Aims and Scope of the Journal

The Malawi Journal of Economics (MAJE) publishes high-quality articles that apply economic analysis to a broad range of topics across the various branches of economics, particularly those with relevance to economic policy and development issues. The Journal is of special interest to Malawian and African academics, students, policymakers, development practitioners, and other readers interested in the economies of Malawi and Africa.

Submitted manuscripts should present findings from empirical and policy-relevant economic research and contribute to contemporary economic debates and policy discussions. Manuscripts that develop economic theories and methods should include empirical applications.

Manuscript Submission

Manuscripts, including tables, must be prepared using a word processing application and submitted in .doc, .docx, or .rtf format through the UNIMA Journals System. PDF files cannot be copyedited or typeset and will not be considered. Papers must not have been published previously or be under consideration elsewhere.

Manuscript Preparation

Title Page

The title should be concise, specific, and informative. The relevant institutional affiliation should follow the full name of each author. The corresponding author’s telephone number and email address should be provided. Only one author should be designated as the corresponding author. Any changes to the author list after submission must be communicated in writing to the Chief Editor and signed by all authors.

Word limit

Manuscripts should have a maximum word count of 10,000 words, exclusive of the Abstract, Title page, References, Endnotes, Figures and Tables. Please note that supplementary material is not included in the word count.

Abstract

The second page of the manuscript should contain an abstract of no more than 200 words. The abstract should be understandable as a stand-alone summary of the paper and should not contain references or citations.

Abbreviations

Non-standard abbreviations should be defined at first mention and used only where repeated references are necessary. Abbreviations should not be used in headings.

Figures and Illustrations

Submit all figures, including diagrams, graphs, and maps, in a separate Microsoft Word document. Figures should be numbered consecutively using Arabic numerals. Indicate the desired location in the text using:

[Insert Figure # about here].

Submit black and white versions of all illustrations because the Journal is printed in black and white. Captions should be clear and easy to understand, and they should be placed below the figures.

Tables

All tables must be submitted in an editable format such as Word, Excel, or PowerPoint. Tables should be provided in a separate Microsoft Word document, each with an appropriate title and any necessary footnotes. Number tables consecutively using Arabic numerals and indicate placement in the text using:

[Insert Table # about here].

Units should be reported in parentheses at the top of each column and should not be repeated within rows. Avoid overcrowded tables and verify all numerical entries before submission. Captions should be clear and easy to understand, and they should be placed above the tables.

JEL Classification and Keywords

Provide the appropriate Journal of Economic Literature (JEL) classification code(s) and keywords. Authors should verify that all JEL codes correspond to the official classification system maintained by the American Economic Association.

Spelling

MAJE uses British English spelling. Authors should ensure consistency in spelling and hyphenation throughout the manuscript. Authors whose first language is not English are encouraged to have their manuscripts reviewed by a language editor before submission.

Footnotes

Footnotes should be used sparingly. Where necessary, they should be numbered consecutively throughout the manuscript and appear at the bottom of the relevant page. Use a 10-point font and indicate footnotes with superscript Arabic numerals. Avoid lengthy footnotes.

Dates and Numbers

Write dates in the form 20 July 2026. Express date and page ranges in shortened form where appropriate, for example 1974–94 and 325–7. Use a space to separate large numbers (10 000) but write thousands without a space in running text (1000). Use a decimal point rather than a comma and the % symbol instead of writing per cent or percent.

Section Headings

Authors are encouraged to use subheadings. Sections and subsections should be numbered using consecutive Arabic numerals, for example: 1. Introduction; 1.1 Price Policies; 1.1.1 Maize Prices. All sections, including the introduction, should have titles.

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgments and details of non-financial support must appear at the end of the text, before the references, and not in footnotes. Personal acknowledgments should precede those of institutions or agencies. Please note that acknowledgments of funding bodies and declarations of conflict of interest should be given in separate Funding and Conflict of Interest sections, respectively.

Referencing Style

The APA referencing style should be used. Citations in the text should include the author surname and year of publication. References should be listed alphabetically at the end of the manuscript.

Brandt, A., Oskorouchi, H., & Sousa-Poza, A. (2024). The effect of SMS nudges on higher education performance. Empirical Economics, 66, 2311–2334. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s00181-023-02516-5

Chirwa, C. (2020). Inequality. Journal of Agricultural Economics, 200 -213.

Mertens, S., Herberz, M., Hahnel, U., & Brosch, T. (2022). The effectiveness of nudging: A meta-analysis of choice architecture interventions across behavioral domains. PNAS, 119(1), 1 -10. doi:https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2107346118

National Statistical Office. (2020). National Household Survey on Access and Usage of ICT Services in Malawi 2019. National Statistical Office. Zomba: National Statistical Office. Retrieved from https://docs.edtechhub.org/lib/8XN2BTBI

Sogari, G., Li, J., Lefebvre, M., Menozzi, D., & Pellegrini, N. (2019). The Influence of Health Messages in Nudging Consumption of Whole Grain Pasta. Nutrients, 11, 1 -14. doi:10.3390/nu11122993

Suffoletto, ,. B. (2024). Deceptively Simple yet Profoundly Impactful: Text Messaging Interventions to Support Health. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 26, 1 -17. doi:10.2196/58726

Review Process

All manuscripts undergo anonymous peer review and are evaluated by at least two referees with expertise in the relevant field of economics. Authors must ensure that identifying information, including institutional affiliations and acknowledgments, appears only on a separate cover page.

Copyright

Each submission must be accompanied by a signed statement from the author(s) confirming that publication in the Journal would not infringe any copyright or contractual obligations. Where material has previously appeared online, including conference proceedings, appropriate acknowledgment must be provided. Authors are responsible for obtaining permission to reproduce copyrighted material from other sources.

Please refer to the UNIMA Journals Copyright Policy for more details.