Guidelines for the Authors

• About Us
• Board Members
• Guidelines for the Authors
• Ethics Policy
• Publisher Information

General Requirements and Scope

1. Originality and Exclusivity Policy
   1. The journal accepts only original and unpublished work. Submissions must not have been published previously or be under consideration for publication elsewhere.
   2. Authors must not submit their work to any other journal while the review process is ongoing. They should await the decision communicated by the editorial team before considering submission elsewhere.
   3. Once a manuscript is accepted for publication, authors are prohibited from submitting or publishing the same work, in whole or in part, in any other journal or outlet.
2. Submissions with a maximum of 4 authors will be accepted.
3. Submissions are accepted in the following forms: research papers, review articles, book reviews, and caricatures.
4. Authors must submit in both Word (.docx/.doc) and PDF formats. If LaTeX is used, submit the source file as well.
5. Word Limit: 2500 words for general articles, essays, book reviews, or op-eds. No word limit for theses or research papers, but should not exceed 15 pages.

Mode of Submission

1. Name the file as: firstname_lastname.docx (or .pdf)
2. Submit by email to aapoortijournal@gmail.com with subject <Abstract/Article/Book Review/Caricature - Title>
3. Mention in the email if the authors wish to present their work at our undergraduate paper presentation competition, Navdhaarna, in February (for research paper submissions only).

Note: For research papers, authors must first submit an abstract not exceeding 500 words. Abstracts will be reviewed by the Editorial Board, and only selected submissions will be invited to submit the full research paper at a later stage.

Document Formatting and Layout

1. Font and Type: All drafts must be typed in Times New Roman.
2. Font Size and Text Formatting:
   • Headings: 12 pt (in bold)
   • Subheadings: 12 pt (in italic)
   • Main text: 12 pt
   • Footnotes or endnotes: 10 pt
3. Line Spacing: Use 1.5 line spacing for the main text and single spacing (1.0) for footnotes or endnotes.
4. Page Setup: Manuscripts should be prepared on A4-sized paper with margins of approximately 1 inch (2.5 cm) on all sides.
5. Paragraphs: Text should be justified (or left-aligned, if specified) with a first-line indent for each paragraph.
6. Section Numbering: Use Arabic numerals for numbering sections and subsections (e.g., 1, 1.1, 1.1.1). Do not exceed three levels of hierarchy.
7. Figures, Tables, Charts, and Equations: Visuals must be embedded within the main text at relevant positions, not placed at the end of the manuscript. Equations must be numbered. Each figure or table must be clearly numbered and accompanied by a caption. Sources should be cited where applicable.
8. Citations: The journal follows the Chicago Author-Date referencing style. In-text citations must appear in parentheses within the body of the text and should not be placed in footnotes.

Example: (Smith 2020) or (Abbott 1991; Barakat et al. 1995; Kelso & Smith 1998).

When citing multiple works by the same author in the same year, distinguish them using lowercase letters (e.g., Smith 2020a; Smith 2020b).
 

All sources cited in the text must appear in the References, arranged alphabetically by the authors’ last names.

Sections

1. On the first page (cover), include:
   • Title of the manuscript
   • Name(s) of author(s)
   • Institution / Department
   • Year of study
   • Course / Programme
   • Contact information (phone, email)
2. Include an abstract immediately following the title page (or on page 2) limited to 500 words.
3. A typical structure may be:
   • Introduction
   • Literature Review
   • Methodology / Data / Methods
   • Results / Analysis
   • Conclusion
   • Acknowledgements / Declarations
   • References

Other sections (e.g., Appendix) are allowed for large tables or extra material. In the appendix, label tables/figures as A-1, A-2, etc., and reference them from the main text.

Review Process

1. All submissions undergo a single-blind peer review process, where the reviewers know the identity of the authors but the authors do not know the identity of the reviewers.
2. Abstracts, research papers, and articles are first reviewed by the Editorial Board for quality, originality, and adherence to submission guidelines.
3. Submissions that meet the required standards are then forwarded to the Faculty Advisory Board for a second level of evaluation.
4. The final decision regarding acceptance, revision, or rejection rests with the Editorial Board in consultation with the Faculty Advisory Board.
5. Authors of selected papers will be notified along with feedback or suggestions for revision, if applicable.