Author Guidelines

GUIDE FOR CONTRIBUTORS: 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 usual span of submissions is as follows: 

i. article: 5,000-8,000 words (inclusive of abstract, key words, references, and endnotes) 

ii. review: 500-2,000 words 

iii. interview: 2,000-4,000 words 

ABSTRACT AND KEYWORDS The manuscript of an article should include an abstract of not more than 100 words as well as five key words, placed immediately after the abstract. 

DOUBLE-BLIND PEER REVIEW 

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. 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 ahasaah@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. 

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. 25 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: 

i. “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 

ii. 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. 

iii. 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 

iv. 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 

v. As works by Clavell (1975), Onyewuenyi (1993), Steegstra (2005), and Bugul (2014) show, cultural conflicts dialectically engender cultural coexistence and transformation. *Synthesis 

vi. 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 endnotes 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: 

i. begin on a new page 

ii. arrange authors’ names in alphabetical order 

iii. incorporate all the cited works in the paper 

iv. 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 (2nd 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. 71-74). 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: Pfeiffer-Wiley. 

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). University of Lancaster, 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-passports- or-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 (6th ed.). 

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: 

i. Overall general academic merit 

ii. Theoretical grounding in the relevant current literature 

iii. Quality of argumentation and reasoning 

iv. Sophistication in language usage and expression 

v. 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 

 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 and acceptance 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. 

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.