These guidelines introduce the expectations for authors submitting to Athena: Journal of Social, Culture and Society. Authors should use this page together with the detailed requirements and policies identified below when preparing and submitting their work.

Before preparing a submission, authors should consult the journal’s Aims and Scope and determine whether their research question, subject matter, and intended contribution are relevant to the journal’s readership.

Research manuscripts may use empirical, theoretical, conceptual, interpretive, or other discipline-appropriate approaches. Each manuscript should establish a clear scholarly purpose and explain how its analysis contributes to the relevant field.

Authors proposing a manuscript format not addressed in the published preparation instructions should consult the editorial office before submission. Advice about suitability does not constitute an acceptance decision.

• Clear purpose: Identify the research problem, objective, or central argument and explain its scholarly significance.
• Appropriate approach: Explain the methods, analytical framework, or interpretive approach sufficiently for readers to understand and assess the work.
• Evidence-based discussion: Support claims with relevant evidence and distinguish findings, interpretation, and speculation.
• Engagement with scholarship: Position the contribution within relevant literature, including current research and foundational sources where appropriate.
• Proportionate conclusions: Acknowledge limitations and avoid conclusions that extend beyond the evidence or analytical basis.
• Readable presentation: Write in clear academic English and use terminology consistently. British or American English may be used, provided that usage is consistent.

Prepare the manuscript using the official Athena template and the instructions in 3.2 Manuscript Preparation. That page provides the detailed requirements for length, abstract, keywords, organisation, references, tables, figures, and the presentation of declarations.

The presentation should suit the research design and disciplinary conventions. Alternative structures for humanities and interpretive research should retain a clearly identifiable purpose, scholarly approach, evidence, analysis, and contribution.

Authors should consult each applicable subsection. The detailed rules are maintained on the designated pages rather than repeated here.

Before submission, authors should review the journal’s Peer Review Process, Publication Ethics, Author Fees and Article Processing Charges, Open Access Policy, and Copyright and Licensing information.

Requirements concerning conflicts of interest, ethical approval, participant consent, funding disclosure, data availability, and third-party permissions are governed by their respective policies. Manuscript Preparation explains how applicable statements should be presented, while Submission Requirements identifies any supporting documents to be supplied.

Submit manuscripts through the journal’s official online submission system after consulting 3.7 Submission Requirements. Keep the submission identifier and use it in subsequent correspondence with the editorial office.

Incomplete submissions or manuscripts with unresolved preparation issues may be returned for correction before further assessment. Meeting administrative or formatting requirements does not guarantee acceptance. Editorial assessment and subsequent decisions follow the published Peer Review policy.

Requests for revisions, responses to reviewers, and appeals should follow the instructions and procedures provided under the relevant Peer Review subsections.