Instructions for Authors

Voice of Academia (VoA) upholds high standards of publication ethics, transparency, and academic integrity. All manuscripts must comply with internationally recognised guidelines, including the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices. Submissions must be original, properly cited, free from plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification and redundant publication, and must meet the journal’s requirements for structure, clarity, and methodological rigor.

COPE Core Practices: https://publicationethics.org/core-practices

1. Language and General Requirements

1.1 Language Standards

Authors must submit manuscripts in clear and professional academic English. Authors are responsible for ensuring linguistic accuracy prior to submission. It is strongly recommended that manuscripts be proofread by a qualified language editor before submission. Non-discriminatory language must be used at all times; sexist, racist, or biased terminology is strictly prohibited.

1.2 Author Information Requirements

Authors must provide complete and accurate information, including:

  • Full name (without academic titles such as Dr., Prof.)
  • Institutional affiliation where the research was conducted
  • Full institutional address
  • Email address
  • ORCID iD (strongly recommended)

One author must be designated as the corresponding author, responsible for submission, communication with the journal, and approval of all revisions and publication decisions.

2. Article Types and Publication Integrity

2.1 Accepted Manuscript Types

VoA accepts the following scholarly contributions:

  • Empirical research articles
  • Case studies
  • Conceptual papers
  • Theoretical papers
  • Literature reviews

All submissions must be original, unpublished, and not under consideration elsewhere.

2.2 Use of Previously Published Material

If any previously published material (e.g., figures, tables, images) is included, authors must:

  • Clearly declare this within the manuscript
  • Obtain written permission from copyright holders
  • Provide supporting documentation upon request

3. Article Structure Requirements

Manuscripts must follow a clear and logical structure to ensure consistency, readability, and indexing compliance.

3.1 Title and Authorship

The title must be concise, informative, and reflective of the study’s content. Author names must be written in full without academic titles, accompanied by complete institutional affiliations.

3.2 Abstract (Maximum 300 words)

The abstract must be a single paragraph and include:

  • Research aim(s)
  • Methodology
  • Theoretical or conceptual framework
  • Key findings
  • Research contribution

The abstract must:

  • Contain no citations
  • Avoid undefined abbreviations
  • Be self-contained and understandable independently

3.3 Keywords

Authors must provide 3 to 6 keywords that reflect the core concepts of the study and support indexing and discoverability.

3.4 Introduction

The introduction must clearly present:

  • Research background and context
  • Problem statement and research gap
  • Rationale and significance of the study
  • Research objectives

It may also include theoretical grounding, prior studies, and operational definitions of key variables.

3.5 Literature Review

The literature review must:

  • Critically analyse and synthesise relevant literature
  • Identify trends and developments in the field
  • Establish the research gap and theoretical foundation

Requirements:

  • Minimum 10–15 relevant scholarly sources
  • Preferably recent publications (within the last 10 years)
  • APA 7th edition in-text citations required

3.6 Research Method

The methodology must be written in past tense and include:

  • Research design
  • Population and sampling technique
  • Sample size
  • Data collection methods
  • Research instruments
  • Data analysis procedures

The method must be sufficiently detailed to allow replication.

3.7 Findings and Discussion

Findings and discussion must be presented in a combined section.

  • Findings must be presented objectively based on data analysis
  • Discussion must interpret findings in relation to literature and theory
  • The structure must follow the sequence of research objectives
  • The section must conclude with a synthesis addressing the main research question

3.8 Conclusion, Implications, and Recommendations

The conclusion must:

  • Directly address the research objectives
  • Explain theoretical and practical contributions
  • Provide implications and recommendations
  • Include limitations and directions for future research
  • Avoid repetition of the abstract or results

4. Author Declaration Section (Mandatory)

This section must be placed after the conclusion and before the references.

4.1 Mandatory Declarations

Ethical Compliance Statement
The authors confirm that the study complies with COPE guidelines and all applicable institutional and national research ethics requirements.

Conflict of Interest
Authors must declare any conflicts of interest or state: “The authors declare no conflict of interest.”

Funding Statement
Authors must state funding sources or declare: “This research received no external funding.”

Author Responsibility Statement
All authors confirm that the manuscript is original, not published elsewhere, not under consideration by another journal, and that all authors approve the final version.

4.2 Conditional Declarations (if applicable)

  • Ethics approval (with committee name and reference number)
  • Informed consent statement

If not applicable, authors must state “Not applicable.”

4.3 Recommended Declarations

  • Author Contributions (CRediT taxonomy)
  • Data Availability Statement
  • AI Tools Disclosure (if used)
  • Acknowledgements (if applicable)

If none apply, authors must state “Not applicable.”

5. References

References must follow APA 7th edition style. Authors are responsible for ensuring accuracy and consistency.

Requirements:

  • Minimum 15 references
  • At least 80% must be primary scholarly sources
  • Preference for recent publications (last 5 years where possible)
  • All in-text citations must appear in the reference list and vice versa

6. Compliance Statement

Authors must ensure full compliance with all instructions prior to submission. Manuscripts that do not follow these requirements may be returned without review. Voice of Academia (VoA) adheres to the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing and aligns its editorial, peer review, licensing, and publication ethics policies with international standards, including COPE guidelines.