Author Submission Guidelines

Author Submission Guidelines for the Journal of South African Democratic Teachers Union (JSADTU)

 

Prior Publication in Other Journals
Articles previously published or under review elsewhere, in either digital or print form, are not accepted by JSADTU. The corresponding author must confirm this upon submission to the Chief Editor.

Preparing Your Article

File Format
Submissions to the Journal of South African Democratic Teachers Union (JSADTU) must be in DOC or DOCX formats only.

Title and Subtitle
Choose a clear, descriptive title that includes key terms related to the content of the article.

Authors and Their Affiliations
List the full names and institutional affiliations of all authors beneath the title. Including ORCID IDs is encouraged to enhance visibility of prior work.

Designate one author as the Corresponding Author for communication with JSADTU if the article is accepted.

Abstract
The abstract should concisely summarize the study’s purpose, findings and conclusions in 150-200 words, formatted with 1.5 line spacing.

Keywords
Include 5 to 7 specific keywords relevant to the article to improve searchability in JSADTU’s indexing.

Main Text
Submissions to JSADTU should be between 6,000-7,000 words, including references, tables and figures. Use Times New Roman, 12-point font and 1.5 line spacing.

Ensure to number all pages consecutively and avoid footnotes. Instead, incorporate any necessary information from footnotes into the main text or references. JSADTU employs plagiarism detection software, such as Turnitin, to verify originality and ensure ethical compliance. Authors must adhere to these standards prior to submission. For more information consult our Plagiarism policy

Headings and Subheadings
Use headings to structure content effectively for readability. Limit the heading to four heading levels with distinct formatting for each level to maintain clarity.

Language
Submissions to JSADTU should use British English as per the Oxford English Dictionary, using ‘s’ forms instead of ‘z’ forms. Set Microsoft Word language preferences to UK English.

Writing Abbreviations
Define abbreviations upon first mention and use them only for frequently occurring terms (appearing at least three times).

Illustrations

All illustrations submitted must be of high-quality and relevant to the content. Embed figures in the article and provide clear captions.

Tables

Tables in JSADTU submissions should be text-based, not images. Authors should ensure to number them sequentially as they appear in the article.

  • Format: Place tables within the text at their first mention, with a clear and descriptive title positioned above, aligned to the left.
  • Numbering: Label tables in consecutive order as they appear in JSADTU.
  • Title: Position the title above each table, left-aligned, with a brief description.
  • Layout: Use the table function in your word processor to keep tables editable for JSADTU.
  • Table Notes: Include descriptive notes below each table to explain abbreviations or additional details.
  • In-Text Citation: Refer to tables by their assigned number (e.g., "Table 1").
  • Consistency: Ensure uniform formatting for all tables in the article.
  • Quality: Tables should be clear, legible and properly sized to fit within the article margins.

Figures

Embed figures in the article where they are first referenced in JSADTU submissions.

Figures should be embedded in the article at the point where they are first referenced.

  • Caption: Provide a concise caption below each figure, including a title and any necessary details.
  • In-Text Citation: Cite figures by number (e.g., "Figure 1").
  • Placement: Position figures to ensure optimal readability in JSADTU submissions.
  • Consistency: Number figures sequentially as they appear in the text.
  • Quality: Figures must be high-resolution, particularly for complex visuals, to maintain clarity for JSADTU readers.

References

All references in the submissions to the Journal of South African Democratic Teachers Union (JSADTU) must be formatted according to APA style, 7th edition. References should be listed alphabetically at the end of the article and double-spaced.

The Journal of South African Democratic Teachers Union (JSADTU) requires authors to use sources published within the past five years, ensuring that the article reflects current research and developments in the field.

 

Ethical Considerations

Authors submitting to the Journal of South African Democratic Teachers Union (JSADTU) must outline their commitment to ethical research standards, including but not limited to institutional approval, participant consent and confidentiality measures. Research involving human participants must detail the procedures used to obtain approval from a recognised institutional ethics board or review committee.

In cases where human subjects are involved, authors must clearly indicate that informed consent was obtained from each participant, ensuring that individuals were fully aware of the study's purpose, procedures, potential risks and their right to withdraw at any stage. Authors should explain how confidentiality and privacy have been maintained, specifying the measures taken to protect participants' identities and sensitive information. Any personally identifiable information must be anonymised or omitted unless explicit consent was granted.

 

Conflict of Interest Statement

To meet Journal of South African Democratic Teachers Union (JSADTU) standards, authors must provide a clear and transparent statement on any potential conflicts of interest that could affect the integrity of the research. Authors should disclose any financial, personal, or professional relationships that could influence the study’s design, outcomes, or interpretation. This includes, but is not limited to, financial support from grants, consulting roles, employment, or stock ownership related to the study's subject.

JSADTU encourages authors to be upfront about any relationships or affiliations that might be perceived as a source of bias, helping to maintain the credibility and impartiality of the research.

In cases where there are no conflicts to disclose, authors should include a statement explicitly declaring the absence of conflicts of interest. This transparency ensures readers and reviewers that the research is conducted with full accountability and aligns with the ethical standards of JSADTU.

Acknowledgments

Authors should acknowledge individuals or institutions that contributed to the research but do not qualify for authorship. Include any support staff, organisational contributions, or permissions for copyrighted materials.

Guidelines for using artificial intelligence and related technologies

These guidelines outline the acceptable use of generative AI technologies, including Large Language Models (such as ChatGPT and Jasper) and text-to-image tools (like DALL-E 2, Midjourney and Stable Diffusion), in the writing or editing of manuscripts submitted to JSADTU.

Use of AI to Generate Written or Visual Content

Authors are not permitted to list generative AI technologies as co-authors or authors of any manuscript. AI tools cannot assume responsibility for the entirety of a manuscript and, therefore, do not fulfil the criteria for authorship.

When authors use content generated or edited by generative AI technologies, they must verify the factual accuracy of any content produced by these tools, including quotes, citations and references. Figures generated or edited by AI must also be checked to ensure they accurately represent the data presented in the manuscript. It is crucial that the content generated by or edited using AI is free of plagiarism.

If AI-generated or edited content is used in a manuscript, the author must acknowledge this in the manuscript’s acknowledgements section, as well as in the methods section if applicable. This acknowledgment should specify the name, version, model and source of the generative AI technology used.

Authors are encouraged to upload all input prompts and AI-generated outputs as supplementary files to the manuscript.

 

Final Checklist before sending your article.

Before sending your article to JSADTU, ensure:

  • The article meets all JSADTU guidelines.
  • All authors have approved the final version of the article.
  • The title and abstract accurately reflect content.
  • References follow APA 7th edition format.
  • All necessary permissions are secured.

 

Our Submission Process

Submit articles via JSADTU’s online system, ensuring all required elements (figures, tables, supplementary materials) are included. The corresponding author is responsible for completeness of the submission.

Articles must be submitted electronically in Word format through JSADTU’s online submission system at https://ourjournal.jsadtu.com/index.php/jsadtu

If you do not have an author account, please register and complete your profile to begin the submission process for JSADTU. JSADTU.

After successful submission, you will receive an email confirmation and can monitor your article's progress via your JSADTU account.

Time frames from submission to publications

  • Time frames
    • Time for first decision is 5 weeks.
    • Review completion- 5 weeks.
    • Average number of weeks between article submission and publication is 3 Months