Instructions for Authors

Instructions updated November 2024

To confirm that your paper may be suitable for publication in Algebra Universalis, please read our mission statement. Note that papers of more than 40 pages are discouraged and papers of more than 50 pages are not normally considered.

Please ensure that you read and adhere to the Ethical Responsibilities of Authors.

Note: Submitting authors may be asked to referee future articles for Algebra Universalis, and are asked to consider the necessity and importance of refereeing in assisting the function and quality of the journal.

A.  The submission process

Submission of manuscripts is via Editorial Manager using the link below. Before accessing Editor Manager, please read the following important instructions carefully.

1. In accordance with EU data-protection regulations, all submitted papers with more than one author must clearly indicate the corresponding author. This can be done using an asterisk on the name of the corresponding author on the first page of the paper and a footnote as follows: *Corresponding author. The Algebra Universalis document class, birkau.cls, contains a macro \corrauthor for automating this. The class file birkau.cls is part of AUfiles.zip; see Section C below.

2. All papers submitted to Springer now must contain certain declarations at the end of the paper and before the bibliography. All Algebra Universalis authors must include statements relating to
   
   Ethical approval,
   Competing interests,

Authors' contributions,
Availability of data and materials, and
Funding.

Examples of typical statements are given in the AU Sample Article.

3. Do not submit a PDF file of your paper; that will be created automatically.

4. If your submission consists of a single LaTeX file and you did not use the birkau.cls class file, then simply upload your LaTeX file to Editorial Manager.

5. If your submission includes graphics files or if you used the birkau.cls class file, then you must upload all of your source files (including birkau.cls, if you used it). You should upload the master LaTeX file of your paper first.

6. You will be asked to declare the type of each file.

   • Of course, the master LaTeX file of your paper should be declared to be a "Manuscript" and any separate graphics file should be declared to be a "Figure".

   • Any other relevant LaTeX file (such as the class file birkau.cls) should be declared to be a "Supplementary LaTeX file".

To access Editorial Manager, go to the web site

https://www.editorialmanager.com/alun/

and log in as an author. Follow the on-screen instructions.

Mailbox articles

Please note that Mailbox articles should be no longer than five pages including references.

B.  The refereeing process

An Associate Editor will be assigned to your paper, taking into account any preference you may indicated when submitting the paper. Editorial Manager will inform you by email of the name of the Associate Editor assigned to your paper. 

Once you have an Associate Editor, you correspond with the Associate Editor.

If there is a problem between submission and the final decision on your paper, please email Managing Editor Marcel Jackson (m.g.jackson@latrobe.edu.au).

In all correspondence concerning your paper, please be sure to use the ALUN number that was assigned to your paper.

The refereeing process should be completed in three months; longer papers in nine months. Based on the referee's report, the assigned Associate Editor will recommend acceptance or rejection to the Editorial Office. The possible outcomes of the editorial process are:

• The paper is accepted without change.

• The paper is accepted subject to minor changes.

• The paper will be accepted subject to more substantial changes being made.

• The paper might be acceptable but requires major revisions; in this case the paper will be regarded as withdrawn and any new version will be regarded as a new submission, and will be given a new file number.

• The paper is rejected.

C.  Accepted articles

If your paper is accepted, you are required to provide Managing Editor Brian Davey (AU@latrobe.edu.au) with a LaTeX file of your paper. When preparing your LaTeX file, use the class file birkau.cls and follow the guidelines given in the AU Sample Article.

All the files you need are contained in AUfiles.zip. Download and unzip this file. In it you will find:

• birkau.cls (the Birkhäuser document class modified for AU)

• AUsample.tex (the LaTeX version of the AU sample article for use with birkau.cls)

• AUsample.pdf (the PDF version of the AU sample article)

• spmpsci.bst (the BibTeX style file for those who use BibTeX - note that you will need to edit the .bbl file, to remove italics, for example).

Please use the checklist given in the final section of the sample article before sending your file to Brian Davey. (This checklist replaces the more extensive list given in Davey's DOs and DON'Ts[6].pdf, which is still available to download for those who would like a more detailed version.) If the guidelines have not been followed, you will be asked to provide Brian Davey with a revised version.

D.  The production process

Your LaTeX file is sent by Brian Davey to the production team at Birkhäuser, who will send you a set of page proofs. You must check these proofs very carefully as your LaTeX file will be converted by Birkhäuser into a proprietary format. The purpose of the page proofs is to allow you to check for typesetting or conversion errors and for the completeness and accuracy of the text, tables and figures. Substantial changes are not allowed. After online publication, further changes can only be made in the form of an Erratum.

E.  Continuous Article Publication

Accepted manuscripts will be published via Continuous Article Publication. Consequently, once you have approved your page proofs, your paper will be published electronically via Online First within a few weeks. It will be published in a printed issue in due course.