Authors Guidelines

Manuscript Preparation Guidelines

Authors are strongly advised to prepare the manuscript as per the following guidelines otherwise it will come back to you and delay the publication. 

During the submission process, authors must ensure their submission adheres to the following guidelines:

  • The submission should not have been previously published or under consideration by another journal, unless explained in the "Comments to the Editor" section.
  • The submission file must be in OpenOffice or Microsoft Word format.
  • The article should include the following sections: Title, Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Literature Review, Methodology, Analysis & Discussion, and Conclusion.
  • The manuscript should be written in English, with the abstract limited to 300 words, and the overall text should range from 5,000 to 10,000 words, including all elements such as bibliography and tables.
  • If submitting to a peer-reviewed section of the journal, the instructions for ensuring a blind review must be followed.
  • The text and body of article should be as per the attached journal format as below. Illustrations, figures, and tables should be appropriately placed within the text following APA style.
  • Failure to comply with these guidelines may result in the return of the submission.

Content and length of manuscripts

Constructs and variables are identified in words, not abbreviations.

Based on the specific guidelines, here is a more precise summary of the content and length requirements for manuscripts:

Length: Manuscripts should be restricted to around 5000 to 10000 words, including all sections such as the abstract, main text, references, and any appendices.

Title and Author Information: The first page should include the title of the manuscript, the author's name, affiliations, and contact information.

Abstract: The abstract should be no more than 500 words and should provide a summary of the entire paper, not just the conclusions. It should also include a list of three to five keywords suitable for indexing and abstracting services.

Literature Citations: Citations should follow a uniform style throughout the manuscript, preferably the latest edition of the American Psychological Association (APA) style. Reference management software like Mendeley or EndNote can be used to manage citations.

Plagiarism Limit: The manuscript should not exceed a plagiarism limit of 19%, and each individual source should be less than 4%.

Formatting: The final formatting of the manuscript will be done by a team from the IJSSB.

It's important to note that these guidelines are specific to the IJSSB and may differ for other journals or publications. Always refer to the specific guidelines provided by the target journal to ensure compliance with their requirements.

Withdrawal Request Procedure

Authors who wish to withdraw their submitted manuscripts from consideration for publication in the Policy Research Journal must follow the prescribed withdrawal request procedure.

Withdrawal Criteria

Withdrawal requests will be considered under the following circumstances:

  1. Author-Requested Withdrawal: Authors may request withdrawal of their manuscript at any stage of the review process. The request must be submitted by the corresponding author and should provide a clear explanation for the withdrawal.
  2. Multiple Submissions: If the manuscript has been submitted to multiple journals simultaneously, it will not be considered for publication in the Policy Research Journal. Authors are expected to adhere to ethical standards regarding simultaneous submissions.
  3. Ethical Violations: If ethical concerns or violations are identified during the review process, the editorial board reserves the right to withdraw the manuscript from consideration.

Withdrawal Consequences

  1. Author-Requested Withdrawal: If the withdrawal request is approved, the manuscript will be officially withdrawn from the Policy Research Journal. The withdrawn manuscript will not be considered for publication, and all review processes related to the manuscript will cease.
  2. Multiple Submissions: Manuscripts identified as submitted to multiple journals simultaneously will be automatically rejected, and the corresponding author will be notified of the withdrawal.
  3. Ethical Violations: In cases where ethical concerns are identified, the editorial board may undertake further investigation and inform relevant parties as necessary. Withdrawal decisions will be communicated to the corresponding author along with a detailed explanation.

Author Responsibilities

Authors are responsible for ensuring the accuracy of the information provided in the withdrawal request. If a withdrawal request is approved, authors are expected to acknowledge the withdrawal in subsequent submissions.

Editorial Discretion

The Policy Research Journal reserves the right to make final decisions regarding withdrawal requests, taking into consideration ethical standards, editorial policies, and the overall integrity of the publication process.