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Author Guidelines
AUTHOR GUIDELINES
STAIRS publishes research-based papers encompassing a variety of topics in English language education, including English Teaching and Learning, Second Language Acquisition, English for Specific Purposes, ICT in English Language Education, Material and Curriculum Development, Linguistics, Discourse Analysis, Translation, and other related topics., all of which are written in English.
SUBMISSION
Before submitting your manuscript, please carefully read and prepare the manuscript in accordance with the author guidelines and the manuscript template. All manuscripts are submitted electronically in OpenOffice, Microsoft Word, or RTF document file format. Manuscripts may be returned to authors without a further assessment if they do not meet all submission requirements, if they are not in the correct format, or cannot be downloaded reliably.
During submission, authors are required to agree to the Author's Declaration confirming that their manuscripts submitted to STAIRS are original and have not been published in other scientific journals in print or online, or are not being sent to other journals, and all contributing authors have agreed to the submission. The manuscript should have been checked for its grammar and spelling mistakes and have been proofread by an English language expert.
The manuscript should be between 4,000 and 8,000 words in length, inclusive of all components., typewritten in Times New Roman with 1.15-space. It is written in one-column A4 size paper, with 2 cm margins. Do not input any headers, footers, or page numbers, as they will be added by the STAIRS editors. For other detailed writing guidelines, please refer to the manuscript template.
The manuscript consists of the title, authors’ names with affiliation, address, and email address, abstract and keywords, introduction, research methods, results and discussion, conclusions and recommendation, acknowledgment (optional), and references. All illustrations, figures, and tables are placed within the text at the appropriate points, rather than at the end.
The title should NOT be more than twenty words
The authors’ names are written without the title. Always give your First and Last names.
The Abstract should provide concise and factual information in no more than 250 words. It must succinctly outline the background, purpose, methodology, principal findings, and key conclusions, implications, or contributions of the research to the field. References should only be included when absolutely necessary. Provide a maximum of 6 keywords.
The introduction section should constitute 15–20% of the total article length. It should provide a comprehensive background, including a review of relevant literature and previous studies, an identification of research gaps or novelties, the problem(s) addressed, the study objectives, and the significance of the research. Clear articulation of these elements will establish the context and rationale for the study.
The research methods section comprise 10–15% of the total article length. It should provide a detailed description of the research design, data and data sources, data collection procedures, and data analysis techniques. Clear and systematic presentation of these elements is essential to ensure the research process is transparent and replicable.
The Results and Discussion section should constitute 40–60% of the total article length. A combined Results and Discussion format is acceptable. The results should be presented clearly and concisely, summarizing the key (scientific) findings without delving into excessive detail. Highlight the differences between your findings and those from previous studies but avoid extensive citations or lengthy discussions of published literature. If subsections are required, they should adhere to the required format.
The conclusion and Recommendation section should comprise 5–10% of the total article length. The conclusion must address the research objectives and highlight the study's significance in advancing the field from the current state of knowledge. Avoid repeating content from the Abstract or simply listing the results. Instead, emphasize potential applications, extensions of the study, and suggestions for future research.
The acknowledgment section (optional) recognizes individuals and organizations that contributed to the research, particularly funding agencies and those who provided significant assistance. Authors should not include themselves in this section. It should comprise 5–10% of the total article length.
References should be primarily taken from journals in the last 10 years of publication using APA (American Psychological Association) style. Ensure that every reference cited in the text is also present in the reference list. Management reference applications, such as Mendeley, Zotero, or Endnote, should be used when citing a reference.
ASSESSMENT
Manuscripts that pass the initial assessment are assigned to a subject expert in the STAIRS team of Associate Editors to oversee the review process. All papers are subject to peer review and authors can expect a decision, or an explanation for the delay, within a month of receipt. If a revision is invited, the corresponding author should submit the revised manuscript within two weeks. The final decision is taken by one of the senior editors based on the information gained through the peer review process.
DECISIONS
Decline is when the manuscript has followed peer review but is judged not to be acceptable for publication in STAIRS and resubmission is not possible.
Resubmit is when the submitted version of the manuscript is not acceptable and requires major revision but there is clear potential in the work. Authors are offered the opportunity to resubmit their paper as a new submission.
Revision is when the manuscript requires changes before a final decision can be made. Authors are asked to modify their manuscript in light of comments received from reviewers and editors and to submit a new version for consideration within 2 weeks of receiving the decision letter. Revisions may undergo further peer review and papers may undergo more than one round of revision. A manuscript is not accepted unless revision meets the reviewers’ and editors’ satisfaction.
Final acceptance is when the manuscript is acceptable for publication with some minor amendment to ensure the paper fully matches STAIRS criteria. After final checking in the editorial office and acceptance confirmation, the paper is ready for publication.
