Submitting to AOOPS
No fees. There is no submission fee, no editorial processing charge, no page charge and no article processing charge. There is nothing to pay at any point.
Send your submission to
editor@aoops.org
Subject line: AOOPS submission
What to send
- A single PDF containing the complete manuscript. Searchable text (not a scan), under 5 MB.
- A cover note in the body of the email, stating:
- title and the section you are submitting to;
- all authors, affiliations and the corresponding author;
- a 150–250 word abstract;
- 3–6 keywords;
- a statement that the work is not under consideration elsewhere;
- any conflicts of interest, and whether generative AI was used.
- Data or code where applicable — a repository link is enough. If the data cannot be shared, say why.
Manuscript format
| Item | Guidance |
|---|---|
| Length | Research notes typically 2,000–6,000 words. Shorter is fine; longer is possible if justified. |
| Language | English. Plain English is preferred to ornate prose. |
| Structure | Title, authors, affiliations, abstract, keywords, body, references. Sections are optional for short notes. |
| Figures | Embedded in the PDF, legible in greyscale, captions that stand alone. |
| References | Any consistent style. Include DOIs where available. |
| Mathematics | LaTeX preferred. Check that every symbol renders in the PDF. |
| Source files | Not needed at submission. We may ask for LaTeX or Word sources at production. |
What happens next
| Stage | Timing | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Acknowledgement | Within 3 working days | Confirmation that the file arrived and was readable. |
| Editorial screening | Within 10 working days | Accept, reject, or a request for minor fixes. A scope and integrity check, not peer review. |
| Publication | Within 5 working days of acceptance | A public article page, a PDF, and a DOI. |
| Open review | Ongoing | Invited reviews published alongside the article once received. |
Reasons we reject at screening
- Out of scope for artificial intelligence, physics or mathematics
- No checkable claim: no data, no proof, no reproducible method
- The manuscript cannot be read as a complete piece of work
- Plagiarism detected, or undisclosed reuse of others' text or figures
- Ethical approval missing where human or animal subjects are involved
Screening rejection is not a judgement about you. If the problem is fixable we will say what it is, and you are welcome to submit a revised version.
For students and first-time authors
You do not need a supervisor, an institutional affiliation, or prior publications. If you are a student, list your university or simply write “independent researcher”. What matters is that the work is yours, that it is checkable, and that you can explain it.
If you are unsure whether your idea fits, email a short paragraph before writing the full manuscript. We will tell you honestly.
Volunteer to review
Reviewers are the scarcest resource in scholarly publishing, and this journal depends on people who are willing to give an hour of their time. If you have working knowledge of any area in our scope, we would like to hear from you.
- Reviews are published openly alongside the article, signed or anonymous as you prefer.
- You can decline any invitation, and we will not send more than a few per year.
- There is no payment — as there is no payment for anything here.
- Graduate students with relevant expertise are welcome; we will list your review, which is a citable contribution.
Write to editor@aoops.org
with the subject AOOPS reviewer, your areas of expertise, and a
link to one or two of your own publications.
Commentary and humour
Satire and light pieces go to a separate section with its own rules — see Commentary & Humour.