Author Guidelines

1. General Manuscript Requirements

Manuscripts submitted to this journal must represent original scholarly work that has not been previously published nor is under consideration elsewhere. The manuscript must demonstrate strong academic rigor, theoretical contribution, methodological clarity, and relevance to current scientific discourse.

All submissions must be written in clear, formal, and academic English and follow the formatting standards outlined below. Authors are strongly encouraged to use reference management software such as Mendeley, Zotero, or EndNote.

2. Manuscript Structure and Formatting

2.1 Title

  • Written in English, Garamond, 16 pt, bold, maximum 16 words
  • Must be concise, specific, and informative
  • Should clearly reflect:
    • Main variables or phenomena
    • Context (if relevant: location, sector, or sample)
  • Avoid:
    • Abbreviations
    • Jargon
    • Phrases such as “A Study of”, “An Analysis of”

2.2 Authors and Affiliation

  • Full names without abbreviation (Garamond, 10 pt, bold)
  • Institutional affiliation (Garamond, 8 pt, normal)
  • Email addresses (Garamond, 8 pt, italic or normal)

2.3 Abstract and Keywords

  • Written in English, single paragraph (150–250 words)
  • Must include:
    1. Background and research gap
    2. Objective
    3. Methodology (design, sample, analysis technique)
    4. Main findings (include key statistical/qualitative results)
    5. Contribution and implications
  • Use:
    • Past tense (methods & findings)
    • Present tense (general statements & implications)
  • Avoid:
    • Citations
    • Undefined abbreviations
    • Excessive jargon

Keywords:

  • 3–5 phrases
  • Avoid repetition from title

2.4 Introduction (15–20% of manuscript)

The introduction must:

  • Present global and local context
  • Identify research gap
  • Formulate clear research problem
  • State research objectives/questions explicitly
  • Highlight theoretical and practical contributions
  • Emphasize novelty of the study

Requirements:

  • 900–1000 words
  • ≥80% references from recent journals (last 5 years)
  • Preferably Scopus/ISI indexed

3. Literature Review (20–25%)

3.1 Conceptual and Theoretical Foundations

  • Explain key theories
  • Show logical relationships between variables
  • Combine classic theories + recent empirical support

3.2 Review of Empirical Studies

  • Critical comparison of prior studies
  • Identify:
    • Patterns
    • Contradictions
    • Limitations

3.3 Research Gap Identification

  • Clearly justify why this study is needed
  • Based on recent high-quality literature

3.4 Conceptual Framework

  • Present relationships between variables
  • Include diagram (Figure)

3.5 Hypotheses / Propositions

  • Clearly stated and testable
  • Strong theoretical and empirical justification

4. Research Methods (±15%)

Must ensure replicability, rigor, and transparency

Components:

  1. Research Design (quantitative, qualitative, mixed)
  2. Research Context & Setting
  3. Population and Sample
  4. Data Sources & Collection Methods
  5. Measurement of Variables
  6. Data Analysis Techniques (e.g., regression, SEM, thematic analysis)
  7. Validity & Reliability / Trustworthiness
  8. Ethical Considerations
  9. Research Procedure
  10. Methodological Limitations

Emphasis:

  • Alignment between objectives, methods, and analysis
  • Use of validated instruments from reputable journals

5. Results and Discussion (40%)

5.1 Results (Objective Reporting)

Must include:

  • Sample characteristics
  • Descriptive statistics
  • Data quality tests (if applicable)
  • Main analysis results
  • Hypothesis testing
  • Tables/figures (clearly labeled)

No interpretation in this section

5.2 Discussion (Critical Analysis)

Must include:

  • Interpretation of findings
  • Comparison with previous studies
  • Theoretical contributions
  • Practical & policy implications
  • Addressing research gap
  • Study limitations (interpretative)

6. Conclusion (5–10%)

Must include:

  1. Summary of key findings
  2. Theoretical contributions
  3. Practical implications
  4. Limitations
  5. Future research directions

Avoid:

  • Repetition
  • New data or analysis

7. References

  • Use APA 7th Edition
  • Minimum:
    • 80% journal articles
    • Preferably Scopus/ISI indexed
    • Mostly from last 5 years
  • Use reference manager (Mendeley, Zotero, etc.)

8. Manuscript Writing Checklist (Scopus Standard)

Title

✔ Clear, concise, ≤16 words
✔ Includes variables/context
✔ No jargon

Abstract

✔ 150–250 words
✔ Includes background → objective → method → results → contribution
✔ No citations

Introduction

✔ Clear gap & problem
✔ Strong references (recent journals)
✔ Explicit objectives

Literature Review

✔ Theoretical + empirical integration
✔ Gap justification
✔ Hypothesis development

Methodology

✔ Clear design & sampling
✔ Valid & reliable instruments
✔ Ethical compliance

Results

✔ Objective reporting
✔ Tables/figures included

Discussion

✔ Interpretation
✔ Comparison with literature
✔ Contribution & implications

Conclusion

✔ Summary + implications
✔ Future research

References

✔ APA 7th
✔ ≥80% journal articles
✔ Recent & reputable

9. Ethical and Publication Standards

  • Manuscript must be free from plagiarism (max similarity ≤15%)
  • Must not be under review elsewhere
  • Authors must disclose:
    • Conflicts of interest
    • Funding sources
  • Research involving humans must include ethical approval

10. Additional Notes (Scopus Readiness)

To meet international indexing standards:

  • Ensure novelty and contribution
  • Use international references
  • Apply robust methodology (SEM, panel data, etc.)
  • Write in high-quality academic English
  • Follow IMRaD structure consistently