Authors Guidelines

AUTHORS' GUIDELINES

1. Submission Overview and Accepted Article Types

Manuscripts must be submitted through JMI's online submission portal. Submission implies that the work is original, has not been previously published (except as a preprint), and is not under consideration elsewhere. JMI accepts four main article formats:

  1. Original Research Articles: Full-length papers presenting original data and validated, novel findings.
  2. Comprehensive Reviews: Constructive analyses of existing literature, identifying research gaps and proposing future directions.
  3. Theoretical Notes: Shorter, impactful works proposing or refining management frameworks.
  4. Feature Papers: Substantial original articles (often by editorial invitation) demonstrating advanced techniques with high impact potential.

2. Authorship, CRediT Contributorship, and Labor Equity

  • 2.1. Ethical Authorship Criteria: JMI adheres to the ICMJE guidelines. To qualify as an author, an individual must meet all four criteria: (1) substantial contribution to study conception, design, or data collection/analysis; (2) drafting or critically revising the manuscript; (3) approving the final Version of Record (VoR); and (4) agreeing to be accountable for the work's integrity.
  • 2.2. Human-Only Authorship & AI Prohibition: Generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude) cannot be listed or cited as authors. AI lacks the legal personality required to sign licensing agreements or assume ethical liability. Human authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy and originality of all AI-assisted content.
  • 2.3. CRediT Taxonomy Mandate: For multi-authored papers, JMI requires a CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) statement detailing individual contributions. This ensures transparency and protects junior researchers from labor exploitation.
  • 2.4. Ghost and Guest Authorship: JMI strictly prohibits ghost authors (excluding eligible contributors) and guest authors (including non-contributing individuals).
  • 2.5. Author Identification: The Responsible Corresponding Author (RCA) must provide a verified ORCID iD at submission. Authors must also submit a brief professional biography (50–75 words) to accompany the published article.
  • SDG Alignment (SDG 8: Decent Work & Economic Growth & SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities): Requiring the CRediT taxonomy and prohibiting non-contributing "guest" authorship protects academic labor. It guarantees that junior scholars receive equitable professional recognition, preventing exploitative hierarchical practices in global research.

3. Manuscript Prep & Technical Formatting (Two-File Submission)

To facilitate a double-anonymized peer review, authors must submit two separate MS Word (.docx) files:

File 1: The Title Page

  • Title: Concise, specific, and relevant to the study's core findings.
  • Author Metadata: Full names, institutional affiliations, and email addresses for all authors.
  • Correspondence Details: Clearly identify the corresponding author, including a full postal address and contact numbers.
  • Abstract: A maximum of 200 to 250 words summarizing the entire study (Background, Methods, Results, and Conclusions) rather than the conclusions alone. It must be unstructured (without internal subheadings) to facilitate database indexing.
  • Keywords: Exactly 3 to 5 pertinent keywords (maximum 10 for indexing optimization).
  • Acknowledgements & Declarations: Place any institutional acknowledgements, funding disclosures, or conflict of interest statements here to preserve anonymity in the main text.

File 2: The Main Article Text

This file must contain no identifying information (author names, institutions, or self-referencing phrases) and must be structured as follows:

  • Core Sections: Introduction (including explicit hypothesis development), Literature Review/Theoretical Framework, Materials and Methods (including software versions and AI disclosures), Results and Discussion, Conclusions, Data Availability Statement, and References.
  • Drafting Layout: Single-spaced, using 12-pitch font or larger, with margins of 1 inch (2.54 cm) or more on all sides.
  • Footnotes/Endnotes: Avoided where possible. If necessary, they must be numbered consecutively with superscript Arabic numerals.
  • Research Instruments: If a study relies on questionnaires, survey instruments, or interview protocols that are not fully reproduced in the text, authors must upload a copy of the complete instrument as supplementary material. A note must be placed on the cover page of the manuscript indicating the address from which the instrument can be obtained.
  • SDG Alignment (SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production): Forcing complete transparency of research instruments and software versions prevents scientific duplication. This ensures global academic funding and labor are utilized responsibly on novel research questions rather than repeating unreplicable methodologies.

4. Hypotheses & Statistical Standards

  • 4.1. Positive Hypothesis Formulation: Hypotheses should normally be presented in the positive (alternative) form rather than the null form. Each hypothesis must state the expected operational direction if the underlying theory is supported by empirical evidence. Null hypotheses are acceptable only if a null result directly supports a theoretical position or if no prior theoretical expectation exists.
  • 4.2. Statistical Reporting Rigor: Care must be taken to state clearly whether statistical tests applied were one- or two-tailed. Where possible, statistical significance must be reported to the nearest percentage point (e.g., p < 0.04) rather than conventional, simplified threshold levels (e.g., p < 0.05).
  • SDG Alignment (SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure): Demanding high statistical precision and clear hypothesis testing ensures that the managerial and public administration frameworks published in JMI are robust. This provides a reliable foundation for corporate strategy and public-policy innovations.

5. Research Ethics, Informed Consent, and Plagiarism Thresholds

  • 5.1. Plagiarism & Turnitin Screening: All submissions are screened for originality using iThenticate or Turnitin. JMI enforces strict similarity index thresholds:
    • A total similarity index exceeding 15% across multiple sources is unacceptable.
    • A similarity index exceeding 5% from a single source is unacceptable.
    • Text Recycling (Self-Plagiarism): Publishing studies with near-identical frameworks or data without explicit cross-referencing is prohibited.
  • 5.2. Ethical Oversights & Human Subjects: Studies involving human participants, surveys, or interviews must adhere to the Declaration of Helsinki. Authors must provide a formal statement of approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Ethics Committee, alongside confirmation that informed written consent was obtained from all participants (or parent/guardian if under 16).
  • 5.3. GDPR Compliance & Organizational Consent: When conducting research within specific corporate or public organizations, authors must obtain formal corporate/organizational consent before accessing proprietary databases or surveying personnel. All data gathering must strictly comply with modern data privacy frameworks (such as the General Data Protection Regulation [GDPR]), ensuring absolute employee anonymity.
  • SDG Alignment (SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions): Rigid Turnitin limits and GDPR protections prevent intellectual property theft and respect the privacy rights of human subjects in the workplace. This positions JMI as a highly ethical, transparent, and legally compliant academic institution.

6. Open Science, Data Sharing, and Code Archiving

  • 6.1. Mandatory Data Availability Statement (DAS): JMI requires all submissions to include a dedicated Data Availability Statement. Authors must disclose where the research data can be accessed (e.g., Zenodo, FigShare) or explicitly justify why restrictions apply.
  • 6.2. Code and Algorithm Sharing: To support computational replication, all custom statistical scripts, analysis workflows (e.g., R, Python), and algorithms must be archived in a public repository that issues a persistent DOI (e.g., Zenodo, Software Heritage).
  • 6.3. Generative AI Disclosures: If AI was utilized in script generation, data analysis, or drafting, authors must disclose the exact tools, version numbers, dates of use, and prompt/query syntax in the manuscript's Methods or a supplementary AI Appendix.
  • SDG Alignment (SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals): Mandating public code repositories and standardized Data Availability Statements enables cross-border collaboration. It allows researchers in disparate regions to easily reuse, verify, and adapt existing administrative models to solve local organizational problems.

7. Unified Reference & Citation Standards

To ensure seamless indexing in Scopus and Crossref, JMI enforces the Harvard Reference System for in-text citations and an alphabetical reference list at the end of the manuscript, formatted strictly in IJMS Style:

  • In-Text Citations: Follow the (Author, Year) format.
    • Single Author: (Smith, 2024) or "According to Smith (2024)..."
    • Specific Page Citation: (Hopwood, 1989, p. 5)
    • Same-Year Works: Append alphabetical suffixes to the year (Smith, 1989a, 1989b)
  • Bibliography Style Examples:
    • Journal Article: Michel, J. G., & Hambrick, D. C. (1992). Diversification of posture and top management team characteristics. Academy of Management Journal, 35(1), 9-37.
    • Book: Neter, J., Kutner, M. H., Nachtsheim, C. J., & Wasserman, W. (1996). Applied Linear Regression Models. Irwin Press, Illinois.
    • Book Chapter: O’Reilly, C., Snyder, R., & Boothe, J. (1993). Effects of executive team demography on organizational change. In Organizational Change and Redesign (pp. 147-175).
  • Scopus Roman-Script Mandate (CRITICAL): To facilitate citation index tracking, all bibliographic references must be written in the Roman script (Latin alphabet). Non-Roman script citations (e.g., Arabic, Cyrillic, Chinese) must be translated or transliterated, with the original language indicated at the end of the reference (e.g., "[in Arabic]").
  • SDG Alignment (SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure & SDG 17: Partnerships): Standardizing on the Harvard system and enforcing Roman-script citations ensures that JMI articles are properly indexed and citable across global digital networks, promoting the international exchange of administrative innovation.

Pre-Submission Ethics & Formatting Checklist

Before uploading your manuscript to JMI's online system, ensure you have:

  1. [ ] Uploaded two separate files: a dedicated Title Page and a fully anonymized Article Text.
  2. [ ] Provided a structured, unstructured abstract of a maximum of 200–250 words with 3 to 5 keywords.
  3. [ ] Ensured the manuscript is single-spaced, in 12-pitch font, with at least 1-inch margins.
  4. [ ] Formatted all citations using the Harvard (Author, Date) system and verified that the bibliography is in IJMS alphabetical style.
  5. [ ] Transliterated or translated all non-Roman characters in the reference list into Roman script for Scopus tracking.
  6. [ ] Obtained written permission to reuse any third-party figures, tables, or complex charts, including appropriate caption credits.
  7. [ ] Included a mandatory Data Availability Statement (DAS) and linked any custom code repositories.
  8. [ ] Ensured the Responsible Corresponding Author's ORCID iD is registered and included in the submission metadata.