FOREWORD
Editor’s Foreword and Introduction to Vol. 6 (2) Dec. 2024

Welcome to the concluding regular issue of Horizon Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Research (JHSSR) for 2024. JHSSR (eISSN 2682-9096) is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal committed to delivering innovative research to both academia and practicing professionals. Independently owned and published by BP Services, we operate on a not-for-profit basis to benefit the global social science community. Find out more here.

This edition presents a diverse collection of 7 hand-picked articles, each contributing unique perspectives and rigorous research to their respective fields.

This edition presents a diverse compilation of seven articles,

The issue begins with a review by Kingsley Chukwudike Ugwoke, “Empowering Learning: The Numbered Heads Together Strategy for Inclusive Science Education.” This paper champions the Numbered Heads Together strategy as an innovative pedagogical method that enhances science education by fostering collaborative brainstorming, building student confidence, and identifying varied learning abilities. It advocates for a shift from traditional, teacher-centric approaches to more engaging, student-centered learning environments.

This edition features two original research articles. First, Osasohan Agbonlahor et al.’s “Unprecedented Times: Assessing Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on College Students’ Academic Experiences and College Life” employs multi-campus survey data and regression analyses to investigate the pandemic’s effects on key aspects of the college experience, revealing significant challenges and exacerbating pre-existing inequalities.

Second, Ta Thi Lan Khanh and Vo Thanh Tuyen’s “Cross-National Labor Migration Between Korea and Vietnam: A Policy Perspective” offers a policy analysis of labor migration between South Korea and Vietnam, elucidating the impact of governmental interventions on labor mobility and bilateral relations, and providing insights into socio-economic implications and demographic trends.

Professor Devinder Singh Chahal’s theological analysis, “Satguru Revealed: Exploring the Aad Guru Granth Sahib and the Connection to Jesus,” examines the significance of “Satguru” in Sikh scripture. The study explores the meanings and implications of “Satguru” in the Aad Guru Granth Sahib and its relation to Jesus Christ.

Turning to contemporary social issues, Neelam Shah’s opinion piece, “Cyberbullying in Contemporary Media Culture: An Opinion Piece,” addresses the pervasive problem of cyberbullying on social media. The article explores the psychological reasons behind bullying behavior and its impact on victims’ mental health and well-being, advocating for increased awareness and proactive intervention strategies.

Finally, this issue includes two conceptual papers: “Education for Students: A Socio-Cultural Perspective” by Hoàng Ngọc Sơn and Trần Thị Vân Dung, and “Some Solutions to Improve Communication and Intercultural Skills in Teaching Vietnamese to Foreigners” by Trần Thị Vân Dung. Both these papers address important considerations to improve Vietnamese education.

This issue of JHSSR presents valuable insights across diverse disciplines. We invite readers to engage critically with these articles and share these resources with colleagues and students, fostering further research and discussion. We hope this diverse collection of research enriches your understanding and inspires further inquiry in the fields of humanities and social sciences.

As we celebrate the journal’s accomplishment of surpassing 1,298 submissions, with only 244 accepted and published, we acknowledge the rigorous standards maintained in the review process. This high acceptance rate reflects our commitment to ensuring the publication of high-quality research that aligns with the journal’s scope and contributes significantly to the academic community.

Our Quality

All the papers except the book-review published in this edition underwent a rigorous yet relatively rapid double-blind peer-review process involving a minimum of three reviewers comprising internal as well as external referees, which translates to benefits such as timeliness of publication, widespread dissemination, high visibility, and likelihood of high citations and broader impacts. This was also to ensure that the quality of the papers justified the high ranking of the journal, which hopes to be one at par with one of the renowned and heavily-cited journals not only by authors and researchers in Malaysia and America but by those in other countries around the world as well.

While I hope this issue will have particular appeal to new readers across this region and beyond, I am confident that the articles published will raise interest among our regular readership of scholars and postgraduate students elsewhere, thanks to the relevance and diversity of contributions on a region whose future bears central importance to us all.

I would also like to express gratitude to all the contributing authors for their trust, patience, and timely revisions, who have made this issue possible, as well as the reviewers and editors for their professional contribution. Last but not least, the assistance of the journal’s editorial office in Texas, particularly Jessica Whitsitt, Lucy Fernandez, and Judy Meester—my adorable assistants, is greatly appreciated.

The Editorial Board of JHSSR welcomes your contributions and looks forward to many years of fruitful research to come. We continue to welcome submissions in all fields of humanities and social sciences. Horizon JHSSR is currently accepting manuscripts for its 2025 issues based on original qualitative or quantitative research that opens new areas of inquiry and investigation. Empirical articles should demonstrate high rigor and quality. Original research collects and analyses data in systematic ways to present important new research that adds to and advances the debates within the journal’s fields. The editors hope that the authors publishing in this journal can support the noble cause of JHSSR in reaching its goals.

JHSSR also invites call for proposals for 2025-26 Special Issues. Our journal aims to provide a platform for researchers and technical experts to publish original papers, reviews and communications on all aspects of humanities and social sciences research. We strive to maintain a high standard of scientific objectivity, and we ensure that all submitted articles undergo a stringent yet relatively rapid double-blind peer-review process, which translates to benefits such as timeliness of publication, widespread dissemination, high visibility, and likelihood of high citations and broader impacts. Alongside a mission-driven Editor-in-chief, the globally diverse Editorial Board works with prominent scientific community to create a fast moving and rigorous editorial reviews. JHSSR follows code of conduct stipulated by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Proposals can be submitted directly via email to cee.horizon@gmail.com

Let me conclude by saying that with the publication of this issue, we are now completing six years of continuous and successful scholarly publication of Horizon JHSSR. Changing publishing norms and expectations have given rise to a new wave of publishing standards that we’ll be riding into 2025 soon and beyond. I am confident that the upcoming year will bring yet another challenging year of emerging scholarly articles.

Only time will tell what the next decade has in store, but one thing for sure is we will likely see greater innovation in all areas of scholarly publishing with emphasis on A.I. If you are observing other scholarly publishing trends, please do share your thoughts with the Chief Executive Editor!

Thank you for your continued support. We hope you find these articles thought-provoking and valuable in your academic pursuits, and look forward to further enriching the scholarly discourse in future issues.

Citation: https://doi.org/10.37534/bp.jhssr.2023.v6.n2.id0015.pxvi