Guide for Authors

1. Before Submission

1.1. Authorship

The journal recognizes authorship as a reflection of substantial scholarly contribution and shared responsibility. Individuals listed as authors must meet all of the following conditions:

  • Made a significant input to at least one of the core stages of the research, such as formulating the study’s aims, designing the methodology, collecting materials or data, conducting analyses, or interpreting findings.
  • Took part in drafting sections of the manuscript or in reviewing and refining the text to ensure its scholarly rigor and intellectual depth.
  • Reviewed the complete manuscript and explicitly approved its submission or final publication.
  • Accepted shared accountability for the accuracy, validity, and integrity of the published work, and agreed to address any issues that may arise after publication in a transparent and timely manner.

All authors are expected to have engaged actively throughout the research and publication process, and to uphold the highest standards of academic integrity.

1.2. Author Contribution

The journal use CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) to describe the key types of individual contributions. We require corresponding author to submit a separate credit authorship contribution statement form stating the co-authors contribution of the work. More Details can be found at https://credit.niso.org/

Please download the credit authorship contribution statement form and upload it to the submission system at the Attach/Upload Files step.

1.3. Change of authorship

Once a manuscript has been submitted, the journal will generally not accept requests to modify the list or order of authors. Any proposal to add or remove an author after submission may result in the withdrawal of the article. Authors are therefore required to determine and confirm the complete, final list of contributors, along with the order of authorship, before the initial submission.

Authorship change request at revision stage should send the Authorship change request form to the journal manager and editors for further approval.

If your manuscript has already been accepted and published, an Erratum or Corrigendum will be required.

1.4. Declarations and Statements

Ethics Statement

Authors are required to complete the Ethical Statement Form and upload it during the Attach/Upload Files step in the submission system. (NOTE: An ethical statement is mandatory for all submissions, regardless of whether the study involves animal or human research.)

If the study does not involve animals or humans: No ethical approval was required for this study as it did not involve human or animal subjects.

Research Involving Animals

For studies involving animal subjects, authors must provide a statement confirming that the research was reviewed and approved — or granted an exemption — by the relevant institutional or national ethics committee. Authors are strongly encouraged to follow the 3Rs principles (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement). Further information is available at: https://nc3rs.org.uk/who-we-are/3rs.

Research Involving Humans

For studies involving human participants, human-derived materials, or associated data, authors must ensure compliance with recognized ethical standards, such as the Declaration of Helsinki (link), and confirm that appropriate ethical approval or exemption has been obtained.

An Ethical Statement must be included and should cover the following:

  • Ethics Committee Approval
    • State the full name of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) or relevant institutional/national ethics committee that approved the study.
    • If the study was granted an exemption, provide official documentation from the ethics committee.
  • Informed Consent
    • Consent to participate: Confirm that informed consent was obtained from all participants involved in the study. (For participants under the age of 16, informed consent must be obtained from their legal guardians.)
    • Consent to publish: Where applicable, confirm that participants provided consent for publication of identifiable images (e.g., “The authors affirm that human participants provided informed consent for publication of the images in Figure XXX.”). For clinical studies or case reports, confirm that patients signed informed consent for the publication of their data and photographs.

Originality

All submissions must represent original work. By submitting a manuscript, authors confirm that:

  1. The content has not been published before, except as an abstract, a published lecture, or an academic thesis.
  2. The manuscript is not under review by any other journal or publisher.

Violation of this policy will result in rejection of the submission and a six-month ban on further submissions to Tbench.

Please download the Ethical statement form and upload it to the submission system at the Attach/Upload Files step.

Competing interest

All authors are requested to disclose any actual or potential conflict of interest including any financial, personal or other relationships with other people or organizations within three years of beginning the submitted work that could inappropriately influence, or be perceived to influence, their work.

Please download the declaration of competing interest form and upload it to the submission system at the Attach/Upload Files step.

Funding

Any research grants or financial support (e.g., salaries, equipment, travel reimbursement) from organizations that may be financially affected by the publication. Please provide the funder’s name and grant number where applicable. Authors should complete the funding statement using the template and upload to the submission system at the Attach/Upload Files step. Note: Please do not convert the .docx template to another file type. If there are no funding to declare, please choose the first option in the template. This statement will be published within the article if accepted.

Please download the template funding declaration form and upload it to the submission system at the Attach/Upload Files step.

1.5. Peer Review procedure

1. Initial Manuscript Screening

Our journal is dedicated to the rapid publication of rigorous, high-quality research. Therefore, authors are expected to submit manuscripts that have been thoroughly proofread and refined for clarity, accuracy, and overall presentation. Upon submission, the editorial office conducts a preliminary review of all manuscripts to assess:

  • Manuscript’s subject fall in the journal’s scope
  • Ethical approval (if applicable)
  • Plagiarism check
  • Simultaneous submission check
  • Comply with the double anonymized review rules

Manuscripts failing to meet these basic standards will be desk rejected without being sent to reviewers. Authors will be informed accordingly. Manuscripts passing this stage will be assigned to the Editor-in-Chief (EIC) or an Associate Editor (AE).

2. Editor Assignment and Reviewer Invitation

The assigned Editor (Editor-in-Chief or Associate Editor) oversees the peer review process. Suitable manuscripts are typically sent to at least two independent expert reviewers for evaluation of their scientific merit and quality. The review process is generally completed within 1 to 2 months, depending on the editors’ schedule. However, this period may be extended if editors and reviewers are simultaneously handling multiple manuscripts.

3. Feedback to Authors

Based on reviewers’ comments, the handling editor provides detailed feedback to the authors. Decisions at this stage may include acceptance, revision (minor or major), or rejection.

4. Revised Manuscript Handling

When authors submit revised manuscripts, the original handling editor and reviewers are invited to reassess the submission. The final decision regarding acceptance or rejection will be made based on updated reviewer comments and editor assessment.

5. Final Decision

The Editor-in-Chief or the designated handling editor makes the final decision on all manuscripts. The editorial decision is final and binding.

Conflict of Interest Management

Editors will recuse themselves from managing manuscripts:

  • Authored by themselves, family members, or colleagues
  • Involving products, services, or interests where a conflict exists

Manuscripts with such conflicts will be assigned to an independent editor without conflicts for confidential handling and final decision making.

Special Issues and Editorial Board Submissions

For manuscripts submitted by the Editor-in-Chief, Associate Editors, Guest Editors, or other editorial board members, as well as those with conflicts of interest, editorial responsibility will be delegated to a conflict-free editor to ensure impartiality. For Special Issues, if conflicts arise between Guest Editors and authors, the handling will be transferred to editors free of conflicts with the authors.

Review model — Double anonymized review

This journal uses double anonymized review, which means the authors' identities are concealed from the reviewers, and vice versa. To facilitate this, please upload the following files separately:

  • Title page with author details: This should include the title, authors' names, affiliations, and a complete address for the corresponding author, including an e-mail address.
  • Manuscript without author details: Title, main body, references, figures, tables. (Should not include any identifying information, such as the authors' names or affiliations.)

Please remember that other forms that should be uploaded separately with your work include: ethical statement, funding declaration, declaration of competing interest, data availability statement, and credit authorship contribution statement.

1.6. Use of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Tools

Generative AI tools cannot be listed as authors. In some cases, authors are not required to provide detailed declarations of AI usage. For example, AI tools may be used to assist with copy editing, improving readability, style, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and tone of human-generated content. However, when AI or AI-assisted tools constitute an integral part of the research methodology or study design—for instance, in biomedical imaging—authors are required to provide a fully reproducible description of AI usage in the Methods section. This description should include details such as the model or tool name, version and extension numbers, and the manufacturer. Use of generative AI or AI-assisted tools to produce artwork, such as graphical abstracts, is strictly prohibited. Responsibility for the final version of the manuscript rests entirely with the human authors, who must confirm that any AI-assisted edits accurately represent their original work.

1.7. Open-access

All peer-reviewed research articles published in this journal are made freely and permanently accessible online immediately upon publication. This ensures unrestricted access to the full text in a user-friendly format for readers worldwide.

To provide open access, this journal has an open access fee (also known as an article publishing charge APC) which needs to be paid by the authors or on their behalf e.g. by their research funder or institution. The APC for this journal is USD xxx, excluding taxes.

Article reuse is governed by a Creative Commons license. For articles published before November 1, 2023, authors may choose between the CC BY (link) or CC BY-NC-ND (link) licenses. Starting November 1, 2023, all articles are published exclusively under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) license. This license permits others to share and copy the article for non-commercial purposes and to include it in collections or anthologies, provided the original authors are credited and the article is not altered or modified in any way.

1.8. Copyright

This journal is a peer-reviewed, fully open access publication owned by the International Open Benchmark Council, which holds the copyright for the journal as a whole and for each compiled issue. Individual authors retain copyright over their own articles and grant the International Open Benchmark Council a non-exclusive license for publishing and distribution rights.

1.9. Data Availability statement

Please include a statement specifying where the data supporting the findings of this study are stored and how they can be accessed. Where applicable, provide links/DOIs to publicly archived datasets.

The data availability statement should clearly indicate whether any additional, unpublished data from the study are available, identify the potential recipients, and explain how such data can be obtained.

If the authors choose not to share their data or are unable to do so, the statement should explicitly note that the data will not be shared and provide the reasons.

Please download the template for data availability statement form and upload it to the submission system at the Attach/Upload Files step.

2. Pre-submission Checklist

Prior to submitting your manuscript, please ensure compliance with the following criteria to facilitate a smooth review process:

Appropriate Article Section Selection

Confirm that your manuscript is submitted under the correct section (e.g., full-length articles, review articles, short communications, editorials, etc.). Accurate categorization is essential for the appropriate assignment of reviewers.

Originality and Adherence to Submission Guidelines

The submitted work must be original, unpublished, and comply fully with the journal’s submission requirements. All assertions within the manuscript should be clearly articulated and substantiated with relevant empirical data or theoretical analysis.

Simultaneous Submission and Prior Publication

Your manuscript must not be under consideration or published elsewhere. An exception applies only to substantially extended versions of conference or workshop papers that have been previously published or accepted, with final approval obtained.

Ethical Approval self-check

For studies involving animal subjects, human participants, or associated biological materials and data, a statement confirming ethical approval or exemption by the relevant institutional or national ethics committee is mandatory. The name of the approving committee must be explicitly provided.

Authorship list check

Carefully consider the authorship list and order of authors and provide a definitive author list at original submission. Change of authorship after original submission may result in withdrawal by editors.

Language and Technical Quality

The manuscript should be meticulously proofread and professionally edited to ensure clarity, coherence, and technical accuracy.

Required Submission Elements

Ensure the following components are included and properly prepared:

  • A clearly designated corresponding author with valid contact information, including email address, full postal address, telephone, and fax numbers.
  • All necessary supplementary files, including keywords, figure captions, and tables complete with titles, descriptions, and footnotes.

Additional quality checks

  • Comprehensive spelling and grammar review.
  • Proper formatting of references consistent with the journal’s citation style.
  • Verification that all references cited in the manuscript text are included in the reference list and vice versa.
  • Confirmation of secured permissions for any copyrighted content derived from external sources, including web-based materials.

Prepare Mandatory Declarations files

To complete your submission, please upload the following documents as separate files within the submission system. Failure to provide these will prevent the submission from being finalized:

  • Ethical statement [template link]
  • Funding statement [template link]
  • Declaration of competing interests [template link]
  • Data availability statement [template link]
  • CRediT authorship contribution statement [template link]

3. Submitting your manuscript

3.1. Submitting website

To submit a paper to Tbench, first register for an account: http://ojs.tbench.org/index/admin/contexts and submit your paper by following the steps in the system.

3.2. Writing and formatting

3.2.1. LaTeX

We strongly recommend authors use the Tbench LaTeX template to prepare their manuscripts. The template is available at: https://www.overleaf.com/project/68424aedadf709e1d70cad26

When submitting, please upload both the source .tex files and the compiled PDF through the submission system. The PDF file alone is considered a second choice and is only acceptable if you are not familiar with LaTeX.

3.2.2. Types of Papers

The journal accepts submissions in the following categories: Position Papers, Full-length Articles/Research Articles, Review Articles, Short Communications, Discussions, Editorials, Case Reports, Practice Guidelines, Product Reviews, Conference Reports, and Opinion Papers. Please select the appropriate article type when submitting your manuscript. Authors contributing to special issues must ensure they choose the “Special Issue” article type from the list.

  • Position Papers – No page limit.
  • Full-length Articles / Research Articles – Maximum of 12 double-column pages (excluding references and author biographies).
  • Review Papers – No page limit.
  • Short Communications – Maximum of 4 double-column pages (excluding references and author biographies).
  • Discussions – Maximum of 2 double-column pages (excluding references and author biographies).
  • Editorials – Maximum of 10 double-column pages (excluding references and author biographies).
  • Case Reports – Maximum of 8 double-column pages (excluding references and author biographies).
  • Practice Guidelines – Maximum of 12 double-column pages (excluding references and author biographies).
  • Product Reviews – Maximum of 4 double-column pages (excluding references and author biographies).
  • Conference Reports – Maximum of 10 double-column pages (excluding references and author biographies).
  • Opinion Papers – Maximum of 4 double-column pages (excluding references and author biographies).

3.2.3. Article Structure

Please note: The structure below represents a typical layout of an article; however, authors may adjust the format to best fit their work.

Title page with author details
  • Manuscript Title: The title should be concise, clear, and accurately reflect the core topic of the research.
  • Authors Names: First name/given name(s) and last name/family name of authors. Indicating who is the corresponding author is required.
  • Affiliations: All authors’ department, institution, city, state, country.
  • E-mails: Corresponding author’s email address is necessary. Ensure the corresponding author’s contact details are up to date, as they are responsible for receiving and replying to all communications from the editors. If possible, provide email addresses of all authors.
  • ORCID numbers: ORCID number(s) for all authors whenever available.
Manuscript page without author details

NOTE: About Section Numbering

Manuscripts should be divided into numbered sections and subsections using a clear hierarchy (e.g., 1, 1.1, 1.1.1). The abstract should not be numbered. Use these numbers for internal references instead of vague terms like “the text.” Each section or subsection should have a brief, descriptive heading on its own line.

  • Title: The title should be concise, clear, and accurately reflect the core topic of the research.
  • Abstract: Provide a structured or unstructured abstract of 200–300 words. The abstract should summarize the purpose, methods, main results, and conclusions of the study. It should be self-contained, without references, figures, or abbreviations.
  • Keywords: Include 3 to 6 keywords that best describe the subject of the article. Keywords should facilitate indexing and retrieval.
  • Introduction: Briefly present the background and context of the study. Clearly state the research problem, objectives, and significance.
  • Materials and Methods: Provide detailed information on materials, procedures, experimental design, and analytical methods. Enough detail should be given to allow replication by other researchers.
  • Results: Present the findings clearly, supported by relevant tables and figures. Data must be accurate and appropriately analyzed.
  • Discussion: Interpret the results, explaining their implications and relevance. Compare findings with existing literature and discuss any limitations.
  • Conclusion: Summarize the main outcomes and their contribution to the field. Avoid repeating information from the abstract.
  • Acknowledgements: Acknowledge funding sources, institutional support, and individuals who contributed but do not meet authorship criteria.
  • References: Cite all sources according to the journal’s prescribed referencing style. References should be accurate and complete.
  • Appendices (if applicable): Appendices may include supplementary material that supports the main text but is too lengthy or detailed to include in the body of the article. Each appendix should be clearly labeled (e.g., Appendix A, Appendix B) and referred to in the main text.
  • Supplementary data: Include additional resources such as applications, images, or audio files to accompany and enrich your article. Submit all supplementary materials alongside your manuscript, each with a clear caption. If updates are required during the publication process, provide the revised file.

Fonts

Preferred fonts: Arial (or Helvetica), Times New Roman (or Times), Symbol, Courier.

3.2.4. Reference style

3.2.5. Figures and Tables

Rights and Permissions

All figures, tables, and images published in this journal are licensed under the Creative Commons CC-BY license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Authors must obtain permission for any copyrighted material used from external sources, including re-published, adapted, modified, or partial figures and images sourced from the internet. It is the author’s responsibility to secure the necessary licenses, comply with any attribution or citation requirements set by copyright holders, and cover any associated costs.

Figure Captions

Each figure must be accompanied by a caption (e.g., “Figure 1…”). A caption should include a concise title (not embedded in the figure) and a brief description of the content.

Figure Size, Resolution, and Color Requirements

Acceptable file formats include TIF/TIFF (.tif/.tiff), JPEG (.jpg), and EPS (.eps). Images must be submitted in RGB color mode with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi. Images intended for screen use (e.g., GIF, BMP, PICT, WPG) are not acceptable due to insufficient resolution.

Tables

Tables should be submitted as editable text rather than images. They may be inserted close to the relevant text within the manuscript or placed on separate pages at the end. Number tables sequentially according to their order of appearance in the text, and include any notes directly below the table body. Use tables selectively, ensuring they do not repeat data already presented elsewhere in the manuscript. Avoid vertical lines and shaded cells in table formatting.

4. After acceptance

4.1. Use of Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

DOI is a unique, permanent alphanumeric code assigned to a document upon its first electronic publication. It never changes, making it a reliable way to cite and link to the article.

DOIs are especially helpful for citing articles “in press” that lack full bibliographic details.

The correct citation format is: doi:10.1038/nature12373

When used as a URL link, a DOI ensures a permanent, stable connection to the online document.

4.2. Proof Correction Reminder

After acceptance, the corresponding author will receive an email containing the proof of the article. Please review the proof carefully and submit any corrections within a week to ensure timely publication.

4.3. Corrections After Publication

Erratum

Post-publication errors reported by authors may be corrected following a full review by the journal’s editorial team.

The journal distinguishes between major and minor errors. Such errors may affect the interpretation of the article but do not compromise its scholarly integrity or original findings. Authors may be asked to provide additional information before a correction is approved.

Major errors identified after publication will result in a separate erratum notice, whereas minor errors will be corrected by means of a footnote in the published article.

Retractions

If serious errors or ethical issues are identified that cannot be corrected through a notice, the article may be retracted or withdrawn.

Title page with author details
  • Manuscript Title: The title should be concise, clear, and accurately reflect the core topic of the research.
  • Authors Names: First name/given name(s) and last name/family name of authors. Indicating who is the corresponding author is required.
  • Affiliations: All authors’ department, institution, city, state, country.
  • E-mails: Corresponding author’s email address is necessary. Ensure the corresponding author’s contact details are kept up to date, and that they are responsible for receiving and replying to all communications from the editors. If possible, provide email addresses of all authors to avoid loss of connection with the editors.
  • ORCID numbers: ORCID number(s) for all authors whenever available.
Manuscript page without author details

NOTE: About Section Numbering

Manuscripts should be divided into numbered sections and subsections using a clear hierarchy (e.g., 1, 1.1, 1.1.1). The abstract should not be numbered. Use these numbers for internal references instead of vague terms like “the text.” Each section or subsection should have a brief, descriptive heading on its own line.