1. Overview. These guidelines aim to ensure the consistency, quality, and integrity of all submissions to our journal Societies & Sustainability (SAS). Authors are requested to follow these instructions carefully to facilitate a smooth peer-review process and enhance the visibility and indexing of their work in prominent scientific databases.

2. Types of Submissions. We welcome the following types of manuscripts:

• Original Research Articles.
• Review Articles.
• Short Communications.
• Case Studies.
• Methodological Articles.
• Editorials.
• Perspectives and Opinion Pieces
• Letters to the Editor
• Book Reviews

Read more about Manuscript Types here

Download the Article Template

3. Submission Process. Manuscripts should be submitted via the journal's online submission system (here), which is available on the journal's website.

4. Manuscript Structure. A typical manuscript should be structured as follows:

• Title Page: Title, author names, affiliations, and corresponding author's email.
• Abstract: Concise summary (150-250 words) of the key objectives, methods, results, and conclusions.
• Keywords: 4-6 relevant keywords.
• Introduction: Context, problem statement, and purpose of the study.
• Materials and Methods/ Methodology: Detailed description of methodology to ensure reproducibility.
• Results: Presentation of key findings with appropriate tables, figures, and graphs.
• Discussion: Interpretation of the results in relation to previous research.
• Conclusion: Summary of key findings, implications, and future directions.
• References: All references must be formatted according to the journal’s reference style (Harvard), ensuring compatibility with Scopus and WoS indexing requirements.
• Acknowledgements (Optional but Encouraged).
• Supplementary Materials (optional): Additional materials, data, or figures.

Read our Criteria for Publication here 

5. Formatting Requirements

• File Format: Submit manuscripts as Microsoft Word files (.doc or .docx) or LaTeX files.
• Font & Spacing: Use Times New Roman, 12 pt, double-spaced text.
• Page Layout: 2.5 cm margins on all sides.
• Headings: Use hierarchical headings (e.g., H1, H2, H3) for structure.
• Figures & Tables: Place figures and tables within the text at appropriate points, with clear captions.
• References: Adhere strictly to Harvard referencing style. Include DOIs where available.

6. Figures, Tables, and Illustrations in detail

• Figures should be submitted as high-resolution images (minimum 300 dpi) in JPEG, PNG, or TIFF format.
• Each table should be accompanied by a descriptive title and legend (if applicable).
• Ensure that all figures and tables are referred to in the main text.

7. Ethical Standards. 

• Plagiarism: Manuscripts must be original. Plagiarism will result in automatic rejection.
• Research Ethics: Authors must provide details of ethical approval for research involving human or animal subjects.
• Conflicts of Interest: All authors must disclose any conflicts of interest.

Read more about Publication Ethics here 

8. Submission Declaration. By submitting a manuscript, authors confirm that:

• The work is original, has not been published elsewhere, and is not under consideration at another journal.
• All co-authors have reviewed and approved the manuscript.

9. Peer Review Process. All submissions are subject to a double-blind peer-review process. The review process follows these steps:

• Initial Screening: The editorial team assesses scope, originality, and guideline adherence.
• Peer Review: Manuscripts are reviewed by two independent reviewers.
• Decision: The editor will communicate one of the following decisions: Accept, Minor Revisions, Major Revisions, or Reject.

Read in detail the Review Criteria here 

Read in detail the Peer Review Scheme here 

10. Revision and Resubmission. Authors are expected to revise and resubmit their manuscripts within the given deadline (typically 14-21 days). Failure to do so may result in withdrawal of the submission.

11. Copyright and Licensing. Authors retain the copyright of their articles, but they grant the journal a license to publish and distribute the work under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license to ensure free accessibility and reuse under copyright-compliant conditions.
Authors are encouraged to deposit their work in institutional repositories or personal websites.

12. Publication Charges. Authors are informed of any applicable article processing charges (APCs) upon submission. These charges comply with open-access policies required for Scopus and WoS indexing.

13. Post-Publication Corrections and Retractions. Authors may request corrections to errors identified post-publication.
Retractions are issued in cases of major ethical violations or errors that significantly impact the conclusions.

14. Contact Information. For further information, please contact the respective editorial teams at [email protected]