Submissions

Author Guidelines

Authors are encouraged to submit their manuscripts electronically through this AJR online process. All authors should include full postal, telephone, and e-mail addresses to ensure rapid communication. The author registered on this website will automatically be identified as the corresponding author. Otherwise, if another author is assigned for correspondence, they should register.

Only those manuscripts that adhere to the submission guidelines will be accepted for review. Note, however, that acceptance for review and acceptance with revision do not guarantee acceptance for publication.

Authors should prepare a cover letter highlighting the submission's potential contribution and indicating their intent to publish it exclusively in AJR. The letter should also include the statement that the article or brief is submitted exclusively to AJR for first publication, that it is original work, that it is not published and being considered for publication elsewhere, and that the authors have secured permission to use any copyrighted materials. 

RESEARCH ARTICLES

The research article should be between 3000 and 15000 words, excluding the author's names and details, the declarations, the About the Author section, and supplements. 

The manuscript body should have the following structure and contents

Introduction
Introduces the research problem, provides context, and states the objectives or research questions. It should have the following contents:

• Brief overview of the research area
• Significance of the study
• Clear statement of the problem or gap in existing knowledge
• Research objectives/questions/hypotheses

Be concise and focused. Avoid lengthy discussion of the literature (save it for the literature review).

Literature Review / Background (Optional)
Provides a critical review of existing research relevant to your study. It should have the following contents:

• Theoretical framework
• Key findings from prior studies
• Limitations or gaps that justify your study

Highlight how your research builds on or differs from existing work. Use citations strategically.

Methods / Methodology
Describes how the study was conducted so that it can be replicated. It should have the following contents:

• Research design (e.g., experimental, observational, qualitative)
• Participants/sample and selection criteria
• Data collection methods (surveys, experiments, interviews, instruments)
• Data analysis procedures (statistical tests, coding methods, software used)

Be precise and transparent. Include ethical considerations if applicable.

Results
Presents the main findings of the study clearly and objectively. It should have the following contents:

• Summarize data using text, tables, and figures
• Highlight trends, patterns, or significant differences
• Avoid interpreting results in this section

Use subheadings to organize results; ensure figures/tables are clearly labeled.

Discussion
Interprets and analyzes the results in the context of the research objectives and existing literature. It should have the following contents:

• Explain the meaning and implications of findings
• Compare with previous studies
• Discuss unexpected results or limitations
• Suggest practical applications or recommendations

Avoid repeating results verbatim; focus on interpretation.

Conclusion
Summarizes key findings and provides closure to the study. It should have the following contents:

• Restate the main findings concisely
• Emphasize the significance of the study
• Optional: suggest future research directions

Keep it concise and avoid introducing new data.

POLICY BRIEFS

Policy briefs should provide concise, evidence-based, and policy-relevant analysis addressing public policy issues in the Philippines and comparable contexts.

A policy brief is a short-form scholarly contribution that:

• Synthesizes research evidence or policy-relevant data
• Analyzes a specific policy issue affecting resilience, ecology, or human well-being
• Proposes a feasible and context-appropriate policy option
• Clearly identifies implications for policymakers and stakeholders
  Although resilience is the journal’s central framework, submissions are not restricted to resilience-focused analyses, as long as the brief meaningfully contributes to ecological sustainability, human well-being, or their interconnections.

While the journal’s primary thematic focus is resilience—including social, ecological, economic, institutional, and community resilience—the journal also welcomes policy briefs on any topic relevant to ecology and human well-being, provided they demonstrate clear policy relevance and societal impact.

Submissions may address, but are not limited to:

• Climate and disaster resilience
• Environmental governance and sustainability
• Public health and well-being
• Livelihoods, poverty, and social protection
• Food systems and food security
• Urban, coastal, and rural development
• Indigenous knowledge systems and community-based governance
• Human–environment interactions

Policy briefs should bridge research and policymaking by translating empirical evidence into actionable, context-sensitive policy recommendations.

Types of Policy Briefs Accepted

The journal welcomes the following types of policy briefs:

• Research-Based Policy Briefs – derived from completed or ongoing research
• Issue Analysis Briefs – critical examination of a specific policy problem
• Policy Evaluation Briefs – assessment of existing policies or programs
• Comparative Policy Briefs – cross-country or cross-sector policy comparisons
• Rapid Response Briefs – timely analysis of urgent policy developments

Thematic Coverage

The journal prioritizes policy briefs on resilience-related issues, including but not limited to:

• Climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction
• Environmental management, biodiversity, and ecosystems
• Health, nutrition, and human well-being
• Social resilience, inequality, and vulnerable populations
• Local governance, decentralization, and community capacity
• Sustainable tourism, labor, and livelihoods
• Food systems, agriculture, and fisheries
• Urban resilience and infrastructure
• Indigenous peoples, culture, and traditional ecological knowledge

Policy briefs on other ecology- or well–being–related topics are encouraged, provided they:

• Demonstrate strong policy relevance
• Are grounded in evidence
• Offer clear implications for decision-making

Policy Context and Problem Statement

Authors should clearly situate the policy issue within:

• The Philippine policy and institutional context, and/or
• Broader ecological and human well-being frameworks

Where applicable, authors are encouraged to link their analysis to:

• National / Regional / Local development plans
• Environmental or social policy frameworks
• Resilience-building strategies or outcomes
• Conservation policy frameworks

Length and Technical Format

Word count: 2,000 – 3,000 words (excluding references, author details, declarations, the About the Author section, and supplements.)

• Language: English (formal, precise, policy-oriented)

Required Manuscript Structure

1. Title Page

• Concise and policy-oriented title
• Full name(s) of author(s)
• Institutional affiliation(s)
• ORCID iD (strongly encouraged)
• Corresponding author’s email address

2. Executive Summary (150–250 words): The executive summary must be self-contained and include:

• The policy problem
• Key findings or insights
• Core policy recommendations
• Target policy actors (e.g., Congress, national agencies, LGUs)

3. Keywords: Provide 4–6 keywords, including at least one geographic identifier (e.g., Philippines, ASEAN, Local Government Units).
4. Introduction: Policy Context and Problem Statement

• Description of the policy issue
• Legal, institutional, and socio-economic context in the Philippines
• Relevance to current national or local policy debates
• Alignment with existing laws, plans, or frameworks (e.g., PDP, SDGs)

5. Overview: Evidence and Analytical Framework

• Summary of data sources, research methods, or analytical approach
• Use of Philippine data where available (e.g., PSA, DOH, DepEd, NEDA)
• Comparative or international evidence must be contextualized
• Brief discussion of limitations

6. Discussion: Policy Options Analysis

• Presentation of at least two feasible policy options
• Assessment of benefits, risks, costs, and implementation challenges
• Consideration of political, administrative, and fiscal feasibility
• Comprehensible analysis of the data, and directly linked to policy recommendations

7. Conclusion, Recommendations, and Implications

       Recommendations must be:

• Clear, specific, and actionable
• Aligned with Philippine institutional realities
• Linked to responsible agencies or stakeholders
• Time-bound where appropriate

      Conclusion and Policy Implications

• Summary of key insights
• Implications for national government, LGUs, or other actors
• Directions for future policy or research

8. References

• Citation style: APA (7th edition)
• Use authoritative sources (peer-reviewed journals, laws, official statistics)
• All references must be cited in-text

NOTE: Tables, Figures, and Policy Boxes

• Limited to essential items only
• Must enhance policy understanding
• Include titles, notes, and data sources
• Figures must be publication-ready and grayscale compatible

GENERAL GUIDELINES

Manuscript Submission:

Submit both a complete manuscript and a blinded manuscript in a Word file (.doc or .docx). PDF submissions are not accepted.

The complete manuscript contains the following:
• Title
• Author names, affiliations, and contact details
• Abstract/Executive Summary (150–250 words)
• Keywords (4-6 words)
• Body 
• Declarations
• References (APA 7th edition; include URLs if available)
• About the Author section
• Supplements (if any)

The blinded manuscript should:
• Remove author details, acknowledgments, declarations, and the About the Author section.
• Ensure that the manuscript remains fully formatted for peer review.

All submissions (research articles and policy briefs) should include the following declarations:

1. Ethics Clearance
   State whether the study or data collection received ethics approval. If not applicable (e.g., document review or publicly available data), provide a justification.
2. Conflict of Interest
   Declare any potential conflicts of interest. If none, state: “The authors declare no conflict of interest.”
3. Funding
   Indicate sources of financial support or state: “This study received no funding.”
4. Acknowledgments
   Recognize individuals or institutions that contributed to the work but do not meet authorship criteria.
5. AI Use Disclosure
   Declare any use of AI tools in the research or writing process (e.g., data processing, language editing). If none, state: “No AI tools were used in the research or preparation of this manuscript.”
6. Author Contributions
   Specify each author’s role (e.g., conceptualization, data curation, analysis, writing, review, and editing).