Author Guidelines

01.General Submission Requirements

The Indonesian Tourism Journal (ITJ) publishes original scholarly research and critical review articles addressing tourism planning and development, policy and governance, sustainable and coastal tourism, heritage, destination management, marketing, hospitality, digital innovation, and the social, environmental, and economic dimensions of tourism. Manuscripts must present a clearly formulated research problem, an appropriate scientific approach, and an identifiable contribution to tourism scholarship and practice.

Submissions must be original, have not been previously published, and must not be under simultaneous consideration by another journal. Authors are responsible for the accuracy and integrity of reported findings, appropriate source attribution, permissions for third-party material, and compliance with relevant research ethics and journal publication policies.

Important Submission Notice

Prepare the manuscript using the official ITJ article template and ensure its topic falls within the journal focus and scope. The manuscript may be returned for correction or declined at editorial screening if it fails to meet the journal's scientific, ethical, or formatting requirements. The online submission site must contain accurate author details and complete article metadata.

02.Manuscript Preparation

Manuscripts should be prepared in clear, formal academic English using an editable Microsoft Word document. The supplied ITJ manuscript template serves as the primary reference for the article layout, typography, section hierarchy, and publication-ready appearance. The following specifications consolidate the template and the journal submission guidance.

01
Manuscript Language

Use accurate, consistent, and appropriately technical academic English. Define unfamiliar abbreviations at first mention.

02
Manuscript Length

The research article should contain 5,500–8,500 words, in accordance with the supplied ITJ manuscript template.

03
Article Title

Use a concise and informative title of no more than 14 words; avoid unnecessary abbreviations and ambiguous phrasing.

04
Abstract

Provide a single paragraph of no more than 250 words covering background, objective, methods, key findings, and conclusion.

05
Keywords

Provide 3–5 specific keywords that represent the central concepts of the study; separate them with semicolons.

06
Document Format

Submit an editable .docx file on A4 paper using the font, size, margins, single-spacing, and article layout provided in the official template.

Formatting Priority

Preserve the typography, alignment, headings, and layout of the currently approved ITJ template. Do not reproduce the sample author names, placeholder issue data, example DOI, article history, or example tables and figures shown in the template. Replace these with manuscript-specific information or leave production-only details for the journal office.

03.Manuscript Structure and Content

Original research manuscripts should follow a coherent scientific structure: title and author information; abstract and keywords; introduction; research method; results and discussion; conclusion; acknowledgment where relevant; and references. Review articles may adapt the methods and synthesis sections to their review design while maintaining methodological transparency and a substantive contribution to tourism studies.

A. Article Title, Authors, and Affiliations

The title must identify the main issue investigated. List authors without academic or professional titles, using their full names and institution-level affiliations, including city and country. The corresponding author must provide an active email address. Author order should reflect agreed contributions, and all listed authors must approve the submitted manuscript.

B. Abstract and Keywords

Write a self-contained, single-paragraph abstract outlining the research context, purpose, approach, principal results, and main conclusion. Avoid citations, tables, figures, and unexplained abbreviations. Supply three to five precise keywords, separated by semicolons, to support discoverability and indexing.

C. Introduction

Establish the scientific background and importance of the tourism problem, review directly relevant prior studies, identify the unresolved gap or limitation in existing knowledge, and clarify the novelty or original contribution of the study. State the objectives or research questions clearly. Integrate the literature into the argument rather than presenting an unrelated descriptive literature list.

D. Research Method

Explain the research design and approach, study area or setting, population or participants where applicable, sampling or informant selection, data sources, data-collection instruments and procedures, and analytical techniques. Describe validity, reliability, credibility, triangulation, or other quality-assurance procedures as appropriate. State research ethics and informed-consent procedures when human participation or sensitive data is involved. Systematic and scoping reviews should describe search strategies, eligibility criteria, selection procedures, and analytical or synthesis methods.

E. Results and Discussion

Present findings systematically in relation to the research questions and support them with relevant empirical data or well-documented evidence. Integrate tables, figures, and quotations where they improve explanation. Interpret the findings critically through relevant theory, previous research, and tourism-sector contexts; clarify similarities, differences, implications, and the study's original scholarly contribution rather than merely repeating descriptive results.

F. Conclusion

Synthesize the main findings and address the research objectives directly, without reproducing the entire discussion or introducing unsupported new evidence. Explain the principal theoretical, methodological, policy, managerial, or community implications. Identify meaningful limitations and directions for further inquiry when appropriate.

G. Acknowledgment and Funding

Acknowledge research grants, institutional assistance, and people who contributed to the research but do not satisfy the authorship criteria. When applicable, identify funding organizations and grant numbers. Any acknowledgment must respect participant privacy and applicable consent requirements.

H. References

List all works cited in the manuscript and no uncited works. Ensure that author names, publication dates, journal titles, volumes, issues, pagination, and digital object identifiers are accurate and consistently formatted. Arrange entries alphabetically using the journal's adopted APA seventh-edition format.

04.Tables, Figures, and Scientific Presentation

Tables, diagrams, photographs, graphs, maps, and other visual materials should be included only when they help readers assess the evidence or understand the analysis. Their numbering, captions, sources, and placement must conform to the ITJ template.

  1. Numbering and Titles: Number tables and figures consecutively with Arabic numerals and provide clear, informative captions. Use the prescribed table and figure presentation conventions in the template.
  2. Source Attribution: Acknowledge the origin of data and materials. Identify adapted or reproduced images and obtain permissions when required.
  3. Placement and Discussion: Insert each table or figure near its first relevant discussion, refer to it explicitly in the text, and interpret rather than repeat the displayed information.
  4. Image Quality: Use legible, high-resolution graphics; photographs and comparable raster images should generally be supplied at 300 dpi or higher for production.
  5. Grayscale Readability: Ensure that charts, maps, and image labels remain understandable in black-and-white or grayscale reproduction, as specified in the journal's online guidelines.
  6. Integrity and Editing: Do not manipulate figures to misrepresent, remove, or conceal scientifically relevant information. Modest clarity adjustments must preserve the underlying data.
  7. Editable Content: Keep tables as editable document elements rather than screenshots and use consistent abbreviations, units, symbols, and numeric precision.

05.Citations and References

References must adequately support the study's problem formulation, theoretical arguments, methodological decisions, interpretation of results, and contribution to current tourism debates. Sources must be relevant, verifiable, and cited accurately. Authors should prioritize research from peer-reviewed tourism, hospitality, management, social science, environmental, public policy, and related disciplinary journals.

Reference Requirements

For the updated ITJ guidelines, authors should cite at least 35 scholarly journal articles with accessible DOI or URL information, consistent with the journal's detailed online submission instructions. At least 80% of references should be journal publications and at least 80% of the bibliography should come from the most recent five years; older foundational studies may be used where scientifically necessary. Use Mendeley, Zotero, or EndNote to ensure consistency.

APA Style — Seventh Edition

Prepare in-text citations and the reference list according to the American Psychological Association (APA), 7th edition, as the adopted standard in this proposed guideline update. Cite the author and year in the text, use et al. for works with three or more authors where applicable, and include a DOI in its URL form when available. Every in-text citation must have a matching reference entry and vice versa.

A. Journal Articles
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of the article. Journal Title, 12(3), 100–115. https://doi.org/xxxxx
B. Books
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of the book. Publisher.
C. Book Chapters
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of chapter. In E. E. Editor (Ed.), Title of the book (pp. xx–xx). Publisher.
D. Conference Proceedings
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of paper. In E. E. Editor (Ed.), Title of proceedings (pp. xx–xx). Publisher. https://doi.org/xxxxx
E. In-Text Citations
Parenthetical: (Author, Year)  |  Narrative: Author (Year)  |  Three or more authors: (Author et al., Year)

These are formatting patterns rather than real bibliographic sources. Authors must replace the placeholders with complete and verified bibliographic records.

06.Research Integrity and Publication Ethics

ITJ expects responsible research practice throughout manuscript preparation, submission, peer review, revision, and publication. Authors must follow the journal's published ethical policies and relevant institutional or legal requirements.

  1. Originality and Plagiarism: Submit original work, cite all borrowed ideas and wording, and avoid redundant publication, fabricated results, falsification, and inappropriate reuse of previously published material. The journal conducts similarity screening.
  2. Authorship and Approval: Include only individuals who have made a qualifying scholarly contribution, and confirm that all authors have read, approved, and agreed to the final submitted version.
  3. Human Participants and Confidentiality: Obtain necessary permissions or ethical approval, secure informed consent where applicable, and protect the privacy and confidentiality of participants and sensitive tourism-related field data.
  4. Funding and Competing Interests: Disclose research support, grant identifiers when relevant, and financial, professional, or institutional interests that could reasonably affect interpretation of the findings.
  5. Data and Reporting Transparency: Describe research methods and evidence accurately and make supporting materials available to editors where appropriate, subject to legal, confidentiality, and ethical restrictions.
  6. Corrections and Editorial Cooperation: Respond accurately to editors and reviewers, explain manuscript revisions, and promptly notify the editorial office if a significant error is identified after submission or publication.
Relevant Journal Policies

Authors should read the Publication Ethics, Plagiarism Issue, and Peer Review Process pages before submitting. The journal's specific similarity-screening outcomes and review practices are governed by those published policies.

07.Online Submission and Editorial Process

Manuscripts should be submitted through the official Indonesian Tourism Journal Online Journal Systems (OJS) platform. Authors must register or sign in, complete accurate submission metadata, upload the editable manuscript, and provide any accompanying information requested by the journal.

  1. Account and Submission: Register or log in, then complete the submission process through the ITJ submissions page. Enter the full title, abstract, keywords, all author names, affiliations, and correspondence details.
  2. Initial Editorial Screening: The editorial office checks thematic fit, originality, completeness, presentation quality, and adherence to the author guidelines and manuscript template.
  3. Peer Review: Eligible submissions are evaluated using the journal's published double-blind peer-review process. The journal's process describes at least two reviewer reports, with editorial involvement and additional review where necessary.
  4. Revision: Authors must respond systematically to reviewer and editor feedback, upload a revised manuscript, and describe the modifications made.
  5. Editorial Decision and Production: An authorized academic editor makes the publication decision. Accepted manuscripts proceed to editorial and production checks in accordance with journal policy.

Final Submission Checklist

  • The topic directly contributes to tourism scholarship and matches the ITJ focus and scope.
  • The manuscript is original, written in academic English, and follows the current ITJ Word template.
  • The title, abstract, keywords, article length, and research sections meet the requirements above.
  • All author information, affiliations, contact details, and the reference list are accurate and complete.
  • Tables, figures, and supplementary files are relevant, readable, and appropriately attributed.
  • The author has reviewed the journal's ethics, plagiarism, peer review, and author-fee policies.

For manuscript formatting, see the ITJ paper template. For submission procedures, consult ITJ Online Submissions. Any publication charges are governed by the Author Fees page. The journal may request additional information or corrections during editorial assessment.