Types of Manuscript
Types of Manuscript · SOCIA
Three ways to contribute.
SOCIA publishes three types of peer-reviewed manuscript. Choose the type that fits your work and select it when you submit.
01Overview▾
| Type | Purpose | Length* | Min. references |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original research article | New empirical, historical or documentary findings | 5,000–8,000 words | 30 |
| Conceptual article | An original theoretical or conceptual argument | 5,000–8,000 words | 30 |
| Systematic or critical literature review | A transparent synthesis of a defined body of literature | 5,000–8,000 words | 40 |
* Including abstract and references, excluding tables and figures. Longer manuscripts may be accepted when the editors agree the length is justified. All three types go through double-anonymous review by at least two reviewers.
02Original research article▾
Reports original findings in the social sciences or social studies education, addressing a clear problem with a rigorous method.
— Approaches: qualitative (case study, ethnography, phenomenology, narrative), quantitative (survey, experiment, statistical modelling), mixed methods, action and participatory research, and historical or documentary research.
— Structure: Introduction → Method → Results → Discussion → Conclusion → Statements → References (Results and Discussion may be combined).
— Must state the research gap, research questions, sampling, instruments, analysis, trustworthiness or validity, and ethics approval.
03Conceptual article▾
Develops a new framework, model, typology or theoretical argument, grounded in the literature and relevant to social science problems.
— Not an opinion piece or a summary of existing theories: it must make a clear, original argument.
— Structure: Introduction (problem and aim) → thematic sections building the argument → Implications for research, policy or practice → Conclusion → References.
— Explain how the argument was developed (sources, scope) and its limits.
04Systematic or critical literature review▾
Synthesises research on a defined question to map evidence, identify gaps, and set an agenda.
— Systematic reviews follow PRISMA 2020: state databases, search strings, dates, inclusion and exclusion criteria, screening, and quality appraisal, and include a PRISMA flow diagram.
— Critical or narrative reviews explain how literature was selected and offer an original synthesis, not a list of summaries.
— Structure: Introduction → Method → Results / Synthesis → Discussion → Conclusion → References.
05What SOCIA does not publish▾
— Undergraduate theses or reports submitted without reworking into an article.
— Book reviews, editorials, opinion pieces, or conference abstracts.
— Manuscripts outside the Aims and Scope, or already published or under review elsewhere.
