Author Guidelines

AUTHOR GUIDELINES

1. General Information

The Oriental Journal of Social Sciences (OJSS) publishes original research articles, review papers, theoretical studies, case analyses, and book reviews in the fields of social sciences, humanities, education, linguistics, literature, history, philosophy, political science, sociology, anthropology, cultural studies, international relations, and related disciplines.

Submitted manuscripts must be original, unpublished, and not under consideration by another journal. All submissions undergo a double-blind peer-review process.

The manuscript should be written in clear and grammatically correct English. Authors whose native language is not English are encouraged to have their manuscripts professionally proofread before submission.

2. Manuscript Structure

Research articles should generally contain the following sections:

2.1. Introduction

The Introduction should clearly present the research problem, its significance, and the current state of scholarship on the topic.

Authors are encouraged to organize the Introduction according to the principle of moving from the general to the specific:

• Present the broader context of the study;
• Review relevant literature and previous research;
• Identify gaps, inconsistencies, or unresolved issues;
• Explain the originality and significance of the research;
• State the research objectives, questions, or hypotheses.

By the end of the Introduction, readers should clearly understand why the study is important and how it contributes to existing knowledge.

2.2. Materials and Methods

This section should describe the research design and methodology in sufficient detail to allow replication of the study.

Authors should clearly specify:

• Research approach and design;
• Study population or research objects;
• Sampling procedures;
• Data collection methods;
• Research instruments;
• Analytical techniques and software used;
• Ethical considerations (where applicable).

For studies involving human participants, authors should provide information regarding participant characteristics such as sample size, age, gender, and other relevant demographic details.

2.3. Results

The Results section should present the findings of the research objectively and systematically.

Authors should:

• Present only findings directly related to the research questions;
• Use tables, figures, charts, and graphs where appropriate;
• Number all tables and figures consecutively;
• Provide clear captions and source information where necessary;
• Ensure that all visual materials are of high quality and publication-ready.

Results should be presented without extensive interpretation.

2.4. Discussion

The Discussion section should interpret and analyze the results in relation to existing scholarship.

Authors are encouraged to:

• Explain the significance of the findings;
• Compare results with previous studies;
• Discuss theoretical and practical implications;
• Address limitations of the study;
• Suggest directions for future research.

This section should move from specific findings toward broader theoretical and practical conclusions.

2.5. Conclusion

The Conclusion should summarize the main findings and contributions of the study.

Authors should:

• Revisit the research objectives;
• Explain how the objectives were achieved;
• Highlight the scientific and practical significance of the findings;
• Avoid introducing new information.

The Conclusion should be concise, clear, and evidence-based.

3. Formatting Requirements

• Manuscript length: 5,000–10,000 words.
• Paper size: A4.
• Margins: 2.5 cm on all sides.
• Font: Times New Roman.
• Font size: 12 pt.
• Line spacing: 1.5.
• Paragraph alignment: Justified.
• Page numbering: Bottom center.
• All headings should be numbered consecutively.

Tables and figures must be placed close to the relevant text and cited within the manuscript.

4. References and Citation Style

OJSS follows the APA (American Psychological Association) 7th Edition citation and referencing style.

References should:

• Include only sources cited in the text;
• Be arranged alphabetically by author surname;
• Use hanging indentation;
• Include DOI numbers whenever available.

Journal Article

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of article. Journal Title, Volume(Issue), pages. https://doi.org/xxxxx

Example:

Kecskes, I. (2008). Dueling context: A dynamic model of meaning. Journal of Pragmatics, 40(3), 385–406.

Book

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

Example:

Wierzbicka, A. (1999). Emotions across languages and cultures: Diversity and universality. Cambridge University Press.

Chapter in an Edited Book

Author, A. A. (Year). Chapter title. In E. E. Editor & F. F. Editor (Eds.), Book title (pp. xx–xx). Publisher.

Example:

Kecskes, I. (2007). Formulaic language in English lingua franca. In I. Kecskes & L. Horn (Eds.), Explorations in Pragmatics: Linguistic, Cognitive and Intercultural Aspects (pp. 191–219). Mouton de Gruyter.

Online Article

Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of article. Website Name. URL

Example:

Becker, E. (2001, August 27). Prairie farmers reap conservation's rewards. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com

Non-English Sources

All references originally published in languages other than English must be transliterated and translated into English. The original language should be indicated at the end of the reference.

Example:

Chin, J. (1999). Discussion on the lexical gaps in English and Chinese vocabulary. Suzhou Tiedao Shiyuan Xuebao, 16(2), 62–71. (In Chinese)

5. In-Text Citations (APA 7th Edition)

One Author

Narrative citation:

Smith (2000) argued that ...

Parenthetical citation:

(Smith, 2000)

Direct quotation:

(Smith, 2000, p. 10)

Two Authors

Narrative citation:

Smith and Gonzalez (2000) found that ...

Parenthetical citation:

(Smith & Gonzalez, 2000)

Three or More Authors

Narrative citation:

Smith et al. (2000) found that ...

Parenthetical citation:

(Smith et al., 2000)

6. Ethical Standards

Authors must ensure that:

• The manuscript is original and free from plagiarism;
• All authors have made significant scholarly contributions;
• Data are presented honestly and accurately;
• Sources are properly acknowledged;
• Conflicts of interest are disclosed;
• Ethical approval has been obtained where required.

OJSS follows international publication ethics standards and reserves the right to reject manuscripts that violate ethical principles.

7. Submission Checklist

Before submission, authors should ensure that:

✓ The manuscript is original and unpublished;

✓ The manuscript follows the journal formatting requirements;

✓ APA 7th Edition referencing style is consistently applied;

✓ Tables and figures are properly numbered and captioned;

✓ All references cited in the text appear in the reference list;

✓ ORCID IDs and institutional affiliations are provided for all authors;

✓ The manuscript has been proofread for language accuracy.

Failure to comply with these guidelines may result in the manuscript being returned for revision prior to peer review.