About the Journal

Welcome readers to the official electronic portal of the Mekong University Scientific Journal!

• Submission Guidelines
• Publication Ethics
• Information for Authors
• Fee Policy
• Publication Process

Author Information Page

Aims and Scope

Providing information on the scientific activities of Mekong University; periodically published according to the publication schedule (for print journals) and updated periodically according to legal regulations (for electronic journals) to introduce and publish scientific research results within the training and teaching disciplines of Mekong University.

The Mekong University Scientific Journal serves as an academic forum for scientists, lecturers, PhD candidates, graduate trainees, and students from both inside and outside the university to publish and exchange scientific research results, write articles, and conduct peer review in fields such as: Literature, Economics, Mechanics, Educational Science, Philosophy - Political Science - Sociology, Medicine, Pharmacy, Law, Chemistry - Food Technology, Information Technology, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry - Veterinary Medicine - Aquaculture, etc.

Mekong University Scientific Journal is committed to publishing rigorously evaluated articles through a double-blind peer-review process to optimally ensure the scientific quality of submissions.

As an open-access journal enabling researchers from various fields to gain access, the Journal publishes the full text of accepted articles online (free of charge) on its website (https://tapchikhdhcl.edu.vn/mkusj/index).

Target Audience

Scientists, lecturers, PhD candidates of the University, and interested readers.

Publication Frequency

The Vietnamese version of the Mekong University Scientific Journal is published every 02 months per issue, with 140 pages. Release date: The 28th of even-numbered months.

The English version of the Mekong University Scientific Journal is published 02 issues per year. Release dates: June 28th and December 28th.

Open Access Policy

The Mekong University Scientific Journal applies an open-access policy to published articles to broaden access to high-quality research results and enhance knowledge sharing.

Licensing and Copyright

All articles published by the Mekong University Scientific Journal are licensed under License No. 84/GP-BVHTTDL issued on July 30, 2025 (Operating License for Print and Electronic Journals). Readers are permitted to copy and distribute the work provided that the article and source are appropriately cited, acknowledging the authorship of the article published in the Mekong University Scientific Journal. Authors retain the copyright to their articles but grant the Journal the right of first publication.

Currently, the Mekong University Scientific Journal does not charge publication fees. Articles that meet the requirements and are approved for publication by the Editor-in-Chief will receive royalties for the main author or the first corresponding author, as follows:

Author's Academic Rank/Degree	Royalties (VND/article)
+ Professor	3,000,000 VND/article
+ Associate Professor	2,500,000 VND/article
+ PhD (Doctor)	2,000,000 VND/article
+ Master	1,000,000 VND/article

MANUSCRIPT RECEIPT, PEER REVIEW, DECISION, AND REVISION PROCESS

The Mekong University Scientific Journal applies a double-blind peer-review process in accordance with international standards. Accordingly, the reviewer will not know the author's identity and vice versa. The submission and review process is conducted entirely online at: https://tapchikhdhcl.edu.vn/mkusj/index. The average time to publish an article spans from 1 to 3 months.

REGULATIONS ON MANUSCRIPT PROCESSING TIME (SLA)

1. Receipt and Preliminary Review Stage:

• Originality (Plagiarism) and documentation check: Within 03 - 05 working days from receiving the submission on the system.
• Notification of preliminary review results: Within 07 working days (Accepted for peer review, Revision required for formatting, or Rejected).

2. Scientific Peer Review Stage:

• Review period: Maximum of 21 - 30 days from the date the reviewer accepts the review invitation.
• Compilation of review results: The Secretariat sends the notification of results from the 2 reviewers to the author within 03 working days after receiving all evaluations.

3. Author Revision Stage:

• Revision deadline: The author has a maximum of 15 - 20 days to complete the revisions and submit a response/explanation sheet.
• Extension: In special cases, the author may request an extension not exceeding 07 days. If this deadline passes without any response, the article will be deemed voluntarily withdrawn from the evaluation process.

4. Publication Decision and Editing Stage:

• Publication approval: The Editor-in-Chief makes the final decision within 07 days after the manuscript successfully meets the revision requirements.
• Typesetting and proofreading: The author checks the galley proofs within 03 days of receiving the layout format.

5. Publication Stage:

• Online Publication: The article is assigned a DOI and published on the Journal's website within 10 days after the official publication decision is made.

PUBLICATION ETHICS AND POLICIES

• Authorship: All individuals listed as authors must have made a substantial contribution to the conception, research design, data collection/processing, or writing/editing of the manuscript. The Corresponding Author is responsible for the accuracy of this list.
• Plagiarism: The Journal upholds academic integrity. Entire manuscripts will be checked for duplication using Turnitin software prior to the preliminary review. The Journal strictly rejects articles that involve plagiarism, self-plagiarism (salami slicing), or data fabrication.
• Conflict of Interest: Authors must explicitly declare any conflicts of interest (financial, personal, professional) that could influence the research results.

PEER REVIEW AND PUBLICATION PROCESS

The peer review and publication process comprises the following stages: initial editing, double-blind peer review, consideration of reviewers' comments, and publication approval.

- Initial editing: Upon successful submission to the management system of the Mekong University Scientific Journal, manuscripts are checked for duplication via Turnitin software and evaluated for compliance with the Journal's Formatting Guidelines. Subsequently, the Manuscript Editor will verify whether the layout format and references adhere to the Journal's template. Next, the author will receive one of the following email notifications regarding the status of the article:

• The article complies with the guidelines and will proceed to the next steps of the process.
• The article requires revision and resubmission.
• The article is rejected.

- Double-blind peer review: Manuscripts that pass the initial editing stage will be sent out by the Editorial Board for double-blind peer review. The Editorial Board will invite two reviewers with relevant expertise to evaluate the scientific paper. The reviewers evaluate the manuscript and mark an 'X' next to one of the following recommendations:

• Accept submission, no additions or corrections needed (or only minor corrections).
• Accept submission after additions and corrections are made according to the review comments, without requiring re-evaluation by the reviewer.
• Accept submission after additions and corrections are made according to the review comments, subject to confirmation by the reviewer.
• Decline submission.

- Consideration of reviewers' comments: Upon receiving results from the 2 reviewers, the Editorial Board will send one of the following email notifications to the author:

• Accept manuscript.
• Revision required: The author revises the manuscript based on the comments and feedback of the reviewers. This loop repeats until the reviewer gives final acceptance.
• Reject manuscript.

- Publication approval: Articles accepted in the peer-review round will be processed for editing by the Editorial Board, followed by an email exchange with the author (if proofreading or minor revisions are needed). The final version will be submitted to the Editor-in-Chief for publication approval.

Articles are published sequentially based on their submission dates; certain priority cases will be decided by the Editor-in-Chief. The publication quota shall not exceed 1 article per issue per main author (the first author listed in the paper).

FEE POLICY, COPYRIGHT, AND OPEN ACCESS

• Submission and publication fees: The Mekong University Scientific Journal implements a no-fee policy for authors across all stages: reception, preliminary review, peer review, editing, and article publication.
• Publication support: All operational costs for the publication workflow, peer review, and online system maintenance (https://tapchikhdhcl.edu.vn/mkusj/index) are fully sponsored by Mekong University to encourage scientific research activities and community knowledge sharing.
• Open Access: Following publication, articles are provided free of charge in full text on the Journal's website, allowing readers to access, read, and download them for academic and research purposes.

SUBMISSION PROCESS AND SUPPORT

• How to submit: Authors visit the website https://tapchikhdhcl.edu.vn/mkusj/index, create an account, and follow the [Online Submission Guide].
• Time Commitments (SLA):
  • Notification of preliminary review results: Within 07 working days.
  • Double-blind peer-review period: From 21 - 30 days.
• Support Information: During the submission process, should you require technical assistance, please contact the Secretariat via email at: [email protected] or phone number: 0906990052.

[Article Template]

[Review Form Template]

[Review Response Form Template]

The Flowchart of the Peer Review and Publication Process is summarized as follows: