AUTHORS GUIDE

General Notes

Submit your article in a single MSWord file, 11-point Tahoma font, 1.5-line spacing. Number all the pages (other than the cover page) with A4 paper size and normal margins. Ensure before and after line spacing is zero (0). Number all the lines in the manuscript as well using the automatic line numbering function.

ONLY soft copy manuscripts will be accepted.

Manuscripts should have the following format: Title, Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion and References. Figures and Tables should be subsumed within the manuscript while results and Discussion must be separate sections. Articles should be no longer than 6,500 words in length including abstract, footnotes, tables, references and appendices.

On the first page of the manuscript, indicate the title of the manuscript, the names of all authors, their institutional affiliations and contact details (including full postal address and e-mail address) . Identify the corresponding author with an asterisk and provide their email address. This should be followed by an abstract of about 200 words and utmost five (5) key words which can be used for indexing purposes. There must be no other reference elsewhere in the manuscript that would identify the authors.

Please have the final version of your manuscript language edited before submitting. AfJARE does not undertake professional editing of articles, it remains the authors’ responsibility. Poorly formatted articles will be rejected to maintain the high-quality standard of the journal.

The Editors reserve the right to adjust style to certain standards for uniformity. After your article has been accepted for publication, it will be copy edited and any queries the copy editor may have will be e-mailed to the author, reply promptly. Be clear and specific in your responses and eliminate guesswork.

Specific Guidelines

  1. Title: The title should be precise communicating the gap and purpose of the study. An abridged title should be used as the subject of the submission email e.g., Effect of fertilizer application on maize yield.
  2. Abstract: Provide an abstract of no more than 200 words, outlining in a single paragraph the study gap, purpose, scope, methodology, conclusions and recommendations (in that order).
  3. Key words: Provide no more than five keywords that can be used in electronic searches for your article. Organize the key words alphabetically.
  4. Introduction: The introduction should contextualize the study and include the research problem being studied, objective(s), hypothesis tested and a justification why the study is important and to who. The contribution of the article should be explained clearly and the relevant literature that the article builds upon should be mentioned. A results preview is helpful.
    • Literature review (optional): This section may be a standalone or incorporated in the introduction section. It should highlight other research on the same subject and existing gaps in knowledge. The author should decide how to present as long it is adequately covered.
  5. Methods: This section provides a description of the methodological approach used to analyze the problem at hand
    • Conceptual framework (optional): this section is useful if your paper adds something new conceptually as a contribution. It should be based on economic theory and fit with the empirical section of the paper.  If there is nothing new theoretically in the paper then a conceptual framework may not be necessary.
    • Empirical framework: The methodology section should be detailed to enhance clarity and enable replication. It should include empirical models and relevant diagnostics for model fit, data sources, measurement of variables, study area each presented as a sub-section in this chapter. If you are using observational data to measure the effect of X on Y, then you need to clearly explain the identification strategy. For example, if you are estimating the impact of a new agricultural technology on yields, consideration needs to be given to endogeneity/ selection bias that can affect estimates because technology adoption is likely not to be random.
    • Equations: Ensure that equations are editable.
  6. Results: Report your significant results in ways that are appropriate depending on the nature of results e.g., tables, figures and maps. Tables and Figures should be included in the article in the correct place and not in a separate file. Number the Tables and Figures consecutively and give each a caption – above for a Table and below for a Figure. Figures should in black and white. Type any notes below the Tables and Figures, and refer to these by superscript lowercase letters. Tables and Figures must be original and not cut and pasted. No tables, figures or maps from any other publication will be accepted without the publisher’s permission attached at first submission of the article.
  7. Tables:Tables should present new information rather than duplicating what is in the text. Readers should be able to interpret the table without reference to the text. Please supply editable files. Tables should have full gridlines and the contents should be in Tahoma, 10-point font and single spacing. All measurements should be in SI 
  8. Discussions: Discuss your significant results in depth. Results discussion should include bringing out their deeper meaning and implications for policy and practice. Cite literature to enhance credibility of your results. Explain discrepancies of your results with those reported in literature.
  9. Conclusions and Recommendations: In brief, draw conclusions of your study from the significant results only. Each conclusion should lead to a logical and actionable recommendation(s). Recommendations should be precise, actionable and targeted to a particular audience including policy makers and practitioners. Any significant study limitation should be mentioned here.
  10. References: Cite peer-reviewed journal articles and books from reputable authors and publishers. Avoid citing grey literature (e.g., working papers, policy reports, dissertations and other documents that have not been peer-reviewed). DO NOT cite articles in predatory journals. All references cited in the text must be listed and all references listed must be cited in text. The references should be current, accurate, consistent and complete. If you make a statement, back it up with your own data or a reference. Give reference to all ideas, concepts, text and data that are not your own. The American Psychological Association (APA) referencing style is recommended; author-date, title, publication, volume, issue, page numbers and digital object identifier (DOI) where applicable. AfJARE encourages the use of Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) as reference links, as they provide a permanent link to the electronic article referenced.
  11. Publication Charges: There are no publication fees for this journal. However, authors are required to be members of the African Association of Agricultural Economists by paying the requisite membership fee.
  12. Special Issues: Organization can request to publish special issues once a publication theme is agreed upon and approved by the Chief Editor. A special issue comprises six papers. Each accepted paper attracts an Article Processing Charges (APCs) of US$ 1,000.
  13. Funding details: Acknowledge the funder of your study by stating; This work was funded by [Funding Agency] under Grant [number xxxx] where applicable. If the authors did not receive financial support, state ‘This study was funded by the Authors’.
  14. Conflict of interest declaration: Declare any conflict of interest with regard to your study. If no conflict of interest exists, indicate ‘None’.

EXAMPLES OF STYLES TO USE IN THE LIST OF REFERENCES

Journal article


Nzuma, J. M., Kaindi, D. W. M., & Mwololo, H. M. (2024). Farm production diversity and its influence on diet quality in South Eastern Kenya. Cogent Food & Agriculture, 10(1).
https://doi.org/10.1080/23311932.2023.2300886.

Mapule R., (2000). The environment in Lesotho. Journal of Green Economies 2(3): 470–98.

 

Book

Greene WH., (2003).
Econometric analysis. Fifth edition. New Jersey, Prentice Hall. Wooldridge,
J. M., (2010). Econometric analysis of cross section and panel data (2nd ed.).
MIT Press.

 

 

Monograph

ILO., (2012). ILO Global estimate of forced labour: results and methodology. Geneva, International Labour Office Special Action Programme to Combat Forced Labour.

 

Book Chapter or article in edited work

Anselin L., (2001). Spatial econometrics. In Baltagi B (ed.), A Companion to Theoretical Econometrics. Oxford: Blackwell.

 

Electronic text

Shoprite, 2012. Available at 

http://www.shopriteholdings.co.za/pages/1019812640/about-our-company/Geographical-spread.asp (Accessed 15 October 2012).

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