Submissions

Author Guidelines

The author of the correspondence must submit a manuscript online along with a covering letter. The journal will acknowledge the corresponding author within 72 hours of the manuscript's successful submission. Send an email to star@wgu.edu.et with any questions about preparing and submitting manuscripts to the journal.

English is the official language of the journal. The corresponding authors must affirm that they are submitting the manuscript on behalf of all authors. When the manuscript is accepted, copyright belongs to the publisher. The publisher will not return rejected manuscripts to the authors.

Manuscript Preparation 

1. Original Research Paper 

Prepare your papers in A4 (8.27" x 11.69") page size, Times New Roman font size 12, line spacing  1.15, and "Normal" margins. For all sections of the manuscript, the authors must strictly adhere to  the journal's proper format; refer to papers in recent issues for the general layout of the paper as  well as for details. 

A research paper typically should be in the following order: 

1. Title 
2. Abstract and Keywords 
3. Introduction 
4. Statement of the problem
5. Research questions (or) Hypotheses
6. Conceptual framework (optional)
7. Materials and Methods 
8. Results
9. Discussion
10. Conclusions
11. Recommendations
12. CRediT author statement
13. Declarations of competing interests
14. Ethical approval
15. Data availability statement
16. Acknowledgements
17. References

1. Title page 

The first page should include the complete title of the manuscript, full names of all authors, their affiliations, and addresses. The name, ORCID, and e-mail address of the corresponding author are also mandatory. 

Use Times New Roman font in a bold size of 12, capitalize the first character of each word, and center the title. Please include the full names of the authors along with their affiliations in your text. 

2. Abstract and keywords 

Present the objectives, methods, findings, and conclusions concisely in the abstract, which should not exceed 200 words. The abstract page should contain a list of 4 to 6 keywords that are suitable for indexing. Avoid using vague or overgeneralized terms. The abstract must be written in font size 11 and italicized. 

3. Introduction 

State the work's goals and provide an adequate background, avoiding a detailed literature survey.  Include a description of the research area, background information on the study.

4. Statement of the problem

A problem statement in research identifies the issue or gap in knowledge that the research aims to address, providing context and highlighting the significance of the study.

5. Research questions (or) Hypotheses

The research questions are the foundation of a study, guiding the entire research process by focusing on a specific issue or problem that the study aims to address. They should be clear, focused, and specific, and can be categorized as descriptive, comparative, relational, or explanatory, depending on the type of research undertaken.

A research hypothesis (or scientific hypothesis) is a statement about an expected relationship between variables, or an explanation of an occurrence, that is clear, specific, and testable.

6. Conceptual framework (optional)

A conceptual framework illustrates the expected relationship between your variables. It defines the relevant objectives for your research process and maps out how they come together to draw coherent conclusions.

7. Materials and methods 

Materials and methods should include explicit and concise descriptions of all methods or procedures employed. Commonly used methods require only a citation of the source. The accuracy, reproducibility, reliability, etc. of the work are worth mentioning. You should clearly explain the statistical tools used to analyze the data. A statement of necessary ethical approval from the appropriate ethical committee must accompany the use of experimental animals or human subjects. 

Results and discussion 

8. Results

Results should be clear and concise. They should include experimental, qualitative, or quantitative data, but not lengthy discussions of its relative significance. Presenting results in graphic or tabular form, as opposed to discursively, facilitates reader comprehension. Avoid repeating data in the text, tables, or figures when discussing the results. 

9. Discussion

 The discussion explores the significance of the work's results without repeating them. A combined results and discussion section is often appropriate. Avoid excessive citations and discussions of published literature. This section links the results section to the current understanding of the scientific problems under investigation in the field. This section should include a comparison of other works in the field. This section also allows discussing the significance of your results. This section should end with new answers or questions that arise as  a result of the findings. Lengthy discussion necessarily means a delay in accepting manuscripts for publication. Write the discussion with a logical connection between the introduction and the conclusion. 

10. Conclusions 

Present the conclusions concisely. This section should align with the study's results and discussion, addressing the points raised in the abstract. 

11. Recommendations

Recommendations in research studies are practical suggestions or actions based on the findings, intended to address issues or guide future research and interventions. They should be specific, actionable, and evidence-based, clearly linking to the study's objectives and conclusions.

12. CRediT author statement

CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) was introduced to recognize individual author contributions, reducing authorship disputes and facilitating collaboration.

13.  Declaration of competing interests

A declaration of competing interests, also known as a conflict-of-interest disclosure, is a statement that reveals any potential relationships or interests that could influence or be perceived to influence an individual's objectivity or judgment.

14. Ethical approval

Authors should include a statement when reporting a study that involves human participants, their data, or biological material. This statement should confirm approval (or exemption) from the appropriate institutional and/or national research ethics committee, including the name of the committee, and certify that the study adheres to the ethical standards outlined in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki, its later amendments, or comparable standards.

15. Data availability statements 

Based on the study, data may be within the article or will be provided by the corresponding author upon reasonable request, which should be declared. 

16. Acknowledgements 

This section recognizes the individuals or organizations that provided help during the research (e.g., providing funding, editing, writing assistance, proofreading, etc.).

17. References 

Please ensure that every reference cited in the text is also present in the reference list (and vice  versa). We do not recommend including unpublished results and personal communications in the  text citations and reference list. The references should follow the standard APA 7 reference style.  We will not accept "personal communication" as a reference. 

Format for Citing the References in Text 

Single author: 

Author's name (without initials, unless there is ambiguity) and the year of publication. Parenthetical 

(Elangovan, 2023) 

Narrative 

Elangovan (2023) 

Two authors: 

Both authors' names and the year of publication; 

Three or more authors: 

First author's name followed by et al., and the year of publication. 

If the same author or authors published twice or more in the same year, citationsshould be included in the small alphabet at the end of the year. An example is given as follows, 

Parenthetical (Blondaux & Hanrahan, 2018a) ; (Blondaux & Hanrahan, 2018b) Narrative: Blondaux and Hanrahan (2018a); Blondaux and Hanrahan (2018b) In the Reference section, all the references should be listed in Alphabetical order (A - Z) Journal Articles 

Dheressa, M. A., Olana, T., & Bekele, E. (2023). The Effect of Task-Based Language Instruction on Shambu Secondary Students’ Speaking Self-Efficacy Beliefs and Benefits. Journal of Languages and Language Teaching, 11(4), 822-833. https://doi.org/10.33394/jollt.v11i4.8811

Organization as Author 

Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group. Hypertension, insulin, and proinsulin in participants with impaired glucose tolerance. Hypertension 679-86. 

Paper or Chapter in a Book 

Osawa, T. (1994). Novel natural antioxidants for utilization in food and biological systems. In: Uritani, I., Garcia, V.V. & Mendoza, E.M. (Eds.), Postharvest biochemistry of plant food materialsin the tropics. Tokyo, Japan: Japan Scientific Societies Press. pp. 241-251. Book by Authors 

Atta-ur-Rahman, Choudhary, M.I., Thomsen, 

W.J. (2001). Bioassay Techniques for Drug Development. Harwood Academic Publishers, The Netherlands. pp. 142–143. 

Thesis / Dissertation: 

Author, A. (Year). Title (Publication No. if present) (Doctoral dissertation/PhD thesis/Master's dissertation/Master's thesis), Institution Name, Country. 

Kelly, B. D. (2018). The Art of Coffee Roasting: Investigations into Sensor Development for  theApplication of Controlling Coffee Roasting ( PhD Thesis), The University of Waikato,  Hamilton,New Zealand. https://hdl.handle.net/10289/11614 

Patents 

Haga, T. (1976). Japan Patent No: 50-54628. 

Web Pages 

Include author, date, title, availability information, and accession date, if needed. URL of the siteshould be mentioned. 

Figures and Tables 

Figures and Tables should be numbered consecutively with Arabic numerals, within the text at the appropriate place (Table description at the top and Figure description at the bottom). 

Tables 

✓ All tables are to be numbered using Arabic numerals. 

✓ Always cite tables in text in consecutive numerical order. 

✓ Please provide a table caption (title) explaining the components of each table. ✓ Identify any previously published material by giving the source in the form of a reference at the end of the Table caption. 

✓ To create tables, use the table function, not spreadsheets. Avoid creating tables by hand with multiple spaces or tabs that contain no cells. 

✓ Mention the units within the cell.

5 

Tabe number and caption should be written as follows: Table 1 

Determination of speed 

1. No Distance 

(m) 

Time (s) 

Speed (ms-1) 

1 10 2 5 

2 9 3 3 

Figures 

✓ If a figure has multiple parts, arrange them sequentially and have a common caption. In a file,  illustrations should not be placed in table cells or grouped in a similar way. 

✓ The original files of illustrations should be submitted along with the manuscript. 

✓ Please label the figure with "Figure" and the figure number. For example, Figure 1. Study area 

✓ Avoid adding shading or grids to the background. 

✓ Upload the images in JPEG format with more than 300dpi. 

✓ Trim the photographs and figures to eliminate any extraneous details. 

✓ Labels, numbers, and symbols should be clear and uniform. The lettering for figures should be large enough to be legible after the column. 

✓ Symbols, arrows, or letters used in photomicrographs should contrast with the background and should be marked neatly with transfer type. 

✓ Provide the numerical data on which graphs, scattergrams, or histograms are based when submitting them. 

✓ If a figure has been published elsewhere, it is important to acknowledge the source and obtain written permission from the copyright holder for reproduction. This information should be included in the legend for such figures. 

✓ The Journal reserves the right to crop, rotate, reduce, or enlarge the photographs to an acceptable size. 

1. Review Articles

The review articles should contain the best analysis of the previous research works' results. III. Correspondence (Letter to the Editor) 

Correspondence (letter to the editor) should be short and decisive observations. The Journal will occasionally consider publishing letters to the editor from readers and authors in the “Correspondence” section. Letters should provide concise comments and clarifications on recently published articles in this journal. Preferably, the letters should be related to previously published articles in the journal, and they should not be preliminary observations requiring validation in a later paper. The letter can contain a maximum of 700 words, and a table can typically have up to four authors. 

1. Short Communications

Short Communications includes completed projects of smaller scope but may not be used for preliminary publications of the data; therefore, the same material cannot be published elsewhere as an original paper. The main body of these communications' text should be no more than 2,000 words long and without subheadings. Manuscripts should contain no more than 2 figures and/or tables with a maximum of 15 references. They should have an abstract not exceeding 150 words in length. Manuscripts normally occupy 4 journal pages. You should mention 2-4 keywords or short phrases for indexing. Indicate the number of words used in the main body of the text. 

1. Case reports

Reports can include new, interesting, and rare cases. They should be unique, describing a  significant diagnostic or therapeutic challenge for the readers. We will prioritize cases with  clinical significance or implications. The manuscript could be of up to 1000 words (excluding  references and abstracts).  

 The headings for these communications should be as follows: 

Abstract (150 words), Keywords (3-5 words), Introduction, Case Report Discussion, Reference (maximum 12) 

Proofs 

The corresponding author of an accepted manuscript will receive an e-mail notification and complete instructions when page proofs are available for review via a secure website. At the page proof stage, repetitive rephrasing of sentences or additions is not permitted. Only serious changes in interpretation or data corrections should warrant alterations. Extensive or important changes on page proofs, including changes to the list of authors or major changes to the title, are subject to editorial review. The manuscript's corresponding author must ensure that all authors agree with proof changes. Returning galley proofs within 48 hours of receipt guarantees the manuscript's timely publication. Only the corresponding author should submit one set of galley corrections to the STAR.

Changing the Authorship 

This policy concerns the addition, deletion, or rearrangement of author names in the authorship of accepted manuscripts. Before publishing the accepted manuscript in an online issue, the corresponding author of the accepted manuscript must send requests to the Editor in Chief to add or remove an author or rearrange the author names. These requests must include (a) a justification for the addition or removal of the name, or the rearranging of the author names, and (b) written confirmation (e-mail, fax, letter) from all authors indicating their agreement with the addition, removal, or rearrangement. When adding or removing authors, the corresponding author must confirm their consent. The Editor in Chief will forward requests not sent by the corresponding author to the corresponding author, who must follow the above-described procedure. We suspend the publication of the accepted manuscript in an online issue until we agree on authorship. 

Plagiarism Policy 

Plagiarism is considered a serious breach of scientific ethics. Thus, the journal uses Turnitin plagiarism software and rejects the manuscript if the plagiarism is more than 30%.

Article Retraction 

Professional ethical codes are violated by actions like multiple submissions, false claims of  authorship, plagiarism, and the fraudulent use of data. Occasionally, one will use a retraction to  rectify errors in submission or publication.