Author Guidelines

1. General Requirements

The Journal of Educational Study (JoES) welcomes original scholarly manuscripts that contribute to the advancement of educational research, theory, and practice. Authors must ensure that their submissions fall within the journal's focus and scope and comply with the following guidelines.

Originality: Manuscripts must present original work that has not been published previously and is not under consideration by another journal.
Language: Manuscripts must be written in clear, accurate, and academic English.
Article structure: Original research articles should follow the IMRAD structure: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion, followed by the Conclusion and relevant declarations, References, and supplementary materials where applicable.
File format: Manuscripts should be submitted as editable Microsoft Word files (.doc or .docx), unless otherwise specified by the journal.
Research ethics: Research must be conducted and reported in accordance with applicable ethical standards and the journal's Publication Ethics policy.
Citation style: All in-text citations and reference-list entries must follow the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA), 7th edition.
AI-assisted writing: Authors must follow the journal's AI Policy and disclose substantive uses of AI tools as required. AI tools cannot be listed as authors, and authors remain responsible for all submitted content.

Authors should consult the journal's Authorship and Manuscript Criteria, Copyright and License, AI Policy, and Publication Ethics pages before submission.

2. Manuscript Structure: IMRAD Style

Original research articles should follow the IMRAD structure. Each section should serve a clear purpose and provide sufficient information for readers to understand, evaluate, and, where appropriate, replicate the research.

2.1. Title

The title should be concise, informative, and directly reflect the main focus of the study. It should identify the key research topic or variables without unnecessary wording or unexplained abbreviations. The title must accurately represent the content of the manuscript.

2.2. Abstract

The abstract should provide a concise summary of the study, including the research purpose, methods, principal findings, and conclusion or implications. It should be understandable without requiring readers to consult the full article. Authors should write the abstract as a single paragraph unless the journal's article template specifies otherwise. Citations, tables, figures, and uncommon abbreviations should generally be avoided.

2.3. Keywords

Authors should provide approximately 3–5 keywords that represent the main concepts, research focus, and educational context of the study. Keywords should complement rather than simply repeat the title and should use specific, recognizable terms that help readers discover the article through academic search engines.

2.4. Introduction

The Introduction should establish the context and rationale for the study, moving logically from the broader research issue to the specific problem addressed by the manuscript.

This section should include:

The background and significance of the educational issue.
A critical review of relevant and recent literature.
The research problem, gap, or unresolved issue that motivates the study.
The rationale and potential contribution of the research.
The research objectives, questions, and hypotheses, where applicable.

The Introduction should synthesize previous studies rather than simply list them. Authors should explain what is already known, what remains insufficiently understood, and how the present study addresses the identified gap. The research objectives should be clearly stated and aligned with the methods and findings.

2.5. Methods

The Methods section should explain how the study was conducted and provide sufficient detail for readers to evaluate the appropriateness, rigor, and trustworthiness of the research.

Depending on the research design, this section may include:

Research design: Identify and justify the qualitative, quantitative, mixed-methods, experimental, developmental, evaluative, or other design used.
Research context and participants: Describe the setting, population, sample, participant characteristics, sampling technique, inclusion criteria, and recruitment procedures, as relevant.
Instruments and materials: Explain the instruments, questionnaires, interview protocols, tests, observation guides, learning materials, or other tools used. Include relevant information about validity, reliability, trustworthiness, or instrument development.
Data collection procedures: Describe the stages of data collection, procedures followed, and steps taken to maintain data quality.
Data analysis: Identify the analytical techniques, statistical procedures, qualitative analysis methods, and software used. Explain how the analysis addressed the research questions or hypotheses.
Ethical considerations: Report relevant ethical approval, informed consent, confidentiality safeguards, and participant protection procedures, as applicable.

The Methods section should be transparent and accurate. Authors must not report procedures that were not conducted or omit important methodological limitations.

2.6. Results

The Results section should present the findings clearly, logically, and objectively. Findings should be organized according to the research questions, objectives, hypotheses, or major analytical themes.

Authors may use tables, figures, quotations, statistical summaries, or other appropriate evidence. Each table and figure should have a clear title or caption and be referred to in the text.

For quantitative studies, authors should report relevant descriptive and inferential statistics, including appropriate test statistics, degrees of freedom, p-values, effect sizes, and confidence intervals where applicable. For qualitative studies, authors should present themes, categories, patterns, and supporting evidence, such as participant quotations where appropriate.

Authors should avoid repeating all information already presented in tables or figures. The Results section should focus on what the analysis found, while broader interpretation and comparison with previous studies should primarily be addressed in the Discussion.

2.7. Discussion

The Discussion should interpret the findings and explain their significance in relation to the research objectives, relevant theories, and previous studies.

This section should address the following points where relevant:

The main findings and their meaning in relation to the research questions or hypotheses.
Similarities and differences between the present findings and previous research.
Theoretical contributions and implications for educational practice, policy, curriculum, or further research.
Possible explanations for unexpected, contradictory, or non-significant findings.
Limitations of the study and their implications for interpreting the results.

The Discussion should provide critical analysis rather than simply repeat the Results section. Interpretations must be supported by the findings and relevant literature. Authors should avoid claims that extend beyond the evidence provided by the study.

2.8. Conclusion

The Conclusion should summarize the principal conclusions in direct response to the research objectives or questions. It should highlight the study's main contribution and, where appropriate, explain its implications for educational practice, policy, or future research.

The Conclusion should not simply repeat the abstract or introduce new findings that have not been presented in the Results section. Recommendations should be relevant to the findings and proportionate to the limitations of the study.

2.9. Additional Statements

After the Conclusion and before the References, authors should include the following statements when applicable and in accordance with the journal's requirements:

Acknowledgments: Recognize individuals or organizations that contributed to the research but do not meet the criteria for authorship.
Funding Statement: Identify the funding sources supporting the research. If the research received no external funding, state this accurately.
Conflict of Interest Statement: Disclose relevant competing interests or explicitly state that no conflicts of interest exist.
Author Contributions: Describe each author's contribution when required by the journal.
Ethical Statement: Report ethical approval and informed consent arrangements where applicable. If formal approval was not required, explain this accurately in accordance with institutional requirements.
Data Availability Statement: Explain whether research data are available, where they can be accessed, and under what conditions, where applicable and appropriate.
AI Use Disclosure: Disclose substantive use of AI tools in accordance with the journal's AI Policy.

3. Tables and Figures

Tables and figures must be relevant to the research objectives and findings.
All tables and figures must be numbered consecutively and referred to in the manuscript text.
Each table should have a concise title, and each figure should have an informative caption.
Visual materials must be legible. Abbreviations, symbols, and measurement units should be explained where necessary.
Sources and permissions must be provided for third-party materials reproduced or adapted in the manuscript.
Tables and figures should complement the text rather than duplicate information unnecessarily.

4. Citations and References: APA 7th Edition

JoES requires authors to follow the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA), 7th edition, for all in-text citations and reference-list entries. Authors must ensure that citations and references are accurate, consistent, complete, and traceable to their original sources.

Every source cited in the manuscript must appear in the reference list, and every reference-list entry must be cited in the text. Authors should prioritize relevant and credible scholarly sources, including peer-reviewed journal articles and academic books. All bibliographic details must be checked before submission.

4.1. In-Text Citations

APA 7th edition uses the author-date citation system. The author's surname and year of publication must be included in the citation. Page numbers should be provided for direct quotations.

a. One author

Parenthetical: (Creswell, 2014)
Narrative: Creswell (2014)

b. Two authors

For works by two authors, cite both surnames each time the source is mentioned. Use "&" in parenthetical citations and "and" in narrative citations.

Parenthetical: (Braun & Clarke, 2006)
Narrative: Braun and Clarke (2006)

c. Three or more authors

For works by three or more authors, use the first author's surname followed by "et al." from the first citation, unless doing so creates ambiguity.

Parenthetical: (Sweller et al., 2011)
Narrative: Sweller et al. (2011)

d. Multiple sources in one citation

List multiple sources alphabetically by the first author's surname and separate them with semicolons.

Example: Several studies have examined student learning and engagement (Braun & Clarke, 2006; Fredricks et al., 2004; Sweller et al., 2011).

e. Direct quotations

For a direct quotation, include the author's surname, year, and page number.

Parenthetical: "Quoted text appears here" (Creswell, 2014, p. 25).
Narrative: Creswell (2014) stated that "quoted text appears here" (p. 25).

The quoted wording above is a formatting example only, not an actual quotation from the cited source. If a source has no page numbers, use an appropriate locator, such as a paragraph number or section heading, where possible.

f. Group or organizational authors

For an organizational author, use the organization's full name in the first citation. An abbreviation may be introduced if it will be used repeatedly.

First citation: (World Health Organization [WHO], 2022)
Subsequent citation: (WHO, 2022)

g. Multiple works by the same author in the same year

Distinguish works published in the same year by the same author by adding lowercase letters after the year.

(Smith, 2023a)
(Smith, 2023b)

4.2. Reference List Formatting

The reference list must appear at the end of the manuscript under the heading References. Entries should be arranged alphabetically by the surname of the first author.

Use a hanging indent of 0.5 inches (1.27 cm).
Use double spacing throughout the reference list, unless the journal's official template specifies otherwise.
Use sentence case for article titles, book titles, chapter titles, and report titles. Capitalize the first word, the first word after a colon or dash, and proper nouns.
Italicize journal titles and volume numbers. Do not italicize issue numbers or page ranges.
Include DOI links in the format https://doi.org/xxxxx whenever a DOI is available.
For journal articles, include the issue number in parentheses immediately after the volume number when available.
List all authors for works with up to 20 authors. For works with 21 or more authors, list the first 19 authors, insert an ellipsis, and then list the final author.
Verify that every reference is genuine, relevant, and cited appropriately in the manuscript.

4.3. Examples of APA 7th Edition References

a. Journal article with one author

Bandura, A. (1993). Perceived self-efficacy in cognitive development and functioning. Educational Psychologist, 28(2), 117–148. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15326985ep2802_3

b. Journal article with two authors

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

c. Journal article with three authors

Fredricks, J. A., Blumenfeld, P. C., & Paris, A. H. (2004). School engagement: Potential of the concept, state of the evidence. Review of Educational Research, 74(1), 59–109. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543074001059

d. Book

Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.

e. Chapter in an edited book

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of the chapter. In E. E. Editor & F. F. Editor (Eds.), Title of the book (pp. xx–xx). Publisher. DOI or URL, if available.

f. Report published by an organization

World Health Organization. (2022). World mental health report: Transforming mental health for all. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240049338

g. Webpage

Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of the webpage. Website Name. URL

If the author and website name are identical, omit the website name. If no publication date is available, use "(n.d.)" in place of the year.

h. Thesis or dissertation

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of the thesis or dissertation [Master's thesis or Doctoral dissertation, Name of Institution]. Repository or Database. URL

i. Conference paper published in proceedings

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of the paper. In E. E. Editor (Ed.), Title of the proceedings (pp. xx–xx). Publisher. DOI or URL, if available.

4.4. Recommended Use of Automated Reference Management Tools

JoES strongly recommends that authors use automated reference management tools to organize their literature, insert in-text citations, and generate reference lists in APA 7th edition style. These tools can reduce formatting errors, improve consistency, and make it easier to update citations when manuscripts are revised.

Commonly used tools include:

Zotero: A reference management tool that helps authors collect, organize, cite, and share scholarly sources. It integrates with word-processing software and supports APA 7th edition citation styles.
Mendeley Reference Manager: A tool for organizing research papers, managing bibliographic information, and inserting citations and references into manuscripts.
EndNote: A reference management application that supports the organization of scholarly sources and automated citation and bibliography generation.

Authors may use any suitable reference management tool, provided that the final manuscript complies with APA 7th edition and the journal's requirements.

Recommended workflow:

Collect references directly from reliable sources, such as journal websites, academic databases, publisher websites, or DOI records.
Import the references into a reference management tool and check that bibliographic metadata are complete and accurate.
Select the APA 7th edition citation style in the tool.
Insert in-text citations using the word processor integration rather than manually typing every citation whenever possible.
Generate the reference list automatically and check that it corresponds to all in-text citations.
Review the final output manually, paying particular attention to author names, publication years, capitalization, italics, page ranges, issue numbers, and DOI links.

Automated tools can produce errors when metadata are incomplete, imported incorrectly, or unavailable. Authors must therefore verify all citations and references before submission. The use of reference management software does not replace the author's responsibility for bibliographic accuracy.

Authors should also ensure that references suggested by AI tools are genuine and can be verified through reliable scholarly sources. References must never be included solely because they were generated by an AI system or automatically suggested by software.

4.5. Citation and Referencing Integrity

Authors must cite sources accurately and fairly. Excessive self-citation, citation manipulation, irrelevant references, fabricated references, and the deliberate omission of relevant sources are unacceptable. Direct quotations must be clearly identified and attributed to the original source.

Authors are encouraged to consult the official APA Style website for further guidance on citation and reference formatting.

5. Research Ethics and Publication Integrity

All submissions must comply with the journal's Publication Ethics policy and applicable research ethics standards. Authors must not engage in plagiarism, fabrication or falsification of data, duplicate submission, redundant publication, inappropriate authorship practices, or other forms of research and publication misconduct.

Manuscripts may be screened using plagiarism detection software and other appropriate editorial checks. Similarity reports or AI detection scores are not, by themselves, conclusive evidence of misconduct. Any concerns will be evaluated in context and may require clarification or supporting evidence from the authors.

Research involving human participants must meet applicable ethical requirements. Authors must accurately report relevant ethical approval and consent procedures and protect participant confidentiality and privacy.

6. Use of Artificial Intelligence

JoES permits the responsible use of AI tools in accordance with its AI Policy. AI tools cannot be listed as authors, and authors remain fully responsible for the originality, accuracy, integrity, and scholarly quality of their manuscripts.

Authors must disclose substantive AI assistance when required by the journal's AI Policy. They must verify AI-generated information, citations, analyses, and claims before submission. AI tools must not be used to fabricate data, invent references, misrepresent research procedures, or conceal misconduct.

For further information, authors should consult the JoES AI Policy.

7. Peer Review and Editorial Decisions

All submitted manuscripts are subject to an initial editorial assessment to determine their suitability for the journal's scope, adherence to the author guidelines, originality, and basic scholarly quality. Manuscripts considered suitable may proceed to external peer review in accordance with the journal's peer review policy.

JoES uses a double-blind peer review process. The journal's editorial team manages manuscript preparation for review in accordance with its procedures. Authors should provide accurate author information in the submission system and follow the journal's instructions for preparing manuscripts for review.

Editorial decisions are based on scholarly merit, methodological rigor, relevance, originality, and reviewers' comments. Submission does not guarantee acceptance, and the editors may request revisions or reject a manuscript that does not meet the journal's requirements.

8. Submission Procedure

Authors should submit manuscripts through the journal's online submission system. Before submission, authors should ensure that:

The manuscript falls within the focus and scope of JoES.
The manuscript follows the IMRAD structure and the journal's author guidelines.
The work is original and is not under consideration by another journal.
All authors have approved the final manuscript and agree to its submission.
All required declarations, permissions, and supporting documents are provided where applicable.
The manuscript has been checked for language clarity, completeness, citation accuracy, and consistency.

Authors should complete all required fields in the OJS submission system and upload the manuscript and any required supplementary files. The corresponding author is responsible for communication with the journal throughout the editorial process.

9. Revision and Resubmission

When revisions are requested, authors should carefully address the editor's and reviewers' comments. A revised manuscript should reflect the changes made, and authors should provide a point-by-point response explaining how each comment has been addressed. If a suggestion is not adopted, authors should provide a clear and academically justified explanation.

Revised manuscripts should be submitted within the timeframe specified by the editor. If additional time is needed, the corresponding author should contact the editorial team before the deadline.

10. Final Checklist Before Submission

The title accurately reflects the study.
The abstract summarizes the purpose, methods, findings, and conclusion.
Three to five relevant keywords are provided.
The manuscript follows the IMRAD structure.
The research design, participants, instruments, procedures, and analysis are described adequately.
Results are presented clearly and supported by appropriate evidence.
The Discussion interprets the findings in relation to previous research and relevant theory.
The Conclusion responds to the research objectives and does not introduce unsupported claims.
Tables, figures, citations, and references are complete and accurate.
APA 7th edition is applied consistently throughout the manuscript.
Reference management software has been used where appropriate, and all generated citations and references have been checked manually.
Ethical approval, consent, funding, conflicts of interest, author contributions, data availability, and AI use are disclosed where applicable.
The manuscript complies with JoES publication ethics, copyright, and AI policies.
All authors have approved the final manuscript and its submission.

Authors are encouraged to review all relevant journal policies before submission. For questions about the submission process or manuscript requirements, please contact the JoES editorial team through the journal's Contact page.