Guidelines for Author

New Manuscript Submission

By submitting a manuscript to the Mindanao Journal, authors confirm that:

The work has not been previously published in any form, whether in print or online.
The manuscript is not under consideration for publication elsewhere.
All co-authors (if any) and the responsible authorities at the affiliated institution have approved its submission.

The Mindanao Journal and its publisher shall not be held legally responsible for any claims arising from disputes related to authorship, prior publication, or intellectual property rights. Manuscripts should be submitted through the Mindanao Journal's online submission system (log-in to submit). New users must first register before submitting their work. Upon registration, an email confirmation will be sent—please check your spam folder if it does not appear in your inbox.

Permission

Authors who wish to include figures, tables, or text passages from previously published sources must obtain written permission from the copyright holder(s) for both print and online formats. Proof of such permission must be submitted along with the manuscript. Any material submitted without proper documentation will be assumed to be the authors' original work./p

Preparation of Manuscripts

File Format

Manuscripts must be submitted in Portable Document Format (.pdf). Authors are required to use the official journal template, which can be downloaded via the following link: [Template] (Right-click and select Save As).

Manuscript Structure

Submissions should follow the standard structure below:

Abstract
Introduction
Materials and Methods
Results
Discussion
Conclusion
Acknowledgment (optional)
References

Manuscripts should not exceed 13 pages (excluding references and acknowledgment). Use Candara, 12-point font size, single-spaced formatting.

The abstract should succinctly summarize the main substance of the article. It must be self-contained and understandable without referring to the rest of the paper. The total length should not exceed 250 words.

Introduction: This section should clearly state the research problem and provide a concise review of relevant literature to contextualize the study. It should highlight previous findings, identify research gaps or challenges, and describe the study's hypothesis. Additionally, it should explain the significance of the research and its contribution to the field.

Materials and Methods: This section should provide a clear and detailed description of the methods or treatments applied in the study, ensuring that the procedures can be replicated by other researchers. Established methods should be properly cited, while new techniques must be described in detail.

Results: This section should present a concise summary of the study’s main findings. Where appropriate, data should be organized into tables and graphs for clarity.

Discussion: The discussion should interpret the study’s findings and compare them with relevant literature. The implications of the results should be examined in the broadest context possible, emphasizing their significance in relation to the research objectives.

Conclusion: This section should summarize the key findings and their relevance to the study’s objectives. It should provide a clear and concise take-home message without introducing new information.

References/Citation in Text: In-text citations should be placed in square brackets [ ] and positioned before punctuation (e.g., [1], [1–3], or [1,3]). The reference list should follow the appropriate format based on the type of work cited.

Bibliography (APA Format)

Journal Articles Author 1, A. B., Author 2, C. D. (Year). Title of the article. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), page range. https://doi.org/xxxx

Books and Book Chapters< br>Author 1, A., & Author 2, B. (Year). Book Title (3rd ed.). Publisher.
Author 1, A., Author 2, B. (Year). Title of the chapter. In A. Editor & B. Editor (Eds.),
Book Title (2nd ed., Vol. 3, pp. 154–196). Publisher.

Unpublished Work, Submitted Work, and Personal Communication/
Author 1, A. B., & Author 2, C. (Year). Title of Unpublished Work (Unpublished manuscript).
Author 1, A. B., & Author 2, C. (Year). Title of Work. Journal Name (Under review / Accepted / In press).
Author 1, A. B. (Institution, City, Country), & Author 2, C. (Institution, City, Country). (Year). Personal communication.

Conference Proceedings
Author 1, A. B., Author 2, C. D., & Author 3, E. F. (Year). Title of presentation. In Title of the Collected Work (if available), Proceedings of the [Conference Name], Location, Country, Date of Conference (pp. xx–xx). Publisher.

Thesis / Dissertation
Author 1, A. B. (Year). Title of thesis (Level of Thesis). Degree-Granting University, Location.

Websites
Title of Site. (Year). Available online: URL (Accessed on Day Month Year). Note: Since websites may change or disappear, authors are encouraged to create an archive of cited web sources.

Tables and Figures

Figures include all drawings, maps, graphs, and photographs, while Tables are used for charts and tabular data (both qualitative and quantitative).
Figures should be in actual size, in either color or grayscale, and must have a resolution of at least 1000 pixels width/height or 300 dpi. Submit figures in a zip file if necessary.
Use Times New Roman (12 pt) for text within figures, ensuring lines are at least 1.00 mm thick. Axes must be labeled with numerical scales and measured quantities (with units).
If multiple images compose a single figure, arrange them in the preferred layout before submission.
Tables should be created using the Table option in Microsoft Word. Each table column must have an explanatory heading, with a font size of at least 8 pt.
Placement: Insert Figures and Tables into the main text near their first citation. Each must be numbered sequentially (e.g., Figure 1, Figure 2, Table 1, Table 2) and include a short explanatory title and caption.

Abbreviations

Define all abbreviations upon their first appearance in the abstract, main text, and figure/table captions.

Equations

Use the built-in Microsoft Equation Editor in Microsoft Word for creating editable mathematical expressions.

Refereeing and Editing

A manuscript received by the journal undergoes first screening (pre-review) by the Editor-in-Chief for basic science and format. If extensive corrections are required (e.g., to bring the manuscript into the predefined template), manuscripts are returned to the author for revision prior to being sent out for review. Referees are chosen by the Editor-in-Chief or by associate editors. The manuscript is then sent to at least two reviewers in a double-blind review process if found sufficient in form.

Proof and Reprints

Galley proofs will be sent to the corresponding author along with the Copyright Form. It is the author’s responsibility to carefully read the proofs and return them promptly to the Managing Editor within 72 hours of receipt. Authors must also address any questions raised by the technical editor. Corrected proofs will be uploaded to the journal’s website and tagged as “article in press” until final issue and page assignments are made by the editorial team.

Publication Ethics

Authors are expected to adhere to the code of conduct and best practice guidelines set by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). For further details, please refer to their website: https://publicationethics.org.

English Editing

To ensure that your manuscript can be accurately assessed by editors and reviewers, it is important that the English language is of sufficient quality for understanding. Authors should consider the following options:

Asking a colleague who is a native English speaker to review the manuscript for clarity.
Visiting the English language tutorial to address common writing mistakes
Using a professional language editing service, where editors will improve the English to ensure that the meaning is clear and will highlight areas that may require further review.

Privacy Statement

The names and email addresses entered in this journal’s site will be used solely for the purposes of this journal. They will not be made available for any other purpose or to any third party.