MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION

This page explains how to organize and format a manuscript for TOBA: Journal of Tourism, Hospitality, and Destination. Please read it together with the Author Guidelines, which describe the submission process and give a checklist to complete before you submit.

Manuscripts are assessed on their scholarly quality, originality, fit with the Focus and Scope, research integrity, and the outcome of peer review. Following the format described here does not guarantee acceptance.

Use the official TOBA template. Write your manuscript directly in the TOBA article template, and keep its page size, margins, fonts, spacing, heading styles, and layout. Do not use the formatting of another journal.

Structure of a Manuscript

Title and authors → Abstract and keywords → A. Introduction → B. Research Method → C. Results and Discussion → D. Conclusion → References

1General Format

Item Requirement
File format An editable Microsoft Word file (.doc or .docx).
Language Academic Indonesian or English. If you write in English, use either British or American spelling consistently. The abstract is given in both Indonesian and English.
Page setup A4 paper (210 × 297 mm). Margins: top 2.54 cm, bottom 2 cm, left 2.54 cm, and right 2.54 cm.
Columns The title, authors, affiliations, and abstract are set in a single column. The rest of the article is set in two columns.
Font and spacing Times New Roman 10pt, single line spacing, and justified text. The first line of each paragraph is indented by about 1 cm, and no extra space is added between paragraphs.
Abstract Maximum 250 words in one paragraph (Times New Roman 9pt), in Indonesian and in English.
Keywords Maximum 5, in alphabetical order, separated by semicolons.
Citation style APA style (7th edition), with author and year citations in the text.
References At least 15 references, mainly primary and recent sources.

Other details of the layout, such as the sizes of the title, the headings, and the captions, are given in Section 6 of the Author Guidelines and in the template.

2Title, Author Information, Abstract, and Keywords

Element Requirement
Title The title is concise, specific, and informative. Use a maximum of 15 words, in Indonesian or English, in Times New Roman 12pt, bold, and centered. Avoid unnecessary abbreviations and claims that the study cannot support.
Author information Write the names without academic titles (Times New Roman 10pt, bold). Give the affiliation of each author in this order: study program, faculty, institution, city, and country (Times New Roman 8pt). Link each name to its affiliation with a superscript number. Give the email address of the corresponding author. Enter all authors and their affiliations in the submission details, in the same order as in the manuscript.
Abstract The abstract must stand on its own. Write one paragraph of no more than 250 words that covers the background or problem, the objective, the method, the main findings, and the conclusions and suggestions. Do not cite references, use unexplained abbreviations, or make claims that the study does not support. Give the Indonesian abstract first (upright text), followed by the English abstract (italic text).
Keywords Choose no more than five specific terms or short phrases. Avoid very broad terms and words that already appear in the title. Arrange the keywords alphabetically from A to Z and separate them with semicolons, for example: destination image; ecotourism; visitor satisfaction.

3Organization of the Main Text

The main sections are fixed: Introduction, Research Method, Results and Discussion, Conclusion, and References. Acknowledgments are optional. Please do not add or remove main sections.

Subsections may be added where they are needed, but a subsection must not consist of only one paragraph. Review articles, such as systematic literature reviews and bibliometric analyses, follow the same main sections. In a review article, the Research Method explains how the sources were identified, selected, and analyzed.

Section What to include
A. INTRODUCTION
Indonesian: A. PENDAHULUAN		 Present the context and the background of the topic in tourism, hospitality, or destination studies, supported by relevant literature. The brief literature review is part of the introduction and is not a separate section. Make the research gap and the novelty of the study visible, and state the research objective or questions at the end of the introduction. Avoid long discussions of general literature or definitions.
B. RESEARCH METHOD
Indonesian: B. METODE PENELITIAN		 Describe the research design, the research setting and participants, the data or materials, the instruments, the procedures, and the analysis techniques. Explain how data quality was ensured where relevant, and name the software or tools used. A new method needs enough detail to be repeated, while an established method can be cited. Studies with human participants must state how permission and informed consent were obtained.
C. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Indonesian: C. HASIL DAN PEMBAHASAN		 Present the results in the order of the research objectives or questions, with tables and figures where they help, and without repeating the same data in the text, tables, and figures. Support the results with relevant references or compare them with previous studies. In the discussion, interpret the findings, explain their significance for tourism, hospitality, and destination theory or practice, and address alternative explanations and limitations. Present results that are doubtful in an objective way.
D. CONCLUSION
Indonesian: D. SIMPULAN		 Write the conclusions in paragraphs, not as a numbered list, and do not cite references. Answer the central research question, summarize the contribution of the study, and state its implications for tourism practice, destination management, or policy where appropriate. Suggestions for future research may be added. Do not introduce new findings or simply repeat the abstract.
Acknowledgments (optional) Name the funders and the parties that provided facilities or support.
REFERENCES
Indonesian: DAFTAR PUSTAKA		 Prepare the list as described in Section 6.

4Tables, Figures, and Display Material

4.1 Tables

Rule Requirement
Numbering Number tables in the order in which they first appear, and refer to each table in the text.
Caption Place the caption above the table, centered, in Times New Roman 8pt, with the label in bold, for example: Table 1. Example of a table format.
Lines Use horizontal lines only, at the header and at the closing of the table, with a line thickness of 1 pt. Do not use vertical lines.
Contents Set the table contents in Times New Roman 8pt. Build tables as editable text, not as screenshots or images. Use clear column labels and state the units.
Notes Define abbreviations and statistical notation, and state the source of the data, in a note below the table.
Placement A table may be placed in one column or across two columns. A one column table is centered.

4.2 Figures

Rule Requirement
Types A figure can be a graph, a map, a photograph, or another image.
Numbering Number figures in the order in which they first appear, and refer to each figure in the text.
Caption Place the caption below the figure, centered, in Times New Roman 8pt, with the label in bold, for example: Figure 1. Example of a figure.
Quality Use high resolution images that are legible at the printed size. Do not use blurred images.
Accessibility Do not rely on color alone to carry meaning. Add labels, patterns, or symbols.
Source and permission State the source below the figure. Reproduced or adapted material requires permission, as described in the Copyright Notice and Licensing pages.
Placement A figure may be placed in one column or across two columns. A one column figure is centered.

5Abbreviations, Equations, and Quotations

Element Requirement
Abbreviations and terms Define every nonstandard abbreviation when it is first used, and use technical terms consistently.
Equations Write equations with the equation editor, centered on the line, with the equation number in parentheses at the right margin, for example (1) and (2). Explain each variable and symbol in a sentence after the equation, and refer to the equation by its number in the text.
Numerical data Keep the precision of numbers consistent. State the units, the currency where money is reported, the sample sizes, and the statistical measures used, such as the mean, the standard deviation, and the significance level.
Quotations Separate direct quotations clearly from your own wording. Give the source and, where possible, the page number. Explain in the text any translation that you made.

6Citations and References

Item Requirement
Citation style Use APA style (7th edition). Cite sources in the text with the surname of the author and the year, and examples are given in the Author Guidelines.
Order of the list Arrange the reference list alphabetically by the surname of the first author. Do not number the references.
Matching Every citation in the text must match an entry in the list, and every entry in the list must be cited in the text.
Number and quality Cite at least 15 references, mainly primary sources such as journal articles and conference papers, preferably published within the last five years. Do not use unreliable sources such as Wikipedia or blogs.
Completeness Give complete bibliographic details, including page ranges or article numbers where they apply.
DOI and links Add the DOI to every reference that has one, preferably as an https://doi.org/ link. An online source without a DOI needs its URL.
Format Set the list in Times New Roman 10pt with a hanging indent of about 1 cm.
Reference manager You may use a reference manager such as Mendeley or Zotero with APA style, but you remain responsible for the accuracy of every entry and for the match between the citations and the list.

7Declarations and Disclosures

The template has no separate declaration sections. Report funding and support in the Acknowledgments, and describe participant permission and consent in the Research Method. All other topics follow the policies below, and any required statements must be provided. The editorial team may ask for additional statements during the review.

Topic Policy
Authorship and contributions Authorship and Contributorship
Funding, research ethics, and integrity Publication Ethics
Conflicts of interest Conflicts of Interest
Availability of research data Data Sharing Policy
Generative AI and automated tools Generative AI Policies
Originality and similarity Plagiarism Policy

8Supplementary Material

Supplementary material is optional. It may include instruments, such as questionnaires, interview guides, observation sheets, and scoring rubrics, and it may include datasets.

Rule Requirement
Labels Label each item consistently, give it a descriptive title, and refer to it in the text.
Description Explain what each item contains, how it relates to the article, and which software is needed to open it.
Role Supplementary material complements the article but does not replace the explanation of the main contribution in the manuscript.
Data sharing Follow the Data Sharing Policy. Upload supplementary files together with the manuscript during submission.

Related Instructions and Contact

The Author Guidelines give general orientation, the submission steps, and a checklist for preparing a manuscript. If you have a question about the template, or if you find a conflict between the template and these instructions, please write to tobajurnal@gmail.com before you submit.

TOBA: Journal of Tourism, Hospitality, and Destination • Manuscript Preparation