Author Guidelines For Submissions to OJSSR

Thank you for considering OJSSR for your research submission. Please follow the guidelines below to ensure your manuscript is suitable for peer review and publication. The whole process may take 1-2 months.

Manuscript Length

  • Word Count: 5,000 – 10,000 words (approx. 8–20 pages)
  • Includes: Abstract, References, tables, and figures

Formatting Requirements

 

  • Font: 12 - point, Times New Roman (or similar)
  • Spacing: Single-spaced
  • Margins: 1 inch on all sides
  • File Types: DOC or DOCX (MS Word or similar)

Style and Structure

  • Follow MLA, APA, or Chicago Style (latest editions) for citations and references (but making sure to keep the one chosen format consistent throughout the manuscript)
  • Organize your manuscript using clear section headings and subheadings
  • Write clearly and concisely for an interdisciplinary readership

Content

  • Abstract
    • Summary of research (300 to 500 words) and 4 to 8 keywords
  • Introduction
    • Background and goal of research/study (700 to 1000 words)
  • Method(s)
    • Process, or approach; in past tense
    • Must include subheadings 
  • Results, Figures/Tables (text and 4 to 6 figures/tables). Or tables for literature reviews.
    • Embed all figures, graphs, and tables within the body of the manuscript 
    • Include alt-text descriptions for all visuals to ensure accessibility
    • Must include subheadings 
  • Discussion
    • Analysis, and/or evaluation, conclusion, limitation(s) and future studies (or recommendations)
  • References
    • Minimum 15 references both primary and secondary articles
  • Supplementary Figures (optional)
    • Any extra figures or tables that you do not include in the main results section

The paper can be formatted in any acceptable citation style (MLA, APA, and Chicago) but making sure to keep the chosen format consistent throughout the manuscript. 

How to Submit

Submit your manuscript electronically via our journal platform: https://openpublishing.library.umass.edu/ojssr/submit/start/.

You will be prompted to login to the journal before you can complete your submission.

Click here to submit.

After Submission Workflow

  • Author submits article
  • Executive Editors accept or reject article based on alignment of submission with OJSSR guidelines and 
  • Two to three peer reviewers perform review
  • Author revises article
  • Copy Editor manages copyediting
  • Author reviews copy edits
  • Typesetter Editor manages typesetting, typesetter creates proofs
  • Author reviews proofs, typesetter corrects proofs
  • Publishing Editor publishes article