Author Guidelines

1. Aims & Scope

2. Submission Process

All manuscripts must be submitted via the journal’s online submission system, which is built on the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform. Submissions sent via email will not be considered.

Step 1: Create an Account

If you do not already have an account with the journal, you must create one before submitting. To register:

1. Visit the journal’s homepage at https://www.focuscholar.com/journal/index.php/tpss

2. Click on “Register” or “Make a Submission” in the sidebar

3. Select the appropriate user role: “Author”

4. Complete the registration form with your full name, email address, affiliation, and other required information

5. After submitting the form, a confirmation email will be sent to your inbox. Click the verification link to activate your account

If you already have an account (e.g., as a reviewer or reader), you may log in using your existing credentials and proceed directly to Step 2.

Step 2: Start a New Submission

1. Log in to your account on the journal’s website

2. In the User Home page, click on “Make a Submission” or navigate to the submission page via the sidebar

3. Follow the five-step submission wizard:

Step 2.1: Start – Confirm that you have read and understood the journal’s submission requirements and policies (including peer review, open access, and APC policies). Acknowledge the checklist items as applicable.

Step 2.2: Upload Manuscript – Upload the main manuscript file and any supplementary files (e.g., figures, tables, appendices, title page). Accepted file formats include:

• Main manuscript: Microsoft Word (.docx) or LaTeX (.tex) with a converted PDF

• Supplementary files: .docx, .pdf

• Ensure that all author-identifying information is removed from the main manuscript file to preserve double-blind review. A separate title page (with authors’ names, affiliations, and corresponding author contact details) must be uploaded as a supplementary file.

Step 2.3: Enter Metadata – Enter information about your submission, including:

• Full title and short title (running head)

• Abstract (150–250 words)

• Keywords (3–6 terms)

• Names, affiliations, ORCID iDs, and email addresses of all co-authors

• Funding sources (if any)

• Any conflict of interest disclosures

Step 2.4: Confirm – Review the complete submission summary. You may also add optional notes to the editor.

Step 2.5: Finalize – Click “Finish Submission” to complete the process. A submission acknowledgement will be sent to the corresponding author by email.

Step 3: Post-Submission

• After submission, the corresponding author can track the manuscript’s status at any time by logging into the journal’s system and viewing the “Active Submissions” section.

• The editorial office will conduct an initial screening. If the manuscript passes the initial check, it will be assigned to peer reviewers. If it is returned for revision before peer review, the author will be notified with specific instructions.

• Authors will be contacted regarding the review outcome within approximately 6–12 weeks, depending on reviewer availability.

Requirements for Submission

Authors are required to ensure that:

• The manuscript has not been published previously and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere

• All authors have approved the submission and agree with its content

• All formatting and ethical guidelines (see Sections 3 and 4) have been followed

• All required disclosure statements (conflict of interest, funding, data availability, etc.) are included

3. Manuscript Preparation

3.1 Manuscript Structure

• Title Page (with full author names, affiliations,  corresponding author contact information, and a short running title)
• Abstract (150–250 words, clear, concise, and covering objectives, methods, results, and conclusions)
• Keywords (3–6 relevant terms)
• Introduction
• Materials and Methods
• Results
• Discussion
• Conclusion
• References
• Acknowledgments
• Conflict of Interest Disclosure
• Supplementary Materials (if applicable)

3.2 Formatting Requirements

• File Format: Microsoft Word (.docx) or LaTeX (.tex) is required. A PDF version of the final manuscript must also be provided.
• Font & Spacing: 10-point Times New Roman, fixed line spacing of 12 pt, 0 pt before paragraph and 4 pt after paragraph.
• Page Numbering: Continuous page numbering in the footer.
• Anonymity: For double-blind review, all author-identifying information (names, affiliations, acknowledgments, funding) must be removed from the main manuscript file. A separate title page with full author details must be uploaded as a supplementary file.
• Figures & Tables: High-resolution figures (minimum 300 dpi) and tables must be embedded in the manuscript, with clear captions and numbered sequentially.
• For detailed formatting requirements, please refer to the following templates:
  Template for manuscript title page preparation: Template-TitlePage
  Template for manuscript preparation: Template-Paper

3.3 Reference Style

• In-text citation: (Smith & Jones, 2023)
• Journal article: Smith, J. A., & Jones, M. B. (2023). Title of article. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), Page–Page. https://doi.org/xxxx
• Book: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of book (Edition). Publisher.

4. Ethical Requirements

• Authorship: Only individuals who have made substantial intellectual contributions to the research are eligible for authorship, per the ICMJE criteria.
• Conflict of Interest: All authors must disclose any financial, institutional, or personal conflicts of interest that could bias the work.
• Research Ethics: Studies involving human or animal subjects must include explicit approval from an institutional review board (IRB) or ethics committee, and informed consent must be documented.
• Plagiarism & Duplicate Publication: The journal uses plagiarism detection software to screen all submissions. Plagiarism, duplicate submission, or data fabrication will result in immediate rejection and institutional notification.

5. Open Access & Copyright

6. Article Processing Charges (APCs)

7. Post-Acceptance Process