Manuscript Guidance and Submission Instructions

ARTICLES

Basic Preparation Before Submission

Regarding subject matter for articles submitted for peer-review, JoSS accepts original, creative, previously unpublished articles that address one or more of our technical topic areas listed at: www.jossonline.com/about.

Three other critical sources of information regarding your duties as an Author and related instructions include: the JoSS Guidelines for Authors, which outlines your duties as an Author; the JoSS Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement (PEMS), which concerns the standards and expectations to which JoSS holds its Authors; and the  Initial Submission Template .pdf file for reference, which provides detailed instructions for formatting your text and References.

Manuscript Preparation: Four Steps

STEP 1: Follow Instructions in the Appropriate Template

To assist JoSS Technical Editors and peer Reviewers, Authors are requested to prepare their manuscripts following the guidelines and formatting templates provided in our  JoSS Initial Submission Template (.pdf/.doc). (A pdf file is included for permanent reference; a Word file is included for optional use with your text.)

Alternatively, for those interested in submitting a LaTeX file manuscript, please refer to these documents:
LaTeX Help
JoSS LaTeX Article Submission Template
LaTeX Bibliography Template
(JoSS is indebted to Thomas R. P. Heine, Derek Dalle, and Paul Bucksch for their contributions in developing and providing LaTeX template files for use by this publication.)

Special Notes:

  • As stated in these templates, the original manuscript submission must be no longer than 20 pages in total length, in double-spaced, single-column format to facilitate Reviewers’ reading and commenting on the manuscript. Font style and size, heading format, margins and other details are described in the Template.
  • Please do not embed reference links for in-text cites or footnotes, and carefully follow formatting examples, including citation formatting in the References section, as provided in the Template.

  • It is the Author’s responsibility to ensure that all references and cited correctly and accurately, bearing in mind that the purpose is to lead the reader directly to the source of the cited information.

  • JoSS reserves the right to return articles to the Author that have not been properly formatted.

(Note also that after review and acceptance, manuscripts will be re-formatted per JoSS layout specifications by our staff.)

STEP 2: Checklist for Preparing Your Submission Package

Your complete submission package consists of:

  • Cover letter, containing the following elements:
    • Title and JoSS Topic Area of your manuscript
    • Statement that you have read and understood the JoSS Author Guidelines, the JoSS PEMS, and the Submission Instructions and Template. Your submission will be returned, if your paper has not been formatted consistently with this latter document.
    • Identification and contact information of the Corresponding Author, to be published with the article
    • Conflict of Interest statement
    • List of Co-Authors, a brief phrase clearly attesting to each one’s role and/or contribution as a co-author, and contact email addresses (Though only that of the Corresponding Author will be published, this provides back-up contact points and constitutes express permission to include Co-Authors on the JoSS email list for the JoSS Bulletin (JB)); 
  • Your manuscript, in pdf file format (editable file format will be required after acceptance);
  • The Copyright Transfer form, completed and signed; and
  • the Permission Request form, if any part of your article has been previously published elsewhere.
STEP 3: Submit Your Manuscript

Preferred: Send your submission package electronically in pdf file format attachments to editor@jossonline.org (cc to: houlahan@jossonline.org).

For mailing assistance regarding these instructions please contact us at:

Journal of Small Satellites (JoSS)
c/o A. Deepak Publishing
21 Enterprise Parkway, Suite 150
Hampton, VA 23666 US

Step 4: Include Co-Authors on the JoSS Mailing List!

Finally, please note that all authors, including co-authors, should go to www.jossonline.com and subscribe to JoSS, to receive direct notifications of the publication of their work!