其他地方发布。

• the article's publication is approved by all authors and tacitly or explicitly by the responsible authorities where the work was carried out.
  文章的发布得到了所有作者的批准，并得到了开展工作的主管当局的默许或明确批准。

• if accepted, the article will not be published elsewhere in the same form, in English or in any other language, including electronically, without the written consent of the copyright-holder.
  如果被接受，未经版权所有者书面同意，该文章将不会以相同的形式、英语或任何其他语言（包括电子方式）在其他地方发布。

To verify compliance with our journal publishing policies, we may check your manuscript with our screening tools.
为了验证是否符合我们的期刊出版政策，我们可能会使用我们的筛选工具检查您的稿件。

All authors should have made substantial contributions to all of the following:
所有作者都应为以下所有内容做出重大贡献：

1. The conception and design of the study, or acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data.
   研究的构思和设计，或数据的获取，或数据的分析和解释。

2. Drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content.
   起草文章或针对重要的知识内容进行批判性修改。

3. Final approval of the version to be submitted.
   要提交的版本的最终批准。

Authors should appoint a corresponding author to communicate with the journal during the editorial process. All authors should agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work to ensure that the questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.
作者应在编辑过程中指定通讯作者与期刊进行沟通。所有作者都应同意对作品的各个方面负责，以确保与作品任何部分的准确性或完整性相关的问题得到适当的调查和解决。

The editors of this journal generally will not consider changes to authorship once a manuscript has been submitted. It is important that authors carefully consider the authorship list and order of authors and provide a definitive author list at original submission.
一旦提交了手稿，本期刊的编辑通常不会考虑更改作者身份。作者必须仔细考虑作者名单和作者顺序，并在原始提交时提供明确的作者名单。

The policy of this journal around authorship changes:
本刊关于作者身份的政策发生了变化：

• All authors must be listed in the manuscript and their details entered into the submission system.
  所有作者都必须在手稿中列出，他们的详细信息必须输入到投稿系统中。

• Any addition, deletion or rearrangement of author names in the authorship list should only be made prior to acceptance, and only if approved by the journal editor.
  在作者名单中对作者姓名的任何添加、删除或重新排列只能在接受之前进行，并且只有在得到期刊编辑的批准后才能进行。

• Requests to change authorship should be made by the corresponding author, who must provide the reason for the request to the journal editor with written confirmation from all authors, including any authors being added or removed, that they agree with the addition, removal or rearrangement.
  更改作者身份的请求应由通讯作者提出，通讯作者必须向期刊编辑提供请求的原因，并附上所有作者（包括任何被添加或删除的作者）的书面确认，表明他们同意增加、删除或重新排列。

• All requests to change authorship must be submitted using this form. Requests which do not comply with the instructions outlined in the form will not be considered.
  所有更改作者身份的请求都必须使用此表格提交。不符合表格中所列说明的申请将不予考虑。

• Only in exceptional circumstances will the journal editor consider the addition, deletion or rearrangement of authors post acceptance.
  只有在特殊情况下，期刊编辑才会考虑增加、删除或重新排列作者的文章接受。

• Publication of the manuscript may be paused while a change in authorship request is being considered.
  在考虑更改作者身份请求期间，手稿的出版可能会暂停。

• Any authorship change requests approved by the journal editor will result in a corrigendum if the manuscript has already been published.
  如果手稿已经发表，期刊编辑批准的任何作者更改请求都将导致勘误。

• Any unauthorised authorship changes may result in the rejection of the article, or retraction, if the article has already been published.
  任何未经授权的作者更改都可能导致文章被拒绝，如果文章已经发表，则可能导致撤回。

All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:
所有作者必须披露与其他个人或组织的任何财务和个人关系，这些关系可能会不当地影响或偏见他们的工作。潜在利益争夺的示例包括：

• Employment  就业

• Consultancies  咨询公司

• Stock ownership  股权

• Honoraria  酬金

• Paid expert testimony  付费专家证词

• Patent applications or registrations
  专利申请或注册

• Grants or any other funding
  赠款或任何其他资金

The Declaration of Interests tool should always be completed.
应始终填写 Declaration of Interest （利益申报） 工具 。

Authors with no competing interests to declare should select the option, "I have nothing to declare".
没有竞争利益要声明的作者应该选择“我没有什么要声明的”选项。

The resulting Word document containing your declaration should be uploaded at the "attach/upload files" step in the submission process. It is important that the Word document is saved in the .doc/.docx file format. Author signatures are not required.
包含您的声明的最终 Word 文档应在提交过程中的“附加/上传文件”步骤上传。Word 文档以 .doc/.docx 文件格式保存非常重要。不需要作者签名。

We advise you to read our policy on conflict of interest statements, funding source declarations, author agreements/declarations and permission notes.
我们建议您阅读我们的利益冲突声明、资金来源声明、作者协议/声明和许可说明的政策 。

Authors must disclose any funding sources who provided financial support for the conduct of the research and/or preparation of the article. The role of sponsors, if any, should be declared in relation to the study design, collection, analysis and interpretation of data, writing of the report and decision to submit the article for publication. If funding sources had no such involvement this should be stated in your submission.
作者必须披露为进行研究和/或准备文章提供财务支持的任何资金来源。应声明申办者（如有）的角色与研究设计、数据收集、分析和解释、报告的撰写以及提交文章发表的决定有关。如果资金来源没有此类参与，则应在您的提交中说明。

List funding sources in this standard way to facilitate compliance to funder's requirements:
以这种标准方式列出资金来源，以便于遵守资助者的要求：

Funding: This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health [grant numbers xxxx, yyyy]; the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, WA [grant number zzzz]; and the United States Institutes of Peace [grant number aaaa].
资金：这项工作得到了美国国立卫生研究院 [资助号 xxxx， yyyy] 的支持;比尔和梅琳达·盖茨基金会，西雅图，华盛顿州[资助编号 zzzz];和美国和平研究所 [授权号 aaaa]。

It is not necessary to include detailed descriptions on the program or type of grants, scholarships and awards. When funding is from a block grant or other resources available to a university, college, or other research institution, submit the name of the institute or organization that provided the funding.
无需详细说明助学金、奖学金和奖励的计划或类型。如果资金来自大学、学院或其他研究机构可用的整笔拨款或其他资源，请提交提供资金的机构或组织的名称。

If no funding has been provided for the research, it is recommended to include the following sentence:
如果没有为研究提供资金，建议包括以下句子：

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
这项研究没有从公共、商业或非营利部门的资助机构获得任何具体资助。

Authors must declare the use of generative AI in scientific writing upon submission of the paper. The following guidance refers only to the writing process, and not to the use of AI tools to analyse and draw insights from data as part of the research process:
作者必须在提交论文时声明生成式 AI 在科学写作中的使用。以下指南仅涉及写作过程，而不是在研究过程中使用 AI 工具来分析和从数据中得出见解：

• Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies should only be used in the writing process to improve the readability and language of the manuscript.
  生成式 AI 和 AI 辅助技术只能在写作过程中使用，以提高手稿的可读性和语言。

• The technology must be applied with human oversight and control and authors should carefully review and edit the result, as AI can generate authoritative-sounding output that can be incorrect, incomplete or biased. Authors are ultimately responsible and accountable for the contents of the work.
  该技术必须在人工监督和控制下应用，作者应仔细审查和编辑结果，因为 AI 可以生成听起来不正确、不完整或有偏见的权威输出。作者对作品的内容负有最终责任。

• Authors must not list or cite AI and AI-assisted technologies as an author or co-author on the manuscript since authorship implies responsibilities and tasks that can only be attributed to and performed by humans.
  作者不得在手稿上以作者或合著者的身份列出或引用 AI 和 AI 辅助技术，因为作者身份意味着只能归因于人类并由人类执行的责任和任务。

The use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in scientific writing must be declared by adding a statement at the end of the manuscript when the paper is first submitted. The statement will appear in the published work and should be placed in a new section before the references list. An example:
首次提交论文时，必须在手稿末尾添加声明来声明在科学写作中使用生成式 AI 和 AI 辅助技术。该声明将出现在已发布的作品中，并应放在参考文献列表之前的新部分。一个例子：

• Title of new section: Declaration of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process.
  新章节标题：写作过程中生成式 AI 和 AI 辅助技术的宣言。

• Statement: During the preparation of this work the author(s) used [NAME TOOL / SERVICE] in order to [REASON]. After using this tool/service, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take(s) full responsibility for the content of the published article.
  声明：在准备本作品期间，作者使用了 [NAME TOOL / SERVICE] 来 [REASON]。使用此工具/服务后，作者根据需要审查和编辑了内容，并对已发表文章的内容承担全部责任。

The declaration does not apply to the use of basic tools, such as tools used to check grammar, spelling and references. If you have nothing to disclose, you do not need to add a statement.
该声明不适用于基本工具的使用，例如用于检查语法、拼写和引用的工具。如果您没有什么可披露的，则无需添加声明。

Please read Elsevier’s author policy on the use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies, which can be found in our GenAI Policies for journals.
请阅读爱思唯尔关于使用生成式人工智能和人工智能辅助技术的作者政策，该政策可在我们的期刊 GenAI 政策中找到。

Please note: to protect authors’ rights and the confidentiality of their research, this journal does not currently allow the use of generative AI or AI-assisted technologies such as ChatGPT or similar services by reviewers or editors in the peer review and manuscript evaluation process, as is stated in our GenAI Policies for journals. We are actively evaluating compliant AI tools and may revise this policy in the future.
请注意：为了保护作者的权利和研究的机密性，本期刊目前不允许审稿人或编辑在同行评审和稿件评估过程中使用生成式 AI 或 AI 辅助技术（如 ChatGPT 或类似服务），如我们的期刊 GenAI 政策中所述。我们正在积极评估合规的 AI 工具，将来可能会修改此政策。

Preprint sharing  预印本共享

Free preprint posting on SSRN
在 SSRN 上免费发布预印本

Inclusive language acknowledges diversity, conveys respect to all people, is sensitive to differences, and promotes equal opportunities. Authors should ensure their work uses inclusive language throughout and contains nothing which might imply one individual is superior to another on the grounds of:
包容性语言承认多样性，传达对所有人的尊重，对差异敏感，并促进机会平等。作者应确保他们的作品自始至终都使用包容性语言，并且不包含任何可能暗示一个人优于另一个人的内容，理由是：

• age  年龄

• gender  性

• race  比赛

• ethnicity  种族

• culture  文化

• sexual orientation  性取向

• disability or health condition
  残疾或健康状况

We recommend avoiding the use of descriptors about personal attributes unless they are relevant and valid. Write for gender neutrality with the use of plural nouns ("clinicians, patients/clients") as default. Wherever possible, avoid using "he, she," or "he/she."
我们建议避免使用有关个人属性的描述符，除非它们是相关且有效的。默认使用复数名词（“clinicians， patients/clients”）编写 forgender neutrality。尽可能避免使用“他、她”或“他/她”。

No assumptions should be made about the beliefs of readers and writing should be free from bias, stereotypes, slang, reference to dominant culture and/or cultural assumptions.
不应对读者的信仰做出任何假设，写作应没有偏见、刻板印象、俚语、对主流文化和/或文化假设的引用。

These guidelines are meant as a point of reference to help you identify appropriate language but are by no means exhaustive or definitive.
这些指南旨在作为一个参考点，帮助您确定适当的语言，但绝不是详尽或确定的。

There is no single, universally agreed-upon set of guidelines for defining sex and gender. We offer the following guidance:
没有一套单一的、普遍认可的准则来定义性和性别。我们提供以下指导：

• Sex and gender-based analyses (SGBA) should be integrated into research design when research involves or pertains to humans, animals or eukaryotic cells and when sex and gender is relevant for the study outcome. This should be done in accordance with any requirements set by funders or sponsors and best practices within a field.
  当研究涉及或涉及人类、动物或真核细胞时，以及当性别和性别与研究结果相关时，应将基于性别和性别的分析 （SGBA） 纳入研究设计。这应根据资助者或赞助商设定的任何要求以及某个领域的最佳实践来完成。

• Sex and/or gender dimensions of the research should be addressed within the article or declared as a limitation to the generalizability of the research.
  研究的性别和/或性别维度应在文章中解决，或声明为对研究普遍性的限制。

• Definitions of sex and/or gender applied should be explicitly stated to enhance the precision, rigor and reproducibility of the research and to avoid ambiguity or conflation of terms and the constructs to which they refer.

We advise you to read the Sex and Gender Equity in Research (SAGER) guidelines and the SAGER checklist (PDF) on the EASE website, which offer systematic approaches to the use of sex and gender information in study design, data analysis, outcome reporting and research interpretation.

For further information we suggest reading the rationale behind and recommended use of the SAGER guidelines.

Definitions of sex and/or gender

We ask authors to define how sex and gender have been used in their research and publication. Some guidance:

• Sex generally refers to a set of biological attributes that are associated with physical and physiological features such as chromosomal genotype, hormonal levels, internal and external anatomy. A binary sex categorization (male/female) is usually designated at birth ("sex assigned at birth") and is in most cases based solely on the visible external anatomy of a newborn. In reality, sex categorizations include people who are intersex/have differences of sex development (DSD).

• Gender generally refers to socially constructed roles, behaviors and identities of women, men and gender-diverse people that occur in a historical and cultural context and may vary across societies and over time. Gender influences how people view themselves and each other, how they behave and interact and how power is distributed in society.

Elsevier respects the decisions taken by its authors as to how they choose to designate territories and identify their affiliations in their published content. Elsevier’s policy is to take a neutral position with respect to territorial disputes or jurisdictional claims, including, but not limited to, maps and institutional affiliations. For journals that Elsevier publishes on behalf of a third party owner, the owner may set its own policy on these issues.

• Maps: Readers should be able to locate any study areas shown within maps using common mapping platforms. Maps should only show the area actually studied and authors should not include a location map which displays a larger area than the bounding box of the study area. Authors should add a note clearly stating that "map lines delineate study areas and do not necessarily depict accepted national boundaries”.  During the review process, Elsevier’s editors may request authors to change maps if these guidelines are not followed.

• Institutional affiliations: Authors should use either the full, standard title of their institution or the standard abbreviation of the institutional name so that the institutional name can be independently verified for research integrity purposes.
  

Authors must follow ethical guidelines for studies carried out in humans.

Work which involves the use of human subjects should be carried out in accordance with the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki: Ethical principles for medical research involving human subjects.

Manuscripts should follow the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) recommendations for the conduct, reporting, editing and publication of scholarly work in medical journals and aim to be representative of human populations in terms of sex, age and ethnicity. Sex and gender terms should be used correctly, as outlined by WHO (World Health Organization).

Manuscripts must include a statement that all procedures were performed in compliance with relevant laws and institutional guidelines and have been approved by the appropriate institutional committee(s). The statement should contain the date and reference number of the ethical approval(s) obtained.

Manuscripts must also include a statement that the privacy rights of human subjects have been observed and that informed consent was obtained for experimentation with human subjects.

This journal will not accept manuscripts that contain data derived from unethically sourced organs or tissue, including from executed prisoners or prisoners of conscience, consistent with recommendations by Global Rights Compliance on Mitigating Human Rights Risks in Transplantation Medicine. For all studies that use human organs or tissues, sufficient evidence must be provided that these were procured in line with WHO Guiding Principles on Human Cell, Tissue and Organ Transplantation. For clinical studies, a statement of informed consent having been obtained from a patient or their nominated representative, paired with ethical approval for the study from a suitable institution, as required by the policies of the journal, may be considered sufficient evidence, but the journal reserves the right to request additional evidence in cases where it feels this is not sufficient. The source of the organs or tissues used in clinical research must be transparent and traceable. If your manuscript describes organ transplantation you must additionally declare within the manuscript that:

• autonomous consent free from coercion was obtained from the donor(s) or their next of kin.

• organs and/or tissues were not sourced from executed prisoners or prisoners of conscience.

We ask you to provide editable source files for your entire submission (including figures, tables and text graphics). Some guidelines:

• Save files in an editable format, using the extension .doc/.docx for Word files and .tex for LaTeX files. A PDF is not an acceptable source file.

• Lay out text in a single-column format.

• Remove any strikethrough and underlined text from your manuscript, unless it has scientific significance related to your article.

• Use spell-check and grammar-check functions to avoid errors.

We advise you to read our Step-by-step guide to publishing with Elsevier.

We encourage you use our LaTeX template when preparing a LaTeX submission. You will be asked to provide all relevant editable source files upon submission or revision.

Support for your LaTeX submission:

• LaTeX submission instructions and templates

• Journal Article Publishing Support Center LaTeX FAQs and support

• Researcher Academy’s Beginners’ guide to writing a manuscript in LaTeX

You are required to include the following details in the title page information:

• Article title. Article titles should be concise and informative. Please avoid abbreviations and formulae, where possible, unless they are established and widely understood, e.g., DNA).

• Author names. Provide the given name(s) and family name(s) of each author. The order of authors should match the order in the submission system. Carefully check that all names are accurately spelled. If needed, you can add your name between parentheses in your own script after the English transliteration.

• Affiliations. Add affiliation addresses, referring to where the work was carried out, below the author names. Indicate affiliations using a lower-case superscript letter immediately after the author's name and in front of the corresponding address. Ensure that you provide the full postal address of each affiliation, including the country name and, if available, the email address of each author.

• Corresponding author. Clearly indicate who will handle correspondence for your article at all stages of the refereeing and publication process and also post-publication. This responsibility includes answering any future queries about your results, data, methodology and materials. It is important that the email address and contact details of your corresponding author are kept up to date during the submission and publication process.

• Present/permanent address. If an author has moved since the work described in your article was carried out, or the author was visiting during that time, a "present address" (or "permanent address") can be indicated by a footnote to the author's name. The address where the author carried out the work must be retained as their main affiliation address. Use superscript Arabic numerals for such footnotes.

You are required to provide a concise and factual abstract which does not exceed 250 words. The abstract should briefly state the purpose of your research, principal results and major conclusions. Some guidelines:

• Abstracts must be able to stand alone as abstracts are often presented separately from the article.

• Avoid references. If any are essential to include, ensure that you cite the author(s) and year(s).

• Avoid non-standard or uncommon abbreviations. If any are essential to include, ensure they are defined within your abstract at first mention.

You are required to provide 1 to 7 keywords for indexing purposes. Keywords should be written in English. Please try to avoid keywords consisting of multiple words (using "and" or "of").

We recommend that you only use abbreviations in keywords if they are firmly established in the field.

You are encouraged to provide article highlights at submission.

Highlights are a short collection of bullet points that should capture the novel results of your research as well as any new methods used during your study. Highlights will help increase the discoverability of your article via search engines. Some guidelines:

• Submit highlights as a separate editable file in the online submission system with the word "highlights" included in the file name.

• Highlights should consist of 3 to 5 bullet points, each a maximum of 85 characters, including spaces.

We encourage you to view example article highlights and read about the benefits of their inclusion.

You are encouraged to provide a graphical abstract at submission.

The graphical abstract should summarize the contents of your article in a concise, pictorial form which is designed to capture the attention of a wide readership. A graphical abstract will help draw more attention to your online article and support readers in digesting your research. Some guidelines:

• Submit your graphical abstract as a separate file in the online submission system.

• Ensure the image is a minimum of 531 x 1328 pixels (h x w) or proportionally more and is readable at a size of 5 x 13 cm using a regular screen resolution of 96 dpi.

• Our preferred file types for graphical abstracts are TIFF, EPS, PDF or MS Office files.

We encourage you to view example graphical abstracts and read about the benefits of including them.

• Submit math equations as editable text, not as images.

• Present simple formulae in line with normal text, where possible.

• Use the solidus (/) instead of a horizontal line for small fractional terms such as X/Y.

• Present variables in italics.

• Denote powers of e by exp.

• Display equations separately from your text, numbering them consecutively in the order they are referred to within your text.

Tables must be submitted as editable text, not as images. Some guidelines:

• Place tables next to the relevant text or on a separate page(s) at the end of your article.

• Cite all tables in the manuscript text.

• Number tables consecutively according to their appearance in the text.

• Please provide captions along with the tables.

• Place any table notes below the table body.

• Avoid vertical rules and shading within table cells.

We recommend that you use tables sparingly, ensuring that any data presented in tables is not duplicating results described elsewhere in the article.

Figures, images, artwork, diagrams and other graphical media must be supplied as separate files along with the manuscript. We recommend that you read our detailed artwork and media instructions. Some excerpts:

When submitting artwork:

• Cite all images in the manuscript text.

• Number images according to the sequence they appear within your article.

• Submit each image as a separate file using a logical naming convention for your files (for example, Figure_1, Figure_2 etc).

• Please provide captions for all figures, images, and artwork.

• Text graphics may be embedded in the text at the appropriate position. If you are working with LaTeX, text graphics may also be embedded in the file.

Artwork formats

When your artwork is finalized, "save as" or convert your electronic artwork to the formats listed below taking into account the given resolution requirements for line drawings, halftones, and line/halftone combinations:

• Vector drawings: Save as EPS or PDF files embedding the font or saving the text as "graphics."

• Color or grayscale photographs (halftones): Save as TIFF, JPG or PNG files using a minimum of 300 dpi (for single column: min. 1063 pixels, full page width: 2244 pixels).

• Bitmapped line drawings: Save as TIFF, JPG or PNG files using a minimum of 1000 dpi (for single column: min. 3543 pixels, full page width: 7480 pixels).

• Combinations bitmapped line/halftones (color or grayscale): Save as TIFF, JPG or PNG files using a minimum of 500 dpi (for single column: min. 1772 pixels, full page width: 3740 pixels).

Please do not submit:

• files that are too low in resolution (for example, files optimized for screen use such as GIF, BMP, PICT or WPG files).

• disproportionally large images compared to font size, as text may become unreadable.

Figure captions

All images must have a caption. A caption should consist of a brief title (not displayed on the figure itself) and a description of the image. We advise you to keep the amount of text in any image to a minimum, though any symbols and abbreviations used should be explained.

Provide captions in a separate file.

Color artwork

If you submit usable color figures with your accepted article, we will ensure that they appear in color online.

Please ensure that color images are accessible to all, including those with impaired color vision. Learn more about color and web accessibility.

Please read our policy on the use of generative AI and AI-assisted tools in figures, images and artwork, which can be found in Elsevier’s GenAI Policies for Journals. This policy states:

• We do not permit the use of Generative AI or AI-assisted tools to create or alter images in submitted manuscripts.

• The only exception is if the use of AI or AI-assisted tools is part of the research design or methods (for example, in the field of biomedical imaging). If this is the case, such use must be described in a reproducible manner in the methods section, including the name of the model or tool, version and extension numbers, and manufacturer.

• The use of generative AI or AI-assisted tools in the production of artwork such as for graphical abstracts is not permitted. The use of generative AI in the production of cover art may in some cases be allowed, if the author obtains prior permission from the journal editor and publisher, can demonstrate that all necessary rights have been cleared for the use of the relevant material, and ensures that there is correct content attribution.

We encourage the use of supplementary materials such as applications, images and sound clips to enhance research. Some guidelines:

• Supplementary material should be accurate and relevant to the research.

• Cite all supplementary files in the manuscript text.

• Submit supplementary materials at the same time as your article. Be aware that all supplementary materials provided will appear online in the exact same file type as received. These files will not be formatted or typeset by the production team.

• Include a concise, descriptive caption for each supplementary file describing its content.

• Provide updated files if at any stage of the publication process you wish to make changes to submitted supplementary materials.

• Do not make annotations or corrections to a previous version of a supplementary file.

• Switch off the option to track changes in Microsoft Office files. If tracked changes are left on, they will appear in your published version.

This journal accepts video material and animation sequences to support and enhance your scientific research. We encourage you to include links to video or animation files within articles. Some guidelines:

• When including video or animation file links within your article, refer to the video or animation content by adding a note in your text where the file should be placed.

• Clearly label files ensuring the given file name is directly related to the file content.

• Provide files in one of our recommended file formats. Files should be within our preferred maximum file size of 150 MB per file, 1 GB in total.

• Provide "stills" for each of your files. These will be used as standard icons to personalize the link to your video data. You can choose any frame from your video or animation or make a separate image.

• Provide text (for both the electronic and the print version) to be placed in the portions of your article that refer to the video content. This is essential text, as video and animation files cannot be embedded in the print version of the journal.

We publish all video and animation files supplied in the electronic version of your article.

For more detailed instructions, we recommend that you read our guidelines on submitting video content to be included in the body of an article.

To foster transparency, you are required to state the availability of any data at submission.

Ensuring data is available may be a requirement of your funding body or institution. If your data is unavailable to access or unsuitable to post, you can state the reason why (e.g., your research data includes sensitive or confidential information such as patient data) during the submission process. This statement will appear with your published article on ScienceDirect.

Read more about the importance and benefits of providing a data statement.

Linking to the data underlying your work increases your exposure and may lead to new collaborations. It also provides readers with a better understanding of the described research.

If your research data has been made available in a data repository there are a number of ways your article can be linked directly to the dataset:

• Provide a link to your dataset when prompted during the online submission process.

• For some data repositories, a repository banner will automatically appear next to your published article on ScienceDirect.

• You can also link relevant data or entities within the text of your article through the use of identifiers. Use the following format: Database: 12345 (e.g. TAIR: AT1G01020; CCDC: 734053; PDB: 1XFN).

Learn more about linking research data and research articles in ScienceDirect.

This journal enables the publication of research objects (e.g. data, methods, protocols, software and hardware) related to original research in Elsevier's Research Elements journals.

Research Elements are peer-reviewed, open access journals which make research objects findable, accessible and reusable. By providing detailed descriptions of objects and their application with links to the original research article, your research objects can be placed into context within your article.

You will be alerted during submission to the opportunity to submit a manuscript to one of the Research Elements journals. Your Research Elements article can be prepared by you, or by one of your collaborators.

Article sections

Glossary

Acknowledgements

Author contributions: CRediT

Funding sources

Appendices

Vitae

References within text

Reference format

Reference style

Web references

Data references

Software references

Preprint references

Reference management software

Before completing the submission of your manuscript, we advise you to read our submission checklist:

• One author has been designated as the corresponding author and their full contact details (email address, full postal address and phone numbers) have been provided.

• All files have been uploaded, including keywords, figure captions and tables (including a title, description and footnotes) included.

• Spelling and grammar checks have been carried out.

• All references in the article text are cited in the reference list and vice versa.

• Permission has been obtained for the use of any copyrighted material from other sources, including the Web.

• For gold open access articles, all authors understand that they are responsible for payment of the article publishing charge (APC) if the manuscript is accepted. Payment of the APC may be covered by the corresponding author's institution, or the research funder.

Our online submission system guides you through the process steps of entering your manuscript details and uploading your files. The system converts your article files to a single PDF file used in the peer-review process.

Editable files (e.g., Word, LaTeX) are required to typeset your article for final publication. All correspondence, including notification of the editor's decision and requests for revision, is sent by email.

Please follow this link to submit your paper.

If your manuscript is more suitable for an alternative Elsevier journal, you may receive an email asking you to consider transferring your manuscript via the Elsevier Article Transfer Service.

The recommendation could come from the journal editor, a dedicated in-house scientific managing editor, a tool-assisted recommendation or a combination.

If you agree with the recommendation, your manuscript will be transferred and independently reviewed by the editors of the new journal. You will have the opportunity to make revisions, if necessary, before the submission is complete at the destination journal.

Authors will be asked to complete a publishing agreement after acceptance. The corresponding author will receive a link to the online agreement by email. We advise you to read Elsevier's policies related to copyright to learn more about our copyright policies and your, and your employer’s/institution’s, additional rights for subscription and gold open access articles.

Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your gold open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.

We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.

If excerpts from other copyrighted works are included in your article, you must obtain written permission from the copyright owners and credit the source(s) within your article using Elsevier’s permission request and license form (Word).

To ensure a fast publication process we will ask you to provide proof corrections within two days.

Corresponding authors will be sent an email which includes a link to our online proofing system, allowing annotation and correction of proofs online. The environment is similar to Word. You can edit text, comment on figures and tables and answer questions raised by our copy editor. Our web-based proofing service ensures a faster and less error-prone process.

You can choose to annotate and upload your edits on the PDF version of your article, if preferred. We will provide you with proofing instructions and available alternative proofing methods in our email.

The purpose of the proof is to check the typesetting, editing, completeness and correctness of your article text, tables and figures. Significant changes to your article at the proofing stage will only be considered with approval of the journal editor.

A customized Share Link, providing 50 days free access to the final published version of your article on ScienceDirect, will be sent by email to the corresponding author. The Share Link can be used to share your article on any communication channel, such as by email or on social media.

For an extra charge, you will be provided with the option to order paper offprints. A link to an offprint order form will be sent by email when your article is accepted for publication.

A Share Link will not be provided if your article is published gold open access. The final published version of your gold open access article will be openly available on ScienceDirect and can be shared through the article DOI link.

We encourage you to share and promote your article to give additional visibility to your work, enabling your paper to contribute to scientific progress and foster the exchange of scientific developments within your field. Read more about how to responsibly share and promote your article.

If you would like help to improve your submission or navigate the publication process, support is available via Elsevier Researcher Academy.

Elsevier Researcher Academy offers free e-learning modules, webinars, downloadable guides and research writing and peer review process resources.

We recommend that you write in American or British English but not a combination of both.

If you feel the English language in your manuscript requires editing to eliminate possible grammatical or spelling errors and to conform to correct scientific English, you may wish to use the English Language Editing service provided by Elsevier’s Author Services.

We recommend that you visit our Journal Article Publishing Support Center if you have questions about the editorial process or require technical support for your submission. Some popular FAQs:

• How can I track the status of my submitted article?

• When will my article be published?