Submissions

Author Guidelines

Manuscript Preparation and Submission Guidelines

Abstract

Authors are invited to submit manuscripts to this journal. All submissions are evaluated by an editor to determine their suitability with respect to the journal’s aims and scope. Manuscripts deemed appropriate are forwarded for peer review before a final decision on acceptance or rejection is made. Authors must obtain permission for all materials included in the manuscript, such as images, datasets, and documents. All listed authors must consent to authorship, and where applicable, research must be approved by a recognized ethics committee in accordance with the legal requirements of the study’s country. Manuscripts that do not meet minimum quality standards may be desk rejected. Authors are advised to ensure that their work is well-structured, with a concise title and a self-contained abstract to improve the likelihood of acceptance for peer review.

Keywords: manuscript preparation, APA style, peer review, journal submission, referencing

Introduction

Prior to submission, authors must ensure that their manuscripts meet acceptable scholarly standards. The study design and argument must be logically structured and clearly articulated. The title should be concise, and the abstract must adequately summarize the study independently. Proper adherence to these requirements improves the chances of the manuscript being sent for peer review.

Submission Guidelines

Manuscripts must be prepared in Microsoft Word (DOC/DOCX) format and written in clear English. Documents should use 11-point Times New Roman font, 1.5 spacing, and A4 paper size with 25 mm margins on all sides. The manuscript must include properly organized sections and complete author information.

The total manuscript length must not exceed 15 pages, including tables and figures. Submissions exceeding this limit will be rejected without review.

All manuscripts must follow the APA (7th edition) referencing style, which uses the author–date citation system. In-text citations should appear as (Author, Year), for example (Smith, 2020) or (Smith & Jones, 2021). For direct quotations, page numbers must be included, for example (Smith, 2020, p. 15).

Authors are strongly encouraged to consult the Guide for Authors and ensure compliance with all requirements regarding formatting, authorship, referencing, and ethical standards. While strict formatting may be applied after acceptance, submissions must substantially conform to APA standards at the time of submission.

All submissions should be made via the online portal:
https://cridjournals.com/index.php/jbsms/about/submissions

Manuscripts are assigned to an editor within two (2) working days, and authors are notified of editorial decisions within one week.

Manuscript Preparation

General Requirements

Manuscripts must be written in English and should not exceed 8000 words, including references, tables, and figures. A short running title (maximum 100 characters including spaces) must accompany the full title.

Title Page

The title page must include:

• Full title of the manuscript
• Author name(s)
• Institutional affiliations
• Office addresses
• E-mail addresses

Abstract

The abstract must be a single paragraph not exceeding 250 words and should include:

• Background of the study
• Aim and objectives
• Methodology
• Key findings
• Conclusions

Keywords

A minimum of five (5) keywords must be provided.

Highlights

Authors should provide highlights in bullet-point format summarizing key contributions. A graphical abstract may also be included where appropriate.

Main Text

Introduction

This section should present relevant background information supported by properly cited references using APA style (e.g., Smith, 2020). It must clearly state:

• The objectives of the study
• The significance and contribution
• A brief review of related work
• Identified research gaps

Materials and Methods

This section must describe the materials and methods used in sufficient detail to allow replication. All sources must be cited using APA author–date format (e.g., Brown & Lee, 2019).

Results

Results should be presented clearly and logically using tables, figures, and statistical analysis where necessary. Authors should avoid duplication of data between text and tables/figures.

Discussion

The discussion should interpret results in relation to study objectives and existing literature (e.g., Johnson, 2021). Authors should:

• Highlight key findings
• Explain unexpected results
• Compare with previous studies
• State practical or theoretical implications

Summary

This section should briefly restate the purpose and major findings of the study without introducing new information.

Conclusion

The conclusion must clearly present the outcomes of the study, emphasizing its contribution and, where appropriate, recommendations for future research or application.

References (APA 7th Edition)

All references cited in the text must appear in the reference list and vice versa. References must be arranged alphabetically by the surname of the first author.

Examples of APA References

Journal Article:

Abdullah, S., Ahmadi, S., Burke, E. K., & Dror, M. (2020). Hybrid metaheuristics for complex scheduling problems. European Journal of Operational Research, 285(3), 123–135.

Book:

Ogata, K. (2010). Modern control engineering (5th ed.). Prentice Hall.

Conference Paper:

Smith, J., & Brown, A. (2022). Optimization of agricultural systems using AI. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Smart Agriculture (pp. 45–50).

Thesis/Dissertation:

Katore, K. (2025). Dynamic timetable generator using genetic algorithm (Doctoral dissertation, Sant Gadge Baba Amravati University, Amravati).

Website:

Journal of Business Studies and Management Sciences. (n.d.). Submission guidelines. https://cridjournals.com/index.php/jbsms/about/submissions

Key APA Referencing Rules

• Use author–date citation format in the text
• Arrange references alphabetically
• Use italic formatting for book and journal titles
• Include DOIs or URLs where applicable
• Use sentence case for article titles and title case for journal names
• Include volume, issue, and page numbers for journal articles