Instructions for Authors

PROSTOR publishes original scientific papers, preliminary communications, scientific subject reviews, as well as book reviews, conference reviews, and reviews of doctoral dissertations. During the submission process, authors are required to indicate the category that best corresponds to their manuscript so that the submission can be evaluated according to the appropriate review criteria.

The recommended length of a scientific manuscript is approximately 28,800 characters with spaces. Manuscripts should be written in clear academic English, logically structured, and divided into titled sections and subsections where appropriate. All pages must be numbered consecutively. Figures, tables, graphs, and other illustrative material should be embedded within the text at appropriate positions. Authors are strongly encouraged to have their manuscripts professionally proofread prior to submission.

All submitted manuscripts are routinely screened for textual similarity in order to detect plagiarism, self-plagiarism, and redundant publication. In cases of suspected ethical misconduct, the Editorial Board acts in accordance with the recommendations  of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

 

Structure of the Manuscript

Authors are encouraged to organize their manuscripts according to the following structure or an equivalent disciplinary format appropriate to the research field.

Introduction

The introduction should clearly define the objectives and purpose of the research while providing sufficient theoretical and contextual background. Extensive literature surveys and summaries of results should be avoided. Any previous publications based on the same project or dataset must be properly cited, and the original contribution of the submitted manuscript should be explicitly stated. The research problem, hypothesis, or guiding questions should be clearly formulated, together with the rationale, methodology, and expected contribution of the study.

Materials and Methods

This section should describe the research methodology, materials, procedures, and analytical approaches in sufficient detail to allow the study to be understood, evaluated, and, where applicable, replicated. Previously published methods should be appropriately referenced.

Results

The results should be presented clearly, concisely, and systematically, using text, tables, figures, and other illustrative materials where appropriate. This section should objectively present the findings of the study without interpretation.

Discussion

The discussion should interpret the significance and implications of the research findings rather than repeat the presented results. Authors are encouraged to critically evaluate the strengths and limitations of the study, relate the findings to existing research, and discuss how the results contribute to current knowledge in the field. Potential future research directions and theoretical implications may also be proposed.

Conclusions

The principal conclusions of the study should be summarized clearly and concisely. The conclusion may be presented as a separate section or integrated within the Discussion section, depending on the structure and nature of the manuscript.

Formatting and Submission

All manuscripts must be submitted electronically through the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform in MS Word format (.doc or .docx). Manuscripts must be prepared in accordance with the official Article Template provided by the journal. The cover page and all figures or tables should be uploaded as separate files.

Authors are advised to consult the detailed  Instructions for Authors and the Etics Statement before submission. Contributors are also encouraged to review the Instruction for Reviewers in order to better understand the evaluation criteria and peer-review process.

Anonymized Manuscripts

To ensure a proper double-blind peer-review process, authors must anonymize their manuscripts prior to submission. All identifying information, including references to authors, institutions, research projects, acknowledgments, and metadata contained in file properties or filenames, must be removed from the manuscript files.

Anonymization is not required for submissions to the Current Theme Section, including book reviews, conference reviews, and reviews of doctoral dissertations.

Contributions for Current Theme Section

Book reviews, journal reviews, and reviews of scientific conference proceedings or books of abstracts should address Croatian or international publications issued within the previous two years. Submissions should include essential bibliographic and publication information, including publisher details, reviewers, proofreading, design, ISBN, and related publication data.

Reviews of doctoral dissertations defended during the current year should include the dissertation title, supervisor, examination committee, and a brief biography of the doctoral candidate.

Contributions in the Current Theme Section should not exceed 6,500 characters with spaces, including an abstract of up to 450 characters with spaces, and must be submitted exclusively in English.

Article Processing Charge (APC)

In order to maintain the quality and continuity of publication, Faculty of Architecture, University of Zagreb and the PROSTOR Editorial Board introduced a mandatory Article Processing Charge (APC) in 2013. Following additional reductions in funding, a revised APC and waiver policy came into effect on 1 July 2024.

The APC is charged per accepted paper. If a manuscript receives two positive double-blind peer reviews and the required revisions are successfully completed, the author(s), their institution, or research funder are required to pay an APC of €800.00 (including 25% VAT).

If authors disagree with the final categorization of their manuscript, the APC is non-refundable and the manuscript will not be published.

APC Waiver policy

The following APC reductions are available:

  • Employees, retirees, students, and doctoral candidates of the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Architecture receive a 100% waiver.
  • Authors publishing with at least one co-author affiliated with the Faculty of Architecture receive a 50% waiver.
  • Reviewers who have reviewed manuscripts for PROSTOR within the previous three years receive a 10% waiver.
  • Authors from lower-middle-income economies receive a 30% waiver.
  • Authors from low-income economies receive a 50% waiver.