Submission Checklist

Submitting authors are required to create an account in the journal’s manuscript management system, Scholar Note, by registering with their email address, institutional affiliation, author keywords, and an indication of their interest in participating in the journal’s peer review process. Scholar Note guides the submitting author through the entry of required manuscript information and the uploading of essential documents, and subsequently converts the submission into a single PDF file for use in the peer review process. A single corresponding author must be designated for each manuscript, with complete details including email address, affiliation, and author keywords. The submitting author may assign another author as the corresponding author or may assume this role themselves.

The submitting author should upload the following files to complete the submission process: a cover letter, a title page, an anonymized manuscript that includes tables and figures, and any supplementary files or appendices. A cover letter should introduce the manuscript, explain its significance, and outline its contribution to the journal’s scope. The title page should include the manuscript title, author details including affiliations and email addresses, a CRediT authorship contribution statement, funding sources, a declaration of competing interests, and data availability statements.

Authors must confirm that their work is original, unpublished, and not under review elsewhere. The letter should include contact information for the corresponding author, disclose any potential conflicts of interest, and indicate whether artificial intelligence tools were used, if applicable. Authors must ensure that the manuscript is free from grammar and spelling errors and that all references are properly cited within the text and reference list. Permissions are required for the reproduction of any copyrighted material sourced externally.

File Format

Manuscripts submitted to IJSG must be prepared and submitted in Microsoft Word format (.doc or .docx) only. PDF files are not accepted for initial submissions. Authors should use a single-column layout for all content, including text, references, tables, and figure captions. Text should not be embedded as images. Where the journal follows a triple-blind peer-review process, authors must ensure that the manuscript file does not contain any information that could reveal author identity and use spell-check and grammar-check functions to avoid errors.

Abstract

Authors are required to provide a concise, clear, and factual abstract of no more than 150-200 words. The abstract should briefly state the purpose of the research, outline the principal results, and highlight the major conclusions of the study. As abstracts are often presented separately from the main article, they must be able to stand alone and convey the essence of the research without requiring reference to the full text. References should be avoided wherever possible; if essential, only the author name(s) and year(s) should be cited. The use of non-standard or uncommon abbreviations should also be avoided. Where abbreviations are necessary, they must be clearly defined at first mention within the abstract.

Font Name and Font Size

All manuscripts should be typed using Times New Roman font. The main text, abstract, and keywords should be in 11-point font size, while table and figure captions and footnotes (if any) should be in 10-point font size. Line spacing should be set at 1.5 throughout the manuscript, including references. Margins must be 1 inch (2.54 cm) on all sides, and pages should be consecutively numbered at the bottom center or bottom right.

Keywords

Authors are required to provide between four and six keywords immediately following the abstract. Keywords should be separated by semicolons and should be specific, research-relevant terms that enhance the visibility and indexing of the article. Authors are advised to avoid repeating words already used in the title.

Tables, Figures, Images, and Artwork

Tables must be submitted as editable text, not as images, and should be placed either close to the relevant text or on separate pages at the end of the manuscript. All tables must be cited in the text, numbered consecutively according to their order of appearance, and accompanied by a clear caption. Any table notes should be placed below the table body. Authors should avoid the use of vertical rules and shading within table cells and are encouraged to use tables sparingly, ensuring that the data presented does not duplicate results discussed elsewhere in the article.

Figures, images, artwork, diagrams, and other graphical materials must be submitted as separate files in addition to the manuscript, and they must be cited and numbered consecutively in the text. Each figure should have a clear and informative caption. Tables, figures, and images should follow the captions, which must be in italics.

All figures must include captions provided in a separate file, consisting of a brief title and a short explanatory description. The use of text within images should be kept to a minimum, and any symbols or abbreviations used must be clearly explained. Color figures will appear in color in the online version of the journal. Authors are encouraged to ensure that color images are accessible to readers with color vision impairments. Information regarding charges for color reproduction in the print version will be communicated after article acceptance.

Supplementary Material

Supplementary material may be submitted to support the main article and may include datasets, survey instruments, interview protocols, additional tables or figures, appendices, or multimedia files such as audio or video content. Supplementary materials should be submitted as separate files, clearly labeled, and each item must be explicitly referenced within the main text. All supplementary material will be published online only and should be suitable for public access.

Final Notes for Authors

Authors must ensure that submissions are original, have not been published previously, and are not under consideration for publication elsewhere. Adherence to ethical research and publication practices is expected. Compliance with these writing and formatting guidelines will assist in facilitating an efficient peer-review process and timely publication of accepted manuscripts. For further information regarding submission procedures, peer review, and publication ethics, authors are encouraged to consult the Author Guidelines section available on the IJSG website.

Data Statement

The journal advocates for transparent and responsible research practices, encouraging authors to make the data that supports their findings available whenever possible. Research data may include quantitative datasets, such as numerical data, statistical files, surveys, and experimental measurements, as well as qualitative datasets, such as interview transcripts, field notes, archival materials, or observational records. Additionally, research data can consist of instruments, including survey tools, interview guides, or measurement protocols used to collect the data. Authors are also encouraged to share software, code, analytical scripts, models, and algorithms developed or employed during the research process. Authors may deposit their data in a reliable external repository or in the journal's designated Google Drive repository and should provide a stable access link upon submission.

All submissions must include a Data Availability Statement entered within the ‘Scholar Note’ submission system, specifying whether the underlying data are publicly accessible, available upon reasonable request, or restricted due to ethical, legal, or confidentiality considerations. In addition, a corresponding ‘Data Availability Statement’ must be included in the title page of  manuscript. Authors are responsible for ensuring that any shared data are clearly documented and appropriately cited or linked in order to support transparency, reproducibility, and effective scholarly communication.

Manuscript Structure

Authors are required to structure their manuscript into clearly defined and numbered sections, with subsections labeled hierarchically (e.g., 1, 1.1, 1.1.1), and to place headings on separate lines. The manuscript must adhere to a consistent format that includes the following sections: introduction, literature review, methodology, results, discussion, theoretical implications, practical implications, limitations, conclusion, and reference list. The abstract should be presented separately and not included in the section numbering. Footnotes must be numbered sequentially and may be either integrated through system functionalities or compiled in a separate section at the end of the manuscript, before the reference list.

Authorship and Contributor Roles

Authorship is granted to individuals who have made significant contributions to the conception, design, implementation, analysis, or interpretation of the study. Contributors who do not meet the criteria for authorship should be acknowledged but will not be listed as authors. The journal strictly prohibits ghost authorship and guest/gift authorship. Any suspected cases will be investigated, and individuals found to be involved in unethical authorship practices may be removed from the publishing record and barred from future contributions. Artificial intelligence tools are not recognized as authors; any use of AI must be stated in the cover letter and in the declaration regarding AI tools. Changes to authorship after submission such as changes in author order or the appointment of a corresponding author are allowed only with a valid justification and the consent of all authors and the editor. The journal uses the CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) to ensure transparency in author contributions. When submitting, authors must identify the roles of each contributor from the following options: conceptualization, data curation, formal analysis, funding acquisition, investigation, methodology, project administration, resources, software, supervision, validation, visualization, writing-original draft, and writing-review and editing. Multiple roles can be assigned to contributors. The CRediT Author Contribution Statement must be included in the title page of the manuscript.

Appendices

Appendices must be labeled as "Appendix A," "Appendix B," and so forth, with each appendix systematically organized and labeled independently from the main text. All appendices should be referenced within the main body of the manuscript. Additionally, tables and figures included in an appendix must follow the journal's specified caption format—such as Table A1 (caption) or Figure A1 (caption)—to indicate their placement within the corresponding appendix.

References

All references cited in the text must be included in the reference list, and all entries in the reference list must correspond to citations in the text. Unpublished results and personal correspondence are usually excluded from the reference list but may be cited in the text if labeled. Authors are responsible for verifying the accuracy of all reference data, as they are accountable for the correctness of the references. Whenever possible, DOIs should be included to enhance indexing and discoverability. The journal recommends that authors follow the APA 7th edition referencing style. Authors may be requested to provide any missing or updated reference details to ensure accuracy and completeness. While APA style is preferred, authors may use any referencing style, provided it is applied consistently throughout the manuscript. All articles submitted to the journal should be written in U.S. English.

Once a final editorial decision has been communicated, authors will be guided through the next steps related to publication, copyright, and dissemination of their accepted manuscript. The following information outlines key processes applicable after acceptance.