Submissions

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Submission Preparation Checklist

As part of the submission process, authors are required to check off their submission's compliance with all of the following items, and submissions may be returned to authors that do not adhere to these guidelines.
  • The submission has not been previously published, nor is it before another journal for consideration (or an explanation has been provided in Comments to the Editor).
  • The submission file is in OpenOffice, Microsoft Word, or RTF document file format.
  • Where available, URLs for the references have been provided.
  • The text is single-spaced; uses a 12-point font; employs italics, rather than underlining (except with URL addresses); and all illustrations, figures, and tables are placed within the text at the appropriate points, rather than at the end.
  • The text adheres to the stylistic and bibliographic requirements outlined in the Author Guidelines.
  • ☐ I confirm that I have read and agree to the AJSS Copyright Notice, originality requirements, and publication terms.

Author Guidelines

Author Guidelines

Academic Journal of Social Sciences (AJSS)
HEC-Recognized Journal (Y Category)
Published by Lahore Garrison University

1. Scope and Policy

The Academic Journal of Social Sciences (AJSS) publishes original research in all major areas of social sciences. Submissions should offer clear academic value and contribute to theory, policy, or practice.

AJSS follows HEC guidelines, the COPE Code of Conduct, and internationally accepted publication ethics.

Manuscripts that do not follow these guidelines will be desk-rejected.

2. Originality and Research Ethics (HEC Requirement)

  • Manuscripts must be original and not published or under review elsewhere

  • The similarity index must comply with HEC policy

    • Maximum overall similarity: 19%

    • Single source similarity: not more than 5%

  • All submissions are checked using plagiarism detection software

  • Authors must disclose:

    • Funding sources (if any)

    • Conflicts of interest (if any)

Any form of plagiarism, data fabrication, or unethical practice will result in rejection.

3. Peer Review Process

AJSS follows a double-blind peer review process as required by HEC.

  • Author identities are removed from manuscripts

  • Reviewers remain anonymous

  • Editorial decisions are based on originality, relevance, clarity, and methodological rigor

4. Submission Method

All required material must be submitted as one MS Word file.

5. Required Documents (Single Word File)

The manuscript must be arranged in the following order:

  1. Agreement Form
    (Available in the Templates section on the journal website)

  2. Title Page
    Includes:

    • Article title

    • Full author name(s)

    • Institutional affiliation(s)

    • Corresponding author email

  3. Blind Manuscript

    • No author names or affiliations

    • Starts with title, abstract, keywords, and main text

6. Word Limits

  • Total length: 5,000–7,000 words
    (Includes abstract, references, tables, and figures)

  • Abstract: 225–250 words
    Manuscripts outside this range will be returned.

7. Formatting Requirements

  • Font: Times New Roman

  • Font size: 12

  • Line spacing: 1.15 throughout

  • Layout: Single column

  • Alignment: Justified

  • Heading numbering:

    • Main heading: 1

    • Subheading: 1.1

    • Sub-subheading: 1.1.1

  • Use British English spelling

  • Use spell-check before submission

8. Article Structure (HEC-Aligned)

Manuscripts should generally follow this structure:

  • Title

  • Abstract

  • Keywords

  • Introduction

  • Literature Review

  • Methodology

  • Results/Analysis

  • Discussion

  • Conclusion

  • References

(Section titles may vary depending on the nature of the study.)

9. Abstract and Keywords

Abstract

  • Heading: Abstract

  • Font: 12, Times New Roman, Bold, Left-aligned

  • Text:

    • Font: 12, Times New Roman, Italic

    • Justified

    • First-line indent: 0.5 inch

  • The abstract should clearly state the purpose, method, key findings, and contribution.

Keywords

  • Heading: Keywords:

  • Font: 12, Times New Roman, Bold

  • 4–6 keywords, separated by commas

10. Headings and Main Text

  • Headings:

    • Font: 12, Times New Roman, Bold

    • Left-aligned

  • Main text:

    • Font: 12, Times New Roman, Regular

    • Justified

    • First-line indent: 0.5 inch

  • The first letter of the first word in the introduction should be bold

11. Tables and Figures

Tables

  • Insert tables within the text after first mention

  • Caption:

    • At the top

    • Font: 12, Times New Roman, Bold

    • Left-aligned

  • Table content:

    • Font: 10, Times New Roman, Regular

    • Center-aligned

    • Maximum two decimal places

  • Notes:

    • Font: 10, Times New Roman, Italic

    • Left-aligned

Figures

  • Insert figures within the text

  • Caption at the bottom

  • Caption font: 12, Times New Roman, Bold

  • Figure content: 10, Times New Roman, Regular

12. References

  • Style: APA (latest edition)

  • Reference software: Mendeley or EndNote

  • Font: 12, Times New Roman

  • Hanging indent: 0.5 inch

  • Justified alignment

Authors are responsible for reference accuracy and completeness.

APA guide: https://apastyle.apa.org/

13. Revisions and Proofs

  • Revised submissions must include a Response to Reviewers

  • Changes should be clearly indicated

  • Page proofs are shared before final publication

  • Only minor corrections are allowed at proof stage

Sample Article Format

Title of the Article

Author Name¹*, Author Name², Author Name³

Abstract
The name of my country is Pakistan. The name of my country is Pakistan…

Keywords: Pakistan, Punjab, Lahore

1. Introduction

The name of my country is Pakistan. The name of my country is Pakistan…

¹ Associate Professor, Department of ___, Lahore Garrison University, Lahore, Pakistan
Corresponding Author: [email protected]

² Assistant Professor, Department of ___, Lahore Garrison University, Lahore, Pakistan

³ Assistant Professor, Department of ___, Lahore Garrison University, Lahore, Pakistan

Articles

Section default policy

Copyright Notice

Copyright Notice

☐ I confirm that:

  • The submitted manuscript is original, has not been published previously, and is not under review by any other journal.

  • I am authorized to submit this work and, where applicable, have obtained consent from all co-authors.

☐ I agree that:

  • I/we retain the copyright of the article.

  • The Academic Journal of Social Sciences (AJSS), published by Lahore Garrison University, is granted the right of first publication.

  • AJSS may reproduce, publish, distribute, and archive the article in print and electronic formats, including online databases and repositories.

  • Any reuse of the published work will include proper citation of the original publication in AJSS.

☐ I acknowledge that:

  • The manuscript has been prepared in accordance with AJSS Author Guidelines.

  • The journal follows HEC and COPE ethical standards, and violations may result in withdrawal of the manuscript.

By checking this box, I confirm my agreement with the above terms.

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