Author Guidelines

JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCE AND HUMANITIES (JSSH)

School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Languages (SSHL)
Bangladesh Open University (BOU), Gazipur, Bangladesh

Submission Requirements and Author Guidelines

Online submission: https://jssh.bou.ac.bd/index.php/jssh

At a Glance

1. About JSSH and Scope

The Journal of Social Science and Humanities (JSSH) is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Languages (SSHL), Bangladesh Open University. JSSH welcomes original scholarly contributions in the social sciences, humanities, languages, education, and related interdisciplinary fields.

Areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Sociology; Political Science; Economics; Islamic Studies; Geography and Environment; Education;
• Linguistics and Languages; History; Philosophy; Anthropology; Development Studies;
• Gender Studies; International Relations; Public Administration and Governance; and
• Other related interdisciplinary fields.

All manuscripts should demonstrate a clear academic contribution and relevance to the journal’s scope.

2. Types of Manuscripts

• Original Research Articles
• Review Articles
• Theoretical or Conceptual Articles
• Scholarly/Analytical Articles

The Editorial Board reserves the right to determine whether a submission is appropriate for JSSH.

3. Originality and Exclusive Submission

• The manuscript must be original and unpublished.
• It must not be under consideration by another journal at the time of submission.
• Material previously published in whole or substantial part must be appropriately disclosed.
• Authors must disclose any significant overlap with their own previous publications.

Simultaneous submission or duplicate publication may result in rejection and further editorial action.

4. Online Submission through OJS

For the 8th Issue, all manuscripts must be submitted through the JSSH OJS platform:

https://jssh.bou.ac.bd/index.php/jssh

Authors should:

1. Register and log in to OJS.
2. Select “New Submission.”
3. Complete all required submission metadata.
4. Enter complete information for all authors, including affiliation, institutional email, and ORCID iD where available.
5. Upload the manuscript in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) format.
6. For empirical research, upload the required dataset or supporting research materials as supplementary submission files.
7. Complete the required declarations.
8. Review the submission details and confirm submission.

5. Manuscript Length, Language, and Structure

Manuscripts should normally contain 3,000–5,000 words, excluding references. Manuscripts substantially exceeding this range may be returned for revision before peer review.

Language of submission

Except for manuscripts whose primary subject matter concerns Bangla language or Bangla literature, submissions written in Bangla are strongly discouraged. Authors working in other subject areas are therefore expected to prepare their manuscripts in English.

The manuscript should normally include:

• Title
• Abstract
• Keywords
• Introduction
• Literature Review and/or Theoretical Framework
• Methodology
• Results/Findings
• Discussion
• Conclusion
• References

The structure may be adapted where appropriate to the discipline, manuscript type, and nature of the research.

6. Abstract and Keywords

Abstract

The abstract should normally contain 150–250 words and briefly present the research problem or objective, methodology, major findings, and conclusion.

Keywords

Provide 4–6 keywords that accurately represent the main subjects of the manuscript.

7. Blind Peer Review and Anonymization

JSSH follows a blind peer-review process. The manuscript file submitted for review should therefore be anonymized.

Remove identifying information from the manuscript, including:

• Author names
• Institutional affiliations
• Email addresses
• ORCID information
• Identifying acknowledgements
• Other information that may directly identify the authors

Author information should be entered separately in the OJS metadata.

8. Referencing and Citation Style

JSSH requires the American Psychological Association (APA), 7th edition, referencing and citation style.

• Every in-text citation must appear in the reference list.
• Every reference-list entry must be cited in the text.
• References must be accurate and complete.
• DOI information should be included where available.
• Direct quotations must be clearly identified and cited.

Authors are encouraged to use reference-management software such as Zotero, Mendeley, or EndNote.

9. Plagiarism, Similarity, and Text Recycling

All manuscripts will undergo plagiarism/similarity screening, normally using Turnitin or an equivalent recognized system. The overall similarity index should normally be 20% or below.

The percentage alone does not determine whether plagiarism has occurred. The Editorial Board will consider the nature, source, and extent of matched text. All borrowed ideas, quotations, data, images, tables, and other materials must be properly acknowledged.

A manuscript may be returned for revision or rejected if substantial unattributed copying, inappropriate text recycling, or other plagiarism concerns are identified.

10. Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

JSSH permits limited use of AI-assisted technologies for purposes such as language improvement, grammar checking, translation assistance, or formatting. AI must not replace the author’s intellectual contribution, scholarly judgment, research, analysis, or responsibility for the manuscript.

Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, citations, arguments, data, and conclusions of their work.

AI disclosure

Where generative AI or AI-assisted technologies have been used in preparing the manuscript, authors must disclose:

• The AI tool used
• The purpose of its use
• The part or stage of manuscript preparation in which it was used

AI tools must not:

• Be listed as an author or co-author
• Generate fabricated data, findings, references, or quotations
• Be used to conceal plagiarism
• Replace the author’s original scholarly contribution
• AI-detection score must be below 25%.

JSSH may use AI-detection tools as part of editorial screening. An AI-detection score will be treated as a screening indicator rather than conclusive evidence of misconduct. The Editorial Board may request clarification where substantial or inappropriate AI-generated content is suspected.

11. Research Ethics and Supporting Research Materials

Research involving human participants, interviews, surveys, personal data, or other ethically sensitive material must comply with applicable ethical requirements.

Where applicable, authors should report:

• Ethical approval
• Name of the ethics committee or institution
• Approval/reference number
• Informed consent

Participant privacy and confidentiality must be protected.

Research data and supporting materials

Authors of empirical research manuscripts must submit the dataset or primary research materials supporting the reported analysis at the time of manuscript submission. For quantitative research, the dataset must be provided in Microsoft Excel (.xls or .xlsx) or IBM SPSS (.sav) format. For qualitative research involving recorded data collection, the relevant original audio and/or video recordings must be submitted as supporting files. All submitted research materials must comply with applicable ethical approval, informed-consent, privacy, confidentiality, and data-protection requirements. Where identifiable recordings are involved, authors are responsible for ensuring that submission to the journal is permitted under the consent and ethical arrangements governing the study.

12. Authorship

All listed authors must have made an appropriate intellectual contribution to the manuscript and must approve the final version.

The corresponding author is responsible for:

• Ensuring that all authors approve the submission
• Providing accurate author information
• Communicating with the journal
• Responding to editorial queries

Changes in authorship after submission require an appropriate explanation and the consent of the affected authors.

13. Conflict of Interest and Funding

Authors must disclose any financial, professional, personal, or institutional relationship that could influence the research.

Where no conflict exists, authors may state: “Conflict of Interest: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.”

All sources of research funding should also be disclosed.

Where no specific funding was received, authors may state: “Funding: This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.”

14. Tables, Figures, and Copyright

Tables and figures must:

• Be numbered consecutively
• Have clear titles or captions
• Be referred to in the text
• Properly acknowledge their sources

Authors are responsible for obtaining permission where copyrighted third-party material is reproduced.

15. Editorial Screening, Peer Review, and Publication Ethics

All submissions are subject to initial editorial screening before peer review. A manuscript may be returned or rejected if it falls outside the journal’s scope, fails to meet basic submission requirements, substantially exceeds the word limit, raises plagiarism/similarity or ethical concerns, is inadequately prepared for academic review, or has been submitted simultaneously elsewhere.

Manuscripts that pass initial screening will normally undergo blind peer review. Possible editorial decisions include:

• Accept
• Minor Revision
• Major Revision
• Revise and Resubmit
• Reject

Passing initial screening does not guarantee publication.

JSSH does not tolerate plagiarism, fabrication or falsification, duplicate publication, simultaneous submission, citation manipulation, authorship manipulation, undisclosed conflicts of interest, unethical research practices, or inappropriate/undisclosed use of AI. Where misconduct is suspected, the Editorial Board may investigate and take appropriate action, including rejection, withdrawal, correction, or retraction.

16. Submission Checklist and Author Declaration

Pre-submission checklist

☐  The manuscript is original, unpublished, and not under consideration elsewhere.

☐  The manuscript falls within the scope of JSSH.

☐  The manuscript contains approximately 3,000–5,000 words, excluding references.

☐  The manuscript is submitted in editable Microsoft Word format.

☐  The manuscript language complies with JSSH policy: Bangla submissions are strongly discouraged except for manuscripts primarily concerning Bangla language or Bangla literature.

☐  The manuscript has been anonymized for blind peer review.

☐  The abstract is 150–250 words and 4–6 keywords are provided.

☐  APA 7th edition has been followed consistently.

☐  All in-text citations and reference-list entries correspond, and DOI information is included where available.

☐  The similarity index is normally 20% or below, and all borrowed material is properly acknowledged.

☐  AI use, where applicable, has been disclosed. AI-detection score must be below 25%.

☐  Ethical approval and informed consent are addressed where applicable.

☐  For empirical research, the required dataset or supporting materials have been uploaded: Excel/SPSS for quantitative research and relevant audio/video recordings for qualitative research involving recorded data collection, as applicable.

☐  Funding and conflict-of-interest information have been provided.

☐  All authors have approved the manuscript and submission.

☐  All required OJS metadata and declarations have been completed.

Author declaration

By submitting a manuscript to JSSH, the corresponding author confirms on behalf of all authors that:

1. The manuscript is original and has not been published elsewhere.
2. It is not simultaneously under consideration by another journal.
3. All authors have approved the manuscript and agree to its submission.
4. The research and manuscript comply with applicable ethical requirements.
5. All sources have been appropriately cited.
6. Any relevant use of AI-assisted technologies has been disclosed.
7. The authors accept responsibility for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of the manuscript.

17. Final Editorial Authority

Submission of a manuscript does not guarantee publication. The Editorial Board of JSSH reserves the right to interpret and apply these requirements, request revisions, conduct additional screening, and make the final decision regarding the suitability and publication of any manuscript.