Editorial and Publishing Policies

As a peer-reviewed, international, fully open-access journal, Vertex Physics is committed to upholding the highest standards of research integrity, editorial transparency, and scholarly responsibility. The following policies govern all submitted and published work.

 

Editorial Independence and Conflicts of Interest

Editorial decisions at Vertex Physics are based solely on the scientific merit of the submitted work. All editors and reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts of interest and recuse themselves when appropriate.

All editors must recuse themselves from handling submissions in which they have a personal, financial, or professional conflict. Similarly, reviewers must decline assignments if they have recent collaborations, competitive relationships, or any connection that could impair impartiality. 

Authors must declare any potential conflicts (e.g., financial interests, patents, affiliations) during submission. Relevant disclosures will be published alongside the article.

 

Authorship & Contributions

Vertex Physics adheres to internationally recognized standards for authorship to ensure fairness, transparency, and accountability in scientific publishing.

1. Criteria for Authorship

All listed authors must have made substantial contributions to at least one of the following aspects of the research:

  • Study conception or hypothesis development
  • Methodology or experimental design
  • Data collection or generation
  • Data analysis and interpretation
  • Manuscript drafting or revision

Contributors who do not meet the authorship criteria (e.g., technical support, general supervision, funding acquisition) should be acknowledged in the Acknowledgments section.

Large collaborations are welcome, provided that authorship is determined through a transparent and equitable process.

2. Author Contributions Statement

We follow the CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) to describe the individual author roles (e.g., Writing–Review & Editing, Data Curation, Software, Funding Acquisition). Authors should agree on their individual roles prior to submission. The corresponding author is responsible for collecting and submitting the contribution details at submission.

3. Corresponding Author Responsibilities

The Corresponding Author acts on behalf of all co-authors during the review process and certifies that:

  • The manuscript represents original, accurate work.
  • All authors have contributed significantly and approved the final version.
  • The manuscript is not under review by any other journal.
  • Data supporting conclusions can be made available on request.
  • Related manuscripts are disclosed, including preprints.

4. Post-Publication Contact Authors

One or more authors may be designated as Post-publication Contact Author(s) to facilitate correspondence with readers. This is optional and does not need to match the Corresponding Author. 

5. Authorship Changes

Requests to add, remove, or reorder authors after submission must:

  • Be initiated by the Corresponding Author
  • Include written consent from all affected authors
  • Provide a clear explanation
  • Be submitted before final acceptance

Changes will not be implemented without full author agreement.

6. Author Affiliations

Authors must list the institutional affiliation(s) where the research was conducted. Current or secondary affiliations can be listed as footnotes.

7. Use of ORCID iDs

ORCID iDs are required for Corresponding Authors and strongly encouraged for all co-authors. Authors will be prompted to verify their ORCID iDs during submission. Verified ORCID iDs are published with the article.

 

Peer Review Policy

All submissions to Vertex Physics undergo a rigorous hybrid peer review process. Reviewers remain anonymous to the authors. 

Review Process

  • All submissions are first evaluated by the editorial team for fit and scientific quality.
  • Typically reviewed by at least two external referees.
  • Reviewers are expected to provide comments within 3-4 weeks.
  • Editors make decisions: Accept, Revise, or Reject.
  • Authors may revise and resubmit with a response to reviewers.
  • Revised manuscripts may undergo re-review.

Reviewers must treat all materials as confidential and disclose any conflicts of interest.

Submission Dates and Revisions

  • The receipt date of a manuscript reflects the first submission via the Vertex Physics platform and appears in the published article.
  • A revised date will be noted if major revisions are submitted.
  • Manuscripts with significant delays or restructuring may be treated as new submissions.

 

Preprint Policy

Preprint Acceptance

We accept submissions previously posted on reputable preprint servers (e.g., arXiv) if disclosure at submission. Authors may update their preprints during peer reviews.

Permitted Prior Dissemination

Vertex Physics does not accept work that has been formally published in a peer-reviewed journal or is under consideration elsewhere. However, the journal welcomes work that:

  • Has appeared as part of a doctoral dissertation or thesis;
  • Has been presented at conferences, particularly in the form of abstracts or proceedings, provided there is no substantial duplication.
  • Has been posted on recognized preprint platforms such as arXiv, or institutional repositories, as long as this is disclosed at submission.

Authors must ensure that any reused figures, tables, or text from previously published work are properly cited and have received permission if required. Reproduction of content must comply with copyright or licensing agreements.

Citation of Preprints

If citing preprints in your reference list, include:

  • Author(s)
  • Title
  • Preprint server name
  • Persistent identifier (e.g., arXiv ID)
  • Access date if applicable

 

Publishing Ethics

1. Misconduct: Plagiarism, Data Fabrication, and Image Manipulation

Vertex Physics upholds the principles of academic integrity and responsible publishing. Scientific misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • Plagiarism: Copying text, figures, equations, or conceptual material from other works without appropriate attribution, including self-plagiarism.
  • Data fabrication: Making up data or results that were not actually obtained.
  • Data falsification: Selectively reporting, omitting, or altering results to misrepresent findings.
  • Image manipulation: Adjusting figures in a way that distorts scientific meaning or misleads readers. Limited image enhancement (e.g., brightness or contrast adjustment) is permitted only if applied uniformly and explicitly disclosed in the figure legend.
  • Duplicate Submission and Prior Disclosure: Submitting manuscripts to Vertex Physics that is under consideration by any other journal. Prior dissemination—such as preprints, conference presentations, or theses—is allowed but must be fully disclosed in the cover letter or metadata. Authors must inform editors of any previously published or publicly available content.

2. Use of Al-Based Content and Tools

Vertex Physics acknowledges the increasing use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as large language models (LLMs), AI-based image generation, and code suggestion software in the scientific writing process. To ensure transparency and accountability:

Permitted Uses:

  • Language editing, including grammar correction, spell-checking, rephrasing, or structural improvement. However, the scientific content, arguments, and conclusions must remain entirely the author’s own.
  • Code formatting or visualization assistance.

Prohibited or Restricted Uses:

  • AI tools must not be credited as authors.
  • Authors must not use AI to generate novel scientific content, including hypotheses, data, conclusions, or literature reviews.
  • Any content—textual, graphical, or computational—generated or modified by AI in a way that distorts or misrepresents scientific findings is strictly prohibited.

Disclosure Requirements:

If any AI tools are used during manuscript preparation, authors must clearly disclose:

  • The specific AI tools used (name and version)
  • The purpose of their use (e.g., “ChatGPT-4 was used for grammar editing in the Introduction section.”)

Disclosure should be made in the cover letter and/or in the Methods or Acknowledgments section of the manuscript. Undisclosed AI involvement may result in editorial action.

3. Corrections, Retractions, and Versioning

Vertex Physics is committed to preserving the accuracy and transparency of the scientific record. Post-publication changes follow these guidelines:

  • Corrections: Issued for factual or typographical errors that do not compromise the article’s core conclusions. Corrections are published as linked notices with clear documentation.
  • Retractions: Reserved for major errors, misconduct, or ethical violations. Retracted articles remain available with appropriate labeling to maintain transparency.
  • Versioning: In rare cases where substantial revisions are necessary after publication (e.g., data reanalysis), a new version may be published with clear version history and citation guidance.

All post-publication notices include timestamps, authorship responsibility, and a description of the nature of the change.

4. Citation Ethics

Authors must ensure that all referenced literature is relevant, accurate, and properly cited. The following practices are required:

  • Cite prior work comprehensively and fairly, including contributions from diverse authors, institutions, and geographic regions.
  • Avoid excessive self-citation or selective citation practices that may distort the scholarly context.
  • Refrain from citation stacking (e.g., artificially inflating citations to a particular journal or research group).
  • Ensure that references are current at submission and updated during revision if new work becomes available.

Violation of these principles may result in editorial actions, including revision requests or rejection.

5. Appeals and Complaints

Authors have the right to appeal editorial or peer review decisions by writing to the editorial office within 30 days of receiving the decision. Valid grounds may include:

  • Clear evidence that the review process was flawed;
  • Reviewer misunderstanding of key scientific aspects;
  • New supporting data not available at the time of review.

Appeals are reviewed independently by a senior editor or advisory board member not involved in the original decision. All appeal decisions are final.

For complaints regarding reviewer or editor conduct, conflict of interest, or policy violations, authors could contact the Managing Editor at editorial@vertexphysics.com. All appeals and complaints will be handled confidentially and in accordance with COPE guidelines. In cases of unresolved disputes or conflicts of interest, the journal may consult an independent advisor or relevant institution.

 

Data Availability & Reproducibility

Vertex Physics endorses open science principles and encourages authors to share the data, code, and materials necessary to verify and reproduce publishing findings. All submissions must include a Data Availability Statement (DAS) describing the accessibility of underlying data and computational resources.

1. Data Sharing Requirements

Authors should deposit data and code in established public repositories that assign persistent identifiers (e.g., DOI). General repositories (e.g., Zenodo, Figshare, OSF) or discipline-specific platforms (e.g., CERN Open Data, Materials Cloud) are recommended. 

  • For computational studies, authors should share source code, scripts, software environments, and all relevant parameters.
  • For experimental studies, authors should include detailed descriptions of instrumentation, protocols, calibration methods, and data analysis methods. 

2. Data Availability Statement

Each manuscript must include a Data Availability Statement specifying:

  • Whether the data are publicly available and where (with a DOI or repository name);
  • Whether the data are available on reasonable request;
  • Any restrictions or non-disclosure due to ethical, legal, or commercial reasons.

Examples:

  • "The data supporting this study are available via Zenodo (DOI: xxx)."
  • "Simulation code used for simulations is available at GitHub and archived on Zenodo."
  • "Data are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request." 

3. Editorial Handling and Exceptions

During peer review, authors may be asked to provide datasets, code, or supporting documentation. If certain materials cannot be shared (e.g., due to privacy, security, or intellectual property constraints), authors must clearly justify these limitations. Failure to provide data without sufficient explanation may result in manuscript rejection, delays, or post-publication action.

4. Reproducibility Standards

Authors are fully responsible for the accuracy, integrity, and completeness of their shared data and code. Deliberate omission or misrepresentation of data is considered a breach of research ethics. The journal reserves the right to request further documentation, verify reproducibility, or retract published articles in cases of major data-related concerns.

5. Supplemental Material

To enhance transparency and reproducibility, Vertex Physics encourages the inclusion of supplemental materials (SM), such as:

  • Extended data tables, figures, and datasets
  • Source code, simulation inputs, or computational workflows
  • Technical appendices or methodological details
  • Videos or visualizations that support but are not essential to the main conclusions

All SM must be:

  • Clearly referenced in the main text
  • Submitted as separate, clearly labeled files 
  • Free of copyright or licensing conflicts

Supplemental materials are published alongside the article and must meet technical requirements for long-term accessibility.

For further guidance about data policies or repository selection, please contact the editorial office: editorial@vertexphysics.com.

 

Copyright & Licensing

Vertex Physics is a fully open-access journal. All articles are published under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), enabling broad dissemination and unrestricted reuse of scholarly work, provided that appropriate credit is given.

1. Copyright Retention

Authors retain full copyright of their published work. Upon acceptance, authors grant Vertex Physics and its publishing partners a non-exclusive license to publish, archive, and distribute the work globally in all formats and media.

This license permits the authors to:

  • Share, post, or redistribute the final published article on any platform;
  • Allow others to reuse, adapt, or build upon the work—even for commercial purposes—with proper attribution. 

2. License Terms

Under the CC BY 4.0 license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/):

  • Users must credit the original authors, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes are made;
  • No additional restrictions may be applied –legal or technological barriers that limit reuse are not permitted.

This license applies to all content types published in the journal, including articles, figures, and supplemental materials.

3. Author Warranties

By submitting to Vertex Physics, authors confirm that:

  • The manuscript is original and has not been published or submitted elsewhere.
  • The authors hold copyright or have secured permission to use any third-party materials included (e.g., figures, datasets).
  • The work does not infringe any existing copyright, trademark, or intellectual property rights.
  • The publisher is not liable for any copyright violations associated with the submission.

4. Use of Third-Party Material

Authors are responsible for securing permission to reuse any copyrighted material (e.g., previously published figures, tables, or illustrations) not covered by fair use. All third-party content must be properly cited and accompanied by a permissions statement if required.

Failure to provide adequate permissions may result in delays in the review or publication process.

5. Commercial Reuse

The CC BY license permits commercial reuse of published articles with proper attribution. Examples include:

  • Incorporation of figures or text into textbooks or educational resources
  • Use in media, online courses, software, or AI applications
  • Translation or adaptation in derivative works

Users are encouraged to cite the original source and include the article DOI when repurposing content.

For licensing or rights-related inquiries, please contact the editorial office: editorial@vertexphysics.com.

 

Open Access Policy

Vertex Physics is a fully open-access journal committed to removing barriers to scientific knowledge and supporting equitable access to research worldwide. All content is freely and permanently available online to all users, under a permissive license that enables reuse and distribution.

1. Open Access Commitment

We believe that high-quality research in physics should be accessible to everyone—regardless of institutional affiliation, geographic location, or financial capacity. In line with this vision, all articles published in Vertex Physics:

  • Are freely available immediately upon publication
  • Require no subscription, login, or payment to access
  • Can be read, downloaded, printed, shared, or reused under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution license (CC BY 4.0)

This policy applies to all publication formats, including research articles, reviews, letters, and perspectives.

2. Article Processing Charges (APC)

To support open access, many journals require authors to pay article processing charges (APCs). However, Vertex Physics currently waives all APCs as part of our launch phase.

Current APC Policy:

  • No APCs will be charged for submissions received before [insert date, e.g., December 31, 2026]
  • This waiver applies to all article types and all authors

We aim to ensure that publication decisions are based solely on scientific merit, not on authors' ability to pay.

Any changes to APC policy will be communicated clearly in advance on the journal website.

3. Future Sustainability and Funder Compliance

While Vertex Physics is currently APC-free, we are working to establish sustainable open access models through institutional, governmental, and consortia support. Our publication model complies with the open access mandates of major funders including:

  • Plan S
  • NSF, DOE, NIH, and other national agencies
  • The European Commission (Horizon Europe)
  • China's open science initiatives

Authors are encouraged to consult their institutions or funders regarding open access support. Upon request, we can provide invoices or confirmations of publication charges (if introduced in future).

4. Self-Archiving and Licensing

Authors retain copyright and may post the final published PDF:

  • On institutional repositories
  • On preprint platforms (e.g., arXiv, HAL)
  • On personal or laboratory websites

There is no embargo period. All published articles carry a DOI and should include full citation and licensing details.