Download JSSH Template

The Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities (JSSH), published by Kabul University, is an international, peer-reviewed, open-access journal published quarterly. The journal publishes original scholarly research that contributes to the understanding of human behavior, social institutions, cultural practices, political systems, economic processes, education, language, literature, and other areas within the social sciences and humanities.

JSSH welcomes submissions from researchers, academics, and practitioners whose work makes a clear contribution to their field through original empirical research, theoretical analysis, or critical synthesis of existing scholarship.

Authors must read these guidelines and the journal's relevant policies before submitting a manuscript. Submissions that do not meet the journal's requirements may be returned for correction or declined before external peer review.

1. Scope and Types of Manuscripts

JSSH considers manuscripts within its stated scope, including but not limited to:

• Sociology, anthropology, and social work

• Psychology and human behavior

• Education and educational research

• Languages, linguistics, and literature

• Political science and international relations

• Economics, management-related social research, and public administration

• Law and criminology

• History, philosophy, and religious studies

• Communication, media, and cultural studies

• Human geography and interdisciplinary social research

The journal considers the following types of manuscripts.

Original Research Articles: Reports of original empirical or theoretical research using appropriate research designs, methods, and analysis. Articles must address a clearly defined research problem and demonstrate a meaningful contribution to existing scholarship.

Review Articles: Critical and analytical examinations of existing research on a defined topic. Reviews should synthesize relevant scholarship, evaluate the quality and limitations of the available evidence, and identify significant findings, debates, or gaps in the literature.

Theoretical or Conceptual Articles: Substantial contributions that develop, examine, or critically reassess theories, concepts, or analytical frameworks relevant to the social sciences and humanities.

Manuscripts must fall within the journal's scope and demonstrate sufficient originality, methodological or analytical rigor, and scholarly value. Descriptive reports, opinion pieces, newspaper-style articles, and manuscripts that merely summarize established knowledge without a clear academic contribution are generally unsuitable.

2. Length and General Formatting

Manuscripts should normally contain 4,000–10,000 words, excluding the reference list and appendices. Authors should contact the editorial office before submission if a manuscript requires a substantial departure from this range.

Manuscripts must be prepared in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) using the official JSSH manuscript template.

The following formatting requirements apply:

• Paper size: A4.

• Font: Calibri, 12-point for the main text.

• Line spacing: 1.15.

• Margins: 2.5 cm on all sides, unless otherwise specified in the official template.

• Text alignment: Consistent throughout the manuscript.

• Citations and references: APA 7th edition.

• File format: Microsoft Word.

• Language: Clear, grammatically correct academic English.

Authors may use either American or British English but must apply their chosen variety consistently. The manuscript should be carefully proofread before submission.

The official template takes precedence over general formatting recommendations where a specific layout requirement is provided.

3. Title Page and Author Information

The title page must be uploaded as a separate file from the anonymized manuscript.

It should include:

1. The full manuscript title, preferably no more than 15 words.

2. The full names of all authors in the agreed order.

3. Each author's institutional affiliation, including department, institution, city or province, and country.

4. The corresponding author's email address.

5. ORCID identifiers, where available.

6. Acknowledgments, funding information, and competing-interest declarations, as applicable.

7. A statement describing each author's contribution to the work.

The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all listed authors have made qualifying contributions, approved the final manuscript, agreed to the author order, and consented to submission.

Academic titles and degrees should not be included alongside author names. Affiliations must accurately reflect the institutions associated with the research.

Authors must also submit the signed Author Agreement Statement required by JSSH.

4. Anonymized Manuscript and Double-Blind Review

JSSH follows a double-blind peer-review process. Authors must submit a manuscript that does not directly identify them or their institutions.

Before submission, authors must:

• Remove author names, institutional affiliations, email addresses, and acknowledgments that reveal their identities.

• Remove identifying information from headers, footers, and document properties.

• Ensure that supplementary files intended for reviewers do not disclose author identities.

• Refer to their own previous research objectively and avoid unnecessary identifying statements.

The separate title page must contain the author information omitted from the review manuscript.

The editorial office may return submissions that have not been properly anonymized.

5. Title, Abstract, and Keywords

5.1 Title

The title should be concise, informative, and accurately reflect the study's central subject or argument. It should preferably contain no more than 15 words and avoid unnecessary abbreviations or vague expressions.

5.2 Abstract

Each manuscript must include a single-paragraph abstract of 200–250 words.

For empirical research, the abstract should summarize:

• The research problem and relevant background.

• The research objective or question.

• The theoretical framework or conceptual basis, where relevant.

• The research design, participants or data sources, and methods of analysis.

• The principal findings.

• The main conclusion and contribution to the field.

For theoretical, conceptual, and review articles, the abstract should explain the topic, purpose, analytical approach, main argument or synthesis, and contribution.

The abstract must accurately represent the manuscript. It should not contain references, unexplained abbreviations, unsupported claims, or information absent from the main text.

5.3 Keywords

Provide four to six keywords or keyword phrases immediately after the abstract. Separate them with semicolons.

Keywords should reflect the central concepts, population, setting, theoretical approach, or research method where relevant. Avoid overly broad terms and unnecessary repetition of words already prominent in the title.

6. Structure of the Manuscript

The structure should suit the research question, disciplinary conventions, and type of article. The following sections provide a general framework rather than a rigid requirement for every manuscript.

6.1 Introduction

The introduction should establish the research problem and explain why it warrants scholarly investigation.

It should:

• Introduce the topic and its relevant context.

• Identify the problem or knowledge gap addressed by the study.

• Refer to relevant prior research.

• Explain the significance and originality of the study.

• State the research objectives, questions, or hypotheses.

• Present the theoretical or conceptual framework where appropriate.

The introduction should lead logically to the research questions or objectives. Broad background information should be limited to what is necessary to establish the study's rationale.

6.2 Research Methodology

Empirical studies must describe the research design and procedures in sufficient detail for readers to assess the validity of the findings.

Depending on the study, this section should address:

• Research approach and design.

• Study setting, population, participants, or data sources.

• Sampling procedures and sample size, with justification where appropriate.

• Research instruments and data-collection procedures.

• Operational definitions or measures of the principal variables, where relevant.

• Data-analysis procedures, including statistical tests or qualitative analytical techniques.

• Reliability, validity, trustworthiness, or other relevant quality-assurance measures.

• Ethical approval, informed consent, and participant-protection procedures where applicable.

Qualitative research should explain how data were collected, coded, interpreted, and analyzed. Quantitative research should identify the statistical methods used and provide sufficient information to evaluate the analyses. Mixed-methods research should explain the rationale for combining methods and how the different strands of evidence were integrated.

The methods must be appropriate to the research questions. Authors must not report procedures, participants, instruments, or analyses that were not actually used.

For theoretical and conceptual articles, authors should explain the analytical approach, selection of relevant literature or materials, and procedures used to develop or evaluate their arguments, as appropriate.

6.4 Findings or Results

Present the findings in a clear, logical order that corresponds to the research questions, objectives, or hypotheses.

Quantitative studies should report relevant descriptive statistics, statistical tests, effect sizes, confidence intervals, or other appropriate results. Qualitative studies should present well-supported themes, patterns, interpretations, and illustrative evidence where appropriate.

Tables and figures may be used to summarize complex information. Authors should explain the principal results in the text without simply reproducing every entry from a table or figure.

Findings must be reported accurately, including results that do not support the original hypotheses. Distinguish observed results from interpretations or speculation.

6.5 Discussion

The discussion should interpret the findings in relation to the research questions, theoretical framework, and relevant literature.

Authors should explain how the findings compare with previous studies, discuss plausible interpretations, and identify their theoretical, practical, social, or policy implications where supported by the evidence.

The discussion should address unexpected findings and significant limitations. Authors must distinguish conclusions supported by the study from interpretations that require further investigation.

A discussion section should not simply repeat the results or claim that findings are important without explaining their relevance to existing scholarship.

For theoretical and review articles, the analytical discussion should develop the central argument or synthesize the evidence in a coherent manner.

6.6 Conclusion

The conclusion should answer the research questions or return to the principal argument. It should summarize the study's main contribution without repeating the abstract or listing every finding.

Where appropriate, authors may identify practical implications, recommendations, or directions for further research. Such recommendations must follow from the findings and should not extend beyond the evidence.

6.7 References and Declarations

The manuscript must include a complete reference list formatted according to APA 7th edition. Required declarations, including author contributions, funding, competing interests, data availability, and research ethics, must be provided as applicable.

7. Tables, Figures, and Other Materials

Tables and figures must contribute directly to the analysis and be cited in the text in numerical order.

Tables

• Number tables consecutively.

• Provide a concise, informative title above each table.

• Use clear headings and consistent terminology.

• Explain abbreviations, symbols, and relevant statistical information in table notes.

• Identify the source of any adapted or reproduced material.

• Avoid unnecessary duplication of information already presented in the text.

Figures

• Number figures consecutively.

• Place the figure caption below the figure.

• Ensure that labels, legends, and text are readable.

• Use images of sufficient quality for publication.

• Identify the source of adapted or reproduced material and obtain permission where required.

For tables and figures reproduced from copyrighted sources, authors must obtain any necessary permission and provide appropriate acknowledgment.

8. Citations and References

JSSH requires the American Psychological Association (APA), 7th edition, referencing style.

All sources cited in the text must appear in the reference list, and every reference-list entry must be cited in the manuscript.

Authors must:

• Verify the accuracy of authors' names, publication dates, titles, journal details, page ranges, and other bibliographic information.

• Provide a DOI or stable URL where available and appropriate.

• Cite original and relevant scholarly sources.

• Use direct quotations sparingly and provide page numbers or other appropriate locators when required by APA 7.

• Ensure that paraphrased ideas are properly attributed.

• Avoid fabricated references, irrelevant citations, and citation practices intended to manipulate citation counts.

Recent research should be included where relevant, but older foundational works should not be excluded merely because of their publication date.

Journal articles, scholarly books, book chapters, and other credible academic sources may be appropriate depending on the subject. The selection of references should reflect the field and the needs of the argument rather than an arbitrary requirement to cite a fixed percentage of journal articles.

Authors are encouraged to use reference-management software to improve consistency and accuracy. However, they remain responsible for checking every citation and reference.

9. Authorship and Author Contributions

Authorship must reflect substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work, data collection, analysis, interpretation, or preparation of the manuscript.

All authors must approve the final version and accept responsibility for their contributions. The corresponding author must ensure that the author list is complete and accurate and that all authors agree to the submission.

A separate author-contribution statement must identify the contributions of each author. Individuals who provided assistance but do not qualify for authorship should be acknowledged appropriately, with their consent.

Changes to authorship after submission require a clear justification and written agreement from all affected authors, subject to editorial approval.

The signed Author Agreement Statement must be submitted as required by the journal.

10. Research Ethics and Required Declarations

Authors must comply with the JSSH Publication Ethics policy and applicable legal, institutional, and disciplinary requirements.

10.1 Ethics approval and informed consent

Research involving human participants, personal data, or animals must comply with applicable ethical requirements. Authors should identify the relevant ethics committee or approving authority and provide approval details where required.

For research involving human participants, authors must explain the informed-consent procedures and measures taken to protect privacy and confidentiality. Where consent or formal ethical approval was waived by an authorized body, the manuscript should state this accurately.

10.2 Funding statement

Authors must identify all sources of financial support relevant to the research and describe the role of the funder where appropriate.

If the study received no external funding, include a statement to that effect.

10.3 Competing interests

Authors must disclose financial, professional, institutional, or personal relationships that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the research or its interpretation.

If no competing interests exist, state explicitly: "The authors declare that they have no competing interests."

10.4 Data availability

Authors should provide a data-availability statement explaining whether the data supporting the findings are publicly accessible, included in the article or supplementary materials, available upon reasonable request, or restricted for legal, ethical, privacy, or other legitimate reasons.

Where data cannot be shared, the reason should be stated clearly. Authors must not claim that data are available when they are not.

10.5 Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments may recognize individuals, institutions, or organizations that contributed to the research but do not qualify for authorship. Authors should obtain permission before naming individuals where appropriate.

11. Originality, Plagiarism, and Previous Publication

Manuscripts must be original and must not be under consideration by another journal simultaneously.

Authors must properly cite and acknowledge the work of others. Plagiarism, fabricated data, falsified results, duplicate publication, and undisclosed substantial overlap with previously published work are unacceptable.

Authors must disclose relevant overlap with their earlier publications, conference papers, preprints, or related manuscripts. Any previous dissemination should be described accurately so that the editor can assess the originality of the submission.

The journal may screen manuscripts for textual similarity and investigate potential originality concerns. A similarity score is an indicator for editorial assessment, not by itself proof of plagiarism.

If a manuscript contains substantial unattributed material or other serious originality concerns, it may be returned, rejected, or subjected to further investigation. Concerns identified after publication may lead to correction, an expression of concern, or retraction, depending on the evidence.

Authors should consult the journal's separate Plagiarism Policy and Publication Ethics policy for further information.

12. Use of Artificial Intelligence

Authors must comply with the journal's AI Policy.

Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and proper attribution of all submitted content, including material prepared with AI assistance. AI systems must not be listed as authors.

Where generative AI has been used to produce substantive text, analysis, interpretations, or other research content, authors must disclose its use in accordance with the journal's policy. Basic spelling, grammar, and language correction should be handled as specified in that policy.

Authors must independently verify AI-generated claims, references, quotations, and other factual information. AI-generated references or fabricated evidence must not be included in a manuscript.

13. Peer Review and Editorial Decisions

JSSH conducts an initial editorial assessment to determine whether submissions fit the journal's scope, meet its basic requirements, and demonstrate sufficient scholarly merit.

Manuscripts that pass this assessment are considered for double-blind peer review by at least two subject-matter experts, in accordance with the journal's peer-review procedures.

Editorial decisions may include acceptance, revision, or rejection. When revisions are requested, authors must address the editor's and reviewers' comments carefully and provide a point-by-point response identifying the changes made or explaining why a suggested change was not adopted.

Revised manuscripts may be returned to the original reviewers or assessed by the editor, depending on the nature of the revisions.

Submission or completion of peer review does not guarantee acceptance. The final publication decision rests with the editor.

Further information is available in the Peer Review Policy.

14. Copyright and Open Access

JSSH provides immediate open access to its published content.

Authors retain copyright in their articles and grant JSSH the right of first publication. Published articles are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International licence (CC BY-NC 4.0). This licence permits sharing and reuse for noncommercial purposes with appropriate attribution and acknowledgment of the original publication, subject to its terms.

Authors may deposit or share their published work through institutional repositories, personal websites, and other appropriate platforms, provided that the original publication in JSSH is acknowledged and the applicable licence is respected.

For further information, consult the journal's Copyright Notice and Open Access Policy.

15. Submission Procedure

All manuscripts must be submitted through the journal's online submission system.

Before submission, authors should confirm that:

• The manuscript falls within the journal's scope.

• The manuscript follows the official JSSH template.

• The manuscript is prepared in Microsoft Word format.

• The main manuscript is anonymized.

• The title page is uploaded separately.

• The abstract contains 200–250 words and is followed by four to six keywords.

• The manuscript is within the recommended word limit.

• Citations and references follow APA 7th edition.

• All tables, figures, captions, and supplementary files are included.

• All authors have approved the manuscript and agreed to its submission.

• The signed Author Agreement Statement is prepared for submission.

• Funding, competing interests, data availability, and relevant ethical declarations are included.

• Any previous publication or overlapping work has been disclosed.

• The manuscript is not simultaneously under consideration by another journal.

Authors should provide accurate contact details for the corresponding author and monitor the submission system and registered email address for editorial correspondence.

16. Revisions, Withdrawal, and Proofreading

When revisions are requested, authors should submit the revised manuscript by the deadline specified in the editorial decision. If an extension is necessary, the corresponding author should contact the editorial office before the deadline.

A revised submission should include a point-by-point response to the editor's and reviewers' comments. Changes should be clearly identifiable where requested.

Once a manuscript has entered peer review, it should not be withdrawn without the explicit permission of the Editor or Editorial Board. Withdrawal requests must state the reasons for withdrawal and may be considered in exceptional circumstances.

After acceptance, the manuscript may undergo copyediting and typesetting. Authors are responsible for checking proofs carefully and reporting errors before publication. Substantial changes to the accepted manuscript require editorial approval.

17. Publication Fees and Contact

Authors should consult the journal's official Article Processing Charges page for current information about publication fees.

Questions concerning manuscript suitability, formatting, submission requirements, or editorial procedures should be directed to the JSSH editorial office through the contact details provided on the journal website.

Authors are encouraged to review the journal's policies before submission to ensure that their manuscripts comply with its requirements.