Author Guidelines

MANUSCRIPT FORMAT

Submissions should be typed double-spaced, fully justified, and in Times New Roman Font Size 12 (for the main paper as well as endnotes, quotations, and reference list) on 8.5” x 11” or A4 paper as a Word document.  The normal span of submissions is as follows:

1. article: 5,000-8,000 words (inclusive of abstract, key words, references, and endnotes)
2. review: 500-2,000 words
3. interview: 2,000-4,000 words

ABSTRACT AND KEYWORDS

The manuscript of an article should include an abstract in English of not more than 150 words as well as five key words, placed immediately after the abstract.Typically, the abstract states the purpose, approach/methodology, major findings and implication/conclusion of the study. For articles on a language other than English (e.g. African, Asian or European languages), a second abstract and set of keywords in that language are strongly recommended.

DOUBLE-BLIND PEER REVIEW AND CONFIDENTIALITY

For the purpose of double-blind peer review, the first page of each manuscript should not bear the name of the author. Nor should there be any detail in the body of the paper to give away the author’s identity and institutional affiliation. Plethoric references to one’s earlier publications are not allowed. Neither are citations from the author’s papers in press/in preparation or forthcoming publications. Members of the editorial team shall treat submitted papers with the utmost confidentiality. 

AUTHOR IDENTIFICATION

Each contribution should be accompanied by a separate sheet indicating the title of the paper as well as the following information about the author: (1) full name (family name last); (2) institutional affiliation; (3) current status, e.g., Student Researcher, Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Professor, etc., and (4) a short declaration that the manuscript has neither been published nor submitted elsewhere for publication.

SUBMISSION

Contributions should be submitted as e-mail attachments to editorljh@ug.edu.gh and gskadika@ug.edu.gh. LJH writes to all contributors to acknowledge receipt of submissions within a week. Contributors should kindly note that, as a rule, LJH does not publish papers from the same author in consecutive issues of the journal. Similarly, LJH does not publish multiple articles by the same author in one issue.

ZERO CHARGES FOR ARTICLE SUBMISSION AND ARTICLE PROCESSING

Authors should note thatLJHdoes not charge any fees, whatsoever, for submission and processing.

CONSISTENCY IN USE OF LANGUAGE

Spelling, punctuation, and usage should, as much as possible, be consistently British (She avers, ‘Human behaviour can sometimes be understood in the light of responses to the “family code of honour,” societal organisation and even cultural artefacts’.) or American (She avers, “Human behavior can sometimes be understood in light of responses to the ‘family code of honor’, societal organization, and even cultural artifacts.”)

Please note that should the punctuation, spelling, and usage in a quoted text conflict with those of your adopted style, this should not occasion a variation of the source text nor a [sic] tag in your paper.

GENDER-SENSITIVE LANGUAGE

Contributors are encouraged to use bias-free and inclusive terms, e.g.: 

• “human resource development” instead of “manpower development” 
• “to operate/run the front desk” for “to man the front desk”
• “comprehensive plan” or  “vision” for “master plan”
• “work force” or “labor force” for “manpower”
• “staff hours” for “man-hours”
• “the President’s first/inaugural speech” for “the President’s maiden speech”
• “neutral zone” or “uninhabited territory” for “no-man’s land”
• “skill” for “workmanship” 
• “husband and wife” for “man and wife”
• “strong enough” for “man enough”
• “To each according to their ability” for “To each according to his ability”
• “non-identical twins” for  “fraternal twins”
• “the French” for “Frenchmen” 

For more information on gender-sensitive language, please consult http://www.escwa.un.org/information/conference/1400199.pdf

REFERENCE STYLE

LJH has since Vol. 26 adopted the documentation style of the American Psychological Association (APA) and therefore, expects all contributors to rigorously format their references using the APA model. 

CITATIONS

In line with APA style, citations should be done in the text, not in endnotes or footnotes.  In-text parenthetical citation could take one of the following forms: 

1. “The sea was both hostile and docile, the ultimate trickster. It was as large as it was small, as long as you could claim a portion of it for yourself” (Danticat, 2013, p. 199). *Direct quotation of less than 40 words

1. Ajayi (2005) argues: 

            wealthier states have had the privilege of extended periods of running protectionist  economies. The development of globally competitive industries in these countries can              be linked both to the important protectionist policies that shielded business enterprise      in its infancy and to creativity. England, for   example,  was already  a great industrial         power before it adopted free trade in the  1840’s….Thus, the notion  of free trade is illusory….Every state’s economy is  protectionist by most standards. (p. 224) 

*Direct block quotation of more than 40 words.

1. In the opinion of Spivak (1988), some of the most radical criticism emanating from the West is motivated by the palpably hegemonic desire of maintaining the West as the dominant subject in discourse and of power (p. 271). *Paraphrase
2. Further evidence of the relevance of proverbs to everyday life can be found in Tamale (1999),

Hussein (2005), Yankah (1985/2012), and Mieder (2014). *Synthesis

1. As works by Clavell (1975), Onyewuenyi (1993), Steegstra (2005), and Bugul (2014) show, cultural conflicts dialectically engender cultural coexistence and transformation. *Synthesis
2. Although Anderson‟s Imagined communities (1983/2006) is largely predicated upon the political history of the Global South, few can contest the light it sheds on the genesis and survival of all modern nation-states. *Summary

NB: Please note that footnotes should only be used sparingly for further explication of ideas.

CITATION OF YOUR OWN TRANSLATED PASSAGES

Place your own translated passage in brackets just below the original text, e.g.:

In the words of Eliacheff and Heinich,  “ il est aussi des épouses dont la passion se porte plutôt sur le statut social du ménage, qu’elles sont chargées de représenter et d’incarner ” (2002, p. 79). 

[“there are also some wives whose passion rather centers on the social status of the couple, status which they are obligated to represent and embody” (2002, p. 79, own translation)].

REFERENCE LIST

All cited works should be collated at the end of each paper under the heading “References” (boldfaced and centered).

The reference list should:

1. begin on a new page
2. arrange authors‟ names in alphabetical order
3. incorporate all the cited works in the paper
4. respect the APA format                                         

Ajayi, O. O. (2005). Globalization and the politics of marginalization. In O. Vaughan, M. Wright, &                    C. Small (Eds.), Globalization and marginalization (pp. 201-235). Ibadan, Nigeria: Sefer. 

            Anderson, B. (2006). Imagined communities: Reflections on the origin and spread of nationalism                         (Rev. ed.). London, UK: Verso.

Bugul, K. (2014). Aller et retour [Back and forth].Dakar, Senegal: Athéna. 

Clavell, J. (1975). Shõgun: A novel of Japan. New York, NY: Random House.

Danticat, E. (2013). Claire of the sea light. New York, NY: Vintage.

Eliacheff, C., & Heinich N. (2002). Mères-filles: Une relation à trois [Mothers and daughters: A                            three-way relationship]. Paris, France: Albin Michel.

Hayek, N. (n. d.). Gender-sensitive language: Guidelines. New York, NY: United Nations. Retrieved                     from http://www.escwa.un.org/information/conference/1400199.pdf

Hussein, J. W. (2005). The social and ethno-cultural construction of masculinity and femininity in                African proverbs. African Study Monographs, 26 (2), 59-87.

Mieder, W. (2014). Behold the proverbs of a people: Proverbial wisdom in culture, literature, and                         politics. Jackson, MS: University Press of Mississippi. 

Onyewuenyi, I. C. (1993). The African origin of Greek philosophy: An exercise in Afrocentrism. Nsukka, Nigeria: University of Nsukka Press.

Spivak, G. (1988). Can the subaltern speak?  In G. Nelson & L. Grossberg (Eds.), Marxism and the                        interpretation of culture (pp. 271-313). Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press.

Steegstra, M. (2005). Dipo and the politics of culture in Ghana. Accra, Ghana: Woeli.

Tamale, S. (1999). When hens begin to crow: Gender andparliamentary politics in Uganda.  Boulder,                       CO: Westview.

Yankah, K. (2012). The proverb in the context of African rhetoric (2^nd ed.). New York, NY: Diasporic

            Africa Press.

MORE EXAMPLES OF APA DOCUMENTATION FORMAT:

Single-authored Book

Einstein, M. (2008). Brands of faith: Marketing religion in a commercial age. London, UK: Routledge.

Book with Multiple Authors

Crais, C., & Scully, P. (2009). Sara Baartman and the Hottentot Venus: A ghost story and a                                     biography.Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Translated Book

Rondón, C. M. (2008). The book of salsa: A chronicle of urban music from the Caribbean to New

                        York City (F.R. Aparico & J. White, Trans.). Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North                             Carolina Press. (Original work published 1980)

Edited Book

Muponde, R., & Taruvinga, M. (Eds.). (2002). Sign and taboo: Perspectives on the poetic fiction  of                     Yvonne Vera. Harare, Zimbabwe: Weaver. 

Public Lecture

Mkandawire, T. (2015). Africa: Beyond recovery. The Aggrey-Fraser-Guggisberg Memorial Lectures,

Series 32, delivered at University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana, April 17-19, 2013. Accra, Ghana:

            Sub-Saharan.

Chapter in Anthology or Edited Book

Higgins-Desbiolles, F., & Whyte, K. P. (2015). Tourism and human rights. In C. M. Hall, S. Gössling, & D. Scott (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of tourism and sustainability (pp. 105-116). Abingdon, UK: Routledge. 

Encyclopedia Entry

Duncan, J. (2006). Cultural geography. In B. Warf (Ed.), Encyclopedia of human geography (pp. 7174). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Kim, Y. (2012). Behavior modeling. In W. J. Rothwell & R. K. Prescott (Eds.), The encyclopedia of human resource management: Short entries (Vol. 1, pp. 62-67). San Francisco, CA: PfeifferWiley.  

Book by Corporate Author or Government

Republic of Liberia. (2012). Agenda for transformation: Steps towards Liberia rising 2030.                           Monrovia, Liberia: Ministry of Planning and Economic Affairs. Retrieved from                                    http://cdcliberia.org/The_Agenda_for_Transformation_AfT.pdf

E-book 

Dincauze, D. F. (2000). Environmental archaeology: Principles and practice. Cambridge, UK:

             Cambridge  University Press. Retrieved from

        http://ebooks.cambridge.org/ebook.jsf?bid=CBO9780511607837

Journal Article

Seniloli, K., & Tawake, R. (2014). Living arrangements of the elderly in Fiji. The Journal of Pacific Studies, 34 (2), 129-152.

Journal Article Accessed from a Database  

i.          Periodical with Uniform Resource Locator (URL)

Azibo, D. A. (2015). Can psychology help spur the rebirth of African civilization? Notes on the African personality (psychological Africanity) construct: normalcy, development, and abnormality. Journal of Pan African Studies, 8(1), 146-187. Retrieved from http://www.jpanafrican.com/docs/vol8no1/8.1-13-Azibo-final.pdf

ii.          Periodical with Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

Bilgic, A.(2015). “We are not barbarians”: Gender politics and Turkey’s quest for the West.                          International Relations, 29 (2), 198-218. doi: 10.1177/0047117814565524

iii.          Periodical with Combined URL and DOI

Joseph, C.O. (2005). Theatre for development in Kenya: Interrogating the ethics of practice. Research                     in Drama Education: The Journal of Applied Theatre and Performance, 10 (2), 189-199. 

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13569780500103836

Paper in Conference Proceedings

Achmat, D. (2010). Leadership, social transformation and healing. In M. Keim (Ed.), Conference Proceedings: Social Transformation, Leadership and Healing (pp. 71-76). Stellenbosch, South Africa: SunMedia.

Thesis or Dissertation

Ansah, G. N. (2012). Metaphor and bilingual cognition: The case of Akan and English in Ghana. (Doctoral thesis). Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK. Retrieved from http://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/61709/1/ansah.pdf

Film or Video

Amata, M. (Producer), & Imasuen, L. O. (Director). (2014). Darima’s dilemma [DVD]. Nigeria:                       Royal   Arts Academy.

Forward, T., Jablonski, S., & O’Keefe, A. (Producers), & O’Keefe, A. (Director). (2015). Crime and                   punishment [Motion picture]. Australia: Apocalypse Films.

Musical recording where the Composer and the Recorder are the same

Sade. (1988). Paradise. On Stronger than pride [Album]. New York: Epic.

Musical recording where the Songwriter and the Recorder are Different

Colón, W. (2007). Che che colé [Recorded by Marc Anthony]. On El cantante [The singer]; [CD].               Miami: Sony Norte. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PW3_TuRqdME

Lee, N.L. (1991). Birds [Recorded by Miriam Makeba]. On Eyes on tomorrow [CD]. Johannesburg: Gallo.

Blog/Weblog Post Edoro, A.  (2014, November 6). Novelist Taiye Selasi doesn’t like passports or                      nations [Blog post].  Retrieved from http://africasacountry.com/2014/11/novelist-taiye-                           selasi-  doesnt-like-passportsor-nations-good-for-her/

Blog/Weblog Comment

Selasi, T. (2014, November 8). Re: Novelist Taiye Selasi doesn’t like passports or nations [Blog                           comment]. Retrieved  from http://africasacountry.com/2014/11/novelist-taiye-selasi-doesnt                   like-passports-or-nations-good-for-her/

NB: For further illustrations of the APA style, please consult Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6^th ed.).

CITATIONS FROM NON-SCIENTIFIC SOURCES

LJH rejects all citations sourced from non-scientific publications.  It is the contributor’s responsibility to ensure that citations are from credible, genuine, and academic publications.

SYMBOLS

Conventional, current type-faces are to be used. Special symbols and diagrams should be avoided as much as possible.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Papers submitted are assessed in these areas:

1. i.              Overall general academic merit
2. ii.            Theoretical grounding in the relevant and current literature
3. iii.          Critical engagement with existing literature has clearly brought out the gap to be filled by the paper, thereby ensuring its extension of the frontiers of knowledge in the paper’s field
4. iv.           Currency of pertinent cited works
5. v.             Quality of argumentation and reasoning
6. vi.           Sophistication in language usage and expression
7. vii.         Technical aspects (i.e., crafting of abstract and key words, respect of journal’s house style, and APA documentation model, etc.)

FEEDBACK FROM LJH

The LJH team intends to provide feedback to contributors between two and six months upon receipt of submissions. At the end of the review process, the Editor takes a decision on the publication of the paper, guided by the verdict of the reviewers to whom the paper has been sent. Typically, reviewers are requested to make one of the following pronouncements on the paper: 

• It is suitable for publication in its current form
• It is publishable subject to minor changes
• Substantial thematic, structural, and/or linguistic changes are required for possible resubmission and further review
• It is not suitable for publication

Once a decision on publication is made, LJH conveys this, together with reviewers’ comments and recommendations, to the contributor. If the paper has been accepted for publication, the Editor will indicate, in the letter of acceptance, the volume, number, and year in which it will be issued. The dates of submission, acceptance, and publication will be inscribed on the published article.

TYPE PROOFS

Authors will be sent typeset proofs of their manuscripts for their final input before publication. Please note that at this stage, major revisions are not acceptable.

CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSE

Attribution-Noncommercial- Noderivates 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0): The license allows others to “download your works and share them with others as long as they credit you, but they can’t change them in any way or use them commercially” (Source: https:creativecommons.org/licenses).

COPYRIGHT

The copyright of all papers published in Legon Journal of the Humanities is vested in the journal. By agreeing to publish the accepted version of the paper in LJH, contributors automatically cede copyright of the manuscript to the journal. This notwithstanding, contributors may use parts of their published articles for non-commercial purposes, e.g., course material, conferences, and academic profile webpage