Journal of International and Digital Communication (JIDC)

Overview | Editorial | Aims & Scope | Volumes & Issues | InDi website

For authors

1. Aims and Scope

InDi Journal publishes original, peer-reviewed research in the social sciences, with a particular focus on sustainability, legal and ethical questions. Submissions should present novel empirical findings, theoretical contributions, or rigorous literature reviews, as well as works combining analysis with applications for practice, that advance scholarly understanding in the field.

2. Manuscript Types and Length

• Original Research Article: ca. 4,000-6,000 words (excluding references, tables, and figures).
• Short Communication / Research Note: up to 2,500 words.

Manuscripts exceeding the word limit by more than 10% may be returned for shortening before entering peer review.

3. Manuscript Structure

• Title page (separate from the main text): full title, author name(s), affiliation(s), ORCID iD(s), corresponding author contact details, and any acknowledgments or funding statements.
• Abstract: 150-250 words, structured or unstructured depending on article type, summarizing purpose, methods, findings, and implications.
• Keywords: 4-6 keywords for indexing.
• Main text: Introduction, Literature Review/Theoretical Framework, Methods, Results/Findings, Discussion, Conclusion (sections may be adapted for qualitative or theoretical papers).
• Declarations: funding, conflicts of interest, ethics approval, data availability, and AI use (see Sections 6 and 7).
• References: APA 7th edition (see Section 5).
• For manuscripts addressing legal topics, or where required by the subject matter, internationally recognized legal citation standards may be used instead of or in addition to APA, subject to prior agreement with the Editors-in-Chief. Accepted legal citation systems include, where appropriate, The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (United States), the Oxford University Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities (OSCOLA) (United Kingdom and Commonwealth jurisdictions), the McGill Guide (Canada), and other internationally established jurisdiction-specific legal citation standards. Authors should ensure that the selected citation style is applied consistently throughout the manuscript.

4. Formatting Requirements

• File format: Word (.docx). Do not submit PDFs for the initial submission.
• Font: 12-pt Times New Roman or equivalent, 1.5 line spacing, 2.5 cm margins.
• Manuscripts must be anonymized for double-blind review: remove author names, affiliations, and self-identifying citations ("our previous work...") from the main text and file metadata.
• Tables and figures should be numbered consecutively, titled, and placed at the end of the manuscript or as separate files, with in-text callouts (e.g., "see Table 1").
• Headings should follow a consistent hierarchy (Level 1, Level 2, Level 3) per APA 7th formatting.

5. Referencing Style – APA 7th Edition

All manuscripts must follow the American Psychological Association (APA), 7th edition, for in-text citations and the reference list.

• In-text citations: (Author, Year) or Author (Year); for direct quotations, include page numbers, e.g., (Author, Year, p. 45).
• Three or more authors: (Author et al., Year) from the first citation onward.
• Reference list: alphabetical by first author's surname, hanging indent, DOIs included where available (as full URLs, e.g., doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx).
• Journal article example: Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of article. Title of Journal, Volume (Issue), page range. doi.org/xxxx
• Book example: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle. Publisher.

Authors are encouraged to use reference management software (e.g., Zotero, EndNote) to ensure APA 7th compliance and consistency. 

6. Research and Publication Ethics

InDi Journal follows the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines on authorship, originality, and research integrity.

• Authorship: All listed authors must meet ICMJE-style authorship criteria – substantial contribution to the work, drafting or critical revision, final approval, and accountability for accuracy and integrity.
• Originality: Manuscripts must be original, unpublished, and not under simultaneous consideration elsewhere. Submissions are screened for plagiarism (e.g., via Turnitin or iThenticate). Exceptions in the field of legal studies may be granted by the Editors-in-Chief where the submitted manuscript constitutes a substantially revised, expanded, or translated version of a previously published work, or where parts of the manuscript have appeared in another language or jurisdictional context. In such cases, authors must fully disclose any prior publication and ensure compliance with applicable copyright and licensing requirements. The Editors-in-Chief will assess on a case-by-case basis whether the submission provides sufficient original scholarly contribution to warrant publication. This includes, in particular, manuscripts that adapt prior work to a comparative, international, or interdisciplinary context and thereby provide a distinct scholarly contribution for the journal’s readership.
• Research ethics: Studies involving human participants must state that informed consent was obtained and that the study received approval from an appropriate institutional review board or ethics committee, including the approval reference number.
• Conflicts of interest: All authors must disclose financial, institutional, or personal relationships that could be perceived to influence the research.
• Data availability: Authors are encouraged to make underlying data available in a public repository or to state clearly why this is not possible (e.g., confidentiality of interview participants).

7. Use of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies

InDi Journal permits the use of generative AI tools (e.g., large language models) for limited, clearly disclosed purposes such as improving language, grammar, or readability, or assisting with literature searches. Generative AI tools may not be listed as authors, as they cannot take responsibility for the content or hold accountability for the work.

• Any substantive use of AI in the research process (e.g., data analysis, drafting of results, generation of text describing findings) must be disclosed in the manuscript and in the AI Disclosure Form (from InDi journal’s website).
• Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of all content, including any text or analysis produced with AI assistance.
• Authors should not use AI tools to generate fictitious data, citations, or references. All citations must be independently verified against the original source.
• Editors and reviewers reserve the right to request the AI Disclosure Form for any submission and to request raw data, prompts, or outputs used in AI-assisted stages of the research.

8. Peer Review Process

InDi Journal operates a double-blind peer review process. Manuscripts are first assessed by the editors for scope and quality (desk review), then sent to a minimum of two independent expert reviewers. Authors can generally expect a first decision within 4-8 weeks of submission.

9. Submission Checklist

• Manuscript anonymized for double-blind review
• Title page submitted as a separate file
• Abstract and keywords included
• Word count within the specified limit (ca. 4,000-6,000 words)
• References formatted in APA 7th edition
• Ethics approval statement included (if applicable)
• Conflict of interest statement included
• Data availability statement included
• AI Disclosure Form completed