Submissions

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Submission Preparation Checklist

As part of the submission process, authors are required to check off their submission's compliance with all of the following items, and submissions may be returned to authors that do not adhere to these guidelines.
  • The Comments to the Editor state the origin of the article (e.g., conference paper, part of a master’s or PhD study, or funded project) and confirm that it has not been published or submitted elsewhere, or provide an explanation if applicable.
  • The Author Agreement and Publishing Agreement have been completed, signed by all authors, and uploaded with the submission.
  • Any use of AI has been transparently declared in the Declaration of AI Use section within the Author Agreement. It confirms that any use of generative AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT) has been limited to language editing and grammar support only. AI has not been used to generate substantive content, analysis, or data. The Author(s) accept full responsibility for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of the work.
  • The text is single-spaced; uses a 12-point font; Times New Roman; employs italics, rather than underlining; and all illustrations, figures, and tables are placed within the text at the appropriate points, rather than at the end.
  • The text adheres to the stylistic and bibliographic requirements outlined in the Author Guidelines.
  • The submission file is in Microsoft Word document file format.
  • The ORCID's for individual authors have been included in the article, as well as in the online profile.
  • The correct sequence for items in each reference complies with the inhouse Harvard referecing style required by the journal (see online archive for examples).
  • The references list contains all the relevant information, and is listed alphabetically according to the names of the authors.
  • Only sources cited/reference in the text and vice versa are in the list.
  • The valid DOI number for each source in the reference list are provided.
  • Where available, URLs for the references have been provided.

Author Guidelines

  • Town and Regional Planning publishes articles in English, with a desired length of 4,000 to 8,000 words (excluding references). Articles must be written in third person.
  • Submit a typed copy in electronic format via the online portal.
  • Formatting: MS Word, Times New Roman, font size 12, single spacing. Paragraphs should start on a new line, not indented. All illustrations, figures, and tables should be placed within the text. Tables must be in editable format, not images, with text in Times New Roman, font size 10, single spacing. Table borders must be ¼ pt width.
  • Articles on relevant topics in town, urban, and regional planning, well-presented, clearly written, and proofread, will be considered for publication.
  • The Editor may alter articles to align with the journal’s style. If referees suggest large changes, the article will be returned to the author for revisions.
  • Copyright is transferred to the author(s) upon article acceptance.
  • Titles must be concise and informative, with suitable headings and sub-headings. Titles must be in both Afrikaans and English. Editorial staff can assist.
  • The abstract (250 words) should start with 2–3 sentences introducing the field and research problem, followed by 2–3 sentences outlining research methods, a one-sentence main finding(s) (or conclusions, in the case of a Review Article), and 2–3 sentences placing the findings in context. Abstracts do not include references.
  • Provide relevant keywords in English after the abstract.
  • The introduction should overview the topic, present prior research, and then justify the research’s relevance explaining why it is important to be addressed right now. Link it to current issues or gaps in existing literature and/or theories.
  • Literature reviews should identify international research on similar topics and indicate a clear gap in research articles related to international cutting-edge research. Authors should clearly demonstrate how their research relates to that of other scholars on similar topics.
  • The study area must be after the literature review and must not be part of the methodology section.
  • The methods section should describe what was done to answer the research question, describe how it was done, justify the experimental design, and explain how the results were analysed. It must include the following sections: 1) Research design, 2) Population, sampling, and response rate, 3) Data collection, 4) Data analysis and how to interpret the results, 5) Limitations to the study (can be in discussion or conclusion).
  • The discussion section should explain and evaluate what you found, showing how the results relates to your literature review and paper topic, and making an argument in support of your overall conclusion.
  • The conclusions must not be a summary of the results but should focus on the contribution of the findings to the field, highlighting their relevance both within the discipline and across other areas. Begin with broad implications, followed by specific contributions. The significance should be communicated in a way that engages not only specialists but also a broader audience, using clear, accessible language.
  • For sections and subsections use Arabic numbers with full stops in-between, i.e. 1. Followed by 1.1 and 1.1.1 up to the maximum of three levels. After that use an (a).
  • Source references in the text must be in the Harvard style of referencing. i.e. (Healey, 1996: 201-202).
  • In-text page numbers: Include page numbers to in-text references when incorporating a direct quotation into a sentence, paraphrase a passage, summarise an idea from a particular page, mention statistics, or you wish to direct the readers to a specific page. Page numbers are not necessary if you are referring to the entire work as a whole. Use a colon to indicate the page number e.g.: (Chunga et al., 2016: 5-7).
  • Use of et al.: 4 authors, or more - first citation is immediately truncated to the first author’s surname and the abbreviation ‘et al.’ follows.
  • Foot- and endnotes are likewise done in the Harvard style of referencing and be included at the bottom of the page.
  • The references list (in the journal inhouse Harvard style of referencing) must contain all the relevant information, and be listed alphabetically according to the names of the authors, i.e. HEALEY, P. 1997. Collaborative planning.  London: McGraw-Hill.
  • URLs for the references of internet documents cited in the text and listed in the references must accompany the article. Also, indicate the date that the internet sites were visited.
  • Abbreviations must be limited and only used for corporations etc. in general use, then only after it was written out in full at first, with the abbreviation in brackets. After this the abbreviated form is used.
  • Words in other languages and stereotyped Latin terms such as per se must be in italics. Italics must be used sparsely. Emphasis must be in single inverted commas.
  • Diagrams, maps, and photos should be submitted as TIF or JPEG (300 dpi) and captions must be provided in the text. Computer graphics are welcome but must be camera-ready on A4 paper with clear text and markings.
  • Tables and Figures containing statistics, research output and conceptual frameworks must be in editable format in Word or Excel and not as image files.
  • Indicate the origin of the article, i.e. if it was presented at a congress, or from a master’s or PhD study. Articles must be unpublished and not under consideration elsewhere.
  • Authors may suggest three potential referees (outside their institution).
  • All submissions must be accompanied by a signed Authors Agreement and  Publishing Agreement. 
  • AI and Generative-AI Use: Town and Regional Planning journal permits the limited use of generative AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT) for language editing and grammar support only. AI tools may not generate substantive content, analysis, or data. Any use of AI must be transparently declared in the manuscript (see Declaration of AI Use in the Authors Agreement). Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of their work.
  • Note:  There are no submission fees or article-processing charges.

Commentary

Commentaries are somewhat like “reviews” in that the author presents his or her analysis of a work and why it would be of interest to a specific audience. Comment articles should be topical, readable, provocative and introduce new concepts/points of view, providing a personal perspective on a matter of public or scientific importance. This type of contribution is therefore written by well-established academics who are unafraid to express their assessment very openly and sometimes even quite aggressively. The main criteria are that they should be of immediate interest to a broad readership and should be written in an accessible, non-technical style. 
Format
- Length – varies but maximum of 1,500 - 3000 words (excluding references).
- There are no specific structural guidelines.
- Does not have an abstract.
- Do not contain primary research data, although they may present limited published data to support the perspective offered. 
- References should be used sparingly, usually between 10-20.
- Will not be peer-reviewed.

Research articles

These are original research manuscripts. The work should report scientifically sound research and provide a substantial amount of new information. The article should include the most recent and relevant references in any applicable field of scholarship, i.e. town, urban and regional planning.
Format:
- The format can be found in the Guidelines to Authors.
- Will be peer-reviewed.

Review articles

• Systematic Review
Systematic review articles present a detailed investigation of previous research on a given topic that use clearly defined search parameters and methods to identify, categorise, analyse, and report aggregated evidence on a specific topic.
Format:
- The structure is similar to an original research article.
- Suggested minimum word count of 4000-8000 words (excluding references list).
- The structure includes a Title, Abstract, and Keywords followed by the body of the manuscript, including: 1) Introduction, 2) Literature review, 3) Methods, 4) Results, 5) Discussion, 6) Conclusion and a References list.
- In the methods section the following components should be discussed in detail: databases used, time when search was done, search methods, keywords used, inclusion and exclusion criteria, identification of studies, study selection, data extraction, quality assessment, data analysis.
- The intext citations and referencing format can be found in the Guidelines to Authors.
- Will be peer-reviewed.

• Literature Review
Reviews offer a comprehensive analysis of the existing literature within a field of study, identifying current gaps or problems. They should be critical and constructive and provide recommendations for future research. No new, unpublished data should be presented.
Format:
- Suggested minimum word count of 4000-8000 words (excluding references list).
- The structure includes a Title, Abstract, and Keywords, followed by the body of the manuscript, including: 1) Introduction, 2) Methods and review approach, 3) relevant sections (Key Issues), 4) Discussion, 5) Conclusions, 6) Future directions, and a References list.
- The intext citations and referencing format can be found in the Guidelines to Authors
- Will be peer-reviewed.

Perspectives

Perspective papers should add a dimension to the research and should not merely comment on or summarise other papers. Perspectives should showcase current developments in a specific field and provide a review of concepts and not of research studies. Emphasis is placed on future directions of the field (concept) and on the personal assessment/perspective of the author. It may draw on substantial literature and is therefore written by authors with considerable experience and authority on the subject matter. They offer the author the opportunity to present criticism or address controversy.

A perspective piece is necessitated under the following conditions:
- Preliminary data is presented under the premise that it is supported by research.
- A contemporary subject of broad concern to the scholarly community.
- Present an idea or perspective on innovative ideas not yet implemented.
Format:
- Authors of perspective articles should include a short 100-word biography to illustrate experience and authority in the field.
- Provide four key points (1 or 2 sentences each) before the abstract under “Highlights” to help highlight the importance of the perspective. (These should include, key learning points, seminal discoveries highlighted in the review, potential future directions, future societal use/impact, and further reading options).
- Suggested minimum word count of 4000-6000 words (including references).
- The structure includes Highlights and an Abstract, followed by the body of the manuscript, including: 1) Introduction, 2) Relevant Sections (Key Issues), 3) Discussion, 4) Conclusions, and 5) Future Directions, References list.
- No more than 5 tables and figures (must include legends).
- References should be no more than 30-35.
- The intext citations and referencing format can be found in the Guidelines to Authors.
- All perspective pieces will be peer-reviewed in a similar fashion to research and review papers.

Book reviews

This journal publishes book reviews relevant to the field of scholarship, i.e.  town, urban and regional planning of books with a publishing date not older than three calender years from the year in which the review is written. If you want to recommend a book for a review, contact the editorial office.
Format:
- Full book details should be provided at the beginning of the article.
- Full details of person writing the review should be provided.
- The structure should only include an Introduction and be a discussion of critical points with no sections or conclusions.
- A suggested minimum word count of 500 words or one A4 page.
- Will not be peer-reviewed.

Copyright Notice

Copyright: Copyright is transferred to the author(s)  when an article is accepted for publication. 
Publishing rights: When an author/s publish an article in Town and Regional Planning, the author/s enter into a non-exclusive publishing agreement. This means that author/s may upload a second copy to institutional repositories.


All articles are published under a Creative Commons Attribution Licence (CC BY 4.0); readers are welcome to reproduce, share and adapt the content without permission provided the source is attributed.

Disclaimer: Views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s). Publication thereof does not indicate that the Editorial Staff or the University of the Free State accept responsibility for its content.

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