Author Guideline

The ASEAN Social Development Journal (ASDAL) invites high-quality original manuscripts that contribute to scholarly advancement in social development, governance, communication studies, and related interdisciplinary fields.

Authors are required to carefully follow the guidelines below prior to submission.

  1. Types of Manuscripts

ASDAL accepts the following types of submissions:

  • Original Research Articles (6,000–8,000 words)
  • Review Articles (7,000–9,000 words)
  • Policy Analysis Papers (5,000–7,000 words)

Word count includes references, tables, and figures.

  1. Language

Manuscripts must be written in clear, academic English. Authors whose first language is not English are encouraged to have their manuscripts professionally edited prior to submission.

  1. Manuscript Structure

Manuscripts should be organized as follows:

Title Page

  • Concise and informative title
  • Full name(s) of author(s)
  • Institutional affiliation(s)
  • Corresponding author email
  • ORCID ID (recommended)

Abstract

  • 150–250 words
  • Clearly state background, objective, methodology, findings, and contribution
  • Written in a single paragraph

Keywords

  • 3–5 keywords
  • Avoid repeating words already used in the title

Main Text

For empirical research articles:

  1. Introduction
  2. Literature Review
  3. Research Methodology
  4. Results
  5. Discussion
  6. Conclusion
  7. Acknowledgment (if applicable)
  8. References
  1. Formatting Requirements
  • Manuscript format: Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx)
  • Font: Times New Roman, 12 pt
  • Line spacing: 1.5
  • Margin: 2.5 cm on all sides
  • Page numbers included
  • Tables and figures must be numbered consecutively and cited in the text

Figures must be high resolution and editable where possible.

  1. Citation and References

ASDAL uses APA (7th Edition) referencing style.

Authors must ensure:

  • All cited works appear in the reference list
  • All references are properly formatted
  • At least 70% of references are from the last 10 years
  • Primary scholarly sources (journals, books, conference proceedings) are prioritized

Use of reference management software such as Zotero, Mendeley, or EndNote is strongly recommended.

  1. Ethical Considerations

Authors must:

  • Ensure originality of the manuscript
  • Avoid plagiarism, duplication, and data fabrication
  • Disclose funding sources and conflicts of interest
  • Confirm that research involving human subjects has received ethical approval (where applicable)

All submissions are screened using plagiarism detection software.

  1. Submission Process

Manuscripts must be submitted through the journal’s Online Journal System (OJS).

Authors must upload:

  • The anonymized manuscript (for double-blind review)
  • Title page (submitted separately)
  • Cover letter (optional but recommended)
  1. Review Process

All submissions undergo a double-blind peer review process.
The average review period is 4–8 weeks.

  1. Open Access Policy

ASDAL is an open-access journal. All published articles are freely accessible to readers without subscription barriers.

  1. Article Processing Charges (if applicable)

If the journal applies Article Processing Charges (APC), details must be clearly stated here.
If no fee is charged, state explicitly:

ASDAL does not charge any submission or publication fees.

(Transparency is crucial for DOAJ and Scopus evaluation.)