1. Submission Checklist
Before submitting your manuscript to BCDS, please ensure that:
You have read the Aims & Scope of BCDS and confirmed that your work falls within the journal’s remit (computer science, data science, AI, and related areas).
Your manuscript has been prepared using a standard Microsoft Word or LaTeX template (any clean, professional format is acceptable at first submission).
All issues regarding publication ethics, copyright and permissions, authorship, data availability, figures, and reference formatting have been considered and clearly stated where required.
Every listed author has:
Approved the final version of the manuscript,
Agreed to its submission to BCDS, and
Familiarized themselves with these Instructions for Authors.
2. Manuscript Types
BCDS primarily publishes original research articles and review articles. All submissions must contain sufficient methodological detail and data description to allow reasonably skilled researchers to reproduce the results or procedures.
2.1 Research Articles
Research articles present original, unpublished findings that have not been submitted elsewhere. They should:
Report methodologically sound experiments, models, algorithms, or analyses.
Offer a substantial contribution to computer and/or data science.
Include up-to-date and relevant literature.
A typical structure is:
Abstract
Keywords
Introduction
Materials and Methods / Methodology
Results
Discussion
Conclusions (optional, but recommended)
2.2 Review Articles
Review papers provide a comprehensive, critical synthesis of the existing literature and clearly identify:
Current knowledge,
Open questions or gaps, and
Directions for future research.
Review articles should not present unpublished primary data. A suggested structure is:
Abstract
Keywords
Introduction
Thematic or topical sections (with subsections as needed)
Discussion and Future Directions
Conclusions (optional)
2.3 Scoping Reviews and Systematic Reviews
Scoping reviews may be submitted under the Review category and should follow the PRISMA-ScR (PRISMA extension for scoping reviews). Authors should:
Use the official PRISMA-ScR checklist,
Include a PRISMA flow diagram in the main text, and
Upload the checklist as supplementary material.
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses should follow PRISMA guidelines and usually adopt the same structure as research articles (Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion).
We strongly encourage authors to pre-register detailed protocols at a recognized platform (e.g., Open Science Framework or similar) and to mention registration details in the Methods section.
3. Submission Process
Manuscripts are submitted via the journal’s online submission system (insert URL or platform name here).
The submitting author (often the corresponding author) is responsible for:
Completing all submission steps,
Ensuring all co-authors meet authorship criteria and are properly listed, and
Confirming that all authors have read and approved the submitted version.
Co-authors can access the submission details by registering with the email address used during submission.
Supplementary files (datasets, code, appendices, multimedia, etc.) may be uploaded in any common format; non-proprietary, open formats are preferred.
Note: Templates and sample files are supplied to make preparation easier, but they are meant solely for journal submission and not for posting on preprint servers or other websites.
4. Free-Format Initial Submission
BCDS allows free-format submission for the first version:
Rigid journal formatting is not required at first submission.
However, manuscripts must still contain all core elements, such as:
Author information
Abstract
Keywords
Introduction
Materials & Methods / Methodology
Results
Discussion and/or Conclusions
Figures and Tables with captions
Funding information
Author contributions
Conflict of interest and ethics statements
Reference list
References:
In-text citations are given as numbers in square brackets (e.g., [1], [2–4]).
The reference list at the end of the article is numbered in order of first citation and each entry is formatted in APA style (e.g., Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title. Journal Name, volume(issue), pages. https://doi.org/xxxx).
Authors may use reference managers such as EndNote, Zotero, Mendeley, etc.
If the manuscript is invited to revise or is accepted, authors will be asked to adjust formatting to the final BCDS style.
5. Cover Letter
Each submission must include a cover letter that:
Briefly explains the main contribution and why the work is important for the computer/data science community.
Clarifies how the manuscript fits the scope of BCDS.
States any previous submission history of the work to other journals (if applicable).
The cover letter should also include the following statements:
“We confirm that this manuscript, or any part of its content, is not under consideration for publication in any other journal.”
“All authors have approved the manuscript and agree with its submission to the Bulletin of Computer and Data Sciences (BCDS).”
Suggested and excluded reviewers should be entered in the submission system, not in the cover letter.
6. Author Identification and Affiliation
6.1 Author Biographies (Optional)
Authors are encouraged to supply a short biographical note (about 300–1500 characters) which may include:
Full name and current position
Educational background (institutions and degrees with years)
Key work experience
Main research interests
Notable memberships, awards, or professional recognitions
Where possible, authors should link their biography to an ORCID profile; ORCID IDs may be displayed in the final publication.
6.2 Affiliations
All authors must list their current affiliation and the institution where most of the research was conducted.
The primary affiliation should typically be the institution that supported or hosted the work.
Accurate author names and affiliations are essential for indexing, citation, and institutional recognition. Post-publication changes may be restricted.
6.3 Independent Researchers
Authors who are not currently affiliated with an institution or company, and were not during the research period, should list their affiliation as “Independent Researcher”.
7. Manuscript Preparation
7.1 General Structure
Research articles should usually include:
Front matter: Title, author list, affiliations, abstract, keywords
Main text: Introduction; Materials and Methods / Methodology; Results; Discussion; Conclusions (optional)
Back matter: Supplementary materials, acknowledgements, author contributions, funding, conflicts of interest, ethics statements, data availability, references
Review articles typically include:
Front matter: Title, author list, affiliations, abstract, keywords
Main text: Structured review sections/subsections organized by themes, methods, or perspectives
Back matter: Acknowledgements, author contributions, funding, conflicts of interest, references
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses should follow PRISMA and use a structure analogous to research articles.
7.2 Graphical Abstract (Optional)
A graphical abstract may be provided to visually summarize the main contribution:
It should be a distinct visual (not a duplicate of an internal figure or just the text abstract on an image).
Must be original artwork without copyrighted stamps, currency, or logos.
Recommended formats: PNG, JPEG, or TIFF with minimum resolution of about 560 × 1100 px (height × width).
Use clear, legible fonts and correct symbols; avoid excessive text and empty space.
Do not place the words “Graphical Abstract” inside the image.
7.3 Acronyms, Units, and Equations
Define abbreviations the first time they appear in:
the abstract,
the main text, and
the first figure or table where used.
Use SI units throughout; if non-SI units are used, provide SI equivalents.
Equations should be editable (e.g., Microsoft Equation Editor or LaTeX math mode). Do not embed equations as images.
7.4 Research Data, Supplementary Material, and Preregistration
Submission implies a willingness to share data, code, and protocols that support the conclusions.
Clearly state any restrictions on data or materials at the submission stage and in the Data Availability Statement.
Where applicable, provide links to preregistered study or analysis plans and refer to them in the Methods section.
8. Front Matter Details
8.1 Title
The title should be:
Clear, concise, and informative;
Reflective of the study design (e.g., “systematic review”, “meta-analysis”, “randomized controlled trial”, “simulation study”) where relevant;
Free from running-title abbreviations (these can be added later if needed by the Editorial Office).
8.2 Author List and Affiliations
Provide full first and last names; middle initials are optional.
Use a consistent format for affiliations (department, institution, city, postal code, country).
Designate at least one corresponding author, with email address clearly indicated.
Email addresses for all authors are typically displayed unless authors request otherwise at proof stage.
Equal contributions may be indicated with a symbol (e.g., †) and a note such as: “These authors contributed equally to this work.”
8.3 Abstract
Approximately 200 words.
Single paragraph.
Cover, in order (without headings):
Background and purpose,
Core methods,
Key results,
Main conclusion(s).
The abstract should not include claims that are not supported in the main text.
8.4 Keywords
Include 3–10 keywords that:
Are specific to your work;
Reflect commonly used terms in the relevant subfield for indexing and search.
9. Main Sections (Research Articles)
9.1 Introduction
Place the work in the broader context of existing research.
Explain the motivation, objectives, and (if applicable) hypotheses.
Summarize the current state of the field with appropriate references.
Highlight open questions or controversies and state how your work addresses them.
9.2 Materials and Methods / Methodology
Provide enough detail to enable replication.
Clearly specify:
Datasets (sources, pre-processing, splitting criteria),
Algorithms and models (architecture, hyperparameters),
Evaluation metrics and baselines,
Software and tools (name, version), and any code availability.
Indicate any preregistration IDs where relevant.
If generative AI tools were used for substantive scientific tasks (e.g., generating data, designing experiments), describe how and where they were used; for minor language editing, no declaration is necessary.
9.3 Results
Present quantitative and qualitative findings concisely.
Use appropriately labeled figures, tables, and statistical summaries.
Focus on what the data show, reserving broader interpretation for the Discussion.
9.4 Discussion
Interpret your findings in light of previous work and your original objectives.
Discuss implications, limitations, and potential biases.
Suggest future research directions.
9.5 Conclusions (Optional)
A short summary of the main contributions and take-away messages. This can be combined with the Discussion if preferred.
9.6 Patents (Optional)
If the work leads to or is associated with patents, briefly mention them here.
10. Back Matter
10.1 Supplementary Materials
Describe any additional online material (e.g., Figure S1, Table S1, Code S1, Video S1) and what they contain. These files will be available with the article online.
10.2 Author Contributions
BCDS follows the CRediT taxonomy. For multi-author works, provide a contributions statement such as:
Conceptualization, X.X. and Y.Y.; Methodology, X.X.; Software, X.X.; Validation, X.X., Y.Y., and Z.Z.; Formal analysis, X.X.; Investigation, X.X.; Resources, X.X.; Data curation, X.X.; Writing—original draft, X.X.; Writing—review & editing, X.X.; Visualization, X.X.; Supervision, X.X.; Project administration, X.X.; Funding acquisition, Y.Y.
Authorship should be limited to those who made substantial contributions consistent with accepted authorship criteria.
10.3 Funding
Declare all sources of financial support and grant numbers.
If there was no specific funding, write:
“This research received no external funding.”
If applicable, indicate who covered any publication-related costs (if your journal has APCs).
10.4 Institutional Review Board Statement
For studies involving humans or animals, include a statement such as:
“The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Ethics Committee of [Institution] (protocol code XXX, date).”
Or state clearly why ethics approval was not required, referencing local regulations if appropriate.
10.5 Informed Consent Statement
For human research:
“Informed consent was obtained from all participants involved in the study.”
Or: “Informed consent was waived because [reason].”
If identifiable information is included, also state that written consent for publication was obtained.
10.6 Data Availability Statement
Explain where the data can be accessed, for example:
“The data supporting this study are available at [repository] under [DOI/URL].”
“The data are available on reasonable request from the corresponding author due to [privacy, legal, or commercial constraints].”
“No new data were created or analyzed in this study.”
10.7 Acknowledgements
Acknowledge contributions not qualifying for authorship (technical help, administrative support, etc.). If generative AI tools were used more broadly (e.g., to produce images or assist analysis), you may state:
“During the preparation of this manuscript, the authors used [tool name, version] for [purpose]. The authors reviewed the output and take full responsibility for the content.”
10.8 Conflicts of Interest
Declare any potential conflicts:
“The authors declare no conflict of interest.”
Or specify financial and non-financial interests that could be perceived as influencing the work.
11. References and Citation Style (APA + Numeric)
BCDS uses a hybrid system:
In-text citations are numeric, in the order of first appearance:
Example: [1], [2–4], [5, p. 10].
The reference list is numbered accordingly, but each item follows APA style.
Examples:
Journal article
11 Smith, J. A., & Lee, K. (2023). Deep learning for anomaly detection in streaming data. Journal of Data Science, 21(4), 123–145. https://doi.org/xxxxx
Book
22 Brown, R. (2019). Foundations of machine learning (3rd ed.). Springer.
Conference paper
33 Chen, L., & Gupta, R. (2022). Federated learning for edge devices. In Proceedings of the 35th International Conference on Machine Learning (pp. 100–112).
Key points:
Ensure accuracy of all references.
Cite only works you have actually read.
Use reference managers where possible.
Avoid excessive self-citation or citation of purely promotional material.
12. Figures, Schemes, and Tables
Upload figures/schemes in high resolution (preferably ≥ 600 dpi) in PNG, JPEG, or TIFF.
Use English-language labels and standard mathematical notation.
Insert figures and tables near their first mention in the text.
Number them sequentially: Figure 1, Figure 2, Table 1, etc.
Provide clear titles and captions explaining all symbols and abbreviations.
Tables should be created using the table tools of your word processor (not images), with clear column headings.
If any figure or table is reproduced or adapted from previously published material, ensure proper permissions and add an appropriate credit line in the caption.
13. Data, Software, and Supplementary Materials
BCDS encourages good data and code sharing practices:
When possible, deposit datasets and code in a recognized repository (e.g., Zenodo, institutional repository, or community repository) that assigns a persistent identifier.
Follow the principles of FAIR data (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable).
In the Methods section, mention all research materials necessary to reproduce experiments.
For very large datasets, use specialized repositories and provide accession numbers or DOIs.
Avoid “data not shown” where possible; instead, consider placing additional material in the Supplementary Materials.
14. Research and Publication Ethics
BCDS adheres to international standards for research integrity and publication ethics (e.g., COPE guidelines).
14.1 Human Participants
Studies must comply with the Declaration of Helsinki and local laws.
Ethical approval and informed consent must be documented as noted in Sections 10.4 and 10.5.
Protect participant privacy and confidentiality; data should be anonymized where possible.
14.2 Animals
Apply the 3Rs: Replacement, Reduction, Refinement.
Obtain ethics approval when required.
Clearly describe housing, care, and pain management.
Follow relevant national or international guidelines (e.g., ARRIVE for reporting).
14.3 Cell Lines, Plants, and Dual-Use Research
Clearly indicate the origin and ethical status of cell lines.
For plant research, comply with regulations on biodiversity and endangered species.
For work with potential dual-use implications (e.g., cybersecurity attacks, biosecurity), explain why benefits outweigh risks and ensure compliance with legal frameworks.
14.4 Plagiarism, Redundancy, and Image Manipulation
BCDS applies zero tolerance to:
Plagiarism (including self-plagiarism without proper citation),
Fabrication or falsification of data, and
Misleading image manipulation.
Text copied from other sources must be quoted and properly cited. Figures must not be altered in ways that distort findings. Allegations of misconduct will be investigated, and may result in rejection, correction, or retraction.
15. Reviewer Suggestions
During submission, authors are invited to suggest three potential reviewers:
Provide full names, institutional affiliations, and email addresses.
Suggested reviewers should:
Not have published with any of the authors in the past three years,
Not be close collaborators or members of the same research group, and
Ideally be from different institutions than the authors.
The editor may or may not invite suggested reviewers and may also exclude certain individuals based on conflicts of interest.
16. Language and English Editing
Manuscripts must be written in clear, grammatically correct English.
The journal may provide only minor language polishing; extensive editing is the authors’ responsibility.
Authors may seek help from colleagues proficient in English or from professional language editing services before submission.
Poor language quality may lead to delays or rejection.
17. Preprints and Conference Papers
BCDS allows submissions of work that has appeared as a non-peer-reviewed preprint on recognized servers (e.g., arXiv), provided that:
The preprint is clearly cited, and
The manuscript has not already been formally published.
Expanded, higher-quality versions of conference papers may be considered if:
The new manuscript substantially extends the original work.
The conference version is cited and its relationship to the current article is explained.
Necessary copyright permissions (if required) are obtained.
18. Authorship
BCDS follows established authorship criteria (e.g., ICMJE). Authors are expected to:
Make substantial contributions to the conception/design of the work, or acquisition/analysis/interpretation of data.
Draft the article or revise it critically for important intellectual content.
Approve the final version.
Agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
Changes to the author list after submission require agreement from all authors, including those being added or removed.
19. Editorial Independence and Conflicts of Interest
Editorial decisions are made solely based on scientific merit.
Editors and editorial staff do not handle their own manuscripts; such submissions are overseen by independent editors and external reviewers.
All authors, editors, and reviewers must declare any conflicts of interest that could bias their work or decisions (financial or non-financial).
20. Editorial Process and Peer Review
20.1 Pre-Check
After submission, the editorial office conducts an initial technical and ethical check to assess:
Fit with the journal’s scope,
Basic quality and ethical standards, and
Completeness of required elements.
An Academic Editor then performs an editorial pre-check, deciding whether to:
Reject at this stage,
Request revisions before review, or
Send the manuscript for external peer review.
20.2 Peer Review
BCDS uses single-blind peer review: reviewers know author names; authors do not know reviewer identities.
Typically, at least two independent experts review each manuscript.
Reviewers are chosen based on expertise and absence of conflicts of interest.
Authors’ suggested reviewers may be considered but are not guaranteed.
20.3 Decisions and Revisions
Possible decisions include:
Accept with minor revision – authors respond to small edits or clarifications.
Major revision – substantial changes or additional analyses requested; usually limited to a small number of rounds.
Reject with encouragement to resubmit – major new work or additional experiments would be needed.
Reject – serious flaws or insufficient contribution.
Authors must provide a point-by-point response to all reviewer and editor comments.
20.4 Appeals
Authors may appeal a rejection by writing to the editorial office within a defined period (e.g., three months), with:
A detailed, point-by-point response, and
A reasoned explanation of why the decision should be reconsidered.
Appeals are evaluated by an Editorial Board member or the Editor-in-Chief. The resulting decision is final.
20.5 Production and Publication
Once accepted:
The manuscript undergoes copy-editing, typesetting, and proofing.
Authors review proofs for accuracy (scientific and typographical) but substantive changes at this stage are limited.
The final article is then published online with a DOI.
21. Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
BCDS is committed to fostering equity, diversity, and inclusiveness:
Editorial boards and reviewer pools are developed with attention to diversity across geography, gender, career stage, and other dimensions.
Decisions are made without discrimination based on personal characteristics or beliefs.
Authors, reviewers, and editors are expected to maintain a professional, respectful tone in all communications.
