Submission Preparation Checklist
As part of the submission process, authors are required to follow the instructions carefully while preparing and submitting the manuscripts so that your manuscripts can be published in a fast and efficient manner. Submissions may be returned to the authors that do not adhere to these guidelines.
- The author and co-authors must ensure that the submitted manuscript or the work described has not been published before and is not under consideration for publication anywhere else.
- The publication must be approved by all co-authors.
- The role of the author and co-authors must be included while submitting the manuscript.
- The publisher will not be held legally responsible for any type of conflict of interest.
- Refer to the author guidelines for more details.
Articles
Article Types and Manuscript Length
Research Data & Reports (RDR) publishes four categories of articles. Brief Papers on Datasets focus on the description and dissemination of high-quality research datasets, while Technical Reports, Original Research Articles, and Point of View papers or Review papers cover applied studies, novel research findings, and scholarly synthesis or viewpoints, respectively.
The maximum length for Brief Papers on Datasets is 4,000 words (Template), whereas all other article types should not exceed 10,000 words(Template). The stated word limits include references, tables, and figure captions unless otherwise specified.
- Brief Papers on Datasets
Brief Data Papers describe curated and well-documented datasets of value to the research community. These articles focus on data collection methods, dataset structure, accessibility, and potential reuse, without interpretation or conclusions. Manuscripts must follow the prescribed template, and all datasets must be publicly available in Mendeley Data prior to publication. This article type supports transparency, reproducibility, and data reuse across disciplines.
- Technical Reports
Technical Reports provide detailed documentation of experimental procedures, testing programs, methodologies, field investigations, or project-based studies. Emphasis is placed on practical implementation, standardized testing, validation results, and technical performance rather than theoretical advancement. This format is particularly suitable for applied research, pilot studies, and industry–academia collaborations.
- Original Research Articles
Original Research Articles present novel scientific contributions based on rigorous experimental, analytical, or numerical investigations. These papers should clearly define the research objectives, methodology, results, discussion, and conclusions, and demonstrate originality, scientific merit, and relevance to the journal’s scope.
- Point of view papers or Review papers
Point of view papers/ Review Papers offer critical insights into emerging research areas, current challenges, and future directions. Review Papers provide structured synthesis and evaluation of existing literature, while Perspective Papers present informed viewpoints or conceptual arguments based on the author’s expertise. Submissions should be balanced, well-supported, and clearly identify knowledge gaps and research opportunities.
Copyright Notice
All manuscripts, data, and reports submitted to our repository are subject to copyright protection. Upon acceptance of the manuscript, the authors are required to transfer the copyright of their work to RDR. This ensures that RDR has the exclusive right to reproduce, distribute, and disseminate the accepted manuscript in print and electronic formats.
Authors retain certain rights under this copyright agreement, including the right to use their work for non-commercial purposes, such as teaching, research, and presentations, and to republish their work in compilations of their own writings.
Any use of material from the published manuscript beyond what is permitted under copyright law requires explicit permission from RDR. This includes reproduction, distribution, adaptation, or translation of the work in whole or in part.
Proper attribution must be given to RDR for any reuse or adaptation of published material. The authors are responsible for obtaining permission to include copyrighted material (e.g., figures, tables, excerpts) from other sources in their submissions and providing appropriate acknowledgments.
For inquiries regarding copyright permissions or to request reprints of published articles, please contact: rdr@civil.iitm.ac.in
By submitting a manuscript to our journal publication, the authors acknowledge and agree to abide by the terms of the copyright agreement outlined above.
Please follow the relevant sections in the submission guidelines for further information.
Privacy Statement
At the Centre of Excellence (CoE) on Technology for Low-Carbon and Lean Construction (TLC2), Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM), we are committed to safeguarding the privacy and security of our users' personal information. This privacy policy outlines how we collect, use, and protect the data gathered through the announcement section of our journal publication. Our publication is a repository of research data and reports, journals, and pre-prints. All our publications are committed to delivering knowledge and information with the highest level of ethics, integrity, and transparency.
Your Rights
If you believe the personal information relating to you that RDR holds may be incorrect at any point in time, registered users can directly access their account information and have it corrected or deleted.
Keeping such information up to date is solely the responsibility of the user. Registered users may also close their accounts directly through the Service or by contacting RDR.
If your personal data held by RDR is based on consent only, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. Be aware that your continued membership is dependent on us holding the relevant information.
If you have any inquiries regarding the privacy policy, you can contact rdr@civil.iitm.ac.in
Data retention
We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to provide the Service and fulfill the transactions you have requested, or for other essential purposes such as complying with our legal obligations, maintaining business and financial records, resolving disputes, maintaining security, detecting and preventing fraud and abuse, and enforcing our agreements.
Data security
We take precautions to safeguard your personal information against loss, theft misuse and unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction using appropriate technical and organizational measures.
Changes
We will update this privacy policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with the revision date. If we make any material changes, we will provide notice through the Service or by other means.