Before submitting your manuscript to the Malaysian Journal of Action Research, it is crucial to meticulously adhere to the specified formatting guidelines. It is important to note that no template will be provided. As such, authors bear the responsibility for ensuring that their manuscript aligns with these formatting standards:

1. Paper size: Prepare manuscript on A4 paper size in ‘.docx’ file format. US Letter format is not acceptable for submission to the journal.

1. Font: Use Times New Roman font size 12 with double line spacing for the main text.

2. Margins: Maintain a minimum margin of 2.5 cm (1 inch) on all sides.

3. Title: Use bold font for the manuscript title, capitalising the initial letter of proper nouns.

4. Abstract: Provide a concise summary of the research, with a word count falling between 80 to 120 words.

5. Keywords: Provide a set of five or six keywords to help readers find your manuscript easily.

6. Dual language: For manuscripts written in Bahasa Melayu, provide the title, abstract, and keywords in both Bahasa Melayu and English.

7. Headings: Use different levels of headings in the manuscript as follows:

â—¦ First-level headings (e.g., Introduction, Conclusion) should be in bold with the initial letter of proper nouns capitalised.
â—¦ Second-level headings should be in bold italics with the initial letter of proper nouns capitalised.
â—¦ Third-level headings should be in italics with the initial letter of proper nouns capitalised.
â—¦ Fourth-level headings should be in bold italics at the beginning of a paragraph, with the text following immediately after a punctuation mark.
â—¦ Fifth-level headings should be in italics at the beginning of a paragraph, with the text following immediately after a punctuation mark.

8. Tables and Figures: Clearly indicate in the manuscript text where tables and figures should appear. Inclusion of images necessitates high resolution to uphold clarity upon publication. For the creation of diagrams, usage of the inbuilt tools in Microsoft Word is preferred over screenshots.

9. Citations and References: All citations and references within your manuscript should be formatted in accordance with the American Psychological Association (APA) 7th edition style guide.

10. Ethical Statement: For empirical research, authors must include a clear statement detailing the ethical approval for their study, specifying the name of the ethics review board or organisation that granted this approval and the approval reference number (if available).
11. Acknowledgments: The acknowledgments section is optional and can be used to recognise those who contributed to the work but did not meet the criteria for authorship. This may include anyone who provided purely technical help, writing assistance, or a department chair who provided general support.

12. Funding Grantees: If the research received financial support, include a funding section that clearly states the name of the funding organisation and, if applicable, the grant number.

13. Spelling and Punctuation: Apply British English spelling and punctuation consistently throughout the manuscript (i.e., ise and ising, rather than ize and izing). Note that usage of American English is not acceptable for submissions to the journal. For manuscripts written in Bahasa Melayu, authors should adhere to the guidelines prescribed by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP).

14. Special Characters: If your manuscript contains special characters, accents, or diacritics, follow the recommended steps for different character sets, such as European accents or Asian languages.

15. ORCID: Each author must provide their ORCID (Open Researcher and Contributor ID) during the manuscript submission process. ORCID is a non-proprietary alphanumeric code to uniquely identify scientific and other academic authors.

16. Running heads and received dates: These are not required during the manuscript submission process and will be added during production if your manuscript is accepted for publication.

Careful adherence to the specific formatting guidelines outlined here is vital for the smooth progression of your manuscript through the review and publication process. Conforming to these standards not only ensures a more efficient evaluation of your work but also significantly increases the likelihood of a successful publication in the Malaysian Journal of Action Research. This meticulous attention to detail reflects the quality of your research and showcases your commitment to scholarly excellence.