Guide for authors

The journal Energy Conversions and Managements is an international, peer-reviewed open-access journal that aims to advance the science, engineering, and policy aspects of sustainable energy systems. The journal focuses on the transformation, integration, utilization, and management of energy in its various forms to improve efficiency, reduce environmental impact, and accelerate the transition toward decarbonized systems.

View full aims & scope

Journal announcements

Call for Papers – Special Issue on “AI-Driven Energy Systems”

Deadline: November 30, 2025

We invite high-quality submissions focusing on the integration of artificial intelligence in energy optimization, smart grids, and predictive maintenance.

Learn more in our Call for Papers

Article types

Original research papers and Review articles.

Peer review

This journal employs a single-anonymized peer review process. After submission, the manuscript will undergo an initial assessment by the editorial team to evaluate its suitability for publication. If deemed appropriate, the manuscript will typically be sent to reviewers for peer review to assess its scientific quality. The final decision to accept or reject the article rests with the journal's editors.

Special issues and article collections

The peer review process for special issues and article collections follows the same procedure as for regular submissions. However, a guest editor may coordinate the review process by selecting reviewers and making a recommendation to the journal editor. The journal editor retains oversight of the entire review process to ensure adherence to high standards of publishing ethics and responsiveness and is ultimately responsible for the final decision regarding acceptance or rejection of all articles.

Open access

For detailed information about open access options available for this journal, please refer to our Open Access Information Page

Ethics and policies

Ethics in publishing

Energy Conversions and Managements adheres to the highest standards of ethics in research and publication. Plagiarism, data fabrication, image manipulation, or dual submission are strictly prohibited. All submissions will be screened for originality.

Submission Declaration
By submitting an article to the journal, authors confirm that:

The work described has not been published previously, except in the form of a preprint, abstract, published lecture, academic thesis, or registered report.

The manuscript is not under consideration for publication elsewhere.

Its publication has been approved by all co-authors and, where applicable, by the institutional authorities responsible.

If accepted, the article will not be published elsewhere in the same form, in English or any other language, including electronically, without the prior written consent from the journal’s editorial board.

To ensure compliance with our journal publishing policies, submitted manuscripts may be screened using plagiarism detection tools

Authorship
All authors must meet the following criteria:

1. Substantial Contribution: Each author should have significantly contributed to at least one of the following: the study's conception and design, data acquisition, or data analysis and interpretation.

2. Manuscript Preparation: Authors must have participated in drafting the manuscript or critically revising it for important intellectual content and approved the final version for submission.

3. Accountability and Correspondence: A corresponding author should be designated to manage communication with the journal. All authors must accept joint responsibility for the work and be willing to address any concerns about its accuracy or integrity.

Changes to authorship

The journal strongly advises that authors finalize the author list and its order prior to submission, as changes after submission are generally not permitted. The following policy applies:

Before Acceptance: Any addition, removal, or rearrangement of author names must occur before the manuscript is accepted and must be approved by the journal editor. The corresponding author must submit a formal request stating the reason for the change.
After Acceptance: Changes to authorship after acceptance are only considered under exceptional circumstances
Process and Compliance: All requests for changes in authorship must be submitted to the journal’s editorial board. Incomplete or non-compliant requests will not be considered. Unauthorized changes may result in manuscript rejection or retraction if already published. The editorial process may be temporarily paused while such requests are under review.

Declaration of Competing Interests

All authors are required to disclose any financial or personal relationships that could be perceived as influencing or biasing their work. Potential conflicts of interest may include, but are not limited to:

Employment or consulting roles
Ownership of stocks or shares
Receipt of honoraria or payments for expert testimony
Involvement in patent applications or registrations
Grants, sponsorships, or other forms of financial support
Editorial or advisory roles within the journal

Full disclosure ensures transparency and helps maintain the integrity of the research and publication process.

Funding Sources

Authors are required to disclose all sources of financial support received for conducting the research and/or preparing the manuscript. If applicable, the role of the funding body should be clearly stated in relation to study design, data collection and analysis, interpretation of results, manuscript writing, and the decision to submit for publication.

If the funder had no involvement in these areas, this should be explicitly mentioned in the submission.

To ensure compliance with funder reporting requirements, please list funding sources using the following standard format:

Funding: This work was supported by the X Institutes [grant numbers xxxx, yyyy]; [grant number zzzz]

There is no need to include detailed descriptions of the type of grant, scholarship, or award. For funding received through institutional block grants or internal resources, simply state the name of the institution or organization that provided support.

If no funding was received, please include the following statement:
This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Declaration of Generative AI in Scientific Writing

Authors must disclose any use of generative AI tools during the manuscript writing process upon submission. This requirement applies only to the writing phase, not to the use of AI in data analysis or research methodology.

Generative AI and AI-assisted tools may be used solely to enhance language and readability.
Such tools must be used with human oversight, and authors are expected to thoroughly review and edit any AI-generated content, recognizing that AI may produce outputs that are inaccurate, incomplete, or biased. Authors remain fully responsible for the integrity and accuracy of the work.
AI tools cannot be listed as authors or co-authors, as authorship requires human responsibility and accountability.

If generative AI tools were used during writing, authors must include a declaration section before the references in the submitted manuscript. This statement will be published with the article.

Example section and statement: Declaration of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies in the Writing Process
During the preparation of this work, the author(s) used [TOOL NAME] to [describe the purpose, e.g., improve language clarity]. After using this tool, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content and took full responsibility for the final manuscript.

No declaration is needed for the use of basic tools such as grammar, spelling, or reference checkers. If no generative AI was used, no statement is required.

Use of Inclusive Language

Inclusive language respects diversity, promotes equality, and acknowledges the value of all individuals. Authors should ensure that their manuscripts reflect inclusivity and avoid any language that could suggest superiority or bias based on:

Age
Gender
Race or ethnicity
Culture
Sexual orientation
Disability or health status

Key recommendations include:

Avoid using descriptors related to personal characteristics unless they are directly relevant and scientifically justified.
Use gender-neutral language, favoring plural forms such as "clinicians" or "patients" instead of gendered pronouns like “he,” “she,” or “he/she.”
Do not make assumptions about readers’ beliefs or backgrounds.
Refrain from using biased language, stereotypes, slang, references to dominant cultures, or culturally biased expressions.

These guidelines are intended to support respectful, unbiased scientific writing. While not exhaustive, they serve as a helpful reference for promoting inclusive communication.

Writing and Formatting

File Format

Please provide all parts of your submission (including text, figures, tables, and text graphics) as editable files.
Use .doc/.docx (Word).PDFs are not accepted.
Format your document in a single column.
Remove strikethrough or underlined text unless necessary for scientific reasons.
Use spell-check and grammar-check before submitting.
Refer to our step-by-step publishing guide for help.

Title Page

Your title page must include:

Article Title: Should be brief and clear, without abbreviations or formulas unless well-known (e.g., DNA).
Authors: List full names in the same order as in the submission system. Double-check spelling. If needed, include your name in your native script in parentheses after the English spelling.
Affiliations: List addresses for each author, using superscript letters to link names to affiliations. Provide full addresses and email contacts.
Corresponding Author: Clearly indicate the person responsible for all correspondence, including email and other contact details.
Present/Permanent Address: If an author has moved since the work was done, include their new address as a footnote (using superscript numbers), but keep the main affiliation as where the work was conducted.

Abstract

Provide a concise abstract of no more than 250 words.
Summarize the research purpose, main results, and conclusions.
Abstracts must stand alone, so avoid references. If essential, include author(s) and year(s).
Only use uncommon abbreviations if absolutely necessary, and define them at first mention.

Keywords

Provide 1–7 English keywords for indexing.
Avoid phrases with "and" or "of".
Use abbreviations only if widely recognized in your field.

Highlights

Submit 3–5 bullet points (max 85 characters each) summarizing your key findings and methods.
Provide highlights as a separate editable file, named accordingly.
See examples to guide you.

Graphical Abstract

A graphical abstract is encouraged.
Summarize your research visually in a separate file.
Image must be at least 531 x 1328 pixels or proportionally larger, readable at 5 x 13 cm at 96 dpi.
Accepted file types: TIFF, EPS, PDF, or MS Office.
See sample graphical abstracts and their benefits.

Math Formulae

Submit all equations as editable text, not images.
Simple equations should appear inline.
Use the solidus (/) for small fractions.
Italicize variables and use "exp" for exponents.
Display complex equations on separate lines and number them in order.

Tables

Submit tables as editable text, not images.
Place tables near the relevant text or at the end of your manuscript.
Number tables in the order they appear, and provide captions and notes below each table.
Avoid vertical lines and cell shading.
Use tables only when necessary and don’t repeat data described elsewhere.

Figures, Images and Artwork

Submit figures and artwork as separate files.
Cite and number all images in your text and name files logically (e.g., Figure 1).
Provide captions in a separate file.
Text graphics can be embedded in the main document.
Use correct file formats and resolutions:
Don’t submit low-resolution or overly large images.

Figure Captions

Every image needs a caption, consisting of a brief title and a description.
Explain all symbols and abbreviations.
Keep text on the image to a minimum.
Provide captions in a separate file.

Color Artwork

Color figures will appear in color online.
Ensure color images are accessible to those with color vision impairment.

Use of Generative AI

Generative AI or AI-assisted tools must NOT be used to create or modify images, except as part of your research methods (describe usage fully in Methods section if applicable).
Graphical abstracts must not use generative AI.
Use of AI for cover art may be allowed with permission and proper rights.

Supplementary Material

You can submit supplementary items like applications, images, or audio.
Cite all supplementary files in the manuscript.
Submit them along with your article; files will appear online as received.
Provide captions for each supplementary file.
Don’t annotate or revise older versions; submit updated files if needed.
Disable track changes in Microsoft Office files before submitting.

Video

Videos and animations can be included.
Reference video files in your manuscript text and label them clearly.
Recommended formats, up to 150 MB per file (max total 1 GB).
Provide a still image for each video as an icon.
Supply accompanying text for both print and electronic versions

Research Data

Deposit your research data in a suitable repository and link/cite it in your article. If this isn’t possible, explain why.
Make a data statement about the availability of your data at submission.
Linking data boosts exposure and understanding.
Use identifiers and links as appropriate in your article text.

Research Elements

You can publish related research objects (data, methods, protocols, software, hardware) in the journals.
You'll be notified during submission about this opportunity.

Article Structure

Organize your article into clearly numbered sections (e.g., 1.1, 1.2, etc.).
Subsections should be titled and placed on their own lines.
The abstract should not be part of section numbering.

Acknowledgements

Recognize those who assisted you, such as with language or proofreading, in a separate acknowledgements section before references. Do not put acknowledgements on the title page or elsewhere.

Author Contributions

List each author's specific contributions (e.g., conceptualization, data curation, analysis, writing, etc.).
Not all roles will apply to every author; some may have multiple roles.

Funding Sources

Disclose all sources of financial support, and describe sponsor involvement, if any, in the study.
If no funding was provided, state: “This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.”

Appendices

Identify appendices by letters (A, B, etc.), and number equations, tables, and figures separately in each appendix (e.g., Eq. A.1, Table B.1).

References

All references cited must be included in the reference list and vice versa.
References in abstracts must be given in full.
Avoid unpublished results and personal communications in the reference list; mention them in the text if necessary.
References “in press” mean they have been accepted for publication.
Ensure all reference data is accurate for proper linking.
Use DOIs when available.

Reference Format

You may use any consistent reference style at submission.
All key details (author names, titles, year, volume, etc.) must be present.
Our journal style will be applied at proof stage.
Indicate references by numbers in square brackets and number them in the order they appear in the text.

Reference Examples

Follow the provided sample formats for journal articles, books, book chapters, websites, datasets, and software.

Web and Data References

For websites, provide full URL and access date.
For datasets, include all necessary details and mark as [dataset].

Preprint Reference

Mark preprints clearly as such.
If a preprint is later published, cite the final published version.

Submitting Your Manuscript

Submission Checklist

Before submitting your manuscript, please review this checklist:

Make sure you have assigned a corresponding author and included their complete contact information (email, mailing address, and phone number).
Upload all necessary files, such as keywords, figure captions, and tables (each with a title, description, and footnotes).
Run spelling and grammar checks.
Verify that every reference cited in your text is listed in the references section, and vice versa.
Secure permissions for any copyrighted materials taken from other sources, including online resources.
For open access submissions, all authors are aware of their responsibility to pay the Article Publishing Charge (APC) if the paper is accepted. The APC may be paid by the corresponding author's institution or research funder.

Cover Letter

Please include a cover letter with your submission to introduce your manuscript to the editor and encourage it to be considered for peer review.

Keep the letter brief (preferably under one page) and to the point.
Summarize the purpose and key results of your research clearly and concisely.
Explain how your work aligns with the journal’s scope.
Highlight the originality of your study and its wider significance, showing why your work matters.
If you were invited to submit, mention this in your letter.
Do not include funding details, author declarations, or recommendations for or against specific reviewers in your cover letter; these will be requested separately if needed.

Online Submission

Submit your paper through our online system, which will guide you step by step through entering your manuscript details and uploading your files. Your files will be combined into a single PDF for the peer-review process.

You must provide editable files (such as Word) to allow for typesetting your article after acceptance. All communication regarding your manuscript, including editorial decisions and revision requests, will be sent via email.

To submit your manuscript, please use the provided online submission link.