Tasa'ul

The Arab Journal for Philosophical Thinking for Children

Author Guidelines

Manuscript Preparation — Technical Specifications for Manuscripts

Manuscript Length and Word Count

• Manuscripts should be between 5,000 and 8,000 words, including the main text, footnotes, and reference list.
• The Editorial Board may, by way of exception, accept manuscripts of fewer than 5,000 words or more than 8,000 words if the nature of the topic or the value of the scholarly contribution so requires.

Font, Page Size, and Formatting Margins

• Page size: A4.
• Margins: 2.5 cm on all four sides.
• Line spacing: 1.5 in the manuscript body, and single spacing in footnotes and the reference list.

Font and Size

If the manuscript is in Arabic:

• Font: Traditional Arabic or Simplified Arabic.
• Body text font size: 14.
• Main heading font size: 16.
• Subheading font size: 14 or 16, depending on the heading hierarchy.
• Footnote font size: 12.

If the manuscript is in English or French:

• Font: Times New Roman.
• Body text font size: 12.
• Main heading font size: 14.
• Subheading font size: 12 or 13, depending on the heading hierarchy.
• Footnote font size: 10.

Manuscript Structure and Order of Components

Researchers should follow the following order as far as possible:

• Manuscript title.
• Researcher's name, affiliation, and email address.
• Abstract in the language of the manuscript, 150–250 words, and keywords, 3–6.
• Arabic abstract, 150–250 words, and keywords, 3–6. Non-Arabic-speaking researchers are exempt from this requirement.
• Introduction, including the research problem, objectives, methodology, and scope.
• Presentation of the research according to a clear plan with well-regulated subheadings.
• Conclusion, including the main findings and recommendations.
• Reference list according to APA style.
• Appendices, if any.

Footnotes and Notes

• The journal uses footnotes at the bottom of the page, not endnotes.
• Footnotes should be numbered sequentially on each page, or numbered continuously throughout the manuscript according to the file settings, provided that the system is consistent across the entire manuscript.
• Footnotes are used for explanatory comments, methodological clarifications, or necessary references that are not suitable for inclusion in the main text.
• Under APA style, primary references should be cited in the body of the text using the author–date system, and footnotes should be limited as far as possible to necessary non-bibliographic notes.

Citation System and Reference List

• The journal adopts the American Psychological Association (APA) style for in-text citation and reference lists.
• In-text citation should take the following form: (Surname, year) or (Surname, year, page number) for direct quotation.
• The reference list should be arranged alphabetically by the author's surname and should follow standard APA formats according to source type, including books, book chapters, journal articles, dissertations, websites, and other sources.
• The researcher must ensure complete correspondence between all in-text citations and the references included in the final list.

Quotation and Quotation Marks

• Short direct quotations should be placed between quotation marks in the body of the text, with the page number indicated according to APA style.
• Long direct quotations, usually 40 words or more in foreign-language texts or the equivalent in Arabic, should be written as a separate indented paragraph without quotation marks, with the source and page number indicated.
• The researcher must reproduce quotations accurately, and any omission within a quotation must be clearly indicated using appropriate marks.

Tables and Figures

• Tables and figures should be numbered sequentially. Each table or figure must have a clear title, and the source must be stated if it was not prepared by the researcher.
• Tables and figures should be placed as close as possible to the point where they are referred to in the text.