Submissions

Author Guidelines

Article Types

Balangkas: An International Multidisciplinary Research Journal accepts the following types of articles:

1. Original research articles: These articles present new and original research findings in various disciplines. They should include an abstract, introduction, materials and methods, results, discussion, and conclusion sections.
2. Review articles: Review articles provide a comprehensive overview of a specific topic or field, synthesizing existing knowledge and identifying gaps or areas for future research. They should include an abstract, introduction, body, and conclusion sections.
3. Case studies: Case studies present in-depth analyses of real-life situations or phenomena, often with a focus on practical applications or implications. They should include an abstract, introduction, case description, analysis, discussion, and conclusion sections.
4. Conceptual papers: Conceptual papers propose new ideas, theories, or frameworks that contribute to the advancement of knowledge in a particular field. They should include an abstract, introduction, theoretical background, concept development, and conclusion sections.
5. Action Research: These articles describe and analyze the process of implementing and evaluating interventions or changes in real-world settings, with the aim of improving practice and informing policy.

Ethics in Publishing

Ensure that your research adheres to ethical guidelines, including obtaining informed consent from human subjects and ensuring the ethical treatment of animals and plants.

Include a statement in your manuscript indicating that your research has been approved by the relevant ethics committee or institutional review board.

Declaration of Competing Interest

Declare any potential conflicts of interest in your manuscript and ensure that all data are reported accurately and transparently.

Author Contributions

Clearly state the contributions of all authors and ensure that all authors meet the criteria for authorship. Use the CRediT taxonomy to describe each author's contribution to the work.

Changes to Authorship

Include a cover letter with your submission, summarizing the study's contribution to the scientific literature and specifying the type of article.Update the author list and contributions as necessary throughout the submission process.

Copyright

Ensure that you have the necessary permissions to use any copyrighted material in your manuscript.

Funding Sources

Declare any funding sources that have supported the research and ensure that all funding sources are acknowledged in the manuscript.

Submission

Submit your manuscript through the journal's online submission system, following the instructions provided. Ensure that all required materials, such as figures, tables, and supplementary data, are included in your submission. Respond promptly to any requests for additional information or revisions from the editorial team.

Peer Review

Understand the journal's peer review process, which typically involves an initial editorial assessment followed by review by independent experts in the field. Prepare your manuscript for peer review by ensuring that it is well-organized, clearly written, and free of errors.

Article Structure

Organize your manuscript following the major headings: Title, Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Materials and Methods (for experimental research) or Design and Methods (for non-experimental research), Results and Discussion, Conclusions, and References.

Please make use of this Manuscript Template.

Title Page

Include a title page with the title, authors, ORCID numbers, email addresses, contact numbers, affiliations. Please refer to this template for reference: TITLE PAGE TEMPLATE

Abstract

Balangkas: An International Multidisciplinary Research Journal suggests using the following key points in the structuring the abstract:

1. Objective: State the purpose of the study in a clear and concise manner.
2. Methods: Describe the research design, participants, and procedures used in the study.
3. Results: Present the findings of the study, including statistical analyses and data visualization.
4. Conclusions: Summarize the main conclusions drawn from the study and their implications.

When writing a structured abstract, consider breaking down each category into a question to help guide your writing. The abstract should be no more than 250 to 300 words, excluding the section headers, to ensure that the information is concise and easily understood.

Keywords

Include a list of 4 to 6 keywords that accurately describe the content of your manuscript.

Artwork

Ensure that all figures, tables, and other artwork are of high quality and properly labeled.

Tables

Include all necessary tables in your manuscript, with clear and concise labels and formatting. Please submit tables in an editable format, such as Word, rather than as images. Tables should be placed either next to the relevant text in the article or on separate pages at the end. Number tables consecutively according to their appearance in the text, and place any table notes below the table body. Use tables sparingly and ensure that the data they present do not duplicate results described elsewhere in the article. Avoid using vertical rules and shading in table cells.

References

In-Text Citations: Use the author-date system to cite sources within the text, with the author's last name and the year of publication.

Reference List: List all sources cited in the manuscript in alphabetical order, with the author's last name, first initial, and publication year.

Group Authorship: For groups with an abbreviation (e.g., NIMH), list the group's name first, followed by the abbreviation in parentheses. For groups without an abbreviation (e.g., University of Pittsburg), list the group's name first, followed by the location in parentheses.

Examples of APA 7th Edition Format for Different Source Types:

Book:

Author-Date Citation: (Smith, 2005)

Reference List: Smith, J. (2005). Title of the Book. Publisher.

Journal Article:

Author-Date Citation: (Johnson & Smith, 2008)

Reference List: Johnson, A., & Smith, B. (2008). Title of the Article. Journal Name, 45(2), 34-46.

Website:

Author-Date Citation: (Author, 2009)

Reference List: Author. (2009). Title of the Website. Retrieved from http://www.example.com

Thesis or Dissertation:

Author-Date Citation: (Smith, 2012)

Reference List: Smith, J. (2012). Title of the Thesis or Dissertation. University, City, Country.

Legal or Government Document:

Author-Date Citation: (European Commission, 2012)

Reference List: European Commission. (2012). Title of the Legal or Government Document. Retrieved from http://www.example.com

For a complete guide for the APA 7th Edition Format, you may refer to this APA Style – A short guide to the 7th Edition prepared by Prof. Galina Paramei and Mr. Robert Cunningham in consultation with Assoc. Prof. Rosanna Cousins of the Liverpool Hope University (LHU). 

Supplemental Materials

Submit any additional materials, such as questionnaires or case studies, as separate files.

Research Data

Include a statement in your manuscript indicating that all research data are available upon request.

After Acceptance

To ensure a fast publication process of your article in Balangkas: An International Multidisciplinary Research Journal, we kindly ask authors to provide us with their proof corrections within two days of receiving the Galley Proof. Corresponding authors will receive an email with a copy of the Galley Proof, which allows for final checking, correction, and annotation. The Galley Proof is a PDF version of the article that can be annotated and corrected using standard PDF editing tools.

Please use this proof only for checking the typesetting, editing, completeness, and correctness of the text, tables, and figures. Significant changes to the article as accepted for publication will only be considered at this stage with permission from the Editor. It is important to ensure that all corrections are sent back to us in one communication. Please check carefully before replying, as inclusion of any subsequent corrections cannot be guaranteed. Proofreading is solely your responsibility.