Tetsu-to-Hagané
Instructions to Authors
Tetsu-to-Hagané is a monthly journal of the Iron and Steel Institute of Japan (ISIJ) publishedin Japanese. Timely and original contributions are welcome from both ISIJ members and nonmembers in the world.
Aims and Scope
Manuscript Types
Journal & Ethics Policies
Peer Review Process
Copyright, Open Access and Fees
Manuscript Submission
Manuscript Preparation
Accepted Manuscripts
Contact

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Aims and Scope
Tetsu-to-Hagané is a peer-reviewed open access journal dedicated to the publication ofresearch addressing fundamental and technological aspects of iron, steel, and related
engineering materials. Articles describe the properties, structure, characterization andmodelling, processing, fabrication of iron and steel, as well as report on associatedenvironmental issues. Papers covering subjects other than steel materials and Ti alloys notclearly related to steel materials are deemed unlikely of interest to readers and may be Out of
Scope.
The following aspects of the science and engineering of iron and steel are of particularinterest:
Ⅰ
Ⅱ
Ⅲ
Ⅳ
Ⅴ
Ⅵ
Ⅶ
Ⅷ
Ⅸ
Ⅹ
ⅩⅠ
ⅩⅡ
ⅩⅢ
ⅩⅣ

Fundamentals of High Temperature Processes
Ironmaking
Steelmaking
Casting and Solidification
Instrumentation, Control, and System Engineering
Chemical and Physical Analysis
Forming Processes and Thermomechanical Treatment
Welding and Joining
Surface Treatment and Corrosion
Transformations and Microstructures
Mechanical Properties
Physical Properties
New Materials and Processes
Social and Environmental Engineering

Topical special issues are published each year to benefit the journal’s broad international
audience.
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Manuscript Types
The journal publishes Regular Articles, Review Articles, Short Articles, Notes, andTechnical Reports, all of which are subject to peer review. All manuscripts must be written in
Japanese. Note that once a manuscript has been submitted, the article type cannot be changed.
Even if the editorial board decides to change the manuscript type, the author must withdraw
the initial submission and then resubmit it as the revised manuscript type.
Regular Articles
Regular Articles document original and significant results that contribute to the extension ofknowledge and promotion of our understanding of iron and steel. Regular Articles are
expected to be within 10 printed pages (approximately 24000 characters, including tables,
figures and other sections) in length. They must be presented in such a way that qualified
workers can replicate the key elements on the basis of the information provided.
Review Articles
Review Articles are extensive surveys on a specific subject in which previously publishedinformation is compiled, analyzed, and discussed. Reviews are usually invited by the Editorial
Board, but authors may also submit them voluntarily.
Short Articles
Papers that briefly report original research results and technical findings that require rapid
publication. They are a maximum of 5 printed pages (approximately 12000 characters,
including tables, figures and other sections). The results of peer review should be provided
within approximately 3 weeks.
Notes
Notes are a maximum of 5 printed pages (approximately 12000 characters, including tables,
figures and other sections) and can take various forms. They may describe:(a) new research and techniques in a condensed form;(b) opinions or perspectives about topics of interest to readers; or(c) criticisms or additional proofs and interpretations in connection with articles previously
published in the journal.
Technical Reports
Technical Reports are a maximum of 6 printed pages (approximately 14400 characters,
including tables, figures and other sections). They may be unpublished papers describing thedevelopment and progress in manufacturing, equipment, and utilization technologies for steel
and related engineering materials, which are of sufficient practical significance.
Reprinted Articles
Between Tetsu-to-Hagané and ISIJ International, mutual submissions for reprint are
permitted only in the cases listed in the table below. Reprints between Notes are notpermitted.

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Tetsu-to-Hagané Instructions to Authors
Original work

Reprinted work

JournalTypes

JournalTypes

Tetsu-toHagané

Regular
ArticleISIJ Int.

Regular
ArticleISIJ Int.

Regular
ArticleTetsu-toHagané

Regular
ArticleTetsu-toHagané

Review
ArticleISIJ Int.

Review
ArticleISIJ Int.

Review
ArticleTetsu-toHagané

Review
ArticleTetsu-toHagané

Short
ArticleISIJ Int.

Short
ArticleISIJ Int.

Short
ArticleTetsu-toHagané

Short
ArticleSubmission period
1) Within one year from the publisher's version
release date2) Papers published in the special issue: Within 18
months from the publisher's version release date3) Other papers requested by the journal editorial
board: Within one year from the date of request
4) Prize-awarded papers (Sawamura Award andGuimaraes Award): Within one year from theaward decision date (the day of the award
ceremony)1) to 3) above

Within six months from the publisher's version
release date

At the submission, it is necessary to indicate that the manuscript is reprinted from ISIJInternational in the title page (the application form). The reprinted manuscript is treated as
the same manuscript as the original manuscript. Changes to the title, author, author
description order, text, figures, and tables are not permitted. If there is any difference from theoriginal paper, it may be corrected or rejected.

Journal & Ethics Policies
Tetsu-to-Hagané welcomes manuscript submissions from authors based anywhere in theworld. However, at least one of the authors must be an ISIJ member. The journal upholds thehighest standards in scholarly publishing.
Before submitting a manuscript to the journal, authors must ensure that they have read andcomplied with the journal’s policies.
Submission to the journal implies that the manuscript has not been previously published (inpart or in whole, in any language), is not in press, and is not under consideration for
publication elsewhere. Authors must inform the editors if any related manuscripts are underconsideration, in press or published elsewhere. The availability of a manuscript on a publicly
accessible preprint server does not constitute prior publication (see ‘Preprints’).
Submission of a manuscript to the journal implies that all authors: have approved it, warrant it
is factual, have agreed to its submission, and have the right to publish it.
All authors must declare on the prescribed input screen that the manuscript is unpublished,not considered for publication by any other journal, and prepared by themselves. Authors
must also affirm that they agree to the submission of the manuscript to Tetsu-to-Hagané, andJournal homepage: https://tetsutohagane.net/ | Journal content: https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/browse/tetsutohagane/3

Tetsu-to-Hagané Instructions to Authorsthat they agree to the policies and procedures laid out in this Instructions to Authors,
including the copyright regulations and page charges.
If authors choose to submit their manuscript elsewhere before a final decision has been madeon its suitability for publication in the journal, they must first withdraw it from the journal.
The journal reserves the right to reject without review, or retract, any manuscript that the
Editor believes may not comply with the journal’s policies.
Originality
Submissions to the journal must be original works. The manuscript already published in otherjournals is not allowed to be submitted. Please note that the data published even in CAMPISIJ (the abstracts of ISIJ annual meeting) loses its originality for publication. Manuscripts(including doctoral dissertations) published on the Internet, such as in institutional
repositories, shall be treated as though they have already been published. By submitting amanuscript to the journal, authors agree to this screening. Any manuscript with anunacceptable level of unoriginal material may be rejected or retracted at the editors’
discretion.
Preprints
To support the wide dissemination of research, the journal allows authors to post theirresearch manuscripts on community-recognized preprint servers, either before or alongsidesubmission to the journal. This policy applies only to the original version of a manuscript that
describes primary research. Any version of a manuscript that has been revised in response toreviewers’ comments, accepted for publication or published in the journal should not be
posted on a preprint server. Instead, forward links to the published manuscript should be
posted on the preprint server.
Authors should retain copyright in their work when posting to a preprint server.
When submitting a manuscript which is also posted on a preprint server, authors should
prepare the manuscript in the journal format and disclose the preprint posting information(registered server name, DOI, the type of CC license chosen, etc.).
Referring to preprints (except conference proceedings) are not permitted in principle. If it isabsolutely necessary to refer to any preprint, it may be accepted to include it in a footnote in
the text.
Scooping
When assessing the novelty of a manuscript submitted to the journal, the editors will not be
influenced by other manuscripts that are posted on community-recognized preprint servers
after the date of submission to ISIJ International.
Authorship
Submission to the journal implies that all authors have seen and approved the author list.
After manuscript submission, changes to the author list – such as the insertion or removal of
author names, or a rearrangement of author order – must be approved by all authors and theeditor.

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Authors are encouraged to consider the Council of Science Editors (CSE) principles
governing authorship. According to the CSE guidelines (and references therein), each author
is expected to have made substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; orthe acquisition, analysis or interpretation of data; or have drafted the work or substantively
revised it. Authors have also agreed to be held accountable for their own contributions to thework; can identify which co-authors are responsible for other parts of the work; haveconfidence in the integrity of the work; and have reviewed and approved the final manuscript
and any resubmissions. Contributors who do not qualify for authorship may be included in the
Acknowledgements section instead.
In consonance with the position statement of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE),
the journal does not allow artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted tools/technologies such as Large
Language Models (LLMs), chatbots, or image creators to be listed as author or co-author.
Those tools cannot be responsible for the accuracy, integrity, and originality of the work, thus
they do not meet the criteria for authorship of the journal.
The authors (humans) are fully responsible for any materials of the submitted work, including
the use of AI-assisted tools or technologies. Authors should carefully review and edit theresult because generative AI can generate authoritative-sounding output that can be incorrect,
incomplete, or biased. Authors should not list generative AI and AI-assisted technologies as
an author or co-author, nor cite generative AI as an author. Authors (humans) are also
responsible for plagiarism including in text and AI-produced images.
Authors must disclose, upon submission and in the corresponding section(s), any use of AIassisted tools or technologies in the writing of a manuscript, production of images orgraphical elements of the paper, or in the collection and analysis of data.
Image integrity
Authors may digitally manipulate or process images, but only if the adjustments are kept to aminimum, are applied to the entire image, meet community standards, and are clearly
described in the manuscript. All images in a manuscript must accurately reflect the original
data on which they are based. Authors must not move, remove, add or enhance individual
parts of an image. The editors reserve the right to request original, unprocessed images fromthe authors. Failure to provide requested images may result in a manuscript being rejected or
retracted.
Reproducing copyrighted material
If a manuscript includes material for which the authors do not hold copyright, the authors
must obtain permission from the copyright holder(s) to reproduce it. The authors must supply
documentation of this permission.
If a manuscript includes previously published material, the authors must obtain permission
from the copyright owners and the publisher of the original work to reproduce it, and/or cite
the appropriate license for its use. The authors must cite the original work in their manuscript.
Copies of all reproduction permissions must be included with the manuscript when it is firstsubmitted.
Availability of data and materials

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Authors must disclose the source of publicly available data and materials, such as public
repositories or commercial manufacturers, by including accession numbers or company
details in their manuscript, as appropriate.
Authors may make their own data and materials available by linking via DOI from theirmanuscript to relevant community-recognized public databases or digital repositories. Alldata sets must be made available in full to the editors and reviewers during the peer review
process, and should be made publicly available by the publisher's version release date.
Authors commit to preserving their data sets for at least three years from the publisher's
version release date in the journal.
The journal encourages authors to grant reasonable requests from colleagues to share any
data, materials and experimental protocols described in their manuscript.
Animal/human experimentation
Authors of manuscripts describing experiments involving humans or materials derived fromhumans must demonstrate that the work was carried out in accordance with the principles
embodied in the Declaration of Helsinki, its revisions, and any guidelines approved by theauthors’ institutions. Where relevant, the authors must include a statement in their manuscriptthat describes the procedures for obtaining informed consent from participants regarding
participation in the research and publication of the research.
Authors of manuscripts describing experiments involving animals or materials derived fromanimals must demonstrate that the work was carried out in accordance with the guidelines
approved by the authors’ institution(s).
Author competing interests and conflicts of interest
In the interests of transparency, the journal requires all authors to declare any competing or
conflicts of interest in relation to their submitted manuscript. A conflict of interest exists
when there are actual, perceived or potential circumstances that could influence an author’s
ability to conduct or report research impartially. Potential conflicts include (but are notlimited to) competing commercial or financial interests, commercial affiliations, consulting
roles, or ownership of stock or equity.
Authors are requested to provide the statement for conflict of interest and should list funding
sources for their work in the Acknowledgements section of their manuscript.
Confidentiality
The journal maintains the confidentiality of all unpublished manuscripts. By submitting theirmanuscript to the journal, the authors warrant that they will keep all correspondence about
their manuscript (from the Editorial Office, editors and reviewers) strictly confidential.
Self-archiving (Green Open Access) policy
Self-archiving, also known as Green Open Access, enables authors to deposit a copy of theirmanuscript in an online repository. The journal encourages authors of original researchmanuscripts to upload their article to an institutional or public repository immediately after
publication in the journal.
Long-term digital archiving
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J-STAGE preserves its full digital library, including Tetsu-to-Hagané with Portico in a darkarchive (see https://www.portico.org/publishers/jstage/). In the event that the material
becomes unavailable at J-STAGE, it will be released and made available by Portico.
Received and accepted dates
The date when the manuscript is submitted via ScholarOne and assigned an ID is the‘received date’. The date when the Editorial Board of Tetsu-to-Hagané decides to accept themanuscript for publication is the ‘accepted date’.

Peer Review Process
Editorial and peer review process
The journal uses single-anonymized peer review. When a manuscript is submitted to thejournal, it is assigned to the Editor-in-Chief, who performs initial screening. Manuscripts that
do not fit the journal’s scope or are not deemed suitable for publication are rejected without
review. The remaining manuscripts are assigned to an Associate Editor who assigns tworeviewers to assess each manuscript. Reviewers are selected based on their expertise,
reputation and previous experience as peer reviewers.
Upon receipt of the two reviewers’ reports, the Associate Editor makes the first decision on
the manuscript. If a manuscript is deemed to have a good probability of acceptance afterminor or major revision, the Associate Editor may ask the authors to revise it accordingly.
Otherwise, it may be rejected.
If the decision is to request a revision of the manuscript, authors are requested to returnrevisions within 3 weeks. After 3 months, revised manuscripts may be treated as new
submissions. The Associate Editor may send revised manuscripts to peer reviewers for their
feedback or may use his or her own judgement to assess how closely the authors havefollowed the Associate Editor’s and the reviewers’ comments on the original manuscript.
The Associate Editor then makes a recommendation to the Editor-in-Chief on the
manuscript’s suitability for publication. The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for making thefinal decision on each manuscript.
The members of the Editorial Board act in advisory roles, providing feedback as reviewers
and making suggestions to improve the journal. In cases where the Editor-in-Chief is anauthor on a manuscript submitted to the journal, a member of the Editorial Board is
responsible for making the final decision on the manuscript’s suitability for publication in thejournal.
Reviewer selection, timing and suggestions
Reviewers are selected without regard to geography and need not belong to the journal’s
Editorial Board. Reviewers are selected based on their expertise in the field, reputation,
recommendation by others, and/or previous experience as peer reviewers for the journal.
Reviewers are invited within approximately 1 week of an article being submitted. Reviewers
are asked to submit their first review within 3 weeks (2 weeks for Short Articles) of accepting
the invitation to review. Reviewers who anticipate any delays should inform the Editorial
Office as soon as possible.
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Tetsu-to-Hagané Instructions to Authors

When submitting a manuscript to the journal, authors may suggest reviewers that they would
like included in or excluded from the peer review process. The Editor may consider thesesuggestions but is under no obligation to follow them. The selection, invitation andassignment of peer reviewers are at the Editor’s sole discretion.
Reviewer reports
It is the journal’s policy to transmit reviewers’ comments to the authors in their original form.
However, the journal reserves the right to edit reviewers’ comments, without consulting thereviewers, if they contain offensive language, confidential information or recommendations
for publication.
Acceptance criteria
It is the responsibility of the Tetsu-to-Hagané Editor-in-Chief to maintain and develop thejournal’s profile and reputation. The Editor-in-Chief has the final responsibility for ensuringthat journal content meets the Aims and Scope: articles must present research on iron, steel, or
related engineering materials. The presented research must be original, logical, and of
scientific and technological merit. The following acceptance criteria underpin the decision oneach submission.
To be accepted for publication in the journal, a manuscript must meet several, if not all, of
these acceptance criteria:
1. The manuscript provides an original insight into an important issue within the field of ironand steel research.
2. The new insight is a valuable scientific or technological contribution to the field.
3. The new insight is used by the author(s) to contribute to the development of application
technologies or fundamental theories.
4. The methods used to produce the new insight are appropriate and described in a way that isunderstandable across disciplines.
5. The ways in which the data and methods answer the research questions and support theconclusions are explained logically and clearly, and the methods are applied rigorously.
6. The author(s) make clear connections to prior works in the field or from other fields,
highlighting the novelty to iron and steel research.
Editorial independence
As the journal owner, the Iron and Steel Institute of Japan (ISIJ) has granted the journal’s
Editorial Board complete and sole responsibility for all editorial decisions. The ISIJ will not
become involved in editorial decisions, except in cases of a fundamental breakdown of theprocess.
Editorial decisions are based only on a manuscript’s scientific or technical merit and are kept
completely separate from the journal’s other interests.
Appeals
Authors who believe that an editorial decision has been made in error may lodge an appeal
with the Editorial Office. Appeals are only considered if the authors provide detailed evidenceof a misunderstanding or mistake by a reviewer or editor. Appeals are considered carefully by
the Editor-in-Chief, whose decision is final. The guidelines of the Committee on Publication
Ethics (COPE) are followed where and when relevant.
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Confidentiality in peer review
The journal maintains the confidentiality of all unpublished manuscripts. Editors will not:• disclose a reviewer’s identity unless the reviewer makes a reasonable request for suchdisclosure• discuss the manuscript or its contents with anyone not directly involved with themanuscript or its peer review• use any data or information from the manuscript in their own work or publications• use information obtained from the peer review process to provide an advantage tothemselves or anyone else, or to disadvantage any individual or organization.
Conflicts of interest in peer review
A conflict of interest exists when there are actual, perceived or potential circumstances that
could influence an editor’s ability to act impartially when assessing a manuscript. Suchcircumstances might include having a personal or professional relationship with an author,
working on the same topic or in direct competition with an author, or having a financial stakein the work or its publication.
Members of the journal’s Editorial Board undertake to declare any conflicts of interest whenhandling manuscripts. An editor who declares a conflict of interest is unassigned from therelevant manuscript and is replaced by a new editor.
Errata and retractions
The journal recognizes the importance of maintaining the integrity of published literature.
A published article that contains an error may be corrected through the publication of an
Erratum. Errata describe errors that significantly affect the scientific integrity of a publication,
the reputation of the authors, or the journal itself. Authors who wish to correct a publishedarticle should contact the Editorial Office with full details of the error(s) and their requestedchanges. In cases where co-authors disagree over a correction, the Editor-in-Chief may
consult the Editorial Board or external peer reviewers for advice. If a Correction is published,
any dissenting authors will be noted in the text.
A published article that contains invalid or unreliable results or conclusions, has been
published elsewhere, or has infringed codes of conduct (covering research or publication
ethics) may be retracted. Individuals who believe that a published article should be retracted
are encouraged to contact the journal’s Editorial Office with full details of their concerns. The
Editor-in-Chief will investigate the issue and, if the appeal is deemed sufficiently reasonable,
contact the authors of the published article for their response on the issue. In cases where coauthors disagree over a retraction, the Editor-in-Chief may consult the Editorial Board or
external peer reviewers for advice. If a Retraction is published, any dissenting authors will be
noted in the text.
The decision to publish Errata or Retractions is made at the sole discretion of the Editor-inChief.
Editors as authors in the journal
Any member of the journal’s Editorial Board, including the Editor-in-Chief who is an author
on a submitted manuscript is excluded from the peer review process. Within the journal’s

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online manuscript submission and tracking system, they will be able to see their manuscript as
an author but not as an editor, thereby maintaining the confidentiality of peer review.
A manuscript authored by an editor of Tetsu-to-Hagané is subject to the same high standardsof peer review and editorial decision making as any manuscript considered by the journal.
Responding to potential ethical breaches
The journal will respond to allegations of ethical breaches by following its own policies and,
where possible, the guidelines of COPE.
Reviewer confidentiality
As part of their responsibilities, reviewers agree to maintain the confidentiality of unpublishedmanuscripts at all times. By accepting the invitation to review a manuscript, reviewers agree
not to:1) disclose their role in reviewing the manuscript2) reveal their identity to any of the authors of the manuscript3) discuss the manuscript or its contents with anyone not directly involved in thereview process4) involve anyone else in the review (for example, a post-doc or PhD student)
without first requesting permission from the Editor
5) use any data or information from the manuscript in their own work or publications
6) use information obtained from the peer review process to provide an advantage tothemselves or anyone else, or to disadvantage any individual or organization.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Assisted Tools/Technologies
Reviewers are prohibited from uploading the manuscript to software, online translation
service, or AI-assisted tools/technologies where the confidentiality is not assured. It is
required to disclose to the journal if any AI-assisted tools or technologies are used to facilitate
the review. Reviewers should be aware that generative AI can generate authoritative-sounding
output that can be incorrect, incomplete, or biased.
Reviewer conflicts of interest
A conflict of interest exists when there are actual, perceived or potential circumstances that
could influence a reviewer’s ability to assess a manuscript impartially. Such circumstancesmight include having a personal or professional relationship with an author, working on thesame topic or in direct competition with an author, having a financial stake in the work or its
publication, or having seen previous versions of the manuscript.
Editors try to avoid conflicts of interest when inviting reviewers, but it is not always possible
to identify potential bias. Reviewers are asked to declare any conflicts of interest to the
Editor, who will determine the best course of action. The invitation letters sent to reviewers
are intended to ensure that the journal fulfills the promise of satisfactorily resolving any
conflicts of interest.

Copyright, Open Access and Fees
Tetsu-to-Hagané is fully Open Access (OA) and uses Creative Commons (CC) licenses,
which allow users to use, reuse and/or build upon the material published in the journal
without charge or the need to ask prior permission from the publisher or author.
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Copyright and licensing
Copyrights in this journal are described in the Copyright Regulations of the Iron and SteelInstitute of Japan (ISIJ), which is available from the journal’s website and as updated fromtime to time. Authors assign the copyrights (property rights) provided in Articles 21 through28 of the Copyright Act of Japan to ISIJ in their published article. The copyright transfer ismade effective by agreeing to the “Statement of Originality and Submission Information” at
the time of submission; the rights revert to the authors if the paper is not accepted for
publication.
By the choice of, and in agreement with, the authors, the ISIJ and the journal publish articles
under either a Creative Commons BY 4.0 International or Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0
International license, as indicated on each individual article. The licenses are further detailed
below. Note that CC licenses are irrevocable, so the relevant conditions cannot be removed
after publication
CC BY 4.0
The CC Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license allows users to share and adapt anarticle, even commercially, as long as appropriate credit is given.
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
The CC Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)
license allows users to share unmodified articles, non-commercially, as long as appropriate
credit is given.
Some funding bodies require articles funded by them to be published under a specificCreative Commons license. Before submitting your work to the journal, check with therelevant funding bodies to ensure that you comply with any mandates.
Article Processing Charges and other fees
There are many costs associated with publishing scholarly journals, such as those ofmanaging peer review, copy editing, typesetting and online hosting. To cover these costs inthe absence of journal subscriptions, authors (or their representatives) are asked to pay article
processing charges (APCs). There is no submission fee.
The journal charges 10230 Japanese yen (tax included) per article page for all article types(Regular Articles, Review Articles, Notes, Technical Reports). Authors of accepted
manuscripts will be invoiced for the APC before publication of their manuscript.
Color is free online; if authors request color in the print version, the fee is 35648 Japanese yen
per page (tax included). More details are available in the Figures section below.
In the event that the authors have not paid the APC or other relevant fees before publication,
all processes for any other manuscripts associated with any authors will be suspended until
full payment is confirmed by ISIJ.

Manuscript Submission
All manuscripts must be submitted via the journal’s online submission system, ScholarOne:
https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/tetsutohagane. The original or revised manuscript text may

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be uploaded as a Microsoft Word file, but a Word file is required for the final manuscript text.
Figures may be submitted separately in several other formats such as jpg and tif.
If you encounter any problems with online submission, please contact the Editorial Office via
the details provided in the Contact section below.
The journal recommends that each author registers his/her Open Researcher and Contributor
ID (ORCID). At the time of submission, the corresponding author should ensure that all
authors, including himself/herself, have linked their ORCID iDs to their site accounts. The
ORCID symbol is displayed next to the registered author's name, which is hyperlinked withhis/her ORCID record electronically. The ORCID page on the journal website provides
details regarding the ORCID iD, including the processes to register and link it to the author'ssite account.

Manuscript Preparation
Style and format
All articles should comprise the following sections: (1) title page (using the application form),(2) synopsis and key words, (3) text, (4) statement for conflict of interest, (5) references, (6)tables and figures, (7) appendices, supporting information, etc.
The Title Page of manuscripts should be filled in with the completed application form, andthe other manuscripts should be prepared using the Tetsu-to-Hagané template.
In addition to the application form and the template, the following files should also be
submitted where applicable:(1) high-resolution electronic data files of figures (including graphical abstracts) (if the
figures in the template are not clear)(2) Electronic data file of the table (if the table included in the template is an image)(3) Data file of Supporting Information (if Supporting Information is to be included)
Pages must be numbered consecutively with the Synopsis and Key words as page 1.
Additionally, the total size of files uploaded to the online submission review system should beless than 19.5MB, excluding the Supporting Information file.
LengthAuthors must adhere to the specified page or word limits. Manuscripts exceeding these limits
may be returned to the authors, prior to review, in order to be shortened.
Abbreviations
Each abbreviation should be defined in parentheses together with its non-abbreviated termwhen it first appears in the text (except in the Title and Abstract).
Units
The standard SI units must be used. Non-SI units should be confined to those that have been
approved for use with SI units by the Editorial Board (refer to the annexed table).
Title page

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The Title page should be substituted with the application form (PDF file). Upload thecompleted application form file to the system before the main Word file.
Abstract
The Abstract must state briefly and clearly the main objective, scope, and findings of thework in English within 250 words. A maximum of 6 key words in English should be included
after the Abstract. Abbreviations should not be used for key words.
Manuscript text
The text in Regular Articles must be written in Japanese and include sufficient details toenable the readers to reproduce the results. The appropriate literature should be referred to.
Statement for conflict of interest
Authors are requested to declare any conflicts of interest related to the conduct of thisresearch.
Acknowledgements
This section should be briefly written in Japanese. Authors should list all funding sources fortheir work in the Acknowledgements section. Acknowledgements of companies ororganizations that were asked to proofread or review the manuscript should not be included.
References
References must be numbered consecutively. Reference numbers in the text should be typed
as superscripts with a closing parenthesis, for example, Gibbs1), Einstein2,3), and Newton4-6).
List all references on a separate page at the end of the text.
a) All references should be written in English. If there is no official English title, theJapanese title should be written in Hepburnian romanization, and the English translationby the author should be written alongside it in parentheses.
b) Include the names of all the authors with the surnames appearing last.
c) In addition, if the language of the reference is other than English, the language must be
specified at the end of each reference. For example, if a reference is in Japanese, “(inJapanese)” must be included at the end of the reference.
d) If the reference has a digital object identifier (DOI), the uniform resource locator (URL)of the DOI must be clearly given at the end as shown in the sample entry. In addition, if
the book does not have a DOI but has an ISBN, the ISBN should be listed in place of the
DOI.
e) Citations of general-purpose software manuals are not acceptable.
f) Including AI-generated material as the primary source in the reference is not allowed.
Refer to the following examples for the proper format.
1) Journals
Use the standard abbreviations for journal names given in the International Standard ISO 4.
Give the volume number, the year of publication, and the first page number, URL of therelevant DOI. Examples:1) M. Kato, S. Mizoguchi and K. Tsuzaki: ISIJ Int., 40(2000), 543.
https://doi.org/10.2355/isijinternational.40.543
2) S. Suzuki and K. Suzuki: CAMP-ISIJ, 5(1992), 1433 (in Japanese).
3) S. Suzuki and K. Suzuki: CAMP-ISIJ, 21(2008), 111, CD-ROM (in Japanese).
4) E.Mazanek and M.Wyderko: Stahl Eisen, 89 (1969), 863 (in German).
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Tetsu-to-Hagané Instructions to Authors

2) Books (Include Proceedings of International Conferences)
Give the title, the volume number, the abbreviated name of the conference title if any, theeditor’s name if any, the publisher’s name, the place of the publisher's headquarters, the yearof publication, and the page number, URL of the relevant DOI or ISBN, or if none, the URL
in place of the DOI. If the publisher’s location is unknown, no entry is required.
Examples:5) W. C. Leslie: The Physical Metallurgy of Steels, McGraw-Hill, New York, NY,(1981), 621. ISBN978-0070377806
6) S. Asai: 153rd and 154th Nishiyama Memorial Seminar, ISIJ, Tokyo, (1994), 89(in Japanese).
7) J. Itami and K. Ushioda: Improvements in the Strength and Reliability of Steels,
ISIJ, Tokyo, (1997), 98 (in Japanese).
8) J. Burke, trans. by K. Hirano and H. Hori: Kinzoku Sohentai Sokudoron Nyumon(The Kinetics of Phase Transformations in Metals), Kyoritsu Shuppan, Tokyo,(1972), 47 (in Japanese).
9) Y. Ogawa: Handbook of Iron and Steel, 5th ed., Vol.1, ISIJ, Tokyo, (2014), 249(in Japanese). ISBN978-4930980809
10) Y. Chino, K. Iwai and S. Asai: Proceedings of the 3rd International Symposium on
Electromagnetic Processing of Materials, EPM 2000, ISIJ, Tokyo, (2000), 279,
CD-ROM.
11) A. D. Rollet, U. F. Kocks, J. D. Embury, M. G. Stout and R. D. Doherty:
Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Strength Metals and Alloys,
Vol. 1, ICSMA 8, ed. by P. O. Kettunen et al., Pergamon Press, New York, NY,(1989), 433. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-034804-9.50065-6
3) Dissertations
Give the category of the dissertation, the university’s name, the degree year, the page number,
URL, access date. Example:
12) S. Ono: Ph.D. thesis, Tokyo Institute of Technology, (2000),
http://www.titech.ac.jp /Thesespdfs/ speck.pdf, (accessed 2006-02-01).
4) Standards
Give standard number: year of designation, article/thesis title. Examples:13) JIS L 1902: 2008, Testing for antibacterial activity and efficacy on textile products(in Japanese).
14) ISO 14404-1: 2013, Calculation method of carbon dioxide emission intensity fromiron and steel production -- Part 1: Steel plant with blast furnace.
5) Websites
URL citations that are judged to be continuous and of reliable publicorganizations/agencies are permitted only if documents are not officially publishedor are difficult to obtain. In such cases, provide the (title of the document), the(publication date), URL, (accessed date). Examples:
15) T. Tanaka: President’s message, the Iron and Steel Institute of Japan,
https://www.isij.or.jp/about/message/, (accessed 2019-09-25).
16) Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan: White Paper, (Annual Reporton the Environment, the Sound Material-Cycle Society and Biodiversity in Japan2018), (June 5, 2018), https://www.env.go.jp/en/wpaper/index.html, (accessed
2019-07-22).
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Tetsu-to-Hagané Instructions to Authors

17) Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, White Paper, (Annual Report on
Energy, FY2018 Annual Report on Energy (Energy White Paper 2019), (June 7,2019), https://www.enecho.meti.go.jp/about/whitepaper/2019pdf/whitepaper2019
pdf_2_1.pdf, (accessed 2020-01-07).
Appendices
Appendices may be attached as required.
Tables(a) Each table should be prepared using Word functions and placed on a separate page at theend of the Tetsu-to-Hagané template.
(b) Number tables consecutively using Arabic numerals (Table 1, Table 2, etc.).
(c) A caption should be provided for each table in English.
(d) Explanatory material and footnotes should be typed below the table and should bedesignated with superscript letters, such as a) or b). Units of measurement should be
included with numerical values at the top of columns. Avoid detailed explanations of theexperimental conditions used to obtain the data shown in tables (which should be includedin the other sections as relevant).
(e) Table captions should be entered as text in the template.
(f) If the table data in the template are in the form of an image, then a separate non-image
electronic data file should be submitted.
Figures(a) Each figure should be placed on a separate page at the end of the Tetsu-to-Hagané
template.
(b) If the figures in the template are not clear, high-resolution electronic data files of figures(including graphical abstracts) should be submitted such that they can be reproduced
directly for printing. Note that ‘figures’ include line drawings and photographs, as well as
charts.
(c) Figure captions should be entered as text in the template.
(d) Magnifications of photographs should be indicated in the captions and/or by scales
included in the photographs. When several photographs are shown as one figure, theyshould be arranged without leaving any space among them and separately identified as (a),(b), (c)… etc.
(e) Illustrations must be self-explanatory and numbered consecutively with Arabic numerals(i.e., Fig. 1, Fig. 2, etc.). Each figure should have a short title in English. Figure captions
should be grouped together in a separate sheet(s). Figure captions should include
sufficient experimental details to make the figures intelligible; however, duplicating
descriptions provided in other sections should be avoided.
(f) Figures are usually reduced to fit into one column, which is 84 mm in width; the largest
possible size for a figure—110 mm x 84 mm—is equivalent to 250 words.
Figures and tables will be published in color online (at no charge) if the supplied files are incolor.
Color printing can be requested for figures and tables dependent upon approval by theeditorial board and the payment of color charges. To request color in the print version, markeach relevant figure and table of the manuscript with “color in print”. Pay attention to contrast
when submitting color figures and tables for the online version, but black and white in print.
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15

Tetsu-to-Hagané Instructions to Authors

If you want to have your figures and tables in black and white for both the print and online
versions, please submit them in black and white.
Supporting Information
Supporting Information adds to a reader’s understanding of a manuscript but is not essential.
Authors are encouraged to submit supplementary material for online-only publication.
Supporting Information in Tetsu-to-Hagané comprises a video file, tables and figures and ispublished online alongside the accepted manuscript.
As Supporting Information is peer-reviewed, authors must submit it in its final form as part oftheir manuscript submission. After a manuscript has been accepted for publication, authors
may not make any changes to the Supporting Information.
Video files, tables, and figures of Supporting Information must be numbered consecutively as “Movie S1,Movie S2, etc.,” “Table S1, Table S2, etc.,” and “Figure S1, Figure S2, etc.,” respectively.
Video files must be supplied in mp4 format, less than 50MB. Authors should include a still image fromvideos, tables, and figures of Supporting Information, along with numbers and captions, in their manuscript
after the figures, tables, and text.
Reference Supporting Information within your text as “Movie S1 (Supporting Information)” at the timeof first appearance. “Supporting Information” must be included.
At the end of the main text (before the Acknowledgements, or if there are no Acknowledgements, before
the References) add the following statement about the accompanying Supporting Information (The DOI
URL is added to the end of the document when it is typeset).
Supporting Information: [briefly describe the content] This material is available on the journal’s
website.
Remember to upload Supporting Information files to the ScholarOne system.
When an article is published in its final form, Supporting Information will be uploaded as-is without
undergoing a proofing process. Supporting Information is not released with Advance Online Publication.

Accepted Manuscripts
Manuscripts that are accepted for publication are copyedited and typeset by the journal’s
production team before publication. The journal is published 12 regular issues per year andseveral special issues per year, and continuously online as Advance Online Publication. All
communication regarding accepted manuscripts is with the corresponding author.
Graphical Abstracts
In addition to the abstract, authors must submit a figure as a graphical abstract, which will beinserted in the top page of the paper and in the table of contents. The journal’s graphicalabstracts are published on J-STAGE and in the ‘GridList Abstracts’ service (seehttp://isijgridlistabst.jp/).
Graphical abstracts should be submitted either as a figure in the manuscript or as an
appropriate, non-derivative figure that outlines the contents of the paper. Graphical abstracts,
as well as other figures, should be included at the end of the template; additionally, high-Journal homepage: https://tetsutohagane.net/ | Journal content: https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/browse/tetsutohagane/16Tetsu-to-Hagané Instructions to Authors

resolution electronic data files and clear figures should be submitted. Figures submitted forgraphical abstracts are not allowed to have captions.
Color printing is recommended for the graphical abstract. When submitting a colored figure,the figure generally appears in color in the index and in black and white on the top page of thepaper in the print version. If a colored version of the graphical abstract is desired at the top
page as well, authors should pay a color charge for the same. The colored figure appears bothin the index and at the top page of the paper in the online version.
During the review process, the editorial board will judge the suitability of the submitted figure
for use as a graphical abstract.
ProofsPage proofs are sent to the corresponding author, who should check and return them within 72
hours. Only essential corrections to typesetting errors or omissions are accepted; excessivechanges or new material are not permitted at the proofing stage. To avoid delays inpublication, the corresponding author must check and return the page proofs by the specified
deadline.
Reprints
Reprints can be requested on the application form at the time of submission; reasonablecharges apply for reprints and are available at the journal’s webpage. The corresponding
author will be sent a PDF of the paper on publication.
Advance Online Publication of accepted manuscripts
The accepted manuscript will be published on J-STAGE within one week after the acceptancefor the publication. For the AOP version, the accepted manuscript (using the template) is usedwithout modification, editing, typesetting, or proofreading by the corresponding author. The
same DOI (Digital Objective Identifier) is given to the AOP version as that for the publication
version although the volume and the page numbers are yet to be determined.

Contact
To contact the Editorial Office or the Editor-in-Chief, please write to:
ISIJ Editorial Office
Tekko Kaikan(5F) 3-2-10
Nihonbashi-KayabachoChuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0025
JAPAN
Email: editol@isij.or.jp
Webpage: https://tetsutohagane.net/
Fax: +81-3-3669-5934
Created: December 13, 2021
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Updated: August 1, 2022
Updated: January 27, 2023
Updated: April 1, 2023
Updated: April 21, 2023
Updated: July 28, 2023
Updated: November 15, 2023
Updated: January 1, 2024
Updated: January 25, 2024

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