Submissions

Research Articles

Research articles are full-length original manuscripts that present new empirical, theoretical, methodological, or analytical findings. A research article should make a clear contribution to its field by addressing a well-defined research question, applying an appropriate and transparent methodology, presenting original results, and discussing their significance in relation to existing scholarship.

Research articles should normally be between 5,000 and 8,000 words, excluding the abstract, references, tables, figure captions, appendices, and supplementary materials. Manuscripts outside this range may be considered where the length is justified by the complexity of the research design, data, methods, or disciplinary conventions.

A research article should generally include the following elements:

Title;

Abstract;

Keywords;

Introduction;

Literature review or theoretical framework, where appropriate;

Materials and methods, methodology, or research design;

Results or findings;

Discussion;

Conclusion;

Acknowledgements, where applicable;

Funding statement;

Conflict of interest statement;

Ethics statement, where applicable;

Data availability statement, where applicable;

References;

Figures and tables, where applicable;

Supplementary materials, where applicable.

Abstract should normally be 150–250 words and should summarise the research background, objective, methods, key findings, and main contribution. Authors should provide 4–6 keywords that accurately reflect the manuscript’s subject matter, methods, and disciplinary scope.

Figures and tables should be used only where they add analytical value or improve the clarity of the manuscript. All figures and tables must be cited in the main text in numerical order. Each figure and table should have a concise title and a clear caption or note explaining abbreviations, data sources, statistical significance levels, and any other necessary information. Figures should be submitted at a publishable resolution, normally at least 300 dpi for images. Tables should be editable and should not be submitted as images unless specifically required by the nature of the material.

References should follow APA 7th edition style unless otherwise specified by the journal. In-text citations and the reference list must be complete and consistent. All works cited in the text must appear in the reference list, and all items in the reference list must be cited in the text. Authors are encouraged to include DOI links where available. Research articles should cite sufficient, relevant, and up-to-date literature to establish the research context and support the manuscript’s argument; there is no fixed maximum number of references.

Review Article

Review articles provide a comprehensive, critical, and well-structured synthesis of existing scholarship on a clearly defined topic. A review article should not merely summarise prior studies; it should evaluate the state of the field, identify major debates, compare methods and findings, clarify knowledge gaps, and propose directions for future research.

Review articles may include systematic reviews, scoping reviews, integrative reviews, narrative reviews, bibliometric reviews, meta-analyses, or other recognised forms of evidence synthesis. Authors should clearly state the type of review conducted and explain the review design, selection criteria, search strategy, analytical approach, and scope of coverage where applicable.

Review articles should normally be between 6,000 and 10,000 words, excluding the abstract, references, tables, figure captions, appendices, and supplementary materials. Longer manuscripts may be considered where the breadth of the literature, methodological requirements, or disciplinary standards justify the length.

A review article should generally include the following elements:

Title;

Abstract;

Keywords;

Introduction;

Review scope and objectives;

Review method or search strategy, where applicable;

Thematic, conceptual, methodological, chronological, or bibliometric analysis;

Discussion;

Research gaps and future directions;

Conclusion;

Acknowledgements, where applicable;

Funding statement;

Conflict of interest statement;

Ethics statement, where applicable;

Data availability statement, where applicable;

References;

Figures and tables, where applicable;

Supplementary materials, where applicable.

Aabstract should normally be 150–250 words and should state the review topic, purpose, scope, method or review approach, main findings, and contribution. Authors should provide 4–6 keywords.

Review articles should normally include a substantial and representative body of literature. The number of references will vary by field and review type, but review articles are generally expected to cite a broader range of sources than research articles. Authors should prioritise peer-reviewed journal articles, academic books, official reports, and other authoritative sources. Recent literature should be adequately represented, especially where the field is rapidly developing.

Figures and tables are encouraged where they help organise the reviewed literature, compare concepts or methods, summarise evidence, present classification frameworks, or visualise bibliometric or systematic review results. All figures and tables must be cited in the main text in numerical order and must include clear captions, notes, and source information where applicable.

References should follow APA 7th edition style unless otherwise specified by the journal. Authors should ensure that citations are accurate, complete, and verifiable. DOI links should be included where available. Review articles should avoid excessive reliance on non-academic sources unless such sources are directly relevant to the research question and are critically assessed.