The Malawi Journal of Science and Technology (MJST) is published by the University of Malawi in Zomba, Malawi.

Types of Manuscripts

The Malawi Journal of Science and Technology publishes original articles in science and technology within the following categories:

Research Reports

Articles of substantial length which include a critical discussion of the result of original experimental or theoretical work.

Reviews

In depth treaties on specialized topics with critical and substantial reference to previous work in the area.

Short communications

Work which is limited in scope or of a preliminary nature. Short communication should not be more than three printed pages and include no more than a single figure or table.

Miscellaneous articles

Correspondence with the editor, and reports of conferences and symposia on science and technology in Malawi.

Typescripts and Layout

Submit your original manuscript electronically (email) in Microsoft Word your original. Handwritten or scanned manuscripts will not be accepted.

Type text and footnotes in double spacing on A4-size paper.

Leave 2cm margins at the top, bottom and right side of the page, and 3cm on the left side.

Number pages using Arabic numeral at the bottom centre of each page.

Organization of articles

Divide research reports as follows. Note, however, that these subdivisions are not suitable for some articles (e.g. review articles).

Title

Each Title should be restricted to a total of 16 words. Do not include abbreviations.

Authors names, affiliations and addresses

Provide full names of all Authors just below the Title of the Manuscript.

The Corresponding Author Surname should be marked with a superscript asterisk (e.g. Phiri*).

Author Affiliations should be numbered, with the primary institution being ¹. (e.g. Phiri*¹, Banda², etc).

Omit titles or academic degree names.

Affiliations and addresses of all authors should be placed below the Author’s names list, starting with the Primary Institution e.g.:

¹University of Malawi, P.O. Box 280, Zomba, Malawi

²Natural Resources and Environment Centre, P.O Box 280, Zomba, Malawi.

The email of the Corresponding Author should be given after the Addresses as follows:

*Corresponding Author Email: gphiri@unima.ac.mw

Abstract

Keep the abstract to less than 200 words and do not include abbreviations. Short communications may not require abstracts. At the foot of the Abstract, place six (6) Keywords of your study in Alphabetical order as follows:

Keywords: Africa, Beef, Cattle, Malawi Zebu, Productivity, Vaccine.

Introduction

This section includes statement of the problem, background information, and literature review.

Materials and methods

Provide a detailed description of the methodology

Results

May be combined with discussion

Discussion

May be combined with results.

Acknowledgements

Acknowledge any sources of funding for the research work where relevant

References

List of references

List of references in full at the end of the manuscript, not as footnotes within next. Cites the references in alphabetical order by author(s) and year of publication. For references with the same author(s) and year of publication, use the form “1987a”, “1987b”.

References by one or more authors take precedence in order over references by the same with additional authors irrespective of the year of publication.

Each author’s name should appear first followed by initials. Capitalize the first letter of each name.

Use “&” to separate two names. The names of three or more authors should be separated by commas with the last two names separated by “&”.

Indent the second and subsequent lines in each reference leave a blank line between references.

Note: do not list personal communications and secondary sources in the references.

Order of Citation Details

JOURNAL, SERIALLY NUMBERED BULLETINS, TECHNICAL REPORTS, ETC

Author name(s) and initials

Year of publication, followed by a period.

Title of paper followed by a period.

Name of journal, spelt out in full and italics, followed by a comma.

Volume number, and issue number in parenthesis followed by a comma.

First and last page numbers.

Examples:

Chiotha, S. S. 1992. Public health problems associated with fish. Malawi Journal of Science and Technology 1 (1) : 29 – 38.

Butterworth, M.H. &McNitt, J.I. 1984. The Malawi Zebu. World Animal Review 49 : 6 – 12.

Economides, S. & Georgiades, E. 1983. The effect of weaning age, quantity of milk, once daily feeding and form of concentrates on the performance of Friesian calves (Technical Bulletin No. 52). Nicosia, Cyprus: Agricultural Research Institute.

BOOKS, PROCEEDINGS OF CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS, MONOGRAMS, REPORTS, ETC WITHOUT SERIAL NUMBERS AND REFERRED TO AS A WHOLE

Author or editor name(s) and initials, name of sponsoring or issuing organization or corporate body in the absence of a named personal author or editor

Year of publication in parenthesis

Title of book or full title of conference or workshop, in italics

Town, country and name of publisher in that order.

Example:

Day, R.A. (1988). How to write and publish a scientific paper (3^rd ed.). Phoenix, New York: Oryx Press.

INDIVIDUAL CHAPTERS, PARTS OR SECTIONS OF BOOKS, MONOGRAMS REPORTS, ETC OR PAPERS IN CONFERENCE OR WORKSHOP PROCEEDINGS

Author’s name(s) and initials

Year of publication

Title of chapter or article, followed by the word “In:”

Title of the book or conference proceedings, in italics

The works “edited by”, followed by the name(s) and initials of the editor(s) of the book or conference proceedings underlined and enclosed in parenthesis

Town, country, and name of publisher, in that order

First and last page numbers of chapter, article, part of section

FOREIGN LANGUAGE PUBLICATIONS

Follow non-English publications with an English translation of the title in parenthesis. If both non-English and English titles are given in the original publications, include both titles without parenthesis.

Citations in the Text

Cite references by author followed by year of publication.

For references with three or more authors, list all authors the first time the reference is mentioned. Thereafter, list only the first author followed by “et al.” and the date of publication. For example. (Msiska et al., 1987).

For references with two authors, cite both authors throughout the text.

Use of “Anon” or “Anonymous” is not acceptable. Where no personal author is given, use the name of the sponsoring or issuing organization.

Examples of citations in text:

….were reported by Phiri et al. (1987).

….Saiti & Banda (1996) found that ……..

….other results (Banda & Saiti, 1986: 1986) indicated….

Two papers published by the same two authors in different years

…..Phiri & Msiska (1986, 1987) found that…..

Two papers published by the same author(s) in the same year

…Banda (1987a,b)…

When referring to pages in books or long publications

…..Msiska et al. , 1987,p86….

….. by Msiska et al. (1987, pp86-94)

Personal communication

……(Banda, J.D. , personal communication)…

…..Banda, J.D. (personal communication).

Secondary citations

….. Phiri (1955), cited by Banda et al. (1987).

Footnotes

Avoid using footnotes if it is possible to incorporate the information in the text. If not, use the following format

Number footnotes consecutively with a superscript number at the respective point in the text.

Separate footnotes from the text with a horizontal line across the page.

Indent the first line of each footnote

Tables

Type each table on a separate sheet.

Number tables consecutively in Arabic numerals and refer to them in the text in the order of appearance.

Type titles above tables.

Capitalize only the first letter of the first word of titles and column headings, except where otherwise necessary.

Use the fewest possible rules (lines) and avoid vertical lines between columns.

Place acknowledgements of source below the tables using the form “Source: Banda & Mkandawire, 1987.”

Give references in full only in the list of references at the end of the paper, not as footnotes to the text.

Figures (line drawings, charts, graphs and maps).

Provide references on separate sheets.

Number figures consecutively using Arabic numerals and refer to them in the text in order of appearance. When referring to figures in the next, use the form “Figure 3” or “(see Figure 3).”

Type titles below the figure following the number. Capitalize only the first letter of the first word of captions except where otherwise necessary.

Place acknowledgements of source below the tables using the form “Source: Banda and Mkandawire, 1987.”

Only line drawings can be accepted, not half-tone illustrations or photographs

Supply good quality originals, and not photocopies

Ensure that lines, lettering and symbols used in figures are thick enough to enable reduction

Numbers and units of measure

Group numbers with two or four digits on either side of the decimal point (e.g. 2413, 0.3284, 1000.1) leave a space not a comma between each group of three digits on either side of the decimal point in numbers with more than four digits (e.g. 10 765, 0.032 87, 1 234 567).

Use a period (not a comma) for the decimal point

Spell numbers from zero to nine. Use numerals for higher numbers

Use numerals irrespective of magnitude in a series of three or more numbers (e.g. 3, 7 and 14 seedlings were planted..)

Use numerals whenever a number is followed by a unit of measure (cm, kg ,etc) and for days, years, dates, page numbers, classes, etc.

Express fractions as decimals, although percentages and simple fractions can be used. For simple fractions use the form “one quarter, two thirds” and not “ 2/3.”

Avoid using numerals to express large numbers ending in several zeros (e.g. 1.6 million and not 1 600 000)

Use SI units.

Spell out units unless they follow numbers, in which case use abbreviations. Note that symbols or abbreviations for units are the same whether in singular or plural (e.g. 1kg, 2kg). Use numbers (1., 2., 3., etc) to itemize within paragraphs, use (a), (b), (c), etc.

Percentages

Use the % symbol when it follows a number (e.g. 62%), spell out the words “percent” or “percentage” when they occur without numbers.

Temporal measures

Use the 24 hour clock for time

Use “22 January 1966 “and not any other forms for dates

Use “in the 1980’s ; “1987/88” for single non-calendar years, parts of a year or season that extends over two years, or two calendar years and not any other forms.

Use “1987/88-1988/89” for two non-calendar years.

Local terms

Use the scientific names (underlined to indicate italic script) or a description when local or unfamiliar terms for plants, animals, or food products are first used (e.g. kondowole, a type of cassava flour).

Abbreviations and Acronyms

The first time an acronym or abbreviation appears, spell it out immediately followed by the acronym or abbreviation in parenthesis. Thereafter, use the acronym or abbreviation, e.g. “National Research Council of Malawi (NRCM)”

Omit periods in acronyms, degree designations, etc., (e.g. USA and not U.S.A…, PhD and not Ph.D.

Notice to Authors

MJST editors may return accepted manuscripts to authors for revision if manuscripts do not comply with MJST format.