Author Guidelines

Language

Manuscripts must be written in clear, professional, and academically appropriate English. Authors are responsible for grammar, spelling, technical terminology, mathematical notation, and readability.

Manuscripts whose language prevents meaningful scientific evaluation may be returned for language improvement before editorial screening or external peer review.

Types of Articles

Manuscript Structure

Original research manuscripts should generally follow the structure below. Authors may adapt the organization where justified by the nature of the study.

Title

The title should accurately identify the wave-energy technology, scientific problem, methodology, or principal contribution of the study.

Avoid unnecessarily long titles, unexplained abbreviations, promotional expressions, or generic phrases that do not communicate the research contribution.

Abstract

The abstract should be concise, self-contained, and should normally communicate:

• The wave-energy or engineering problem;
• The research objective;
• The principal methodology;
• The most important quantitative results;
• The principal interpretation; and
• The scientific or engineering contribution.

Authors are encouraged to report meaningful quantitative results rather than statements such as “significant improvement was achieved” without supporting values.

References should normally not be cited in the abstract.

Keywords

Authors should provide approximately 4–6 keywords representing the wave-energy technology, hydrodynamic method, PTO, control strategy, offshore system, or application investigated.

Introduction

The Introduction should establish the scientific and technological context and clearly demonstrate why the research is necessary.

Authors should address:

• The wave-energy or engineering problem;
• The current state of knowledge;
• Limitations of previous methods or technologies;
• The unresolved research gap;
• The novelty of the proposed work;
• The research objectives or hypotheses; and
• The expected scientific or engineering contribution.

Previous research should be critically synthesized rather than presented as a simple list of earlier studies.

Materials and Methods

Methods must be reported with sufficient detail to permit meaningful scientific evaluation and, where reasonably possible, independent reproduction or verification.

Authors should clearly identify, where applicable:

Wave Resource Assessment

Studies involving wave-energy resources should provide sufficient information to evaluate the representativeness, quality, and reproducibility of the resource assessment.

Site Information

Authors should identify the study location, relevant coordinates or regional description, water depth, measurement or model domain, and period of analysis.

Wave Data

Relevant parameters should be reported, where applicable, including:

Measurement and Model Data

Data sources should be clearly identified, including buoy measurements, wave radar, satellite data, hindcast products, numerical wave models, or other sources.

Data Processing

Authors should explain quality-control procedures, missing-data treatment, statistical methods, spectral analysis, temporal resolution, and spatial resolution where relevant.

Annual Energy Estimates

When estimating annual energy production, authors should clearly distinguish the wave-resource characterization from the device-performance model used to calculate energy production.

Numerical and Computational Studies

Numerical studies should demonstrate that the selected model and numerical setup are suitable for the scientific question.

Modelling Approaches

WEST welcomes, among others:

Required Numerical Information

Authors should report, where relevant:

• Governing equations or modelling framework;
• Geometry and computational domain;
• Initial and boundary conditions;
• Wave-generation and absorption methods;
• Mesh or spatial discretization;
• Time-step or temporal resolution;
• Turbulence model where applicable;
• Solver and numerical schemes;
• Convergence criteria;
• Computational assumptions; and
• Model limitations.

Mesh and Time-Step Independence

High-fidelity numerical studies should demonstrate that important results are not materially dependent on inadequate mesh resolution or time-step selection.

Verification and Validation

Numerical results should be verified and validated wherever reasonably possible using analytical solutions, benchmark problems, experimental data, field measurements, or credible published data.

Merely stating that numerical results “agree well” is insufficient. Authors should provide appropriate quantitative measures of agreement.

Wave-Tank and Experimental Studies

Physical-model studies should provide enough information to understand the experimental programme, scaling approach, device representation, instrumentation, and uncertainty.

Model Scale

Authors should report the geometric scale and identify the similarity or scaling principles used for relevant hydrodynamic, structural, PTO, or mooring quantities.

Test Facility

Relevant wave-flume or wave-basin dimensions, water depth, wave-maker configuration, absorption system, and device location should be reported.

Wave Conditions

Authors should clearly describe regular or irregular wave conditions, spectra, wave height, wave period, direction, and number or duration of test realizations.

Instrumentation

Sensors, wave gauges, load cells, motion tracking, force transducers, electrical measurement equipment, and other instruments should be identified.

Calibration and Sampling

Calibration procedures, measurement range, sampling frequency, filtering, synchronization, and data-processing procedures should be described where relevant.

Repeatability and Uncertainty

Experimental studies should address repeatability and measurement uncertainty where these materially influence the conclusions.

Scale Effects

Relevant scale effects should be discussed when extrapolating laboratory results to prototype or full-scale behaviour.

Wave Energy Converter Performance

Performance studies should clearly define the quantity being measured or calculated and the location within the energy-conversion chain at which the quantity applies.

Performance Metrics

Power Matrix

Where a power or capture-width matrix is reported, authors should clearly identify the relevant sea-state parameters, dataset, interpolation or extrapolation procedures, and uncertainty.

Performance Claims

Authors must avoid presenting hydrodynamically absorbed power as delivered electrical power unless PTO, generator, and relevant conversion losses have been appropriately accounted for.

Comparative Studies

Comparisons between WEC designs should use consistent environmental conditions, performance definitions, normalization methods, and constraints.

Power Take-Off and Control Systems

Power Take-Off

PTO research should describe the system architecture and relevant mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, or electrical characteristics.

PTO Parameters

Damping, stiffness, efficiency, force or torque limits, saturation, generator characteristics, conversion losses, or relevant control parameters should be reported where applicable.

Control Studies

Authors should describe controller architecture, mathematical formulation, objective function, constraints, prediction requirements, tuning, and baseline strategy.

Control Constraints

Realistic constraints should be included where relevant, such as displacement, velocity, PTO force, generator rating, energy storage, or structural-load limits.

Control Performance

Improvements should be assessed against a clearly defined baseline under equivalent wave conditions and system constraints.

Mooring, Structures and Survivability

Mooring Systems

Mooring studies should report, where applicable:

• Mooring configuration;
• Line type and properties;
• Line length and diameter;
• Pretension;
• Anchor or foundation assumptions;
• Water depth;
• Environmental load cases;
• Static or dynamic modelling assumptions;
• Hydrodynamic coefficients; and
• Safety or design criteria.

Structural Analysis

Structural studies should clearly identify materials, load cases, boundary conditions, stress or fatigue methodology, design assumptions, and relevant safety factors.

Extreme Conditions

Studies addressing survivability should clearly distinguish normal operating sea states from extreme environmental conditions.

Fatigue and Reliability

Fatigue, failure-probability, reliability, availability, or remaining-life analyses should report relevant models, load distributions, failure criteria, assumptions, and uncertainty.

WEC Arrays and Wave Farms

Array studies should clearly identify the configuration and interaction assumptions.

Relevant information may include:

Wave-to-Wire and Electrical Systems

Wave-to-wire studies should describe the complete energy-conversion chain and clearly identify losses and efficiencies at relevant stages.

Studies of grid-connected systems should describe relevant generator, converter, power-electronics, power-quality, storage, or grid-interface assumptions where applicable.

Sea Trials and Field Demonstrations

Prototype and offshore field studies should clearly report:

• Deployment location and water depth;
• Test duration;
• Environmental conditions;
• Device configuration;
• PTO and control mode;
• Mooring configuration;
• Instrumentation;
• Data availability and interruptions;
• Operational failures where relevant;
• Data filtering and processing; and
• Limitations of the field campaign.

Safety and Permissions

Authors are responsible for obtaining appropriate permissions and complying with applicable navigation, environmental, offshore safety, and marine operational requirements.

Techno-Economic and Life-Cycle Studies

Claims concerning cost competitiveness, commercialization, or economic viability should be based on clearly stated assumptions.

Authors should clearly state currency year, project lifetime, system boundaries, economic assumptions, and uncertainty where relevant.

Technical Standards and Recommended Practices

Where relevant to the research, authors are encouraged to identify applicable internationally recognized marine-energy standards, technical specifications, or recommended practices.

Citation of a standard does not replace the need to explain the actual methodology used in the manuscript.

Results

Results should be presented clearly, logically, and objectively. Authors should avoid unnecessary duplication between text, figures, and tables.

Relevant uncertainty, variability, statistical measures, validation metrics, or confidence intervals should be reported where appropriate.

Statements regarding improved power capture, efficiency, survivability, reliability, or cost performance must be supported by appropriate quantitative evidence.

Discussion

The Discussion should provide physical and engineering interpretation of the findings rather than simply repeating numerical results.

Authors should consider:

• Hydrodynamic mechanisms;
• Wave–structure interaction;
• PTO and control effects;
• Mooring or structural implications;
• Comparison with previous research;
• Verification and validation results;
• Scale effects;
• Engineering applicability;
• Limitations and uncertainty;
• Implications for full-scale systems; and
• Future research needs.

Conclusions

Conclusions should directly address the research objectives and emphasize the principal scientific or engineering findings.

Authors should avoid introducing new data, unsupported commercialization claims, or conclusions extending beyond the evidence presented.

Figures, Tables and Scientific Visualizations

Figures

Figures should be clear, readable, and appropriately labelled. Examples include:

Tables

Tables should present information efficiently without unnecessary duplication of figures or text.

Captions

Each figure and table must be numbered, cited in the manuscript, and accompanied by an informative caption.

Image Integrity

Scientific photographs, experimental images, contour plots, and other visualizations must accurately represent the underlying research.

Equations, Symbols and Units

The International System of Units (SI units) should normally be used.

Symbols, subscripts, superscripts, coordinate systems, and abbreviations should be used consistently throughout the manuscript.

Equations referred to in the text should be numbered consecutively, and variables should be defined when first introduced.

References

References must be accurate, complete, relevant, and sufficient to establish the scientific context of the research.

Authors are encouraged to use relevant peer-reviewed primary literature and recent international research where appropriate.

Excessive self-citation, irrelevant citation, citation padding, coercive citation, or coordinated citation practices are not acceptable.

References should follow the citation and reference style specified in the current WEST manuscript template.

Research Data and Reproducibility

Authors should retain the original research data and supporting documentation required to substantiate the findings reported in the manuscript.

Where legally, ethically, commercially, and technically appropriate, authors are encouraged to make supporting datasets and code available through recognized repositories or supplementary materials.

Editors may request raw data, original figures, model files, or other supporting documentation when necessary to evaluate validity, reproducibility, or research-integrity concerns.

Authorship and Contributorship

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made substantial scholarly contributions to the research and manuscript.

All listed authors must approve the submitted manuscript and accept responsibility for their respective contributions.

Guest authorship, honorary authorship, gift authorship, purchased authorship, and ghost authorship are not acceptable.

Contributor Roles

Declarations

Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence

AI Cannot Be an Author

Artificial intelligence systems, large language models, chatbots, or other AI tools cannot be listed as authors or co-authors.

Human Responsibility

Human authors remain fully responsible for the originality, accuracy, references, calculations, equations, hydrodynamic parameters, engineering data, models, code, interpretation, and conclusions of submitted material.

Disclosure

Substantive use of generative AI in manuscript preparation, programming, data processing, analysis, visualization, or image generation should be transparently disclosed.

Verification

AI-generated or AI-assisted references, numerical values, engineering standards, equations, physical parameters, and technical claims must be independently verified by the authors.

Research and Publication Ethics

Authors must comply with the WEST Publication Ethics and Journal Policies.

WEST does not tolerate:

• Plagiarism;
• Fabrication or falsification;
• Manipulation of experimental data;
• Manipulation of numerical results;
• Inappropriate image manipulation;
• Duplicate or redundant publication;
• Inappropriate authorship;
• Citation manipulation;
• Peer-review manipulation;
• Undisclosed conflicts of interest; or
• Other forms of research misconduct.

Editorial Screening and Peer Review

Every submission is first assessed by the editorial team to determine whether it falls within the aims and scope and meets the journal's minimum scientific and presentation standards.

Manuscripts considered suitable for further evaluation are normally sent to qualified subject experts for external peer review.

Reviewer recommendations inform editorial decisions, while final responsibility remains with the authorized editor.

Revision of Manuscripts

When revisions are requested, authors should submit:

• A revised manuscript;
• A detailed point-by-point response to reviewers;
• A clear description of changes made;
• Scientific justification when a reviewer recommendation has not been adopted;
• Additional data, figures, validation, or files requested by the editorial office.

Responses should be professional, specific, and evidence-based.

Authors should avoid replying only with “done,” “corrected,” or “revised” without identifying what was changed and where the change appears.

Submission Checklist