How to submit your scientific hardware article to HardwareX

Guide to Submitting a Hardware Article to Hardware X

Step 1: Upload Your Hardware Design

• The first step in submitting an article to Hardware X is uploading your hardware design files to an online location. This ensures that the designs are accessible for replication.

• Recommended platforms include approved public repositories, which allow versioning of files, ensuring readers can access the correct version referenced in your article.

• Alternatively, you can pack your designs into a zip file and upload it with your manuscript; however, large files may not be accepted by the submission system.

• If you prefer not to share designs publicly before acceptance, consider using Mendel data as an embargoed document or submit them alongside your manuscript.

Step 2: Complete the Submission Template

• Fill out the mandatory Hardware X submission template available in various formats (Word document, Open Document Text).

• Ensure clarity and comprehensibility in standard English; all necessary details for reproducing the hardware must be included under an open-source license.

• Include visual elements like graphics and diagrams where relevant; these enhance understanding of your hardware design.

• Read detailed requirements in the guide for authors before completing each field of the template.

Important Considerations for Template Fields

• Your title should accurately reflect content and be unique; avoid acronyms or abbreviations. Aim for brevity—20 words maximum.

• Keep abstracts concise (under 200 words), avoiding conclusions or interpretive insights. Cite any related research articles here if applicable.

• Choose keywords carefully for better discoverability; avoid repeating terms from your title.

Detailed Information Requirements

• Provide a specifications table detailing research field information and hardware specifics including type, cost, and licensing details.

• Describe the purpose of your hardware briefly and list similar tools within context.

• Highlight benefits such as cost reduction or improved accuracy compared to existing tools; specify compatibility with other systems if applicable.

Design Files Section

• All associated design files must either be uploaded to a public repository or included as supplementary material with your submission.

• For figures embedded in manuscripts, provide file names, types, licenses chosen, and their locations (public repository link or "available with article").

Essential Guide to Manuscript Submission

Building Hardware Instructions

• The guide emphasizes the importance of detailing costs involved in building hardware for editors, reviewers, and readers. Completing each field is crucial.

• Clear explanations are necessary for replicating designs; thoroughness in instructions is vital to avoid skipping relevant steps.

• Validation and characterization sections must demonstrate hardware functionality through experiments or field use, including performance comparisons with existing hardware.

Operational Aspects and Ethical Compliance

• Authors should declare any conflicts of interest and ensure ethical compliance if human or animal subjects were used during research.

• It’s important to remove author instructions from the template before submission, ensuring all criteria are met as per the manuscript checklist.

Submission Process Overview

• Manuscripts are submitted via the Hardware X editorial manager's site; design files uploaded externally require specific URL entries during submission.

• To expedite peer review, authors should recommend five potential reviewers along with their affiliations with journals or organizations.

Post-Acceptance Considerations

• If design files were not publicly available at submission, they must be made accessible upon paper acceptance; any changes to URLs in the paper need updating accordingly.