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Advice to Referees The editors ask the referees to comment critically on the originality of the manuscript and its validity. The basic requirement for the acceptance of a manuscript for publication is that it presents new and original results in a branch of physics and that it is free of some important error. Each referee receives the "Referee report" with questions that are answered by simple ticking, but if a manuscript is considered to be acceptable for publication (even if revision is required), the referee is requested to write what is new and original in the presented work. The editors take particular care to protect the authors from unauthorised use of results in their manuscripts submitted for publication. This naturally extends to the referees. The referees may not distribute the manuscript or part(s) thereof prior to publication in any readable form to other persons without a permission from the author. The editors appreciate very much the suggestions for the improvements in style, grammar, whether the presentation is too extensive or too concise, are any explanations, definitions etc. missing, do the tables and figures well illustrate the results, are the references complete, etc. A serious and very difficult problem is the recognition of repetition of already published results (without new contributions) and plagiarism. Advice received from the referees on the scientific merits of the manuscript is considered very seriously. As a rule, for the acceptance of a manuscript for publication two positive referee reports are required. If a positive and a negative report is received, a third referee (usually a member of the Editorial Board) is asked to review the manuscript and give his opinion. The advice of referees on the suitability of a manuscript for publication in terms of its importance is solicited, but the editors do not consider such advice as definitive. The referees are advisory to the editors. The reports are generally transmitted by the editors to the authors (without revealing the identity of the referee), but the editors may withhold or edit the reports if that is considered necessary. Some referees occasionally ask to contact the author(s) directly. That practice proved to be very fruitful because it bypasses the formal practice of exchange of "reports" and "responses" via referees, allows simple multiple exchange of messages and results in a much faster resolution of questions. The referees are requested to send their reports within two weeks of receipt. The editors encourage the use of electronic mail or fax to speed up the communication, but the paper copy of the report is also required (may be sent by ordinary mail from Europe and airmail from other places) for the archive of the journals. The editors appreciate very much receiving electronic message in case the referee will send the reports with a delay. If no response is received within a reasonable time, the manuscript is sent to another referee. Following the resubmission after the first round of reports, the revised manuscript is sent to the referees who required to check whether their suggestions were accepted by the authors. New reports are then required from the referees. Referee reports and other correspondence should be sent a) paper copy to: The Editor, Fizika, Bijenička 32, HR-10000 Zagreb, CROATIA. FAX +385-1-4680 336 or +385-1-4680 055 and b) e-mail report to: Associate Editor (by return mail) and to the Editor (E-mail address: ilakovac@phy.hr ). The referees may wish to inspect the Fizika A & B home pages. The contents and abstracts of Fizika A and Fizika B since 1992 (in hypertext) and full articles since 1998 (in .PS and .PDF formats) are available on the computer network Internet (URL http://fizika.hfd.hr). |
Copyright by The Croatian Physical Society
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