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Author Guidelines

Manuscript preparation and submission requirements for Society & AI

These guidelines ensure a smooth submission and review process. Please read carefully before preparing your manuscript.

General Requirements

Originality

By submitting a manuscript to Society & AI, authors confirm that their contribution is original and has neither been published previously nor is currently being considered for publication elsewhere.

Language and Clarity

Manuscripts must be written in English. We welcome contributions from authors for whom English is not a first language and value clarity of expression over stylistic complexity. We recommend jargon-free writing that is accessible to an interdisciplinary and global audience.

Practitioner Notes

Society & AI aims to make research accessible to practitioners. All empirical submissions should include a set of Practitioner Notes (bullet points) that answer:

  1. What is already known about this topic?
  2. What does this paper add?
  3. What are the implications for practice and/or policy?

Length Guidelines

Content Type Word Limit Abstract
Research Articles 6,000-10,000 words 250 words max
Perspectives & Commentary 2,000-4,000 words 150 words max
Educational Resources 3,000-6,000 words 200 words max

Word counts exclude references, tables, and figures. Exceptions may be made for qualitative studies requiring extensive data presentation; please justify length in your cover letter.

Manuscript Preparation

Anonymization for Double-Blind Review

Critical: Your manuscript must be fully anonymized for review. Please:

  • Remove author names and affiliations from the manuscript file
  • Replace self-citations with “[Author, Year]” or “[Anonymous]”
  • Remove acknowledgments that identify authors or institutions
  • Check document properties/metadata for identifying information
  • Avoid phrases like “In our previous work…” that reveal authorship

File Format

Your manuscript should be prepared in one of these formats before uploading to your preferred cloud storage:

  • Preferred: PDF (ensures formatting consistency across reviewers)
  • Acceptable: Microsoft Word (.docx)
  • Also accepted: Google Docs (share the document link directly)

See File Hosting below for instructions on sharing your manuscript link.

Structure

Research Articles should include:

  1. Title
  2. Abstract and Keywords (4-6 keywords)
  3. Introduction
  4. Literature Review / Theoretical Framework
  5. Methodology
  6. Findings / Results
  7. Discussion
  8. Implications and Conclusions
  9. References

Perspectives & Commentary should include:

  1. Title
  2. Abstract and Keywords
  3. Main Argument (organized as appropriate)
  4. Conclusions
  5. References

Educational Resources should include:

  1. Title
  2. Abstract and Keywords
  3. Context and Rationale
  4. Resource Description
  5. Implementation Guidance
  6. Assessment Considerations
  7. Adaptations and Extensions
  8. References

Formatting Standards

  • Font: 12-point Times New Roman or similar serif font
  • Spacing: Double-spaced throughout
  • Margins: 1 inch (2.54 cm) on all sides
  • Page numbers: Bottom center
  • Headings: Use consistent hierarchy (we recommend APA style)

Citations and References

We accept both APA 7th Edition and Chicago Author-Date citation styles. Please be consistent throughout your manuscript.

Example (APA):

According to recent research (Smith & Jones, 2024), AI literacy has become…

Smith, A., & Jones, B. (2024). AI literacy in K-12 education. Journal of Educational Technology, 45(2), 123-145.

Tables and Figures

  • Number consecutively (Table 1, Table 2; Figure 1, Figure 2)
  • Provide descriptive titles and captions
  • Ensure readability in black and white
  • Place at end of manuscript or embed in text
  • Cite sources for any borrowed visuals

Ethical Requirements

Research Ethics

Studies involving human participants must have received appropriate ethical approval. Include the ethics approval reference in your cover letter (not in the manuscript, to maintain anonymity).

AI Acknowledgment

If AI tools were used in research or writing, describe their role in your cover letter:

  • Which tools were used
  • For what purpose (data analysis, writing assistance, etc.)
  • How human oversight was maintained

Conflicts of Interest

Disclose any potential conflicts of interest in your submission form. This may include:

  • Funding sources
  • Professional relationships
  • Financial interests

Submission Materials

Your complete submission should include the following documents, shared via cloud storage links:

  1. Anonymized Manuscript (PDF, DOCX, or Google Docs link)

    • Full text following structure guidelines above
    • All identifying information removed

  2. Title Page (separate document, can be included in same folder)

    • Manuscript title
    • Author names and affiliations
    • Corresponding author contact information
    • Word count
    • ORCID identifiers (if available)

  3. Cover Letter (in the submission form text field)

    • Brief description of the manuscript
    • Confirmation of originality
    • Ethics approval information (if applicable)
    • AI tool disclosure (if applicable)
    • Any special considerations

  4. Supplementary Materials (optional)

    • Appendices, data files, additional resources
    • Share via separate link or include in same folder

File Hosting

Our submission system uses link-based file sharing rather than direct uploads. This allows you to share files of any size and update them if needed before review begins.

How to share your manuscript:

  1. Upload your files to one of these cloud storage services:

    • Google Drive — Set sharing to “Anyone with the link can view”
    • Google Docs — Share the document directly (File → Share)
    • Dropbox — Create a shareable link
    • OneDrive — Generate a sharing link
    • Box — Create a shared link
    • Institutional repository — Use your university’s file sharing service

  2. Copy the shareable link

  3. Paste the link in the Manuscript Link field on our submission form

Important: Ensure your links remain active and accessible throughout the review process (typically 8-12 weeks). We recommend setting links to not expire.

After Submission

  1. You will receive an automated confirmation email
  2. Our editorial team will assign a manuscript ID within 48 hours
  3. Initial screening takes 1-2 weeks
  4. You may check status by emailing [email protected] with your manuscript ID

Questions?

For questions about these guidelines, contact [email protected].

Proceed to Submission Form Learn About Our Review Process