Author Guidelines
The Catholic Voyage: African Journal of Consecrated Life (TCV-Africa), founded in 2003, is an academic journal published annually by the Conference of Major Superiors of Nigeria (CMSN). The primary audience of the journal are the members of Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, and the clergy and lay faithful in Africa who share in or follow the ideals, spirituality and mission of any of these Institutes and Societies, or are simply interested in studying and deepening their knowledge about the vocation, life, mission, history, spirituality, charism and theology of consecrated life in the Catholic Church and in the world.
In carrying out its evangelizing mission, the journal seeks to inform, educate and form. In the message it transmits, the TCV-Africa strives to propagate “the good, the true and the beautiful.” (John Paul II, Ecclesia in Africa, n.124). Its aims, in particular, are to:
(1) Provide a forum for the cultivation, development, and promotion of philosophy, theology, Canon law, and spirituality insofar as they treat matters relating to Consecrated Life;
(2) Become a medium for debate, dialogue and reflection on historical, contemporary, topical issues and challenges concerning consecrated life and its mission in the church and in the world;
(3) Contribute to the local and universal Church’s mandate for evangelization by proclaiming the Gospel through dialogue, inculturation, the strive for justice, peace, and integral human development of peoples;
(4) And make Christ’s message relevant and credible through the dissemination of serious studies, reflections, apostolates or ministries, documents and texts, and sharing pertinent experiences and testimonies of witnesses and experts relating to Consecrated Life and Society of Apostolic Life.
The articles submitted for the journal must be original and scholarly. The journal welcomes:
- Well researched studies and reflections on historical, contemporary, and current topics from any area of the ecclesiastical disciplines that contribute to questions of social, cultural, and religious significance, and from the human and social sciences, insofar as it relates to any aspect of Consecrated Life and Society of Apostolic Life or/and the general theme of each edition.
- Pertinent reports and reflections; book reviews; proceedings of organized events such as Conferences, Workshops, Seminars; and it offers documentation services.
- Contributions from scholars, researchers, experts in various professions, pastoral agents and social workers, educators, health care workers, Consecrated persons, Formators (in Houses of Formation, and Seminaries), etc.
- Letters to the Editors and rejoinders to the published articles.
Articles should take into account African situation or context and the questions arising from, or impacting Africa and the Church in Africa.
Articles must be accompanied by an abstract (of not more than 250 words), a short profile of the author and, if possible, a passport photograph. The abstract should be a standard and argumentatively sustained summary of the article in the light of the following parameters: statement of the problem tackled, methodology applied, result attained, recommendations and conclusion reached. The title of the article must be short, clear and specific.
The Catholic Voyage wishes to be a free instrument of study and debate for a deeper knowledge and an inculturated and liberating practice of Consecrated Life. To maintain this characteristic, therefore, the authorities of the journal do not intend to support a particular trend of thought nor impose limitations of any kind, except in cases where charity or orthodoxy of doctrine would be called into question. The articles published reflect the opinion of their authors, who assume full responsibility for what they write. The views expressed in the journal do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Editors or the publishers, joint Conference of Major Superiors of Nigeria.
Articles and Videos submitted should comply with the following requirements:
For Articles
Word Count: Manuscripts for journals should not exceed 6000 words, including endnotes, bibliography, tables and notes, and abstract.
Margins: at least 2-3 cm. Font: Times New Roman. For the "Resources" section of the online edition, article manuscripts should not exceed 2,500 words.
Font-size: 12; Line Spacing: Double. Citation Style: Endnotes; do not use in-text citations, like (Olufemi, 2009); Mode of submission: preferably in soft copies.
Written contributions should be prepared to accord with the typographical convention of The Catholic Voyage. The journal adopts the Turabian Reference Style for citations (Cfr. Kate L. Turabian, Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses and Dissertation, 7th ed. Chicago, 2007).
Send all articles and related correspondences to The Editor, voyagecmsn@gmail.com.
The Catholic Voyage practices double-blind peer review. Submissions are reviewed and evaluated anonymously by members of the Editorial Board and/or by outside scholars and specialists. Name, affiliation and contact information should be included preferably on a separate page apart from the submission. Reviewed articles are usually sent to contributors to be read and corrected and should be returned to the Editors within 14 days of receipt.
Concerning articles written for the "Resources" section of the journal’s website, authors shall indicate the section or, if applicable, the sub-thematic area for which the article is intended (e.g. “Justice & Social Development”; "Formation & Mission/Education"). TCV-Africa welcomes articles and videos at any moment of the month, except for the print edition and cases of the “Resources” Section where a deadline is established.
The Editors make the final decision concerning the acceptance and placement of articles and videos. Unsigned or anonymous contributions will not be accepted. Editors reserve the right to postpone the publication of an accepted article to an edition of the journal other than one for which it was initially submitted. Articles or videos not published will not be returned. Submission of a manuscript entails the author’s agreement (in the event his or her contributions are accepted for publication) to assign the copyright to TCV-Africa.
Short Videos for the YouTube Channel Edition:
www.youtube.com/@thecatholicvoyage-africa7089
Duration: .10 minutes Max.
Video resolution, format and editing:
For the production of videos, we recommend high-definition videos. In general, it is necessary to provide videos in the highest resolution available to provide the maximum degree of flexibility in the encoding and playback processes. We recommend the following for the Camera/Video Format:
- DSLR Canon 60D or Sony HD Camera.
- A minimum resolution of 1920x1080 for video with a 16:9 aspect ratio.
- If not possible, we advise a resolution of at least 1280x720 for a video that has a 16:9 aspect ratio, and a resolution of at least 640x480 for a video that has a 4:3 aspect ratio.
- Audio 16bt.
Video-editing: Videos must be carefully edited, if possible, before submission to the TCV-Africa. Additional editing will be done, when necessary. We would appreciate we get the rushes of the video on time.
Music: If songs are used in the video (e.g., in the intro, background, or end part), be aware of copyright protection issues.
Send videos to The Video Editor, at: tcathvoyageafrica@gmail.com
Copyright Notice
Copyright is owned by the Conferences of the Major Superiors of Nigeria.
