Author Guidelines

Author Guidelines

Journal of Excellence in Social Sciences (JESS)
Publisher: SMARCONS (Private) Limited

The Journal of Excellence in Social Sciences (JESS) is a peer-reviewed, fully open-access journal publishing two issues per year across the social sciences.

JESS welcomes rigorous, original and ethically conducted scholarship. Authors must read these guidelines and the journal’s related policies before submitting a manuscript.

1. Types of Manuscripts

JESS considers:

• Original research articles, including qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods studies;
• Review articles;
• Systematic literature reviews; and
• Conceptual and theoretical articles.

All submissions must fall within the journal’s Aims and Scope.

Empirical manuscripts must explain their research design, methods and analysis transparently. Review articles must describe their approach to identifying and synthesising literature. Conceptual and theoretical articles must present coherent arguments grounded in relevant scholarship.

2. Submission Policy

Manuscripts must present original scholarly work and must not be simultaneously under consideration by another journal.

Authors must disclose previous dissemination and related publications, including preprints, theses, conference abstracts, presentations and conference papers.

A preprint does not, by itself, constitute duplicate journal publication. Manuscripts developed from previously published conference papers must cite the earlier work, disclose the overlap and explain the additional contribution. The editor assesses their suitability under the Publication Ethics Policy.

Submission confirms that:

• All listed authors approve the manuscript and its submission;
• Authorship, author order and contributions are accurate and agreed;
• Relevant sources and previous dissemination have been disclosed;
• Data, methods and findings are reported honestly;
• Funding and relevant conflicts of interest have been disclosed; and
• The authors agree to comply with the journal’s applicable policies.

Manuscripts must be submitted through the journal’s online submission system. Email submission may be approved by the editorial office where genuine technical difficulties prevent online submission.

Invitations to contribute do not guarantee acceptance.

3. Manuscript Preparation

3.1 Language

Manuscripts must be written in clear, academically appropriate English. Authors are responsible for ensuring that the text is sufficiently clear for editorial assessment and peer review.

3.2 File Format

Submit an editable manuscript in one of the following formats:

• Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx);
• OpenDocument Text (.odt); or
• Rich Text Format (.rtf).

3.3 General Formatting

Unless a journal template specifies otherwise, use:

• Times New Roman, 12-point font;
• Single line spacing;
• Margins of approximately one inch;
• Consecutive page numbers; and
• Italics rather than underlining, except where needed for URLs.

Place tables and figures near their first discussion in the text.

JESS does not impose a fixed page limit. Manuscripts should be concise and proportionate to their purpose, article type and research design.

4. Submission Files and Manuscript Structure

4.1 Separate Title Page and Declarations

Provide a separate title-page or declarations file containing:

• Manuscript title;
• Full name of each author;
• Each author’s affiliation, including department where applicable, institution or organisation, city and country;
• Corresponding author’s name and reliable email address;
• ORCID iDs, where available;
• Any agreed equal-contribution statement;
• The mandatory Author Contributions statement using CRediT;
• Funding and conflict-of-interest declarations;
• Acknowledgements;
• Relevant identifying ethical approval information; and
• Any required AI-use disclosure.

Affiliations must reflect genuine relationships relevant to the research. If an author has moved, retain the affiliation associated with the work and identify the new affiliation separately as a “Present address.”

Authors without an institutional affiliation may use Independent Researcher, City, Country. Institutional affiliation is not a condition of eligibility to submit.

Authors must verify names, affiliations and ORCID iDs before submission.

4.2 Anonymised Review Manuscript

JESS uses double-blind peer review. The main review file must exclude:

• Author names and affiliations;
• Author email addresses and ORCID iDs;
• Identifying acknowledgements and contribution statements;
• Identifying document properties, comments and tracked changes; and
• Other unnecessary information revealing author identities.

Cite relevant previous work accurately and avoid unnecessary self-identifying wording.

Identifying ethical approval, funding or disclosure details may be supplied separately to the editorial office or temporarily anonymised in the review file. Essential information must remain available to editors and reviewers as appropriate. Complete details must be restored before publication.

Supplementary files intended for reviewers must also be anonymised.

4.3 Abstract

The abstract should normally not exceed 250 words.

For empirical studies, summarise:

• Purpose or research objective;
• Methods;
• Principal findings; and
• Main implications or contribution.

Review and conceptual articles should summarise their purpose, approach, principal arguments or findings, and contribution.

The abstract should be self-contained and normally exclude citations, tables, figures and undefined abbreviations.

4.4 Keywords

Provide approximately four to seven keywords accurately representing the manuscript’s subject matter.

4.5 Main Text

For empirical studies, the following structure is recommended:

1. Introduction;
2. Literature review or theoretical framework;
3. Methods;
4. Results or analysis;
5. Discussion;
6. Implications;
7. Limitations and future research;
8. Conclusion;
9. Required declarations; and
10. References.

Alternative structures are acceptable where appropriate to the article type and research approach.

Methods must provide sufficient detail for readers to assess the research design, sampling, data collection, measures and analysis. Conclusions must be supported by the evidence or arguments presented.

4.6 Required Declarations

The final manuscript must include, as applicable:

• Author Contributions;
• Funding;
• Conflicts of Interest;
• Ethical Approval;
• Informed Consent;
• Consent to Publication;
• Data Availability;
• AI-use disclosure; and
• Acknowledgements.

Where no funding or relevant conflicts exist, state this explicitly. Where ethical approval, consent or data sharing is not applicable, explain the basis rather than leaving an ambiguous omission.

Place identifying declarations in the separate declarations file during double-blind review and restore them in the final manuscript.

5. References and Citation Style

JESS follows APA 7th edition.

All cited works must have corresponding reference entries, subject to APA conventions such as the treatment of personal communications. Reference-list entries must be cited in the manuscript.

Authors must:

• Use relevant and credible sources;
• Verify quotations and bibliographic information against the original sources;
• Consider current research where relevant;
• Provide DOI links where available;
• Check that DOI links identify the cited work;
• Arrange references alphabetically according to APA requirements; and
• Avoid irrelevant, fabricated or manipulative citations.

The following are illustrative formats; authors must replace placeholders with accurate details.

Journal article

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (2025). Title of the article. Journal Title, 10(2), 100–120. [DOI link]

Book

Author, A. A. (2024). Title of the book. Publisher.

Book chapter

Author, A. A. (2024). Title of chapter. In B. B. Editor (Ed.), Title of book (pp. 10–25). Publisher.

Report

Organization Name. (2025). Title of report. Publisher. [URL]

When the author and publisher of a report are the same organisation, omit the repeated publisher name in accordance with APA style.

6. Tables, Figures and Supplementary Material

Tables and figures must:

• Be numbered consecutively in separate sequences;
• Be referred to in the text;
• Have informative titles;
• Be legible and accurately represent the evidence; and
• Include necessary notes, source credits and explanations.

Provide tables as editable text wherever possible.

Following APA 7th edition, place table and figure numbers and titles above the table or figure. Place explanatory notes and source credits below. APA figure guidance

Use the full words “Table” and “Figure” in textual references.

Authors must obtain permission for third-party material where required. Material excluded from the article’s CC BY 4.0 licence must be clearly identified in the relevant credit line or note.

Supplementary material must be clearly labelled, referenced in the manuscript and supplied for review where necessary to assess the scholarly claims. It must not disclose confidential participant information.

7. Research Ethics, Data and Originality

Authors must comply with the journal’s Publication Ethics Policy.

7.1 Ethical Approval

Where required, ethical approval must be obtained before the relevant research begins.

Report the approving committee or authority, approval reference where issued, and approval date. Where approval was not required or an exemption applies, explain the basis and identify the authority granting an exemption where applicable.

Research involving human participants is not automatically exempt because it is non-medical or uses anonymised data.

7.2 Consent and Participant Protection

Report how informed consent was obtained where required. Where consent was waived, explain the waiver and its ethical basis.

Research involving children, vulnerable participants or sensitive information requires appropriate safeguards.

Consent to participate is distinct from consent to publish identifiable information. Obtain appropriate publication consent where required for identifiable details, images, recordings, quotations or case material.

Do not upload signed consent forms containing personal information as publicly accessible supplementary files.

7.3 Data Availability

Empirical articles must include a Data Availability Statement explaining:

• Where supporting data or materials can be accessed;
• Any conditions governing access; or
• Why access is restricted or unavailable.

Authors are encouraged to deposit suitable data, code, instruments and supporting materials in recognised repositories.

Sharing must respect consent, privacy, confidentiality, intellectual property and applicable restrictions. Articles without associated datasets should state that data sharing is not applicable.

7.4 Plagiarism and Research Integrity

Fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, manipulated peer review and undisclosed redundant publication are prohibited.

Submissions are screened using Turnitin under the Plagiarism Policy. Editors assess similarity reports in context. A similarity percentage alone does not establish or exclude plagiarism.

Authors must cooperate with reasonable requests for clarification or supporting records during assessment or investigation.

8. Authorship and Contributions

Every listed author must meet all four JESS authorship criteria:

1. Make a substantial contribution to the conception or design of the work, or to acquiring, analysing or interpreting its data.
2. Draft the manuscript or critically review it for important intellectual content.
3. Approve the final version to be published.
4. Accept accountability for the work and cooperate in investigating and resolving questions about its accuracy or integrity.

Everyone meeting all four criteria must receive authorship credit. Funding acquisition, general supervision, administrative support, technical assistance, language editing or proofreading alone does not qualify a person for authorship.

8.1 Mandatory CRediT Statement

Every scholarly submission must include an Author Contributions statement using the CRediT Contributor Roles Taxonomy.

Identify each author’s actual contributions using applicable roles. Authors may have multiple roles, and roles may be shared.

CRediT describes contributions; it does not independently determine authorship eligibility.

All authors must approve the statement. Supply it separately during double-blind review and include it in the final published article.

8.2 Author Confirmation

The corresponding author must confirm that all authors:

• Meet the four authorship criteria;
• Approve submission;
• Agree to the author order;
• Approve the contribution statement; and
• Approve the final version before publication.

A separate journal-specific signed form is not routinely required. The journal may request individual written confirmations.

8.3 Authorship Changes

Requests to add or remove authors, change author order or change the corresponding author must include:

• An explanation;
• An updated author list and contribution statement; and
• Signed written agreement from all affected authors, including anyone being added or removed.

Changes require editorial approval. Approved changes after publication are documented through a correction notice.

Further details are provided in the Author Credit Policy.

9. Generative AI and AI-Assisted Tools

AI tools, chatbots and large language models must not be listed as authors.

Under JESS’s Publication Ethics Policy:

• Generative AI must not replace authors’ intellectual work by drafting substantive scholarly arguments, literature reviews, interpretations or conclusions.
• AI-assisted language improvement of author-written text is permitted where it does not introduce unsupported claims or alter the intended meaning.
• AI-assisted analytical tools may be used where methodologically appropriate, validated and transparently reported.
• Fabricating data, results, references or quotations using AI is prohibited.
• AI-generated images are not accepted for publication.
• Textual AI outputs may be reproduced as clearly identified research objects or examples for critique where methodologically justified.

Authors must disclose permitted generative AI use beyond basic spelling and grammar checking. Identify the tool, version where available, purpose and affected parts of the work.

Report analytical uses in the Methods section. Language assistance may be disclosed in an acknowledgement or dedicated statement.

Authors remain responsible for all content and must verify underlying sources directly. Generative AI must not be cited as an authoritative scholarly source.

Disclosure does not make a prohibited use permissible.

10. Peer Review and Editorial Decisions

JESS follows double-blind peer review.

Submissions first undergo editorial screening for scope, scholarly suitability, methodological quality, submission requirements and research integrity.

Every scholarly manuscript proceeding to external review must receive completed assessments from at least two independent external reviewers before acceptance. Inviting or assigning reviewers alone does not satisfy this requirement.

The same requirement applies to:

• Regular submissions;
• Invited scholarly articles; and
• Special-issue or thematic-collection articles.

Administrative editorials, announcements, corrections, retractions and other non-scholarly notices may undergo editorial assessment rather than external review. Such content is clearly identified.

Possible decisions include acceptance, minor revision, major revision or rejection. Authors submitting revisions must provide a response explaining how reviewer and editorial comments have been addressed.

Final decisions rest with the Editor-in-Chief or an authorised academic editor after considering the required completed reviews. Acceptance and fixed decision dates are not guaranteed.

Submissions authored by editors, board members, reviewers or guest editors must be handled independently, without relevant conflicts of interest.

Reviewers and editors must not use generative AI to generate substantive assessments or decisions, or upload confidential submission material to generative AI services. Journal-authorised routine technical checks require confidentiality safeguards and human oversight.

Details are provided in the Peer Review Policy.

11. Author Charges

JESS currently charges no:

• Submission fees;
• Peer-review fees;
• Editorial processing fees;
• Article processing charges;
• Publication, page or colour charges; or
• Other mandatory publication fees.

Any future charges must be publicly disclosed before implementation and before authors submit manuscripts to which those charges apply.

Fees, sponsorship and authors’ ability to pay must not influence editorial decisions.

See the Article Processing Charges Policy.

12. Open Access

All published scholarly articles are immediately and freely accessible without subscriptions, reader registration, paywalls or embargo periods.

Readers may read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, link to and reuse articles under the applicable licence.

See the Open Access Policy.

13. Copyright and Licensing

Authors retain copyright and grant JESS and its publisher non-exclusive rights to publish, distribute, preserve and disseminate the work as the Version of Record.

Published scholarly articles are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence (CC BY 4.0).

The licence permits sharing and adaptation, including commercial reuse, provided users give appropriate attribution, link to the licence and indicate changes.

JESS does not impose additional restrictions conflicting with CC BY 4.0. Any third-party material excluded from the licence must be clearly identified.

See the Copyright & Licensing Policy.

14. Digital Archiving and Persistent Identifiers

JESS is implementing preservation through the PKP Preservation Network (PKP PN). Implementation is in progress, and successful preservation coverage has not yet been confirmed.

PKP PN uses LOCKSS technology. This does not establish separate participation in the Global LOCKSS Network or CLOCKSS.

JESS does not claim confirmed CLOCKSS or Internet Archive coverage without verification of journal-specific preservation arrangements and deposited content.

OJS is the journal’s publishing platform; using OJS alone does not establish independent preservation coverage.

The journal’s DOI registration and maintenance processes support persistent identification and linking. A DOI does not itself preserve full-text content.

The journal will update its public preservation information when successful deposits and coverage have been verified.

See the Digital Archiving Policy.

15. Author Self-Archiving

Authors may deposit and share:

• The submitted manuscript or preprint;
• The accepted manuscript; and
• The final published Version of Record.

There is no embargo period or journal fee for self-archiving.

Permitted locations include institutional and subject repositories, personal or institutional websites, and other lawful scholarly platforms.

Authors should identify the manuscript version and, following publication, include the final citation, DOI where available and article link.

No additional journal permission is required under the applicable copyright and licensing terms.

16. Submission Procedure

To submit:

1. Register or log in to the JESS submission system.
2. Start a new submission and select the appropriate section.
3. Complete accurate author and manuscript metadata.
4. Upload the anonymised review manuscript.
5. Upload the separate title-page or declarations file.
6. Supply the mandatory CRediT statement and required declarations.
7. Upload relevant anonymised supplementary files.
8. Disclose previous dissemination and related publications.
9. Check consistency between metadata and submitted files.
10. Complete the submission checklist and confirm submission.

Contact the editorial office if technical difficulties prevent submission.

After acceptance, authors must restore identifying information, verify author details and declarations, and review proofs carefully.

17. Withdrawal, Corrections, Complaints and Related Policies

Authors requesting withdrawal before publication must contact the editorial office with the manuscript identifier, reason and confirmation that all co-authors agree. The journal acknowledges the request and confirms the submission’s status.

After publication, errors and integrity concerns are handled through corrections, expressions of concern or retractions. Published content is normally retained; exceptional removal is governed by the Post-Publication Correction and Retraction Policy.

Authors may appeal decisions by identifying a significant factual misunderstanding, procedural irregularity or material evidence. Appeals do not guarantee reversal.

These guidelines operate alongside the journal’s:

• Author Credit Policy;
• Affiliation Policy;
• Publication Ethics Policy;
• Research Misconduct & Whistleblower Policy; and
• Post-Publication Correction and Retraction Policy.

18. Contact

Editorial Office
Journal of Excellence in Social Sciences (JESS)
SMARCONS (Private) Limited
Email: jess@smarcons.com
Further contact information: Journal Contact Page