• Guidelines For Authors

    A standardized article template is provided to assist authors in preparing manuscripts in accordance with the journal’s formatting, ethical, and submission requirements.

    sei-journal-final-article-template.pdf

    The journal provides a comprehensive, internationally aligned framework for manuscript preparation, submission, and publication. Authors are strongly encouraged to carefully follow the guidelines below to ensure clarity, consistency, and a smooth peer review and publication process.

    For full journal policies and editorial standards, please refer to:
    👉 https://imcra-az.org/journal/journal-policies/

    1. Scope and General Requirements

    The journal is an international, peer-reviewed, multidisciplinary academic platform that publishes high-quality research in the fields of social sciences, education, economics, law, and interdisciplinary studies addressing contemporary global challenges.

    Submissions must meet the following criteria:

    • The manuscript must be original and must not have been previously published or simultaneously submitted elsewhere.
    • The study must demonstrate clear academic contribution, methodological rigor, and logical coherence.
    • The content should be relevant to international scholarly discourse and aligned with the journal’s scope.

    Authors are responsible for ensuring that their manuscript complies with both editorial and ethical standards of the journal.

    2. Manuscript Preparation

    Authors must prepare manuscripts in accordance with international academic writing standards. A well-structured manuscript not only improves readability but also facilitates a more efficient peer review process.

    Length of the Manuscript

    To ensure clarity, coherence, and academic depth, manuscripts should typically be between 6,000 and 10,000 words, including references.

    Due to the multidisciplinary nature of the journal, longer manuscripts of up to 12,000–15,000 words may be considered in exceptional cases, particularly where the study requires extensive theoretical, methodological, or empirical analysis.

    However, authors are strongly encouraged to maintain conciseness and avoid unnecessary length.

    2.1 Structure of the Manuscript

    Each manuscript should include the following components:

    Title

    The title should be concise, precise, and informative. It must accurately reflect the content of the study and avoid unnecessary abbreviations.

    Author Information

    Authors must provide:

    • Full names of all authors
    • Institutional affiliations (department, university, city, country)
    • Email address of the corresponding author
    • ORCID IDs (strongly recommended for transparency and indexing)

    Additional Recommendations

    To enhance the professional presentation and visibility of the manuscript, authors are encouraged to consider the following:

    • Institutional Email Address:
      Authors are strongly encouraged to use official institutional email addresses (e.g., university or organizational emails) rather than personal email accounts, as this improves credibility, transparency, and institutional identification.
    • Academic Titles and Degrees:
      Authors may include their academic titles or degrees (e.g., Professor, Associate Professor, PhD) on the title page. This information can strengthen the academic profile of the manuscript and provide additional context regarding author expertise.
    • Researcher Profiles and Social Links (Optional):
      Authors may provide links to their academic or professional profiles (e.g., ORCID, Google Scholar, institutional profile, LinkedIn) during the online submission process.
      These details should be entered into the submission system and should not be included in the manuscript file to preserve the integrity of the double-blind peer review process.

    Abstract (150–350 words)

    The abstract should provide a structured summary of the study, including:

    • Background and context
    • Research objectives
    • Methodology
    • Key findings
    • Main conclusions

    The abstract must be written in English, regardless of the manuscript language.

    Keywords

    Provide 4–6 keywords in English. Keywords should be:

    • Relevant to the topic
    • Searchable in international databases
    • Consistent with indexing systems (e.g., Scopus, JEL classification for economics)

    2.2 Main Text (IMRaD Structure)

    Manuscripts should follow a logical academic structure:

    • Introduction – defines the research problem, objectives, and relevance
    • Literature Review – presents theoretical background and previous studies
    • Methodology – explains research design, data sources, and analytical methods
    • Results / Findings – presents empirical or analytical results
    • Discussion – interprets results and compares them with existing literature
    • Conclusion – summarizes findings and provides implications

    Additional sections such as acknowledgements, funding, and declarations must be included where applicable.

    3. Formatting Requirements

    To ensure uniformity across publications, manuscripts must follow these formatting standards:

    • Page size: A4
    • Font: Times New Roman, 12 pt
    • Line spacing: 1.5
    • Margins: 2 cm on all sides
    • Alignment: Justified

    Authors must not include page numbers, headers, or footers, as these will be added during the production process.

    Manuscripts must be written in clear academic English or French and must include English title, abstract, and keywords.

    4. Tables, Figures, and Image Quality

    Visual materials must meet professional publication standards to ensure clarity, accuracy, and reproducibility.

    General Requirements

    • All tables and figures must be numbered consecutively (Table 1, Figure 1, etc.)
    • Each must include a clear and descriptive caption
    • All tables and figures must be cited in the text before they appear
    • Sources must be indicated where applicable

    Tables

    • Tables must be editable (not inserted as images)
    • Use simple formatting; avoid unnecessary design elements
    • Data must be clearly organized and aligned

    Figures and Images

    Figures must meet the following technical standards:

    • Minimum resolution: 300 DPI
    • Acceptable formats: TIFF, PNG, JPEG, or vector formats (PDF, EPS, AI)
    • Text inside figures must remain readable after resizing
    • Avoid blurred, pixelated, or low-quality graphics

    All numerical data used in figures must also be provided in editable format (e.g., Excel).

    5. Ethical Principles and Publication Standards

    The journal adheres to international standards of publication ethics and academic integrity.

    Authors must ensure:

    • The manuscript is original and free from plagiarism
    • All sources are properly cited
    • No data fabrication or manipulation is involved
    • Conflicts of interest are disclosed
    • All co-authors have approved the final version

    The journal follows internationally recognized ethical standards aligned with COPE principles.

    👉 Full details are available at:
    https://imcra-az.org/journal/publication-ethics/

    6. Peer Review Process

    All manuscripts undergo a rigorous double-blind peer review process to ensure quality, originality, and relevance.

    Evaluation criteria include:

    • Scientific contribution
    • Methodological rigor
    • Clarity and organization
    • Relevance to the journal scope

    👉 Detailed information is available at:
    https://imcra-az.org/for-authors/peer-review/

    7. References and Citation Style (APA 7th Edition)

    The journal follows APA 7th edition citation standards. Accurate referencing is essential for academic credibility and traceability.

    7.1 In-Text Citations

    • One author: (Smith, 2023)
    • Two authors: (Smith & Johnson, 2022)
    • Three or more authors: (Smith et al., 2021)

    For three or more authors, et al. must be used from the first citation.

    7.2 Reference List

    All references must:

    • Be listed in alphabetical order
    • Include complete bibliographic details
    • Include DOI where available

    Journal Article Example

    Smith, J. (2023). Sustainable innovation in industry. Journal of Cleaner Production, 45(2), 120–135. https://doi.org/xxx

    Website Example

    International Energy Agency. (2022). Global EV outlook. https://www.iea.org

    Authors are strongly encouraged to cite recent, peer-reviewed, and internationally indexed sources, including those indexed in Web of Science and Scopus.

    8. Supplementary Materials

    Authors may submit additional materials (datasets, appendices, extended tables) to support their research. These must be clearly labeled and referenced in the manuscript.

    9. Permissions

    Authors must obtain permission for any copyrighted material used (figures, tables, images). Proper acknowledgment must be included.

    10. Submission Process

    Manuscripts must be submitted via the official platforms:

    👉 https://imcra-az.org/submission.html
    👉 Online Submission

    Required files:

    • Manuscript (DOCX)

    Authors must ensure that the manuscript is complete, formatted correctly, and proofread before submission.

    11. Additional Declarations

    Authors must include the following statements at the end of the manuscript:

    • Acknowledgements
    • Funding
    • Conflict of Interest
    • Author Contributions
    • Ethical Statement (if applicable)
    • AI Use Statement

    👉 Ethical requirements:
    https://imcra-az.org/journal/publication-ethics/

    12. Final Checks Before Submission

    Before submission, authors should:

    • Verify structure and formatting
    • Ensure compliance with ethical standards
    • Run plagiarism checks (Turnitin/iThenticate)
    • Include JEL codes (for economics papers)

    For questions regarding formatting, submission, or citations, please contact the editorial board via editor@imcra-az.org.