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Publication Guidelines

Please read these guidelines in full before preparing your manuscript. Submissions that do not meet basic formatting requirements may be returned without review.

1. General Instructions

We accept original manuscripts that have not been published or submitted elsewhere. Authors are expected to follow internationally-recognised research ethics, declare any conflicts of interest, and obtain ethical clearance for studies involving human or animal subjects.

  • Manuscripts must be in English (British or American spelling, used consistently).
  • All authors must approve the final version and meet SKIJMS authorship criteria.
  • Conflicts of interest, funding sources, and acknowledgements must be disclosed.
  • Plagiarism, duplicate publication, and data fabrication will lead to immediate rejection.

Important

A signed authorship statement and a similarity-check declaration are mandatory at submission. Templates are linked from the submission form.

2. Formatting Requirements

Word limits and structural requirements vary by article type. Use the table below as your reference.

Section Word Count Notes
Manuscript Title 15–25 words Sentence case, no jargon, descriptive
Abstract 150–300 words Single paragraph. Background, methods, key findings, conclusion
Keywords 5–8 keywords Comma-separated, lowercase, distinct from title
Body (Research) 4,000–8,000 words IMRaD structure preferred
Body (Review) 6,000–10,000 words Systematic or narrative; PRISMA flow diagram if systematic
Body (Case Study) 3,000–5,000 words Anonymised; ethics statement required
Tables & Figures Maximum 8 combined Numbered, captioned, referenced in text
Page Setup A4, 1-inch margins 1.5 line spacing, Times New Roman 12pt

3. Reference Style

Use APA 7th edition referencing throughout. In-text citations should follow the (Author, Year) pattern. The reference list at the end of the manuscript must be alphabetised by first author surname.

Example — Journal Article

Sharma, P., & Kumar, R. (2024). The role of artificial intelligence in academic research methodology. Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies, 12(3), 45–62. https://doi.org/10.xxxxx/jms.2024.012

A complete style guide with examples for books, edited volumes, conference proceedings, and online sources is available from the editorial office on request.

4. File Format & Submission

Submit your manuscript in BOTH Microsoft Word (.docx) and PDF formats through the online submission form. The Word file is used for copy-editing; the PDF is used for review.

  • File names must follow the pattern: AuthorLastName_ShortTitle.docx
  • Maximum file size: 20 MB per file.
  • Embed all figures inline; submit high-resolution figure files separately if requested at acceptance.
  • Anonymise the manuscript: remove author names, affiliations, and self-identifying citations.

5. Language & Spelling

Manuscripts must be written in clear, professional academic English. Authors whose first language is not English are strongly encouraged to use a professional editing service before submission. Poorly-edited manuscripts may be returned without review.

Use British OR American spelling consistently throughout. Avoid colloquialisms, contractions, and informal phrasing. Define all acronyms at first use.

From Submission to Publication

Each manuscript moves through six stages. The full process typically takes 6–10 weeks from submission to publication for accepted papers.

  1. 1

    Submit Manuscript

    Upload your Word and PDF files via the online submission form. You will receive an acknowledgement within 24 hours.

  2. 2

    Plagiarism Check

    All submissions are screened with industry-standard tools. Similarity index above 15 percent is returned without review.

  3. 3

    Peer Review

    Two independent reviewers conduct double-blind evaluation against rigour, novelty, and methodology criteria.

  4. 4

    Author Revision

    Authors receive consolidated feedback. Revisions and a point-by-point response letter are typically due within 14 days.

  5. 5

    Acceptance

    On editorial sign-off, the article is copy-edited and a publication slot is confirmed for the next available issue.

  6. 6

    Publication

    The article goes live with a permanent DOI. Authors receive a digital certificate and a citation-ready record.

Manuscript ready?

Once your manuscript meets these guidelines, head to the submission form. You will receive an acknowledgement email within 24 hours.

Submit Your Paper