Manuscript Types

JESS | AUTHOR INFORMATION AND SUBMISSION POLICY

Manuscript Types

JESS (Journal of Education on Social Science) publishes scholarly manuscripts that contribute to theoretical advancement, empirical understanding, and evidence-informed practices in social science education, educational policy, public administration, public management, governance, and related interdisciplinary fields. The journal welcomes original and academically rigorous contributions that demonstrate clear relevance to its aims and scope.

TYPES OF MANUSCRIPTS

01. Research Article

Original empirical research or theoretically grounded studies presenting new scientific findings, explanations, models, or conceptual contributions.

02. Literature Review

Critical and methodologically transparent syntheses of existing scholarship that identify research developments, theoretical patterns, knowledge gaps, and opportunities for future investigation.

1. General Manuscript Requirements

All manuscripts submitted to JESS must demonstrate scholarly originality, scientific relevance, methodological appropriateness, and a clearly articulated contribution to knowledge. Manuscripts should address research questions or scholarly problems that fall within the journal's disciplinary scope.

Irrespective of manuscript type, submissions should:

Present a clearly defined research problem or scholarly objective;
Demonstrate relevance to the aims and scope of JESS;
Engage critically with relevant and credible scholarly literature;
Identify the theoretical, empirical, methodological, or practical contribution of the study;
Apply research methods or analytical approaches appropriate to the stated objectives;
Present coherent arguments supported by verifiable evidence;
Provide conclusions consistent with the analysis and findings;
Follow appropriate standards of academic writing, citation, and research integrity;
Comply with the journal's Author Guidelines and applicable publication ethics policies.

The editorial team evaluates each submission according to its scholarly quality, methodological rigor, relevance, originality, and suitability for the selected manuscript category. Compliance with formatting requirements does not guarantee acceptance for publication.

2. Research Article

MANUSCRIPT TYPE 01

Original Research and Theoretical Contributions

A Research Article presents original scholarly research that generates new empirical findings, theoretical explanations, analytical models, or meaningful contributions to existing knowledge. Research Articles should address clearly formulated research problems and employ appropriate and transparent research procedures.

JESS welcomes Research Articles using quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods approaches. The journal also considers theoretically grounded research that makes a substantial conceptual or explanatory contribution, provided the manuscript demonstrates analytical depth, engagement with relevant literature, and a clearly established scholarly contribution.

2.1. Research Approaches

Research Articles may employ approaches such as:

Quantitative and survey-based research;
Qualitative research and interpretive inquiry;
Mixed-methods research;
Case studies and comparative case analyses;
Experimental and quasi-experimental research;
Policy analysis and program evaluation;
Institutional, organizational, and governance studies;
Participatory and action-oriented research;
Theoretically grounded conceptual or explanatory analyses.

The choice of research approach must be justified by the research objectives and the nature of the problem being investigated. Authors should clearly explain the research design, data sources, analytical techniques, and limitations relevant to their study.

2.2. Recommended Manuscript Structure

Section	Expected Content
Title	A concise and informative statement of the research focus.
Abstract	A concise account of the objective, methodology, principal findings, and contribution.
Keywords	Relevant terms representing the main concepts and disciplinary focus of the research.
Introduction	Background, research problem, relevant literature, research gap, objectives, and contribution.
Literature and Theory	Critical discussion of established theories, concepts, and previous findings relevant to the research.
Methodology	Research design, setting, participants or data sources, sampling, instruments, procedures, analytical techniques, and ethical considerations.
Results	Clear presentation of findings supported by appropriate evidence, tables, figures, or qualitative material.
Discussion	Interpretation of findings in relation to research questions, theory, previous studies, and broader implications.
Conclusion	Evidence-based conclusions, scholarly contributions, limitations, and relevant implications.
References	Accurate and complete bibliographic information for all cited works.
Declarations	Funding, competing interests, author contributions, and applicable ethical or data availability statements.

This structure is recommended rather than universally prescriptive. Authors may adapt section organization where justified by the research tradition or methodology, provided the manuscript remains coherent, transparent, and compliant with the official journal template.

3. Literature Review

MANUSCRIPT TYPE 02

Critical Review and Research Synthesis

A Literature Review critically examines, evaluates, and synthesizes existing scholarly publications to advance understanding of a defined research topic. A review manuscript should go beyond a descriptive summary of previous studies and provide an original synthesis, interpretation, conceptual clarification, or research agenda.

Literature Review manuscripts should identify the current state of knowledge, examine theoretical and methodological developments, evaluate agreements and disagreements across studies, and clarify areas requiring further investigation.

3.1. Review Approaches

Depending on their research questions and methodological justification, Literature Reviews may employ approaches including:

Critical or Integrative Literature Review

Evaluates and integrates theoretical and empirical literature to develop new interpretations, conceptual insights, or integrative explanations.

Systematic Literature Review

Uses a predefined, transparent, and reproducible methodology for identifying, selecting, appraising where appropriate, and synthesizing relevant studies.

Scoping Review

Maps the breadth, characteristics, concepts, and evidence available within a research field while identifying knowledge gaps and directions for further research.

Bibliometric or Scientometric Review

Analyzes scholarly publication patterns, citation relationships, intellectual structures, and thematic developments using transparent bibliometric methods, with substantive interpretation of the field.

These are methodological approaches within the Literature Review category, not additional manuscript types independently established by JESS. The suitability of a particular review approach depends on its relevance to the journal, scholarly contribution, and compliance with editorial requirements.

3.2. Recommended Manuscript Structure

Section	Expected Content
Title and Abstract	Clear identification of the review topic, approach, principal findings, and contribution.
Introduction	Background, rationale, review objectives, research questions, and significance of the topic.
Review Methodology	Literature sources, search or selection procedures, inclusion criteria, analytical methods, and limitations appropriate to the review approach.
Results or Synthesis	Patterns, research themes, theoretical developments, empirical relationships, and relevant evidence emerging from the literature.
Discussion	Critical interpretation of the synthesis, unresolved debates, theoretical implications, and knowledge gaps.
Conclusion	Major contributions, limitations of the review, and directions for future research.
References	Complete and accurate references for the literature reviewed and cited.
Supplementary Material	Search strategies, screening records, coding frameworks, or other supporting documentation where appropriate.

3.3. Methodological Transparency

Literature Review manuscripts should provide sufficient information for readers to understand how the literature was identified, selected, evaluated, and synthesized. The level and form of methodological detail should correspond to the review approach.

Authors conducting systematic reviews are encouraged to follow reporting guidance appropriate to their research design, such as PRISMA 2020, where relevant. Scoping reviews may use the PRISMA extension for scoping reviews. These reporting frameworks support transparent reporting but do not replace critical interpretation or methodological justification.

Bibliometric reviews should report their data sources, retrieval dates, search strategies, document selection procedures, data-cleaning methods, analytical indicators, and relevant software. Bibliometric mapping alone is insufficient unless the manuscript clearly interprets the findings and demonstrates their scholarly significance.

4. Scholarly Contribution and Quality Standards

JESS considers the scientific contribution of a manuscript to be more important than the mere application of a particular research technique or the volume of material analyzed.

Assessment Criteria	Expected Standards
Originality	A clearly identified contribution beyond existing knowledge.
Theoretical Relevance	Appropriate engagement with relevant theories and concepts.
Methodological Rigor	Appropriate, transparent, and defensible research procedures.
Analytical Quality	Critical interpretation supported by relevant evidence.
Research Integrity	Accuracy, appropriate attribution, and transparent declarations.
Journal Relevance	Substantive connection to the disciplinary scope of JESS.

Research Articles and Literature Reviews are evaluated using criteria appropriate to their respective purposes and methods. A manuscript should not be considered scientifically strong solely because it contains a large dataset, numerous references, complex statistical models, or extensive bibliometric visualizations.

5. Manuscripts Outside the Journal's Scope

JESS may decline manuscripts that do not demonstrate sufficient relevance, scholarly contribution, methodological quality, or alignment with the journal's publication objectives.

Examples of submissions that may be considered unsuitable include:

Manuscripts unrelated to the journal's aims and scope;
Purely descriptive reports without adequate analytical or scholarly contribution;
Opinion pieces lacking a sufficiently developed scholarly foundation;
Literature summaries without critical analysis or synthesis;
Technical reports without a substantive social science or educational contribution;
Previously published or simultaneously submitted manuscripts that violate publication ethics;
Manuscripts containing fabricated evidence, falsified findings, or inappropriate attribution.

Editorial suitability is evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Authors should not assume that a subject, methodology, or manuscript format is eligible for publication solely because related topics have appeared in previous issues.

6. Manuscript Preparation and Submission

Authors should identify the appropriate manuscript category before submission and prepare their manuscripts in accordance with the official JESS Author Guidelines and applicable manuscript template.

Requirements concerning manuscript length, abstract format, keywords, reference style, tables, figures, supplementary materials, and other technical elements are governed by the journal's current Author Guidelines. This page does not establish separate numerical limits for those requirements.

Authors must accurately report their research methods, sources of evidence, authorship contributions, funding arrangements, competing interests, and ethical approvals or consent procedures where applicable.

Manuscripts should be submitted through the official JESS Online Journal Systems platform. The editorial team may request corrections or clarification if a manuscript has been assigned to an inappropriate category.

7. Editorial Screening and Peer Review

All submitted manuscripts undergo initial editorial assessment to determine their relevance, completeness, originality, and suitability for further evaluation.

Manuscripts that satisfy the journal's preliminary requirements may proceed to blind peer review in accordance with the official Peer Review Process. Reviewers evaluate each manuscript in relation to its scholarly objectives, research methodology, analytical rigor, theoretical contribution, and publication ethics requirements.

The final decision to accept, request revision, or reject a manuscript rests with the journal's editorial leadership. Manuscript classification does not create an entitlement to peer review or publication.

8. Manuscript Types at a Glance

Research Article: Original empirical or theoretically grounded research presenting a clear new contribution.

Literature Review: Critical synthesis of existing research to develop new understanding, identify gaps, or advance conceptual and theoretical discussions.

Scope: Social science education, public administration, public management, governance, policy studies, and relevant interdisciplinary fields.

Editorial Requirement: Originality, research integrity, methodological rigor, scholarly relevance, and compliance with official journal guidelines.