Submissions

Author Guidelines

1. Introduction

The Mkar Journal of Economics and Development (MJED) is an open-access, double-blind peer-reviewed academic journal hosted by the Department of Economics, University of Mkar, Mkar, Nigeria.

The journal provides a scholarly platform for disseminating original research, theoretical contributions, empirical investigations, conceptual analyses, and policy-oriented studies in economics and related disciplines. MJED seeks to promote academic excellence, interdisciplinary research, and evidence-based policy discussions that contribute to economic growth, sustainable development, poverty reduction, institutional development, environmental sustainability, and improved socioeconomic welfare.

Authors are required to read and comply with these submission guidelines before submitting their manuscripts. Manuscripts that do not satisfy the journal's requirements may be returned for correction before editorial consideration.

2. Aims and Scope

MJED welcomes original and intellectually rigorous manuscripts addressing contemporary economic and development issues at the local, national, regional, and international levels.

The journal particularly welcomes contributions in the following areas:

1. Macroeconomics and monetary economics.
2. Microeconomics and applied economic analysis.
3. Development economics and economic transformation.
4. International economics, international trade, and foreign exchange.
5. Environmental and ecological economics.
6. Climate change, energy economics, and sustainable development.
7. Agricultural economics and rural development.
8. Public economics, taxation, and government expenditure.
9. Financial economics, banking, and financial markets.
10. Econometrics, quantitative economics, and economic modelling.
11. Labour economics, employment, migration, and population studies.
12. Poverty, inequality, inclusive growth, and human development.
13. Institutional economics, governance, and public policy.
14. Industrial economics, entrepreneurship, and innovation.
15. Infrastructure, investment, and economic development.
16. Regional economics and African economic development.
17. Behavioural economics and experimental economics.
18. Economic integration, globalisation, and development finance.
19. Education economics and the economics of human capital.
20. Other interdisciplinary areas with substantial relevance to economics and development.

Manuscripts focusing on Nigeria, Africa, emerging economies, and the global economy are particularly welcome, provided they make a clear scholarly contribution.

3. Types of Manuscripts Accepted

MJED considers the following categories of manuscripts:

3.1 Original Research Articles

These are empirical, theoretical, or applied studies that investigate clearly defined research problems and make an original contribution to economic knowledge. Empirical articles should present appropriate data, analytical methods, results, and interpretations.

3.2 Review Articles

These provide critical and systematic examinations of existing literature on important topics in economics and development. Review articles should demonstrate a clear review methodology where appropriate, synthesise relevant evidence, identify gaps in existing knowledge, and establish directions for future research.

3.3 Conceptual and Theoretical Papers

These develop economic theories, conceptual frameworks, analytical models, or theoretical propositions. Such papers must demonstrate originality, logical consistency, and a clear contribution to economic reasoning or policy understanding.

3.4 Policy and Applied Economics Papers

These examine economic policies, institutional arrangements, development programmes, and practical economic problems. Authors should provide rigorous analysis and, where appropriate, evidence-based policy recommendations.

3.5 Methodological Papers

These introduce, extend, compare, or critically evaluate research methods, econometric techniques, economic models, and quantitative analytical procedures relevant to economics and development.

All manuscript categories are subject to editorial screening and the applicable peer-review requirements.

4. General Submission Requirements

Every manuscript submitted to MJED must satisfy the following conditions:

1. Originality: The manuscript must represent original scholarly work and must not have been published previously in substantially the same form.
2. Exclusive submission: A manuscript submitted to MJED must not be under consideration by another journal or publisher at the same time.
3. Relevance: The manuscript must fall within the journal's aims and scope.
4. Academic quality: The manuscript must demonstrate a clear research problem, appropriate theoretical or conceptual foundations, a sound methodology where applicable, and conclusions supported by the analysis.
5. Language: Manuscripts must be written in clear, grammatically correct academic English.
6. Proper attribution: All sources, data, ideas, quotations, figures, and tables obtained from other works must be appropriately acknowledged.
7. Ethical compliance: Authors must comply with accepted standards of research integrity, publication ethics, and responsible authorship.
8. Author approval: All listed authors must have made a legitimate scholarly contribution, approved the final manuscript, and consented to its submission to MJED.
9. Accurate reporting: Authors must not fabricate, falsify, manipulate, or misrepresent research data, analytical procedures, results, or references.
10. Disclosure: Any relevant funding, competing interests, prior dissemination, or other circumstances that could affect the evaluation of the manuscript must be disclosed.

Submission of a manuscript constitutes confirmation that the authors have read and accepted these requirements.

5. Manuscript Preparation and Formatting

Authors should prepare manuscripts according to the following specifications.

Element	Requirement
Paper size	A4
File format	Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx)
Font	Times New Roman
Main text font size	12 points
Line spacing	1.5
Margins	1 inch (2.54 cm) on all sides
Text alignment	Justified
Paragraphs	Consistently formatted
Page numbering	Consecutive page numbers
Referencing style	APA, 7th edition
Language	English

The manuscript should be professionally presented, with consistent headings, correctly formatted equations, clearly labelled tables, and legible figures.

Authors should avoid unnecessary formatting, excessive footnotes, unexplained abbreviations, and inconsistent numbering.

Recommended manuscript length: Original research articles and conceptual papers should generally contain approximately 4,000–8,000 words, excluding references and supplementary appendices. Review articles may be longer where the scope and analytical requirements justify the additional length. Authors intending to submit substantially longer manuscripts should consult the editorial office.

These length recommendations are intended to promote clarity and scholarly depth rather than impose an inflexible limit.

6. Recommended Structure of Manuscripts

The structure of a manuscript should reflect its category and research design. An empirical economics article will ordinarily contain the following sections.

6.1 Title

The title must be concise, informative, and representative of the manuscript's central subject. It should communicate the principal variables, research problem, geographical coverage, or period of analysis where appropriate.

Authors should avoid unnecessarily long titles, unexplained abbreviations, and claims that are not supported by the study.

6.2 Title Page

The title page should contain:

• Full title of the manuscript.
• Full names of all authors.
• Institutional affiliations and departments.
• Corresponding author's email address.
• ORCID identifiers, where available.
• Acknowledgements and funding information, where applicable.

The title page should be submitted separately from the anonymised manuscript to facilitate double-blind peer review.

6.3 Abstract

Every original research article should include an abstract of approximately 150–250 words.

The abstract should briefly state:

• The research problem and purpose.
• The principal research objective.
• The methodology and data used, where applicable.
• The main findings or theoretical contributions.
• The principal conclusion and policy implications, where appropriate.

The abstract should be self-contained and should not contain unnecessary background information, extensive citations, or unexplained abbreviations.

For conceptual and theoretical papers, the abstract should identify the central argument, analytical approach, principal contribution, and implications.

6.4 Keywords

Authors should provide between four and six keywords immediately after the abstract.

Keywords should accurately represent the manuscript's principal subject areas, theoretical concepts, methods, and geographical focus. Authors should avoid repeating every word in the title.

Example:

Keywords: Climate change; bilateral trade; migration; gravity model; Nigeria; economic development.

6.5 JEL Classification Codes

Authors submitting economics manuscripts are encouraged to include relevant Journal of Economic Literature (JEL) classification codes.

The codes should correspond to the manuscript's principal subject areas. Authors should consult the official JEL classification system to identify appropriate codes.

6.6 Introduction

The introduction should establish the research problem and explain why it matters.

It should normally address:

• The background and context of the study.
• The specific economic or development problem being investigated.
• The research gap.
• The principal research objective and, where appropriate, research questions or hypotheses.
• The significance and originality of the study.
• The contribution to existing literature.
• The organisation of the remaining sections.

The introduction should establish a clear connection between the research problem, the study's objectives, and its expected contribution to knowledge.

6.7 Literature Review and Theoretical Framework

This section should critically examine relevant theoretical and empirical literature.

Authors should demonstrate familiarity with established theories, contemporary scholarly debates, and relevant empirical findings. The review should identify areas of agreement, disagreement, methodological limitations, and unresolved questions.

Where appropriate, authors should explain the theoretical foundations of the study and show how the theory informs the choice of variables, hypotheses, analytical framework, or empirical model.

A literature review should be analytical rather than merely descriptive. It should establish how the submitted manuscript advances existing knowledge.

6.8 Methodology

The methodology section should explain how the research was conducted and provide sufficient detail to permit critical assessment and, where feasible, replication.

For empirical studies, authors should clearly specify:

• The research design.
• The study population, geographical coverage, or units of observation.
• The data sources and collection procedures.
• The sample size and sampling approach, where applicable.
• The definitions, measurements, and expected relationships of the variables.
• The theoretical or empirical model.
• The estimation technique and justification for its selection.
• The relevant diagnostic tests, identification strategy, or robustness checks.
• The software used for data analysis, where relevant.

In econometric studies, equations should be presented clearly, with all variables, parameters, subscripts, error terms, and expected coefficient signs explained.

Authors should justify the suitability of their estimation techniques in relation to the research objectives, data characteristics, and underlying assumptions.

Conceptual and theoretical manuscripts should explain their analytical approach, assumptions, model construction, and logical derivations where applicable.

6.9 Results and Discussion

This section should present and interpret the principal findings of the study.

Authors should ensure that results are directly related to the research objectives, questions, or hypotheses. Statistical significance should not be confused with economic significance.

For econometric studies, interpretations should explain the magnitude, direction, and substantive implications of estimated coefficients, subject to the model's assumptions and specification.

Authors should discuss their findings in relation to relevant theoretical arguments and previous empirical studies. Unexpected findings should be acknowledged and examined rather than omitted.

Tables and figures should support the discussion and should not merely duplicate information already presented in the text.

6.10 Conclusion and Policy Recommendations

The conclusion should summarise the principal findings and explain their implications for economic theory, policy, or practice.

Where appropriate, authors should:

• Relate the conclusions to the stated research objectives.
• Identify the principal contribution of the study.
• Provide policy recommendations that follow logically from the findings.
• Acknowledge significant limitations.
• Suggest relevant areas for further research.

Authors should avoid introducing entirely new empirical results or making claims that are unsupported by the study.

6.11 References

All works cited in the manuscript must appear in the reference list, and every reference listed must be cited in the text.

References must follow the American Psychological Association (APA), 7th edition, style.

6.12 Appendices and Supplementary Materials

Appendices may be used for supplementary material such as extended mathematical derivations, additional tables, robustness checks, questionnaires, variable definitions, and other technical information that supports the manuscript.

Appendices should be clearly labelled and referenced in the main text.

Where necessary and legally permissible, authors may provide supplementary datasets, analytical code, or additional methodological documentation to support research transparency and reproducibility.

7. Tables, Figures, Equations, and Statistical Reporting

7.1 Tables

Tables must be numbered consecutively and given clear, descriptive titles. The table number and title should appear above the table.

Every table should be mentioned in the main text. Authors should explain abbreviations, symbols, and statistical significance indicators in the accompanying notes.

Data sources must be acknowledged where applicable.

Tables should be editable wherever possible. Authors should avoid submitting tables solely as screenshots or low-resolution images.

7.2 Figures and Graphs

Figures, charts, maps, and diagrams must be numbered consecutively and supplied at a quality sufficient for publication.

Each figure should have a descriptive caption and be cited in the main text. Authors must acknowledge the sources of externally obtained material and secure any required permissions.

Maps should include appropriate geographical labels and other necessary information.

7.3 Mathematical Equations

Mathematical expressions should be prepared using Microsoft Word's Equation Editor or an equivalent equation-editing tool.

Equations should be numbered consecutively when they are referred to in the text.

Authors should define all variables, parameters, and mathematical symbols. Econometric specifications must be consistent with the stated research objectives, theoretical framework, and estimation procedures.

7.4 Statistical and Econometric Reporting

Authors should report sufficient information to allow readers to understand and evaluate their empirical findings.

Where relevant, this should include coefficient estimates, standard errors, test statistics, p-values, confidence intervals, sample sizes, model specifications, diagnostic tests, and measures of model fit.

Authors should identify the estimation method and explain any departures from conventional assumptions.

Results must be reported accurately, including statistically insignificant findings where they are relevant to the research objectives.

8. Citation and Referencing Style

MJED adopts the APA 7th edition referencing style.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that citations and references are accurate, complete, and consistent.

Examples are provided below.

8.1 Journal Article

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (2024). Title of the article. Journal Name, 12(2), 100–120. https://doi.org/xxxxx

8.2 Book

Author, A. A. (2023). Title of the book. Publisher.

8.3 Chapter in an Edited Book

Author, A. A. (2023). Title of the chapter. In B. B. Editor (Ed.), Title of the book (pp. 25–45). Publisher.

8.4 Institutional Report

Organisation Name. (2024). Title of the report. URL

8.5 In-Text Citations

Single author: (Okonkwo, 2024).

Two authors: (Okonkwo & Ade, 2024).

Three or more authors: (Okonkwo et al., 2024).

Narrative citation: Okonkwo (2024) examined the relationship between inflation and investment.

Authors should verify every reference against the original publication. Digital object identifiers (DOIs) should be included where available and formatted as DOI links.

The use of a reference management programme such as Zotero, Mendeley, or EndNote is encouraged.

9. Submission Procedure

Authors should submit manuscripts electronically using the journal's designated submission channel.

Where electronic email submission is used, manuscripts should be sent to:

Email: tbachiuior@umm.edu.ng

The subject line should read:

Manuscript Submission – Mkar Journal of Economics and Development

Authors should submit the following documents:

1. Title Page: Containing the manuscript title, author names, affiliations, corresponding author's email address, and other required declarations.
2. Anonymised Manuscript: The complete manuscript without author names, institutional affiliations, acknowledgements, or other information that could unnecessarily reveal author identities during peer review.
3. Cover Letter: A brief letter identifying the manuscript title, its contribution to knowledge, its relevance to MJED, and confirming that the manuscript is original and not under consideration elsewhere.
4. Author Declaration: Confirmation that all authors approve the manuscript and agree to its submission to MJED.
5. Additional Documents: Ethical approval statements, permissions, disclosure declarations, supplementary data, or other documents where applicable.

Authors should ensure that the title page and anonymised manuscript are submitted as separate files.

Submission does not guarantee acceptance or publication.

10. Editorial Screening and Peer Review

MJED operates a double-blind peer-review system designed to support impartial and rigorous assessment of submitted manuscripts.

The review process generally involves the following stages:

Stage 1: Initial Submission

The editorial office receives the manuscript and checks whether the required documents have been provided.

Stage 2: Preliminary Editorial Assessment

The editorial team evaluates the manuscript's relevance to the journal, originality, scholarly quality, clarity, methodological adequacy, and compliance with submission requirements.

Manuscripts that fall outside the journal's scope or fail to meet essential scholarly or ethical standards may be rejected at this stage or returned for correction.

Stage 3: Double-Blind Peer Review

Manuscripts that pass preliminary screening are sent to independent reviewers with relevant subject expertise. The identities of authors and reviewers are concealed from one another to the extent practicable.

Reviewers assess the manuscript's theoretical foundation, research design, methodological soundness, quality of analysis, originality, interpretation of findings, and contribution to knowledge.

Stage 4: Editorial Decision

Following consideration of the reviewers' reports, the editorial team may issue one of the following decisions:

• Accept.
• Accept subject to minor revisions.
• Revise and resubmit for further assessment.
• Reject.

The final publication decision rests with the journal's authorised editorial leadership.

Stage 5: Revision

Where revisions are requested, authors must address the reviewers' and editors' comments carefully. A revised manuscript should be accompanied by a response document explaining how each comment has been addressed.

Where an author disagrees with a recommendation, the response should provide a clear scholarly justification.

Stage 6: Final Acceptance and Production

Manuscripts accepted for publication may undergo copy-editing, reference checks, formatting, and proofreading.

Authors may be asked to verify the final proofs and correct typographical or production errors before publication.

11. Publication Ethics and Research Integrity

MJED is committed to maintaining high standards of scholarly integrity and responsible publication.

Authors are expected to observe the following requirements.

11.1 Plagiarism

Plagiarism includes presenting another person's words, ideas, data, or research outputs as one's own without appropriate acknowledgement.

All sources must be properly cited. Direct quotations must be clearly identified and referenced.

Manuscripts may be screened using plagiarism-detection software or other appropriate methods.

Similarity reports will be assessed contextually. A similarity percentage alone does not establish whether plagiarism has occurred; the nature, source, and extent of the overlap must also be considered.

Substantiated plagiarism may result in rejection, withdrawal of acceptance, or other appropriate editorial action.

11.2 Duplicate and Redundant Publication

Authors must not submit manuscripts that have already been published substantially in the same form or are simultaneously under consideration by another journal.

Any prior dissemination through a working paper series, conference proceedings, institutional repository, or preprint server must be disclosed where relevant.

The editorial team will determine whether such prior dissemination affects the manuscript's eligibility.

11.3 Authorship

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made substantial intellectual or scholarly contributions to the research.

All authors should participate in the preparation or critical revision of the manuscript, approve the final version, and accept accountability for their contributions.

Gift authorship, guest authorship, and ghost authorship are unacceptable.

Changes to the authorship list after submission require a legitimate reason and the agreement of all affected authors, subject to editorial approval.

11.4 Fabrication and Falsification

Fabricating data, manipulating results dishonestly, misrepresenting statistical findings, or altering research materials in a manner that misleads readers is prohibited.

Authors may be asked to provide supporting data, analytical code, or other evidence necessary to investigate legitimate concerns about research integrity.

11.5 Research Ethics

Studies involving human participants, confidential personal information, or other ethically sensitive research activities must comply with applicable institutional and legal requirements.

Where ethical approval is required, authors must identify the approving institution and provide the relevant approval details. Authors should also explain informed-consent procedures where applicable.

Researchers must respect confidentiality, data protection requirements, and the rights of participants.

11.6 Conflicts of Interest

Authors must disclose financial, professional, institutional, or personal relationships that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the research or its interpretation.

Where no competing interests exist, authors should state:

The authors declare no competing interests.

11.7 Funding Disclosure

All sources of financial or material support for the research should be acknowledged.

Where the research received no external funding, authors should state this explicitly.

11.8 Use of Artificial Intelligence

Authors who use generative artificial intelligence or AI-assisted tools in preparing a manuscript must use them responsibly and remain accountable for the final work.

AI tools must not be listed as authors. Authors are responsible for verifying factual claims, equations, statistical interpretations, citations, and references produced or assisted by AI tools.

Any use of AI that materially contributes to the manuscript's development, analysis, or presentation should be disclosed in accordance with the journal's applicable editorial policy.

AI tools must not be used to fabricate research data, generate false references, conceal plagiarism, or misrepresent the conduct of research.

The use of AI for routine spelling or grammar correction may be treated differently from its use in generating substantive scholarly content.

12. Data Availability and Research Transparency

MJED encourages transparent and reproducible economic research.

Authors of empirical studies should identify the sources of their data and explain how the data were processed and analysed.

Where appropriate and legally permissible, authors should make relevant datasets, estimation codes, questionnaires, and supplementary materials available to support verification and replication.

Authors must respect licensing restrictions, confidentiality obligations, data-protection requirements, and other legitimate limitations on data sharing.

Where data cannot be made publicly available, the manuscript should explain the relevant restriction.

13. Publication Charges

MJED charges an Article Processing Charge (APC) of ₦30,000.00 for manuscripts accepted for publication, subject to the journal's applicable publication-charge policy.

The APC is payable after the manuscript has been accepted for publication, not merely because a manuscript has been submitted or sent for peer review.

Authors should await official editorial communication and payment instructions before making any payment.

Payment of the APC does not guarantee acceptance. Editorial decisions are based on scholarly quality, originality, relevance, ethical compliance, and the outcome of the editorial assessment and peer-review process.

Authors should retain evidence of payment and provide it to the editorial office when requested.

Any change to the publication charge will be communicated through the journal's official channels.

14. Open Access and Copyright

MJED operates as an open-access journal with the objective of making published scholarly research accessible to researchers, students, policymakers, institutions, and the wider public.

The journal's open-access arrangements are intended to facilitate the dissemination and use of scholarly knowledge, subject to applicable copyright and licensing conditions.

Authors must ensure that they have the right to submit all materials included in their manuscripts.

Any third-party tables, figures, images, or other copyrighted materials must be appropriately acknowledged, and permission must be obtained where required.

The journal's specific copyright and reuse terms should be communicated to authors during acceptance or publication and should be stated clearly on its official website.

15. Corrections, Retractions, and Post-Publication Concerns

MJED recognises that maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record may require corrections or other editorial action after publication.

Where significant errors are identified, the journal may publish corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions as appropriate to the circumstances.

Concerns involving plagiarism, data manipulation, duplicate publication, authorship disputes, or other forms of research misconduct will be assessed fairly and confidentially.

Authors are encouraged to notify the editorial office promptly if they discover a material error in their published work.

16. Author Responsibilities After Acceptance

Authors whose manuscripts are accepted for publication are expected to:

1. Submit the final revised manuscript within the stipulated deadline.
2. Address all outstanding editorial and reviewer recommendations.
3. Ensure that references, equations, tables, figures, and statistical results are accurate.
4. Provide any required declarations, permissions, or supporting documentation.
5. Submit evidence of the applicable publication charge in accordance with official instructions.
6. Review proofs carefully and communicate corrections within the specified period.
7. Respond promptly to reasonable editorial enquiries.

Failure to comply with essential publication requirements may delay publication or require further editorial review.

17. Final Submission Checklist

Before submitting a manuscript to MJED, authors should confirm that:

• The manuscript falls within the aims and scope of MJED.

• The work is original and is not under consideration by another journal.

• All authors have approved the final manuscript.

• The manuscript follows the prescribed formatting requirements.

• The title page and anonymised manuscript are separate.

• The abstract and keywords are included.

• Relevant JEL classification codes are included where appropriate.

• Tables, figures, equations, and appendices are clearly presented.

• All in-text citations correspond to entries in the reference list.

• References follow APA 7th edition.

• Relevant ethical approvals and disclosures are provided.

• Funding sources and competing interests are declared.

• Data sources and analytical methods are adequately documented.

• Required permissions for third-party materials have been obtained.

• The cover letter and other required submission documents are included.

18. Editorial Contact

Mkar Journal of Economics and Development (MJED)
Department of Economics
University of Mkar
Mkar, Benue State, Nigeria.

Email: tbachiuior@umm.edu.ng

ISSN: 3043-5110

Authors are encouraged to contact the editorial office for clarification regarding manuscript preparation, submission procedures, editorial decisions, revisions, and publication requirements.

Editorial Management
Mkar Journal of Economics and Development (MJED)
Department of Economics, University of Mkar, Mkar, Nigeria.