Bringing the Universe
to Society
Bringing the Universe closer to society
through astronomy communication
For Authors
CAPjournal is dedicated to the professionalisation of astronomy communication. We are firm believers in promoting the ideas of researchers worldwide, regardless of comfort with the English language, the publication process, or academic writing. For this reason, we take a pedagogical approach to our editorial process; all members of the Editorial Board are prepared to provide writing support for all submissions.
CAPjournal publishes under a CC-BY Creative Commons 4.0 license; authors retain the copyright. Authors must acknowledge and accept the Copyright Agreement before submitting to the journal.
CAPjournal publishes the following article types:
Research & Applications
Research & Applications articles, or simply research articles, present recent research that has been performed in astronomy communication, public engagement, or related fields. The work must be well-cited, placed into a detailed context, and be well-motivated and discussed. Research articles should be between 3500 and 7000 words, with an abstract of no more than 150 words and a detailed bibliography.
Literature Review
Literature Reviews provide an overview of a particular topic in astronomy communication. These articles should be comprehensive in their motivation, context and critique and clearly identify gaps in the current understanding of the topic. Literature Reviews should be between 3500 and 7000 words, with an abstract of no more than 150 words and a detailed bibliography.
Best Practices
Best Practices articles are in-depth guides to cutting-edge methods and techniques in astronomy communication, public engagement, and related fields. They should provide substantial context, including a discussion of previous methodologies and the design of current models. Best Practices articles should be between 3500 and 7000 words, with an abstract of no more than 150 words and a detailed bibliography.
Case Study
Case Studies detail a situation or event that exemplifies a methodology or research finding. They must thoroughly analyse the context, implications, and lessons learnt through the lens of the case. Case Studies should be between 1000 and 2000 words, with an abstract of no more than 150 words and a detailed bibliography.
Interview
Interviews present conversations with influential members of our community and serve to preserve their knowledge and advice. Interviews should remain between 800 and 2500 words, including an introduction to the person and their context within the field.
Column
Columns explore topics in astronomy communication related to current events, important initiatives, conferences, or other relevant activities. These articles should be between 800 and 1500 words.
Prepare Your Manuscript
Authors can download the manuscript template in .DOCX format, download the template as a .RTF, or create a copy of the template on Google Docs. Do not add headers or footers to this template.
Submissions should be sent to capjournal@...Click to show as a .DOCX or .RTF attachment or Google Doc link. Figures should be high-resolution files (72 ppi, max 1 MB each) in TIFF, JPEG, PDF, or EPS formats, submitted in a .ZIP folder. Articles may contain up to 10 images, not including tables. All documents will be stored and processed via Google Drive and Docs.
While English is the primary language of CAPjournal, authors may submit their work in their native language. The Editorial Staff will try to assign an Editor and Reviewer fluent in that language. If not feasible, the author will be asked to provide an English version. Extensive editorial and English-language support will be provided.
Authors must select up to three keywords from the official list. The Editorial Staff may adjust the keywords. Include the chosen keywords and article type in the submission email.
After submission, authors will receive a confirmation email with an estimated review timeline. The Editorial Staff will provide updates throughout the process. Timelines are flexible and may change.
Review Process
When an article is submitted, it is immediately reviewed by the Editorial Staff at the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach. If an article is deemed appropriate, relevant to the CAPjournal readership and contains no identifying information, a member of the Editorial Board will be assigned to the article to begin the double-anonymous Editorial Review.
The Editorial Board member and author will work together to ready the article for Peer Review. A member of the Editorial Staff will serve as an intermediary to ensure the review is totally anonymous.
After the members of the Editorial Board and the Editorial Staff have accepted the revised manuscript, a Peer Reviewer will be assigned to the article. The Peer Review process is also double-anonymous, and a member of the Editorial Staff will again serve as an intermediary to ensure this remains the case. The Peer Reviewer will provide feedback on the article's content and, together with the Editorial Staff, decide whether the article is ready for publication.
If, after a series of revisions, the Peer Reviewer can recommend that the article be:
- Accepted for publication.
- Rejected with revisions. In the event that this is the recommendation, the Editorial Staff will review the case with the Peer Reviewer to understand the reasons behind their decision. If they agree that the article is still unsuitable, but think that it could be improved with more time for additional research, the article will be rejected with revisions, and the author will be encouraged to resubmit at a later time.
NOTE: An article will not be sent to a Peer Reviewer if the Editorial Staff and Editorial Board member do not agree that the content is important and should be published.
The author is able to withdraw their article at any time by contacting the CAPjournal Editorial Staff at capjournal@...Click to show.
Publication
After an article has been accepted for publication, the Editor-in-Chief will copy-edit the text and prepare a postprint. The corresponding author will perform a final check of the formatted document.
The author will be able to suggest minor changes to their postprint in the form of comments in a plain text document. These should indicate precisely what needs to be changed, including spelling mistakes or formatting errors (e.g., images or tables placed incorrectly).
When the article has been published, it will be available for download on the Articles & Issues page of the CAPjournal website. Articles reviewed in a non-English language will be published in that language with an accompanying abstract translated into English.