Publication Standards and Review Procedures

Physics of Fluids (PoF) publishes manuscripts containing significant new research contributions of the highest intellectual caliber. Our review and editorial policy and procedures maintain PoF as the premiere international fluid mechanics journal. The journal publishes regular articles, review articles, perspectives and Letters. Letters must meet the additional requirement of timeliness (see below). We also publish Errata, and Comments on previous contributions to Physics of Fluids.

In addition to regular articles, we review and publish virtual special topic collections. This can include manuscripts presented at special conferences. For us to consider such manuscripts, before the conference, you must coordinate between the conference organizers and the editorial office. Often, our editors invite speakers at important meetings to submit manuscripts based on their exceptional talks. All manuscripts must meet the usual standards for acceptance.

Authors publishing in the journal retain the copyright and must complete an exclusive License to Publish Agreement. When authors submit their manuscript to the journal, they imply that their work has neither been previously copyrighted nor accepted for publication elsewhere.

Language standard: It is the authors’ responsibility to ensure that manuscripts are written clearly. A manuscript can be rejected if the scientific meaning is unclear due to poor English. Manuscripts that do not meet Physics of Fluids’  language standard will be returned to the authors for rewrite before peer review, during the review process and/or if provisionally accepted pending language editing.

Because good science has no value unless it is clearly communicated, AIP Publishing recommends that authors use AIPP Author Services to improve the quality of your paper’s written English. AIPP Author Services was developed in line with our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion for all authors. Using this service ensures that your paper will be free of language deficiencies, so editors and reviewers will be able to fully understand your research during the review process. A native English-speaking subject matter expert of AIP Author Services will correct spelling, grammar and punctuation and verify the use and consistency of technical terms and content in your paper. This is not a requirement or a guarantee of acceptance for review or publication.

Manuscripts with incomplete or outdated bibliographies, or with content that is technically weak or inappropriate for the scope of the journal, will generally be rejected without review. The editor-in-chief initially reviews submitted manuscripts, then an associate editor will study the submission and approach experts to serve as referees.

The editor reviews the referee reports and determines whether the manuscript is acceptable, requires revisions, or is rejected from further consideration. Authors will receive the referee reports and details of editorial issues, if any. Authors will have a deadline for submitting the revised manuscript, with responses to the referees. When appropriate, the editor will reject revised manuscripts that are overdue or treat them as new submissions. We send revised manuscripts back to the referees for additional review. The editor makes the final decision whether to accept or reject a manuscript. Authors may also withdraw their manuscript at any time.

In addition to regular articles, PoF also publishes Review Articles, Perspectives, Letters, Comments, and Errata.

Tutorials have a strong educational focus and are meant to provide an overview of the fundamental principles and techniques which are important within a given subfield of fluid dynamics. These articles should be particularly useful to students or senior researchers looking to deepen their understanding of a field that is new to them. These articles will also interest instructors of the subject matter. Tutorials are not required to include original research content but must educate readers on principles and techniques in a particular research area. 

Perspectives are overviews on topics currently generating a great deal of interest in the fluids community. Perspectives aim to provide an objective and balanced overview of recent advances in the field and the author’s unique perspective on where the field is headed. Perspectives are a community resource and freely available without subscription.

Whereas Research Articles have no page limit, Letters are length-limited and do not include section headings. Guidance on the length of Letters.

Comments are to correct significant errors in articles published in the journal, to rebut conclusions reached, or to provide additional insight or corroboration. Comments must address scientific issues only and be concise, substantive, and contain no harsh criticism. We discourage Comments on questions of priority or calling attention to an oversight in a reference list. Generally, the editor will invite the authors of the targeted Comment to respond in print. The editor may decide to accept Comments and Responses, if any, for publication only after the two parties have submitted final versions of their pieces. Both Comments and Responses must satisfy peer review.

Errata are used by authors to correct significant errors of substance in their published manuscripts. Errata should be clear and concise.