Manuscript Preparation
General Guidelines
- Manuscripts should be written in English.
- Use a standard font such as Times New Roman, 12-point size, and double-spaced throughout.
- Set margins to 1 inch (2.54 cm) on all sides.
- Include page numbers in the upper right-hand corner.
- Organize the manuscript in the following order: Title Page, Abstract, Keywords, Main Text, References, Tables, Figures, and Appendices.
Title Page
- Title of the manuscript (concise and informative).
- Full names of all authors and their affiliations.
- Corresponding author’s name, affiliation, mailing address, phone number, and email address.
- Acknowledgments (if any).
Abstract
- Provide an abstract of 200-250 words.
- The abstract should briefly describe the purpose of the research, the methods, the main findings, and the conclusions.
- Avoid using abbreviations and references in the abstract.
Keywords
- List 4-6 keywords that represent the main topics of the article.
- Separate keywords with semicolons.
Main Text
- Structure the main text using appropriate headings and subheadings.
- Common sections include Introduction, Literature Review, Methodology, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, and References.
- Use consistent heading styles to distinguish between different levels of headings.
- Cite references in the text using APA style (e.g., Author, Year).
References
Follow the APA (7th edition) style for all references. Here are detailed guidelines for different types of sources, including journal articles, books, book chapters, conference papers, websites, and other types of references.
Journal Articles:
- Format: Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Title of the article. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), page numbers. DOI
- Example: Smith, J. A., & Doe, J. B. (2020). The impact of digital innovation on African economies. Journal of Digital Transformation, 15(3), 45-60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdt.2020.03.002
Books
- Format: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of the book. Publisher.
- Example: Brown, T. (2018). Digital Innovation in Developing Economies. TechPress.
Edited Book Chapters
- Format: Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of the chapter. In A. Editor & B. Editor (Eds.), Title of the book (pp. pages of chapter). Publisher.
- Example: Johnson, M. L. (2019). The role of technology in modern agriculture. In R. Green (Ed.), Advances in Agricultural Innovation (pp. 123-145). AgriPublishers.
Conference Papers
- Format: Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of the paper. In E. E. Editor (Ed.), Title of the conference proceedings (pp. page numbers). Publisher. DOI or URL (if available).
- Example: White, K., & Blue, L. (2021). Implementing e-learning solutions in African schools. In P. Black (Ed.), Proceedings of the International Conference on Educational Technology (pp. 56-70). EdTech Publishers. https://doi.org/10.1109/icet.2021.1234567
Websites
- Format: Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of the webpage. Website Name. URL
- Example: Green, R. (2022, January 15). Digital transformation in Africa: Opportunities and challenges. Tech Insights. https://www.techinsights.com/articles/digital-transformation-africa
Reports
- Format: Authoring Organization. (Year). Title of the report. Publisher. DOI or URL (if available).
- Example: World Bank. (2019). Digital dividends: Leveraging technology for development. World Bank Group. https://doi.org/10.1596/978-1-4648-1019-1
Dissertations and Theses
- Format: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of the dissertation or thesis (Doctoral dissertation or Master’s thesis). University Name. URL (if available).
- Example: Jones, E. L. (2020). The impact of mobile banking on financial inclusion in rural Africa (Doctoral dissertation). University of Technology. https://www.universitytech.edu/dissertations/jones2020
Other Types of References
Magazine Articles:
- Format: Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of the article. Magazine Name, volume(issue), page numbers.
- Example: Walker, S. (2021, March 10). How fintech is changing Africa. Global Finance Magazine, 38(2), 22-25.
Newspaper Articles
- Format: Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of the article. Newspaper Name, p. page number.
- Example: Black, T. (2021, April 5). Digital healthcare advancements in Africa. The Daily News, p. B2.
Blog Posts
- Format: Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of the blog post. Blog Name. URL
- Example: Lee, C. (2020, August 10). The future of digital education in Africa. EduBlog. https://www.edublog.com/future-digital-education-africa
Software
- Format: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of the software (Version). Publisher. URL (if available).
- Example: StatSoft. (2020). Statistica (Version 13). StatSoft, Inc. https://www.statsoft.com/products/statistica
Datasets
- Format: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of the dataset (Version) [Data set]. Publisher. DOI or URL (if available).
- Example: National Bureau of Statistics. (2020). African economic indicators (Version 2.0) [Data set]. DataWorld. https://doi.org/10.1234/dataset.africanindicators2020
Podcasts
- Format: Host, A. A. (Host). (Year, Month Day). Title of the episode (No. episode number) [Audio podcast episode]. In Title of the podcast. Production Company. URL
- Example: Smith, J. (Host). (2021, February 20). Digital transformation in African agriculture (No. 10) [Audio podcast episode]. In TechTalk Africa. Podcast Network. https://www.techtalkafrica.com/episodes/10
Tables and Figures
Tables
- Number tables consecutively (Table 1, Table 2, etc.) in the order they are mentioned in the text.
- Provide a concise but descriptive title for each table. All text relevant to the table should be placed next to the table.
- Include footnotes if needed to explain abbreviations or data sources.
- Ensure that tables are formatted consistently and clearly, with lines separating rows and columns where appropriate.
- Tables submitted in the manuscript are in text format and not pasted into the manuscript as images.
Figures
- Place figures at the end of the manuscript after the tables.
- Number figures consecutively (Figure 1, Figure 2, etc.) in the order they are mentioned in the text.
- Provide a concise but descriptive caption for each figure.
- Ensure that figures are of high resolution (300 dpi or higher) and in acceptable formats (JPEG, PNG, TIFF).
- Embed figures within the text where they are referenced if possible, or include a placeholder note within the text (e.g., [Insert Figure 1 here]).
- Figures should be submitted as separate files in addition to being included in the manuscript.
Peer Review
- Manuscripts will undergo a double-blind peer review process.
- Ensure that all identifying information is removed from the manuscript to maintain anonymity.
Revised Submissions
- If revisions are requested, submit the revised manuscript along with a detailed response to reviewers’ comments.
- Highlight changes made to the manuscript in response to reviewers’ feedback.
Submission Process
This journal uses an online submissions process. Communication to authors on the progress will be through the author registered email and discussions within the system.
To submit your manuscript, go to https://dita.partidosa.com/index.php/dita/user/login login and follow the prompts.
If you do not already have an author account, click on ‘‘register’’ and fill in the account profile then select register to finalise the account creation. To submit your manuscript, login with the new account profile and follow the process.
Please note that we shall accept only electronic submissions in word text. Papers must be clearly written in English. All manuscripts will be automatically acknowledged by email upon successful submission. Authors will be required to track the progress of the manuscript online after loging into their account.
Submit manuscripts through the journal’s online submission system.
Create an account if you do not have one and follow the prompts to upload your manuscript and any supplementary files.
As part of the online submission process, this journal requires that authors check if items on the submission’s checklist have been fulfilled. Crosscheck your manuscript to ensure that the following have been adhered to;
Author Submission checklist
- Authors have been designated with contact details, email addresses
- Include keywords in the manuscript
- All figures referenced in the article are include in the article
- All tables are included in the manuscript with titles and description.
- The spelling and grammar has been checked and is satisfactory
- Ensure all figure and table citations in the text match the files provided.
- All references mentioned in the reference list are cited in the text, and vice versa
- Permission has been obtained for use of copyrighted material from other sources (including the Internet)
- Journal policies detailed in this guide have been reviewed
- All necessary supplemental files are uploaded (where applicable)
Ethical Considerations
- Authors must adhere to ethical standards in research and publication.
- Disclose any conflicts of interest.
- Obtain necessary permissions for the use of copyrighted materials.
Acknowledgements
The acknowledgements section appears after the conclusion and formally recognizes contributions and necessary disclosures. This includes identifying individuals who contributed to the project but do not meet authorship criteria, along with descriptions of their contributions. Be sure to acknowledge those who provided intellectual guidance, technical assistance (such as writing and editing support), or specialized equipment and resources. All individuals named in this section must have given their consent to be acknowledged.
The following subheadings should be included:
Competing Interests
This section should disclose any competing interests for the authors. If no such interests exist, please provide a statement affirming this. For further information, refer to our policy on competing interests.
Examples of Competing Interest Statements
- Example 1: “The authors declare no financial or personal relationships that could have influenced the research inappropriately.”
- Example 2: “The author has a financial stake in [company name], which may be affected by the findings reported. Full disclosure has been made, and a conflict management plan is in place.”
Author Contributions
All authors must meet the journal’s criteria for authorship as outlined in our authorship policy. Examples of contribution statements include:
- Example 1: “[Initials] developed the theoretical model, performed analyses, and conducted simulations. [Initials] and [Initials] reviewed the manuscript.”
- Example 2: “[Initials] and [Initials] conducted the experiments and [Initials] supervised the project and drafted the manuscript.”
Funding Information
Provide a funding acknowledgment under the “Funding Information” heading, listing the full name of the funding agency and the grant number in brackets.
- Example: “This research was supported by Partidos [grant number PARTIDOS12345].”
Data Availability Statement
This section should indicate whether data related to the study is available:
- If Data Is Available: “Data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon request.”
- If Data Is Not Available: “No additional data are available for this study.”
Disclaimer
Include a disclaimer to clarify that the opinions expressed are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of their institution or funding agency.
- Example: “The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not represent the official stance of [institution/funder name].”
Publication Fees
- The Article Processing Charge (APC) is R2000 (South African Rands). This fee is payable upon the acceptance of the manuscript for publication.
For any additional queries or assistance during the submission process, please contact vicentmbonye@partidosa.com