Author Guidelines

Authors are advised to carefully follow these guidelines before submitting their manuscripts to ensure smooth processing and review.

1. Manuscript Submission

  • Manuscripts should be submitted online through the journal’s submission system.

  • The submission must be original and not under review or published elsewhere.

  • All manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

2. Language

  • The manuscript must be written in clear and concise English.

  • Authors whose native language is not English are encouraged to have their manuscripts reviewed by a professional language editor before submission.

3. Manuscript Structure

The manuscript should be arranged in the following order:

  1. Title Page – Title (max. 16 words), Author(s) full name, Affiliation(s), and Corresponding Author’s email.

  2. Abstract – 150–250 words summarizing objectives, methods, results, and conclusions.

  3. Keywords – 3–6 keywords separated by commas.

  4. Introduction – Background, problem statement, and purpose of the study.

  5. Literature Review (if applicable).

  6. Methodology – Research design, materials, methods, and analysis procedures.

  7. Results – Main findings with tables/figures where appropriate.

  8. Discussion – Interpretation and implications of the results.

  9. Conclusion – Summary and recommendations for future research.

  10. Acknowledgements (if any).

  11. References – Follow the required citation style (APA 7th edition unless otherwise stated).

4. Formatting Requirements

  • Manuscript length: 4,000–8,000 words (excluding references).

  • Font: Times New Roman, 12 pt, double-spaced.

  • Margins: 2.54 cm (1 inch) on all sides.

  • Tables and Figures should be numbered consecutively and accompanied by descriptive captions.

5. Citation and References

  • In-text citations and references must follow APA 7th Edition style.

  • References should consist of at least 80% from reputable and recent journal articles (published within the last 10 years).

6. Ethics and Plagiarism

  • Authors must ensure the manuscript is free from plagiarism.

  • The journal uses plagiarism detection software (e.g., Turnitin) with a similarity threshold of max. 20%.

7. Open Access Policy

All articles are published under an open access license, allowing free and unrestricted access for readers.

8. Copyright and Licensing

  • Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication.

  • Articles are distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) License.

9. Article Processing Charges (APC) (if applicable)

Details about APCs, if any, will be provided on the journal’s website.

10. Contact Information

For questions related to submission or formatting, please contact:
Ripena Institute – Community Services and Social Work Journal
Email: editorial@ripena.org