Submissions

Author Guidelines

The Journal of Contemporary Social Issues (JCSI) welcomes submissions from scholars, researchers, and practitioners who seek to advance understanding and address pressing social challenges. The journal provides a platform for high-quality, original, ethically sound, and methodologically rigorous research, offering global visibility through its open-access model. By publishing with JCSI, authors can engage with a broad international readership while benefiting from expert editorial support and comprehensive peer review.

Manuscript Submission

Authors are required to submit their manuscripts exclusively through the journal’s official manuscript submission system. Manuscripts must be uploaded in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) format, with filenames free of special characters. Submissions made by individuals who are not authors will not be accepted. The corresponding author assumes responsibility for all aspects of the submission and peer review process, including confirming that all co-authors have approved the manuscript and that all necessary institutional approvals have been obtained.

The submission process at JCSI is designed to be streamlined and author-friendly, minimizing formatting restrictions and administrative barriers. Authors receive a complimentary language editing report to improve clarity, coherence, and professionalism before peer review. In case of technical difficulties, assistance is available via the journal’s support email.

Peer Review and Editorial Process

All submitted manuscripts undergo a rigorous evaluation to ensure alignment with the journal’s scope, standards, and ethical requirements. The editorial process begins with an initial assessment by the assigned editor to determine suitability. Manuscripts meeting editorial standards are forwarded to at least two independent peer reviewers, who provide constructive feedback on scientific validity, methodological rigor, technical accuracy, significance, and ethical integrity. The editor considers reviewer comments to make the final decision regarding acceptance or rejection.

The journal also maintains strict research integrity standards. In cases of potential ethical, security, or societal concerns, additional expert consultation may be sought. Authors are expected to comply with best practices for transparency, including sharing data, code, and supporting materials to facilitate reproducibility. Preprints and preregistration of studies or analysis plans are encouraged, and authors should provide proper acknowledgment and citation if these practices were used.

Authorship and Author Responsibilities

All co-authors must review and approve the submitted manuscript. The corresponding author is responsible for verifying contributions, providing accurate email addresses, and ensuring all authors complete the mandatory Author Consent/Authorship Form. This form affirms contributions, agreement on manuscript content, and accountability for all aspects of the work.

Manuscript Preparation

Authors are expected to prepare manuscripts that adhere to international standards of academic writing, demonstrating clarity, precision, and logical organization. Manuscripts should effectively communicate the research question, methodology, findings, and significance in a manner that is accessible to a diverse scholarly audience. The writing must be concise yet comprehensive, avoiding redundancy while providing sufficient detail for reproducibility and critical evaluation.

Title and Abstract
The title should be informative, accurately reflecting the core findings or conclusions of the study. Avoid vague or overly broad phrasing, as well as question-based titles that do not provide a clear answer. Abstracts should summarize the research purpose, methods, results, and key conclusions in a single structured paragraph. Abbreviations, references, figures, and tables should not appear in the abstract. The abstract should be written to engage a broad audience, ensuring comprehension even by those outside the immediate field of study.

Keywords
Each manuscript must include five to eight keywords that encapsulate the central themes and concepts of the study. Keywords should be carefully chosen to maximize the article's discoverability in search engines and academic databases. Authors should aim to balance broad terms with specific descriptors to enhance indexing and retrieval by scholars across disciplines.

Organization and Sections
The main body of the manuscript should be organized under appropriate headings and subheadings to maintain clarity and readability. For original research, the recommended structure includes:

• Introduction: Present the research problem, its significance, and objectives concisely. Avoid extensive historical background unless directly relevant.

• Literature Review: Critically examine current and seminal studies, highlighting gaps in knowledge and situating the research within the existing scholarly discourse.

• Materials and Methods: Provide detailed methodology, including research design, sampling, data collection, and analytical procedures. For research involving human or animal subjects, include explicit statements of ethical approval and compliance with institutional guidelines.

• Results: Present findings in a structured manner, integrating figures and tables where appropriate. Ensure results are clear, logical, and reproducible. Avoid using footnotes for explanations; instead, incorporate notes into the main text.

• Discussion: Interpret results in the context of existing research, highlight contributions, acknowledge limitations, and propose directions for future investigation. Include theoretical or practical implications where relevant.

Formatting and Style
Authors must follow consistent formatting for headings, subheadings, citations, figures, and tables. All figures and tables should be high-resolution, clearly labeled, and referenced in the text. Abbreviations should be defined upon first use and listed at the end of the manuscript if non-standard. Equations should be inserted in an editable format using the equation editor. Authors are encouraged to use professional, inclusive, and unbiased language, avoiding discriminatory terms, cultural assumptions, and offensive phrasing.

References and Acknowledgements

References
Authors must ensure that all cited works are relevant, current, and derived from peer-reviewed academic sources. References should reflect a comprehensive, unbiased representation of the field and provide context for the research presented. Excessive citation of a single author or school of thought should be avoided to maintain diversity and balance in the scholarly discourse.

Accuracy in references is critical. Authors are responsible for verifying the correctness of all author names, publication dates, journal titles, volumes, pages, DOIs, and hyperlinks. All links must be functional and accessible at the time of submission. Non-academic sources, such as blogs, general websites, or anonymous content, should only be cited when essential and clearly justified.

Reference Formatting
The Journal of Contemporary Social Issues requires all references to follow the APA 7th edition style strictly. This includes:

• Correct formatting of in-text citations and the reference list.

• Proper presentation of author names, publication year, title, journal, volume, issue, page ranges, and DOI/URL.

• Use of en dash (–) between page ranges.

• Accurate formatting for electronic articles (e.g., “Article eXXX” format).

• Consistency between in-text citations and the reference list.

Adhering to APA ensures uniformity across all published articles and aligns with international standards for academic writing, enhancing credibility and facilitating indexing in databases and citation platforms.

Acknowledgements
The Acknowledgements section provides an opportunity to recognize individuals, organizations, or institutions that contributed significantly to the research but do not meet authorship criteria. This may include funding agencies, research assistants, or advisory personnel. Authors should avoid personal dedications or acknowledgements unrelated to the research process.

Suppose any part of the manuscript has been previously published, such as a preprint, thesis, or conference proceedings. In that case, this information must be disclosed in the Acknowledgements section, and the source must be cited correctly in the reference list. Authors are responsible for ensuring that acknowledgements are accurate, concise, and relevant, upholding both academic integrity and professionalism.

Search Engine Optimization and Discoverability

To maximize visibility and impact, authors are encouraged to adopt practices that improve the discoverability of their manuscripts. Well-chosen keywords, clear and informative titles, and structured abstracts are essential for ensuring that search engines, academic databases, and citation platforms easily index the article.

Incorporating primary keywords naturally in the title, abstract, and level-one headings helps optimize search results. Avoid unnecessarily long or complex titles that could reduce search efficiency. Using a combination of broad and specific terms in keywords enhances the likelihood of reaching both general and specialized audiences.

Authors should also consider the placement of keywords within the abstract and throughout the manuscript to maintain relevance and improve retrievability. Consistency in terminology and phrasing across headings and text strengthens the article’s search engine performance and ensures it is accessible to a broader academic community. By following these guidelines, authors can significantly increase the visibility, impact, and citation potential of their research.