Author Guidelines

1. Introduction

The Journal of the Civil Engineering Forum (JCEF), with registered number ISSN 2549-5925 (online), is a scientific journal published by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada. JCEF is an international journal that covers a wide range of topics related to civil and environmental engineering, as well as natural and man-made disasters. The complete guidelines can be downloaded from the Journal Template provided on the right side of the JCEF-journal portal.

2. Type of Paper

1. Research article: These papers are fully documented, interpreted accounts of significant findings of original research. Subdivided into sections (Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion). Research Papers are limited from 6 to 12 pages (5000-6000 words), excluding references.
2. Review article: These are critical and comprehensive reviews that provide new insights or interpretations of a subject through thorough and systematic evaluation of available evidence. The length of review articles is basically the same as that of research articles.
3. Technical note: Technical notes are shorter than research articles and may be used to describe a new methodology or to present results from new techniques or equipment. A technical note should be around 5 to 8 pages (3000-4000 words), excluding references.
4. Editorial notes: Unlike the 3 types of papers mentioned above, editorial notes do not go through the peer-review process. These are short, timely articles that normally take the form of a ‘letter’ and summarize recent developments in a field without providing an exhaustive review of all the literature.

3. How to Write the Title and Author Information

Formatting for the title and author information should adhere to the provided template. Authors' names should be typed using their initials followed by their last name. Authors should be grouped according to their affiliation. If there is only one co-author, and he/she shares the same affiliation as the first author, use the word "and" to separate their names. Author(s) affiliation should include the following: company/institute/university, city, and country.

4. Submission Guidelines

Manuscript submission should adhere to the following guidelines:

1. The manuscript must present authentic research results that have not been previously published in any other publication media or publishing houses.
2. The manuscript should be free from any elements of plagiarism. The editorial board will reject any text indicating plagiarism.
3. Both the submission and publication processes are free of charge, without any additional fees.
4. The manuscript must be written in English using standard language and should adhere to the provided article template.
5. Manuscripts should be submitted through the Online Submission System using the Open Journal System (OJS) on the JCEF-journal portal. Authors are required to register as an author.
6. Manuscripts that do not adhere to the Journal of the Civil Engineering Forum writing guidelines will be returned to the author before the reviewing process.
7. The manuscript should include the following aspects of a scientific article in the given order: (a) title of the article, (b) author’s name (without academic titles), (c) affiliated author’s address, (d) author’s email, (e) abstract and keywords, (f) introduction, (g) research method, (h) results of the research, (i) discussion of the research findings, (j) conclusion, (k) acknowledgment, (l) references, and (m) appendix(es) if necessary.
8. Words from uncommon or foreign languages should be italicized. Italicize titles of journals or books, Latin words (et al.), and parameters in mathematics except for functions (log, ln, sin, cos, max., d in dx, etc.). Avoid using bold typeface, except to denote vectors in mathematics. Never underline any text.
9. Tables and pictures should be placed close to the first reference to them in the text and numbered consecutively. Explanations should be provided at the foot of the table, not within the table itself.

5. The Main Body of the Manuscript

Title: The title should be informative, brief, and clear, avoiding multiple interpretations. It must precisely address the issues to be discussed. The initial word should be capitalized, and the title should be symmetrically structured. Avoid uncommon abbreviations. Start with the main ideas followed by explanations. The article title should not exceed 10 words in English.

Abstract: A concise and factual abstract is required, ranging from 250 to 300 words. It should briefly state the background, purpose of the research, principal results, and major conclusions.

Keywords: Keywords should be concise and relevant terms or phrases that accurately reflect the main topics, themes, or subjects discussed in the paper. They should be specific yet varied, covering different aspects of the paper's content while using terminology commonly understood in the field. Authors should avoid abbreviations and ensure consistency with the abstract and paper content. Typically, a set of 3-6 keywords is recommended.

Introduction: The introduction must encompass the background and purpose of the study. It should delve into the state of the art by examining existing literature, identifying knowledge gaps, and emphasizing the study's novelty. A concise gap analysis should follow, articulating the study's unique contributions and underscoring its significance. The introduction should culminate with a clear statement of the study's aim, derived from the gap analysis, and a succinct declaration of its potential impact on existing literature or the prevailing situation.

Methods: The methods section should delineate the approach taken to address the research question, detailing the procedures, experimental design justification, and analysis methods. Scientific writing should maintain directness and orderliness. In this section, authors typically employ the simple past tense to describe their study's actions. It is imperative to specify the type of research, detail data collection methods, data selection criteria, and data analysis techniques. Additionally, authors should elucidate any tools or materials utilized and provide rationale for method selection, supported by references.

Result: The results section should exclusively present the study's findings, including data conveyed through tables, charts, graphs, and other figures (which may be interspersed within the research text or placed on a separate page). Provide a contextual analysis of the data, elucidating its significance in sentence form. Ensure that the results section simply states the findings without bias or interpretation, arranged in a logical sequence. Typically, most sentences in the results section will be in the past tense, with some in the present tense, and very few, if any, in the future tense.

Discussion: The purpose of the discussion is to interpret and describe the significance of the study’s findings in light of the existing knowledge about the research problem. It aims to explain any new understanding or fresh insights gained from the study's findings. To achieve this, consider three important suggestions: answer the questions posed in the introduction (central research questions), demonstrate how the answers are supported by the results, and explain how they contribute to the existing body of knowledge about the subject. In the discussion section, it is common to use the past tense to summarize the findings. However, when interpreting the results or describing their significance, the present tense should be used.

Conclusions: The conclusion should be succinctly summarized in one paragraph. It must encapsulate the entire paper and elucidate its main purpose. Key elements to include in the conclusion are: restating the hypothesis or research question; summarizing the major findings; highlighting the study's contribution to the existing literature; acknowledging any limitations encountered during the study; and proposing future research directions or recommendations. 

6. Citations and References

All references used in the article must be from primary sources (scientific journal articles). At least 50% of the journal articles should have been published in the last ten years. The references should be listed in alphabetical order, by the surname of the first author followed by initials. Utilize reference management software such as Mendeley, EndNote, or Zotero. This software allows for the deposition of research data associated with your manuscript in a free-to-use, open-access repository. Please ensure to include the DOI of the deposited dataset(s) in your main manuscript file.

7. Online Submission 

The manuscript must be submitted via the online submission system:

1. Manuscript submission must be done via the online submission system provided on the Journal of the Civil Engineering Forum portal.
2. Authors who do not have a JCEF account must create one before starting their submission process. Ensure to select the "Author" role in the checkbox menu; otherwise, submission cannot proceed.
3. Upon registration, authors should log in as an author and click on “New Submission” to initiate the process. The submission process consists of five stages: (1) Start, (2) Upload Submission, (3) Enter Metadata, (4) Upload Supplementary Files, and (5) Confirmation.
4. In the "Start" column, authors should choose the Journal Section (Full Article) and check all required checklists.
5. In the "Upload Submission" columns, authors should upload the manuscript files in MSWord format.
6. In the "Enter Metadata" columns, authors must provide all author data and affiliations, including the Journal Title, Abstract, and Indexing Keywords.
7. In the "Upload Supplementary Files" columns, authors are allowed  to upload supplementary files, statement letters, or other relevant documents.
8. In the "Confirmation" columns, authors should review all entered data. If everything is correct, click “Finish Submission” to complete the process.
9. Authors facing difficulties during the submission process can contact the Journal of the Civil Engineering Forum editorial team at jcef.ft@ugm.ac.id.

Note: To respond to reviewers, the author must attach the revised manuscript and follow the template provided here

8. Authorship Agreement (for Publishing)

The authors must agree to transfer publishing copyrights of the article to the Journal of the Civil Engineering Forum (JCEF), effective upon its acceptance for publication in JCEF.

The Journal of the Civil Engineering Forum (JCEF), its Editorial Teams, and Peer-Reviewers make every effort to ensure that no wrong or misleading data, opinions, or statements are published in the journal. However, the contents of the articles and advertisements published in the Journal of the Civil Engineering Forum (JCEF) are the sole and exclusive responsibility of their respective authors and advertisers.

An Authorship Agreement should be included in the Supplementary files and can be downloaded from here.