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Information for Authors

About the Journal

HBRC Journal is an esteemed international, peer-reviewed, Open Access publication dedicated to advancing knowledge in the fields of construction, building materials, housing, and urban development. Published by the Housing and Building National Research Center (HBRC); an independent government research center established in 1954; the journal provides a global platform for disseminating high-quality original research.

Language

Language Standards

The HBRC Journal exclusively publishes manuscripts in English to foster global communication within the scientific community.

  • Clarity and Conciseness: Manuscripts must be written in a clear, concise, and idiomatic manner.
  • Preparation Assistance: Authors who are not fluent in English are strongly urged to seek professional assistance with manuscript preparation before submission.
  • Impact of Language Quality: Reviewers are not expected to correct grammatical errors; therefore, poor language quality may detract from the scientific content and lead to acceptance delays or immediate rejection. Initial editorial evaluations include a check for language quality, and the Editor-in-Chief reserves the right to reject papers that do not meet these standards.

Types of Articles

To maintain a high standard of scholarly excellence, the journal primarily accepts original research articles only. These should represent in-depth research that provides novel insights and significant contributions to the field. The scope of accepted work includes:

  • Original laboratory and experimental research.
  • Architectural design and works.
  • Empirical and case studies.

Pre-Submission Checklist for HBRC Journal

Before finalizing your submission through our online Manuscript Tracking System, authors must ensure their work adheres to the following core criteria. HBRC Journal maintains a rigorous evaluation process, and submissions that fail to meet these standards will be returned for correction or rejected without entering the peer-review stage.

  1. Originality and Exclusivity
    • Authors must certify that their work is entirely original and has not been previously published in any format, including conference proceedings.
    • The manuscript must not be under simultaneous consideration by any other publication or database.
    • To verify these claims, all submissions undergo mandatory screening using iThenticate plagiarism-detection software.
  2. Ethical Compliance and Declarations
    • Research must fully comply with COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) standards and ICMJE recommendations regarding integrity and transparency.
    • If the study involves human or animal subjects, a formal Ethics Approval statement; including the name of the institutional review body and the permit number; is mandatory.
    • Authors are required to include specific sections for Funding Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest to reveal any potential biases.
  3. Linguistic Precision
    • All manuscripts must be written in clear, concise, and idiomatic English.
    • Authors who are not fluent in English are strongly encouraged to utilize professional language editing services prior to submission.
    • The Editorial Office reserves the right to desk-reject manuscripts that contain excessive grammatical or spelling errors that detract from the scientific content.
  4. Technical Formatting and Templates
    • Submissions must be prepared using the official HBRC Manuscript Template in a compatible Word format (.doc or .docx).
    • The text should be formatted with double line spacing, utilizing 10 pt Times New Roman font with fully justified margins.
    • Authors must use continuous line numbering throughout the document and ensure every page is numbered.
  5. Figures and Visual Integrity
    • Visual materials must be of professional quality and provided as separate electronic files rather than solely embedded in the text.
    • Images should be in high-resolution formats (e.g., TIFF, JPEG, or EPS) with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi.
    • Any image manipulation must be minor, applied to the whole image, and clearly disclosed to ensure the visual data remains an accurate representation of the original results.
  6. Reference Styling
    • Citations must be formatted according to the Vancouver style, using Arabic numerals enclosed in brackets.
    • References should be numbered consecutively based on their first appearance in the manuscript.
    • Authors are responsible for the accuracy and verification of every cited source.
  7. Strategic Alignment with Aims and Scope
    • Manuscripts must fall within the primary research pillars of HBRC: construction (concrete and metallic), innovative building materials, housing policy, or sustainable urban development.
    • Only original research papers that offer a significant contribution to these engineering and architectural fields will be considered for review.
  8. Adherence to Reporting Standards
    • Research should follow international frameworks supporting reproducibility.
    • Authors must provide a Data Availability Statement indicating how and where the underlying raw data can be accessed for verification.
    • Transparency regarding Artificial Intelligence is required; any use of GenAI for writing assistance must be disclosed in the Acknowledgments section.

Preparation of Manuscripts

To ensure a smooth editorial workflow and maintain high publication standards, authors submitting to the HBRC Journal must adhere to the following technical and structural requirements. Submissions that fail to follow these guidelines will be returned to the author or rejected prior to the scientific peer-review process.

  1. Submission Platform and File Formats
    • Online Submission: All manuscripts must be submitted by one of the authors through the online Manuscript Tracking System (MTS). Submissions by third parties are not accepted.
    • File Types: Manuscripts should be provided as Microsoft Word files (version 2007 or higher). For manuscripts containing complex mathematical content, LaTeX is also accepted.
    • Accepted Extensions: The MTS specifically accepts .doc, .docx, and .rtf formats.
  2. General Layout and Typography
    • Font and Spacing: The body of the original manuscript must be formatted with double line spacing using 10 pt Times New Roman font.
    • Alignment: Text must be fully justified (aligned to both the right and left margins).
    • Styling: Use bold face, italics, subscripts, and superscripts where appropriate to denote specific technical meanings.
    • Language Quality: Authors are strongly advised to utilize the "spell-check" and "grammar-check" functions of their software to eliminate unnecessary errors. The Editor reserves the right to reject manuscripts based on insufficient language quality.
  3. Structural Organization and Navigation
    • Numbering: Authors must use continuous line numbering throughout the entire text. Additionally, all pages must be numbered consecutively.
    • Heading System: Use the decimal system for all headings, restricted to a maximum of three levels (e.g., 1., 2., 2.1, 2.1.1).
    • Article Structure: Manuscripts should generally be compiled in the following specific order:
      1. Title page (Title in 14 pt bold; Authors and affiliations in 11 pt bold).
      2. Abstract (Maximum 300 words, 9 pt font) and Keywords (4 to 6 terms).
      3. Introduction.
      4. Material and Methods (sufficiently detailed for replication).
      5. Results and Discussion (often combined; results should be clear and concise).
      6. Conclusion.
      7. Acknowledgments and Funding Statement.
      8. Conflicts of Interest.
      9. References (Vancouver style, numbered as they appear in the text).
      10. Tables and Figures.
  4. Technical Elements: Equations and Tables
    • Equations: Use the standard equation editor or Math Type for all mathematical expressions.
    • Tables: Use the table function (rather than tabs or spaces) to create all tables. Tables should be cited consecutively in the text, include descriptive titles with units in column headings, and must not use vertical rules.
    • Figures: Supply each figure in a separate electronic file. Bitmap images must have a minimum resolution of 300 dpi.
  5. Initial Evaluation and Compliance

    Upon receipt, the Editorial Office screens every submission for completeness, formatting compliance, and potential plagiarism via iThenticate. Manuscripts that are incomplete or not prepared in the advised style will be returned to the authors without a scientific review. Once an article is accepted, it undergoes typesetting, and authors receive a PDF proof for final corrections, which must be returned within 48 hours.

Online Submission and Initial Evaluation Process

The HBRC Journal employs a structured workflow for the intake and preliminary assessment of research, ensuring that all submissions align with its high standards of integrity and scholarly excellence.

Online Submission Protocol

  • System Usage: All manuscripts must be submitted electronically through the journal’s online Manuscript Tracking System (MTS), following the step-by-step instructions provided on the platform.
  • Author Responsibility: Submissions must be performed by one of the actual authors of the work; the journal does not accept submissions from third parties. The submitting author is the primary point of contact and assumes full responsibility for the manuscript during both the submission and the subsequent peer-review stages.
  • Technical Requirements: The MTS exclusively accepts files in Microsoft Word format (.doc, .docx, or .rtf). In instances where technical difficulties prevent a successful upload, authors are encouraged to contact the Editorial Office for direct support.

Initial Evaluation and Screening

Upon receipt, every manuscript undergoes a rigorous multi-stage screening conducted by the Editorial Office to determine its suitability for further review.

  • Format and Ethics Compliance: The office first verifies that the paper is properly prepared according to the HBRC advised style and conforms to the journal's ethical policies. Manuscripts that are incomplete or fail to follow these guidelines are returned to the authors without a scientific review.
  • Plagiarism Detection: To safeguard originality, all submitted works are screened for potential plagiarism using iThenticate software. Any paper found to have an unacceptable similarity index or other ethical violations will be rejected immediately prior to peer review.
  • Linguistic Standards: Research must be presented in clear, high-quality English; while the journal is international, American usage is specifically accepted. The Editor-in-Chief reserves the right to reject any manuscript based on insufficient language quality.
  • Editorial Triage: If a manuscript passes the initial administrative checks, the Editorial Office consults with the Editor-in-Chief to evaluate whether the work is scientifically sound and falls within the journal’s defined aims and scope.

Outcome of the Preliminary Assessment

Manuscripts that are deemed to have insufficient priority for publication, major research design weaknesses, or unclear objectives are subject to desk rejection. This efficient triage process aims for an average of 30 days from initial submission to the first editorial decision. To ensure fairness, any rejection decision made at this preliminary stage must be verified and finalized by the Editor-in-Chief.

Submission Declaration and Verification

Submitting an article to the HBRC Journal carries an implicit declaration that the research is original and has not been previously published, with exceptions granted only for abstracts, academic theses, or published lectures. Authors must confirm that the manuscript is not under evaluation by any other publication or database simultaneously. Furthermore, the submission must have the explicit or tacit approval of every listed author and the responsible authorities at the institution where the research was conducted.

Upon acceptance, authors agree that the work will not be republished elsewhere in any language or format, including electronic versions, without obtaining written permission from the copyright holder. To ensure these standards are upheld, the Editorial Office screens all submissions using Crossref Similarity Check Powered by iThenticate to identify any instances of plagiarism, data fabrication, or unacceptable similarity. While the journal maintains a zero-tolerance policy for plagiarism and duplicate publication, work shared on recognized preprint servers is not categorized as prior publication. Any allowable secondary publications or translations must be fully disclosed to the editor, obtain permission from the original publisher, and include a proper citation to the primary source.

Article structure

The manuscript should be compiled in the following order:

  1. Title page
  2. Abstract, Keywords
  3. Introduction
  4. Material and methods (Experimental or Methodology)
  5. Results
  6. Discussion (Results and discussion can be combined in one section)
  7. Conclusion
  8. Acknowledgment(s)
  9. Conflicts of Interest
  10. References
  11. Tables
  12. Figures

Title page

The title page should include the following in English:

  1. Title: The title should be brief, concise, and descriptive. It should not contain any literature references or compound numbers or non-standardized abbreviations. It should be centered, typed in Times New Roman 14 point and boldface.
  2. Authors and affiliations: Supply given names, middle initials, and family names for complete identification. They should be centered beneath the title and typed in Times New Roman 11-point, non-italic, and boldface. Use superscript lowercase letters to indicate different affiliations, which should be as detailed as possible and must include department, faculty/college, University, the city with zip code or P.O. Box and country. The primary affiliation for each author should be the institution where most of their work was done. If an author has subsequently moved, the current address may additionally be stated. Addresses will not be updated after the publication of the article.
  3. Corresponding author: Should be indicated with an asterisk, and contact details (Tel., fax, and e-mail address) should be placed in a footnote. If available, the 16-digit ORCID of the corresponding author.

Abstract

The abstract should be self-contained, citation-free, and should not exceed 300 words. The abstract should briefly describe the purpose of the study, how the investigation was performed, the most important results, and the principal conclusions that were drawn from the results, respectively. Nonstandard or uncommon abbreviations should be defined at first mention within the abstract. The abstract should be typed in Times New Roman, 9-point, non-italic and non-boldface.

Keywords

Authors are asked to provide (4 to 6) keywords, separated with semicolons, and should be typed in Times New Roman, 10-point, non-italic and non-boldface.

Introduction

This section should be succinct, with no subheadings. The author(s) should strive to define the significance of the work and the justification for its publication. Any background discussion should be brief and restricted to pertinent material.

Material and methods (Experimental or Methodology)

This part should contain sufficient detail that would enable all procedures to be repeated. It can be divided into subsections if several methods are described. Authors should be as concise as possible in experimental descriptions. The experimental section must contain all of the information necessary to guarantee reproducibility. Previously published methods should be indicated by a reference and only relevant modifications should be described. All vendor details, including company, city, and country, should be mentioned for chemicals, reagents, strains, etc. For statistical analysis, please state the appropriate test(s) in addition to a hypothesized p-value or significant level (for example 0.05).

Results and Discussion

They should be combined. The study results should be clear and concise. Restrict the use of tables and figures to depict data that is essential to the message and interpretation of the study. The results should be presented in a logical sequence in the text, tables, and illustrations. The discussion should explore the significance of the results of the work, not repeat them. Include in the discussion the implications of the findings and their limitations, how the findings fit into the context of other relevant work, and directions for future research.

Conclusion(s)

The main conclusion(s) of the study should be presented in a short conclusion statement highlighting the goals of the study and its importance. State new hypotheses when warranted. Include recommendations when appropriate.

Acknowledgment(s)

All acknowledgments (if any) should be included at the very end of the manuscript before the references. Anyone who made a contribution to the research or manuscript, but who is not a listed author, should be acknowledged (with their permission).

Conflicts of Interest

Authors must declare all relevant interests that could be perceived as conflicting. Authors should explain why each interest may represent a conflict. If no conflicts exist, the authors should state this. Submitting authors are responsible for co-authors declaring their interests.

References

Text: Indicate references by Arabic numerals in brackets, which run in order of appearance throughout the text (Vancouver style). For instance [4] or [7-10, 13,15]. The actual authors can be referred to, but the reference number(s) must always be given.

Figures

Figures and tables should not be submitted in separate files. If the article is accepted, authors will be asked to provide the source files of the figures. Each figure should be supplied in a separate electronic file. All figures should be cited in the manuscript in consecutive order. Figures should be supplied in either vector art formats (Illustrator, EPS, WMF, FreeHand, CorelDraw, PowerPoint, Excel, etc.) or bitmap formats (Photoshop, TIFF, GIF, JPEG, etc.). Bitmap images should be of 300 dpi resolution at least unless the resolution is intentionally set to a lower level for scientific reasons. If a bitmap image has labels, the image and labels should be embedded in separate layers. Figures should be referred to as Fig. 1, Figs. 2, 3-5, using Arabic numerals. Ensure that all tables, figures, and schemes are cited in the text in numerical order. Figure parts should be denoted by lowercase letters (a,b,c,..etc).

Tables

Tables should be cited consecutively in the text. Every table must have a descriptive title and if numerical measurements are given, the units should be included in the column heading. Vertical rules should not be used. Figure and table captions should be 9-point Times New Roman, boldface, and non-italic. Initially capitalize only the first word of the caption. Figure captions are to be below the figures and Table titles are to be fully justified right and left above the table.

Nomenclature and Units

All measurements and data should be given in SI units where possible, or in other internationally accepted units in parentheses throughout the text. Illustrations and Tables should use conventional units, with conversion factors given in legends or footnotes.

Statements & Declarations

The following statements must be included in your submitted manuscript beginning of 2026 under the heading 'Statements and Declarations'. This should be placed after the References section. Please note that submissions that do not include required statements will be returned as incomplete.

Funding

Please describe any sources of funding that have supported the work. The statement should include details of any grants received (please give the name of the funding agency and grant number).

Example statements:

  • “This work was supported by […] (Grant numbers […] and […]). Author A.B. has received research support from Company A.”
  • “The authors declare that no funds, grants, or other support were received during the preparation of this manuscript.”

Competing Interests

Authors are required to disclose financial or non-financial interests that are directly or indirectly related to the work submitted for publication. Interests within the last 3 years of beginning the work (conducting the research and preparing the work for submission) should be reported. Interests outside the 3-year time frame must be disclosed if they could reasonably be perceived as influencing the submitted work.

Example statements:

  • “Financial interests: Author A and B declare they have no financial interests. Author C has received speaker and consultant honoraria from Company M. Dr. C has received speaker honorarium and research funding from Company M and Company N. Author D has received travel support from Company O. Non-financial interests: Author D has served on advisory boards for Company M and Company N.”
  • “The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.”

Author contributions: CRediT

Corresponding authors are required to acknowledge co-author contributions using CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) roles:

  • Conceptualization
  • Data curation
  • Formal analysis
  • Funding acquisition
  • Investigation
  • Methodology
  • Project administration
  • Resources
  • Software
  • Supervision
  • Validation
  • Visualization
  • Writing – original draft
  • Writing – review and editing

Not all CRediT roles will apply to every manuscript and some authors may contribute through multiple roles. We advise you to read more about CRediT and view an example of a CRediT author statement.

Data Availability

This journal encourages authors to provide an optional statement of data availability in their article. Data Availability Statements should include information on where data supporting the results reported in the article can be found, including, where applicable, hyperlinks to publicly archived datasets analysed or generated during the study. Data availability statements can also indicate whether data are available on request from the authors and where no data are available, if appropriate.

Example statements:

  • “The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available in the [NAME] repository, [PERSISTENT LINK TO DATASETS]”
  • “The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.”

Proofs

One set of page proofs (as PDF files) will be sent by e-mail to the corresponding author. Please use this proof only for checking the typesetting, editing, completeness, and correctness of the text, tables, and figures. We will do our best to get your article published quickly and accurately. Therefore, it is important to ensure that all of your corrections are sent back in one communication within 48 h. Proofreading is solely your responsibility. Note that the publisher may proceed with the publication of an article if no response is received.

Revised manuscripts

When you revise your manuscript, upload your revised submissions including the following files:

  • Revised manuscript: Clarifying the changes you have made since the original submission by using the "Track Changes" option in Microsoft Word. Upload this as a "Revised Article with Changes Highlighted" file.
  • Response to reviewers: Type the specific points made by each reviewer. Include your responses to all the reviewers' and editors' comments and list the changes you have made to the manuscript. Upload this document as a "Response to reviewers" file.
  • Revised manuscript (clean copy): Upload a clean copy of your revised manuscript with names, which does not show your changes. Upload this as your "Manuscript" file.

After acceptance

Upon acceptance, your article will be exported to production to undergo typesetting. Once the typesetting is complete, you will receive the proofs.

Article Publishing Charges (APC) and Submission Fees

The HBRC Journal maintains a transparent fee structure for manuscript processing and publication, as required by international standards for scholarly publishing. These fees are divided into a non-refundable submission fee and a remaining balance due upon acceptance of the manuscript. The specific charges are determined by the author's affiliation and geographic location.

  1. Non-HBRC Researchers (In Egypt)

    For researchers based in Egypt who are not affiliated with the Housing and Building National Research Center, the total fee is 7,500 Egyptian Pounds (EGP).

    • Submission Fee: 1,000 EGP (Non-refundable).
    • Publication Fee: 6,500 EGP (Due only if the manuscript is accepted).
  2. HBRC Researchers

    Researchers affiliated with the Housing and Building National Research Center are eligible for a reduced rate, totaling 2,000 Egyptian Pounds (EGP).

    • Submission Fee: 700 EGP (Non-refundable).
    • Publication Fee: 1,300 EGP (Due only if the manuscript is accepted).
  3. Researchers Outside Egypt

    For all international submissions from authors based outside of Egypt, the total fee is 500 American Dollars (USD).

    • Submission Fee: 100 USD (Non-refundable).
    • Publication Fee: 400 USD (Due only if the manuscript is accepted).

Transparency and Editorial Independence

In alignment with the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing, the HBRC Journal ensures that these revenue streams are clearly disclosed to authors before they begin the submission process. It is a core policy of the journal that editorial decisions are never influenced by the payment of publication charges. Acceptance or rejection is determined solely by the scientific quality, originality, and relevance of the work through a rigorous double-blind peer-review process. Additionally, editors and reviewers are prohibited from receiving personal remuneration or favors from authors to ensure the integrity of the scholarly record.