FORMATTING YOUR ARTICLE

ARTICLE COMPONENTS
Abstract

Structured abstract must be brief, comprehensive summary of the contents of the article.
It allows readers to survey the contents of an article quickly. Manuscript in Bahasa
Melayu must include title and structured abstract in English. An Abstract summarizes
the major aspects of a paper. It should succinctly summarize the purpose of the paper,
the methods used, the major results, and the author’s impretations and conclusions (see
MJLI structured abstract below).

Purpose
• Bold face 11- point. Text should not be bold.
• Reason/aims of paper.
• State the background of the study.

Method
• Methodology/”how it was done’/scope of study.
• State the selection and numbers of participant.
• State the design and procedures used, including the intervention or experimental
manipulations and the primary outcome measures.

Findings
• State the main results of the study. Numerical data may be included but should be
kept to a minimum.
• State the conclusions that can be drawn from the data provided and their
implications (if appropriate)- impact on society

Significance
Who would benefit from this and what is new about it?

Keywords
List up not more than 7 key words.
 SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Cover Letter

Enclose a letter when submitting an article. Include the following:-

• Telephone number; e-mail address and mailing address for future correspondence.
• State that the manuscript has not been published, and is not under consideration for
publication elsewhere. (A manuscript already sent to or accepted for any other
publication should not be submitted)

Paper
• Type the manuscript or print it on one side of A4 paper.
• Each manuscript should not exceed 25 pages.
• Manuscripts should be written as accurately as possible and should be typed in
double-spacing.
• Manuscript in Bahasa Malaysia must include title and structured abstract in English.

Typeface
• 11-pt Times.

Margins

• Leave margins of at least 1 in. (2.54 cm) at the top, bottom, left and right every page.

Page Numbers

• Number all pages in Roman numerals in the upper right-hand corner.

Paragraph and Indentation

• Indent the first line of every paragraph and the first line of every footnote.
Exceptions to these requirements are:
(a) First paragraph in the text.
(b) The abstract.
(c) Block Quotations.
(d) Titles and Headings.
(e) Table Titles and Notes.
(f) Figure Captions.

Uppercase and Lowercase Letter

• The parts of a manuscript typed in uppercase and lowercase letters are:

(a) Most elements on the title page (not the running head of publication)
(b) Page labels (Abstract, Footnotes, etc)
(c) Table titles
(d) Some elements of the reference list
Spacing and Punctuation

• Space once after all punctuation as follows:

(a) A comma, colon and semicolons
(b) After punctuation marks at the ends of sentences

Quotations
• Short quotations- quotation of fewer than 40 words should be incorporated into the text
and enclosed by double quotation marks (“ ”)
• Long Quotation- Display quotation of 40 or more words in a double-spaced block of
typewritten lines with no quotation marks. Do not single space. Indent five to seven
spaces from the left margin.

Heading of Manuscript

PRIMARY HEADING - Font size 11, centered, bold, and with all uppercase letters. For
example: -

INTRODUCTION
MATERIALS AND METHODS
RESULT AND DISCUSSION
CONCLUSION
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
REFERENCES

Secondary headings- font size 11, flush left, bold, with uppercases, and lowercase letters of
each word. For example: -
Attracting a Demand for Municipals Bonds
Attracting a Supply of Municipal Bonds

Tertiary headings – font size 11, indented, bold and with lowercase paragraph. For example:
Investor familiarity and confidence.
Borrowing costs.

Forth headings – font size 11, indented, bold, italic and with lowercase paragraph. For
example:
Investor familiarity and confidence
Borrowing costs
Title Page
The title page contains only the title, byline and institutional affiliation.
Title
• Type the title in uppercase letters, boldface, centered between the left and right margins
and positioned in the upper half of the page. Double-spacing between the lines.

Byline
• Type the name of the authors in the order of their contribution using uppercase and
lowercase letters, boldface, centered between the side margins, one double space line
below the title.

Institutional affiliation
• Type the institutional affiliation, centered under the author’s name, on the next double
space line, using uppercase and lowercase letters.

First page of article

• For the purpose of blind review, no author identification should appear on the first page
of the article. Begin with the full title (as on the title page), then the abstract.

Text
• The first paragraph text begins with no indent.

Tables and Tables Titles, Notes, and Figures

Tables Titles, and Headings.

• Type the word Table and its Roman numeral flush left at the top of the table.(e.g. Table 1)
• Place the table caption below the table title, flush left and italic.
e.g.:

Table 1
Proportion of Errors and Younger and Older Groups

• Use uppercase and lowercase letters for the title of tables.

• If the title is longer than one line, double space between the lines and begin subsequent
lines centered under the first line.
• Table caption must briefly explain the contents of the table.
 Table Notes
•Double-space all notes at the end of the table flush left.
• Use font 9-pt Times.

Figures and Figure Caption

• Label Figure Caption, in uppercase and lowercase letters, below of the page.
• Begin each caption flush left, and type the word Figure, italic followed by the
appropriate number. (E.g. Figure 2…)
• Capitalizing the initial letter of the principles words

Acknowledgement

Any acknowledgments by the author may appear here. The Acknowledgments of people, grants,
funds, etc. should be brief and concise. For example:
 Single grant-
This work was supported by the __________ (Name of the Grant) _________ (Grant
number, year).

 Multiple grants- separated by comma and space.

This work was supported by the Name of the Grant1 [grant numbers xxx, year]; Name of
the Grant2 [grant number yyy, year]; and Name of the Grant3 [grant number aaa, year].

 If Services and Facilities involved:

Example: The authors gratefully acknowledge use of service and facilities of the
Human-Centered Computing Research lab at Unviersiti Utara Malaysia, funded by
Prototype Research Grant Scheme, Ministry of Higher Education [grant number and
year].

 Non-funded
This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public,
commercial, or not-for profit sectors.

References

• Type the word References in an uppercase letters and center.

• Only works cited in the text should be provided at the end of the text arranged in
alphabetical order
• Double-space all references entries.
• Follow the APA style 6th ed. Please refer to the APA manual for details (guides are also
available online).
• APA publishes references in a hanging indent format, meaning that the first line of each
reference is set flush left and subsequent lines are indented. Some examples are given
below:
a. Books :
e.g. Tanenbaum, A.S. (2003). Computer networks (4th ed.). New Jersey:
Prentice Hall.

b. Journal :
e.g. Ziegler, J. (2006). Do differences in brain activation challenge the universal
theories of dyslexia? Brain and Language, 98, 341-343.

c. Journal article with DOI

e.g. Herbst-Damm, K.L., & Kulik, J.A. (2005). Volunteer support, marital status, and the
survival times of terminally ill patients. Health Psychology, 24, 225-229. doi:
10.1037/0278-6133.24.2.225

d. Journal article without DOI

e.g. Sillick, T.J., & Schutte, N.S. (2006). Emotional intelligence and self-esteem mediate
between perceived early parental love and adult happiness. E-Journal of Applied
Psychology, 2(2), 38-48. Retrieved from http://ojs.lib.swin.edu.au/index.php/ejap

e. Articles in edited books

McNay, I. (1995). From the collegial academy to corporate enterprise: The changing
cultures of universities. In Schuler, T. (Ed.), The changing university (pp. 105-15).
Milton Keynes: Society for Research into Higher Education and Open University
Press.

f. Published Conference Proceedings :

e.g. Deci, E.L., & Ryan, R.M. (1991). A motivational approach to self: Integration in
personality. In R. Dienstbier (Ed.), Nebraska Symposium on Motivation: Vol. 38.
Perspective on motivation (pp. 237-288). Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.

g. Unpublished Conference Proceedings:

e.g. Lanktree,C., & Briere, J. (1991), January). Early data on the Trauma Symptom
Checklist for Children (TSC-C). Paper presented at the meeting of the American
Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, San Diego, CA.

h. Newspaper Articles
e.g. Schwartz, J. (1993, September 30). Obesity affects economics, social status. The
Washington Post, pp. A1, A4.

i. Electronic Sources:
e.g. Shotton, M.A. (1989). Computer addiction? A study of computer dependency
(DX Readerversion). Retrieved from http://ww.ebookstore.tandf.co.uk/html/index.asp.
London, England: Taylor & Francis.

j. Working Papers
e.g. Moizer, P. (2003, March). How published academic research can inform policy
 decisions: The case of mandatory rotation of audit appointments. Working paper,
Leeds University Business School, University of Leeds, Leeds.

k. Unpublished dissertation or thesis

e.g. Author, A.A. (2012). Title of doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis (Unpublished
doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis). Name of Institution, Location.