About the Journal

Sidhaya: The Official Research Journal of Bulacan State University is a biannual, peer-reviewed, open-access publication committed to advancing high-quality scholarship across diverse fields of knowledge. Guided by BulSU’s vision of generating impactful, socially responsive and globally recognized research, Sidhaya serves as a multidisciplinary platform for scholars, educators, practitioners and innovators to disseminate rigorous and meaningful work. The journal operates under the Research Journal Publications (RJP) Unit of the Research and Innovation Office (RIO) and adheres to internationally recognized standards in editorial quality, ethical publishing and academic rigor. Sidhaya embraces a broad disciplinary reach, welcoming manuscripts in education, language, humanities, social science, culture and heritage, tourism, engineering, technology, business, governance, health, wellness, agriculture, environment, artificial intelligence and digital innovation. Through a robust editorial workflow and double-blind peer review, the journal ensures that every published work contributes to the expansion of knowledge, the strengthening of academic discourse, and the advancement of national and global development.

Aims and Scope
Sidhaya aims to cultivate a dynamic and inclusive research environment that supports the creation, evaluation and dissemination of scholarly work aligned with BulSU’s institutional research agenda. The journal seeks to publish studies that inform policy, advance theory, improve practice and generate innovative solutions to contemporary challenges. Its scope encompasses a diverse range of fields, including culture and heritage, arts and design, tourism, pure and applied sciences, agriculture, environmental studies, education, language and humanities, social sciences and governance, human health and wellness, business and public administration, engineering and industrial technologies, as well as emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, digital technologies, and innovative systems. Manuscript types accepted by Sidhaya include empirical research articles, review papers, theoretical and conceptual works, case studies, technical reports, field-based analyses, short communications, and invited editorials. Through this expansive scope, Sidhaya positions itself as a premier academic publication that fosters interdisciplinary collaboration and meaningful intellectual contributions within and beyond the Philippines.

Publication Frequency
Sidhaya follows a biannual publication schedule, releasing issues every June and December, while receiving manuscripts on a rolling basis throughout the year. This dual-cycle timeline allows the journal to maintain a consistent publication rhythm while ensuring adequate time for rigorous screening, peer review and editorial production. Rolling submissions enable authors to submit anytime, ensuring flexibility and responsiveness to scholarly productivity and research dissemination needs.

Peer-review Policy
Sidhaya upholds a stringent double-blind peer-review process designed to ensure fairness, objectivity and scholarly integrity. Manuscripts first undergo an initial editorial screening that includes plagiarism checking, assessment of relevance to the journal’s scope and verification of basic formatting and structural requirements. Submissions that pass the preliminary evaluation are then forwarded to at least two qualified reviewers who evaluate the manuscript’s clarity, methodological soundness, originality, ethical compliance and contribution to the field. Reviewers remain anonymous to the authors, and vice versa, to safeguard impartiality. After receiving reviewer comments, the Editor-in-Chief renders an editorial decision which is communicated to the authors together with consolidated reviewer feedback. Revised manuscripts undergo another round of evaluation when necessary, followed by meticulous copyediting, proofreading and layout preparation prior to publication. This multi-stage process ensures that all published papers maintain the journal’s standards of excellence, accuracy and scholarly merit.

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement
Sidhaya adheres to the ethical guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), promoting integrity, accountability and transparency throughout the publication process. Authors are expected to submit original work free from fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, duplicate submission or unethical research practices. Proper authorship should reflect significant scholarly contribution, and all funding sources, conflicts of interest, and research-related risks must be fully disclosed. Reviewers must provide objective, well-supported evaluations and treat all manuscripts as confidential documents. Editors must avoid conflicts of interest, ensure fair and unbiased decisions, and maintain confidentiality throughout the review process. The journal implements appropriate procedures for handling allegations of misconduct, issuing corrections, and processing retractions when necessary. These ethical foundations safeguard the credibility of published research and uphold the trust of the academic community.

Plagiarism Policy
All submissions undergo a mandatory plagiarism screening before entering peer review. The journal requires a similarity index of 10% or below, excluding references and universally used phrases. Manuscripts exceeding this threshold are returned to authors for correction or may be declined for review. Intentional plagiarism, self-plagiarism, or unethical use of copyrighted materials constitutes grounds for rejection, blacklisting or retraction depending on severity. This policy ensures the originality and integrity of all academic works published in Sidhaya.

Article Processing Charges (APC)
To sustain the operational and technical requirements of a high-quality open-access journal, Sidhaya implements an Article Processing Charge (APC) of ₱3,000.00 for accepted papers from local authors and USD 60 for foreign contributors. The APC is collected only after the manuscript has been accepted, ensuring that financial capacity does not influence editorial or peer-review decisions. APCs support the journal’s expenses related to DOI registration, platform maintenance, editorial honoraria, copyediting, layout and long-term digital preservation.

Archiving and Digital Preservation Policy
Sidhaya ensures long-term accessibility and preservation of all published content through multiple archiving systems. Articles are stored within the BulSU Institutional Repository and supported by global preservation networks such as PKP PN and CLOCKSS. These archiving mechanisms protect the journal from data loss, server failure, or technological obsolescence, ensuring that research outputs remain permanently accessible for future scholars, educators and policymakers.