NEW JOURNAL OF PHYSICS (ISSN: 1367-2630)

Description

New Journal of Physics publishes across the whole of physics, encompassing pure, applied, theoretical and experimental research, as well as interdisciplinary topics where physics forms the central theme. All content is permanently free to read and the journal is funded by an article publication charge.

Editorial & news

General scientific summaries
As a new feature of New Journal of Physics authors are now invited to write a non-specialist summary of their work aimed at general readers.

Forthcoming focus issues
The latest list of cutting-edge invited focus issues planned for publication in New Journal of Physics over the coming months.

Best of 2009
A special selection of articles showcasing some of the best content in New Journal of Physics last year.

Co-owned by the Institute of Physics and Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft, New Journal of Physics (NJP) is an open-access, electronic-only journal publishing original research across the whole of physics. The journal's Editorial Board and staff are committed to building NJP into the leading scientific journal in its field by publishing articles of outstanding scientific quality that merit the attention and interest of the whole physics community. NJP is available free to readers around the world and is funded by article publication charges.

Subject coverage
NJP's coverage extends across the whole of physics, encompassing pure, applied, theoretical and experimental research, as well as interdisciplinary topics. Research areas covered by the journal include:

Quantum physics (including quantum information)
Atomic and molecular physics
Optics
Condensed matter
Surface science
Nanoscale science
Photonics and device physics
Soft matter and polymers
Chemical physics
Statistical mechanics, thermodynamics and nonlinear systems
Fluid dynamics
Plasmas
Nuclear physics
High energy particle physics
Cosmology and astrophysics
Biological and medical physics
Earth science and geophysics
Article requirements
An NJP article must meet the highest scientific quality standards, both in terms of originality and significance, and the research results should make substantial advances within a particular subfield of physics. The impact of an NJP article should be such that it will appeal to the journal's broad readership. Towards ensuring high editorial standards, every article submission is preliminarily assessed by the Editorial Board before sending to independent referees. Further information can be found in the referee guidelines.

Article style
NJP publishes only original research. As a journal serving the whole physics community, article abstracts, introductions and conclusions should be accessible to the non-specialist, stressing any wider implications of the work within physics. However, the main body should not compromise on the scientific rigour and detail demanded by an international physics research journal. The broad readership that NJP attracts gives authors an opportunity to convey to a wider audience, as well as to specialists, the importance of the work.

Authors are encouraged to take full advantage of the electronic medium to include colour, video, audio or other innovative presentation formats and links to more extensive tutorial information or data. However, use of such presentation techniques is not a criterion for article acceptance, and should only serve to effectively communicate the physics.

Article length
As NJP is an electronic-only journal, NJP articles have no rigid length restrictions. They should contain sufficient technical detail for an expert reader to understand and assess the methods and results. However, the NJP Editors do encourage authors to be concise, and short, high-quality articles are welcome. Articles should not normally be longer than 18000 words (an A4 size journal page contains an average of 900 words).

Manuscripts reporting studies of humans or animals should pay due attention to the ethical aspects of the study. Such studies must conform with local statutory requirements. New Journal of Physics endorses fully the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki on Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects, the latest version of which may be found at www.wma.net/e/policy/b3.htm. Where appropriate a statement should be made that the study has been carried out with ethical committee approval. Studies involving experimental animals must attend to the welfare of the animals; the guidelines of the United Kingdom Coordinating Committee on Cancer Research (UKCCCR) provide a basis for welfare considerations. Authors should also be aware of Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals by the Institute of Laboratory Animal Resources, which may be found at www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/labrats. Please state if the work has been subject to animal ethics committee approval.