Submission of articles
Authors are requested to submit their original papers using the submission website. To submit your paper
online, please go to http://ees.elsevier.com/eswa. Authors interested in online submission are requested to go to the website
and upload their manuscript and its associated artwork. An electronic (PDF) proof is generated and the reviewing process is carried out
using that PDF. The PDF file may be edited after acceptance to follow journal standards. Authors and editors send and receive all correspondence
by email via the website and no paper correspondence is performed.
For the name and address of the editor-in-chief, please refer
to the list of editors in each issue of the journal or on the journal's homepage.
Authors in Japan please note:Upon request,
Elsevier Japan KK will provide authors with a list of people who can check and improve the English of their paper before submission.
Please contact Editorial Service, Elsevier Japan, 1-9-15 Higashi Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106, Japan; Tel: +81 3 5561 5032; Fax +81 3
5561 5045.
General
Articles must be written in good English.
Submission of an article implies that the work described
has not been published previously (except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture or academic thesis), that it is
not under consideration for publication elsewhere, that its publication is approved by all authors and tacitly or explicitly by the responsible
authorities where the work was carried out, and that, if accepted, it will not be published elsewhere in the same form, in English or
in any other language, without the written consent of the Publisher.
Upon acceptance of an article, authors will be asked to sign
a "Journal Publishing Agreement" (for more information on this and copyright see http://www.elsevier.com/copyright). Acceptance
of the agreement will ensure the widest possible dissemination of information. An e-mail (or letter) will be sent to the corresponding
author confirming receipt of the manuscript together with a "Journal Publishing Agreement" form or a link to the online version of this
agreement. If excerpts from other copyrighted works are included, the author(s) must obtain written permission from the copyright owners
and credit the source(s) in the article. Elsevier has preprinted forms for use by authors in these cases: contact Elsevier's Rights Department,
Oxford, UK: phone (+44) 1865 843830, fax (+44) 1865 853333, e-mail permissions@elsevier.com. Requests may also be completed
online via the Elsevier homepage (http://www.elsevier.com/locate/permissions).
Sending accepted articles to Elsevier in electronic format
We accept most wordprocessing formats, but Word, WordPerfect or LaTeX
is preferred. An electronic version of the text should be submitted together with the final hardcopy of the manuscript. The electronic
version must match the hardcopy exactly. Always keep a backup copy of the electronic file for reference and safety. Label storage media
with your name, journal title, and software used. Save your files using the default extension of the program used. No changes to the
accepted version are permissible without the explicit approval of the Editor. Electronic files can be stored on 3.5 inch diskette, ZIP-disk
or CD (either MS-DOS or Macintosh).
Presentation of manuscript
Print the entire manuscript on one side of the paper only,
using double spacing and wide (3 cm) margins. (Avoid full justification, i.e., do not use a constant right-hand margin.) Ensure that
each new paragraph is clearly indicated. Present tables and figure legends on separate pages at the end of the manuscript. If possible,
consult a recent issue of the journal to become familiar with layout and conventions. Number all pages consecutively.
Title
page
The title page should contain the article title, author(s) names and affiliations, related footnotes, a self-contained
abstract not exceeding 250 words, and a list of three to five keywords.
Corresponding author
Clearly indicate
who is willing to handle correspondence at all stages of refereeing and publication, also post-publication. Ensure that telephone and
fax numbers (with country and area code) are provided in addition to the e-mail address and the complete postal address.
References
References should be listed alphabetically, in the same way as the following examples:
Bostrom, R.P., Anson, R., & Clawson, V.K.
(1993). Group facilitation and support systems. In L.M. Jessup, & J.S. Valacich, Group support systems: new perspectives (pp. 146-168).
New York: Macmillan.
Liu, S. (1998). Business environment scanner for senior managers: towards active executive support with intelligent
agents. Expert Systems with Applications, 15(2), 111-121.
Slow, R., Lunn, S., & Slatter, P. (1986). How to identify business
applications of expert systems. Proceedings of the Second International Expert Systems Conference (pp. 327-338). London
In text,
references should be indicated by [number].
Figures
Provide all illustrations on separate pages as high-quality printouts,
suitable for reproduction (which may include reduction). Number illustrations consecutively in the order in which they are referred to
in the text. They should accompany the manuscript, but not be included within the text. Clearly mark all illustrations on the back (or
- in case of line drawings - on the lower front side) with the figure number and the author's name and, in case of ambiguity, the correct
orientation.
Captions
Ensure that each illustration has a caption. Supply captions on a separate sheet, not attached
to the figure. A caption should comprise a brief title (not on the figure itself) and a description of the illustration. Keep text in
the illustrations themselves to a minimum but explain all symbols and abbreviations used.
Line drawings
Supply
high-quality printouts on white paper produced with black ink. The lettering and symbols, as well as other details, should have proportionate
dimensions, so as not to become illegible or unclear after possible reduction; in general, the figures should be designed for a reduction
factor of two to three. The degree of reduction will be determined by the Publisher. Illustrations will not be enlarged. Consider the
page format of Displays when designing the illustrations. Photocopies are not suitable for reproduction. Do not use any type of shading
on computer-generated illustrations.
Photographs (halftones)
Please supply original photographs for reproduction,
printed on glossy paper, very sharp and with good contrast. Remove non-essential areas of a photograph. Do not mount photographs unless
they form part of a composite figure. Where necessary, insert a scale bar in the illustration (not below it), as opposed to giving a
magnification factor in the legend. Note that photocopies of photographs are not acceptable.
Colour illustrations
Please submit colour illustrations as original photographs, high-quality computer prints or transparencies, close to the size expected
in publication, or as 35 mm slides. Polaroid colour prints are not suitable. Further information concerning colour illustrations and
costs is available from the Publisher.
Proofs
When your manuscript is received by the Publisher it is considered to be in its final form. Proofs are not to be regarded
as 'drafts'.
One set of page proofs in PDF format will be sent by e-mail to the corresponding author (if we do not have an e-mail
address then paper proofs will be sent by post). Elsevier now sends PDF proofs which can be annotated; for this you will need to download
Adobe Reader version 7 available free from http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.
Instructions on how to annotate PDF files will accompany the proofs. The exact system requirements are given at the Adobe site: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/acrrsystemreqs.html#70win.
If you do not wish to use the PDF annotations function, you may list the corrections (including replies to the Query Form) and
return to Elsevier in an e-mail. Please list your corrections quoting line number. If, for any reason, this is not possible, then mark
the corrections and any other comments (including replies to the Query Form) on a printout of your proof and return by fax, or scan the
pages and e-mail, or by post. Please use this proof only for checking the typesetting, editing, completeness and correctness of the text,
tables and figures. Significant changes to the article as accepted for publication will only be considered at this stage with permission
from the Editor. We will do everything possible to get your article published quickly and accurately. Therefore, it is important to ensure
that all of your corrections are sent back to us in one communication: please check carefully before replying, as inclusion of any subsequent
corrections cannot be guaranteed. Proofreading is solely your responsibility. Note that Elsevier may proceed with the publication of
your article if no response is received.
Author benefits
No page charge is made. The corresponding author, at no cost,
will be provided with a PDF file of the article via e-mail or, alternatively, 25 free paper offprints. The PDF file is a watermarked
version of the published article and includes a cover sheet with the journal cover image and a disclaimer outlining the terms and conditions
of use. Contributors to Elsevier journals are entitled to a 30% discount on all Elsevier books.
NB: Papers submitted to Expert
Systems with Applications, may also be posted on The Computer Science Preprint Server http://www.compscipreprints.com. Such
posting on The Computer Science Preprint Server is in conformity with Elsevier copyright policy and in no way conflicts with submission
to Expert Systems with Applications.
