Submissions

Author Guidelines

Instructions for Authors

Aims, scope, and policy: The East African Journal of Public Health is a multi-disciplinary journal publishing scientific research work from a wide range of public health-related disciplines including community medicine, epidemiology, biostatistics, behavioral sciences, health promotion, health economics, reproductive health, environmental health, nutrition, communicable and non-communicable diseases, health leadership and management issues. The journal also engages in and responds to, current scientific and policy debates, including methodological issues in public health research. The journal aims to focus and reflect on current public health concerns and contribute to setting the research agenda in public health research.

The editors invite submission of manuscripts comprising original papers, short reviews, extended reviews, and letters to the Editor. Topical review articles and editorials are also accepted but by invitation. Original articles should not be longer than 4500 words with no more than seven tables including illustrations while short articles, reports, and communications should not exceed 700 words. Letters to the editor should not be longer than 200 words. The word count limit does not include abstracts, references, tables, and figures.

Manuscript preparation: Manuscripts submitted to the East African Journal of Public Health for publication, should be prepared in English and prepared in accordance with the “Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals” (ICMJE), and use latest version. (website htt://www.icmje.org/journals-following-the-icmje-recommendations/).The ICMJE recommendations apply to various study designs as follows: Original research: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion (IMRAD); Clinical trials: Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT); Observational studies: Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE); Systematic reviews and meta-analyses: Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and Studies of diagnostic accuracy: STARD

The editors reserve the right to amend papers accepted for publication although, whenever possible, they will seek the authors’ consent to any changes made. Scientific measurements should be in S.I. units except for blood pressure which should be expressed in mmHg, degrees centigrade for temperature, and hemoglobin in grams per decilitre (g/dl). References for original long articles should not exceed 25 while short articles and letters to the editor should have a maximum of 5 references.

General format:

The title should be concise and informative. Unless necessary, the title should not contain abbreviations and formulae. Manuscripts for original papers should have the following subheadings or sections: Title, Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Acknowledgements, and References.

Sections of the manuscript

The title page should bear the full title, short-running title, and five keywords for indexing. Authors' names should include each author's surname and initials, main departmental and institutional affiliation, and country. The corresponding author should be indicated with their, telephone and email address.

Abstract: Manuscripts should have a structured abstract of not more than 300 words consisting of the following subheadings:(1) Objective: The background and purpose of the study, (2) Methods: the study design, setting, participants (including the manner of sample selection, number and sex of participants) and interventions, (3) Results: details of major findings and (4) Conclusion(s): main inferences drawn from the results and potential application of findings. Reference citations should be avoided. 

Introduction: This section should acquaint the reader with the background of the study and should contain a clear statement of the goals of the investigation or the hypotheses the study was designed to test. This section should end with a very brief statement of what is being reported in the paper.

 Methods: This should include the design of the study, the setting, the type of participants or materials involved, sample size (where appropriate), instrument(s) used (e.g. questionnaire), a clear description of all interventions and comparisons (where appropriate), ethical issues, and the type of statistical analysis done including software used. The methods should be described in sufficient detail to allow the reader to judge their accuracy, reproducibility, and reliability.

Results: The data should be described succinctly but completely in text without redundancy between figures and tables or discrepancies between text and tables. When data are summarized in the results section, give numeric results as derivatives (e.g. percentages) and the absolute numbers from which these were calculated. Graphic and tabular displays are preferred to discursive narratives (except for qualitative data). Sufficient data must be provided to allow the reader to judge the variability and reliability of the results. Average values must be accompanied by standard errors or standard deviations (SD); for example mean age (SD) = 25.5 (±0.5). Statistical data analyses should be described clearly so that the interested but non-expert reader can interpret the findings. Appropriate indicators of uncertainty (such as confidence intervals) should be presented for quantitative data, and reliance solely on statistical hypotheses testing, such as P values, should be avoided where possible. If P values are used, these should be accompanied by degrees of freedom (e.g., ÷2 =16, df=4, p= 0.02; t=3.5, df = 3, p=0.05). Authors are strongly advised to refer to the following best practices research guidelines:-

1. CONSORT for reports of randomized trials available from http://www.consortstatement.org/ ,
2. STROBE for reports from observational studies in epidemiology (http://www.strobe-statement.org)

iii.  TREND for reports of non-randomized evaluations of intervention (http://www.trendstatement.org/asp/trend.asp )

1. QUOROM for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (http://www.strobestatement.org/Evidence/evidence.html#quorom)

Discussion: The discussion of findings and their interpretation should be brief and focused. Alternative interpretations and limitations in the procedures should be explained. Avoid repetition of material in the introduction and detailed repetition of the findings. Speculative discussion should be limited and directly relevant to the results obtained. Conclusions made should be directly borne out of the study findings.

Acknowledgments: Please acknowledge any person who contributed towards the study by making substantial contributions to the 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 does not meet the criteria for authorship. Please also acknowledge any person who contributed materials essential for the study. Authors should obtain permission to acknowledge from all those mentioned in the acknowledgment. Please list the sources of funding for the project in the acknowledgments section.

References:  EAJPH uses a variant of the Vancouver style. All references must be numbered consecutively, in brackets, in the order in which they are cited in the paper. Please each reference must have an individual reference number. Avoid excessive referencing. If automatic numbering systems are used, the reference numbers must be finalized, and the bibliography must be fully formatted before submission.

Only articles and abstracts that have been published or are in press, or are available through public e-print/preprint servers, may be cited; unpublished abstracts, unpublished data, and personal communications should not be included in the reference list but may be included in the text. Notes/footnotes are not permitted. Obtaining permission to quote personal communications and unpublished data from the cited authors(s) is the authors' responsibility. Authors are also responsible for the accuracy of the references. Journal abbreviations follow Index Medicus/Medline.

Citations in the reference list should give the names and initials of all authors unless there are more than six when only the first three should be given followed by et al.

Examples of the East African Journal of Public Health reference style are given below:

Journal article

1. Kisamvu JB, Karanga JL, Motto SF, et al. Malaria treatment failure rates in under-five children. East Afr Med J 2003; 73:332-335.

Articles within a journal supplement

2. Mwenge CB, Karanga JL, Motto SF, et al. Antifungal treatment failure rates in AIDS patients. East AfrJ Epidemiol 2005; Suppl 3:32-35.

In press articles

3. Maharage BL, Karanga JL, Kitokke PS. Nutritional assessment among underfive children. East AfrJ Nutr, in press.

Published abstract

4. Kikko JB, Mchele JL, Jinno SF, et al. Adolescent health in rural communities (abstract). Afr J Adolesc 2003;73:335.

Articles within conference proceedings.

5. Chungwa BN, Mtama JL, Motto SF. Cassava poisoning in semi-arid rural areas. In: Proceedings of the 3rd National Conference on Nutrition in Tanzania:27-30 June 2003; Arusha. Edited by Fissi GB. Dar es Salaam: Kolosso Press; 2003:332-335. 

Book chapter, or article within a book

6. Korosho TK. Vitamin A deficiency in poor communities. In: Plumber JG, Kulola MB, eds. Nutrition and Health in Africa. 2nd Edition. Dar es Salaam: Kitoke Press; 1997:54-69.

Ph.D. thesis

7. Asali JB. Epidemiology of filariasis in Malagwa.PhD thesis. Muhimbili University; 2004.

Ethics. The East African Journal of Public Health complies with the Forum for African Medical Editors (FAME) guidelines and with the ethical principles, including the provisions of the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki (as amended by the 52nd General Assembly, Edinburgh, Scotland, October 2000;

seehttp://www.wma.net/e/policy/b3.htm) and the additional requirements, if any, of the country where the research was carried out. Manuscripts submitted to the East African Journal of Public Health for publication must contain a clear statement specifying that the free and informed consent of subjects or their legal guardians was obtained and that the relevant institutional or national ethical committee or board approved the investigation.

Tables: capture information concisely and display it efficiently.  Authors must avoid tables that place a lot of unrelated variables together. Tables must be titled correctly and numbered consecutively using Arabic numerals in the order of their first citation in the text. Authors must be sure that each table is cited in the text. Titles must be clear and concise, describing the what, where, and when (and number of subjects where applicable in brackets). Each title should be preceded by a table number (e.g. table 1). Each row and each column must be labeled clearly and concisely using short or abbreviated headings and should include units of measurement and totals for rows and columns. Authors should explain any codes, abbreviations, or symbols used in tables in a footnote below the table, not in the title. Note any exclusion and source of data that is not original in a footnote. For footnotes, authors are advised to use the following symbols in sequence: *, †, ‡, §, ║, ¶, **, ††, ‡‡. Authors must obtain permission and acknowledge if data from another published or unpublished source is used. Do not use internal horizontal or vertical lines in the tables.

Figures captions: Figures should be either professionally drawn and photographed or submitted as photographic quality digital prints. For x-ray films, scans, and other diagnostic images, as well as pictures of pathology specimens or photomicrographs, send sharp, glossy, black–and–white or color photographic prints, 127 x 173 mm (5 x 7 inches). Letters, numbers, and symbols on figures should be clear and even throughout and of sufficient size that when reduced for publication, each will still be legible. Figures should be as self-explanatory as possible. Titles and detailed explanations belong in the legends, but not the illustrations themselves. In the case of photographs of people, the subjects must not be identifiable, or their pictures must be accompanied by their written permission to use them. Figures should be numbered consecutively according to the order in which they have been first cited in the text.

Manuscript submission:

All manuscripts submitted to the East African Journal of Public Health must be submitted through our portal https://journal.muhas.ac.tz/index.php/ejph.Authors need to register with the journal prior to submitting, or if already registered, they can simply log in and begin the five-step process. You will receive an automated email notification that your manuscript has been submitted successfully. You are required to provide correct information for all authors during submission.  If you encounter any issues during submission, please contact the journal’s administrator at geraldakaro8@gmail.com for assistance.

1. i) authors are required to submit copies of all local and international ethical approvals obtained to conduct the study ii) a statement that the manuscript has been read and approved by all the authors for submission to the East African Journal of Public Health, that the requirements for authorship have been met and that each author believes that the manuscript represents honest work; iii) a statement that the manuscript contains original material not submitted, not in the press, or published elsewhere in any form; iv) a full statement about all submissions and previous reports that might be regarded as redundant publication of the same or very similar work; v) a statement of financial or other relationships that might lead to a conflict of interest; Copies of any permission to reproduce published material, to use illustrations or report information about identifiable people must accompany the manuscript. We advise authors to check for and avoid common mistakes which may delay the submission and review process.

Abbreviations

Use standard abbreviations approved by the Council of Biology Editors Style Guide or other standard sources. Authors should write the full term for each abbreviation at its first use unless it is a standard unit of measure.

Review process: After initial screening, which takes only a few days, manuscripts are sent to two referees. If appropriate, a statistical reviewer is involved. On average, authors are informed of the review's outcome within 6-8 weeks of a first decision. Poor English does not prevent acceptance provided the paper’s content is highly scientific. The editor assesses the revised manuscript or returns it to the referees in case of a major revision. All accepted manuscripts are copy-edited. Authors are strongly advised to work on reviewers’ comments and return the revised manuscripts as soon as possible (preferably within two weeks). Rejected manuscripts will not be returned to the authors. The Editors reserve the right to accept or reject any manuscript submitted for publication. The editors cannot enter into correspondence about papers considered unsuitable for publication, and their decision will be final. Neither the editors nor the publishers accept responsibility for the authors' views expressed in their contributions.

 Authorship: The journal has adopted the International Committee of Medical Editors guidelines regarding authorship. These state that an “authors” is any person who has made substantive intellectual contributions to the paper. In order for someone to qualify as an author should (i) have made substantial contributions to the conception and design, or acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data; (ii) have been involved in drafting the manuscript or revising it critically for important intellectual content; and (iii) have given final approval of the version to be published. Each author should have participated sufficiently in the work to take public responsibility for appropriate portions of the content. Acquisition of funding, collection of data, or general supervision of the research group, alone does not justify authorship. All others who do not meet the criteria for authorship should be listed in an acknowledgments section. The order of authorship should be a joint decision of the co-authors.

Conflict of interest:  Authors are advised to declare any sources of funding and potential conflicting interest, such as receiving funds or fees by, or holding stocks and shares in, an organization that may profit or lose through the publication of the paper. Declaring a competing interest will not lead to rejection of the manuscript, but editors would like to be made aware of it. For further information on what constitutes a conflict of interest visit the website http://www.icmje.org/sponsor.htm

 Copyright: Material submitted for publication is assumed to be exclusive to the East African Journal of Public Health unless stated otherwise. All authors transfer the copyright to the East African Journal of Public Health by giving their consent for publication. Submission of a manuscript to the East African Journal of Public Health therefore is considered to mean that the work described by the authors, has not been previously published (except in the form of an abstract or as part of a thesis); that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere; and that the material will not be published in full or in parts, elsewhere in any form or language without the written permission of the East African Journal of Public Health who is the copyright owner

SUBMISSION DECLARATION

I _________________________________________________ as a corresponding author submitting on behalf of myself and other authors expressly declares that the work described here has NOT been published previously (except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published seminar, lecture, or academic thesis) and that it is NOT under consideration for publication elsewhere, or being simultaneously submitted elsewhere, that its publication is approved by all authors and tacitly or explicitly by the responsible authorities where the work was carried out, and that, if accepted, it will NOT be published elsewhere including electronically in the same form, in English or in any other language, without the written consent of the copyright holder.

We also confirm that the manuscript has no actual or potential conflict of interest with any party, including but not limited to any financial, personal, or other relationship with other people or organizations.

Signature:………………………………      Date:……………………………….

  Author contributions template

 XXXX (usually the first author) contributed to the conception and design of the study, acquired, analyzed, and interpreted the data, and drafted and revised the manuscript. YYY (usually the second author) contributed to the study's design, and data interpretation and critically revised the manuscript. ZZZ (third author) to XXXX contributed to the study's design, data interpretation and critically revised the manuscript. PPP (last author) contributed to the conception, design of the study, data interpretation and critically revised the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.