Author Guidelines

The Journal of Governance and Smart City (JGSC) welcomes original, high-quality scholarly contributions in the fields of governance, urban studies, digital transformation, smart cities, and technology-enabled public policy. To ensure clarity, consistency, and academic rigor, authors are required to follow the submission guidelines outlined below. Manuscripts that do not conform to these guidelines may be returned for revision prior to peer review.

1. General Requirements

1. All manuscripts submitted to JGSC must be original, unpublished, and not under consideration elsewhere.

2. The full text of the manuscript must be written entirely in Persian (Farsi).

3. Persian texts must be typed using B Lotus font.

4. All English elements—including the English abstract, the extended English abstract, English references, figure captions, and author affiliations—must be typed in Times New Roman font.

5. All citations and references must follow APA 7th edition style.

6. Manuscripts undergo double-blind peer review; authors must ensure that identifying information does not appear in the main file.

7. The typical word count for full-length articles is 6,000–8,500 words (excluding extended abstract, references, tables, and appendices).

2. Structure of the Manuscript

Manuscripts must include the following sections, in the order listed:

2.1. Title Page (Separate File)

Must include:

• Full title of the article in Persian and English

• Full names of all authors (in Persian and English)

• Academic affiliations (in Persian and English)

• ORCID (recommended)

• Corresponding author email and phone number

• A declaration of conflict of interest

• Funding information (if applicable)

2.2. Main Manuscript File (Anonymous)

The anonymous manuscript must include:

1. Persian Title

2. Persian Abstract

   • 200–250 words

   • Should include background, objectives, methods, key findings, and conclusion

   • 5–7 Persian keywords

3. English Abstract

   • 200–250 words

   • Must correspond to the Persian abstract

   • 5–7 English keywords

4. Introduction

5. Literature Review / Theoretical Background

6. Research Methodology

7. Findings / Results

8. Discussion

9. Conclusion

10. Suggestions (optional)

11. Acknowledgements (optional)

12. References (APA Style)

13. Appendices (if needed)

2.3. Extended Abstract in English (Required)

A separate, comprehensive, extended abstract must be included at the end of the manuscript.

Requirements:

• Written in English

• 1000–1500 words

• Typed in Times New Roman

• Must provide a detailed overview of the full article, including:

  • Background and significance

  • Problem statement and objectives

  • Theoretical and conceptual foundations

  • Methods and materials

  • Key findings

  • Interpretation and implications

  • Conclusion and recommendations

• Must not contain references to unpublished or inaccessible sources

• Should reflect the full scope of the article and be suitable for international indexing

3. Formatting Requirements

3.1. Persian Text Formatting

• Font: B Lotus, size 13 (main text)

• Line spacing: 1.5

• Alignment: Justified

• Margins: 2.5 cm on all sides

• Section headings in bold; no additional decoration

3.2. English Text Formatting

• Font: Times New Roman, size 12

• Line spacing: 1.15

• Alignment: Justified

3.3. Page Numbers

• Page numbers must appear at the bottom center of each page.

3.4. Tables

• Must be numbered consecutively (Table 1, Table 2, …)

• Titles placed above the table

• Explanatory notes placed below the table

• Use APA formatting

• Must be editable (not images)

3.5. Figures

• Figures must be high resolution (minimum 300 DPI)

• Numbered consecutively (Figure 1, Figure 2, …)

• Caption placed below the figure

• All images, charts, and diagrams must be original or used with permission

3.6. Equations

• Centered on the page

• Numbered consecutively (e.g., Equation 1) on the right side

4. Citations and References (APA 7th Edition)

Authors must adhere strictly to APA style for both in-text citations and reference list formatting.

Examples:

In-text citation:

• Parenthetical: (Smith, 2023)

• Narrative: Smith (2023) states…

Reference list examples:

Book:
Smith, J. (2022). Governance in the digital era. Oxford University Press.

Journal Article:
Johnson, L., & Adams, R. (2023). Smart city innovation frameworks. Urban Governance Review, 12(4), 55–80.

Website:
World Bank. (2024). Digital governance indicators. https://www.worldbank.org/

References must:

• Be alphabetically ordered

• Match all citations in the text

• Include only sources cited in the article

• Avoid excessive self-citation

5. Ethical Compliance Requirements

Authors must ensure:

1. The manuscript is original and free of plagiarism.

2. All ethical guidelines described in the journal’s Publication Ethics section are followed.

3. Studies involving human subjects comply with:

   • Informed consent

   • Confidentiality

   • Ethical committee approval

4. Conflicts of interest are fully disclosed.

Any violation may result in rejection, withdrawal, or retraction.

6. Submission Checklist (Before Uploading Manuscript)

Authors must verify that:

• Manuscript is fully written in Persian using B Lotus font.

• Persian and English abstracts are included.

• The extended English abstract (1000–1500 words) is attached at the end.

• All references follow APA style.

• The manuscript file is anonymous.

• Title page is submitted as a separate file.

• Tables and figures are numbered, labeled, and placed within the text.

• All ethical declarations are included.

• The manuscript has not been submitted elsewhere.

7. Submission Process

1. Authors must submit their manuscripts via the journal’s online submission system.

2. Manuscripts undergo initial screening for:

   • Scope relevance

   • Formatting compliance

   • Similarity check (iThenticate)

3. Compliant manuscripts proceed to double-blind peer review.

4. Reviewers provide comments, which authors must address in a revised version.

5. The final decision is made by the Chief Editor based on reviewers’ reports and editorial standards.

8. Post-Acceptance Requirements

After acceptance, the following steps will occur:

• Editorial corrections (linguistic, structural, and APA formatting)

• Final proofreading

• Typesetting and layout

• Author confirmation of final proof

• Online publication

Articles will be archived permanently on the journal’s website and indexing systems.

9. Copyright and Licensing

Authors retain full copyright.
All articles are published under the CC BY-NC 4.0 license.

This allows:

• Sharing and adapting for non-commercial purposes

• With proper attribution

• Without modifying the license terms