Instructions for preparing and submitting manuscripts to IJSAPA.
The IJSAPA welcomes contributions from researchers, pharmacy practitioners, educators, and policymakers. All manuscripts must be written in English and must not have been published previously or be under consideration elsewhere.
Reports of empirical studies including cross-sectional and longitudinal surveys, interventional studies, qualitative research, and mixed-methods designs. Maximum 5,000 words excluding references, tables, and figures.
Systematic reviews, scoping reviews, and narrative reviews that synthesise existing evidence on topics within the journal's scope. Systematic reviews should follow PRISMA or equivalent reporting guidelines. Maximum 6,000 words.
Brief reports of preliminary findings, pilot studies, or novel observations with immediate relevance to pharmacy practice or policy. Maximum 2,000 words.
Detailed reports of individual or organisational cases that illustrate important issues in pharmacy administration, practice, or policy. Maximum 3,000 words.
Scholarly opinion pieces, policy commentaries, and reflective essays on contemporary issues in social and administrative pharmacy. Maximum 2,500 words. These are typically invited but unsolicited submissions are considered.
Manuscripts should be organised in the following order:
IJSAPA uses the Vancouver referencing style throughout. References are numbered consecutively in the order they first appear in the text, using superscript Arabic numerals. Journal titles should be abbreviated according to Index Medicus conventions. Include DOIs where available.
Journal article:
Suleiman IA, Aina BA, Awodele OE. Social pharmacy practice in Africa. IJSAPA. 2026;1(1):1-12. doi:10.xxxx/ijsap.2026.001
Book:
Fashina OA. Social Pharmacy in Africa: Policy and Practice. 2nd ed. Ile-Ife: OAU Press; 2024.
Website:
National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control. Pharmacovigilance guidelines [Internet]. Abuja: NAFDAC; 2023 [cited 2026 Mar 15]. Available from: https://nafdac.gov.ng
Manuscripts are submitted to the editorial office via email. Follow these steps:
All manuscripts undergo double-blind peer review. Authors should expect the following timeline:
Possible editorial decisions are: accept, minor revision, major revision, or reject. Authors receiving a revision decision must submit a revised manuscript and a detailed point-by-point response letter within the timeframe specified in the decision letter.
All listed authors must have made substantial contributions to the work and approved the submitted version. Changes to the author list after submission require written approval from all authors and a justification to the editorial office.
All submissions are screened using plagiarism detection software. Manuscripts with similarity indices exceeding 20% (excluding references and methods) may be rejected. Self-plagiarism, including redundant publication of previously published data without disclosure, is not permitted.
Research involving human participants, human data, or animals must include evidence of approval from a recognised institutional ethics review board. The approval reference number and institution must be stated in the Methods section and on the title page.
All authors must complete and submit a conflict of interest declaration form. Financial support, employment relationships, consultancies, and any other relationships that could be perceived as influencing the research must be disclosed.
Accepted manuscripts undergo professional copyediting to ensure clarity, consistency, and adherence to journal style. Authors receive page proofs for final review and must return corrections within 5 business days. Only essential corrections to factual errors are permitted at the proof stage; substantive changes require editorial approval.
Upon publication, the corresponding author receives a PDF of the final article and a formal acceptance letter. Published articles are immediately available on the journal website under open access terms.