Journal of Collective Sciences and Sustainability
A multidisciplinary journal exploring the intersection of collective sciences and sustainable development goals.
Author Guidelines
For Authors
Structure of the Manuscript: Preparing a Research Article
This page provides information about writing a Research Article, including the key sections that must be present in the article.
Structure of the Manuscript
The following file formats are acceptable: .doc, .docx (Manuscripts should be submitted in MS Word). The layout of the manuscript should be set up as US letter (22 × 28 cm) pages with sufficient margins.
The manuscript should be organized in the following order:
- Title page (including the manuscript title, author(s) name(s), and affiliation(s))
- Abstract
- Main text
- Acknowledgments and Funding/Grant
- Statement of conflict of interest
- Supplementary material
- Data and software availability
- References
Figures and tables should be embedded in the appropriate sections of the manuscript for easy reference by reviewers. Additionally, please upload separate files for each figure.
Text Formatting
Manuscripts should be submitted in Word.
- Use a normal, plain font (e.g., 12-point Times New Roman) for text.
- The text (12-point) should be typeset in one column, divided into sections, each with a separate heading and numbered consecutively using the following format:
- 1. Primary heading
- 2. Secondary heading
- 3. Tertiary heading
- 4. Quaternary heading
- Use line and paragraph spacing as 1.5
- Use italics for emphasis.
- Use the automatic page numbering function to number the pages.
- Do not use the spacebar; use tab stops or the 'Paragraph' option from the MS Word ribbon for indents.
- Use the table function to make tables.
- Use the equation editor or MathType for equations. Pictures for equations are not acceptable.
- Save your file in .doc, .docx format.
Headings
Please use the decimal system of headings, each with a separate heading and numbered consecutively.
Abbreviations
Abbreviations should be defined at first mention and used consistently thereafter.
Main Sections
- Title
- Authors
- Abstract
- Keywords
- Main Body/Text
- Figures and Tables
- Data and Software Availability
- Ethics and Consent
- Author Contributions
- Competing Interests
- Acknowledgments & Funding/Grant Information
- Supplementary Material
- Nomenclature (Units, Symbols and Mathematical Scripts)
- References
Title
The title must be clear and concise so that it clearly reflects the content of the article.
Author Information
- The name(s) of the author(s)
- The affiliation(s) in the format: Department, Institution/University, City, Zip code, State, Country
- Corresponding author(s) has been assigned with Asterisks (*) symbol and an active e-mail address of the corresponding author(s) are provided.
- To expedite indexing and retrieval of authors and for the unique identification, use first names, initials, and last names (e.g., John R. Williams)
Please note that author names will be published exactly as they appear on the accepted submission.
Abstract
Please provide a concise, single paragraph abstract of 150-250 words that provide a succinct summary of the article. The abstract should not contain any undefined abbreviations or unspecified references.
Keywords
Include relevant keywords (atleast 5) which can be used for indexing purposes and optimize discoverability. Avoid abbreviations and formula for keywords.
Main Body/Text
The format of the main body of the article is flexible, but it should be concise, clear, and structured to facilitate ease of reading and review. For most Research Articles, the following standard structure is recommended:
- Introduction
- Methods/Experimental details
- Results & Discussion
- Conclusions
Figures and Tables
All figures and tables must be cited and discussed in the article text with Arabic numerals in consecutive numerical order. All figure files must have a resolution of 300 PPI (pixels per inch). Figure captions begin with the term Fig. in bold type, followed by the figure number, also in bold type.
Equations
Equations should be submitted in editable format by using equation editor or MathType and not as image.
Competing Interests
Conflict of interest statement is required for all submitted manuscripts. If no conflicts exist, please state that 'There are no conflicts to declare'.
Acknowledgments
This section should acknowledge anyone who contributed to the research or the writing of the article but who does not qualify as an author.
Nomenclature (Units, Symbols and Mathematical Scripts)
Manuscripts that include many symbols may benefit from a nomenclature list, which should define all symbols used in the abstract and main text.
References and Footnotes
Make sure that each reference cited in the text is also included in the list of references and vice versa. Citations to standard references in main text should be mentioned in the square bracket [].
References should be formatted as follows:
- For Journal articles: Author names, Title of the article, Journal name (Full not abbreviation), Publication year, Volume, Page/article number(s), doi link (if applicable).
- For Books: W. E. Kelly, B. Luke, R. N. Wright, Engineering for Sustainable Communities: Principles and Practices, Reston: American Society of Civil Engineers, 2017.
- For Chapters in edited book: G. H. Gaynor, Dealing with the manager leader dichotomy, in Leading and Managing Engineering and Technology, Book 2, Developing Leaders and Mangers. IEEE-USA, 2011, 27–28.
- For Conference Proceeding and article: L. E. Li et al., Superposition coding for wireless mesh networks, Proceedings of the 13th Annual ACM International Conference on Mobile Computing and Networking. ACM, 2007: 330-333.
- For Patents: Standard Test Method for Electrical Indication of Concrete's Ability to Resist Chloride Ion Penetration, ASTM C1202-19, ASTM International, 2019.
- For Reports: D. Smith, 17th Construction Squadron Relocation Infrastructure Project, Canberra Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works, Rep. no. 5, June 2015.
- Website/Web Pages: Website Name, Year or Year range, URL. Accessed Day Month Year.
Submission Guidelines
Submission Preparation Checklist
As part of the submission process, authors are required to check off their submission's compliance with all of the following items, and submissions may be returned to authors that do not adhere to these guidelines.
- The submission is original and not under review elsewhere (any exceptions explained in Comments to the Editor).
- The submission file is in Microsoft Word file format and is a Single manuscript as per the respective prescribed format for the selected article type.
- The article includes declarations of competing interest, funding sources, and author contributions.
- All figures in the article have a resolution ranging between 300-600 dpi.
Manuscript Submission Template
To assist authors in preparing their manuscripts in accordance with our journal's formatting guidelines, we provide a downloadable Manuscript Submission Template. All submissions should adhere to the structure and style outlined in this template to ensure a smooth review and publication process.
Download TemplateAdditional Information Files/Information
Cover Letter
A cover letter must be submitted with each manuscript that highlights the uniqueness, importance, and suitability of the work to the journal. Ensure the journal's name is mentioned correctly.
Graphical Abstract or Table of Contents
Each manuscript must include a graphical abstract for the Table of Contents (TOC) at a better resolution (above 300 dpi).
Novelty Statement/Innovative Description
Innovative description should be provided with the submitted manuscript mentioning the Novelty of the work and key findings of the work. The Innovative description should be brief and should not contain more than 30 words.
Suggesting Referees/Reviewers
Authors should suggest the referees/Reviewers (at least 3-5) who are not having a personal or professional connection with them if the relationship might influence the decision on the manuscript.