Author Guidelines

General Standards

Before submitting a manuscript, authors must ensure that they have:

  • Read and understood the Publication Ethics,

  • Understood the Peer Review Process,

  • Read the Copyright Notice,

  • Read and understood the Article Processing Charge (APC) (if applicable),

  • Ensured that the manuscript conforms to the Maneser article template.

Manuscripts that do not comply with these guidelines may be returned without review.

Language Editing

Maneser: Journal of Religio-Spiritual Studies accepts manuscripts written in English and Indonesian.

For manuscripts written in English, authors must ensure that the language meets international academic standards. Authors who wish to improve clarity and readability may use internal or external language editing or proofreading services by contacting the Editor-in-Chief.

Please note that language editing does not guarantee acceptance, as editorial decisions are based solely on the scholarly quality and contribution of the manuscript.

Language Style

  • The default language style for English manuscripts is American English.

  • If British English is used, this must be clearly stated on the first page of the manuscript.

  • Manuscripts written in Indonesian must follow formal academic Indonesian, in accordance with official spelling conventions.

Article Length

The maximum length of an article is 3,000 words, excluding references and appendices.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

To improve article visibility and discoverability, authors are encouraged to:

  • Include key terms in the article title,

  • Avoid overly long titles,

  • Select 3–5 keywords that reflect the core topic of religio-spiritual studies (e.g., theology, spirituality, religion, ethics, philosophy of religion, or religious practice),

  • Use as many keywords as possible in the first two sentences of the abstract,

  • Incorporate keywords into level-one headings.

Title

  • The title should be written in Title Case and aligned to the left,

  • Use Times New Roman,

  • Be concise, clear, and reflect the main theme or scholarly contribution of the study,

  • Avoid abbreviations and acronyms,

  • Creative titles are permitted provided they are relevant, unambiguous, and not theologically or academically misleading.

The editorial team reserves the right to suggest title revisions when necessary.

Authors and Affiliations

  • Author names must be written in full and separated by commas,

  • Affiliations should be indicated using superscript numbers and written as:

    Institution/University/Organization, Country
    (without detailed address information),

  • Example: Universitas Palangka Raya, Indonesia,

  • The corresponding author must be marked with a superscript, and the email address provided in a separate section below the affiliations.

Headings and Subheadings

  • All headings and subheadings must use Times New Roman,

  • Main headings should be written in ALL CAPS and bold,

  • Subheadings should be written in Title Case and bold.

Abstract

The abstract must be written in English, with a maximum length of 250 words, in a single paragraph. References and excessive abbreviations should not be included.

The abstract should briefly cover:

  • Background of the religio-spiritual study,

  • Purpose and scope,

  • Methods or analytical approach,

  • Key findings or main arguments,

  • Conclusions.

Keywords

Each manuscript must include 3–5 keywords that are relevant to the religio-spiritual focus of the study.

Main Text

  • The main text must use Times New Roman, 12-point font,

  • Single-spaced throughout,

  • New paragraphs separated by one blank line,

  • The document must include page numbers and line numbers to facilitate the review process,

  • Manuscripts are recommended to be prepared using MS Word 97–2003.

Nomenclature and Abbreviations

  • The use of abbreviations should be kept to a minimum,

  • Non-standard abbreviations should only be used if they appear at least four times,

  • All abbreviations must be defined at first mention,

  • Specialized religious or conceptual terms should be clearly explained,

  • A list of abbreviations may be included before the Acknowledgements section if necessary.

Manuscript Structure

INTRODUCTION

The opening paragraph should:

  • Identify the research topic and establish its importance in religio-spiritual studies,

  • Present the research gap, debate, or limitation in existing scholarship,

  • Conclude with a sentence beginning with “This study…” to clearly state the academic contribution.

Subsequent paragraphs should present a focused literature review without subheadings. Citations must be selective, contextual, and relevant. Avoid string citations and redundancy.

The Present Study

This section should consist of a single, concise paragraph at the end of the Introduction that:

  • Restates the research gap,

  • Clearly states the study’s aims, research questions, or analytical focus,

  • Does not introduce new citations or detailed methodological explanations.

METHODS

The Methods section should include the following subsections (as appropriate to the study):

  • Research Design or Approach (e.g., qualitative, theological, hermeneutic, phenomenological, historical, or textual study),

  • Data Sources / Subjects of Study (e.g., sacred texts, manuscripts, informants, religious communities),

  • Data Collection Techniques

  • Research Procedure

  • Data or Text Analysis

Ethical considerations, particularly in studies involving religious communities or individuals, must be clearly explained.

RESULTS

The Results section should present findings or analytical outcomes clearly and systematically, without excessive interpretation. For qualitative or theoretical studies, results may be presented as themes, interpretive patterns, or key conceptual constructions.

DISCUSSION

The Discussion should interpret the findings in relation to existing theory, traditions, and prior studies in religio-spiritual scholarship, highlighting the study’s contribution and avoiding unsupported speculation.

Implications

Discuss the theoretical, spiritual, ethical, and/or social implications of the findings.

Limitations and Future Directions

Acknowledge study limitations and provide clear recommendations for future religio-spiritual research.

CONCLUSION

The Conclusion should be written as a single, strong paragraph that:

  • Briefly revisits the research focus and gap,

  • Clearly states the main findings or arguments and their significance,

  • Does not begin with “This study…”,

  • Does not introduce new literature or exaggerated normative claims.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

A brief section recognizing individuals, religious communities, institutions, or organizations that supported the research.

AUTHOR CONTRIBUTION STATEMENT

Describe each author’s contribution using two-letter initials without periods, separated by commas.

REFERENCES

  • All references must follow APA Style (7th Edition),

  • Every in-text citation must appear in the reference list and vice versa,

  • Reference management software such as Mendeley or Zotero is strongly recommended,

  • DOIs or URLs should be provided where available.

Figures and Tables

  • All figures and tables must use Times New Roman, 12-point font,

  • Minimum resolution 300 dpi, color mode RGB,

  • Table titles must appear above the table,

  • Figure captions must be placed at the end of the manuscript.

Funding

All sources of funding must be clearly stated, including grant numbers where applicable.