Author Guidelines

AUTHOR GUIDELINES

Effective from Volume 5, Number 3 (2026)

Authors are required to read and follow these guidelines carefully before submitting a manuscript to the International Journal of Management, Economic, Business and Accounting (IJMEBA). Manuscripts that do not comply with the journal’s scope, formatting requirements, ethical standards, or manuscript template may be returned to the authors before editorial screening or peer review.

A. General Requirements

  1. Manuscripts must be original, unpublished, and not under consideration by another journal or publisher.

  2. IJMEBA publishes manuscripts in English. Authors are responsible for ensuring that their manuscripts are written in clear, accurate, and consistent academic English.

  3. IJMEBA uses American English. Authors should apply American spelling and usage consistently throughout the manuscript, for example:

    • behavior, not behaviour;

    • organization, not organisation;

    • acknowledgment, not acknowledgement;

    • modeling, not modelling.

  4. Manuscripts with substantial language problems may be returned for revision before peer review or may be required to undergo professional language editing.

  5. Authors must use the latest official IJMEBA Manuscript Template v2026.2.

  6. The updated manuscript template applies to all manuscripts intended for publication in Vol. 5 No. 3 (2026) and subsequent issues.

  7. Manuscripts prepared using an earlier template may be returned for technical revision.

  8. The manuscript must be submitted in Microsoft Word format:

    • .doc; or

    • .docx.

  9. PDF files are not accepted as the primary manuscript file.

  10. Authors must use a reference-management application such as:

  • Mendeley;

  • Zotero;

  • EndNote; or

  • another comparable reference-management tool.

  1. All citations and references must follow APA Style, 7th edition.

  2. Authors must ensure that:

  • every source cited in the manuscript appears in the reference list;

  • every entry in the reference list is cited in the manuscript;

  • DOI links are included where available;

  • all references are accurate, traceable, and accessible.

  1. Authors should not modify the predefined page size, margins, headings, font styles, header, footer, or other layout components of the official template.

  2. All instructional text, examples, comments, highlighting, and placeholders in the template must be removed before submission.

B. Article Types and Manuscript Length

IJMEBA accepts the following types of manuscripts.

1. Original Research Article

Original research articles report empirical findings based on quantitative, qualitative, mixed-method, econometric, experimental, or case-study research.

Recommended length:

6,000–8,000 words, excluding references, tables, figures, and supplementary materials.

2. Qualitative Research Article

Qualitative research articles should present a rigorous research design, transparent analytical procedures, and substantive theoretical interpretation.

Recommended length:

6,000–9,000 words.

3. Conceptual Article

Conceptual articles should develop new concepts, theoretical relationships, propositions, frameworks, boundary conditions, or research agendas.

Recommended length:

6,000–9,000 words.

A conceptual article must go beyond compiling definitions or summarizing previous research.

4. Systematic Literature Review

Systematic literature reviews must use a transparent and reproducible review protocol.

Recommended length:

7,000–10,000 words.

5. Policy or Practice Article

Policy or practice articles should provide evidence-based analysis with clear implications for managers, policymakers, industries, organizations, or communities.

Recommended length:

4,000–7,000 words.

Word limits may be adjusted by the Editor when justified by the research design, analytical complexity, or scholarly contribution.

C. Double-Anonymous Peer Review Requirements

IJMEBA applies a double-anonymous peer-review process. The identities of the authors and reviewers are concealed during the review process.

Authors must upload two separate files.

1. Title Page

The title page must contain:

  • article title;

  • full names of all authors;

  • institutional affiliations;

  • department or study program;

  • faculty or school;

  • university or institution;

  • city and country;

  • email addresses;

  • ORCID identifiers;

  • corresponding-author information;

  • acknowledgments, where applicable;

  • author-contribution statement;

  • funding information;

  • conflict-of-interest declaration.

2. Anonymized Manuscript

The anonymized manuscript must not contain:

  • author names;

  • author affiliations;

  • email addresses;

  • ORCID identifiers;

  • acknowledgments that reveal identity;

  • institution-specific ethical-review information that unnecessarily reveals identity;

  • file properties identifying the authors;

  • self-identifying statements.

Authors should replace identifying information temporarily with neutral expressions such as:

“[Institution name removed for anonymous review]”

or:

“[Ethics approval information withheld for anonymous review]”

After acceptance, complete author and institutional information must be restored in the final manuscript.

D. Manuscript Structure

The manuscript structure must be appropriate to the article type.

1. Original Quantitative Research

The recommended structure is:

  1. Title

  2. Abstract

  3. Keywords

  4. Introduction

  5. Literature Review and Hypothesis Development

  6. Method

  7. Results

  8. Discussion

  9. Conclusion

  10. Declarations

  11. References

  12. Supplementary Materials, where applicable

2. Qualitative Research

The recommended structure is:

  1. Title

  2. Abstract

  3. Keywords

  4. Introduction

  5. Theoretical or Conceptual Framework

  6. Method

  7. Findings

  8. Discussion

  9. Conclusion

  10. Declarations

  11. References

  12. Supplementary Materials, where applicable

3. Conceptual Article

The recommended structure is:

  1. Title

  2. Abstract

  3. Keywords

  4. Introduction

  5. Theoretical Background

  6. Conceptual Synthesis

  7. Proposition Development

  8. Proposed Conceptual Framework

  9. Discussion

  10. Future Research Agenda

  11. Conclusion

  12. Declarations

  13. References

4. Systematic Literature Review

The recommended structure is:

  1. Title

  2. Abstract

  3. Keywords

  4. Introduction

  5. Review Method

  6. Search Strategy

  7. Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria

  8. Quality Appraisal

  9. Results

  10. Thematic or Bibliometric Synthesis

  11. Discussion

  12. Research Agenda

  13. Conclusion

  14. Declarations

  15. References

  16. Supplementary Materials

Minor structural adjustments may be accepted when justified by the article type and approved by the Editor.

E. Article Title

The article title must:

  • be concise and informative;

  • accurately reflect the principal phenomenon, relationship, context, or contribution;

  • contain no more than 18 words;

  • avoid unexplained abbreviations and acronyms;

  • avoid generic expressions such as “A Study of” or “An Analysis of”;

  • avoid mentioning a single organization unless the context has theoretical, managerial, or policy significance;

  • use Title Case;

  • support indexing and discoverability.

Generic titles using the form:

“The Effect of X and Y on Z at Organization A”

should be reformulated to communicate the mechanism, distinctive context, or principal contribution more effectively.

F. Author Names and Affiliations

The title page must provide complete author information in the following format:

First Author¹*, Second Author², Third Author³

¹Department, Faculty or School, University, City, Country
²Department, Faculty or School, University, City, Country
³Department, Faculty or School, University, City, Country

*Corresponding author: email@institution.ac.id
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0000-0000-0000

Academic titles and occupational positions should not be included in the author-name line.

Authors are strongly encouraged to provide a valid ORCID identifier.

G. Abstract

The abstract must be written in English and contain 200–250 words.

The abstract must not contain:

  • citations;

  • references;

  • tables;

  • figures;

  • unexplained abbreviations;

  • detailed statistical output.

IJMEBA uses a structured abstract consisting of the following components:

Purpose

State the research problem, objective, and relevant context.

Method

State the research design, data source or participants, sample size, data-collection period, and analytical technique.

Findings

Report the principal findings and explain the direction or substantive meaning of the results.

Conclusion and Implications

State the main conclusion and its theoretical, managerial, practical, social, or policy implications.

Originality/Value

Explain the specific novelty and contribution of the study to the relevant literature.

The abstract should be written as a coherent single section using the designated labels in the official template.

H. Keywords

Authors must provide four to six keyword phrases.

Keywords must:

  • use lowercase letters, except for proper nouns;

  • be separated by semicolons;

  • represent the principal constructs, theories, context, method, or research domain;

  • not use variable codes such as X1, X2, Y, or Z;

  • not be overly general, such as “business,” “management,” “research,” or “performance”;

  • not entirely repeat the words used in the article title.

Example:

Keywords: digital marketing capability; MSME resilience;
fintech utilization; financial experience; emerging economies

I. Introduction

The Introduction should:

  1. establish the research background;

  2. explain the practical and theoretical importance of the topic;

  3. describe the relevant phenomenon or problem;

  4. use recent, credible, and relevant literature;

  5. identify a clear research gap;

  6. explain why the gap is important;

  7. state the novelty of the study;

  8. state the theoretical and practical contributions;

  9. present the research objective or research question.

The research gap may be:

  • theoretical;

  • empirical;

  • methodological;

  • contextual;

  • measurement-related;

  • policy-related.

The Introduction should not consist only of general statements or statistical descriptions. It should explain how the present study differs meaningfully from previous research.

A brief overview of the article structure may be included where appropriate, but it is not mandatory.

J. Literature Review and Hypothesis or Proposition Development

The Literature Review must critically synthesize relevant:

  • theories;

  • concepts;

  • definitions;

  • dimensions;

  • empirical findings;

  • debates;

  • inconsistencies;

  • unresolved issues.

Authors should organize the literature thematically or theoretically rather than presenting one study after another.

For quantitative studies, each hypothesis must:

  • have a clear theoretical foundation;

  • be supported by relevant empirical evidence;

  • explain the expected direction of the relationship;

  • be stated clearly and consistently.

For conceptual articles, each proposition must:

  • follow from explicit theoretical reasoning;

  • clarify the proposed mechanism;

  • specify relevant assumptions or boundary conditions;

  • contribute to the development of the conceptual framework.

K. Method

The Method section must provide sufficient detail to allow readers to evaluate or replicate the study.

Quantitative Research

Authors should explain:

  • research design;

  • research context;

  • population;

  • sampling technique;

  • sample-size justification;

  • sample size;

  • response rate;

  • data-collection period;

  • data-collection procedure;

  • measurement instruments;

  • indicator sources;

  • measurement scale;

  • validity and reliability testing;

  • missing-data treatment;

  • bias assessment, where relevant;

  • data-analysis method;

  • statistical software and version;

  • ethical approval;

  • informed consent.

Qualitative Research

Authors should explain:

  • qualitative approach;

  • research setting;

  • informant-selection criteria;

  • number and characteristics of informants;

  • data-collection procedures;

  • interview duration;

  • transcription procedure;

  • coding stages;

  • thematic or interpretive analysis;

  • saturation;

  • triangulation;

  • member checking, where applicable;

  • researcher reflexivity;

  • trustworthiness;

  • ethical approval;

  • informed consent.

Systematic Literature Review

Authors should explain:

  • review protocol;

  • databases searched;

  • search date;

  • complete search strings;

  • inclusion criteria;

  • exclusion criteria;

  • screening procedure;

  • duplicate-removal process;

  • quality appraisal;

  • coding framework;

  • data-extraction procedure;

  • synthesis method;

  • PRISMA flow diagram, where applicable.

Conceptual Article

Authors should explain:

  • the logic for selecting theories;

  • the literature-identification process;

  • conceptual-integration approach;

  • assumptions and boundary conditions;

  • proposition-development procedure;

  • framework-development process.

A conceptual article is not required to use a systematic-review protocol unless it is presented as a structured or systematic conceptual review.

L. Results or Findings

The Results section must present the findings:

  • clearly;

  • objectively;

  • systematically;

  • in accordance with the research design.

Authors should report, where relevant:

  • respondent or informant characteristics;

  • descriptive statistics;

  • measurement-model assessment;

  • validity and reliability;

  • structural-model results;

  • hypothesis testing;

  • robustness tests;

  • thematic findings;

  • direct quotations;

  • model-fit information;

  • effect sizes;

  • confidence intervals.

Results should not be interpreted extensively in this section when Results and Discussion are presented separately.

Raw output from statistical software must not be inserted directly into the manuscript.

Variable names such as:

TOTAL_X1
TOTAL_X2
VAR00001

must be replaced with clear conceptual labels.

M. Discussion

The Discussion must interpret the findings rather than merely repeat them.

Authors should explain:

  1. the principal findings;

  2. the theoretical mechanisms underlying the findings;

  3. whether the findings support, extend, refine, or contradict previous research;

  4. contextual explanations;

  5. unexpected or non-significant findings;

  6. alternative explanations;

  7. boundary conditions;

  8. theoretical contributions;

  9. managerial, practical, social, or policy implications.

Each major finding should be compared with relevant literature.

As a general guide, the Discussion may comprise approximately 25–30% of the main manuscript, depending on the article type and complexity of the findings.

The theoretical contribution must explain precisely:

  • what is new;

  • which theory or literature is affected;

  • how the findings modify existing knowledge;

  • under what conditions the contribution applies.

N. Conclusion

The Conclusion should:

  • summarize the principal findings;

  • explain how the research objective was achieved;

  • state the main theoretical contribution;

  • state the principal practical or policy implications;

  • identify the study’s limitations;

  • propose focused directions for future research.

The Conclusion should not:

  • repeat the Discussion;

  • introduce new data;

  • introduce new theories;

  • contain unsupported claims;

  • make recommendations unrelated to the findings.

O. Paragraph Style

Each substantive paragraph should normally contain three to six sentences and develop one coherent idea.

A well-developed paragraph should include, where appropriate:

  • a clear topic sentence;

  • evidence or theoretical reasoning;

  • interpretation;

  • contextual explanation;

  • a logical transition.

Repeated one-sentence paragraphs should be avoided.

Paragraphs should not be divided merely to create visual space, and excessively long paragraphs should be divided into coherent units.

P. Tables

Tables must:

  • be editable;

  • not be inserted as screenshots;

  • be numbered consecutively;

  • be referred to in the manuscript;

  • appear near the relevant discussion;

  • use consistent decimal places;

  • define all abbreviations;

  • use clear row and column headings.

Use the following format:

Table 1
Constructs and Measurement Sources

Formatting:

  • table number: bold, left aligned;

  • table title: italic, Title Case, left aligned;

  • table title placed above the table;

  • no colon after the table number;

  • vertical lines should be avoided;

  • table notes placed below the table.

Example:

Note. AVE = average variance extracted;
CR = composite reliability.

Tables generated directly from SPSS, SmartPLS, Stata, or other software must be reconstructed according to the IJMEBA format.

Q. Figures

Figures must:

  • be numbered consecutively;

  • have a complete title;

  • be cited in the manuscript;

  • use readable labels;

  • be clear at 100% and 200% zoom;

  • have sufficient resolution;

  • not be blurred, distorted, or pixelated;

  • not contain software watermarks;

  • not be copied from copyrighted sources without permission.

Use the following format:

Figure 1
Proposed Research Framework

Formatting:

  • figure number: bold, left aligned;

  • figure title: italic, Title Case, left aligned;

  • number and title placed above the figure;

  • notes and sources placed below the figure.

Recommended resolution:

  • photographs: at least 300 dpi;

  • charts and diagrams: 300–600 dpi;

  • line art: approximately 600 dpi.

Vector formats are recommended for research frameworks and diagrams.

R. Statistical Reporting

Statistical results should follow APA Style, 7th edition.

Examples:

M = 4.21
SD = 0.68
r = .42
β = .326
t(198) = 3.42
F(2, 197) = 18.64
p = .032
p < .001
R² = .487
95% CI [0.18, 0.41]

Do not report:

p = 0.000

Use:

p < .001

Authors should report effect sizes and confidence intervals where appropriate, rather than relying only on statistical significance.

S. References

References must follow APA Style, 7th edition.

Original Research Articles

Authors should normally provide approximately:

25–35 references

The reference list should:

  • consist predominantly of peer-reviewed journal articles;

  • contain at least approximately 50% sources published within the last five years;

  • include seminal sources where theoretically relevant;

  • include sufficient international literature;

  • contain at least 80% primary scholarly sources.

Conceptual Articles

Conceptual articles should normally include:

40–70 scholarly sources, or as required by the theoretical argument.

Systematic Literature Reviews

The number of references should follow the review protocol and include:

  • the studies in the final corpus;

  • methodological sources;

  • theoretical sources;

  • quality-appraisal sources;

  • relevant reporting guidelines.

Sources should be:

  • relevant;

  • credible;

  • traceable;

  • accurately cited;

  • free from fabricated or unverifiable information.

DOIs must be written as active URLs:

https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx

Authors should avoid excessive use of:

  • non-reviewed websites;

  • lecture notes;

  • commercial blogs;

  • anonymous sources;

  • outdated textbooks;

  • secondary citations.

T. Declarations

All manuscripts must include the following sections after the Conclusion.

Author Contributions

Authors should use the CRediT taxonomy where appropriate:

  • Conceptualization;

  • Methodology;

  • Software;

  • Validation;

  • Formal Analysis;

  • Investigation;

  • Resources;

  • Data Curation;

  • Writing—Original Draft;

  • Writing—Review and Editing;

  • Visualization;

  • Supervision;

  • Project Administration;

  • Funding Acquisition.

Funding

Example:

This research received no external funding.

or:

This research was funded by [funder], grant number [number].

Conflict of Interest

Example:

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

Example:

This study was approved by [name of ethics committee], approval number [number], dated [date].

Where ethical approval was not required, the authors must explain why.

Informed Consent

Example:

Informed consent was obtained from all participants involved in the study.

Data Availability

Example:

The data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Where data are publicly available, authors should provide the repository name, dataset title, DOI, or persistent URL.

Acknowledgments

Authors may acknowledge individuals, institutions, organizations, or technical assistance that did not meet the criteria for authorship.

The Acknowledgments section may be omitted when not applicable.

U. Declaration of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies

Authors must disclose whether generative AI or AI-assisted technologies were used in the preparation of the manuscript.

The disclosure must state:

  • the name of the tool;

  • the purpose of use;

  • the part of the manuscript or research process affected;

  • how the output was verified.

Example:

During the preparation of this manuscript, the authors used [tool name and version] for [purpose]. The authors reviewed and verified all AI-assisted content and remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and ethical compliance of the manuscript.

When no AI-assisted technologies were used:

The authors declare that no generative AI or AI-assisted technologies were used in the preparation of this manuscript.

AI systems must not be listed as authors or co-authors.

Authors remain fully responsible for:

  • factual accuracy;

  • references;

  • quotations;

  • data;

  • analyses;

  • tables;

  • figures;

  • originality;

  • ethical compliance.

V. Supplementary Materials

Authors are encouraged to upload supporting materials where relevant and ethically permissible.

Supplementary materials may include:

  • research questionnaires;

  • interview guides;

  • informed-consent forms;

  • codebooks;

  • search strategies;

  • screening records;

  • review corpora;

  • anonymized datasets;

  • analysis scripts;

  • robustness tests;

  • additional tables;

  • additional figures.

Files should be named clearly, for example:

Supplementary File 1. Research Questionnaire
Supplementary File 2. Measurement Items and Sources
Supplementary File 3. Anonymized Dataset
Supplementary File 4. Statistical Analysis Code

Sensitive, confidential, or personally identifiable information must not be uploaded.

W. Copyright and Licensing

IJMEBA publishes articles under the:

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License—CC BY 4.0

Under this license, users may share and adapt the published work for any lawful purpose, provided that appropriate attribution is given to the authors and the original publication.

Authors retain copyright in their work while granting IJMEBA the right of first publication.

X. Submission Process

Authors must:

  1. register or log in to the IJMEBA OJS;

  2. complete all author metadata;

  3. provide full institutional affiliations;

  4. provide valid email addresses;

  5. provide ORCID identifiers where available;

  6. upload a separate title page;

  7. upload an anonymized manuscript;

  8. upload supplementary files where applicable;

  9. complete the Submission Preparation Checklist;

  10. confirm compliance with publication ethics;

  11. submit the manuscript through OJS.

Manuscripts sent only by email will not be processed as formal submissions unless specifically requested by the Editorial Office.

CONTACT INFORMATION

For submission, technical, or editorial inquiries, contact:

Editorial Office
International Journal of Management, Economic, Business and Accounting

Email:

  • editor.ijmeba@xjurnal.com

  • admin@xjurnal.com

Publisher contact:

  • xjurnal.publisher@gmail.com

Journal website:

https://portal.xjurnal.com/index.php/ijmeba

The primary correspondence address should be:

editor.ijmeba@xjurnal.com

SUBMISSION PREPARATION CHECKLIST

As part of the submission process, authors are required to confirm that their manuscript complies with all items below. Submissions that do not meet these requirements may be returned before editorial screening or peer review.

  1. The manuscript is original, has not been previously published, and is not under consideration by another journal.

  2. The manuscript falls within the aims and scope of IJMEBA.

  3. The manuscript is written in clear and consistent academic English.

  4. American English is used consistently throughout the manuscript.

  5. The manuscript has been prepared using the latest official IJMEBA Manuscript Template v2026.2.

  6. The submission file is provided in Microsoft Word format, either .doc or .docx.

  7. All instructional text, placeholders, highlighting, and comments from the manuscript template have been removed.

  8. A separate title page has been uploaded containing complete author information.

  9. The main manuscript has been anonymized for double-anonymous peer review.

  10. Author names, affiliations, emails, ORCID identifiers, acknowledgments, and other identifying information have been removed from the anonymized manuscript.

  11. The document properties have been checked and do not reveal the authors’ identities.

  12. The article title is informative, contains no unexplained abbreviation, and does not exceed 18 words.

  13. The abstract contains Purpose, Method, Findings, Conclusion and Implications, and Originality/Value.

  14. The abstract contains between 200 and 250 words and does not include citations.

  15. The manuscript provides four to six keyword phrases separated by semicolons.

  16. The Introduction clearly explains the research problem, gap, novelty, objective, and contribution.

  17. The literature review critically synthesizes relevant theories and previous research.

  18. The Method provides sufficient information to evaluate or replicate the study.

  19. Ethical approval and informed-consent information have been provided where applicable.

  20. The Results or Findings are clearly and systematically presented.

  21. The Discussion interprets the findings in relation to theory, prior studies, context, and implications.

  22. The Conclusion explains the main findings, contribution, limitations, and future research directions.

  23. Substantive paragraphs are coherent and do not consist predominantly of one-sentence paragraphs.

  24. All tables are editable and are not inserted as screenshots.

  25. All tables are numbered consecutively, titled correctly, and cited in the manuscript.

  26. All figures are clear, legible, numbered consecutively, titled correctly, and cited in the manuscript.

  27. Figures and diagrams have adequate resolution and are not blurred or pixelated.

  28. Statistical results follow APA Style, 7th edition.

  29. Statistical values are reported correctly, including the use of p < .001 rather than p = 0.000.

  30. All in-text citations and references follow APA Style, 7th edition.

  31. A reference-management application such as Mendeley, Zotero, or EndNote has been used.

  32. Every source cited in the manuscript appears in the reference list.

  33. Every reference-list entry is cited in the manuscript.

  34. DOI URLs have been provided for references where available.

  35. The reference list contains predominantly peer-reviewed and primary scholarly sources.

  36. Recent and internationally relevant references have been included.

  37. Author Contributions have been provided.

  38. Funding information has been provided.

  39. A Conflict-of-Interest statement has been provided.

  40. Ethical Approval and Informed Consent statements have been provided where applicable.

  41. A Data Availability statement has been provided.

  42. The use or non-use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies has been declared.

  43. Supplementary materials have been uploaded where relevant.

  44. The authors have read and agreed to the journal’s Publication Ethics, Copyright, Licensing, Peer Review, and Privacy policies.

  45. The authors understand that submission does not guarantee acceptance or publication.

Please contact info:

admin@xjurnal.com

editor.ijmeba@xjurnal.com

xjurnal.publisher@gmail.com

for the problems.

 

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.

  1. 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).
  2. The submission file is in OpenOffice, Microsoft Word, RTF, or WordPerfect document file format.
  3. Where available, URLs for the references have been provided.
  4. 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.
  5. The text adheres to the stylistic and bibliographic requirements outlined in the Author Guidelines, which is found in About the Journal.
  6. If submitting to a peer-reviewed section of the journal, the instructions in Ensuring a Doble Blind Review have been followed.