Submissions

Author Guidelines

Retorik invites original articles that attempt to understand and problematize the contemporary world by drawing from various strands of thought in cultural studies, philosophy, psychoanalysis, political economy, religious studies, art history, critical pedagogy, gender studies, and postcolonial studies. A more detailed statement of the journal's aim and scope can be found here.

In terms of content, Retorik does not shy away from non-traditional approaches and cutting-edge research that inspire especially young researchers. In terms of tone, Retorik embraces a certain spirit of agon: authors are encouraged to not be afraid of “naming the enemy” or going against the current as they argue for their position.

In addition to original articles of between 4000 and 10000 words, Retorik will also consider unsolicited book reviews of up to 2500 words for publication.

To submit their manuscripts, authors are asked to register and use the online editorial management system. Upon submitting a manuscript, author(s) will receive an email confirmation. The article will then undergo a double-blind peer review process, following an initial screening by the editors. Editors will contact the authors within twelve weeks with reviewer feedback. The revised manuscript will need to be submitted through the online editorial management system. Retorik hopes to make a final decision on articles within four months. 

Retorik does not charge article processing fees.

Prior to making a submission to Retorik, please read all the guidelines on this page and prepare the manuscript accordingly. 

A template for Word (DOCX), which includes the cover page and instructions for mandatory author statement (conflict of interest declaration, ethics statement, etc.), is available here: 

COVER PAGE AND MANUSCRIPT TEMPLATE

Language of publication

Retorik accepts articles written in either Bahasa Indonesia or English. Authors submitting articles written in Bahasa Indonesia should submit the title and abstract of their articles, as well as five keywords, in both Bahasa Indonesia and English.

Authors may request editors of the journal to translate the title, abstract, and keywords from Bahasa Indonesia to English.

Word count

Articles should be between 4000 and 10000 words, including notes and references. Book reviews should be no more than 2500 words.

Authors of articles must also submit: (a) an abstract of between 150 and 200 words, (b) author bio of no more than 100 words, and (c) five keywords that best represent the content of the article.

Authors of book reviews must submit an author bio of no more than 100 words.

The word count rule applies equally to both English and Indonesian submissions, abstracts, and author bios.

Originality screening

Every article submitted to Retorik will be screened for originality using Turnitin. Retorik will not publish articles that have been published previously.

Declaration of Generative AI in Scientific Writing

The use of Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the preparation and writing of the manuscript must be declared. Authors should disclose the tool used (including version number) and the specific nature of its application. Please note that AI tools do not meet the criteria for authorship.

General guideline for submissions

• The article must not have been published, accepted for publication, or being considered for publication elsewhere, neither in part nor in whole.
• Authors must ensure that their submissions are their own original works that have not been previously published.
• The articles must be written in either Bahasa Indonesia or English.
• Articles written in Bahasa Indonesia will appear with titles, abstracts, and keywords in both Bahasa Indonesia and English. Where authors are unable to submit English titles, abstracts, and keywords, editors of Retorik will offer to translate them from Bahasa Indonesia to English.
• The body and notes of a submitted work must not contain references to or clues about the author’s identity.
• Authors are responsible for securing permission and paying any fees required for the use of any copyrighted material in the manuscript. The editors of Retorik may request from the author an evidence of copyright clearance (e.g., written permission from the copyright holder).
• Authors must fully disclose any potential conflict of interest to the editors of Retorik at the point of submission. If the author’s research is funded, the author must declare the funding body.
• For articles with more than one author, all authors named are held equally accountable for the content of the article.
• Authors of articles must submit: (a) an abstract of between 150 and 200 words, (b) author bio of no more than 100 words, and (c) five keywords that best represent the content of the article. Authors of books reviews must submit an author bio of no more than 100 words.
• AI Usage: Acceptable use of AI will be considered on a case-by-case basis, in light of latest COPE discussions. Authors must disclose in the manuscript (e.g., in a footnote) the specific ways in which AI was used when preparing the manuscript.

Formatting and stylistic guideline

• Manuscripts should be submitted as either Microsoft Word (DOCX) format or Open Document Text (ODT) format.
• Manuscripts should be in simple text. There should be no hyperlinks, no macros, no complex styles in the manuscript. 
• No 'track changes' or comment function should be in use.
• Paragraph indentation by TAB only, not spacebar.
• Section breaks and headings should be used sparingly and only when necessary.
• Tables, figures, and appendices must be submitted as separate files or documents from the article text.
  • Images should be submitted in either TIFF or JPEG formats, 300 dpi, at the size they are to appear.
  • Charts, graphs, and tables should be submitted as a separate document, in Microsoft Excel (XLXS), Word (DOCX), Open Document Text (ODT), or Open Document Spreadsheet (ODS) document.
  • Authors should indicate in the text the desired placement, for example: <Table 1>, <Figure 2>, <Appendix 1>
• There should be no extra line between paragraphs.
• The text body should be typed single-spaced.
• Use single spaces between sentences.
• Use double quotation marks (“ ”) for direct quotations. Use single quotation marks (‘ ’) for quotation marks that appear within a direct quotation.
• Use block quotes (and not quotation marks) for direct quotations that are 100 words or more. Block quotes should be indented at both margins.
• For end-of-quote punctuation, Retorik recommends that periods and commas go inside the ending quotation marks, even if they are not in the quoted material. However, ‘logical punctuation’ is acceptable, if used consistently within the manuscript.
• For any stylistics matters unspecified in this guide, authors should consult the Chicago Manual of Style 17th Edition.

Reference and citation guideline         

• It is highly recommended that authors utilize the most up-to-date scholarly literature. At least eighty percent of the references used in the article should be from scholarly literature (academic books and journals) published within the past ten years.
• Retorik recommends the Chicago Manual of Style 17th Edition for referencing style. See: Notes and Bibliography Style (chicagomanualofstyle.org). Authors are advised to use a reference management software (e.g., Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote).
• Use footnotes for both notes and citation.
• Footnotes should be indicated in the body of the text by the superscript in Arabic numerals following the punctuation at the end of a sentence.
• For citation, authors must use footnotes and also provide a full bibliography of the works cited under the title ‘Bibliography’ at the end of the text.
• Authors should provide the quotation in the original language in a footnote when using a self-translated quotation.
• Access dates should be indicated for online sources in the bibliography.
• If available, provide DOI of any cited works that are available online.

Authors should consult the 17th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style for all matters regarding style not specified in this guideline.