Author Guidelines

Author Guidelines

A. Guidelines for Manuscript Writing

1. The manuscript must contain scholarly articles based on community service, community engagement, community development, or community empowerment activities. The article should clearly show the problem addressed, the target community, the implementation process, results, and contribution to the community.
2. The manuscript must be original, has never been published before, and is not currently under review by another journal.
3. The manuscript must be written in English using clear, formal, and academic language.
4. The manuscript must use the official Journal of Community Development and Empowerment (JoCDE) manuscript template provided by the journal.
5. The manuscript should be typed on A4 paper, using Microsoft Word, single spacing, and Garamond font.
6. The length of the full manuscript should be 5,000–7,000 words, including references and appendices.

7. The manuscript should be organised in the following order:

   Title, Author Identity, Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Materials and Method, Implementation and Results, Discussion, Contribution to Community, Conclusion, Acknowledgements, References, and Appendices if necessary.

8. Title
   The title must be concise, informative, and clearly reflect the community service activity, target community, and main focus of empowerment. The title should not exceed 16 words.
9. Author Identity
   The author’s name must be written in full without academic titles. The author identity should include affiliation, city, country, and active email address. The corresponding author must be clearly indicated.
10. Abstract
    The abstract should be written in English and should not exceed 200 words. It should briefly describe the background of the community problem, purpose of the activity, target community, method of implementation, main results, and contribution to community empowerment. The abstract should not contain citations, tables, figures, or uncommon abbreviations.
11. Keywords
    Authors should provide 3–5 keywords that represent the main topic of the manuscript. Keywords should be written in lowercase and separated by semicolons.
12. Introduction
    The introduction should explain the background of the community problem, the urgency of the activity, the condition of the target community, relevant supporting literature, and the objectives of the community service program. This section should clearly justify why the program was needed and how it relates to community development or empowerment.
13. Materials and Method
    This section should describe the materials, tools, media, participants, location, and method used in the community service activity. It may include the following information:

• target community or participants;
• location and time of activity;
• materials, media, instruments, or technology used;
• stages of implementation;
• methods such as training, mentoring, counselling, socialisation, workshop, demonstration, assistance, or community-based practice;
• techniques for collecting evidence, such as observation, questionnaire, interview, documentation, pre-test and post-test, participant feedback, or reflection.

14. Implementation and Results
    This section should describe how the community service activity was conducted and what results were obtained. Authors should not only report the sequence of activities but also present evidence of results. This section may include:

• stages of program implementation;
• participant involvement;
• outputs produced;
• improvement in knowledge, skills, awareness, behaviour, productivity, literacy, or community capacity;
• participant responses;
• supporting evidence in the form of tables, figures, documentation, evaluation results, or testimonials.

15. Discussion
    The discussion should interpret the results of the activity and explain their meaning for community development and empowerment. Authors should discuss the relevance of the results, challenges during implementation, lessons learned, and links with previous studies or community service programs. Avoid repeating information already presented in the implementation and results section.
16. Contribution to Community
    This section should explain the direct and practical contribution of the program to the target community. Authors should describe how the activity benefited the community, improved capacity, supported sustainability, or created a model that can be replicated in other communities. This section may also include follow-up plans, sustainability strategies, and potential long-term impact.
17. Conclusion
    The conclusion should briefly summarise the main community problem, the implemented program, key results, contribution to the community, and recommendations for future community service activities. The conclusion should be written clearly and should not simply repeat the abstract.
18. Acknowledgements
    Acknowledgements may be included when necessary. Authors may acknowledge funding institutions, community partners, local government, schools, organisations, or individuals who contributed to the program.
19. References
    References must follow APA 7th edition style. Authors are strongly encouraged to use reference management software such as Mendeley, Zotero, or EndNote.
20. Appendices
    Appendices may be included when necessary, such as training materials, questionnaires, observation sheets, evaluation forms, or additional documentation. Appendices are included in the total word count.
21. Tables and figures must be numbered consecutively and referred to in the manuscript. Each table and figure must have a clear title. Figures, photos, and documentation should be relevant, clear, and directly support the explanation of the community service activity.
22. All manuscripts will be checked for similarity. Authors must submit a Turnitin similarity report together with the manuscript. Manuscripts with a similarity index exceeding 20% will not proceed to review and must be revised.
23. All submitted manuscripts will be reviewed through a double-blind peer-review process. The manuscript will be evaluated based on originality, relevance to the journal scope, clarity of community problem, appropriateness of method, quality of implementation, evidence of results, community impact, ethical compliance, and contribution to sustainable community empowerment.
24. Authors are responsible for obtaining permission for any copyrighted materials, images, instruments, or software used in the manuscript. Any legal consequences related to copyright or intellectual property rights are the full responsibility of the authors.

B. Reference Bibliography

To maintain consistency in citation and reference writing, authors are strongly encouraged to use reference management applications such as Mendeley, Zotero, or EndNote.

The citation and reference format must follow APA 7th edition.

Examples of in-text citation

One author:
Community empowerment requires active participation from local communities (Smith, 2021).

Two authors:
Digital literacy programs can improve community capacity when they are supported by continuous mentoring (Brown & Lee, 2022).

Three or more authors:
Community-based training should be designed according to local needs and resources (Rahman et al., 2023).

Narrative citation:
Smith (2021) argues that community empowerment should involve participation, reflection, and sustainable follow-up.

Examples of reference list

Book:
Smith, J. A. (2021). Community empowerment and sustainable development. Routledge.

Journal article:
Brown, T., & Lee, M. (2022). Digital literacy training for community empowerment: A participatory approach. Journal of Community Education, 15(2), 112–125. https://doi.org/xxxxx

Book chapter:
Rahman, A., Putri, N., & Santoso, B. (2023). Participatory approaches in community development. In L. Anderson (Ed.), Community engagement in higher education (pp. 45–62). Springer.

Proceeding article:
Wahyuni, S. (2022). Strengthening community literacy through university-community partnership. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Community Development (pp. 88–95).

Website:
World Health Organization. (2023). Community engagement framework. https://www.who.int/

C. Guidelines for Submission of Manuscripts

1. Manuscripts must be submitted through the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform of the Journal of Community Development and Empowerment.
2. Authors must register as users before submitting a manuscript. If already registered, authors may log in and begin the submission process.
3. Manuscripts submitted by email will not be processed, unless specifically requested by the editorial team.
4. Before submission, authors must ensure that:
   • the manuscript follows the JoCDE template;
   • the manuscript is written in English;
   • the manuscript is between 5,000–7,000 words, including references and appendices;
   • the manuscript follows the required structure;
   • the Turnitin similarity report is attached;
   • all author information is complete;
   • all references are written in APA 7th edition style;
   • all tables and figures are properly numbered and cited in the text.
5. After submission, the manuscript will go through an editorial screening. Manuscripts that do not follow the author guidelines may be returned to authors before peer review.
6. Manuscripts that pass the initial screening will be sent to reviewers through a double-blind peer-review process.
7. Authors are required to revise the manuscript based on reviewer and editor comments within the specified revision period.
8. The final decision regarding acceptance, revision, or rejection will be made by the editorial team.