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TECHFORUM PUBLISHING GROUP is committed to making manuscript submission and publication clear, accessible, and supportive for authors. Our author services are designed to reduce unnecessary formatting work, improve the presentation of accepted articles, and help authors communicate their research effectively.

All journals published by TECHFORUM PUBLISHING GROUP operate under the Diamond Open Access model. Authors are not charged submission fees, article processing charges, publication fees, page charges, open-access fees, or mandatory production fees.

Published articles are made freely and permanently available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence (CC BY 4.0). Authors retain copyright in their articles.

Our standard author services include:

  • free-format initial submission;
  • complimentary formatting of accepted manuscripts;
  • complimentary minor English-language editing;
  • APA 7th edition citation and reference formatting;
  • copyediting and typesetting;
  • author proof review;
  • a complimentary electronic offprint of the published article; and
  • optional professionally printed offprints at transparent prices.

Use of any author service does not guarantee acceptance. Editorial decisions remain independent and are based on the manuscript’s scholarly quality, originality, methodological soundness, ethical compliance, relevance, and suitability for the journal.

1. Our Author-Service Commitment

TECHFORUM PUBLISHING GROUP aims to ensure that authors can concentrate on the quality and significance of their research rather than spending unnecessary time reproducing a journal’s final visual layout before submission.

Our editorial and production teams provide reasonable support throughout the following stages:

  • initial manuscript submission;
  • administrative and technical checking;
  • revision following peer review;
  • final manuscript preparation;
  • copyediting and typesetting;
  • proof correction;
  • online publication; and
  • ordering of printed article offprints.

Standard formatting and minor language-editing services are provided without charge. Authors are not required to purchase printed offprints or any other optional product as a condition of submission, peer review, acceptance, or publication.

The purchase or non-purchase of an optional author service has no influence on:

  • initial editorial assessment;
  • reviewer selection;
  • peer-review recommendations;
  • revision requirements;
  • acceptance or rejection;
  • publication scheduling;
  • correction or retraction decisions; or
  • the treatment of an ethical or research-integrity concern.
2. Free-Format Submission

TECHFORUM PUBLISHING GROUP offers free-format submission. Authors are not required to prepare their initial manuscript in the journal’s final typeset layout or use a complex journal template before the manuscript has been evaluated.

At initial submission, authors may use a clear and professionally prepared manuscript format of their choice, provided that the submission is complete, readable, and internally consistent.

Manuscripts may normally be submitted as:

  • a Microsoft Word file in .doc or .docx format;
  • a complete LaTeX source package with a compiled PDF;
  • another editable format approved by the editorial office; or
  • a PDF for initial assessment where an editable source file will be supplied when requested.

A free-format submission should still include all essential scholarly content, including:

  • the article title;
  • complete author names and affiliations;
  • corresponding-author information;
  • an abstract;
  • keywords;
  • clearly identified sections and subsections;
  • complete tables and figures;
  • figure and table captions;
  • equations and mathematical notation, where applicable;
  • complete in-text citations and references;
  • funding information;
  • competing-interest information;
  • ethical approval and consent statements, where applicable;
  • an author-contribution statement;
  • a data-availability statement;
  • a generative AI declaration, where applicable; and
  • any supplementary material necessary to evaluate the research.

Authors are not required to reproduce the journal’s exact typography, page dimensions, running headers, footer, article-history format, DOI placement, licence statement, or final column layout at initial submission.

The final reference style of TECHFORUM PUBLISHING GROUP journals is APA style, 7th edition. Perfect APA formatting is not required for the initial free-format submission, provided that references are complete, accurate, consistently presented, and sufficiently detailed to permit verification.

Each reference should contain the available information necessary to identify the source, such as:

  • author names;
  • publication year;
  • article, chapter, book, report, or dataset title;
  • journal or publisher name;
  • volume and issue;
  • page range or article number;
  • DOI; and
  • a stable URL where appropriate.

Free-format submission does not permit incomplete, inaccurate, fabricated, or unverifiable references. Authors remain responsible for locating, reading, and verifying every cited source.

Free-format submission also does not remove the requirement to comply with the journal’s ethical, authorship, originality, reporting, data, privacy, copyright, and peer-review policies.

3. Complimentary Article Formatting

After a manuscript has been accepted, the TECHFORUM PUBLISHING GROUP production team formats the article according to the design and publication requirements of the relevant journal.

This standard formatting service is provided without charge and may include:

  • application of the journal’s article template;
  • formatting of the title and author information;
  • standardization of affiliations and corresponding-author details;
  • formatting of the abstract and keywords;
  • application of the journal’s heading hierarchy;
  • paragraph, spacing, indentation, and typography adjustments;
  • formatting of lists, quotations, notes, and appendices;
  • formatting and numbering of equations;
  • formatting of tables and table notes;
  • placement and formatting of figures and captions;
  • standardization of abbreviations, units, and symbols;
  • conversion of citations and references to APA 7th edition style;
  • formatting of declarations and acknowledgements;
  • insertion of article-history information;
  • placement of copyright and CC BY 4.0 licence information;
  • preparation of article metadata;
  • DOI placement;
  • pagination and final journal layout; and
  • generation of author proofs.

Formatting is intended to improve consistency and presentation. It does not permit production staff to change the scholarly meaning, research design, data, results, argument, or conclusions without author and editorial approval.

Where a manuscript contains incomplete information, unclear equations, unreadable figures, uneditable tables, missing references, or conflicting author details, the production team may return the relevant material to the corresponding author for clarification.

Authors must provide editable source files wherever reasonably possible. Screenshots of text, equations, or tables may be returned for replacement with editable material.

The production team may make reasonable visual adjustments to tables and figures so that they fit the journal layout. However, authors remain responsible for the accuracy of all labels, data, units, legends, symbols, scales, and captions.

4. Complimentary Minor Language Editing

TECHFORUM PUBLISHING GROUP provides minor English-language editing for accepted manuscripts without charge.

Minor language editing may include:

  • correction of spelling errors;
  • correction of basic grammatical errors;
  • correction of punctuation;
  • correction of capitalization;
  • limited improvement of sentence clarity;
  • removal of obvious repetition;
  • correction of inconsistent terminology;
  • standardization of abbreviations;
  • limited correction of awkward wording;
  • improvement of article-title clarity;
  • minor editing of the abstract and keywords;
  • consistency between headings and manuscript structure;
  • standardization of tense where appropriate; and
  • correction of minor language inconsistencies in tables and captions.

Language editors will seek to preserve the authors’ intended scholarly meaning. A sentence will not be materially rewritten where its technical meaning is uncertain. In such cases, the corresponding author may be asked to clarify or approve the proposed wording.

Minor language editing is normally performed after acceptance as part of copyediting and production. It is not used to compensate for serious language problems that prevent editors or reviewers from understanding and evaluating the manuscript.

A manuscript may be returned before or during peer review when extensive language revision is necessary to understand:

  • the research question;
  • the methodology;
  • the analysis;
  • the results;
  • the discussion;
  • the conclusions; or
  • the ethical and data declarations.

Authors will receive an opportunity to review language changes during the proof stage. Authors should examine all edited text carefully and notify the production team if an edit has unintentionally changed the intended meaning.

5. Services Not Included

The complimentary formatting and minor language-editing service does not include:

  • writing a manuscript on behalf of the authors;
  • substantial rewriting of entire sections;
  • creating new scientific arguments or interpretations;
  • changing the research methodology;
  • performing new statistical analyses;
  • reconstructing missing data;
  • creating, altering, or fabricating research results;
  • preparing an extensive literature review;
  • creating references that the authors have not verified;
  • verifying every factual or scientific statement;
  • full translation of a manuscript into English;
  • extensive specialist or developmental editing;
  • redrawing complex scientific figures;
  • replacing low-quality source images that cannot be reproduced properly;
  • obtaining third-party copyright permissions;
  • anonymizing confidential research data on behalf of the authors;
  • preparing ethics applications or consent documents;
  • creating data that were not collected during the study; or
  • making changes intended to conceal plagiarism or another integrity problem.

Authors remain responsible for the scientific, legal, and ethical content of their manuscript. Where extensive specialist editing, translation, statistical work, figure reconstruction, or data preparation is required, the authors must arrange the necessary assistance before publication.

Any individual who makes a substantial intellectual contribution through professional writing, statistical analysis, translation, or technical editing should be acknowledged or identified as a contributor where appropriate. Relevant funding must also be disclosed.

6. Electronic and Printed Offprints

An offprint is a separate copy of an individual published article. TECHFORUM PUBLISHING GROUP offers both electronic and printed offprints.

Complimentary electronic offprint:

After publication, the corresponding author will receive access to the final published PDF of the article without charge. The electronic offprint contains the article in its final journal format, including:

  • the journal title;
  • article title;
  • author names and affiliations;
  • publication details;
  • DOI;
  • complete article text;
  • tables and figures;
  • references;
  • copyright information; and
  • the CC BY 4.0 licence statement.

Authors may share the electronic offprint in accordance with the CC BY 4.0 licence. When redistributing the article, authors should retain the complete citation, DOI, journal name, publisher identification, and licence information.

Optional printed offprints:

Authors may order professionally printed copies of their individual article. Printed offprints are optional and are not required for publication.

The standard printed offprint normally includes:

  • the complete final version of the article;
  • a standard journal-branded colour cover;
  • the article title and author names on the cover;
  • the complete citation and DOI;
  • full-colour printing where the article contains colour material;
  • standard professional paper;
  • stapled or otherwise suitable binding based on article length; and
  • standard protective packaging.

Printed offprints are article-only copies and do not normally include the complete journal issue.

7. Printed-Offprint Prices

The following standard prices apply to printed offprints of one published article:

Final article length 10 copies 25 copies 50 copies 100 copies
1–12 pages €55 €95 €155 €275
13–24 pages €70 €125 €205 €365
25–40 pages €90 €160 €270 €490

The prices shown are for the complete quantity stated and are not per-copy prices. They include standard printing, a standard colour cover, binding, and ordinary protective packaging.

Delivery charges and any taxes required by law are calculated separately. The complete amount will be disclosed to the author before payment is requested.

A customized quotation is required for:

  • articles longer than 40 final published pages;
  • orders exceeding 100 copies;
  • premium or specialist paper;
  • custom institutional covers;
  • advertising or promotional inserts;
  • special binding;
  • individual shrink-wrapping;
  • multiple delivery addresses;
  • urgent production;
  • commercial or large institutional distribution; or
  • other non-standard requirements.

Printed-offprint charges are separate from publication. They cover only the optional physical production, packaging, and delivery of the requested copies. They are not article processing charges or publication fees.

8. Ordering, Payment, and Delivery

The corresponding author normally coordinates an offprint order on behalf of all co-authors.

Authors may place an order:

  • when returning the corrected article proofs;
  • after the article has received final production approval; or
  • after online publication by contacting the relevant journal’s editorial office.

Ordering during the proof stage is recommended because the offprints can be prepared from the final approved publication files. Orders placed substantially later may require a new production arrangement and may receive a revised quotation.

An offprint request should include:

  • the journal title;
  • the article title;
  • the manuscript number or DOI;
  • the corresponding author’s name;
  • the number of copies required;
  • the delivery address;
  • the billing address, where different;
  • a telephone number required by the delivery service;
  • any institutional tax or invoice information; and
  • details of any requested customization.

The publisher will provide an order confirmation showing:

  • the selected quantity;
  • the article-length category;
  • the printing charge;
  • any customization charge;
  • the delivery charge;
  • any legally applicable tax;
  • the total amount payable; and
  • the estimated production and dispatch schedule.

Printing begins only after:

  • the article has received final publication approval;
  • the author has approved the offprint details;
  • the delivery information has been confirmed; and
  • payment has been received or otherwise formally arranged.

Because printed offprints are produced for a specific article and author order, an order normally cannot be cancelled after printing has begun.

Delivery time depends on the order quantity, article length, destination, customs procedures, and selected delivery method. The estimated schedule supplied with the order is not a guaranteed delivery date where delay results from postal services, customs authorities, carriers, natural events, or other circumstances outside the publisher’s reasonable control.

Authors should inspect delivered offprints promptly. Missing, damaged, incorrectly printed, or materially defective copies should be reported within 14 days of delivery. The report should include the order number, a description of the problem, and photographs where appropriate.

Where a printing or packing error is confirmed, TECHFORUM PUBLISHING GROUP may replace the affected copies or provide another appropriate remedy. Minor differences in colour, trimming, paper texture, or binding that fall within normal printing tolerances do not necessarily constitute a defect.

9. Author Review and Responsibility

Formatting, copyediting, language editing, and proof preparation do not transfer responsibility for the article from the authors to the publisher.

Before approving the final proof, authors must check:

  • the article title;
  • author names and order;
  • institutional affiliations;
  • corresponding-author information;
  • ORCID identifiers;
  • the abstract and keywords;
  • the complete main text;
  • headings and numbering;
  • equations and mathematical symbols;
  • tables and figures;
  • captions, legends, labels, and units;
  • in-text citations;
  • APA-formatted references;
  • funding and competing-interest statements;
  • author contributions;
  • ethical approval and consent statements;
  • data-availability information;
  • generative AI declarations;
  • supplementary-material references;
  • copyright and licence information;
  • DOI and publication metadata; and
  • all language and formatting changes.

Authors should notify the production team immediately if a formatting or language change has altered the intended meaning, mathematical notation, data presentation, or interpretation.

Proof correction is intended primarily to correct production errors. Substantial changes to accepted research, data, analysis, conclusions, authorship, or declarations require editorial approval and may delay publication.

The corresponding author’s approval of the final proof confirms that the authors have reviewed the formatted article and accept responsibility for the published content.

10. Contact

Questions concerning free-format submission, manuscript formatting, minor language editing, proofs, electronic offprints, or printed-offprint orders may be directed to the editorial office of the relevant journal.

Authors requesting printed offprints should include the article title, journal title, manuscript number or DOI, required quantity, and delivery country.

TECHFORUM PUBLISHING GROUP
Allee 1
45143 Essen
Germany

Author-service enquiries may also be submitted through the publisher’s official Contact page.