1. SUBMISSION
Thanks for your kind interest in Aggregate. The submissions have to consist of the contents that has not been published or submitted for publication elsewhere except as a brief abstract in the proceedings of conferences or symposiums.
The submission system will prompt you to use an ORCID ID (a unique author identifier) to help distinguish your work from that of other researchers as well as develop your personal profile in a worldwide platform.
A cover letter should be included in the ‘Cover Letter Field’ of the submission system. The text can be entered directly into the field or uploaded as a file.
The cover letter should contain:
In addition, the authors should state clearly the motivation and the novelty of their research in the cover letter. The author also needs to clarify the key results and the advances compared to previous work of their manuscripts.
Once you have prepared your submission in accordance with the Guidelines, manuscripts should be submitted online at : https://wiley.atyponrex.com/journal/AGT2
Microsoft Word templates for
For author requiring a LaTeX template, we strongly recommend reviewing Wiley’s New Journal Design (NJD) LaTeX Authoring Template.
If submitting your manuscript file in LaTeX format via Research Exchange, select the file designation “Main Document – LaTeX .tex File” on upload. When submitting a LaTeX Main Document, you must also provide a PDF version of the manuscript for Peer Review. Please upload this file as “Main Document - LaTeX PDF.” All supporting files that are referred to in the LaTeX Main Document should be uploaded as a “LaTeX Supplementary File.”
LaTeX Guidelines for Post-Acceptance:
Please check that you have supplied the following files for typesetting post-acceptance:
2. AIMS AND SCOPE
Aggregate aims to publish on a wide variety of topics that focus on the processes of aggregation of atoms, ions, molecules, oligomers, polymers, clusters, particles, gels, hybrids, composites, cells, pathogens, etc. in a broad range of areas such as chemistry, physics, materials, engineering, biology, life science and so forth. Aggregates often behave differently from, and exhibit advanced functionalities inaccessible by, single molecular species, which offers exciting possibilities to new sciences and innovations in multiple dimensions at high structural hierarchies across disciplinary boundaries.
The scope of Aggregate is broad, including but not limited to synthesis, characterization, morphology, nanoparticles, hybrids, composites, metal-organic frameworks, chirality, helicity, supramolecular self-assembly, stimuli-responsive systems, clean energy, luminescence processes, photophysical mechanisms, optoelectronic devices, photovoltaic cells, aggregation-induced emission, polarized luminescence, room-temperature phosphorescence, fluorescent probes, chemical sensing, biomedical imaging, theranostics, drug delivery, photodynamic and photothermal therapies, etc. The journal recognizes system complexity and particularly welcomes innovative multidisciplinary research with high impact.
3. MANUSCRIPT TYPES
(1) Research Article
Description: The reports of original studies within the journal scope of Aggregate. Both communication and full paper can be published under this article type.
Word Limit: No strict word limits, however, it is better to be within 5,000 words including abstract but excluding references, tables and figures.
Abstract: Within 260 words, briefly describe the contents of the research article.
References: No word limits, but the Chemistry-Material Science Reference style should be used.
Figures/tables: No number limits, but 10 figures should be sufficient. The tables and figures should be submitted together with the main text of the article, and they should be properly prepared and numbered as describing here.
Keywords: Please provide 3-6 keywords to highlight the main involving subjects of the article.
(2) Review
Description: Full review or mini review. Review gives an overview of recent progress in important fields of research, providing the readers with a guide to the relevant literature, an appreciation of the significance of the work, and an outlook into potential future directions. They can be submitted either by the invitations from the Editors or by the authors themselves; Both types will undergo the peer-review process prior to acceptance.
Word Limit: For full review: Within 15,000 words and 12 figures/tables; For mini review: Within 7,000 words and 6 figures/tables. This includes abstract but excludes references.
Abstract: Within 260 words. briefly describe the contents of the review article.
References: No word limits. but the Chemistry-Material Science Reference style should be used.
Figures/tables: Minimum 1 table/figure in the review article. The tables and figures should be submitted together with the main text of the article, and they should be properly prepared and numbered as describing here.
Keywords: Please provide 3-6 keywords to highlight the main involving subjects of the article.
Biography: Please provide the first (or co-first) and corresponding authors' biographies. The biographies should include photographs, which are 600 dpi at minimum, and 40 mm broad, 50 mm high. It is recommended to keep the biography list as short as possible.
(3) Perspective
Description: Perspectives are a forum for authors to discuss ideas from a personal viewpoint. They are more forward looking and /or speculative than Reviews. Perspectives can be submitted either by the invitations from the Editors or by the authors themselves; Both types will undergo the peer-review process prior to acceptance.
Word Limit: No strict word limits, however, it is better to be within 8,000 words including abstract but excluding references, tables and figures.
Abstract: Within 260 words, briefly describe the contents of the review article.
References: No word limits, but the Chemistry-Material Science Reference style should be used.
Figures/tables: Minimum 1 table/figure in the review article. The tables and figures should be submitted together with the main text of the article, and they should be properly prepared and numbered as describing here.
Keywords: Please provide 3-6 keywords to highlight the main involving subjects of the article.
Biography: Please provide the first (or co-first) and corresponding authors' biographies. The biographies should include photographs, which are 600 dpi at minimum, and 40 mm broad, 50 mm high. It is recommended to keep the biography list as short as possible.
(4) Editorial [only invited by Editors]
Description: It is written by Editorial Board members, invited authors or editors.
Word Limit: 1,000 words maximum.
Abstract: Not required.
Figures/tables: Maximum 2 figure/tables. The figure/tables should be submitted together with the main text of the article, and they should be properly prepared and numbered as describing here.
References: Maximum 5 references. The Chemistry-Material Science Reference style should be used.
Keywords: Not required.
(5) Research Highlight
Description: The report of the latest breakthroughs in aggregates and related fields. It is a brief version and easy-to-read articles, but the new findings need to be significant and they need to be highlighted explicitly in this type of article.
Word Limit: Around 500 words excluding references, tables and figures.
Abstract: Not required.
References: 5 maximum. The Chemistry-Material Science Reference style should be used.
Figures/tables: 1 maximum.
Keywords: Please provide 3-6 keywords to highlight the main involving subjects of the article.
(6) Profile
Description: Maximum two pages interview or introduction of top tier scientists in the field of functional materials for green energy and environment.
Word limit: 1200 words maximum.
Abstract: Not required.
References: Not required.
Figures/tables: 1 maximum.
Keywords: Not required.
(7) Comment
Description: A medium for the discussion and exchange of scientific opinions between authors and readers concerning the articles published in Aggregate. Should provide an alternative analysis and/or new insight into the previously published articles. Upon acceptence for publication following editorial assessment and peer review, the authors of the publciation to which the Comment refers will be given the opportunity to submit a response to the Comment, which would be published alongside the Comment.
Word limit: 1500 words maximum.
Abstract: Not required.
References: References: 10 maximum. The Chemistry-Material Science Reference style should be used.
Figures/tables: 2 maximum.
Keywords: Not required.
(8) Essay [only invited by Editors]
Description: A forum for news and opinion on topics of national and international interest. This can include, for example, news of funding and research organizations, societies, or points of controversy within a research field. Greyscale passport-type photos and short summaries (100 words maximum) that highlight the career to-date and research interests of the author(s) may be included.
Word limit: 5000 words maximum.
Abstract: Not required.
References: References: 10 maximum. The Chemistry-Material Science Reference style should be used.
Figures/tables: 2 maximum.
Keywords: Not required.
4. PREPARING YOUR SUBMISSION
Parts of the Manuscript
The submitted file should be presented in the following order: 1. title, abstract and keywords 2. main text 3. references 4. tables (each table complete with title and footnotes) 5. figure legends 6. supporting information (if relevant). Supporting information should be supplied as separate files.
Title page
The title page should contain:
The present address of any author, if different from that where the work was carried out, should be supplied in a footnote.
Authorship
Please refer to the journal’s authorship policy the Editorial Policies and Ethical Considerations section for details on eligibility for author listing.
Acknowledgments
Contributions from anyone who does not meet the criteria for authorship should be listed, with permission from the contributor, in an Acknowledgments section. Financial and material support should also be mentioned. Thanks to anonymous reviewers are not appropriate.
Conflict of Interest Statement
You will be asked to provide a conflict of interest statement during the submission process. See the section ‘Conflict of Interest’ in the Editorial Policies and Ethical Considerations section for details on what to include in this section. Please ensure you liaise with all co-authors to confirm agreement with the final statement.
Abstract
Please provide an abstract of no more than 260 words containing the major keywords. The abstract should adhere to the word count specifications under the section Manuscript Categories and Requirements. It should state the main problem, methods, results, and conclusions. It must be factual and comprehensive. The use of abbreviations and acronyms should be limited and general statements (e.g. ‘the significance of the results is discussed’) should be avoided.
Keywords
Please provide 3-6 keywords that are most relevant to your contents.
Main Text
Authors should use the subheadings required for the Article Type as specified in the section 'Manuscript Types'. Original Article manuscripts should be structured using the following sections: Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Acknowledgment, Disclosure, References, and when relevant, Supporting Information.
References
The Chemistry-Material Sciences Reference Style of referencing should be used. All references should be numbered consecutively in order of appearance and should be as complete as possible. In text citations should cite references in consecutive order using Arabic superscript numerals. The names of all authors should be given, starting with the initials of given names followed by the family name (“et al.” should not be used). The names of the last two authors should be separated by a comma (not by “and”). Sample references follow:
In-Text examples:
Diabetes mellitus is associated with a high risk of foot ulcers.[1-3]
Several interventions have been successful at increasing compliance.[11,14-16]
The data of Smith et al[18] is further evidence of this effect.
As reported previously,[1,3-6]
The results were as follows[4]:
Journal article:
1. Y. Zou, M. Zheng, W. Yang, F. Meng, K. Miyata, H. J. Kim, K. Kataoka, Z. Zhong, Adv. Mater. 2017, 29, 1703285.
2. J. H. Burroughes, D. D. C. Bradley, A. R. Brown, R. N. Marks, K. Mackay, R. H. Friend, P. L. Burn, A. B. Holmes, Nature 1990, 347, 539.
Online articles not yet published in an issue:
3. A. Behrens, K. Foremny, T. Doll, Phys. Status Solidi A., https://doi.org/10.1002/pssa.201700873.
Book:
4. R. J. Farrauto, L. Dorazio, C. H. Bartholomew, Introduction to Catalysis and Industrial Catalytic Processes, Wiley, Hoboken, NJ 2016.
Chapter in a multi-authored book:
5. J. Lienemann, A. Greiner, J. G. Korvink, X. Xiong, Y. Hanein, K. F. Böhringer, in Sensors Update, Vol. 13 (Eds: H. Baltes, G. K. Fedder, J. G. Korvink), Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, Germany 2004, Ch. 1.
Thesis:
6. Y. Sheima, Master Thesis, Universität Freiburg 2017.
Proceedings Volume:
7. C. D'silva, V. Parthasarathy, S. N. Rao, in Proc. 2016 Workshop Wearable Systems Applications (Eds: E. H. Lee, A. L. Copley), ACM, New York 2016, 13
Patent:
8. H.-S. Seo, D.-C. Kim (Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.), Ger. 2016122271, 2016.
Please note that journal title abbreviations should conform to the practices of Chemical Abstracts.
Preprint：
9. A. Bag, M. Neugebauer, U. Mick, S. Christiansen, S. A. Schulz, P. Banzer, (Preprint) arXiv:1909.04478, v2, submitted: Sept 2019.
Tables
Tables should be self-contained and complement, but not duplicate, information contained in the text. They should be supplied as editable files, not pasted as images. Legends should be concise but comprehensive – the table, legend and footnotes must be understandable without reference to the text. All abbreviations must be defined in footnotes. Italic lowercase letters in alphabetic order (e.g., a, b, c) should be used as footnote symbols and *, **, *** should be reserved for P-values. Statistical measures such as SD or SEM should be identified in the headings.
Figure Legends
Legends should be concise but comprehensive – the figure and its legend must have high readability. Include definitions of any symbols used and define/explain all abbreviations and units of measurement.
Preparing Figures
Although we encourage authors to send us the highest-quality figures possible, for peer-review purposes we are happy to accept a wide variety of formats, sizes, and resolutions.
Click here for the basic figure requirements for figures submitted with manuscripts for initial peer review, as well as the more detailed post-acceptance figure requirements.
Color figures: Figures submitted in color may be reproduced in color online free of charge. Please note, however, that it is preferable that line figures (e.g. graphs and charts) are supplied in black and white so that they are legible if printed by a reader in black and white.
Graphic in the Table of Contents (TOC): A graphic must be included for display in the table of contents (TOC) and the abstract. Graphic should capture the reader’s attention and give readers a quick visual impression of the essence of the manuscript without providing specific results. Please label the graphic as “For Table of Contents Only” and upload it separately at the first submission stage.
Supporting Information
Supporting information is information that is not essential to the article but that provides greater depth and background. It is generally hosted online and appears without editing or typesetting. It may include tables, figures, videos, datasets, etc. Click here for Wiley’s FAQs on supporting information.
Note, if data, scripts or other artefacts used to generate the analyses presented in the paper are available via a publicly available data repository, authors should include a reference to the location of the material within their paper.
Wiley Author Resources
Wiley has a range of resources for authors preparing manuscripts for submission available here. In particular, authors may benefit from referring to Wiley’s best practice tips on Writing for Search Engine Optimization.
Article Preparation Support
Wiley Editing Services offers expert help with English Language Editing, as well as translation, manuscript formatting, figure illustration, figure formatting, and graphical abstract design – so you can submit your manuscript with confidence.
Also, check out our resources for Preparing Your Article for general guidance about writing and preparing your manuscript.
5. EDITORIAL POLICIES AND ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
Refer and Transfer Program
Wiley believes that no valuable research should go unshared. This journal participates in Wiley’s Refer & Transfer program. If your manuscript is not accepted, you may receive a recommendation to transfer your manuscript to another suitable Wiley journal, either through a referral from the journal’s editor or through our Transfer Desk Assistant.
Editorial Peer-review and Acceptance
The acceptance criteria for all papers are the quality and originality of the research and its significance to our readership. Except where otherwise stated, manuscripts are single-blind peer reviewed. Papers will only be sent to review if the Editor-in-Chief determines that the paper meets the appropriate quality and relevance requirements.
Wiley's policy on confidentiality of the review process is available here.
Manuscripts are assigned sequentially to Associate Editors. An Associate Editor solicits reviewers (typically, at least two external reviews are sought). The reviewers’ evaluations and Associate Editor’s comments are compiled by the Editor-in-Chief for disposition and transmittal to the authors.
Editor-in-Chief will advise authors whether a manuscript is accepted, should be revised or is rejected. Minor revisions are expected to be returned better within two weeks of decision; major revisions better within four weeks. Manuscripts not revised within the time periods of three months are subject to withdrawal from consideration for publication unless the authors can provide extenuating circumstances.
A number of manuscripts will have to be rejected on the grounds of priority and available space. A manuscript may be returned to the authors without outside review if the Editor-in-Chief and Associate Editor find it inappropriate for publication in the Journal. Similarly, the Editors may expedite the review process for manuscripts felt to be of high priority in order to reach a rapid decision. Such ‘fast-track decisions’ will normally occur within one week of receipt of the manuscript.
Even though the final decisions are made, authors may dispute a decision and can document good reasons why a manuscript should be reconsidered. A rebuttal process exists. In the first place, authors should write rebuttal letters to the Editor-in-Chief.
In-house submissions-Papers authored by Editors or Editorial Board members of the title, will be sent to Editors unaffiliated with the author or institution and monitored carefully to ensure there is no peer-review bias.
Data storage and documentation
Aggregate encourages data sharing wherever possible, unless this is prevented by ethical, privacy or confidentiality matters. Authors publishing in the journal are therefore encouraged to make their data, scripts and other artefacts used to generate the analyses presented in the paper available via a publicly available data repository, however this is not mandatory. If the study includes original data, at least one author must confirm that he or she had full access to all the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.
Conflict of Interest
The journal requires that all authors disclose any potential sources of conflict of interest. Any interest or relationship, financial or otherwise that might be perceived as influencing an author's objectivity is considered a potential source of conflict of interest. These must be disclosed when directly relevant or directly related to the work that the authors describe in their manuscript. Potential sources of conflict of interest include, but are not limited to, patent or stock ownership, membership of a company board of directors, membership of an advisory board or committee for a company, and consultancy for or receipt of speaker's fees from a company. The existence of a conflict of interest does not preclude publication. If the authors have no conflict of interest to declare, they must also state this at submission. It is the responsibility of the corresponding author to review this policy with all authors and collectively to disclose with the submission ALL pertinent commercial and other relationships.
Funding
Authors should list all funding sources in the Acknowledgments section. Authors are responsible for the accuracy of their funder designation. If in doubt, please check the Open Funder Registry for the correct nomenclature: https://support.crossref.org/hc/en-us/articles/214360886-The-Open-Funder-Registry.
Authorship
The list of authors should accurately illustrate who contributed to the work and how. All those listed as authors should qualify for authorship according to the following criteria:
Have made substantial contributions to conception and design, or acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data;
Been involved in drafting the manuscript or revising it critically for important intellectual content;
Given final approval of the version to be published. Each author should have participated sufficiently in the work to take public responsibility for appropriate portions of the content; and
Agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.
Contributions from anyone who does not meet the criteria for authorship should be listed, with permission from the contributor, in an Acknowledgments section (for example, to recognize contributions from people who provided technical help, collation of data, writing assistance, acquisition of funding, or a department chairperson who provided general support). Prior to submitting the article all authors should agree on the order in which their names will be listed in the manuscript.
Additional authorship options
Joint first or senior authorship: In the case of joint first authorship a footnote should be added to the author listing, e.g. ‘X and Y should be considered joint first author’ or ‘X and Y should be considered joint senior author.’
ORCID
As part of our commitment to supporting authors at every step of the publishing process, Aggregate encourages the submitting author (only) to provide an ORCID iD when submitting a manuscript. This takes around 2 minutes to complete. Find more information.
Publication Ethics
This journal is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Note this journal uses iThenticate’s CrossCheck software to detect instances of overlapping and similar text in submitted manuscripts. Wiley’s Publication Ethics Guidelines can be found at https://authorservices.wiley.com/ethics-guidelines/index.html.
Preprint policy:
Please find the Wiley preprint policy here.
6. AUTHOR LICENSING
All Aggregate articles are published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) which allows users to copy, distribute and transmit an article, adapt the article and make commercial use of the article. The CC BY license permits commercial and non-commercial re-use of an open access article, as long as the author is properly attributed. Use of the article in whole or part in any medium requires attribution suitable in form and content as follows: [Title of Article/Author/Journal Title and Volume/Issue. Copyright (c) [year] [copyright owner as specified in the Journal]. With Creative Commons license (CC BY), the author retains copyright. Authors grant Wiley a license to publish the article and identify itself as the original publisher.
The Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) does not affect the moral rights of authors, including without limitation the right not to have their work subjected to derogatory treatment. It also does not affect any other rights held by authors or third parties in the article, including trademark or patent rights, or the rights of privacy and publicity. Use of the article must not assert or imply, whether implicitly or explicitly, any connection with, endorsement or sponsorship of such use by the author, publisher or any other party associated with the article.
For any reuse or distribution, users must include the copyright notice and make clear to others that the article is made available under a Creative Commons Attribution license (CC BY), linking to the relevant Creative Commons web page. Users may impose no restrictions on use of the article other than those imposed by the Creative Commons Attribution license.
If your paper is accepted, the author identified as the formal corresponding author will receive an email prompting them to login into Author Services; where via the Wiley Author Licensing Service (WALS) they will be able to complete the license agreement on behalf of all authors on the paper.
To learn more about Creative Commons Licenses and to preview terms and conditions of the agreements, please click here. Note that certain funders mandate that a particular type of CC license has to be used; to check this, please click here.
Publication fees: To cover the cost of publishing, Aggregate charges a publication fee when a submission is accepted for publication. There is no fee for initial submission for editorial/peer-review evaluation. Submissions will be subject to an APC if accepted and published in the journal. Please note: Article Publication Charges (APCs) are currently waived. Agreement to pay the APC is given at manuscript submission but will only be charged upon acceptance.For more information about this Journal's APC's, please visit the Open Access Page.
7. PUBLICATION PROCESS AFTER ACCEPTANCE
Accepted article received in production
Please kindly note that substantial changes to the manuscript after acceptance may require a re-evaluation by peer reviewers. If you have any questions or updates after your manuscript’s acceptance, please contact the editorial office at your earliest convenience.
When your accepted article is received by Wiley’s production team, you (corresponding author) will receive an email asking you to login or register with Author Services. You will be asked to sign a publication license at this point.
Proofs
Once your paper is typeset you will receive an email notification of the URL from where to download a PDF typeset page proof, associated forms and full instructions on how to correct and return the file.
Please note that you are responsible for all statements made in your work, including changes made during the editorial process and thus you must check your proofs carefully. Note that proofs should be returned as soon as possible from receipt of first proof.
Early View
The journal offers rapid publication via Wiley’s Early View service. Early View (Online Version of Record) articles are published on Wiley Online Library before inclusion in an issue. Note there may be a delay after corrections are received before your article appears online, as Editors also need to review proofs. Your Early View article is fully citable and carries an online publication date and DOI for citations.
8. POST PUBLICATION
Access and sharing
When your article is published online:
You can now order print copies of your article (instructions are sent at proofing stage or use the below contact details). Email: [email protected].
Now is the time to start promoting your article. Find out how to do that here.
Article Promotion Support
Wiley Editing Services offers professional video, design, and writing services to create shareable video abstracts, infographics, conference posters, lay summaries, and research news stories for your research – so you can help your research get the attention it deserves.
9. EDITORIAL OFFICE CONTACT DETAILS
Aggregate Editorial Office
Email: aggregate@aietech.org.cn
Floor 4, C3 Building, No.11 Kaiyuan Avenue
Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao GBA Innovation Entrepreneurship and Creation Zone, Science City, Development District, Guangzhou, China