Crafting a Submission-Ready Manuscript
Authors are strongly encouraged to ensure that their manuscript fully adheres to the journal’s publication standards and formatting requirements prior to submission. All manuscripts must be prepared using Microsoft Word. Although a PDF version may be included for reference purposes during the review process, it cannot be accepted as the primary submission file.
Submissions must include all relevant documents associated with the research. These include:
- A formal cover letter,
- The main manuscript (anonymized, with no author-identifying information), including all tables, figures, and appendices,
- A separate title page containing the full author details (e.g., name, institutional affiliation, and biography),
- And any additional supplementary materials relevant for review.
All files should be submitted as email attachments to the editorial office at editorjbs@univ.jfn.ac.lk
Submission Preparation Guidelines
Prior to submitting your manuscript, ensure that you carefully review and adhere to the instructions outlined below.
| Optimal Word Count | We accept manuscripts between 8,000 and 10,000 words, inclusive of all elements—abstract, references, figures, tables, and appendices. Authors should allocate approximately 250 words per figure or table to maintain balance within the total word count. |
| Authorship and Contact Information | Authors should provide their full name, institutional affiliation at the time of the research, and a preferred institutional email address. Authorship must be reserved for individuals who have made significant scholarly contributions to the work. Those who contributed in a supportive or non-scholarly capacity should be acknowledged separately in the acknowledgements section.
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| Biographical Notes and Acknowledgements
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All authors are required to submit a separate Word document containing biographical notes and acknowledgements as part of the manuscript submission process. Each author’s biography must be limited to a maximum of 100 words and must include academic qualifications, institutional affiliation, and primary research interests.
Acknowledgements must clearly disclose all external sources of funding and explicitly state the funders’ roles, if any, in the research design, data collection, analysis, or publication process. Submissions lacking this document will be considered incomplete.
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| Title
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Authors should provide a concise, informative, and accurately reflective title for their manuscript. Avoid overly broad or vague expressions and ensure the title resonates with the article’s core theme.
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| Abstract
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All submissions must include an abstract not exceeding 250 words. The abstract should be structured to ensure clarity and impact, and must explicitly address the following components: the purpose of the study, the design/methodology/approach employed, the key findings, the originality of the research, and its implications for theory, practice, or policy.
Authors must include three to five keywords immediately following the abstract. These keywords should accurately reflect the main topics of the study. Abstracts that do not follow this structure will not be considered for review. |
| Manuscript Structure and Formatting Guidelines
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To ensure consistency and clarity, manuscripts should be prepared using Times New Roman font, size 12, with one and a half line spacing throughout the document. The manuscript must be formatted on A4-sized paper, maintaining uniform margins of 2.54 cm (1 inch) on all sides. Additionally, pages should be numbered consecutively in the footer to facilitate easy reference.
The core content of the manuscript must be organized into the following essential sections, each serving a distinct purpose in presenting the research comprehensively: Aims/Purpose: Clearly articulate the primary objectives or research questions guiding the study. Knowledge Gaps and Originality: Identify specific gaps in the existing literature or unresolved issues that the study addresses. Emphasize the novel contributions, innovative perspectives, or unique contexts that make the research original and valuable. Theoretical Underpinning: Provide a detailed explanation of the theoretical framework or concepts that form the foundation of the research. Design/Methodology/Approach: Describe the research design, methods employed, and analytical techniques used to address the research questions. Findings: Present the key results of the study in a clear and logical manner. Discussion: Interpret the findings, relating them back to the theoretical context and existing literature. Implications for Theory and Practice: Highlight the significance of the results for academic theory and practical applications in the relevant field. Limitations and Future Research Directions: Acknowledge the study’s constraints and propose avenues for subsequent research. Conclusion: Summarize the overall contributions and final insights of the study. To maintain hierarchical clarity within the text, headings should adhere to a structured three-level format: First-level headings: Use bold font and numbering (e.g., 1. Introduction) to denote major sections. Second-level headings: Use italic font with numbering (e.g., 1.1 Significance of the Study) to mark subsections. Third-level headings: Use normal (regular) font style with numbering (e.g., 1.1.1 Research Problem) for finer divisions within subsections. All headings must be set in Times New Roman, size 12, consistent with the body text. For visual elements, such as tables and figures, numbering should follow Arabic numerals and include descriptive titles in boldface for clear identification and cross-referencing. For example: Table No 1: Descriptive Table Title Figure No 1: Descriptive Figure Title This systematic approach ensures the manuscript is well-organized, visually coherent, and easy to navigate, thereby enhancing readability and professionalism.
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| Supplementary Files and Additional Content
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Authors may include appendices, raw data, or extended tables as supplementary material. These files must be clearly labeled and referenced within the manuscript. |
| Referencing Guidelines
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All citations and references within the manuscript must strictly adhere to the American Psychological Association (APA) 7th edition referencing style. Precise adherence to these guidelines is critical, as inaccurate or inconsistent referencing is a frequent reason for desk rejection by journals and academic publishers.
In-Text Citation Format When citing sources within the text, authors must follow these conventions: Single author: Include the author’s last name and year of publication in parentheses. Example: (Varadarajan, 2024) Two authors: Include both authors’ last names separated by an ampersand (&) followed by the year. Example: (Varadarajan & Menon, 2025) Three or more authors: Cite only the first author’s last name followed by “et al.” and the year of publication. Example: (Varadarajan et al., 2025) This format applies to all in-text citations, including direct quotations and paraphrased material. Reference List Format All referenced works must be listed alphabetically by the last name of the first author at the end of the manuscript under the heading “References.” Each reference must provide complete publication details to ensure source traceability and verification. When available, DOIs must be included in the reference entries. Examples of correctly formatted references include: Journal Article: Book: Bell, E., Harley, B., & Bryman, A. (2022). Business research methods. Oxford university press. Book Chapter: Brown, K. L. (2019). Leadership frameworks in practice. In M. Green (Ed.), Leadership theories revisited (pp. 45–68). Routledge. Additional Considerations
Adhering strictly to these standards will greatly enhance the credibility of your manuscript and reduce the risk of editorial desk rejection.
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