INSTRUCTIONS TO AUTHORS
AFRICAN SCIENTIST will publish original research papers in the various fields of science which include Agriculture, Biomedical Sciences (anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, pharmacology, immunology, genetics, virology, haematology, microbiology, parasitology, geology, physics, chemistry, mathematics and computer science) and all areas of Environment, Human Health and Pollution.
Authors submitting a manuscript do so on the understanding that, if it is accepted for publication, copyright in the article, including the right to reproduce the article in all forms of the media (print and electronic), shall be assigned exclusively to the Publisher. The Publisher will not refuse any reasonable request by the author for permission to reproduce any of his or her contributions to the journal.
Manuscripts are accepted for review and publication with the understanding that the same work has not been, and will not be, published nor is presently submitted and being considered for publication elsewhere, and that all persons listed as authors have given their approval for the submission of the paper.
Manuscripts should be submitted electronically, particularly by e-mail as attachments to the Editor ([email protected]).
Manuscripts should be typewritten, with 2.5 cm margins, double spacing and paragraph first line 0.5 cm wide margin following the conventional form (English language, Times New Roman 12, Justify, Normal). The first page should contain the title of the manuscript, FULL name(s) of the author (s) and address(s), including telephone number(s) and e-mail(s). Where there is more than one author, the corresponding author should be indicated. An abstract (of not more than 200 words) with not more than 5 keywords should follow the authors’ names and addresses. This should adequately summarize the objective, methodology and pertinent findings of the paper. The main body of the paper should be divided into (a) Introduction, (b) Materials and Methods, (c) Results, (d) Discussion (e) Acknowledgement(s) and (f) References.
If the research involves the use of human subjects, including collection of human blood or other human specimens, an Institutional ethical clearance document should be submitted with the manuscript. Alternatively, a clear statement should be made, in the “Materials and Methods” section, that informed consent of the experimental subjects and/or appropriate ethical committee had been obtained.
All necessary illustrations should accompany the manuscript and should be inserted within the text. The illustrations should be numbered consecutively in the order in which they are referred to in the text. On the back of each illustration, the author’s name and figure number should be written. The top of the illustration should also be indicated if this is not clear. Legend to figures should be typed on a separate sheet, and should give sufficient information to make the illustration comprehensible without reference to the text. We reserve the right to modify your image’s size for esthetic purposes only.
References: All articles and books listed will have to be cited in text using main author’s surname and year of publication, such as: (Cheung, 2001). For two authors, the citation should be: for instance (Cheung and Li, 2000), for citations more than two authors, the citation should be: for instance, (Cheung et al., 2001). Please do not use numbers instead of names. Full titles of articles cited should be included, and abbreviations of journals should conform to those of ‘Index Medicus’ (Visit http://www.efm.leeds.ac.uk/~mark/ISIabbr/I_abrvjt.html, http://www2.bg.am.poznan.pl/czasopisma/medicus.php?lang=eng and http://www.ais.up.ac.za/health/lsiweb.pdf). Do NOT use full stop after initials or abbreviations. Note the following examples:
Cheung WY: Calmodulin plays a pivotal role in cellular regulation. Science 207: 19 - 27. 1980.
Koch PJ, Walsh MJ, Schmelz M, Goldschmidt MD, Zimbelmann R, Franke WW: Identification of desmoglein, a constitutive desmosomal glycoprotein, as a member of the cadherin family of cell adhesion molecules. Eur J Cell Biol 53: 1-12. 1990.
Tartakoff AM: The Secretory and Endocytic Paths. Mechanism and specificity of vesicular traffic in the cell cytoplasm. John Wiley & Sons, New York, pp. 7 - 39.
Spandidos DA, Wilkie NM: Expression of exogenous DNA in mammalian cells: In: In vitro Transcription and Translation – A Practical Approach. BD Hames and SJ Higgins (eds.) IRL Press, Oxford. pp. 1 - 48, 1984.
Articles are reviewed by two reviewers that will fill a standard review form for each article. Their suggestions will be sent to the corresponding author for further modifications. Reviewers are not familiar with the names of the authors, and vice-versa (double blind review system). The review process takes maximum 30 days, afterwards the author will be communicated one of the following results: accepted article, rejected article or accepted article but with some modifications.