Author Guidelines

General Manuscript Requirements

Manuscripts must be prepared in accordance with scholarly writing standards appropriate to the nature of the research and the relevant field of study. Authors must ensure that the substance, methods, data, analysis, conclusions, and sources used are traceable and internally consistent.

In general, a manuscript must:

• fall within the journal's focus and scope;
• follow the manuscript template provided by the journal;
• use academic language and disciplinary terminology consistently;
• present a systematic argumentative structure without unnecessary repetition or contradiction;
• use relevant and verifiable data, sources, and references;
• clearly distinguish research findings, the authors' interpretations, and information derived from other sources; and
• comply with applicable requirements concerning research ethics, integrity, and editorial policies.

Technical requirements such as file format, font size, spacing, layout, and other typographic elements must follow the journal template in effect at the time of submission.

Manuscript Structure

Research articles generally consist of a Title, Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion, Conclusion and Suggestions, and References. This structure also serves as the basis for evaluating manuscript completeness and consistency during the review process.

Title must be accurate, concise, clear, and reflect the principal focus of the research.

Abstract must contain 150–250 words and be understandable as a self-contained summary. It must proportionately summarize the research objective, methods, principal findings, and conclusion. Information presented in the abstract must be consistent with the substance of the manuscript.

Keywords must consist of no more than five words or key phrases representing the principal concepts of the research. Each keyword or key phrase must be separated by a semicolon (;).

Introduction must establish the research problem within a relevant scholarly context, explain the research gap, position the study in relation to previous research, and lead readers toward the novelty, objective, and scholarly contribution of the study. Substantive analysis that constitutes the principal research findings should not be completed prematurely in the Introduction.

Methods must adequately explain the research type or design, sources and characteristics of the data, data collection techniques, and analytical techniques so that the research process can be understood and its consistency with the research problem and objective can be evaluated.

Results and Discussion must present the research findings on the basis of the data and methods previously established and develop the analysis critically, systematically, and coherently. The discussion must address the research problem and objective and, where relevant, engage the findings with previous research. Results and Discussion must also avoid unnecessary redundancy and contradiction across sections. Subsections may be used only within Results and Discussion where analytically necessary and must not be developed into further levels of sub-subsections.

Conclusion and Suggestions must state the principal research findings concisely and concretely and remain consistent with the research problem, objective, results, and discussion. The conclusion must not merely repeat the discussion. Suggestions may include academic, policy, practical, or future research recommendations where supported by the research findings.

References identify the sources cited in the manuscript.

Research Problem, Novelty, and Scholarly Contribution

Novelty must not be presented merely as a stand-alone claim. It must arise from a logical relationship among developments in previous research, the identified gap, the research problem or objective, the analytical findings, and the resulting contribution.

Authors must ensure that the formulation of the research problem or objective is directed toward generating identifiable novelty. A research problem or objective should not merely repeat descriptive questions that have already been extensively addressed without identifying a scholarly gap that the study seeks to resolve.

The expected substantive relationship includes:

• previous research is used to establish the state of the art;
• the state of the art is used to identify the research gap;
• the research gap forms the basis for the research problem or objective;
• Results and Discussion address that research problem or objective;
• novelty emerges from the analysis of the identified gap; and
• the scholarly contribution explains the significance of that novelty for the development of knowledge, policy, practice, or further research.

During initial editorial screening, editors may request revision where the research problem or objective does not demonstrate an adequate relationship with the gap, novelty, or scholarly contribution claimed by the manuscript.

Consistency between Research Design and Data

The stated research type or design must be consistent with the data used, data collection techniques, analytical techniques, and the type of conclusions produced. Methodological consistency must be maintained from the formulation of the research problem through the drawing of conclusions.

Authors must ensure that:

• the research type or design is appropriate for addressing the research problem and objective;
• the sources and types of data are consistent with the stated research design;
• data collection techniques are appropriate to the characteristics of the data sources;
• analytical techniques are appropriate to the type of data and research objective;
• Results and Discussion actually use the data and methods described in the manuscript; and
• the conclusions do not extend beyond the scope of the data and analytical findings.

A manuscript that states a particular research type but uses inconsistent data sources or analytical procedures must provide an adequate methodological justification. The use of empirical data as the principal source in research described as entirely normative, the use of literature as the sole basis for making empirical claims, or other methodological inconsistencies must be resolved through adjustment of the research design or through a defensible methodological explanation.

This consistency does not end with the Methods section. During the review process, Results and Discussion are also evaluated according to their consistency with the data sources and research methods previously specified.

Citations, Footnotes, and Regulatory Sources

All citations within the manuscript must use the author–date in-text citation system in accordance with APA Style, 7th Edition. Footnotes must not be used as the primary system for citing scholarly sources.

Footnotes may be used on a limited basis to:

• provide relevant supplementary explanation where incorporating that information into the main paragraph would disrupt the flow of argument or readability; and
• provide specific methodological information concerning informants, including their status or position and the time of interview, provided that such use is consistent with the research design and applicable confidentiality requirements.

Footnotes must not be used to relocate source citations that should properly appear as in-text citations.

Where research in any field uses laws, regulations, or other governmental instruments as sources or objects of analysis, authors must verify their effective legal status, including relevant amendments, revocation, replacement, and the period applicable to the research subject.

A regulation that is no longer in force may still be used for historical or comparative purposes or to analyze events occurring during the period in which it remained effective, but its status must be accurately explained. An amended regulation must not be presented as though its previous formulation remains in force where the amendment is relevant to the analysis.

Tables, Figures, and Supporting Materials

Tables, figures, diagrams, charts, or other visual materials must serve a clear analytical or informational function and relate directly to the manuscript discussion. Each element must be referred to in the text, numbered and titled consistently, and accompanied by a source where derived or adapted from other materials.

Tables and figures must be clearly readable and presented at a quality suitable for editing and publication. Data that should appropriately be presented as a table or other editable object should not be submitted solely as a screenshot.

Supporting materials necessary to understand or verify the research may be included according to the nature of the study and the journal's applicable requirements.

References

All in-text citations and reference list entries must consistently follow APA Style, 7th Edition. Every source cited in the manuscript must appear in the References section, and every source listed in the References section must be cited in the manuscript.

Authors should prioritize relevant, credible, and current references, particularly peer-reviewed scholarly articles directly related to the research focus. Recent literature, especially publications from the preceding five years, is encouraged to demonstrate developments in the state of the art. However, seminal sources, foundational theories, primary documents, regulations, or older publications may still be used where substantively relevant.

A DOI must be provided where available and verifiable. A URL should be included where required according to the type of source and the provisions of APA Style, 7th Edition.

References must be selected on the basis of their scholarly relevance and contribution to the research. The journal does not require authors to cite particular publications merely because they were published by a specific journal, publisher, editor, reviewer, or institution.

For guidance on formatting references for different source types, authors must consult the official examples provided in APA Style Reference Examples. These examples should be used as guidance for applying APA Style, 7th Edition according to the specific types of sources cited in the manuscript.