Author Guidelines

Confluence: A Journal of Technology, Business and Society

Authors are requested to carefully read and follow these guidelines before submitting a manuscript to Confluence: Journal of Technology, Business and Society. Adherence to these instructions will facilitate efficient editorial screening, peer review, and publication.

The journal welcomes high-quality original and scholarly contributions within the broad domains of Technology, Computer Science, Information Technology, Business, Management, Society, and Interdisciplinary Research.

1. Preparing Your Manuscript

1.1 File Format

Manuscripts should be submitted in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) format.

A PDF version may additionally be submitted for reference; however, a PDF file alone should not normally replace the editable manuscript file.

1.2 Manuscript Length

As a general guideline, full-length research and review articles should normally contain approximately 5,000–8,000 words, including the main text, tables, figure captions, citations, and references.

The appropriate length may vary according to the nature and category of the manuscript. Short communications, technical notes, case studies, conceptual papers, and other scholarly contributions may be shorter where appropriate.

Authors should prioritize clarity, scholarly contribution, methodological rigor, and relevance rather than unnecessary length.

1.3 Manuscript Formatting

Manuscripts should follow these general formatting requirements:

• Paper size: A4

• Font: Times New Roman

• Main text: 12 point

• Line spacing: 1.5

• Margins: 1 inch on all sides

• Text alignment: Justified

• Page numbers: Consecutively numbered

• Heading 1: 14 point, bold

• Heading 2: 12 point, bold

• Heading 3: 12 point, italic

Headings and subheadings should be concise, informative, and consistently structured throughout the manuscript.

2. Title of the Manuscript

The title should be concise, informative, specific, and representative of the principal contribution of the study.

As a general guideline, the title should preferably not exceed 15 words.

Authors should avoid unnecessary abbreviations, overly broad expressions, and excessively long titles.

3. Author Information

The title page should provide complete information for all authors in the intended order of publication.

The following information should be included:

• Full name of each author

• Institutional affiliation

• Department/School/Faculty, where applicable

• Institution/University/Organization

• City and country

• Email address

• ORCID iD

• Identification of the corresponding author

Authors are responsible for ensuring the accuracy and spelling of all names and affiliations.

Corresponding Author

One author should be identified as the corresponding author.

The corresponding author will be primarily responsible for communication with the journal throughout the submission, review, revision, acceptance, and publication processes.

4. ORCID

Authors are strongly encouraged to provide their ORCID iD.

ORCID facilitates accurate identification of researchers and helps distinguish scholarly contributions among researchers with similar names.

Authors should ensure that the ORCID provided belongs to the respective author and is correctly stated.

5. Abstract

Each manuscript should include a clear, concise, and informative abstract.

For full research articles, a structured abstract is encouraged and should normally not exceed 350 words.

Where applicable, the abstract may address:

• Purpose – objective and motivation of the research

• Design/Methodology/Approach – methods employed

• Findings – principal findings of the study

• Originality/Value – originality, novelty, or contribution

• Research Limitations – important limitations, where applicable

• Practical Implications – managerial, technological, industrial, educational, or policy implications

• Social Implications – implications for society, where relevant

Abstracts for conceptual papers, reviews, technical papers, case studies, and other manuscript categories may be appropriately adapted to the nature of the contribution.

References should normally not be included in the abstract.

6. Keywords

Authors should provide 4–8 relevant keywords immediately following the abstract.

Keywords should accurately represent the principal themes, methods, technologies, applications, or research domains addressed in the manuscript.

Authors should avoid unnecessarily repeating words already evident from the article title wherever more informative keywords can be provided.

7. Manuscript Types

Confluence welcomes scholarly contributions in a broad range of formats, including but not limited to:

• Original Research Articles

• Review Articles

• Systematic Literature Reviews

• Survey Papers

• Theoretical Papers

• Conceptual Papers

• Empirical Studies

• Quantitative Research

• Qualitative Research

• Mixed-Methods Research

• Case Studies

• Technical Papers

• Technical Notes

• Short Communications

• Methodological Papers

• Innovative Frameworks and Models

• Interdisciplinary Research Articles

• Multidisciplinary Research Articles

Authors should identify the manuscript category most appropriate to their submission.

8. Suggested Manuscript Structure

The structure of a manuscript may vary according to the research discipline and article type. A conventional original research article may include:

1. Title

2. Abstract

3. Keywords

4. Introduction

5. Literature Review/Related Work

6. Research Objectives and/or Research Questions/Hypotheses

7. Materials and Methods/Research Methodology

8. Results/Findings

9. Discussion

10. Theoretical and/or Practical Implications

11. Limitations and Future Research

12. Conclusion

13. Acknowledgements, where applicable

14. Funding Statement

15. Conflict of Interest Declaration

16. Declaration of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies, where applicable

17. References

18. Appendices/Supplementary Material, where applicable

Authors may adapt this structure where disciplinary conventions or the nature of the manuscript require a different scholarly organization.

9. Introduction

The Introduction should clearly establish:

• Background and context of the research

• Research problem

• Research gap

• Motivation for the study

• Research objectives/questions, where appropriate

• Significance and contribution of the study

The Introduction should provide sufficient context for readers while avoiding an unnecessarily extensive review of the literature.

10. Literature Review / Related Work

The literature review should provide a critical and appropriately structured discussion of relevant previous research.

Authors should:

• Identify significant developments in the field.

• Critically examine relevant literature.

• Establish the theoretical or conceptual foundation of the study.

• Identify important research gaps.

• Clearly demonstrate how the present study contributes to existing knowledge.

References should be relevant, appropriate, and selected on scholarly grounds.

11. Materials and Methods / Research Methodology

Authors should provide sufficient methodological information to enable readers to understand, evaluate, and, where applicable, reproduce the research.

Depending on the nature of the study, this section may describe:

• Research design

• Dataset/data sources

• Sampling methods

• Participants/respondents

• Research instruments

• Experimental setup

• Algorithms/models

• Software/tools/platforms

• Data collection procedures

• Statistical or computational methods

• Validation/evaluation methods

• Ethical approval and informed consent, where applicable

Established methods should be appropriately referenced. Significant modifications to existing methods should be clearly explained.

12. Results and Findings

Results should be presented clearly, accurately, and objectively.

Tables, figures, graphs, statistical analyses, performance measures, or other appropriate forms of evidence may be used to support the findings.

Authors should avoid unnecessary duplication of identical information across text, tables, and figures.

13. Discussion

The Discussion should interpret the findings in relation to:

• Research objectives/questions

• Existing literature

• Theoretical contributions

• Practical or managerial implications

• Technological implications

• Policy or societal implications, where relevant

Authors should clearly distinguish between findings directly supported by the research and broader interpretations or implications.

14. Conclusion

The Conclusion should summarize the principal contribution and significance of the research without unnecessarily repeating the abstract or results.

Where appropriate, authors may discuss limitations, future research directions, practical applications, and broader implications.

15. Impact Statement

Authors are encouraged to provide a concise Impact Statement of up to 75 words explaining the broader significance of their research.

The statement should explain how the study may contribute beyond its immediate academic context, for example through technological, industrial, managerial, economic, educational, policy, environmental, or societal impact.

16. Acknowledgements

Individuals who contributed to the research but do not meet the criteria for authorship may be acknowledged with their permission.

Acknowledgements may include assistance with:

• Research activities

• Technical support

• Data collection

• Language assistance

• Proofreading

• Institutional or administrative support

Authors should ensure that acknowledgements comply with the journal's Publication Ethics and Research Integrity Policy.

17. Funding Statement

Authors should disclose all relevant funding or financial support received for the research.

Where applicable, provide:

• Name of funding agency/organization

• Grant/project number

• Relevant funding details

If no external funding was received, authors may state:

“The authors received no external funding for this research.”

18. Conflict of Interest

Authors should disclose any financial, professional, institutional, or personal interests that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the research.

Where no conflict exists, authors may state:

“The authors declare no conflict of interest.”

19. Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies

Authors must comply with the journal's Publication Ethics and Research Integrity Policy concerning Artificial Intelligence, Generative AI, Large Language Models (LLMs), and AI-assisted technologies.

AI systems and LLMs cannot be listed as authors or co-authors.

Where Generative AI or AI-assisted technologies have materially contributed to manuscript preparation, analysis, or presentation, authors should provide the required disclosure before the References under the heading:

Declaration of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies

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

20. Figures and Illustrations

Figures should be clear, legible, and of sufficient quality for publication.

Authors should:

• Number figures consecutively using Arabic numerals: Figure 1, Figure 2, etc.

• Provide a concise and informative caption for every figure.

• Refer to every figure in the manuscript text.

• Ensure labels and text remain legible after resizing.

• Provide appropriate acknowledgement or attribution for material reproduced from other sources.

• Obtain necessary permission for copyrighted material.

Figures may include charts, diagrams, photographs, screenshots, conceptual models, architectures, and other visual research materials.

Where separate figure files are requested, authors should provide publication-quality files in appropriate standard formats.

21. Tables

Tables should:

• Be numbered consecutively using Arabic numerals.

• Have concise and informative titles.

• Be cited in the main manuscript.

• Present information clearly without unnecessary duplication of the text.

• Include explanatory notes or footnotes where required.

The intended location of tables should be clearly identifiable in the manuscript.

22. Equations, Algorithms and Programme Code

Mathematical equations should be presented clearly and numbered consecutively where they are referenced in the text.

Algorithms, pseudocode, software, datasets, and programme code essential to the research should be appropriately described and cited.

Where a persistent identifier such as a DOI or recognized repository identifier is available for datasets, software, or code, authors are encouraged to include it.

23. References

Confluence: A Journal of Technology, Business and Society follows the APA 7th Edition referencing style.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that:

• Every reference cited in the manuscript appears in the reference list.

• Every item included in the reference list is appropriately cited in the manuscript.

• References are accurate and complete.

• DOI information is included wherever available.

• References are selected for their scholarly relevance rather than for the purpose of manipulating citation metrics.

Authors should carefully verify all references before submission.

24. Notes and Endnotes

Notes or endnotes should be used only where necessary.

They should be numbered consecutively and should contain supplementary explanatory information rather than material essential to understanding the principal argument of the manuscript.

25. Open Peer Review

Confluence: A Journal of Technology, Business and Society follows an open peer-review model.

Under the journal's open peer-review approach, the identities of authors and reviewers may be disclosed during the review process in accordance with the journal's established editorial procedure.

The purpose of open peer review is to promote transparency, scholarly accountability, constructive academic dialogue, and responsible peer-review practices.

Manuscripts are initially screened by the editorial team for relevance, quality, originality, compliance with journal requirements, and alignment with the journal's aims and scope.

Manuscripts considered suitable for further evaluation are forwarded to qualified subject experts for peer review.

Based on reviewers' recommendations and editorial assessment, a manuscript may receive one of the following decisions:

• Accept

• Minor Revision

• Major Revision

• Reject

The final publication decision rests with the journal's editorial authority.

26. Before Submitting Your Manuscript

Before submission, authors should carefully ensure that:

• The manuscript falls within the aims and scope of Confluence.

• The manuscript represents original scholarly work.

• The manuscript is not simultaneously under consideration elsewhere.

• All authors have approved the submission.

• Author names, affiliations, email addresses, and ORCID details are accurate.

• The manuscript follows the journal's formatting requirements.

• The abstract and keywords are included.

• Tables and figures are correctly numbered and cited.

• References follow APA 7th Edition.

• Every in-text citation corresponds to an entry in the reference list.

• The manuscript has been carefully checked for grammar, spelling, and typographical errors.

• Necessary permissions have been obtained for copyrighted or third-party materials.

• Funding and conflicts of interest have been appropriately disclosed.

• Generative AI use has been disclosed where required.

• The journal's Author Guidelines and Publication Ethics and Research Integrity Policy have been reviewed.

Failure to comply substantially with the journal's requirements may result in the manuscript being returned to the authors for correction before peer review.

27. Submission Checklist

Authors should prepare the following, as applicable:

Title Page

The title page should contain:

• Manuscript title

• Full names of all authors

• Complete affiliations

• Email addresses

• ORCID iDs

• Identification of corresponding author

• Manuscript type/category

• Acknowledgements, where applicable

• Funding information, where applicable

Main Manuscript

The main manuscript should normally contain:

• Title

• Abstract

• Keywords

• Main text

• Tables/Figures or appropriate placement indicators

• Funding statement

• Conflict of interest declaration

• Generative AI declaration, where applicable

• References

• Supplementary information, where applicable

Additional Files

Where applicable:

• High-quality figures

• Tables

• Supplementary datasets/materials

• Permission documents

• Informed consent documentation where legitimately required

• Other supporting files requested by the editorial office

28. How to Submit

Authors are encouraged to submit their manuscripts through the official online submission system available on the journal website.

Online submission is the preferred method because it facilitates manuscript tracking, editorial communication, peer review, revision, and maintenance of the scholarly record.

Where authors experience difficulty with the online submission system or where otherwise permitted by the journal, manuscripts may also be submitted by email to the journal's official submission/editorial email address.

Authors should ensure that all required manuscript files and supporting documents are included at the time of submission.

29. After Submission

Following successful submission, the manuscript will undergo an initial editorial screening.

The editorial team may assess:

• Alignment with the aims and scope of the journal

• Completeness of the submission

• Scholarly relevance and contribution

• General methodological appropriateness

• Compliance with Author Guidelines

• Compliance with applicable Publication Ethics and Research Integrity requirements

A manuscript that does not meet the journal's basic requirements may be returned for correction or declined at the editorial screening stage.

Manuscripts considered suitable will proceed to peer review.

30. Revision of Manuscripts

Where reviewers or editors recommend revision, authors should submit:

1. A revised manuscript; and

2. A clear point-by-point response addressing the reviewers' and/or editors' comments.

Changes made to the manuscript should be clearly identifiable where requested by the editorial office.

Authors should respond professionally and substantively to reviewer comments. Where an author disagrees with a recommendation, an academically reasoned explanation should be provided.

31. Acceptance and Publication

Following satisfactory completion of the peer-review and revision process, manuscripts approved by the appropriate editorial authority will be formally accepted for publication.

Accepted manuscripts may undergo:

• Editorial review

• Copyediting

• Formatting

• Typesetting

• Proof preparation

The corresponding author will normally receive the proof for final checking before publication.

Proof corrections should ordinarily be restricted to typographical, formatting, factual, or production-related errors. Substantial rewriting should not normally be undertaken at the proof stage.

32. Publication Charges

Confluence: A Journal of Technology, Business and Society does not charge any submission fee, Article Processing Charge (APC), or publication fee from authors.

33. Publication Ethics

Submission to Confluence: A Journal of Technology, Business and Society indicates that the author(s) have read and agreed to comply with the journal's separate Publication Ethics and Research Integrity Policy.

Authors are responsible for ensuring the originality, accuracy, integrity, ethical compliance, and scholarly validity of their submitted work.

34. Privacy and Confidentiality

Personal information submitted to the journal, including names, affiliations, email addresses, and other contact information, will be used for legitimate editorial and publication-related purposes.

Such information will be handled in accordance with the journal's applicable privacy and data-protection practices.