for Authors

  1. Aims and Scope: Contemporary Research in Sport Management

Contemporary Research in Sport Management is a quarterly, peer-reviewed journal dedicated to advancing the field of sport management through the dissemination of high-quality, original research. Published in Persian, the journal holds the prestigious "Scientific-Research" accreditation and serves as a platform for scholars and thought leaders to share evidence-based insights and innovative findings. The journal's editorial board and review panel consist of distinguished academics and experienced researchers specializing in various domains of sport management. All submissions undergo a rigorous double-blind peer-review process, ensuring impartiality and scholarly integrity. Author Submission Guidelines – Article Limit Policy In accordance with the regulations of the Commission for the Review of Scientific Publications, journals with Scientific-Research accreditation may not allocate more than ten percent of their annual published content to a single author. 

To comply with this policy: 

- A maximum of four manuscripts per author may be under review or in the publication pipeline at any given time. 

- Once this limit is reached, no new submissions from the same author will be processed until a decision has been made on or publication completed for pending manuscripts. 

- With limited exceptions, no more than one accepted paper per author will be published within a single calendar year. 

This ensures equitable opportunities for contribution and maintains the journal's commitment to broad scholarly participation.

 

  1. General Principles

Originality: Submissions to this journal must be original works.

Scope and Priority: Translated articles, case reports, and single-case studies are not prioritized for publication.

Previous Publication: The manuscript, in whole or in part, must not have been previously published or presented at conferences.

Acceptable Article Types: The journal considers the following types of submissions:

Original Research Articles

Review Articles (Priority is given to applied research):Specific Guidelines for Review Articles: Review articles will only be considered from experienced authors who have published at least 20 articles in related fields in domestic or international journals. A submitted review article must include the following sections: Title, Persian and English Abstracts, Introduction and Background of the subject, The objective of the review, Scientific content and a synthesis of completed studies on the topic, Analysis and discussion of the presented research, Conclusion. The conclusion must provide a comprehensive summary and overarching findings, alongside constructive suggestions for future research. Furthermore, the review should incorporate, as appropriate:

  • Reports of rare and interesting cases
  • Relevant references and commentaries
  • A discussion of the prepared report without necessarily a full review of prior literature
  • Key and noteworthy points
  • Insights and lessons learned from the author's previous research.

 

  1. Publication Fees

The article processing charge (APC) is collected in two installments:

  1. 50% of the total fee is due after the peer-review process is complete, upon the issuance of the final acceptance certificate and the signing of the copyright agreement.
  2. The remaining 50% is payable after the manuscript has been prepared for publication (prior to its official release).

In accordance with this policy, collecting the full fee or any portion thereof during the initial review stage, before or during the peer-review process, or prior to final acceptance, is strictly prohibited.

 

  1. Peer-Review Process and Anonymization

Upon submission through the journal's website at https://smms.basu.ac.ir, the Editor-in-Chief of Contemporary Research in Sport Management will conduct an initial screening of the manuscript. During this stage, any information that may reveal the authors' identities to editors and reviewers will be removed to ensure a double-blind peer review. The anonymized manuscript will then be assigned to handling editors.

The editors will evaluate the submission across several criteria and subsequently send it for assessment to a minimum of two reviewers selected by the Editor-in-Chief and the editorial board. Once the peer-review process is complete, the reviewers' comments are compiled and sent to the handling editors. The editors will analyze these comments and forward their recommendations to the Editor-in-Chief. The final decision, or the reviewers' feedback, will be communicated to the corresponding author via the journal's website.

Important Note: Researchers and authors are strongly advised to ensure their submission fully adheres to the journal's guidelines as set by the editorial board. Manuscripts that do not comply with the provided instructions will be returned to the corresponding author without proceeding to the review stage.

 

  1. Cover Letter File (Authors' Information File)

The author is required to accurately complete the authors' information file (valid mobile numbers and email addresses of all authors are mandatory).

All correspondence from the journal will be conducted solely with the corresponding author.

Please note that special attention must be paid to entering the authors' names and their order based on their contribution to the research, as no changes can be made to the number or order of authors once the manuscript enters the review process.

All authors are required to submit, along with the main manuscript file and the authors' information form, the completed Conflict of Interest and Authors' Commitment forms (available in the Authors' Guide section) upon submission. It is evident that the continuation of the article's process is contingent upon the completion and submission of these forms.

All authors are required to submit a similarity report certificate for the manuscript at the time of submission, generated through the journal's designated similarity check system ("Hamandjoo" system under the name of the Journal of Contemporary Research in Sports Management). The similarity percentage must not exceed 20%.

 

  1. Acceptance Criteria for Article Review (Reasons for Desk Rejection)
  • Originality of the article
  • Relevance of the submitted article's topic to the journal's scope
  • Novelty/Innovation in the submitted article
  • Use of correct and modern research methods
  • Application of scientific methods in preparing the article
  • Adherence to the general article writing format as per the journal's template

Note: If a revised manuscript is not submitted within the specified deadline, the related article will be withdrawn from the review process.

 

  1. Article Formatting Guidelines
  • The total number of pages for each article, including text, tables, charts, and figures, must not exceed 20 pages (each page consisting of 20 lines).
  • The article must be prepared on A4 paper in two columns with 1.0 line spacing.
  • Page margins must be 3 cm from the top and right, and 2.5 cm from the bottom.
  • All pages must be numbered consecutively.
  • To facilitate the review process, all lines on every page must be numbered consecutively.
  • The body text of the article must use B Mitra font, size 12. Main headings must use B Mitra Bold, size 12. Subheadings must use B Mitra Bold, size 11.
  • The study title must use B Mitra Bold, size 14 for the Persian title and Times New Roman Bold, size 13 for the English title.
  • For English words, the long abstract, and the references at the end of the article, use Times New Roman, size 11.
  • Table and figure titles must use B Mitra Bold, size 11. Text inside tables must use B Mitra, size 10.
  • All table and figure titles (centered) must be written bilingually (Persian and English).
  • Numbers within tables and figures must be written in English, with decimals indicated by a period (e.g., 11.25).
  • English font for table and figure titles must be Times New Roman Bold, size 10, and Times New Roman, size 10 must be used for their contents.

The article must be written in fluent and clear Persian while adhering to grammatical rules. The use of foreign terms that have suitable Persian equivalents should be avoided as much as possible. If no common or appropriate Persian equivalent exists, phonetic transcription in Persian letters may be used, with the original English term provided in a footnote. The author must also footnote the English equivalent of foreign names and specialized terms used. Words or phrases used as abbreviations must be written in full upon their first mention. It is important to note that only standard abbreviations and symbols are acceptable, and they must not be used in the title or abstracts under any circumstances.

Abbreviations should not be used in the article title or abstract, except for standard measurement units. Please follow the American Institute of Biological Sciences CBE Style Manual, 3rd edition for writing abbreviations.

 

  1. Article Structure

The order of article headings must precisely include the following titles: Title, English Authors' Information, Short English Abstract, Long English Abstract, Title, Persian Authors' Information, Persian Abstract, Introduction, Research Methodology, Research Findings, Discussion and Conclusion, Acknowledgements, Financial Support, Conflict of Interest, and finally References. Avoid placing a colon (:) after these titles.

 

8-1. Title Page (in Persian and English)

Researchers and authors should note that the first page of the article must be dedicated to the title page, prepared first in Persian and then in English, adhering to the following items:

*   Article Type

*   Full Article Title

*   Short Article Title (Running Head)

*   Full names of all authors

*   Organizational Affiliation for all authors

*   Address of the organization, institution, or center where the study was conducted.

*   Email address and phone number for all authors are mandatory.

*   Providing an ORCID iD for all authors is mandatory. All authors must hyperlink their ORCID iD in the authors' names section.

*   Number of words in the submitted article (word count excluding the abstract, tables, references, and figures/charts) and the number of words in the abstract.

*   Number of pages

*   Date of Article Submission

*   At the end, the Corresponding Author's information, including email address and phone number, must be stated.

 

8-2. Abstract

The abstract consists of three parts: a Short English Abstract, a Long English Abstract, and a Short Persian Abstract.

 

Short English Abstract:

Includes the English title of the article, a short English abstract of 200 to 250 words, and relevant keywords (3 to 5 keywords). Separate each keyword with a comma. Keywords should be arranged alphabetically in English, with the first letter of each keyword capitalized. It is essential that the English abstract and keywords exactly correspond to the Persian abstract and keywords.

 

Long English Abstract:

A structured, two-column English abstract of 1200 to 1500 words, including the following sections:

*   Introduction (Font: Times New Roman, Size 12, Bold): Describe the introduction and purpose of the research (Font: Times New Roman, Size 11, Regular).

*   Methods (Font: Times New Roman, Size 12, Bold): Describe the research methodology (Font: Times New Roman, Size 11, Regular).

*   Results (Font: Times New Roman, Size 12, Bold): Describe the findings and results obtained from the research (Font: Times New Roman, Size 11, Regular).

*   Conclusion (Font: Times New Roman, Size 12, Bold): Present the discussion and conclusion of the research (Font: Times New Roman, Size 11, Regular).

*   Ethical Considerations (Font: Times New Roman, Size 12, Bold)

*   Compliance with ethical guidelines (Font: Times New Roman, Size 10, Bold)

*   Funding (Font: Times New Roman, Size 10, Bold)

*   Authors’ contribution (Font: Times New Roman, Size 10, Bold)

*   Conflict of interest (Font: Times New Roman, Size 10, Bold)

*   Acknowledgments (Font: Times New Roman, Size 10, Bold)

References cited in the English text should be hyperlinked to the reference list at the end of the article according to the journal's citation style.

 

Note: Submission of a certificate from an official translation agency confirming the Native quality of the Long English Abstract will be mandatory after the final acceptance of the article.

 

8-3. Persian Abstract

The Persian title of the article, the Persian abstract, and keywords are listed in this order. A research article must include a title and a Persian abstract of 200 to 250 words, with 3 to 5 Persian keywords listed below it, separated by commas. The past tense should be used to describe what was done, and the present tense for conclusions. Avoid mentioning specific p-values (levels of significance),  R values, references for tests or questionnaires, and English words, letters, or abbreviations in the short abstract.

 

8-4. Introduction

The introduction should explain what the problem is, how it relates to previous work, and how it differs from them. This section, spanning two to three pages, addresses the problem statement through a review of past studies, the existing challenges in this problem, the necessity, the application of results, and the research objectives. Avoid writing general, unnecessary, and unhelpful content in the introduction. Furthermore, the introduction should not be written in a way that is only useful for professionals.

 

8-5. Research Methodology

The methodology should be written in such a way that any reader can replicate the author's experience. This section must report the details of the research method and the reason for its selection, the duration and follow-up of the study, the time and place of the research, the tested samples and their selection criteria, the sampling method and the rationale for the sample size, the data collection procedure, adherence to ethical principles in research, measurement tools (validity and reliability of instruments both internationally and domestically), and the statistical tests used.

 

8-6. Results

The Results section includes a complete description of the research findings. The research results must be presented with complete transparency and clarity, in accordance with scientific principles. Providing precise results includes reporting numbers with percentages, reporting means with confidence intervals, and stating the exact values of test statistics, especially the exact P-Value (e.g., P=0.015) in inferential statistical tests.

  • Researchers should report the most important findings of the study.
  • Furthermore, appropriate use of tables and charts in black and white, two-dimensional format, and with the minimum possible number will facilitate the study of the article.
  • All figures, charts, and images should be labeled with the word "Figure" and the figure title should be placed below it.
  • Descriptions related to a figure should come after it.
  • To write each figure title, after the word "Figure" and its number, use a dash and then state the title.
  • Photographs must be prepared with high clarity and quality. Authors are kindly requested to refrain from placing images of figures and only use original files exported from the relevant software.
  • For tables, table titles are placed above them.
  • Descriptions related to each table should come before it.
  • All table and figure titles (centered) must be written bilingually (Persian and English).
  • Numbers within tables and figures must be written in English, with decimals indicated by a period (e.g., 11.25).
  • The English font for table and figure titles should be **Times New Roman Bold**, size 10, and **Times New Roman**, size 10 should be used for their contents.
  • Table titles must be self-explanatory so that there is no need to refer back to the text.
  • Abbreviations and symbols in the table text can be clarified with footnotes.
  • Numbers, figures, and content in tables should not be repeated in the article text.
  • Table dimensions should be adjusted to fit on a single journal page (portrait or landscape).
  • All columns and rows must have titles.
  • Given the page limitations of the journal, it is evident that repeating content already presented in the text in tables, and vice versa, must be avoided.
  • Using a table is only permissible when the obtained information (result) cannot be easily presented in the text.

 

8-7. Discussion and Conclusion

This section of the article discusses important aspects of the findings, their implications, significance, and limitations; a comparison of the research results with findings from other studies; justification and interpretation of points of agreement and disagreement; the potential applications of the findings; and finally, the conclusion and recommendations derived from the research findings. In this section, avoid repeating the Results section, and do not present new results not mentioned in the findings. Refrain from commenting on issues not raised by the study's findings.

 

8-8. Acknowledgements

This section mentions the name(s) of the source(s) of financial support that led to the completion of the research and the preparation of the article. It also thanks and acknowledges all individuals or groups who collaborated in conducting the research.

 

8-9. Financial Support

 

If there was financial support for conducting this research, it should be indicated in this section.

 

8-10. Conflict of Interest

 

If any conflict of interest exists, it should be stated in this section. Otherwise, stating "No conflict of interest" is sufficient.

 

8-11. References

 

References used in the text must be cited in accordance with the latest APA guidelines as follows:

*   Preferably, the references used in articles should be indexed in ISI, ISC, or SCOPUS databases.

*   At the end of the article, references should be listed in alphabetical order, presented in two columns, and formatted with a hanging indent (the second line of each reference should be indented).

*   Persian references must also be written in English, with the phrase [in Persian] added in parentheses.

*   Note: It is mandatory that at least 70% of the references be from articles published within the last 5 years.

*   In-text citations must correspond precisely to the references listed at the end of the article.

*   In-text citations within the article should be hyperlinked to their corresponding entries in the reference list. Furthermore, the DOIs listed in the references at the end should be linked to the article's main page (please refer to the citation examples provided below).

*   To minimize errors in citations, authors are required to use reference management software such as Mendeley or EndNote.

*   The Digital Object Identifier (DOI) for the cited references should be included at the end of each reference entry.

 

Citation Examples:

 

Farahani, A., Keshavarz, L., & Azizian Kohan, N. (2023). Developing Relationship Model of the Social Capital and the Job Satisfaction of Faculty Members of Iran's Physical Education Colleges. Sport Management Studies, 15 (77), 17-36. https://doi.org/10.22089/SMRJ.2023.3757. [in Persian]

Moemeni piri, S., Shabanibahar, G., & Erfani, N. (2021). Developing an Organizational Identification Model Based on the Organizational Intelligence through Organizational Development among the Staff of Selected Sport Federations of Iran. Sport Management Journal, 12(4), 1165-1185. https://doi.org/10.22059/jsm.2021.248425.1991. [in Persian]

Clausen, J., Bayle, E., Giauque, D., Ruoranen, K., Lang, G., Nagel, S., Klenk, C., & Schlesinger, T. (2018). Drivers of and barriers to professionalization in international sport federations. Journal of Global Sport Management, 3(1), 37-60. https://doi.org/10.1080/24704067.2017.1411165.

Example of In-Text Citation:

A website is a selected source of information in the digital age. It is highly likely that meeting users' expectations for easy access to useful information through a website will significantly impact customers' information behavior (Serati-Shirazi & Gol-Taji, 2008, p. 12).

The diversity of individuals who create web documents and links affects the quality and credibility of this method (Bjørnborn & Ingwersen, 2001, p. 18).

8-12. Writing and Stylistic Principles

The article must be free of writing and grammatical errors. The following are some of the most important stylistic points that must be observed:

*   Observing half-spaces in two-part words.

*   Using the hamza (ء) character in words.

*   Writing compound words separately.

*   Using tanwin (Arabic diacritical mark for nunation) in words.

*   Using the hamza (ء) instead of the Persian letter 'ye' (ی) in words.

*   After a comma, place one space and then write the next word. There should be no space before a comma.

*   After a period, place one space and then write the next word.

*   English words should not appear within the Persian text. Instead, write their Persian equivalents in the text, even for abbreviations like "SPSS," and then provide a footnote for the English term upon its first mention.

*   Footnote font: Must be Times New Roman, size 9. After the footnote number, place a period and one space, then write the specific English name or relevant description. The text and numbers must be aligned. To achieve this, if you click the subscript button twice, both will be aligned. If a footnote is needed, all Persian text within it should be right-alignedusing the B Mitra font, size 10.

*   Author names: The author's first name should not be written within the text or in footnotes. Only the last name should be mentioned.

*   Spacing around parentheses: In the text, wherever parentheses are needed, there must be a space between the last letter of the word before the opening parenthesis and the parenthesis, and a space after the closing parenthesis and the next word.

*   In-text citations: There is no need to assign a separate footnote number for each author's name. Write all names consecutively, separate them with commas, and place "and" before the last name. After the last name, place the footnote number. In the footnote, also write all names consecutively. Example: Weinberg and Gould

 

  1. Manuscript Similarity (Plagiarism)

All manuscripts submitted to the Journal of Contemporary Research in Sports Management will be screened for similarity using plagiarism detection software before entering the peer-review process. If the similarity index exceeds 20%, the manuscript will be returned to the corresponding author and will not proceed to the review and publication process.

 

  1. Financial Support

Authors must explicitly declare any financial support received from organizations, universities, etc., that played a role in the execution or publication of the article. If the study received no financial support from any organization, the following statement must be included in the designated section of the manuscript text: "The present study received no financial support from any organization."

 

  1. Conflict of Interest

Any existing conflict of interest related to the manuscript must be explicitly stated. If there are no conflicts of interest regarding the submitted work, please state: "There is no conflict of interest in the present study."

 

  1. Written Commitment Form

It is mandatory to upload the signed written commitment form, completed knowingly by all authors of the manuscript, at the time of submission.

 

  1. Article Review Timeline

*   Initial evaluation by the Editor-in-Chief: 1 day

*   Evaluation by Editors: 7 days

*   Peer-review process: 30 days

*   If reviewers do not complete the review within the specified timeframe, the manuscript will be sent to other reviewers, which may slightly extend the overall review process.

 

  1. Revision Submission Deadline for the Corresponding Author

Generally, the stipulated deadlines for revisions are as follows:

  • Revisions requested by editors (pre-peer-review): Maximum 7 days
  • Revisions requested after peer-review: Maximum 15 days

Finally, the author is requested to prepare their manuscript in accordance with the contents of this guide and by reviewing sample articles published in the journal's latest issue, and then submit it to the journal through the online submission system.

 

Author Guidelines

-Important Notice to Authors: All received manuscripts will be screened for similarity using plagiarism detection software before proceeding to the peer-review stage. If the similarity index exceeds 20%, the manuscript will be returned to the author.

Guide to writing articles