Submission Guidelines

---

JUMP TO:  Preparing Your Manuscript | Submitting Your Manuscript | Review Process | After Acceptance

---

Preparing Your Manuscript

Article Types

INFORMS Journal on Optimization welcomes three types of submissions:

• Regular articles: These are original papers that build on an area and expand it in different ways. Regular articles will be reviewed by an Associate Editor, 2-3 reviewers, and the Editor-in-Chief. The first review will be expected within 3 months of submission, and a paper in this category will be published electronically within 1 year of submission. Accepted regular articles are expected to score highly in at least one of the following questions:
  • How new and significant is the application studied?
  • How original/creative is the optimization modeling?
  • How original/creative is the optimization methodology?
  • How significant is the impact in practice?
• Perspective articles: These are unusually original papers that initiate an area, typically the first of their kind. Perspective articles will be assigned to two Associate Editors, who will present it to the entire Editorial Board during its next monthly call. A final decision is expected within 1 month of submission, and a paper in this category will be published electronically within 2 months of submission. Accepted perspective articles are expected to be the first in an area of optimization.
• Review articles: These are invited papers that present a review of an area by experts in the field; authors who wish to submit an unsolicited review must first consult with the Editor-in-Chief. Review articles will be reviewed by an Associate Editor, 2-3 reviewers, and the Editor-in-Chief. The first review will be expected within 3 months of submission, and an accepted paper in this category will be published electronically within 6 months of submission. Accepted review articles are expected to give a unifying and comprehensive review of an area of optimization.

Length

For Regular and Perspective articles, submissions should usually be no more than 30 pages, not counting an online companion; for Review articles, submissions should usually be no more than 50 pages, not counting an online companion. If you have an online companion, please submit it separately from the main manuscript file and place it after the main body when ordering your manuscript files. Appendices should be placed in online companions.

Format

Manuscripts must be double-spaced, with 11-point font and 1-inch margins all around. Authors' names and affiliations should be included on the first page of the manuscript.

Style Templates

The manuscript style is specified in the template file IJO-template.tex, which handles most stylistic issues. You can find the template and other necessary files at http://pubsonline.informs.org/authorportal/latex-style-files. Please avoid using your own macros and packages that are not compatible with hyperref.

Manuscript File

Manuscripts should be submitted as PDF files. A PDF file can be produced from LaTeX files by running pdflatex or from a dvi file by running dvipdf or dvips + distilling it. The PDF files should include all figures, tables, bibliography, and appendices. To assist referees, copies of relevant unpublished or inaccessible references may be uploaded as supplementary files.

Keywords

Authors are required to identify one or more relevant keywords (maximum: 3 keywords).

Abstract

Manuscripts should include an abstract, placed after the title page, of up to 200 words describing the main results. Authors are strongly encouraged to avoid using display math in the abstract.

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments should appear at the end of the paper, before the references.

Author Biographies

During initial submission, authors should include a short bio for each author and an enticing story about how the paper was written: for example, it was a topic of a dissertation, an unusual collaboration and what prompted it, the origins of the idea, etc. This section should appear at the end of the paper, before the references, and should be no more than one page for all bios and the story.

References

List only those references that are cited in the text. References in the text should be cited by the author's surname and the year of publication, for example, Cohen (1969). If the reference has two authors, cite both of the authors' surnames and the year of publication: Karmarkar and Karp (1982). If the reference has three or more authors, cite the first author's surname followed by et al. and the year of publication: Gale et al. (1951).

If there is more than one reference by the same author with the same year of publication, the first citation appearing in the text would read “Cohen (1969a),” the second citation would read “Cohen (1969b),” etc. Do not use parentheses or brackets for dates when the citation is already enclosed within parentheses.

Full references should be listed alphabetically by the last name of the first author at the end of the paper. Do not number the reference list.

For journal references, include the author(s), year of publication, title, journal name, volume, and pages:

Eaves BC (1971) The linear complementarity problem. Management Sci. 17(9):613-634.

For book references, include the author(s), year of publication, title, publisher, city, and state; if a chapter within an edited book, give the pages:

Cohen JW (1969) The Single Server Queue. (North-Holland, Amsterdam).

Gale D, Kuhn HW, Tucker AW (1951) Linear programming and the theory of games. Koopmans TC, ed. Activity Analysis of Production and Allocation (Wiley, New York), 317-329.

For references to working papers or dissertations, include the author(s), title, type of document, department, university, and location:

Karmarkar N, Karp RM (1982) The differencing method of set partitioning, Report UCB/CSD 82/113, Computer Science Division, University of California, Berkeley, CA.

Figures

Visit the File Preparation page within the INFORMS Author Portal for detailed instructions regarding figure composition.

---

Submitting Your Manuscript

Submission

To submit a manuscript to INFORMS Journal on Optimization, authors should complete the submission process on the ScholarOne Manuscripts website.

The ScholarOne Submission Process

In ScholarOne Manuscripts, there are seven steps in the submission process:

Step 1: Type, title, abstract, and author biographies — Enter the manuscript type (eg, Regular Article, Perspectives Article, Review Article). Provide the manuscript title. Add the abstract (not more than 200 words). Include a brief author biography for each author and answer the 3 questions regarding the manuscript's background.

Step 2: Attributes — Please enter from 1 to 3 keywords.

Step 3: Authors and Institutions — All authors and their institutions must be identified. Please note that the submitting author is required to provide their ORCID iD (more information about ORCID iDs can be found here).

Step 4: Reviewers — Regular Articles and Review Articles: Enter at least 6 reviewers and 3 associate editors you would like to suggest for the review of your submission. Perspectives Articles: Enter at least 3 associate editors you would like to suggest for the review of your submission. Reviewer suggestions are not needed.

Step 5: Details and Comments — Authors will certify that they are complying with the journal's ethical policy. As part of Step 5, authors will certify the following ethical statements within the ScholarOne system:

I acknowledge that I am aware of INFORMS Journal on Optimization's guidelines for ethical behavior in publishing (http://pubsonline.informs.org/page/ijoo/guidelines-for-ethical-behavior-in-publishing) and all INFORMS policies referred to therein and that this submission conforms to those policies. I have disclosed (in my cover letter and in any related submission questions) any possible perceived conflicts of interest and noted all of my work that has substantial overlap to prior publications, conference proceedings, book chapters, and papers submitted to this journal or any other journals. I also certify that no part of the material within the submitted paper is subject to another copyright except those parts covered by permissions the author has obtained.

I acknowledge that in submitting this paper I am aware of INFORMS policy on plagiarism and copyright (http://pubsonline.informs.org/authorportal/copyright-plagiarism). Further I acknowledge that I will supply to the editor(s) of the journal all of my manuscripts (e.g., conference proceedings, prior publications, book chapters, papers submitted to other journals) that have substantial overlap with the submitted paper. I also certify no part of the material within the submitted paper is subject to another copyright except those parts covered by permissions the author has obtained.

Step 6: File Upload — Authors will upload as many files as needed for their manuscript. These files will be combined into a single PDF document for the peer review process. For revisions, authors should include only the latest set of files.

Step 7: Review and Submit — As the final step, authors will review the previous six steps for completeness and view the PDF proof generated by the ScholarOne system (this is required). Be sure to select “Submit” when done.

Troubleshooting

For additional training and support for using the ScholarOne Manuscripts submission system, please visit ScholarOne’s Author Resources page.

Contact Your Managing Editor

Chris Asher
INFORMS
5521 Research Park Drive
Suite 200
Catonsville, Maryland 21228
[email protected]

---

The Review Process

There are two trends in our field that the INFORMS Journal on Optimization aspires to reverse: (a) long delays and (b) negativity in the reviewing process. To address these trends, IJO aims to solicit reviews from three reviewers for each paper and aspires to get a decision to the authors within 3 months of submission. IJO will not reject a paper with one (out of three) negative reports, unless there are serious questions on correctness. IJO’s editorial board will strive to find what is good in an idea and try to improve it.

Summary of the Review Process for Regular and Review Article Submissions

1. The Authors submit a manuscript and recommend three Associate Editors (AEs) and six reviewers.
2. The manuscript is checked by IJO’s editorial staff to ensure that it conforms with the formatting requirements and all supporting documents have been included.
3. The Editor quickly reviews the manuscript for overall fit with the editorial policy of the journal. If the Editor feels the paper fits the journal's editorial mission, the Editor assigns the paper to an AE (but not necessarily one of the three recommended by the authors). Otherwise, the Editor returns the manuscript to the authors with a short report explaining this decision.
4. The AE reviews the manuscript for fit and quality. The AE has three options: (i) The AE can reject the paper if the AE feels the contribution of the paper is insufficient even if all of the results are correct and even if the authors would be given the opportunity to provide a revision. (ii) The AE can reject the paper if the AE feels that the paper has the potential to make a contribution but there are obvious omissions or corrections needed in the analysis. If either option (i) or (ii) are taken, the AE writes a report for the authors detailing the reasoning behind the decision. (iii) The AE can choose to recruit three reviewers (but not necessarily any of the six recommended by the authors).
5. Assuming the paper is sent to reviewers, the AE waits to receive referee reports. The AE summarizes the reports and recommends one of the following actions:
   • Reject — The paper is not publishable as is and not likely to be publishable even with a revision.
   • Revision required — A revision is needed before a final decision can be made.
   • Accept — The paper is publishable as is, or with very minor changes that can be checked by the Editor.

The AE’s report provides a synthesis of the referees’ evaluations, the AE’s own assessment of the paper, and the AE’s recommendation. When the recommendation is reject, the report should provide an explanation and justification for this decision; to the extent it is possible, the report should also provide constructive feedback on what might make this into a publishable paper. When the recommendation is for a revision, the report should attempt to provide for the authors a clear set of actions to guide the revision, as well as some explanation as to why these actions will result in a better paper; this is particularly important when the reviewers make contradictory recommendations. Typically only one revision is expected, and only in unusual circumstances will a second revision be recommended.

The Editor reviews the reports (AE's and reviewers) and makes a final decision from the same choices for the AE. In most cases, the Editor follows the recommendation of the AE. If the Editor's recommendation differs from the AE's, then the Editor writes a detailed report explaining the decision. If the Editor's recommendation is to resubmit, the Editor provides guidance to the authors on how to proceed.

Expected Processing Times for Regular and Review Article Submissions

It is the objective of the INFORMS Journal on Optimization editorial board to provide fair, critical, and constructive reviews in a timely manner. The following are the target deadlines for regular submissions:

• The Editor is given 5 days to do the initial read of the manuscript and either return the paper to the author(s) or assign an AE.
• The AE is given 21 days to do an initial read and either return the paper to the author(s) or assign reviewers.
• Each reviewer is given 6 weeks to complete his/her report.
• The AE is given 10 days to summarize the reviewers' reports and to synthesize his/her recommendation.
• The Editor is given 3 days to make a final decision after the AE report is received.

Therefore, assuming a manuscript is sent into each stage of the review process, authors should expect to receive a decision within 3 months of submitting a manuscript. This time period begins when the authors successfully complete the submission process, i.e., only after they have submitted a manuscript that conforms to all formatting requirements and all necessary supporting documents have been uploaded to the ScholarOne system.

Summary of the Review Process for Perspective Article Submissions

1. The Authors submit a manuscript designated as a perspective submission and recommends four Associate Editors (AEs). Perspective submissions must include a page of justification about which new area(s) the paper opens.
2. The manuscript is checked IJO’s editorial staff to ensure that it conforms with the formatting requirements and all supporting documents have been included.
3. The Editor quickly reviews the manuscript for overall fit with the editorial policy of the journal. If the Editor feels the paper fits the journal's editorial mission, the Editor assigns the paper to two Associate Editors (AE) (but not necessarily among the four recommended by the author). Otherwise, the Editor returns the manuscript to the authors with a short report explaining this decision.
4. The AEs review the manuscript for fit, quality, and originality. The AEs will write short reviews to the entire Editorial Board. The entire Editorial Board will review the submission, along with the AE reviews, and decide to accept, request revision, or reject.

Expected Processing Times for Perspective Article Submissions

It is the objective of the INFORMS Journal on Optimization editorial board to provide fair, critical, and constructive reviews in a timely manner. The following are the target deadlines for regular submissions:

• The Editor is given 5 days to do the initial read of the manuscript and either return the paper to the author(s) or assign to two AEs.
• The AEs are given 10 days to do an initial read and write a report on the paper.
• The Editor is given 3 days to either return the paper to the author(s) or move the paper to a discussion by the Editorial Board.
• The Editorial Board is given 10 days to discuss the paper and make a recommendation.
• The Editor is given 3 days to make a final decision after the Editorial Board recommendation is received.

Assuming a manuscript is sent into each stage of the review process, authors should expect to receive a decision within one month of submitting a manuscript designated as a perspective submission. This time period begins when the authors successfully complete the submission process, i.e., only after they have submitted a manuscript that conforms to all formatting requirements and all necessary supporting documents have been uploaded to the ScholarOne system.

INFORMS Journals on Optimization Appeals Policy

Appeals are only considered where the author(s) believe that one or more significant technical errors have been made by the reviewers/editors that affected the final decision. Appeals are not for cases where the author(s) believe that the reviewers/editors did not sufficiently appreciate the paper.

In such cases, the author(s) may appeal by email to the relevant Associate Editor or the Editor-in-Chief. This should be done at least one week after but not more than eight weeks after the final decision was transmitted to the author(s).

The editor will consider the merits of the alleged error and choose a path of action which is generally among the following: (1) uphold the decision made; (2) secure one or more additional reviews of the paper for further consideration.

---

After Acceptance

Final Submission

We request that authors upload their final files to the submission site within one week from receipt of the acceptance decision letter. The decision of accept is not considered binding until final files have been received.

As a condition of final acceptance of a paper for publication in INFORMS Journal on Optimization, authors must indicate if their paper is posted on a working papers website other than their own. Authors are responsible for ensuring that, if any part of the paper has been copyrighted for prepublication as a working paper, permission has been obtained to allow publication in IJO. This includes both print and electronic forms of the paper.

If a paper is accepted for publication, authors are expected to provide a LaTeX source file, all figure files, and the matching PDF of the final revision as a reference, as well as a signed Copyright Transfer Agreement. Important information about preparing files for production is available here.

Open Access

Gold Option — The INFORMS Open Option (IOO) provides an open access alternative for articles accepted in any INFORMS journals that would have otherwise been available only through subscriptions or pay per view. Click here for details.

Green Option — Authors may post their author accepted manuscript (AAM) on personal websites, scholarly collaboration networks, or noncommercial institutional repositories immediately after acceptance. Posted AAMs must include the DOI (permalink) provided by INFORMS to the final published version of record. Authors may not post their final published version of record except where authorized under an INFORMS Open Option open access publication license.

Information about authors' rights and permissions is available here. Additional questions or comments regarding INFORMS policy on posting papers can be sent to [email protected].

NIH Public Access Policy

NIH-funded authors: Please note that INFORMS follows Method C of NIH's submission methods guidelines (http://publicaccess.nih.gov/submit_process.htm). The author is responsible for complying with the NIH Public Access Policy, and INFORMS has no obligation to notify an NIH-funded author about the requirement.

Publication Forms

Media Promotion Form