Submissions

Author Guidelines

AJAUSUD Paper Format

African Journal of Agriculture and Utilisation of Natural Resources for Sustainable Development (AJAUSUD), publishes top-notch agricultural and natural resources research papers.

Author Instruction

Language

The UK English version of spelling is used in AJAUSUD publications, hence author(s) are advised to prepare manuscripts using the same.

The manuscript should be unpublished and not being considered for publication elsewhere, and include the following in the field of agriculture:

• Original research papers.
• Case studies.
• Review articles.
• Technical notes.

Page format

Contributors should use the MS-Word Programme to prepare manuscripts using 1.5-spacing, 2.5 cm margins including references, figures and tables, left and right justification, no space between paragraphs, no tab at the beginning of each paragraph, font size 12 for main body text, font type Times New Roman and printing on one side per page.

Tables and Figures should be in their respective position in manuscript with title of Table /Legends of Figure. Articles should be within 30 printable pages.

The title page contains title of the manuscript, all author names and their corresponding affiliations as well as complete mailing address, telephone, email and ORCiD where available. The designated corresponding author must be identified by an asterisk.

Citations of work in the text: Examples: one author- (Omondi, 2022); Two authors: (Langát and Basweti, 2021); More than two authors: (Hamisi et al., 2021). More than one reference: (Langát, 2018; Wanyama and Odhiambo, 2022; Kamau et al., 2019).

The full length research articles should be arranged using the following headings: Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results and Discussions, Conclusions and Recommendations, Acknowledgement and References.

Title

Single column, spacing between lines in a text is 1.5 line and paragraph spacing, Times New Roman size 12, Capitalize Each Word (Camel-case) to a maximum of 15 words, bold font, paragraph spacing is 0 before a new sentence and 12 after, centred.

Authors list: single TNR size 11 normal, single column, centred, spacing between lines in a text is 1.5, paragraph is 0 spacing before new sentence and 6 after, surname(s) first with coma, followed by full names.

ORCiD ID for each author and address(es) of each other, additional email address for the corresponding author indicated by an asterisk.

Abstract

Title of the word “Abstract” size 11, TNR, spacing between lines in a text is 1.5, bold font, left aligned, paragraph is 0 spacing before new sentence and 6 after.

Text should be single column, spacing between lines in a text is 1.0, paragraph is 0 spacing before new sentence and 6 after, justified, not exceeding 250 words in a single paragraph, no sub-headings and should be a brief summary of the work carried out including the objectives of the study, the techniques used and what was accomplished in a concise manner.

Keywords

It should contain up to 3-6 key terms related to the work separated by commas. Format for abstract applies in keywords.

Introduction

It should represent the background significance, brief survey of the previous works, purpose, scope and novelty of the research work and should not have subheadings.

Format: Title “Introduction” written in sentence case is bold font and left aligned, TNR size 12, paragraph spacing is 0 before new sentence and 6 after, line and paragraph spacing.

Text: Two columns, TNR size 12, spacing between lines in a text is 1.5, paragraph is 0 spacing before new sentence and 6 after, justified. This format applies to the rest of the text upto Appendices.

The words et al. should be italicized throughout the draft.

Captions (Tables and Figures): bold font, TNR size 11, spacing between lines in a text is 1.5, paragraph spacing is 0 before new sentence and 6 after, left intended.

Contents inside side contents in Table: TNR size 10, spacing between lines in a text is 1.0, paragraph spacing is 0 before new sentence and 0 after, left intended.  

Footnotes after Table: paragraph spacing is 12 before new sentence and 6 after, font sizer 11. 

Abbreviations of the common scientific terms used in descriptive statistics

• Measurements of variability

Mean, arithmetic mean= X or M; Media =Mdn; Mode= Mo; Interquartile range= IQR; Range = Ra; Standard deviation= SD; Variance=SD².

• Statistical terms

Alpha coefficient= a; Analysis of variance =ANOVA; Autoregressive integrated moving average = ARIMA; Chi-square =c²; Cochran’s = Q; Coefficient of determination = r²; Cohen’s= d; Cohen’s kappa = k; Confidence interval =CI; Correlation coefficient = r; Cronbach’s alpha coefficient= a; Effect size =???? ; Eta= ƞ; F-test =F; Mann-Whitney U-test =U; Multiple correlation =R; Multivariate analysis of covariance =MANCOVA; Multivariate analysis of variance =MANOVA; One-way analysis of variance =ANOVA; Pearson correlation coefficient =r; Spearman’s rank order correlation= ρ; Standard error of the mean =SEM; Standard error =SE.

Material and Methods

Sufficient information in detail regarding project location, materials and the methods used to carry out the research works, i.e. experimental design, analytical, and statistical methods, should be mentioned. Source of chemicals and drugs, animals used, ethical committee permission should be disclosed.

Format- Same as Introduction section.

Results and Discussions

Should contain summary of the research results, interpretations, speculations and assessment of future research or prospects.

Conclusions

It should include outcome of the work, important findings and author(s)’s view(s).

Recommendations(s)

Includes areas that need further investigation(s).

Acknowledgements (if any)

Should have brief information regarding any research grant support or the assistance of colleagues and/ or institutions.

References  

Each item cited in the reference list must have been cited in the text, vice versa.

All sources appearing in the reference list must be ordered alphabetically by surname followed by a comma, the initials of the author. For multiple authors, they are separated by a comma, the last author separated by “and”. Name of Journal should be written in full, followed by volume and issue (if any, in bracket), followed by page number(s).

Personal communications (interviews, letters, emails, etc.) should not be included in the references list.

The reference list should be 1.5-spaced (no line spaces between references) with hanging indents used for the second and subsequent lines of each entry.

References should be alphabetized at the end of the article using the following format:

• Books

Author(s). (Year). Title of book. Publisher. Place. Example:

Chandrasekaran, B., Annadurai, K. and Somasundaram, E. (2010). A Textbook of Agronomy. New Age International (P) Ltd., Publishers. 4835/24, Ansari Road, Daryaganj, New Delhi - 110002

• Book chapter

Author(s), (Year). Title of paper. In: Names of editor(s) starting with initials (ed.) or (eds.). Title of book. Publisher. Place. Pp.

Example:

Omondi, R., Ojwang, W., Olilo, C., Mugo, J., Agembe, S., Ojuok, J. E. (2017). Lakes Baringo and Naivasha: Endorheic Freshwater Lakes of the Rift Valley (Kenya). In: The Wetland Book II: Distribution, Description and Conservation, edited by C. Max Finlayson, G. Randy Milton, R. Crawford Prentice & Nick C. Davidson. Springer 2053p.ISBN 978940006.

• Periodicals

Author(s). (Year). Title of article. Title of periodical. Volume: pp. XXX

Example

• Articles in journals, magazines, and newspapers:

References to periodical articles must include the following elements: author(s), date of publication, article title, journal title, volume number, issue number (if applicable), and page numbers.

• Journal article

Author(s) (Year). Title. Publisher (name if full). Volume (Number): page numbers. DOI.

Example

Langát, J. K. (2018). PAR to total solar radiation top canopy ratio in tea (Camellia sinensis [L.] O. Kuntze) genotypes in the Kenyan highlands. International Journal of Advances in Scientific Research and Engineering-IJASRE 4(5): 118-128. doi.org/10.31695/IJASRE.2018.32726.

Mwangi, A. S., Her, M., He, S., Oketch, C., and Moraa, Z. (2019). Agricultural technology transfer and adoption in Sub-saharan Africa: A contemporary issue. Agricultural Adoption Journal 8(3): 207–217. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000185

• Article from an Internet-only journal

Example

Mwamburi, J. (2018, November-December). Food security, unavailability and hunger in the Horn of Africa. Agriculture Sustainability Magazine, 17(11/12). 

• Magazine article, in print

Example

Rotich, R. (2021, July 28). Importance of fish in human diet. Weekly Times, 64(3), 4-10.

• Newspaper article, no author, in print

Example

The impact of war on wheat prices on the global market (2022, March 1). The 2022 East African States Union Economics, p. 16.