How to make a Submission

Author Guidelines

Submission

Authors can submit their original, empirical research work in the fields of Finance & Accounting, Human Resource Management, Marketing, Organizational Behavior, Operations & Supply Chain Management, and General Management directly at https://nijbm.numl.edu.pk/index.php/BM/about/submissions

An article might include the following main sections:

  1. Abstract & Keywords
  2. Introduction
  3. Literature Review
  4. Methodology
  5. Results & Discussion
  6. Tables & Figures
  7. Conclusion
    1. Research Implications
    2. Limitations
    3. Future Recommendations
  8. References

 

Paper Length

Completed research papers are limited to a maximum of 2,500-5000 words in length. Any major deviation from the prescribed limit may result in desk rejection. The editor reserves the right to edit a part, and/or content of a paper.

Paper Layout

The paper layout is as follows:

  • Page setup: A4, Portrait
  • Margins: Leave 1.5-inch margin on the left side and a one-inch margin on right side as well as the top and bottom of each page
  • For writing, strictly follow the APA format of writing (take help from APA Manual 6th Edition). Any deficiency in APA format may result in the rejection of the paper for any processing. All tables, figures, equations, etc. should be in APA format. All values in the tables should be rounded, at most, up to 2-3 decimal places. The format should be followed uniformly in all the tables. All figures should be grouped so that their format remains intact while editing the paper for publication. Avoid unnecessary spacing to efficiently use resources. For a sample paper, visit our journal’s website.
  • Line Spacing: 1.15 throughout the paper
  • Page Numbering: Number pages consecutively in the lower left corner, beginning with the title page

Author/s Information

Author(s) and institution(s) name(s) along with contact details i.e. e-mail, phone/ cell # should be placed on the title page of the final paper beneath the title. Please indicate the corresponding author in case the paper has multiple authors. As an editorial policy, and based on Page 2 of 3 on the average length of the papers that we publish, we accept authorship only up to four authors (Revised Policy 2024).

Title Page

The title page should contain the title of the paper, the author(s) name(s), institutional affiliation and contact details i.e. e-mail, phone/ cell #.

Abstract

Begin with a new page. Your abstract page should include the center of the word “Abstract” (bold, formatting, italics). You must list keywords (max. 6 words) from your paper in your abstract. To do this, left align the text and type Keywords: (italicized, bold) and then list your keywords. Your abstract should be a single paragraph single-spaced. Your abstract should be between 150 and 250 words.

Keywords

There must be 4-7 keywords. These should be stand-alone words instead of statements.

Citation & References

Please follow the APA style of citation and referencing. Differences in providing end references for journal papers, conference papers, working papers, books, book chapters, newspaper articles, unpublished thesis/dissertations, and governmental organization reports, etc. should be in complete accordance with APA style. Deviation from the APA format can result in desk rejection of the research paper. APA format must be followed in letter and spirit. Even minor deviations are not acceptable in the in-text citation and end references. For help refer to APA Manual 7th Edition.

Headings & Paragraph Formatting

Heading and Paragraph formats are defined in the following table.

APA Level

Headings Format

1

2

Centered, Boldface, Uppercase and Lowercase Headings

Left-aligned, Boldface, Uppercase and Lowercase Heading

3

Indented, boldface, lowercase heading with a period. Begin body text after the period

4

Indented, boldface, italicized, lowercase heading with a period. Begin body text after the period.

5

Indented, italicized, lowercase heading with a period. Begin body text after the period.

 

Paragraph

Formatting Requirements

Abstract

Not indented, Italic, 1.15 line spacing, 12 Font size Times New Roman

Basic text All other paragraphs are formatted like Basic text if not defined otherwise below

Font size 12 point, Times New Roman, Justify Text only, 1.15 line spacing.

Main Title

Font size 12 point, Times New Roman, 1.15 line spacing, Font size 12 point, should be centered, bold, should not be underlined or italicized.,

Subtitle

Format subtitle as per level of the heading, i.e. Heading level 1, Heading level 2 etc.

Authors

Font size 12 point, Times New Roman Author’s name and institution should be 1.5 line spaced and centered

Abstract

The word “Abstract” should be centered and typed in bold, in 12-point Times New Roman. Do not indent the first line of the abstract paragraph. All other paragraphs in the paper should be indented.

Heading level 1

Centered, Boldface, Uppercase and Lowercase Headings

Heading level 2

Left-aligned, Boldface, Uppercase and Lowercase Heading

Heading level 3

Indented, boldface, lowercase heading with a period. Begin body text after the period.

Heading level 4

Indented, boldface, italicized, lowercase heading with a period. Begin body text after the period.

Heading level 5

Indented, italicized, lowercase heading with a period. Begin body text after the period.

Figures and Table Names/ captions

Font 12 pt. Italic. Tables should be editable, in case editing is required per the journal requirements.

Table Text

Font 12 pt, Left aligned, Figures should be centered. Figures should be editable, in case editing is required per the journal requirements.

Bulleted list

Bulleted, Hanging 0.5 cm, Space before 0 pt, space after 0pt, Left indent 0.60

Bulleted list, second level

Bulleted, Left indent 1.2 cm, Hanging 0.5 cm, Space before 0

Citations within the body

Strictly follow the APA format of citations within the body of the text.

End Referencing

Strictly follow the APA format for end referencing. Follow APA 7th Edition or later in case a new edition is released.