IEEE Photonics Journal

Starting July 2021, papers are published in the IEEE two-column format. A template is available to guide Authors in the preparation of the manuscript and in estimating the total number of pages. Click here for the IEEE Template Selector. 

Manuscripts are submitted in *PDF or in Microsoft Word form for review, and in LaTex for later processing by IEEE publications. Authors can submit supplemental multimedia files, such as animation, movies, data sets, sound files, and other forms of enhanced, multi-media content. Authors are encouraged to use high-quality color graphics. In addition, Authors can store their data in IEEE DataPort https://ieee-dataport.org.

The Journal uses a ‘Graphic Abstract’ as the cover page, and Authors are required to submit one piece of artwork or identify a figure in the paper that best describes the results of their work. 

The use of artificial intelligence (AI)–generated text in an article shall be disclosed in the acknowledgments section of any paper submitted to an IEEE Conference or Periodical. The sections of the paper that use AI-generated text shall have a citation to the AI system used to generate the text.

IEEE Tools for Authors offers a reference validation tool to check the format and completeness of references. Analyze your article’s LaTeX files prior to submission to avoid delays in publishing. The IEEE LaTeX Analyzer will identify potential setbacks such as incomplete files or different versions of LaTeX. The use of these tools simplifies the copy-editing process which in turn reflects into a faster time-to-publication. 

English language editing services can help refine the language of your article and reduce the risk of rejection without review. IEEE Authors are eligible for discounts at several language editing services; visit IEEE Author Center to learn more. Please note these services are fee-based and do not guarantee acceptance.

All IEEE Journals require an Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID) for all Authors. ORCID is a persistent unique identifier for researchers and functions similarly to an article’s Digital Object Identifier (DOI). ORCIDs enable accurate attribution and improved discoverability of an Author’s published work. Researchers can sign up for an ORCID for free via an easy registration process on orcid.org. Learn more at http://orcid.org/content/about-orcid or in a video at https://vimeo.com/97150912. Authors who do not have an ORCID in their ScholarOne user account will be prompted to provide one during submission.

Author submissions are done through the IEEE Author Portal. Click here to the IEEE Author Portal. 

The login and password for IEEE Photonics Technology Letters, IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, IEEE/Optic Publishing Group Journal of Light Wave Technology, or IEEE Journal of Display Technologies will also work on the IEEE Photonics Journal IEEE Author Portal site. 

Submissions are reviewed by the Editorial Office for completeness and language proficiency. Submissions that are deficient will be sent back to the Authors. Articles are screened for plagiarism before being sent for review. 

During the submission process, Authors select one of the 12 Technical Areas that best identifies the subject of their paper, and the manuscript is assigned to the corresponding Senior Editor (SE).

Authors are encouraged to suggest an Associate Editor (AE) to handle the review process. The Editor in Chief (EiC) will consider this suggestion, however, he/she reserves the option to use other AEs based on their loads. The file of the AE’s names and their area of expertise is available in the IEEE Author Portal https://ieee.atyponrex.com/journal/pj-ieee in the ‘Instructions and Forms’ tab. 

Upon submission, your manuscript will be checked for formal template compliance before the Senior Editor examines the paper for scope compliance, language proficiency, as well as basic technical content and novelty. Out-of-scope papers, as well as papers of insufficient technical content or quality, may be immediately rejected upon consultation within the Editorial Board. Additional information on the journal scope and topic categories can be found here https://ieeephotonics.org/publications/photonics-journal/.

After passing these initial editorial steps, the Senior Editor assigns your manuscript to an Associate Editor who is an expert in the respective paper’s topic area. Authors also have the opportunity to suggest a preferred Associate Editor (or to exclude certain Associate Editors as “non-preferred”) upon submission. We will always honor non-preferred Associate Editor selections if these are based on clear precedence that could lead to a potentially biased review process. (The mere fact that an Associate Editor may also be a competitor working in the exact same field as your paper is not a reason for exclusion.) We will try to honor preferred Associate Editor choices, but only if your preferences make technical sense and if the current Associate Editor workload permits the assignment.

The Associate Editor selects a minimum of two reviewers who are experts in the field of your paper. Authors can track the status of their submission at any time through their Author Portal. Please note that all technical work performed in this paper handling process, including all work performed by the Editor-in-Chief, the Senior Editors, the Associate Editors, and the Reviewers, is based on volunteers. While we constantly strive to keep reviewing times to a minimum, we place strong emphasis on technical quality. The average turn-around time (from submission to decision) is currently about 77 days.

PJ allows for one revision cycle. Should your manuscript require more than one revision, it may be rejected, but you are encouraged to resubmit so you can fully address all reviewer concerns.

Once accepted, your paper will be placed on-line in the queue for the journal within 2-3 days. At that point it can be fully referenced using the digital object identifier (DOI), even if it hasn’t yet appeared in a printed issue.

The articles in this journal are peer reviewed in accordance with the requirements set forth in the
IEEE Publication Services and Products Board Operations Manual (https://pspb.ieee.org/images/files/files/opsmanual.pdf, section 8.2.2). Each published article is reviewed by a minimum of two independent reviewers using a single-anonymous process, where the identities of the reviewers are not known to the authors, but the reviewers know the identities of the authors. Articles will be screened for plagiarism before acceptance.

Appeals must be directed to the EiC, in the form of a letter that clearly explains the rationale for the appeal. The submitted documentation should also include a copy of the rejection letter and of the reviews. The IEEE appeal process calls for the establishment of an independent group of evaluators that will review the Authors’ rebuttal, the decision of the AE, and the Reviewers comments. The process takes on average 6-8 weeks. Once the EiC has reached a decision, it will be communicated to the authors by email.

Publishing within IEEE is governed by Principles of Scholarly publishing developed in 2007 and found at:
http://www.ieee.org/web/publications/rights/PublishingPrinciples.html

IEEE Statement on the Appropriate use of Bibliometrics:
https://www.ieee.org/publications/rights/bibliometrics-statement.html