Guidelines

Author Guidelines for Nigerian Journal of Parasitology

Thank you for considering Nigerian Journal of Parasitology (referred to as "the Journal") as a platform for publishing your research. To ensure a smooth submission and publication process, please adhere to the following author guidelines:

1. Scope:
The Journal publishes original research articles, review papers, short communications, and case reports related to the field of parasitology. The research should be scientifically rigorous and contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the field.

2. Manuscript Preparation:
a. Manuscripts should be written in United Kingdom (UK) English and prepared according to the Journal's formatting guidelines, which can be found on the Journal's website. (See author checklist)
b. The manuscript should include a title, abstract, keywords, introduction, materials and methods, results, discussion, conclusions, and references.
c. Use clear and concise language and ensure that the manuscript is well-organized with logical flow and structure.
d. Include relevant figures, tables, and illustrations to support the research findings. These should be numbered and referred to in the text.

3. Ethical Considerations:
a. Authors must ensure that their research complies with ethical standards and guidelines, including obtaining necessary approvals from relevant ethical review boards or committees.
b. In case of research involving human subjects, informed consent must be obtained, and personal information should be protected according to applicable privacy laws and regulations.
c. For research involving animals, authors should follow ethical guidelines for animal experimentation and provide details of ethical approvals obtained.

4. Originality and Plagiarism:
a. Submitted manuscripts must be original work and should not have been previously published or under consideration for publication elsewhere.
b. Proper citations and references must be provided for any previously published work or ideas used in the manuscript to avoid plagiarism.
c. The Journal utilizes plagiarism detection tools, and manuscripts found to have plagiarized content will be rejected.

5. Authorship and Acknowledgments:
a. Authors should ensure that all individuals who have made substantial contributions to the research are listed as co-authors. It is the responsibility of the corresponding author to ensure that all co-authors have approved the final version of the manuscript.
b. Any financial or non-financial conflicts of interest related to the research should be disclosed.
c. Acknowledge individuals or organizations that have provided assistance or support in the research or manuscript preparation, but do not meet the criteria for authorship.

6. Submission Process:
a. Manuscripts should be submitted online through the Journal's submission system, following the instructions provided on the Journal's website.
b. Ensure that all required sections and documents are included, such as the manuscript file, cover letter, copyright transfer agreement, and any supplementary materials.
c. The corresponding author should provide accurate contact information for correspondence and should promptly respond to any inquiries from the Journal's editorial team.

7. Peer Review Process:
a. All submitted manuscripts undergo a rigorous peer review process to assess their scientific quality, validity, and contribution to the field.
b. The Journal follows a double-blind review process, where the identities of the authors and reviewers are kept confidential.
c. Authors should be prepared to address any comments or suggestions provided by the reviewers and revise the manuscript accordingly.

8. Copyright and Open Access:
a. Upon acceptance of the manuscript, authors will be required to sign a copyright transfer agreement granting the Journal exclusive rights to publish and distribute the article.
b. The Journal is not open-access, but by subscription.

9. Publication Charges:
a. The Journal have publication charges or article processing fees. Authors should consult the Journal's website or contact the editorial office for details regarding any applicable fees.

10. Corrections and Retractions:
If any significant errors or inaccuracies are identified in a published article, authors are encouraged to promptly notify the Journal's editorial office. Corrections or retractions will be considered based on the severity and impact of the error.

We appreciate your commitment to adhering to these author guidelines. By doing so, you contribute to the quality and integrity of the research published in Nigerian Journal of Parasitology. For any further inquiries or clarifications, please contact the Journal's editorial office.

CHECKLIST FOR MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION BY AUTHORS

Please complete this checklist and submit it with your manuscript.

Title of Manuscript: ___________________________________________

Select the type of manuscript:  (a) Original Research    (b) Review    (c) Opinion/Viewpoint   (d) Short Communication   (e) Letter to the Editor

S/N

Guidelines

Mark (X) if done

 

Authors Details

 

1

All authors’ names listed (Surname, Initials) e.g., Ekpo, U.F., Abe, M.O., Ukaga, C.N. and Mafiana, C.F.

 

2

Affiliation of authors provided. Where they are multiple authors from different institutions, use superscript numbers1 to differentiate authors’ affiliations.

 

3

Asterisk (*) the corresponding author(s). The corresponding author’s email and telephone number have been listed/provided

 

 

Abstract Section

 

4

Abstract words limit to not more than three hundred (300) words. DO NOT structure the abstract into an introduction, methods, results, conclusion

 

5

Keywords: Provide at least four keywords

 

 

Main text

 

6

The main text word limit is not more than seven thousand (7000) words. An exception is for invited papers.

 

7

Structure the main text into an Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, and Discussion. A Conclusion is optional. Where necessary authors have permission to create subsections within the main headings.

 

8

Placed all Tables and Figures within the main text where they should appear in the published form

 

9

Provide a Section on Declarations at the end of the main text before the Reference section:

(1) Ethics Approval and Informed Consent (if applicable)

(2) Authors’ contributions (see example below)

(3) Disclosure of conflict of interest

(4) Disclosure of Funding source(s)

 

10

The maximum list of references acceptable: (1) Original Research – 40 citations (2) Review – 50 citations (3) Viewpoint/Opinion – 10 citations (4) Short Communication/Letter to Editor – 5 citations

 

11

References: Note NJP uses a sequential number in square bracket [1,2], [3-5] in-text citation (see examples below)

 

12

The listed references contain the full name of the Journal (see the example below).

 

13

A cover letter to the Editor should be submitted with the manuscript (see an example of a cover letter)

 

14

The Language is United Kingdom English (not US English). Check your Word editor language

 

15

The font is Times New Roman (12 ppt)

 

16

A Similarity Check (index) of less than 25%* (Please state actual index)

 

17

N6000 manuscript processing charge (MPC) paid to GTB 0033301607 (PARASIT & PHSN ETF) evidence provided

 

18

MPC is Free for International authors

 

18

Provide the name, institution, and email of two potential reviewers for your manuscript (optional)

(1)

(2)

 

 

*Use your Editor/Spell-checker in MS Word. Click on similarity to obtain a score

 

Corresponding Author’s Full Name_____________________ Tel: ________________

Sample of in-text citation in the manuscript

The control of schistosomiasis in sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria, is majorly through school-based mass drug administration with praziquantel [1,2] Although praziquantel remains the drug of choice for reducing morbidity due to schistosomiasis [3], however, several studies have shown that treatment, does not prevent reinfection, transmission, or elimination of the disease[4-6]. Rejection of school-based MDA with praziquantel is a significant issue that has resulted in low coverage of treatment for schistosomiasis control [3,6].

Sample of the Declarations Section

Authors Contribution

HOM and UFE conceptualized the study. HOM, UFE, GAD, and BSB designed the study. HOM, ONA, ABA and OOJ participated in fieldwork and data collection. HOM, ONA and OOJ performed the data analysis; HOM, ABA, OOJ and UFE interpreted the data. HOM prepared the first draft of the manuscript, reviewed by UFE, ABA and OOJ. All authors contributed to the development of the final manuscript and approved its submission.

Disclosure of Conflict of Interest

Sample 1: None

Sample 2: HOE and UFE are funded by Jackson pharmaceuticals. However, the funder has not influenced the results or decision to publish.

Ethics Approval and Informed Consent

Sample 1: Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the ethical review board of the Ogun State Ministry of Health with reference number OGSG/MOH/2019/122946. All participants were duly informed of the objectives of the study and the protocol for sample collection. All participants signed an informed consent form were signed. Participation was voluntary.

Sample 2: This study did not use human or animal subjects. Therefore, ethical consideration was not applicable.

Sample 3: Data used for this study were obtained secondarily for public databases, without participants' identifier information. Therefore, informed consent was not applicable.

Disclosure of Funding

Sample 1: The study received financial support from TETfund Institutional Research Board through grant no. FUNAAB/IRB/2019/064.

Sample 2: The study did not receive any external funding

Reference Listing format in NJP (American Phycological Association -APA)

Journal (Surname and initials of all authors)

  1. Lai, Y., Biedermann, P., Ekpo, U.F., Garba, A., Mathieu, E., Midzi, N., Mwinzi, P., N.’Goran, E.K., Raso, G., Assarie, R.K., Sacko, M., Schur, N., Talla, I., Tchuem Tchuenté, L.A., Touré, S., Winkler, M.S., Utzinger, J. and Vounatsou, P.(2015). The spatial distribution of schistosomiasis and treatment needs for sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and geostatistical meta-analysis. The Lancet Infectious Diseases 05/2015. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(15)00066-13
  2. Nduka, F., Nebe, O.J., Njepuome, N., Dakul, D.A., Anagbogu, I.A., Ngege, E., Jacob, S.M., Nwoye, I.A., Nwankwo, U., Urude, R., Aliyu, S.M., Garba, A., Adamani, W., Nwosu, C., Clark, A., Mayberry, A., Mansiu, K., Nwobi, B., Isiyaka, S., Dixon, R., Adeoye, G.O. and Amuga, G.A.(2019). Epidemiological mapping of schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis for intervention strategies in Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Parasitology 40 (2): 218-225.

Books

  1. World Health Organization (2021). WHO guideline on control and elimination of human schistosomiasis. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization.
  2. Nwoke, B.E.B. (2018) Public Health Parasitology, Owerri, Nigeria: Milestone Publisher Limited Press.

Chapters in Books:

  1. Grenfell, B.T., Dietz, K., and Roberts, M.G.(1995) Modelling the immuno-epidemiology of macroparasites in naturally fluctuating host populations. In Grenfell BT and Dobson AP (eds). Ecology of Infectious Diseases in Natural Populations. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, pp. 362-383.

PhD Theses (note: we will not accept MSc theses)

  1. Mogaji, H.O. (2019) Spatial epidemiology of soil-transmitted helminth infections and assessment of water, sanitation and hygiene resources in Ogun State, Nigeria. PhD thesis, Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Nigeria.

Web resources and online publications

  1. Montresor, A., Crompton, D.W.T., Hall, A., Bundy, D.A.P. and Savioli L.(1998) Guidelines for the evaluation of soil-transmitted helminthiasis and schistosomiasis at the community level. Geneva: World Health Organization. https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/63821/WHO_CTD_SIP_98.1.pdf;sequence=1 (accessed 10 December 2021)

Example of a Cover Letter

 

1st February 2022

The Editor-in-Chief

Nigerian Journal of Parasitology

 

Dear Sir,

 

SUBMISSION OF MANUSCRIPT FOR PUBLICATION

We are pleased to submit for your review and consideration for publication our manuscript titled: "Schisto and Ladders: an innovative health education game for control of schistosomiasis in schoolchildren” in the Nigerian Journal of Parasitology (NJP). In this research, we designed and evaluated the potential and impact of an innovative health education board game called “Schisto and Ladders™” to promote behavioural changes among school children for transmission control of schistosomiasis in endemic communities. The game was designed after the popular “Snake and Ladders” game. It can be used to complement the current control of diseases. The test results reported here are promising and would be interesting to readers of NJP. The manuscript has not been published nor would it be submitted for publication elsewhere if it is under consideration by NJP. We the authors declare no conflict of interest about this manuscript. All authors declared that they have participated in the study and concur with the submission and subsequent revisions of the manuscript. Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

Uwem Friday Ekpo

Dept of Pure and Applied Zoology

Federal University of Agriculture

PMB 2240 Abeokuta

Tel: +2348027555689

Email: ufekpo@hotmail.com