Author's Guidelines for Paper Content and Structure

Papers submitted for consideration of publication in the Journal of Engineering for Sustainable Development: Energy, Environment, and Health should advance the body of knowledge related to appropriate technologies in water, sanitation, energy, health and the environment in developing regions of the world. Acceptable paper topics include original reviews of past practice, present information of current interest, or exploration of new concepts pertinent to sustainable engineering. Manuscripts should be free of evident commercialism or private interest, and all manuscripts of this nature will be returned without review. However, case studies and descriptions of new technologies are welcome, and in these papers it may be appropriate to use proper names or other identifying information to aid the reader's understanding. Papers should not have been published previously, and authors will be required to sign a copyright release form prior to publication certifying this fact.

The journal hopes to improve education resources and technology transfer to increase the effectiveness of projects working towards the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. Submissions are welcome from authors in the fields of engineering, agriculture, energy, power transmission, architecture, construction, education, medicine and all disciplines relevant to energy, the environment, and human health.

The inaugural issue of the Journal of Engineering for Sustainable Development: Energy, Environment, and Health will focus specifically on the realization of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, including but not limited to applications involving:
· Improving access to drinking water
· Improving sanitation
· Sustainable energy development and use
· Eradication of poverty and hunger
· Environmental and health education
· Barriers to implementing the Millennium Development Goals
· Research and education needs to support sustainability development

All papers will be reviewed by at least two peers that are competent to evaluate the technical and professional quality of the work. At least two positive reviews are required for acceptance of the paper for publication, and two negative reviews are grounds for rejection of the manuscript. Revisions, with or without re-review, are often required conditions of acceptance. Review criteria for papers include originality of approach, concept, and/or application; intellectual merit of approach and findings; significance of findings and potential benefits and impact; and the effectiveness of projects in working towards the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. Both practical papers and theoretical papers are encouraged.

The following subsections describe required and/or suggested components to be included in the structure of papers submitted to the Journal of Engineering for Sustainable Development: Energy, Environment, and Health.

Front Matter. Include a title for the paper of no more than 100 characters, including spaces between words. Authors should be listed sequentially by full name, with any professional registrations or other designations abbreviated after each name. A footnote should be included for each author listing his or her title, organization, and contact information.

Abstract. Include an abstract of no more than 300 words that describes the problem or question addressed in the paper, the scope of the work and approach taken, and the key conclusions or major findings. It should be written for a technical audience and should avoid domain-specific jargon since the audience for the Journal will include multiple disciplines related to the sustainable engineering. Do not include mathematics or references to other literature in the abstract.

Narrative. The maximum length for papers submitted to the Journal of Engineering for Sustainable Development: Energy, Environment, and Health is 10,000 words. Special exceptions may be made for papers on topics that cannot be sufficiently addressed within these limitations. Publication standards of the American Society of Civil Engineers should be consulted for issues such as notation, units, and proper citation of references. As a guideline, the narrative of the paper should include the following key components as appropriate for the content of the paper. Sections should be titled appropriately to reflect the specific contents of each section. Not all papers may fit this recommended structure, and authors should use their discretion to develop a structure for the paper that is most appropriate to clearly convey the information to the Journal's audience. Recommended sections to include in the body of the paper are:

Implications. This section should be 100 words or less, and should describe the practical implications of the manuscript as they pertain to sustainable development.

Introduction. The introduction section of the paper should include a description of the problem or question being pursued in the work, and should provide an overview of the significance of the problem. This section of the paper should describe prior work conducted to address the problem and should establish a clear point of departure for the work described in the paper. It may also include a summary subsection to clearly articulate the research need based on gaps in the literature or problems being addressed.

Objectives. The objectives section should clearly establish the purpose of the paper and the objectives of the work described therein. It should also establish the scope of the work undertaken.

Methodology or Approach. The methodology section of the paper should clearly describe the research design and decisions underlying that design, the instruments and/or apparatus used to conduct the research, the population(s) being studied, any analytical methods employed, and other details that would allow readers to repeat the work or evaluate its validity. Authors may refer readers to Appendices containing details about the methodology if the detail contained therein would interrupt the flow of the narrative itself.

Results and Findings. The results and findings section of the paper should describe the primary outcomes of the work based on application of the methodology. Include summaries and/or analysis of data in this section of the paper. Authors may refer readers to Appendices containing details about the data or analysis if the detail contained therein would interrupt the flow of the narrative itself.

Conclusions. The conclusion section of the work should discuss the significant implications of the findings described earlier. This section should refer back to or otherwise discuss the original problem or question being investigated, and should present the author's evaluation of the work. The conclusion should also include areas for further research, benefits and impacts, and significance of the work.

Acknowledgments. Acknowledgements may be included to recognize financial or technical support received for the work described in the paper. They are not required for manuscript submission.

Appendices. If necessary, appendices may be included to provide additional detail or data essential to understanding or replicability of work described in the paper. All appendices should be clearly referenced at least once in the main body of the paper. Appendices should be included when estimating the total length of the paper.

References and Bibliography. All information in the manuscript derived from other sources should be clearly referenced in the body of the text using the author-date method. For instance, one author might be cited as (Jones 2001), two authors as (Jones and Lang 2001), and three authors or more as (Jones et al. 2001). Direct quotes or other information linked to specific locations in the text should include page numbers, e.g., (Jones 2001, p. 35). Formatting of all sources listed in the references and bibliography should follow the guidelines of the primary author's domain, with the American Society of Civil Engineers being the default format. Reference lists should contain sources cited directly in the manuscript, and should be included in all papers. Bibliographies may be included separately to list other key resources of interest to the reader but not specifically cited in the text.