1. General Requirements for Manuscripts

Manuscripts submitted to the Ho Chi Minh City Open University Journal of Science (HCMCOUJS) must fully satisfy the following general requirements:

1.1. Originality and Unpublished Status

The manuscript must be an original research work that has not previously been published in any form (print, online, or full peer-reviewed conference proceedings). The manuscript must not be under simultaneous review at any other journal or publisher.

1.2. Alignment with the Journal's Aims and Scope

The research content must fall within the academic scope and disciplinary focus of the relevant member journal under HCMCOUJS. The article must demonstrate a clear academic contribution and scientific or practical value.

1.3. Academic Quality and Research Methodology

The research must be grounded in an appropriate theoretical foundation and scientific methodology. Data, methods, analysis, and conclusions must be presented clearly, logically, and in a verifiable manner.

1.4. Compliance with Research and Publication Ethics

No plagiarism, self-plagiarism, duplicate publication, or salami slicing of research results is permitted. For research involving human subjects or animals, approval from an ethics committee must be obtained where applicable. Full compliance with the Publication Ethics and Research Integrity Policy and with COPE/ICMJE standards is required.

1.5. Transparency of Data and Research Information

The data source, and the methods of data collection and processing, must be clearly stated. Authors must be prepared to provide raw data, code, or supplementary materials upon request from the Editorial Office.

1.6. Compliance with Authorship Requirements and Unified Disclosures and Statements

2. Manuscript Format and Structure

Manuscripts submitted to HCMCOUJS must be presented completely and consistently, and must meet the Journal's format and structure requirements:

2.1. Overall Manuscript Structure

The manuscript must be organized according to a standard scientific structure. For original research articles and review articles, the minimum structure includes: Title; Abstract and Keywords; Main Content; Acknowledgements (if any); Required Disclosures and Statements; References; and Appendices and Supplementary Materials (if any). For other article types, authors may refer to Article Types and Manuscript Structure for details.

2.2. Title

The article title must not exceed 20 words, and must be concise, accurate, and reflect the research content precisely.

2.3. Abstract and Keywords

• The abstract must clearly reflect the study's objective, methodology, key results, and notable contribution;
• The abstract must be at least 150 words and must not exceed 250 words;
• Keywords must consist of 4–6 words, carefully selected to effectively support indexing and searchability;
• All articles, including those written in Vietnamese, must include an abstract and keywords in English;
• Manuscripts in the field of Economics must provide 3–5 three-level JEL codes.

2.4. Main Content

Original research articles must present new, original research findings based on a clearly defined research question, an appropriate methodology, valid data, rigorous analysis, and well-supported conclusions. Review articles must synthesize, evaluate, and interpret previously published academic literature on a given topic, concept, theory, policy issue, or field of research. Authors may refer to Article Types and Manuscript Structure for details.

2.5. Acknowledgements

Authors must transparently acknowledge individuals, organizations, or institutions that provided academic, technical, administrative, or professional support for the research but do not meet the criteria for authorship. Acknowledgements must not be used to conceal genuine authorship or to substitute for the disclosure of contributions under CRediT.

2.6. Disclosures and Statements

Authors must fully, honestly, and consistently complete all disclosures and statements required by the Journal, using the Unified Author Disclosure Form. These must be consistent with the information provided in the Cover Letter. The main manuscript must include the following disclosures and statements:

2.6.1. Scientific Contribution of the Article. Authors must clearly describe the article's principal scientific and/or practical contribution, addressing one or more of the following aspects: a new research problem, research question, or hypothesis; a novel element in theory, method, data, or approach; new results or findings; scientific, managerial, policy-related, or practical implications. The content disclosed must be truthful, verifiable, and consistent with the Cover Letter.

2.6.2. Authorship and Individual Author Contributions. Authors must ensure that all listed authors meet the ICMJE/COPE authorship criteria; there must be no honorary or ghost authors. Each author's contribution must be disclosed according to the 14 CRediT roles in the Unified Author Disclosure Form and must be consistent with the statement in the Cover Letter.

2.6.3. Funding and Financial Support. Authors must fully disclose all funding sources, financial support, or material benefits related to the research and its publication, and must clearly state the role of the funding body, if any, in the study design, data collection, analysis, writing, and the decision to publish.

2.6.4. Conflicts of Interest. Authors must disclose any conflicts of interest, whether financial or non-financial, that could influence, or be perceived to influence, the objectivity of the research. Where no conflict of interest exists, authors must explicitly state that there is no conflict of interest.

2.7. References

• The reference list must be presented separately, placed after the required statements and before the Appendices/Supplementary Materials;
• The heading “References” must be presented in bold and left-aligned (HCMCOUJS requirement);
• The reference list must include only sources cited within the body of the article, formatted according to APA 7th edition, arranged alphabetically by author surname, unnumbered, and using a 1.27 cm hanging indent;
• Citing reputable, peer-reviewed, retrievable sources with a DOI is strongly encouraged;
• Research articles must include 25 or more references.

2.8. Appendices and Supplementary Materials

• Providing research data, source code, and supplementary materials is strongly encouraged to enhance the transparency and reproducibility of the research; this is considered a positive factor in the review and publication selection process;
• The provision and disclosure of data must be consistent with the other required statements;
• Where data cannot be shared, authors must state a valid justification in accordance with the Journal's requirements.

3. Author Guidelines on Manuscript Formatting Requirements

All manuscripts submitted to the Journal must strictly comply with the formatting requirements. Manuscripts that do not meet the formatting standards will be rejected. Authors should refer to the Author Guidelines on Manuscript Formatting Requirements for details.