Author Guidelines

1. Introductions

Welcome to the Civil Engineering Science and Technology (CEST) Author Guidelines. These guidelines are intended to assist authors in preparing and submitting high-quality manuscripts that meet the journal's scientific, ethical, and editorial standards. Authors are encouraged to read these guidelines carefully before submitting a manuscript to ensure compliance with the journal's formatting requirements, editorial policies, and publication ethics.

Submission of a manuscript to CEST indicates that all authors have read, understood, and agreed to comply with the journal's policies, including those relating to authorship, publication ethics, peer review, research integrity, conflicts of interest, data availability, funding disclosure, artificial intelligence (AI) disclosure, and copyright. Failure to comply with these guidelines may result in delays during editorial assessment, requests for revision prior to peer review, or rejection of the manuscript.

2. About the Journal

Civil Engineering Science and Technology (CEST) is an international peer-reviewed, open-access scientific journal published by Universitas Sains dan Teknologi Komputer (STEKOM University). The journal provides a platform for researchers, academics, engineers, practitioners, and policymakers to publish original, high-quality research that advances knowledge and innovation in civil engineering.

CEST publishes articles that contribute to both theoretical development and practical applications in civil engineering and related interdisciplinary fields. The journal welcomes contributions from authors worldwide and is committed to maintaining high standards of scientific quality, editorial integrity, and ethical publishing. All published articles are made freely available under the journal's Open Access policy, allowing unrestricted access to readers without subscription fees.

3. Aims and Scope

 

CEST publishes original scholarly contributions covering a broad range of topics in civil engineering, including but not limited to:

• Soil and Rock Mechanics
• Structures and Construction Materials
• Structural Engineering
• Earthquake Engineering
• Hydraulic Engineering and Hydrology
• Water Resources Engineering
• Transportation Engineering
• Highway and Railway Engineering
• Traffic Engineering
• Infrastructure Engineering
• Geotechnical Engineering
• Environmental Engineering
• Sustainable Construction
• Smart Infrastructure
• Building Information Modeling (BIM)
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
• Digital Twin Technology
• Artificial Intelligence Applications in Civil Engineering
• Internet of Things (IoT) in Civil Engineering
• Construction Management
• Construction Automation
• Robotics in Construction
• Civil Engineering Materials
• Structural Health Monitoring
• Case Studies and Practical Applications
• Emerging Technologies in Civil Engineering

Manuscripts outside the scope of the journal may be declined during the initial editorial screening without external peer review.

4. Types of Manuscripts

CEST accepts the following categories of manuscripts.

4.1 Research Articles

Research Articles present original scientific findings that make a significant contribution to civil engineering knowledge.

A Research Article should include:

• Original research
• Clearly defined objectives
• Appropriate methodology
• Valid analysis
• Scientific discussion
• Clear conclusions

Research Articles are the primary manuscript type published by CEST.

4.2 Review Articles

Review Articles critically evaluate and synthesize the current state of knowledge within a specific research area.

Rather than summarizing existing literature, review articles should provide:

• Critical analysis
• Research trends
• Knowledge gaps
• Future research directions

Systematic Reviews and Scoping Reviews are encouraged where appropriate.

4.3 Case Studies

Case Studies report practical applications, engineering projects, or implementation experiences that provide valuable technical or scientific insights. Case Studies should demonstrate lessons learned that may be transferable to other engineering contexts.

4.4 Short Communications

Short Communications present concise reports of innovative findings, preliminary results, novel methodologies, or emerging engineering technologies. These manuscripts should be focused, scientifically rigorous, and of immediate interest to the civil engineering community.

5. Before You Submit

Authors should ensure that their manuscript satisfies all journal requirements before submission.

By submitting a manuscript to CEST, the Corresponding Author confirms that:

• The manuscript is original and has not been published previously.
• The manuscript is not under consideration by another journal.
• All listed authors have made substantial scholarly contributions to the work.
• All authors have reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript.
• The manuscript complies with the journal's Publication Ethics and Editorial Policies.
• Any use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been disclosed in accordance with the journal's AI Policy.
• All funding sources have been disclosed.
• Any potential conflicts of interest have been declared.
• Data availability has been appropriately addressed.
• Ethical approval and informed consent have been obtained where applicable.
• All necessary permissions have been obtained for copyrighted materials.

Submission of incomplete manuscripts or manuscripts that do not comply with these requirements may result in the manuscript being returned to the authors before entering the peer review process.

6. Language Requirements

CEST publishes manuscripts  Authors are responsible for ensuring that manuscripts are written in clear, accurate, and grammatically correct academic English before submission. Authors whose first language is not English are strongly encouraged to use professional language editing services or seek assistance from proficient English speakers prior to submission. Poor language quality that significantly affects scientific readability may result in editorial rejection before peer review. 

7. Originality Requirement

CEST only considers manuscripts presenting original scholarly work.

The manuscript must:

• represent original research conducted by the authors;
• contain unpublished findings;
• avoid plagiarism, duplicate publication, and redundant publication;
• appropriately acknowledge previous research through proper citation.

The Editorial Office performs similarity screening and editorial assessment prior to peer review. Manuscripts failing to meet the journal's originality requirements may be rejected without external review.

8. Similarity and AI Screening

To maintain research integrity and publication quality, all submitted manuscripts undergo originality and editorial integrity screening before entering the peer review process.

Authors are expected to ensure that:

• the manuscript has a Similarity Index of less than 20%;
• the manuscript has an AI-generated writing detection score below 30%.

Similarity screening may be conducted using Turnitin, iThenticate, or equivalent plagiarism detection software. Artificial Intelligence writing assessment may also be conducted during the editorial screening process.

In addition, all accepted manuscripts entering the production stage will undergo a final similarity and AI screening before publication to ensure continued compliance with the journal's editorial standards. The results of this verification will be documented by the Production Editor as part of the publication quality assurance process. Manuscripts exceeding these thresholds may be returned to the authors for revision or rejected, depending on the nature and extent of the identified concerns.

9. Manuscript Preparation

Authors are required to prepare their manuscripts using the official Civil Engineering Science and Technology (CEST) Manuscript Template. Manuscripts that do not comply with the journal formatting requirements may be returned to the authors for correction before entering the peer review process. The manuscript should be written in clear academic English, follow the prescribed structure, and present scientific findings in a logical, concise, and coherent manner.

10. General Formatting Requirements

Authors should prepare manuscripts according to the following formatting specifications.

The manuscript should be formatted using the official CEST template without modifying the predefined styles.

11. Manuscript Structure

The manuscript should be organized in the following order:

1. Title
2. Author Information
3. Abstract
4. Keywords
5. Introduction
6. Literature Review/Related Work
7. Research Methods
8. Results and Discussion
9. Conclusion
10. Declarations
11. References

Authors are encouraged to maintain a logical flow throughout the manuscript to facilitate readability and scientific communication.

12. Title

The title should accurately reflect the content and contribution of the manuscript.

Authors should ensure that the title:

• contains no more than 15 words;
• is concise, informative, and specific;
• clearly represents the research topic;
• avoids abbreviations whenever possible;
• avoids unnecessary phrases and redundant wording.

The title should emphasize the novelty or main contribution of the research rather than simply describing the study.

13. Author Information

The manuscript should include complete information for every author.

Each author should provide:

• Full name (without academic titles);
• Institutional affiliation;
• Department or research unit;
• City and country;
• Institutional email address;
• ORCID iD (strongly recommended).

One author must be designated as the Corresponding Author (*), who will be responsible for all communications with the Editorial Office throughout the editorial and publication process. Changes to authorship after submission are subject to the journal's Authorship Policy and may require written approval from all authors.

14. Abstract

The abstract provides a concise summary of the entire manuscript and should enable readers to understand the purpose and significance of the research without referring to the full text.

The abstract should:

• be written in English;
• contain a minimum 150 words with maximum of 250 words;
• be presented as a single paragraph;
• avoid citations, references, tables, figures, and equations.

The abstract should briefly describe:

• the research background;
• research objective(s);
• methodology;
• principal findings;
• major conclusion(s).

The conclusions presented in the abstract should be consistent with those stated in the manuscript.

15. Keywords

Authors should provide three to six keywords immediately after the abstract.

Keywords should:

• accurately represent the main topics of the manuscript;
• avoid repeating words already appearing in the title whenever possible;
• be arranged alphabetically;
• assist indexing services in improving article discoverability.

16. Introduction

The Introduction should provide sufficient background for readers to understand the significance of the study. This section should include:

• research background;
• current state of knowledge;
• literature supporting the research problem;
• identification of the research gap;
• novelty of the study;
• research objectives;
• expected scientific contribution.

The Introduction should avoid an excessive literature review and instead focus on establishing the rationale for the research.

17. Literature Review/Related Work

The Literature Review should critically discuss previous studies relevant to the research topic. Rather than summarizing existing publications, authors are encouraged to:

• compare previous findings;
• identify knowledge gaps;
• explain theoretical foundations;
• establish the conceptual basis for the current study.

Where appropriate, hypotheses or research propositions may be introduced.

18. Research Methods

This section should provide sufficient information to allow the study to be understood and, where applicable, reproduced by other researchers. Authors should clearly describe:

• research design;
• study area or research setting;
• population and sampling methods;
• datasets or research materials;
• instruments used;
• data collection procedures;
• analytical methods;
• statistical analysis;
• software used.

If mathematical models are employed, every equation should be accompanied by a clear explanation of all variables and symbols. Authors are encouraged to identify the software and version used during data analysis (e.g., SPSS, R, Python, MATLAB, ETABS, SAP2000, ABAQUS, ArcGIS, BIM software, or other relevant engineering applications).

19. Results and Discussion

The Results and Discussion may be presented as a combined section or as separate sections, provided that the presentation remains logical and coherent. The Results section should present:

• analyzed findings;
• processed data;
• statistical results;
• validated engineering outputs.

Raw data should not be presented unless essential to understanding the research.

The Discussion should:

• interpret the findings;
• compare results with previous studies;
• explain similarities or differences;
• discuss theoretical implications;
• discuss practical implications;
• explain the significance of the findings.

Authors should avoid merely repeating numerical results without scientific interpretation. 

20. Conclusion

The Conclusion should summarize the principal findings of the research and directly address the stated objectives.

This section should:

• highlight the major scientific contributions;
• explain the practical implications of the findings;
• acknowledge important limitations of the study;
• provide recommendations for future research.

The Conclusion should not repeat detailed discussions or introduce new information that has not been presented elsewhere in the manuscript.

21. Language Quality

Authors are responsible for ensuring that manuscripts are written in clear, concise, and grammatically correct academic English.

Prior to submission, authors are strongly encouraged to:

• proofread the manuscript carefully;
• ensure consistency in terminology;
• avoid grammatical errors;
• use professional language editing services when necessary.

Poor language quality that substantially affects scientific readability may result in editorial rejection before peer review.

22. Tables

Tables should be used to present research findings clearly, concisely, and without duplication of information already described in the text.

Authors should ensure that:

• Every table is cited and discussed in the manuscript before it appears.
• Tables are created using the table editor in Microsoft Word and remain fully editable.
• Tables are not inserted as images or screenshots.
• Table titles are placed above the table.
• Tables are numbered consecutively using Arabic numerals (e.g., Table 1, Table 2).
• Abbreviations used within tables are explained in footnotes where necessary.
• Data are presented consistently using appropriate units and decimal places.

Tables should be designed to fit within the page layout and should avoid unnecessary formatting such as excessive borders or shading.

23. Figures

Figures should enhance the presentation of the research and clearly illustrate scientific findings.

Figures may include:

• Graphs
• Charts
• Photographs
• Flowcharts
• Research frameworks
• Engineering drawings
• Maps
• Diagrams
• Model architectures

Authors should ensure that:

• Every figure is cited and explained in the text.
• Figure captions are placed below the figure.
• Figures are numbered consecutively using Arabic numerals.
• Images have a minimum resolution of 300 dpi.
• Figures remain clear when printed in both color and grayscale.
• Text contained within figures is readable.
• Screenshots of statistical software or engineering software outputs should be avoided whenever possible.

Recommended image formats include PNG, TIFF, SVG, EPS, or other high-quality editable formats.

Where figures are reproduced or adapted from previously published sources, authors are responsible for obtaining the necessary permissions and providing appropriate attribution.

24. Equations

Mathematical equations should be prepared using the Microsoft Equation Editor or an equivalent equation formatting tool.

Authors should ensure that:

• Equations are editable and not inserted as images.
• Equations are centered within the page.
• Equations are numbered consecutively using Arabic numerals enclosed in parentheses.
• Every equation is referenced within the text.
• All variables, symbols, constants, and abbreviations are defined immediately after the equation when first introduced.

Mathematical notation should be used consistently throughout the manuscript.

25. Units, Symbols, and Abbreviations

Authors should use internationally recognized scientific conventions throughout the manuscript.

Specifically:

• SI (International System of Units) should be used wherever applicable.
• Symbols should follow internationally accepted engineering standards.
• Abbreviations should be defined at their first occurrence.
• Excessive or uncommon abbreviations should be avoided.

Consistency in notation, terminology, and units is expected throughout the manuscript.

26. Citation Style

CEST adopts the American Psychological Association (APA) 7th Edition citation style. Authors are strongly encouraged to use reference management software such as:

• Mendeley
• Zotero
• EndNote

All citations appearing in the manuscript must correspond to entries in the reference list, and every reference listed must be cited within the manuscript.

Examples of in-text citations include:

Single author

(Smith, 2024)

Two authors

(Smith & Lee, 2024)

Three or more authors

(Smith et al., 2024)

Multiple citations

(Brown, 2023; Smith et al., 2024; Zhao & Wang, 2025)

Direct quotations should be used sparingly and include page numbers where appropriate.

27. Reference List

The reference list should appear at the end of the manuscript and include only sources cited within the text. References should be arranged alphabetically according to APA 7th Edition formatting.

Authors should ensure that:

• A minimum of 25 references are included.
• At least 80% of the references are journal articles.
• At least 80% of the references have been published within the last 5 years.
• References primarily consist of peer-reviewed scholarly publications.
• Every reference includes a DOI whenever one is available.
• URLs should be provided only when a DOI is unavailable.

The Editorial Office reserves the right to request revision of the reference list if it does not adequately reflect current developments in the relevant research field.

28. Reference Quality

Authors are encouraged to cite high-quality scholarly literature that is directly relevant to the research topic. Priority should be given to articles published in journals indexed by:

• Scopus
• Web of Science Core Collection
• DOAJ
• PubMed (where applicable)
• IEEE Xplore (for interdisciplinary engineering topics)
• ASCE Library
• ScienceDirect
• SpringerLink
• Taylor & Francis
• Wiley Online Library

Authors should avoid excessive reliance on:

• Undergraduate theses;
• Unpublished reports;
• Personal websites;
• Wikipedia;
• Non-peer-reviewed blogs;
• AI-generated references;
• Predatory journals.

References should reflect the current state of knowledge and demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the research area.

29. Supplementary Materials

Authors may submit supplementary materials that support the findings of the manuscript.

Examples include:

• Additional datasets;
• Computational codes or scripts;
• Simulation files;
• Multimedia files;
• High-resolution figures;
• Engineering models;
• Additional appendices.

Supplementary materials should be clearly identified during submission and appropriately referenced within the manuscript where applicable. The Editorial Office reserves the right to determine whether supplementary materials will be made publicly available alongside the published article. 

30. Manuscript Quality Prior to Submission

Before submitting a manuscript, authors are expected to ensure that:

• The manuscript follows the official CEST template.
• All tables and figures have been cited in the text.
• Every equation has been explained.
• References comply with APA 7th Edition.
• All references have been verified for accuracy.
• DOIs have been included wherever available.
• The manuscript has been thoroughly proofread.
• The manuscript has been checked for consistency in terminology, units, and formatting.

Manuscripts that do not meet these technical requirements may be returned to the authors for correction before proceeding to editorial evaluation.

31. Declarations

To promote transparency, research integrity, and responsible scholarly publishing, all manuscripts submitted to Civil Engineering Science and Technology (CEST) must include a Declarations section immediately after the Conclusion and before the References.

The Declarations section provides important information regarding funding, conflicts of interest, research ethics, data availability, author contributions, and the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Where a declaration is not applicable, authors should explicitly state "Not applicable." Statements should not be omitted.

32. Acknowledgements

The Acknowledgements section provides authors with the opportunity to recognize individuals or organizations that contributed to the research but do not meet the criteria for authorship.

Examples include:

• technical assistance;
• laboratory support;
• institutional support;
• administrative assistance;
• language editing;
• field survey assistance;
• access to facilities or equipment.

Authors should ensure that all individuals acknowledged have agreed to be named. This section is optional. 

33. Funding Statement

Authors must disclose all financial support received for conducting the research and preparing the manuscript. The Funding Statement should include:

• funding agency;
• grant number (if applicable);
• funding recipient;
• project title (where appropriate).

If no external funding was received, authors should state:

This research received no external funding.

Complete disclosure of funding sources enhances transparency and allows readers to assess potential sources of influence.

34. Conflict of Interest Statement

All authors must disclose any financial, professional, institutional, or personal relationships that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the research. Potential conflicts may include:

• employment;
• consultancy;
• honoraria;
• stock ownership;
• patents;
• research funding;
• advisory board membership;
• commercial partnerships.

Where no conflict exists, authors should state:

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Failure to disclose relevant conflicts of interest may result in editorial action in accordance with the journal's Publication Ethics and Conflict of Interest Policy.

35. Data Availability Statement

Authors are required to provide a statement describing the availability of the data supporting the findings of the study. Examples include:

Publicly Available Data

The datasets generated during this study are publicly available at [repository name] (DOI or URL).

Available Upon Request

The datasets generated during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Restricted Data

Data are not publicly available due to confidentiality, legal restrictions, or ethical considerations but may be available upon reasonable request subject to institutional approval.

No New Data Generated

No new data were generated or analyzed in this study.

Whenever possible, authors are encouraged to deposit datasets in trusted public repositories to promote transparency and research reproducibility.

36. CRediT Author Contributions

CEST adopts the Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT) to improve transparency regarding each author's contribution. Authors should clearly describe the contribution of every listed author.

Examples of contribution roles include:

• Conceptualization
• Methodology
• Investigation
• Formal Analysis
• Data Curation
• Software
• Validation
• Visualization
• Writing – Original Draft
• Writing – Review & Editing
• Supervision
• Project Administration
• Funding Acquisition

Example:

Author A: Conceptualization, Methodology, Formal Analysis, Writing – Original Draft.

Author B: Investigation, Data Curation, Visualization.

Author C: Supervision, Writing – Review & Editing, Funding Acquisition.

All listed authors must satisfy the authorship criteria described in the journal's Authorship Policy.

37. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Disclosure

CEST recognizes that Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may assist authors during manuscript preparation. However, AI tools must not replace human intellectual responsibility. Authors must disclose any substantial use of AI during manuscript preparation.

Examples of acceptable disclosure include:

No AI Used

The authors declare that no generative artificial intelligence tools were used in preparing this manuscript.

AI Used for Language Editing

Generative artificial intelligence was used solely for language editing and grammar improvement. All scientific content, interpretation, analysis, and conclusions remain entirely the responsibility of the authors.

AI Used for Coding Assistance

Artificial intelligence tools were used to assist in code development and debugging. All computational procedures and research findings were independently verified by the authors.

Artificial Intelligence must not be used to:

• generate scientific findings;
• fabricate or manipulate research data;
• create fictitious references;
• replace scientific interpretation;
• qualify as an author.

Additional requirements are described in the journal's Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy.

38. Ethics Approval

Research involving human participants, identifiable personal data, or animals must include a statement regarding ethical approval. Where applicable, authors should provide:

• name of the approving ethics committee;
• institution;
• approval number;
• approval date (if available).

Example:

Ethical approval was granted by the Research Ethics Committee of XYZ University (Approval No. 2026-015).

If ethical approval is not required, authors should state:

Not applicable.

39. Informed Consent

Where research involves human participants, authors should confirm that informed consent was obtained before data collection.

Example:

Informed consent was obtained from all participants involved in the study.

If informed consent is not applicable, authors should state:

Not applicable.

40. Permissions for Copyrighted Materials

Authors are responsible for obtaining written permission to reproduce or adapt any copyrighted material included in the manuscript.

This includes, but is not limited to:

• figures;
• tables;
• photographs;
• maps;
• diagrams;
• illustrations;
• questionnaires;
• proprietary datasets.

Appropriate acknowledgment of the original source must be provided in accordance with applicable copyright requirements.

41. Supplementary Files

Authors are encouraged to submit supplementary materials that enhance the transparency and reproducibility of their research.

Examples include:

• datasets;
• software code;
• simulation models;
• engineering drawings;
• additional figures;
• videos;
• appendices.

Supplementary files should be clearly identified during manuscript submission and referenced within the manuscript where appropriate. The Editorial Office reserves the right to determine whether supplementary files will be published alongside the article. 

42. Compliance with Journal Policies

By submitting a manuscript to CEST, the Corresponding Author confirms that all declarations provided are complete, accurate, and agreed upon by all co-authors. The Editorial Office may request supporting documentation relating to:

• funding;
• ethical approval;
• informed consent;
• data availability;
• authorship contributions;
• conflict of interest disclosures;
• AI disclosure;
• copyright permissions.

Failure to provide requested documentation may result in delays, requests for clarification, rejection of the manuscript, or other editorial actions in accordance with the journal's policies.