Scope

Optics and Photonics Research is a peer-reviewed open access journal dedicated to publishing original research, reviews, perspectives, communications, and commentaries across all areas of photonics and optical science. As the field of photonics continues to drive innovations in various sectors, the demand for understanding and advancing photonic technologies has never been more critical. From fundamental research to real-world applications, photonics and optical research play a pivotal role in shaping the future of communication, sensing, imaging, and energy. Key areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Integrated photonics
• Optical communications
• Advanced imaging and sensing
• Nonlinear and quantum optics
• Nanophotonics and metamaterials
• Biophotonics and medical optics
• Laser systems and applications
• Photonics for energy and sustainability
• Plasmonics and surface-enhanced spectroscopy
• Optical computing and information processing
• Terahertz photonics
• Photonic materials and devices
• Ultrafast optics
• Emerging photonic technologies

Publication Frequency

The journal publishes quarterly. Articles are published online immediately upon acceptance.

Peer Review Policy

All the papers published in Optics and Photonics Research are rigorously peer reviewed with at least two review reports received.

Peer Review Model

Optics and Photonics Research uses the double-blind review process, which means that both the authors' and the reviewers' identities are hidden from each other during the review process.

The Editorial Procedure

The manuscript undergoes a stringent evaluation first by the journal's editorial office to ensure it meets the basic requirements of the journal compared to the submission checklist. Then, the editorial office assigns it to the Editor-in-Chief. The Editor-in-Chief prescreens the submission and assigns the paper to a handling editor, who checks whether it meets the publication standards and invites reviewers. After that, the handling editor collects at least two review reports and makes a decision recommendation. The Editor-in-Chief then makes the final decision. The handling editor can be either an Associate Editor or an Editorial Board Member. Typically, at most two rounds of revision are allowed. The Editor-in-Chief or the handling editor has the option to reject the paper at any stage.

The journal publishes special issues. Normally, the peer review process for these special issues is organized similarly to that of regular papers. If the guest editor is the handling editor, the guest editor only makes a decision recommendation, and the final decision is made by the Editor-in-Chief

Decision after Review and Revision

Generally, the decisions after review and revision would include the following:

• Acceptance
• Minor revision
• Moderate revision
• Major revision
• Reject but encourage resubmission
• Reject but resubmission is not encouraged

Adjudication

In case the reviewer receives reports with opposing views, an editorial board member with relevant expertise would adjudicate. The board member would make a recommendation after considering the reviewers’ comments, and then would make an editorial decision.

Appeal a Rejection

The author has the right to appeal the rejection within one month. The author should provide a detailed rebuttal to address the reviewer’s criticism.

Article Processing Charges

The APC (Article Processing Charges) is 300 USD per paper. ELSP will waive the APC for the authors from 2024 to 2026.

Publication Ethics

Optics and Photonics Research maintains the highest standard of publication and research ethics. Authors are expected to comply with Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) publication standards.

Duplicate submission/publication

Duplicate submission or publication refers to the act of submitting or publishing the same work in more than one place. This practice is generally considered unethical in academic and professional settings. Please note that translated works without permission or notification are also considered duplication. Duplicate submission/publication is not allowed.

Redundant publication

Redundant publication includes “Salami Slicing” and “Self-Plagiarism”. “Salami Slicing” typically refers to dividing a single study into multiple smaller parts and submitting each part as a separate publication. While each part may be valid on its own, the practice is considered ethically questionable when the parts are published separately without a clear scientific rationale. “Self-Plagiarism” that is reusing substantial portions of one's own previously published work without proper citation or acknowledgment is also considered a form of redundant publication. Authors should always disclose if they are building upon or reusing their own prior work.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism detection is performed at ELSP using the iThenticate—Crossref Similarity Checking tool. This web-based tool is employed in the editorial process to identify potential text plagiarism. It's important to note that while iThenticate can identify matching text, it cannot independently determine whether plagiarism has occurred. Manual examination of the matching text is still necessary, and judgment must be exercised to ascertain the presence or absence of plagiarism. The similarity report might be sent to the author for revision whenever needed.

Data fabrication including image manipulation

Data fabrication refers to the act of inventing, altering, or falsifying data or results in research, experiments, or any form of data-driven work including manipulating images like micrographs, gels, radiological images. This unethical practice undermines the integrity of scientific, academic, and professional endeavors, as it misrepresents the truth and can lead to inaccurate conclusions or interpretations. Authors are expected to adhere to strict ethical standards when collecting, analyzing, and presenting data. Fabricating data can have severe consequences, including damage to one's reputation, loss of credibility, and potential legal or professional consequences. ELSP would follow the guidelines of COPE in handling suspected data fabrication cases in published papers and submitted papers.

Authorship problems

The authorship problems usually would be detected following the COPE guidelines:
How to spot authorship problems
How to recognise potential authorship problems
Usually, authorship problems involve guest, ghost, or gift authors, and author changes during the manuscript processing period or after the paper is published. ELSP follows COPE guidelines in handling these cases.
Corresponding author requests addition of extra author before publication
Corresponding author requests removal of author before publication
Request for addition of extra author after publication
Request for removal of author after publication
Suspected guest, ghost or gift authorship

Correction

When errors or inaccuracies are identified after publication—such as mistakes in data, misinterpretation of findings, authorship errors, or editorial oversights—they need to be corrected to maintain the integrity of the scholarly record. These corrections, made at the discretion of the Editor(s), aim to rectify issues that impact the interpretation and conclusions of the article without fully invalidating it. Corrections are promptly published with an explanation of the error, the corrected information, and a directionally linked note indexed to the original article.

Retraction

Editors should consider retracting a publication under several circumstances, including when there is clear evidence of unreliable findings due to major errors, fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, unauthorized use of material or data, copyright infringement, serious legal issues (e.g., libel, privacy), unethical research, compromised peer review, or failure to disclose significant conflicts of interest. Notices of retraction should be linked to the retracted article, clearly identify it, and be distinct from other corrections or comments. They should be published promptly, freely accessible, and include information about who is retracting the article, the reasons for retraction, and should be objective and factual, avoiding inflammatory language to minimize harmful effects. ELSP follows the COPE Retraction guideline in handling retraction.

Proper citation

It is the authors' responsibility to fully disclose all sources, including obtaining permissions from original authors and publishers for reproducing figures or significant extracts. References should be relevant, recent, and easily accessible, contributing to the article's advancement for the reader's benefit. Authors must responsibly acknowledge all work, whether published or unpublished, that has influenced their research.

Citation manipulation

Inappropriate citation practices, such as excessive self-citation or coordinated efforts to collectively self-cite, gratuitous citation of articles from the submitting journal, and other forms of citation manipulation, are unacceptable. Such manipulation will lead to article rejection and may be reported to authors' institutions. Authors should report any attempts by peer reviewers or editors to encourage such practices to the publisher.

Copyright

Papers are published in Open Access under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY-4.0) license, which means authors retain the copyright. This license allows reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, so long as attribution is given to the creator. For the definition of Open Access, please visit here.