Manuscript Guidelines

Manuscript Preparation and Submission Guidelines for Authors and Researchers

1. About the Guidelines

The Journal of Library, Information Management and Technology (JOLIMATE) welcomes original scholarly contributions that advance knowledge, research, professional practice, policy, education, and innovation in library, information, management, archival, records, and technology-related fields.

These guidelines provide authors and researchers with requirements for:

  • selecting an appropriate manuscript type;

  • preparing manuscripts for submission;

  • presenting research clearly and systematically;

  • ensuring ethical and scholarly integrity;

  • formatting references, tables and figures;

  • reporting research methods and findings;

  • declaring authorship, funding and conflicts of interest;

  • responsibly using artificial intelligence (AI);

  • preparing manuscripts for peer review; and

  • completing the submission process.

Authors should carefully follow these guidelines before submitting a manuscript to JOLIMATE.

2. Scope of Manuscripts

JOLIMATE considers manuscripts dealing with, but not limited to:

  • Library and Information Science

  • Information Management

  • Knowledge Management

  • Digital Libraries

  • Information and Communication Technologies

  • Library Automation

  • Artificial Intelligence in Libraries and Information Services

  • Information Literacy

  • Digital Literacy

  • Records Management

  • Archives and Archival Studies

  • Digital Preservation

  • Electronic Records Management

  • Bibliometrics and Scientometrics

  • Research Data Management

  • Scholarly Communication

  • Open Access

  • Information Retrieval

  • Information Organisation and Metadata

  • Information Resources and Services

  • Academic Libraries

  • Public Libraries

  • Special Libraries

  • National and State Libraries

  • School Libraries

  • Library Management

  • Information Policy

  • Digital Transformation

  • Information Security and Governance

  • Knowledge Organisation

  • Emerging Library Technologies

  • Information Behaviour

  • User Studies

  • Publishing and Scholarly Communication

  • Other closely related areas.

3. Types of Manuscripts

JOLIMATE may accept the following categories of manuscripts:

3.1 Original Research Articles

These report original empirical or analytical research conducted by the authors.

Recommended structure:

  1. Title

  2. Abstract

  3. Keywords

  4. Introduction

  5. Literature Review

  6. Methodology

  7. Results/Findings

  8. Discussion

  9. Conclusion

  10. Recommendations/Implications, where appropriate

  11. Acknowledgements, where applicable

  12. Funding statement

  13. Conflict-of-interest statement

  14. AI-use disclosure, where applicable

  15. References

For empirical studies, the methodology should contain enough information for readers to understand and assess how the research was conducted.

3.2 Review Articles

Review articles should provide a critical and systematic examination of existing scholarship.

They may include:

  • narrative reviews;

  • systematic reviews;

  • scoping reviews;

  • bibliometric reviews;

  • integrative reviews; and

  • theoretical/conceptual reviews.

Systematic and other evidence-based reviews should clearly explain the search strategy, databases/sources consulted, selection criteria, screening process, data extraction and synthesis procedures.

3.3 Conceptual/Theoretical Papers

These develop, analyse, extend or critique concepts, theories, models or frameworks relevant to the journal's scope.

A conceptual paper does not necessarily require primary empirical data, but it must demonstrate substantial engagement with relevant literature and provide a clear scholarly contribution.

3.4 Book/Document Reviews

Reviews of significant scholarly books, professional publications, standards, reports or other relevant works may be considered.

3.5 Professional/Practice Papers

These may discuss significant innovations, professional practices, institutional experiences, technological developments, policy issues or emerging trends.

Authors should clearly distinguish professional experience from empirical research.

4. General Manuscript Requirements

Unless otherwise specified for a particular article type, manuscripts should:

  • be original work;

  • be written in clear academic English;

  • be logically organised;

  • demonstrate adequate engagement with current and relevant literature;

  • contain accurate citations and references;

  • use appropriate research methods;

  • clearly state the research problem or purpose;

  • demonstrate a meaningful contribution to knowledge or practice;

  • avoid unnecessary repetition;

  • use consistent terminology;

  • contain properly numbered tables and figures;

  • comply with ethical research requirements; and

  • not be under consideration by another journal.

JOLIMATE may return manuscripts that substantially fail to meet these requirements before peer review.

5. Recommended Manuscript Structure

5.1 Title

The title should be:

  • concise;

  • specific;

  • informative;

  • grammatically correct;

  • consistent with the actual content of the manuscript; and

  • searchable using relevant scholarly terminology.

Avoid unnecessarily long titles, unexplained abbreviations, rhetorical statements and vague expressions.

Example:

Management Practices and Sustainability of Digital Information Resources in Academic Libraries in Kano State, Nigeria

rather than:

An Investigation into Some Issues Concerning the Management of Digital Information Resources in Certain Academic Libraries

6. Author Information

The title page should contain:

  • full name of each author;

  • institutional affiliation;

  • department/unit;

  • institutional city and country;

  • ORCID, where available;

  • email address of the corresponding author; and

  • corresponding author's contact information.

The author list should accurately reflect individuals who qualify for authorship.

JOLIMATE should encourage authors to obtain ORCID identifiers because they provide persistent identification of researchers.

7. Abstract

The abstract should accurately summarise the manuscript.

For original research, JOLIMATE should preferably require a structured abstract containing:

  • Background/Introduction

  • Purpose/Objectives

  • Methodology

  • Results/Findings

  • Conclusion

  • Implications/Recommendations, where appropriate.

A recommended range is 200–300 words, unless JOLIMATE specifies otherwise.

The abstract should:

  • be understandable without reading the full paper;

  • contain no unnecessary citations;

  • avoid unexplained abbreviations;

  • accurately reflect the manuscript;

  • not introduce findings that are absent from the main text.

The abstract is particularly important because it is frequently the principal part of an article seen in bibliographic and indexing systems.

8. Keywords

Provide approximately 5–8 keywords or key phrases.

Keywords should:

  • represent the major concepts in the manuscript;

  • complement rather than merely repeat the title;

  • use terminology familiar to the discipline; and

  • facilitate discovery through library databases and search engines.

9. Introduction

The introduction should establish the context and rationale for the study.

It should normally address:

  1. Background to the problem

  2. Context of the study

  3. Problem or knowledge gap

  4. Significance of the problem

  5. Purpose of the study

  6. Research objectives/questions/hypotheses, where applicable

  7. Scope or delimitations, where necessary

  8. Contribution of the study.

The introduction should lead logically to the research problem rather than becoming an extensive literature review.

10. Literature Review

The literature review should demonstrate the author's understanding of existing scholarship.

Authors should:

  • use relevant scholarly literature;

  • prioritise recent literature where appropriate;

  • include seminal works where necessary;

  • critically analyse previous studies;

  • identify agreements and disagreements;

  • identify gaps in knowledge;

  • establish the theoretical or conceptual basis of the study; and

  • demonstrate how the present study addresses an identified gap.

A literature review should not simply consist of summaries of individual studies.

The author should synthesise the literature and establish an argument.

11. Theoretical or Conceptual Framework

Where applicable, manuscripts should clearly identify and explain the theoretical or conceptual framework guiding the study.

Authors should explain:

  • the theory/model/framework used;

  • its major concepts;

  • its relevance to the research problem;

  • relationships among relevant variables or concepts; and

  • how it informs the research design or interpretation of findings.

Where a conceptual framework is developed by the researcher, its origin and development should be clearly explained.

12. Methodology

For empirical research, the methodology must provide sufficient information to allow readers to understand how the study was conducted.

Depending on the research design, this section may include:

Research Design

State and justify the research design.

Population

Clearly identify the target population and its characteristics.

Sample and Sampling Technique

Provide:

  • sample size;

  • sampling procedure;

  • inclusion/exclusion criteria, where applicable; and

  • justification for the sampling approach.

Data Collection Instrument(s)

Describe the instrument(s), including:

  • questionnaire;

  • interview;

  • observation schedule;

  • document analysis;

  • bibliometric database;

  • experimental instrument; or

  • other research tools.

Validity and Reliability/Trustworthiness

Explain appropriate procedures used to establish:

  • validity;

  • reliability;

  • credibility;

  • dependability;

  • confirmability; or

  • other relevant quality criteria.

Data Collection Procedure

Explain when, where and how data were collected.

Data Analysis

Identify the analytical techniques used.

For quantitative studies, report appropriate statistical procedures.

For qualitative studies, explain the coding, categorisation, thematic analysis or other analytical process.

The methodology should be sufficiently detailed to permit appropriate assessment and, where possible, replication of the research. 

13. Ethical Considerations

Authors conducting research involving human participants should demonstrate that appropriate ethical requirements were observed.

Where applicable, manuscripts should indicate:

  • ethical approval;

  • informed consent;

  • confidentiality;

  • anonymity;

  • protection of participants;

  • management of sensitive information; and

  • other relevant ethical safeguards.

Where formal ethical approval was not required, authors should state the basis for that determination where appropriate.

14. Results/Findings

Results should present the findings of the research clearly and objectively.

Authors should:

  • organise findings according to research questions/objectives/hypotheses;

  • distinguish findings from interpretation;

  • use tables and figures where they improve clarity;

  • avoid unnecessary duplication between text and tables;

  • report relevant statistical results accurately; and

  • avoid introducing unsupported claims.

15. Discussion

The discussion should interpret the findings rather than simply repeat them.

Authors should:

  • explain the meaning of major findings;

  • relate findings to previous research;

  • identify agreements and differences with earlier studies;

  • explain possible reasons for significant findings;

  • discuss theoretical implications;

  • discuss practical/professional implications;

  • acknowledge limitations; and

  • identify areas requiring further investigation.

Authors should distinguish between what the study demonstrated and what the authors infer from the findings.

16. Conclusion

The conclusion should directly respond to the research problem and objectives.

It should:

  • synthesise the principal findings;

  • state the major contribution of the study;

  • avoid introducing new evidence;

  • avoid excessive repetition; and

  • remain consistent with the evidence presented.

17. Recommendations

Where appropriate, recommendations should follow logically from the findings.

Recommendations should be:

  • specific;

  • realistic;

  • evidence-based;

  • directed toward identifiable stakeholders; and

  • clearly distinguished from general opinions.

Not every manuscript requires a separate recommendations section.

18. Limitations

Authors should disclose important limitations that may affect interpretation or generalisability of the findings.

Examples include:

  • sample limitations;

  • geographical limitations;

  • methodological constraints;

  • instrument limitations;

  • data availability;

  • response rates;

  • access to participants;

  • temporal limitations; and

  • other relevant constraints.

Acknowledging limitations does not weaken a manuscript; it helps readers appropriately interpret the evidence.

19. Tables

Tables should:

  • be numbered consecutively;

  • have concise and informative titles;

  • be cited in the text;

  • contain clearly labelled columns and rows;

  • avoid unnecessary duplication of textual information; and

  • explain abbreviations and symbols where necessary.

For example:

Table 1: Distribution of Respondents by Institution

Tables should be editable rather than inserted as screenshots whenever possible.

20. Figures, Charts and Illustrations

Figures should:

  • be clear and legible;

  • be numbered consecutively;

  • have appropriate captions;

  • be cited in the text;

  • contain readable labels; and

  • identify sources where applicable.

Authors must obtain appropriate permission when reproducing copyrighted figures, images or other material.

21. References and Citations

JOLIMATE should specify one consistent referencing style and apply it across all manuscripts.

For a Library and Information Science journal, APA 7th edition would be a practical choice, unless JOLIMATE has already adopted another standard.

Authors should ensure that:

  • every in-text citation appears in the reference list;

  • every reference-list entry is cited in the manuscript;

  • author names and publication dates are accurate;

  • journal titles, volume, issue and page information are correct;

  • DOIs are included where available;

  • URLs are accurate where applicable;

  • references are current and relevant;

  • original sources are cited where possible; and

  • retracted or unreliable sources are avoided.

Authors remain responsible for the accuracy of their references.

22. Research Data and Supporting Materials

Where appropriate, authors should indicate whether supporting research data, instruments, datasets, protocols or supplementary materials are available.

Where data are deposited in a recognised repository, authors should provide the appropriate persistent identifier.

Any restrictions arising from confidentiality, ethics, copyright or other legitimate considerations should be clearly explained.

23. Originality and Duplicate Submission

A manuscript submitted to JOLIMATE must not simultaneously be under consideration by another journal.

Authors must disclose:

  • previous publication of substantially related material;

  • previous submission of substantially similar manuscripts;

  • conference versions where relevant;

  • preprints where applicable; and

  • other forms of overlapping publication.

Duplicate or redundant publication should be avoided. Submission documentation should provide editors with information necessary to assess potential overlap.

24. Plagiarism and Academic Integrity

JOLIMATE expects all submitted manuscripts to comply with accepted standards of academic integrity.

Authors must not:

  • plagiarise;

  • fabricate data;

  • falsify data;

  • manipulate findings;

  • manipulate citations;

  • misrepresent sources;

  • submit substantially identical manuscripts to multiple journals; or

  • claim another person's work as their own.

JOLIMATE may use appropriate plagiarism/similarity-detection procedures.

Important: A similarity percentage alone should not be treated as proof of plagiarism. Editorial assessment should consider the nature, location and source of the matching material.

25. Authorship and Contributor Roles

Authorship should be based on substantive scholarly contribution.

All listed authors should:

  • have made a meaningful contribution to the work;

  • participate in drafting or critically revising the manuscript;

  • approve the final version; and

  • accept responsibility for the integrity of the work.

Individuals who provided limited assistance that does not qualify for authorship may instead be acknowledged.

Authors should agree on authorship before submission.

Changes to authorship after submission should require an appropriate explanation and the agreement of the relevant authors.

26. Conflict of Interest

Authors should disclose any financial or non-financial relationship that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the research or its interpretation.

If no conflict exists, authors may provide a statement such as:

Conflict of Interest: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

JOLIMATE should require disclosure even when authors believe the relationship has not affected the research.

27. Funding

Authors should disclose all significant financial support for the research.

For example:

Funding: This study received financial support from [Name of Organisation].

Where the research received no external funding:

Funding: This research received no external funding.

28. Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements may recognise individuals or organisations that contributed to the work but do not meet the criteria for authorship.

Authors should obtain permission from individuals before naming them in acknowledgements where appropriate.

29. Use of Artificial Intelligence

JOLIMATE should permit responsible use of AI-assisted technologies while maintaining human responsibility for scholarly work.

Authors who use AI tools should disclose:

  • the AI tool used;

  • the purpose for which it was used;

  • the stage of manuscript preparation in which it was used; and

  • where relevant, the extent of its contribution.

AI tools should not be listed as authors because they cannot take responsibility for the accuracy, integrity and originality of scholarly work. Human authors remain responsible for the submitted manuscript, including material produced with AI assistance.

Authors should independently verify:

  • facts;

  • citations;

  • references;

  • quotations;

  • data;

  • interpretations; and

  • claims generated or assisted by AI.

AI-generated content should not be treated as an authoritative scholarly source merely because it was produced by an AI system.

30. Language and Presentation

Authors should use:

  • formal academic language;

  • clear and precise terminology;

  • consistent spelling;

  • appropriate headings and subheadings;

  • concise paragraphs; and

  • grammatically correct English.

Authors should avoid:

  • unnecessarily complex sentences;

  • excessive jargon;

  • unsupported generalisations;

  • discriminatory or stigmatising terminology;

  • excessive abbreviations; and

  • informal expressions.

31. Manuscript Formatting

JOLIMATE may adopt the following standard format:

Element Recommended Requirement
Paper size A4
Font Times New Roman
Font size 12 pt
Line spacing 1.5
Alignment Justified
Margins 1 inch / 2.54 cm
Paragraph indentation Consistent throughout
Page numbering Consecutive
Tables Editable
Figures High resolution
Referencing APA 7th edition
File format Microsoft Word (.docx)
Abstract 200–300 words
Keywords 5–8
Research article Approximately 5,000–8,000 words

The final word limit should be determined by JOLIMATE's editorial policy and may differ according to manuscript type.

32. Submission Checklist

Before submitting, authors should confirm:

Manuscript

  • The manuscript falls within JOLIMATE's scope.

  • The manuscript is original.

  • The manuscript is not under simultaneous consideration elsewhere.

  • The title accurately represents the study.

  • The abstract accurately reflects the manuscript.

  • Keywords have been provided.

  • Research objectives/questions/hypotheses are clearly stated where applicable.

  • The methodology is adequately described.

  • Results are clearly presented.

  • Conclusions are supported by the findings.

  • Tables and figures are properly numbered and cited.

  • References are complete and accurate.

  • All necessary permissions have been obtained.

Ethical and publication requirements

  • All authors have approved the manuscript.

  • Authorship is accurately represented.

  • Conflict of interest has been disclosed.

  • Funding has been disclosed.

  • Ethical approval/considerations have been addressed where applicable.

  • Potential duplicate or overlapping publication has been disclosed.

  • AI use has been disclosed where applicable.

  • The manuscript has been checked for plagiarism/similarity.

  • The manuscript has been proofread.

33. Cover Letter

Each original research manuscript should preferably be accompanied by a short cover letter stating:

  1. manuscript title;

  2. manuscript type;

  3. principal contribution;

  4. confirmation that the manuscript is original;

  5. confirmation that it is not simultaneously submitted elsewhere;

  6. authorship approval;

  7. conflict-of-interest declaration;

  8. funding information; and

  9. AI-use disclosure, where applicable.

A submission letter is a useful mechanism for communicating relevant publication, authorship, conflict-of-interest and overlapping-publication information to the editor. 

34. Peer Review

JOLIMATE should clearly communicate its peer-review process to authors.

A recommended workflow is:

Submission → Editorial Screening → Similarity/Ethics Check → Peer Review → Editorial Decision → Revision → Final Acceptance → Copyediting → Proofreading → Publication

Possible editorial decisions include:

  • Accept

  • Minor Revision

  • Major Revision

  • Revise and Resubmit

  • Reject

The journal should state whether its review is:

  • single-blind;

  • double-blind; or

  • open peer review.

For a new scholarly journal, double-blind peer review is a conventional option, particularly where the journal seeks to minimise potential reviewer bias.

35. Revision of Manuscripts

When submitting a revised manuscript, authors should provide:

  1. the revised manuscript; and

  2. a response to reviewers.

The response should identify:

  • each reviewer comment;

  • the author's response;

  • the action taken; and

  • the page/section/line where the change was made.

Example:

Reviewer Comment Author Response Action Taken
Clarify the sampling procedure. The sampling procedure has been expanded. Methodology section revised.
Explain the theoretical framework. Additional explanation has been provided. Literature Review revised.

36. Publication Ethics

JOLIMATE should maintain policies addressing:

  • plagiarism;

  • fabrication and falsification;

  • duplicate publication;

  • authorship disputes;

  • conflicts of interest;

  • peer-review confidentiality;

  • corrections;

  • retractions;

  • complaints and appeals;

  • research misconduct;

  • copyright;

  • data integrity; and

  • responsible use of AI.

This gives the journal a more credible editorial framework than a manuscript-formatting guide alone.

37. Important Recommendation for JOLIMATE

I would not make the document merely a formatting guide. For JOLIMATE to operate as a serious scholarly journal, its author guideline should ideally be divided into four connected documents/pages:

A. Author Guidelines

What authors need to know before and during submission.

B. Manuscript Template

A downloadable Word template showing exactly where authors should place:

Title → Authors → Abstract → Keywords → Introduction → Literature Review → Methodology → Results → Discussion → Conclusion → Recommendations → References

C. Submission Checklist

A one-page checklist authors complete before submission.

D. Publication Ethics and Policies

Separate policies covering:

  • plagiarism;

  • research ethics;

  • authorship;

  • conflicts of interest;

  • peer review;

  • AI;

  • copyright;

  • corrections;

  • retractions;

  • complaints and appeals.