Submissions

Author Guidelines

Author Guidelines

Welcome, authors. These guidelines are designed to ensure the quality, consistency, and academic integrity of all submitted manuscripts. Please read them carefully before submission.

1. General Requirements & Ethical Considerations

• Originality & Publication Ethics: Submitted manuscripts must be original work, not previously published, and not under consideration for publication elsewhere. Any form of plagiarism, fabrication, or falsification of data is strictly prohibited.
• Similarity Check (Plagiarism Check): All manuscripts will undergo a similarity check using Turnitin or equivalent software. The overall similarity index must not exceed 20%. Authors are advised to conduct a self-check before submission.
• Language: Manuscripts must be written in good, clear academic English. Non-native English speakers are strongly encouraged to seek professional proofreading or use grammar-checking tools like Grammarly (targeting a minimum score of 90).
• Anonymity for Review (Double-Blind Peer Review): To ensure an unbiased review process, authors must not identify themselves directly or indirectly within the main manuscript. This includes author names, affiliations, or any other identifying information.
• Copyright @author: The copyright for the article remains with the author(s). However, authors grant Jurnal Berkawan: Jurnal Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat a license to publish the article and identify itself as the original publisher. The article will be distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits free use with proper attribution to the original author(s).
• Privacy Statement: The names and email addresses entered on this journal site will be used exclusively for the stated purposes of this journal and will not be made available for any other purpose or to any other party.
• Statement of Academic Integrity: Authors are required to submit a written statement (can be a separate digital form) affirming the originality of the work, the absence of data fabrication/falsification, and adherence to research ethical standards.

2. Authorship & Contributor Statement

• Authorship Criteria: All individuals listed as authors must meet the following criteria for authorship:
• Made a substantial contribution to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND
• Drafted the work or revised it critically for important intellectual content; AND
• Approved the final version to be published; AND
• Agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.
• Single Authorship: This journal discourages single-authored submissions, except for invited authors or authors with a significant research reputation in [Journal's specific field].
• Author Contribution Statement: Authors must include an "Author Contribution Statement" section at the end of the manuscript, before the References. This section should detail the specific contributions of each author (e.g., conceptualization, methodology, investigation, writing – original draft preparation, writing – review & editing, visualization, funding acquisition, project administration, supervision). Example format:
• Conceptualization: Author A, Author B; Methodology: Author A; Investigation: Author C; Writing—original draft preparation: Author B; Writing—review and editing: Author A, Author C; Visualization: Author C.
• For single authors (if accepted): The author confirms sole responsibility for the following: study conception and design, data collection, analysis and interpretation of results, and manuscript preparation.
• Acknowledgments: Individuals or organizations who contributed to the work but do not meet the authorship criteria (e.g., technical support, language proofreading, funding) should be mentioned in a separate "Acknowledgments" section.

3. Manuscript Preparation

• Journal Template: Authors must use our official journal template. This ensures consistent formatting and layout. Download the template at [Template].
• File Format: Manuscripts must be submitted in Microsoft Word format (.doc or .docx).
• Font & Spacing: Use Garamond 12pt font with 1.15 line spacing for the main text. Indented quotations and abstracts should use single spacing.  
• Page Numbering: All pages, including tables, figures, appendices, and references, must be sequentially numbered.
• Numbers: Spell out numbers from one to ten, except when used in tables, lists, or with mathematical, statistical, scientific, or technical units. All other numbers should be expressed numerically.
• Transliteration (If Applicable): For terms or titles in [e.g., Arabic], follow [e.g., Library of Congress] transliteration guidelines. Personal names should not be transliterated.

4. Manuscript Structure

The manuscript should follow the general structure below, without numbering the main sections (except sub-sections if necessary):

• Title:
• Must be concise, clear, and accurately reflect the content and focus of the study.
• Maximum of 150 characters (including spaces) or 20 words.
• Author(s) Identity:
• List the full name of each author (without academic titles), full institutional affiliation at the time the research was conducted, city, country, and email address.
• Identify one author as the corresponding author with an asterisk (*).
• Abstract:
• A comprehensive, standalone summary, no more than 250 words.
• Must include: research context/problem (gap analysis), objectives, main methodology, key findings, and implications/contributions/novelty of the research.
• No citations should be included in the abstract.
• Keywords:
• Select 3-5 specific keywords that accurately reflect the main topics of the article.
• Should be listed after the abstract.
• Introduction:
• Begin with a broad overview of the topic, gradually narrowing the focus to the specific research.
• Clearly identify the background, research problem (gap analysis), and the urgency of the topic.
• Present a critical literature review of relevant and recent studies, leading to the identification of the novelty and objectives of your research.
• Include research hypotheses (if any) and explain the expected contribution of this research to [Journal's specific field].
• It is highly recommended to include the conceptual or theoretical framework underpinning the research.
• Research Methods:
• Provide a detailed description allowing for replication of the study.
• Include: study design, study area/geographical setting, research subjects (population, sample, sampling techniques), data collection instruments (including validity), data collection procedures, and data analysis techniques.
• If using experimental methods, describe the experimental setup, controls, and manipulation of independent variables.
• If a literature review study, highlight theoretical or modeling components used.
• Attach questionnaires, case studies, or other instruments used in the study as a Supplementary File if necessary.
• Results:
• Present research findings objectively using narrative text, tables, and figures.
• Focus on presenting the data and main findings without in-depth interpretation.
• Discussion:
• Interpret your research findings in the context of existing literature.
• Compare and contrast your results with previous studies, explaining similarities, differences, and trends.
• Discuss the implications of your findings for theory, practice, or policy in [Journal's specific field].
• Explain the novelty or unique contribution of your research.
• Conclusion:
• Briefly summarize the main findings and answers to the research questions.
• Highlight the key contributions and significance of your research.
• Explicitly discuss the limitations of the study (e.g., methodological, scope of data).
• Provide specific and actionable recommendations for future research, based on the limitations or unresolved findings.
• Acknowledgments:
• Express gratitude to individuals or institutions who provided support (e.g., funding, technical assistance, advice).
• Author Contribution Statement: (See section 2 above)
• References: (See section 5 below)

5. Citations & References

• Citation Style: Use APA 7th Edition style.
• Author-Date System: In-text citations should follow the author-date system format (e.g., (Smith, 2020), (Jones & Brown, 2019), (Garcia et al., 2018)).
• Reference Management Tools: It is highly recommended to use reference management software such as Mendeley, EndNote, or Zotero to organize and format your bibliography.
• Number of References:
• The reference list must contain a minimum of 30 references.
• At least 70% of the references should be from high-reputable international scientific journal articles (indexed in Scopus or Web of Science).
• At least 80% of the references should be from publications within the last 10 years.
• References from textbooks should be minimized.
• DOI (Digital Object Identifier): Include the DOI for all references (if available).
• Example Reference Formats (APA 7th Edition):
• Journal: Cheung, J. M. Y., Bartlett, D. J., Armour, C. L., Laba, T. L., & Saini, B. (2018). To drug or not to drug: A qualitative study of patients’ decision-making processes for managing insomnia. Behavioral Sleep Medicine, 16(1), 1-26. https://doi.org/10.1080/15402002.2016.1163702
• Book: De Vaus, D. A. (2014). Surveys in social research. Allen & Unwin.
• Book Chapter: McKenzie, H., Boughton, M., Hayes, L., & Forsyth, S. (2008). Explaining the complexities and value of nursing practice and knowledge. In I. Morley & M. Crouch (Eds.), Knowledge as value: Illumination through critical prisms (pp. 209-224). Rodopi.
• Website with Author: HealthTimes. (2015). The future of aged care nursing in Australia. Retrieved from https://healthtimes.com.au/hub/aged-care/2/news/nc1/the-future-of-aged-care-nursing-in-australia/495/

6. Data Visualization (Tables, Figures, Maps, Equations)

• General: All visualizations must be clear, easily distinguishable, properly labeled, sequentially numbered, and cited within the text.
• Tables:
• Submit tables as editable text, not as images.
• Number tables sequentially (e.g., Table 1, Table 2).
• Place the table title centered above the table.
• Avoid duplicating data already described in the text.
• Do not use vertical lines; only use necessary horizontal lines.
• Use single spacing for table elements.
• Figures:
• Provide high-resolution figures (minimum 300 DPI). Low resolution is unacceptable.
• Number figures sequentially (e.g., Figure 1, Figure 2).
• Place the figure title centered below the figure.
• Ensure all text, labels, symbols, and lines within the figures are clear and legible, even when scaled down.
• Accepted file formats: BMP, JPG, or PNG.
• Ensure color usage in figures is accessible and does not rely on color differences alone to convey critical information.
• Maps (If Applicable):
• Must be clear, legible, and include all necessary information.
• Include a scale bar and orientation (e.g., north arrow).
• Clearly indicate data sources and provide proper citations.
• Include a comprehensive legend explaining symbols, colors, and patterns used.
• Ensure consistency in style, color scheme, and symbology.
• Important: Do NOT include institutional logos or any other personal identification on maps.
• Equations:
• Number equations sequentially and place the number on the right-hand side (e.g., Equation (1)).
• All symbols must be clearly identified to avoid ambiguity.
• If necessary, provide a nomenclature list of symbols and their meanings.
• Create equations using an equation editor (e.g., MS Equation Editor), not as image files.
• Copyright Permission: If using figures, tables, or other visualizations that have been previously published, authors are responsible for obtaining permission from the original publisher or copyright holder and for providing proof of such permission.

7. Peer Review Process & Editor Decision

• Review Process: This journal employs a double-blind peer review process. All manuscripts will be evaluated by at least two expert reviewers in the field.
• Reviewer Recommendation: Authors are encouraged to submit a reviewer recommendation form (along with a brief justification for their expertise) as a supplementary file during submission.
• Editor Decision & Resubmission:
• The editor's decision will be communicated via email.
• If a revision/resubmission is requested, authors must submit the revised manuscript within the specified timeframe (maximum of 1 month if not otherwise stated). Failure to do so will result in automatic rejection.
• Resubmissions must include: (1) A clean full text (without track changes/highlights), (2) A full text showing revised parts with track changes or highlights, and (3) A response document to the reviewers, providing clear, point-by-point replies to each comment.