International Journal Of Machine Tool Design And Research Impact Factor

Journal cover for International Journal of Machine Tools and Manufacture

ISSN: 0890-6955

International Journal of Machine Tools and Manufacture

Guidance for Review Papers

January 2018

Review papers are high scholarly contributions articles written by experts who not only know very well the research and technical developments in the field but also are able to critically examine the state-of-the-art and express informed views and provide guidance/ideas of future developments of the research topic.

If you are considering writing a review paper, please take into consideration the following:

The International Journal of Machine Tools and Manufacture has a new policy on review papers and before submission, potential authors should contact the Editor-in-Chief to ensure the proposed review article is within the within the current aims and scope of the IJMTM.
Contact the Editor-in-Chief and provide: (i) the title of the review paper; (ii) a detailed reason why, in the light of the state of the art, the review is needed; (iii) a brief description of the contents of the paper including, chapter titles.
The Editor-in-Chief will evaluate the proposal and contact the authors with a decision on the matter. If the authors are invited to submit a full review paper, some preliminary feedback will be provided.

The following general guidance is provided for authors considering writing a review paper:

Although this type of paper deals with a research area it is scholarly. It is based on the author(s)' knowledge and learning not necessarily on the author(s)' research. It demonstrates the great depth of knowledge and understanding of the author(s), in a particular subject area.
The subject dealt with should be one which, through research, has reached an identifiable state of maturity
A significant body of knowledge should be available about the subject.
The subject should not be too broad. If it is then a text book probably would be the most suitable means of presenting it
The paper should include references to all relevant published work world-wide. Typically, papers contain at least 70 to 150 references, depending on the subject area
Figures and tables, taken from past papers, (suitably acknowledged) should be used to illustrate major points made in the text
The paper should not contain detailed standard bookwork. Standard bookwork should be used only to demonstrate advances from it
An 'Introduction" should be included to explain to the reader the background to the subject area (how it has developed historically and its importance to the modern industrial world). The section should end by explaining why the author(s) have written the paper and how they have dealt with the subject area
Do not deal with the whole subject chronologically.
Identify topics and sub-topics that are aligned with main elements of the research topic. For example, a paper on precision forging could contain sub-categories; 'requirements of accuracy', 'tool design', 'forging machines', etc. Note that each sub-category should include references to previous work which has had a significant bearing on the subject.
The content of the paper needs to be academically inquisitive, make a critical analysis of the research. Avoid neutral/observational comments that only state what the cited work has reported but go beyond and identify research gaps, limitations and opportunities for further research.
The paper should end with a section in which the state-of-the art is summarized and future trends in research highlighted.