About Journal Sun and Geosphere
International Peer-Reviewed Open Access Journal
Online ISSN: 2367-8852
Sun and Geosphere is an international, peer-reviewed, open access
scientific journal devoted to the publication of original research,
review articles, and short communications in solar physics,
heliophysics, solar-terrestrial physics, space weather,
magnetospheric physics, ionospheric physics, atmospheric physics,
and related interdisciplinary fields.
The journal is published by the
Space Research and Technology Institute, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences,
on behalf of the
Balkan, Black Sea and Caspian Sea Regional Network on Space Weather Studies (BBC SWS Regional Network).
Sun and Geosphere is currently published exclusively in electronic (online) format.
The BBC SWS Regional Network was established in June 2005 during the
International Heliophysical Year (IHY) Regional Planning Meeting for the
Balkan and Black Sea Region held in Sozopol, Bulgaria (6–8 June 2005).
According to the founding
Protocol,
the Network established the international peer-reviewed journal
Sun and Geosphere.
The first issue of the journal was published in early 2006 in
Baku, Azerbaijan. Since then, the journal has evolved into an
international online publication managed by the BBC SWS Regional Network.
Publication frequency: Two issues per year.
Open Access: All published articles are freely available online
immediately upon publication without subscription or publication charges.
Editorial Team
Editor-in-Chief
Atila Özgüc
Bogazici University, Kandilli Observatory, Turkey
E-mail:
ozguc@boun.edu.tr
Associate Editors-in-Chief
Venera Dobrica
Institute of Geodynamics, Romania
E-mail:
venera@geodin.ro
Olga Malandraki
National Observatory of Athens (IAASARS), Greece
E-mail:
omaland@noa.gr
Simeon Asenovski
Space Research and Technology Institute,
Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Bulgaria
E-mail:
asenovski@space.bas.bg
Technical Editor
Mariana Zaharinova
Space Research and Technology Institute,
Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Bulgaria
E-mail:
marianaz@space.bas.bg
Abstracting and Indexing
The journal is currently indexed in:
Editorial Policy
Journal Scope and Publication Schedule
Sun and Geosphere is an international peer-reviewed scientific
journal published twice a year. The journal considers original
contributions in solar physics, solar-terrestrial physics, heliophysics,
space weather, magnetospheric and ionospheric physics, atmospheric
physics, and related interdisciplinary fields.
The journal may also publish Special Issues devoted to selected scientific
meetings or topical collections within its scope. Manuscripts submitted
to Special Issues are subject to the same editorial standards and
peer-review procedures as manuscripts submitted to regular issues.
Originality and Exclusive Submission
Manuscripts are considered for publication only if they contain original
work that has not previously been published and is not under consideration
by another journal. Previous publication of an abstract, conference
presentation, lecture, academic thesis, or preprint does not normally
prevent consideration, provided that the earlier version is properly
disclosed and cited.
Submission of a manuscript confirms that all listed authors have approved
the manuscript and have agreed to its submission to
Sun and Geosphere.
Peer Review
All scientific manuscripts submitted to Sun and Geosphere undergo
a single-blind peer-review process before publication. Each
manuscript is normally evaluated by at least two independent experts with
appropriate scientific competence in the relevant field.
The reviewers assess the scientific quality, originality, methodological
soundness, clarity, significance, and relevance of the manuscript to the
journal's scope. Based on the reviewers' reports, the responsible editor
may decide that the manuscript should be accepted, revised, or rejected.
Only manuscripts that successfully complete the peer-review and editorial
evaluation processes are published. All accepted manuscripts are subject
to editorial and copy editing before publication.
Editorial Independence
Editorial decisions are based solely on the scientific quality,
originality, validity, significance, and relevance of the manuscript.
Decisions are made independently of commercial interests, institutional
affiliation, nationality, gender, ethnicity, religious beliefs, political
views, or other personal characteristics of the authors.
Publication Ethics
Sun and Geosphere is committed to maintaining high standards of
publication ethics, research integrity, transparency, and responsible
editorial practice.
Detailed information concerning authorship, conflicts of interest,
research misconduct, plagiarism, complaints and appeals, corrections,
retractions, data availability, ethical oversight, intellectual property,
and the use of generative artificial intelligence is provided in the
journal's
Publication Ethics Statement
.
This Editorial Policy should be read together with the journal's
Publication Ethics Statement
.
Publication Ethics Statement
Sun and Geosphere is committed to maintaining the highest standards
of publication ethics, research integrity, transparency, and responsible
editorial practice. The journal follows the principles and recommendations
of the
Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)
.
1. Editorial Responsibilities
Publication Decisions
The Editor-in-Chief, Associate Editors, or the assigned Handling Editor
are responsible for deciding which submitted manuscripts are suitable
for publication. Editorial decisions are based on the scientific quality,
originality, validity, significance, clarity, and relevance of the
manuscript to the journal's scope.
The final editorial decision is made after consideration of the reviewers'
reports and any revisions submitted by the authors.
Editors are responsible for ensuring a fair, timely, and unbiased editorial
process.
Fair and Independent Evaluation
Manuscripts are evaluated without discrimination on the basis of the
authors' race, ethnicity, nationality, citizenship, gender, sexual
orientation, religious beliefs, political views, institutional
affiliation, or other personal characteristics.
Editorial decisions must remain independent of commercial interests,
institutional pressure, personal relationships, or other inappropriate
influence.
Confidentiality
Editors and editorial staff must treat submitted manuscripts and all
associated correspondence as confidential. Information concerning a
manuscript may be disclosed only to the corresponding author, reviewers,
potential reviewers, editorial advisers, and the publisher when necessary
for the editorial process.
Editorial Conflicts of Interest
Editors must not handle manuscripts where they have a financial,
professional, institutional, collaborative, competitive, or personal
conflict of interest. In such cases, responsibility for the manuscript
will be transferred to another qualified editor.
Editors must not use unpublished information obtained through a submitted
manuscript for their own research without the authors' explicit written
consent.
2. Peer-Review Process
All scientific manuscripts submitted to Sun and Geosphere undergo
peer review before publication. Manuscripts are evaluated by independent
experts with relevant scientific competence who are not members of the
journal's editorial staff and who have no conflicts of interest concerning
the submitted work.
Reviewers assess the manuscript's originality, scientific quality,
methodology, accuracy, clarity, significance, and relevance to the scope
of the journal.
Based on the reviewers' reports, the responsible editor may issue one of
the following decisions:
- Accept;
- Minor Revision;
- Major Revision;
- Reject.
Revised manuscripts may be returned to the original reviewers or evaluated
by the responsible editor. The journal does not guarantee acceptance of
submitted manuscripts or a fixed review time.
3. Responsibilities of Reviewers
Reviewers are expected to:
- provide objective, constructive, and evidence-based evaluations;
- avoid personal criticism of the authors;
- maintain the confidentiality of the manuscript;
- identify relevant published work that has not been properly cited;
- notify the editor of suspected plagiarism or substantial overlap;
- declare any actual or potential conflict of interest;
- decline the review when they lack the necessary expertise or cannot provide a timely evaluation.
Reviewers must not use unpublished information or ideas obtained during
peer review for personal advantage or research purposes.
Reviewers should complete their reviews within the agreed time whenever
reasonably possible.
4. Responsibilities of Authors
Originality and Plagiarism
Authors must submit original work and must appropriately cite and
acknowledge the work, data, ideas, and words of others. Plagiarism,
including the unattributed use of text, figures, tables, data, or ideas,
is unacceptable.
When authors build upon their own previously published work, the earlier
publication must be cited and the manuscript must clearly explain its new
and original contribution.
Duplicate and Simultaneous Submission
Authors must not submit the same manuscript simultaneously to more than one
journal. Redundant or duplicate publication of substantially the same work
is not permitted.
Authorship and Contributorship
Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made a substantial
contribution to the conception or design of the study; the acquisition,
analysis, or interpretation of data; or the preparation and critical
revision of the manuscript.
All listed authors must approve the final version of the manuscript and
agree to its submission and publication. Individuals who contributed to
the work but do not meet the criteria for authorship should be acknowledged
appropriately.
The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all eligible
contributors are included and that no uninvolved individuals are listed
as authors.
Accuracy and Availability of Data
Authors are responsible for the accuracy and integrity of all data
presented in their manuscript. Fabrication, falsification, selective
manipulation, or misleading presentation of data is prohibited.
Authors should preserve the data supporting their findings and should make
them available to editors, reviewers, or other researchers when reasonably
requested, subject to legal, ethical, confidentiality, or security
limitations.
Acknowledgement of Sources and Funding
Authors must cite all sources that have significantly influenced the work.
Funding sources, grants, institutional support, and other relevant forms of
financial assistance must be disclosed.
Conflicts of Interest
Authors must disclose any financial, professional, institutional, personal,
or other relationships that could influence, or reasonably be perceived to
influence, the research or its interpretation.
Authors are expected to cooperate fully with the Editorial Office during the
review and publication process and to respond promptly to editorial requests.
5. Research Misconduct
Sun and Geosphere does not tolerate research or publication
misconduct, including but not limited to:
- plagiarism and self-plagiarism;
- fabrication or falsification of data;
- inappropriate manipulation of figures or images;
- duplicate or redundant publication;
- citation manipulation;
- undisclosed conflicts of interest;
- gift, guest, ghost, or otherwise inappropriate authorship;
- misrepresentation of research methods or results.
Allegations of misconduct will be assessed objectively and confidentially.
When necessary, the editors may request explanations, original data, or
other supporting documentation from the authors.
The journal may contact the authors' institutions or other relevant
authorities when serious concerns cannot be resolved directly. Actions
may include rejection of a manuscript, correction of the published record,
publication of an expression of concern, or retraction of an article.
6. Complaints and Appeals
Authors, reviewers, and readers may submit complaints concerning the
editorial process, publication ethics, or the conduct of editors and
reviewers to the Editorial Office.
Authors may appeal an editorial decision by providing a clear scientific
justification and a point-by-point response to the grounds for the
decision. Appeals are evaluated by an editor who was not directly involved
in the original decision whenever reasonably possible.
Submission of an appeal does not guarantee that the editorial decision
will be changed.
7. Corrections, Retractions and Expressions of Concern
The journal is committed to maintaining the accuracy and integrity of the
scholarly record.
When a significant error is identified after publication, the journal may
publish a correction or corrigendum. An article may be retracted when its
findings are unreliable because of misconduct or major error, when it
constitutes plagiarism or redundant publication, or when serious ethical
violations are established.
An expression of concern may be issued when an investigation is incomplete
but the available evidence indicates that readers should be informed of
potentially serious problems.
Corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern will be clearly linked
to the original article and will explain the reason for the action.
8. Ethical Oversight
Research involving humans, animals, sensitive personal information, or
other matters requiring ethical approval must comply with applicable
institutional, national, and international standards.
Where relevant, authors must state that approval was obtained from an
appropriate ethics committee and that informed consent was obtained.
Editors may request supporting documentation when ethical concerns arise.
9. Data Sharing and Reproducibility
Authors are encouraged to make research data, software, computational
methods, and other materials supporting their findings available through
recognized repositories whenever this is legally and ethically possible.
Manuscripts should provide sufficient methodological information to allow
the research to be understood, evaluated, and, where applicable,
reproduced.
10. Intellectual Property, Copyright and Licensing
Authors are responsible for obtaining permission to reproduce copyrighted
material, including figures, tables, photographs, and substantial text
extracts, unless the material is covered by a license permitting reuse.
Upon acceptance of a manuscript for publication, authors are required to sign
a Copyright Transfer Agreement transferring copyright of the published work
to the publisher.
The transferred copyright enables the publisher to publish, distribute,
archive, reproduce, and protect the integrity of the published article in all
media and formats.
The journal's copyright and licensing conditions are communicated to authors
during the publication process and are indicated in the published articles.
11. Open Access Policy
Sun and Geosphere provides immediate open access to all published
articles. All content is freely available online immediately upon
publication without subscription or access restrictions.
12. Author Fees
Sun and Geosphere does not charge authors any manuscript submission
fees, article processing charges (APCs), publication fees, or other
mandatory charges related to the submission, review, or publication of
manuscripts.
13. Archiving and Digital Preservation
Published articles and journal issues are preserved on the journal's
official website and on institutional servers maintained by the Space
Research and Technology Institute of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.
The publisher is committed to preserving long-term access to published
content through institutional backup and digital archiving.
14. Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence
Generative artificial intelligence tools and large language models cannot
be listed as authors because they cannot take responsibility for the
accuracy, originality, integrity, or ethical compliance of a manuscript.
Authors who use generative AI tools in the preparation of a manuscript
must disclose their use transparently. The disclosure should identify the
tool and explain how it was used. Routine tools used solely for spelling,
grammar, or basic language correction do not normally require disclosure.
Authors remain fully responsible for all submitted content, including its
accuracy, originality, citations, interpretation, and compliance with
copyright and publication ethics requirements.
Generative AI must not be used to fabricate, falsify, manipulate, or
misrepresent data, images, references, results, or scientific conclusions.
Editors and reviewers must not upload confidential manuscripts or
unpublished material to publicly accessible generative AI systems where
confidentiality, intellectual property, or data protection cannot be
guaranteed.
15. Post-Publication Discussion
Readers may submit scientifically grounded comments concerning published
articles to the Editorial Office. Substantive concerns will be reviewed by
the editors and, when appropriate, the authors will be invited to respond.
Verified errors or ethical concerns will be addressed through corrections,
retractions, expressions of concern, or other appropriate editorial
measures.
16. Revenue Sources
Sun and Geosphere is published by the Space Research and Technology
Institute, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, on behalf of the Balkan, Black Sea
and Caspian Sea Regional Network on Space Weather Studies (BBC SWS Regional
Network).
The journal is supported through institutional and organizational funding.
The journal does not charge manuscript submission fees, article processing
charges (APCs), or publication fees.
Editorial decisions are based solely on scientific merit and are completely
independent of financial support or other sources of revenue.
17. Advertising Policy
Sun and Geosphere does not currently accept commercial advertising on
its website or within its published articles.
Should advertising be introduced in the future, it will be clearly
distinguished from editorial content and will have no influence on editorial
decisions, peer review, or publication practices.
18. Direct Marketing Policy
Any direct marketing activities undertaken on behalf of
Sun and Geosphere, including invitations to submit manuscripts,
announcements, newsletters, or promotional communications, are conducted in a
professional, accurate, and transparent manner.
Information about the journal, its publisher, and its editorial policies is
truthful, accurate, and not misleading.
19. Contact
Editorial Office – Sun and Geosphere
Space Research and Technology Institute
Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Block 1
1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
Instructions for Authors
Manuscript preparation (The text part)
• Manuscripts must be written in good English and should be typed in double-line spacing.
• SI units should be used throughout except where non-SI units are more common (e.g. litre (l) for volume).
• For indents, do not use the space or tabs bars.
• Use the Equation Editor of your word processing program or MathType for equations.
• Abbreviations should be defined at first mention in the abstract and again in the main body of the text and used consistently thereafter.
• Avoid the use of footnotes to the text.
Please arrange your text as follows:
A. Title page
1. A concise and informative title.
2. Name(s) of the author(s), affiliation(s) of the author(s), e-mail address of the corresponding author.
3. Abstract must present the most important results and conclusions in no more than 250 words.
4. Keywords: Up to five keywords should be supplied after the abstract for indexing purposes.
Notes on affiliations: The text for each affiliation should not exceed a one row
• Arrange in sequence: institution, city, country
• Do not include institutional address and/or postal code
• Use the abbreviation or short name of the institution
B. Manuscript body
• Introduction - The introduction should state the purpose of the investigation and give a short review of the pertinent literature.
• Materials and methods - This section should follow the Introduction and should provide enough information to permit reproduction
of the experimental work.
• Results - This section should describe the outcome of the study. Data should be presented as concisely as possible,
if appropriate in the form of tables or figures, although very large tables should be avoided.
• Discussion - The discussion should be an interpretation of the results and their significance with reference to work by other authors.
• Acknowledgements - These should be as brief as possible. Any grant that requires acknowledgement should be mentioned.
The names of funding organizations should be written in full.
C. References to journal articles, articles in proceedings, books, and technical reports should be listed at the end of the paper in
alphabetical order, following the IAU style (see examples below and the IAU Style Book). All references cited in the text must appear in the
reference list, and all references listed in the reference list must be cited in the text.
• In the text the citations are given as Brown (1998), Brown and Jones (1998), Brown, Jones, and Smith (1998), or Brown et al. (1998) if
there are more than 3 authors. In a group of references, arrange them according to the year, and use semicolons: (Brown, 1990; Jones and Smith,
1993; Smith, 1999).
• References at the end of the paper should be listed in alphabetical order.
- For articles in journals: Examples:
Kahler, S.W.: 1982, Astrophys. J. 261, 710.
Oliver, R. and Ballester, J.L.: 1995, Solar Phys. 156, 145.
Demoulin, P., Bagala, L.G., Mandrini, C.H., Henoux, J.C., and Rovira, M.G.: 1997, Astron. Astrophys. 325, 305.
If available, the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) of the cited literature should be added at the end of the reference in question.
- For articles in proceedings: Example:
Hoeksema, J.T.: 1995, in R.G. Marsden (ed.), The High-Latitude Heliosphere, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, Holland, p. 137.
- For books: Example:
Tandberg-Hanssen, E. and Emslie, A.G.: 1988, The Physics of Solar Flares, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, p. 145.
D. Section Title All capital, bold, not italic
E. Sub Section Title Title case, bold, italic
Manuscript preparation (The Tables part)
1. Tables must be numbered consecutively with arabic numerals.
Each table should have a headline (Table caption) describing the contents of the table.
2. Tables must be prepared with a text editor (e.g., Microsoft Word).
3. Each table can not be wider than 17 cm at font size 9 pt in each cell.
4. The height of each table (including caption) should not exceed 23 cm.
Manuscript preparation (Figures part)
1. Figures must be numbered consecutively with arabic numerals.
2. The axes of the figure must be labeled. The labels must be a part of the figure.
3. Figure caption must be brief, self-sufficient explanations of the figures. Please do not include the figure caption in the figure.
4. Size of figures: The figures, should either match the column width (85 mm) or the print area of 175×200mm.
In case reduction is absolutely necessary, please state the alternative scale desired. The publisher reserves the right
to reduce or enlarge illustrations.
Advice: Include the figure in Microsoft Word document and make sure it is clearly legible after being scaled to the size specified above.
5. Color figures: The online edition comes out in full color, the print edition in greyscale, so send the color figures also.
Advice: Check how the color figures will look when converted to greyscale.
