Author Guidelines

Authors are highly advised to read the Author Guidelines in preparing their manuscript according to LexForensica's specifications to ensure a smooth submission process. Authors are reminded to avoid plagiarism and adhere to the code of ethics of LexForensica.

Submission Guidelines

LexForensica: Forensic Justice And Socio-Legal Research Journal (LexForensica) is a peer-reviewed publication that features original and thoroughly researched articles in forensic justice, socio-legal studies, and related disciplines. The opinions expressed in the articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board or associated institutions.

LexForensica welcomes submissions in English, Malay, and Arabic. Articles under review or considered for publication elsewhere, either online or in print, will not be accepted. Additionally, the submissions should not have been previously published. It is the responsibility of the corresponding author to confirm this at the time of submission.

Submissions should be made via the online platforms of OJS or Confbay. First-time contributors will need to register as new users before they can submit their manuscripts. While the submission process is designed to be intuitive, authors can contact the Managing Editor via email if they require further assistance.

Manuscript

Manuscripts must be formatted following the American Psychological Association (APA) 7th edition style guide, using either Times New Roman or Traditional Arabic fonts. For manuscripts in Malay or Arabic, an additional abstract and title in English are required. Authors should include three to five keywords in the manuscript. The font size should be set to 11 for Times New Roman and 16 for Traditional Arabic, with the text single-spaced. The total length of the article, including references, should not surpass 25 pages. Please refer to the LexForensica template for more details.

Abstract

Each manuscript should include an abstract of about 250-350 words. For Malay or Arabic manuscripts, an additional abstract and title in English must accompany the manuscript. Keywords should consist of three (3) to five (5) words.

Authorship

All authors named on the manuscript must have contributed to the paper, whether in the design, analysis and interpretation of the data, or drafting of the paper. All authors must have critically reviewed and approved the contents of the final version of the manuscript submitted for publication.

Conflict of Interest

Authors must steer clear of any potential or apparent conflicts of interest during the submission process. As LexForensica employs a peer-review system, it is important for authors to avoid nominating reviewers from their own institution or those who have previously reviewed or commented on the manuscript, as this could compromise the integrity of the review process. The journal will consider any suggested peer-reviewers, but should these reviewers not respond, LexForensica reserves the right to appoint other qualified reviewers.

Acknowledgement

Authors are required to disclose the source of funding of their research in the acknowledgment according to the following format:

The research work was funded by Grant’s name (Grant No.).

Contributors to the article other than the authors listed should be included under the Acknowledgment with specific necessary details.

Timeliness

Authors are advised to be prompt with their manuscript revisions. LexForensica practices completion of article revision within two weeks. If any complications arise that render the Authors unable to meet their manuscript revision deadline, the Authors are responsible for informing the Editorial Office to request an extension. Manuscripts with no returned revised submission will be withdrawn from LexForensica after the expiration date given.

In any case that the author wishes to withdraw a manuscript that has been submitted for intended publication in LexForensica, the author must inform the Editorial Office of their withdrawal with appropriate reasons.

Copyright Assignment and Permissions

For all articles published in LexForensica, copyright is retained by the authors. Articles are licensed under an open access Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 license, meaning that anyone may download and read the paper for free. In addition, the article may be reused and quoted provided that the original published version is cited. These conditions allow for maximum use and exposure of the work while ensuring that the authors receive proper credit.

In exceptional circumstances, articles may be licensed differently. If you have a specific condition (such as one linked to funding) that does not allow this license, please mention this to the LexForensica Managing Editorial. Exceptions will be granted at the discretion of the publisher.

Reproducing Published Material from other Publishers

It is absolutely essential that authors obtain permission to reproduce any published material (figures, schemes, tables or any extract of a text) which does not fall into the public domain, or for which they do not hold the copyright. Permission should be requested by the authors from the copyright holder (usually the Publisher, please refer to the imprint of the individual publications to identify the copyright holder).

Permission is required for:

• Your own works published by other publishers and for which you did not retain copyright.
• Substantial extracts from anyone's works or a series of works.
• Use of Tables, Graphs, Charts, Schemes, and Artworks if they are unaltered or slightly modified.
• Photographs for which you do not hold copyright.

Permission is not required for:

• Reconstruction of your own table with data already published elsewhere. Please note that in this case you must cite the source of the data in the form of either "Data from..." or "Adapted from...".
• Reasonably short quotes are considered fair use and therefore do not require permission.
• Graphs, Charts, Schemes, and Artworks that are completely redrawn by the authors and significantly changed beyond recognition do not require permission.

Obtaining Permission

To avoid unnecessary delays in the publication process, you should start obtaining permissions as early as possible. If in any doubt about the copyright, apply for permission. LexForensica cannot publish material from other publications without permission.

The copyright holder may give you instructions on the form of acknowledgment to be followed; otherwise, follow the style: "Reproduced with permission from [author], [book/journal title]; published by [publisher], [year]." at the end of the caption of the Table, Figure, or Scheme.

Any other materials on this website (including without limitation the text, computer code, artwork, photographs, images, music, audio material, video material, and audio-visual material on this website) are owned by LexForensica: Forensic Justice And Socio-Legal Research Journal, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia and its licensors.

Manuscript Format and Structure

Please read this section carefully to avoid any violation of the submission process. Papers that are prepared accordingly with minimal errors and conform to the format and style will likely ensure efficient communication and fast track of publication. If required, the LexForensica Editorial Office will return the manuscript to the Authors for scientific and editorial correction, which will delay the publication time. Please use the template provided as a guide in manuscript preparation.

The Editor reserves the right to make literacy corrections and to make suggestions to improve brevity. Charges may apply depending on the quality and preparation of the manuscript. Hence, authors are reminded to proof-read their manuscript before submitting it for the final review to the Editorial Office.

Manuscript File Type

Prepare your manuscript in a SINGLE file following the arrangement of the sections: Title Page Information; Manuscript (Text); Figures and/or Tables. LexForensica only accepts Microsoft Word (MS Word) type of file format. Refrain from submitting your manuscript as a PDF file.

Language

The Language used is English, either UK or US, Arabic, and Bahasa Melayu (Malay-Malaysia). Do not have a mixture of both languages. Manuscripts must be written in clear and comprehensible English/Arabic/Bahasa Melayu in the correct format. Authors whose native language is not English are strongly advised to have their manuscript proofread or checked by an English-speaking colleague prior to submission. Please note that multiple language errors detected will render the manuscript to be rejected.

Title Page Information

Title – Concise and informative. Please write in CAPITAL LETTERS.

Author names, Affiliations, and ORCID – All accredited authors’ names must be correctly spelled, written as the published author name in a single line. Names are to be written in the format of last name first, followed by the first and middle names initials. i.e., New, C.Y. Present the authors’ affiliation addresses accordingly below the names of the authors. Provide full postal address without any abbreviations. Indicate all affiliations with number superscripts, placed in front of the last name and the similar number superscript must be indicated in front of the addresses. Provide each respective author their ORCID.

Corresponding author – The corresponding author must be clearly indicated with an asterisk (*) in front of the author’s name. Provide only the email address of the corresponding author, written after the affiliations’ address, indicated.

Manuscript Style

Headings of the sections are to be bold and appear on its own separate line. Subheadings/subsections should be given a brief heading, italicize and appear on its own separate line. Authors are advised to minimize subsections. Please number the headings and subheadings accordingly. i.e.

Heading

Subheading

The manuscript should include:

Abstract – Executive summary of the manuscript which includes the specific aims, brief description of method, main results, and conclusions in a single paragraph. No references should be included in the abstract. Non-standard or uncommon abbreviations should be avoided, but if essential they must be defined at their first mention in the abstract itself. Kindly include the contribution of the study to the international intellectual community.

Keywords – A minimum of 3 and a maximum of only 5 words allowed indicating the essentials of the research work. Separate each keyword with a comma (,) in a single line.

Introduction and Literature Review – A brief literature review and previous relevant work with references. Include the objectives of the research work at the last paragraph clearly.

Methodology – Precise methods should be described to ensure reproducibility. Published or known methods should be cited correctly and if there are any modifications, it should be noted.

Results/ Findings – Clear and concise. Presentation of results with tables and figures may improve its clarity. Avoid presenting repetition results in writing and in the form of tables and figures.

Discussion – Explains the significance, impact, and consequences of the results. Results and discussion may be combined or separated.

Conclusion – Authors are advised to provide a conclusion to sum up results interpretation with suggested recommendations. Avoid repetition of the points made in the preceding sections.

Conflict of Interest – Disclose any potential conflict of interest appropriately.

Acknowledgement – Indicate any source of funding or other contributors to the work in a single paragraph and kept at the minimum.

References

Citation in Text

References should be cited in the text as: (author, date). For Arabic manuscript references MUST BE written in Roman script both in text and list of references. For further formatting and referencing aid, please consult APA Publication Manual 7th Edition (www.apastyle.org).

All references in the text must be listed in the references section with the names of authors, arranged alphabetically. It is the duty of the author to ensure all references cited are listed, COMPLETE and ACCURATE without ANY LOSS of information required by LexForensica. Please ensure all references cited within the text must also be present in the reference list (and vice versa).

Use this style for your caption: Figure 1: Theoretical Framework of Forensic Justice and Socio-Legal Research.

Footnotes

Footnotes should be kept to a minimum. They should be numbered in the text indicated by superscript numbers and kept as brief as possible.

Miscellaneous

Abbreviations should be used sparingly and only if a lengthy name or expression is repeated throughout the manuscript, and never in the title. The abbreviated name or expression should be cited in full at first usage, followed by the accepted abbreviation in parentheses.

After Acceptance

If your paper is accepted for publication, authors will be prompted with an email notification on the decision of your manuscript with the acceptance letter. All manuscripts accepted are subject to APC. This is the article processing charge (APC) used to cover the publishing costs, website, and administrative expenses. The editor may decide to waive this charge in exceptional circumstances (see our APC Waiving Policy).

The Editor-in-Chief/Managing Editors will perform a technical check on the manuscript deeming its quality and preparation of the manuscript. If necessary, the article will be returned to the author for further clarification. Charges may apply.

Proof Corrections

The paper will then proceed into production once the necessary documents have been received. Authors will be notified by email when the PDF proof is ready for final checking before publication. Proofs must be returned to the Production Editor within two (2) days of receipt.

Authors are given the flexibility of correcting the proof once before the finalized proof is released. Subsequent corrections will be charged. Hence, authors are reminded to perform a thorough checking on the galley proof.

Article Retraction/Removal

If an author wishes to retract/remove their article, the author may write into the Editorial Office stating their justification. However, this action is highly discouraged by LexForensica once the journal has accepted the manuscript for publication. LexForensica has provided full publishing services and is only able to recoup this investment through the APC. Any retraction/removal does not detract from the publishing services provided or from our ongoing maintenance of the scientific record.

Article Withdrawal without Notification after Acceptance

This is a serious offense in the ethics of publishing. Authors should bear the responsibility of their manuscript submission and progress in a journal. If LexForensica does not receive any reply from the author after acceptance within two weeks, LexForensica assumes that the author withdraws their article. This will affect the author’s reputation as LexForensica adheres to the ethics of publishing seriously.

Manuscript Submission Checklist

Please use the following list to perform the last checking of the manuscript prior to sending it to LexForensica for review:

1. The submission has not been previously published, nor is it before another journal for consideration (or an explanation has been provided in Comments to the Editor).
2. The text is submitted as a blind document (without author's name and affiliation).
3. An abstract in English is compulsory, consisting of a problem statement, objectives, methodology, findings, brief discussion, significance of research, contribution to the specific field (worldwide), and suggestions for future research.
4. A plagiarism (Turnitin) report has been provided (must be below than 20% similarity index).
5. Title and author's name with affiliation have been written in a separate document. Please upload a separate document for this purpose.
6. The submission file is in Microsoft Word document file format.
7. The author has suggested five experts as reviewers in the field of the written article. Please upload a separate document stating the name, affiliation, and email address of the reviewers.
8. The text adheres to the stylistic and bibliographic requirements outlined in the article template.
9. This submission may be accepted or rejected prior to initial review upon compliance with the above requirements.