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Knowledge Center

Resources for Scholars

Author guidelines, style references and publishing primers — curated from seven years of editorial experience.

Style Guides

Citation Styles We Support

Reference Style

APA (7th Edition)

American Psychological Association. Common in social sciences, psychology, education and nursing.

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Reference Style

MLA (9th Edition)

Modern Language Association. Primary style for humanities, literature, arts and cultural studies.

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Reference Style

IEEE

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Standard for engineering, computer science and technology papers.

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Reference Style

Chicago (17th)

Chicago Manual of Style. Used across humanities, history, business and many university-press books.

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Reference Style

Vancouver

Medical and life sciences. Used by biomedical journals following ICMJE recommendations.

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Reference Style

Harvard

Author-date system used widely across UK and Commonwealth universities in business and social sciences.

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Before You Submit

Author Guidelines

A quick checklist that dramatically improves your chances of acceptance.

Venue Selection

Match your manuscript to journals that publish similar methodology, scope and audience. A "better" journal isn't always higher-impact — it's the right fit.

  • Read the aims & scope carefully
  • Check recently published papers for style match
  • Verify turn-around time suits your timeline
  • Confirm indexing matches your requirements

Manuscript Preparation

Structure, formatting and reference accuracy are the top reasons for desk-rejection. Fix these before submission, not after.

  • Follow the exact journal template
  • Validate all references (DOIs, URLs)
  • Run plagiarism + AI-content check
  • Have a native-language reader review

Ethical Compliance

Research ethics, authorship disclosure, data sharing and conflict-of-interest declarations are non-negotiable in reputable venues.

  • IRB / Ethics Committee approval documentation
  • Clear author contribution statements
  • Data availability & sharing policy
  • Conflict-of-interest declarations

Cover Letter & Response

A strong cover letter and a thoughtful response-to-reviewers is the difference between acceptance and rejection on borderline papers.

  • Position your contribution clearly
  • Address reviewer comments point-by-point
  • Quote the reviewer before your response
  • Be gracious even with harsh feedback
Publishing Glossary

Terms You'll Encounter

A Digital Object Identifier (DOI) is a permanent unique identifier for a digital document — typically a research paper. Unlike URLs, DOIs never break even if the hosting site changes. Most reputable journals assign DOIs automatically. For standalone papers, book chapters and datasets, Dhara can register DOIs via CrossRef or DataCite.

Scopus is Elsevier's abstract-and-citation database — widely used for research evaluation. SCI (Science Citation Index) is a more selective Web of Science index covering high-impact science journals. UGC-CARE is the University Grants Commission of India's approved-journals list, specifically for PhD submissions and academic promotions in Indian universities.

Peer review is the process where subject-matter experts anonymously evaluate your manuscript for methodological soundness, novelty and significance. Most journals use double-blind review (reviewer and author identities hidden from each other). A paper typically goes through 2-3 reviewers, with outcomes being accept, minor revision, major revision, or reject.

Article Processing Charge (APC) is a fee paid by authors (or their institutions) to make a published article freely accessible to everyone. It's common in open-access journals. APCs range from ₹5,000 to ₹3,00,000+ depending on journal prestige. Many Indian institutions cover APCs; Dhara can advise on funding options.

Predatory publishers charge APCs without providing genuine peer review or editorial services, often with aggressive email solicitation and fake indexing claims. Warning signs include: guaranteed fast acceptance, broad unfocused scope, fake editorial boards, and unverifiable indexing. Always check the journal against Beall's list, DOAJ membership and the UGC-CARE list before submitting.

Need Help Navigating the Process?

Every manuscript is different, and generic advice only goes so far. Book a free 30-minute consultation with one of our editors.

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