SEARCH: Science Education Research Journal welcomes original, high-quality scholarly contributions that advance knowledge, theory, research, and practice in science education and related fields. These guidelines are intended to help authors prepare manuscripts that meet the journal's standards for academic rigor, methodological transparency, ethical integrity, and scholarly communication. Authors are strongly encouraged to read these guidelines carefully and ensure that their manuscripts comply with the journal's requirements before submission. Manuscripts that do not meet the basic submission requirements may be returned to the authors for technical correction before entering the editorial review process.

All manuscripts must be submitted electronically through the journal's online submission system. Authors must register for an account before submitting a manuscript. Authors who already have an account may log in to submit a new manuscript and monitor the progress of existing submissions.

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Registration and login are required to submit manuscripts online and check the status of active submissions. Authors should ensure that their account information, institutional affiliation, email address, and contact details are accurate and up to date. The corresponding author is responsible for monitoring editorial communications and responding to requests from the editorial office throughout the submission and publication process.

Authors should use the official journal template when preparing their manuscripts. The template provides a practical reference for the organization and formatting of the manuscript and should be used together with the requirements specified on this page. Download the SEARCH Journal Template.

Submitted manuscripts must be relevant to the aims and scope of SEARCH: Science Education Research Journal and demonstrate a clear contribution to science education scholarship, educational theory, research methodology, or teaching and learning practice. Contributions may include empirical research articles, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and other scholarly article types explicitly accepted by the journal. All submissions must demonstrate academic rigor, a clear research purpose, an appropriate methodological approach, a critical engagement with relevant literature, and conclusions supported by the evidence presented. Authors should verify that their manuscript falls within the journal's stated scope before submission.

Manuscripts must represent original scholarly work and must not have been published previously in substantially the same form. Submission to SEARCH constitutes confirmation that the manuscript is not simultaneously under consideration by another journal or primary publication. Authors must disclose any related manuscripts, previous publications, preprints, conference papers, or overlapping datasets that may be relevant to the editorial assessment. Any reuse of previously disseminated material must be transparent, appropriately cited, and consistent with publication ethics requirements. Manuscripts involving plagiarism, fabricated or falsified data, duplicate publication, or other forms of publication misconduct will not be considered for publication.

Manuscripts may be written in English or Indonesian, subject to the journal's language and editorial requirements. Authors must use clear, precise, grammatically correct academic language and ensure consistency in terminology, spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure. The recommended manuscript length is 5,000–7,000 words, approximately 12–15 pages when formatted according to the journal template. The word count should generally cover the main text and should be reported consistently with any specific instructions provided by the editorial office. Authors should avoid unnecessary repetition, excessive background information, and content that does not directly support the research objectives or argument.

Research articles should follow a logical and coherent structure that enables readers to understand the research problem, theoretical foundation, methodology, findings, and implications. Unless the nature of the article or the journal's specific instructions require another arrangement, manuscripts should include the following components.

The title must be concise, informative, and representative of the central focus of the study. It should identify the main topic, research variables or concepts, and relevant context where appropriate. Titles should not exceed 14 words unless an exception is justified by the nature of the research. Authors should avoid unnecessary abbreviations, vague expressions, promotional language, and overly broad claims. The title should use sentence case, with capitalization for the first word and proper nouns, and should be formatted according to the journal template.

The manuscript must include the full names of all authors without academic titles or professional honorifics. Each author's institutional affiliation should be stated clearly, including the institution and relevant department or faculty where applicable. Authors should provide valid institutional or professional email addresses as required by the submission system. The corresponding author must be identified explicitly and is responsible for communication with the editorial office. Author names, affiliations, order of authorship, and corresponding-author details must be checked carefully before submission. Changes to authorship after submission require a valid justification and approval from all affected authors in accordance with the journal's procedures.

The abstract must contain fewer than 200 words and provide a concise, self-contained summary of the study. It should clearly communicate the research problem or context, objective, methodology, principal findings, and main conclusion. For empirical studies, the abstract should identify the research design and relevant participants, data sources, or analytical approach where necessary. Findings should be reported specifically rather than described through general statements such as "the results were good" or "the method was effective." Claims in the abstract must be consistent with the results and conclusions presented in the main text. Abstracts must be provided in both English and Indonesian. Authors should ensure that both versions communicate equivalent meaning and use appropriate academic terminology.

Authors must provide three to five keywords or keyword phrases that represent the principal topics, concepts, methods, or contexts of the study. Keywords should complement rather than simply repeat every word in the title and should use terminology that helps readers discover the article through scholarly databases and search engines. Authors should avoid overly broad terms and unnecessary duplication.

The introduction should establish the research context, explain the significance of the problem, and critically synthesize relevant previous studies. Authors should identify what is already known, what remains unresolved, and why the present study is necessary. The literature review must go beyond listing previous studies and should establish meaningful connections among theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, and the research problem. The introduction should articulate the research gap, the novelty or distinctive contribution of the study, its objectives, and research questions or hypotheses where applicable. All major claims should be supported by credible and relevant scholarly sources. The introduction should conclude with a clear statement of the study's purpose and expected contribution.

The methods section must provide sufficient detail for readers to evaluate the validity, reliability, rigor, and reproducibility of the study. Authors should describe the research design, setting and context, population and sample or participants, sampling procedures, instruments, data sources, data collection procedures, and analytical techniques, as appropriate to the study. The rationale for selecting the design, instruments, and analytical procedures should be explained when relevant. Authors should report instrument development, validation, reliability assessment, coding procedures, and analytical assumptions where applicable. Qualitative studies should describe the approach to data generation, coding, interpretation, and trustworthiness. Systematic reviews should report their search strategy, information sources, eligibility criteria, screening procedures, and synthesis methods. Research involving human participants must include relevant ethical approval and consent information where required. The methods must be sufficiently transparent to permit critical appraisal and appropriate replication.

Results should be presented clearly, systematically, and in direct relation to the research questions or objectives. Authors should report the principal findings accurately and avoid unnecessary repetition between the narrative, tables, and figures. Quantitative analyses should include appropriate descriptive or inferential statistics, effect estimates, uncertainty measures, and other relevant information needed to interpret the findings. Qualitative findings should be supported by appropriate evidence from the data and a transparent analytical explanation. Results must not be selectively omitted or presented in a misleading manner.

The discussion should interpret the findings in relation to the research questions, theoretical framework, and relevant previous studies. Authors should explain the significance of the findings, identify similarities or differences with earlier research, and discuss plausible explanations for important patterns or unexpected results. The discussion must distinguish clearly between evidence supported by the study and interpretations that remain tentative. Claims of effectiveness, causality, or generalizability must be consistent with the research design, sampling strategy, and analytical evidence. Authors should also explain the study's original contribution, practical or theoretical implications, limitations, and directions for future research.

The conclusion should provide a concise synthesis of the principal findings and explain how they address the research objectives or questions. It should emphasize the study's principal contribution without merely repeating the abstract or reproducing the results section. Conclusions must be supported by the evidence presented and must not introduce findings that have not been reported in the manuscript. Where appropriate, authors may discuss educational implications, recommendations for policy or practice, methodological contributions, and priorities for future research. Limitations should be acknowledged when they materially affect the interpretation or application of the findings.

Authors may acknowledge individuals, institutions, organizations, or other parties that provided meaningful assistance but do not meet the criteria for authorship. Financial support, research grants, and relevant institutional assistance should be acknowledged accurately. Individuals named in the acknowledgments should have agreed to be identified. If the journal template specifically requires acknowledgments in a footnote associated with the title, authors should follow that template; otherwise, the acknowledgments should be placed in the designated section of the manuscript.

The reference list must include all and only the sources cited in the manuscript, subject to the journal's technical requirements. References should be accurate, complete, relevant, and formatted consistently according to the American Psychological Association (APA) style, preferably the seventh edition unless the journal template specifies otherwise. Authors are expected to consult primary sources wherever possible and prioritize recent, peer-reviewed research relevant to the topic. As a general target, more than 80% of references should come from publications issued within the previous ten years, except where older foundational or seminal works are essential. Textbooks should be used sparingly when primary research articles or authoritative scholarly sources are more appropriate. Authors should aim to include approximately 25–40 relevant references, depending on the scope and type of manuscript. Every reference must be verifiable, and DOI links should be provided when available.

Authors may use reference-management software to improve consistency and accuracy. The following resources may be useful: Mendeley Reference Manager and the official APA Style website. Authors must verify all bibliographic details, author names, publication years, article titles, journal names, page ranges, and DOI or URL information before submission.

Manuscripts must be prepared on A4-sized pages and formatted using the official journal template. The prescribed manuscript format specifies Book Antiqua, 11-point font, and single line spacing for the main text. Authors should use consistent paragraph alignment, indentation, heading levels, page numbering, and spacing throughout the document. The current template should be consulted for exact margin settings, paragraph indentation, title formatting, and other layout specifications. The journal's published manuscript requirements specify top and bottom margins of 1.8 cm; authors should verify the remaining margins against the official template rather than assume that all margin dimensions are identical.

The article title should use sentence case, be centered, and follow the font size and spacing specified in the journal template. The current template specifies a 16-point title. Main section headings should use uppercase bold formatting at 12 points and begin at the left margin. Subheadings should use sentence case and begin at the left margin, while lower-level headings should follow the capitalization and italicization rules specified in the template. Authors should use heading levels consistently and avoid unnecessary subdivisions that interrupt the logical flow of the manuscript.

Mathematical equations, scientific formulas, and other formal expressions must be prepared clearly and consistently. Equations that are referred to in the text should be numbered consecutively using Arabic numerals in parentheses, with the numbers aligned to the right, for example (1), (2), and (3). All variables, symbols, abbreviations, and units should be defined at their first occurrence or explained in the accompanying text. Authors should ensure that mathematical notation is accurate, readable, and consistent throughout the manuscript. Equations should be created using an appropriate equation editor rather than inserted as low-resolution images whenever possible.

Outputs generated by statistical software or analytical applications should not be reproduced directly as raw software screenshots or unedited output reports. Authors should synthesize the relevant results into clearly labeled tables, figures, or narrative summaries and explain their interpretation in the manuscript. Analytical procedures, assumptions, sample sizes, relevant statistical values, and uncertainty measures should be reported where appropriate. The presentation must enable readers to understand how the results address the research questions and should avoid selective reporting or unsupported interpretations.

Tables must be numbered consecutively using Arabic numerals and cited in the manuscript in numerical order. Each table should have a concise, informative title placed above the table. Tables should present information clearly and efficiently, without duplicating details already explained adequately in the main text. In accordance with the journal's formatting requirements, tables should generally use horizontal lines to distinguish the header and relevant sections, without unnecessary vertical column lines. Notes, definitions of abbreviations, statistical explanations, and source information should be placed beneath the table when needed. Authors must ensure that all table entries, totals, units, and statistical values are accurate and consistent with the results described in the text.

Figures, graphs, photographs, conceptual diagrams, and other visual materials must be numbered consecutively using Arabic numerals and cited in the text in the order in which they appear. Each figure must have a clear and informative caption placed below the figure. Visual materials should be of sufficient resolution and legibility for publication, with readable labels, legends, axes, symbols, and units. Authors should avoid unnecessary decorative elements and ensure that figures accurately represent the underlying data. Any reused or adapted material must be appropriately credited, and permission must be obtained where required. Source information should be provided beneath the figure when applicable.

All tables and figures must be discussed or referenced in the main text, and their numbering, titles, captions, and source statements must be consistent. Authors should use clear terminology and avoid relying exclusively on color to communicate essential information. Figures should remain interpretable when viewed at publication size and, where feasible, include descriptive captions or alternative text to support accessibility. All visual materials must be relevant to the research objectives and must not distort, conceal, or misrepresent the underlying evidence.

In-text citations must follow the author-date system prescribed by APA style. The author's family name and year of publication should be provided for cited works. For example: "Prasetyo (2019) argues that..." or "...as demonstrated in previous research (Kuswanto, 2020)." When several sources support the same statement, they should be cited consistently according to APA conventions, for example "(Wilujeng, 2018; Senam, 2019)." Direct quotations must include the page number or other locator required by the applicable APA rules. Authors should ensure that each in-text citation corresponds to a complete reference-list entry and that all cited sources have been checked against the original publications whenever possible.

The reference list should be arranged alphabetically by the first author's family name and formatted according to the applicable APA style. Authors should prioritize relevant peer-reviewed journal articles and other authoritative scholarly sources, with particular attention to recent research. As a general guideline, more than 80% of references should be from the previous ten years, except for essential foundational works. Approximately 25–40 references are expected for a typical research article, although the appropriate number depends on the study's scope and design. Authors are encouraged to use reference-management software such as Mendeley to support consistent citation formatting. Software-generated references must be checked manually for accuracy.

Authors should disclose all relevant funding sources and acknowledge contributions from individuals or organizations that provided substantial assistance to the research but do not qualify for authorship. Funding information should include the name of the funding organization and grant number where applicable. Authors should also clarify the role of the funder in the research design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, or preparation of the manuscript when relevant. If the study received no specific external funding, an appropriate declaration may be included.

Authors must disclose any financial or non-financial interests that could reasonably be perceived to influence the research or its interpretation. If no relevant conflict exists, the manuscript should include an explicit statement declaring that the authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose. All declarations must be accurate, complete, and consistent with the information entered in the online submission system.

Authors should include a data availability statement where appropriate, explaining whether the data supporting the findings are publicly available, available upon reasonable request, restricted for ethical or legal reasons, or not available. When data are deposited in a repository, authors should provide the repository name and persistent identifier or access link where possible. Data sharing must comply with participant consent, confidentiality, privacy protection, and applicable regulations.

For research involving human participants, authors must comply with applicable ethical requirements and obtain research ethics approval and informed consent where required. Studies involving students, children, or other potentially vulnerable participants must include appropriate safeguards to protect their rights, welfare, privacy, and confidentiality. Relevant approval information, consent procedures, and any justified exemption from review should be reported transparently in the manuscript. Authors are responsible for ensuring that their research has been conducted in accordance with applicable institutional and national requirements.

Where required by the journal template or a specific editorial instruction, authors should provide a subject index and an author index identifying the principal topics and authors discussed in the manuscript. Entries should be accurate, consistently formatted, and useful for locating relevant concepts or references. Authors should consult the current journal template to determine whether these indexes are mandatory for their submission type.

Authors must comply with the journal's publication ethics policies, including requirements concerning originality, plagiarism, authorship, research integrity, conflicts of interest, and the responsible use of research data. Manuscripts may be screened for similarity and assessed for compliance with the journal's ethical requirements. Authors must respond honestly to editorial inquiries and provide supporting information when reasonably requested. Any suspected misconduct may be investigated in accordance with the journal's applicable procedures.

SEARCH: Science Education Research Journal publishes articles under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), as specified in the journal's licensing policy. This license allows users to share and adapt licensed material, including for commercial purposes, provided that appropriate attribution is given, a link to the license is supplied, and changes are indicated. Authors should review the journal's copyright policy and applicable publication agreement before submission. Third-party material may be subject to separate rights or permissions and must be handled accordingly. Read the CC BY 4.0 license.

All submissions are subject to an initial editorial assessment to determine their relevance to the journal's scope, compliance with submission requirements, originality, and suitability for peer review. Manuscripts that pass the initial assessment may be sent to qualified reviewers in accordance with the journal's peer-review policy. Editorial decisions are based on the manuscript's scholarly merit, the reviewers' evaluations, ethical considerations, and the editor's independent judgment. Submission does not guarantee acceptance or publication.

The possible editorial outcomes are:

a. Accepted without revision, when the manuscript is considered suitable for publication without substantive changes.

b. Accepted subject to minor revision, when limited corrections or clarifications are required before final acceptance.

c. Major revision required, when substantial improvements are necessary before the manuscript can be reconsidered. Resubmission after revision does not guarantee acceptance.

d. Rejected, when the manuscript does not meet the journal's scope, quality, methodological, originality, or ethical requirements.

Authors asked to revise their manuscripts must address the editorial and reviewer comments carefully and submit a revised manuscript together with a clear response explaining how each comment has been addressed. Where a suggestion is not adopted, authors should provide a reasoned scholarly justification. Revised manuscripts may be returned to reviewers or undergo further editorial assessment before a final decision is made.

Before completing an online submission, authors should verify that all applicable requirements below have been fulfilled. Incomplete submissions may be returned for correction before editorial assessment.

1. The manuscript has not been published previously in substantially the same form and is not under consideration by another journal or primary publication.

2. The submission file is provided in an accepted editable format, such as Microsoft Word, OpenOffice, or RTF, as supported by the journal's submission system.

3. URLs and DOI links have been provided for references where available, and bibliographic details have been checked for accuracy.

4. The manuscript follows the journal's template and applicable requirements for page layout, font, spacing, headings, tables, figures, citations, and references.

5. The title, author names, affiliations, corresponding-author information, abstracts, keywords, and other required metadata are complete and consistent.

6. All sources are cited appropriately, all references correspond to in-text citations, and the manuscript meets the journal's originality and publication ethics requirements.

7. Required statements concerning research ethics, informed consent, funding, conflicts of interest, data availability, and acknowledgments have been included where applicable.

8. All authors have approved the final manuscript, agreed to its submission, and confirmed the author list and order.

9. If the manuscript is submitted for a blinded peer-review process, identifying information has been removed from the review file and the applicable instructions for ensuring reviewer anonymity have been followed.

10. The corresponding author has reviewed the submission metadata, uploaded all required files, and confirmed that the submission is complete.

Authors are encouraged to review the complete journal template, submission requirements, publication ethics statement, peer-review policy, and copyright policy before submitting their manuscripts. Compliance with these guidelines helps facilitate the initial editorial assessment and supports a transparent, efficient, and rigorous publication process. The editorial team reserves the right to request technical corrections or additional documentation when necessary. Authors should use the official SEARCH online submission system for all manuscript submissions and editorial correspondence.

Journal: SEARCH: Science Education Research Journal

Online Submission: Log in to the OJS submission system

Journal Template: Download the manuscript template