Submission Guidelines

SDCA Asia-Pacific Multidisciplinary Research Journal welcomes original research articles and review papers for various fields.

MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION

• All manuscripts are submitted to rdo@sdca.edu.ph. Please click the SDCA Journal Article Template here.

• Manuscripts should be original and are not published or considered in other journals. Manuscripts should be free from grammar or typographical errors.

• All manuscripts shall be written in English.

• Submission files are strictly in Word documents (.doc or .docx file).

• The article is written on an 8.5x11 or letter-size paper (21.59 cm x 27.94 cm) with 0.94 inch on top margin, 0.81 inch on bottom margin, and 1 inch on both left and right margins.

• Text should be in Times New Roman 11-point font with single space and justify alignment.

• The manuscript text should contain a minimum of 3,000 and a maximum of 7,000 words (including Abstract, Tables, Figures, and References) and is typed using Microsoft Word program on a letter-size paper. Paragraphs shall be indented 1/4 inch.

• Please use APA style (7th Edition) in your text and reference list.

• Abstract should contain 200-300 words in one paragraph. Five (5) keywords should be written below the abstract.

• Manuscripts should contain the headings: Introduction, Related Literature, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion and Recommendations, and References.

• All tables, figures, and graphics should be placed in the document as appropriate. As necessary, resize large tables or graphics so your document, when printed, does not exceed the maximum number of pages allowed for your paper.

• The manuscript does not contain any plagiarism element with an allowed maximum of 20% similarity report and 30% AI writing report. Authors may be asked to revise the manuscript if the text has received 21%-50% plagiarism. Otherwise, the editorial board will directly reject the text that contains higher plagiarism. SDCA Journals use Turnitin's originality checking software to check similarities of texts in article manuscripts that are ready for review and publication.

GUIDELINES FOR MANUSCRIPT BODY TEXT

Manuscript Title: The title should be concise and informative and aligned to the main theme or purpose of the paper. The title of the paper should be typed in sentence case format, centered on the upper part of the title page. The article title should be written within 10-15 words, 14-point size font, and bold selection.

Author Information: This includes the full names of the authors (with commas between names), the affiliations and its addresses of all authors, and the e-mail addresses of the authors or the corresponding author.

Abstract: Abstract is clearly written and gives a summary of the paper to help readers get understanding on the new and important aspects of the research. It should contain a minimum of 200 words and a maximum of 300 words, and must consist of background, purpose, methods, results, and conclusion. Authors should provide three (3) to five (5) keywords after the abstract. The abstract should be written in one paragraph, single space, justify alignment, and 11 font size Times New Roman.

Introduction: The introduction should consist of a concise background, related studies, existing solutions and methods, and the main gaps and/or limitations of this research to show the scientific merit or novelties of the paper. The significance or importance of the problem from the study must be clearly stated in this paper.

Statement of the Problem: A statement of the problem is a concise description of an issue that needs to be addressed. The problem should be defined in terms of the data that can be obtained. A good problem statement shall show the relevance of the problem, set the general and specific objectives of the research study, and describe its ideal outcomes to formulate solutions.

Literature Review: This section provides the studies and literature related to the research topic. The discussion of studies includes those that establish the interrelationship of the studies that are reviewed. A synthesis of the various studies, including research gaps, should be identified in this study. Theoretical or conceptual framework may be included, relating to the topic itself.

Methodology: The research methodology describes in detail how the study was conducted. It includes the research design, the sample, the data collection procedure, instruments, and data analysis procedure. Researchers shall ensure approval by relevant institutional review boards and/or obtain informed consent from all participants.

Results and Discussion: The results summarize the collected data and present the data analysis. All results should be described, including unexpected findings in a clear manner. Authors should point out the findings that relate to previous research and suggest additional research that shall be done. Furthermore, results are discussed how they support or fail to support the hypothesis of the study, as well as determine the expected and the negative aspects.

Conclusion and Recommendations: The conclusion contains an overview of the research. The conclusions should not contain any new information but should briefly restate or summarize the entire content of the paper. Conclusions shall be drawn only for the population and circumstances for which the evidence has been collected. It also includes practical implications that can be drawn from the study and suggestions or recommendations that can associate further ideas in the future, as well as policies arising from this study.

Acknowledgment: This section allows authors to thank those who have helped them in completing this study (e.g., funding institutions, colleagues, research participants, persons involved in research). Family members, friends, and religious beliefs are not included in the acknowledgments.

References: References acknowledge the work of previous scholars and provide a reliable way to locate it. The reference list should be arranged in alphabetical order according to the APA 7th Edition format. The list should contain at least 15 sources, published within the last ten (10) years. Please use the format for the sample reference list below:

1.) Journal Article:

a. One Author

Pot, H. (2019). INGO Behavior change projects: Culturalism and teenage pregnancies in Malawi. Medical Anthropology, 38(4), 327-341. https://doi.org/10.1080/01459740.2019.1570187

In-text citation: Parenthetical - (Pot, 2019); Narrative - Pot (2019)

b. Two Authors

Siegrist, M., & Hartmann, C. (2019). Impact of sustainability perception on consumption of organic meat and meat substitutes. Appetite, 132, 196-202. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2018.09.016

In-text citation: Parenthetical - (Siegrist & Hartmann, 2019); Narrative - Siegrist and Hartmann (2019)

c. Three Authors or More

Barrot, J. S., Llenares, I. I., & Del Rosario, L. S. (2021). Students’ online learning challenges during the pandemic and how they cope with them: The case of the Philippines. Education and Information Technologies, 26(6), 7321-7338. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10589-x

In-text citation: Parenthetical - (Barrot et al., 2021); Narrative - Barrot et al. (2021)

2.) Book

Holmes, C. V. (2014). How to draw cool stuff: A drawing guide for teachers and students. Library Tales Publishing, Incorporated.

In-text citation: Parenthetical - (Holmes, 2014); Narrative - Holmes (2014)

3.) Electronic Websites

Burgess, L. (2017, October 7). Eight benefits of crying: Why it's good to shed a few tears. Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319631/

In-text citation: Parenthetical - (Burgess, 2017); Narrative - Burgess (2017)

Tables: Tables should be written and included in the body of the article. Each table should have a header and a caption and be numbered consecutively with Arabic numerals. Column heads should be descriptive and clearly mention the nature of the data that are presented in the table. Results and interpretation from the data that are related to the questions according to the objectives shall be presented regardless of whether results support the hypotheses of the study. Categories, variables, and legends must be clear and appropriate when being presented within the text or as tables.

Figures: Figures such as graphs, charts, screenshots, and pictures shall be submitted in electronic formats. Figures must be included in the center of the page, provided with a reasonable size and a high resolution. All figures shall be numbered with Arabic numerals followed by short and clear statements that describe the data provided.

Conflicts of Interest: Any potential conflicts of interest must be disclosed before paper submission. It is required to mention any financial support received by the authors, or personal and professional relationships that may affect in your study.

PEER REVIEW PROCESS

• The Publication Office accepts original paper contributions together with a copyright transfer agreement and conducts preliminary evaluation of the paper particularly on the technical writing aspect. Authors should also submit five (5) possible suggested peer reviewers for their research article.

• Upon submission, the paper will be run through Turnitin to check its similarity report (with a maximum of 20% similarity report and 30% AI writing report). If the paper is detected within 21%-50% plagiarism, authors are requested to revise; otherwise, the paper will be rejected. When necessary, the authors will be requested to revise the paper based on the comments and suggestions from the peer reviewers.

• It is observed that a reviewer must allow the publication of the article. If one rejects the paper, then the decision of the editor-in-chief goes for rejection. Only those papers of which the board members or reviewers have the expertise shall review an article/s.

• To facilitate a prompt review, reviewers shall be requested to accomplish and submit the Peer-Review Report within fifteen (15) days upon receipt of the paper. The editorial board shall consolidate the results of the paper evaluation and transmit the suggestions and comments to the authors for their consideration. Adequate time shall be provided to the author/s to respond to the reviewers’ comments. The response of the author/s shall be forwarded to the reviewers for consideration.

• Once the concerns of the reviewers are satisfactorily met, the reviewers shall recommend the publication of the paper.

• When all the technical reviewers have approved the paper, the publication lay-out shall be made and subject to final review and approval by the editorial board.

• The Editor-In-Chief gives the final approval for the publication of the paper.

• The reviewers are extolled to conduct a fair and unbiased evaluation of the paper. They will assess the paper based on the following criteria: 1) Originality; 2) Contribution to the field; 3) Possible research utilization; 4) Technical quality; 5) Clarity of presentation; and 6) Depth of research.

ARTICLE PROCESSING CHARGE

The SDCA Asia-Pacific Multidisciplinary Research Journal does not charge any article processing or submission fees. Therefore, authors are not required to pay any article processing charges.

SDCA JOURNAL ARTICLE TEMPLATE