Author Guidelines

Journal of Sociology and Community Development (J-SocDev) welcomes original manuscripts that contribute to scholarship on sociology, community development, social transformation, social inequality, community empowerment, and related issues. Authors must ensure that their submissions are relevant to the journal's focus and scope, comply with publication ethics, and follow the requirements below.

Manuscripts must be prepared using the official J-SocDev article template. Authors should download the Microsoft Word file before preparing or submitting a manuscript.

Download J-SocDev Article Template (.docx)

1. General Submission Requirements

  1. Manuscripts must be original, unpublished, and not under consideration for publication elsewhere.
  2. Submissions must be relevant to the journal's focus and scope and offer a clear scholarly contribution.
  3. Research must present clear objectives, appropriate methods, credible evidence, and rigorous analysis.
  4. All authors must have made appropriate contributions, approved the manuscript, and agreed to its submission.
  5. Authors must comply with research ethics, copyright requirements, and academic integrity standards.
  6. Manuscripts must be submitted in Microsoft Word format through the J-SocDev OJS platform.

2. Types of Manuscripts

J-SocDev considers original empirical research (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods), conceptual or theoretical studies, case studies, comparative studies, and critical or literature-based reviews relevant to sociology and community development. Review manuscripts must describe a transparent approach to identifying, evaluating, and synthesizing sources.

3. Manuscript Language

Manuscripts must be written in clear and academically appropriate English. Authors are responsible for checking grammar, terminology, consistency, and readability before submission.

4. Manuscript Formatting

The J-SocDev article template is the primary authority for manuscript formatting. Its principal requirements are:

  • File type: Microsoft Word (.docx).
  • Paper size: US Letter (21.59 × 27.94 cm).
  • Margins: Use the margins preset in the template; the left and right margins are approximately 1.27 cm.
  • Font: Cambria throughout the manuscript.
  • Article title: 12 pt, bold, green, left-aligned; preferably not exceeding 20 words.
  • Author names: 12 pt, bold; include complete affiliations and corresponding author email.
  • Abstract: Approximately 9 pt and structured using the required labels.
  • Main text: 10 pt, justified (aligned to both left and right margins), with line spacing of approximately 1.06.
  • Main section headings: 10 pt, bold, green, following the template.
  • Page layout: The first page contains the title, authors, affiliations, and structured abstract; the main article begins on the following page in two columns.
  • References: 10 pt, justified, with hanging indentation.

Important: Do not apply the A4 page setting, 12 pt body text, 1.5 line spacing, or single-column layout used by other journals. Where this description and the template differ, the J-SocDev template takes precedence.

Download the J-SocDev Manuscript Template (Word)

5. Manuscript Organization

5.1. Title and Author Information. Provide an informative article title, complete author names without academic degrees, institutional affiliations, and an active corresponding-author email address. Add ORCID identifiers to submission metadata when available.

5.2. Abstract. Provide an approximately 150–250-word structured abstract with the headings Introduction, Objectives, Methods, Results, and Conclusions. The abstract must be self-contained and accurately summarize the study.

5.3. Keywords. Provide 5 specific keywords or key phrases.

5.4. Introduction. Explain the background, relevant literature, research gap, originality, and specific research objectives or questions.

5.5. Method. Describe the research design, setting, participants or data sources, sampling or selection procedures, data collection, analytical techniques, and ethical considerations where relevant. Literature reviews should explain their source selection and synthesis methods.

5.6. Results and Discussion. Present findings clearly, support them with appropriate evidence, and interpret their contributions in relation to research objectives, theoretical perspectives, and earlier studies. Subheadings may be used as needed.

5.7. Conclusion. State the principal findings, contributions, implications, limitations, and appropriate recommendations without introducing unsupported new claims.

5.8. Additional Statements. Where applicable, include acknowledgments, funding disclosures, author contributions, and conflicts of interest.

5.9. Declaration of AI Use. Include this section immediately before References, as shown in the J-SocDev article template.

5.10. References. Provide complete and accurate bibliographic entries corresponding to all in-text citations.

6. Citations and References

Use APA Style, 7th Edition, consistently for in-text citations and the reference list. Authors are responsible for verifying authors' names, publication dates, titles, journal information, DOIs, and URLs. Include DOI hyperlinks where available and prioritize relevant, credible scholarly sources. Reference management software such as Zotero, Mendeley, or EndNote is recommended.

7. Tables, Figures, and Supplementary Materials

Number tables and figures consecutively and refer to them in the main text. Put table titles above tables and figure captions below figures. Use legible images and state the source of reused material. Obtain any necessary copyright permission. Supplementary files may be uploaded when relevant.

8. Research Ethics and Academic Integrity

J-SocDev does not accept plagiarism, fabricated or falsified findings, duplicate submissions, inappropriate authorship, citation manipulation, or other scholarly misconduct. Research involving people or sensitive information must comply with applicable ethical approvals, informed consent, privacy, and confidentiality requirements. Funding and conflicts of interest must be disclosed where relevant.

9. Declaration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use

Artificial intelligence tools may assist with the analysis and synthesis of secondary data and the identification of relevant supporting references, but their output must be critically checked against trustworthy original sources. Authors must disclose substantive AI assistance, including the tool used and the purpose of its use. AI tools must not be listed as authors or used to fabricate data, references, quotations, or research results.

Include a Declaration of AI Use section immediately before References. The following example must be revised to reflect actual use:

During the preparation of this manuscript, the author(s) used [AI tool and version] to assist in the analysis of secondary data and to identify supporting academic references. All AI-assisted analyses and bibliographic details were verified against original sources. The author(s) remain fully responsible for the accuracy, interpretations, and integrity of this article.

If AI tools were not used, authors should state: "The authors declare that no generative AI tools were used in the preparation of this manuscript."

10. Editorial Evaluation and Peer Review

Submissions undergo an initial editorial assessment of scope, originality, scholarly quality, methodological rigor, ethical compliance, and manuscript completeness. Eligible submissions proceed to peer review. Editors may request revisions or decline submissions that do not satisfy the journal's requirements. Peer review does not guarantee acceptance.

11. Copyright and Open Access

Authors must hold the rights and permissions required to publish their text, images, data, and any third-party materials. Publication and reuse of articles are subject to the journal's applicable copyright, open-access, and licensing policies.

12. Online Submission Procedure

  1. Register or log in to the J-SocDev OJS platform.
  2. Start a submission in the appropriate journal section.
  3. Upload the manuscript prepared with the official J-SocDev template in .docx format.
  4. Complete the article metadata, author affiliations, abstract, keywords, and corresponding-author details.
  5. Provide supplementary information and declarations as required.
  6. Review the submission and finalize it in OJS.

Access J-SocDev Submissions

13. Final Submission Checklist

  • The manuscript is original, unpublished, and relevant to J-SocDev.
  • All authors approve the submitted manuscript.
  • The official J-SocDev Word template and two-column layout have been followed.
  • The title, author details, structured abstract, and keywords are complete.
  • Methods, results, arguments, and conclusions are accurate and clearly presented.
  • All citations and references have been checked, and DOI links are included where available.
  • Tables, figures, and supplementary materials are properly labeled and documented.
  • Ethics, funding, copyright permissions, conflicts of interest, and AI-use declarations are included where applicable.
  • The submission file is in .docx format and all OJS metadata have been completed.

The Editorial Team may return manuscripts that do not comply with these guidelines for correction before further evaluation.