Author's Guidelines

General Information for Paper Submission

  1. The Editorial Board welcomes research reports that have never been published or submitted for publication elsewhere. The work must not be an extended version of previously published papers in conferences and/or journals as well.
  2. k@ta is a refereed journal dedicated to the publication of research in the areas of language, literature, and culture in English. See Focus and Scope for the specific topics covered in this journal.
  3. k@ta does not require any fees for publication.
  4. Manuscripts submitted to the journal may have only up to five authors. Each author may only propose one manuscript per issue. An author's name may appear only once per issue, regardless of whether they are listed as the first, second, or any subsequent author. This policy helps maintain a diverse range of contributions within each volume.
  5. Manuscripts must be written in English, and their main body must contain 5,000–7,000 words, excluding Abstract and References. Manuscripts need to be written following the template's formatting. The template can be downloaded from the following link:
    Manuscript Template
  6. To ensure the quality and readability of the manuscript, the editorial team uses Grammarly to assist in reviewing grammar and other surface-level language features.
  7. All manuscripts must conform to the APA 7th Edition referencing style. The guidelines for this style can be viewed at: https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/references/examples.
  8. To improve citation accuracy and ensure consistency in formatting, authors are encouraged to use reference management tools such as Mendeley, EndNote, or Zotero when preparing their manuscripts and to use Recite (or Reciteworks) to check the accuracy and consistency of in-text citations and reference lists. However, before submitting a manuscript to k@ta, authors must ensure that all Mendeley links, EndNote fields, and other embedded citation codes are removed to avoid formatting issues during the editing and publication process.
  9. The editorial team uses Recite to check each manuscript’s accordance with the APA 7th Edition guidelines.
  10. Each manuscript will be checked for its similarity index and AI detection rate using Turnitin. This process occurs twice:
    1. Before manuscripts are forwarded to reviewers; and
    2. Before publication, if a manuscript is accepted.
  11. The editorial team reserves the right to reject manuscripts with a similarity index exceeding 10% or an AI detection rate exceeding 20%.
  12. All manuscripts must be sent by uploading them to the Open Journal System (OJS). First, the author must register an account. Next, the author needs to log in using the registered account, then make a submission in the system. Submissions sent by email will not be processed. Manuscripts must be uploaded to the OJS in a DOC or DOCX format.
  13. As this journal employs a double-blind review process, please provide information about the author(s) name(s), institution(s) or affiliation(s), and the complete mailing address of the corresponding author on a Cover Sheet. Do not write these details in the manuscript body. Click here for the Cover Sheet. Upload the Cover Sheet together with the manuscript submission in the OJS. Manuscript lacking Cover Sheet will not be processed.
  14. The submission of the manuscript body should be de-identified; that is, author information, affiliation details, and references to the author's works have been removed. This also means removing the author details from the metadata of the file. Click here for the De-identification Guidelines.
  15. Manuscripts that do not follow the journal's scope, style, length, language accuracy, tolerable plagiarism rate, or referencing style guidelines will be rejected. Authors may revise their submissions to meet these criteria; however, revised manuscripts must be submitted as new submissions.
  16. The corresponding author will receive a written notification regarding whether the manuscript has been accepted for review or rejected within four to twelve weeks after the initial submission date.
  17. Manuscripts that meet preliminary screenings will undergo a double-blind review. Please refer to the Peer Review Process for further information.
  18. Authors can expect a period of three to eight months from submission to acceptance, assuming that no more than minor revisions are required. If you are in a hurry to meet a publication deadline, perhaps k@ta is NOT the journal for you.
  19. The editorial team reserves the right to turn down manuscripts without stating the reasons.
  20. Manuscripts that are not published rightfully belong to the author(s) and can be sent to other journals.
  21. k@ta does not accept multiple submissions from the same author (or co-author). Authors must wait until an editorial decision has been made on their active submission before submitting a new one.
  22. The list of authors (including order and affiliations) must be finalised and included on the cover sheet at the time of submission. No additions, removals, or rearrangements of author names will be permitted after submission. All authors are required to include their ORCID ID on the manuscript cover sheet upon submission.
  23. k@ta also requires authors to provide a verifiable institutional affiliation for author identification, accountability, and journal reporting purposes. Therefore, “Independent Researcher” cannot be used as the sole affiliation.
  24. Any confirmed breach of research integrity or publication ethics, including misuse of AI, plagiarism above the journal’s threshold, fabrication or falsification of data, inappropriate or undisclosed authorship (for example, using a person’s name without consent, guest or gift authorship, or ghostwriting), or theft or misuse of others’ work or data, will be treated as research misconduct. In such cases, the editorial board may take one or more of the following actions:
    a. rejection of the manuscript;
    b. withdrawal or retraction of a published article;
    c. notification of the authors’ institution, funder, or other relevant bodies, in line with publication ethics standards;
    d. refusal to consider future submissions from the author(s) for a specified period.

Writing Guidelines

  1. Manuscripts must present research findings or scholarly analyses in the areas of language, literature, and culture in English. Authors should ensure that their manuscripts fall within the journal’s Focus and Scope. 
  2. Manuscripts must be written in English, and their main body must contain 5,000–7,000 words, excluding Abstract and References.
  3. Manuscripts must follow the provided template, which can be downloaded here: Manuscript Template. Author details should be included only on the cover sheet, available here: Cover Sheet.
  4. The manuscript should be organised in the following structure:
    a) Title
    b) Abstract
    c) Keywords
    d) Introduction
    e) Review of Literature
    f) Method
    g) Results and Discussion
    h) Conclusion
    i) Acknowledgments (optional)
    j) References
    k) Appendix (optional)
  5. The manuscript title is written in 11–15 words.
  6. The abstract is written in English and typed in Times New Roman size 10 with justified paragraph format. The abstract is 100–200 words, single-spaced, and written in one paragraph only. It should briefly summarize the article, including research problems, methods, and results and discussion. 
  7. Authors should provide 3–5 keywords, written in Times New Roman size 10, with each keyword separated by a comma.
  8. The manuscript body is written in English, in Times New Roman size 11, with 1.2 spacing, on A4 paper, justified paragraphs, and with 3-centimetre margins on all sides. 
  9. The manuscript’s main body should contain 5,000–7,000 words, excluding Abstract and References.
  10. Do not include page numbers on the manuscript.
  11. Introduction contains the background of the problem and research objectives of the study. Previous studies relevant to the research must also be mentioned in this section. To show the recency and relevance of the study with the current state of the art, author(s) need to explain the significance of the research.
  12. Review of Literature provides a summary of the theoretical framework and concepts used in developing the research questions and discussing the research findings. The sources covered in the review must include journal articles, books, government reports, websites, etc.
  13. Method is a clear explanation of the research procedure, including research design, data sources, and data collection procedures.
  14. Results and Discussion contains the data analysis from the research, including findings, interpretation of the findings, and the insights gained from the research.
  15. Conclusion presents the conclusion of the study as well as suggestions and recommendations. Tables and figures should not be included in this section.
  16. Acknowledgements is an optional section in the manuscript. It contains the author’s expression of gratitude to the institution(s) providing financial support or funding for the research. Please refrain from addressing parties other than the financial supporters in this section. The section is included after the manuscript passes the review process and is accepted for publication.
  17. All sources mentioned in the manuscript must appear in References, and all sources listed in References must also be cited in the manuscript. The minimum requirement is to have 10 references with 80% primary sources coming from print or electronic reputable journals. 80% of the sources should also be from the recent 10 years, except for classical references or historical texts used for research purposes.
  18. Citations and references are written in APA 7th edition style with sources arranged in alphabetical order. Examples of APA 7th edition reference style can be viewed here: https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/references/examples.
  19. Author(s) are encouraged to use software to help check language issues (e.g., Grammarly), manage citations and references (e.g., Mendeley or Zotero), and cross-check in-text citations with references (e.g., Reciteworks). However, before submitting a manuscript to k@ta, authors must ensure that all Mendeley links, EndNote fields, and other embedded citation codes are removed to avoid formatting issues during the editing and publication process.
  20. Appendix is an optional section in the manuscript. It provides additional data that is relevant to the discussion of the study. The author(s) can include a maximum of two appendices. Please refer to the Manuscript Template for the formatting of the appendix section.

Policy on the Use of AI

The journal allows careful use of generative AI and AI-assisted tools during research and manuscript preparation. However, AI must not replace human thinking, academic judgement, or original contribution. Human authors remain fully responsible for all parts of the work.

  1. Authors may use generative AI and AI-assisted tools for the following tasks:
    1. locating and organizing literature and references;
    2. supporting quantitative or qualitative data analysis (for example, basic coding, pattern search, or statistical support);
    3. paraphrasing and rewriting parts of the text, as long as the authors fully understand, check, and revise the output;
    4. language editing to improve grammar, vocabulary, punctuation, and clarity.
  2. The following AI uses are not allowed:
    1. listing any AI tool as an author or co-author;
    2. submitting a manuscript that is wholly (100%) or mainly (more than 20%) written by AI and then presented as the work of the named authors;
    3. relying on AI without human checking and revision;
    4. using AI in ways that hide plagiarism or produce false or fabricated data, results, or references.
    The journal uses Turnitin to screen all submitted manuscripts for AI-generated content.
  3. Declaration of AI use:
    1. All authors must declare any non-trivial use of AI tools when they submit a manuscript.
    2. The declaration must be written on the cover sheet at the time of submission.
    3. The declaration should name the tool(s) used and describe the purpose (for example, “literature search”, “paraphrasing discussion section”, “coding interview data”). 
    4. This declaration will be kept in the journal records and used in the review and editorial process.
    5. If AI tools are used directly in the research process (for example, for data analysis, coding, or automatic translation of data), authors must also describe the procedure in the Method section.
  4. AI cannot take responsibility and therefore cannot be an author. Human authors:
    1. are fully responsible for the content, accuracy, and originality of the manuscript, including any text, data, or analysis produced with the help of AI;
    2. must verify all facts, numbers, and references produced with AI, and correct any errors or false information;
    3. must check that AI use does not introduce bias, misrepresentation of data, or unethical treatment of participants or sources;
    4. must follow all privacy, copyright, and terms-of-use conditions related to any AI tool or dataset used.
  5. Misuse of AI includes, but is not limited to:
    1. failing to declare substantial AI use during submission;
    2. submitting AI-generated text, data, or images as if they were written or produced by the authors;
    3. presenting fabricated or unverifiable references or data created by AI;
    4. hiding AI use that affects the reliability of the study.