Authors are invited to submit original, unpublished manuscripts to The Research Frontline - Journal, a peer-reviewed journal of theCDFA Research Foundation. All submissions will be initially assessed by the editorial team to determine their relevance to the journal’s aims and scope. Submissions deemed suitable will be sent for double-blind peer review before a final decision is made regarding acceptance or rejection.
Before submission, authors must ensure the following:
Permission has been obtained for all copyrighted material (images, tables, figures, datasets, etc.).
All listed authors have consented to be identified as authors and have approved the final version of the manuscript.
Where applicable, the research has received approval from the relevant ethics committee in accordance with the legal requirements of the study’s country.
The editorial team reserves the right to desk reject submissions that do not meet the journal’s minimum quality standards or fall outside its scope. Manuscripts should demonstrate a clear research argument, robust design, and coherent structure. Titles must be concise, and abstracts should clearly reflect the study’s purpose and findings.
Peer Review Policy
All manuscripts undergo editorial screening followed by anonymous peer review. Editorial decisions are final and binding. The average turnaround time for peer-reviewed papers is approximately 60 days.
Submission Categories and Word Limits
Type of Submission
Word Limit
Abstract
Keywords
Research Paper
5,000 – 8,000 words
200 words
Up to 6
Commentary
≤ 2,500 words
—
—
Book Review
800 – 1,000 words
—
—
Please include a total word count at the end of your manuscript.
Manuscript Preparation
Authors are requested to adhere to the following writing and formatting conventions:
Use British Oxford spellings throughout the manuscript.
Employ single quotation marks; for long quotations, indent the text without quotation marks.
Dates should follow the month–date–year format (e.g., December 5, 2019).
Numbers up tonine should be written in words; from 10 onwards, use numerals.
At first mention, spell out acronyms in full, followed by the abbreviation in parentheses. Use the abbreviation thereafter.
Include a short biographical note (50–70 words) for each author at the end of the manuscript.
Clearly mention allfunding details, if the research was supported by external agencies.
Referencing and Endnotes
All manuscripts will be checked for plagiarism. Authors are responsible for ensuring the accuracy of all citations and references.
Use in-text parenthetical citations (Author, Year, Page) following the Chicago style for referencing.
When citing the same source consecutively, use ibid.
For online references, include the date of access.
Endnotes should be used only for explanatory or supplementary information, not for bibliographic citations.
Document and File Requirements
Please submit the following:
Two copies of the manuscript — one in editable Word format (.docx) and one in PDF format.
Editable source files (Word, Excel, etc.) for any supplementary materials such as tables, graphs, or maps.
Each table, figure, or graph must:
Be numbered sequentially.
Include a title/legend.
Identify the source of data if applicable.
Copyright Policy
The Research Frontline and CDFA Research Foundation will post all published articles on their official websites. Summaries or excerpts may also appear on affiliated print or digital platforms.
Copyright of published articles remains with the author(s) or their institution, depending on the author’s employment terms.
By submitting a manuscript, authors grant The Research Frontline - Journal a non-exclusive right to publish and distribute the article under its name.
Ethical Statement
All submissions must uphold academic integrity and ethical standards in research and publication. Plagiarism, data fabrication, or unethical conduct will result in immediate rejection and may lead to blacklisting from future submissions.
Contact and Submission
All manuscripts and queries should be submitted via the official email or online submission portal of The Research Frontline - Journal.
As part of the submission process, authors are required to confirm their submission’s compliance with all of the following requirements. Submissions that do not adhere to these guidelines may be returned to authors before being considered for review.
Originality and Exclusivity
This submission has not been previously published and is not under consideration by any other journal or publication.
If the work has been presented elsewhere (e.g., at a conference or seminar), this has been clearly disclosed in the “Comments to the Editor.”
File Format and Structure
The submission file is in Microsoft Word (.doc/.docx), OpenOffice, or RTF format.
All supplementary materials such as tables, graphs, maps, or datasets are provided in editable formats (Word or Excel).
The text is single-spaced, uses a 12-point font, and employs italics rather than underlining (except for URLs).
All illustrations, figures, and tables are placed within the text at appropriate points rather than at the end of the document.
Referencing and Style
The manuscript adheres to the stylistic, formatting, and bibliographic standards outlined in the Author Guidelines of The Research Frontline.
All references have been checked for accuracy and completeness, and URLs or DOIs for online sources have been provided where available.
The manuscript follows the Chicago style of referencing, and all endnotes are explanatory, not bibliographic.
Tables, Figures, and Permissions
All tables, figures, and graphs are properly numbered, labeled, and sourced.
Necessary permissions have been obtained to reproduce or publish any photos, maps, datasets, or other materials that are not the author’s own.
Ethical and Authorship Compliance
All listed authors have approved the final version of the manuscript and consent to its submission.
The research, where applicable, has received approval from a relevant ethics committee in accordance with national or institutional standards.
Any potential conflicts of interest or funding sources have been fully disclosed within the manuscript.
Manuscript Completeness and Quality
The manuscript includes a concise title, a 200-word abstract, and up to six keywords (for research papers).
The work has been thoroughly proofread to ensure grammatical accuracy and clarity.
A short biographical note (50–70 words) for each author is included at the end of the paper.
Articles
Section default policy
Copyright Notice
By submitting a manuscript to The Research Frontline – Journal of CDFA Research Foundation (TRF-J), the author(s) acknowledge and agree to the following terms:
The submitted work is the original creation of the author(s) and has not been previously published, nor is it under consideration elsewhere.
Upon acceptance, the copyright of the article remains with the author(s). However, The Research Frontline (TRF-J) retains the right of first publication and the non-exclusive license to distribute, archive, and make the work available in all forms and media.
Author(s) are permitted and encouraged to share their published work online (such as in institutional repositories or personal websites) with proper citation and a link to the journal’s official version, as it can lead to productive exchanges and greater visibility of their research.
The author(s) affirm that any third-party material included in the submission has been used with due permission and proper acknowledgment.
The opinions and statements expressed in the published articles are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board or CDFA Research Foundation.
By checking the submission box, the author(s) confirm that they have read, understood, and agree to abide by the terms of this copyright notice.
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.
