Author guideline

Online Submission: Manuscripts must be submitted via the journal’s online submission system at https://theijbmi.com/online-article-submission/. Authors must register or log in to submit.

File Format: Submit manuscripts as Microsoft Word documents (.doc or .docx).

Language: Manuscripts must be written in English. 

Originality: Submissions must be original, unpublished work and not under consideration elsewhere. Authors must confirm this during submission.

2.1 General Formatting

• Length: Manuscripts should be 10–15 pages, excluding references and appendices.
• Font and Spacing: Use Times New Roman, 12-point font, single-spaced throughout.
• Margins: Set 1-inch (2.54 cm) margins on all sides.
• Page Numbers: Include page numbers in the top-right corner.
• Title Page: Provide a separate title page with:
  • Manuscript title (concise, max 15 words).
  • Author(s) names, affiliations, and email addresses.
  • Corresponding author’s contact details.
  • Acknowledgments (if any).
  • Declaration of any conflicts of interest.

2.2 Manuscript Structure

Manuscripts should include the following sections in this order:

• Title: Bold, centered, title case (capitalize first letter of major words).
• Abstract: 150–250 words summarizing the research purpose, methods, findings, and contributions. Do not include citations.
• Keywords: 3–5 keywords for indexing, separated by commas.
• Introduction: Outline the research problem, objectives, and significance.
• Literature Review: Provide theoretical background and context.
• Methodology: Describe research design, population, sampling, data collection, and analysis methods.
• Results: Present findings clearly, using tables or figures where appropriate.
• Discussion: Interpret results, compare with prior studies, and highlight implications.
• Conclusion: Summarize key findings, limitations, and suggestions for future research.
• References: List all cited sources in APA 7th edition format (see Section 3).
• Appendices (if applicable): Include supplementary materials (e.g., questionnaires, datasets).

2.3 Tables and Figures

• Placement: Insert tables and figures after the paragraph where they are first mentioned or on the next page if space is limited.
• Numbering: Label tables and figures numerically (e.g., Table 1, Figure 1).
• Titles and Captions:
  • Tables: Place titles above tables, bold, sentence case.
  • Figures: Place captions below figures, bold, sentence case.
• Formatting: Ensure tables and figures are clear, standalone, and referenced in the text (e.g., “See Table 1”).
• File Format: Submit high-resolution images (300 dpi) for figures in .jpg or .png format.

All citations and references must follow the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). Below are key guidelines:

3.1 In-Text Citations

• Basic Format: Include the author’s last name and year of publication. For direct quotes, add the page number.
  • Example: (Smith, 2020) or (Smith, 2020, p. 45).
• Multiple Authors:
  • Two authors: (Smith & Jones, 2020).
  • Three or more authors: (Smith et al., 2020).
• No Author: Use a shortened title in quotation marks (e.g., (“Business Trends,” 2019)).
• Organization as Author: Spell out the full name first, then use the acronym in subsequent citations (e.g., (World Health Organization [WHO], 2019); (WHO, 2019)).
• Paraphrasing: Include author and year (e.g., Smith (2020) found that…).
• Direct Quotes: Enclose quotes of fewer than 40 words in quotation marks with author, year, and page number. For quotes of 40+ words, use a block quote (indented 0.5 inches, no quotation marks).

3.2 Reference List

• Placement: Start on a new page, titled “References” (bold, centered).
• Formatting: Use a hanging indent (0.5 inches) and double-space entries.
• Order: Alphabetize by the first author’s last name or title (if no author).
• DOIs and URLs: Include DOIs (formatted as https://doi.org/xxxx) or URLs for online sources. Do not include database names (e.g., ProQuest) unless the source is only available there.

Examples:

• Journal Article: Smith, J. K., & Brown, L. M. (2020). Innovation in small businesses. Journal of Business Studies, 15(3), 123–135. https://doi.org/10.1000/jbs.2020.123
• Book: Johnson, M. T. (2018). Entrepreneurship and innovation (2nd ed.). Routledge.
• Book Chapter: Lee, S. H. (2019). Digital marketing strategies. In K. P. Wong (Ed.), Advances in business technology (pp. 45–60). Springer.
• Website: World Health Organization. (2019, June 10). Global innovation trends. https://www.who.int/innovation/trends
• No Author: Business trends in Asia. (2021). Innovation Press.

For additional examples, consult the APA Style website (https://apastyle.apa.org/).

Authorship: List only those who made significant contributions to the research. Acknowledge minor contributors in the acknowledgments.

Plagiarism: All submissions are screened for plagiarism. Authors must ensure originality and proper citation of all sources.

Data Transparency: Provide detailed methodology and, if applicable, access to data (e.g., via repositories) to support reproducibility.

Conflict of Interest: Disclose any financial or personal interests that could influence the research in the title page or author note.

Ethical Approval: For studies involving human or animal subjects, include evidence of ethical approval from an institutional review board.

Before submitting, ensure the manuscript includes:

• Separate title page with all required information.
• Abstract and 3–5 keywords.
• Main text with all required sections (Introduction, Literature Review, etc.).
• References in APA 7th edition format.
• Tables and figures with titles/captions.
• Confirmation of originality and ethical compliance in the online submission form.

Peer Review: All submissions undergo double-blind peer review. Remove identifying information from the main manuscript.

Revisions: Authors must respond to reviewer comments using the provided reviewer response form and submit revised manuscripts within the specified timeline.

Publication: Accepted manuscripts are published online.