Submissions

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Author Guidelines

For English Language

1. General Requirements

The Dyal Singh Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences (DSJHSS) welcomes original scholarly manuscripts that fall within the aims and scope of the journal. Authors should carefully review the journal's Aims, Scope and Readership Policy, Journal Policies, and these Author Guidelines before submitting a manuscript.

Submission of a manuscript implies that the work is original, has not been published previously in substantially the same form, and is not simultaneously under consideration by another journal.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that their submission complies with the journal's requirements relating to originality, authorship, research ethics, competing interests, use of artificial intelligence and automated tools, copyright, licensing, data availability, and other applicable journal policies.

2. Submission Method

Manuscripts must be submitted electronically through the DSJHSS online submission system.

Authors must register with the journal before submitting a manuscript. Authors who are already registered may log in using their existing account and initiate a new submission.

The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all information provided during submission is complete and accurate and that all listed co-authors have approved the manuscript and its submission to DSJHSS.

3. Manuscript File

The manuscript should be prepared using the DSJHSS manuscript template and submitted in an editable Microsoft Word-compatible format unless otherwise specified by the journal.

Authors should use the journal template rather than attempting to reproduce the published journal layout independently.

The journal's template uses Times New Roman and specifies formatting for the title, abstract, keywords and manuscript text.

4. Title

The title should:

  • accurately and concisely represent the subject of the manuscript;
  • be written in title case;
  • avoid unnecessary abbreviations; and
  • follow the formatting specified in the journal template.

The submitted template specifies a 16-point title in title case.

5. Author Information

Authors should provide complete and accurate information for each author, including, as applicable:

  • full name;
  • institutional affiliation;
  • email address; and
  • ORCID iD, where available.

The journal template specifically provides for the author's name, affiliation and email address.

The order of authors should be agreed upon by all contributors before submission. Authorship must comply with the journal's Authorship and Contributorship Policy.

6. Abstract

Each manuscript should include a clear and concise abstract that accurately summarizes the purpose, approach or methodology, principal findings, and significance of the study, as appropriate to the type of manuscript.

The abstract should be understandable without reference to the main text and should not contain unnecessary citations.

The journal template specifies Times New Roman, 11-point text and justified alignment for the abstract.

7. Keywords

Authors must provide at least three and no more than seven keywords that accurately represent the principal subjects of the manuscript.

The template specifies Times New Roman, 10-point formatting for keywords.

8. Organization of the Manuscript

Research articles should generally follow the structure prescribed in the DSJHSS manuscript template:

1. Introduction

The Introduction may include:

  • background of the study;
  • research objective(s);
  • research question(s); and
  • significance of the study.

2. Literature Review

The Literature Review should critically engage with relevant existing scholarship and establish the scholarly context and contribution of the study.

3. Methodology

Where applicable, the Methodology section may include:

  • research design;
  • method;
  • sample/population; and
  • research instruments or tools.

4. Results

Results should be presented clearly and systematically. Quantitative and/or qualitative findings should be reported as appropriate to the research design.

5. Conclusion

The Conclusion should synthesize the principal findings, relate them to the objectives or research questions, identify their significance, and, where appropriate, discuss implications, limitations, and recommendations.

6. References

All sources cited in the manuscript must be included in the reference list.

This structure directly follows the manuscript template supplied by DSJHSS.

For theoretical, conceptual, review, humanities, or other manuscripts for which this empirical structure is inappropriate, authors may use a structure suitable to the nature of the scholarship, provided that the manuscript remains logically organized and complies with the journal's other requirements.

9. Paragraph and Text Formatting

According to the DSJHSS template:

  • manuscript text should be appropriately formatted in Times New Roman;
  • paragraphs should be justified;
  • single line spacing should be used; and
  • the first paragraph should follow the indentation requirement specified in the template.

Authors should follow the supplied template consistently throughout the manuscript.

10. Tables, Figures and Illustrations

Tables and figures should be relevant to the manuscript and should not unnecessarily duplicate information already presented in the text.

Each table and figure should:

  • be numbered consecutively;
  • have an informative title or caption;
  • be referred to in the main text;
  • be legible and of sufficient quality for publication; and
  • identify the source where material has been reproduced or adapted from another work.

Authors are responsible for obtaining any permissions required for copyrighted material reproduced in their manuscript.

11. Citations and References — APA 7th Edition

DSJHSS follows the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th edition (APA 7th edition) for in-text citations and reference-list entries.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that citations and references are complete, accurate, and consistent. Every source cited in the manuscript must appear in the reference list, and every source included in the reference list must be cited in the manuscript.

DOIs should be provided, where available, in URL format.

A. In-text citations

One author

Parenthetical citation:

(Ahmed, 2024)

Narrative citation:

Ahmed (2024) argues that...

Two authors

Parenthetical:

(Ahmed & Khan, 2023)

Narrative:

Ahmed and Khan (2023) found that...

Three or more authors

APA 7th edition uses the first author's surname followed by et al. from the first citation:

(Ahmed et al., 2024)

or

Ahmed et al. (2024) observed that...

Multiple sources in one citation

Different works within the same parentheses should normally be separated by semicolons:

(Ahmed, 2022; Khan, 2023; Malik & Ali, 2024)

Direct quotation

For a direct quotation, include the author, year, and page number:

(Ahmed, 2024, p. 25)

For a quotation extending across more than one page:

(Ahmed, 2024, pp. 25–26)

Where a source does not contain page numbers, authors should use an appropriate alternative locator, such as a paragraph number or section heading, where available.

B. Reference-list requirements

The reference list should:

  • appear at the end of the manuscript;
  • be arranged alphabetically by the surname of the first author;
  • follow APA 7th edition formatting;
  • include DOI information where available;
  • contain only works cited in the manuscript; and
  • be checked carefully for accuracy before submission.

Authors should use a hanging indent for reference entries in the final manuscript.

APA 7th Edition Reference Examples

The following examples illustrate common source types. They are formatting examples rather than sources that authors are expected to cite.

Journal article with DOI

Ahmed, A. A., & Khan, B. B. (2024). Title of the journal article. Journal Title, 12(2), 45–60. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx

Journal article without DOI

Ahmed, A. A. (2023). Title of the journal article. Journal Title, 10(1), 25–40.

Book

Ahmed, A. A. (2022). Title of the book. Publisher Name.

Edited book

Ahmed, A. A., & Khan, B. B. (Eds.). (2023). Title of the edited book. Publisher Name.

Chapter in an edited book

Ahmed, A. A. (2023). Title of the chapter. In B. B. Khan & C. C. Ali (Eds.), Title of the book (pp. 25–45). Publisher Name.

Webpage

Organization Name. (2024, March 15). Title of the webpage. Site Name. URL

When the author and website name are the same, the site name is generally omitted.

Report by an organization

Organization Name. (2024). Title of the report. URL

Newspaper article

Ahmed, A. A. (2024, January 15). Title of the newspaper article. Newspaper Name. URL

Thesis or dissertation available online

Ahmed, A. A. (2023). Title of the thesis [Doctoral dissertation, University Name]. Repository Name. URL

For an unpublished thesis/dissertation, the reference format should be adjusted according to APA 7th edition requirements.

Conference paper/proceedings

The reference format depends on whether the conference contribution has been formally published. Authors should identify the work according to its actual publication status and apply the corresponding APA 7th edition format.

Works with many authors

For reference-list entries, APA 7th edition permits listing up to 20 authors. When a work has 21 or more authors, authors should follow the APA 7th edition rule for shortening the author list.

Same author and same year

When an author has multiple works from the same year, distinguish them using lowercase letters:

Ahmed, A. A. (2024a). ...

Ahmed, A. A. (2024b). ...

The corresponding in-text citations would be:

(Ahmed, 2024a)

(Ahmed, 2024b)

Secondary citations

Authors should consult and cite the original source wherever reasonably possible. Secondary citations should be used only when the original work cannot reasonably be consulted and should follow APA 7th edition conventions.

Reference-management software

Authors may use reference-management software such as Zotero, EndNote, or Mendeley. However, authors remain responsible for checking automatically generated citations and references against APA 7th edition requirements before submission.

12. Originality and Plagiarism

Manuscripts submitted to DSJHSS must constitute original scholarly work and must comply with the journal's Originality, Plagiarism and Redundant Publication Policy.

Authors must appropriately acknowledge and cite words, ideas, data, images, arguments, or other material derived from other sources.

Plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, inappropriate duplication, redundant publication, and other forms of research or publication misconduct are not acceptable.

13. Authorship and Contributorship

Only persons who have made appropriate scholarly contributions to the work should be identified as authors.

All authors should approve the final manuscript and agree to its submission. Guest, honorary, and ghost authorship are not acceptable.

Authors should consult the journal's Authorship and Contributorship Policy for detailed requirements.

14. Competing Interests

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

Where no competing interests exist, authors should provide an appropriate declaration where requested.

The journal's Competing Interests Policy applies.

15. Research Ethics

Research involving human participants, personal or sensitive data, or other matters requiring ethical oversight must comply with applicable ethical and institutional requirements.

Where applicable, authors should provide information concerning ethical approval, informed consent, confidentiality, and other relevant safeguards.

Authors should consult the journal's Ethical Oversight and Human-Participant Research Policy.

16. Data Availability and Reproducibility

Where relevant to the nature of the research, authors should provide sufficient information to enable readers to understand how the research was conducted and how its findings were derived.

Authors should comply with the journal's Data Sharing, Availability and Reproducibility Policy, including any applicable requirements concerning data availability statements, supporting materials, confidentiality, ethical restrictions, or legitimate limitations on data sharing.

17. Artificial Intelligence and Automated Tools

Authors must comply with the journal's Artificial Intelligence and Automated Tools Policy.

AI or automated tools must not be credited as authors. Where the journal's policy requires disclosure of the use of generative AI or similar technologies in preparing or conducting the work, authors must provide an appropriate and transparent declaration.

Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, citations, and content of their manuscript.

18. Peer Review and Editorial Decision

Submission does not guarantee publication.

Submitted manuscripts may undergo initial editorial screening to determine their relevance to the journal's scope, basic scholarly quality, compliance with submission requirements, originality, ethical considerations, and suitability for peer review.

Manuscripts considered suitable will proceed according to the journal's Peer Review and Editorial Decision Policy.

The journal reserves the right to return submissions requiring technical correction or to decline manuscripts that do not satisfy its editorial or scholarly requirements.

19. Copyright, Licensing and Open Access

Authors should review the journal's:

  • Copyright and Author Rights Policy;
  • Licensing Policy; and
  • Open Access Policy

before submission.

Your current manuscript template states that published articles are distributed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0), permitting reuse, distribution, reproduction, and adaptation with appropriate attribution.

20. Publication Fees

Authors should consult the journal's Author Fees and Optional Print Copy Policy and current fee information before submission.

Where DSJHSS does not currently charge an Article Processing Charge or publication fee, authors should not be asked to make payments unless a charge has been formally introduced and transparently disclosed by the journal.

21. Corrections and Post-Publication Matters

Authors are expected to cooperate with the journal in correcting material errors identified before or after publication.

Post-publication corrections, retractions, expressions of concern, and related matters will be handled according to the journal's relevant post-publication and research-integrity policies.

22. Final Responsibility of Authors

Before submitting, authors should carefully proofread their manuscript and verify the accuracy of names, affiliations, citations, references, tables, figures, data, declarations, and other information.

Authors remain responsible for the integrity and accuracy of their work throughout the submission, review, and publication process.

اردو زبان کے مضامین کے لیے۔

  • مقالہ غیر مطبوعہ ہو اور کسی دوسری جگہ پہ پبلیش نہ ہوا ہو
  • مقالہ مائیکرو سوفٹ ورڈ میں لکھا ہوا ہو اور 14 کے حجم کے حروف میں ہو
  • اسکا ابسٹریکٹ اردو اور انگلش دونوں میں ہونا چاہیے۔
  • ابسٹریکٹ یا خلاصہ 150 سے 250 لفظوں کا ہوناچاہیے اور اسکے نیچے اہم الفاظ جنکا تعلق مقالے سے ہو وہ لکھے ہونے چاہیں۔

Submission Preparation Checklist

Before submitting a manuscript to the Dyal Singh Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences (DSJHSS), authors must ensure that the submission satisfies the following requirements:

  • The manuscript falls within the aims and scope of DSJHSS.
  • The submission is original and is not simultaneously under consideration by another journal.
  • The manuscript has been prepared using the DSJHSS manuscript template and complies with the journal's Author Guidelines.
  • The manuscript file is submitted in an editable format accepted by the journal.
  • The manuscript includes an appropriate title, abstract, and 3–7 keywords.
  • Complete and accurate author names, affiliations, and contact information have been provided.
  • All persons listed as authors satisfy the journal's authorship requirements, and all authors have approved the submission.
  • The manuscript is appropriately structured for the type of scholarly work being submitted.
  • Citations and references have been prepared consistently in APA 7th edition, and all references have been checked for completeness and accuracy.
  • Tables, figures, images, and other materials are appropriately numbered, identified, cited, and of sufficient quality for publication.
  • Permission has been obtained for any copyrighted material for which permission is required.
  • All sources have been appropriately acknowledged, and the manuscript complies with the journal's Originality, Plagiarism and Redundant Publication Policy.
  • Any competing interests have been appropriately disclosed.
  • Required information concerning research ethics, ethical approval, informed consent, or human-participant research has been provided where applicable.
  • Any applicable data availability information has been provided.
  • Use of artificial intelligence or automated tools has been disclosed where required by journal policy.
  • The manuscript complies with the journal's Copyright and Author Rights, Licensing, Open Access, Publication Ethics, and other applicable policies.
  • The manuscript has been carefully proofread and is ready to undergo editorial screening and peer review.

Submissions that do not comply with these requirements may be returned to the author for correction before editorial consideration or may be declined where they do not satisfy the journal's basic submission, ethical, or scholarly requirements.

Book review

Book Reviews

The Book Reviews section publishes critical and scholarly reviews of recently published books relevant to the scope of the Dyal Singh Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences (DSJHSS).

A book review should provide a concise account of the book’s subject, objectives, approach, and principal arguments while offering a balanced critical assessment of its strengths, limitations, originality, and contribution to relevant scholarship. Reviews should go beyond chapter-by-chapter description or summary and should situate the book, where appropriate, within its broader disciplinary or interdisciplinary context.

Reviews should normally address recently published scholarly books in the humanities, social sciences, or interdisciplinary studies. The complete bibliographic details of the reviewed book—including author/editor, title, publisher, year of publication, number of pages, and ISBN—should be provided.

Book reviews are subject to editorial assessment for relevance, scholarly quality, clarity, originality, and compliance with the journal’s editorial requirements. The Editorial Team reserves the right to accept, decline, or request revision of submitted reviews.

Humanities

The Humanities section of the Dyal Singh Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences (DSJHSS) welcomes original, unpublished research articles, review papers, and critical essays in disciplines including but not limited to literature, linguistics, philosophy, history, religious studies, cultural studies, and fine arts. As a bilingual journal, this section accepts submissions in both English and Urdu, and manuscripts in either language are equally eligible for consideration. All submissions must reflect rigorous scholarship, original analysis, and adherence to the journal's formatting and citation guidelines, and will only be considered if they have not been previously published or are not under simultaneous review elsewhere.

All manuscripts submitted to the Humanities section undergo an initial editorial screening for scope, originality, and quality, followed by a double-blind peer review process conducted by at least two qualified reviewers with relevant subject expertise. Reviewers evaluate submissions on the basis of academic rigor, theoretical grounding, methodological soundness (where applicable), clarity of argument, and contribution to existing scholarship in the humanities. Final decisions regarding acceptance, revision, or rejection rest with the Section Editor in consultation with the Editorial Board, and all published articles are made freely available under the journal's Open Access policy with a CC BY 4.0 license.

Social Sciences

The Social Sciences section of the Dyal Singh Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences (DSJHSS) invites original, unpublished research articles, empirical studies, and critical reviews in disciplines including but not limited to sociology, political science, economics, psychology, education, anthropology, gender studies, and public administration. As a bilingual journal, submissions in both English and Urdu are welcomed, and manuscripts in either language receive equal consideration. All submissions must demonstrate sound theoretical framing, appropriate methodology, and clear analytical contribution, and must adhere to the journal's formatting and citation guidelines. Only manuscripts that are original, unpublished, and not under simultaneous review elsewhere will be considered.

All manuscripts submitted to the Social Sciences section undergo an initial editorial screening for scope, originality, and quality, followed by a double-blind peer review conducted by at least two qualified reviewers with relevant subject expertise. Reviewers assess submissions for methodological rigor, theoretical soundness, relevance of data and analysis (where applicable), clarity of argument, and overall contribution to the field. Final decisions on acceptance, revision, or rejection are made by the Section Editor in consultation with the Editorial Board, and all published articles are made freely available under the journal's Open Access policy with a CC BY 4.0 license.

Interdisciplinary Studies

Interdisciplinary Studies

The Interdisciplinary Studies section publishes research that substantively integrates two or more disciplinary perspectives, theoretical traditions, forms of evidence, or methodological approaches within the humanities and social sciences.

Articles are appropriate for this section when disciplinary integration is central to the research rather than incidental. Normally, an article should demonstrate at least three of the following characteristics:

  • a research question that crosses disciplinary boundaries;

  • substantive integration of theories or concepts from two or more disciplines;

  • meaningful combination of distinct disciplinary methods or analytical approaches;

  • integration of different forms of evidence or research material; and

  • findings or conclusions that contribute meaningfully to more than one disciplinary field.

A broad or cross-disciplinary topic, references to scholarship from several fields, authors from different departments, or the use of an isolated concept from another discipline does not by itself qualify an article as interdisciplinary. Where one disciplinary orientation clearly dominates, the article should be classified under Humanities or Social Sciences, as appropriate.

Copyright Notice

Authors retain copyright in articles published in the Dyal Singh Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences (DSJHSS). Submission, acceptance, and publication do not require authors to transfer ownership of copyright to the journal or its publisher.

By agreeing to publication, authors grant DSJHSS and its publisher, Government Dyal Singh Graduate College, a non-exclusive right to publish the article as the Version of Record; reproduce and distribute it in print and electronic formats; include the article and its metadata in archives, repositories, preservation systems, indexing services, and scholarly databases; and make reasonable technical or formatting conversions required for publication, preservation, and discoverability.

Published articles are made available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence, which permits reuse, sharing, and adaptation provided that appropriate attribution is given.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that their submissions do not unlawfully reproduce copyrighted material. Where permission is required for figures, images, tables, extensive quotations, or other third-party content, authors must obtain and document the necessary permission before publication.

By completing the submission, authors acknowledge and agree to the journal’s Copyright and Author Rights Policy.

Privacy Statement

PRIVACY STATEMENT

The Dyal Singh Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences (DSJHSS) is committed to protecting the privacy and personal information of authors, reviewers, editors, readers, and other users of its journal website and online submission system.

Collection of Personal Information

DSJHSS may collect personal information that is necessary for the administration of the journal, processing of manuscript submissions, peer review, editorial decision-making, publication, and communication with users. Such information may include names, email addresses, institutional affiliations, contact information, ORCID identifiers where provided, usernames, and other information voluntarily supplied through the journal's online system.

Information concerning manuscript submissions, editorial correspondence, peer-review activities, and decisions may also be retained as part of the journal's editorial and scholarly record.

Use of Personal Information

Personal information collected through the journal website and submission system will be used only for legitimate purposes associated with the operation and scholarly activities of DSJHSS, including:

  • managing manuscript submissions and editorial workflows;
  • conducting and administering peer review;
  • communicating with authors, reviewers, editors, and other users regarding journal activities;
  • publishing accepted scholarly works and associated author information;
  • maintaining the integrity and scholarly record of the journal;
  • administering user accounts and access to the OJS platform;
  • maintaining, securing, and improving the journal website and its services; and
  • fulfilling applicable legal, ethical, indexing, preservation, and scholarly publishing requirements.

DSJHSS does not sell personal information collected through the journal website or use such information for unrelated commercial purposes.

Confidentiality and Disclosure

Personal information associated with manuscripts and peer review will be handled in accordance with the journal's editorial and peer-review policies. Information will be accessible only to persons who require it for legitimate journal-related functions.

DSJHSS may share information with service providers or other parties where this is reasonably necessary for journal hosting, technical support, preservation, indexing, publication, or other legitimate scholarly publishing functions, subject to appropriate confidentiality and data-protection requirements.

Personal information may also be disclosed where required by applicable law, legal process, or where reasonably necessary to protect the rights, integrity, or security of the journal and its users.

Published Information

Certain information supplied by authors, including author names, institutional affiliations, ORCID identifiers where provided, and other bibliographic information associated with published articles, may become part of the permanent public scholarly record and may be disseminated through the journal website, indexing services, repositories, libraries, preservation systems, and other scholarly communication services.

Data Security

DSJHSS takes reasonable administrative, organizational, and technical measures to protect personal information against unauthorized access, loss, misuse, disclosure, or alteration. However, no internet-based information system can guarantee absolute security.

Data Retention

Personal information and editorial records may be retained for as long as reasonably necessary for the operation of the journal, maintenance of the scholarly record, research integrity, preservation, dispute resolution, and compliance with applicable legal and ethical obligations.

International Access and Data Processing

Because DSJHSS operates as an online scholarly journal, published information and certain journal data may be accessed, indexed, preserved, or processed through services operating in different jurisdictions. Publicly published information may consequently be accessible worldwide.

User Rights and Requests

Users may contact the journal regarding questions about personal information held by DSJHSS or to request correction of inaccurate personal information, subject to the journal's obligations to preserve legitimate editorial, publication, scholarly, and administrative records.

Changes to this Privacy Statement

DSJHSS may revise this Privacy Statement when necessary to reflect changes in its practices, technological infrastructure, legal requirements, or scholarly publishing standards. The current version will be made available on the journal website.

Contact

Questions concerning this Privacy Statement or the handling of personal information may be directed to the journal through the contact information provided on the DSJHSS website.