About the Journal

Journal Profile

Former Title: Journal of Research and Development Institute, Rajabhat Maha Sarakham University
Current Title: Journal for Developing the Social and Community

Former ISSN:

  • ISSN 2697-4681 (Print)
  • ISSN 2697-469X (Online)

Current ISSN:

  • ISSN 3056-9672 (Online)

 

Aims and Scope

The Journal for Developing the Social and Community is an academic journal dedicated to publishing scholarly works in the broad field of social sciences and related disciplines. The journal serves as a platform for researchers, academics, faculty members, graduate students, and independent scholars to disseminate research findings, theoretical discussions, academic reviews, and knowledge that contributes to social and community development.

The journal welcomes manuscripts in the following areas:

  • Social Sciences
  • Sociology
  • Humanities
  • Anthropology
  • Political Science
  • Public Administration
  • Law
  • Management Science
  • Business Administration
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Religion
  • Philosophy
  • Linguistics
  • Applied Studies
  • Interdisciplinary studies related to social and community development

The primary target audiences include faculty members, students, researchers, and scholars from both internal and external institutions.

 

Article Categories

The journal accepts the following types of academic manuscripts:

  1. Research Articles
    Articles presenting original research findings based on systematic methodology, data collection, analysis, and discussion.
  2. Original Articles
    Scholarly articles presenting new ideas, concepts, academic arguments, or original contributions to the relevant field.
  3. Review Articles
    Articles that synthesize, analyze, and evaluate existing literature, theories, or research trends.
  4. Book Reviews
    Critical reviews of academic books relevant to the journal’s scope.

 

Languages of Publication

The journal accepts manuscripts written in:

  • Thai
  • English

 

Publication Frequency

The journal publishes three issues per year, according to the following schedule:

  • Issue 1: January – April
  • Issue 2: May – August
  • Issue 3: September – December

 

Journal History

The journal was established in 2014 by the Research and Development Institute, Rajabhat Maha Sarakham University, Thailand. It was originally published under the title Journal of Research for Social and Community Development, Rajabhat Maha Sarakham University.

Key milestones include:

  • 2014: The journal was established under the title Journal of Research for Social and Community Development, Rajabhat Maha Sarakham University, with Associate Professor Dr. Prasopsuk Rittidej serving as editor.
  • 2017: The journal title was changed to Journal of Research and Development Institute, Rajabhat Maha Sarakham University, with Associate Professor Dr. Sanya Kenaphoom serving as editor.
  • 2018: The journal was certified in the Thai-Journal Citation Index Centre database.
  • 2018: The journal began using the ThaiJo online journal platform.
  • 2018: The journal appeared in the Google Scholar database.
  • 2021: The journal announced changes to reference formatting using Roman script and revised its publication schedule to three issues per year.

 

Peer Review Policy

The journal applies a double-blind peer review process. This means that the identities of both authors and reviewers are kept confidential throughout the review process.

Each manuscript is reviewed by qualified experts whose academic expertise is relevant to the submitted article. The peer review process is designed to ensure academic quality, originality, research integrity, and relevance to the journal’s scope.

Reviewer selection considers several factors, including:

  • Academic expertise
  • Professional reputation
  • Suitability to the manuscript topic
  • Absence of conflicts of interest
  • Previous review performance
  • Timeliness, thoroughness, and fairness of evaluation

Direct communication between authors and reviewers is not permitted. All communication is managed through the editorial office.

 

Peer Review Policy and Process

The Journal for Developing the Social and Community is committed to maintaining high academic standards, transparency, fairness, and integrity in the publication process. All manuscripts submitted to the journal are subject to a rigorous peer review process to ensure scholarly quality, originality, methodological soundness, and relevance to the journal’s aims and scope.

  1. Peer Review Policy

The journal applies a double-blind peer review process. This means that the identities of both authors and reviewers are kept confidential throughout the review process.

Under this system:

  • Reviewers do not know the names or affiliations of the authors.
  • Authors do not know the identities of the reviewers.
  • The editorial team manages all communication between authors and reviewers.
  • Direct communication between authors and reviewers is not permitted.

This process is designed to promote impartiality, reduce bias, and ensure that manuscripts are evaluated based on academic merit.

  1. Purpose of Peer Review

The peer review process aims to ensure that every published article meets appropriate academic standards. Specifically, peer review helps to:

  • Assess the originality and contribution of the manuscript.
  • Evaluate the accuracy and reliability of the content.
  • Review the appropriateness of the research methodology.
  • Consider the clarity, coherence, and organization of the manuscript.
  • Ensure that the manuscript is relevant to the journal’s scope.
  • Improve the quality of the manuscript through constructive feedback.
  • Prevent publication of work that contains plagiarism, unsupported claims, or serious academic weaknesses.
  1. Initial Editorial Screening

After submission, each manuscript is first reviewed by the editorial team before being sent to peer reviewers.

At this stage, the editorial team checks whether the manuscript:

  • Fits the journal’s aims and scope.
  • Follows the journal template and formatting requirements.
  • Includes all required components, such as title, author information, abstract, keywords, main text, and references.
  • Uses appropriate academic language.
  • Provides sufficient and credible references.
  • Complies with ethical requirements.
  • Has not been previously published elsewhere.
  • Does not show evidence of plagiarism or excessive similarity.

Manuscripts that do not meet the journal’s basic requirements may be returned to the author for correction or rejected before peer review.

  1. Plagiarism and Similarity Screening

All submitted manuscripts are screened for plagiarism and textual similarity using a reliable plagiarism detection system.

If similarity or suspected plagiarism is found, the editorial team may take one of the following actions:

  • Request clarification from the author.
  • Ask the author to revise and properly cite the relevant sources.
  • Return the manuscript for substantial rewriting.
  • Reject the manuscript if the similarity is excessive or if plagiarism is clearly identified.

The journal does not accept manuscripts that contain plagiarism, fabricated data, falsified findings, or unethical use of other people’s work.

  1. Selection of Reviewers

Manuscripts that pass the initial screening are assigned to qualified reviewers with expertise relevant to the subject area of the manuscript.

Reviewer selection is based on:

  • Academic expertise in the relevant field.
  • Research experience and publication background.
  • Knowledge of the manuscript topic or methodology.
  • Absence of conflicts of interest.
  • Ability to provide fair, constructive, and timely feedback.

Each manuscript is normally reviewed by at least two qualified reviewers. Additional reviewers may be invited if the editorial team requires further expert opinion.

  1. Confidentiality of the Review Process

All manuscripts under review are treated as confidential documents.

Reviewers must not:

  • Share the manuscript with others.
  • Use unpublished data or ideas from the manuscript for personal benefit.
  • Discuss the manuscript with unauthorized persons.
  • Reveal their identity to the author.
  • Contact the author directly.

Likewise, authors must not attempt to identify or contact reviewers.

All review comments and editorial decisions are handled through the journal’s official system only.

  1. Review Criteria

Reviewers are asked to evaluate manuscripts based on academic and ethical criteria, including:

7.1 Originality and Contribution

Reviewers consider whether the manuscript presents new knowledge, new interpretation, new evidence, or meaningful academic contribution.

7.2 Relevance to Journal Scope

The manuscript must be relevant to humanities, social sciences, social development, community development, or related interdisciplinary fields.

7.3 Quality of Research Design

For research articles, reviewers evaluate the appropriateness of the research design, data collection methods, sampling, research instruments, and analytical procedures.

7.4 Accuracy and Reliability

Reviewers assess whether the data, arguments, evidence, and conclusions are accurate, reasonable, and sufficiently supported.

7.5 Clarity and Organization

The manuscript should be clearly written, logically structured, and easy to follow.

7.6 Literature Review and References

Reviewers examine whether the manuscript engages with relevant literature and uses accurate, credible, and sufficient references.

7.7 Ethical Compliance

Reviewers consider whether the manuscript complies with research ethics, publication ethics, citation standards, and conflict-of-interest requirements.

  1. Reviewer Recommendations

After completing the evaluation, reviewers may provide one of the following recommendations:

8.1 Accept

The manuscript is suitable for publication without revision or with only minor editorial adjustments.

8.2 Accept with Minor Revisions

The manuscript is generally suitable for publication but requires small corrections, such as language improvement, formatting changes, clarification of certain points, or minor reference adjustments.

8.3 Accept with Major Revisions

The manuscript has academic potential but requires substantial revision before it can be considered for publication. Major revisions may involve improving the methodology, restructuring the article, strengthening the discussion, adding references, or clarifying findings.

8.4 Reject

The manuscript is not suitable for publication because it does not meet the journal’s academic standards, is outside the journal’s scope, contains serious methodological problems, lacks originality, or violates ethical standards.

  1. Editorial Decision

The final decision on a manuscript is made by the editorial team based on reviewer comments, academic quality, journal policy, and publication ethics.

The editorial decision may be:

  • Accepted for publication.
  • Accepted with minor revisions.
  • Returned for major revisions and further consideration.
  • Rejected.

The editor may also request additional review if reviewer opinions are significantly different or if further expert assessment is needed.

  1. Revision Process

When revisions are required, authors must carefully revise the manuscript according to reviewer and editor comments.

Authors should submit:

  • A revised manuscript.
  • A response letter explaining how each comment was addressed.
  • Any additional documents requested by the editorial team.

The response letter should clearly indicate:

  • Which parts of the manuscript were revised.
  • How the reviewer comments were addressed.
  • Reasons for any comments that were not followed.

Failure to revise the manuscript within the specified period may result in delay or withdrawal from the review process.

  1. Re-Evaluation of Revised Manuscripts

After revision, the editorial team reviews the revised manuscript to determine whether the author has adequately addressed the comments.

Depending on the extent of revision, the manuscript may be:

  • Accepted by the editor.
  • Returned to the author for further correction.
  • Sent back to the original reviewers for re-evaluation.
  • Rejected if the revision does not sufficiently address major concerns.
  1. Final Acceptance

A manuscript will be accepted for publication only when it has:

  • Passed editorial screening.
  • Passed plagiarism and similarity checks.
  • Received favorable reviewer recommendations.
  • Been revised satisfactorily, if required.
  • Met the journal’s formatting and ethical requirements.
  • Been approved by the editorial team.

After final acceptance, the manuscript will proceed to copyediting, proofreading, layout preparation, and publication.

  1. Estimated Review Timeline

The review timeline may vary depending on manuscript quality, reviewer availability, and the number of revisions required. In general, the process includes:

  • Initial editorial screening: approximately 1 week.
  • Peer review: approximately 1–2 weeks.
  • Notification of review results: approximately 1 week.
  • Author revision: approximately 1–3 weeks.
  • Final review of revised manuscript: approximately 1 week.

The journal makes every effort to complete the review process efficiently while maintaining academic quality.

  1. Conflict of Interest

Editors and reviewers must declare any conflict of interest that may affect their impartiality.

Conflicts of interest may include:

  • Personal relationships with the author.
  • Recent collaboration with the author.
  • Institutional affiliation with the author.
  • Financial or professional interests related to the manuscript.
  • Academic competition or bias.

If a conflict of interest exists, the reviewer or editor must decline involvement in the review process.

  1. Ethical Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers are expected to:

  • Provide fair, objective, and constructive feedback.
  • Evaluate the manuscript based on academic merit.
  • Avoid personal criticism of the author.
  • Maintain confidentiality.
  • Declare conflicts of interest.
  • Identify possible plagiarism, duplicate publication, or ethical concerns.
  • Submit the review within the agreed timeframe.

Reviewer comments should be clear, respectful, evidence-based, and useful for improving the manuscript.

  1. Ethical Responsibilities of Authors During Review

Authors must:

  • Submit only original work.
  • Avoid submitting the manuscript to another journal during review.
  • Respond to reviewer comments honestly and completely.
  • Revise the manuscript according to academic standards.
  • Disclose conflicts of interest and funding sources.
  • Avoid attempting to influence reviewers or editors improperly.
  1. Handling Misconduct During Review

If suspected misconduct is identified during the review process, the editorial team may investigate the matter according to journal policy.

Misconduct may include:

  • Plagiarism.
  • Duplicate submission.
  • Data fabrication.
  • Data falsification.
  • Improper authorship.
  • Undisclosed conflicts of interest.
  • Citation manipulation.
  • Unethical research practices.

If misconduct is confirmed, the manuscript may be rejected immediately. In serious cases, the journal may notify the author’s institution or relevant authority.

  1. Post-Publication Review and Corrections

If errors or ethical concerns are discovered after publication, the journal may take appropriate action, including:

  • Publishing a correction.
  • Publishing an editorial note.
  • Retracting the article.
  • Updating article metadata.
  • Notifying relevant parties.

Retraction may be considered in cases of serious ethical violation, plagiarism, fabricated data, or duplicate publication.

  1. Independence of Editorial Decisions

Editorial decisions are made independently and are based on academic quality, reviewer recommendations, journal policy, and ethical standards.

Decisions are not influenced by:

  • Author identity.
  • Institutional affiliation.
  • Academic rank.
  • Personal relationship.
  • Political opinion.
  • Financial considerations.

The journal is committed to fairness, transparency, and academic integrity in all editorial decisions.

The peer review process of the Journal for Developing the Social and Community is designed to ensure that all published articles are original, reliable, ethically sound, and academically valuable. Through double-blind peer review, plagiarism screening, expert evaluation, and editorial oversight, the journal seeks to maintain high publication standards and contribute meaningfully to the advancement of knowledge in humanities, social sciences, and community development.

 

 

Plagiarism Policy

The journal is part of the Thai-Journal Citation Index Centre database and uses the CopyCatch system for plagiarism detection. All submitted manuscripts are checked for plagiarism within 24 hours.

The journal requires that duplicated or copied content must not exceed 10%. If plagiarism or excessive similarity is detected, the editorial team may:

  • Request the author to revise the manuscript
  • Require correction of citations or references
  • Recommend rewriting the article
  • Reject the manuscript immediately in serious cases

 

Open Access Statement

The journal supports open access to academic knowledge. All articles published in the journal are freely available to readers immediately upon publication.

Users are permitted to:

  • Read articles
  • Download articles
  • Copy and distribute articles
  • Print articles
  • Search or link to full-text articles
  • Use the articles for lawful academic purposes

The journal does not charge readers any fees for downloading articles for scholarly use.

 

Copyright Notice

Authors retain the copyright to their published articles. Anyone who wishes to reuse or republish an article must obtain permission from the author.

Articles accepted for publication must not be published elsewhere before appearing in the journal. Once published, the editorial team provides authors with access to the journal issue containing their article.

 

Licensing Policy

The journal publishes its content under the:

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License

This license allows users to copy and distribute the work for non-commercial purposes, provided that proper citation is given and the work is not modified.

 

Article Processing Charges

The journal charges article processing fees after the manuscript has completed the review process and has been accepted for publication.

  • Thai-language article: 3,500 THB per article
  • English-language article: 4,000 THB per article

 

Payment Information

Authors must transfer the publication fee to the official university bank account only.

Bank: Krung Thai Bank
Branch: Sermthai Complex
Account Number: 476-0-42091-6
Account Name: RMU Deposits and Insurance

Authors are advised to contact the journal coordinator before making payment. After payment, the payment slip should be uploaded through the “Add Discussion” section.

 

Contact Information

Publisher:
Research and Development Institute, Rajabhat Maha Sarakham University

Address:
80 Nakhon Sawan Road, Talat Subdistrict,
Mueang District, Maha Sarakham Province, 44000, Thailand

Email: rdi@rmu.ac.th

Journal Coordinator / Finance Officer:
Mr. Krisda Sanbuakham
Mobile: 089-944-8023

 

Licensing Policy

All published content in the journal is distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial–NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).

Under this license:

  • Users are permitted to read, download, copy, and redistribute the material in any medium or format.
  • Proper attribution to the original author(s) and the journal must always be provided.
  • The material must not be used for commercial purposes.
  • No modifications, adaptations, or derivative works of the material are permitted.

This licensing policy ensures wide accessibility of academic knowledge while protecting the integrity and originality of the published work.

 

Article Template

Authors are required to prepare their manuscripts in accordance with the journal’s official template to ensure consistency in formatting and presentation.

The template can be accessed and downloaded via the following link:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1TOKFxaobtOInS9Nsb58kT-pv0JtyPgYb?usp=sharing

Authors are strongly encouraged to carefully follow the template guidelines prior to submission in order to facilitate the review and publication process.

 

Article Processing Charges (APCs)

The journal charges a publication fee for accepted manuscripts to support the editorial process and publication management.

The applicable fees are as follows:

Case: Individuals within the university
  • Thai-language articles: 3,500 THB per article
  • English-language articles: 4,000 THB per article
Case: Individuals outside the university
  • Thai-language articles: 4,000 THB per article
  • English-language articles: 4,500 THB per article

The Article Processing Charge (APC) will only be required after the manuscript has successfully passed the peer review process and has been formally accepted for publication. No fees are charged at the submission or review stages.

 

Payment Procedure

Upon receiving the official acceptance notification, authors are required to complete the payment of the publication fee via bank transfer to the university account specified below:

  • Bank Name: Krung Thai Bank
  • Branch: Sermthai Complex
  • Account Number: 476-0-42091-6
  • Account Name: RMU Deposits and Insurance

Important Notice:
Authors must ensure that the payment is transferred only to the official university account listed above. The journal will not be responsible for any payments made to other accounts.

 

Payment Instructions

  • Authors are advised to contact the journal coordinator prior to making the payment to confirm details and avoid errors.
  • After completing the transfer, authors must upload the payment slip through the journal system in the “Add Discussion” section.
  • Failure to provide proof of payment may delay the publication process.

 

Contact for Payment and Coordination

Mr. Krisda Sanbuakham
Journal Finance Officer / Journal Manager
Mobile: 089-944-8023

He serves as the primary contact for all matters related to payment, financial procedures, and publication coordination.

 

Ownership and Management

The journal is owned and managed by:

Research and Development Institute
Maha Sarakham Rajabhat University

Address:
No. 80 Nakhon Sawan Road,
Talat Subdistrict, Mueang District,
Maha Sarakham Province, 44000, Thailand

Email: rdi@rmu.ac.th
Mobile: 089-944-8023

 

Official Website

For more information, please visit the official website of the Research and Development Institute:
http://research.rmu.ac.th/