Praxisfera: Journal of Education and Community Learning places strong emphasis on the accuracy, quality, relevance, and integrity of references used in all submitted and published articles. This Reference Policy is established to ensure academic integrity, strengthen the scholarly foundation of published research, and promote the use of credible and up-to-date academic sources.

1. General Reference Requirements

Primary Sources Requirement
Authors are encouraged to use primary and authoritative scholarly sources, including:

• Peer-reviewed journal articles;
• Academic books and book chapters;
• Conference proceedings;
• Official research reports;
• Government publications and other credible scholarly publications.

Currency of References
Authors are encouraged to use recent references, particularly sources published within the last ten years, to ensure that manuscripts reflect current developments in the relevant field. Older sources may be used when they constitute important foundational theories, seminal works, or historically significant references.

Preferred Sources
Authors are strongly encouraged to cite sources indexed or published in reputable academic databases and scholarly platforms, including:

• Scopus;
• Web of Science;
• SINTA;
• DOAJ;
• ERIC;
• Google Scholar; and
• Other recognized scholarly databases.

Minimum Number of References
Each manuscript should include a sufficient number of relevant and credible scholarly references appropriate to the type and scope of the research. As a general guideline, manuscripts are encouraged to include a minimum of 15 relevant scholarly references directly related to the topic of the study.

2. Citation Style and Reference List

Praxisfera: Journal of Education and Community Learning adopts the latest edition of the American Psychological Association (APA) Style for in-text citations and reference lists.

Authors must ensure that:

• All sources cited in the manuscript are included in the reference list.
• All references listed in the reference list are cited in the manuscript.
• References are relevant to the topic, theoretical framework, methodology, and discussion of the manuscript.
• Reference entries are complete, accurate, and consistently formatted.
• Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) or permanent links should be included whenever available.
• References follow the formatting requirements specified in the journal's Author Guidelines and manuscript template.

APA Reference Examples

Journal Article
Rahmayulis, R. (2022). Pengaruh media pembelajaran interaktif terhadap hasil belajar siswa sekolah dasar. Jurnal Pendidikan Dasar Indonesia, 12(1), 45–58. https://doi.org/xxxxx

Book
Sugiyono. (2020). Metode penelitian pendidikan: Pendekatan kuantitatif, kualitatif, dan R&D. Alfabeta.

Conference Proceedings
Sari, D. P., & Ahmad, F. (2021). Penggunaan komik digital dalam pembelajaran menulis narasi. In Prosiding Seminar Nasional Pendidikan 2021 (pp. 120–132). Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta.

Online Source
Kementerian Pendidikan, Kebudayaan, Riset, dan Teknologi. (2023). Transformasi pendidikan berbasis digital di Indonesia. https://www.kemdikbud.go.id

3. Use of Reference Management Software

Authors are strongly encouraged to use reference management software such as:

• Mendeley;
• Zotero;
• EndNote; or
• Other reputable reference management tools.

The use of reference management software helps ensure consistency, accuracy, and efficiency in citation and reference formatting.

Manuscripts containing significant citation errors, incomplete references, or substantial inconsistencies in reference formatting may be returned to the authors for correction before entering or continuing the peer-review process.

4. Unacceptable Reference Practices

The following practices are not permitted:

Reference Plagiarism
Citing sources that have not been consulted directly or copying references from other publications without verifying the original source.

Non-Scholarly Sources
Authors should avoid using unreliable or non-academic sources as primary references, including:

• Personal blogs;
• Unverified websites;
• Non-credible online content; and
• Other sources that lack academic reliability.

Such sources may only be used when directly relevant to the research topic and when their use is academically justified.

Excessive Self-Citation
Authors should avoid excessive citation of their own publications. Self-citations must be based on genuine scholarly relevance and should not be used to artificially increase citation metrics.

Duplicate References
Listing the same source multiple times in different formats or editions solely to increase the number of references is prohibited.

Irrelevant References
Authors should not include references that have no meaningful connection to the research topic, theoretical framework, methodology, or discussion merely to increase the number of citations.

5. Reference Screening and Verification

The editorial team may evaluate references for:

• Relevance to the manuscript topic;
• Academic quality and credibility;
• Currency and scholarly contribution;
• Compliance with the journal's Reference Policy;
• Accuracy of citation and bibliographic information; and
• Consistency with the required APA citation style.

If references are found to be inadequate, inaccurate, irrelevant, or inconsistent with the journal's standards, authors may be required to revise the manuscript before it can proceed to publication.

Encouragement to Cite Relevant Praxisfera Publications

Praxisfera: Journal of Education and Community Learning encourages authors to cite articles previously published in the journal when such citations are directly relevant to the topic, methodology, theoretical framework, or findings of the submitted manuscript. However, citations must be based solely on scholarly relevance and must never be required or made for the purpose of artificially increasing citation metrics.

By adhering to this Reference Policy, authors contribute to the quality, credibility, transparency, and scholarly impact of research published in Praxisfera: Journal of Education and Community Learning.