Journal Guide

Annual Reviews in Control covers the whole field of control and its applications. Most reviews are selected from the best reviews presented at meetings of the International Federation of Automatic Control (IFAC), re-written and broadened where necessary. The journal also seeks to commission reviews in emerging research areas from leading experts. Suggestions for new review articles should be sent to the Editor or to a member of the Editorial Board.Principal topics include nonlinear control, stochastic theory, discrete events, linear systems, adaptive control, robust control, design and software, system identification, fault detection, real-time programming, robot control, artificial intelligence, man-machine systems, optimization, computer-aided design and intelligent control.Applications include automobiles and transportation, power systems, biomedical technology, robots, aerospace, process control, manufacturing, minerals and metals processing.For more details on the International Federation of Automatic Control (IFAC), visit their home page at http://www.ifac-control.org.Benefits to authorsWe also provide many author benefits, such as free PDFs, a liberal copyright policy, special discounts on Elsevier publications and much more. Please click here for more information on our author services.Please see our Guide for Authors for information on article submission. If you require any further information or help, please visit our support pages: http://support.elsevier.com

Automatica publishes papers on original theoretical and experimental research and development in the control of systems, involving all facets of automatic control theory and its applications. Preferably, theoretical papers should include applications; papers dealing with components and systems should include theoretical background and, where appropriate, economic implications.It is intended to publish only those papers, including those based on IFAC meeting presentations, which may be regarded as new, worthwhile contributions in this field. Papers should be intelligible to the general body of control engineers, which requires that specialized techniques, terminology and acronyms be well defined and/or referenced.Automatica has a tradition of publishing definitive papers covering a topic in depth, papers which are referred to for many years. For such papers the length requirements may be relaxed at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief.The scope of the journal is extensive. Topics include: the theory and design of control systems and components, encompassing robust and distributed control using geometric, optimal, stochastic and nonlinear methods, game theory and state estimation; adaptive control, including robotics, neural networks, parameter estimation and system fault detection; additional topics including artificial intelligence, fuzzy and expert systems, hierarchical and man-machine systems, all parts of systems engineering which consider the reliability of components and systems; data processing; and computers for computer-aided design, manufacturing, and control of various industrial processes, space vehicles and aircraft, ships, traffic, biomedical systems, national economies, power systems, agriculture and natural resources.Submitted articles may be Survey Papers (extensive reviews of established or emerging research topics or application areas), Papers (detailed discussions involving new research, applications or developments), Brief Papers (brief presentations of new technical concepts and developments), Technical Communiques (new useful ideas and brief pertinent comments of a technical nature), and Correspondence (Letters to the Editor about the journal or to authors commenting on previously published papers. In the latter case, the Editor will give the authors an opportunity to respond). The journal also publishes the following features: Special Issues on the subject of increasing importance, Tutorial Papers, Book Reviews and Software Reviews.Additional information about Automatica, including a list of recently accepted papers, a cumulative table of contents (1963-present) and recent and advance editorials, can be found at the home of the Automatica On-Line Review Management System http://www.autsubmit.com. At this location, papers may also be submitted on-line for possible publication.For more details on the International Federation of Automatic Control (IFAC), visit their home page at http://www.ifac-control.org

Control Engineering Practice strives to meet the needs of industrial practitioners and industrially related academics and researchers. It publishes papers which illustrate the direct application of control theory and its supporting tools in all possible areas of automation. As a result, the journal only contains papers which can be considered to have made significant contributions to the application of control techniques. It is normally expected that practical results should be included, but where simulation only studies are available, it is necessary to demonstrate that the simulation model is representative of a genuine industrial application. Strictly theoretical papers will find a more appropriate home in Control Engineering Practice's sister publication, Automatica. Control Engineering Practice papers will tend to be shorter, and relevant to industrial readers.In addition to purely technical applications papers the journal carries papers on topics linked to the application of automation, including social effects, cultural aspects, project planning and system design, and economic and management issues.The scope of Control Engineering Practice matches the activities of IFAC:• Aerospace • Marine systems • Communication systems • Biomedical engineering • Pulp and paper processing • Environmental engineering • Scientific instrumentation • Transportation and vehicles • Power generation and other utilities • Mining, mineral and metal processing • Chemical and biotechnical process control • Manufacturing technology and production engineeringThe journal covers all applicable technologies:• Robotics • Identification • Signal processing • Project management • Autonomous vehicles • Powertrains • Computer networking • Modelling and simulation • Human-computer systems • Components and instruments • Adaptive and robust control • Electromechanical components • Model-based control techniques • Fault detection and diagnostics • Software engineering techniques • Hydraulic and pneumatic components • Real-time and distributed computing • Intelligent components and instruments • Architectures and algorithms for control • Computer-aided systems analysis and design • Software design, verification, safety, etc. • Artificial intelligence techniques, including fuzzy control neural networks and genetic algorithms.For more details on the International Federation of Automatic Control (IFAC), visit their home page at http://www.ifac-control.org

Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques are now being used by the practicing engineer to solve a whole range of hitherto intractable problems. This journal provides an international forum for rapid publication of work describing the practical application of AI methods in all branches of engineering.Focal points of the journal include, but are not limited to innovative applications of:• Real-time intelligent automation, and their associated supporting methodologies and techniques, including control theory and industrial informatics,• Architectures, algorithms and techniques for distributed AI systems, including multi-agent based control and holonic control,• Decision-support systems,• Aspects of reasoning: abductive, case-based, model-based, non-monotonic, incomplete, progressive and approximate reasoning,• Applications of chaos theory and fractals,• Metaheuristics and their applications in intelligent automation: Genetic Algorithms, Ant Colony Optimization, Particle Swarm Optimization, etc.,• Knowledge processing, knowledge elicitation and acquisition, knowledge representation, knowledge compaction, knowledge bases, expert systems,• Neural networks, fuzzy systems, neuro-fuzzy systems,• Perception, e.g. image processing, pattern recognition, vision systems, tactile systems, speech recognition and synthesis,• Aspects of software engineering, e.g. intelligent programming environments, verification and validation of AI-based software, software and hardware architectures for the real-time use of AI techniques, safety and reliability,• Intelligent fault detection, fault analysis, diagnostics and monitoring,• Self-organizing, emerging or bio-inspired system,• Industrial experiences in the application of the above techniques, e.g. case studies or benchmarking exercises.Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence publishes:• Survey papers/tutorials.• Contributed papers — detailed expositions of new research or applications.• Case studies or software reviews — evaluative and descriptive reviews of existing available AI software systems, discussing the experience gained and lessons learnt from using or developing AI systems for engineering applications.• IFAC EAAI Forum — problems arising from engineering practice, needing to be solved by somebody; solutions to problems discussed in this forum or elsewhere; critiques of a position or claim found in the literature.For more details on the International Federation of Automatic Control (IFAC), visit their home page at http://www.ifac-control.org

All papers from IFAC meetings are published, in partnership with Elsevier, the IFAC Publisher, in the http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/24058963IFAC-PapersOnLine proceedings series hosted at the http://www.sciencedirect.com/ScienceDirect web service. The main features of the IFAC-PapersOnLine series are:

• Online archive including papers from IFAC Symposia, Congresses, Conferences, and most Workshops.
• All papers accepted at the meeting are published in PDF format - searchable and citable.
• All papers published on the web site can be cited using the IFAC PapersOnLine ISSN and the individual paper DOI (Digital Object Identifier).
• The site is Open Access in nature - no charge is made to individuals for reading or downloading.

Copyright of all papers belongs to IFAC and must be referenced if derivative journal papers are produced from the conference papers. All papers published in IFAC-PapersOnLine have undergone a peer review selection process according to the IFAC rules.

The International Journal of Robust and Nonlinear Control aims to encourage the development of analysis and design techniques for uncertain linear and nonlinear systems. Papers will be particularly welcome that demonstrate the potential for nonlinear or robust controllers in applications through either design studies or real applications experience. The physical modelling, simulation and identification of systems that may be uncertain, or include significant nonlinearities, is of interest. Suitable topics include the use of hybrid or LPV models, multivariable systems and the simplification of models for control design. Papers on the control of large scale or distributed parameter systems are welcome, particularly concentrating on robustness and/or nonlinear issues. Papers are also welcome in the area of feedback design for asymptotic model following and, in general, for coordinated control of multi-agent systems, including consensus and synchronization. The main focus of the journal is on the theory and design of regulating and tracking control systems, but related areas such as linear and nonlinear filtering, condition monitoring and fault estimation are included. The Journal provides a natural forum for papers on the theory and application of robust control design and estimation techniques, including H8 or H2 design, multi-objective optimization and variable structure, or sliding mode control design methods. Papers will also be welcome on methods of improving the robustness of uncertain, or parameter varying systems, using QFT design methods. Papers on linear model based predictive control and algorithms for constrained optimization are encouraged. All aspects of the theory and techniques used in nonlinear control and estimation are also included ranging from gain scheduling to nonlinear predictive control. The development of nonlinear compensation and design methods, such as those using feedback linearization, adaptive back-stepping, exploitation and/or re-design of zero dynamics, Lyapunov based techniques, nonlinear H8 design and iterative learning control, are all of interest. Contributions on numerical algorithms for robust control, using for example linear matrix inequalities, and the problems of real time implementation are also included. Cooperative control, agent based systems, controller tuning and problems of implementation are covered. Modelling and control techniques using neural networks will also be considered. Model based design approaches are encouraged rather than heuristic or rule based design methods, such as fuzzy control.

This international journal covers the application of control theory, operations research, computer science and engineering principles to the solution of process control problems. Papers on the theory in these areas will also be accepted provided the theoretical contribution is aimed at process control.Topics covered include:• Control applications• Plant monitoring• Plant-wide control• Process control systems• Control techniques and algorithms• Process modelling and simulation• Design methodsFor more details on the International Federation of Automatic Control (IFAC), access their home page at http://www.ifac-control.orgSpecial Issues of the Journal of Process ControlThe Journal of Process Control is aiming to publish more Special Issues, especially those which deal with novel or innovative fields of research across the various facets of modelling, control and operations of process systems.Special Issues should conform to the guidelines set out below:• Special Issues will only be considered if they are within the scope of the journal.• A Special Issue typically comprises 10 to 12 papers.• Papers for Special Issues can be either invited or they could be solicited by a Call for Papers.• As with regular papers submitted to the journal those submitted to a Special Issue require full peer review.• All papers in Special Issues related to conferences need to be expanded and/or rewritten from the conference version. A reprint of a conference paper in a Special Issue is not acceptable.• The journal does not publish full conference proceedings. In this case please consider Procedia (link)Please send all suggestions for Special Issues to the Editor-in-Chief.

Mechatronics is the synergistic combination of precision mechanical engineering, electronic control and systems thinking in the design of products and manufacturing processes. It relates to the design of systems, devices and products aimed at achieving an optimal balance between basic mechanical structure and its overall control. The purpose of this journal is to provide rapid publication of topical papers featuring practical developments in mechatronics. It will cover a wide range of application areas including consumer product design, instrumentation, manufacturing methods, computer integration and process and device control, and will attract a readership from across the industrial and academic research spectrum. Particular importance will be attached to aspects of innovation in mechatronics design philosophy which illustrate the benefits obtainable by an a priori integration of functionality with embedded microprocessor control. A major item will be the design of machines, devices and systems possessing a degree of computer based intelligence. The journal seeks to publish research progress in this field with an emphasis on the applied rather than the theoretical. It will also serve the dual role of bringing greater recognition to this important area of engineering.Mechatronics publishes the following types of papers:• Regular Articles should describe original research of high quality in the field of Mechatronics.• Review Articles will generally be specially commissioned, however, suggestions for topics and authors are welcomed by the Editor-in-Chief.•Technical Notes provide rapid publication of important new contributions.Benefits to authorsWe also provide many author benefits, such as free PDFs, a liberal copyright policy, special discounts on Elsevier publications and much more. Please click here for more information on our author services.Please see our Guide for Authors for information on article submission. If you require any further information or help, please visit our support pages: http://support.elsevier.com