Submissions

Author Guidelines

Editorial Policy

The Nkumba International Research Journal (NIRJ) aims at disseminating research findings and is open to original manuscripts in any discipline of research ranging from biophysical to psychosocial. It is, therefore, unrestricted and unlimited to any reader and contributor. All materials submitted must be original, unpublished work and not under consideration for publication elsewhere. All manuscripts undergo a stringent peer-review process and only papers deemed to be of the required quality and relevance will be accepted for publication.

Types of Paper for Publication

• Research Papers are fully documented and interpreted accounts of significant findings of original research, and should not normally exceed 5,000 words (less 350 words for each normal-sized figure or table included). Manuscripts exceeding 6,000 words will not be accepted for review.
• Practical Papers provide new information on subjects of interest to professionals in practice, and should not normally exceed 2,500 words. Manuscripts exceeding 3,500 words will not be accepted for review.
• Brief Communications are fully documented, interpreted accounts of significant findings of original research reflecting a tightly defined piece of work, such as an unusual occurrence, an interesting observation, or a topical and timely finding. No sub-headings are necessary. They should not normally exceed 2,500 words; manuscripts exceeding 3,500 words will not be accepted for review. An abstract of not more than three lines is required.
• Review Papers are critical and comprehensive reviews that provide new insights or interpretation of the subject through thorough and systematic evaluation of available evidence. They should not normally exceed 8,000 words. Manuscripts exceeding 10,000 words will not be accepted for review.
• Discussions take the form of a ‘letter’ presenting significant comments or questions about a work published in the Journal, normally including substantiated disagreement with, or alternative interpretation of, aspects of a paper. Authors are encouraged to contact the Editor-in-Chief before preparation. There is no word limit, but discussions should be brief and tightly focused. An accepted discussion will normally be shared with the authors of the paper concerned, who will be given the opportunity to respond.
• Book Reviews provide an overview and critical commentary on a recently-published book within the scope of the journal, and should not exceed 3,000 words. Reviewers should have no conflict of interest with the authors or editors of the book.
• Editorials provide commentary, by an editor or a recognized authority, on an issue of wide interest. Authors are encouraged to contact the Editor-in-Chief before preparation. Editorials should not normally exceed 700 words and are limited to a maximum of 1,500 words.

Preparation of Manuscripts

All manuscripts are to be in English and submitted online through this website. The preferred format is Microsoft Word, though other word-processing formats may be accepted. Do not supply the manuscript as a PDF. Authors should not add their own macros, and should supply only the final version of the file (with no hidden text).

Material should be double-spaced throughout, on one side of letter-sized paper, with suitably wide margins. All pages should be numbered consecutively beginning with the title page. Include tables, figure legends, footnotes and reference lists.

The first page should bear the title, a concise running headline of not more than 35 characters (including spaces), and the names and academic contact(s) of the author(s). If the present contact of any author is different, it should be added as a footnote. Telephone number and e-mail address of the corresponding author should also be provided as a footnote.

Full papers should generally be arranged in the following sequence: Title; Authors; Abstract; Key Words; Introduction; Materials and Methods; Results (with Tables and Figures); Discussion; Conclusion and Recommendations; Acknowledgements; and References.

The Introduction should describe the background of the work and its aims. Materials and Methods should briefly describe the methods/techniques used. Results and Discussion should clearly present the results obtained, highlighting trends or points of interest. The Conclusion should briefly explain the significance and implications of the work; Recommendations should focus on the usefulness and applicability of the findings.

Within sections, subdivision should not normally exceed three grades; decimal numbering of headings should not be used. Footnotes should be used only if essential. Scientific names of animals and plants should be given in full the first time they appear, i.e. common name (Nile Perch) and Latin name in italics (Lates niloticus), abbreviated at subsequent mention (L. niloticus). Spelling should be British English throughout, except in quotations and references.

Abstract and Keywords

Each article should be accompanied by a concise abstract of approximately 200 words summarising the significant findings of the paper, followed by not more than six keywords.

Figures

Figures should be embedded in the Word file and also supplied as separate graphics files in their original formats (JPEG, PNG, EPS, TIFF or PSD preferred), at a minimum of 300 dpi. Figures should be numbered in order of citation, positioned close to where they are first cited, and each should have a caption that can be understood independently of the main text. The caption should be given in the text, not on the figure itself. Use scale bars rather than magnification factors. The journal is printed in black and white, with colour graphics in the online version. Information in tables should not be duplicated in figures, and vice versa.

Tables

Tables should be submitted as editable text, not as images, numbered consecutively in order of appearance, with notes placed below the table body. Avoid vertical rules. Footnotes to tables should be indicated by superscripts.

Units, Numbers and Statistics

Metric (SI) units should be used, e.g. mm, mm², mg l^-1. Use the 24-hour clock (e.g. 1545 hours) and dates in the form 20 October 2019. One-digit numbers should be spelt out unless used with units of measure (six boxes; 6 cm); use numerals for numbers of two or more digits. Statistics should be presented as: name of test, number of observations or degrees of freedom, and probability level.

Citations and References

Cite by author surname and year: Jones (2002) or (Jones 2002). Two or more years following an author’s name are cited in ascending order, and references by the same author in the same year are distinguished by letters, e.g. Brown (1999, 2002, 2003a, b). Different references cited together should be in date order, e.g. (Smith 1959; Thomson & Jones 2008; Green 2015). Use “et al.” in the text where there are more than two co-authors. Use “(in press)”, “(submitted)” or “(in preparation)” as appropriate.

References should be listed alphabetically at the end of the paper, giving all authors. Journal references must include the volume, issue number and pages. Please include Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) where available.

Proofs and Offprints

Proofs will be sent by e-mail to the corresponding author. Corrections must be returned within one week of receipt, should only cover typesetting errors, and must be returned in one communication. Proofreading is the sole responsibility of the authors. Upon publication, the corresponding author will receive an electronic file of the paper.