Guidelines for Authors

AUTHOR’S GUIDELINES

Introduction

Thank you for considering submitting your manuscript to the Journal of Social Spectrum (JSS). We welcome original research articles, reviews, position papers, quality systematic reviews short communication, and other contributions that align with the journal’s scope and aims. Please carefully review the Journal guidelines to ensure a smooth submission process.

Manuscript Preparation

Format: Manuscripts should be prepared in Microsoft Word (.docx) or editable compatible format.
Length: The recommended length for research articles is 5,000-7,000 words, although exceptions may be considered as may be requested in Cover letter and approved by Editor-in-Chief.
Font and spacing: Use a standard font (e.g., Times New Roman) in ‘12’ point size, with 1.5 line spacing.
Headings and subheadings: Use clear and concise headings and subheadings to organize the manuscript, numbered as 1, 2,…..5 main article headings. For the subheadings, it shall be to a maximum of four levels i.e. 1(the main subheadings) 1.1., 1.2., 1.3., 1.4. This is equally applicable to other major subheadings.
Authors: Each manuscript is limitless, but each author must detail their individual contributions on the cover letter using the CRediT framework. This framework outlines specific roles, including conceptualization, methodology development, data collection, formal analysis, and writing the original draft.
CRediT Taxonomy: The CRediT taxonomy provides transparency and clarity on individual author contributions, promoting accountability and recognition (Provide the CRediT link).
Cover Page: The cover page shall be the second document for uploading and should include:
Authors’ full details: institutional affiliation, address, and contact information
CRediT author statement outlining each author’s role (Provide the CRediT link)
Acknowledgements: The author must acknowledge those institutions or individuals who made significant contributions to the manuscript, e.g. grant institutions.
Corresponding author’s role: Designation of a corresponding author and email, who will ensure accuracy and agreement of authors’ contributions among all authors.
Language Policy: Manuscripts are expected to meet high English standards, being clear, well-articulated, and easy to understand. Key formatting guidelines include Language and Spelling: Use British English consistently throughout. Font and Spacing: MS Word with Times New Roman font, size 12, and 1.5 line spacing. Foreign Words: Italicise foreign words for clarity. Length: Manuscripts should be between 5,000 and 7,000 words, including Tables, Figures, Endnotes and References.
Tables and figures Tables and figures should be numbered separately and sequentially using Arabic numerals and placed at the end of the manuscript. Each table and figure should be given an informative title
Endnotes: Endnotes should be kept to a minimum, indicated by superscript figures in the text, and placed at the end of the manuscript.
Cover Letter: The author is expected to submit cover letter in a separate document while submitting the manuscript for the Editor-in-Chief informed decision labeled DOC3. The contribution(s) must be expressly stated in the cover letter.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

The author and reviewer are expected to read before submitting/or reviewing the article before. Hence, respected individuals should acknowledge that they have read and agree to the (Provide link to Terms of this Journal Policy) before submitting and or reviewing the article.

Submission Preparation Checklist Policy

As part of the submission process, authors are required to check off their submission’s compliance with all of the following items, and submissions may be returned to authors that do not adhere to these guidelines.

The submission has not been previously published, nor is it before another journal for consideration (or an explanation has been provided in Comments to the Editor).
The submission file is in OpenOffice, Microsoft Word, RTF, or WordPerfect document file editable format.
Where available, URLs and DOIs for the references have been provided.
The text uses a 12-point font; 1.5 spacing, employs italics, rather than underlining (except with URL addresses); and all illustrations, figures, and tables are placed within the text at the appropriate points, rather than at the end.
The text adheres to the stylistic and bibliographic requirements outlined in the Author Guidelines add a link, which is found in About the Journal.
If submitting to a peer-reviewed section of the journal, the instructions in ensuring a Blind Review, all authors’ identifier have been removed accordingly.

Content Requirements

In an empirical based article, it is expected that the article has the following ingredients:

Title page: Include the manuscript title, author names and affiliations, and contact information for the corresponding author which should be in a separate document label DOC2.
Abstract: Provide a concise abstract (150-200 words) summarising the research, including its purpose, methods, main findings, and implications. The word Abstract should be italised and bold i.e. Abstract
Keywords: Include 5-7 keywords that accurately reflect the manuscript’s content.
Introduction: Clearly introduce the research topic, provide context, and state the research question or hypothesis. The word Introduction must be bold and label 1. Note: No need a subheading.
Literature: present a clear theory used empirical findings and gap statement. The word Literature Review must be bold and label 2. Note: there could be well arranged subheadings
6. Methodology: Describe the research design, methods, and procedures in sufficient detail to allow replication. The word Methodology must be bold and label 3. Note: there could be subheadings
7. Findings: Present the findings in a clear and concise manner, using tables, figures, and other visual aids as needed. The words, Results and Discussion, must be bold and label 4.Note: there could be subheadings such as 4.1. Results 4.2. Discussion of Findings, etc.
Discussion: Interpret the results, discuss their implications, and relate them to the broader literature earlier reviewed.
Conclusion: Summarize the main findings and implications, and suggest avenues for future research.

Expected Headings

Paper Type – Empirical

Introduction
Literature Review
Methodology
Findings and Discussion
Conclusion

Position Paper and others

The author(s) should determine the manuscript’s organization, ensuring it is logical, coherent, and structured in a way that effectively communicates the research or ideas. Typically, the outline should not exceed seven levels of headings to maintain clarity and focus

Submission Process

Online submission: Submit your manuscript through our online submission system (provide the link).
Cover letter: Include a cover letter that briefly describes the manuscript, its significance, the contribution of the article to the body of knowledge, and its relevance to JSS. State the percentage of similarity index and the software used.
Author agreement: where authors are two and above, ensure that all authors agree to the submission and content of the manuscript. Also, each author shall describe their contributions to the paper in writing to the Editor-in-Chief in the covering letter to be submitted.

Peer Review

Blind peer review: JSS employs a blind peer-review process (provide the link) to ensure impartial evaluation.
Reviewer’s selection: Reviewers are selected based on their expertise and relevance to the manuscript’s topic (provide the link).

Ethics and Compliance

Originality and plagiarism: The Editor ensures that the manuscript is original and free from plagiarism (provide the link). The Editor accepts maximum of 15% similarity index using Turnitin or EagleScan. Ensure the statement is included in the cover letter.
Human subjects research: If applicable, provide evidence of ethical clearance approval from appropriate institution (provide the link) and informed consent.
Conflicts of interest: Disclose any potential conflicts of interest (provide the link) or financial support that influenced the research.

Copyright and Licensing

Copyright: Authors’ retain the copyright to their work, granting JSS a license (provide the link) to publish and distribute the article.
2. License agreement: Articles is published under a Creative Commons license (provide the link), permitting users to access, read, and share the article.

References

Reference style: Use a consistent citation style (e.g., APA 7^th Edition) and provide a complete reference list (provide the link for sample of reference list). References: References are cited in the text by the author’s surname, and the publication year. Full details are given in the reference list. References list should follow the 6^thAPA reference style. Where necessary, all journal articles should include the Doi or the webpage URL as pleases the author (Click here)