Communications contain novel scientific work of such importance that rapid publication is desirable. Authors should briefly indicate in a covering letter the reasons why they feel that publication of their work as a Communication is justified. The recommended length is no more than four printed journal pages.

Full papers present original research that has not been previously published. Although there is no page limit for Full papers, appropriateness of length to content of new science will be taken into consideration.

Reviews (including critical, mini and tutorial-style reviews) should report a detailed, balanced and authoritative current account of the existing state of knowledge on a particular facet of applied surface and interfacial research. Since the readership of RSC Applied Interfaces is very wide-ranging, it is essential that the Review is easily comprehensible to a non-specialist in the field. They should be timely and add to the existing literature, rather than duplicate existing articles, and should be of general interest to the journal's readership.

All review content should consist of original text and interpretation, avoiding any direct reproduction. If a significant amount of other people's material is to be used, either textual or image-based, permission must be sought by the author in accordance with copyright law and must be made clear in the manuscript. Please note that Reviews in RSC Applied Interfaces may not contain any original research.

Perspectives are contributions offering the personal viewpoint of leading scientists in their area of research. They present a state-of-the-art account of an area of current interest with an emphasis on future challenges and opportunities. Perspectives should be comprehensible to a broad scientific audience. There are no strict length requirements, and they should be written to their natural length. Perspectives may contain some unpublished research.

Comments and Replies are a medium for the discussion and exchange of scientific opinions between authors and readers concerning material published in RSC Applied Interfaces.

For publication, a Comment should present an alternative analysis of and/or new insight into the previously published material. Any Reply should further the discussion presented in the original article and the Comment. Comments and Replies that contain any form of personal attack are not suitable for publication.

Comments that are acceptable for publication will be forwarded to the authors of the work being discussed, and these authors will be given the opportunity to submit a Reply. The Comment and Reply will both be subject to rigorous peer review in consultation with the journal’s Editorial Board where appropriate. The Comment and Reply will be published together.