Author Guidelines

Sport, Exercise, and Injury (SEI): Manuscript Preparation Guidelines

SEI TEMPLATE

Important General Instructions for Authors

• Read All Guidelines: Authors are required to read these Manuscript Preparation Guidelines and SEI's general "Author Guidelines" in their entirety before submitting a manuscript. Careful preparation according to these instructions is crucial for a smooth review and publication process.
• Use of Template: All manuscripts must be prepared using the official SEI Microsoft Word template, which can be downloaded from the journal website. The template includes preset formatting for page layout, fonts, headings, and other stylistic elements.
• International Collaboration: SEI prefers and actively encourages authors to submit articles resulting from international collaborative research, ideally involving multiple authors from different countries. This aligns with our mission to foster a global exchange of knowledge in industrial engineering and systems optimization.
• Manuscript Withdrawal: Authors are strongly discouraged from withdrawing a submitted manuscript once it has entered the publication process (e.g., peer review, copyediting, layout). SEI invests significant time and resources in processing each submission.
• Similarity Check: All submitted manuscripts are subject to a similarity check using plagiarism detection software (e.g., Turnitin). Manuscripts with a similarity score of more than 25% (excluding properly cited quotations and the reference list) will be automatically rejected without further review. Authors must ensure the originality of their work and appropriately cite all sources.

OUTLINE OF MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION

This guide details the specific requirements for preparing your manuscript for submission to SEI.

1. CATEGORY

Authors must categorize their manuscript during the submission process. Select the category from the list below that most accurately describes your work:

• Research Article: Involves the construction or testing of a model or framework, action research, testing of data, market research or surveys, or empirical, scientific, or laboratory research. This category typically presents original research findings.
• Literature Review: Provides a comprehensive summary and critical analysis of existing research on a specific topic, offering a perspective on the current state of the field and potential future directions. Review articles are expected to be thorough and typically cite a significant number of primary references (commonly around 100).
• Technical Paper: Describes and evaluates technical products, processes, or services, often focusing on practical application and innovation in industrial engineering.
• Conceptual Paper: Develops hypotheses, frameworks, or theoretical models without being primarily based on empirical research. These papers are often discursive and may involve philosophical discussions or comparative studies of existing theories and concepts.
• Case Study: Describes actual interventions, experiences, or in-depth analyses of specific situations or entities within organizations or industrial systems. Case studies may be subjective and do not generally report on extensive empirical research. Descriptions of legal cases or hypothetical case studies used as teaching exercises also fit this category.

2. LANGUAGE

• Manuscripts submitted to SEI primarily use English, with a preference for American English spelling and conventions.
• Authors must ensure their manuscript is written in clear, concise, and grammatically correct English. Thorough proofreading by the authors or a professional language editing service is strongly recommended before submission.
• Although manuscripts in Indonesian may be considered at the time of initial submission, the use of English is highly recommended to avoid delays in the evaluation process. If a manuscript submitted in Indonesian is accepted for publication after peer review, the author(s) will be responsible for arranging and covering the cost of professional translation into high-quality, proofread English before final acceptance and publication.
• Regardless of the language of initial submission, ensure the writing is well-structured and comprehensive, with excellent cohesion and smooth transitions between ideas.

3. FORMAT AND LENGTH

• Template: Authors must use the Generic SEI Template for manuscript preparation.
• File Format: Manuscripts must be submitted as Microsoft Word files (.doc or .docx). Other file formats (e.g., LaTeX, PDF) are not acceptable for the main manuscript file.
• Page Format: The SEI template is formatted as a single-column page. Page margins, line spacing, font type, and font sizes are preset in the template. Authors should not alter these settings.
• Main Body Sections: The main body of the manuscript (for most categories like Research Articles) must be strictly divided into four main sections, clearly labeled in bold Title Case: Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion, and Conclusion.
• Manuscript Length: While SEI does not impose a strict page limit, for Research Articles and similar substantial contributions, the combined length of the main sections (
• Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion, and Conclusion) should be at least 5000 words. This word count excludes the Abstract, Keywords, Tables, Figures, References, Appendices, and Author Biographies.

4. STRUCTURE

The manuscript should generally contain the following elements in the order listed below. Please refer to the SEI template for specific placement.

1. Manuscript Category: (Selected during online submission and may be indicated on the title page as per template instructions).
2. Manuscript Title: Clear, concise, and informative. A maximum of 15 (Fifteen) words is strongly recommended.
3. Authorship Details (to be provided on a separate title page for double-blind review, and in the submission system):
   • Full name of all authors (e.g., John A. Smith).
   • Affiliation for each author: Department/Division, Institution, City, Country.
   • Email address for corresponding author only.
   • Clear indication of the corresponding author, including their email address and optionally a phone number (for editorial office use only).
   • We strongly encourage all authors to provide their ORCID iDs.
4. Abstract: (See details below).
5. Keywords: 4 to 6 pertinent keywords that accurately reflect the manuscript's content, separated by semicolons.
6. Main Body:
   • Introduction
   • Methods
   • Result and Discussion
   • Conclusion
7. Acknowledgments (as appropriate): (See details below).
8. Declaration of Interest Statement (Conflicts of Interest): (As appropriate; see SEI's COI Policy).
9. Funding Information: (See details below).
10. References: (See details below).
11. Author(s) Biography: (See details below).
12. Appendices (as appropriate): (See details below).

5. AUTHORSHIP

• In alignment with our mission to strengthen education and research networks, SEI does not accept manuscripts from a single author. We believe collaborative contributions are integral to the advancement of interdisciplinary knowledge and scholarly exchange.
• To foster diverse authorship and international collaboration, we require that at least one author be an international scholar affiliated with an institution outside of Indonesia.
• All individuals listed as authors must meet SEI's authorship criteria. The criteria are:
  1. Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; OR the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND
  2. Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; AND
  3. Final approval of the version to be published; AND
  4. Authors must agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work, ensuring that any questions regarding the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.
• All contributing authors’ names should be added to the submission system and on the (separate) title page, arranged in the correct agreed-upon order. The full name of each author must be presented in the exact format they wish to see published. The affiliation of each author should be current and accurate.
• Refer to SEI's "Policy on Authorship and Contributorship" for complete details.

6. ABSTRACT

• The abstract must be a single paragraph, ranging between 250 and 300 words.
• It should be a self-contained summary of the paper, written as a cohesive narrative.
• Structure:
  • Research Background: Briefly (no more than two lines) provide the broad context.
  • Research Problem: Clearly state the problem or gap the research addresses.
  • Purpose: Outline the main objective(s) of the study.
  • Methods Applied: Briefly describe the key methodologies used.
  • Results/Findings: Summarize the principal results and findings. Avoid detailed numerical data; instead, highlight and emphasize
  • Research Implications: Briefly state the main implications or significance of the research.
• The approximate distribution should be: Background (20%); Purpose (15%); Method (30%); Results/Findings (25%); Implication (10%).

7. INTRODUCTION SECTION

This section should provide background and context for the research.

• Section Content:

  • Research Context: Begin by explaining the broader domain or field to which your research topic belongs. Describe the importance of this domain, particularly in the context of industrial systems.
  • Problem Description: Clearly describe the specific problem, issue, challenge, or gap in existing knowledge that your research aims to address.
  • Research Objectives: State the clear and concise objectives of your research.
  • Significance of the Research: Articulate the importance of your research. Explain how it will contribute to the field of industrial systems, advance current understanding, address knowledge gaps, and lead to improvements benefiting system stakeholders.
  • Key Developments: Discuss significant progress, breakthroughs, or relevant technological advancements related to your research topic.
  • Prior Works and Approaches: Synthesize (review, compare, and discuss) the findings, methods, approaches, frameworks, and/or models used in relevant prior research. Prioritize the most recent and impactful studies.
  • Research Gaps: Clearly identify the limitations, inconsistencies, or unanswered questions in the existing literature that your proposed research intends to address.
  • Novelty: Explain the novelty and interest of your proposed research. Emphasize its unique contributions beyond existing work.
  • Rationale: Justify your chosen research direction, explaining how your study builds upon, diverges from, or challenges existing research.

• Please Note for the Introduction:

  • Refer to at least 25 primary references. Prioritize recent publications (mainly from the last 5 years) from internationally reputable journals and international conference proceedings.
  • For manuscripts in the Literature Review Category, refer to at least 50 primary references.
  • Avoid over-explaining or providing excessive detail on basic theoretical foundations that are common knowledge in the field.
  • For research focused on a specific industrial case problem, avoid detailing the description of the case problem in the Introduction. This detailed description is better placed in the Method section or the Results and Discussion section, as appropriate.

8. METHOD SECTION

This section should provide a detailed account of the research methodology.

• Provide structured and sufficient details of the methods, approaches, algorithms, models, or frameworks used in your study to allow for replication by other researchers.
• For novel methods or approaches, describe them in detail.
• For well-established methods and approaches, provide a brief description and cite appropriate references, but focus on explaining how they were tailored or applied to suit the specific needs and context of your research.
• If quoting directly from a previously published method, use quotation marks and cite the source. Clearly describe any modifications made to existing methods.
• For research involving participants/respondents (e.g., surveys, experiments, ergonomic studies):
  • Indicate the characteristics of the participants that were observed.
  • Specify demographic selection criteria.
  • State the number of respondents/participants.
  • Please explain the rationale for selecting respondents/participants and the sampling method used.
  • Confirm that ethical approvals and informed consent were obtained (refer to SEI's Ethical Oversight Policy).
• For research involving experimental design:
  • Describe the experimental procedures in detail.
  • Please provide a detailed explanation of the design for surveys, interviews, or observational protocols.
  • Specify the variables, measures, and instruments used.

9. RESULT AND DISCUSSION SECTION

This section should present and interpret your research findings.

• Combined Section: SEI requires a separate “Results and Discussion” section.
• Focus: Emphasize presenting and discussing the main results and their implications, rather than merely restating data.
• Guidelines:
  • DO NOT present an excessive amount of raw (input) data within the main body. Carefully select which raw data are essential for presentation.
  • DO NOT present detailed step-by-step computational results in numerous tables or figures. Instead, summarize these results concisely and meaningfully in a single table or figure where possible, and draw clear conclusions from it.
  • If extensive raw (input) data or detailed intermediate computational results are necessary for transparency or replication, they should be placed in an Appendix section. Appendices should not exceed four pages.
  • The discussion should focus on interpreting the main results and their significance. Avoid simply repeating numerical values already shown in tables and/or figures.
  • Please clarify the implications of your results and their connection to the research objectives and existing literature mentioned in the introduction section or other related references.
  • Discuss any limitations of the study.
  • For research involving hypothesis testing, explain how the results support or refute the hypotheses. Provide a succinct discussion of the implications of your findings, especially in relation to previous studies and theoretical frameworks.
• Software: Include the name and version of any specialized software used for data analysis, modeling, or simulations. Clarify whether the computer code is available and, if so, how it can be accessed (e.g., via a repository, as supplementary material – see Data and Reproducibility Policy).

10. CONCLUSION SECTION

The conclusion should provide a concise summary of the study's main contributions and implications.

• Clearly and directly answer the research objectives stated in the Introduction.
• Highlight the main findings of the research, without repeating detailed numerical results from the Results and Discussion section.
• Elaborate on the impact and implications of your research for the relevant research domain (specifically, industrial system-related domains).
• Suggest avenues for future research, especially if the findings are preliminary or open up new questions.
• Make sure your research findings back up any claims you make.

11. HEADING STYLES

• Use headings to structure your manuscript logically.
• No numbering or bullet format should be used for the main, second-level, or third-level headings.
• Main Heading: Strictly consists ofIntroduction, Methods, Results and Discussion, and Conclusion.
• These must be written in bold Title Case.
• Second-Level Sub-heading: Written in bold and italic text, using title case (capitalize major words).
• Third-Level Sub-heading: Written in italic text, using sentence case (capitalize only the first word and proper nouns).
• Further Lower-Level Sub-headings (Fourth-level and below): If necessary, these should be formatted using numbering (e.g., 1., 2.) and/or bullet points (e.g., a., b. or •). These should be in plain text or italic as appropriate for clarity, but distinct from the third-level heading. Refer to the SEI template.

12. EQUATIONS

• Write all equations using the built-in equation editor in Microsoft Word (e.g., Insert > Equation). Do not type equations as plain text or insert them as images.
• Insert the equation formula at the nearest possible place in the text where it is first mentioned or referenced.
• Refer to equations in the main text as “Equation (X)” or “Eq. (X)” where X is the equation number.
• Equation formulas should be center-aligned.
• Equation numbers should be placed right-aligned, enclosed in parentheses, e.g., (1). Number equations consecutively throughout the manuscript.

13. TABLES

• Create tables using Microsoft Word's table formatting tools (Insert > Table). Do not insert tables as images or screenshots.
• Provide a concise but descriptive table name/caption placed above the table. The caption should clearly explain the table's content.
• Refer to tables in the main text as “Table X” where X is the table number.
• Locate each table at the nearest possible place in the text after it is first mentioned.
• Ensure that any superscripts (e.g., a, b, c) or asterisks (*, **, ***) used in the table to denote statistical significance or provide additional information are clearly explained in footnotes below the table.
• Keep tables as simple as possible while conveying the necessary information. Avoid excessive use of lines or shading.

14. FIGURES

• Refer to figures in the main text as “Figure X” where X is the figure number.
• Locate each figure at the nearest possible place in the text after it is first mentioned.
• Provide a concise but descriptive figure caption placed below the figure. The caption should clearly explain what the figure illustrates.
• Ensure figures are of clear resolution and easily readable when viewed both on-screen and in print. Keep figures to the smallest possible size that maintains clarity.
• File Formats:
  • Figures created in MS Word, MS PowerPoint, and/or MS Excel should be supplied in their native formats if possible, or embedded directly into the Word document.
  • Electronic figures created in other applications (e.g., statistical software, drawing programs) should be copied from the original source or exported in a high-resolution format (e.g., TIFF, EPS, high-quality JPEG or PNG) and embedded in the Word document.
• Font Size: The font size used within figures (e.g., for labels, legends) should be proportional to the size of the figure and legible (typically 8-10 pt).
• Ensure that any superscripts or asterisks used in the figure are clearly explained in the figure caption or as footnotes to the figure.
• Obtain permission for any figures reproduced from other copyrighted sources.

15. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

• Acknowledge individuals who made contributions to the research or manuscript but do not meet all criteria for authorship (e.g., provided technical assistance, data collection support, critical feedback, or administrative support).
• Only the names of the persons should be written (not their specific roles, titles, or affiliations, unless brief and essential).
• Ensure that all individuals named in the Acknowledgments section have given their permission to be acknowledged.
• Funding sources should NOT be listed here; use the dedicated "Funding Information" section.

16. FUNDING INFORMATION

• All manuscripts must include a statement regarding funding under a separate heading titled “Funding Information” placed immediately before the References section.
• If the research received specific financial support:
  • The funding agency name should be written out in full.
  • The grant number(s) should be provided in square brackets.
  • Example: "The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the [Name of Funding Agency Council] [grant number: XXXX]; and [Name of Other Funding Agency] [grant number: YYYY]."
• If no specific funding was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication, the statement should be written as:
  • "The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article."

17. REFERENCES

• Authors must strictly follow the APA 7th reference style. Please check references carefully for completeness, accuracy, and consistency with this style.

• Include the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) for all references where available.

• The total number of references should be at least 25 references for most article types (see Introduction section for specific requirements for Literature Reviews).

• The use of recent primary references (published mainly within the last 5 years) should constitute at least 60% of the total number of references. "Primary references" typically refer to original research articles in reputable journals and peer-reviewed conference proceedings.

• The use of reference management software (e.g., Mendeley, Zotero, EndNote) is preferable and strongly encouraged to ensure accuracy and correct formatting.

• Reference List Format:

  The reference list should be provided at the end of the manuscript, with entries arranged alphabetically by the surname of the first author.
  In the text, cite references using the author–date system, e.g., (Smith, 2020) or (Smith & Jones, 2021; Lee et al., 2022).
  Multiple works by the same author in the same year should be distinguished with lowercase letters (e.g., 2020a, 2020b).

  All references must follow the APA 7th Edition guidelines. Ensure that each reference cited in the text appears in the reference list and vice versa. Include DOIs or URLs when available.

• Examples of APA 7th Reference Style (Illustrative - refer to the SEI template and APA 7th style guides for comprehensive details):

  • Journal Article: Atmaja, R. J. (2025). Injury patterns and risk factors in high school futsal: An observational study. Sport, Exercise, and Injury, 1(1), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.56003/sei.v1i1.513

  • Book: Single Author: Flasiński, M. (2016). Introduction to artificial intelligence. Springer.

  • Book: Two or More Authors: Lucci, S., Musa, S. M., & Kopec, D. (2022). Artificial intelligence in the 21st century.

  • Chapter or Article in Edited Book: Cohen, P. R., & Feigenbaum, E. A. (Eds.). (2014). The handbook of artificial intelligence: Volume 3 (Vol. 3). Butterworth-Heinemann.

  • Conference Paper (Published in Proceedings): Gundersen, O. E., & Kjensmo, S. (2018, April). State of the art: Reproducibility in artificial intelligence. In Proceedings of the AAAI conference on artificial intelligence (Vol. 32, No. 1). doi: [DOI if available].

  • Conference Paper from Internet/Database: Lach, J. (2008, May). SBFS-steganography based file system. In 2008 1st International Conference on Information Technology (pp. 1-4). IEEE. doi: [DOI if available].

  • Unpublished Thesis/Dissertation: Dixon, M. W. (1999). Application of neural networks to solve the routing problem in communication networks (Doctoral dissertation, Murdoch University).

  • Website/Online Document:

    European Telecommunications Standards Institute. (1997). Digital video broadcasting (DVB): Implementation guidelines for DVB terrestrial services; transmission aspects (ETSI TR-101-190). European Telecommunications Standards Institute. Retrieved August 17, 1998, from http://www.etsi.org

18. AUTHOR(S) BIOGRAPHY

• A brief biographical statement for each author should be provided at the end of the manuscript.
• The biographical statement should include the author's full name.
• It is also appropriate to briefly discuss personal history relevant to their academic/professional career, current academic program and/or field placement, and primary research interests.
• The biographical statement for each named author may not exceed 75 words.
• A recent, high-quality photograph of each author may be requested at a later stage if the journal includes author photos (this should be clarified by the journal's final template/process).