Three Teachings Studies: Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism (TTS) adopts a flexible manuscript formatting policy to accommodate the diverse scholarly conventions of philosophy, religious studies, history, philology, textual scholarship, and related disciplines. Authors are not required to use a prescribed manuscript template or standardized page layout. However, all submissions must comply with the journal's mandatory requirements for citations, bibliographic documentation, manuscript completeness, scholarly integrity, and preparation for editorial evaluation. In particular, all citations and references must follow The Chicago Manual of Style, Notes and Bibliography system. These guidelines establish the standards necessary for clear academic communication, reliable source verification, and responsible publication.

General Manuscript Preparation Principles

TTS recognizes that scholarly writing in the humanities may require different organizational structures, citation practices, original-language materials, and forms of textual presentation. The journal therefore allows considerable flexibility in manuscript preparation while maintaining consistent academic and editorial standards.

The following principles apply:

• No Mandatory Template: Authors are not required to download or follow a standardized journal manuscript template.
• Flexible Document Formatting: The journal does not prescribe a particular font family, font size, line spacing, margin configuration, or paragraph indentation system for initial submission.
• Readable Presentation: Manuscripts must be clearly organized, legible, and suitable for scholarly evaluation. Authors should apply their chosen formatting conventions consistently.
• Disciplinary Appropriateness: Section organization, textual presentation, and analytical structure may reflect the conventions of the relevant academic discipline and submission category.
• Mandatory Citation System: All citations, explanatory notes, and bibliographic references must follow Chicago Notes and Bibliography conventions.
• Editorial Consistency: The journal may request reasonable formatting, documentation, or presentation adjustments during editorial evaluation, copyediting, or production.

A flexible formatting policy does not exempt authors from providing accurate citations, appropriate source documentation, required manuscript information, or a coherent scholarly argument. Manuscripts that are incomplete, difficult to evaluate, or inconsistent with essential submission requirements may be returned for correction before further consideration.

File Format and Document Presentation

The main manuscript should be submitted as an editable Microsoft Word document in .doc or .docx format. Authors should ensure that the file opens correctly and that the textual content, notes, special characters, figures, and tables remain accessible during editorial assessment.

Authors are encouraged to observe the following recommendations:

• Use clear and consistent headings and paragraph organization.
• Ensure that the manuscript remains readable on ordinary computer displays.
• Use the word processor's built-in footnote or endnote functionality rather than manually inserting note numbers.
• Avoid unnecessary decorative formatting, complex page layouts, or manually positioned text that may interfere with copyediting.
• Preserve original-language characters, diacritics, special symbols, and other scholarly notation accurately.
• Provide tables, figures, musical notation, or other specialized materials in a form suitable for editorial review.
• Avoid password protection, editing restrictions, or document settings that prevent the editorial office from processing the manuscript.

Authors may use the font and layout conventions most appropriate to their language and research materials. The journal may standardize typography and layout after acceptance as part of the publication production process.

Manuscript Structure and Required Components

Manuscripts should be organized according to the nature of the research and the selected submission category. The journal does not impose a single mandatory sequence of sections on all scholarly contributions.

Research manuscripts will ordinarily include the following components:

1. Manuscript Title: A clear and informative title reflecting the principal subject or argument.
2. Abstract: A concise presentation of the research question, approach, principal findings or arguments, and scholarly contribution.
3. Keywords: Terms identifying the principal subjects, concepts, traditions, and scholarly fields addressed by the manuscript.
4. Main Text: A logically organized scholarly discussion containing an introduction, analytical development, and conclusion or equivalent structure appropriate to the research.
5. Notes: Citations and necessary explanatory notes prepared according to Chicago Notes and Bibliography.
6. Bibliography: A complete and consistently formatted record of cited works and source materials, subject to the conventions applicable to particular classical or archival sources.
7. Supplementary Materials: Appendices, tables, figures, source transcriptions, translations, or other supporting documents where relevant.

Different contribution types may require different structures. Review Articles may be organized around a critical assessment of scholarship and intellectual debates. Translation and Annotation contributions should identify the translated source and explain significant textual or translation decisions. Documents and Textual Notes may emphasize source description, textual evidence, and critical commentary.

Book Reviews, Forum Contributions, and Lectures may follow formats appropriate to their scholarly purposes. Requirements concerning manuscript length and submission categories are specified in the Submission Guidelines.

Titles, Abstracts, and Keywords

The manuscript title should accurately represent the research subject and avoid unnecessary abbreviations or claims that exceed the evidence presented. Where a subtitle is used, it should clarify the chronological, geographical, textual, or analytical focus of the contribution.

General scholarly manuscripts should include an English abstract of no more than 300 words. Abstracts should explain the central research question, the relevant evidence or methodology, the main argument or findings, and the contribution of the work. Authors should avoid unsupported claims, unnecessary quotations, and unexplained abbreviations.

For Book Reviews and Forum Contributions, where an abstract is required, the English abstract must not exceed 150 words. Authors should follow any category-specific instructions communicated by the editorial office.

Authors should provide 5–7 keywords for scholarly contributions requiring keywords. Keywords should represent the manuscript's principal subjects, concepts, methodologies, geographical contexts, or historical periods. Terms should be sufficiently specific to support academic discovery and bibliographic indexing.

Manuscripts written in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or Vietnamese must include an English title and abstract. Authors may additionally provide titles, abstracts, or keywords in the manuscript's original language. The information entered into the journal's online submission system must accurately correspond to the submitted manuscript.

Headings, Subheadings, and Text Organization

Authors may organize their manuscripts according to the conventions of the relevant scholarly discipline. The journal does not require a universal system of numbered sections or a prescribed set of headings.

However, manuscripts should maintain a clear and consistent heading hierarchy. Authors should:

• Distinguish major sections from subordinate sections through consistent formatting.
• Avoid excessive subdivision that interrupts the development of the scholarly argument.
• Use descriptive headings that accurately reflect the content of each section.
• Ensure that numbered headings, where used, follow a consistent and nonduplicative sequence.
• Maintain consistent treatment of quotations, terminology, abbreviations, and original-language expressions throughout the manuscript.

The organization of a philosophical argument, textual commentary, historical investigation, or ethnographic study may differ substantially. Such differences are acceptable provided that the manuscript remains coherent and its scholarly contribution can be clearly evaluated.

Mandatory Citation Style: Chicago Notes and Bibliography

All manuscripts submitted to TTS must follow The Chicago Manual of Style, using the Notes and Bibliography system. This requirement applies to scholarly citations, explanatory notes, bibliographic references, and the documentation of primary and secondary sources.

Required Citation System: Chicago Notes and Bibliography.
Alternative Systems: Chicago Author–Date, APA, MLA, Harvard, and other citation systems are not accepted as substitutes.
Manuscript Layout: Flexible; no mandatory template, font, margin, or line-spacing requirements.

Authors must observe the following citation principles:

• First Citations: Provide sufficient publication and source details in the first note to identify the material being cited, following Chicago conventions.
• Subsequent Citations: Use the appropriate shortened-note form for previously cited sources, maintaining clarity and consistency.
• Page and Source Locations: Identify relevant page numbers, sections, chapters, fascicles, manuscript folios, or other source-specific locations when necessary to support scholarly verification.
• Direct Quotations: Clearly distinguish quoted material from the author's own writing and identify its source accurately.
• Paraphrases and Interpretations: Acknowledge borrowed arguments, distinctive interpretations, and intellectual contributions even when the original wording is not reproduced.
• Bibliographic Accuracy: Verify names, titles, publication dates, publishers, editions, volume and issue information, page ranges, DOI information, and other relevant reference details.
• Consistency: Apply the same citation conventions throughout the manuscript, including in tables, appendices, captions, and supplementary textual commentary where applicable.

Manuscripts prepared using another citation system may be returned for correction before peer review or publication processing. Authors should consult the official Chicago Manual of Style for detailed guidance on source types, note formats, bibliographic entries, and specialized citation situations.

Footnotes, Endnotes, and Explanatory Notes

TTS ordinarily prefers footnotes for Research Articles, Review Articles, and general scholarly contributions. Footnotes support detailed source attribution and allow readers to examine relevant documentation without unnecessarily interrupting the main argument.

For Translation and Annotation and Documents and Textual Notes, endnotes may be used where appropriate to the organization of extensive annotations, textual variants, philological explanations, or documentary commentary. The selection of footnotes or endnotes does not change the requirement to follow Chicago Notes and Bibliography conventions.

Authors should ensure that:

• Notes are numbered consecutively using the word processor's automatic note functions.
• Source citations contain sufficient information to identify the relevant work and specific location.
• Explanatory notes provide necessary clarification without becoming excessively long or duplicating the main argument.
• Notes concerning primary texts, translations, historical terminology, or textual variants follow clear and consistent scholarly conventions.
• Manual numbering, duplicated note references, and inconsistencies between citations and bibliography are avoided.

Authors should not combine incompatible footnote and endnote systems without a clear editorial or scholarly reason. Where the organization of a complex translation or documentary contribution requires an unusual annotation structure, the author may consult the editorial office before submission.

Bibliography and Reference Documentation

Manuscripts must include a bibliography appropriate to their scholarly content. Bibliographic entries should follow Chicago Notes and Bibliography conventions and provide sufficient information for readers and reviewers to locate the relevant sources.

Depending on the nature of the research, the bibliography may contain:

• Scholarly monographs, edited books, and book chapters.
• Peer-reviewed journal articles and other relevant academic publications.
• Classical texts, canonical editions, and scholarly commentaries.
• Manuscripts, archival collections, inscriptions, and historical records.
• Critical editions, translations, textual databases, and digital collections.
• Other verifiable documentary materials relevant to the research.

Authors should distinguish primary sources from secondary scholarship where such a division materially improves clarity. Separate categories or subsections may be used for classical texts, manuscripts, archival collections, or other specialized sources where appropriate.

Bibliographic information must be verified against the actual source consulted. Authors must not include invented references, inaccurate publication information, fabricated quotations, or citations to works that they have not adequately identified. Digital identifiers should be provided where available and applicable, but authors must not invent a DOI or substitute an unrelated identifier for a missing one.

Classical Texts, Canonical Sources, and Archival Materials

Research in Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism frequently depends on classical writings, religious canons, historical commentaries, manuscript witnesses, epigraphic sources, and other specialized documentary materials. TTS encourages the accurate identification and critical use of these sources.

Authors should provide relevant source information, including where applicable:

• The original title of the source and the title of the edition or translation consulted.
• The name of the author, compiler, commentator, editor, or translator, where identifiable.
• Canonical identifiers, chapter divisions, fascicle numbers, manuscript folios, inscription numbers, or other established reference systems.
• Information concerning the edition, manuscript repository, archival collection, or digital resource used.
• Significant textual variants, disputed attributions, dating uncertainties, or editorial interventions relevant to the argument.
• Appropriate acknowledgment of existing critical editions, translations, and commentarial scholarship.

Where authors employ established citation conventions for Buddhist canons, Daoist scriptural collections, Confucian classics, or other specialized textual corpora, those conventions may be incorporated within Chicago Notes and Bibliography documentation. The resulting references must remain consistent, intelligible, and sufficiently precise to support source verification.

Authors should distinguish their own translations and interpretations from those adopted or adapted from existing scholarship. When an original-language passage is reproduced, its relationship to the cited edition or manuscript should be clear.

Multilingual Texts, Romanization, and Translation

TTS accepts manuscripts in English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese. The journal recognizes that accurate scholarship on the Three Teachings often requires the use of original-language characters, historical writing systems, and specialized transliteration conventions.

Authors are encouraged to follow these principles:

• Original Scripts: Preserve Chinese characters, Japanese scripts, Korean Hangul or Hanja, Vietnamese historical scripts, Sanskrit, Pali, Tibetan, and other relevant writing systems where necessary for scholarly accuracy.
• Romanization: Romanization is optional unless required for clarity, source identification, or analysis. When used, it should follow an appropriate recognized system consistently.
• Translations: Identify the source of translated passages and indicate when translations are the author's own.
• Terminology: Explain specialized historical, religious, or philosophical terms when their meaning may be unfamiliar, disputed, or dependent on context.
• Consistency: Use a consistent system for proper names, titles, technical terminology, and original-language expressions throughout the manuscript.
• Textual Accuracy: Verify quotations, character forms, diacritics, transliterations, and translations against reliable sources.

Original-language material should serve a clear scholarly purpose. Authors need not provide romanization for every occurrence of a term where the original script is sufficient and the intended readership can reasonably follow the discussion. Conversely, translation or explanation should be provided when necessary to make the argument accessible and verifiable.

Quotations, Transcriptions, and Textual Annotation

Quotations and transcriptions must reproduce the source accurately, subject to clearly disclosed editorial conventions. Authors should distinguish between verbatim quotations, normalized transcriptions, edited passages, translations, paraphrases, and reconstructed texts.

Where relevant, authors should:

• Identify the edition or manuscript used as the basis for a transcription.
• Explain significant editorial changes, omissions, supplied characters, or reconstructions.
• Indicate meaningful differences among textual witnesses where such differences affect the interpretation.
• Distinguish existing translations from newly prepared translations.
• Provide explanatory annotations sufficient to establish the textual, historical, or philosophical relevance of the material.

Translation and Annotation contributions and Documents and Textual Notes should include sufficient source identification and scholarly commentary to demonstrate their originality and value beyond the reproduction or translation of existing materials.

Tables, Figures, Musical Examples, and Supplementary Materials

Manuscripts may include tables, figures, photographs, maps, diagrams, musical notation, manuscript images, textual comparison charts, and other supplementary materials where they make a substantive contribution to the research.

Authors should ensure that:

• Tables and figures are numbered consistently and referred to in the manuscript where relevant.
• Captions accurately identify the content and provide source acknowledgment where necessary.
• Images and diagrams are sufficiently clear for editorial evaluation.
• Musical examples, notation, and specialized diagrams are accompanied by adequate explanatory information.
• Previously published or third-party materials are accompanied by appropriate attribution and permissions where required.
• Supplementary materials are identified clearly and correspond to references made in the manuscript.

Where higher-resolution image files, editable tables, musical notation files, or other production materials are required, the editorial office may request them separately. Authors should not assume that open access to a source automatically permits unrestricted republication of its images, recordings, or other third-party content.

Preparation for Double-Blind Peer Review

Research Articles submitted to TTS are subject to double-blind peer review. Authors must prepare the main review manuscript in a manner that protects their identities during the evaluation process.

The anonymized manuscript should exclude:

• Author names, affiliations, and direct contact details.
• Author biographies and acknowledgments that disclose author identities.
• Identifying funding or project information where disclosure would compromise anonymity.
• Self-identifying statements, comments, tracked changes, or document properties that reveal authorship.

Citations to the author's previous publications should remain academically accurate and should not be removed merely because they constitute self-citations. Authors should instead avoid unnecessary first-person references or other language that explicitly identifies their relationship to the cited work.

Author names, institutional affiliations, corresponding author contact details, and a brief academic biography of 100–150 words should be provided separately through the journal's online submission system or in designated supporting materials.

For contributions not undergoing double-blind review, the editorial office may apply different identification requirements as appropriate. Authors should follow the instructions associated with their selected submission category and the journal's Peer Review Policy.

Research Integrity and Responsible Documentation

Manuscript preparation must comply with the journal's standards of originality, accurate attribution, and responsible scholarly conduct. Authors are responsible for verifying their citations, quotations, translations, source descriptions, and research findings.

TTS requires authors to conduct a preliminary similarity check before submission. The total similarity index must be below 15%, excluding references and bibliography. Similarity scores are an editorial screening measure and do not, by themselves, establish plagiarism or demonstrate that a manuscript is free from academic misconduct.

The use of artificial intelligence tools does not remove the author's responsibility for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of the manuscript. Material AI-assisted contributions to the preparation or generation of scholarly content should be disclosed as required by the journal's publication ethics policies. Authors must independently verify any AI-assisted citations, quotations, translations, interpretations, or other research claims.

Further information is provided in the Plagiarism & Similarity Screening Policy and Author Ethical Responsibilities.

Final Manuscript Preparation Checklist

Before submitting a manuscript, authors should confirm that:

• The manuscript is complete, readable, and prepared in an editable .doc or .docx file.
• The title accurately describes the subject and contribution.
• An English title and abstract are included where required, together with the applicable keywords.
• The main text is organized coherently and its section headings are consistent.
• All notes and bibliographic references follow Chicago Notes and Bibliography.
• Classical texts, archival materials, translations, and other primary sources are documented accurately.
• Quotations, transliterations, original-language characters, and specialized terminology have been checked for accuracy.
• Tables, figures, musical examples, and supplementary materials are clearly identified and appropriately attributed.
• The review manuscript has been anonymized where double-blind peer review applies.
• The author biography, contact information, and relevant declarations are prepared separately where required.
• The manuscript complies with the journal's originality and publication ethics requirements.

Online Submission and Editorial Assistance

Manuscripts and related submission materials must be submitted through the journal's official online submission system. Authors should register an account or log in to an existing account, complete the required manuscript information, and upload the appropriate files.

Submission Guidelines: View Submission Requirements

Author Registration: Create an Author Account

Online Submission System: Access the Submission System

Three Teachings Studies Editorial Office
Publisher: Panorama Scholarly Group (PSG)
Email: [email protected]
Journal Website: https://journals.panorama-sg.com/tts

The editorial email address is intended for academic inquiries, questions concerning manuscript preparation, and administrative or technical assistance. Formal manuscript submissions and revised files must be processed through the journal's official online submission system.