Technical Requirements for Manuscript Preparation

Parameter	Requirement
Language of publication	English
Manuscript file format	MS Word (*.doc, *.docx)
Page orientation	Portrait
Page size	A4
Article length	Minimum 4000 words, including figures and references
Font	Calibri
Font size	12 pt
Line spacing	Single (1.0)
Margins	2 cm on all sides
Paragraph indent	1.27 cm
Text alignment	Justified
References	Provided in Ukrainian and English
UDC index	Aligned to the left
Article title	No more than 12 words; centered; sentence case; bold
Author details	Centered; full first names and surnames must be provided

Tables, Figures, Graphs, and Equations

• must be numbered and placed after the first reference to them in the text;
• notes must be placed directly below the corresponding table, figure, or graph;
• all abbreviations must be defined at first mention in the text;
• equations must be created using Equation Editor;
• mathematical variables in the text must be italicized in accordance with the equations;
• figures and graphs must be centered; text wrapping around images is not allowed;
• all physical quantities must be presented in accordance with the International System of Units (SI). A space must be placed between units of measurement, symbols, and the numbers to which they refer.

Author Information

The following information must be provided for each author:

• first name and surname;
• academic degree and position of each author;
• structural unit of the institution where the author works;
• full official name and legal address of the author’s institution;
• contact email address;
• ORCID.

Types of Articles

The Editorial Board of the journal “Social Development and Security” accepts and publishes the following types of articles:

• Empirical/theoretical article — an article structured according to the IMRaD format and presenting the results of original research: quantitative data, analysis of legal and statistical sources, author’s calculations, methodologies, or recommendations. Articles of this type must include an original interpretation of the obtained results.
• Review article — an article whose structure is determined by its content and in which, based on a systematic analysis of scientific literature, new theoretical propositions are formulated and existing approaches, theories, and concepts are critically examined.
• Analytical and policy-oriented papers — articles focused on the analysis of policies, strategies, and management decisions in the field of security and defense, containing well-grounded recommendations for practical application and public policy development.

Structural Elements by Article Type

Structural element	Empirical/theoretical article	Review article
Abstract and keywords	Required	Required
Introduction	Required	Required
Literature review	Required	Optional
Materials and methods	Required	Briefly described in the Introduction
Results	Required	Structured
Discussion	Required	Optional or integrated into thematic sections
Conclusions	Required	Required
Acknowledgements, funding, conflict of interest, and AI use	Required	Required
References	Required	Required

Important! The journal accepts manuscripts in English and Ukrainian. For all articles, regardless of the language of the full text, metadata (title, abstract, keywords, affiliations, references) must be provided in English. For Ukrainian-language manuscripts, a full structured abstract in English of 200–300 words is required.

Requirements for Section Content

Abstract

The abstract must be informative, structured, and concise. It should reflect the relevance of the study, purpose, research methods, obtained results, theoretical and practical value of the study, and article type. The abstract should be 200–300 words. The abstract must not contain abbreviations, footnotes, or references.

Example of an Abstract

Purpose. Based on the concept of dynamic managerial capabilities, a model is developed that integrates managerial human and social capital, as well as managerial cognition, within the structure of an organization’s dynamic capabilities.

Method. The study is empirical in nature and is conducted in the context of the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine, focusing on the analysis of the non-profit sector operating in a highly dynamic environment. Data were collected through a quantitative survey involving 70 respondents: enlisted personnel, non-commissioned officers, and senior officers.

Findings. The proposed model establishes a direct relationship between an organization’s dynamic capabilities and dynamic managerial capabilities. The latter are structured as follows: managerial competence (human capital), effectiveness of interaction within the management team (social capital), and alignment of the manager’s individual goals with organizational goals (managerial cognition).

Theoretical implications. The study extends the theory of dynamic managerial capabilities by substantiating the role of dynamic managerial capabilities in shaping organizational dynamic capabilities, as well as the mediating role of managerial social capital in the relationship between human capital, managerial cognition, and organizational dynamic capabilities.

Practical implications. The practical value of the study lies in the possibility of applying the proposed model to improve management effectiveness in organizations operating under conditions of high uncertainty and dynamic change, particularly in the security and defense sector and in non-profit organizations.

Originality/value. The study demonstrates the potential for practical application of strategic management theory in the activities of non-profit organizations operating under conditions of increased risk and substantiates the role of managerial capabilities in ensuring their effectiveness.

Limitations/future research. The study opens prospects for further research into the dynamic capabilities of organizations across different sectors and requires an expanded sample and the application of mixed research methods.

Article type: empirical.

Keywords

Keywords are 5–7 words or phrases related to the research topic. They must not duplicate the article title or consist of overly general words.

Introduction

This section presents the current state of the research problem at the global level and analyzes recent studies and publications with references to relevant scholarly sources from the last 3–5 years. The relevance, purpose, research tasks, and scientific novelty of the study must be justified. References must be provided in parentheses. No more than three sources should be cited in a single reference.

Literature Review

This section should contain an analysis of scientific works devoted to specific aspects of the research topic. Each researcher mentioned must be accompanied by a corresponding reference from the reference list.

Materials and Methods

This section describes the main stages of the research and justifies the choice of methods, techniques, approaches, or procedures aimed at obtaining new scientific results. Strategies and criteria for sample formation should be explained if the article contains an empirical component, and the experimental basis of the study should be specified. The methodology must be presented in such a way that other researchers can replicate the study using the same materials and methods.

Results

This section presents the main research material with full justification of the obtained scientific results. Tabular or graphical material must be accompanied by the results of statistical data processing. Sources must be placed below tables and figures. Authors should avoid evaluative judgments, descriptions of methodology, and direct repetition in the text of data presented in tables and graphs. Numerical results must be rounded according to established rules, taking into account the mean error, confidence interval, or distribution of values.

Discussion

The Discussion section must be based on the interpretation of research results. It should compare the obtained results with the findings of other authors, identify similarities and differences, explain possible reasons for discrepancies, and assess the significance of the results in the context of the current state of the scientific problem. When analyzing publications on the topic, authors should mention the names of researchers and briefly describe the essence of their work.

Conclusions

Conclusions must fully and specifically reflect the results of the study and correspond to the purpose and title of the article. Literal duplication of statements from the abstract is not allowed. It is advisable to indicate prospects for further research.

Acknowledgements

This section is mandatory. It is used to acknowledge individuals or organizations for scientific, technical, organizational, financial, or material support that made the research possible. If there are no acknowledgements, state: “None”.

Funding

Authors must indicate all sources of financial support received for conducting the study. In the absence of financial support, state: “This research received no external funding”.

Conflict of Interest

Authors must disclose all potential sources of conflict of interest. A conflict of interest includes any interests or relationships that may be perceived as influencing the author’s objectivity. If there is no conflict of interest, state: “The authors declare no conflict of interest”.

Use of Artificial Intelligence

Authors must indicate whether artificial intelligence tools were used during manuscript preparation. If such tools were used, the purpose of their use must be briefly described, for example: language editing, technical text checking, data analysis, or preparation of auxiliary materials. Authors are fully responsible for the content of the manuscript. If artificial intelligence tools were not used, state: “Artificial intelligence tools were not used”.

References

In-text citations must be provided in parentheses, for example: (Ivanov, 2023). If a citation is included within a sentence, the year should be placed in parentheses, for example: Ivanov (2023) states that... Author surnames and publication years in the text must exactly match the data in the reference list.

• No more than three sources may be cited in a single citation.
• It is not recommended to include more than two works by the same author in the reference list.
• It is not recommended to include more than two articles from the same journal or collection.
• The number of references should be at least 30, preferably from the last 5 years.
• At least 50% of sources must have a DOI.
• Preference should be given to English-language scholarly publications.
• The reference list must be provided in Ukrainian and English, arranged alphabetically, and formatted according to APA 7th Referencing Style.

Pre-Submission Manuscript Checklist

Before submission, authors must check the manuscript for:

1. research originality — not less than 80% based on an in-depth plagiarism check;
2. compliance with academic writing style;
3. absence of tautology and unjustified repetitions;
4. readability and absence of excessive narrow-field terminology;
5. sufficient number of references with DOI;
6. compliance with the journal’s requirements.

Common Manuscript Errors

• A reference to a table or figure is provided as a separate sentence without logical connection to the text.
• Sentences contain redundant words and expressions that do not affect the meaning.
• Units of measurement are presented incorrectly. SI units should be written without a period: m, g, ha, mol.
• The symbols “—”, “–”, and “-” are not distinguished correctly.
• Words and conjunctions are used incorrectly or inconsistently.
• Incorrect expressions are used in the text instead of standard academic wording.
• The word “was” or similar auxiliary constructions are overused.
• Scientific terms are abbreviated unnecessarily.
• Table and figure titles are not sufficiently informative.
• Statistical processing of primary data is absent.
• The passive voice is used excessively; active constructions are preferable where possible.
• Figures, tables, or equations are submitted in a format that does not allow editing.
• All tables must be created in Excel or in another editable format.