Authors Guidelines

Formatting Instructions

  1. Title: 12pt, All Capital, Center Align, Black, Times New Roman.
  2. Paragraphs: 11pt, Justified, Black Color, Times New Roman, Single Space, 6pt between paragraph space.
  3. Figures: Center Aligned. Caption: 11pt, Black, Times New Roman, Center Aligned. The caption should be provided at the bottom of the figures. All figures/diagrams must be properly designed. Each image must include a caption. Keep text within the image to a minimum, but make sure to explain any symbols and abbreviations used. Submit each image as a separate file, naming them logically (e.g., Figure_1, Figure_2, etc.).
  1. Tables: Center Aligned. Caption: 11pt, Black, Times New Roman, Center Aligned. The captions should be provided at the top of the Table. Tables should be submitted as editable text rather than images. Please follow these guidelines:
  • Position tables either next to the relevant text or on separate pages at the end of your article.
  • Ensure all tables are cited in the manuscript text.
  • Number tables sequentially in the order they appear in the text.
  • Include captions with each table.
  • Any notes related to the table should be placed below the table body.
  • Avoid using vertical lines and shading within table cells.
  • Use tables sparingly to prevent duplication of data already presented elsewhere in the article.
  1. Page: A4 sized page (8.5 x 11 inches) in a portrait type be used with a margin of 1 inch (2.54 centimeters) from top, bottom, right and left sides. All the pages be numbered and should contain a short running head (right justified).
  2. Notes/Endnotes/Footnotes: Any type of notes should be used only if absolutely critical and must be provided in order of numbers throughout the manuscript, enclosed in brackets [] and listed at the end of the page or the manuscript.
  3. Headings: In your article, use the following guidelines for formatting headings:
  • First-level headings (e.g., Introduction, Conclusion) should be bold with initial capital letters for proper nouns.
  • Second-level headings should be italics with initial capital letters for proper nouns.
  • Third-level headings should be in italics with initial capital letters for proper nouns.
  • Fourth-level headings should be placed at the start of a paragraph following a full stop or other punctuation, with the text immediately following.
  • Headings should be formatted in 12pt font size, sentence case, left-aligned, black color, and in Times New Roman font.
  • Here’s the sequence of headings with the formatting guidelines applied:

1.0 Main Heading

1.1 Subheading

1.1.1 Sub-subheading

1.1.1.1 Fourth-level Heading

  1. File Format: Please provide editable source files for your entire submission, including figures, tables, and text graphics. Follow these guidelines:
  • Save files in an editable format, using the extensions .doc/.docx for Word files or .tex for LaTeX files. PDFs are not accepted as source files.
  • Format the text in a single column layout.
  • Use spell-check and grammar-check tools to ensure there are no errors.

English Language Guidelines

Authors are required to follow these English language guidelines for submissions to IJWDI

  1. American English or UK English is fine as long as the complete manuscript has consistency in either English. IJWDI accepts submissions in English language only.
  2. Capitalize all words in headings, including hyphenated words (e.g., Anti-Antagonist), except for conjunctions (and, or, but, nor, yet, so, for), articles (a, an, the), and prepositions (including those with five letters or more) (in, to, of, at, by, up, for, off, on, against, between, among, under). Always capitalize the first and last words in the title. Use http://titlecapitalization.com/ (third option) to check capitalization.
  3. Introduce abbreviations the first time they are used in the abstract, text, or in tables and figures.
  4. Keywords should not be capitalized.
  5. All websites, unpublished data, and personal communications must be referenced.
  6. Write contractions in full, such as do not and cannot, instead of don’t and can’t.
  7. Spell out numbers from one to nine, except when they are part of a measurement (e.g., 6–8 mL) or in the experimental/materials/methods section.
  8. Avoid starting sentences with "But" or "And"; use alternatives like "however" instead.
  9. Do not use superscript for "th" in dates like 19th or 20th.
  10. Write dates in full, such as April 20, 2004 (or 20 April 2004), rather than in abbreviated formats like 20.4.04.
  11. Use 1990s instead of 1990’s or just 90’s.
  12. There should be no space after symbols like > or <, unless they are between two numbers (e.g., 7 < 10).

Structure of the Manuscript

Title Page

Please include the following information on the title page:

Article Title: The title should be concise, clear, and informative, accurately reflecting the article's content. It should not exceed 17 words, and each word in the title should begin with a capital letter.

Author Names: List the full given names and family names of each author, and if there are multiple authors, their names are separated by commas.  Ensure the order of names matches the order in the submission system and double-check the spelling for accuracy. If desired, you can include your name in your native script in parentheses following the English transliteration.

Affiliations: Below the author’s names, provide the affiliation addresses where the research was conducted. Each affiliation is assigned a number, and that number is used as a superscript after each author’s name to indicate their corresponding affiliation. Include the complete postal address for each affiliation, including the country and, if available, the email address of each author.

Corresponding Author: Clearly identify the corresponding author who will manage all correspondence related to the article throughout the refereeing, publication, and post-publication stages. This includes responding to future inquiries about the results, data, methodology, and materials. Mark corresponding author with an asterisk (*) and their contact details are provided separately. Ensure the email address and contact details for the corresponding author are kept current during the submission and publication process.

Present/Permanent Address: If any author has relocated since the research was conducted or was a visiting scholar at the time, their present or permanent address can be indicated with a footnote to their name. The primary affiliation should remain the address where the research was performed. Use superscript Arabic numerals for these footnotes

Last name 1, First Name Last name 2 and First Name Last name 3, *

1 Affiliation 1; e-mail@e-mail.com

2 Affiliation 2; e-mail@e-mail.com

*  Correspondence: e-mail@e-mail.com; Tel.:

Abstract

IJWDI only accepts structured abstracts based on the following sub-headings (*are mandatory for a structured abstract):

  • Purpose*
  • Research Design/Methodology/Approach*
  • Findings/Results/Discussion*
  • Limitations of Research/Future Recommendations
  • Theoretical/Practical/Social Implications*
  • Originality/Value*

The structured abstract should not exceed 250 words, including keywords and article categories. It should be presented in a single paragraph and must not include references or uncommon abbreviations. It must provide a clear overview of the research, avoiding personal pronouns like "I" or "we" (e.g., "this study examines…" instead of "I examine…"). However, the use of personal pronouns is acceptable in qualitative research. The abstract should objectively represent the article, avoiding unsupported results and overstatements of conclusions.

Article Highlight

When submitting your article, you must provide highlights as part of the submission process.

Highlights are brief bullet points that summarize the key findings and new methods used in your research. These highlights enhance the visibility of your article in search engines. Please follow these guidelines:

  • Submit the highlights as a separate editable file through the online submission system, and include the word "highlights" in the file name.
  • Include 3 to 5 bullet points, with each point being no more than 85 characters, including spaces.

Keywords: keyword 1; keyword 2; keyword 3 (List three to ten pertinent keywords specific to the article; yet reasonably common within the subject discipline. Keywords represent the core concepts of the manuscript and will be utilized for indexing purposes.)

Paper Type: All the submissions must be categorized appropriately.

-       Research Paper

-       Case Study

-       Viewpoint

-       Literature Review

-       Technical Paper

-       General Review

-       Conceptual Paper

-       Book Review

 

Introduction

The introduction should clearly outline the objectives of your work. We suggest providing sufficient background to set the context but avoid including an extensive literature review or a detailed summary of your results. Additionally, the introduction should highlight the gaps in existing research that your study addresses and clearly state the problem your study aims to solve.

Literature Review

The literature review should include a theory that supports your framework and provide a clear foundation for your research. Additionally, it should cover the development of hypotheses in detail. This means explaining the reasoning behind each hypothesis, how it connects to existing research, and why it is relevant to your study. This will help readers understand the basis for your predictions and how they relate to the overall framework.

 Methods

 The Methods section should comprehensively detail the following aspects of your study:

  • Participants: Describe the participants involved in your research, including their demographic information, selection criteria, and any relevant characteristics. Explain how many participants were involved and how they were recruited.
  • Procedure or Sampling Technique: Outline the procedures or sampling techniques used in your study. This includes how participants were selected or sampled, the steps taken to ensure representativeness, and any procedures followed during the study.
  • Instruments: Provide a thorough description of the instruments and tools used for data collection. This should include details about any questionnaires, surveys, tests, or equipment utilized, as well as their validity and reliability. Explain how these instruments were administered and any relevant technical specifications.
  • If the method you used has already been published, provide a summary and reference the originally published method.
  • Describe any modifications that you have made to existing methods.

Results

The Results section should be clear and to the point. We recommend reviewing the sections in this guide related to providing tables, figures, and sharing research data for additional guidance.

Discussion

The Discussion section should focus on the significance of your results without merely repeating them. If appropriate, you may combine the Results and Discussion sections into a single section. It is advisable to minimize extensive citations and discussions of published literature here. Instead, use this section to explain how your results align with and are supported by previous research.

Conclusion

The Conclusion section should summarize the key findings of your study. You may have a stand-alone conclusions section or include your conclusions in a subsection of your discussion or results and discussion section.

Theoretical Implications

The theoretical implications section should discuss how your findings contribute to existing theories or frameworks within your field. It should explain how your study advances theoretical understanding, challenges established concepts, or introduces new perspectives. This section should highlight any theoretical advancements made and how your results enhance or refine existing models or theories.

Practical Implication

The practical implications section should focus on the real-world applications of your findings. It should detail how your results can be used to inform practice, policy, or decision-making in relevant fields. This section should address how your research can solve practical problems, improve existing processes, or offer recommendations for practitioners or stakeholders based on your findings.

 

Limitation and Future Recommendations

The limitations section should address the constraints and potential weaknesses of your study, such as sample size, methodological issues, and possible biases. Acknowledging these limitations provides context for your findings and helps readers understand the scope of your research. Based on these limitations, the future recommendations section should propose directions for further research, including new questions to explore, improvements in methodology, and areas needing additional investigation. This combined discussion helps guide future studies and offers a clear path for expanding on your work.

References

When writing a research paper, giving credit to your sources is crucial. APA style (7th edition), the go-to format for many academic disciplines, provides a clear and consistent way to do this. This guide will equip you with the knowledge to cite various sources effectively, allowing readers to find them with ease using online databases.

In-text Citations:

  • One Author: Use the author's last name and year of publication in parentheses, like this: (Garcia, 2023).
  • Two Authors: Mention both authors' last names separated by "and" (Jones & Miller, 2021).
  • Three or More Authors: For three or more authors, use the first author's last name followed by "et al." (Brown et al., 2018).

This is where you provide complete details about the sources you cited in your text. Here are some common examples:

  • Books:

Author's Last Name, Initials. (Year of Publication). Title of Book. Publisher. City, State.

Example: Wilson, T. D. (2011). Strangers to ourselves: Discovering the adaptive unconscious. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

  • Book Chapters:

Author's Last Name, Initials. (Year of Publication). "Chapter Title." In Editor's Initials. Last Name (Ed.), Title of Book (pp. Page Numbers). Publisher. City, State.

Example: Chen, S. (2020). "The rise of social media and its impact on mental health." In A. Jones (Ed.), The Psychology of the Digital Age (pp. 123-145). Cambridge University Press.

  • Journal Articles:

Author's Last Name, Initials. (Year of Publication). "Title of Article." Journal Name, Volume (Issue), Page Numbers.

Example: Khan, A. U., & Ali, S. (2022). "The future of artificial intelligence in education." Journal of Educational Technology, 15(2), 34-52.

  • Websites:

Author's Last Name, Initials. (Year of Publication, if available). Title of Document [Document type]. Retrieved from URL (accessed on Access Date).

Example: National Aeronautics and Space Administration. (2023, July 18). Mars Exploration Program. [Website]. Retrieved from [invalid URL removed] (accessed on August 22, 2024).

  • For published conference proceedings

Surname, Initials (year of publication), “Title of paper”, in Surname, Initials (Ed.), Title of published proceeding which may include place and date(s) held, Publisher, Place of publication, Page numbers.

Example: Jakkilinki, R., Georgievski, M. and Sharda, N. (2007), “Connecting destinations with an ontology-based e-tourism planner”, in Information and communication technologies in tourism 2007 proceedings of the international conference in Ljubljana, Slovenia, 2007, Springer-Verlag, Vienna, pp. 12-32.

  • For unpublished conference proceedings

Surname, Initials (year), “Title of paper”, paper presented at Name of Conference, date of conference, place of conference, available at: URL if freely available on the internet (accessed date).

Example: Aumueller, D. (2005), “Semantic authoring and retrieval within a wiki”, paper presented at the European Semantic Web Conference (ESWC), 29 May-1 June, Heraklion, Crete, available at: http://dbs.uni-leipzig.de/file/aumueller05wiksar.pdf (accessed 20 February 2007).

  • For working papers

Surname, Initials (year), “Title of article”, working paper [number if available], Institution or organization, Place of organization, date.

Example: Moizer, P. (2003), “How published academic research can inform policy decisions: the case of mandatory rotation of audit appointments”, working paper, Leeds University Business School, University of Leeds, Leeds, 28 March.

  • For Datasets

Surname, Initials (year), Title of Data Set, Name of data repository, available at: Persistent URL

Example: Oguro, M., Imahiro, S., Saito, S., & Nakashizuka, T. (2015). Mortality data for Japanese oak wilt disease and surrounding forest compositions [dataset]. Mendeley Data, v1. https://doi.org/10.17632/xwj98nb39r.1.

  • For encyclopedia entries (with no author or editor)

Title of Encyclopedia (year) “Title of entry”, volume, edition, Title of Encyclopedia, Publisher, Place of publication, pages.

Example:  Encyclopaedia Britannica (1926) “Psychology of culture contact”, Vol. 1, 13th ed., Encyclopaedia Britannica, London and New York, NY, pp. 765-71.

(For authored entries please refer to book chapter guidelines above)

  • For newspaper articles (authored)

Surname, Initials (year), “Article title”, Newspaper, date, pages.

Example: Smith, A. (2008), “Money for old rope”, Daily News, 21 January, pp. 1, 3-4.

  • For newspaper articles (non-authored)

Newspaper (year), “Article title”, date, pages.

Example:  Daily News (2008), “Small change”, 2 February, p. 7.

  • For archival or other unpublished sources

Surname, Initials, (year), “Title of document”, Unpublished Manuscript, collection name, inventory record, name of archive, location of archive.

Example: Litman, S. (1902), “Mechanism & Technique of Commerce”, Unpublished Manuscript, Simon Litman Papers, Record series 9/5/29 Box 3, University of Illinois Archives, Urbana-Champaign, IL.

  • For electronic sources

If available online, the full URL should be supplied at the end of the reference, as well as the date that the resource was accessed.

Example: Castle, B. (2005), “Introduction to web services for remote portlets”, available at: http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/library/ws-wsrp/ (accessed 12 November 2007).

Standalone URLs, i.e. without an author or date, should be included either within parentheses within the main text, or preferably set as a note (roman numeral within square brackets within text followed by the full URL address at the end of the paper).

Glossary: Provide definitions for any field-specific terms used in your article in a separate list.

Abbreviations:

  • Non-standard abbreviations in the field should be defined in a footnote on the first page of your article.
  • If abbreviations are essential in your abstract, they should be defined at their first mention in the abstract and also in a footnote on the first page of your article.

Before submitting your article, it is advisable to review your use of abbreviations throughout the text to ensure consistency.