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Author Guidelines

Author Guidelines

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Manuscript Submission Guidelines for Authors

The SPL Journal of Literary Hermeneutics: An International Journal of Independent Critical Thinking cordially invites scholars, researchers, academicians, and independent authors from India and abroad to submit their original, unpublished manuscripts for possible publication.

The journal provides a vibrant academic platform for scholarly discussions on diverse areas of literary studies, including but not limited to:

  • Prose
  • Poetry
  • Drama
  • Fiction and Non-fiction
  • Electronic and Print Media
  • Literary Criticism
  • Contemporary Critical Theory
  • Comparative Literature
  • Translation Studies
  • New Literatures
  • Creative Writing
  • Socio-political, Economic, and Cultural Studies

Research articles must strictly follow the latest edition of the MLA Style Handbook.

Word Limit: 3,000–4,000 words, including the Abstract and Works Cited.

Format of Research Articles

Authors are requested to follow the guidelines below carefully.

1. Title

  • Provide a clear and informative title.
  • Include a subtitle, if applicable.
  • Use Times New Roman, 14 pt, Bold.
  • Use Title Case (do not write the entire title in capital letters).

2. File Format

Submit manuscripts in:

  • Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx)
  • Compatible with Windows 7, Windows 10, or later

PDF files will not be accepted.

3. Author Information

Please provide:

  • Full name of the author(s)
  • Department
  • Institution/University
  • Complete official postal address
  • Email address
  • ORCID iD

Author details should appear immediately below the title.

4. Abstract

The abstract should:

  • Be 200–300 words
  • Clearly state the objectives, methodology, findings, and conclusion
  • Include 4–6 Keywords

Authors must also:

  • Provide their ORCID iD (Register at: https://orcid.org/register)
  • Follow the journal's sample paper format.
  • Include a short author biography at the end of the manuscript.
  • Submit the signed Submission Form along with the manuscript.

5. Main Text

The manuscript should:

  • Be completely formatted before submission.
  • Use Times New Roman, 12 pt.
  • Be fully justified.
  • Include properly formatted headings, subheadings, tables, and illustrations.

6. Word Limit

Research Articles: 3,000–4,000 words (including Abstract and Works Cited).

Fiction: Up to 10,000 words. Preference will be given to character-driven narratives demonstrating emotional depth, creativity, and socio-cultural relevance.

Poetry: 20–50 lines on meaningful contemporary themes.

7. Line Spacing

Use double line spacing throughout the manuscript.

8. Works Cited

Begin the Works Cited section on a new page.

  • Center the heading Works Cited.
  • Follow the latest MLA Style Handbook.
  • If only one source is cited, use Work Cited.

9. References Formatting

  • Align the first line with the left margin.
  • Apply a 0.5-inch hanging indent for all subsequent lines.

10. Tables, Figures, and Illustrations

Graphs, tables, photographs, charts, and diagrams should:

  • Be professionally prepared.
  • Be numbered consecutively.
  • Include appropriate titles/captions.
  • Be placed close to their first citation within the text.

11. Page Numbers

Insert page numbers in the upper-right corner, 0.5 inch from the top margin.

12. Paragraph Indentation

Indent the first line of each paragraph by 0.5 inch (or five spaces).

13. In-text Citations

Follow MLA citation style by including the author's surname and page number(s).

Example: (Shakespeare 42)

14. Quotations and Punctuation

For quotations of three lines or fewer:

  • Enclose within quotation marks.
  • Place the period after the parenthetical citation.

For quotations of more than three lines:

  • Format as a block quotation.
  • Indent by 0.5 inch.
  • Do not use quotation marks.
  • Place the period before the parenthetical citation.

15. Language and Style

Manuscripts must:

  • Be grammatically correct.
  • Follow British English consistently.
  • Avoid mixing British and American spellings.

Example:

  • organise (British)
  • organize (American)

16. Plagiarism Policy

Submitted manuscripts must be:

  • Original
  • Unpublished
  • Free from plagiarism

Authors must submit:

  • A signed declaration stating that the work is original and unpublished.
  • A plagiarism report generated using recognized software such as Turnitin, Urkund (Ouriginal), Viper, or equivalent.

Proper acknowledgment and citation of all borrowed ideas are mandatory.

17. Editorial Decision

The Editorial Board reserves the sole right to:

  • Accept or reject any submission.
  • Request revisions.
  • Reject incomplete or misleading submissions.
  • Reject manuscripts that do not comply with the journal's guidelines.

The Editorial Board's decision shall be final.

18. Equality and Inclusiveness

The journal evaluates submissions solely on academic merit without discrimination based on race, gender, caste, religion, ethnicity, nationality, or political ideology.

19. Double-Blind Peer Review

All manuscripts undergo a double-blind peer-review process in which both authors and reviewers remain anonymous throughout the review.

20. Author Biography

Include a brief biography (50–100 words) containing:

  • Name
  • Designation
  • Department
  • Institution
  • Major academic achievements
  • Research interests
  • Email address
  • ORCID iD (optional but recommended)

Important Note

Do not decorate your manuscript with borders, decorative lines, text boxes, special characters, or unnecessary graphics. Manuscripts that do not comply with the journal formatting requirements may be returned for correction or rejected.

 

Submission Preparation Checklist

All submissions must meet the following requirements.

  • Author Declaration and Submission Compliance The submitted manuscript fully adheres to the stylistic, structural, and bibliographic requirements outlined in the Author Guidelines of The SPL Journal of Literary Hermeneutics: A Biannual International Journal of Independent Critical Thinking. The manuscript is original and unpublished, and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere. Any exception has been duly disclosed in the “Comments to the Editor.” To the best of my/our knowledge, the manuscript maintains acceptable similarity levels (ordinarily below 10%), and all sources have been properly cited and acknowledged. I/We affirm that the manuscript represents my/our own scholarly work, and that no part of it has been generated or written by AI tools (including ChatGPT or similar technologies) without proper disclosure and editorial approval. The submission has been prepared and uploaded in Microsoft Word (.doc/.docx) format, as required. Wherever applicable, valid URLs and/or DOIs have been provided for all references to ensure transparency and traceability of sources. The manuscript formatting conforms to journal standards: Single-spaced text 12-point standard font Use of italics instead of underlining (except for URLs) Figures, tables, and illustrations are appropriately embedded within the text at relevant locations I/We accept full responsibility for the accuracy of facts, interpretations, and opinions expressed in the manuscript. I/We further declare that the manuscript is free from plagiarism, copyright infringement, and any form of academic misconduct. In the event that any such issue is identified, I/we shall bear complete responsibility, and the journal and its editors shall not be held liable. I/We confirm that all necessary permissions for copyrighted material, if any, have been obtained and properly acknowledged. I/We agree to comply with established ethical standards, including those recommended by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), throughout the submission and publication process. I/We acknowledge that the journal reserves the right to retract, withdraw, or unpublish any article at any stage, including post-publication, if ethical, legal, or scholarly concerns arise. Such actions shall be duly communicated and recorded, and I/we agree to abide by this policy.

Journal Articles

Section default policy

Copyright Notice

Require authors to agree to the following copyright notice as part of the submission process.
 

Scholastic morals are the essential and the central stand for research. Our Publication protocols and articulation is primarily founded on the Code of Conduct and Best-Practice Guidelines .

Ethical Concerns:

1. No Plagiarism will be accepted for publication

2. No counterfeiting and no false information and Data fabrication and falsification

3. It is suggested that the authors must not use the words and ideas of other scholars without proper acknowledgements and citations.

4. Manuscripts found to be plagiarized from other manuscript, whether published or unpublished, will not be accepted and the authors may incur sanctions like blacklisting and informing the institutions senders belong.

5. Authors should declare all the potential interests in the ‘Conflicts of Interest’ section, which must explain why the interest may be a conflict between the authors.

6. Gift or guest authorship is to be avoided. It is when someone is added to the list of authors in the publication who have not been involved in the research.

7. Ghost authorship or paid authorship shall not be accepted for publication. In this case, when someone is involved in writing a paper but he is not included in the list as author for the same.

Privacy Statement

The names and email addresses entered in this journal site will be used exclusively for the stated purposes of this journal and will not be made available for any other purpose or to any other party.