Author Guidelines for Article Preparation

Authors must submit their articles electronically through the journal's submission system to the editorial office:

• Website: http://saba.journals.miu.ac.ir/
• Email:    saba.journals@miu.ac.ir
• Phone:   +98 25 3211 4175
• Fax:       +98 25 3261 3875
• Address: Al-Mustafa Open University, Between Alleys 4 and 6, South Sahali Street, Qom, Iran.

Submission Process

New Submission Regulations

• Authors may submit the article as a single Word file for the review process.

Contact Information for Submission

• For special issue submissions, please contact the editor or assistant editor.
• Do not submit via the Saba Research Journal online system unless specifically instructed.

Before You Begin

Publication Ethics

• The ethical policies of Saba Research Journal are based on the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines and align with the standards of the international editorial board.
• All readers, authors, reviewers, and editors must adhere to these ethical policies.
• Publication decisions are based on evaluations by reviewers and editorial board members. The editor may consult other editors or reviewers during this process.
• Reviewers must evaluate articles confidentially, based solely on scientific content, and provide constructive feedback to enhance quality.
• Authors must ensure that submitted articles are original, unpublished in any language, and comply with copyright laws. Plagiarism is considered unethical and unacceptable.
• For more information, visit: http://publicationethics.org.

Peer Review Process

• To maintain scientific review integrity, authors are encouraged to actively participate in evaluating others' articles.
• All submitted articles undergo at least one round of peer review.
• Saba Research Journal uses a double-blind peer review system, where the identities of authors and reviewers are concealed.

Steps After Submission:

1. Immediate notification to the editorial office.
2. Initial quality check.
3. Assignment to at least two specialized reviewers.
4. Final decision based on reviewer feedback.

Possible Review Outcomes:

• Acceptance without revisions: The article is accepted as is.
• Acceptance with minor revisions: The article may or may not be sent for re-review after minor changes.
• Acceptance with major revisions: The article requires significant revisions and will be re-reviewed.
• Rejection: The article is deemed unsuitable for publication.

Authors are reminded that adherence to these guidelines and constructive participation in the review process enhances the quality of scientific publications.

Double-Blind Review Guidelines

• Authors must prepare their manuscripts to ensure anonymity.

Required Information for the Title Page:

• Full article title.
• Full names and institutional affiliations of all authors.
• Complete address, phone number, and email of the corresponding author.

Preparing an Anonymous Manuscript:

• Use third-person language (e.g., "As shown in previous research [Anonymous, 2016]").
• Remove identifiers from figures, charts, and file properties.
• Omit acknowledgments and funding sources.
• Replace self-citations with "[Anonymous, Year]" in the text and references.
• Ensure no identifying metadata remains in the document.

Important Notes:

• Limit self-citations to strictly relevant works.
• Do not omit essential references to prior work.
• Apply all changes before submitting to the review system.

Manuscript Preparation

Formatting Requirements:

• Articles must be written exclusively in Persian, with correct grammar and appropriate scientific terminology.
• Use Lotus font, size 13.
• Manuscripts should be in Word format, single-column, with 3 cm margins on all sides.
• Each article receives a unique ID; duplicate submissions may lead to rejection.
• Include a cover letter with the article title and author names.

Writing in Azerbaijani:

• All publications are in Azerbaijani.
• Non-native speakers must ensure linguistic accuracy and fluency.
• The journal does not provide editing services; authors are advised to seek professional editing before submission.

New Submissions:

• Submit articles entirely online.
• Upload as a single Word file (.doc or .docx).
• Include all figures, tables, and supplementary data in the main file.
• Length: 8–20 pages (2000–5000 words).

References and Citations:

• Format references according to Saba Research Journal’s specific guidelines.
• Include for each source:
  • Author name(s)
  • Year of publication
  • Article/book title
  • Chapter title (if applicable)
  • Volume/issue number
  • Page numbers
  • Hyperlink for each reference.
• In-text citations must be highlighted in blue and in plain text (no Track Changes).

Structural Requirements:
Articles must include the following sections:

1. Abstract
2. Keywords (5–7 words)
3. Introduction
4. Theoretical Framework
5. Literature Review
6. Research Method
7. Article Content
8. Conclusion
9. Acknowledgments
10. Funding Sources
11. Author Contributions
12. Conflict of Interest
13. References

Note:

• All tables, charts, and supplementary data must be included in the main file.
• Adherence to scientific and ethical standards is mandatory.

Submission and Required Declarations

Author Commitments:

• Originality: Authors must confirm that the submitted work is original, unpublished, and not under review elsewhere.
• Copyright: Written permission must be obtained for use of copyrighted materials.
• Required Forms:
  • Complete and submit the Authorship Confirmation Form for all authors.
  • The corresponding author must specify each author’s contribution.
• Acknowledgments: Individuals who contributed but do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged, with their role clearly described.

Article Verification:

• The article must not have been previously published.
• If similar articles exist (e.g., using overlapping data), provide copies at submission.

Article Structure:

• Title
• Abstract (in three parts: Topic/Objectives, Methods/Findings, Conclusion)
• Keywords (5–7 words)
• Introduction
• Conceptual Framework
• Literature Review
• Research Method
• Article Content
• Conclusion
• Acknowledgments
• Funding Sources
• Author Contributions
• Conflict of Interest
• Open Access Statement
• References

Important Notes:

• Authors are responsible for the accuracy of the data.
• The article must include sufficient resources for reproducibility.
• The publisher is not liable for potential claims.

Required Files for Submission

Six essential files must be submitted via the article submission system:

1. Main Manuscript File(without author names)
2. Title Page(in specified format)
3. Authorship Form(signed by all authors)
4. Conflict of Interest Form(signed by the corresponding author)
5. Covering Letter
6. Copyright Agreement Form

    To access the paper template, please visit:

    To access the forms, please visit:

Learn about the publication process and how to submit your manuscript. If you have not registered yet, please click on: Register. After successfully registering, you should have a username and password. If you already have a username and password, please Login.

Title Page:

• Author name(s)
• Article title (concise and clear)
• Institutional affiliation and address
• Email, phone, and fax of the corresponding author

Ensure all information is accurate and complete to facilitate efficient processing.

Manuscript Title

• Avoid including locations, countries, or cities related to the research.
• Do not use abbreviations or complex technical phrases.
• The title should be clear and unambiguous.

Abstract

• Length: 200–300 words.
• Include: Topic/Objectives, Methods/Findings, Conclusion.
• Avoid undefined abbreviations and references.

Keywords

• 5–7 keywords.
• Should not duplicate the article title.
• No abbreviations.
• List in alphabetical order, separated by semicolons.

Introduction

• Define the background and importance of the topic.
• Review prior research.
• Identify knowledge gaps.
• State research objectives and methods.
• Ensure clarity for non-specialist readers.
• Avoid lengthy literature discussions.
• Clearly state hypotheses.

Theoretical Framework

• Define key concepts.
• Describe conceptual dimensions and features.
• Examine the historical context of the topic.
• Support with authoritative sources.
• Ensure brevity and comprehensiveness.
• Establish logical connections between concepts.

Literature Review

• Present relevant prior research and scientific works.
• Explore diverse information sources to understand the topic comprehensively.
• Identify practical applications of the current research.

Article Content

• This is the main body of the article, addressing research questions in detail.
• Use internal headings to enhance logical flow and coherence.
• Subheadings may address subsidiary questions.

Conclusion

• Summarize the work performed.
• Briefly describe findings.
• Discuss contentious points.
• Highlight innovations.
• Mention research limitations.
• Suggest future research directions.
• Minimum length: Half a page.
• No references.

Acknowledgments

• Keep very brief.
• Thank individuals and mention financial support (with grant numbers if applicable).

Author Contributions

• All authors must accept general responsibility for the content.
• Single-author articles: "All stages of study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, and article writing were performed by the author."
• Multi-author articles: Specify contributions (e.g., study design, data collection, analysis, drafting). All authors must approve the final version.

Funding Sources

• Disclose any financial support.
• Include full names of funding organizations and grant numbers (if applicable).

Conflict of Interest

• A conflict of interest occurs when professional judgment is influenced by secondary interests (e.g., financial gain).
• Authors must complete the conflict of interest disclosure form.
• Include the following statement in the article:
  "The authors declare no potential conflicts of interest related to the publication of this work. Furthermore, ethical issues including plagiarism, informed consent, misconduct, data fabrication, duplicate publication, and redundancy have been fully observed by the authors."

References and Citations

• Follow APA citation style.
• List references alphabetically and then chronologically.
• Write references in Azerbaijani.
• Use sources from the last ten years.
• Ensure all in-text citations are included in the reference list.
• Use reference management software like Endnote.

Self-Citation Guidelines:

• Avoid first-person pronouns with citations (e.g., use "As Miller (2020) showed" instead of "As we showed (Miller, 2020)").
• Minimize citations to unpublished or in-press works.
• Avoid excessive self-citation that may reveal identity.

Authorship Conditions

• All authors must meet authorship criteria.
• Author order should be agreed upon by all authors.
• Authorship credit is based on substantial contribution to study design, execution, or data analysis/interpretation.
• All authors must read and approve the final manuscript.
• For detailed authorship criteria, visit: https://saba.journals.miu.ac.ir/page_190.html?lang=en

Copyright

• Saba Research Journal is published under an open access policy.
• Accepted articles are freely accessible to the public.
• Authors must sign a copyright transfer form.
• The journal uses the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
• This license allows use, distribution, adaptation, and reproduction with proper attribution.

Plagiarism

• Close imitation of others' ideas and phrases.
• Copying of ideas.
• Structural similarities in text.
• Attribution of others' ideas and results without proper reference.
• The journal uses Samim Noorsoftware to detect plagiarism.
• Adherence to ethical principles in research and publication is paramount.