Author Guidelines

Nak-Kanak: Journal of Child Research (NJCR) is a peer-reviewed academic journal dedicated to publishing high-quality scholarship on early childhood development, care, and wellbeing. The journal places particular emphasis on research emerging from Global South contexts and culturally diverse educational settings, promoting interdisciplinary perspectives that connect theory, research, and practice in early childhood studies. 

NJCR is published by the Early Childhood Education Teacher Education Study Program, Faculty of Science Education, Universitas Trunojoyo Madura, Indonesia, and is issued four times a year (February, May, August, and November) with p-ISSN: 3047-504X and e-ISSN: 3047-1168. NJCR is currently indexed in Google Scholar, Garba Rujukan Digital (GARUDA), and other indexing services.

NJCR provides open access to all of its content and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC). The journal specifically adopts and strives to comply with the standards and guidelines established by COPE. More detailed information regarding journal policies can be found on the Policies.

Manuscript Submission
During the manuscript submission process, authors must ensure that the submitted manuscript complies with all of the following requirements. Manuscripts that do not adhere to these guidelines may be returned for revision. Authors are obliged to prepare their manuscripts according to the established standards. Noncompliance may result in processing delays, and the effectiveness of the electronic search system largely depends on the authors’ accuracy in preparing the manuscript.

  1. Fluent, clear, and correct use of English is a primary requirement. Authors must ensure that the manuscript is free from linguistic errors. If any language issues are found, the manuscript will be rejected during the pre-assessment stage. Therefore, proofreading is strongly recommended;
  2. Manuscripts must be prepared using Microsoft Word (with the NJCR template) and submitted through the official NJCR website. NJCR accepts submissions only through the online system; therefore, authors are required to log in before uploading their articles. Please click here to log in;
  3. Submitted manuscripts must be written in English and follow the American Psychological Association (APA) 7th edition writing style. Documents that do not comply with the journal’s submission guidelines will be returned to the authors for correction;
  4. Authors must ensure that the submitted manuscript has never been published in any medium and is not currently being submitted or considered elsewhere, and must attach the Author’s Statement (download the Statement Form);
  5. NJCR is an open-access, peer-reviewed scientific journal and not a commercial publication. However, the journal’s ongoing development, capacity enhancement, technical improvements, and daily maintenance require financial support;

All manuscripts undergo a double-blind peer review process in accordance with international standards (Read Review Process).

Guidelines for Authors
Nak-Kanak: Journal of Child Research (NJCR) is a peer-reviewed academic journal dedicated to publishing high-quality scholarship on early childhood development, care, and wellbeing. The journal places particular emphasis on research emerging from Global South contexts and culturally diverse educational settings, promoting interdisciplinary perspectives that connect theory, research, and practice in early childhood studies. Its aim is to provide readers with a deeper understanding of the field through the publication of scholarly articles and research reports. Manuscripts submitted to the NJCR editorial board will be reviewed and considered for publication if they meet the following criteria:

  • Scientific in nature, presenting a review of early childhood development, care, and wellbeing; containing original ideas; and offering summaries of research or survey results that are considered to contribute to society and scientific knowledge;
  • Since February 2025, Nak-Kanak: Journal of Child Research no longer accepts manuscripts on COVID-19-related topics. This policy is intended to ensure that all published manuscripts demonstrate significant academic contributions, clear novelty, and strong relevance to the journal’s focus and scope. Authors are therefore strongly encouraged to align their research topics and designs with these requirements prior to submission;
  • Ensure that the submitted manuscript has never been published in any medium and is not under review or being considered elsewhere, by attaching an Author’s Statement (Download the Statement Form). This form is mandatory;
  • Manuscripts must be written in American English (US English), with a length of 4,000–7,000 words, including text, notes, all tables, and figures, but excluding references and appendices. All submissions must include an abstract and keywords using the NJCR template. Manuscripts must be prepared in Times New Roman, with single spacing, in Microsoft Word format, on A4-sized paper (210 x 297 mm). Quotations, terms, and words in local or foreign languages must be translated into English;
  • Each manuscript must be organized in sequence, consisting of title, author’s name, abstract, keywords, and main content (Introduction, Method, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, and References);
  • The title must be concise and to the point and may include a subtitle with a maximum of 20 syllables in total;
  • The author’s name, institutional affiliation, and email address must be listed directly below the article title, and academic degrees should not be included. NJCR limits the number of authors to a maximum of seven per manuscript, with different affiliations for each author (a minimum of two affiliations per manuscript);
  • Abstract: A concise and factual abstract (250–350 words) is required. The abstract must briefly include the Background of the study, Aims and scope of the paper, Methods, Results, and Contributions. As the abstract is often presented separately from the article, it must be able to stand alone. References should generally be avoided, but if essential, they must be cited in full without referring to the reference list. Non-standard or uncommon abbreviations should be avoided, but if used, must be defined at first mention in the abstract;
  • Keywords: Immediately after the abstract, provide a maximum of five keywords, avoiding general terms, plural forms, and multiple concepts (e.g., avoid “and,” “of”). Limit the use of abbreviations: only those well-established in the field may be used. Keywords will be used for indexing purposes;
  • NJCR accepts electronic (online) submissions only. Therefore, authors must log in before submitting their articles;
  • Citations typically require only the author’s last name, year of publication, and, when necessary, page numbers. All cited works must appear in the reference list at the end of the article, arranged alphabetically. All notes must appear in the text as citations (in-text notes). Ensure that every reference cited in the text is included in the reference list (and vice versa). In-text citations must follow the American Psychological Association (APA) 7th Edition referencing style;
  • Reference entries must be arranged alphabetically. All works cited in the text must appear in the reference list, and all works listed must be cited in the text. Authors are required to provide complete references, including DOIs for journal entries when available. For place of publication, distinctions must be made between cities in the United States and those outside the United States. For example, U.S. cities are listed with the state abbreviation, such as Boston, MA;
  • All references and citations must follow APA 7th Edition. For reference and citation management, the use of Mendeley is mandatory. Footnotes may be used for additional explanations related to the manuscript content;
  • Authors are referred to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th Edition, which can be ordered from https://apastyle.apa.org

Examples are as follows:

  • (Type: book, author = publisher)

American Psychological Association. (2019). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th Ed.). Author.

  • (Type: e-book)

Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (2005). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience and school. https://www.nap.edu/catalog/9853/how-people-learn-brainmind-experience-and-school-expanded-edition.

  • (Type: edited book, two editors or more)

Tobias, S., & Duffy, T. M. (Eds.). (2009). Constructivist Instruction: Success or Failure?. Routledge.

  • (Type: book section)

Aron, L., Botella, M., & Lubart, T. (2019). Culinary arts: Talent and their development. In R. F. Subotnik, P. Olszewski-Kubilius, & F. C. Worrell (Eds.), The psychology of high performance: Developing human potential into domain-specific talent (pp. 345–359). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000120-016

  • (Type: book, in English, translated into Indonesian, original title intact)

Schunk, D. H. (2012). Learning theories: An educational perspective (E. Hamdiah & R. Fajar, Trans.). Pustaka Pelajar. (Original work published 2012).

  • (Type: book, Indonesian, not translation, an original title retained)

Purnama, S. (2020). Penelitian Tindakan Kelas. Rosdakarya.

  • (Type: book, one author)

Latif, M.A. (2025). Perkembangan Sosial-Emosional Anak. K-Media.

  • (Type: book, two authors)

Tabachnick, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (2007). Using Multivariate Statistics (Fifth ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

  • (Type: book, three authors)

Nadlifah, N., Zahriani Jf, N., & Latif, M. A. (2022). Perkembangan Kognitif Anak. CV. Multiartha Jatmika.

  • (Type: journal article, online)

Durkin, K., & Barber, B. (2002). Not so doomed: Computer game play and positive adolescent development. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 23(4), 373–392. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0193-3973(02)00124-7

  • (Type: journal article, If the doi doesn't exist, then there must be an article URL)

Aziz, T. (2024). Internalization of Islamic Values in Children within Families in the Digital Era. Nak-Kanak: Journal of Child Research, 1(1), 37–46. https://journal.trunojoyo.ac.id/v3/nakkanak/article/view/46

  • (Type: journal article,three authors)

Hogan, A. E., Scott, K. G., & Bauer, C. R. (1992). The Adaptive Social Behavior Inventory (Asbi): A New Assessment of Social Competence in High-Risk Three-Year-Olds. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 10(3), 230–239. https://doi.org/10.1177/073428299201000303  

  • (Type: journal article, 4 or more authors, all full names written)

Jones, R. A., Hinkley, T., Okely, A. D., & Salmon, J. (2013). Tracking Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in Childhood. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 44(6), 651–658. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2013.03.001

  • (Types: conference proceeding)

Duckworth, A. L., Quirk, A., Gallop, R., Hoyle, R. H., Kelly, D. R., & Matthews, M. D. (2019). Cognitive and noncognitive predictors of success. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA, 116(47), 23499–23504. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1910510116

  • (Type: document, report:  institution, government, organization)

NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics). (2000). Principles and Standards for School Mathematics. Reston, VA: Author.

  • (Type: document, legal texts, original terms written followed by translation)

Peraturan Presiden RI. No. 8. (2012). Kerangka Kualifikasi Nasional Indonesia. [Indonesian National Qualification Framework].

Peraturan Menteri Riset, Teknologi, dan Pendidikan Tinggi RI. No. 44. (2015). Standar Nasional Pendidikan Tinggi. [National Standards of Higher Education].

 

Appendix 
Appendixes are optional. An appendix should not be longer than two pages.

Starting from February 2025, the NJCR no longer provides a printed version to the authors. If you want a printed version please contact us via email: [email protected] 

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Author Guidelines 
Author Statement Form
Table of Correction (ToC)
Journal Template