📄 1. Manuscript Preparation Guidelines

• File Format: Microsoft Word (.docx) only
• Font: Times New Roman, 12pt
• Spacing: 1.5 line spacing
• Margins: 1 inch (2.54 cm) all sides
• Page Numbers: Bottom center
• Alignment: Justified
• Language: UK English (preferred)
• Abstract: 200–250 words, structured
• Keywords: 4–6
• References: APA 7th Edition
• Data Availability Statement: Must specify where and how data can be accessed

📏 2. Word Limits by Article Type

*Word count excludes title page, abstract, references, and appendices.

📑 3. Manuscript Structure

Title Page (Separate File – Not Blinded):

• Full article title (maximum 20 words)
• All authors' full names, affiliations, and ORCID IDs
• Corresponding Author: Must be the Supervisor (Last Author) as per UGC norms
• First Author: The student from whose work the research/review article has been written
• Author Order: Authors between the First Author and Last Author shall be arranged in sequence proportionate to their contribution
• No Prefixes: Prefixes like Prof./Dr./Mr./Ms. are not to be put in front of names in the paper
• Acknowledgements and Conflict of Interest declaration
• Funding information
• Data Availability Statement: Specifies where and how the data can be accessed

Abstract (200-250 words):

• Objective: Brief statement of research aim
• Methods: Summary of methodology
• Results: Key findings
• Conclusion: Main conclusions and implications

Main Text Structure:

1. Introduction – Background, research gap, objectives
2. Literature Review – Theoretical framework, review of studies
3. Methodology – Research design, methods, ethical considerations
4. Results – Findings with tables and figures
5. Discussion – Interpretation, comparison, implications
6. Conclusion – Summary, recommendations, future research
7. Acknowledgements (if applicable)
8. References – APA 7th Edition
9. Appendices (if applicable)

✍️ 4. Author Responsibilities

Authorship Criteria (ICMJE Guidelines):

• Substantial contributions to conception, design, acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data
• Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content
• Final approval of the version to be published
• Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work

All four criteria must be met to be listed as an author.

Prohibited Practices:

• ❌ Gift Authorship: Including individuals who did not contribute substantially
• ❌ Bogus Authorship: Including people working at the same place but not contributors
• ❌ Predatory Journals: Submitting to cloned/predatory journals will not be accepted
• ❌ Duplicate Submission: Submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals

🔍 5. Plagiarism Policy

Software: iThenticate (preferred) / Turnitin
Requirement: Plagiarism report must be submitted with the manuscript

💰 6. Article Processing Charges (APC)

ℹ️ No submission fees. APC payable only upon acceptance. All policies clearly disclosed as per UGC guidelines.

🤖 7. AI-Generated Content Policy

🔍 8. Peer Review Process

Type: Double-Blind Peer Review

Reviewer Responsibilities:

• Conduct review objectively
• No personal criticism of authors
• Declare conflicts of interest (same workplace, research projects, etc.)
• Not ask authors for citations to reviewer's work
• Maintain confidentiality of manuscripts

✅ 9. Submission Checklist

• Cover letter (addressed to Editor-in-Chief)
• Main manuscript (blinded for review – remove author names)
• Title page (separate file with author details, including Corresponding Author)
• Figures and tables (high resolution 300 DPI, separate files)
• Copyright Transfer Form (signed by ALL authors)
• Conflict of Interest declaration
• Ethical approval certificate (if applicable)
• ORCID iD for corresponding author (mandatory)
• Plagiarism report (iThenticate/Turnitin, <15% similarity)
• Data Availability Statement – Specifies where data can be accessed
• AI Disclosure Statement – If AI tools were used

⚠️ 10. Avoiding Predatory Journals

✅ 11. UGC-Compliant Parameters