Design Science Journal FAQs

Please check below if your question is addressed. The FAQ content is updated based on feedback and our growing experience with our constituents. If your question is not addressed here, please send an email to info@designsociety.org.

Who is the publisher and what is the role of the Design Society?

The publisher of Design Science is Cambridge University Press (CUP). The Journal is a collaborative effort between CUP and the Design Society. CUP manages the production and publication of articles and the Design Society supports the generation of content and the article review process through the editorial and authoring activities of its members. This collaboration is inclusive; both the Design Society and CUP welcome possible collaboration with other learned societies that share the Journal’s goals. Interested parties may contact the Design Science Editors- in-Chief (EIC).

What is “gold” open access?

In the gold open access model an article’s content is made freely available on the publisher’s online platform. The published article is referred to as the “Version of Record” (VoR). An article’s VoR is published under a creative commons license that allows others to reuse or republish the content without the explicit permission of the copyright holder.

How does gold open access work for Design Science?

As a ‘gold’ open access journal, Design Science is published without any access restriction and receives no subscription revenue. The costs of publication are instead covered by an Article Publishing Charge (APC) — see relevant FAQ for this. The authors retain the copyright of their Design Science articles. In order to ensure that CUP can report accurate article-level metrics, we encourage authors and other interested parties to link to the published version on the CUP website, rather than to post the full article on their own sites.

What is APC and how is it charged?

The costs of publication are covered by an Article Publishing Charge (APC) levied upon the corresponding author, or his/her funding body or institution. The APC for Design Science shall be set at USD1622 for papers accepted in 2019, with a discounted rate of USD540 for members of the Design Society. Upon acceptance for publication, the corresponding author will be contacted by Rightslink on behalf of Cambridge University Press and will administer the collection of the APC. At that stage, the corresponding author can pay by credit card or arrange for an invoice to be issued to his/her funding body or institution.

Can the APC be waived?

The APC may be waived in specific instances where authors do not have access to appropriate funds. Selected authors may be granted an APC waiver by the Editors-in-Chief. Authors who are unable to pay the APC must request a waiver from the Editor-in-Chief with an explanation in writing after their paper has been accepted. Upon the Editor’s approval, a waiver code shall be provided to the authors, which should be given to Rightslink when they receive the APC payment request.”

What types of papers does Design Science accept?

Design Science publishes the following article types:

• Research articles – the majority of articles, communicating original research
• Review articles – providing a critical review and state-of-the-art on a given topic
• Position papers – occasional articles conveying an opinion on a particular issue
• Design Briefs — shorter communications on design practice
• Letters – short communications typically composing discussion of published work
• Editorials – generally from the editors, and occasionally solicited from guest editors
• Book and product reviews – can include software and actual designs as well as traditional book reviews

How long does it take to publish a paper?

A well-written manuscript should receive an initial publication decision within three months. Delays may occur if the review process includes major revisions. The Editorial Board strives to make publication decisions as quickly as possible, and authors can track the progress of the review process at the ScholarOne website.

Does Design Science have an Impact Factor?

New journals are not allocated an Impact Factor immediately upon publication. Design Science is indexed by Thomson-Reuters in their Web of Science under the Emerging Science Citation Index and in under review for regular ISI, the pre-requisite for attaining an impact factor. The process for allocating an impact factor takes typically two years. The Journal is indexed also by Scopus and Google Scholar.

Is there a page limit for articles?

Papers should be written in a concise manner; though there is no strict page limit, each paper will be judged on its own merits, and those deemed excessive in length will be rejected or will require significant revision. A general rule is that paper length should not exceed the equivalent of 10,000 words including figures and tables. The target for Design Briefs is 3000 word equivalent.

How do I submit a manuscript?

All papers for consideration by Design Science should be submitted online through ScholarOne Manuscripts at http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/designscience. Technical support for the ScholarOne online submission system is available by clicking on the ‘Get Help Now’ link at the top-right corner of each page of the submission site. Any other questions relating to the submission or publication process should be directed to the Design Science Editorial Office via email to assistant@descij.org.

Should I consult with the Editors before submitting a paper to check on its suitability?

Contacting the Editors is not very effective in this respect, as suitability decisions can only be made after reviewing the complete article and possibly further consultation with the Editorial Board. The most efficient way is to make a formal submission to the journal site. There is no “stigma” attached to a paper that is rejected without review because it does not fit the scope of Design Science: It may be a perfect paper for another journal.

How can I become a reviewer?

Additions to the reviewers’ list are made by the CIE and AE. Reviewer volunteers should contact an AE closest to their area of expertise and offer their services. The simplest way to become a reviewer is to submit a successful paper to the journal.

Is there a print version of Design Science?

No. Design Science is published online only, though we will investigate the possibility of a ‘print on demand’ option if there is sufficient interest.