Precision Journal of Information Technology & Scientific Innovation
All Manuscripts submitted up to December 2026 will be processed and published free of Article Processing Charges (APCs).
Guideline for Authors
International Journal of Economics and Finance (IJOEF) is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal dedicated to publishing high-quality research in economics, finance, banking, accounting, and related disciplines. The journal provides an international platform for researchers, academics, practitioners, and policymakers to share original research, empirical studies, and theoretical advancements that contribute to the understanding of economic and financial issues.
IJOEF is a Gold Open Access journal. Published articles are distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license, allowing authors to retain full copyright without restriction.
IJOEF follows the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines and the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing.
Every submitted manuscript must strictly align with the journal’s Aims & Scope; submissions falling outside this focus will be returned prior to peer review.
Manuscript Template: [Download here (.docx)]
Pre-Submission Checklist: [Download here (.docx)]
Reference Style: APA Style (7th Edition)
Before You Submit
Adhere to the Pre-Submission Checklist before you upload your manuscript. Manuscripts that do not meet its requirements are returned to the authors at the technical check, before peer review begins.
Files to upload to the online submission portal:
- Manuscript: One complete Word file (.docx) prepared in the sample template, including the title, author details, abstract, main text, declarations and references.
- Cover letter: State the manuscript’s contribution, its fit with the Aims & Scope, and confirm that it is original and not under consideration elsewhere. Disclose any preprint. Please state if this submission is a part of any special issue with title and guest editor’s name.
- Figures: Separate high-resolution source files (if available), in addition to the figures placed in the manuscript.
- Supplementary files/Appendices (if any): Online appendices, questionnaires, robustness tables, data or code.
- Ethics documents (if applicable): Ethics committee approval letter and consent form or survey instrument.
Double-blind peer review: Authors do not need to prepare a separate anonymised file. The editorial office removes all author-identifying information from the manuscript before it is sent to reviewers.
Preprints: Posting a preprint on a recognised server (for example SSRN, RePEc, Research Square or an institutional repository) is permitted. Disclose it, with its DOI, in the cover letter.
Accepted Article Types
Select the article type that best matches your manuscript upon submission to the International Journal of Economics and Finance (IJOEF).
| Article type | Description | Abstract | Recommended length (words) |
| Research Article | Original empirical or applied research presenting new data, models or findings | Structured | 6,000–9,000 |
| Systematic Review | Protocol-driven review following PRISMA 2020, with a flow diagram | Structured | 7,000–10,000 |
| Meta-Analysis | Quantitative synthesis of empirical estimates, following PRISMA 2020 and the MAER-Net guidelines | Structured | 7,000–10,000 |
| Scoping / Bibliometric Review | Maps the extent of evidence on a topic; scoping reviews follow PRISMA-ScR | Structured | 6,000–9,000 |
| Narrative Review | Critical synthesis of a field with a research agenda | Unstructured | 6,000–9,000 |
| Conceptual / Theoretical Paper | New models, frameworks or formal theory | Unstructured | 6,000–9,000 |
| Policy Paper / Case Study | Evaluation of a policy, institution, market or country episode | Structured | 4,000–7,000 |
| Perspective | Evidence-based viewpoint on an emerging issue | Unstructured | 2,500–4,000 |
| Commentary | Response to a published article or a timely issue of policy or practice | Unstructured | 1,500–3,000 |
| Book Review | Critical appraisal of a recent scholarly book within the scope | None | 1,500–2,500 |
| Editorial | By invitation of the Editor-in-Chief only | None | Flexible |
Manuscript Formatting
Adhering to these formatting guidelines and best practices facilitates the publishing process, streamlines technical screening, and significantly accelerates double-blind peer review.
Single Complete Manuscript File: Authors should submit a single, comprehensive manuscript file (.docx or .tex with compiled PDF) containing the full text, title page, author details, abstract, body text, editable tables, high-resolution figures, declarations in their natural order, and references as per journal style.
Double-blind file for the review process: Do not worry about concealing author details in your primary submission file the editorial team will automatically generate and compile the anonymized file required for double-blind peer review.
Template & Layout: Authors are strongly recommended to format their manuscript using the official template file [Download here (.docx)]. Use a single-column layout, 2.5 cm (1 inch) margins, Times New Roman 12 pt font, 1.5 line spacing, with page numbers and continuous line numbers enabled.
Language & Tone: Written in clear, academic English, using British or American spelling consistently throughout. Non-native English authors are encouraged to have their manuscript professionally proofread prior to submission.
Heading Hierarchy: Number headings up to three levels maximum (e.g., 1., 1.1., 1.1.1.). Note that Limitations and Future Directions, Conclusion, Declarations, and References remain unnumbered.
Units, Numbers & Currencies: Use SI units, ISO currency codes (e.g., USD, EUR, PKR) with base years for real values, decimal points (0.05), and comma thousands separators (12,500).
Best Practices to Accelerate Publication
To ensure your manuscript moves through peer review and production without administrative delays, please ensure the following standards are met:
Pre-Submission Checklist Verification: Complete and review the mandatory Manuscript Submission Checklist [Download here (.docx)] prior to starting your online submission.
Article-Type Structure & Methodology: Organise your text according to the target article type (e.g., standard IMRaD for empirical articles). Ensure the research design, theoretical framework, sample size, variable definitions, and study limitations are explicitly detailed.
Statistical & Empirical Consistency: Present statistical results consistently (report exact p-values, confidence intervals, and effect sizes where applicable) and verify that numbers reported in the text match data in tables and figures.
Editable Tables & Embedded Figures: All tables must be submitted as editable text objects created using your word processor (never pasted as static images). Figures must be high-resolution (minimum 300 DPI) and embedded directly within the manuscript file.
Source Attribution & Copyright Permissions: Provide full source notes for every table and figure. If adapting or reproducing third-party copyrighted material, written permission must be secured prior to submission.
Mandatory Declarations Section: Include all mandatory declaration sub-headings before the reference list (List of Abbreviations, Authors’ Contributions via CRediT, Ethical Approval & Informed Consent, Data Availability Statement, Funding, Conflict of Interest, Generative AI Disclosure, and Acknowledgements).
Citation Accuracy & Parity: Cross-check every in-text citation against the reference list. Verify that all reference entries adhere strictly to the target journal’s style and contain active Crossref DOIs ([https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx](https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx)).
Manuscript Preparation: Section-Wise Instructions
Research Articles are arranged in the order below, which is pre-built in the manuscript template [Download here (.docx)]. Review, conceptual and perspective articles may adapt the main-text headings but keep the front matter, declarations and references.
- Title
- Authors, Affiliations and ORCID iDs
- Abstract
- Keywords
- Introduction
- Literature Review and Theoretical Framework
- Methodology
- Results
- Discussion
- Limitations and Future Directions
- Conclusion
- Declarations
- References
- Appendices (if any)
Title
- Concise, specific and informative, ideally no more than 20 words.
- Reflects the core variables, setting and, where useful, the method (for example “Taxation, FDI and Economic Growth in Ghana: A Mediation Analysis”).
- Avoid abbreviations, filler words (“A study of…”) and question marks unless essential.
Authors, Affiliations and ORCID iDs
- List full names of all authors in the agreed order, without academic degrees or titles.
- Link each author to an affiliation by superscript number: department, institution, city, state/province, country. Give the institution where the work was carried out.
- Provide an ORCID iD for every author (recommended); iDs are published with the article and deposited with Crossref.
- Mark one corresponding author with an asterisk (*) and give an official institutional email address and full postal address.
Abstract
- Structured abstract (250 words): required for research articles, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, scoping/bibliometric reviews and policy papers, under the headings Background, Methods, Results, Conclusion.
- Unstructured abstract (250 words): permitted for conceptual papers, perspectives, commentaries and narrative reviews.
- State the data, sample, period and method; report the key findings with their main magnitudes; end with the principal implication.
- Do not include citations, equations or undefined abbreviations, or any information not in the main text.
Keywords
- Keywords: 6-8 keywords, separated by commas, chosen as terms readers would search for. Avoid repeating words already in the title.
Introduction
- Set out the background and why the problem matters, with current evidence.
- Identify the specific research gap the study addresses.
- State the objectives, research questions or hypotheses.
- State the study’s contribution explicitly, usually in the final paragraphs, and outline the structure of the paper.
Literature Review and Theoretical Framework
- Synthesise and critically evaluate prior studies; do not simply summarise them one by one.
- Explain the theory or theories that underpin the study and how they lead to the expected relationships.
- Develop each hypothesis (H1, H2 …) from the theory and evidence reviewed.
- Draw on recent international literature as well as foundational studies.
Methodology
- Data: source of every variable (with access date), sample, period, frequency and unit of observation, and the final sample size with any exclusions explained.
- Variables: a definitions table showing measurement, source and expected sign.
- Model: the specification, with numbered equations, and the estimation technique with the reason for choosing it.
- Diagnostics: tests appropriate to the method, such as unit root and cointegration, Hausman, heteroskedasticity, serial correlation, multicollinearity and endogeneity tests.
- Survey studies: sampling frame and method, response rate, instrument, and validity and reliability (for example Cronbach’s alpha, composite reliability, AVE).
- Reviews: databases, search strings, date range, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and quality appraisal.
- Name the software and version used (for example Stata 18, EViews 13, R 4.4, SmartPLS 4).
Results
- Present descriptive statistics, diagnostic test results, the main estimates and robustness checks, in that order.
- Report coefficients with standard errors or t-statistics, significance levels and the number of observations.
- Summarise tables in the text without repeating every value; keep interpretation for the Discussion.
Discussion
- Interpret each main finding against the hypotheses, the theory and previous studies.
- Explain agreements, differences and unexpected results, and the likely mechanisms behind them.
- Set out theoretical and practical implications without claiming more than the data support; do not infer causality from correlation.
Limitations and Future Directions
- State the limits of the data, method and scope honestly.
- Suggest specific directions for further research that follow from them.
Conclusion
- Answer the research question directly and summarise the main contribution.
- Give policy, managerial or practical recommendations supported by the findings.
- Introduce no new results or citations.
Tables
- Create tables as editable Word tables, never as images, and cite them in the text in numerical order.
- Place the caption above the table: Table 1. Descriptive statistics.
- Place notes and the source below the table, and define all abbreviations and symbols there.
- Define significance levels as *** p < 0.01, ** p < 0.05, * p < 0.1, and state whether standard errors or t-statistics appear in parentheses.
Figures
- Place the caption below the figure: (1). Caption text.
- Use a minimum of 300 dpi for images and 600 dpi for line art (TIFF, PNG or JPEG), or vector files (EPS, PDF, SVG). Upload source files separately.
- Label axes with variable names and units, and make sure the figure is legible at single-column width and in greyscale.
- Obtain written permission to reproduce any figure or table from another source, and credit the source in the caption.
Equations
- Create equations with the Word Equation Editor or MathType, not as images.
- Number displayed equations consecutively at the right margin, for example (1), and define every symbol at first use.
Appendices and Supplementary Material
- Label appendices Appendix A, Appendix B, and supplementary files S1, S2; cite each in the main text.
- Supplementary material is published as supplied, without copyediting.
Declarations
Every manuscript includes a Declarations section after the Conclusion and before the References, with the headings below in this order. No declaration may be omitted: where one does not apply, use the “not applicable” wording shown.
List of Abbreviations
- List every abbreviation and acronym used in the text, tables and figures, in alphabetical order with its full form.
Authors’ Contributions
- Describe each author’s role using the CRediT taxonomy (for example Conceptualization, Methodology, Formal analysis, Data curation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review and editing), identifying authors by initials.
- Confirm that all authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Ethical Approval and Informed Consent
- For studies involving human participants (surveys, interviews, experiments, focus groups): name the approving ethics committee and give the approval number and date.
- State how informed consent was obtained (written or verbal) and how participant anonymity was protected.
Example: This study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of [Institution] (Ref. No. [number], dated [date]). Written informed consent was obtained from all participants.
Example: Not applicable. This study uses publicly available secondary data and did not involve human participants.
Availability of Data and Materials
- State where the data and code can be accessed, giving the repository name and DOI (for example Zenodo, Harvard Dataverse, Mendeley Data).
- For proprietary or licensed data (for example Bloomberg, Refinitiv, Compustat), name the source and explain how others can obtain access.
Funding
- Name each funder, give the grant number, and state the funder’s role in the study.
Example: This research was funded by [Funder name] under Grant No. [number]. The funder had no role in the study design, data analysis, or decision to publish.
Example: None. This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.
Conflict of Interest
- Disclose any financial or non-financial interest that could be perceived to influence the work, such as employment, consultancies, shareholdings, board roles or personal relationships.
- Authors who serve on the editorial board must declare.
Acknowledgements
- Thank people or organisations who contributed but do not meet the criteria for authorship (for example data providers, technical or language support), with their permission.
- Do not repeat funding information here.
Declaration of AI Use
- Disclose any generative AI tool used in preparing the manuscript, with its name, version and purpose. AI tools cannot be listed as authors.
- Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy and originality of the content. See the Generative AI Policy.
Example: In preparing this manuscript, the authors used [tool, version] for language editing. The authors reviewed and edited all output and take full responsibility for the content.
Example: The authors did not use generative AI tools in preparing this manuscript.
References (APA 7th Edition)
International Journal of Economics and Finance (IJOEF) strictly follows APA Style (7th Edition) using the author–date citation format. Authors must ensure complete consistency between in-text citations and the reference list prior to submission.
In-Text Citations
| Case | Parenthetical | Narrative |
| One author | (Ukwueze, 2015) | Ukwueze (2015) |
| Two authors | (Jibir & Aluthge, 2019) | Jibir and Aluthge (2019) |
| Three or more authors | (Onabote et al., 2023) | Onabote et al. (2023) |
| Group author | (World Bank, 2026) | World Bank (2026) |
| Same author, same year | (Ezeudu & Fadeyi, 2024a, 2024b) | Ezeudu and Fadeyi (2024a) |
| Several works | (Abdul-Kemi, 2014; Omodero & Alege, 2022) | — |
| Direct quotation | (Author, 2024, p. 12) | Author (2024, p. 12) |
Reference List
- List every cited work, and only cited works, alphabetically by the first author’s surname, with a hanging indent.
- Give the DOI as a full link (https://doi.org/…) for every source that has one.
- Cite the published version of record rather than ResearchGate or Academia.edu copies.
- Remove tracking parameters (for example “?utm_source=”) from all URLs.
- Check every reference against the original source; fabricated or unverifiable references, including those generated by AI tools, lead to rejection.
Examples
Journal article: Jibir, A., & Aluthge, C. (2019). Modelling the determinants of government expenditure in Nigeria. Cogent Economics & Finance, 7(1), Article 1620154. https://doi.org/10.1080/23322039.2019.1620154
Book: Peacock, A. T., & Wiseman, J. (1961). The growth of public expenditure in the United Kingdom. Princeton University Press.
Edited book chapter: Bandyopadhyay, S., & Singh, H. (2023). Foundations of public expenditure management: Theories and concepts. In K. D. Dzigbede & W. B. Hildreth (Eds.), Research handbook on public financial management (pp. 238–257). Edward Elgar. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781800379718.00026
Working paper: Antolin-Diaz, J. (2025). How did government bonds become safe? [Working paper]. London Business School.
Report: Author or Organisation. (Year). Title of report (Report No. xx). Publisher. URL
Dataset: World Bank. (2026). World development indicators [Data set]. https://databank.worldbank.org/source/world-development-indicators
Thesis: Surname, A. A. (Year). Title of thesis [Doctoral dissertation, University Name]. Repository name. URL
Software: StataCorp. (2023). Stata statistical software: Release 18 [Computer software]. StataCorp LLC.
APA Style Guides
Research and Publication Ethics
- Originality: Manuscripts must be original, unpublished and not under consideration by another journal.
- Similarity Check: Every submission is screened with plagiarism-detection software (Turnitin). Manuscripts with an overall similarity index above 15% (or single-source overlap exceeding 3%, excluding references and quoted material) are returned to authors prior to peer review.
- Authorship: Every listed author must have contributed substantially, approved the final version and accept accountability. Changes to the author list after submission require the written agreement of all authors and the editor’s approval.
- Research Integrity: Data fabrication or falsification, plagiarism, duplicate publication, citation manipulation and paper-mill activity lead to rejection or retraction, handled under the COPE guidelines.
Contact
For questions about these guidelines or the status of a submission, email the editorial office at ijoef@pdpublishers.com