Submissions

Author Guidelines

Template & Basic requirements:

Refer https://palaijournal.stcp.ac.in/ojs/index.php/pjbs/information/authors for template and submission of files.

Detailed Submission checklist

You can use this list to carry out a final check of your submission before you send it to the journal for review. Please check the relevant section in this Guide for Authors for more details. Ensure that the following items are present:

• Manuscript (Final Submission file) proof reading has to be done prior to submission.
• All references mentioned in the Reference List are to be cited in text in APA 7th Edition format. 
• Permission has been obtained for usage of copyrighted material from any external sources.
• Referee suggestions and contact details has to be  provided, for accelarated processing.
• All references mentioned in the Reference List are to be cited in the text, and vice versa.
• Relevant Permission has to be obtained for use of copyrighted material from other sources.
• A competing interest statement is to be provided (even if the authors have no competing interests to declare)

The entire guideline is divided into 3 sections; A,B and C

A. MANDATORY SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• One author has been designated as the corresponding author with contact details, must include E-mail address and full address (office).
• All necessary files have been uploaded.
• Manuscript should include keywords, abstract, all figures and tables including captions, titles, description and footnotes.
• Graphical Abstracts / Highlights files (where applicable)
• Supplemental files (where applicable)

B. Further Submission Requirements

1. Declaration of interest
2. Declaration of generative AI in scientific writing
3. Disclosure Instructions
4. Submission declaration and verification
5. Changes to Authorship

B1. Declaration of interest

All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence (bias) their work. Examples of potential competing interests include employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony, patent applications/registrations, and grants or other funding.

B2. Declaration of generative AI in scientific writing

The below guidance only refers to the writing process, and not to the use of AI tools to analyse and draw insights from data as part of the research process.Where authors use generative artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process, authors should only use these technologies to improve readability and language. Applying the technology should be done with human oversight and control, and authors should carefully review and edit the result, as AI can generate authoritative-sounding output that can be incorrect, incomplete or biased. AI and AI-assisted technologies should not be listed as an author or co-author, or be cited as an author. Authorship implies responsibilities and tasks that can only be attributed to and performed by humans.

Authors should disclose in their manuscript the use of AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process. Please note that authors are ultimately responsible and accountable for the contents of the work.

B3. Disclosure Instructions

Authors must disclose the use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process by adding a statement at the end of their manuscript in the core manuscript file, before the References list. The statement should be placed in a new section entitled 'Declaration of Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process'

This declaration does not apply to the use of basic tools for checking grammar, spelling, references etc. If there is nothing to disclose, there is no need to add a statement.

B4. Submission declaration and verification

Submission of an article implies that the work described has not been published previously and that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere, that its publication is approved by all authors and tacitly or explicitly by the responsible authorities where the work was carried out, and that, if accepted, it will not be published elsewhere in the same form, in English or in any other language, including electronically without the written consent of the copyright-holder.

B5. Changes to Authorship

Authors are expected to consider carefully the list and order of authors before submitting their manuscript and provide the definitive list of authors at the time of the original submission. Any addition, deletion or rearrangement of author names in the authorship list should be made only before the submission of manuscript. Only in exceptional circumstances will the Editor-in-Chief consider the addition, deletion or rearrangement of authors after the manuscript has been accepted.

C. SUBMISSION 

Submission to this journal proceeds entirely Online. Use the following guidelines to prepare your article:

C1. Manuscript preparation

We recommended that manuscripts can be prepared using MS Word with 1" (2.5cm) margins on all sides. Manuscripts should be as concise as possible with line spacing 1.5. The font should be Times New Roman typeface in 12-point pitch.

C2. Language

Manuscripts submitted to PJBS should be written in  English (either the American or British usage is acceptable, but not a mixture of both). Authors are required to provide English proofreading once their papers are accepted. Authors who feel their English language manuscript may require editing to eliminate possible grammatical or spelling errors and to conform to correct scientific English. To avoid unnecessary errors, you are strongly advised to use the 'spell-check' and 'grammar-check' functions of your word processor.

C3. The Prescribed Elements  of the Submission

C3.1 Abstract

A concise and factual abstract is required, not more than 250 words and a list of keywords. The abstract should state briefly the purpose of the research, the principal results and major conclusions. An abstract is often presented separately from the article, so it must be able to stand alone. 

C3.2 Keywords

Immediately after the abstract, provide a maximum of 6 keywords, using American/British spelling and avoiding general and plural terms and multiple concepts (avoid, for example, 'and', 'of'). Be sparing with abbreviations: only abbreviations firmly established in the field may be eligible. These keywords will be used for indexing purposes.

C3.3 Text/ Content

The main body of the manuscript can be divided into sections and (optionally) subsections. Section headings (including appendices) should use boldface and be numbered . Subsection headings should use italic and be numbered as 1.1, 1.2, etc. Each heading or subheading should appear on its own separate line. Figures, tables, and equations should be numbered consecutively throughout the text (1, 2, etc.). Italics are not to be used for expressions of Latin origin, for example, in vivo, et al., per se. (Refer APA 7 formatting guidelines). Main headings include:

 C3.3.1 INTRODUCTION

• Background of the study.

• Clear statement of the research problem.

• The "Research Gap": Why is this study necessary now?

• Objectives of the paper.

C3.3.2  LITERATURE REVIEW

• Focuses on  latest research.

• Thematic organization of previous findings.

• Theoretical framework (e.g., Resource-Based View, Institutional Theory).

• Hypotheses : $H^1,H^2...$ clearly stated.

C3.3.3 METHODOLOGY

• Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, or Mixed Methods.

• Sampling: Population, sample size, and sampling technique.

• Data Collection: Survey instruments, interviews, or secondary data sources.

• Measurement: Define variables and their sources (e.g., Likert scales).

C3.3.4 RESULTS

• Present findings clearly.

• Use high-resolution tables and figures (labeled Table 1, Figure 1).

• Report p-values, t-stats, or effect sizes where applicable.

• Do not interpret results here—simply report them.

• Data Analysis: Software used (SPSS, R, AMOS, Stata) and statistical tests applied.

C3.3.5 DISCUSSIONS

• Interpret the results in light of the hypotheses.

• Compare with existing literature (Do your findings agree or disagree with previous Q1 scholars?).

• Explain why the results occurred.

C3. 3.6 CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS

• Theoretical Implications: How does this add to business theory?

• Managerial Implications: Actionable advice for CEOs, managers, or policymakers.

• Limitations & Future Research: Acknowledge the boundaries of your study and suggest next steps.

C3. 4 REFERENCES 

• Follow APA 7th Edition Style ( already mentioned above)

C3.5 Appendices

If there is more than one appendix, they should be identified as A, B, etc. 

Please do not:

• Supply files that are optimized for screen use (e.g., GIF, BMP, PICT, WPG); these typically have a low number of pixels and limited set of colours;
• Supply files that are too low in resolution;
• Submit graphics that are disproportionately large for the content.

Abbreviations

Define abbreviations that are not standard in this field in a footnote to be placed on the first page of the article. Such abbreviations that are unavoidable in the abstract must be defined at their first mention there, as well as in the footnote. Ensure consistency of abbreviations throughout the article.

Acknowledgements

Collate acknowledgements in a separate section at the end of the article before the references and do not, therefore, include them on the title page, as a footnote to the title or otherwise. List here those individuals who provided help during the research (e.g., providing language help, writing assistance or proof reading the article, etc.).

Formatting of funding sources

List funding sources in this standard way to facilitate compliance to funder's requirements:

Funding: This work was supported by the University Grants Commission [grant numbers xxxx, yyyy]; ICSSR, [grant number zzzz]; and the Name of University [grant number aaaa]. It is not necessary to include detailed descriptions on the program or type of grants and awards. When funding is from a block grant or other resources available to a university, college, or other research institution, submit the name of the institute or organization that provided the funding.

If no funding has been provided for the research, it is recommended to include the following sentence: This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Footnotes and Endnotes

Footnotes should be used sparingly. Number them consecutively throughout the article, using superscript Arabic numbers. Many word processors build footnotes into the text, and this feature may be used. Should this not be the case, indicate the position of footnotes in the text and present the footnotes themselves separately at the end of the article. Do not include footnotes in the Reference list. Indicate each footnote in a table with a superscript lowercase letter.

 Appendices

If there is more than one appendix, they should be identified as A, B, etc. 

Please do not:

• Supply files that are optimized for screen use (e.g., GIF, BMP, PICT, WPG); these typically have a low number of pixels and limited set of colours;
• Supply files that are too low in resolution;
• Submit graphics that are disproportionately large for the content.
•