Author Guidelines

MUKADIMAH  welcomes original research articles and conceptual papers in education, history, and the social sciences. Authors must prepare their submissions using the official journal template and comply with the following guidelines and editorial policies.

1. General Requirements

Manuscripts must be original, must not have been published or accepted for publication elsewhere, and must not be under consideration by another journal. Authors must provide an originality declaration confirming these conditions.

All listed authors must meet the journal’s authorship criteria, approve the manuscript, and consent to its submission. Contributions, funding, conflicts of interest, and relevant ethical information must be disclosed accurately.

Manuscripts may be written in Bahasa Indonesia or English. Use clear academic language, consistent terminology, and logically connected arguments. An English abstract is required for manuscripts in either language.

Submissions may undergo similarity screening. Matched text will be assessed in context; a similarity score alone does not establish plagiarism.

Prior dissemination as a preprint, an academic thesis or dissertation, or a conference abstract does not automatically preclude consideration. Authors must disclose such dissemination at submission, provide the relevant reference or link, and explain the relationship between the submitted manuscript and the earlier version.

Manuscripts substantially overlapping with previously published journal articles or full conference papers must be disclosed to the editor. Any consideration of an expanded or substantially revised work requires a clear explanation of its original contribution and appropriate acknowledgment of the earlier publication.

2. Manuscript Format

Prepare the manuscript in Microsoft Word using the official MUKADIMAH template.

ComponentRequirement
Main manuscript file Editable .doc or .docx; .rtf is also accepted. PDF is not accepted as the main manuscript.
Paper size A4.
Margins 2.54 cm on all sides.
Main text Constantia, 12 pt, single spacing.
Manuscript length 3,000–7,000 words, including references, table text, and figure captions.
Article title Constantia, 14 pt, bold.
Author names Constantia, 9 pt, bold, without academic degrees.
Affiliations and author emails Constantia, 9 pt.
Abstract English; one paragraph of 120–150 words; Constantia, 9 pt.
Keywords A maximum of five keywords or keyword phrases, separated by semicolons; Constantia, 9 pt.
Main section headings Constantia, 12 pt, bold, uppercase, without numbering.
Discussion subheadings Constantia, 12 pt, bold and italic, without numbering.
Figure captions, table titles, and source statements Constantia, 10 pt.
Citations and references APA Seventh Edition.

Foreign-language and regional-language terms should be italicized where appropriate, except for proper names and expressions conventionally presented in roman type.

3. Files for Double-Blind Review

Submit two separate files: (1) a title page; and (2) an anonymous manuscript.

The title page must contain the article title, full author names, affiliations, countries, and email addresses. Present each author’s information in a separate block following the template, and clearly identify the corresponding author and their email address. Include identifying acknowledgments and declarations on this separate page where necessary.

The anonymous manuscript must not contain author names, affiliations, identifying acknowledgments, or other unnecessary identifying information. Remove identifying details from document properties, comments, tracked changes, and supplementary files.

Retain relevant citations to the authors’ previous work and discuss them in the third person. Do not omit necessary references merely to conceal authorship.

Where funding, ethics approval, or repository details reveal author identities, provide complete information confidentially to the editor and use an appropriate placeholder in the review copy. Restore identifying information before publication.

4. Manuscript Structure

Research articles should contain the following main sections:

  • INTRODUCTION

  • METHOD

  • RESULT AND DISCUSSION

  • CONCLUSION

  • REFERENCES

  • List of informants, if applicable.

For manuscripts in Bahasa Indonesia, use PENDAHULUAN, METODE, HASIL DAN PEMBAHASAN, SIMPULAN, and REFERENSI for the corresponding main sections.

Conceptual papers may use an appropriate thematic structure but must explain their purpose, analytical approach, selection of literature or source materials, and scholarly contribution.

4.1. Title and Author Information

The title should identify the manuscript’s central subject and contribution concisely. Specify the geographical setting, historical period, or population where relevant. Avoid unnecessary abbreviations and claims broader than the study supports.

Write author names without academic degrees or professional titles. Provide full institutional names rather than unexplained acronyms. Author order and identifying information must match the submission-system metadata. Authors are encouraged to provide their ORCID iDs on the separate title page and in the submission-system metadata where supported. Each ORCID iD must belong to the named author. ORCID information should be omitted from files intended for anonymous review.

The number of author blocks in the template is illustrative and does not establish an authorship limit. Include only individuals who meet the journal’s authorship criteria.

4.2. Abstract and Keywords

Write the abstract in clear academic English as a single paragraph of 120–150 words. It should explain:

  • The research context or purpose.

  • The research question or problem.

  • The methods or analytical approach.

  • The principal findings.

  • The conclusion or central contribution.

For historical research, identify the spatial and temporal scope where relevant. Avoid citations, undefined abbreviations, and unsupported claims.

Provide a maximum of five keywords or keyword phrases representing the article’s principal concepts and subject matter. Separate them with semicolons.

4.3. Introduction

Establish the research problem and its significance within relevant academic debates. Discuss previous studies critically, identify the research gap, and explain the article’s contribution.

Present the relevant theoretical, conceptual, or historiographical framework and explain how it informs the study. State the research questions or objectives clearly.

Demonstrate novelty through engagement with existing scholarship rather than unsupported claims that the topic has never been studied.

4.4. Method

Explain how the study was conducted and how its findings or arguments were developed. Describe the research design, selection of sources or participants, data collection, and analytical procedures as appropriate.

Identify primary and secondary materials and explain their relevance, scope, and limitations. Describe the procedures actually undertaken rather than compiling definitions of research methods.

Historical studies should explain source identification, selection, criticism, and interpretation, including relevant geographical and chronological boundaries.

Participant-based research should describe recruitment or selection, consent, confidentiality, and ethical approval where required. Conceptual and literature-based studies should explain the selection and analysis of their materials.

Where ethical approval is required, identify the approving committee and approval reference number, where available. If approval was formally waived or was not required under the applicable institutional or national framework, explain the basis for this status. Authors must not claim ethical approval that was not obtained. Supporting documentation may be requested by the editor. Identifying details should be provided separately during anonymous review where necessary.

4.5. Results and Discussion

Present findings and analysis in a coherent sequence that answers the research questions and develops the article’s argument.

Use thematic subheadings where helpful. Subheadings must be bold and italicized, without numbering. The main heading RESULT AND DISCUSSION should remain identifiable.

For historical studies, maintain a clear chronology where relevant and explain relationships among events, processes, conditions, and consequences. Chronological sequence alone should not be treated as evidence of causation.

Interpret findings in relation to the research framework and previous scholarship. Distinguish documentary evidence, participants’ accounts, and the author’s interpretation. Address significant limitations and alternative explanations.

4.6. Tables and Illustrations

Number tables and figures consecutively and refer to each in the text.

Place table titles above tables and figure captions below figures. Provide source information and obtain permission where required.

Create tables using Microsoft Word’s table function. Do not submit tables as screenshots or JPG images.

Provide photographs, maps, diagrams, and other graphical illustrations in JPG format with sufficient quality for publication. Maps should include relevant orientation, scale, legend, and source information.

Authors must verify the copyright or licensing status of third-party material, including photographs, maps, archival reproductions, questionnaires, and substantial text extracts. Where the intended use is not covered by an applicable license or legal exception, authors must obtain the necessary permission and retain documentary evidence for submission to the journal upon request. Credit lines must identify any material excluded from the article’s CC BY 4.0 license.

Large illustrations or supporting materials may be submitted as supplementary files. Explain their relationship to the manuscript.

Do not reproduce unedited statistical output or repeat every table entry in the discussion. Highlight the findings relevant to the argument.

4.7. Conclusion

Answer the research questions and articulate the article’s principal contribution. Develop a concluding argument from the discussion rather than merely summarize the preceding sections.

Explain relevant implications and acknowledge important limitations. Do not introduce new evidence or unsupported claims. Write the conclusion in connected prose.

4.8. Acknowledgments and Declarations

Acknowledgements: For those who helped but don't qualify as authors should be thanked in this section with their consent.

Declarations: Include relevant statements on;

  • Author contributions, using CRediT where requested.

  • Funding sources and the funder’s role.

  • Conflicts of interest, including a declaration when none exist.

  • Ethical approval and informed consent, where applicable.

  • Use of generative AI or AI-assisted technologies.

  • A Data and Source Availability Statement for research articles, explaining where supporting data or source materials can be accessed, or why access is restricted or not applicable.

The statement should provide repository links, persistent identifiers, or archival collection details where available. Public sharing is not required where it would breach participant consent, confidentiality, copyright, archival access conditions, or other legitimate restrictions. Where access is restricted, explain the restriction and any permissible access procedure. For studies that did not generate a dataset, describe the availability of the documentary or published sources supporting the analysis.

Acknowledge assistance that does not qualify for authorship. Obtain permission before naming individuals and respect confidentiality commitments.

Provide identifying information separately during anonymous review and restore it before publication.

4.9. Notes and Informant Information

Use explanatory notes sparingly for contextual or archival information that cannot be incorporated conveniently into the text. Notes must not replace the author–date citation system.

Where necessary, place consecutively numbered endnotes before the References section.

An optional list of informants may appear after the references. Use names, pseudonyms, or participant codes consistently with consent and confidentiality arrangements. Include only information necessary to understand the research; full addresses and other identifying details should not be disclosed unnecessarily.

5. Citations and References

Use APA Seventh Edition consistently. A reference-management application such as Zotero, Mendeley, or EndNote is required.

5.1. In-Text Citations

Use the author–date system:

SourceParenthetical citation
One author (Surname, 2024)
Two authors (Surname & Surname, 2024)
Three or more authors (Surname et al., 2024)
Direct quotation (Surname, 2024, p. 25)

Use additional author names where necessary to distinguish otherwise identical shortened citations. Do not italicize “et al.”

Direct quotations require a page number or another appropriate locator. Apply APA 7 conventions for short quotations and block quotations.

Names must be represented accurately. Do not invent family names for authors whose published names do not follow a surname-based structure.

5.2. Reference List

Include at least 18 references, with approximately 80% journal articles and 20% books or other sources. Select references for their relevance and credibility. Historical and foundational sources remain appropriate where required by the research.

Every recoverable source cited in the text must appear in the reference list, and every listed reference must be cited. Apply APA exceptions appropriately for personal communications and research-participant material.

Arrange references alphabetically, following APA rules for multiple works by the same author.

Verify imported metadata against the original publication or an authoritative record. Check names, dates, titles, publication details, page ranges, and identifiers. Present DOIs as https://doi.org/....

APA 7 does not require publisher locations for books. For ordinary webpages, italicize the webpage title rather than the website name.

Refer to the official APA Style reference examples for source-specific guidance.

5.3. Archival Sources and Citation Integrity

Archival references should identify the creator where known, date, document title or description, collection, file or item identifier, repository, and location as applicable.

Distinguish recoverable oral-history records from personal communications and interviews collected as research data. Respect consent and access restrictions.

Cite MUKADIMAH articles when relevant to the argument. Citation of the journal is not a condition of submission or acceptance. Avoid citation padding and unnecessary self-citation.

6. Submission and Editorial Assessment

Submit through the journal’s online submission system. Ensure that all metadata and files are complete and consistent.

A cover letter must accompany each submission. It should identify the manuscript title and article type, explain its principal contribution and relevance to MUKADIMAH, confirm originality and exclusive submission, and confirm approval by all authors. It should also disclose related preprints, theses, conference dissemination, or overlapping publications; identify any previous submission of the manuscript to MUKADIMAH; and provide the corresponding author’s contact details. Relevant conflicts of interest should be declared or explicitly stated as absent.

Manuscripts undergo editorial screening before external review. Suitable submissions are assessed by at least two independent reviewers under the journal’s double-blind model.

Before completing submission, upload and verify the following files:

  • An anonymous manuscript containing the title, abstract, keywords, main text, references, tables, and figures.
  • A separate title page containing complete author information and identifying declarations.
  • A cover letter and the required originality declaration.
  • Supplementary materials, where applicable, with descriptive filenames and clear references in the manuscript.
  • Permission documents, ethical approval or exemption documentation, and additional disclosure forms where applicable and requested.

Files intended for reviewers must be anonymized. Documents containing author identities, confidential information, or administrative evidence must be identified as editorial-only materials. If the submission system does not clearly distinguish these files, contact the editorial office before uploading sensitive documents.

Reviewer selection is conducted exclusively by the editors. MUKADIMAH does not solicit or consider author-nominated reviewers. Reviewer nominations must not be included in the cover letter or other submission materials. Specific, substantiated concerns about a potential conflict of interest may be communicated confidentially to the editor.

Authors will receive a written decision and relevant reviewer comments. Revised manuscripts must include a point-by-point response explaining the changes made or providing a reasoned response to recommendations not adopted.

Consult the Peer-Review Processes policy for estimated timelines. Submission, revision, or payment of any applicable charges does not guarantee acceptance.

7. Acceptance and Publication

Accepted manuscripts proceed to copyediting, layout preparation, proofreading, and publication scheduling. Authors must review proofs carefully and obtain editorial approval for substantive changes.

Authorship changes must follow the Authorship and Contributorship policy. Applicable publication charges and payment arrangements are stated separately on the journal’s website.

Authors retain copyright. Articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

After publication, authors must promptly notify the journal if they discover a significant error or omission in their article. They are expected to respond to substantive editorial queries and cooperate in assessing concerns, including providing supporting data or source documentation where ethically and legally permissible. Corrections and other amendments will be handled under the journal’s Corrections policy, while scholarly commentaries and responses will follow its Post-Publication Discussions policy.

Authors are encouraged to deposit and share permitted versions of their work through institutional or subject repositories in accordance with the journal’s Electronic Archiving and Self-Archiving Policy. Shared published versions should retain the article’s citation, DOI, and licensing information.

8. Templates and Related Policies

Use the official manuscript template appropriate to the submission language:

Authors must read the journal’s policies on authorship, conflicts of interest, peer review, research integrity, copyright, and generative AI and AI-assisted technologies.

If a downloaded template contains older instructions that conflict with these updated guidelines, follow these guidelines and seek clarification from the editorial office where necessary.