Gulf Education and Social Policy Review
ISSN: 2709-0191
Pioneering research on education and social policy in the Gulf region.
Author Style Guide
Overview
The following is intended to act as a style sheet for the conference papers published by KnE Publishing. Ideally, the authors should adhere as closely as possible to these rules, but there may be cases where this might not be possible, or the style guide might be silent on a given point; should this be the case, please try and maintain consistency.
Please proofread all work prior to submission to ensure a good standard of written English and the accuracy of references.
Also, where URL links are included – either in the main text or the references – please check they are accurate and still active.
KnE Publishing adheres to the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). All papers submitted for publication are screened for plagiarism using the Crossref Similarity Check powered by iThenticate.
Authors are responsible for obtaining permission to use any textual or visual copyright material contained in their journal article and conference paper submissions. There might be a fee to obtain the rights to re-use this content. KnE Publishing will not pay this fee; the costs are borne by the author(s) or their funding bodies.
All content published by KnE Publishing is permanently archived in Portico, a not-for-profit organization with a mission and singular focus to provide a permanent archive of electronic scholarly content.
Basic Styling
| Article Title | Casing: Title case and bold For title case, capitalise the first word of the title, the first word after a dash or colon in the title and all major words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs and words of four letters or more) Example: Graduates’ Perception of Instructional Methods for Emergency Medicine: Affecting Their SelfConfidence in Emergency Departments. |
| Author | Placement: Below the article title Casing: Title case and bold Example: Mohamed Daffalla Awadalla Separator: Comma between each author, ‘and’ before the final author, and comma before the ‘and’ Example: Mohamed Daffalla Awadalla, Ahmed Abd Elrahman Abdalla, and Sami Mahjoub Taha |
| Abstract | Heading: Titled Style: One paragraph (150–250 words) Abbreviations: Any abbreviation defined in the abstract needs to be redefined upon first mention in the text. Reference citation in abstract: Please refrain from citing references in the abstract whenever possible; however, if cited, put in the full reference details. |
| Keywords | A minimum of 3 keywords need to be provided (Mandatory) Separator: Comma Casing: Lower case; upper case only for proper nouns Example: Keywords: emergency medicine, instructional methods, perception, self-confidence, Sudan |
| Headings | All numbered First level: Title case and bold 1. Difference Between ABC and XYZ Emergency medicine specialty… Second level: Sentence case and bold 1.1. Difference between ABC and XYZ Emergency medicine specialty… Third level: Sentence case and italic 1.1.1. Difference between ABC and XYZ Emergency medicine specialty… |
| Spellings | Be consistent with whether you are using the UK or US spelling. If using US spelling, then make sure to use the ‘ize’ variant — this means that the words ending with ‘ise’, ‘isation’, etc. will be spelt with ‘z’ (e.g., ‘recognize’, ‘organize’, ‘civilize’, etc.). |
| Dictionary | For UK Spelling – follow Oxford Dictionary (https://en.oxforddictionaries.com) For US Spelling – follow Merriam Webster (https://www.merriam-webster.com) |
| Abbreviations | Abbreviations should be defined upon the first instance in the text; the abbreviated form can be used thereafter. |
| Emphasis | Single inverted commas. |
| Hyphenation | As per the dictionary, the following |
| Dashes | En Dash: Ranges, words of equal weight, parenthetical phrases (with space), theories and equations based on the names of two people, etc. Example: 10–12 kg, North-South border, Adams–Williamson equation Em Dash: For parenthetical phrases and for setting off a particular phrase |
| Commas | Use a comma after, e.g. and, i.e. in parentheses. However, in the main text, use ‘that is’ and ‘for example’, followed by a comma. Oxford/serial commas: NO serial commas; can be used only in long sentences if required for clarity. Thousandth separator: Yes (for 5 digits and above) Example: 1000 but 10,000 |
| Quotation Marks | Single inverted commas need to be used, and double quotations only within single inverted commas. Use double quotes if the quoted matter is a direct quote made by someone. Block quotes: Quotations with 45 words or more should be pulled out as a separate paragraph and indented. Please provide the source name for each block quote. |
| Italics | Used only for foreign words; for other terms, please follow the dictionary. P value Names of journals, newspapers, books, etc., should always be in italics (except within the references). |
| Date Style | For UK Spelling: 14 March 2018 For US Spelling: March 14, 2018 Period: 2016–2017 (do not truncate) Twentieth century, but 1980s. However, remember to hyphenate if referring to an object; for example, nineteenth-century literature. |
| Numbers | Numbers 1–9: Spelled out (one, two, three… etc.) Numbers 10 and above: Numerals (10, 11, 12… etc.) For exact measurements, use only figures (34km, 4%). Fractions: Spelled out in full in text (half, three-quarters, one-third), but written in digits in tables |
| Lists | First level: Second level: Third level: i. a. (1) ii. b. (2) iii. c. (3) |
| Equations | Equations should be displayed on a separate line. These must be submitted in an editable format. If they are numbered, it should be in the format: (1), (2), (3) Example: 𝜌 𝜕ℎ/𝜕𝜏 = −𝑑𝑖𝑣( ⃗𝑞) + � |
Title
The title is your first chance to attract readers in internet searches, so it is important that it is clear and informative – but also engaging.
Avoid over-long titles where possible (remember you can always have additional information in a sub-title).
Check the English is accurate – a lot of potential readers will be deterred by poor quality English in the title.
Author Details
All authors of the manuscript should include their full name and affiliation on the cover page of the manuscript. The names should be in bold and separated by commas. The affiliations should be listed below the names (please use superscripted numerals where there is more than one affiliation).
Example:
Emily Paterson1, Frederick Anthony2 , and Emily Morgan2,3
1 The University of Bristol
2 The University of Exeter
3 British Association of Romantic Studies
The Corresponding Author should be indicated by an asterisk (*) for a paper with more than one author and separated with a comma from the affiliation superscript. Where possible, the Corresponding Author should use their institutional email address, not a personal one.
Example:
Emily Paterson1*, Frederick Anthony2 and Emily Morgan2,3
*Corresponding Author: Emily Paterson. Email: e.paterson@institution.com.
For papers with only one author, DO NOT indicate the Corresponding Author. Just include the
email address along with the name.
Example:
Emily Paterson. Email: e.paterson@institution.com.
Where available, please also include ORCID iDs. This allows us to better promote this research to the international academic community by linking it with other research by the author(s).
ORCID iD
The ORCID iD is a durable digital identifier. This not only allows the scientific and academic communities to identify individual researchers but also links the authors with their works across multiple platforms. To create an ORCID iD, authors should visit: https://orcid.org/signin and create a unique identifier.
Abstract
Why the abstract is important
The abstract helps potential readers evaluate your research quickly, allowing them to ascertain the purpose of your article or paper, the wider field it relates to, and the special significance and value of this particular piece of research. The abstract is, therefore, key to attracting readers and, hopefully, citations – and citations can greatly increase your credibility in your field.
Where possible, avoid using the abstract as the first paragraph of the introduction. It has a different function from the introduction and should be structured differently. Moreover, readers will get bored of the repetition.
How it should be structured
Be concise. An abstract should be between 150 and 250 words.
Be clear. Remember – some people will only read your abstract and nothing else, so it is important that it contains all of the relevant information for them to evaluate your research.
For scientific articles, the abstract should include an introduction, methodology, research findings, the conclusions which can be drawn from these results, and why this research matters.
For non-scientific articles, the abstract should provide an overview of the wider academic field, the gap in that field which the study fills (or the error the study addresses), and the relevance of the research for the academic community.
Many scholars prefer to write the abstract last, once they have completed their article. This helps ensure that they have included all relevant information and accurately summarised the content, focus and value of the article.
KnE Publishing will edit the abstracts to the highest standards of English; however, please do ensure that your wording is clear and concise to avoid potential confusion.
Keywords
Why keywords are important
It is important to select the right keywords for your article. They help to define your field of study, and the sub-field(s), topic(s), and specific issue(s) that are covered in the article. They also allow other researchers to find your work when they search for studies in this area, boosting the impact of the article and providing greater opportunities for citations.
How to choose keywords
When choosing your keywords, be selective. You only have 3-6 keywords, so you need to make
them count.
Focus on the main topic(s) of your research and any unique identifiers – such as geography, methodological approach, scientific techniques, literary theory or specific chemical reaction.
But remember – a keyword does not have to be a single word. You could have phrases such as ‘Upas Tree’, ‘inconsistent triad’ or ‘radioactive waste decay’.
Avoid reusing the same keywords in the title and abstract – this is a chance to get extra words included to help your content appear in search engines (both online and library/archive).
It can be helpful to perform a keyword search using your chosen terms before you submit your paper. Do other articles in your field appear? Is this the group in which you wish your research to be included? If not, you might want to consider adjusting some of your keywords.
Acknowledgements, Funding & Ethics Policies
The authors must use this section to thank people who helped them with completing the studies or preparing the paper. This can include anyone who provided technical assistance to the author or someone who had a helpful discussion with him/her, etc.
This section should be placed before the References section. It can be merged with or preceded by the Funding Notice.
The Funding Notice can be used by the author to acknowledge the funding agency, if any, which supported this research. If multiple agencies gave grants, list them separated by commas.
Ethical policies include conflict of interest statements, informed consent procedures and ethical committee approval. Requirements can vary by discipline. If you are unclear about the requirements for your study, check with your colleagues and advisors, and also the Conference Organiser(s).
Referencing
All references cited within the submission must be listed at the end of the manuscript file using the APA (7th edition) style. To maintain anonymity for review, when the author is cited, “Author” and the year of publication should be used for references.
Why referencing is important
Referencing in an accurate, recognisable academic format is extremely important.
It gives authority and authenticity to your work, allowing you to display your academic skills and avoid accusations of plagiarism.
Referencing lets you show your awareness of previous research in this field and also highlights where your study is new and original.
By crediting the scholars whose work you are engaging with and building on, you allow your research to form part of the ongoing debates and discussions within the academic community.
Proper referencing helps others to find your research, when they check recent citations for a specific work in a specific field. This increases the opportunity for you to be referenced in future works in this field.
However, it is also important to only use credible academic sources. Typically, focus on content published by reputable sources and institutions rather than blogs and anecdotal accounts.
Finally, be careful not to over-reference. Only include citations where relevant and necessary. In particular, while it is fine to reference your own work where relevant, avoid excessive self-citation.
Tables and Figures
Tables should be submitted in an editable format in the text.
Figures should be submitted separately as high-resolution files to ensure good quality visuals online. Send 1200 dpi for line art, 600 dpi for grayscale and 300 dpi for colour, at the correct size, as a PGN or JPEG image.
Sources for all tables, figures, illustrations and photographs must be provided by the author. If the source is the author, use a phrase such as ‘Author’s own work’.
Tables
All table content must be editable, including formulas and equations.
The table title should go above the table. Titles should be in bold and use title case, with the legend in sentence case and a period at the end.
Example:
Table 1: Reviewers’ Evaluation of Content
Please ensure that you are consistent with the number of decimal places in a given table.
Figures (charts and images)
If you are submitting high resolution images for figures in a separate document, make sure the individual images are clearly labelled, and the figure titles are included in the text to indicate where you wish the image to be placed in the PDF.
The figure title should go below the figure. Titles should be in bold and use title case, with the legend in sentence case and a period at the end.
Example:
Figure 1: Perception of Graduates Regarding EM Instructional Methods
In-text mentions
For tables: Table 1 / Tables 1 and 2 in the text (Tables 1 & 2 within parentheses)
For figures (charts and images): Figure 1 / Figures 1 and 2 in the text (Figures 1 & 2 within
parentheses)
Copyright and Permissions
It is important that authors identify and credit other people’s work to avoid accusations of plagiarism.
Authors are responsible for obtaining permission to use any textual or visual copyright material contained in their journal article and conference paper submissions.
This includes photographs, maps, figures, logos, tables, quotations, archival objects, screen shots and tv or audio clips. Some government forms are also under copyright.
If you are using imagery, data, or other copyright sources, please acknowledge in the article that the material is reproduced with permission from the rights owner. These permissions must be obtained before the article is submitted to KnE Publishing. If you do not receive explicit permission, you cannot reproduce this material in your article, and will have to remove it before publication.
When material is already in the public domain and is no longer under copyright protection you do not have to obtain permission. Remember, however, that copyright duration varies depending on region and material type. Moreover, translations can remain under copyright after the original version is out of copyright.
If you are uncertain as to whether you need to obtain permission or are unsure what form crediting a source should take, contact the museum / library / publisher / owner for clarification regarding the non-exclusive right to reproduce the material. Your colleagues and advisers might also be able to help.
There might be a fee to obtain the rights to re-use this content. KnE Publishing will not pay this fee; the costs are borne by the author(s) or their funding bodies.