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Physical Review Physics Education Research

Publishing Guidelines

Thank you for your interest in Physical Review Physics Education Research, a fully open access, peer reviewed journal covering the full array of experimental and theoretical research relating to the teaching and learning of physics.

This page guides you through all the steps in the peer-review process, from submission to publication.

Before you submit, be sure to:

To check the status of your paper at any time, visit the APS Manuscript Status page. You will need your manuscript’s 7-digit Accession Code and the last name of one of the first three authors on your paper.

If you need help with any aspect of the publishing process, please including those published in APS Open Science. APS Help.

Prepare Your Manuscript

The guidelines listed here for preparing your paper for submission are similar across all Physical Review journals. For your convenience, these links take you to specific submission guidelines for Physical Review Physics Education Research:

Article Types and Length Limits

Physical Review Physics Education Research offers the following Article Types:

Research Articles (no length limit)

Original research articles that meet Physical Review Physics Education Research’s editorial criteria and scope. Although there is no length limit, the appropriate length for a given article depends on the information it contains.

Review Articles (no length limit)

Review Articles describe research of topical interest to the journal’s readers. They offer in-depth treatment of the presented research area, survey recent work, and provide an introduction accessible to researchers new to an area, or to nonspecialists.

Comments and Replies (length limit: 3500 words)

Comments criticique or correct papers by other authors that were previously published in Physical Review Physics Education Research. Each Comment should contain an abstract and should state clearly the paper to which it refers. See more details about Comments.

Erratum

An Erratum notifies readers about errors or omissions in previously published papers. See more details about Errata in the Policies and Practices.

Visit this Length Guide for information about length limits for all articles published in the Physical Review journals.

Writing the Paper

Audience

Your manuscript should be written for researchers who investigate topics related to the teaching and learning of physics and should avoid unfamiliar terminology.

Relevant context

The key results of the paper should be properly contextualized with regard to related literature. Material previously published in an abbreviated form—such as a Letter or a conference proceeding—may provide a useful basis for a more detailed article. Such an article should present considerably more information than contained in the abbreviated publication, and it should lead to a substantially improved understanding of the subject. Publication of ongoing work in a series of papers should be avoided in favor of a single comprehensive article.

Article Templates

A PDF version of your paper is all that’s needed for it to be sent for peer review. However, submitting properly formatted source files in LaTeX (preferred) or Microsoft Word simplifies peer-review because information from your paper can be more easily extracted. These source files also allow your paper to be rapidly prepared for publication if accepted. Source files will be converted to a PDF on submission.

Templates Available in Overleaf

Authors who use the online LaTeX editor Overleaf can use APS-approved templates for authoring and submitting their manuscripts. Search for “Physical Review” under Templates. When you’re done authoring, click on “Submit to APS” on the top of the page and choose from the options to export your paper.

Style and Formatting

General

Detailed information on style and formatting is available at APS Journals Style Guide. These Style Basics offer essential tips on formatting and styling the following sections of your paper:

Physical Review Physics Education Research-Specific Style and Formatting

Titles in references

Physical Review Physics Education Research strongly encourages authors to include titles for all references as an aid to the reader and to improve the accuracy of online searches. Authors who elect to use titles in references should use titles in all references.

Footnote comments

Authors may provide short commentary in footnotes at the bottom of the page on which they are cited. Designate them with superscript numbers consecutively throughout the text.

Language Editing Services

All articles in the Physical Review journals are published in American English. APS has partnered with Editage to offer the following Language Editing Author Services:

  • English language editing
  • Translation services
  • Plain language summaries

Author Names

Authors with Chinese, Japanese, or Korean names may choose to have their names published in their native language alongside the English versions of their names in the author list of their publications. See Information About Author Names for details on how to prepare your manuscript.

Accessibility Requirements

APS complies with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, which make online content accessible to the broadest readership possible. Articles published online should meet the following guidelines:

  • Clear and easy-to-read figures in accessible color palettes
  • Use of words or symbols (instead of color) to provide meaning
  • Descriptive links

Supplemental Material

Supplemental Material is useful information that is not essential to understanding an article’s main results, such as

  • Multimedia files
  • Parameters used in or produced by calculations
  • Details of sample preparation
  • Derivations of equations

Refer to the following guidelines when preparing Supplemental Material:

Content

Referencing Supplemental Material

APS stores all Supplemental Material files for a published paper as a single deposit with a dedicated URL. Authors should cite the Supplemental Material in the paper’s reference list and explain its content as follows:

See Supplemental Material at [URL will be inserted by publisher] for [give brief description of material].

Incorporating references in Supplemental Material

All references cited in the Supplemental Material should be listed in the reference section of the main text.

For editorial policies and more details about preparing and depositing Supplemental Material, see Supplemental Material Instructions.

Joint Submissions

Authors are welcome to submit two or more related or complementary papers to the same journal or to different Physical Review journals. These Joint Submissions enable authors to reach a wider audience and to take advantage of multiple formats across the Physical Review family of journals. For example, you can submit a Letter to Physical Review Letters and a longer Regular Article with more detail to Physical Review Physics Education Research. In all cases, the longer article should present considerably more (or different) information than contained in the abbreviated publication, and it should lead to a substantially improved understanding of the subject. Some duplication of figures, tables, and text material will often be appropriate, but should be limited and must be properly referenced.

The editors coordinate the handling of Joint Submissions, which usually means that they will be reviewed by one or more of the same referees. (See Editorial Supplemental Material or Joint Submission?) If accepted, publication of the two papers will usually also be coordinated. If only one of the papers is accepted for publication, the editors will advise the authors on how to proceed. Authors may, for example, be offered the opportunity to combine the two manuscripts into a single one, or to transfer the short manuscript to a different Physical Review journal as a separate publication.

To ensure your papers are handled as Joint Submissions, please clearly indicate your intention in the Cover Letter of all the relevant submissions.

Cover Letter

The cover letter is an opportunity to explain why the manuscript is appropriate for the journal. It should include the following:

  • Context of the results
  • Summary of key findings
  • Relevant submission history at Physical Review, including another paper that is part of a joint submission
  • Any recommended or excluded referees

Additional Materials

Physical Review Physics Education Research does not require additional materials beyond what is mentioned above.

Data Availability Statements

All published articles must include a Data Availability Statement (DAS) that explains whether and how authors are sharing their data. Authors are asked to enter a complete data availability statement during the submission process, including relevant citations.

See Guidelines for Data Availability Statements in Physical Review.

Appropriate Use of AI Tools

AI tools may be used to assist with aspects of research and manuscript preparation, but AI tools cannot replace authors’ expertise, judgment, or accountability. An AI program cannot be held accountable and cannot be listed as an author. Authors are fully responsible for accuracy and must review and refine all AI-generated content. Moreover, they must disclose in the paper any substantive uses of AI. Prior to submitting a manuscript, authors should review the APS Journals policies on the Appropriate Use of AI Tools, and authors must ensure they comply with the guidelines on use, disclosure, and rights protection.

Peer Review

All APS journals follow the single-anonymized peer review procedures outlined in the Editorial Policies and Practices.

Comments and Replies

Comments are generally processed according to the following procedure.

  • The Comment is sent to the authors of the critiqued work for their reaction. The authors of the object paper are not asked to review the Comment as anonymous referees. Rather, they are asked for a written opinion on the Comment that is suitable for transmission to the Comment’s authors. Authors of the object paper may recommend that the manuscript be accepted, be accepted after revision, or be rejected.
  • After suitable exchanges between the involved parties, the Comment (and Reply, if any) and relevant correspondence are sent to at least one uninvolved expert for anonymous review. If the referee recommends acceptance, and the authors of the object paper have not already submitted a Reply, these authors are given the opportunity to submit a Reply to the Comment. The Reply will also be reviewed, usually by the same uninvolved expert, but is not guaranteed acceptance for publication. If the Comment meets our criteria, it will be published whether or not a Reply is published.
  • When both the Comment and Reply are accepted for publication, the authors of the Comment are sent a copy of the Reply for their information, but they should not alter the Comment unless requested to do so by the editors. The Comment and Reply are usually published in the same issue of the journal, with the Reply immediately following the Comment. If there is undue delay in the preparation and review of the Reply, the Comment may be published before the Reply.”

Responding to Referee Reports

These standard tips will help you respond effectively to a referee report.

When resubmitting your paper in response to a positive editorial invitation, check the following to ensure your paper can be quickly prepared for publication if it’s accepted.

  • Equations are accurate.
  • Author names and bylines, Acknowledgment statements, and Author Contribution statements align with Physical Review Policies and Practices.
  • The byline footnote provides the email address of the post-publication contact author (or authors), as follows: *Contact author: author@email.com.
  • All authors who want to link their ORCID iDs have provided them. When a new paper is submitted, APS provides authors with a link to verify their iDs and associate them with the paper. If you’ve misplaced this link, you can contact the journal to resend it.

Time Frame for Resubmission

Resubmitting your article as soon as possible ensures the timely sharing of your results. The recommended time frame for submission is three to four weeks, but articles requiring more extensive revisions may take longer.

Resubmit or Transfer Your Paper

The APS portfolio provides many publishing options and welcomes the transfer of a manuscript between journals. If a manuscript is not suitable for publication at a given APS journal, the editors aim to support authors by suggesting another journal or journals, provided a suitable option exists. See the APS Journals policies on Transfers Between Journals to learn how editors determine the recommended transfer journals and what your options are for transfer.

To resubmit or transfer your paper, go to the APS Submission Server.

When resubmitting or transferring your paper, please provide the following:

  • The most recent version of your manuscript without mark-ups or highlights
  • A point-by-point response to the most recent set of peer review reports, if reports were obtained
  • A list of changes you have made since the last submission
  • A PDF version of your manuscript that highlights any changes you have made since the last submission
  • A revised cover letter: If you are transferring your paper in response to an explicit invitation, please be sure to mention the offer in your cover letter.

If you are requesting to add or remove an author from the paper, please see the Editorial Policy and Practice on adding or removing authors.

After Acceptance

Proofreading and Copyediting

APS partners with external vendors to copyedit and format accepted papers according to the APS Journals Style Guide and in collaboration with the relevant journal’s Editorial Team. This service improves the quality of papers by ensuring they are clear and readable, and that they carry the signature Physical Review brand.

Proofs

Authors should expect to see proofs of their manuscript with marked changes within approximately two weeks of acceptance. Proofs are sent to the Corresponding Author, who is responsible for coordinating changes with all authors and directing them to the production vendor.

Proof corrections

The production process generally requires two rounds of proofs; more rounds may be necessary for lengthy papers or papers that deviate significantly from Physical Review style.

Production status

Authors can find the status of their paper on the APS Manuscript Status page. You’ll need your 7-digit Accession Code and the last name of one of the first three authors on the paper.

Common Proof Corrections

The Important Notice to Authors provides essential instructions on how to check your proof. Authors should check the following:

Author names

Are they all present, in the correct order, and spelled correctly?

ORCID iDs

Do the links go to the correct records? To avoid delays, APS does not add ORCIDs to papers after the first set of proofs is returned.

Funder information

Review grant numbers for accuracy.

Equations and tables

APS converts the original source file to XML, which is used to create the online version and the PDF. This conversion works well for most cases, but please check equations and tables carefully.

Post-publication contact author

Ensure there is a byline footnote giving the email address of the author to whom correspondence should be addressed (Contact author: author@email.com).

Post-Publication Corrections and Changes

The journals offer a variety of ways to correct the scientific record after publication, including Corrections and Author Name Changes. Visit the Post Publication section of the Policies and Practices for details.

Promotion and Engagement

APS helps authors promote their work to peers in the research community and to the general public.

Opportunities for Visibility

Author Summaries

Editors’ Suggestions

The Physical Review Physics Education Research editors select papers as Editors’ Suggestions to direct readers to interesting, important, and well-written articles in areas of research beyond their usual interests. Papers selected for Editors’ Suggestions benefit from extra promotion on the main journal website, on social media, and in email alerts.

Social media

The Physical Review Physics Education Research editors share all articles on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PhysRevPER .

Physics Magazine

Physics Magazine provides daily news and commentary about a selection of papers from the Physical Review collection, including those published in Physical Review Physics Education Research.

Press Office and Embargo Policy

APS issues a weekly tip sheet for reporters that highlights upcoming newsworthy research from the APS portfolio of journals. Unless otherwise noted, papers submitted to APS journals are not embargoed. Visit this information page about the APS Press Office to find out more about the tip sheet and the APS Embargo Policy.

Publication Charges and Reprints

The APS journals provide authors with an online, web-based interface, SciPris™, to pay for various author charges, including article publication charges, charges for color figures, and reprints. Upon acceptance, authors will receive a unique link to the SciPris™ platform.

Article Publication Charge Pricing

For more information about APCs in the hybrid and fully open-access Physical Review journals, see APC Pricing.

Color Figures Charges

Color figures are free for the online version of any article.

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