Organization of a full-length research paper

 

Maximum length:

4000 words in main text (i.e., excluding abstract, references, legends, tables and figures), 4 tables/figures maximum, and a structured abstract of 250 words plus up to 50 references.

 

Title page -

This page should states: a) The title of the paper (include the study design if appropriate; for example: A versus B in the treatment of C: a randomized controlled trial; X is a risk factor for Y: a case control study), b) Authors names (full name - no qualification, no abbreviations). Strictly follow this order: First Name, Middle name (if ever), Last Name. E.g.: francis ANABA), c) institution(s) of origin, d) Corresponding author plus his/her address, telephone and fax number, e-mail address, e) Word count (for both abstract and the main text)

 

Abstract -

The abstract of the manuscript should not exceed 250 words and must be structured into separate sections:

 

Background:

the context and purpose of the study; Methods: how the study was performed and statistical tests used;

 

Results: the main findings; Conclusion: brief summary and potential implications. Please minimize the use of abbreviations and do not cite references in the abstract.

 

Keywords.

Up to ten keywords should be provided at the end of the Abstract.

 

Abbreviations a list of abbreviations is not accepted. Define abbreviations the first time they are used in the text and use them thereafter. No abbreviations in the abstract except for vary know ones.

 

Background

The background section should be written from the standpoint of researchers without specialist knowledge in that area and must clearly state - and, if helpful, illustrate - the background to the research and its aims. Reports of clinical research should, where appropriate, include a summary of a search of the literature to indicate why this study was necessary and what it aimed to contribute to the field. The section should end with a very brief statement of what is being reported in the article.

 

Methods

Sufficient information should be given to permit repetition of the experimental work. This should include the design of the study, the setting, the type of participants or materials involved, a clear description of all interventions and comparisons, and the type of analysis used, including a power calculation if appropriate.

 

Results -

The Results should be stated concisely without discussion and should not normally contain any references. The same data should not be presented in figures and tables. Do not repeat all the data that is set out in the tables or figures in the text; emphasize or summarize only important observations.

 

Discussion -

The Discussion should deal with the interpretation of the results and not recapitulate them. We encourage authors to write their Discussion in a structured way, as follows:a) statement of principal findings; b) strengths and weaknesses of the study; c) strengths and weaknesses in relation to other studies; d) discussion of important differences in results; e) meaning of the study; f) unanswered questions and future research.

 

Limitations -

Always aknowledge the potential the limitations of your study that and how they impact or influence the interpretation of the findings from your research, the generalizability, applications to practice, and/or utility of findings.

 

Conclusion -

The conclusion should provide a brief summarize of the key findings, potential implications and the way forward.

 

What is already known on this topic:

include a maximum of 03 bullet points on what is already known on this topic.

 

What this study adds:

include a maximum of 03 bullet points on what your study adds.

 

Acknowledgements -

Please acknowledge anyone who contributed towards the study by making substantial contributions to conception, design, acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data, or who was involved in drafting the manuscript or revising it critically for important intellectual content, but who does not meet the criteria for authorship. Please also include their source(s) of funding. Please also acknowledge anyone who contributed materials essential for the study. The role of a  writer must be included in the acknowledgements section, including their source(s) of funding. Authors should obtain permission to acknowledge from all those mentioned in the Acknowledgements. Please list the source(s) of funding for the study, for each author, and for the manuscript preparation in the acknowledgements section. Authors must describe the role of the funding body, if any, in study design; in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; and in the decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

 

Competing interest -

Authors are responsible for recognizing and disclosing conflicts of interest that might bias their work. They should acknowledge in the manuscript all financial support for the work and other personal connections. Authors are required to complete a declaration of competing interests. All competing interests that are declared will be listed at the end of published articles. Where an author gives no competing interests, the listing will read 'The author(s) declare that they have no competing interests'. When completing your declaration, please consider the following questions:

 

Financial competing interests

In the past five years have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future? Is such an organization financing this manuscript (including the article-processing charge)? If so, please specify.

Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organization that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future? If so, please specify

Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents relating to the content of the manuscript? Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that holds or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript? If so, please specify.

Do you have any other financial competing interests? If so, please specify.

Non-financial competing interests

Are there any non-financial competing interests (political, personal, religious, ideological, academic, intellectual, commercial or any other) to declare in relation to this manuscript? If so, please specify.

If you are unsure as to whether you, or one your co-authors, has a competing interest please discuss it with the editorial office.

Authors' contributions -

In order to give appropriate credit to each author of a paper, the individual contributions of authors to the manuscript should be specified in this section. 

 

Authorship credit should be based on 1) substantial contributions to conception and design, acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data; 2) drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content; and 3) final approval of the version to be published. Authors should meet conditions 1, 2, and 3.
When a large, multicenter group has conducted the work, the group should identify the individuals who accept direct responsibility for the manuscript (3). These individuals should fully meet the criteria for authorship/contributorship defined above, and editors will ask these individuals to complete journal-specific author and conflict-of-interest disclosure forms. When submitting a manuscript authored by a group, the corresponding author should clearly indicate the preferred citation and identify all individual authors as well as the group name. Journals generally list other members of the group in the Acknowledgments. The NLM indexes the group name and the names of individuals the group has identified as being directly responsible for the manuscript; it also lists the names of collaborators if they are listed in Acknowledgments.
Acquisition of funding, collection of data, or general supervision of the research group alone does not constitute authorship.
All persons designated as authors should qualify for authorship, and all those who qualify should be listed.
Each author should have participated sufficiently in the work to take public responsibility for appropriate portions of the content.

References -

APA

 

if use AI

As the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in research and writing becomes more prevalent, it is essential to properly cite these tools to maintain transparency and academic integrity. Here are some guidelines on how to cite AI tools in your academic writing:

 

1. Citing AI as a Co-Author

If the AI tool has made a significant contribution to the content of your article, you may consider citing it as a co-author. This practice ensures that the AI's role in the writing process is appropriately recognized.

Example:

Author List: John Doe, AI Tool Name, Jane Smith

Affiliation: Department of Environmental Science, University of XYZ; AI Tool Name, Company Name

 

2. Citing AI in the Acknowledgments Section

If the AI tool has assisted in generating ideas, summarizing information, or drafting parts of the article, you can acknowledge its use in the acknowledgments section.

Example:

Acknowledgments: The authors would like to acknowledge the use of AI Tool Name (Company Name) in generating and refining parts of this manuscript.

 

3. Citing AI in the Methods Section

If the AI tool has been used as part of the research methodology, you should describe its use in the methods section.

Example:

Methods: The initial draft of this manuscript was generated using AI Tool Name (Company Name). The authors reviewed and edited the AI-generated content to ensure accuracy and originality.

 

4. Citing AI in the References Section

If the AI tool has specific documentation or a user manual that you have referred to, you can cite it in the references section.

Example:

Reference Format: APA Style:

AI Tool Name. (Year). Title of the AI Tool (Version). Company Name. Retrieved from URL

MLA Style:

AI Tool Name. Title of the AI Tool. Version, Company Name, Year, URL.

Example in APA Style:

AI Tool Name. (2023). AI Writing Assistant (Version 1.0). Company Name. Retrieved from https://www.companyname.com/ai-tool

Example in MLA Style:

AI Tool Name. AI Writing Assistant. Version 1.0, Company Name, 2023, https://www.companyname.com/ai-tool

 

5. Citing AI in the Footnotes

You can also use footnotes to acknowledge the use of AI tools in specific sections of your manuscript.

Example:

Footnote: This section was generated with the assistance of AI Tool Name (Company Name).

Best Practices

 

Transparency:

Be transparent about the use of AI tools in your writing. This transparency helps maintain the integrity of the research and ensures that readers are aware of the methods used to produce the content.

 

Review and Edit:

Always review and edit AI-generated content to ensure it is accurate, original, and properly cited. This step helps to avoid unintentional plagiarism and maintains the quality of the work.

 

Plagiarism Checks:

Use plagiarism detection tools to check AI-generated content for any instances of plagiarism. This step is crucial to ensure that the content is original and does not infringe on copyright laws.

 

Acknowledgment:

Acknowledge the use of AI in the writing process, if applicable. This can be done in the methods section or in a separate acknowledgment section of the article.