Scope

The African Journal of Environmental Health Sciences (AJEHS) is a peer-reviewed, international, and multidisciplinary journal that focuses on environmental health issues pertinent to Africa and the global community. AJEHS seeks to highlight innovative research, reviews, case studies, and policy analyses on a wide range of topics, including pollution control, water and air quality, ecosystem management, climate change, emerging diseases, and public health interventions. Our audience includes researchers, public health practitioners, environmental scientists, policymakers, and academics from around the world. Authors are encouraged to provide comprehensive details in their manuscripts to enhance the relevance and impact of the research for a diverse readership.

Types of manuscripts

The African Journal of Environmental Health Sciences (AJEHS) accepts the following types of manuscripts for publication:

  • Opinions: These articles offer insights into existing scientific knowledge by highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of current literature. (Maximum 1,500 words; up to 10 references)

  • Letters to the Editor: Submissions can be in response to articles previously published in AJEHS or on relevant environmental health issues affecting Africa. (Maximum 1,000 words; up to 10 references)

  • Commentaries: These pieces provide commentary on any topic related to environmental health sciences. (Maximum 2,500 words; up to 20 references)

  • Case Reports: Should describe an unusual presentation of a disease, innovative management of a health condition, an unexpected outcome of a public health intervention, or a novel insight into a previously unknown health issue. Each report should highlight an important lesson learned. (Maximum 1,000 words; up to 10 references)

  • Case Series: A collection or series of case reports involving patients who have undergone similar treatment. Case series should include detailed demographic information (e.g., age, gender, ethnicity) along with data on diagnosis, treatment, response to treatment, and follow-up. Submissions should adhere to the STROBE guidelines for cross-sectional studies. (Maximum 1,000 words; up to 10 references)

  • Reviews: Comprehensive reviews that cover various aspects of environmental health sciences. (Maximum 7,000 words; up to 50 references; a maximum of 8 tables/figures)

  • Original Research Articles: Reports on original research related to environmental health, utilizing qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods study designs. (Maximum 4,500 words; up to 50 references; a maximum of 8 tables/figures)

Note: The word count for each type of manuscript excludes the abstract, tables, figures, legends, and references. All submissions must include an abstract and a complete list of references.

Manuscript preparation

Manuscripts submitted to the African Journal of Environmental Health Sciences (AJEHS) should be formatted according to the following guidelines:

  • Title Page: Include the title of the paper; full names of all authors in the order of First Name, Middle Name (if applicable), and Last Name (no qualifications or abbreviations); institutions of origin; the name, address, telephone number, and email of the corresponding author; and word counts for both the abstract and the main text.

  • Abstract: The abstract should not exceed 250 words and must be structured under these headings:

    • Background: Provide the context and purpose of the study.
    • Methods: Describe how the study was conducted, including statistical tests used.
    • Results: Summarize the main findings.
    • Conclusion: Outline the public health implications of the findings.
      At the end of the abstract, include up to five keywords using Medical Subject Headings (MeSH®) terms. Define abbreviations upon first use and use them consistently throughout the text.

  • Introduction: This section should provide the background of the research, clearly state the problem, justify the study, and outline its aims.

  • Methods: Detail the study design, setting, participants or materials involved, and the analysis methods used. Where applicable, include the theoretical or conceptual framework.

  • Results: Present a concise summary of the study’s findings. Do not duplicate data from tables or figures; instead, highlight key observations.

  • Discussion: Discuss the significance of the findings, including differences compared to previous studies, public health implications, unanswered questions, and suggestions for future research.

  • Limitations: Acknowledge any limitations of the study and explain how they may affect the interpretation of the findings.

  • Conclusion: Provide a clear summary of the key findings.

  • Recommendations and Public Health Actions: Highlight the contributions of the study to public health practice.

  • Acknowledgements and Declarations: Include any acknowledgments and declarations as required.

  • References: Follow the journal’s reference guidelines provided below.

Original articles below 2,500 words may be considered as short communications. Authors are strongly encouraged to refer to the STROBE checklists for reporting observational research to ensure clarity and transparency in their submissions.

References

References should be numbered consecutively in round brackets (e.g., (1), (2,3), or (4-7)) in the order they appear in the text, including any references cited in tables or figure legends. Reference citations must not be included in titles or section headings.

For each reference, include the last names and initials of all authors if there are six or fewer. If there are more than six authors, list the first six names followed by “et al.” The titles of journals should be abbreviated according to the Index Medicus guidelines.

Tables

Append tables at the end of your manuscript, following the reference section. The maximum allowed is six tables and figures per article. Should you need more tables, provide a justification for their inclusion.

Each table must be formatted to fit on a single page without spanning multiple pages. Ensure that all elements within the table are contained within the cells.

Figures

Provide high resolution images, not tiny thumbnails. Image of poor quality will be rejected.

The size of the uploaded image is limited to 4 MB. Include a legend for your images inside the main text, after the reference section. Figures should be provided as separated files during the manuscript submission. Do not embed images within the main text. Major image formats are accepted excluding BMP. (JPEG, PNG, TIFF).

 

Research Ethics Policy

All original research submitted to AJEHS must have been conducted with the approval of an appropriate ethics committee. Research involving human subjects must adhere to the principles outlined in the Helsinki Declaration, while experimental research involving animals must follow internationally recognized guidelines. The methods section of the manuscript should include a statement confirming ethical approval, specifying the name of the approving body, and providing a reference number if applicable.

Submission of manuscript

Submitting a manuscript to AJEHS implies that all authors have reviewed and approved its content. Manuscripts that do not adhere to AJEHS formatting guidelines will be returned to the authors for revision. To submit your paper, please use the submission portal provided below:

Submit Paper

Covering letter

The covering letter must include the title of the manuscript and provide a justification for why the article is suitable for publication in AJEHS, highlighting its contributions to existing knowledge. Additionally, the letter should confirm that the study has been approved by all contributing authors and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere.

Plagiarism check

AJEHS takes plagiarism very seriously. All submitted manuscripts are thoroughly checked for plagiarism. Manuscripts found to contain plagiarized content will be disqualified from consideration, and future submissions from the same authors will be subject to heightened scrutiny. If plagiarism is detected after publication, the article will be retracted, and a retraction notice will be issued.

Review process

Manuscripts submitted to AJEHS undergo a comprehensive three-stage review process:

  1. Internal Review: The manuscript is initially assessed for compliance with the journal’s formatting and style guidelines.
  2. External Peer Review: Manuscripts that pass the internal review are then evaluated by external peer reviewers who provide expert feedback on the research.
  3. Final Internal Review: Articles that successfully complete the external review are subject to a final internal review to ensure all feedback has been addressed and that the manuscript meets the journal’s standards.

Copyright

Authors retain copyright for their article upon acceptance for publication. This copyright grants them exclusive and unlimited rights to reproduce and distribute the article in any form, including print, electronic media, and other formats. It also encompasses translation rights for all languages and countries. For further details, please refer to our copyright agreement.

Article Processing Charges

To maintain its Open Access business model, the DPH charges an Article Processing Fee (APF) of $100  for international authors and 35,000 Naira for local authors per manuscript accepted for publication in the journal. APF are requested only if the manuscript is accepted for publication. Authors are expected to pay APF within 30 days of acceptance of the manuscript; passed this delay, the article may be rejected for non-payment of Article Processing Charges.