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Communications

Communications in Soft Matter contain novel scientific work of such importance and interest that rapid publication is required. Communications are concise and should not exceed four journal pages (~2000 words) in length; they may be accompanied by supplementary material. Communications start with a brief unreferenced abstract and do not contain any section headings. A short justification statement must be included with the submission outlining why the work merits rapid publication.

Full papers

Full papers in Soft Matter present original, high quality primary research that has not been previously published. Full papers start with a brief unreferenced abstract and contain an introduction, results and discussion, experimental, and notes and references sections. A short justification statement must be included with the submission outlining why the study will appeal to the broad, interdisciplinary readership of the journal, and what fundamental issues it addresses.

Reviews

The purpose of a Review is to bring the reader up to date with research in a particular field. Since the readership of Soft Matter is wide ranging, it is essential that the Review is easily comprehensible to a non-specialist in the field. Authors are encouraged to identify areas in the field where further developments are imminent or of urgent need, and any areas (such as techniques) that may be of significance to the soft matter community in general. Please note that Reviews in Soft Matter may NOT contain any original research.

Tutorial reviews

Tutorial reviews should provide detailed discussions of techniques, methods, and protocols of important topics relevant to the journal readership. The article should be particularly appealing and accessible to both early-stage researchers and established researchers seeking new fields to explore. Tutorial reviews should have a pedagogical focus and include best practices in the covered field. They may cover topics that would otherwise be considered as advanced textbook knowledge. Authors are encouraged to ensure all data associated with these manuscripts are Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR), enabling other researchers to replicate and build on that research.

Perspectives

Perspectives are invited contributions offering the personal viewpoint of leading scientists in their area of research. They present a state-of-the-art account of an area of current interest with an emphasis on future challenges and opportunities. Perspectives should be comprehensible to a broad scientific audience. There are no strict length requirements, but as a general guide Perspectives should be typically between 6 - 20 pages in length. Perspectives should not contain any unpublished research.

Comments and Replies

Comments and Replies are a medium for the discussion and exchange of scientific opinions between authors and readers concerning material published in Soft Matter.

For publication, a Comment should present an alternative analysis of and/or new insight into the previously published material. Any Reply should further the discussion presented in the original article and the Comment. Comments and Replies that contain any form of personal attack are not suitable for publication. 

Comments that are acceptable for publication will be forwarded to the authors of the work being discussed, and these authors will be given the opportunity to submit a Reply. The Comment and Reply will both be subject to rigorous peer review in consultation with the journal’s Editorial Board where appropriate. The Comment and Reply will be published together.