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Commitment Form

Conflict of Interest Form

Manuscript Submission

Submission of an article implies that the work described has not been published previously (except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture or academic thesis); that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere; that its publication has been approved by all co-authors, if any, as well as by the responsible authorities – tacitly or explicitly – at the institute where the work has been carried out. The publisher will not be held legally responsible should there be any claims for compensation. However, we accept submissions that have previously been presented at conferences; or have previously appeared in other “non-journal” venues (for example: blogs or posters). Authors are responsible for updating the archived pre-print with the journal reference (including DOI) and a link to the published articles on the appropriate journal website upon publication.

  • Types of Publications

Manuscripts submitted to The International Journal of Learning Spaces Studies (IJLSS) should neither be published previously nor be under consideration for publication in another journal. The main publications types are as follows:

Articles: Original research manuscripts. The journal considers all original research manuscripts provided that the work reports scientifically sound experiments and provides a substantial amount of new information.

Reviews: These provide concise and precise updates on the latest progress made in a given area of research.

Field Reports: Field reports require the researcher to combine theory and analysis learned in the classroom with methods of observation and practice applied outside of the classroom. The purpose of field reports is to describe an observed person, place, or event and to analyze that observation data in order to identify and categorize common themes in relation to the research problem(s) underpinning the study. The data is often in the form of notes taken during the observation but it can also include any form of data gathering, such as, photography, illustrations, or audio recordings.

  • Permissions

Authors wishing to include figures, tables, or text passages that have already been published elsewhere must obtain permission from the copyright owner(s) for both the print and online format and include evidence that such permission has been granted when submitting their papers. Any material received without such evidence will be assumed to originate from the authors.

Copyrights for articles are retained by the authors, with first publication rights granted to the journal. Authors have rights to reuse, republish, archive, and distribute their own articles after publication with reference to the previously published work in the journal. The journal/publisher is not responsible for subsequent uses of the work. Authors shall permit the publisher to apply a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) to their articles and to archive them in databases and indexes.

The publisher and journals have a zero-tolerance plagiarism policy. We check the issue using various plagiarism prevention tools (Hamanandjoo, Samim, iThenticate, turnitin, etc) and a reviewer check. All submissions will be checked by plagiarism prevention tools before being sent to reviewers. Thus, all authors that submit their manuscripts to the International Journal of Learning Spaces Studies (IJLSS) must check that their academic work respects the copyrights of other scholars and avoids any plagiarism.

  • Privacy Statement

The names and E-mail addresses entered in this journal’s site or used in communications will be used exclusively for the purposes of this journal and will not be made available for any other purpose or to any other party.

  • Online Submission

Manuscripts should be prepared in Microsoft Word and submitted online. Please follow the hyperlink “Submit Manuscript” on the top and upload your manuscript files following the instructions given on the screen. The editors reserve the right to edit or otherwise alter all contributions, but authors will receive proofs for approval before publication.

  • Cover Letter

All manuscripts must be accompanied by a formal statement that explicitly confirms the following:

-       The work described has not been published previously (except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture or academic thesis) and that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere.

-       That all coauthors acknowledge their participation in conducting the research leading to the manuscript, that all agree to its submission to be considered for publication by the International Journal of Learning Spaces Studies, and that all have agreed on the final version.

-       The manuscript is approved tacitly or explicitly by the responsible authorities where the work was carried out.

  • Potential Reviewers

Authors may suggest up to four potential reviewers with their affiliation and e-mail addresses, with the understanding that they may or may not be asked to review the manuscript. Include a reason for suggesting the reviewer. Potential reviewers should be experts in the topic of your study. They should not have a conflict of interest, so do not suggest your advisor if you are a student, or close collaborators.

  • Paper Selection and Revision Process
  •  Upon receiving the paper, the system will send an acknowledgement to the corresponding author immediately.
  •  After submission, a pre-check is initially carried out by the managing editor to assess:

-       Suitability of the manuscript to the journal/special issue;

-       Qualification and background of authors;

-       Similarity of the text to identify possible instances of inappropriate citation or copying to avoid plagiarism.

-       Reject obviously poor manuscripts.

In the case of a conflict of interest the Editor-in-Chief will be notified of the submission and invited to check and recommend reviewers.

  •  The process of peer review may take 4-10 weeks. At least two review reports are collected for each submission. You will be able to trace the process in your user account.
  •  We will send an acceptance E-mail to the corresponding author, indicating acceptance or not, as well as the date of publication.
  •  Authors need to re-edit the paper, using the template. The re-edited paper should use the template provided by us and meet the formatting requirements outlined in the Author Guidelines (http://author.......). Major corrections cannot be undertaken by either the editor or the publishers; if your paper is not prepared in accordance with these instructions it may not be considered further. Where requested to do so in the course of the peer review process, authors must revise their papers within one month of the request; otherwise the contribution will be considered withdrawn.
  •  Once you submit the re-edited paper, the system will send you a confirmation E-mail.
  •  After publishing, the authors may download the e-journal from the website.

Manuscript Preparation

  • General Rules and Standards for Text:

Please use the following rules for whole text (except for the title), including abstract, keywords, headings, tables, references, acknowledgement, glossary (not mandatory) and appendixes.

Font: Times New Roman; Size: 12

Paragraph Spacing: Before paragraph – 0.5 line; After paragraph – 0.5 line

Line Spacing: Single

 

Language

Please write your text in good English (American or British usage is accepted, but not a mixture of these). Use decimal points (not commas); use a space for thousands (10 000 and above). We only accept manuscripts in English language.

Length of paper

Length of 3000-8000 words is preferred.

Page setup

-       Page size: A4

-       Margins: top-2.54 cm, bottom-2.54 cm, left-2.54 cm, and right-2.54 cm

-       Pages should be numbered.

Subdivision of the article

Divide your article into clearly defined and numbered sections. Subsections should be numbered 1., 2., (then 1.1, 1.1.1, 1.1.2; 1.2, etc.) (the abstract, acknowledgement, references and appendix are excluded from the section numbering). Use this numbering also for internal cross-referencing: do not just refer to 'the text.' Authors are urged to write as concisely as possible, but not at the expense of clarity.

Title of subdivision

Heading Level-1: Times New Roman; Size-12; Bold; for example,

1. Introduction

Heading Level-2: Times New Roman; Size-12; Italic; for example, 1.1 Research Methods

Heading Level-3: Times New Roman; Size-12; Normal; for example, 1.1.1 Analysis of Results

Tables

Number tables consecutively in accordance with their appearance in the text. Place descriptions of tables below the table body. Avoid vertical rules. Be sparing in the use of tables and ensure that the data presented in tables does not duplicate results described elsewhere in the article.

Tables should be:

-       Integrated into the submitted document.

-       Captioned above the table.

-       Should NOT be submitted as an image, but as MS Word-Table.

-       Subtitled with all units of measurement (metric units).

-       Borders setting: all; width: 1/2 pt.

-       Cited in the text as e.g. Table 1.

Figures, Photos, Illustrations

Figures, photos, illustrations and so forth should be:

-       Of reproducible quality and attached in TIF format or in JPG format. They should have a minimum resolution of 300 dpi.

-       Integrated as well into the submitted document at the appropriate place.

-       Accompanied by a clear legend or key, if necessary.

-       Presented with metric units.

-       Captioned below the figures.

-       Cited in the text as e.g. Figure 1.

Formulae and Equations

The text size of formulae and equations should be with the same as normal text size and should be editable by the editorial office and not appear in a picture format.

Footnotes

Footnotes can be used to give additional information, which may include the citation of a reference included in the reference list. They should not consist solely of a reference citation, and they should never include the bibliographic details of a reference. They should also not contain any figures or tables.

We strongly suggest you use the template for preparation of your paper. Please download the template at: http://author......

  • Article Structure

Papers submitted to The International Journal of Learning Spaces Studies (IJLSS) should be well structured; they must comprise the following:

1. Title Page

The title page should be a separate page before the main body. Provide the following information on the title page (in the order given). It should include:

Title

Times New Roman; Size-20; Line Spacing: Double; Paragraph Spacing: Before paragraph-1 line; after paragraph-1 line; Center

The title should be concise and informative. Titles are often used in information-retrieval systems. Avoid abbreviations and formulae where possible, and do not exceed 15 words.

Author names and affiliations

Please indicate the given name and family name clearly. The given name should be in front of the family name. Present the authors' affiliation (where the actual work was done) below the names. Provide the full postal address of each affiliation, including the country name. Then, list the e-mail address, and, if available, the telephone and fax number of each author.

Corresponding Author

Clearly indicate who is willing to handle correspondence at all stages of refereeing and publication, also post-publication. Please add the words “corresponding author” into parentheses after his/her name.

2. Abstract

A concise and factual abstract is required (maximum length 250 words). The abstract should state briefly the purpose of the research, the principal results and major conclusions. An abstract is often presented separate from the article, so it must be able to stand alone. References should therefore be avoided but, if essential, they must be cited in full, without reference to the reference list.

3. Keywords

Immediately after the abstract, provide a maximum of 8 keywords, avoiding general and plural terms and multiple concepts (avoid, for example, 'and', 'of'). Be sparing with abbreviations: only abbreviations firmly established in the field may be eligible.

4. Introduction

A strong introduction engages the reader in the problem of interest and provides a context for the study at hand. In introducing the research concern, the writer should provide a clear rationale for why the problem deserves new research, placing the study in the context of current knowledge and prior theoretical and empirical work on the topic. Authors are advised to cite the most current and relevant studies. A summarized review of previous research, that provides the wider context and background and the importance of the current study, indication of gaps in the literature, statement of the research questions/ hypothesis/ propositions and purposes as well as a brief outline of the research design are often identified as characteristics of a good introduction.

5. Method

In both quantitative and qualitative research, the use of appropriate methods of participant sampling, study design, measures, and statistical analysis critically influences the study’s methodological soundness. The Method section should provide a thorough description of methods of recruitment, participant characteristics, measures and procedures.

6. Results / Finding and Discussion

The Results section should include a summary of the collected data and analyses. In the Discussion section, the writer evaluates and interprets the findings. Authors should discuss the results and how they can be interpreted in perspective of previous studies and of the working hypotheses. The findings and their implications should be discussed in the broadest context possible and limitations of the work highlighted. Future research directions may also be mentioned.

7. Conclusions

This section is not mandatory, but can be added to the manuscript if the discussion is unusually long or complex.

8. Acknowledgement and Sponsoring Information

Put the acknowledgement or sponsoring information after the main body and before the references.

9. References

Responsibility for the accuracy of bibliographic citations lies entirely with the authors. We use the APA (American Psychological Association) style citation system. You are referred to the “Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association”, and you may find relevant details at: www.apa.org   

Details concerning the APA-style citation system can also be found at http://linguistics.byu.edu/faculty/henrichsenl/apa/apa01.html  

Citations in the text

Please ensure that every reference cited in the text is also present in the reference list (and vice versa). Avoid citation in the abstract. Unpublished results and personal communications should not be in the reference list, but may be mentioned in the text. Citation of a reference as 'in press' implies that the item has been accepted for publication.

Citing and listing of web references

As a minimum, the full URL should be given. Any further information if known (author names, dates, reference to a source publication, etc.) should also be given. Web references can be listed separately (e.g., after the reference list) under a different heading if desired, or they can be included in the reference list.

Text

Citations in the text should follow the referencing style used by the American Psychological Association (APA).

List

References should be arranged first alphabetically and then further sorted chronologically if necessary. More than one reference from the same author(s) in the same year must be identified by the letters "a", "b", "c", etc., placed after the year of publication.

DOIs in References

The journal/publisher encourages authors to cite those items (journal articles, conference proceedings, book chapters, technical reports, working papers, dissertations, etc.) that have DOIs. When the cited items have DOIs, the authors should add DOI persistent links to the regular references. The DOI persistent links should be the last elements in the references. The persistent links should be active.

Format of persistent link: https://doi.org/+DOI (without “doi:”)

Example of persistent link: https://doi.org/10.1109/2.901164

The authors or editors may retrieve articles’ DOIs at: http://www.crossref.org/SimpleTextQuery/

You can open a free account, to start retrieving articles’ DOIs. CrossRef allows you check multiple references. Please read this webpage very carefully. Only articles with assigned DOIs can be retrieved through the above mentioned webpage.

Examples:

Reference to a journal publication:

Kornack, D., & Rakic, P. (2001). Cell Proliferation Without Neurogenesis in Adult Primate Neocortex. Science, 294(5549), 2127-2130. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1065467 

Reference to a book:

Strunk, W., Jr., & White, E. B. (1979). The elements of style. (3rd ed.). New York: Macmillan. p. 12.

Reference to a chapter in an edited book:

Mettam, G. R., & Adams, L. B. (1994). How to prepare an electronic version of your article. In B. S. Jones, & R. Z. Smith (Eds.), Introduction to the electronic age (pp. 281-304). New York: E-Publishing Inc.

10. Appendix

Please be sparing in the use of appendices unless they are absolutely necessary, the appendices should be numbered as, e.g. Appendix 1, Appendix 2, etc. In case of requirement for inclusion of Research Data, they must be attached as appendices.

Review manuscripts including book reviews should comprise the front matter(Title, Author list, Affiliations, Abstract and Keywords), Literature Review section, Acknowledgments, References and the supplementary materials (Glossary and Appendix).

Please contact the editorial office (learningspacesstudies2020@gmail.com) for further information.