Journal of Innovative Transportation

The Journal of Innovative Transportation (JIT) aims to provide an international academic platform for researchers, transportation engineers, and industry professionals to exchange knowledge and ideas on the latest developments, innovations, and applications in all areas of transportation.

The journal encourages the dissemination of cutting-edge research that contributes to the design, operation, and sustainability of intelligent, efficient, and safe transportation systems.

The Journal of Innovative Transportation (JIT) covers the full spectrum of transportation systems and technologies, including theoretical, experimental, computational, and applied research. The journal emphasizes innovation, digitalization, and sustainability in all modes of transportation, aiming to bridge the gap between academic research and practical implementation.

JIT particularly welcomes studies that focus on the following core themes:

Transportation Infrastructure: design, construction, maintenance, and performance evaluation of pavements, bridges, and geotechnical systems.
Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS): applications of sensing, communication, and automation technologies for safer and more efficient networks.
Real-Time Operations and Traffic Management: monitoring, control, and decision-support systems that enhance multi-modal performance.
Modeling and Simulation: analytical, numerical, and data-driven approaches for prediction, optimization, and system design.

In addition, the journal invites contributions addressing emerging challenges and interdisciplinary topics, including but not limited to:

Traffic flow modeling, control, and optimization
Smart mobility and connected vehicle technologies
Transportation planning and policy analysis
Safety analysis, driver behavior, and crash risk modeling
Public transportation, accessibility, and travel behavior
Freight transportation, logistics, and supply chain management
Environmental impacts, energy efficiency, and decarbonization
Applications of artificial intelligence, big data, and machine learning in transportation

By encompassing these areas, JIT fosters knowledge exchange and innovation across the global transportation community, supporting the development of intelligent, safe, and sustainable mobility systems.

1. General Information

The Journal of Innovative Transportation (JIT) publishes original, high-quality, and innovative research that advances knowledge and practice across all modes of transportation.

All manuscripts must be written in English and prepared using Microsoft Word according to the official manuscript template available on the journal website.

2. Submission and Manuscript Requirements

The first page must contain:

Submit manuscripts in .docx format via the online submission system.

Figures and tables must also be uploaded separately as editable files (e.g., .xlsx, .tiff, .svg).

The manuscript should include the following sections in order:

Full title
Full names of all authors (without academic titles)
Affiliations (institution, city, and country)
ORCID iDs for all authors
Corresponding author: name, institutional e-mail, and phone number
Highlights
Abstract and Keywords
Main Text
Statements
Acknowledgement
References

3. Manuscript Preparation

3.1 Highlights

Provide 3–6 concise highlights summarizing the key contributions.

Each highlight ≤ 80 characters (including spaces).
Insert the highlights after the title page.

3.2 Abstract

The abstract must summarize the purpose, methodology, key results, and conclusions.

Word count: 100–200 words
Abbreviations: not permitted
Font: Calibri 9 pt, justified alignment

3.3 Keywords

Provide 3–6 keywords in alphabetical order, separated by semicolons.

3.4 Main Text Formatting

Font: Calibri 10 pt
Spacing: Single
Alignment: Justified
Paragraph spacing: 18 pt before / 12 pt after
Level 1 Heading - Uppercase, bold 1. INTRODUCTION
Level 2 Heading - Bold, first word capitalized 1.1 Study area
Level 3 Heading - Normal, first word capitalized 1.1.1 Data sources
Level 4 Heading - Italic, first word capitalized 1.1.1.1 Study limitations

Headings must be numbered sequentially.

3.5 Equations

Use the MS Word Equation Editor.
Align equations left, with numbering on the right (e.g., (1)).

3.6 Figures

Refer to all graphics as Figures only (no “Graphs,” “Images,” etc.).
Max width: 8.2 cm for double-column layout or 17 cm for single-column layout.
Acceptable formats: editable (Excel) or ≥ 300 DPI image files.
Captions: below the figure, justified, Calibri 9 pt.
Example: Figure 1. Caption text here.
No blank lines between figures and captions.

3.7 Tables

Prepare using the Word Table tool (no screenshots or image tables).
Font: Calibri 9 pt, single-spaced.
Headings: above the table, formatted as
Table 1. Table title text here.

3.8 Units and Symbols

Use the International System of Units (SI) consistently.
Use a decimal point (.), not a comma.
Keep symbols, subscripts, and superscripts uniform throughout.

4. References

Cite references as numbers in square brackets, e.g., [1], [2].
Number references in order of appearance.
Follow APA reference format, including author(s), year, title, journal, volume, issue, pages, and DOI (if available).

Example:
[1] Smith, J., & Lee, K. (2023). Traffic signal optimization using AI. Journal of Transportation Science, 45(2), 115–130. https://doi.org/xxxx

5. Post-Main-Text Sections

5.1 Funding Acknowledgement

Provide a separate section before the references specifying funding details, including the agency name and grant number.

Example:
This research was supported by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK) under Grant No. 123456.

5.2 Conflict of Interest Statement

Authors must declare all potential conflicts of interest or confirm none exist.

No conflict:
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

With conflict:
The authors declare the following financial or personal relationships that may be considered potential competing interests: [details].

5.3 Author Contributions

Each manuscript must include an Author Contributions section based on the CRediT taxonomy.

List the specific contributions of each author using the following standardized roles:

CRediT Roles: Conceptualization; Methodology; Software; Validation; Formal Analysis; Investigation; Resources; Data Curation; Writing – Original Draft; Writing – Review & Editing; Visualization; Supervision; Project Administration; Funding Acquisition.

Example:
Author Contributions:
E.E.: Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing – Original Draft;
D.T.: Formal Analysis, Visualization, Writing – Review & Editing;
Ö.T.: Supervision, Project Administration, Funding Acquisition.

5.4 Acknowledgements

List individuals, institutions, or organizations that contributed to the research but do not meet authorship criteria.
This section appears before the references.

5.5 Data Availability Statement

Authors are encouraged to include a brief statement such as:

Data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

6. Ethical and Editorial Standards

6.1 Authorship Criteria

All listed authors must have contributed substantially to:

The conception or design of the work, or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data;
Drafting or revising the work critically for important intellectual content; and
Final approval of the version to be published.

All authors share collective responsibility for the published work.

6.2 Ethical Compliance

All submissions must adhere to the ethical principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the Higher Education Institutions Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Directive (YÖK, Türkiye).

Misconduct such as plagiarism, duplicate submission, or data fabrication will lead to rejection and may be reported to the author’s institution.

6.3 Plagiarism Screening

All manuscripts are checked using iThenticate. Papers exceeding 20% similarity (excluding references) will be returned for revision or rejected outright.

1. Publisher’s Responsibilities

Journal of Innovative Transportation (JIT), founded in 2020 and published by Süleyman Demirel University, is a non-profit academic journal committed to the free dissemination of scientific knowledge. The journal operates under an open access policy and adheres to the ethical principles and standards defined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).

The Publisher ensures that:

Each submitted manuscript is independently reviewed by at least two experts in the field using a single-blind peer review process.
The Editor-in-Chief makes the final publication decision based on reviewers’ comments and authors’ responses.
All accepted papers are published under open access, without publication or submission fees.
Any detected ethical breach, plagiarism, or data manipulation results in withdrawal, correction, or retraction, following COPE flowcharts.

The journal also complies with the Higher Education Institutions Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Directive (YÖK, Turkey).

2. Authors’ Responsibilities

Authors submitting to JIT must:

Confirm that their submission is original, unpublished, and not under consideration elsewhere.
Ensure that the study complies with ethical research standards, including national and international legal requirements.
Disclose all conflicts of interest and funding sources.
Obtain necessary permissions for third-party content and maintain evidence of consent.
Identify all authors who have significantly contributed to the research.
Submit plagiarism-free work (all manuscripts are screened using iThenticate).
Include an acknowledgement section where appropriate.
Agree to data sharing and availability statements upon request to ensure reproducibility.
Follow all author guidelines available on the journal’s website.

3. Reviewers’ Responsibilities

Reviewers are essential to maintaining the scientific quality of JIT and are expected to:

Review only manuscripts within their area of expertise.
Conduct reviews objectively, confidentially, and constructively.
Complete reviews within the specified timeframe.
Decline a review when there is any conflict of interest or insufficient expertise.
Report any suspected ethical or research misconduct to the Editor.
Provide courteous, evidence-based, and improvement-oriented feedback.

4. Editors’ Responsibilities

Editors act in accordance with the COPE Code of Conduct for Journal Editors and ensure that:

Editorial decisions are independent, fair, and based solely on scientific merit.
Conflicts of interest are declared and transparently managed.
Complaints, appeals, and allegations of misconduct are investigated following COPE procedures.
Manuscripts are assessed for originality, quality, and relevance without discrimination.
The confidentiality of all submissions is maintained.
Corrections or retractions are issued when necessary to uphold the integrity of the scientific record.

5. Data Availability and Transparency

Authors are encouraged to make research data available through institutional or public repositories, or upon reasonable request. Each manuscript should include a data availability statement specifying where and how the data can be accessed.

6. Plagiarism Policy

All manuscripts submitted to JIT are screened for plagiarism using the iThenticate plagiarism detection software.

Manuscripts with more than 20% similarity (excluding references) are automatically returned to the author for revision.
Repeated or intentional plagiarism results in rejection and reporting to the author’s institution in accordance with COPE and YÖK guidelines.
Authors are fully responsible for the originality and integrity of their work.

7. Complaint and Appeal Policy

JIT provides a fair, transparent, and structured mechanism for handling complaints and appeals regarding editorial decisions or ethical concerns.

Appeals must be submitted in writing to the Editor-in-Chief within 30 days of the decision.
Complaints or ethical concerns will be reviewed according to COPE flowcharts and resolved within a reasonable timeframe.
The final decision on appeals rests with the Editorial Board, and outcomes will be communicated in writing to the appellant.

8. Correction and Retraction Policy

In cases of proven plagiarism, data fabrication, or other forms of misconduct, JIT follows COPE Retraction Guidelines. Corrections, retractions, or withdrawal notices are permanently linked to the original article in both the online archive and the PDF version to ensure the integrity of the scientific record.

9. Publication Ethics Oversight

All ethical cases are managed according to COPE flowcharts and the Higher Education Institutions Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Directive (YÖK). All stakeholders — authors, reviewers, editors, and the publisher — are expected to maintain the highest standards of publication ethics.

Useful References