Author Guidelines

Manuscript Preparation & Submission

AUTHOR GUIDELINES

Please read these guidelines carefully before submitting your manuscript. Authors are responsible for ensuring that the manuscript complies with the journal's scientific, technical, ethical, and formatting requirements.

Quick Submission Requirements

4,000–8,000
Total Words
150–250
Abstract Words
3–5
Keywords
≥30
References

✓ Submission Preparation Checklist

As part of the submission process, authors are required to confirm that their submission complies with all of the following requirements. Manuscripts that do not comply with these guidelines may be returned to the authors before peer review.

✓ Originality
The manuscript has not been published and is not under review or simultaneously submitted elsewhere. It must not contain plagiarism. A written statement of originality from the author(s) must be provided where required.
✓ Manuscript Length
The manuscript contains at least 4,000 words and does not exceed 8,000 words, including tables, figures, graphs, and references.
✓ Abstract
The abstract is written in English, consists of 150–250 words, and is presented as a single continuous paragraph.
✓ File and Journal Template
The manuscript is submitted in Microsoft Word format and has been prepared using the journal's official manuscript template.
✓ Similarity Check
The manuscript has been checked using plagiarism-detection software and does not exceed the similarity threshold established by the Editorial Board.
✓ Publication Ethics
The author has read and agrees to comply with the journal's publication ethics and, where applicable, its publication fee policy.
✓ Online Submission
The article is submitted through the submission form available in the journal's official online submission system.

1. General Author Guidelines

  1. All contributors who wish to submit manuscripts to this journal must comply with these Author Guidelines and the journal's official manuscript template.
  2. The journal aims to improve the quality and dissemination of scholarly knowledge among academics, students, researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and other interested readers. The journal welcomes original research articles, conceptual analyses, and literature reviews that fall within its aims and scope.
  3. Submitted manuscripts undergo a blind peer-review process. Before review, the Editorial Team conducts an initial screening to assess conformity with the journal's scope, manuscript format, academic quality, and ethical requirements.
  4. Manuscripts that do not comply with the required format may be returned to the authors for correction before being forwarded to reviewers.
  5. Reviewers evaluate the appropriateness of the topic, methodological quality, scientific significance, originality, contribution to the field, quality of analysis, and the adequacy and recency of references.
  6. Editorial decisions may include acceptance, minor revision, major revision, resubmission, or rejection. The final publication decision remains under the authority of the Editor.
  7. The journal uses plagiarism-detection software such as Turnitin or iThenticate. Manuscripts exceeding the similarity threshold established by the Editorial Board will not be processed further.
  8. Authors must confirm that the manuscript is original, has not been previously published, and is not simultaneously submitted to another journal.
  9. Authors take full responsibility for compliance with publication ethics, including authorship, research integrity, data accuracy, appropriate citation, conflict-of-interest disclosure, and research ethics.
  10. Manuscripts must be submitted through the journal's official online submission system, accompanied by the required author declaration or other supporting documents where requested by the Editorial Board.

2. Manuscript Format

Authors are strongly advised to prepare their manuscripts directly using the official journal template to minimize formatting discrepancies during editorial screening and production.

Font Times New Roman, 11–12 pt, following the official template
Page Size A4
Margins Top and bottom: 1 inch (2.54 cm); left and right: approximately 0.7 inch (1.78 cm), according to the journal template
Page Numbers Positioned at the bottom of the page
Tables Table number and title are placed above the table
Figures Figure number and title are placed below the figure
Sources Sources of quotations, tables, and figures must be clearly identified and correspond with entries in the reference list
Manuscript Preparation Guidelines

3. Structure of the Manuscript

The manuscript should be logically organized and demonstrate a clear relationship between the research problem, method, findings, discussion, conclusion, and academic contribution.

3.1 Title

The title must accurately reflect the central content and contribution of the article. It should be concise, specific, informative, and academically meaningful.

  • Maximum recommended length: 16–20 words.
  • Do not include the year of research unless scientifically necessary.
  • Avoid uncommon abbreviations.
  • Place the main concept or central idea before secondary explanations.
  • The title should reflect the article's principal topic, variables, context, or contribution where relevant.

3.2 Author Names and Affiliations

  • Write the author's full name without academic or professional titles.
  • Provide the author's institutional affiliation.
  • Affiliations should identify the institution clearly and consistently.
  • Provide the institution's location/address as required by the template.
  • Provide a valid email address for each author where required.
  • The corresponding author must be clearly identified.
  • The corresponding author's email and telephone number must be provided separately where required.
  • Authors are strongly encouraged to provide their ORCID iD.

3.3 Abstract

Required Format: English • 150–250 words • Single paragraph • No subheadings • No bullet points

The abstract must form one continuous and coherent paragraph. It should communicate the essence of the article without requiring readers to consult the main text.

The abstract should logically incorporate the following elements:

1 Background and significance of the topic
2 Specific problem or research question
3 Research method and data
4 Principal findings
5 Theoretical, methodological, or empirical contribution
6 Main conclusion and implication
Writing Note: Methods and findings should normally be written in the past tense, while the conclusion and contribution may be expressed in the present tense where appropriate.

3.4 Keywords

Provide three to five keywords immediately below the abstract. Keywords should represent the principal concepts of the article and assist readers and indexing systems in discovering the manuscript.

  • Use specific and academically meaningful terms.
  • Prefer terms commonly recognized within the relevant discipline.
  • Avoid unnecessarily broad words.
  • Use lower case except for proper names or terms that conventionally require capitalization.

3.5 Introduction

The Introduction should normally be approximately one to two pages. It must be written as a coherent academic narrative without unnecessary subheadings, numbering, or bullet points in the manuscript.

The Introduction should establish:

  1. the research problem and its academic or practical significance;
  2. the specific problem and research question(s);
  3. the complexity and scholarly context of the problem;
  4. relevant previous studies and the current state of the art;
  5. the literature or research gap;
  6. the novelty or distinctive contribution of the study; and
  7. clear research objectives.
Mandatory Novelty Statement
A clear Novelty Statement must appear near the end of the Introduction, immediately before the research objective statement. In one or two concise sentences, it must identify the gap in existing scholarship and explain what distinguishes the present study from previous research.

3.6 Method

The Method section must provide sufficient information to allow readers to understand, assess, and where appropriate replicate the research process.

The methodological approach must be clearly identified, such as quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, literature review, systematic review, development research, or another appropriate design.

The Method section should normally address:
  • Research Type / Research Design
  • Population and Sample / Participants / Informants
  • Research Location or Context
  • Research Instruments or Tools
  • Data Collection Procedures
  • Data Analysis Procedures
  • Validity, Reliability, or Trustworthiness, where relevant
  • Ethical Approval

Ethical approval is mandatory for studies involving human participants when required by applicable institutional or national regulations. Where ethical approval is not applicable, this should be stated clearly.

3.7 Results

The Results section presents the principal empirical findings of the study in a clear, systematic, and objective manner.

  • Present findings according to the research questions or analytical themes.
  • Use processed and summarized data rather than raw software output.
  • Tables and figures may be used when they improve clarity.
  • Avoid duplicating identical information in text, tables, and figures.
  • Important findings should be explained in the text rather than merely displayed.

3.8 Discussion

The Discussion must move beyond description by explaining the meaning, significance, and academic implications of the findings.

Interpret the key findings.
Explain why the findings occurred or why they are significant.
Compare the findings with relevant previous studies.
Identify agreements, differences, contradictions, or extensions of existing knowledge.
Explain the theoretical, methodological, empirical, educational, or practical implications.
Address limitations, cautions, and opportunities for future research where relevant.

3.9 Conclusion

The Conclusion should present the essence of the study in paragraph form without numbering. It must directly correspond with the research objectives and findings.

The Conclusion should:

  • restate the research objective in an appropriate concise form;
  • summarize the principal findings;
  • answer the research question(s);
  • state the practical and/or theoretical implications;
  • identify the academic contribution;
  • acknowledge relevant limitations; and
  • provide appropriate directions for future research.
Mandatory Academic Contribution Statement
An Academic Contribution Statement must be included in the Conclusion, after the principal conclusion and before the limitations paragraph. In approximately two to three sentences, authors should explain how the findings extend, challenge, refine, or enrich existing theory, methodology, or empirical knowledge.
Important: Do not introduce new data, new literature, or new arguments in the Conclusion.

3.10 Acknowledgments

Authors may acknowledge individuals, organizations, institutions, administrative personnel, technical staff, or other parties that supported the research or publication process but do not meet the criteria for authorship.

3.11 Declarations

Authors must provide the relevant declarations to ensure transparency, accountability, and research integrity. The declaration section should include Author Contributions, Funding, Conflict of Interest, Generative Artificial Intelligence Use, Ethics Approval and Informed Consent, and Data Availability, as applicable.

Author Contributions

Authors must clearly state the contribution of each author to the research and preparation of the manuscript. Ilomata International Journal of Social Science encourages the use of the CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy), including, where applicable, conceptualization, methodology, investigation, data curation, formal analysis, writing—original draft, writing—review and editing, visualization, supervision, project administration, and funding acquisition.

Funding

Authors must identify all sources of financial support for the research, including the name of the funding agency and the grant or contract number, where applicable. Authors should also indicate whether the funder had any role in the study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation, or decision to publish. If the research received no external funding, this must be stated explicitly.

Conflict of Interest

Authors must disclose any financial, professional, institutional, personal, or other interests that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the research, interpretation of the findings, or publication of the manuscript.

Recommended statement when no conflict exists:
“The authors declare no conflict of interest.”
Generative Artificial Intelligence Use Statement

Authors must disclose the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (Generative AI), Large Language Models (LLMs), or other AI-assisted technologies in the preparation of the manuscript, where applicable.

Authors remain fully responsible for the originality, accuracy, integrity, citations, analysis, interpretation, and conclusions of their work. Generative AI tools must not be listed as authors or co-authors.

Where required by Ilomata International Journal of Social Science, authors must also complete and sign the journal’s Artificial Intelligence Declaration Form prior to publication. A brief statement confirming the use or non-use of Generative AI must remain included in the published manuscript.

Ethics Approval and Informed Consent

For research involving human participants, personal or confidential data, vulnerable groups, or other activities requiring ethical oversight, authors must provide information regarding ethics approval, including the name of the approving institution or ethics committee and the approval number where applicable.

Authors must also confirm that informed consent was obtained where required. If ethics approval or informed consent is not applicable to the study, this should be explicitly stated.

Data Availability Statement

Authors must indicate whether the data supporting the findings of the study are available and, where applicable, provide information on how the data can be accessed. Data may be made available through an institutional or disciplinary repository, as supplementary material, or from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

If the data cannot be made publicly available because of ethical, legal, confidentiality, privacy, commercial, or other legitimate restrictions, the reason should be clearly stated.

Example of a Complete Declaration

Author Contributions: Author 1 conceptualized the study, developed the methodology, conducted the formal analysis, and prepared the original draft; Author 2 supervised the research, validated the findings, reviewed and edited the manuscript, and approved the final version.

Funding: This research received no external funding.

Conflict of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Generative Artificial Intelligence Use Statement: No Generative AI or Large Language Model was used to generate the scientific content, research data, analysis, interpretation, or conclusions of this manuscript.

Ethics Approval and Informed Consent: Ethics approval and informed consent were not applicable to this study.

Data Availability Statement: The data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

3.12 References

The reference list must contain only works cited in the manuscript. Every in-text citation must have a corresponding entry in the reference list, and every reference listed must be cited in the manuscript.

Reference Style APA 7th Edition
Minimum References At least 30 references
Journal Articles At least 80% should consist of journal articles
Recency References should primarily derive from publications within the past 10 years
Reference Manager Mendeley, EndNote, Zotero, or equivalent software is strongly recommended
Reference Consistency
Authors must carefully verify the consistency between in-text citations and the reference list. Missing references, uncited references, duplicate references, and incomplete bibliographic information should be corrected before submission.

4. Tables and Figures

Tables
Tables should present processed and summarized information rather than raw statistical or software output. Table numbers and titles must be positioned above the table.
Figures
Figures must be clear, relevant, readable, and of sufficient quality for publication. Figure numbers and titles must be positioned below the figure.
Sources
The source of every table and figure must be stated underneath. Tables or figures adapted from previously published material must be properly cited and must comply with applicable copyright requirements.

Oversized tables that interrupt the readability of the manuscript should be moved to the Appendices where appropriate.

5. Appendices

Appendices may contain research instruments, supplementary data, images, questionnaires, interview protocols, analytical materials, or other supporting documents that assist readers in understanding or evaluating the research but are not essential to the main narrative of the article.

Before You Submit

Final Manuscript Quality Check

Title is specific, informative, and consistent with the manuscript.
Author names, affiliations, email addresses, and corresponding author information are complete.
Abstract contains 150–250 words and clearly presents the problem, method, findings, contribution, and conclusion.
Three to five relevant keywords are provided.
Introduction includes the state of the art, research gap, novelty statement, and research objectives.
Methodology is transparent and sufficiently detailed.
Results directly address the research questions.
Discussion critically compares findings with previous research.
Conclusion answers the research objectives and contains the mandatory Academic Contribution Statement.
Author contributions, conflict of interest, funding, and acknowledgments are properly declared.
References follow APA 7th Edition and meet the journal's quantity, type, and recency requirements.
The manuscript has been proofread and checked for similarity before submission.

Important Points to Remember

Original Research
Originality and academic contribution must be clear.
Clear Novelty
State of the art + research gap + novelty.
Consistent Format
Always use the official manuscript template.
Quality References
Prioritize current and relevant journal literature.

Before Final Submission

Authors should carefully review the manuscript, official template, publication ethics, submission requirements, and metadata before completing the submission process. Compliance with these guidelines will assist the Editorial Team in conducting an efficient initial screening and peer-review process.