Submissions

Author Guidelines

The African Journal of Applied Research publishes empirical and conceptual papers.
We welcome the following varieties of paper:
Empirical research papers, containing new quantitative or qualitative data which address significant theoretical and/or practical concerns;
Papers which offer new theory and conceptualization, perhaps accompanied by a critique of existing approaches;
Narrative and/or quantitative reviews of existing research which lead to new conclusions or insights into a field of research and/or practice;
Prescriptive articles advocating changes in research paradigms, methods, or data analytic techniques;

Style of Manuscripts: (CLICK ON THIS LINK TO DOWNLOAD SAMPLE MANUSCRIPT)

Manuscripts should be written in clear, concise and grammatically correct English (with 12 font size and Times New Roman font style) so that they are intelligible to the professional reader who is not a specialist in any particular field. Manuscripts that do not conform to these requirements and the following manuscript format may be returned to the author prior to review for correction. The entire manuscript, including references, should be typed single-spaced on one side of the paper, with margins of 1 inch on each side. All pages should be numbered consecutively in the bottom centre. Indent new paragraphs. Turn the hyphenation option off, including only those hyphens that are essential to the meaning. The manuscript should be presented in the following order.

Abstract:

All manuscripts must include a brief but informative Abstract intelligible without reference to the main text. It should be between 200- 250 words and should describe the scope, hypothesis or rationale for the work and the main findings. Both common and scientific names should be included; the authorities are not given if they appear in the title. References to the literature and mathematical symbols/equations should not be included. The abstract must include the following sections:

Purpose

Design/Methodology/ Approach

Findings

Research Limitation/Implication

Practical Implication

Social Implication

Originality/Value

Keywords:
Keywords (5) should be provided below the Abstract to assist with indexing the article. These should not duplicate keywords from the title.

Introduction:
This section should include sufficient background information to set the work in context. The aims of the manuscript should be clearly stated. The introduction should not contain either findings or conclusions.

Research Methods:
This should be concise but provide sufficient detail to allow the work to be repeated by others.

Results:
Results should be presented in a logical sequence in the text, tables and figures; repetitive presentation of the same data in different forms should be avoided. The results should not contain material appropriate to the Discussion.

Discussion:
This should consider the results in relation to any hypotheses advanced in the Introduction and place the study in the context of other work. Only in exceptional cases should the Results and Discussion sections be combined.

References:
For reference citations, please use Harvard style. Particular care should be taken to ensure that references are accurate and complete. Give all journal titles in full.

Abbreviation and Units:
SI units (metre, kilogram etc.), as outlined in the latest edition of Units, Symbols and Abbreviations: A Guide for Medical and Scientific Editors and Authors (Royal Society of Medicine Press, London), should be used wherever possible. Statistics and measurements should always be given in figures; that is, 10 mm, except where the number begins the sentence. When the number does not refer to a unit measurement, it is spelt out, except where the number is greater than nine. Use only standard abbreviations. The word ‘Figure' should be shortened to Fig. unless starting a sentence.

Check List:
We recommend that you ask a colleague to read over your paper prior to submission to ensure it is of a high standard and conforms to a high level of scientific writing.
Before submission of your manuscript, please check that:
All references cited in the text are included in the reference section.
All figures and tables are cited in the text.
The pages are numbered.

Reporting standards

Authors of manuscripts should present an accurate account of the work performed as well as an objective discussion of its significance. Underlying data should be represented accurately in the paper.  The manuscript should contain sufficient detail and references to permit others to replicate the work. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behaviour and are unacceptable. Review and professional publication articles should also be accurate and objective, and editorial opinion works should be clearly identified as such.

 Originality and Plagiarism

Authors should ensure that they have written entirely original works, and if the authors used the work and/or words of others that this has been appropriately cited or quoted. Plagiarism takes many forms, from passing off another's paper as the author's own paper, copying or paraphrasing substantial parts of another's paper (without attribution), to claiming results from research conducted by others. Plagiarism in all its forms constitutes unethical publishing behaviour and is unacceptable.

 Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication

Authors should not, in general, publish manuscripts describing essentially the same research in more than one journal or primary publication. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently constitutes unethical publishing behaviour and is unacceptable.

In general, authors should not submit for consideration in another journal a previously published paper. Publication of some kinds of articles (e.g. translations) in more than one journal is sometimes justifiable, provided certain conditions are met. The authors and editors of the journals concerned must agree to the secondary publication, which must reflect the same data and interpretation of the primary document. The primary reference must be cited in the secondary publication.

 Acknowledgement of Source

Proper acknowledgement of the work of others must always be given. Authors should cite publications that have been influential in determining the nature of the reported work. Information obtained privately, as in conversation, correspondence, or discussion with third parties, must not be used or reported without explicit, written permission from the source. Information obtained in the course of confidential services, such as refereeing manuscripts or grant applications, must not be used without the explicit written permission of the author of the work involved in these services.

Authorship of the Paper

Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. All those who have made significant contributions should be listed as co-authors. Where there are others who have participated in certain substantive aspects of the research project, they should be acknowledged or listed as contributors. The corresponding author should ensure that all appropriate co-authors and no inappropriate co-authors are included in the paper and that all co-authors have seen and approved the final version of the paper and have agreed to its submission for publication.

 Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

All authors should disclose in their manuscript any financial or other substantive conflicts of interest that might be construed to influence the results or interpretation of their manuscript.  All sources of financial support for the project should be disclosed. Examples of potential conflicts of interest which should be disclosed include employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony, patent applications/registrations, and grants or other funding. Potential conflicts of interest should be disclosed at the earliest stage possible.

 Fundamental errors in published works

When an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in his/her own published work, it is the author's obligation to promptly notify the journal editor or publisher and cooperate with the editor to retract or correct the paper. If the editor or the publisher learns from a third party that a published work contains a significant error, it is the obligation of the author to promptly retract or correct the paper or provide evidence to the editor of the correctness of the original paper.