Author Guidelines

International Journal of Multidisciplinarity in Business and Science (IJMBS) is an international scientific journal published by University of Applied Sciences Baltazar Zaprešić and dedicated to promoting multidisciplinary research in business, economics, management, and related scientific fields. Contemporary market and societal challenges increasingly require interdisciplinary approaches and cooperation between different scientific and professional perspectives. The journal therefore encourages contributions that connect theory and practice, as well as research that critically examines current and future challenges from various disciplinary viewpoints.

The journal welcomes contributions from both researchers and practitioners and particularly supports cooperation between academia and the business sector.

IJMBS is indexed in:

  • ProQuest Social Science Premium Collection
  • ProQuest International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS)
  • ProQuest ABI/INFORM
  • EBSCO Central & Eastern European Academic Source (CEEAS)

The journal has been included in Hrčak since 2014 and is published once per year.

TYPES OF PAPERS

The journal publishes original scientific and professional papers dealing with contemporary issues in business, economics, management, social sciences, and related multidisciplinary fields. Contributions may be based on quantitative or qualitative research, comparative analysis, theoretical discussion, case studies, or interdisciplinary approaches relevant to contemporary scientific and professional practice.

Within the peer review procedure, submitted manuscripts may be categorized as:

  • original scientific papers,
  • review papers,
  • preliminary communications,
  • professional papers,
  • case studies.

Original scientific papers should present previously unpublished research results and demonstrate a clear scientific contribution to the field. Review papers are expected to provide a critical and systematic overview of existing literature and current scientific knowledge within a specific research area. Preliminary communications usually present concise results of ongoing or initial research, while professional papers focus primarily on practical applications, professional experiences, business practice, or contemporary professional issues. The journal particularly encourages manuscripts that establish connections between scientific research and practical implementation in business and society. All submitted manuscripts must be original, unpublished, and must not be simultaneously under consideration for publication elsewhere.

SUBMISSION PROCEDURE

Submitted manuscripts should be prepared in accordance with the journal guidelines and written in clear academic English and Croatian. The manuscript should contain the title of the paper, author information, institutional affiliation, ORCID ID, e-mail address, abstract, keywords, and JEL classification.

If English is not the authors’ native language, the manuscript should be professionally proofread prior to submission in order to ensure adequate linguistic and academic quality. All submitted manuscripts undergo a double-blind peer review process conducted by independent reviewers.

The Editorial Board reserves the right to return manuscripts for technical, formatting, or language revision before initiating the review procedure.

PEER REVIEW PROCESS

All manuscripts undergo a double-blind peer review process conducted by independent domestic and international reviewers. Neither authors nor reviewers are informed about each other’s identity during the review procedure. Each manuscript is evaluated according to its scientific relevance, originality, methodological quality, clarity of presentation, and contribution to the field. Based on reviewers’ reports and editorial evaluation, the Editorial Board may:

  • accept the manuscript,
  • request minor or major revisions,
  • return the manuscript for technical corrections,
  • reject the manuscript.

The Editorial Board reserves the right to make minor editorial and linguistic corrections in accordance with the standards and style of the journal.

MANUSCRIPT STRUCTURE

Although the journal does not impose a strictly fixed structure, manuscripts should contain the essential elements of scholarly and professional work. Authors are encouraged to organize the manuscript through the following sections:

  • Introduction,
  • Literature Review or Theoretical Background,
  • Methodology,
  • Results and Discussion,
  • Conclusion,
  • References.

The Introduction should clearly define the research problem, objectives of the study, scientific relevance, and motivation for conducting the research. It is desirable that the introduction briefly outlines the structure of the paper and, where appropriate, formulates the research questions or hypotheses. The Literature Review should provide a concise but relevant overview of existing theoretical and empirical research related to the topic and position the study within the current body of knowledge. The Methodology section should explain the research methods, analytical procedures, data sources, and research design clearly enough to allow understanding and possible replication of the study. The Results and Discussion section should present the findings of the research in a clear and systematic manner and critically interpret them in relation to previous research, theoretical assumptions, and practical implications. The Conclusion should summarize the key findings and scientific contribution of the paper, indicate the limitations of the research, and provide recommendations or directions for future research. The conclusion should not merely repeat the abstract but synthesize the most important insights of the study.

FORMATTING REQUIREMENTS

Manuscripts should be prepared in Microsoft Word format using paper size A4 (210 × 297 mm). The recommended formatting is as follows:

  • margins: 2.5 cm on all sides,
  • font: Times New Roman,
  • font size: 12 pt,
  • line spacing: 1.5,
  • text alignment: justified.

The recommended length of the manuscript is between 4,500 and 7,500 words, including references, tables, figures, appendices, and other accompanying material. The title of the paper should be written in uppercase bold letters. Main section headings should also be written in uppercase bold letters and numbered consecutively (e.g. 1. INTRODUCTION, 2. LITERATURE REVIEW). Subheadings should be written in lowercase bold letters and numbered according to the section structure (e.g. 1.1. Theoretical background, 1.1.1. Research model). Headings and subheadings should be clearly distinguished and consistently formatted throughout the manuscript. A dot should be placed after each heading and subheading number.

Example:

  1. INTRODUCTION
    1.1. Theoretical background
    1.1.1. Research model
  2. METHODOLOGY
    2.1. Sample description
    2.1.1. Data collection

The first page of the manuscript should contain the title of the paper, author information, institutional affiliation, ORCID ID, JEL classification abstract and keywords. The abstract should be written in one paragraph and contain between 150 and 250 words. It should briefly present:

  • the purpose of the research,
  • methodology,
  • main findings,
  • conclusion of the study.

Authors should provide up to five keywords reflecting the core topics of the manuscript. JEL classification should be indicated below the keywords according to the official Journal of Economic Literature classification system: JEL Classification System

Authors are encouraged to prepare manuscripts using the official IJMBS article template, available at: Template

TABLES, FIGURES AND GRAPHS

Tables, figures, graphs, charts, and other illustrations should be clearly prepared and appropriately positioned within the text, preferably near the section where they are first mentioned. Each table, figure, or graph must contain a title placed above the element and a source indicated below it, using font size 10 and single line spacing, italic. Titles should clearly indicate the type and numbering of the element, starting from 1 (e.g. Table 1, Figure 1, Graph 1, etc.).

Tables and graphs should be editable and prepared in an appropriate format; low-resolution images or photographs of tables and graphs should be avoided. References to tables, figures, and graphs within the text should be written with capital letters, for example: “As shown in Table 3…” or “Figure 2 illustrates…”. Authors are encouraged to insert tables and figures directly within the manuscript at appropriate locations rather than grouping them separately at the beginning or end of the paper. The appearance of tables and graphs should be clear, simple, and professionally formatted, without excessive use of colours, shading, or decorative elements.

CITATION AND REFERENCES

References in the text and in the reference list should follow the APA style. The reference list must be placed at the end of the paper and should only include works that are cited in the text.  A minimum of 20 sources is required. The bibliography should consist of recent publications, with DOI numbers provided whenever available.

Authors are encouraged to cite sources from papers previously published in IJMBS (https://hrcak.srce.hr/ijmbs). Reference list should contain the bibliographic details of the cited books, book chapters, or journal articles. Reference list entries should be alphabetized by the last name of the first author of each work in the format hanging, Times New Roman, 12.

Examples of citations

Books: last name, initials of the author’s first name. (year) Title. Place of publication: name of publishers. (if there are two or three authors, their last names and initials should be listed in order, separated by a comma)

Kotler, P., Keller, K. L. (2016). Marketing Management. Harlow: Pearson Education.

Porter, M. E. (1985). Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. New York: Free Press.

Chapters in books/papers in the collections of papers: last name, initials of the first name. (year) Title of chapter/section’. In: Title of book, last name, initials of the first name of author/editor. Place of publication: publisher: pages. (if there are two or three authors, their last names and initials should be listed in order, separated by a comma).

Babin, B. J., Borges, A. (2009). Oh yeah, I remember that store! Memory, experience, and value. In: Lindgreen, A., Vanhamme, J., Beverland, M. B. (Eds.), Memorable Customer Experiences: A Research Anthology. Burlington: Gower Publishing: 161–176.

Peter, C. (2013). Privatization, urban fragmentation, and sustainable development. In: Mieg, H. A., Töpfer, K. (Eds.), Institutional and Social Innovation for Sustainable Urban Development. Oxon and New York: Routledge: 130–146.

Doctoral dissertations: last name, initials of the author. (year) Title of work, type of work and the institution where the dissertation was defended.

Hall, R. P. (2006). Understanding and Applying the Concept of Sustainable Development to Transportation Planning and Decision Making in the U.S. Doctoral dissertation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Smith, J. A. (2018). Digital Transformation in Family Businesses. Doctoral dissertation, University of Manchester.

 

Articles in journals: last name, initials. (year) Article title. Name of journal, volume (number): pages. (if there are two or three authors, their last names and initials should be listed in order, separated by a comma)

Felix, R., Rauschnabel, P. A., Hinsch, C. (2017). Elements of strategic social media marketing: A holistic framework. Journal of Business Research, 70(1): 118–126.

Giddings, B., Hopwood, B., O’Brien, G. (2002). Environment, economy and society: fitting them together into sustainable development. Sustainable Development, 10(4): 187–196.

Papers presented at conferences:

Moylan, K. (2009). The Future of EU Cohesion Policy and its Implications for Irish Regional Policy. Paper presented at Regional Science Association International Conference, Ireland, 3 September 2009.

Gavrić, T., Jerković, D. (2024). The role of successors in implementing digital transformation and its impact on the business success of family enterprises. Paper presented at LIMEN 2024 International Scientific-Business Conference, Belgrade, Serbia.

Internet sources: last name, initials of author/editor. (year) title. Institution/publisher/journal/… Internet address, date of access in square brackets. (if there are two or three authors, their last names and initials should be listed in order, separated by a comma)

McMaster, I., Bachtler, J. (2005). Implementing Structural Funds in the New Member States: Ten Policy Challenges. European Policies Research Centre. Available at: http://www.eprc.strath.ac.uk [24.11.2025].

Detailed APA guidelines are available at: APA Style Guidelines

ETHICAL STANDARDS

The journal adheres to internationally recognized standards of publication ethics and academic integrity. Submitted manuscripts must represent original work and must not contain plagiarism, self-plagiarism, fabricated data, manipulated results, or any other form of unethical academic conduct. All manuscripts may be subject to plagiarism screening during the editorial process. Authors are expected to disclose all financial, institutional, or personal relationships that could influence the interpretation of the research results. Where applicable, manuscripts should also contain statements regarding:

  • author contributions,
  • funding sources,
  • conflict of interest,
  • acknowledgment of AI-assisted tools,
  • acknowledgments related to projects, dissertations, or institutional support.

USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)

If artificial intelligence tools or AI-assisted technologies were used during the preparation of the manuscript, authors are required to disclose their use appropriately within the manuscript. AI-assisted technologies may be used exclusively as supportive tools in the preparation, language editing, or technical processing of the manuscript. Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, interpretation, and integrity of the submitted work. Artificial intelligence tools cannot be listed as authors or co-authors of the manuscript. Where applicable, authors may use the following statement: “During the preparation of this paper, the author(s) used [NAME OF TOOL/SERVICE] in order to [REASON]. After using the tool/service, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take full responsibility for the content of the published article.”

If no AI-assisted tools were used, authors may state: “The authors did not use AI-assisted technologies in the preparation of this manuscript.”

COPYRIGHT AND OPEN ACCESS

Authors retain copyright of their work while granting the journal the right of first publication. Published papers are distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution, and reproduction provided that appropriate credit is given to the original author(s) and the journal.

Creative Commons CC BY 4.0

The Editorial Board reserves the right to decline manuscripts that do not comply with the journal’s scientific, ethical, or technical standards.

The journal does not charge any article processing charges (APC), submission fees, or publication fees.