Author Guidelines

 

Manuscript Preparation

 Authors should prepare manuscripts using Times New Roman, 12-point font, single line spacing, 1-inch (2.54 cm) margins on all sides, and justified text alignment. Page numbers should appear at the bottom centre or bottom right of each page. Manuscripts should normally include the following sections: Title Page, Abstract (maximum 250 words), Keywords (4–6), Introduction, Literature Review, Methodology, Results, Discussion, Conclusion and Recommendations, References, and Appendices, where applicable.

The journal strictly follows the American Psychological Association (APA) 7th Edition referencing style for both in-text citations and the reference list. Authors are responsible for ensuring that every source cited in the text appears in the reference list and that every reference listed has been cited in the manuscript.

Language

All manuscripts submitted to the AJCBM must be written in clear, concise, and grammatically accurate English to ensure effective scholarly communication and international readership. Authors may use either British English or American English, provided that the chosen style is applied consistently throughout the manuscript, including the title, abstract, main text, tables, figures, appendices, and references. Manuscripts should be carefully edited and proofread before submission to eliminate grammatical, spelling, punctuation, and typographical errors. Where necessary, authors whose first language is not English are encouraged to seek professional language editing prior to submission. Manuscripts with language deficiencies that significantly affect clarity, readability, or the quality of scientific communication may be returned to the authors for language revision before they are considered for peer review.

Manuscript Format

To ensure consistency and facilitate the editorial and peer-review process, manuscripts submitted to the AJCBM should be organized in the following order. Depending on the nature of the study, authors may include additional sections where appropriate.

Title Page

Should include the full title of the manuscript, the full name(s) of all author(s) in the agreed order together with their institutional affiliation(s) (department, faculty or school, university or organization, city, and country), each author's email address, and a clearly identified corresponding author with full name, institutional affiliation, postal address (where applicable), telephone number (optional), and email address. ORCID IDs are encouraged where available.

Abstract and Keywords

A concise, single-paragraph summary not exceeding 250 words, clearly stating the purpose, methodology, key findings, and theoretical, practical, or policy implications of the study. It should be understandable without reference to the main text and should avoid citations, abbreviations, footnotes, equations, tables, figures, or references unless absolutely necessary. Immediately below the abstract, provide three to five (3–5) keywords that accurately reflect the study's principal concepts, variables, or subject areas.

Introduction

Present the background of the study, research problem, objectives, research questions or hypotheses, significance of the study, and organization of the paper.

Literature Review

Review relevant theoretical and empirical literature, identify knowledge gaps, and develop the conceptual or theoretical framework where applicable.

Methodology

Describe the research design, study area, target population, sampling procedures, data collection methods, measurement of variables, analytical techniques, and ethical considerations.

Results and Discussion

Present and interpret the research findings using appropriate tables, figures, and statistical analyses. Discuss the findings in relation to previous studies, relevant theories, and the study objectives.

Conclusion and Recommendations

Summarize the major findings, present the study's conclusions, discuss theoretical, practical, and policy implications, acknowledge study limitations where appropriate, and provide recommendations for practice and future research.

References

List all sources cited in the manuscript in alphabetical order using the American Psychological Association (APA) 7th Edition referencing style.

Appendices (where applicable)

Include supplementary materials such as questionnaires, interview guides, data collection instruments, additional tables, figures, or other supporting documents that are essential but not appropriate for inclusion in the main text.

Formatting Requirements

Manuscripts submitted to the AJCBM should be prepared in a clear, professional, and consistent format to facilitate the editorial and peer-review processes. The main text should be typed using Times New Roman font with a 12-point font size and single line spacing throughout the manuscript. All pages should have 1-inch (2.54 cm) margins on the top, bottom, left, and right sides. The text should be fully justified to ensure a neat and professional appearance, and page numbers should be inserted at the bottom centre or bottom right of each page. Authors are encouraged to use standard A4 paper size and ensure consistency in the formatting of headings, subheadings, tables, figures, equations, and references throughout the manuscript. Tables and figures should be placed as close as possible to their first citation in the text, numbered consecutively, and provided with clear titles and sources where applicable. Authors should avoid excessive formatting, decorative fonts, coloured text, and unnecessary graphics that may interfere with the editorial and production processes.

Tables and Figures

Tables and figures should be used to present information clearly, accurately, and concisely, and should complement rather than duplicate the content presented in the main text. All tables and figures must be numbered consecutively in the order in which they are first cited in the manuscript (e.g., Table 1, Table 2, Figure 1, Figure 2). Each table and figure should include a clear, concise, and descriptive title, and where the data, image, or illustration is adapted or reproduced from another source, the original source must be appropriately acknowledged in accordance with APA 7th Edition referencing guidelines. Tables should be editable and created using the table function of the word processor rather than inserted as images. Figures, graphs, charts, photographs, and other illustrations should be high-resolution and publication-quality to ensure clarity in both online and print formats. Authors are responsible for obtaining permission to reproduce any copyrighted material and for ensuring that all tables and figures are accurately referenced and discussed within the text of the manuscript.

APA 7th Edition — In-Text Citation

One Author

Provide the author's surname and year of publication.

Narrative citation
Magali (2024) reported that financial literacy significantly improves SME performance.
Parenthetical citation
Financial literacy has been shown to improve SME performance (Magali, 2024).
Two Authors

Cite both authors every time the work is referenced.

Narrative citation
Magali and Msuya (2023) found that digital transformation enhances organizational performance.
Parenthetical citation
Digital transformation contributes to organizational performance (Magali & Msuya, 2023).
Three or More Authors

Cite only the surname of the first author followed by "et al."

Narrative citation
Magali et al. (2022) demonstrated that financial inclusion supports business growth.
Parenthetical citation
Financial inclusion contributes to sustainable business development (Magali et al., 2022).
Multiple Sources in the Same Citation

Arrange citations alphabetically.

Several studies have reported similar findings (Komba, 2022; Magali, 2024; Msuya & Matonya, 2023).
Direct Quotations

For quotations of fewer than 40 words, include the page number.

According to Magali (2024), "financial capability is fundamental for sustainable enterprise growth" (p. 25).

For quotations of 40 words or more, present the quotation as an indented block without quotation marks and include the page number.

APA 7th Edition — Reference List

The reference list should begin on a separate page titled References and should include only sources cited in the manuscript. References should be arranged alphabetically by the surname of the first author and formatted using a hanging indent.

Journal Article

Format

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of the article. Title of the Journal, Volume (Issue), page–page. https://doi.org/xxxxx

Example

Magali, J. J. (2024). Financial literacy and enterprise performance among small and medium enterprises in Tanzania. African Journal of Contemporary Business and Management, 1(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/ajcbm.2024.001

Journal Article with Two Authors

Example

Magali, J. J., & Msuya, J. M. (2023). Digital transformation and organizational competitiveness in East Africa. International Journal of Business 

15(2), 45–63. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/ijbr.2023.015

Book

Format

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of the book (Edition). Publisher.

Example

Research, 15(2), 45–63. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/ijbr.2023.015

Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2023). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (6th ed.). Sage Publications.

Book Chapter

Format

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of chapter. In E. E. Editor (Ed.), Book title (pp. xx–xx). Publisher.

Example

Magali, J. J. (2024). Financial inclusion and SME development in Africa. In P. M. Komba (Ed.), Contemporary issues in African business (pp. 55–74). Springer.

Website

Format

Author/Organization. (Year, Month Day). Title of webpage. Website Name. URL

Example

World Bank. (2024, June 15). Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) finance. https://www.worldbank.org

Government Report

Format

Organization. (Year). Title of report. Publisher.

Example

Bank of Tanzania. (2024). Annual banking supervision report 2023. Bank of Tanzania.

Conference Paper

Format

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of paper. Conference Name, Location.

Example

Magali, J. J. (2024). Digital financial inclusion and SME resilience in Africa. Proceedings of the International Conference on Business and Management, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

    Additional APA 7 Requirements

Authors should ensure that:

  • ✓ Every in-text citation has a corresponding reference in the reference list.
  • ✓ Every source listed in the reference section has been cited in the manuscript.
  • ✓ Journal titles and book titles are italicized.
  • ✓ Volume numbers are italicized, while issue numbers appear in parentheses and are not italicized.
  • ✓ Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) and URLs are presented as active hyperlinks where available.
  • ✓ References are arranged alphabetically by the surname of the first author.
  • ✓ A hanging indent of 0.5 inches is applied to all references.
  • ✓ Personal communications are cited only in the text and do not appear in the reference list.
  • ✓ The accuracy and completeness of every citation is verified before submission.