Submissions
Online Submissions
Already have a Username/Password for Asia and Africa Today?
Go to Login
Need a Username/Password?
Go to Registration
Registration and login are required for submitting items online, and for checking the status of current submissions.
Submission Preparation Checklist
As part of the submission process, authors are required to check off their submission's compliance with each of the following items, and submissions that do not adhere to these guidelines may be returned to the authors.
Article Formatting
1. Format and Submission
Submit the manuscript to the Editorial Board via email: asaf-today@mail.ru in two versions:
- Full version
- Anonymized version (does not apply to reviews or conference reports).
The anonymized version removes all information identifying the author(s), including, where possible, references to the authors' own work. This ensures objectivity in the double-blind peer review process, where neither reviewers know authors nor authors know reviewers.)
File Format: Microsoft Word for Windows (.doc or .docx).
2. Text Formatting
Main Text:
- Font: Times New Roman
- Size: 12 pt.
- First line indent: 0.5 cm
- Line spacing: 1.5 (double-spaced equivalent)
Footnotes/Endnotes (numbered: 1, 2, 3...):
- Font: Times New Roman
- Size: 11 pt.
- Line spacing: 1.0 (single-spaced)
NB! Automatic hyphenation must be turned off.
3. Article Length
Length includes the Abstract (in Russian), Abstract (in English), bibliography, and footnotes/endnotes, but excludes tables, charts, graphs, and their captions.
Unit of Calculation: 1 page (journal page) = 4,200 characters with spaces (including footnotes/endnotes).
Maximum Length:
- For all authors (except PhD candidates): 9 pages (approx. 38,000 characters).
- For PhD candidates and applicants: 7 pages (approx. 29,500 characters).
4. Structure and Accompanying Information
The manuscript must have continuous page numbering. In the top right corner of the first page, indicate:
- Submission date;
- Total manuscript length in characters with spaces;
- Number of illustrative materials (tables, graphs, charts, etc., if any) in parentheses.
- Mandatory: Include the ORCID of all authors.
- Keywords: 6–8 words/phrases.
- Abstract Length: 150–180 words (including Keywords).
NB! The article text must be divided into several logical sections with distinct subheadings (besides INTRODUCTION and CONCLUSION).
5. Headings and Element Formatting
Article Title: bold, lowercase letters.
Subheadings within text: plain font, UPPERCASE letters.
Table titles go above the table; chart and figure titles go below.
Charts and tables must be submitted as editable Word objects (not images).
Graphs/Photos/Maps:
- Place them at the point of mention within the manuscript text.
- Additionally, send them as separate files in TIFF (preferred), JPG, or PNG format with a resolution of at least 300 dpi.
- Color model: All images must be in grayscale.
6. Journal-Specific Formatting Details
Author Names:
- Surname first, followed by initials.
- No spaces between initials or after the period: Ivanov I.I.; Goldberg R.A.
Proper Names:
- Initials first, followed by surname.
- No spaces between initials or after the period: V.V.Putin; I.Traore.
Italicize in Text:
- Foreign words (except Eastern languages), names of newspapers, journals, organizations, companies, brands.
- (Author's note), (see Table 1), (see Chart 3), etc. (but numbers and brackets remain in plain font).
Quotation Marks:
- Primary: “ ”
- Quote within a quote: ʻ ʼ
Period (Full Stop):
- Not used after: Article title, headings, subheadings, table titles.
- Used after: Graph, chart, figure titles; table notes; graph/chart/figure captions.
NB! Avoid excessive abbreviations. If numerous abbreviations are used, a list of abbreviations must be added to the article.
NB! Authors mentioning or citing prohibited organizations (terrorist or extremist) must include a footnote stating their status as “organizations banned in the Russian Federation.” When mentioning or using content from “foreign agents,” authors must state that these individuals perform the functions of a “foreign agent.”
7. Journal-Accepted Abbreviations
Standard Abbreviations:
- t (tonne/metric ton), kg, m, cm, mm, km, kW, MW, GW, km², m³, etc.
Currencies:
- US Dollars: $52; $52,300; $75.5 million (no space between $ and number).
- Euro: €50 million (no space between € and number) or 75,500 Euros.
Numbers:
- Use numerals, not words (e.g., 1st, 2nd, 3rd place, etc.).
- Percentages: use symbol % without space after the number (e.g., 99%).
Ranges:
- Use an en dash without spaces: 2018–2019; pp. 15–25.
Reference List Formatting (REFERENCES)
1. Content of REFERENCES
Include ONLY the following types of academic sources:
- Articles in peer-reviewed journals (print/electronic).
- Monographs, textbooks, academic collections.
- Dissertations and dissertation abstracts.
- Chapters in academic monographs/collections.
- Published conference proceedings.
- Officially published research reports from research organizations (if they have publication attributes: authors, publication data, ISBN/ISSN, etc.).
Exclude from Reference List (include in footnotes instead):
- Interviews (including those conducted by the author).
- News articles, agency reports.
- Articles in popular magazines/newspapers.
- Organization websites, general portals, blogs.
- Statistical/data pages.
- Legislative/normative acts (unless the subject of a dedicated academic publication).
- Other sources not meeting academic publication criteria.
NB! Add only one source per number in REFERENCES or footnotes.
NB! Titles of books/articles in Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, etc., should be in the original script; followed by an English translation in parentheses; then (also in parentheses) indicate – (In Arabic), (In Chinese), (In Japanese), etc.
2. Reference List Order and Formatting:
- Alphabetical order: sources are listed alphabetically by the first author's surname or by title (for works without authors).
- Prohibited: op. cit., ibidem, ibid (use only in footnotes).
NB! REFERENCES must contain at least 7 entries.
NB! If a publication has a DOI, it must be included.
3. Examples of Reference List Entries:
Article with 4+ authors:
- Petrov A.A., Sidorov B.B., Ivanova B.B. et al. (2025). Title. Journal name. Vol. 51. № 2. Pp. 2–22. (In Russ.). DOI: XXXXX (use “et al.” after the 3rd author; listing all authors is optional).
Chapter in monograph:
- Vasiliev E.F. (2025). Chapter Title. In: Ivanov R.R. (ed.). Title. City. Pp. 112–115. (In Russ.).
Edited monograph:
- Lever-Tracy C. (ed.). (2010). Routledge Handbook of Climate Change and Society. London: Routledge.
Research without Authors (Corporate Author):
- National Research Institute. (2025). Report Title. City: Publisher (if any). https://pngnri.org/...(accessed 13.09.2024)
Examples:
- Bektimirova N.N. (2015). Traditional Factors in Cambodia's Foreign Policy at the Present Stage. South East Asia: Actual Problems of Development. № XXVI. Pp. 114–137 (In Russ.).
- Burova E.S. (2018). Cross-border Trade Between Cambodia and Vietnam and its Impact on the Economic Development. Vietnamese Studies. № 4. Pp. 30–42. (In Russ.). DOI: 325-401-588-761
- Ivanov R.R. (ed.). (2025). Book Title. City. (In Russ.).
4. In-text Citations:
Source references within the article text are enclosed in square brackets with the author's name or work title.
Examples:
- Single author/editor: [Ivanov 2006: 26–31], [Smith 2019: 25]
- Two authors: [Ivanov, Petrov 2021: 30], [Smith, Johnson 2022: 30–40]
- Three or more authors: [Ivanov et al. 2019: 45], [Smith et al. 2017: 45]
- Work without author (by title): [Global Trends... 2015: 12] (Shorten title to a meaningful key phrase).
5. Non-Academic Source Formatting (Footnotes):
All sources not classified as academitc literature (interviews, news, media articles, web pages, data, official documents, etc.), as well as author's notes, must be cited exclusively in footnotes.
Formatting Options (choose one style consistently per article):
- Short version: https://www.example.com table(accessed 05.03.2025)
- Full version: Author(s) (if any). Title of Publication. Publication/Site Name (if any). Publication Date (if known). https://www.example.com (accessed 05.03.2025).
Examples:
- Short: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-02-26/trump-ends-us-initiative-to-boost-electricity-access-in-africa (accessed 05.03.2025)
- Full: Burkhardt P., Hill M. Trump Ends US Initiative to Boost Electricity Access in Africa. Bloomberg. 26.02.2025. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-02-26/trump-ends-us-initiative-to-boost-electricity-access-in-africa (accessed 05.03.2025)
- Eastern Language: សុខ ចាន់, ក្រសួងកសិកម្មបង្ហាញតួលេខនៃការនាំចេញកាលពី ២០២០ កន្លងទៅ. (Sok Chan. Ministry of Agriculture uploads the export data for 2020. Khmer Times. 05.01.2021). (In Khmer). https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50800742/%E1%9E%80%E1%9E%9A%E1%9E%9F%E1%9E%84%E1%9E%80%E1%9E%9F%E1%9E%80% (accessed 05.03.2025)
NB! Do not use “URL”, “available..”, etc.
Book Review Formatting
1. Book Review Length & Requirements:
- Length: 2–3 pages (8,000–12,000 characters with spaces).
- Font: Times New Roman, plain, size – 12 pt., line spacing – 1.5.
- The review must have a title distinct from the book/collection title.
- No Abstract or REFERENCES.
- Footnotes/endnotes (1, 2, 3, …): Font Times New Roman, plain, size – 11 pt., spacing – 1.0.
Conference Report Formatting
1. Conference Report Length & Requirements:
- Length: 3–4 pages (12,500–16,500 characters with spaces).
- Font: Times New Roman, plain, size – 12 pt., line spacing – 1.5.
- The report must have a title distinct from the conference name/theme.
- No INTRODUCTION, CONCLUSION, or REFERENCES.
- Footnotes/endnotes (1, 2, 3, …): Font Times New Roman, plain, size – 11 pt., spacing – 1.0.
Copyright Notice
In accordance with the requirements of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), all authors of articles accepted for publication in Asia and Africa Today must conclude a Licensing Agreement with the Editorial Board regarding the use of the work (article).
The Editorial Board sends the author(s) a draft Licensing Agreement along with the notification of article acceptance.
The Editorial Board works remotely. Therefore, the signed Licensing Agreement in Microsoft Word or PDF (with the author's full name and article title on p. 1, passport details, email, and signature on p. 4) must be emailed to the Editorial Board at: asaf-today@mail.ru
The author can sign (in blue ink on plain white paper), photograph the signature with a smartphone, insert it into the agreement in Word, or send it as a separate file to asaf-today@mail.ru
Privacy Statement