Publishing Terms

Publication Guidelines for Al-Manara Journal for Research and Studies – Educational and Psychological Sciences Series

Al al-Bayt University – Jordan

manara.ed@aabu.edu.jo

First: Definition, Objectives, and Scope of the Series

Definition of the Series

The fourth series of the Al-Manara Journal for Research and Studies, published quarterly in four issues per year in both electronic and print formats, under the supervision of the Deanship of Scientific Research at Al al-Bayt University, in accordance with internationally recognized standards.

The series is dedicated to publishing original and innovative scientific research of sound scientific and academic value in terms of content and language, written in either Arabic or English, covering various fields of educational and psychological sciences.

The series is managed by an independent specialized international scientific editorial board, in addition to a highly competent advisory board with extensive expertise in research publication and peer review.

Objectives of the Journal

The journal aims to:

Publish original scientific research in the fields of educational sciences and psychology.
Support theoretical and applied studies of scientific value.
Contribute to the development of educational and psychological practices.
Enhance scientific communication among researchers locally and internationally in relevant fields.

Scope of Publication

The journal publishes research in the following fields:

Educational Psychology.
Special Education.
Educational Administration and Foundations of Education.
Psychological Counseling.
Educational and Psychological Measurement and Evaluation.
Early Childhood.
Educational Technology.
Curricula and Teaching Methods.
Physical Education.

Second: Publication Requirements

Submitted research papers must meet the following requirements:

The research must be original and provide a clear scientific contribution.
The research must not have been previously published or submitted for publication in another journal.
The topic of the research must fall within the scope and disciplines of the series.
The research must comply with scientific methodology and research ethics.
The research must follow the APA citation and referencing style, 5th edition, as adopted by the journal.
The research will undergo an initial editorial screening and scientific peer review.
The authors bear full scientific responsibility for the content and originality of the research.
A list of sources and references must be included at the end of the research and formatted according to the journal's requirements.

Example:

Al-Anzi, Hamoud. (2017). Dawr al-Anshita al-Tarwihiyya fi al-Rafahiyya al-Nafsiyya lada Talabat al-Marhala al-Thaanawiyya fi Madinat Arar bi-al-Mamlaka al-Arabiyya al-Saudiya. Majallat al-Huquq wa-al-Ulum al-Insaniyya, Zayan Ashour University, Djelfa, Algeria, 10(1), 184–203.

At least 5% of the total references, with a minimum of two references, must be citations from research papers published in Al-Manara Journal.
At least 5% of the total references, with a minimum of two references, must be citations from journals indexed in Scopus.
The journal charges a publication fee of USD 200 for each accepted research paper. If the number of words exceeds 10,000 words after revision, an additional fee of USD 50 for every additional 1,000 words will be charged.
Research papers and all correspondence related to the journal must be submitted through the Al-Manara Journal – Educational and Psychological Sciences Series platform via:

Al-Manara Journal Platform

Each research paper must be submitted to the specialized series that corresponds to the researcher's field of specialization, after creating a new account on the platform, logging in, and completing all submission procedures in accordance with the instructions and guidelines provided on the platform.

Third: Research Preparation and Formatting

Research Length

The research paper must not exceed 10,000 words in total, including the Arabic and English abstracts, tables and figures, references, and appendices, if any.
The research paper must contain at least 5,000 words.
This word limit aims to achieve a balance between comprehensive scientific presentation and effective use of electronic publishing capabilities.
The Editorial Board may consider research papers exceeding the specified limit when justified by the scientific nature of the research.

Research Formatting

Research Papers Written in Arabic

Font: Simplified Arabic.
Main text: 12 points.
Research title: 16 points, bold.
Main headings: 14 points, bold.
Main text: 12 points.
Tables, figures, and notes: 12 points.

Research Papers Written in English

Font: Times New Roman.
Main text: 11 points.
Headings: According to the heading levels adopted in the APA guidelines.

Line Spacing

The entire research paper must use single line spacing.
Paragraphs and headings should be organized clearly to facilitate reading and scientific peer review.

Fourth: Research Components and Organization

1. Cover Page

The cover page must include:

Research title.
Authors' full names consisting of three parts.
Institutional affiliation and academic department.
Corresponding author's email address.
Contact information.
A declaration confirming the originality of the research and that it has not been previously published, using the declaration provided through the platform.

2. Abstract and Keywords

The research must include an Arabic abstract and an English abstract, each containing:

Research objective.
Research methodology.
Study sample or population.
Research instruments.
Main findings.
Keywords.

The abstract should contain 150–250 words, accompanied by 3–5 keywords.

3. Organization of the Research

The research must include the following main sections:

Introduction

The introduction should include the theoretical framework and previous studies and should be developed inductively in a way that engages the reader and establishes the existence of a research problem worthy of investigation.

The introduction should not contain subheadings and should not exceed 8 pages.

Study Problem and Questions

The journal combines the study problem and its research questions under one section.

Significance of the Study

It is preferable to divide the significance into two parts:

Theoretical significance.
Applied significance.

The significance should be presented in bullet points and should correspond to the study questions.

Study Terms and Operational Definitions

Study Delimitations and Limitations

This section should include:

Geographical delimitations.
Temporal delimitations.
Human/sample delimitations.
Subject-matter delimitations.
Limitations.

Method and Procedures

This section includes:

Research methodology.
Study population.
Study sample or participants.
Research instruments and their psychometric properties.
Research procedures.
Statistical analysis.

Presentation and Discussion of Results

The presentation and discussion of results should be combined into one section.

Recommendations and Suggestions

References and Sources

References must be formatted according to the American Psychological Association (APA), 5th edition guidelines.

Appendices

If applicable.

Fifth: Peer Review and Publication Procedures

Initial Editorial Screening

The Editorial Board of the series reviews each submitted research paper to verify its compliance with the journal's scope, publication requirements, and approved scientific and formal standards.

The Editorial Board has the right to decline any research paper that does not meet these requirements or does not align with the objectives of the series before sending it for external peer review, without being obligated to provide detailed reasons for such a decision.

Scientific Peer Review

Research papers that pass the initial screening are referred to two specialized reviewers according to the nature of the research.

When necessary:

One reviewer may specialize in measurement and evaluation or research methodology, in order to verify the methodological soundness and statistical analysis.
The other reviewer specializes in the research field and topic.

The journal maintains confidentiality throughout the peer-review process and with regard to reviewers' reports.

Peer-Review Decisions

The Editorial Board makes the final decision based on the reviewers' reports. Possible decisions include:

Acceptance without revisions.
Acceptance subject to minor revisions.
Major revisions and resubmission for further evaluation.
Rejection.

If the reviewers' reports differ, the Editorial Board may refer the research to a third reviewer or take an appropriate decision based on the nature of the reports.

Author Revisions and Withdrawal

Authors are required to make the requested revisions within the period specified by the journal.

If the author fails to respond to the required revisions, the journal has the right to close the research file and consider the manuscript withdrawn.

A research paper may not be withdrawn after the peer-review process has begun without the approval of the Editorial Board.

The journal may apply the procedures stipulated under Clause (18), Article (11) of the Regulations Governing the Publication of Al-Manara Journal for Research and Studies.

Final Decision

The decision of the Editorial Board regarding the acceptance or rejection of a research paper is final, while maintaining the confidentiality of the evaluation and peer-review procedures.

Sixth: Documentation, Research Integrity, and Publication Ethics

Authors must:

Use the APA citation and referencing system for in-text citations and the reference list.
Ensure consistency between the references cited in the text and those listed in the reference list.
Rely on reliable and up-to-date scientific sources.
Avoid all forms of plagiarism or undocumented quotation.
Submitted research papers are subject to similarity screening using plagiarism/similarity detection software in accordance with the journal's policy.
Avoid literal and undocumented translation of texts or foreign studies, and instead paraphrase ideas in a scientific manner while properly citing the original sources.
The Editorial Board reserves the right to reject any research paper containing plagiarism, unauthorized translation, or violations of intellectual property rights.
Respect intellectual property rights.
Disclose sources of funding and any conflicts of interest.
Do not submit the same research paper to more than one journal simultaneously.

Notice

- During the initial screening stage, the Editorial Board of the series reviews the submitted research paper to determine its compatibility with the scope of the series, publication requirements, and approved scientific and formal standards. The Editorial Board has the right to decline any research paper that does not meet these requirements or does not align with the objectives of the series without referring it for external peer review. In such cases, the author will be notified of the decision not to accept the research paper, and the journal is not required to provide detailed reasons for the decision. The Editorial Board's decision at this stage is final.
- When a decision is issued not to approve the publication of a research paper that has been referred for scientific peer review, the author will be notified of the final rejection decision. The journal is not obligated to provide the author with the reviewers' reports or details of the deliberations, in order to preserve the confidentiality of the peer-review process and the independence of the scientific evaluation.
- The Editorial Board reserves the right to make any organizational or formatting changes to submitted research papers in accordance with the journal's editorial approach and quality standards.