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ISSN: 2672-4787

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SJARD logo Semi-Arid Journal of Academic Research and Development

For Authors

Author Guidelines

How to prepare and submit your manuscript to SJARD.

Online submission

Manuscripts in MS Word should be submitted online together with scanned evidence of payment of the processing fee (see the article processing policy). Download the SJARD manuscript template to get started.

General requirements

Articles should clearly describe new and carefully confirmed results, and the experimental procedure should be given in enough detail for others to verify the work.

  • Prepare the manuscript in English using MS Word.
  • Type on A4 paper in 12-point font with double line spacing and a 2.5 cm margin on each side.
  • The manuscript should not exceed 15 pages.
  • Research articles should have the following sections: Title page, Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, Acknowledgement (if any) and References.

Title page

The title should be followed by the author names and the institution name and address, linked by suitable superscripts. The title page should contain the title of the paper in bold, title case; the names of the authors in normal face, upper case (12 pt); followed by the address(es) in normal face, lower case. Place an asterisk (*) as a superscript after the corresponding author’s name, and give their email address and telephone number. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all co-authors are aware of and approve the contents of the submitted manuscript.

For blind review, the online system collects author details separately. Upload the title page as a separate file, or remove author names from the manuscript file you submit for review.

Abstract

The abstract should describe the problem, experimental approach, major findings and conclusion in one paragraph of no more than 150 words, written in italics. Avoid abbreviations, diagrams and references in the abstract.

Keywords

Give keywords that identify the most important subjects covered by the paper. Place them at the end of the abstract.

Introduction

State the purpose of the investigation and relate the manuscript to similar previous research. Present only information essential to the argument.

Materials and methods

Give specific details of the materials studied, instruments used, sources of specialised chemicals and related experimental details, so that other researchers can reproduce the results. Obtain permission for all borrowed, adapted and modified tables and give a credit line in a footnote.

Results and discussion

Present results concisely. Results and discussion may be separate or combined. Design tables and figures to make the data as easy to understand as possible, and explain the interpreted results clearly in the discussion, relating them to existing knowledge in the field.

  • Insert tables, graphs and figures in the main text where they should appear when published, each with an appropriate number and an explanatory title.
  • Labels of tables, graphs and figures must be in text form and must not be part of the image.
  • Photographs and illustrations must be clear and sharp; digital files are recommended for the highest quality. Any charge for colour reproduction will be communicated with the acceptance letter.

Acknowledgement (if any)

Place this section at the end of the manuscript, before the references. Use it to acknowledge people who do not qualify for authorship, funding, donated resources or other significant contributions.

References

References must strictly follow the APA 6th edition referencing style. The journal title and volume number are in italics. Issue numbers are not required if the journal is continuously paginated; if each issue is paginated separately, give the issue number in regular type in parentheses after the volume number.

Journal articles

Author(s) (surname, initials). (Year). Title of the article. Journal Title, volume(issue), page numbers.

  • One author: Ahmed, G. (2016). Proximate analysis of ground water in Hadejia Emirate, Jigawa State. Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences, 2(1), 6–14.
  • Two authors: Abubakar, S., & Umar, S. (2017). Prevalence of malaria parasite among pregnant women attending Hadejia General Hospital. Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences, 1(1), 7–14.
  • Three to seven authors (list all): Keller, T. E., Cusick, G. R., & Courtney, M. E. (2007). Approaching the transition to adulthood: Distinctive profiles of adolescents aging out of the child welfare system. Social Services Review, 81, 453–484.

Magazine and newspaper articles

  • Mathews, J., Berrett, D., & Brillman, D. (2005, May 16). Other winning equations. Newsweek, 145(20), 58–59.
  • Generic Prozac debuts. (2001, August 3). The Washington Post, pp. E1, E4.

Books and other monographs

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of work. Location: Publisher.

  • One author: Alexie, S. (1992). The business of fancy dancing: Stories and poems. Brooklyn, NY: Hang Loose Press.
  • Corporate author, with edition: American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
  • No author: Dorland’s illustrated medical dictionary (31st ed.). (2007). Philadelphia, PA: Saunders.

Patents

Aviv, H., Friedman, D., Bar-Ilan, A., & Vered, M. (1996). Submicron emulsions as ocular drug delivery vehicles (U.S. Patent No. 5,496,811).

Websites

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of work. Retrieved from web address

Last updated 27 September 2026