Author Guidelines

VELES publishes scholarship on English language education with a distinctive emphasis on EFL settings in Indonesia and the wider Global South. This page explains how to prepare your manuscript using the VELES Template and our journal-specific requirements. Please also read Policies and Peer Review & Publishing.

1. Article Types & Length

Choose the format that best fits your contribution to ELT/EFL theory and classroom practice. Word counts exclude references, tables/figures, and appendices.

Research Article: 4,000–7,000 words.
Review / Systematic Review: 5,000–8,000 words.
Practice-Based Report: 2,500–3,500 words.

2. Template & Mandatory Structure

All manuscripts must use the official VELES DOCX template. Download: VELES Template (DOCX). Do not modify built-in styles.

Title: ≤ 20 words; Century Gothic 16; Capitalize Each Word; left-aligned.
Authors & Affiliations: list all authors; include country (e.g., Universitas Hamzanwadi, Indonesia). Mark the corresponding author and provide “Correspondence” email.
Submission History: Submitted / Revised / Accepted (filled by the journal during production).
Abstract: one paragraph ≤ 250 words; Cambria 10, single spacing; include background → aim → method → key findings → conclusion.
Keywords: 4–6 terms; semicolon-separated; use specific, searchable descriptors.
Introduction: focused background to the gap, aims/RQs, and contribution. No subsections here; concise review can be integrated.
Method: design; participants/context; instruments; procedures & timeframe; analysis plan; validity/reliability; assumptions; stats/qual analysis; scope/limitations—enough detail for replication.
Findings and Discussion: present major results, interpret with evidence, relate to prior studies, note alternative explanations, and practical/theoretical implications; acknowledge limitations. This may be split into two sections if needed.
Conclusion: concise synthesis (not a repeat of the abstract); why it matters; contribution; realistic implications and future work.
Acknowledgments: contributors, technical help, funding (grant no.); ensure permissions.
References: follow APA; see Section 4.
Appendix (optional): instruments, extended tables, etc.

3. Formatting Rules (follow the Template styles)

The template encodes all styling for consistency across VELES articles. Keep the defaults unless instructed otherwise.

Paper: A4; margins 2.5 cm; line spacing 1; first-line indent 0.5 cm; main text 11 pt.
Headings: use built-in Heading 1/2/3; do not create custom styles.
Tables: editable (not images); labeled “Table 1…”; place near first mention; add source note if adapted.
Figures: ≥ 300 dpi; labeled “Figure 1…”; caption after the figure; use Cambria 12 for titles/captions.
Equations: use an equation editor; number (1), (2)… aligned right.
Terminology: define acronyms at first use; use SI units and consistent notation.
File format: submit a single .docx file (plus separate high-res figure files if requested).

4. Citation & References

Use APA consistently and prioritize relevant, recent, and international sources—especially work that connects Indonesian/ASEAN EFL contexts with global discourse.

APA style for in-text citations and the reference list.
Examples: (Author, Year); (Author & Author, Year); (Author et al., Year).
Currency: aim for ~35 references when appropriate, with a strong proportion from the last 10 years.
DOIs: provide https://doi.org/… links wherever available.
No footnote/endnote references—keep all references in the list.

5. Ethics, Authorship, and Integrity

VELES adheres to COPE-aligned Publication Ethics tailored for ELT/EFL research in classrooms and teacher education.

Originality: not under review elsewhere; recommended overall similarity ≤ 20% (excluding references/quotes). High single-source overlap is scrutinized.
Human participants: state IRB/ethics approval and informed consent (or justified exemption). For classroom studies, include institutional permissions and safeguarding.
Minors & vulnerable groups: obtain parental/guardian consent and age-appropriate assent; de-identify student work and recordings; avoid publishing identifiable images/audio/video of minors without explicit written permission and strong justification.
Author contributions (CRediT) recommended; COI and Funding statements required (or state none).
Generative AI: tools cannot be authors. Limited use (e.g., language polishing) is allowed with clear disclosure (tool name/version, scope). Do not use AI to fabricate data/references or upload confidential/identifiable data to public AI services.
Data/Materials Availability: add a statement; provide repository links (OSF/Zenodo/institutional) when shared, respecting consent and privacy.

6. Peer Review & Publishing

Submissions are evaluated through double-blind review and then prepared for publication with stable identifiers and open licensing.

Peer review: double-blind with at least two referees.
DOI: assigned at acceptance/production under prefix 10.29408/veles.
License: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Frequency: three issues per year (April, August, December); published since 2017.
APC: IDR 1,500,000 per accepted manuscript for domestic (Indonesian) authors. International corresponding authors: one accepted manuscript per corresponding author per calendar year is fully waived; additional accepted manuscripts within the same year are charged the standard APC. No submission fees. Invoiced after acceptance and payable before publication. APC policy is independent of editorial/peer-review decisions. See APC Policy.