Guide for Authors

Submission Guidelines

In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

In accordance with the aims and objectives of the journal, which includes international readership expansion, JFLR will henceforth consider only manuscripts that are written in two languages. The original language of the manuscript must be in Persian, which should also be translated into a second language (in keeping with the topic of the paper). Furthermore, the abstract, keywords, and references should also be translated into English and sent along with the two main versions (one in Persian and the other in the selected language).

It bears noting that, in accordance with JFLR’s new approach, the manuscript preparation guidelines have been updated, and, needless to add, the acceptance of the manuscripts is contingent upon the observance of the journal’s guidelines.

Author Declaration Form

Submission Preparation Checklist
General Rules of Publication and Authorship
Manuscript Preparation Guidelines
Publication Ethics
Peer Review Process

1. Submission Preparation Checklist

Please check off your submission’s compliance with all of the following items before submitting your manuscript:

The topic of your manuscript falls within the scope of JFLR.
Your manuscript adheres to the stylistic and bibliographic requirements outlined in the Submission Guidelines and is available in Microsoft Word file format on the journal’s online submission website.
Manuscripts are submitted in two versions, anonymous and non-anonymous.
Your manuscript is prepared, written, and submitted in compliance with the journal’s publishing ethics.
All co-authors approve the content and style of the submitted manuscript.

2. General Rules of Publication and Authorship

What JFLR publishes:

Research papers that comport with the aims and scope of JFLR and are well grounded in theoretical inquiries, as well as fresh, novel, and practical field studies, are considered for publication in JFLR.
Journal of Foreign Language Research is not merely a theoretical journal. Accordingly, research papers that address solely theoretical issues and lack the required field studies in one of the branches of language teaching and linguistics, or lack the comparative analysis required in translation studies or linguistics, are not considered for publication in JFLR. The conducted fieldwork should also be based on latest theories in the related fields.
Manuscripts must be written in Persian, following its writing rules and conventions.

Submission

Manuscripts must be submitted electronically on JFLR’s website at jflr.ut.ac.ir.
Manuscripts must be prepared in accordance with the guidelines and the template outlined by JFLR. The journal will not consider submissions that do not follow the provided instructions. Click here to download the template file.
Manuscripts should be typed and a 12-point B Lotus font in Microsoft Word file format is recommended as per JFLR’s outlined stylistic requirements.
Publication of manuscripts, as well as their placement in the order of publication, is contingent upon the editorial board’s examination and approval.
Journal of Foreign Language Research retains the right to accept, reject, or edit submitted manuscripts.
The names of the supervisor, qua the corresponding author, the reader(s), and the student are all registered as contributors upon publication of research papers that are based on theses or dissertations.
Every contributor, whether as a corresponding author or a co-author, can publish no more than one article in JFLR per year (once every four issues).
At least one previously published article in JFLR must be cited in submitted manuscripts.
At least 2/3 of the consulted sources must have been published later than the year 2000.
In order to ensure a double-blind review, any self-citations should be in the third person.
Please avoid misusing technical jargon. All the technical terms should be defined in plain language.
Scholars who wish to submit must first register as an author on JFLR’swebsite. Authors can track the progress of their submission through the system.
Crossref Similarity Check is used to screen submitted manuscripts for duplicated text and possible plagiarism. In case of plagiarism, all the contributors to the manuscript will be held accountable, and JFLR will not be able to consider for publication any future contributions submitted by them.
Along with the main file of the manuscript (prepared in accordance with the template), an anonymous version of the main file must be submitted.
The progress of submissions can be tracked only through the journal’sonline submission system.

Manuscript Preparation Guidelines

Please make sure the text adheres to the following guidelines:

Manuscripts are typed in a 12-point B Lotus font in Microsoft Word file format. The English version is typed in an 11-point Time New Roman font.
Headings (introduction, literature review, methodology, argument, conclusion, and references) are numbered (according to the list outlined below) using a 13-point B Lotus font in black, whereas the subheadings are typed in a 12-point B Lotus font in black and without numbers.
All headings and subheadings are separated from the previous section by a white line and are in bold type. The first line of each paragraph, except for the opening paragraph of each section, is indented.
A line spacing of 1.5 lines is used.
Page numbers are placed at the bottom of the page.
Manuscripts remain within the range of 5000-6000 words and should not exceed 20 pages of JFLR in length. Word count includes illustrations, figures, tables, footnotes, endnotes, and references. Manuscripts that exceed the recommended length will be returned to the authors for revision.
Manuscripts should be prepared in conformity with the grammatical and structural rules and regulations established by the Academy of Persian Language and Literature. Half-spaces should also be used.
All tables and figures are numbered and captioned (further explanation should be provided in the caption if need be). Numbers of all tables appear sequentially as follows: Table 1, Table 2. Captions are typed in an 11-point B Lotus font.
Charts and figures appear under a single heading entitled “Figures,” and captions are placed above each figure as follows: Figure 1, Figure 2. Captions are typed in an 11-point B Lotus font. It is recommended that charts and figures be drawn in Word so that possible difficulties with their configuration in the final version of the manuscript can be avoided. Figures should be in JPEG file format. Should the figures be illegible or of poor quality, they will be removed from the manuscript.
English equivalents of names and technical terms, as well as further explanation, should immediately follow the names and terms in parentheses based on number and first in-text citation.
Manuscripts should follow the referencing style and guidelines presented by the American Psychological Association (APA). In-text citations are placed within parentheses as follows: (Author’s last name, year of publication, page number(s)). Non-Persian sources are handled in the same fashion as the Persian ones. Please note that quotations that exceed 40 words should be indented 0.5 cm from the right margin (in a 12-point font size) without quotation marks as a block quotation. You can access APA referencing guidelines here.
Titles of books and journals are italicised, whereas articles, poems, short stories, and websites are placed within quotation marks.
Manuscripts should be presented in the following order:

I. Full title in Persian and English

II. Author’s full name, academic degree, affiliation, current position, city and country

III. Abstract (200-250 words) and keywords (5-7) in Persian and English

IV. Main text, comprised of introduction, literature review, research methodology, results, argument, analysis, and conclusion

V. References (in accordance with APA referencing style)

Sections

Manuscripts should contain the following sections:

1. Introduction

The introduction consists of thesis statement, specification of the significance and originality of the topic as well as of the study’s contribution, general research aims, research questions and hypotheses.

Literature Review

Literature review consists of the adopted theoretical framework and a review of current knowledge about the topic at issue, including substantial contributions and significant findings. In keeping with JFLR’s emphasis on the up-to-dateness of topics and studies, at least 2/3 of the consulted sources must have been published later than the year 2000.

Research Methodology

In linguistics and language teaching studies, this section involves the elaboration of the adopted research approach, data collection method, data abstraction and analysis, as well as fieldwork. In translation studies, the adopted translation approach must be explicated by the author(s).

Results, Argument, and Analysis

This section must be consonant with the research method(s) outlined in Section 3 and the theoretical framework of the study.

Conclusion

Conclusion consists of research findings, clarification, and suggested solutions.

References

References should be arranged alphabetically by authors’ last names. APA referencing style should be used for all Persian and English sources.

Books

Last name, first name/for English sources, first names are written as initials (year of publication). Title (edition, other than the first). Place of publication: publisher.

English example:

Woods, R. & Wolfe, S. (2020). Rethinking Verb Second. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Persian example:

دهمرده، مهدی، نعمتی لیمایی، امیر و حسینی، سیده ریحانه (1394). زبان های خارجی در گذر تاریخ ایران (از آغاز تا امروز). تهران: شرکت انتشارات علمی و فرهنگی.

Journal Articles

Last name, first name/for English sources, first names are written as initials (year of publication). Title of article. Journal title, volume/issue number, page numbers. Retrieval date for electronic journals.

English example:

Dahmardeh, M. & Dunbar, R. I. M. (2017). What Shall We Talk about in Farsi? Content of Everyday Conversations in Iran. Human Nature, 28(4), pp. 423-433.

Persian example:

ولی پور، علیرضا و شریفی، شلیر ابراهیم (1398). بررسی تداخل زبانی-فرهنگی در کاربرد پایدارهای مقایسه‌ای. پژوهشهای زبانشناختی در زبانهای خارجی، 9(4) ،346-323.

Chapter in an edited book

Last name, first name/for English sources, first names are written as initials (year of publication). Title of chapter. In E. E. Editor & F. F. Editor (Eds.), Title of work (page numbers of chapter). Place of publication: publisher.

English example:

Wolfe, S. (2020). Rethinking Medieval Romance V2. In R. Woods & S. Wolfe (Eds.), Rethinking Verb Second (pp. 281-304). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Electronic sources/webpage

Last name, first name/for English sources, first names are written as initials (Date of publication). Title. URL (Retrieval date).

Cook, V. (2020). What is applied linguistics? [Online] Available: http://www.viviancook.uk/Writings/Shorts/WhatisALl.htm (January 11, 2020).

Click here for more examples.

Publication Ethics

Research Integrity and Publishing Ethics at JFLR

The code of ethics followed by JFLR is a charter or a body of policies that outlines and demarcates the ethical principles and moral responsibilities concerning research activities, as well as their publication, in the journals, which are hereafter referred to as the journal. The foregoing code of ethics aims to prevent research misconduct, intentional or otherwise, on the part of the authors of submitted manuscripts.

The journal’s publishing ethics are based on the “Charter of Research Ethics and Standards” approved by the Deputy for Research and Technology, the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology of Iran. The adopted code of ethics also adheres to the internationally accepted publishing principles and, at the same time, draws on the journal’s reservoir of relevant experience as well as those of a number of other scholarly journals. Sources used for the preparation of JFLR’s publishing ethics are listed at the end.

Preface

Authors, reviewers, the editorial board, and the editor-in-chief are obliged to observe and follow the journal’s Research Integrity and Publishing Ethics Guidelines. Manuscript submissions by authors, reviewing and assessment by reviewers, and the ultimate decision reached by the editorial board and the editor-in-chief all presuppose full observance of these rights and policies. In the event of any violation of the principles by the foregoing parties, the journal is entitled to take appropriate legal action. The Charter of Research Ethics and Standards approved by the Deputy for Research and Technology must be consulted by authors, reviewers, and JFLR’s editorial board.

Authors’ Responsibilities

Submitted manuscripts must be within the scope of the journal. They should be conducted and organised in a systematic and coherent fashion in line with the journal’s guidelines.
Manuscripts must be the authors’ original research work. Anyidea or fact taken from an external source must be cited properly. Research must be conducted precisely and objectively, and data must be reported accurately.
Authors are solely responsible for the accuracy and authenticity of the contents of their manuscripts. Authors are required to ascertain the validity and precision of their research. The publication of a manuscript does not signify that JFLR endorses or affirms its contents.
Authors are required to avoid research and publication misconduct, as stated in Section 3.
Authors may not attempt duplicate submission. In other words, the manuscript or any part of it must not be published or under review for publication in any other journal.
Authors are not allowed to attempt overlapping publication—that is to say, the publication of the data or findings of their previously published articles with minor modifications as a new article.
Authors are required to carefully cite all the sources they use, and, if necessary, request the written permission of cited authors. When using another scholar’s verbatim quote, it should be placed within double quotation marks (“ ”).
The corresponding author is to insure that the name and contact information of all authors who have contributed to the manuscript are included. Gift authorship and ghost authorship are not permitted by the journal.
The corresponding author is required to insure that all the contributors read the manuscript and are in agreement about their roles in the conduct of their research study. The corresponding author must also insure that all co-authors are unanimous in submitting the manuscript.
Submission presupposes that authors have acknowledged their funding and grant-awarding bodies and have obtained their prior permission.
Authors are required to notify the journal whenever they notice an error in their manuscript and so take the necessary steps to correct the error or withdraw the manuscript altogether.
Authors are expected to keep possession of the samples and raw data utilised in their study for at least a year so as to be able to reply to possible questions and criticisms of readers.
Any danger posed to people or environment by the conducted research must be explicitly noted in the manuscript.
Authors are expected to collaborate with the journal in reviewing other manuscripts that are within their field of interest.

Unethical Practices in Research and Publication

Disclosure of any of the following practices during the process of submission, review, revision, or the publication of a manuscript amounts to unethical research and publication practices and entitles the journal to take legal action against the wrongdoer(s).

Fabrication: The intentional misrepresentation of research findings by fabricating data and passing them off as laboratory results of empirical studies and/or personal findings. False recording of unreal events or the transposition of the findings of previous studies are instances of fabrication.
Falsification: Misrepresentation of research findings by manipulating the details of its conduct or the process of data collection. Falsification also encompasses the omission or modification of data, or the exaggeration of minor results (juicy quotes), in an attempt to conceal the truth and preclude any potential disputes that might compromise the presented findings and thus redirect the study for personal interests.
Plagiarism: Duplication of other scholars’ ideas and observations, copying others’ viewpoints, structural similarities in composition and/or unacknowledged appropriation of others’ ideas and results by presenting them as one’s own original research work.
Ghost authorship: occurs when authors employ another writer for the conduct of research and then publish the study with minor modifications as their own original work.
Fabricated affiliations: a false claim of affiliation with an academic institution or research facility that had no involvement in the conduct of the study.
Re-submission of an article, overlapping publication, “gift authorship” or omitting the name of the real author are also among unethical practices in research and publication.

Reviewers’ Responsibility

Reviewers are to collaborate with the editor-in-chief and the editorial board in the qualitative, thematic, and scientific assessment of submitted manuscripts and thus contribute to the enhancement of their overall quality and contents.
Upon reading the abstract, the assigned reviewer is required to promptly notify the editor-in-chief of his or her decision as to whether he or she accepts the review assignment. Should the reviewer reject (on account of unavailability or the irrelevance of the topic to their area of specialisation), he or she is expected to help the editor-in-chief to choose another reviewer.
Reviewers are required to be qualified experts and specialists in the same subject area as that of the assigned manuscripts. Reviewers must not agree to review manuscripts that do not match their area of expertise. It is also advised that reviewers refuse to review manuscripts with whose subject matter they are in fundamental disagreement, as it would prevent them from providing an unbiased appraisal of such manuscripts.
Reviewers must not agree to review manuscripts that seek to advance the interests of specific individuals, institutions, and companies or contain personal relationships.
Reviewers must not review manuscripts in whose conduct, data analysis, or composition they have collaborated.
If a review assignment is accepted, reviewers are required to prepare their expert views and revisionary comments in plain words, which are advisably supplemented by textual evidence and, subsequently, present them to the editor-in-chief and the authors before the set deadline. Careful examination of references, tables, figures, and notes is also part of reviewers’ responsibility.
Peer review must be according to scientific evidence and sufficient justification. Any personal, institutional, racial, and/or religious remarks must be eschewed in the assessment of a manuscript.
Reviewers are expected to provide the editor-in-chief, along with the author(s), with their evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages of the assigned manuscript in a constructive, clear, and instructive manner, accompanied by sufficient analysis and suggestions for revision.
Reviewers are expected to be responsible, accessible, punctual, conscientious, keen, ethical, and principled. Reference to authentic sources, fairness, courtesy, impartiality, avoidance of premature judgment or rash conclusions, along with coherent expression of views with respect to the suitability of the assigned manuscript for publication in JFLR, are also among reviewers’ expected characteristics and stipulated obligations.
If the assigned manuscript is theoretically solid and clear in expression, the reviewer is expected to avoid rewriting or revising it based on his or her personal preferences and priorities. It must be noted that the journal seeks the reviewers’ expertise rather than their editing and proofreading services.
Reviewers are required to verify full citation of every source and quotation used in the assigned manuscript. Additionally, reviewers are expected to mention related studies not cited in the manuscript to the author(s).
Reviewers must consider the contents of assigned manuscripts confidential and avoid sharing or discussing them with others.
Reviewers are not allowed to use the data or new findings of an assigned manuscript for or against their or others’ studies and discredit or criticise other researchers before the publication of the assigned manuscript. Furthermore, reviewers are not authorised to disclose any further details other than what is published by the journal after the publication of the manuscript.
Unless the permission of the editor-in-chief is obtained, reviewers are not authorised to assign the task of manuscript peer review to another person(s), such as colleagues or graduate students. The name of anyone who has collaborated in the task must be registered in the journal’s archive as well as the review report submitted to the editor-in-chief.
Reviewers are not allowed to contact authors of assigned manuscripts directly. Contact must be made only via the journal’s office.
It is expected that reviewers endeavour to submit their reports on unethical practices in research and publication, along with corroborative evidence, to the editor-in-chief with due diligence and consideration.

Editorial Board’s Responsibilities

The assignment of reviewers and the acceptance or rejection of a submitted manuscript following the reception of reviewers’ comments are among the responsibilities of the editor-in-chief and the editorial board.
The editor-in-chief and the editorial board must be professional experts in their respective fields and have authored numerous published articles. They are expected to be responsible, accessible, conscientious, fair, impartial, scrupulous, considerate and respectful of others’ rights. The editor-in-chief and the editorial board are also required to dutifully contribute toward the achievement of the goals of JFLR and its ongoing development.
The editor-in-chief and the editorial board are expected to establish a database of qualified reviewers and update it regularly according to their performance.
The editor-in-chief and the editorial board must strive to choose competent reviewers based on their area of expertise, eminence, work experience, and integrity. They are also expected to comply with authors’ reasonable, well-founded requests that their manuscript not be reviewed by a particular reviewer.
The editor-in-chief must encourage thorough, well-grounded assessments, prevent superficial, hasty reviews, and confront reviewers about biased, unfounded, or derisive comments.
The editor-in-chief and the editorial board are required to take the necessary steps to record and archive reviewers’ reports as academic records and keep the names of assigned reviewers confidential.
Decisions as to whether submitted manuscripts should be accepted or rejected must be reached based on the evaluation of reviewers’ expert comments, their validation, corroborative textual evidence, and sufficient justification. No personal, institutional, racial, and/or religious bias must influence the decision.
The editor-in-chief and the editorial board are required to promptly notify the corresponding author of their final decision on a submitted manuscript.
The editor-in-chief and the editorial board must consider the contents of submitted manuscripts confidential and avoid sharing or discussing them with others.
The editor-in-chief and the editorial board are not allowed to use the data or new findings of an assigned manuscript for or against their or others’ studies and discredit or criticise other researchers before the publication of the assigned manuscript. Furthermore, the editor-in-chief and the editorial board are not authorised to disclose any further details other than what is published by the journal after the publication of the manuscript. The only exception, which is, nevertheless, contingent upon plausible evidence, would be inspection of articles for any potentially unethical practices in research and publication committed by authors.
The editor-in-chief and the editorial board are required to prevent any conflict of interests in the review process based on personal, commercial, academic, or financial relations, which might potentially affect the acceptance and publication of submitted manuscripts.
The editor-in-chief and the editorial board must encourage reviewers to carefully examine submitted manuscripts in terms of originality and the presence/absence of unethical practices in research and publication.
The editor-in-chief is required to carefully study the manuscript of the author who is accused of breaching research and publication ethics and take appropriate action according to the steps outlined under the section entitled “The Procedure for Handling Unethical Research and Publication Practices” below.
The editor-in-chief must not stop short of taking legal action against proven wrongdoer(s) following the rejection of the manuscript and is required to see the procedure through, while affording the accused author(s) a reasonable opportunity to explain their conduct.
The editor-in-chief is required to promptly remove published articles that are proven to contain unethical practices in research and publication and fully apprise readers and involved databases of the incident.
The editor-in-chief and the editorial board are required to promptly examine and publish revisions and notify readers of the occurrence of misconduct in published articles.
The editor-in-chief and the editorial board are expected to encourage and publish valid and well-grounded criticisms of published articles.
The editor-in-chief and the editorial board must consistently solicit the views of authors, readers, and reviewers about plans of action conducive to the development of the journal’s publication policies as well as its formal and thematic quality.

Responsibilities of JFLR’s Editorial Office

The editorial office is responsible for editing, layout, typography, and finally the publication of accepted manuscripts in print or digital format.

The following are among the responsibilities of JFLR’s editorial office:

The editorial office is expected to establish and announce the journal’s publication policies particularly in regard to the editorial board’s independent decision-making, publication ethics, intellectual property and copyright protection, conflict of interests, the responsibilities of authors, reviewers, the editor-in-chief and the editorial board, the review process, complaints and appeals for reconsideration, the archival of documents pertaining to the editorial decision-making process, authors’ and reviewers’ information, revision or elimination of accepted manuscripts, and conflict resolution between plaintiffs and defendants over allegations of unethical practices in research and publication.
The editorial office must endeavour to complete the editing, layout, and publication process with utmost care and within the shortest possible period of time.
The editorial office is expected to protect and keep confidential authors’ personal information as well as the contents of submitted manuscripts during and after the peer review process and avoid sharing any information other than what is published by the journal following the acceptance of a given manuscript. The only exception, which is, nevertheless, contingent upon plausible evidence, would be inspection of articles for any potentially unethical practices in research and publication committed by authors.
The editorial office must preserve the independence of the editor-in-chief and the editorial board.
The editorial office is required to provide the editor-in-chief, the editorial board, and reviewers with comprehensive guidelines and instructions to assist them in the proper fulfilment of their responsibilities.
The editorial office is required to provide authors with adequate instructions on how to enhance the formal and thematic quality of manuscripts and carefully observe the ethical guidelines on research and publication.
The editorial office is expected to collaborate with the editor-in-chief in enforcing thorough compliance with the highest levels of ethical standards in research and publication and insuring against formal and thematic errors.
The editorial office is expected to collaborate with the editor-in-chief in investigating allegations of unethical practices in research and publication and offer expert counsel to plaintiffs and defendants, if need be.
The editorial office is expected to consider requests for permission to use the contents of JFLR’s published articles in other publications with full citation.

The Procedure for Handling Unethical Research and Publication Practices

The editorial office receives a written allegation from a natural/legal person.
The editorial board holds a meeting with the representative of the UT Publication Centre for a preliminary investigation of the allegation.
The editorial board collects and assesses available evidence and writes up the minutes of the meeting, which includes the decision reached on the legitimacy and credibility of the allegation.
The editorial board sends the written allegation to the accused authors and requests a reply within the appointed time limit.
The editorial board examines the accused authors’ reply in a board meeting conducted in the presence of the representative of the UT Publication Centre in order to reach a final decision.
The editorial board sends its final decision, accompanied by suggested punitive measures (should the allegation be sustained), to the plaintiff and the defendant.
The editorial board notifies the highest-ranking authority at the offenders’ affiliated institution.

Peer Review Process

A manuscript submitted to JFLR undergoes the following process:

The manuscript is received via the journal’s online submission system.
An initial assessment is carried out by the editorial board, which involves the preliminary evaluation of the manuscript in terms of its composition as per the style, format, and preparation instructions provided in the journal’s Submission Guidelines. The manuscript is then reviewed by at least two members of the editorial board in terms of its quality.
The manuscript is sent to at least two reviewers who are expert in the related field of study.
Following the reviewer assignment, peer review process will take an average of three months.
A decision letter will be emailed to the corresponding author with the following range of possible outcomes: Rejection, major revision, minor revision, or acceptance without revision.