National Research Journal Author Guidelines

1. About the Journal

National Research Journal (NRJ) is a multidisciplinary, English-language scholarly journal published by Shirley Publishing House. It publishes original, evidence-based and ethically conducted scholarship addressing educational, institutional, scientific, technological, social, economic and national-development concerns.

NRJ publishes two issues each calendar year:

• Issue No. 1: January–June
• Issue No. 2: July–December

Submitting a manuscript does not guarantee acceptance. Editorial decisions are based on the manuscript’s scholarly quality, relevance, originality, ethical compliance and independent peer-review results.

2. Scope

NRJ considers manuscripts in fields including:

• Education, teaching and learning;
• Educational leadership and administration;
• Social sciences and humanities;
• Science, technology and applied research;
• Business, management and entrepreneurship;
• Public administration, governance and policy;
• Community, rural and sustainable development;
• Institutional and organizational development;
• Indigenous knowledge and cultural research;
• Health, well-being and social development; and
• Interdisciplinary research addressing regional, national or international concerns.

A submission must fall within the competence of the journal’s editors and independent reviewers.

3. Accepted Article Types

Original Research Article

Reports original empirical research using qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods.

Recommended length: 4,000–8,000 words, excluding references and supplementary materials.

Systematic or Scoping Review

Uses a transparent and reproducible method for identifying, evaluating and synthesizing existing evidence.

Recommended length: 4,000–9,000 words.

Systematic and scoping reviews should follow an appropriate reporting standard, such as PRISMA, and include the search strategy, eligibility criteria and study-selection process.

Integrative or Critical Review

Synthesizes, interprets or critically evaluates an established body of scholarship and presents a clear scholarly contribution.

Recommended length: 3,500–8,000 words.

Methodological Article

Presents or evaluates a research method, instrument, analytical procedure, model or research protocol.

Recommended length: 3,000–7,000 words.

Policy Analysis

Examines a policy, program, law or institutional practice using a clear analytical framework and appropriate evidence.

Recommended length: 3,000–7,000 words.

Evidence-Based Case Study

Provides a systematic analysis of a clearly defined case supported by appropriate data and ethical safeguards.

Recommended length: 3,000–6,000 words.

Conceptual Article

Develops an original concept, framework, model or scholarly argument grounded in relevant literature.

Recommended length: 3,000–7,000 words.

Research Note

Reports a focused scholarly finding, methodological observation, preliminary result or limited but meaningful contribution.

Recommended length: 1,500–3,500 words.

Invited Scholarly Perspective

Presents an informed scholarly position commissioned or approved by the editors. Invitation does not exempt an article from appropriate editorial assessment and peer review when it contains substantive academic claims.

Recommended length: 1,500–4,000 words.

Word ranges are guides rather than automatic acceptance or rejection thresholds. Authors should use the length necessary to communicate the work clearly without unnecessary repetition.

4. Language

Manuscripts must be written in clear academic English.

Philippine or Indigenous-language terms, quotations, instruments or source materials may be included when accompanied by sufficient English translation or explanation.

Authors are responsible for the accuracy of translations. Professional language editing does not guarantee acceptance.

5. Originality and Prior Publication

Submissions must be original and must not be published, accepted or under active consideration by another journal.

Authors must disclose:

• Preprints;
• Conference abstracts or proceedings;
• Thesis or dissertation origins;
• Earlier reports using the same data;
• Closely related manuscripts; and
• Translations or adaptations of previously disseminated work.

A thesis or dissertation may be developed into a journal article when it has been substantially rewritten as an independently readable work and the original source is acknowledged.

Publication in the wrong journal does not automatically authorize republication in NRJ. Any transfer or correction must be handled transparently with the affected journal. Duplicate publication is prohibited.

6. Authorship and Contributions

Every listed author must have made a genuine and substantial contribution to the work and must approve:

• The submitted manuscript;
• The author order;
• The final version;
• The journal submission; and
• Accountability for the work.

Guest, honorary, ghost, purchased or sold authorship is prohibited. A person must not be added as an author solely because of position, payment, supervision, institutional affiliation or assistance in obtaining publication.

Authors should provide a contributor statement describing each person’s role. The CRediT contributor taxonomy may be used.

Persons who provided editing, funding, administrative support, technical assistance or other limited help should normally be acknowledged rather than listed as authors.

Artificial-intelligence tools cannot be named as authors.

Requests to add, remove or reorder authors after submission require:

• A written explanation;
• Written agreement from all existing and proposed authors; and
• Editorial approval.

Authorship changes after acceptance are permitted only in exceptional, properly documented circumstances. Undisclosed substitution of authors is prohibited.

7. Author Identification and Affiliations

The separate title page must provide for every author:

• Complete name;
• Highest relevant academic or professional credential, if used;
• Department or organizational unit;
• Institution;
• Municipality or city and country;
• Email address;
• ORCID identifier, when available; and
• Contributor role.

One author must be identified as the corresponding author. The corresponding author is responsible for communication with the journal and for confirming that all authors have approved the submission.

8. Manuscript Files

Submit the following:

1. Title page containing author-identifying information;
2. Anonymized manuscript without author names, affiliations or acknowledgements;
3. Figures or high-resolution images, when applicable;
4. Supplementary files, when applicable;
5. Cover letter;
6. Author declarations; and
7. Ethics approval or consent documentation, when required.

The main manuscript should be submitted in editable Microsoft Word `.docx` format. PDF files may be supplied for reference but should not replace the editable manuscript.

File names should not disclose author identities in the anonymized manuscript.

9. General Formatting

Unless an NRJ template specifies otherwise, use:

• A4 page size;
• 2.54 cm margins;
• Times New Roman, 12-point font;
• Double-spaced body text;
• Continuous page numbering;
• Clearly numbered headings;
• Editable tables;
• International System of Units where appropriate; and
• Consistent spelling and terminology.

Avoid excessive decorative formatting, manual spacing and text embedded as images.

10. Manuscript Structure

Title Page

Include:

• Concise article title;
• Complete author information;
• Corresponding-author details;
• ORCID identifiers;
• Author-contribution statement;
• Funding information;
• Conflict-of-interest declaration;
• Acknowledgements; and
• Relevant ethics or registration information.

Anonymized Manuscript

The anonymized manuscript should normally contain:

1. Article title;
2. Abstract;
3. Keywords;
4. Main text;
5. Declarations written without identifying information;
6. References;
7. Tables and figures; and
8. Supplementary-material descriptions.

Remove names, affiliations, acknowledgements and self-identifying statements before submission.

Abstract

Provide a self-contained abstract of approximately 150–250 words.

Original research abstracts should normally summarize:

• Background or purpose;
• Methods;
• Principal results; and
• Conclusions.

Do not include citations unless essential.

Keywords

Provide four to six specific keywords that are not merely repetitions of words already used in the title.

Original Research Structure

Original research articles should normally use:

• Introduction;
• Methods;
• Results;
• Discussion;
• Conclusion;
• Declarations; and
• References.

Equivalent disciplinary structures may be accepted when justified.

11. Tables, Figures and Images

Every table and figure must:

• Be numbered consecutively;
• Have a descriptive title or caption;
• Be cited in the manuscript;
• Identify units, abbreviations and sources; and
• Be understandable without unnecessary reliance on the main text.

Images should ordinarily have a minimum resolution of 300 dpi at the intended publication size.

Authors must obtain written permission for copyrighted material not owned by them. Permission and attribution details must be submitted with the manuscript.

Do not manipulate images in a way that alters, conceals or misrepresents the underlying information.

12. References and Citations

NRJ generally uses the APA 7th edition author–date referencing style.

Authors must:

• Ensure that every in-text citation appears in the reference list;
• Ensure that every listed reference is cited in the manuscript;
• Verify author names, titles, dates and publication details;
• Include DOI links when available;
• Cite primary and authoritative sources where appropriate;
• Avoid irrelevant or excessive self-citation; and
• Confirm that cited sources genuinely support the associated claims.

Authors are responsible for reference accuracy. Fabricated, nonexistent or AI-generated references are prohibited.

13. Research Ethics

Research involving people, identifiable personal information, animals or sensitive communities must comply with applicable ethical and legal requirements.

Where required, authors must state:

• Name of the approving ethics committee or review body;
• Approval or protocol number;
• Date or status of approval;
• Method of obtaining informed consent;
• Protection of privacy and confidentiality; and
• Special protections for children or vulnerable participants.

If formal ethics approval was not required, authors must explain why and identify the standard or institutional basis for that determination.

Consent to participate is different from consent to publish identifiable information or images. Both must be obtained when applicable.

The journal may request supporting documentation. Authors should not submit confidential consent forms unless requested through a secure channel.

14. Reporting Standards

Authors should use recognized reporting guidelines appropriate to their study, including where applicable:

• CONSORT for randomized trials;
• STROBE for observational studies;
• PRISMA for systematic and scoping reviews;
• CARE for case reports;
• COREQ for qualitative research;
• SRQR for qualitative studies; and
• ARRIVE for animal research.

Completed checklists or flow diagrams may be requested.

15. Data Availability

Every scholarly manuscript should include a data-availability statement explaining:

• Where the supporting data can be accessed;
• Repository name and persistent link, when publicly available;
• Conditions for controlled access;
• Why the data cannot be shared, when restrictions apply; or
• That no new data were created or analyzed, when applicable.

Authors must not publicly disclose information that would violate consent, privacy, confidentiality, Indigenous data governance or legal restrictions.

Editors may request underlying data or documentation when necessary to assess the work’s integrity.

16. Conflicts of Interest

Every author must disclose financial and non-financial interests that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the work.

Relevant interests may include:

• Employment;
• Consultancies;
• Ownership or financial interests;
• Funding relationships;
• Personal or family relationships;
• Academic competition;
• Institutional roles; and
• Editorial positions with NRJ.

If no conflict exists, include:

“The authors declare no competing interests.”

An editor or board member submitting to NRJ must disclose their journal position. The manuscript will be handled by an independent editor.

17. Funding

Identify every source of financial or material support and include the grant number when applicable.

Authors must describe the funder’s role in study design, data collection, analysis, manuscript preparation and the decision to submit.

If there was no specific funding, state:

“This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.”

18. Artificial Intelligence and Automated Tools

Authors must disclose substantive use of generative AI or automated tools in research or manuscript preparation beyond routine spelling, grammar, formatting or reference-management assistance.

The disclosure should identify:

• Tool and version;
• Purpose of use;
• Part of the work affected; and
• Human verification performed.

AI tools cannot:

• Be credited as authors;
• Be treated as authoritative sources;
• Replace author accountability;
• Fabricate data or references; or
• Be used to conceal plagiarism or duplicate publication.

Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, citations, analysis and integrity of submitted content.

19. Plagiarism and Similarity Screening

Submissions may be screened using similarity-detection or other research-integrity tools.

A similarity score alone does not determine plagiarism or acceptance. Editors evaluate the nature, extent and context of matched material.

Plagiarism, unattributed copying, inappropriate paraphrasing, fabricated citations and unauthorized reuse of another person’s work are prohibited.

Authors must appropriately cite and, where necessary, obtain permission for reused material. Substantial recycling of an author’s own previously published text must be disclosed and justified.

20. Peer Review

Manuscripts that pass editorial screening undergo double-anonymous external peer review by at least two independent reviewers.

Reviewers evaluate:

• Relevance and originality;
• Scholarly contribution;
• Methodological soundness;
• Ethical compliance;
• Accuracy of analysis;
• Support for conclusions;
• Quality of reporting;
• References; and
• Clarity.

Possible decisions are:

• Accept;
• Accept subject to minor revisions;
• Major revisions and reconsideration;
• Reject with an invitation to submit a substantially new manuscript; or
• Reject.

Authors receiving a revision decision must provide a revised manuscript and point-by-point response. Revision does not guarantee acceptance.

Complete procedures are provided in the NRJ Peer-Review Policy.

21. Editorial Independence and Paid Services

Editorial decisions are separate from commercial publishing, editing, printing, layout, registration or consultation services offered by Shirley Publishing House.

Purchasing a service:

• Does not guarantee peer review;
• Does not influence reviewer selection;
• Does not guarantee acceptance;
• Does not guarantee publication in a particular issue; and
• Does not qualify anyone for authorship.

Editors and reviewers must make decisions according to scholarly and ethical criteria.

22. Publication Fees

All submission, processing, publication, editing, formatting, printing, withdrawal and other possible charges must be disclosed in the NRJ Publication Fees, Waiver and Refund Policy.

Authors must review the current fee schedule before submission.

No undisclosed fee will be imposed. Payment, when applicable, must not influence editorial or peer-review decisions.

23. Copyright and Open-Access Licence

NRJ provides immediate open access without reader registration, subscription or embargo.

Unless a different licence is clearly displayed for a particular work, published scholarly articles are distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence (CC BY 4.0).

Under CC BY 4.0, readers may share and adapt an article for lawful purposes provided appropriate credit is given, a link to the licence is supplied and changes are indicated.

Authors retain copyright and grant Shirley Publishing House the right of first publication and the right to identify NRJ as the original place of publication.

Authors must ensure that third-party material included in an article is compatible with the article’s licence or is separately identified with appropriate permission.

24. Preprints and Repository Deposit

Authors may deposit:

• A preprint;
• The accepted manuscript; and
• The published Version of Record

in an institutional, subject or general-purpose repository without embargo, provided the published article is properly cited and linked when available.

Preprint posting must be disclosed during submission and does not guarantee acceptance.

25. Submission Procedure

Authors should use the official submission page on the Shirley Publishing House website.

The current publishing-house contact is:

Email: shirleypublishinghouse@gmail.com Contact number: 0953-300-8505 Location: Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya 3703, Philippines

The submission message should identify:

• National Research Journal as the intended journal;
• Manuscript title;
• Article type;
• Corresponding author;
• Complete author list;
• Confirmation that all authors approved submission;
• Disclosure of related publications or preprints; and
• List of attached files.

A dedicated NRJ journal email should replace the general publisher email once it becomes operational.

26. Cover Letter

The cover letter must confirm that:

• The manuscript is original;
• It is not under consideration elsewhere;
• All authors approved the submission;
• All authors meet the journal’s authorship requirements;
• Relevant conflicts and funding were disclosed;
• Required ethics and consent standards were followed;
• Related manuscripts and preprints were disclosed; and
• The authors agree to the journal’s editorial and peer-review procedures.

27. Revisions and Final Files

For revisions, submit:

• Clean revised manuscript;
• Marked or highlighted version when requested;
• Point-by-point response to reviewers;
• Updated declarations; and
• Revised supplementary files.

Before publication, the corresponding author must review the proof for production errors. Proofreading is not an opportunity to make substantial changes to the study, findings or authorship.

28. Corrections and Retractions

Authors must promptly inform the journal of material errors discovered before or after publication.

Published articles may be corrected, accompanied by an expression of concern or retracted when necessary. The original scholarly record and the notice explaining the action will be preserved and linked transparently.

29. Accuracy of Editorial Dates and Records

Submission, review, revision, acceptance and publication dates must reflect actual documented events.

Authors, reviewers and editors must not request or create:

• Fabricated peer-review reports;
• Backdated submissions;
• Acceptance dates preceding the required reviews;
• False affiliations;
• False authorship records; or
• Misleading publication histories.

The journal may decline or retract work containing falsified publication information.

30. Submission Checklist

Before submitting, confirm that:

• The manuscript fits the NRJ scope;
• The correct article type is identified;
• All authors are genuine contributors;
• All authors approved the submission;
• A separate title page is included;
• The review manuscript is anonymized;
• The abstract and keywords are complete;
• References follow APA 7 and have been verified;
• Tables and figures are cited and properly labelled;
• Ethics and consent information is included;
• Funding and conflicts are disclosed;
• A data-availability statement is included;
• AI use is disclosed;
• Related publications and preprints are declared;
• Required permissions have been obtained;
• The author has reviewed the open-access, licensing and fee policies; and
• All submitted information is accurate.