Author Guidelines
1 Preparation and Submission of Manuscripts
1.1 Each manuscript submitted should be accompanied by a signed declaration statement verifying that the final manuscript has been seen and approved by all authors and transferring copyright ownership to Sokoto Journal of Veterinary Sciences (Sokoto J. Vet. Sci).
1.2 Only original contributions written in clear concise English, would be accepted. Manuscripts should be typed using Microsoft® Word (97-2003, or 2007, formats), double-spaced with at least 2.5 cm margins all around, in Times New Roman, Font Size 12, with left alignment.
1.3 Manuscripts are submitted step by step using the online journal management system powered by ejManager. Only one of the authors of an article can submit an article by registering as an author following the link http://my.ejmanager.com/sjvs/. Names and affiliations of all authors should be removed before uploading the main manuscript. Insert page numbers and continuous line numbering on the manuscript for easy referencing by reviewers to the author(s). All data, including graphs and charts should be prepared in Microsoft® Excel (97-2003, or 2007, formats) and included in the main manuscript but after the references. Photographs and drawings should also be included after the main manuscript but such should preferably be in high resolution (300 dpi/ppi minimum) TIFF format. It is the responsibility of the author(s) to obtain permission to reproduce illustrations, tables, or any other previously published data, for publication.
Accepted papers remain the permanent property of Sokoto J. Vet. Sci.
1.4 Papers are published on the explicit understanding that they have neither been published nor are being considered for publication elsewhere.
2 Styles
2.1 Numerals and Units
2.1.1 Measurements of length, height, weight and volume should be reported in metric units (meter, kilogram, litre, etc) or their decimal multiples.
2.1.2 Temperature should be given in degrees Celsius.
2.1.3 All haematological and clinical chemistry measurements should be reported in the metric system in terms of the International System of Units (ISI).
2.1.4 In the descriptive text, numerals dhould be spelt out if under 10 (except when they denote a unit of measurement). All numbers should appear in Arabic numerals.
2.1.5 Use “first”, “second” and not “1st”, “2nd”, etc.
2.1.6 Dates should take the form of “DD-MM-YYYY.
2.1.7 If you choose to use the percentage sign, %, do not mix it with “percent” and vice-versa.
2.1.8 Do not repeat numerals in words, eg 7 (seven).
2.2 Nomenclature
2.2.1 At their first mention, species names should be in full and backed with authority, e.g., Glossina tachinoides. Also common names should be defined by the full Latin names at the first mention: e.g., “. . . house fly (Musca domestica, L.).”
2.2.2 Generic names of drugs which have been accepted by the International Organization of Standardization should be used wherever possible. If necessary trade names may be given in brackets: e.g., “. . . diminazene aceturate (Berenil®, HOECHST, Munich). . .”
2.3 Abbreviations
2.3.1 Use only standard abbreviations.
2.3.2 Avoid abbreviations in the title and in the abstract.
2.3.3 The full term for which an abbreviation stands should precede its first use in the text, unless it is a standard unit of measurement.
2.3.4 Use Latin abbreviations only in parenthetical material (e.g., cf, etc, viz, i.e.): In non-parenthetical materials use the English translations of the Latin terms.
2.4 Footnotes
2.4.1 Foot notes should be used only when necessary (e.g. in Table and Figure), kept to a minimum and be presented at the foot of the relevant pages.
2.4.2 Footnotes usually give details referring to one or more isolated items (e.g., an abnormal feature of a single experiment; details of a particular equipment or drug; and some peculiar/odd results in a table).
2.4.3 Footnotes should be numbered using Arabic numerals.
2.5 Tables
2.5.1 Use only the MS Word table tool (no columns, tabs or spaces). Tables should be numbered (using Arabic numerals, e.g., Table 1, Table 2, etc.) consecutively in the order of their first citation in the text and should never be included in the text; each table should occupy a separate page of the manuscript.
2.5.2 Each table should be supplied with a brief, self-explanatory title; and should be so constructed that it could be read and understood without reference to the text.
2.5.3 Each table should occupy a separate page in the manuscript; be simple, brief and clear; presenting only one general kind of data or relationship.
2.5.4 Do not use vertical lines to separate columns in a table.
2.5.5 The text should include references to all tables.
2.6 Figures
2.6.1 Figures (any type of graphic illustration other than a table) should be clear, and simple to interpret
2.6.2 Figures should be numbered consecutively, in Arabic numerals, according to the order in which they have been first cited in the text.
2.6.3 Plates (photographs and drawings) should be numbered consecutively (using Roman numerals, e.g., Plate IV, Plate XI, etc.) according to their sequence in the text.
2.6.4 Each Figure or plate should be on a separate page and must have a concise, but comprehensive, caption typed below it.
2.6.5 Author(s) shall bear the cost of production of coloured photographs, drawings or other illustrations.
2.7 Statistics
2.7.1 All statistical methods used should be described with enough detail to enable a knowledgeable reader with access to the original data verify the reported results.
2.7.2 Where possible, findings should be quantified and presented with appropriate indicators of measurement errors or uncertainty (e.g., confidence intervals, mean ± SD).
2.7.3 References to study design and statistical methods should be to standard works (with pages) rather than to papers in which the designs or methods were originally reported.
2.7.4 All statistical terms, abbreviations and symbols should be defined.
3 Formats for Full Articles
Manuscripts for publication should be submitted in the following format:
3.1 Title Page
Short titles of not more than 18 words are preferred (excluding a maximum of 3 prepositions per title), and should include:
3.1.1 Title of the article
3.1.2 Telephone number and e-mail address of the corresponding author
3.2 Abstract
An abstract not exceeding 300 words should precede the introduction. References or unfamiliar abbreviations and symbols should not be included in the abstract. Below the abstract, provided in alphabetical order a list of 5 – 7 key words (for indexing purposes) should be.
3.3 Introduction
State here the purpose of the article and a summary of the rationale for the study or observation. Give only strictly pertinent references and do not review the subject extensively.
3.4 Materials and Methods
Describe your selection of the observational or experimental subjects clearly. Identify the materials and procedures, including statistical methods, in sufficient details to allow other workers to reproduce the results.
3.5 Results
Present your results in logical sequence.
3.6 Discussion
Emphasize the new and important aspects of the study and the conclusions that follow from them. Discuss the implications of your findings and their limitations, including implications for future research. Relate your observations to other relevant studies, and your conclusions to the aims of the study. Make recommendations where appropriate.
3.7 Acknowledgements
Author(s) may wish to recognize the contributions of others. Technical assistance should be acknowledged in a separate paragraph. Authors are responsible for obtaining written permissions from persons acknowledged by name.
3.8 References
3.8.1 Follow Uniform Requirements (www.icmje.org/index.html ). The list of references should include only those publications which are cited in the text (by name and year). Ensure that the spelling of author(s)’ names and dates are exactly the same in the text as in the reference list.
3.8.2 In the text, references should be made by giving in brackets only the surname of the author and the year of publication; e.g. (Daneji, 1990), except when the author’s name is part of the sentence, e.g., “Daneji (1990) showed that . . .” When a paper written by two authors is quoted, both names are given, the ampersand (&) being used in place of “and”, e.g., “It has been shown by Olorede & Daneji (1990) that . . .” If there are more than two authors the name of the first author should be given adding et al. and the year. E.g Chafe et al. (2002) or Chafe et al., 2002).
3.8.3 When several references are cited together in the text, they should be listed in chronological order e.g., “. . . nitrofurfuryl methyl ether has been shown (Ajagbonna et al., 1999; Awasum et al., 2008; Manuhda et al., 2017) to. . .”
3.8.4 All publications cited in the text should be presented in a list of references (in alphabetical order and not numbered) at the end of the text; 50 % of such references should have been published recently (at least in the last 10 years from time of submission). Give:
3.8.4.1 Surname(s) followed by initials of the author(s).
3.8.4.2 Year of publication in brackets. If several publications by the same author(s) in one year are cited, then the letters a, b, c, etc, are placed after the year of publication (e.g., 1990a, 1990b, etc.)
3.8.4.3 Title of the paper
3.8.4.4 Title of the journal must be written in full and be in italics.
3.8.4.5 The volume number (in bold font) in Arabic numerals followed by the issue number (in parentheses and also in Arabic numerals). The prefix “Vol.” should not be used.
3.8.4.6 The numbers of the first and last pages, in Arabic numerals, without the prefix “p.”
3.8.5 The list of references should be arranged alphabetically on authors’ names and chronologically for each author. If an author’s name in the list is also mentioned with co-authors the following order should be used:
3.8.5.1 Publications with single author arranged according to publication dates, starting with earlier dates.
3.8.5.2 Publications of the same author with co-authors,
3.8.5.3 Publications of the author with more than one co-author.
3.8.6 As much as possible the use of abstracts as references should be avoided.
3.8.7 “Unpublished observations” and “Personal communications” should not be used as references. 3.8.8 Papers accepted but not yet published may be included among the references (designate the journal and add “In Press” or doi number (if available). Thesis can be cited and listed in the references, for example:
Egbewande OO (2012). Effects of Vitamin C, Baobab Pulp (Adansonia digitata), Amaranthus (Amaranthus hybridus) and Tiger Nut (Cyperus esculentus) on the Performance of Broilers and Egg-type Pullets. PhD thesis, Department of Theriogenology and Animal Production, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto. Pp 1-120.
3.8.9 Information from manuscripts submitted but not yet accepted should be cited in the text as “Unpublished observations” (in parentheses).
3.8.10 The following is an example of a journal reference:
Lawan MK, Bello M, Kwaga JKP & Raji MA (2013). Evaluation of physical facilities and processing operations of major abattoirs in North western states of Nigeria. Sokoto Journal of Veterinary Sciences, 11(1): 56-61.
3.8.11 When reference is made to a book (and other monographs) the title should be italicized; the edition, volume (vol.), name of publishers and place of publication should be given, followed by the page(s) (Pp). For example:
Jamieson GG (1998). The Anatomy of General Surgical Operations, first edition. Churchill Livingstone, London. Pp 235.
Hansen J & Perry B (1994). The Epidemiology, Diagnosis and Control of Helminth Parasites of Ruminants. A Handbook of the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy. Pp 72-89.
DeYoung DJ & Probst CW (1985). Methods of fracture fixation. In: Textbook of Small Animal Surgery. Vol. II. (DH Slatter, editor). WB Saunders Co., Philadelphia. Pp 1949-2014.
3.8.12 Reference is made to articles on the internet by quoting the full URL and date of access. For example:
Enjalbert F (2006). Assessment of nutritional adequacy in dairy cows through diet characteristics and animal responses. World Buiatrics Congress, 2006 - Nice, France. www.ivis.org/proceedings/wbc/wbc2006/e njalbert.pdf?LA=1, retrieved 15- 11-2014.
3.8.13 When referencing articles in published proceedings, the name of the proceeding should be italice.
For example:
Okaiyeto SO, Abubakar UB, Allam L, Akam EN & Sackey AKB (2008).Retrospective studies of bovine fasciolaisis in Fulani ambulatory clinic. In: Proceedings of the forty-fifth Annual Congress of the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (JO Hambolu, I AjogiI, PI Rekwot, LB Tekdek, BD Remi-Adewunmi, AZ Hassan, CA Awasum, SB Oladele, MY Fatihu, SF Ambali, MU Kawu, OO Okubanjo, HM Kazeem, EC Okolocha, L Saidu, M Bello, editors) Owerri, Imo state, Nigeria. Pp 117-119.
4 Short Communications and Case Reports
Short Communication should be a concise but complete description of a limited aspect of an investigation. The manuscript should be presented like a research article but results and discussion should be combined. In addition, the whole manuscript should not exceed 2000 words or 4 typeset pages.
Case Report should be prepared as abstract, introduction, case management [case history; clinical manifestation; investigations (i.e laboratory results) and management], discussion: with number of references not exceeding ten.
5 Processing Fee
A processing fee of five thousand naira (N5,000) or $25 is to be paid along with each manuscript submitted. This fee is to be paid before a manuscript is submitted to reviewers.
6 Page Charge
For accepted articles, a fee of four Thousand Naira (N4,000) or $20 is charged per printed page while two thousand naira (N2,000) or $10 is charged per plate.
8 Subscription Rates
The subscription rates, per issue, is two thousand naira (N2,000) or $10 excluding freight. Freight will be charged based on destination.
9 Advertisement Rates
Half inside page: N10,000 or $40
Full inside page: N20,000 or $700
Inner back page: N30,000 or $100
Back page: N50,000 or $167
Payments can be made in favour of Sokoto Journal of Veterinary Sciences to the account 0046809258 at Access bank PLC, the sort code is 044223021. Payments in dollars can be made to our domiciliary account (0056764527) at Access bank PLC, the swift code is 044 or by Western Union money transfer.
10 Correspondence
All correspondences to the journal should be addressed to:
The Editor-in-Chief,
Sokoto Journal of Veterinary Sciences,
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, PMB 2346, Sokoto, Nigeria.
E-mail: sokvet.journal@udusok.edu.ng or sjvs1999@yahoo.com
