Editorial Policies
Editorial Policies
NJAP's editorial policies are grounded in the standards and guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the broader international scientific community. By submitting a manuscript, all authors agree to abide by every policy set out below.
Authorship Policy
Authorship of a manuscript submitted to NJAP carries significant responsibilities. Every listed author must have:
- Made a genuine, demonstrable intellectual contribution to the design, conduct, analysis, or reporting of the research
- Critically reviewed and approved the intellectual content of the final manuscript
- Agreed to be identified as an author and consented to submission
- Accepted accountability for the aspects of the work they contributed to, and be able to identify which co-authors are responsible for other aspects
Inclusivity of Contributors
NJAP expects that all individuals who made a genuine scientific contribution to the reported work are included as authors. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Lead researchers and all co-investigators
- Individuals who designed the study or its instrumentation
- Personnel who collected or processed data central to the results
- Students whose experimental or analytical work formed a substantial component of the research
- Technicians and support staff whose contributions were technically essential to the findings
Prohibition of Undeserved Authorship
Adding the name of any individual who did not make a genuine intellectual contribution to the research — whether as a mark of seniority, professional courtesy, in exchange for resources, or for any other reason — constitutes "gift authorship" and is strictly prohibited.
Consequence: Manuscripts found to involve gift or misrepresented authorship may be rejected and the relevant institutions formally notified.
Corresponding Author Duties
The corresponding author is the primary point of contact between the author team and the NJAP Editorial Office throughout the submission, review, and production process. The corresponding author is responsible for:
- Submission: Preparing and submitting the manuscript through the NJAP online portal; ensuring all co-author details, suggested reviewers, payment evidence, and other required materials are included
- Accuracy: Verifying the accuracy and completeness of all information provided in the submission, including author affiliations and contact details
- Communication: Serving as the primary liaison with the Editorial Office for all correspondence during review and production
- Post-publication: Proofreading galley proofs within the required 48-hour window; responding promptly to editorial queries; handling any post-publication requests for clarification, corrections, or data sharing
Competing Interests Policy
NJAP requires all authors to disclose any interests — financial or non-financial — that could be perceived to have influenced the design, conduct, reporting, or interpretation of the research presented in the manuscript. Transparency, not the absence of conflicts, is the guiding principle.
Financial Competing Interests
Financial interests requiring disclosure include, but are not limited to:
- Employment by, or consultancy for, an organisation with a financial interest in the results
- Share ownership or investment in companies whose products are relevant to the manuscript
- Research funding, honoraria, or speaker fees received from relevant entities
- Patent applications or royalty arrangements relating to the subject matter of the research
Non-Financial Competing Interests
Non-financial interests — such as significant personal, institutional, or ideological relationships that might affect objectivity — must also be disclosed fully.
How to Declare
All competing interests must be stated in the manuscript's designated Conflict of Interest Statement section. Where no competing interests exist, authors should state: "The authors declare no competing interests."
Citation Policy
Accuracy and DOI Requirements
All references must be accurate, complete, formatted in APA style, and machine-readable. Manually entered in-text citations that are not linked to the References section are not acceptable. DOI must be included for every reference where one is available.
Electronic Sources and URL Stability
For online-only sources:
- A DOI is preferred over a raw URL wherever available
- All URLs must be functional and verified at the time of submission
- Links must resolve to the original published source, not to unauthorised copies or preprint servers unless specifically citing the preprint
Self-Citation
Self-citations are acceptable where directly relevant to the current research, but must:
- Be genuinely necessary to support the scientific argument or contextualise the contribution
- Not constitute more than approximately 10–15% of the total reference list
- Not be included for the purpose of artificially increasing personal citation metrics
Unpublished Work and Personal Communications
Citation of unpublished work should be avoided wherever possible. Where essential:
- Work in preparation or under review must not be cited as published material
- Reference as "unpublished data" or "personal communication" with written permission from the source, including the date and full contact details of the source
Plagiarism and Attribution
- All cited material must be correctly attributed to its original authors
- Direct quotations must be placed in quotation marks with page references
- Paraphrased material still requires citation
- Any form of plagiarism — including unacknowledged paraphrase — is strictly prohibited and subject to the sanctions set out in the Publication Ethics policy
Core Editorial Principles
Every editorial decision and policy at NJAP is guided by the following principles:
- Scientific Honesty: Authors must report all methods, data, and findings truthfully and without selective omission or distortion.
- Research Integrity: Misconduct in any form damages the cumulative body of applied physics knowledge and public trust in science.
- Author Accountability: All authors share responsibility for the accuracy, integrity, and ethical soundness of the published work.
- Transparency: All editorial policies and decisions are applied consistently and communicated openly.
- Impartial Evaluation: Every submitted manuscript is assessed on the basis of scientific merit, without regard to authors' nationality, institution, or seniority.
Agreement to Editorial Policies
By submitting a manuscript to NJAP, all authors confirm that they have read and understood these editorial policies and agree to comply fully with every requirement stated herein.
Contact and Support
For questions regarding NJAP's editorial policies, contact:
Website: https://njap.nipngr.org/index.php/njap/about/contact
NIP Contact: info@nipngr.org | +2348036251745
