How to publish

Authors are required to submit their papers in MS Word format using the provided Article Template. The papers must be written in clear, correct, and concise English, German, Dutch, French, Italian, or Spanish, as preferred.

• The minimum and maximum word limit for a manuscript is between 2,000 and 6,000 words.
• The Abstract should be between 100 and 300 words, followed by 3 to 5 keywords.

We are committed to publishing high-quality research that meets the most rigorous scientific standards of 2026. To ensure transparency, reproducibility, and intellectual integrity, we have updated our submission requirements.

All manuscripts, regardless of their discipline (theoretical, empirical, or conceptual), must adhere to the structural and methodological criteria outlined below. Submissions that fail to meet these standards will be returned for major revision or rejected.

1. Core Structural Requirements: The P-Z-F Framework

Every manuscript must establish a clear logical chain connecting the Problem, Objective, and Research Question. (In German: Problemstellung – Zielsetzung – Forschungsfrage)

• Problem Statement (P): Clearly define a specific, delimited research problem. Avoid vague introductions like "It is interesting that..." Instead, state: "The problem is [X] because [Y] remains unexplained despite [Z]."
• Objective (Z): Articulate a concrete research goal. Avoid generic phrases like "contribute to the discussion." Instead, specify: "The objective is to analyze the impact of [X] on [Y] using [Method] to clarify [Z]."
• Research Question (F): Your central research question must be explicitly formulated as a question (ending with a question mark) and clearly visible in the Abstract and Introduction.
  • Example: "How does [X] influence the perception of [Y] in the context of [Z]?"

Note: The title of your paper should accurately reflect the scope of this research question without overpromising.

2. Mandatory Structure: IMRaD Adaptation

We strictly follow the IMRaD (Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion) structure. This applies to all submissions, including theoretical and conceptual papers.

2.1 Introduction

• Employ a "funnel" structure: start broadly and narrow down to the specific research gap.
• Conclude the introduction with the explicit research question and a brief outline of the methodology.

2.2 Methodology (Crucial Section)

Attention: Even for non-empirical or conceptual papers, a dedicated Methodology section is mandatory.

• Required Content:
  • Specify the method used (e.g., systematic literature review, hermeneutic analysis, case study, conceptual framework).
  • Justify why this method was chosen and how it addresses the research question.
  • Describe the selection criteria for sources/texts.
  • Outline the analytical steps taken.
• Goal: The methodology must be transparent enough to allow another researcher to theoretically reproduce your analytical process.

2.3 Results

• Present findings objectively and clearly.
• Strictly separate data/findings from interpretation.
• Avoid discussion or evaluation in this section; save that for the Discussion.

2.4 Discussion

• Directly answer your research question.
• Contextualize your findings within the existing literature (convergences and divergences).
• Limitations: Explicitly and critically acknowledge the limitations of your study (e.g., scope, sample size, context).
• Contribution: Clearly state the novel insight or knowledge generated by your work.

3. Source Integrity & Academic Rigor

Our review process includes a forensic check of sources. Adherence to the following rules is non-negotiable:

• Source Hierarchy:
  • For historical facts or theoretical claims, rely primarily on peer-reviewed literature, primary sources (e.g., legal texts, archives, canonical texts), or established academic monographs.
  • Digital Media (YouTube, Blogs, Social Media): These may only be used as objects of study (e.g., "In his video, Professor X argues..."). They cannot be used as primary evidence for historical facts (e.g., "Jesus was vegan because Video Y states...").
• Critical Synthesis:
  • Avoid the "poetry album" style (listing authors: "Author A says X. Author B says Y.").
  • Engage in critical synthesis: "While Author A argues X, Author B demonstrates Y, suggesting that..."
• No Bibliographic Padding: Every citation in the text must be discussed in the manuscript. Do not include references solely to inflate the bibliography.

4. Pre-Submission Checklist

Before submitting your manuscript, please verify the following:

1. Research Question: Is it explicitly formulated as a question?
2. Methodology: Is there a dedicated section explaining and justifying the approach?
3. Synthesis: Are sources critically integrated rather than merely listed?
4. Limitations: Are the study's boundaries and weaknesses self-critically addressed?
5. Source Validity: Are all factual claims supported by academic sources (no YouTube/Blogs as fact-evidence)?

Our goal is to foster scientific excellence. By adhering to these guidelines, you significantly increase the likelihood of a smooth review process and successful publication. We look forward to receiving your rigorous and insightful contributions.

The European Research Journal (ERJ) is not responsible for any instances of plagiarism in the author's work. The responsibility for ensuring originality lies with the author.

Be sure to use always a reference management program, ideally Zotero. Manually managed references will not be accepted. It is recommended that authors adhere to the referencing style outlined in the 6th edition (not the 7th edition) of the ‘Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association’ (APA), or the Chicago or the Harvard style, and use only the „author-date“ styles in your text, no „note“ or „full-note“ styles.

Deviate from APA to optimize your work, as already included in the other styles, as required by academic practice: 

• Give the exact page numbers in your citations, even if you cite paraphrased sources, as otherwise your submission would not be verifiable;
• always include the publisher's name in addition to the place of publication in your bibliography, for example: Heidelberg: Springer; 
• for online sources, include not only the URL, but also the exact date you accessed the URL in your bibliography. 

And don't just forget the short form of the source citation (name, year, page number) at the end of each quotation, but make it clear beforehand, for example by mentioning the author's name, where exactly the external text begins, as required by copyright law and academic practice.

The acceptance and publication of a paper in our journal implies that the author consents to transfer the copyright of the paper to the European Research Journal (ERJ) as the publisher.

We have adopted a policy of providing free and open access to full-text papers. We do not impose any subscription fees on our readers. In adopting this alternative model, we impose a publication fee from authors to partially cover article handling charges. Following the acceptance of the paper, the author will be required to pay the Article Processing Fee. The processing fee for an accepted paper is € 99 (incl. German VAT). Upon receipt of the fee, the publication is considered to have been commissioned by the author, and the European Research Journal (ERJ) assumes the rights to the publication.

Once a paper has been published, a refund of the publication fee is not possible, as the costs of editing and publication have already been incurred. It is recommended that prospective authors familiarise themselves with the journal in advance of making a submission.

Manuscripts can be submitted via our website using our Article Template. Alternatively, they can be sent as an email attachment to: dtrrsrchjrnl. Should you require further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

The EUROPEAN RESEARCH JOURNAL (IRJ) lists each paper according to its publication date. There are no issue numbers in the classical sense. We assign each paper in its tags recognizably to its relevant scientific discipline(s), this also enables interdisciplinary publications. 

We recommend that you assign a free DOI to each article yourself. These can be obtained from Zenodo at CERN (CH) or Mendeley Data from Elsevier, Amsterdam (NL).