Author Guidelines

How to prepare, structure, format and submit a manuscript to ZJP.

a) Preparing your submission

The manuscript should be submitted in separate files: title page; main text file; figures.

Title page

The title page should contain:

  1. Manuscript title. The title should not contain abbreviations.
  2. A short running title of less than 40 characters.
  3. The full names of the authors in publication order.
  4. The institutional affiliations of the authors.
  5. The corresponding author details — email address and phone number.
  6. Acknowledgments.
  7. The author contributions.
  8. Funding statement.
  9. Conflict of interest.
  10. Data availability statement.
  11. Ethics approval statement.

Main text

As papers are double-blind peer reviewed, the main text file should not include any information that might identify the authors. The main text file should be presented in the following order:

  1. Title, abstract and keywords.
  2. Main text.
  3. References.
  4. Tables, each complete with title and footnotes.
  5. Figure legends.
  6. Appendices, if relevant.

Figures and supporting information should be supplied as separate files.

Abstract

The abstract should be divided into the following sections: Aims, Methods, Results and Conclusion. It should not exceed 350 words for articles and brief reports.

Keywords

Provide 4 to 6 keywords.

Language and style

The journal uses British spelling, that is, English (British) — for example, /-ise/ rather than /-ize/. Footnotes to the text are not allowed and any such material should be incorporated into the text as parenthetical matter.

References

References should be prepared according to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th edition). The complete reference list should appear alphabetically by name at the end of the paper. Please note that a DOI should be provided for all references where available.

b) Article structure

The following structure will normally be preferred, with clear headings denoting:

  • Introduction, including literature review — provide an adequate background and a review of the literature.
  • Materials and methods, or methodology — this section should be as detailed as possible.
  • Results and discussion — the results should be clear and concise. Sub-headings are encouraged in this section.
  • Conclusion and recommendations — the main conclusions and recommendations of the study should be presented in a short section that stands alone.
  • References — provide a detailed list of the literature cited in the text. Ensure that all references cited in the text are listed in the references section, and that any reference not cited in the text is not listed. Use the APA style of referencing.

c) Manuscript formatting

  • APA 7th edition formatting style
  • 12-point Times New Roman font
  • Double-spaced throughout
  • 1-inch margins on all sides
  • Abstract of no more than 350 words

d) Manuscript length

  • Original research articles: 4,000 to 7,000 words
  • Methodological papers: 4,000 to 7,000 words
  • Review articles: 3,000 to 6,000 words
  • Case studies: 2,500 to 4,500 words
  • Brief reports: 1,500 to 3,000 words
  • Opinion and perspective pieces: 1,500 to 3,000 words
  • Book reviews: 800 to 1,500 words

e) Submission deadline

Rolling submissions are accepted year-round. When your manuscript is ready, use the online manuscript submission form.

f) Article processing charges

The journal is open access. For article processing fees, charges are as follows:

1. Zimbabwean Authors

  • ZPA Members: USD $20.00
  • Non-ZPA Members: USD $30.00

2. International Authors

  • USD $100.00