Manuscript Preparation Guidelines

All submitted manuscripts must strictly adhere to the structural and formatting guidelines outlined in this section. Manuscripts may be formatted using the Official Template or styled independently; in either case, both complete and anonymized versions must adhere to the technical criteria and structural model applicable to their article type.

For citation, references, and stylistic standards not explicitly addressed in these guidelines or in the template, the journal mandates compliance with the APA 7th Edition manual, available at: https://apastyle.apa.org.

Block Quotations: Direct quotations exceeding 40 words must be set in an indented block without quotation marks, using 11-point Times New Roman font and a uniform left indent of 1.27 cm (0.5 in) across the entire paragraph.

Quotation Marks and Punctuation: Direct quotations of 40 words or fewer must use double quotation marks (" ") integrated into the main text. Single quotation marks (' ') are reserved exclusively for quotes or terms within a primary quotation.

Tables: Tables should be used to present data organized in rows and columns.

Each table must be numbered sequentially, with a bold label (e.g., Table 1, Table 2) and a brief descriptive title in italics below it. Explanatory notes, abbreviations, permissions, credits, or sources must appear at the bottom of the table, where applicable.

Tables must be submitted in editable format within the manuscript, not as images. Their design must be clear and restrained, using only the lines necessary to facilitate reading, preferably horizontal lines to delimit column headers and close the table structure. Avoid vertical lines, shading, colors, or graphic elements that hinder final editing.

Authors may be required to provide original or supplementary table files in Microsoft Excel or another compatible editable format to assist with review, technical editing, and typesetting.

Figures: Any visual element other than a table, including charts, diagrams, maps, photographs, illustrations, schematics, or graphics, is classified as a figure. Figures must be numbered sequentially with bold labels (e.g., Figure 1, Figure 2), followed by a descriptive title in italics on the line below. Explanatory notes, legend details, copyright permissions, or source citations must appear directly beneath the figure where applicable.

For statistical charts or data visualizations, authors must submit the original editable source files (where possible, in Microsoft Excel or a compatible format) alongside the main manuscript to enable editorial processing, copyediting, and typesetting.

Non-editable images, photographs, maps, or illustrations must also be submitted as separate, high-resolution files (JPEG, TIFF, or PNG format at a minimum of 300 dpi, where feasible). Authors are solely responsible for ensuring the technical quality of all visual elements and guaranteeing full compliance with copyright and intellectual property standards.