Guide to Authors

1.  Submission of Manuscripts

• All manuscripts must be submitted electronically via the journal’s official online submission system at https://www.ipress.tw/J0177
• Submissions are accepted in PDF, LaTeX, or Microsoft Word format.
• Authors are required to upload the following three separate files: A full version of the manuscript including the title, abstract, main text, references, figures, and tables. An anonymized version of the manuscript with all author-identifying information (including acknowledgments, affiliations, and funding details) removed to facilitate double-blind peer review. A separate Author Information Form, including the full names, institutional affiliations, ORCID iDs (if available), email addresses, and a brief biography of each author. (See item 12 for details.)
• Manuscripts submitted to the International Journal of Information and Management Sciences must be original and not under consideration by any other journal. Submissions that involve any form of duplicate publication, plagiarism, or unethical authorship practices will be rejected outright and may result in a permanent ban from future submissions. Authors are solely responsible for ensuring the integrity and authenticity of their work.
• Any request for addition, deletion, or rearrangement of author names must be made before the manuscript is formally accepted. Such changes require written approval from all listed authors and must be endorsed by the Editor-in-Chief. Authors are advised to carefully confirm the authorship order prior to submission.
• Once the editorial office has verified that the submitted files comply with APA Style (7th Edition) formatting and citation requirements, an acknowledgment email with a unique paper ID will be sent to the corresponding author.

2. Form of Manuscripts

• The maximum length of a manuscript is 6000-8000 words, inclusive of all figures, tables, appendices, and references. Authors are advised to present their research concisely and efficiently within this limit.
• Manuscripts should be prepared using Times New Roman, 12-point font size, and 1.5 line spacing throughout. Margins should be set to standard dimensions (e.g., 1 inch on all sides), and page layout should make full use of available space in a professional manner.
• All figures, tables, and illustrations must be submitted on separate pages and clearly labeled. They should also be embedded within the manuscript at appropriate locations or at the end of the file, as per APA style guidelines. Each page of the manuscript should be sequentially numbered.
• Submissions must be written in grammatically accurate and fluent English. Either American or British spelling is acceptable, but authors should consistently use one style throughout the manuscript. Manuscripts that do not meet English language standards may be returned for revision prior to peer review.

3. Organization of the Paper

     To ensure clarity and consistency, submitted manuscripts should be organized in the following format:

• Title Page: The paper’s title should be concise, informative, and accurately reflect the content of the study. Below the title, please list the full name(s) of the author(s), followed by their academic or professional affiliations and contact details (e.g., department, university, postal address, and email).
• Abstract: Each manuscript must begin with an abstract of no more than 150 words, summarizing the purpose, methodology, key findings, and implications of the research. Below the abstract, authors should provide 3 to 5 keywords that reflect the main themes or topics of the paper.
• Main Text: The body of the manuscript should be clearly structured using section headings and subheadings. Common sections include, but are not limited to: Introduction; Literature Review; Notations and Assumptions (if applicable); Research Design / Methodology; Model Formulation / Conceptual Framework; Data Analysis and Results; Discussion; Conclusions and Implications.
• Acknowledgments: This section may include recognition of financial support, research assistance, or institutional backing. Please include acknowledgments only in the final accepted version of the manuscript. For initial submission, this information should be placed in the separate Author Information Form to preserve the integrity of the double-blind review process.
• References: A complete list of cited references should be provided, formatted in accordance with APA Style (7th Edition). Detailed referencing instructions are provided in Section 11 of this guide.

4. Illustrations

• Submit publication-ready artwork in accepted digital formats: vector (EPS, PDF, SVG) or high-resolution raster (TIFF, PNG, JPEG). Minimum resolution: 300 dpi for photographs/halftones, 600 dpi for combination figures, and 1,000-1,200 dpi for line art. Use standard color spaces (RGB or CMYK). Avoid low-resolution or compressed images that create artifacts.
• Number figures consecutively in order of first mention in the text as Fig. 1, Fig. 2, and so on. Provide a concise caption beneath each figure. Legends/keys may appear within the figure or be clearly described in the caption.
• Double-blind review: remove author-identifying information from figure files and captions. If a figure is adapted or reproduced, include a full source credit and confirm permissions in the caption or in a separate permissions note.
• Ensure text within figures is legible (typically 8-10 pt), uses consistent fonts, and does not rely on color alone to convey meaning.
• Please note that the printed version of the journal is produced primarily in black and white. Authors are therefore advised to ensure that any color figures, charts, or illustrations remain clear and interpretable when printed in grayscale and should avoid relying on color alone to convey essential information.

5. Literature Citations

• One author: “(Foxall, 2018)” or “Foxall (2018) …”.
• Two authors: “(Mason & Missingham, 2019)” or “Mason and Missingham (2019) …”.
• Three or more authors: “(Ewert et al., 2014)” or “Ewert et al. (2014) …” for all citations.
• Multiple works: “(Chen, 2020; García & Li, 2021)”; same author/year: “(Wang, 2019a, 2019b)”.
• Direct quotations: include page or paragraph number, e.g., “(Smith, 2022, p. 15)”.
• Group authors/organizations: first cite the full name with abbreviation, e.g., “(World Health Organization [WHO], 2020)”; thereafter “(WHO, 2020)”.
• Ensure every in-text citation has a corresponding reference list entry, and vice versa.

6. Tables

• Prepare tables as editable text, not images. Place each table on a separate page after the references (or embedded near first mention) and number consecutively as Table 1, Table 2, and so on.
• Provide a brief, self-contained title in title case above each table.
• If data are reproduced or adapted, include source and permission statements in the table note.

7. Headings

• Use a numbered hierarchy up to three levels only: 1, 1.1, and 1.1.1 (then 1.1.2, 1.1.3, and so on). Do not use a fourth level.
• Keep headings concise and parallel in structure. Ensure that the hierarchy is applied consistently throughout the manuscript.

8. Footnotes

• Footnotes in the main text are not permitted. Integrate essential material into the narrative. If absolutely necessary (e.g., legal clarifications), use endnotes sparingly; these may be relocated during production.
• Table notes are allowed and should follow APA’s “Note.” format, set in a smaller font size than the main text.

9. Symbols and Abbreviations

• Use internationally recognized symbols and SI units. Include a leading zero for decimals (e.g., 0.05).
• Typesetting conventions: italicize algebraic variables (x, y), set vectors in bold, and keep functions upright.
• Define each abbreviation at first use by writing out the full term followed by the abbreviation in parentheses; use the abbreviation thereafter. Avoid nonstandard abbreviations unless they materially improve readability.

10. Mathematics

• All mathematical expressions, symbols, and equations must be clearly and accurately typewritten using appropriate equation editors (e.g., LaTeX or Word’s Equation Editor). Expressions should be aligned and formatted exactly as they are intended to appear in the final publication.
• Use standard mathematical notation. All Greek letters, special symbols, and subscripts/superscripts must be clearly defined upon first use. Ensure consistent notation throughout the manuscript.
• Vectors should be set in boldface (e.g., x). Authors may indicate vectors in the manuscript with bold formatting or by marking with a wavy underline (if submitting in plain text). Scalars should remain in regular font, and matrices should be clearly distinguishable (often in bold capital letters).
• Number all equations that are explicitly referenced in the text. Equations should be numbered consecutively within each section, using Arabic numerals in parentheses aligned to the right margin. For example, the first equation in Section 3 should be labeled (3.1), the second as (3.2), and so forth.
• When referring to equations in the text, use the format “as shown in Equation (3.1)” or “see Eq. (3.1)”. Do not refer to equations solely by their position or context (e.g., “the formula above”).

11. References

• All cited works must be compiled into a comprehensive reference list at the end of the manuscript. References should be arranged alphabetically by the last name of the first author.
• For publications written in languages that use the Roman alphabet, retain the original title. For works in non-Roman scripts (e.g., Cyrillic, Chinese, Arabic), provide a Romanized transliteration and indicate the original language in parentheses (e.g., (in Russian), (in Chinese)).
• Include a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) for each source when available. DOIs must be formatted as https://doi.org/xxxxx.
• The journal follows APA Style (7th Edition). Please refer to the examples below:
• Book or eBook: Ewert, E. W., Mitten, D. S., & Overholt, J. R. (2014). Natural environments and human health. CAB International. https://doi.org/10.1079/9781845939199.0000
• Chapter in an Edited Book or eBook: Aron, L., Botella, M., & Lubart, T. (2019). Culinary arts: Talent and their development. In R. F. Subotnik, P. Olszewski-Kubilius, & F. C. Worrell (Eds.), The psychology of high performance: Developing human potential into domain-specific talent (pp. 345-359). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000120-016
• Journal Article from Academic Databases: Washington, E. T. (2014). An overview of cyberbullying in higher education. Adult Learning, 26(1), 21-27. https://doi.org/10.1177/1045159514558412
• Conference Proceedings Published in a Journal: Duckworth, A. L., Quirk, A., Gallop, R., Hoyle, R. H., Kelly, D. R., & Matthews, M. D. (2019). Cognitive and noncognitive predictors of success. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 116(47), 23499-23504. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1910510116
• Government Agency Report: National Cancer Institute. (2019). Taking time: Support for people with cancer (NIH Publication No. 18-2059). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/patient-education/takingtime.pdf
• Unpublished Dissertation or Thesis: Harris, L. (2014). Instructional leadership perceptions and practices of elementary school leaders [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. University of Virginia.
• Webpage with Author and Date: Bologna, C. (2019, October 31). Why some people with anxiety love watching horror movies. HuffPost. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/anxiety-love-watching-horrormovies_l_5d277587e4b02a5a5d57b59e
• Note: If the dissertation/thesis is unpublished (i.e., accessed only through a university library or repository), indicate this using square brackets. If the work is publicly available via a database (e.g., ProQuest), cite it as a published dissertation with a DOI or retrieval URL.
• Only cite credible webpages with identifiable authors and publication dates. Italicize the name of the website or online news source. Do not include retrieval dates unless the content is expected to change over time.
• For full reference guidelines, please consult the official APA site: https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/references/examples#textual-works

12. Authors’ Information

• • Authors are required to upload a separate file titled “Author Information”. The Author Information Form must provide the following information for each author: full name, institutional affiliation, ORCID iD (if available), email address, a brief biography, major area(s) of expertise or research, and any relevant funding and financial disclosures.
  • Funding and Financial Disclosures: Please disclose any grant support, fellowships, or financial contributions from individuals, institutions, or government entities that supported the research.

  Sample Format:

        Funding and Financial Disclosures: None.
  or
  Funding and Financial Disclosures: Supported by [name of funding agency], Grant No. [XXXX].

  • Author Details (listed in order of authorship): For each author, provide the full institutional affiliation, including department, university, city, and country; ORCID iD (if available); email address (institutional address preferred); a brief biography; and major area(s) of expertise or research (up to 3 keywords)

  Example Format:

  • Full Name: Author 1
  • Affiliation:Department of Information Management, Tamkang University, New Taipei City, Taiwan
  • ORCID iD: 0000-0000-0000-0000
  • E-mail: author1@tku.edu.tw
  • A brief biography:
  • Major area(s): Decision Sciences, Information Systems, Data Analytics 

• 13. Editorial Screening, Peer Review, and Research Transparency

• All submissions undergo an initial editorial screening to assess scope, basic quality, and compliance with journal policies. Manuscripts are also screened using professional similarity detection software prior to peer review. Submissions that pass screening will be evaluated through a double-blind peer-review process by at least two independent reviewers. Editorial decisions are made by the Editors based on reviewers’ reports and the academic merit of the manuscript.
• Authors are encouraged to include a Data Availability Statement describing where and how underlying data/materials can be accessed, or explaining any restrictions (e.g., privacy, confidentiality, or legal constraints). Methods, measures, and analyses should be reported transparently to support reproducibility. For studies involving human participants or personal data, authors must ensure appropriate ethical approval and compliance with applicable regulations.
• Authors must disclose any use of AI-assisted tools in the manuscript, and such tools must not replace core research activities.