Guide for Authors

Author Guidelines – Kertas of Information and Communication Science (KICS)

1. Manuscript Submission

Authors are invited to submit their manuscripts via the KICS online submission system at: https://kertas.kertassci.com/index.php/kics
Please use the official KICS manuscript template. [Click here to download the KICS Template]

Authors are encouraged to write directly within the template to maintain formatting standards.

2. Types of Manuscripts Accepted

  • Full Research Articles (3500–8000 words, min. 10 pages, ≥20 references)

  • Review Articles (4000–10000 words, ≥100 references)

  • Case Reports / Field Studies (1500–2000 words, ≥40 references)

3. Manuscript Format and Structure

  • Page: A4, margins: 30mm (top/left/right), 25mm (bottom)

  • Format: Single-spaced, single-column, Times New Roman, 12pt

  • All pages numbered, text justified

  • Use ‘Symbol’ font for Greek characters

  • Language: Clear and fluent English

Sections to include:

  • Title Page

  • Abstract (max 250 words)

  • Keywords (3–6 terms)

  • Highlights (optional, max 5 bullet points, 100 characters each)

  • Graphical Abstract (optional)

  • Introduction

  • Method and Materials

  • Results and Discussion

  • Conclusions

  • Acknowledgements

  • Conflict of Interest

  • Author Contributions

  • References (IEEE Style)

  • Appendices

  • Figures and Tables (embedded in-text)

  • Supplementary Materials (optional)

4. Title & Author Information

  • Use clear, descriptive titles (no abbreviations or formulas)

  • List all authors’ full names and affiliations with superscript numerals

  • Indicate the corresponding author with an asterisk (*) and provide complete email and postal address

5. Abstract and Keywords

  • Abstract: Concise summary of objectives, methods, main findings, and conclusions

  • Keywords: 3–6 indexing-relevant terms

6. Optional Elements

  • Highlights: Brief bullet points on novelty or contributions

  • Graphical Abstract: Visual summary; recommended formats: TIFF, EPS, PDF, MS Office. Suggested size: 50 x 130 mm at 96 dpi

7. Section Guidelines

  • Introduction: Context, significance, and objectives

  • Materials and Methods: Detailed for reproducibility; cite prior methods

  • Results and Discussion: Combined section with interpretation and originality

  • Conclusions: Summarize contributions and findings

8. Abbreviations and Units

  • Define abbreviations at first mention

  • Use SI units or include SI equivalents if using others

9. Acknowledgements & Funding

Disclose all funding sources and grant numbers, or state:

“This study was not supported by any grants from funding bodies in the public, private, or not-for-profit sectors.”

10. Conflict of Interest Statement

Disclose any financial or non-financial interests. If none, state:

“The authors declare no conflicts of interest.”

11. Author Contributions

Use the CRediT taxonomy, e.g.:

  • M.H. Hammoud (Conceptualization; Writing – original draft; Supervision)

  • Q. Benshi (Data curation; Methodology; Review & editing)

12. References Style (IEEE)

  • Use numbered citations in [brackets] in order of appearance

  • Follow IEEE style for journals, books, theses, online sources, etc.

  • Use “et al.” for more than six authors

13. Appendices, Figures, and Tables

  • Appendices: Labeled A, B, etc. (e.g., Eq. A.1, Table A.1)

  • Figures: High resolution (300–600 dpi); caption below, centered

  • Tables: Editable format, numbered sequentially; caption above

14. Supplementary Material

  • Should complement the article; no post-publication modifications

  • Accepted formats: tables, graphs, videos, etc.

15. Reproduction Permission

Authors must obtain written permission for any reused materials from prior publications and provide proof upon submission.

16. Peer-Review Process

  • Initial editorial screening for scope and quality

  • Single-blind peer review by at least two independent reviewers

  • Authors should suggest three potential reviewers with valid institutional emails

17. Language & Plagiarism

  • Manuscripts must be written in clear academic English

  • All submissions are screened via Turnitin for plagiarism

18. Online First Policy

Accepted articles are published online as “Online First” prior to issue assignment.
No changes are allowed post-publication.

19. Self-Citation Policy

Authors should limit self-citations to no more than 5 references or 20%, whichever is lower.

20. Galley Proofs

Galley proofs are sent to authors for typographical corrections only.
Corrections must be returned within 72 hours.

21. Copyright

Authors retain full copyright.
KICS is granted the right to publish and designate KertasSci as the original publisher.

22. Publication Fees

There are no submission or publication charges.
All accepted articles are published free of charge.

23. Length Requirements

Manuscripts must be a minimum of 10 pages and 3500 words, excluding references and appendices.

24. Submission Checklist

Before submitting, ensure:

  • One author is designated as corresponding author

  • Full contact details are provided

  • Manuscript is formatted correctly

  • All figures, tables, and captions are included

  • Keywords are listed

  • Supplementary files (if any) are uploaded