General instructions
Manuscripts to be considered for publication in MUJAES should be based on original research findings (not previously published elsewhere), concepts and views. Review manuscripts are acceptable in the journal. The journal is published in English (UK). Manuscripts should be presented on 8 1/2 x 11 inches (216 x 279 mm) paper, 1.5 spaced, with wide margins (1 inch) and line-numbered where possible. For the entire text of the manuscript, use font Times New Roman, size 12; total number of words not exceeding 8,000. Complex mathematical equations should be presented using Microsoft software.
Structure of Manuscript:
The manuscript should be written in the following order: Title, Authors’ names and addresses, Corresponding author’s email, Abstract, Key words, Introduction, Methodology, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, Acknowledgement, References and Illustrations (Tables, Figures, maps, plates/photos, etc.). Each illustration should be numbered serially as a separate set. Review manuscripts may be structured differently depending on the subject at hand.
Main section headings in the manuscript should be bolded, centred and of uppercase letters. Do not underline the title or section headings. Minimise use of scientific names in the Title of the manuscript. Subsections (also bolded) may be included and only the first letter of the subsection should be capitalised. All sections in the manuscript should be written in a narrative, focusing on the message enshrined in the objective. Use of bullets is extremely discouraged.
Use SI units of measurement, and italicise all non English words (except names) and scientific names. Use numerals before standard units of measurements, e.g. 3 g, 9 days, 36 hr, 50 kg ha-1, metric tonnes and t. Use words for numerals one to nine, and numbers for larger numerals, especially in the text. For choice of commonly used terms and abbreviations, consult the latest edition of Council of Biological Editors. Non-standard abbreviations should be avoided, and where used, should be explained at their first mention.
Layout of a Manuscript:
Below is the structure of a typical research manuscripts to be submitted to MUJAES. Note that structural variations may be accepted for manuscripts with other forms of focus. For more on style and format, authors are advised to consult the most recent issue of the MUJAES at www.mujaes.mak.ac.ug
Title: A title should be brief but sufficient to represent the scope of the objective(s) and overall content of the paper. A clear link should be evident between the title, objective and conclusions. As much as possible, scientific names should be replaced with common names, and the former should be placed in keywords.
Authors’ Names: These should appear below the title and should be followed by their respective institutional addresses. Initials should be placed before the last/surname and the last; and second last co-author names should be separated by “and”. The corresponding author’s email should also be provided
Abstract: This should be limited to not more than 250 words, and should contain salient features of a typical scientific research paper, namely a background statement, objective, key elements of materials and methods, main results and conclusion. This section should be complete and particularly factual with results sufficiently supported by empirical data.
Keywords: These should be up to five important words selected of the abstract of the manuscript but not appearing in the title. These words are useful for retrieval of the article from various repositories. Separate the words using commas and arrange them alphabetically.
Introduction: This comprises of crisp information in the form of paragraphs: background to the study, the problem of concern, significance/rationale, what exists in literature, the specific gaps, objective of study (often not more than one). This section should not exceed two pages of double spaced text.
Methodology: This section should be written as a narrative story. It should be informative enough to enable readers to interpret the results objectively or use the methods for a similar study, without requiring further clarifications. As such, avoid vague or confusing statements. Particular attention should be paid to the study variables, treatments and their structure, design, analysis and other statistical considerations. The sequence of implementation of the study should be followed strictly. For cases where multiple procedures and models exist, the choice of one may need justification. In such cases, citations of credible and latest sources of relevant information should be included. In all cases, please cite the developer and not the user of a procedure.
Results: These should be concise along with statistical tools, where applicable, to enable readers make factual inferences. Avoid texts that reproduce information already presented in illustrations. Data should be presented only in one form. This section should have no citation.
Discussion: This is an exclusively explanation section and should not be a reproduction of the contents of the Results section. Authors must discuss their results articulately first before rushing to literature to substitute for their much needed professional contributions. Indicate clearly the significance and implications of the results obtained, in the context of the answers expected against the study objectives, and subsequently, how they auger with the existing literature on the subject. Personal and non-data-derived author opinions and prejudices should be strictly avoided. Citations should preferably consist of current literature and largely from peer reviewed journals.
Acknowledgement: Financial contributors, pre-paper reviews, and key contributors (who are not co-authors) etc. should be acknowledged. Do not include friends and family members.
References: MUJAES uses the Harvard citation style. Only published articles (journals and proceedings) or books may be enlisted among references. In addition, articles with evidence of official acceptance by journals for publication are considered as “In press” and are citable. Articles referred to as “In press” should not be dated older than one year relative to the time when the current manuscript is being submitted. Papers presented at conferences or workshops dating two years or more without being published should not be cited. All author names should bear their initials after the surname or last name of each author or co-author, but separated by a comma. All journal names must be presented in full. Examples of reference listing are indicated below:
For journals list as:
Nyadanu, D., Dapaah, H. and Agyekum, A.D. 2014. Resistance to post-harvest microbial rot in yam: Integration of genotype and storage methods. African Crop Science Journal 22(2):89 – 95.
For proceedings list as:
Skenjana, N.L. and Kubheka, B.P. 2013. Can Vermicompost be used as medium amendment for Swiss chard seedling production? African Crop Science Conference Proceedings 11: 79 – 85.
OR
Kibunja, N.C. 1985. Agricultural residues as rhizobia carriers in Kenya. In: Biological Nitrogen Fixation in Africa. Proceedings of the First AABNF Conference, Nairobi Kenya. H Ssali and S.O. Keya (Eds.). Matianum Press Consultants, Nairobi. pp.160-172.
For books list as:
DeVries, J. and Toenniessen, G. 2001. Securing the Harvest: Biotechnology, Breeding and Seed Systems for African Crops. The Cromwell Press, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, UK. 208pp.
For online publications list as (include DOI where available):
Somayanda, M., Morete, I., Ismail, J.M., Rainer, S., Johnson, S. 2013. Zn uptake, translocation, and grain Zn loading in rice (Oryza sativa L.) genotypes selected for Zn deficiency tolerance and high grain Zn. Journal of Experimental Botany. doi: 10.1093/jxb/ert118.
OR
Zachary, G.P. 2008. Africa plays the rice card. Foreign Policy. May/June 2008 (web-exclusive story). http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story id=4306. Accessed 26 August 2008.
For thesis list as:
Abebe, G. 2012. Soil characterisation and evaluation of slow release urea fertilizer rates on yield traits and grain yields of wheat and Teff on vertisols of Jamma district of South Wollo Zone, Amhara Region. M.Sc. Thesis. Haremaya University, Ethiopia. 72pp.
For others:
Personal communication may be cited only in the text and not listed in the Reference section. Provide name, title, institution or organisation (address), and year. Only top professionals/experts on the subject are considered for “personal communication”.
There may be cases of articles not easily accessible, particularly electronically. In such cases use of “as cited by” could be acceptable, but only the citer’s article is listed in the Reference section of the manuscript.
Illustrations:
All illustrations (Tables, Figures, maps, photos, drawings, etc.) and information about them should be complete to make them independent of the main manuscript text. Captions should be brief, but should adequately describe contents, in some cases including the name of the nearest city and host country. The word Table should be in uppercase letters, and should be numbered with Arabic numerals. Figure captions should be typed on a separate sheet of paper. In the text, spell out the word Figure but abbreviate it to Fig. within the sentence. Within the Tables, the first letter of the identifiers of the columns and row rows should be in upper-case. Also, footnotes are designated with superscript lowercase letters.
Graphs should not be in boxes and X and Y axes should be marked clearly. Photographs should be extremely vital to impact readers about, for instance, a new disease symptom or effect of a treatment. Good photographs replace a great deal of text and not vice-versa. Illustrations should permit adjustment of size at least up to 50%. Use of coloured illustrations is encouraged for our online publication. However, in the case of hardcopy production (often on order), authors may be advised to cater for the extra costs involved.
Proof Reading:
Galley proofs will normally be sent to the author for approval for final publication.
Review System:
The Journal appoints two active researchers or experts on the subject of the manuscript. Reviews are anonymous; however, the names and addresses of the authors are kept on the manuscript for reviewers and authors to widen their future partnerships. Whenever contrasts of opinion arise between the two reviewers, a third reviewer is appointed or the editorial committee makes a decision based on the intensity of the review reports from the both reviewers.
Paper Revision:
An author receiving reviewers’ comments for revision or correction should submit the revised manuscript in accordance with the deadlines provided by the Editor. Longer intervals may lead the manuscript being treated as a new submission. Authors are supposed to return the revised version of the paper along with the “comment-by-response” rebuttal sheet.
Quality Control Policy and Conflict Resolution:
MUJAES operates a zero-tolerance policy to research and publication misconduct (including plagiarism, falsification, cheating and other forms of ethical misconduct). Offenders are alerted and barred from subsequent publication with the Journal, unless they provide satisfactory rebuttals. We access global expertise for peer reviewers for various disciplines. Ultimately, the editorial committee evaluates the reviewers’ reports for objectivity and adequacy and neutrality, and the outcome, in part is a basis for further considerations/re-appointment of reviewers for other engagements. Feedback from the journal readership, authors, reviewers and International Editorial Advisory Board constitutes key input into the journal’s quality improvement.
Publication Charge:
MUJAES is a non-profit publication arm of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Science, Makerere University. It is partly supported by the College of Agricultural and Environmental Science, Makerere University.
Copyright:
Makerere University Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Uganda License. Based on a work at www.mujaes.mak.ac.ug