Author Guidelines

Journal of Educational Management and Strategy (JEMAST)

Authors are required to read these guidelines carefully before submitting a manuscript to the Journal of Educational Management and Strategy (JEMAST).

Manuscripts that do not comply with the journal's Focus and Scope, manuscript structure, formatting requirements, research ethics, or scholarly standards may be returned to the authors or declined during the initial editorial screening before external peer review.

A. SCOPE AND MANUSCRIPT ELIGIBILITY

The Journal of Educational Management and Strategy (JEMAST) publishes scholarly research on strategic leadership, adaptive management, and organizational transformation in education.

JEMAST particularly welcomes research that explains how educational organizations and systems formulate, implement, adapt, and evaluate strategies in response to changing social, technological, economic, cultural, organizational, and policy environments.

Relevant areas include:

Strategic educational leadership and decision-making;
Educational strategy formulation, implementation, and evaluation;
Organizational change, adaptation, and resilience;
Educational governance, policy enactment, and accountability;
Strategic human resource management in education;
Teacher and educational leader development as organizational capacity building;
Educational resource management and strategic resource allocation;
Quality assurance, institutional effectiveness, and organizational improvement;
Digital transformation and data-informed educational management;
Cross-cultural and international educational management;
Sustainability and strategic innovation in educational organizations;
Management of alternative, non-formal, religious, vocational, and community-based educational institutions; and
Comparative and context-responsive educational management and strategy.

Scope Boundary

Studies primarily concerned with classroom teaching methods, subject-content development, learning media, individual instructional techniques, subject-specific learning difficulties, or simple comparisons of teaching methods are generally outside the core scope of JEMAST unless they demonstrate a direct and substantive contribution to:

educational management;
organizational strategy;
leadership;
governance;
institutional effectiveness;
organizational capacity; or
educational transformation.

Manuscripts that do not demonstrate a clear relationship with the journal's Focus and Scope may be declined during the initial editorial screening.

B. GENERAL INFORMATION

Manuscripts may be written in English or Bahasa Indonesia. Authors are strongly encouraged to use academic English to enhance accessibility to a wider scholarly readership.
An English title, abstract, and keywords are mandatory for every manuscript, regardless of the language of the full text.
The manuscript must represent original scholarly work, must not have been previously published, and must not be under consideration by another journal.
Manuscripts must be prepared using the official JEMAST Manuscript Template.
Manuscripts should follow the following structure:
- Title
- Author Information
- Abstract
- Keywords
- Introduction
- Methods
- Results and Discussion
- Conclusion
- Acknowledgments, if applicable
- Funding Statement, if applicable
- Conflict of Interest Statement
- References
The manuscript should normally not exceed 10 A4 pages, including tables and figures. Additional pages may be subject to applicable publication policies.
Authors must not directly register or submit the manuscript to the JEMAST OJS system during the initial submission stage.
All manuscripts must first be submitted through the Makwa Foundation Manuscript Submission Form for preliminary editorial screening. Open the Manuscript Submission Form
All authors listed in the manuscript must have made genuine scholarly contributions and approved the submitted version.
Complete and accurate author and manuscript metadata must be provided during submission.
Academic degrees, professional titles, and administrative positions should not be included in author names.
Because JEMAST applies a double-anonymous peer-review process, author-identifying information must be removed from the manuscript file submitted for review.

C. MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION AND STRUCTURE

1. Title

The title should be clear, concise, specific, and informative and accurately represent the central scholarly issue of the manuscript.

The title should:

preferably not exceed 15 words;
indicate the principal management, leadership, organizational, governance, or strategic issue;
avoid uncommon abbreviations;
avoid unnecessarily broad expressions;
use relevant scholarly terminology; and
facilitate discoverability in academic databases.

Generic formulations such as “A Study of...” or “An Analysis of...” should be avoided when a more specific analytical title is possible.

2. Author Information

Complete information must be provided for every author, including:

full name;
institutional affiliation;
city and country;
active email address; and
ORCID iD.

One author must be designated as the corresponding author.

The authorship order entered during submission must correspond exactly to the manuscript and must be approved by all authors.

3. Abstract

The abstract should contain approximately 150–250 words and be written as a single coherent paragraph.

It should clearly present:

Research problem or context;
Research objective or question;
Method or research design;
Principal findings; and
Novelty and scholarly contribution.

The abstract should be self-contained and should not include:

citations or references;
tables or figures;
unexplained abbreviations; or
unsupported claims.

4. Keywords

Authors should provide 3–5 keywords or key phrases.

Keywords should represent the principal:

leadership or management construct;
organizational phenomenon;
strategic issue;
educational context; and/or
analytical concept.

Keywords should support discoverability and should not simply reproduce all words already contained in the title.

5. Introduction

The Introduction should establish a clear scholarly rationale for the study.

It should normally include the following components.

5.1 Research Background and Strategic Context

Explain the educational management, organizational, leadership, governance, or strategic problem being investigated.

Authors should establish:

what the problem is;
where and under what conditions it occurs;
why the problem matters; and
why further scholarly investigation is necessary.

5.2 State of the Field

Critically synthesize current and relevant scholarship.

Previous studies should be discussed according to:

major theories;
principal findings;
methodological approaches;
areas of agreement;
conflicting evidence; and
unresolved scholarly issues.

Authors should avoid presenting previous studies merely as a sequence of individual summaries.

5.3 Critical Review of Previous Studies

Explain:

what previous research has established;
what remains insufficiently explained;
where important disagreements remain; and
what aspect requires further investigation.

5.4 Research Gap

The manuscript must explicitly identify an appropriate:

theoretical;
empirical;
methodological;
organizational;
contextual;
geographical;
policy-related; or
comparative

research gap.

Simply stating that “few studies have investigated this issue” is insufficient. Authors should explain what remains inadequately understood and why the gap matters to educational management and strategy.

5.5 Novelty and Research Position

Authors should explain what the study contributes beyond previous research.

Novelty may arise from:

testing or extending theory;
identifying new organizational mechanisms;
developing a strategic or management model;
providing new empirical evidence;
investigating an underrepresented context;
comparative findings;
methodological innovation; or
reinterpreting established assumptions.

5.6 Research Objective, Questions, or Hypotheses

The final part of the Introduction should explicitly state the:

research objective(s);
research question(s); and/or
hypotheses, where applicable.

Recommended logical sequence:

Research Context → Previous Scholarship → Research Gap → Novelty → Research Objective

6. Methods

The Methods section must provide sufficient information for readers and reviewers to understand how the research was designed, conducted, and analysed.

Where applicable, authors should describe:

6.1 Research Design

Identify and justify the research design, such as:

quantitative;
qualitative;
mixed methods;
survey;
case study;
comparative;
longitudinal;
experimental or quasi-experimental;
organizational study;
policy analysis; or
other appropriate designs.

6.2 Research Setting and Organizational Context

Describe the educational institution, organization, system, region, policy environment, or other relevant setting.

6.3 Population, Participants, and Data Sources

Clearly identify:

population;
sample;
respondents or participants;
educational leaders;
teachers or employees;
institutions;
organizational documents;
policy documents; or
other relevant data sources.

6.4 Sampling or Selection Procedures

Explain the:

sampling technique;
selection criteria;
sample size; and
rationale for participant or data-source selection.

6.5 Research Instruments

Describe the instruments used, including relevant information concerning validity and reliability for quantitative studies.

Qualitative studies should explain the procedures used to establish appropriate analytical rigor and trustworthiness.

6.6 Data Collection

Explain how, when, and under what conditions data were obtained.

6.7 Data Analysis

Clearly explain the analytical procedures used.

Quantitative studies should identify appropriate statistical methods.

Qualitative studies should describe:

coding;
thematic development;
interpretive procedures;
triangulation; and/or
other analytical strategies.

Mixed-method studies should explain how quantitative and qualitative evidence was integrated.

6.8 Research Ethics

Research involving human participants should report appropriate ethical safeguards, including:

informed consent;
confidentiality;
anonymity;
protection of participants; and
ethical approval where required.

7. Results and Discussion

The Results and Discussion section should present the findings and critically interpret their scholarly significance.

7.1 Results

Results should:

directly address the research questions or hypotheses;
be presented systematically;
be supported by appropriate empirical evidence;
distinguish major findings from secondary findings; and
use tables and figures where they improve clarity.

Quantitative studies should report appropriate statistical information rather than reproducing raw software outputs.

Qualitative studies should provide appropriate empirical evidence to support interpretations.

7.2 Discussion

The Discussion should explain:

What do the findings mean?
Why did the findings occur?
How do the findings answer the research questions?
How do they relate to the theoretical or conceptual framework?
How do they compare with previous studies?
What organizational or management mechanisms do they reveal?
What new understanding does the study contribute?

Authors should explain whether the findings:

confirm;
extend;
refine;
challenge;
reinterpret; or
contradict

existing scholarship.

Statements such as “the results are consistent with previous studies” are insufficient without explaining why the relationship is important.

Contribution to Educational Management and Strategy

The Discussion should explicitly demonstrate the manuscript's contribution to areas such as:

strategic leadership;
organizational strategy;
strategic decision-making;
governance;
organizational adaptation;
institutional capacity;
human resource management;
resource allocation;
organizational effectiveness;
resilience;
quality assurance;
digital transformation;
sustainability; or
policy implementation.

8. Conclusion

The Conclusion should synthesize the study rather than simply repeat the Abstract or Results.

It should:

answer the research objective or questions;
summarize the principal findings;
state the theoretical, empirical, methodological, managerial, or policy contribution;
explain relevant implications;
acknowledge significant research limitations; and
propose realistic directions for future research.

No new data, findings, references, tables, figures, or arguments should be introduced in this section.

D. TABLES, FIGURES, AND EQUATIONS

Tables

Tables must be numbered consecutively.

Example:

Table 1. Dimensions of Organizational Capacity

The number and title should appear above the table.

Tables should:

remain editable;
be cited in the text;
avoid unnecessary duplication; and
provide the source where necessary.

Figures

Figures must be numbered consecutively.

Example:

Figure 1. Strategic Management Framework

The figure number and title should appear below the figure.

Figures should:

be clear and readable;
have adequate resolution;
be referred to in the text; and
acknowledge original sources where applicable.

Equations

Mathematical and statistical equations should be clearly written and sequentially numbered where necessary.

All variables and symbols must be appropriately defined.

E. REFERENCES AND CITATION STYLE

JEMAST uses the American Psychological Association (APA) Style, 7th Edition.

Authors are required to use a reference-management application such as:

Mendeley;
Zotero; or
EndNote.

Research articles should normally contain approximately 30–40 relevant references, depending on the nature of the study.

Reference Composition

The reference list should meet the following standards:

At least 80% of the references must come from peer-reviewed journal articles.
Sources other than peer-reviewed journal articles must not exceed 20% of the total references.

These may include:
- academic books;
- book chapters;
- official government documents;
- institutional reports;
- policy documents;
- reputable proceedings; or
- other academically justified sources.
Recent journal articles published within the last five years should be prioritized, particularly for establishing the state of the field.
Older literature may be used when it represents:
- seminal theories;
- foundational leadership or management literature;
- established organizational models;
- major policy documents; or
- historically significant sources essential to the study.
References should be directly relevant to the manuscript's argument.
DOI information must be included whenever available.
Every reference listed must appear in the manuscript, and every citation in the manuscript must appear in the reference list.
Excessive author self-citation and journal self-citation should be avoided.
References must be accurate and independently verifiable.

Example — Journal Article

Bush, T. (2019). Leadership and management in education: The importance of theory and context. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 47(1), 3–17. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143217745886

Example — Book

Bush, T. (2011). Theories of educational leadership and management (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.

F. RESEARCH AND PUBLICATION ETHICS

Authors must maintain high standards of research integrity.

JEMAST does not tolerate:

plagiarism;
data fabrication;
data falsification;
duplicate or redundant publication;
simultaneous submission;
inappropriate image or data manipulation;
citation manipulation;
fabricated or unverifiable references;
ghost authorship;
guest or honorary authorship; or
undisclosed conflicts of interest.

All authors must have made a genuine scholarly contribution to the research.

G. SIMILARITY SCREENING

Submitted manuscripts are subject to similarity and plagiarism screening according to the journal's applicable editorial policy.

The similarity percentage is not the sole criterion for determining plagiarism.

Editors may also assess:

concentration of matching text;
source of similarity;
inappropriate paraphrasing;
proper quotation and attribution; and
inappropriate reuse of previously published material.

Manuscripts containing substantive plagiarism may be rejected regardless of the numerical similarity score.

H. USE OF GENERATIVE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and scholarly content of their manuscripts.

Generative AI tools cannot be listed as authors.

Substantial use of generative AI for:

language editing;
translation;
coding;
data analysis;
literature organization; or
manuscript preparation

should be transparently disclosed where appropriate.

AI tools must not be used to fabricate:

research data;
participants;
quotations;
references;
findings; or
empirical evidence.

Authors remain responsible for verifying all AI-assisted content.

I. MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION PROCESS

This section needs the most substantial change from the previous Author Guidelines.

Authors must not directly register an account or submit a manuscript to the JEMAST OJS system during the initial submission stage.

JEMAST uses a preliminary editorial screening process through the Makwa Foundation manuscript submission platform. Only manuscripts that successfully pass this stage proceed to official submission through the journal system. Makwa Foundation Journal

Step 1 — Complete the Initial Manuscript Submission Form

Authors must first submit manuscript information through the Makwa Foundation Manuscript Submission Form.

Submit Manuscript for Initial Screening

This form is used for preliminary editorial review, not as the final OJS submission. Makwa Foundation

Step 2 — Complete Author and Article Information

Authors must provide accurate and complete information, including:

corresponding author details;
affiliation;
country;
contact information;
article title;
article type;
article language;
abstract;
3–5 keywords;
complete reference list;
funding information, where applicable; and
other required metadata.

The platform also provides a dedicated section for information concerning international co-authors where applicable. Makwa Foundation

Step 3 — Upload the Manuscript

The manuscript must be prepared using the official JEMAST template and uploaded through the initial submission platform.

Submission of an initial manuscript does not guarantee acceptance or publication. Makwa Foundation Journal

Step 4 — Author Declarations

Before submitting the initial form, authors must confirm that:

the manuscript is original;
the manuscript has not been previously published;
the manuscript is not under consideration elsewhere;
all authors have approved the submission;
authorship information and authorship order are correct;
applicable international authors have consented to authorship;
the official journal template has been used;
the authors agree to participate in peer review and revision; and
the authors agree to comply with the journal's publication procedures. Makwa Foundation

Step 5 — Initial Editorial Screening

The editorial team evaluates the submission based on:

relevance to the JEMAST Focus and Scope;
completeness of manuscript and metadata;
compliance with the journal template;
initial scholarly quality; and
fulfilment of submission requirements. Makwa Foundation Journal

The editorial screening may also consider:

clarity of the research problem;
research gap;
novelty;
theoretical grounding;
methodological adequacy;
potential contribution to educational management and strategy; and
research and publication ethics.

Step 6 — Notification of Screening Results

The corresponding author will be informed whether the manuscript:

is eligible to proceed;
requires initial revision; or
is not suitable for JEMAST. Makwa Foundation Journal

A manuscript that is outside the journal's Focus and Scope may be declined at this stage without external peer review.

Step 7 — Author Account Preparation

If the manuscript is approved for further processing, the editorial team will create or activate the author's journal account and provide the necessary account credentials.

Authors should therefore not independently create an OJS account as the first step of manuscript submission. Makwa Foundation Journal

Step 8 — Official Submission through JEMAST OJS

After receiving account credentials and editorial approval, the author must complete the official submission through the JEMAST journal system.

This stage formally enters the manuscript into the journal's editorial workflow. Makwa Foundation Journal

Step 9 — Editorial and Research Integrity Screening

The manuscript undergoes further checks, including:

metadata verification;
Focus and Scope conformity;
similarity screening;
reference integrity;
research ethics; and
academic quality assessment.

Step 10 — Double-Anonymous Peer Review

Eligible manuscripts undergo double-anonymous peer review by reviewers with relevant subject expertise.

The identities of authors and reviewers are concealed during the review process.

Step 11 — Editorial Decision

Possible editorial decisions include:

Accept;
Minor Revision;
Major Revision;
Resubmit for Review; or
Reject.

Reviewer recommendations inform the editorial decision but do not independently determine publication.

Step 12 — Author Revision

Authors receiving a revision decision must submit:

a revised manuscript; and
a detailed response to reviewers explaining how each reviewer comment has been addressed.

Step 13 — Final Editorial Assessment

The editor evaluates:

the revised manuscript;
authors' responses;
completeness of revisions; and
continuing conformity with journal standards.

Additional peer review may be requested where necessary.

Step 14 — Copyediting and Proofreading

Accepted manuscripts undergo:

language checking;
editorial consistency checking;
citation and reference verification;
metadata checking;
formatting; and
proofreading.

Step 15 — Publication

After all editorial requirements are fulfilled, the manuscript is prepared for publication in the appropriate issue of the Journal of Educational Management and Strategy (JEMAST).

J. SUBMISSION PREPARATION CHECKLIST

Before submitting the initial manuscript form, authors should ensure that:

The manuscript clearly fits the JEMAST Focus and Scope.
The manuscript makes a substantive contribution to educational management and strategy.
The manuscript is original.
The manuscript has not been previously published.
The manuscript is not under review elsewhere.
All authors have approved the manuscript and authorship order.
The official JEMAST template has been used.
The manuscript is prepared in Microsoft Word format.
The manuscript normally does not exceed 10 A4 pages.
An English title, abstract, and keywords are provided.
The abstract contains approximately 150–250 words.
Three to five keywords are provided.
Author and affiliation information is complete and accurate.
The Introduction clearly establishes the research problem, state of the field, research gap, novelty, and objective.
The Methods section provides sufficient methodological transparency.
Results are supported by appropriate evidence.
The Discussion demonstrates a clear contribution to educational management and strategy.
The Conclusion states findings, contribution, implications, limitations, and future research directions.
References follow APA 7th Edition.
The manuscript normally contains approximately 30–40 relevant references.
At least 80% of references are peer-reviewed journal articles.
Non-journal references do not exceed 20% of the total reference list.
Recent journal literature, preferably from the last five years, has been prioritized where appropriate.
DOI information has been included whenever available.
References have been verified for accuracy.
Ethical approval and informed consent are reported where applicable.
Funding and conflicts of interest are disclosed.
Substantial generative AI use is disclosed where applicable.
The initial manuscript and complete metadata have been submitted through the Makwa Foundation Manuscript Submission Form, not directly through OJS.
The author understands that official OJS submission is completed only after the manuscript passes preliminary editorial screening and account credentials are provided by the editorial team.