Author Guidelines

A. General Guidelines

Vox Dei: Journal of Theology and Pastoral is a scholarly journal published by the Sekolah Tinggi Teologi Ekumene Jakarta. The journal publishes research findings, academic studies, and the development of scholarly thought in the fields of theology and pastoral studies, as well as other relevant fields within the journal's scope.

The scope of Vox Dei: Journal of Theology and Pastoral includes:
1. Biblical Theology;
2. Practical Theology;
3. Systematic Theology;
4. Contemporary Theology;
5. Pastoral Studies;
6. Christian Religious Education;
7. Christian Leadership and Church Management; and
8. Study of Religions.

• Vox Dei welcomes manuscripts from academics, lecturers, researchers, students, and theology practitioners from theological institutions both nationally and internationally, provided that the manuscript is relevant to the focus and scope of the journal.

• Submitted manuscripts must be original scholarly works that have not been previously published in any journal or conference proceeding and are not under consideration by another journal.

• All manuscripts that meet the administrative and substantive requirements will undergo a double-blind peer review process conducted by reviewers with expertise relevant to the subject of the manuscript.

• Manuscripts may be written in either Indonesian or English using clear, systematic, and appropriate academic language in accordance with scholarly writing conventions.

• Submitted manuscripts must use the official Vox Dei Article Template and comply with the provisions of these Author Guidelines.

• Manuscripts must be at least 15 pages in length and prepared using the official journal template.

B. General Manuscript Requirements

Authors are required to observe the following provisions:
1. The manuscript must be an original work that has not been previously published.
2. The manuscript must not be simultaneously submitted to or under review by another journal.
3. The manuscript must be relevant to the focus and scope of Vox Dei.
4. The manuscript must be at least 15 pages in length.
5. The manuscript must use the official Vox Dei template.
6. The main manuscript file must be prepared in a format that allows for the double-blind peer review process
7. Complete author identities must not be included in the anonymous manuscript file.
8. A file containing the complete author identities may be submitted as a supplementary file, in accordance with the journal system's requirements.
9. All sources cited in the text must be included in the Reference List.
10. All sources listed in the Reference List must be cited in the text.
11. The manuscript must use the APA 7th Edition citation style.
12. Authors are encouraged to use reference management software such as Mendeley or Zotero.
13. The manuscript must use relevant and up-to-date academic sources.
`14. The Reference List must contain at least 10 sources.
15. At least 80% of the references should come from primary sources, particularly scholarly journal articles, with priority given to publications from the last 5 years for journal articles and the last 10 years for books.
16. Authors are responsible for the accuracy of the data, quotations, references, and content of their manuscripts.
17. Tables, figures, graphs, and illustrations must have clear titles, numbering, and source information when derived from other sources.

C. Article Structure

Scientific articles submitted to Vox Dei should contain, at minimum, the following structure:
1. Article Title
2. Author Names
3. Author Affiliations
4. Corresponding Address and Email
5. Abstract
6. Keywords
7. Introduction
8. Research Methodology / Study Method
9. Results and Discussion
10. Conclusion
11. Acknowledgments, if applicable
12. References

The structure may be adjusted according to the nature of the research. Conceptual, theological, biblical, or literature review articles may use a discussion structure appropriate to their methodology and scholarly characteristics.

1. Article Title

The article title should:
- clearly, specifically, and informatively describe the content of the article;
- reflect the main problem or focus of the research;
- use effective and academic wording;
- not be excessively long;
- avoid uncommon abbreviations; and
- avoid unnecessary words or terms.
- The title must be relevant to theology, pastoral studies, Christian religious education, church leadership, religious studies, or other fields included within the focus and scope of Vox Dei.

2. Author Names and Affiliations

- The full names of all authors must be written without academic degrees or titles.
- Authors should be listed according to their respective contributions to the article.
- The following information must be provided for each author:
      1. Full name;
      2. Affiliation/institution;
      3. Email address.
      4. One author must be designated as the Corresponding Author, who is responsible for communication with the editor throughout the editorial and publication processes.
- Complete author identification information must not be included in the anonymous manuscript used for the double-blind peer review process.

3. Abstract

The abstract must provide a clear overview of the article. At a minimum, it should include:
- the background or research problem;
- the research/study objective;
- the methodology or approach used;
- the main results or findings; and
- the main conclusion or implications.

The abstract should be concise, informative, and understandable without requiring the reader to read the entire article. The abstract should not contain:
- Direct quotations;
- References;
- Tables;
- Figures;
- Uncommon abbreviations; or
- Information that is not directly related to the research.

The abstract must be written in Indonesian and English in accordance with the journal template requirements.

4. Keywords

Keywords should represent the main concepts discussed in the article.
Keywords should:
- be placed immediately after the abstract;
- use terms relevant to the field of study;
- consist of several key terms;
- be separated by commas (,); and
- be provided in both Indonesian and English, corresponding to the language of the abstract.

Keywords should not merely repeat all the words contained in the title but should also reflect the main concepts of the research.

5. Introduction

The Introduction must systematically explain the rationale and significance of conducting the research or study.
At a minimum, the Introduction should include:
- the background of the problem;
- the context or phenomenon under investigation;
- relevant previous studies;
- the research gap;
- the novelty or contribution of the article;
- the research problem or focus of the study; and
- the research or study objectives.

Authors must demonstrate a clear relationship between the problem, previous research, research gap, research objectives, and contribution of the article.
The Introduction should not merely provide a general description of the topic but should demonstrate the academic rationale for why the research or study is important.

6. Research Methodology / Study Method

The Methodology section must explain the approach used to produce scholarly findings or arguments. For empirical research articles, the methodology should at least explain:
- the research approach and type;
- the research location and period, where relevant;
- the research subjects or objects;
- data collection techniques;
- research instruments, where applicable;
- data analysis techniques; and
- research procedures.

For qualitative research, authors should explain the research design, data sources, data collection techniques, and data analysis process.
For quantitative research, authors should explain the population, sample, variables, instruments, and statistical analysis techniques used.
For theological, biblical, hermeneutical, or literature-based research, the methodology must explain the interpretive approach or method, the primary sources used, the criteria for selecting sources, and the stages of analysis.
The methodology must be sufficiently detailed so that the research or study can be understood and, where possible, replicated by other researchers.

7. Results and Discussion

7.1 Results

The Results section presents the research findings or analytical results systematically.
Results may be presented in the form of:
- narrative descriptions;
- tables;
- graphs;
- figures;
- diagrams; or
- other relevant forms of scholarly presentation.

The data presented must be directly related to the research objectives and research questions.

7.2 Discussion

The Discussion section must provide an academic interpretation of the research findings.
The Discussion should:
- explain the significance of the findings;
- relate the findings to relevant theories;
- compare the findings with previous studies;
- explain similarities and differences with previous research;
- demonstrate the contribution or novelty of the research;
- provide theological, pastoral, educational, ecclesiastical, or academic implications according to the nature of the article; and
- explain the limitations of the research where relevant.

The Discussion should not merely repeat the data presented in the Results section.
For theological and pastoral articles, arguments must be constructed based on relevant academic sources and demonstrate a strong relationship between the data, theories, biblical texts where applicable, theological literature, and the research context.

8. Conclusion

The Conclusion must directly address the research objectives or research problems.
The Conclusion should:
- be concise and clear;
- not merely repeat the content of the Discussion;
- present the main findings or arguments;
- demonstrate the contribution of the research; and
- include implications or recommendations where relevant.

The Conclusion must be based on the research findings and must not introduce new findings that have not been discussed previously.

9. Tables, Figures, and Illustrations

Tables and figures should be used when they genuinely contribute to explaining the research findings.
Each table and figure must:
- be numbered consecutively;
- have a clear title;
- be referred to in the article text;
- include a source when data are taken from or adapted from another source; and
- have sufficient quality to ensure readability.

Examples:
Table 1. Characteristics of Respondents
Figure 1. Pastoral Care Model
Tables and figures should be placed at the relevant positions within the manuscript in accordance with the journal template.

10. Quotations and Citations

Vox Dei uses the APA 7th Edition citation style.
Authors must provide a source whenever they use:
- another person's ideas;
- research data;
- theories;
- findings from previous research;
- direct quotations;
- paraphrases;
- concepts;
- statistical information; or
- academic statements derived from a particular source.

Authors are encouraged to use reference management software such as Mendeley or Zotero to minimize errors in citation formatting.
Examples:
- Narrative citation: According to Smith (2020), pastoral ministry needs to consider the social context of the community.
- Parenthetical citation: Pastoral ministry needs to consider changes in the social context of the community (Smith, 2020).
- Two authors: (Smith & Brown, 2020)
Three or more authors: (Smith et al., 2020)

Authors must ensure that every in-text citation has a corresponding source in the Reference List.

11. References

The Reference List must follow the APA 7th Edition format.
The following requirements apply:
- All sources cited in the article must be included in the Reference List.
- Sources that are not cited in the article should not be included in the Reference List.
- The article must contain at least 10 references.
- At least 80% of the references should come from primary sources, particularly scholarly journal articles.
- References published within the last 5 years are strongly preferred.
- Classical or seminal references may still be used when they have strong theoretical or historical relevance.
- Authors are encouraged to provide DOI information whenever available.
- URLs should be provided when necessary and available.
- The Reference List must follow APA 7th Edition guidelines.
Authors must verify the consistency between in-text citations and the Reference List.

Examples:
- Journal Article: Lastname, A. A., & Lastname, B. B. (2023). Title of article. Journal Name, 10(2), 100–115. https://doi.org/xxxxx
Book: Lastname, A. A. (2022). Title of book. Publisher Name.
Book Chapter: Lastname, A. A. (2022). Title of chapter. In B. B. Editor (Ed.), Title of book (pp. 10–25). Publisher Name.
Online Source: Lastname, A. A. (2024). Title of article. Website Name. URL
Authors are strongly encouraged to use primary sources and relevant scholarly journal articles related to the research topic.

12. Article Submission Process

Articles must be submitted through the Vox Dei Open Journal System (OJS).
Authors must:
- Register on the journal system;
- Log in to their author account;
- Select the article submission menu;
- Upload the main manuscript file;
- Upload supplementary files, if required;
- Complete the article metadata accurately and completely;
- Enter the names and affiliations of all authors;
- Enter the title, abstract, keywords, and other bibliographic information;
- Ensure that all references have been properly included; and
- Complete the submission process according to the instructions provided by the system.
- Manuscripts that do not comply with the Author Guidelines may be returned to the authors for revision before proceeding to the review stage.

13. Review Process

Every manuscript that meets the initial requirements will undergo a double-blind peer review process.
During this process
- the identity of the authors is not disclosed to the reviewers;
- the identity of the reviewers is not disclosed to the authors;
- manuscripts are evaluated based on their academic quality and relevance to the journal's focus and scope;
- reviewers provide recommendations to the editor; and
- the editor makes the publication decision based on the review results and editorial considerations.

The final decision regarding acceptance, revision, or rejection of a manuscript rests with the editor in accordance with the journal's policies.

CONCLUSION

Manuscripts that do not comply with the Author Guidelines of Vox Dei: Journal of Theology and Pastoral may be returned to the authors for revision before proceeding to the editorial and peer review processes.

By submitting an article, authors declare that the manuscript is an original work, has not been previously published, is not currently under review by another journal, and that all sources used have been properly cited.

The Editors of Vox Dei: Journal of Theology and Pastoral reserve the right to determine the suitability of manuscripts, request revisions, undertake editorial adjustments, and accept or reject manuscripts based on the results of editorial evaluation and peer review.