Submissions

Submission Preparation Checklist

• The submission has not been previously published, nor is it before another journal for consideration (or an explanation has been provided in Comments to the Editor).
• The submission file is in OpenOffice, Microsoft Word, or RTF document file format.
• Where available, URLs for the references have been provided.
• The text is single-spaced; uses a 12-point font; employs italics, rather than underlining (except with URL addresses); and all illustrations, figures, and tables are placed within the text at the appropriate points, rather than at the end.
• The text adheres to the stylistic and bibliographic requirements outlined in the Author Guidelines.

Author Guidelines

Digital Business Ecosystem Journal publishes original research within its focus and scope. Authors must adhere to the following guidelines to ensure smooth processing and publication of their manuscripts.

1. Manuscript Submission

• Manuscripts must be submitted via the online submission system.
• The manuscript must be original, unpublished, and not under review elsewhere.
• Authors must use the official journal template, which can be downloaded here: DBEJ Template.
• Manuscripts that do not follow the template will be returned for revision before further processing.

2. Manuscript Structure

Please follow the order below when preparing your manuscript:

1. Manuscripts must be in Microsoft Word format (.docx)
2. Title page (Title, Author(s), Affiliations, Corresponding Author's Contact)
3. Running head (Up to 65 characters)
4. Abstract
5. Keywords
6. Main text (Introduction, Literature Review, Method, Results, Discussion, Conclusion)
7. Acknowledgments (if applicable)
8. References
9. Figures and Tables (if applicable)

Abstract and Keywords

• Abstract: Provide an abstract of no more than 250 words, summarizing the research purpose, methodology, key findings, and conclusion.
• Keywords: Include up to six keywords that capture the main topics of the paper.

Main Text

The main text should be organized as follows:

1. Introduction

• Review the key theories, models, and concepts relevant to the research topic.
• Present a synthesis of previous research (empirical studies) related to the problem being investigated.
• Identify the research gap that your study intends to fill.
• Formulate hypotheses (if applicable) based on the literature review.

2. Literature Review

• Provide the background and significance of the research topic.
• Clearly identify the research problem and objective of the study.
• Justify the need for the research and explain its contribution to the field.

3. Method

• Describe the research methods in sufficient detail to allow replication of the study.
• Specify the data collection and analysis techniques used.
• Reference sources using APA 6th Edition style.

4. Results

• Present the main findings of the study.
• Organize the results to highlight key patterns observed in the data.
• Summarize results using tables and figures with appropriate captions and numbering.

5. Discussion

• Interpret the findings in relation to the research objectives.
• Compare the results with previous studies, addressing both similarities and differences.
• Discuss the broader implications for theory, practice, or policy.
• Acknowledge any limitations and propose future research directions.

6. Conclusion

• Summarize the key findings and their relevance to the field.
• Reflect on the implications of the research and its practical applications.

Figures, Tables, and Illustrations

• Figures and tables should be numbered consecutively in the order in which they appear in the text (e.g., Figure 1, Table 1).
• Ensure all figures and tables are complete and clearly labeled.
• Submit all figures and tables in the manuscript (do not submit them as separate files).
• Illustrations must be submitted electronically in high resolution (preferably .jpg, .png, or .tif).
• If the figure contains subparts, label them as Figure 1a, Figure 1b, etc.

References

• Follow the APA 6th Edition referencing style for citations and reference list.
• For in-text citations, cite all authors for the first mention, and use et al. for subsequent citations when there are three or more authors.
• Ensure that DOIs are included where available.
• Ensure the reference list is in alphabetical order.
• At least 80% of references must be from the last 10 years.

Permissions

• Authors must obtain the necessary permissions to use any copyrighted material (such as figures, tables, images, etc.) not originally created by them.
• All permissions must be secured before submitting the manuscript.

Final Submission

• Submit your final manuscript as a Microsoft Word document.
• Ensure the document is properly formatted and free of typographical errors.
• Once accepted for publication, authors will be required to sign a Copyright Transfer Agreement.

References List

All references should be formatted according to the APA 6th Edition style, and should be in alphabetical order. Below are the general guidelines for citing different types of sources:

Books

Author(s). (Year). Title of the book (Edition if applicable). Publisher.
Example:
Smith, J. A. (2005). Digital Business Ecosystem Models. Academic Press.

Journal Articles

Author(s). (Year). Title of the article. Title of the Journal, Volume(Issue), page range. DOI (if available).
Example:
Brown, L., & Green, K. (2010). Innovations in digital business ecosystems. Journal of Digital Business, 12(4), 200–215. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdb.2010.05.001

Conference Proceedings

Author(s). (Year). Title of the paper. In Proceedings of the [Conference Name] (pp. page range). Publisher.
Example:
White, M., & Lee, S. (2012). The role of AI in digital ecosystems. In Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Digital Business (pp. 80–92). Springer.

Websites

Author(s). (Year, Month Date). Title of the webpage. Website Name. URL
Example:
Smith, L. (2018, June 20). Understanding the digital business ecosystem. Tech Business Insights. https://www.techbusinessinsights.com/digital-ecosystem

Reports and Working Papers

Author(s). (Year). Title of the report (Report No. if applicable). Publisher. URL (if available).
Example:
Jones, A. M. (2019). Digital transformation in business ecosystems: A global overview (Report No. 231). Digital Business Institute. https://www.dbi.com/reports/2019/global-overview

Citing Multiple Authors

• Two authors: Always cite both names every time the source is referenced.
  Example: (Smith & Johnson, 2020)
• Three to five authors: List all authors in the first citation. For subsequent citations, use the first author’s surname followed by "et al.".
  Example:
  First citation: (Brown, Green, & White, 2019)
  Subsequent citations: (Brown et al., 2019)
• Six or more authors: Use the first author’s surname followed by "et al." in all citations.
  Example: (Harris et al., 2020)

Examples of Text Citations

• Direct Citation:
  "Digital business ecosystems are transforming the way organizations collaborate" (Smith & Johnson, 2020, p. 15).
• Paraphrasing:
  Digital ecosystems are reshaping organizational collaboration (Smith & Johnson, 2020).

Format for Reference List:

• All references must be in hanging indent format.
• Ensure that all DOIs are provided where available, and URLs should be active.

References should be listed alphabetically by author's surname

Copyright Notice

Authors who publish in Digital Business Ecosystem Journal agree to the following terms:

1. Author Rights and Copyright Ownership

• Authors retain full copyright over their published work.
• Authors grant Digital Business Ecosystem Journal the right of first publication with the work licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license.

2. License and Distribution

• Published articles are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License.
• This license allows anyone to:
  • Share (copy and redistribute the material in any format).
  • Adapt (remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially).
• Proper attribution to the original authors and journal must be provided when using the work.

3. Author's Right to Share and Reuse

• Authors are permitted to:
  • Deposit their published articles in institutional repositories, personal websites, or academic networks.
  • Use the article in future works, books, lectures, or conference presentations, with proper citation.
• Authors may distribute pre-print or post-print versions, provided they acknowledge the final published version in Digital Business Ecosystem Journal.

4. Editorial and Publishing Rights

• By submitting their manuscript, authors agree that the journal has the right to format, archive, and distribute the work while ensuring its proper indexing and citation.
• The journal reserves the right to withdraw or retract articles in case of ethical violations, plagiarism, or academic misconduct.

5. Disclaimer

• The views and opinions expressed in published articles are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the journal or its editors.
• The journal shall not be held responsible for any inaccuracies, errors, or ethical breaches in published works.