Author Guidelines

About the Journal

Prestress Technology is an open-access international academic journal that publishes high-quality original research results related to prestress technology in multiple disciplines, including transportation engineering, civil and architectural engineering, energy and petrochemical engineering, and other related fields. The journal aims to become a vital platform for academic exchange and achievement display in the field of prestress technology.

Scope

The journal welcomes high-quality original research articles, reviews, letters, and technical reports in the following areas:

• Fundamental theory and applied research of prestress technology
• Application of new materials, new structures, and new products in prestress engineering
• Prestress technology in transportation engineering
• Prestress technology in civil and architectural engineering
• Prestress technology in energy and petrochemical engineering
• Inspection, monitoring, and strengthening technologies for prestressed structures
• Cutting-edge achievements in other related interdisciplinary fields

Submission Requirements

Originality: Manuscripts must be original, not previously published domestically or internationally, and free from academic misconduct such as duplicate submission, plagiarism, or fabrication.

Quality: The content should be factual, scientifically sound, with precise observations and calculations, logical arguments, fluent writing, and clear illustrations.

Length: The main text should be within 10,000 words (including figures and tables).

Language: Manuscripts can be submitted in English. All articles must include an English title, abstract, and keywords. Chinese manuscripts are acceptable but must also provide English title, abstract, and keywords.

Format: Academic papers should include an abstract, introduction, main text, conclusions, and references. Please refer to the "Paper Template" available on the journal's website for detailed formatting guidelines.

Submission Methods

Authors can submit manuscripts via the following two methods:

• Online Submission System: Visit the journal website https://ptmc.tongji.edu.cn and use the "Author Submission System".
• Email Submission: Send the manuscript to the editorial office at pt@tongji.edu.cn.

Upon receipt, the editorial office will conduct an initial review to check whether the topic fits the journal's scope and whether the basic writing meets the requirements. Manuscripts that fail the initial review will be rejected; those that pass will enter the peer review stage. During this period (within one month), authors must not submit the manuscript to other journals.

Peer Review Process

The journal employs a rigorous peer review system as follows:

• Initial Review: The handling editor checks the topic, originality, and basic formatting. Qualified manuscripts are sent for expert review.
• Peer Review: At least two independent experts in the relevant field conduct a double-blind review. The review period is typically 2-3 weeks.
• Final Decision: The Editor-in-Chief or Editorial Board makes the final decision (accept, minor revisions, major revisions, or reject) based on the reviewers' comments.

The time from submission to first decision is usually 4-6 weeks. Authors can check the status of their manuscript via the submission system or email.

Authorship and Author Information

Authorship: Authors must be the principal writers or primary responsible persons for the content. All authors must meet the ICMJE authorship criteria, having made substantial contributions to the work and being accountable for it.

Author Information: The following information for all authors must be provided after the main text:

• Full name (date of birth)
• 2-inch passport-style photo (electronic)
• Title and degree
• Affiliation (for universities, please specify department)
• Main technical work area
• Key academic achievements

Corresponding Author: The first author or corresponding author should also provide a detailed mailing address, telephone number, and email address for editorial correspondence.

Funding Information

For research supported by funding agencies, the fund name and grant number should be listed at the end of the manuscript (after the references). Multiple funding sources should be listed sequentially.

Recommended Reviewers

Authors may recommend 1-2 expert reviewers in the relevant field (not from the same institution as the authors), providing their names, affiliations, email addresses, and areas of expertise. The editorial office will consider but is not obliged to follow these recommendations.

Revision and Proofreading

The editorial office reserves the right to make technical and stylistic changes to manuscripts. Substantive changes require the author's consent. Accepted manuscripts will be sent to the author for final proofreading before publication, and authors must return the proof within the given time.

Publication Ethics and Misconduct

The journal follows the Core Practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). All submissions are screened for plagiarism using iThenticate or similar tools. Manuscripts with a similarity rate exceeding 10% will be rejected. The journal has a zero-tolerance policy toward duplicate submission, data fabrication, inappropriate authorship, and other forms of research misconduct. Detailed measures are described in the Publication Ethics and Research Misconduct Policy.

Open Access, Copyright, and License

Open Access Model: The journal is open access, meaning all articles are freely available to readers immediately upon publication.

License: Articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). Under this license, authors retain copyright, and anyone is permitted to share and adapt the work, provided proper attribution is given to the original authors and source.

Submission Implies Authorization (Important): By submitting a manuscript to the journal, authors acknowledge and agree to the following terms:

• Retention of Copyright: Authors retain full copyright of their work.
• Grant of License: Authors grant the journal a non-exclusive, worldwide license to reproduce, distribute, display, and disseminate the work in print and electronic formats. The journal may include the work in its website, indexing databases (e.g., Crossref, DOAJ, Scopus), and archiving systems (e.g., CLOCKSS).
• Open Access License: Upon acceptance, the work will be published under the CC BY 4.0 license.
• Originality Warranty: Authors warrant that the work is original, not submitted elsewhere, and free from plagiarism, data fabrication, or other misconduct.
• Liability: Authors assume full responsibility for any intellectual property disputes arising from the work.

If authors do not agree to these terms, please do not submit.

Article Processing Charges

The journal currently does not charge article processing charges (APCs). All publishing costs are borne by the sponsoring institution, Tongji University.