Author Guidelines

1. Introduction

The Journal of Computer Science, Technology and Innovation (JCSTI) provides these guidelines to assist authors in preparing manuscripts for submission. Adherence to these guidelines ensures consistency, facilitates the peer review process, and expedites publication. Authors are strongly encouraged to read these instructions carefully before preparing their manuscripts. Submissions that do not conform to these requirements may be returned to authors without review.

These guidelines cover all aspects of manuscript preparation, including formatting standards, structural requirements, and bibliographic referencing. Authors should refer to the journal's submission preparation checklist to ensure all requirements are met before submitting their work.

2. General Formatting Standards

2.1 File Format and Software

Manuscripts must be submitted in both PDF and MS Word formats. The journal provides a manuscript template that authors must download and use for preparation. Authors are strongly advised to convert documents from Google Doc format to MS Word to avoid formatting issues. The template facilitates proper formatting and ensures consistency across all submissions.

2.2 Page and Margin Settings

The paper size must be set to A4, approximately 8.27 x 11.69 inches. The manuscript should be prepared with the following margins: left margin of 1.25 inches, right margin of 1 inch, top margin of 2 inches, and bottom margin of 1 inch. The header should be set at 1.0 inch and the footer at 0.6 inch. These settings ensure proper alignment and readability when the manuscript is typeset for publication.

2.3 Font and Spacing

The manuscript template uses single-column text with 10-point Times New Roman font on 12-point line spacing. Ordinary upper- and lower-case letters should be used throughout, except where italics are required for emphasis or for specific formatting conventions such as scientific names or journal titles. Headings should start from the left margin. Section headings and subheadings may be numbered using numerals in a hierarchical format (1, 1.1, 1.1.1, etc.). All pages must be numbered consecutively in the top right-hand corner.

2.4 Language and Spelling

Manuscripts are acceptable in both American and British English. Authors must maintain consistency in their chosen variant throughout the manuscript. The editors reserve the right to adjust style to certain standards of uniformity. Non-native English speakers are strongly encouraged to have their manuscript checked and edited by a native English speaker, as grammar, spelling, and accuracy are considered requisite screening criteria. Professional language editing services are recommended but remain at the author's discretion.

3. Structure of the Manuscript

3.1 Title

The title should be concise and informative, using 11-point bold Times New Roman font on 12-point line spacing, centered on the page. The length of the title is not limited but should not exceed two lines. The title should accurately reflect the content and scope of the research and should include key terms that will facilitate indexing and discoverability. Avoid abbreviations and acronyms in the title unless they are firmly established and widely recognized in the field.

3.2 Author Names and Affiliations

Author names should be written using 10-point Times New Roman font on 11-point line spacing, centered with one line space below the title. Begin with the first name of the author followed by the last name. For more than one author, separate each name by a comma and identify each author's affiliation by superscript numbers at the end of the author's last name.

Author affiliations should be written using 9-point Times New Roman font on 10-point line spacing, centered with one line space below the author names. Include institutional addresses and email addresses for all authors. Place superscript numbers at the beginning of each affiliation accordingly. The corresponding author should be clearly identified with an asterisk and should include complete contact information, including institutional address, email address, and telephone number if available.

3.3 Abstract

The abstract should be written using 9-point Times New Roman font on 11-point line spacing, with the first line indented 0.5 inch. The heading "Abstract" should be in 10-point bold font on 11-point line spacing. The abstract must not exceed 250 words and should briefly state the purpose and setting of the research, the principal findings and major conclusions, and the paper's contribution to the field. Excessive statistical details should be avoided, and abbreviations and acronyms should be used only if essential or firmly established. The abstract should be self-contained and understandable without reference to the main text.

3.4 Keywords

List up to 7 keywords following the abstract, separated by commas, in lowercase letters and in alphabetical order. The keywords should accurately reflect the content of the article and will be used for indexing and searching purposes. Choose keywords that are specific to the research topic and that potential readers would use to find articles of interest.

3.5 Main Text Structure

The main body of the manuscript should contain the following sections in order:

Introduction: This section should put the focus of the manuscript into a broader context. Include a brief review of the key literature and mention any relevant controversies or disagreements in the field. The introduction should conclude with a brief statement of the overall aim of the research and the specific hypotheses or research questions being addressed.

Objectives: The objectives of the study should be specified explicitly. This section may be combined with the introduction if desired, but the research aims should be clearly stated.

Materials and Methods: This section should provide enough detail to allow full replication of the study by suitably skilled investigators. Protocols for new methods should be included in full, but well-established protocols may simply be referenced. Include information about study design, participants or samples, data collection procedures, and analytical methods. Statistical methods should be described in sufficient detail.

Results: This section should provide details of all experiments required to support the conclusions of the paper. The section may be divided into subsections, each with a concise subheading, and should be written in past tense. Present the findings clearly and logically, using tables and figures where appropriate to enhance understanding. Avoid duplicating information in text, tables, and figures.

Discussion: This section should spell out the major conclusions of the work along with explanation or speculation on the significance of these conclusions. The discussion should be concise and tightly argued, and may be combined with the results section if desired. Address the implications of the findings, acknowledge limitations, and suggest directions for future research.

Conclusion: This section restates the major findings and suggests further research. It should provide a clear take-home message for readers.

Acknowledgements: People who contributed to the work but do not fit criteria for authorship should be listed here, along with their contributions. Funding sources should also be acknowledged, including grant numbers where applicable.

References: References should be arranged alphabetically by authors' names following the APA style, as detailed in the referencing section below.

3.6 Tables

Tables should be prepared using 8-point font on 9-point line spacing for all text within tables. The table caption should be placed above the table, using 9-point font on 10-point line spacing. Tables must be cell-based without vertical lines and should be produced in a spreadsheet program such as Microsoft Excel or in Microsoft Word. Tables should be numbered consecutively and cited in the text. Footnotes to tables should be typed below the tables and referred to by superscript numbers. Tables should not duplicate results presented elsewhere in the manuscript.

3.7 Figures

Figure captions should be written using 9-point font on 10-point line spacing, placed below the figures. Figures should be provided in a suitable file format and resolution for reproduction, such as EPS, JPEG, or TIFF formats, without retouching. Photographs, charts, and diagrams should be referred to as "Figure(s)" and numbered consecutively in the order in which they are cited in the text. Each figure should be submitted individually as a separate file in addition to being incorporated in the main text. Ensure that figures are of sufficient resolution for clear reproduction, with a minimum of 300 DPI for photographs and 600 DPI for line drawings.

4. Referencing and Bibliographic Standards

4.1 Citation Style

JCSTI uses the American Psychological Association (APA) referencing style, 7th edition. In-text citations should follow the author-year system, using the author's last name and year of publication. For a work by two authors, name both authors in the signal phrase or in parentheses each time the work is cited, using the word "and" between authors' names within the text and an ampersand in parentheses. For a work by three to five authors, list all authors the first time the source is cited, then use the first author's last name followed by "et al." in subsequent citations. For a work by six or more authors, use the first author's name followed by "et al." in all citations.

4.2 Reference List

References should be arranged alphabetically according to the last names of the authors and then chronologically. The first line of each reference is aligned left, with a hanging indent of 0.5 inch after the first line. A digital object identifier (DOI) should be added at the end of each reference if its DOI exists, written as https://doi.org/10.0000/0000 without a period at the end. Authors are responsible for the accuracy of bibliographic citations.

4.3 Common Citation Formats with Examples

Journal Article

Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Title of article. Title of Journal, Volume(Issue), page numbers. https://doi.org/10.0000/0000

Example:
Smith, J. A., & Johnson, M. B. (2023). Machine learning approaches for predictive analytics in healthcare. Journal of Computer Science, Technology and Innovation, 15(2), 45-67. https://doi.org/10.1234/jcsti.2023.0152

Book

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of book. Publisher. https://doi.org/10.0000/0000

Example:
Russell, S., & Norvig, P. (2020). Artificial intelligence: A modern approach (4th ed.). Pearson.

Book Chapter

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of chapter. In B. B. Editor (Ed.), Title of book (pp. page numbers). Publisher.

Example:
Zhang, L., & Chen, W. (2022). Deep learning for computer vision. In R. Kumar & S. Williams (Eds.), Advances in computer science research (pp. 123-145). Springer.

Conference Paper

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of paper. In Proceedings of the Conference Name (pp. page numbers). https://doi.org/10.0000/0000

Example:
Garcia, M., & Tanaka, Y. (2023). Blockchain-based secure data sharing for IoT networks. In Proceedings of the 2023 International Conference on Computer Science and Technology (pp. 78-92). IEEE.

Technical Report

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of report (Report No. number). Organization.

Example:
National Institute of Standards and Technology. (2022). Cybersecurity framework for critical infrastructure (NIST Report No. 2022-01). NIST.

Dissertation or Thesis

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of dissertation [Doctoral dissertation, University Name]. Repository name.

Example:
Kowalski, D. (2021). Optimization algorithms for parallel computing systems [Doctoral dissertation, University of Warsaw]. Warsaw University Repository.

Webpage or Online Document

Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of webpage. Website Name. URL

Example:
International Telecommunication Union. (2023, March 15). Global connectivity report 2023. ITU. https://www.itu.int/report-2023

Preprint

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of article. arXiv. https://doi.org/10.0000/0000

Example:
Patel, S., & Okafor, S. (2023). Adaptive learning systems using reinforcement learning. arXiv. https://doi.org/10.1234/arxiv.2023.001

Magazine or Newspaper Article

Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of article. Title of Magazine/Newspaper. URL

Example:
Nielsen, A. (2023, January 10). The future of AI in language processing. Wired. https://www.wired.com/ai-language-future

Encyclopedia Entry

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of entry. In Title of Encyclopedia (Edition). Publisher.

Example:
Al-Mansoori, A. (2022). Cybersecurity. In Encyclopedia of Computer Science (3rd ed.). Springer.

Government Publication

Government Agency. (Year). Title of document (Document Number). Publisher. URL

Example:
European Commission. (2021). European strategy for data (COM/2021/123). European Union. https://ec.europa.eu/data-strategy

5. Ethical Compliance Requirements

5.1 Plagiarism Screening

All manuscripts undergo screening for plagiarism using the Turnitin program. A similarity score above 20 percent or the use of consecutive phrases exceeding 20 words from another source raises suspicion of plagiarism. Clear plagiarism results in immediate rejection, while minor issues prompt a request for revision. If plagiarism is detected post-publication, the article will be retracted and the authors' institutions notified.

5.2 Research Ethics

Research involving human participants must comply with the Declaration of Helsinki guidelines. Authors must provide documentation of ethical approval from the appropriate review committee. Research involving animals must comply with ARRIVE guidelines and other relevant ethical standards. Informed consent must be obtained for research involving human subjects, and consent to publish must be obtained if individual data, images, or videos are included.

5.3 Declaration of Generative AI

JCSTI does not accept the use of generative AI for creating or generating substantive content. Authors may use AI tools only for improving grammar, spelling, and language clarity, and this must be done under human oversight. A statement must be included in a section titled "Declaration of Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process" before the references if such tools were used. AI tools must not be listed as authors.

5.4 Conflict of Interest

Authors must disclose any financial, professional, or personal relationships that could potentially bias the research or its interpretation. This includes funding sources, employment affiliations, advisory roles, stock ownership, or family relationships with individuals who may be affected by the publication. All conflicts of interest must be declared in the manuscript's disclosure section.

5.5 Data Availability

Authors must provide a Data Availability Statement indicating where the data can be accessed or explaining why access is restricted. The journal encourages authors to make all data, code, and materials supporting the findings available in public repositories to facilitate reproducibility.

6. Submission Process

6.1 Online Submission

All manuscripts must be submitted through JCSTI's online submission system. Authors must create an account on the submission platform and provide all required information, including the article title, abstract, keywords, author names and affiliations, and contact details for the corresponding author. The corresponding author assumes responsibility for all communications with the journal throughout the review and publication process.

6.2 Required Documents

Complete submissions must include the following items: the manuscript in both PDF and MS Word formats prepared according to the journal template, a signed manuscript submission form, and a signed copyright transfer agreement. Where applicable, authors must also provide a letter of approval from ethics review committees for research involving human participants, a letter of approval from relevant authority for research involving animals, signed consent to publish from human subjects who can be identified in the manuscript, and letters of permission from copyright holders to use copyrighted sources in the manuscript.

6.3 Publication Charges

The journal charges a non-refundable submission fee of USD 100 for the review process. After acceptance, a publication fee of USD 250 is required. Payment must be completed within 7 days after the notification, otherwise the article processing will be pending or postponed and may be withdrawn.

6.4 Revision and Resubmission

Authors are typically given about two weeks after receiving reviewers' comments to revise their manuscript. The authors must address the suggestions and comments provided by the reviewers and provide a point-by-point response to the reviewers' comments, indicating how each comment has been addressed or justifying non-compliance.

These Author Guidelines reflect JCSTI's commitment to maintaining high standards of quality, originality, and consistency in scholarly publishing. Authors who follow these guidelines will facilitate a smooth and efficient submission and review process.