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Author Guidelines

Authors are required to prepare their manuscripts using the official journal template before submission.

Official Manuscript Template
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/12HPAUr4Km5HfmILNxKzDCN7AFLlPeByC?usp=sharing

Manuscripts may be written in either English or Bahasa Indonesia and should follow the structure and formatting requirements described in these Author Guidelines.

1. Article Title

The article title should consist of 8–15 words, clearly reflecting the scope and focus of the research. It should highlight the novelty or unique contribution of the study while remaining concise, informative, and specific. Avoid abbreviations, ambiguous terms, and unnecessary wording. The title should be formatted using Times New Roman, 12 pt, Bold, single spacing.

2. Author Information

Authors must provide their full names without abbreviations, academic titles, or professional designations. Each author's institutional affiliation should be listed directly below the name, including the full name of the institution and country. The corresponding author must provide a valid email address for editorial correspondence. If there are multiple authors, clearly indicate the corresponding author using the journal's submission system.

3. Article Template

Authors are required to prepare their manuscripts using the official Tunas Cendekia: Journal of Early Childhood Education Study Program article template. Using the journal template helps ensure consistency in formatting, simplifies the editorial process, and accelerates manuscript review and publication.

Please download the latest article template from the following link before preparing your manuscript:

???? Download the Official Article Template

Authors are expected to follow the template carefully, including manuscript structure, heading styles, tables, figures, references, and formatting requirements. Manuscripts that do not conform to the journal template may be returned for revision before entering the peer-review process.

4. Abstract

The abstract should emphasize the research findings while providing a concise overview of the entire study. It must be written in both English and Indonesian, with the English abstract presented in italic font. The abstract should be typed in a single-spaced format and follow the journal template's margin settings.

The abstract should contain approximately 150–200 words and briefly describe the research problem, research objectives, methodology, principal findings, and main conclusions. Only the essential aspects of the objectives and methodology should be presented, while unnecessary procedural details should be omitted.

The concluding statement should directly reflect the article's objectives and findings. Authors should also provide 3–5 keywords representing the main concepts of the study. Keywords may consist of single words or phrases, should be arranged alphabetically, and separated by commas.

5. Keywords

Provide 3–5 relevant keywords or key phrases that accurately represent the primary topics of the manuscript. Keywords should facilitate indexing, searching, and retrieval of the article in academic databases.

Keywords may consist of single words or multiple-word phrases, should be arranged alphabetically, and separated by commas. Avoid using overly general terms or words that already appear in the journal title whenever possible.

6. Introduction

The Introduction serves as the foundation of the research article and should provide readers with sufficient background to understand the significance of the study. This section should clearly present the research problem, explain the perspective or strategy proposed to address the problem, define the research objectives, and summarize relevant previous studies. It may also briefly describe the expected outcomes and potential contributions of the research. Generally, the Introduction should be approximately one to three pages in length and written in a clear, logical, and coherent manner using single spacing.

The opening paragraphs should focus on presenting factual evidence obtained from preliminary studies, identifying the specific research problem, and reviewing recent developments related to the research topic. Authors are strongly encouraged to formulate their research objectives based on a well-defined research gap. Demonstrating the research gap is essential for highlighting the originality and contribution of the study. Including the expected benefits of the research is optional and may be presented if considered relevant.

Even when the research topic is closely related to previous publications, authors are expected to acknowledge and discuss the most relevant earlier studies. This demonstrates that a comprehensive literature review has been conducted and places the present study within the broader scientific context. Consequently, the Introduction should provide readers with a clear understanding of how the current study differs from and contributes to existing knowledge.

A well-written Introduction should progressively move from general issues to the specific focus of the study. Authors should establish the research context by explaining the relevance and urgency of the topic, reviewing recent scientific developments supported by reliable and up-to-date references, identifying existing research gaps, defining the scope and objectives of the study, and emphasizing the novelty or contribution of the research. Integrating these components effectively will create a strong rationale for the study and attract readers' interest.

All manuscripts submitted to Tunas Cendekia: Journal of Early Childhood Education Study Program must follow the journal's official article format and writing style. The journal template has been developed to ensure consistency in manuscript preparation and publication standards. Authors should prepare their manuscripts using Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) and strictly follow the formatting requirements provided in the official template. The recommended manuscript length is 3,000–6,000 words, using Times New Roman 12 pt with 1.15 line spacing.

7. Methods

This section should describe the research procedures in sufficient detail to enable other researchers to understand and replicate the study. The methodology should clearly explain: (1) the research design and approach; (2) the research participants or subjects, including the population and sampling techniques; (3) the data collection procedures and instrument development; and (4) the data analysis techniques employed. For studies involving specialized equipment, software, or research materials, technical specifications should also be provided where relevant.

The selection of the research methodology should be supported by appropriate justification. Authors should describe participant characteristics, the types of data collected, and the instruments used in the study. This section should focus on practical implementation rather than theoretical explanations. Detailed information regarding instrument validation, reliability testing, or other quality assurance procedures should also be included whenever applicable. Authors are encouraged to use diagrams, flowcharts, or conceptual frameworks to illustrate the research process and improve clarity.

For qualitative research, such as classroom action research, ethnographic studies, or case studies, additional information should be provided regarding the role of the researcher, research participants, and key informants. Authors should explain the data collection techniques, research setting, duration of the study, and procedures used to establish the trustworthiness or validity of the findings. The use of unnecessary subheadings is discouraged; however, if subheadings are required, they should follow the formatting style adopted in the Results and Discussion section. Visual representations of the research design are recommended to facilitate readers' understanding of the research process.

8. Results and Discussion

The Results and Discussion section is the core component of a research article and is typically the longest part of the manuscript. The results presented should be the final outcomes of the analysis rather than the analytical process itself. Detailed statistical calculations, intermediate analyses, or hypothesis testing procedures should not be reported unless they are essential for understanding the findings. Instead, authors should present the final analytical results clearly and systematically. Tables, figures, and graphs are encouraged to enhance the presentation of research findings and must always be accompanied by clear explanations and interpretations within the text.

For qualitative research, the Results section may be organized into several subtopics corresponding to the research focus or analytical categories. The Discussion should: (1) answer the research questions or objectives; (2) explain how the findings were obtained; (3) interpret the findings using appropriate theories or concepts; (4) relate the findings to existing knowledge and previous studies; and (5) propose new theoretical insights or modifications to existing theories where appropriate.

The interpretation of the findings should be based on logical reasoning and supported by relevant scholarly literature. Research findings should not merely be described but critically analyzed and compared with previous studies. Authors are expected to explain similarities, differences, and possible reasons for the observed results. Every major argument should be supported by appropriate references to strengthen the scientific contribution of the manuscript.

The discussion should emphasize the novelty and significance of the research findings by comparing them with relevant national and international journal publications. Authors are expected to use at least 15 references, with an appropriate balance between national and international scholarly sources. Avoid presenting the discussion in the form of numbering or bullet points. Instead, organize the discussion into coherent paragraphs connected by logical transitions. Whenever appropriate, research data should be presented using tables, figures, or graphs to improve readability while minimizing purely conceptual explanations.

Tables and Figures

Table titles should be placed above the table, while figure captions should be placed below the figure. Each table and figure must be numbered consecutively (e.g., Table 1, Figure 1) and cited explicitly within the text before they appear. Avoid using vague references such as “the table below,” “the figure above,” or similar expressions. Every table and figure should be self-explanatory and accompanied by a clear discussion in the manuscript.

Table 1. Table Format Example

Column 1	Column 2	Column 3
Data 1	Data 4	Data 7
Data 2	Data 5	Data 8
Data 3	Data 6	Data 9
Total	Sum Column 2	Sum Column 3

Figure 1. Example of a Figure Caption

Citation and References

The reference list must contain all sources cited in the manuscript, and every reference included in the bibliography must also appear in the text. References should be arranged alphabetically according to the journal's citation style. Authors are responsible for ensuring the completeness, consistency, and accuracy of all bibliographic information.

The journal adopts indirect citation throughout the manuscript. Authors should paraphrase ideas from previous studies rather than copying the original wording. Proper acknowledgment of the original source is mandatory whenever ideas, concepts, methods, or findings from other works are used.

In-text citations should include the author's surname and year of publication. Page numbers may be included when necessary, particularly for direct quotations or highly specific information. Citations may appear either as part of the sentence or in parentheses at the end of the statement.

When a source has two authors, both names should be cited. For works with three or more authors, only the first author's surname should be followed by et al., in accordance with the APA 7th Edition citation style.

Reference List

Authors are required to use a reference management application such as Mendeley, Zotero, EndNote, or similar software. References should primarily consist of recent scholarly publications published within the last 10 years and must follow the APA 7th Edition referencing style.

The reference list should consist of approximately 80% primary sources (peer-reviewed journal articles, conference proceedings, dissertations, theses, and scholarly books) and 20% secondary sources. At least 20% of all references should be derived from reputable international journal articles. References should be formatted using Times New Roman 12 pt with 1.15 line spacing.

9. Conclusion

The Conclusion should provide a concise summary of the research findings and discussion. It should directly address the research objectives presented in the Introduction and clearly demonstrate how the study has answered the research questions. Rather than repeating the results, the Conclusion should synthesize the main findings into meaningful insights and emphasize the contribution of the research.

Authors are encouraged to highlight the theoretical and practical implications of their findings, identify the significance of the study, and, where appropriate, provide recommendations for future research. The Conclusion should be written in clear, concise, and coherent paragraphs without introducing new data, references, or extensive discussion.

The Conclusion should not exceed 250 words and should be formatted using Times New Roman 12 pt with 1.15 line spacing, following the journal template.

Copyright and Licensing Agreement

Authors retain the copyright and all other proprietary rights associated with their published articles. By submitting and publishing their manuscripts in Tunas Cendekia: Journal of Early Childhood Education Study Program, authors grant the journal the right of first publication under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0).

• Authors retain the copyright and all intellectual property rights related to their work.
• Authors are permitted to reuse, distribute, and incorporate the published content into future scholarly works, including books, teaching materials, dissertations, and other academic publications, provided that the original publication in this journal is properly acknowledged.
• The journal is granted the right of first publication, and all published articles are distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License.

Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) License

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https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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• Share — Copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format.
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