Weekly search, monthly decision
SCI scans approved separation-science queries privately each week. DOI-backed candidates are normalized, deduplicated, classified, and added to a rolling shortlist. At month end, a human editor chooses one paper or records a no-selection decision.
Selection dimensions
Candidates are considered for:
- central relevance to separation, sample handling, or detection;
- methodological novelty;
- reader interest and a clear scientific question;
- evidence that can be inspected adequately;
- practical or scientific consequence;
- explanatory value;
- recency.
A private weighted score supports comparison but does not objectively measure scientific quality. The editor makes the final decision and the public article explains the main editorial reasons in words.
Reasons not to select
SCI may decline a paper when identifiers or metadata cannot be resolved, separation is peripheral, the important claims cannot be inspected, the work was featured before, an integrity concern is unresolved, or the story would require hype to seem consequential.