Guidelines For Authors
Author Eligibility and Responsibilities
Journal of Cybersecurity, Digital Forensics, and Jurisprudence (JCDFJ) expects that every individual listed as an author has made a genuine and substantial intellectual contribution to the research and the preparation of the manuscript. Authorship should be limited to those who have significantly contributed to one or more key aspects of the study, including the conception or design of the research, data collection, methodological development, data analysis or interpretation, manuscript drafting, or critical revision of the work for important intellectual content. Individuals who have provided only general supervision, financial support, administrative assistance, or language editing should not be included as authors unless they also satisfy the criteria for authorship.
Before submission, all authors must review and approve the final version of the manuscript, agree to its submission to JCDFJ, and accept collective responsibility for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of the work. Authors are expected to ensure that the manuscript represents an honest account of the research conducted and that all reported information is accurate and complete.
For manuscripts involving multiple authors, one individual must be designated as the Corresponding Author. The Corresponding Author serves as the principal contact between the authors and JCDFJ throughout the editorial, peer-review, production, and publication processes. This author is responsible for submitting the manuscript, coordinating communication among all co-authors, responding to editorial and reviewer comments, ensuring that every co-author has approved the manuscript and any subsequent revisions, and confirming that all information provided during submission is accurate and complete.
Individuals who contributed to the research but do not meet the criteria for authorship should not be listed as authors. Instead, their contributions should be appropriately recognized in the Acknowledgements section of the manuscript, provided that they have given permission to be acknowledged.
Preparing Your Manuscript
Language Requirements
Manuscripts must be written in clear, concise, and grammatically correct English. Authors are encouraged to ensure that their manuscripts meet a high standard of academic writing before submission. Where necessary, professional language editing may be used to improve readability; however, such services do not qualify individuals for authorship.
General Writing Style
Authors should present their work in a clear, logical, and professional manner that facilitates understanding by an international academic audience. Excessive use of the first person should generally be avoided unless it is necessary to explain the research approach or justify a particular methodological decision. Wherever appropriate, the active voice is recommended because it improves clarity, readability, and precision.
Commonly used scientific or technical terms should be written in full when they first appear in the main text rather than being represented solely by abbreviations or symbols. For example, authors should write percentage instead of "%" and analysis of variance instead of "ANOVA" when the term first appears. Standard abbreviations may subsequently be used throughout the manuscript, provided they have been clearly defined at first mention. Abbreviations may also be used in tables and figures where appropriate to improve presentation.
Authors should maintain consistent grammar and verb tense throughout each section of the manuscript. Generally, established knowledge and conclusions may be expressed in the present tense, whereas methods and completed research activities are typically described in the past tense. Consistency in tense usage enhances clarity and improves the overall readability of the manuscript.
When numbered items appear within the text, they should be presented using the format (1), (2), (3) rather than alternative numbering styles. Foreign words, Latin expressions, and non-English scholarly terminology should be italicized throughout the manuscript, including commonly used expressions such as a priori and in vivo.
Authors should carefully review all mathematical equations, Greek letters, symbols, formulas, and special characters before submission and again during proof correction to ensure that no formatting or conversion errors have occurred during manuscript preparation or typesetting.
Manuscript Length
JCDFJ does not prescribe a fixed word limit for submissions. Authors are encouraged to prepare manuscripts that are proportionate to the scope, complexity, and objectives of their research. The manuscript should provide sufficient detail to enable readers to understand, evaluate, and, where appropriate, reproduce the research without including unnecessary repetition or excessive background material.
Formatting Requirements
Headings
Authors should organize their manuscripts using a clear and consistent hierarchy of headings and subheadings to improve readability and logical structure. A maximum of three heading levels is recommended. Numbering may follow the sequence 1, 1.1, and 1.1.1, ensuring that the organization of the manuscript remains coherent and easy to follow.
Figures
Figures should be numbered consecutively according to the order in which they are first cited in the manuscript. Every figure must include a clear and informative caption that accurately describes its content and enables readers to understand the figure without referring extensively to the main text. All figures should be cited within the manuscript and submitted in high-quality editable or publication-ready formats such as PDF, TIFF, JPEG, Microsoft PowerPoint, or Microsoft Word. Any abbreviations, symbols, statistical indicators, or other notations used in figures should be fully explained in the corresponding figure legend.
Tables
Tables should also be numbered consecutively in the order of their appearance in the manuscript and should include concise yet descriptive titles. Authors should prepare tables in an editable format rather than as images to facilitate typesetting and publication. Every table must be cited within the main text, and the information presented in tables should complement rather than unnecessarily duplicate information already described in the manuscript. All tables should bear a brief title.
Recommended Article Structure
Authors are encouraged to generally organize their research manuscripts using the following sequence that may be changed appropriately in case of review articles and case studies.
- Title
- Author(s) Information
- Corresponding Author Details
- Abstract
- Keywords
- Introduction
- Materials and Methods
- Results
- Discussion
- Conclusion
- Authors’ Contribution
- Conflict of Interest Statement
- Funding Information(if applicable)
- Acknowledgements (if applicable)
- References
- Appendices (if any)
- Supplementary Material (if any)
Details about Individual Sections:
Title
The title should be concise, informative, and accurately reflect the principal subject and content of the manuscript. Authors should avoid unnecessary words, abbreviations, or overly broad terminology. A short running title should also be provided for use in page headers or other publication formats. The running title may be revised by the editorial office, where necessary, to JCDFJ's formatting requirements.
Abstract
The abstract should provide a clear and concise overview of the manuscript. It should briefly state the background, purpose or objectives of the study, describe the principal methodology or approach used, present the major findings, and indicate the principal conclusions or implications. The recommended length is 250–300 words. The abstract should be written as a single, coherent section without subheadings and references should be understandable without requiring readers to consult the main text.
Keywords
Authors should provide six to eight keywords that accurately represent the main themes, concepts, methods, or subject areas addressed in the manuscript. Keywords should be specific and relevant to the content of the article and should be selected to improve its indexing, discoverability, and retrieval in academic databases and search systems.
Introduction
The introduction should establish the broader context and background of the study and clearly identify the research problem or knowledge gap that the manuscript addresses. It should explain the significance and rationale of the work and clearly state the study's objectives, hypotheses, or research questions, as appropriate. Any abbreviation used in the manuscript should be defined at its first occurrence.
For review articles, the introduction and subsequent literature discussion should demonstrate a critical and analytical engagement with existing scholarship. Authors should synthesize and evaluate relevant literature rather than merely provide a descriptive summary of previously published studies.
Materials and Methods
The Materials and Methods section should provide sufficient information to allow readers and other researchers to understand how the study was conducted, assess the validity and rigor of the research, and, where applicable, replicate the work. The description should cover the study design, participants or other data sources, materials and instruments, research procedures, statistical methods, and analytical techniques relevant to the study.
Where applicable, authors should also provide appropriate statements regarding research ethical approval, and informed consent. Ethical and consent requirements should be reported clearly and accurately, particularly for research involving human participants, personal data, or other ethically sensitive materials.
Results
The Results section should present the findings in a clear, logical, and coherent sequence that corresponds to the research objectives, questions, or hypotheses. Authors should emphasize the most important outcomes and report findings accurately and concisely. Tables, figures, and other visual materials should be used where they improve the presentation or interpretation of the findings. The same data should not be unnecessarily duplicated in both the main text and tables or figures.
Discussion
The Discussion should provide a critical interpretation of the findings rather than simply repeat the results. Authors should explain the significance of the findings, relate them to the research questions or objectives, and compare them with relevant existing knowledge and previous studies. The discussion should identify the principal contributions of the research and, where appropriate, acknowledge methodological, theoretical, data-related, or other limitations that may affect the interpretation or generalizability of the findings. Authors may combine the Results and Discussion sections where this structure provides a clearer and more coherent presentation of the research.
Conclusion
The Conclusion should provide a concise synthesis of the principal findings and explain their broader significance or implications. It should directly reflect the evidence presented in the manuscript and should not introduce substantial new findings or arguments. Where appropriate, authors may also identify practical implications, recommendations, or directions for future research.
Author Contributions
All submissions to should include an Author Contributions statement that clearly describes the individual contributions of each author to the research and preparation of the manuscript. Contributions may include, as applicable, conceptualization of the study, development of the methodology, data collection or curation, formal analysis, software development, investigation, supervision, project administration, funding acquisition, and preparation of the manuscript. Writing contributions should distinguish between Writing – Original Draft and Writing – Review & Editing, where appropriate. The contribution statement should accurately reflect the substantive roles performed by each listed author.
Conflict of Interest
Authors must disclose any financial, professional, institutional, personal, or other interests that could influence, or reasonably be perceived to influence, the conduct or presentation of their research.
A separate section entitled Conflict of Interest should be included in every manuscript. If no conflict exists, authors should state: "The authors declare no conflict of interest regarding the research, authorship, and publication of this article."
Funding Disclosure
If research was funded by any institute/person, the sources of financial support must be disclosed.
Funding statements should identify the Funding organization(s) and Grant or award number(s), where applicable. Example: "This research was supported by [Funding Agency Name] (Grant No. XXXXX)."
Acknowledgements
Individuals or organizations that contributed to the work but do not qualify for authorship should be acknowledged appropriately before references section.
References and Citation Style
Authors are responsible for ensuring that all references are accurate, complete, and consistent with the Vancouver referencing style. References should be numbered consecutively in the order in which they first appear in the text. Citation numbers should be inserted in the text using Arabic numerals in square brackets (e.g., [1], [2,3], [4–6]).
The reference list should appear at the end of the manuscript and should be arranged numerically according to the order of citation rather than alphabetically. Every reference cited in the text must appear in the reference list, and all references included in the list must be cited in the manuscript.
Authors should provide complete bibliographic information for all references and include Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs), URLs, or other persistent identifiers where available. Journal titles should be abbreviated according to recognized indexing standards when applicable.
Authors should prioritize primary and relevant scholarly sources and avoid excessive self-citation. As a general guideline, self-citations should not exceed 10% of the total references unless clearly justified.
Appendices
Appendices may be included to provide additional material that is relevant to the study and supports its understanding, evaluation, or reproduction. This may include detailed methodological information, survey instruments, coding frameworks, interview guides, or extended theoretical explanations that would otherwise interrupt the flow of the main manuscript. Each appendix should be clearly labeled and arranged sequentially, such as Appendix A, Appendix B, Appendix C, and so forth.
Supplementary Material
Authors are encouraged to provide supplementary material and research data that enhance the transparency, reproducibility, and long-term value of their published research. Supplementary files enable authors to present supporting information that would otherwise interrupt the flow of the main manuscript while allowing readers’ access to additional evidence relevant to the study.
Supplementary files submitted for publication should be complete, clearly labelled, and prepared in commonly accessible file formats. Such material may include, but is not limited to, extended datasets, detailed methodologies, statistical analyses, questionnaires, interview guides, software code, algorithms, multimedia files, technical appendices, additional tables, figures, or other supporting documents. As supplementary material is generally published substantially as submitted, authors are responsible for ensuring its accuracy, readability and such material should be directly relevant to the manuscript and clearly cited within the main text. Authors should ensure that supplementary material does not contain confidential information, personal data that have not been appropriately anonymized, copyrighted material for which permission has not been obtained, or any content that violates applicable ethical or legal requirements.
Research Data Availability
Data availability in the manuscript enhances research transparency and facilitates verification, reuse, and future scientific collaboration. Where appropriate, authors of JCDFJ are encouraged to deposit research data in recognized public or institutional repositories that provide persistent identifiers and long-term preservation
If research data cannot be made publicly available because of legal, ethical, confidentiality, security, contractual, or privacy restrictions, authors should clearly explain these limitations in a Data Availability Statement included in the manuscript. Such restrictions will not necessarily prevent publication provided that the reasons are appropriately justified.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and AI-Assisted Technologies in Manuscript Preparation
Journal of Cybersecurity, Digital Forensics, and Jurisprudence (JCDFJ) permits the use of AI and AI-assisted technologies for limited purposes such as language improvement, grammar, spelling, readability, formatting, and organization. AI tools must not replace the authors’ intellectual contribution, research judgment, analysis, interpretation, or scholarly responsibility.
Authors remain fully responsible for the originality, accuracy, integrity, and completeness of their manuscripts. AI systems cannot be listed as authors or co-authors, and all responsibility for the manuscript rests with the human authors.
Any use of AI beyond routine language or formatting assistance should be disclosed in the manuscript, including the tool used and its purpose. Authors must carefully verify all AI-assisted content, including text, references, tables, and figures, as AI-generated material may contain errors, fabricated information, or bias. The use of AI to fabricate data, falsify results, create misleading images, generate fictitious references, or otherwise compromise research integrity is strictly prohibited and may constitute research misconduct.
Editorial and Peer Review Process of submitted articles:
Upon submission, the corresponding author receives an acknowledgment of receipt, and the manuscript undergoes plagiarism screening. Manuscripts exceeding JCDFJ’s acceptable similarity threshold are returned to the authors. Submissions that pass screening undergo an initial editorial check for compliance with the Journal’s submission requirements, formatting, and author guidelines.
Manuscripts meeting the preliminary requirements are assessed by a relevant editor or editorial board member for originality, scholarly merit, quality, and suitability for JCDFJ’s scope. Editorial decisions are made independently and without influence from financial interests, institutional pressure, or personal relationships. Manuscripts that meet the required standards proceed to double-blind peer review, while unsuitable submissions may be rejected at this stage.
The handling editor invites at least two qualified reviewers with relevant expertise. Reviewers must disclose any conflicts of interest and are normally expected to submit their reports within four weeks. Reviewer identities remain confidential. Based on the reviewers’ assessments and the editor’s evaluation, the manuscript may be accepted, returned for minor or major revision, or rejected.
Authors submitting a revision should provide a detailed response explaining how the reviewers’ comments have been addressed. Revised manuscripts may be reassessed by the editor or returned to the original reviewers. Further review rounds may be conducted where necessary, with a maximum of three review rounds generally permitted.
Following acceptance, the manuscript proceeds to production, including copyediting, typesetting, proofreading, and final quality checks. Authors receive proofs for final review and should return any necessary corrections, normally within one week. After final approval, the article is published online at the earliest available opportunity.
Reviewer Suggestions and Exclusion Requests
Authors of JCDFJ may suggest up to three qualified reviewers with relevant subject expertise and may request the exclusion of up to three individuals whom they believe may have a conflict of interest or be unable to provide an impartial assessment.
Suggested reviewers should be independent of the authors and should have no recent collaboration, shared institutional or research-group affiliation, personal, professional, or financial relationship that could compromise their objectivity. Authors should provide the suggested reviewers’ names, institutional affiliations, professional email addresses, and relevant expertise.
Reviewer exclusion requests should be made at submission and include a brief, legitimate justification, such as a recent collaboration, direct competition, personal conflict, or institutional relationship. The Editor will consider such requests but retains full and independent authority over reviewer selection. Suggestions or exclusion requests do not guarantee that a reviewer will be selected or excluded.
JCDFJ maintains a fair, confidential, and unbiased peer-review process, with reviewer selection conducted independently and in accordance with recognized publication ethics standards.
Article Processing Charges (APC)
An Article Processing Charge (APC) of USD 400 is payable only upon acceptance of a manuscript. The APC supports the operational and publication costs required to maintain Journal of Cybersecurity, Digital Forensics, and Jurisprudence (JCDFJ)’s quality and sustainability. These costs include editorial management, peer review coordination, professional copyediting, typesetting, online hosting, long-term digital archiving, DOI registration, journal platform maintenance, salaries of editorial and administrative staff, and office-related expenses necessary for daily journal operations.
Payments may be made via Debit/Credit Card or Bank Transfer. For bank transfers, the total payable amount is USD 430, which includes applicable bank processing charges.
This APC structure enables the Journal to uphold high editorial standards, ensure timely publication, and maintain global visibility and accessibility of published research.
