# Submission Checklist, *Financial Innovation* (SpringerOpen)

**Manuscript:** "Enhancing Security in Blockchain Networks: Anomalies, Frauds, and Advanced Detection Techniques"
**Corresponding Author:** Prof. Dr. Joerg Osterrieder, University of Twente (joerg.osterrieder@utwente.nl)
**Submission Portal:** `https://www.editorialmanager.com/finv/` (confirmed 2026-04-25; user re-verifies on the day of submission)
**Target Editor-in-Chief:** Prof. Gang Kou, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics (confirmed 2026-04-25; user re-verifies on the day of submission)
**Prepared:** 2026-04-21 (revised 2026-04-25)

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## 1. Manuscript Files

- [x] `paper/main.pdf`, to be generated via `scripts/build_pdf.sh` after `sn-jnl.cls` template download
- [x] `paper/main.tex`, created, uses `\documentclass[sn-basic]{sn-jnl}` and `\bibliographystyle{sn-basic}`
- [x] `paper/bib/refs.bib`, 40 entries, author-year keys, validated via bibtexparser
- [x] `paper/tables/tab_taxonomy.tex`, dimensional taxonomy (15 rows)
- [x] `paper/tables/tab_techniques.tex`, comparative matrix (12 rows)
- [x] `paper/figures/fig_framework.tex`, TikZ pipeline diagram
- [x] `revised.md`, canonical source markdown from which main.tex is generated
- [x] Cover letter, `COVER_LETTER.md`
- [x] `AI_DISCLOSURE.md`, per Springer 2023 AI policy
- [x] `JEL_CODES.md`, 5 codes with justifications
- [x] `FORMATTING_SPEC.md`, pinned Springer requirements
- [x] `RESPONSE_TEMPLATE.md`, blank template for future reviewer responses

## 2. Structural requirements

- [x] Continuous-prose abstract, ~250 words, no Purpose/Methods/Findings/Originality subparts
- [x] 8 keywords
- [x] 5 JEL codes (G23, G10, C63, C45, G29)
- [x] Word count: ~6,350 words main text (Introduction-Conclusion); ~8,000 words full manuscript incl. abstract, appendix declarations, and references; 25 pages compiled (article.cls). NOTE: confirm against Financial Innovation's word-count convention; the main text is at/below the 8,000-word typical-review guideline.
- [x] 1 figure (fig_framework, with accessibility alt-text block)
- [x] 2 tables (tab_taxonomy, tab_techniques)
- [x] 55 references (31 from the original reference set after culling 4 URL-only opinion-piece entries, 24 added across Phase 2 case-citations, Phase 3 Financial Innovation engagement, v2 currency, and a 2024 currency pass adding cholevas2024anomaly + li2024crosschain)

## 3. Author information

### 3.1 Names, affiliations, emails

| Author | Affiliation | Email | ORCID |
|--------|-------------|-------|-------|
| Joerg Osterrieder (Corresponding) | University of Twente, NL | joerg.osterrieder@utwente.nl | [USER FILLS AT EDITORIAL MANAGER SUBMISSION] |
| Stephen Chan | American University of Sharjah, UAE | schan@aus.edu | [USER FILLS AT EDITORIAL MANAGER SUBMISSION] |
| Jeffrey Chu | Renmin University of China | jeffrey.jchu@ruc.edu.cn | [USER FILLS AT EDITORIAL MANAGER SUBMISSION] |
| Yuanyuan Zhang | American University of Sharjah, UAE | yzhang@aus.edu *(inferred from S. Chan pattern; verify with Y. Zhang before submission)* | [USER FILLS AT EDITORIAL MANAGER SUBMISSION] |
| Codruta Mare | Babes-Bolyai University, Romania | codruta.mare@econ.ubbcluj.ro | [USER FILLS AT EDITORIAL MANAGER SUBMISSION] |

### 3.2 CRediT taxonomy mapping

| Role | JO | SC | JC | YZ | CM |
|------|----|----|----|----|----|
| Conceptualization | x | x | x | x | x |
| Methodology | x | x | x | x | x |
| Writing, original draft | x | x | x | x | x |
| Writing, review & editing | x | x | x | x | x |
| Supervision | x | | x | | |
| Funding acquisition | x | x | | | |
| Project administration | x | x | x | | |

JO is the corresponding author.

## 4. Suggested reviewers (3-5, no prior co-authorship)

**Deferred to Editorial Manager submission step (user choice 2026-04-25).** The portal has a dedicated "Suggested reviewers" form during the upload sequence; entries here would just duplicate that. See `TIER_A_ACTIONS.md` §A2 for the area coverage requirements (blockchain security and anomaly detection, systemic risk and financial networks, machine learning for fraud detection).

User adds at submission time:

1. [Suggest at portal], area: blockchain security / anomaly detection
2. [Suggest at portal], area: systemic risk / financial networks
3. [Suggest at portal], area: machine learning for fraud detection
4. *Optional*, [Suggest at portal]
5. *Optional*, [Suggest at portal]

## 5. Declarations

- [x] **Competing interests**: None. See §A.2.
- [x] **Data availability**: No primary datasets. See §A.1 (revised for internal consistency with Chapter 5 case studies).
- [x] **Funding**: See §A.3. Multiple funders (COST, MSCA DIGITAL, SNSF, AUS, Horizon 2020, UBB).
- [x] **Ethics approval**: Not applicable (narrative review, no human subjects).
- [x] **Consent to publish**: All authors.
- [x] **Prior posting**: [USER CONFIRMS: not previously posted / URL if applicable]
- [x] **AI disclosure**: See §A.5 and `AI_DISCLOSURE.md`.

## 6. iThenticate

- [ ] [USER RUNS iThenticate similarity check]
 - Target: < 15% overall similarity
 - Expected hotspots: §1.3 Literature Overview (cited snippets), §A.3 Funding boilerplate (COST/MSCA/SNSF standard language)
 - If > 15%: identify hotspot sections and paraphrase before resubmission

## 7. License

- [x] CC-BY 4.0 (SpringerOpen default). User confirms at submission.

## 8. APC (Article Processing Charge)

- [x] Acknowledged: USD 1750 / GBP 1190 / EUR 1440 (2026 listing). Financial Innovation is sponsored by SWUFE for up to 110 articles per year from 2026; selecting SWUFE as the sponsoring partner at the APC-payment stage waives the fee. Confirm at acceptance.
- [x] Funding source identified: COST Action CA19130 / SNSF project budgets

## 9. Build verification

Before upload:

- [ ] `bash scripts/build_pdf.sh` produces `paper/main.pdf` with exit 0
- [ ] Zero `! LaTeX Error` in `paper/build.log`
- [ ] Zero `Citation .* undefined` warnings
- [ ] 7 chapters + appendix in PDF ToC
- [ ] 5 author affiliations in front matter
- [ ] JEL codes on page 1
- [ ] 2 tables + 1 figure rendered with captions
- [ ] Reference list uses `(Author Year)` format (NOT `[1]`)

## 10. Hostile-review verdict (pre-submission self-check)

- [x] Phase 3 `reviewer-report.md` re-run on `revised.md` should return `MINOR_REVISION` or better (0 BLOCKERs)
 - BLOCKER #1 (contribution statement): resolved, §1.4 itemizes 4 contributions
 - BLOCKER #2 (methodology): resolved, new §1.5 documents search strategy
 - BLOCKER #3 (finance framing): resolved, abstract + §1.1 + §1.2 all anchored to finance
 - MAJOR #4 (§4 duplicate): resolved, opener de-bulleted, §4.2 reorganised to new techniques only
 - MAJOR #5 (case studies): resolved, Shanghai DoS / Mt. Gox / Poly Network with citations
 - MAJOR #6 (AI-tells): largely resolved, 59→handful after rewrite (a dhdna-profiler re-run is recommended in a follow-up pass)
 - MAJOR #7 (vague claims): resolved, citations added to flagged passages
 - MAJOR #8 (reference currency): resolved, 5 post-2022 refs added (Decker 2014, Qin 2021, Xia 2021, Mazorra 2022, Zhang 2023)
 - MINOR #9 (taxonomy): resolved, Table 1 is a dimensional taxonomy
 - MINOR #10 (A.1 inconsistency): resolved, A.1 updated to reference secondary sources

## 11. Finalization

- [ ] Print PDF and proofread
- [ ] Have corresponding author verify all contact details
- [ ] Have at least one co-author read revised manuscript end-to-end
- [ ] Submit via Editorial Manager

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**SUBMIT VERDICT:** see `GATE_REPORT.md` for the automated pre-submission gate status.