Author Guidelines

1. Authorship

Only individuals who have made a significant intellectual contribution should be listed as authors.

The order of authors should reflect contribution; all authors must agree to the final author list. jossp.com

A corresponding author must be specified for all communication with the journal.

2. Manuscript Preparation

Title Page
Include:

• Full title

• Author names and affiliations

• Corresponding author with email

• Abstract (150–250 words)

• Keywords (3–6) using appropriate social science thesauri (e.g., MeSH, APA keywords)

Abstract

• Summarize background, objectives, methods, results, and conclusion.

• Do not include citations, figures, or tables.

Main Text
Typical structure for empirical and review articles:

• Introduction – Research problem, literature context, objectives

• Literature Review / Theory – Relevant background

• Methods – Clear description of study design, data sources, analysis approach (no clinical specifics)

• Results / Findings

• Discussion – Interpretation, implications, comparison with existing literature

• Conclusion – Summary and future directions

Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods designs are accepted, but all must clearly explain methodology and analysis.

3. Formatting

• Font: Calibri, 9-pt

• Spacing: Single (1.0)

• Margins: Standard

• Headings: Consistent and hierarchical

4. Figures and Tables

• Must be embedded in the manuscript near the relevant text.

• Provide captions and source credits.

• Permissions required for any reproduced material.

5. References

• Follow a recognized citation style (APA 6th/7th, or Vancouver).

• List references alphabetically and ensure all in-text citations match the reference list.

6. Ethics and Research Integrity

JSSP adheres to high standards of ethical conduct and publication integrity. Authors must:

• Avoid plagiarism and duplicate publication. Policy

• Disclose any conflicts of interest. Policy

• Ensure research complies with disciplinary ethical norms (e.g., ethics review where required). Policy

If research involves human subjects or sensitive social data, authors should provide evidence of ethical approval and describe data confidentiality protections.

7. Plagiarism and AI Usage

Plagiarism is strictly prohibited. Submissions are checked using detection software, and excessive similarity may result in rejection. AI tools must not be listed as authors, and any substantive AI assistance should be disclosed. Policy

8. Review and Acceptance

• All submissions undergo peer review by experts in the field.

• Decisions may include acceptance, revision, or rejection.

9. Open Access and Copyright

Articles are published under CC BY 4.0 license, permitting wide reuse with attribution. Authors retain copyright and may share their work per the terms of the license.