References & Citation Guidelines

In-Text Citations
All sources cited in the manuscript must appear in the reference list, and every reference listed must be cited within the text.
Authors should ensure that:
● In-text citations follow APA 7th Edition guidelines.
● Author names and publication years are accurate.
● Direct quotations include page numbers where applicable.
● Secondary citations are avoided whenever possible.

Reference List
The reference list should:
● be arranged alphabetically by the surname of the first author;
● include complete bibliographic information for every cited source;
● follow APA 7th Edition formatting consistently;
● include DOI information whenever available;
● be placed at the end of the manuscript.
Authors are encouraged to verify all references before submission to ensure accuracy and completeness.

Quality of References
Authors should cite relevant, credible, and scholarly sources that directly support the research.
Where appropriate, authors are encouraged to include recent literature to reflect current developments in the field while also citing seminal or foundational studies where relevant.
The journal discourages excessive self-citation, unnecessary citations, and citation practices intended solely to increase citation counts.

Reference Management Software
To improve accuracy and consistency, authors are encouraged to prepare references using recognized reference management software such as:
● EndNote
● Zotero
● Mendeley
● RefWorks
Authors remain responsible for verifying the accuracy and completeness of all references generated by reference management software.

DOI and Online Sources
Where available, authors should include the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) for all journal articles.
For online resources without a DOI, authors should provide a stable URL or other persistent identifier in accordance with APA 7th Edition guidelines.